I’ve been on a bit of a ThunderCats kick recently. The unexpected sight of Slithe on my Disney+ app sent me off on my first watch of the original series. I don’t remember if the show wasn’t available in my area or I had competing cartoon priorities when it aired, but I realize now that I seriously missed out.
The theme song is a banger. The intro is perfect. The character design. The voice performances. It’s all deserving of being on the Mt Rushmore of best ’80s cartoons. I feel like there’s a multiverse out there where I saw myself in a young naked Lion-O in the pilot episode and later went on to have a ThunderCats-themed wedding when I grew up.
I’ve had my eye on the Masters of the Universe Origins X ThunderCats figures since they debuted. The two franchises complemented each other very well. I always just assumed Third Earth and Eternia were just a few planets away from each other. It bummed me out that the original He-Man and Lion-O figures couldn’t fight alongside each other in the sandbox without Lion-O looking like a giant next to He-Man. These crossover figures rectify that mistake by giving us Origin-style ThunderCats.
A recent sale at Mattel Creations allowed me to grab the Third Earth side of the crossover (and Battle Cat Man!) on discount. Now that I’ve had a chance to get them out of the package and equipped with their original gear, I’m happy to report they’re damn near perfect. I’ll never use any of the MOTU-inspired weapons or gear, but I’m extremely grateful Mattel gave us the option of removing it all to get the classic looks for the Cats & Co. Here are some thoughts on what I picked up.
Battle Cat Man
I have zero interest in the He-Man or Skeletor figures in this line. The Battle Cat Man and Panthor Man figures, on the other hand? Perfection! Sign me the F up! Battle Cat Man looks like Cringer learned to walk on two legs. His armour is more effective than the other figures in the line. Even the claws work effectively to sell the Battle Cat aesthetic. It’s a fantastic figure that makes me smile.
Skell-Ra
I said I had zero interest in the Skeletor in this Line, and I meant it. The Skeletor bits went straight to the accessory bin in favour of Mumm-Ra The Ever Living! I’ve always been a fan of Mumm-Ra’s design, and this figure brings him into the MOTU line flawlessly. There hasn’t been much talk about figures beyond Wave 3. I’m hopeful that if it continues, we can get an Old Man Mumm-Ra with a companion Ma-Mutt.
Tygra
The ThunderCats Scientist is another near-perfect entry to the MOTU line. His ThunderCat shirt could be a tad longer to hide the waist joint once the He-Man-inspired underwear are removed. Fun fact about Tygra: In the original series, Mumm-Ra tricked Tygra into getting addicted to a fruit. He spent a whole episode acting like a mindless basehead serving Mumm-Ra, trying to get his next fix. It would be a shame to spend all the money making tooling for a Tygra figure without giving us a clear translucent invisible variant. Fingers crossed that the line continues.
Cheetara
The Speedster of the team might be the least impressive of the bunch, but she still checks all the boxes for what you’d be looking for in a Cheetara Origins figure. She’s a must-have if you’re looking to complete the team.
Panthro
The ThunderCats Mechanic and Engineer could use a Thunder Tank to drive around my basement. If Mattel wanted to make a lot of happy fans, they would get the Cats’ main mode of transportation into the Origins line. Until then, I’ll simply appreciate a great-looking figure with a great pair of nunchucks.
Lion-O
The Lord of the Thundercats looks fantastic fighting alongside MOTU Origins figures. Gone are the days of Giant-Sized Lion-O and his undersized companion, He-Man. Now the team-up looks as epic as you always imagined it. A lack of a companion Snarf holds it back a bit. He could also use a proper Claw Shield to round out the offering.
Overall, I really enjoy this line and would love for it to continue. If they have nothing left to offer in terms of crossover figures, just give me more ThunderCats figures in the Origins line. I’d love to round out the ThunderCats with the Wily Twins; I’d also like to see Slithe and some of the mutants. You can never have enough bad guys to do battle with.