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ThunderCats Roar - Jaga History (S1E18)
Freed from the Astral Plane, Jaga, ghost of the ThunderCats mentor, is now free to visit the Cats' Lair. Which means he can finally tell them why Thundera, their home world, exploded. It's story time.
| Air Date | 2020-04-18 |
|---|---|
| Genres | Kids, Animation, Comedy, Action & Adventure |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Cartoon Network |
Storyline
Jaga, the ancient mentor of the ThunderCats, has finally been freed from the Astral Plane and can now visit the Cats' Lair in physical form. With his newfound freedom, he decides it's time to share the truth about what happened to Thundera, the ThunderCats' home planet. The team gathers around as Jaga prepares to tell the story they've been waiting to hear since their arrival on Third Earth.
Through Jaga's storytelling, the ThunderCats learn the circumstances that led to Thundera's destruction and their subsequent journey across the stars. The episode frames this revelation as a long-awaited history lesson, giving the team—and viewers—answers about the catastrophic event that changed their lives forever. Jaga's presence brings both wisdom and closure as he recounts the events that forced the ThunderCats to flee their world and begin their adventures on a new planet.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about the importance of understanding history and where they come from. By showing the ThunderCats listening attentively to Jaga's story about their home planet, kids see that learning about the past helps us understand our present circumstances and identity. The episode demonstrates that sometimes difficult truths need to be shared and heard, even when they involve loss or painful memories.
Children also learn about the value of mentorship and respecting elders who have wisdom to share. Jaga's role as teacher shows that experienced guides can help us make sense of confusing or traumatic events. The ThunderCats' willingness to listen demonstrates patience and the recognition that some stories take time to tell properly.
The episode reinforces that every family and community has a history worth preserving and passing down. By framing Thundera's destruction as a story that needs to be told and remembered, children understand that our origins shape who we are, and that sharing these stories strengthens bonds between generations and helps communities maintain their identity even after major changes or relocations.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How does the episode explain what happened to Thundera? | Jaga tells the story of Thundera's destruction directly to the ThunderCats team. The episode uses a storytelling framework where Jaga, now freed from the Astral Plane, finally has the opportunity to explain the catastrophic events that destroyed their home world. The format allows the show to deliver backstory in an age-appropriate way while giving the characters closure about their origins. |
| Is the destruction of their home planet presented in a scary way? | ThunderCats Roar maintains its comedic, lighthearted tone even when addressing serious topics. The episode frames Thundera's destruction as a story being told rather than showing graphic or frightening imagery. The show's cartoon style and humor help balance the weight of the subject matter, making it accessible for the target audience without being overly dark or traumatic. |
| What is Jaga's role in this episode? | Jaga serves as the mentor and historian who finally shares the truth about the ThunderCats' past. Having been freed from the Astral Plane, he can now physically visit the Cats' Lair and fulfill his role as teacher and guide. His presence provides both answers to long-standing questions and a connection to the team's heritage and identity as Thunderians. |
| Will my child understand the backstory if they haven't seen previous episodes? | The episode is designed to explain the ThunderCats' origin story, so it actually serves as a good entry point for understanding the series premise. While regular viewers will appreciate finally getting answers, new viewers will learn the foundational backstory about why the ThunderCats left their home planet. The storytelling format makes the information accessible regardless of prior knowledge. |
| Does the episode have any lessons about dealing with loss? | The episode touches on themes of loss and displacement as the ThunderCats learn about losing their home world. It shows that understanding what happened and why can bring closure, and that sharing difficult stories with trusted mentors and friends helps process traumatic events. The characters demonstrate resilience and the ability to build a new life while honoring their past. |
Writing
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Directing
