It is hard to believe that there was a time when youngsters did not have access to entire channels dedicated to animated shows. In the 1980s, if you wanted to see your favorite cartoons, you had to get up early on Saturday and sit in front of the television.
All you have to do now is turn on the iPad and you will have access to thousands of hours of cartoons. In the 1980s, networks would throw everything out there on Saturday mornings to see what would succeed. While some series became bestsellers and produced decades-long franchises, the great majority of them faded into obscurity, their dusty action figures populating garage sales.
Colorful cartoons such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Transformers had a huge influence in the 1980s, spawning nostalgic brands that are still being renewed and equalized today. Most 1980s cartoons had heroic main characters who battled armies of foes like the Foot clan or the Decepticons, teaching viewers valuable lessons about the nature of good and evil.
Whether it is to sell things, inspire joy, or provide role models for viewers to look up to, fans can agree that these 80s cartoons are the cream of the crop. Children could not get enough of heroes who saved the day, therefore action cartoons became immensely popular among all of the genres to which these cartoons belonged.
In today’s video, we will look at a selection of the best 15 action cartoons from the 1980s. So fasten your seatbelts and get ready to dive right in!
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a Filmation animated television series based on Mattel’s Masters of the Universe toy line. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was one of the most popular animated shows of the 1980s. It premiered on television in September 1983 and continued for two seasons, each with 65 episodes, until 1985.
Re-runs aired in syndication until 1988 when the series’ rights were purchased by USA Network. He-Man was on the air in the United States until September 1990. The syndication success of the toy-based show prompted other animation studios to make half-hour “cartoon ads,” significantly altering the syndicated cartoon industry.
The story takes place in Eternia, a magical, mythical, and fantastical world. Prince Adam, the infant son of Eternia’s rulers, King Randor and Queen Marlena, is the main character. When Prince Adam raises the Sword of Power and declares, “By the Power of Grayskull!” he turns into He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe, with amazing secret powers beyond one’s imagination.
He-Man utilizes his talents to defend Eternia against Skeletor’s evil armies with the help of his close allies Battle Cat, who also undergoes a similar change from Adam’s cowardly pet tiger Cringer, The Sorceress, Teela, Man-At-Arms, and Orko. Skeletor’s major ambition is to conquer Castle Grayskull, the mysterious castle from whence He-Man receives his abilities. Skeletor would have the power to dominate all of Eternia, if not the entire cosmos if he succeeds.
The show inspired a feature-length theatrical film He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword near the end of its original run, which served as the introduction for the show’s literal sister series She-Ra: Princess of Power.
Thundercats
ThunderCats is an American animated television series created by Ted “Tobin” Wolf and produced by Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment and Leisure Concepts that premiered in 1985. In 1985, the first season of the show aired, consisting of 65 episodes, and in 1986, a television movie titled ThunderCats – Ho! was released. Seasons 2, 3, and 4 all had twenty episodes, with the first one being a five-part tale.
ThunderCats follows the exploits of the titular team of heroes, a group of cat-like humanoid aliens that live on the planet Third Earth. The plot of the series opens with the dying planet Thundera reaching the end of its life cycle, forcing the ThunderCats to flee their homeworld. The Mutants of Plun-Darr, the Thundereans’ adversaries, attack the fleet, destroying most of the starships in the “ThunderFleet,” but sparing the flagship in the hopes of capturing the famous mystic Sword of Omens they believe is on board.
The Eye of Thundera, the source of the ThunderCats’ strength, is implanted in the hilt of the sword. Despite the Mutants’ damage to the flagship, the Eye’s power repels them. Because of the damage to the ship, they will have to travel to “Third Earth,” which would take considerably longer than they had intended.
Jaga, the ThunderCats’ eldest, volunteers to pilot the ship while the others sleep in capsules; however, he dies of old age in the process, but not before assuring they arrive safely. Lion-O, the youthful Lord of the ThunderCats, as well as the ThunderCats Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WilyKit and WilyKat, and Snarf, are all aboard the flagship.
It follows their exploits and adventures and bouts with the main villain, Mumm-Ra as they wake up from their suspended animation on Third Earth after ten “galactic years”.
