Golden Axe Season 1 Review: Death Adder Returns

This season reunites the legendary trio: Ax Battler (Liam McIntyre), Tyris Flare (Lisa Gilroy), and Gilius Thunderhead (Matthew Rhys), three warriors who've clearly done this dance before and are not thrilled about a repeat performance. Their mission is straightforward - save Yuria from Death Adder, who simply will not stay dead - but it's complicated by Hampton Squib (Danny Pudi), an adventurer whose ambition is inversely proportional to his competence. Rounding out the chaos is Chronos 'Evil' Lait, voiced by Carl Tart. The season is animated sci-fi and fantasy through and through, and it premiered September 16 on Paramount+.

Here's the thing about video game adaptations in 2026: we've been burned so many times that hope feels like a risk. Golden Axe, bless it, seems to know that. Instead of pretending its source material was high art, the show leans into the absurdity - warrior names that sound like a fantasy novel written by a caffeinated teenager, a villain who treats resurrection like a subscription service, and a party that bickers like coworkers forced into a team-building retreat.

The show's secret weapon is its cast. Matthew Rhys as Gilius Thunderhead is a delight - gruff, perpetually annoyed, and clearly having a blast under all that beard. He's the guy who's saved the world before and would very much like a nap now, thank you. Liam McIntyre's Ax Battler brings the straight-man energy, the buff dude who's just trying to keep everyone on task. Lisa Gilroy's Tyris Flare, meanwhile, gets some of the sharpest lines; she's the only one in the room who seems fully aware of how ridiculous their lives are, and Gilroy plays that exasperation beautifully.

But the season's MVP might be Danny Pudi. Hampton Squib is a character type we've seen a hundred times - the underqualified tag-along who dreams big and delivers small - yet Pudi gives him a desperate, almost manic earnestness that makes him genuinely funny instead of merely annoying. His dynamic with the veteran warriors is the engine that keeps the story chugging. The show understands that a hero's journey is funnier when the hero is a liability.

Where it stumbles is in its rhythm. The season occasionally mistakes banter for forward momentum, and there are stretches where the plot spins its wheels before a big set piece. Death Adder is a fun antagonist on paper - the menace who refuses to retire - but the show hasn't quite figured out how to make him feel like a genuine threat rather than a recurring punchline. When the villain's whole deal is "I'm back again," the stakes can start feeling a little elastic.

Still, the animation is colorful and energetic, the voice cast is stacked, and the whole thing moves fast enough that the occasional misstep doesn't derail the ride. It's the kind of show that knows exactly what it is and isn't embarrassed about it - a Saturday-morning romp that happens to be aimed squarely at adults who once spent their allowance on arcade tokens. At an 8/10 rating from TMDb users, clearly plenty of people are vibing with it.

Pros:

• Matthew Rhys is perfectly cast as a grumpy, world-weary dwarf
• Danny Pudi turns a potentially grating character into the show's comic highlight
• The tone embraces the franchise's cheesy roots instead of running from them
• Brisk, colorful animation that keeps the energy up
• Strong voice cast across the board, including Lisa Gilroy and Carl Tart

Cons:

• Pacing drags in a few mid-season stretches
• Death Adder's "won't stay dead" gimmick undercuts his menace
• Some jokes swing and miss
• The plot occasionally prioritizes banter over forward momentum

Golden Axe Season 1 won't reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to. It's a warm, funny, lovingly goofy revival that treats its source material with just the right amount of irreverence, powered by a voice cast clearly having the time of their lives. If you grew up mashing buttons on this franchise - or if you just enjoy fantasy heroes who argue like siblings on a road trip - this one's worth the ride. Death Adder may not stay dead, but neither will this show's charm. Here's hoping the next quest comes with slightly tighter pacing.