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| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Fleeing the destruction of their home planet Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats land on the world of Third Earth. But their enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr have followed them and it turns out Third Earth already has a Mumm-Ra problem. |
| 1 | 2 | Fleeing the destruction of their home planet Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats land on the mysterious, dangerous, all-around awesome world of Third Earth! But their enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr have followed them and it turns out Third Earth already has a Mumm-Ra problem - can Lion-O learn the ropes of being a leader in time? |
| 1 | 3 | Lion-O has gotten ahold of the last jar of Thundersnaps - the best cookies Thundera had to offer! But a difficult to open cookie jar sends Lion-O and Cheetara chasing down the legend of Boggy Ben. |
| 1 | 4 | Lion-O wants to prove to the ThunderKittens that he's not just some boring old adult like Tygra, even if it means ignoring his instincts and messing with an obviously evil crystal. |
| 1 | 5 | Panthro becomes fed up with having to constantly fix things around the Cats' Lair, which proves to be a problem when an unstoppable drilling robot plans an attack. |
| 1 | 6 | A crying unicorn appears at the Cats' Lair and tells the ThunderCats that all of her unicorn friends have been captured; Tygra thinks he's just the unicorn expert to help the last of the unicorns. |
| 1 | 7 | Vultureman has got a brand new invention but there's one big problem: he stole the idea from Panthro! Oh, also Vultureman is using his invention to take over Third Earth. So, there are two big problems. |
| 1 | 8 | Third Earth is being overrun by super tough, super buff Warrior Maidens and it looks like the ThunderCats are next on their hit list! It's gonna be up to the ThunderKittens to save the day even though the kittens are so small and the Warrior Maidens are so big. |
| 1 | 9 | Barely escaping the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth, home to the evil Mumm-Ra and a bizarre host of other creatures and villains. |
| 1 | 10 | Barely escaping the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth, home to the evil Mumm-Ra and a bizarre host of other creatures and villains. |
| 1 | 11 | Feeling underappreciated by the other ThunderCats, Tygra starts hanging out with Mumm-Ra and cleaning his black pyramid. Whaaaat? |
| 1 | 12 | Cheetara is the fastest living being in the universe, until Monkian beats her in a race! Now Cheetara has to find something else to be the best at, while the rest of the ThunderCats find out how Monkian got so darn fast! |
| 1 | 13 | Lion-O "accidentally" releases a whole space prison-full of space criminals and winds up on the wrong side of the law. On the right side of the law is Mandora the Evil Chaser, a no nonsense space cop. Lion-O's gonna have to work real hard to prove he's not a criminal, just a little bit of an oaf. |
| 1 | 14 | Lion-O is tasked with mapping the beaches of Third Earth, which leads to him somehow draining the oceans of all water entirely. Woops. But a mysterious scientist with a robotic frog says they can fix everything by traveling under the earth, which is just the kinda crazy adventure Lion-O is all about. |
| 1 | 15 | Lion-O never pays attention during Tygra's training sessions so when he's asked to do a pop quiz on "sword magic" he accidentally opens a portal to the Astral Plane and releases the Nether Witch. The Witch imprisons Lion-O and Tygra in her nightmare realm and it's gonna take a lot of studying to figure out a way home. Wonder if the Astral Plane has any great teachers lying around. |
| 1 | 16 | Every time Mumm-Ra gets a hold of a magic artifact to restore his powers, the ThunderCats just smash it and turn him into a dinky skeleton again. Until today that is, because Mumm-Ra just remembered he's got the Ancient Spirits of Evil, and now he can get swole whenever he wants. |
| 1 | 17 | The Cats' Lair is attacked by gold-loving robot pirates, the Berserkers. This is a good thing, really, since it means Lion-O and the ThunderKittens can ditch their chores and fight robo-pirates instead. Just don't tell Tygra!!! |
| 1 | 18 | Freed from the Astral Plane, Jaga, ghost of the ThunderCats mentor, is now free to visit the Cats' Lair. Which means he can finally tell them why Thundera, their home world, exploded. It's story time. |
| 1 | 19 | While flying with his new invention, Panthro hits it off with a new friend, Barbastella, the Queen of the Bats. Now Panthro needs help getting ready for his big date with her, because it turns out Panthro is terrified of bats. Lion-O and Cheetara are happy to help but, wow, that is a lot to unpack. |
