''Niko and the Sword of Light'' is an American flash animated
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
series co-produced by
Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...
and
Titmouse, Inc. The series is based on an animated comic book of the same name and debuted on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
as a pilot that premiered January 15, 2015. It was later picked up as a full series.
On August 4, 2017, it was announced that the series was renewed for a second and final season. The first half of season 2 premiered on December 27, 2018. The series concluded on September 6, 2019.
Synopsis
The series is centered around a 10-year-old human boy named Niko, who is one of the last of his kind in a strange world as he goes on an adventure to bring light back to his land.
Cast
* Felix Avitia as Niko (pilot)
* Andre Robinson as Niko (series) - Niko is the latest in a line of human Champions who have tried and failed to defeat the evil sorcerer Nar Est and destroy the Darkness, and is physically the youngest as his chrysalis was opened too soon by accident. He is an excitable young boy with a heroic spirit, a pure heart, and never shies from a challenge. Wielding the Sword of Light, Niko can defeat darkness-corrupted creatures and purify them, restoring them to their true forms.
*
Kari Wahlgren
Kari Wahlgren (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress who has provided English-language voices for animated movies, TV series, and video games. She got her start in anime voice-overs as Haruko Haruhara in '' FLCL'', and would later land ma ...
as Lyra - Lyra is the Princess of her human kingdom, Carondole, which has been imprisoned within a sphere where time has stopped, and she has literally been 14 years old for 768 years. It is her duty to mentor the Champions and guide them in the form of a spirit to defeat Nar Est, but every time the Champions have fallen. When she first meets Niko, her latest (and last) Champion, she tries to lead him somewhere safe to wait a few years for him to grow older, only for circumstances to force her to appear physically in the outside world in her mission to help Niko save them all. After Nar Est is a long last defeated, Lyra finally assumes the throne as Queen.
*
Jim Cummings
James Jonah Cummings (born November 3, 1952) is an American voice actor. Since beginning his career in the 1980s, he has appeared in almost 400 roles. Cummings has frequently worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros., including as th ...
as the Narrator, the Darkness, the Mugwump.
*
Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of Baker's work features vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''Codename: Kids Next Door'', ...
as Flicker - Flicker is a Buttermonk that was corrupted by Darkness and turned into a monster called Xerxes. He chased after Mandok to eat him and this resulted in freeing Niko from his chrysalis before his time. Flicker is the first darkened creature Niko purifies and returns to normal, and Flicker becomes a loyal and beloved companion of Niko and his friends. At various points of their journey, Flicker undergoes a metamorphosis via cocooning, growing bigger and larger, gaining the power to shoot lasers from his eyes, until he is fully grown, appearing like a bug/beast/dragon-like creature and becomes a means of transportation for his friends. After getting injured, Flicker again undergoes a cocooning and reverts to his original tiny form. Besides flying and his laser-vision, Flicker has the ability to project others' memories from his eyes like a movie projector.
*
Steve Blum
Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''St ...
as Nar Est, Rasper - Nar Est is an evil human sorcerer who overthrew his king and unleashed a terrible Darkness upon the world to conquer it. He was prevented however from total domination by the Shard of Light from the Crystal he corrupted, which is the source of his power. He uses his evil magic to corrupt creatures and places, turning them into horrible monsters and places fraught with danger. His
crow
A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifical ...
-like
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
sidekick, Rasper, constantly pecks at the sphere that contains the shrunken kingdom of Corandale. It is revealed that Nar Est himself is a (unknowing) pawn of the Darkness itself.
*
Corey Burton
Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...
as Jackal - Jackal is a mysterious Howlen, a humanoid
canine, the group meets and befriends after a harrowing monster attack, although they don't know his name and he speaks a language only Mandok can understand. At first, he seemed a friendly, dependable ally, but revealed his true allegiances after leading them into the Thorns of Tribulation as an agent for Nar Est and that he can speak their language perfectly before he tries to steal Niko's Sword of Light.
*
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...
as Mandok - Mandok is a little
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
-like Munkchip who is cowardly, bumbling, but ultimately loyal and occasionally wise. He is the one who accidentally caused Niko to awaken too soon, and winds up traveling with him and Lyra in their adventure to defeat the Darkness. His knowledge of the world comes in handy due to being up to date on certain locations.
*
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, he has mostly voiced villainous characters in animation and video games. In film, Richardson voiced Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'' (1995) ...
as Beady Brothers.
*
Hynden Walch
Hynden Walch is an American actress. She is best known for voicing Starfire in the ''Teen Titans'' franchise and Princess Bubblegum in ''Adventure Time''. She also voiced Penny Sanchez in '' ChalkZone'', Amore and Lockette in the Nickelodeon ve ...
as Wispy - A wisp of the Darkness that survived and escaped being destroyed by the Sword of Light. It helped Nar Est escape his imprisonment, telling him to find the Amulet of Power to help the Darkness return and conquer the world yet again.
Episodes
Pilot (2015)
Chapter 1: The Cursed Volcano (2017)
Chapter 2: The Amulet of Power (2018–19)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{Amazon Video Children's Programming
Amazon Prime Video original programming
Animated television series by Amazon Studios
2010s American animated television series
2017 American television series debuts
2019 American television series endings
American children's animated action television series
American children's animated adventure television series
American flash animated television series
Television series by Amazon Studios
English-language television shows
Amazon Prime Video children's programming
Animated television series about children