From Sonic to Tekken, plenty of video games have inspired animated TV adaptations, but a retro cartoon based on Sega's high-fantasy side-scrolling beat-’em-up Golden Axe was not on my bingo card for 2026. Even less expected was that the animated revival of the best sword and sorcery game of 1989 would be... a comedy?

The 2D animation is giving nostalgic Saturday morning vibes, but the self-aware gags? Golden Axe's 16-bit graphics might look rudimentary today, but this was a gritty game with gravitas, atmosphere, and blood-curdling movie-sampled screams when you killed someone.

The voice cast includes Matthew Rhys as Gilius Thunderhead, “a grumpy battle dwarf with exceptionally poor hygiene and a chip on his shoulder,” Liam McIntyre is Ax Battler, “a barbarian warrior with a strict code of honor and sweet golden retriever demeanor,” and Lisa Gilroy is Tyris Flare “deadly in a fight and even deadlier with her sharp wit.”

But series creators Mike McMahan (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Joe Chandler (American Dad) are also taking some controversial liberties with the, admittedly rather sparse, Golden Axe lore. A new comedy character has been introduced in the form of Hampton Squib, an eager and unqualified newcomer played by Danny Pudi.

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