For anyone who spent afternoons feeding quarters into Sega’s 1989 beat-’em-up Golden Axe, the new animated series on Paramount+ lands as a welcome and surprisingly sharp reunion. All 10 episodes of the first season are available to stream, and the show delivers exactly the kind of energetic, joke-filled adventure that longtime players can appreciate. It is funny in the right ways—rooted in the game’s own absurd logic rather than detached mockery—and it treats the land of Yuria with enough sincerity to keep the stakes feeling real.
Created by Mike McMahan (Star Trek: Lower Decks) and Joe Chandler (American Dad!), the series reunites the legendary trio of Ax Battler, Tyris Flare, and Gilius Thunderhead as they once again face Death Adder, the giant who refuses to stay dead. Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and overeager newcomer whose heroic ambitions far outpace his abilities. The voice cast is strong across the board: Matthew Rhys brings grumpy, unhygienic life to the battle dwarf Gilius; Liam McIntyre gives Ax a straightforward, golden-retriever sense of honor; Lisa Gilroy makes Tyris both formidable and sharply witty; and Danny Pudi’s Hampton serves as an effective audience surrogate. Carl Tart rounds out the group as Chronos “Evil” Lait, the humanoid panther drawn from later games in the franchise.
What stands out most is how the humor is generated from inside the world rather than by breaking it. The series treats the original game’s mechanics as natural laws of Yuria. Magic potions are limited resources with their own quirks; the small creatures that drop them when kicked become actual characters with their own strange motivations; rideable beasts are matched to riders with practical considerations; and the pattern of facing progressively tougher enemies is acknowledged as the sensible way to proceed. Skeletons have personality and complaints. Side characters and returning figures from the games get room to be ridiculous without undercutting the larger adventure. The result feels like a loving expansion of the arcade experience rather than a pure parody.
Titmouse’s animation supports the tone well, with expressive character designs, clear action, and a color palette that evokes the original game’s fantasy aesthetic while allowing for the show’s more exaggerated comedy. Episodes run about 21 minutes, making the season easy to binge, and the structure gives the core heroes (and the new addition) distinct pairings and arcs without losing the group dynamic that defined the game.
Not every joke lands with equal force, and the relentless comic energy can occasionally crowd out quieter character moments. For viewers expecting a straight, grimdark retelling of the 1989 arcade original, the tone may feel like a departure. For those who remember the game as a fun, slightly ridiculous side-scrolling power fantasy full of magic pots, giant axes, and stubborn bosses, the series works as an entertaining and affectionate extension. It is the rare video-game adaptation that understands both the mechanics and the joy of its source material.
Golden Axe on Paramount+ is worth the watch for anyone who once cleared waves of enemies in Yuria. It is consistently funny, well-voiced, and smart enough about its own history to feel like more than nostalgia. The warriors are back, Death Adder still will not stay down, and the ride is worth taking.
