''Double Dragon'' is an

animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...

based on the

NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

versions of the ''Double Dragon'' video game trilogy, that ran for 26 half-hour episodes from 1993 to 1994. It was produced by DIC Animation City,

Bohbot Entertainment Bohbot Entertainment was an American advertising and marketing company specializing in the children's market founded in 1985, and had traded under various different names over the years. The company produced and distributed programming under thei ...

, and Italian studio Reteitalia, S.p.A., in association with Spanish network

Telecinco Telecinco is a Spanish free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The channel was previously known as Tele 5, because it had first begun its experimental transmissions on 10 March 1989, and a year later, it was officially launc ...

Overview

The premise of the show is that the protagonist brothers are separated at birth. Billy is raised by an elderly martial arts master known as the Oldest Dragon, and his brother Jimmy is raised by the evil Shadow Master as his second-in-command, the Shadow Boss. As a result, the Lee brothers oppose each other as adults. When Jimmy is betrayed by the Shadow Master, he renounces his evil ways and joins his brother as a Dragon Warrior. During the course of the series, the brothers recruit allies in their war against the Shadow Master and his henchmen. The futile search for their father, John Lee, is a subplot throughout the series. The plot of the pilot episode is loosely adapted from the

version of the first ''

Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technōs Japan and released as an arcade game in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals. The original ...

'' game. The villains are the mysterious Shadow Boss (Jimmy's initial alter-ego), and his henchmen Abobo and Willy (who were based on enemy characters from the game). By the end of the second episode, Abobo and Willy are sucked into the Shadow Mural, never to be seen again, while Jimmy abandons his evil ways and reconciles with his brother to fight against the series' true antagonist, the Shadow Master. All of the characters introduced from the second episode onward are original creations made for the show, although most of the villains are also used in the

Tradewest Tradewest was an American video game company based in Corsicana, Texas that produced numerous games in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company was the publisher of the '' Battletoads'' and '' Double Dragon'' series in North America and the PAL regi ...

-produced '' Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls'', a competitive fighting game released for home consoles.

Cast of characters

The Lee brothers are martial-arts instructors and police consultants, who assume superheroic identities at moments of escalated violence. They usually transform out of those forms by crossing swords again and saying in unison, "For Might! For Right! We are Double Dragons!", although several episodes show that heavy injury can deactivate their powers. Injury sustained by one is sometimes taken by the other. The brothers sometimes sense when the other is in danger. In this series, the Double Dragons are adept in a mystical form of the

Kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all ('' ko-budō'') schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of ...

arts, even though in the games they have more of a mastery in both the

Bōjutsu , translated from Japanese as "staff technique", is the martial art of stick fighting using a bō, which is the Japanese word for staff. Staffs have been in use for thousands of years in Asian martial arts like Silambam. Some techniques involve s ...

arts with any bō or

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

, and the

Kusari-fundo ''Kusari-fundo'' ( 鎖分銅) is a handheld weapon used in feudal Japan consisting of a length of chain (''kusari'') with a weight (''fundo'') attached to each end of the chain. Various sizes and shapes of chain and weight were used as there was ...

arts involving any

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

nunchaku is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person wh ...

they can find. Billy Lee is the former devoted Dragon Pupil turned graduated Dragon Master with messy black hair. He regularly dons armored hero's clothes that are blue, with a torn shirt and dragon-mask that are both red. Billy's personality is based on the wise, independent, and self-determined side of

Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that ...

. Jimmy Lee is the former evil high-ranking Shadow Warrior turned sarcastic Double Master with spiky blonde hair. He also dons armored hero's clothes, but his are red, with a torn shirt and a dragon-mask that are both blue. Jimmy's personality is based on the cocky, charismatic, and belligerent side of Bruce Lee. Dragon Warriors are other martial artists recruited by the Lee brothers in their fight against the Shadow Warriors, bestowing them with superhuman powers through the use of a smokeless, green "dragon fire". Junior Dragons are Billy and Jimmy's younger students, and supporting characters throughout the series. The Shadow Warriors are the main antagonists, a criminal organization composed mostly of mutants. These mutants are created by "high levels of EMF generated by (Metro City's) ancient underground power grid". They are led by the Shadow Master, with many powers including shapeshifting and teleporting, and he is able to trap warriors who fail him in the Shadow Mural. He is the half-brother of Billy and Jimmy's mother.

Episodes

Season 1

Season 2

Merchandise

In 1994, the tie-in video game '' Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls'', has been developed by

Leland Interactive Media The Leland Corporation was a manufacturer of several arcade video games in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company was formed when Tradewest purchased the ailing Cinematronics in 1987. Notable among these were Quarterback (1987) and John Elway's ...

and published by

. The game was first ported to the

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...

, then it had a North America-only release for the

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

, and the final port is the

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...

which is the only console to have a Japan release of the game. Out of all three fighting game spin-offs of ''Double Dragon'', this is the first and only game to receive criticism.

Tyco Toys Tyco Toys was an American toy manufacturer. It was acquired by Mattel in 1997. History Founding Mantua Metal Products was a Woodbury Heights, New Jersey, metalworks business founded in 1926 by John Tyler and family. In the 1930s Mantua began ...

produced a set of action figures. The figures included: Billy Lee, Jimmy Lee, Blaster, Vortex, Shadow Master, Sickle, and Trigger Happy. Three vehicles were also made: The (Dragon) Cycle, (Dragon) Cruiser, and Shadow Raven.

Home video releases

United States

In 1994,

Buena Vista Home Video Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the Home video, home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films ...

through the

DIC Toon-Time Video DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production comp ...

label released three VHS tapes of the series. ''The Legend Begins'' and ''Deadly Mutants'', released on June 7, 1994, contained "The Shadow Falls" and "The Legend Continues", and "The Price of Oblivion" and "Judgement Day" respectively, while "The Shield of the Shadow Khan", released on November 11, featured the episodes "Shadow Khan", "Shadow Claw" and "Doom Claw" edited into a Feature-Length format. Invincible Pictures released ''Double Dragon: The Animated Series'' on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time in the country on August 13, 2019.

Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles fr ...

released ''Double Dragon'' on Blu-ray in May 2022.

United Kingdom

In June 2004, Anchor Bay UK released a single DVD containing four episodes. Avenue Entertainment also released two DVDs containing two episodes each in July 2005.

References

External links

* ''Double Dragon'' series directo
Yoshihisa Kishimoto HP

at ''Double Dragon'' Dojo * {{DEFAULTSORT:Double Dragon (Tv Series) Double Dragon 1990s American animated television series Television series by DIC Entertainment Animated series based on video games First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Martial arts television series 1993 American television series debuts 1994 American television series endings USA Action Extreme Team American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated fantasy television series Italian children's animated action television series Italian children's animated adventure television series Italian children's animated fantasy television series Animated television series about twins Animated television series about brothers