There’s a lot to be said about the current need to remake or reboot everything. From recent superhero movies to even our beloved childhood cartoons, nothing is safe or sacred. The sad fact is most of these remakes actually end up being quite awful because they simply lose the spirit of the original.

The new Thundercats reboot, however, is so faithful to the original it could almost function as a prequel. Let’s just say, if all remakes were this good, I’d give them permission to remake all my old favorites. Yet, as always, you need to be prepared for a few changes in the updating process…

Thundercats (s01e01&02): The Sword of Omens & Ancient Spirits of Evil

The first difference you’ll notice is Lion-O, voiced by Batman Beyond‘s Will Friedle and with some pretty blue-green eyes, is only a distracted teenager in this reboot. He’s like a young prince Simba: merely a king in the making. (There’s even an amusing ‘Princess Jasmine moment’ when he goes out dressed in rags to see the town.) This new series is clearly Lion-O’s coming of age story and by episode’s end his hero journey.

While Lion-O is of course the main character again, his friends, enemies, and the world they inhabit are infinitely more layered this time around. Just as in the original, the lizards and Mumm-Ra are the enemies. Unlike the original, everything is not so black and white. Characters are betrayed, kidnapped, and even die. There’s also talk about speciesism and whether the cats are in fact superior.

Of the main characters, Tigra is now Lion-O’s older and wiser adoptive brother, but sadly not in line for the throne. Thus providing lots of sibling rivalry. Cheetara is a magical cleric, but I’ll get to more about that in a minute. Where would a series be without a little romance? There’s hints of Lion-O being interested in Cheetara, but I choose to overlook them for the flirtatious wink Tigra gives her. Yes, it’s the classic two brothers fight over one girl happening.

Snarf is still Lion-O’s pet, but he can’t talk and just runs around meowing ‘Snarf!’ all the time. Think of him as a cuter Pikachu. WilyKit and WilyKat are only glimpsed as orphans and con-artists in one quick scene. It’s presumed they’ll join the group later. Then, there’s General Panthro, you heard right, who has been kidnapped in the beginning but appears later.

Lion-O: Technology was my dream. How did it become my nightmare?

By the end of the series premiere, Lion-O, Snarf, Tigra, and Cheetara set out to retrieve the fabled Book of Omens in order to defeat the lizards who have overtaken their city. In this version, technology versus magic is a main theme, and the Thundercats magic is no match for the lizards mechs. So it’s a race to the finish. Who can find the Book of Omens first, the Thundercats or Mumm-ra?

Let’s not forget all the geek moments for fans of the original. Any time “Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats hooo!” is uttered, it’s geek power times infinity. Mumm-ra is just as creepy as ever with his, “Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form into Mumm-ra, the ever living.” Oh, and Larry Kenney, voice of the original Lion-O, is back as Lion-O’s father, Claudius. Admit it, that is too cool. Plus, the fight sequences and animation are very beautiful, and they’re quite reminiscent of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

As I said, for being a kids’ cartoon, the series is actually quite dark. Yet, for the most part, this new series is family friendly with enough visuals to captivate kids, and also enough intrigue and narrative to keep adults interested, too. My favorite part that kids wouldn’t notice? Lion-O: “I’m going to ring that bell.” Tigra: “And I’m going to ring yours.” Uh, oh.