Golden Axe (animated series)

Yuria’s Heroes Know They’re in a Video Game

Golden Axe turns Sega’s fantasy brawler into an animated comedy about three heroes trying to save Yuria from Death Adder, the villain who now possesses the weapon in the title. The quest follows the games’ basic rhythm—fight through increasingly difficult enemies, survive the mini-bosses, and reach one enormous final confrontation—but lets the characters joke about that structure as they go.

Ax Battler, Tyris, and Gilius Party Up

Liam McIntyre voices Ax Battler, Lisa Gilroy plays Tyris, and Matthew Rhys takes on Gilius. Danny Pudi joins the central trio as Hampton Squib, a would-be adventurer entering a party already built from some of the arcade series’ most recognizable heroes.

The self-awareness reaches from jokes about character-selection screens to Tyris yelling “Sega!” before charging into battle. That quippy approach suggests an adaptation more interested in affectionately playing with Golden Axe’s game logic than pretending its progression was ever subtle.

A Ten-Episode Quest From Comedy Veterans

Mike McMahan, creator of Star Trek: Lower Decks, developed the series with American Dad writer Joe Chandler. Their backgrounds fit a show balancing fantasy action with rapid-fire jokes and decades of Sega references.

The ten-episode first season premieres September 16 on Paramount+, after originally being planned for Comedy Central. Episode lengths remain unknown, leaving open the amusing possibility that an installment could last almost as long as a skilled run through the 1989 arcade game.