It is no secret that I love all things dice and fantasy-related. As I continue working on various DIY projects, I have been drawn to listening to more nerdy cartoons. This week, I focused on a beloved classic D&D The Animated Series. This cartoon ran for three seasons between 1983 and 1985. While I did not find myself having a lot of questions throughout the twenty-seven episodes, I did find myself having a lot of fun watching it. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
D&D The Animated Series‘s Plot
D&D The Animated Series, is unlike any other show I have seen. A group of six friends are having a lovely day at the local amusement park. However, after jumping on a magical dark ride, they are transported to the realm of Dungeons and Dragons. Before these unlikely heroes can get their bearings, they immediately meet a figure known only as Dungeon Master. Upon meeting this mysterious man, he gives each child a magical item. While these adventurers’ main quest is to find their way home, they also find themselves going on side quests to aid the people of this realm. Unfortunately, they also find themselves duking it out with a powerful mage, Venger. Ultimately, it is a fun story about a group of friends biting off more than they can chew, just like most D&D players have experienced.
The Cast
| Actor/Actress | Role | Class (If Applicable Description Otherwise) |
| Willie Aames | Hank | Ranger |
| Don Most | Eric | Cavalier |
| Tonia Gayle Smith | Diana | Acrobat |
| Adam Rich | Presto | Magician (Wizard) |
| Katie Leigh | Sheila | Thief |
| Ted Field III | Bobby | Barbarian |
| Frank Welker | Uni | Pet Baby Unicorn |
| Sidney Miller | Dungeon Master | Dungeon Master |
| Peter Cullen | Venger | Force of Evil |
| Frank Welker | Tiamat | Five-Headed Dragon |
| Diane Pershing | Kareena | Venger’s Sister and Rival |
The Magic Items
- Hank
- Bow that shoots arrows of glowing energy.
- Eric
- Shield that can create a force field.
- Diana
- Javelin quarterstaff that changes size and is easily fixed when damaged.
- Presto
- Magic hat, although the magic used frequently fails.
- Sheila
- Cloak of Invisibility.
- Bobby
- Magical cudgel (club).
- Uni
- The ability to teleport once a day.
Thoughts
Approaching this series, I anticipated a certain level of lightheartedness, having seen the memes about the characters’ encounter with Tiamat in the first episode. For those unfamiliar, Tiamat is a formidable five-headed evil dragon goddess, immune to many damage types and one of two official D&D monsters with a challenge rating of 30. She is a tough cookie. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the series. While there were certainly wacky moments, such as Presto’s magic mishaps or the Dungeon Master’s endless riddles, the show threw me for a loop. It was full of hardships, peril, and the thought that friendships can overcome anything.
It would be terrible of me not to warn future viewers that the show does end on a cliffhanger. I was not prepared to have the show unfinished. Especially considering it had three seasons, I just assumed it was complete. Luckily, there was a fan-made ending in 2020 based on the original proposed script. I will share a link to the script here and the episode here. Overall, I recommend this show to anyone who has time to kill and wants to enjoy some D&D.
Odds & Ends
If you want to watch D&D The Animated Series, it is available on YouTube. It can also be purchased on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. I recommend reading this article on streams and podcasts for more Dungeons and Dragons-related content. In the end, I look forward to more deep dives into older cartoons.