Voltron
Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a half-hour animated program produced by World Events Productions, also known as WEP, from 1984 to 1985 that first presented Voltron to the public. Lion Force episodes of Beast King GoLion and the Vehicle Force episodes of Armored Fleet Dairugger XV are really translated and adapted from two Japanese anime series.
This show follows a legend, the legend of Voltron, Defender of the Universe, originates from long ago, from undiscovered regions of the universe. He is a powerful robot, adored by the good and feared by the bad. Peace spread across the cosmos as Voltron’s renown expanded. A galaxy alliance was created on the planet Earth.
They kept the universe in peace by working with the good planets of the solar system. Until the galaxy was endangered by a new terrifying enemy. Voltron was once again required. This is the narrative of the alliance’s super force of space explorers, who were specially trained and deployed to bring Voltron: Defender of the Universe back.
The first season follows five pilots who lead a team of five robot lions known as Voltron. These pilots employ these vehicles to defend the planet Arus from the terrible Warlord King Zarkon and the witch Haggar. Vehicle Voltron was the title of the second season of the show, which was based on Armored Fleet Dairugger XV and generated a television special called Voltron: Fleet of Doom.
Season two’s concept is that the Galaxy Alliance’s homeworlds have gotten overcrowded, therefore they’re looking for new planets to colonize. This one is a show close to the hearts of many 80’s young ones.
M.A.S.K
M.A.S.K. is a French-American animated television series created by DIC Enterprises, Inc. and Kenner. The M.A.S.K. action figures inspired the series. From 1985 to 1986, 75 syndicated episodes of M.A.S.K. were shown. M.A.S.K. was a mix of popular era cartoons G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and The Transformers and was one of the numerous cartoons produced during the 1980s as a vehicle for toy retailing.
M.A.S.K. stands for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, a special task force led by Matt Trakker that uses transforming vehicles to fight the criminal organization V.E.N.O.M., which stands for Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem, with a focus on super-powered masks worn by the characters on the program. V.E.N.O.M. is never made plain as to what kind of criminal organization it is.
They weren’t your standard world conquering villains, and most of their plots revolved around earning from criminal activities and providing mercenary services. V.E.N.O.M.’s main purpose was to get money via robbing, extorting, counterfeiting, kidnapping, or attempting to steal historical relics, but M.A.S.K. was always able to foil their schemes.
It’s difficult to find fault with the show’s narrative, which began as a victory of vehicle/toy design, and place everything else well below that. Again, the main joy of this series is how it triggers your brain’s nostalgia center, perhaps bringing back good memories of a time when you should have been outside playing.
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is a half-hour American animated television series that was aired from 1989 to 1992. It was based on the Hasbro toy line and the Marvel Comics franchise. DIC Enterprises was in charge of the show’s production. The series premiered in 1989 with Operation: Dragonfire, a five-part mini-series that saw Cobra Commander revert to human form. The two-season, 44-episode regular series premiered in 1990 and ran for two seasons. The series was a continuation of the original G.I. Joe animated series, which aired in syndication from 1985 to 1986 and was created by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions.
In this animated series, Cobra has fallen into disorder following the events of G.I. Joe: The Movie, with Storm Shadow, Zartan, Mindbender, Tomax, and Xamot quitting the group and the remaining subleaders becoming frustrated with Serpentor.
s a result, Baroness resurrects Cobra Commander as a humanoid, and Cobra Commander deposes Serpentor to reclaim the throne. With that, Cobra renews its onslaught against G.I. Joe, which is now led by Sgt. Slaughter and Hawk consist of a new generation of Joes.
The DiC series’ first season consisted mostly of solo episodes that focused on introducing new team members and plots. Following the miniseries “Operation Dragonfire,” the DiC show cut its animation budget and began a run of two-part episodes that frequently featured a deeper tale featuring more dramatic life-or-death circumstances for the Joes. The series wasn’t well-received critically but many of us who watched it in our childhoods, remember it quite fondly.
Transformers
The Transformers is an American animated television series based on Hasbro’s Transformers toy line that aired in syndication from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987. It depicts a fight between huge robots that can morph into vehicles and other items, and it is the first television series in the Transformers brand. This series is also known as “Generation 1,” a moniker coined by fans in 1992 in response to the franchise’s re-branding as Transformers: Generation 2.