| 1 | 20 | After a battle with the Mutants, Jackalman gets confused and accidentally returns to the Cats' Lair with the Thundercats, he is the dumbest mutant. Jackalman pretends to be a Thundercat so his enemies won't catch him and the Thundercats pretend to play along because they feel bad for him. |
| 1 | 21 | The Thundercats are exhausted from fighting bad guys all the time so Lion-O suggests they spend a relaxing summer fun day at the beach, with no fighting. Unfortunately the beach is home to the Crabmen, giant, clawed humanoids that fight anyone who steps on their sand. Looks like summer fun day might involve some fighting. |
| 1 | 22 | While minding her own business, Cheetara is caught in a trap set by Safari Joe, the famously annoying hunter. After escaping, she rallies the other ThunderCats to help her stop Joe once and for all, by turning the tables and capturing him. |
| 1 | 23 | The ThunderCats have gotten so good at defeating the Mutants of Plun-Darr that it's basically become routine. That all changes with the arrival of the Mutants' old leader: Ratar-O, wielder of the Sword of Plun-Darr. Uh-oh. |
| 1 | 24 | Lion-O is happily playing with Snarf in their "Frolicking Field" and doesn't have a care in the world, unfortunately he's accidentally stomping all over the miniature village of the Micrits. The tiny people want to defeat the "giant orange monster" but such a quest would require a brave hero. Luckily, the Micrits have such a hero: Prince Starling. Now, let us the tell you the epic tale of Prince Starling as he journeys to find the fountain of growth and defeat the wicked Lion-O, who has no idea any of this is going on. |
| 1 | 25 | Lion-O and the other ThunderCats are thrilled to meet a brand new Thunderian: Lion-S. She's cool, good at fighting robots and, most importantly, thinks Lion-O and his Sword of Omens are really neat and interesting. Looks like the ThunderCats have a new best friend. Maybe even, a new ThunderCat????? |
| 1 | 26 | Hey everyone, it's Snarf's monthly day off. That's right, Snarf leaves the Cats' Lair to get a needed vacation by transforming into a normal cat and hanging out with a nice old lady on a farm. But his relaxing day is threatened when Snarf and the nice old lady cross paths with Mumm-Ra. |
| 1 | 27 | The Thundercats' worst nightmare comes true when their worst enemies, Mumm-Ra and The Mutants, team up after Mumm-Ra acquires The Sword of Plun-Darr. |
| 1 | 28 | Chaos reigns over Third Earth now that the Mutants and Mumm-Ra control the Cats' Lair. The Thundercats' only hope is to sneak back in and get a super secret weapon, Panthro has hidden at the heart of the Lair. |
| 1 | 29 | Tygra creates a bunch of new laws for Third Earth so Mandora can finally arrest the Mutants. Unfortunately, the ThunderCats are really bad at following their own rules and the Mutants are really good at working around them. |
| 1 | 30 | When a crate containing fifty Swords of Omen lands on Third Earth, the ThunderCats rush out in the ThunderTank to find then. Unfortunately, The Mutants and Mumm-Ra want the swords too so it's going to a race to get to them! A wacky race, you might say. We won't say that, but you might. |
| 1 | 31 | The Cheetara Corp Employee Retreat gets canceled when Baron Karnon, a mysterious corporate raider, buys them out! Now Cheetara and Jan-Jan must brave the wilds of Third Earth's most dangerous jungles to find the Baron's office and demand a meeting with the man who stole their company! |
| 1 | 32 | |
| 1 | 33 | |
| 1 | 34 | When the ThunderCats tell the Berbils to stop building things for the Mutants, they build a giant Berbil named Berb-cules, who takes back everything they ever built. |
| 1 | 35 | |
| 1 | 36 | Barbastella reunites with her ex-girlfriend, the elitist Queen of the Rats. A jealous Panthro installs AI into all the Lair's appliances, to become King of the Machines. |
| 1 | 37 | When a local sword shop sells an ultra-powerful sword to Ratar-O, Lion-O decides he has to steal it before Ratar-O can come pick it up. Unfortunately, Lion-O is completely against stealing, but luckily, he knows someone who loves to steal... Lion-S! |
| 1 | 38 | |
| 1 | 39 | |
| 1 | 40 | |
| 1 | 41 | |
| 1 | 42 | The ThunderCats freak out when a spooky ghost dressed like a pharaoh appears in their mirrors! They quickly set about to getting rid of every reflective surface in their lair because that ghost is scary and no one wants to talk to him! |
| 1 | 43 | |
| 1 | 44 | |
| 1 | 45 | The Thundercats invite a super cool swamp man into the Cat's Lair who is on the run from some scary looking aliens. |
| 1 | 46 | |
| 1 | 47 | |
| 1 | 48 | |
| 1 | 49 | |
| 1 | 50 | The ThunderCats face the greatest threat of their lives: Grune the Destroyer! He's the ghost of an evil ThunderCat and he wants revenge! HOW ARE THEY GONNA BEAT GRUNE??? You'll have to watch the episode! |
| 1 | 51 | |
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