Lion-O is a

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

and the main

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

character of the '' ThunderCats'' franchise. Lion-O is the leader and the hereditary "Lord of the ThunderCats." Lion-O is based on the

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

and wields the legendary Sword of Omens, which is able to fire bolts of energy and allows Lion-O to see across great distances with its power of "Sight Beyond Sight", as well as the Claw Shield, a gauntlet that launches grappling lines from its claws.

1985 series

A mere child of thirteen years old at the time of Thundera's destruction, Lion-O aged to adulthood during the trip to Third Earth when his suspension capsule failed to prevent him from aging too much. Although cunning and skillful, he is truly a child in a man's body, and throughout the series, must learn what it takes to become a true leader and gain true maturity. In the latter half of the show's first season, Lion-O has to put all that he has learned to use in the "Anointment Trials", which consist of contests of strength, speed, cunning, and intelligence (this last is referred to as "mind-power" in the story arc) against each of the other ThunderCats. (Complicating matters for Lion-O is the fact that he is required to be unarmed for the contests; moreover, the other ThunderCats are not permitted to assist him. The Mutants attempt, but ultimately without success, to take advantage of this last condition in an effort to leave the ThunderCats leaderless). Ultimately triumphing over Mumm-Ra in a final battle ("The Trial of Evil") in the heart of the villain's pyramid in which he discovers that

Mumm-Ra Mumm-Ra is a fictional supervillain and the main antagonist of the '' ThunderCats'' franchise. He is an undead evil sorcerer bound to the servitude of four malevolent, godlike entities known as the Ancient Spirits of Evil. Native to the planet ...

, like any Egyptian mummy, is dependent upon his

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

, Lion-O is crowned the true Lord of the ThunderCats in a grand

inaugural In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugur ...

ceremony attended by nearly every inhabitant of Third Earth. It is also hinted that he has romantic feelings for Cheetara, Willa, and Mandora.

2011 series

In the 2011 version, Lion-O is a misunderstood teenager instead of being a boy inside an adult body. Lion-O can also be a bit of a hothead but is by far the most patient and understanding Cat next to Cheetara. He is the only one at the beginning who believes that technology and Mumm-Ra exist even though technology is sold across Third Earth. Lion-O believes that the other races of Third Earth should be treated equal as seen when Lion-O was defending two persecuted Lizards from some Thunderians until Claudus broke up the fight. After Claudus was killed by Mumm-Ra, Lion-O becomes the new Lord of the ThunderCats. His catchphrase is ''"Whiskers!"'' whenever he finds himself in a bad situation. In "Legacy", it is revealed that Lion-O had an ancestor named Leo who played a part in the defeat of Mumm-Ra. Lion-O's weapons are the Sword of Omens and the Claw Shield. It is shown that Lion-O had feelings for Cheetara until in "Between Brothers" when she confessed her feelings for Tygra. In "Native Son", it's shown that Lion-O had an unnamed mother who died giving birth to him. In "Recipe for Disaster", it's shown that Lion-O had attempted to work through his relationship issues with Cheetara by pursuing Pumyra, trying multiple times to court her, all of which ended in disaster. However, after saving her from Mumm-Ra yet again she gives him a kiss on the cheek in thanks. However, in "What Lies Above Part 2", the feeling was revealed to be an act as she reveals her loyalty and love to Mumm-Ra and only toyed with Lion-O's emotions to further her advantage even though she feels for Lion-O.

''ThunderCats Roar''

Lion-O takes a more comedic tone and is slow witted and easily frightened.

Lion-O in different languages

Lion-O is renamed ''León-O'' in the Spanish version, ''Leo'' in the German version, ''Starlion'' in the French version, and ''Lion'' in the Brazilian version.

Popular culture

Lion-O had appeared in different episodes of ''

Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...

'', voiced by

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...

. The 1985 version of Lion-O makes a cameo appearance in the film '' Space Jam: A New Legacy'' alongside

Cheetara Cheetara is a fictional character from the fictional '' ThunderCats'' franchise. 1985 series Cheetara is the sole adult female member of the Thundercats. Cheetara is based on the cheetah. Her powers are superspeed and psychic powers. She is a ...

and other fictional characters.

Reception

Lion-O has received a mostly positive reception from critics.

Comic Book Resources ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

ranked the character 8th Best thing about ''ThunderCats''.

io9 ''io9'' is part of Gizmodo media since 2015, and it began as blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The site initially focused on the subjects of science fiction, fantasy, futurism, science, technology and related areas but over the years has ...

ranked Lion-O fifth best thing about ''ThunderCats''.

References

{{ThunderCats Anthropomorphic animal characters Fictional characters who use magic Fictional characters with accelerated ageing Fictional extraterrestrial characters Fictional humanoids Fictional kings Fictional lions Fictional princes Fictional refugees Fictional shield fighters Fictional swordfighters Male characters in animated series Television characters introduced in 1985 ThunderCats