The inhabitants of the planet Cybertron are the focus of the “Transformers” animated series. These shape-shifting robots, known as Transformers, are equipped with a variety of gadgets and weapons. The Transformers are divided into two parties due to a civil war on Cybertron: the Autobots commanded by Optimus Prime and the Decepticons led by Megatron.
Both groups crash-land on Earth in search of new energy, and neither group awakens for nearly four million years. They arrive in modern society once they wake up and instead of going back, Megatron recognizes the enormous potential of Earth’s energy and attempts to harness it for his own ends on numerous occasions. To safeguard the humans, Optimus Prime and his troops resolve to stay on Earth.
It revolves around the cartoon battles between two sets of enormous robots: the evil Decepticons and the heroic Autobots. There will be plenty of robot combat and explosions, but there will be few actual injuries. The series was based on a popular toy line; the toys, as well as many other Transformers products, are still available, but the cartoons remain at the center of the Transformers empire.
The Centurions
The Centurions is a Ruby-Spears-produced American science fiction animated television series that was animated in Japan by Nippon Sunrise’s Studio 7. Character designs were done by Norio Shioyama, while comic book creators Jack Kirby and Gil Kane contributed to the show’s design and conceptions. The five-part mini-series premiered in 1986 and was followed by a 60-episode series. The struggle between Doc Terror’s cyborgs and the Centurions is the central focus of the show.
Doc Terror, a cyborg mad scientist, plans to conquer the Earth and turn its inhabitants into robot slaves in the near future the twenty-first century. Hacker, his cyborg friend, and an army of robots support him. Cyborgs came in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular drones are Doom Drone Traumatizers, which are walking robots with laser blasters for arms. The Traumatizer’s toy was only available at Sears. The Traumatizer Leader was painted in a bright red color.
The Doom Drone Strafer, a flying robot armed with missiles and lasers, was also there. By switching their pure robot half for a Strafer, Doc Terror and Hacker can fly. Groundborgs, a land-based robot equipped with lasers that moved on treads, and Cybervore Panther, a robot panther, were also shown. Later additions included the Cybervore Shark, a wheeled Drone with a big screen and guns, and an underwater drone. Doc Terror’s daughter Amber joins them on several occasions.
The valiant Centurions foil their nefarious schemes at every turn. The Centurions are a group of men clothed in specially designed exo-frames that allow them to combine with ‘amazing’ assault weapon systems, transforming into what the program refers to as man and machine. The end result is a weapons platform that looks like a cross between a hard suit and a mecha. This is another insanely popular 80’s cartoon that people remember.
Inhumanoids
Inhumanoids is the name of an anime series as well as a Hasbro toy line that was produced in 1986. The show was produced by Sunbow Entertainment and Marvel Productions, and animated in Japan by Toei Animation, in the style of other Hasbro products such as Transformers and G.I. Joe. Earth Corps, a scientist-hero squad, battles a trio of underground monsters known as the Inhumanoids with the help of elemental beings known as the Mutores in Inhumanoids.
Inhumanoids, or InHumanoids, debuted as part of the Super Sunday action block, which featured segments from Jem and the Holograms, Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines, and Robotix, among others.
Inhumanoids, like the others, was a series of 6-7 minute animated shorts. Unlike most of the others, the series was popular enough to be stitched together into Inhumanoids: The Movie, a collection of five 22-minute episodes titled “The Evil Lies Within.” To complete the TV series, an additional eight full-length episodes were ordered and released.
The strong narrative flow that linked episodes in order with continuing storylines and a suspenseful thread of suspense plots and sub-plots, set the series apart from other children’s cartoons of the period. The show was visually unusual for its use of thick darkness, split screens, and occasionally brow-raising graphic imagery, such as grotesque amputations or agonizing deaths by corrosive acid, which would be difficult to even find in today’s “children’s hour” television.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls2lvNYrZVI
SilverHawks
In 1986, Lorimar-Telepictures released SilverHawks, an American animated television series created by Rankin/Bass Productions and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures. Pacific Animation Corporation, a Japanese studio, created the animation. There were a total of 65 episodes produced. It was conceived as a space-based counterpart to ThunderCats, their previous series.
