Conan and the Young Warriors


Conan and the Young Warriors is a 1994 television animated series produced by Sunbow Entertainment and aired by CBS as a sequel to the animated series Conan the Adventurer, but featuring a different set of characters. The series was developed by Michael Reaves and directed by John Grusd. It lasted only for one season of 13 episodes.

Plot

With Wrath-Amon vanquished and his family returned to life from living stone, Conan thought that his questing had finished. However, now he has to train and protect the "Chosen Ones", a trio of new young warriors who are in possession of magical "star stones", until the time comes in which they are destined to rule over Hyboria.
Aside from Conan's character design, which is identical to the one in Conan the Adventurer, this series has a few small links to its predecessor. Occasionally, a trumpet line piece of background music mirroring the theme to Conan the Adventurer is used. At one point, a character uses Zulu's trademark sign of Jhebbal Sag to summon animals to help them. Conan once seeks out a wizard he claims "Grey Wolf of Xanthus" told him about; he also mentions that he once knew a firebird, and jokingly claims that he ate him. The fact that Conan's sword is made of metal from the stars is mentioned several times, a reference to the original series in which a major theme was that Conan's sword was made of a magical star metal.

Characters

  1. "The Third Talisman" - The evil sorceress Sulinara plans to steal the three star stones belonging to Conan's young friends.
  2. "Arena" - Conan and his friends attempt to free a city from an evil king, but the tyrant captures Conan and leaves him in the arena to compete in a fight to the death.
  3. "Dreamweaver" - Sulinara sends nightmares upon the children, as she wants to get to the precious stones.
  4. "Carnival of Cardolus" - Conan and his charges are looking for a basilisk, scales of which are an effective means against all poisons, but an unscrupulous circus owner is also after the curious animal.
  5. "Isle of the Lost" - Sulinara is seeking a precious stone that has the power to transform people into mindless monsters.
  6. "Covenant" - Sulinara conjures the demon lord Demonicus to get the star-stones of Conan's young friends – in return, he can take revenge on Conan, against whom he has once suffered a bitter defeat.
  7. "Wolf in the Fold" - An earthquake awakens the shapeshifter that was sealed beneath the ruins where Conan and the children reside.
  8. "Once a Thief" -
  9. "Brothers of the Sword" - Conan reluctantly works with the shaman of Navah's Pict tribe to stop a possessed old ally from resurrecting a monster called the Unitaur.
  10. "Feet of Clay" -
  11. "The Hand of Fate" - The Young Warriors encounter Tisara, a beautiful trained warrior with skills beyond their own. She claims that Brynne, an admitted former thief, stole the star stone that was rightfully hers.
  12. "The Separation" -
  13. "The Night of the Serpent" -

    Home video release

Eight episodes were released over four DVD volumes by MRA Entertainment in Australia, followed by a DVD pack containing the four DVD volumes:
TitleRelease DateEpisodes
Volume 1March 23, 2003
  • "Isle of the Lost"
  • "Dreamweaver"
Volume 2March 23, 2003
  • "Carnival of Cardolus"
  • "Wolf in the Fold"
    • Volume 3March 23, 2003
  • "Brothers of the Sword"
  • "Arena"
    • Volume 4March 23, 2003
  • "Covenant"
  • "The Third Talisman"
    • 4 PackMarch 13, 2006
  • "Isle of the Lost"
  • "Dreamweaver"
  • "Carnival of Cardolus"
  • "Wolf in the Fold"
  • "Brothers of the Sword"
  • "Arena"
  • "Covenant"
  • "The Third Talisman"

    • Reception

    According to The A.V. Club, this cartoon, like its predecessor, "has been significantly defanged, dumbing down and infantilizing the character to the degree that he’s robbed of his savage appeal". In 2009, Topless Robot featured the "Cartoon Conan" from this show on the list of "The 8 Dumbest Barbarian Heroes".