Paramount+ to Air ‘Golden Axe’ Animated Series

Fans of the old school Sega Genesis will feel a tinge of nostalgia somewhere in the back of their brains about this news: There is now a Golden Axe animated series.

Based on the side-scrolling beat-’em-up franchise of the late 1980s and ’90s, the Golden Axe cartoon is described as a “hilarious homage” to the original games, featuring the classic characters ’90s kids will remember from the good old days: The guy with the sword, the lady with the sword, and the dwarf with the axe. Apparently they have names! Or they do now anyway. They’re Ax Battler, (Liam McIntyre), Tyris Flare (Lisa Gilroy), and Gilius Thunderhead (Matthew Rhys), respectively.

The voice cast of Golden Axe, which is coming next month to Paramount+, also includes Danny Pudi and Carl Tart.

Golden Axe debuted as a co-op arcade cabinet from Sega back in 1989. But it and its sequels are probably most remembered as staples of the Sega Genesis library.

Paramount+ also revealed a trailer for the series, which does suggest the show is less of a straightforward fantasy adventure, and more of a winking spoof of the genre and of old-school video games.

Here is how Paramount+ describes the series:

In a hilarious homage to SEGA’s iconic 1989 video game, Golden Axe follows legendary warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare and Gilius Thunderhead as they reunite to save Yuria from the evil giant Death Adder, who just won’t seem to stay dead. Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities. Forced to work together despite their flaws, they must find a way to stop Death Adder once and for all.

Golden Axe premieres on Paramount+ on September 16. The entire ten-episode season will debut on that date.