Commander Stargazer, a bionic cop, enlisted the SilverHawks, “half metal, partly real” heroes, to combat the wicked Mon*Star, an exiled alien crime leader who, with the help of Limbo’s Moonstar, transforms into a massive armor-plated behemoth. The snakelike Yes-Man, the blade-wielding Buzz-Saw, the “bull”-headed Mumbo-Jumbo, a weather controller known as Windhammer, a shapeshifter known as Mo-Lec-U-Lar, a robotic card shark known as Poker-Face, the weapons-heavy Hardware, and “the musical madness of” Melodia, who uses a “keytar” that fires musical notes, all join Mon*Star in his villainy.
Quicksilver, accompanied by his metal bird buddy Tally-Hawk, leads the SilverHawks. Steelheart and Steel will, the SilverHawks’ technician and strongman, respectively, were twins Emily and Will Hart. The Maraj, the team’s spacecraft, was piloted by country-singing Bluegrass.
A child “from the planet of the mimes” titled “The Copper Kidd” and commonly referred to as “Kidd” for short, a mathematical genius who talked in whistles and electronic tones, completes the group. Their bionic bodies are protected by full-body metal armor with a retractable protective mask, retractable under-arm wings, thrusters on their heels, and laser weapons on their shoulders.
One of the best pieces of television ever made, and a great example of how inventive a simple premise can be when handled by caring individuals.
DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH (1986-87)
In the year 2015, characters from three King Features Syndicate comic strips—Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Mandrake’s helper Lothar—opposed Ming the Merciless in the animated television series Defenders of the Earth, which premiered in 1986. Their offspring, Rick Gordon, son of Flash, L.J., son of Lothar, Kshin, Mandrake’s adopted son, and Jedda Walker, daughter of the Phantom, play supporting roles. The show aired for 65 episodes, and Star Comics created a short-lived comic book series based on it.
Flash Gordon and his son Rick are pursued by Ming the Merciless, who has depleted the natural riches of his home planet Mongo and wishes to exploit Earth. Ming tries to brainwash Flash’s wife Dale Arden, but she fights back until she dies, after which her mind is incorporated into the Defenders’ supercomputer Dynac X.
Later on, Flash and Mandrake from the Defenders to fight Ming. Ming’s diabolical plots usually involve him collecting a new weapon or hunting out a mystical item in order to construct a new weapon, while the Defenders of the Earth strive to preserve the globe from his machinations. There’s also the occasional morality tale thrown in because it is a children’s show after all.
Aside from nostalgia, Defenders of the Earth is a very basic 80s action cartoon, but it is greatly boosted by its opening theme tune, which may be the greatest opening song in animation history. It’s so addictive that If you watch the show or hear it once. It will play on your mind and you will be humming it for weeks. Which otherwise would be annoying if it weren’t so wonderful.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is an animated television series based on the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons by TSR. The show was a co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR that aired on CBS for three seasons from 1983 to 1985, totaling twenty-seven episodes. The show featured the adventures of a group of six companions who were transported into the titular world and struggled to find their way home with the help of their guide, the Dungeon Master.
A mystical dark ride on an amusement park roller coaster transports them to the “realm of Dungeons & Dragons.” When they arrive in the realm, they are greeted by the Dungeon Master, who bestows a magical trinket on each youngster. The children’s primary purpose is to return home, but they frequently detour to aid others or discover that their destiny is entwined with those of others.
The party encounters a variety of foes, but Venger is their main adversary. Venger is a powerful wizard who seeks to control the realm and believes that the children’s weapons’ power will aid him in this endeavor. Tiamat, a five-headed dragon, and the only entity Venger fears is another reoccurring nemesis.
A thoroughly enjoyable series, it, unfortunately, ended abruptly. The final unproduced episode, “Requiem,” would have proved that Venger is the Dungeon Master’s corrupted son, given him a redemption story arc, and left the six children with the choice of returning home or dealing with the evil that still resided in the realm. However, everyone who watched this show at that time definitely loved it.
Dino-Riders
Dino-Riders is an animated children’s television show that debuted in 1988. Dino-Riders was largely intended to promote a new Tyco toy range. There were only fourteen episodes made, three of which were released on VHS in the United States. The program was part of the Marvel Action Universe programming block in the United States.
On prehistoric Earth, the series centers on a war between the noble Valorians and the wicked Rulon Alliance. The Valorians were a superhuman species, while the Rulons were made up of many humanoids, the most frequent of which were ants, crocodiles, snakes, and sharks. Both races originated in the future but were transferred to the period of dinosaurs. The Valorians befriended dinosaurs once they arrived on Earth, while the Rulons brainwashed them.
Dinosaurs running around with lasers and armor on their backs. The program and its toys were a child’s fantasy come true!
Robocop
RoboCop is a superhero animated series that premiered in 1988 and is based on the 1987 film RoboCop. The cartoon was aired, as a part of the Marvel Action Universe programming block. It is set in an alternate timeline where events similar to those depicted in the film occurred, with the exception of Clarence Boddicker’s death, which is revealed in the last episode.
To make the RoboCop universe more appropriate for younger viewers, the show replaced bullets with laser guns and moved the narrative to a science fiction premise. RoboCop had a red light in the middle of his visor in this series.
The series follows cyborg cop Alex Murphy, often known as RoboCop, as he struggles to preserve the city of Old Detroit from various rogue forces while also striving to recapture bits of his humanity and maintain his usefulness in the eyes of the “Old Man,” Chairman of Omni Consumer Products. RoboCop’s reputation is put to the test or tarnished in many episodes by interventions from Dr. McNamara, the developer of ED-260. He is always developing new mechanical threats to RoboCop.
Robocop: The Animated Series has held up fairly well over time. In comparison to modern cartoons, the animation looks clumsy, but when viewed in context, it is still rather nice. The series is fantastic and sticks as close to the original material as possible; it’s a must-see!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PlayMates collaborated with Murakami-Wolf-Swenson to make the first Turtles animated series, which was launched in 1987 and ran for almost a decade, inspired by the success of He-Man, G.I. Joe, and Transformers, which had pushed toy lines with animated programs. It was the first television adaptation of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s superhero team of the same name. It also revealed details about the Turtles, such as their color-coded masks, catchphrases, pizza obsession, and individual personalities.
In this series, an honorable ninja master named Hamato Yoshi was banished from his clan after an unknown youngster unintentionally threw four turtles into the sewers. One day, when he returned from his excursions in New York City, he discovered the turtles covered in a strange glowing goo.
The turtles who were most recently exposed to Yoshi became humanoid, while Yoshi, who was most recently exposed to sewer rats, became a humanoid rat, and the turtles gave him the name “Splinter.” Yoshi raises the four turtles as his own kids and teaches them ninjitsu. After his favorite Italian Renaissance artists, he calls them Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo, and Raphael.
This show is well-liked by all. It’s both amusing and traditional. It’s a classic and will be remembered for a long time. The designs were also fantastic and the writing was excellent. It was hilarious and was the first animated series to generate a successful franchise that continues to this day.
BraveStarr
BraveStarr is an animated space western series from the United States. The original episodes were broadcast in syndication from September 1987 to February 1988. It was made a year after Mattel published an action figure collection in 1986. The 65 episodes incorporate science fiction and western elements. It is placed in the 23rd century in New Texas, a multicultural desert world.
Marshal BraveStarr, a Native American, arrives in New Texas, the rough-and-tumble planet, as its new lawman with the purpose of restoring order in the region. He has the strength of a bear, the speed of a puma, the eyesight of a hawk, and the hearing of a wolf among his abilities. It’s difficult for bad guys to escape from him, and soon they were at his disposal.
He does, however, have the assistance of talking techno house Thirty. Thirty and attractive Judge J.B. McBride provide help, in case he needs it. Settlers and miners are well aware that the marshal is on their side, working to defend them and prevent crooks from taking vital kerium.
For many 30-year-olds, Bravestarr is a treasured memory. The show contains a number of memorable episodes with gut-wrenching, hard-hitting themes, as well as excellent combat and banter.
With that, we come to the end of our list of 15 memorable action cartoons from the 80s. Did any of these unlock a childhood memory for you? Let us know!