‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ Review: Genndy Tartakovsky Tops Himself with a New Magical Epic

For decades, Genndy Tartakovsky has been one of the most awarded and loved figures in animation. He has been the mind behind classic animated series such as Dexter’s Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and most recently, cult classics like Primal. And, of course, let’s not forget the amazing Star Wars Clone Wars shorts that basically propelled that side of the Star Wars lore to a new level. Genndy Tartakovsky now sees the dawn of a new animated series under his direction and one that has the potential to be the best series he has ever made.

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is an animated series developed for Adult Swim and soon to be available on HBO Max alongside its sister series, Primal. The show seems to be a culmination of Tartakovsky’s work in the veins of humor and action. The series stars a fantastic cast of voice actors, which includes Hazel Doupe, Demari Hunte, Tom Milligan, and Ron Bottita. The series tells the story of a group of powerful warriors who suddenly see themselves reincarnated as teenagers and with the possibility of actually dying this time if they are not careful.

As the first episode starts revealing the world where this takes place, it becomes apparent that Tartakovsky and his team might have taken inspiration from one of the best-hidden gem concepts in all fantasy, Michael Moorcock’s The Eternal Champion concept. Moorcock developed the concept very early on in his career, and the result was a series of novels, including the ones led by the famous albino Elric of Melnibone. The concept sees an eternal champion that fights evil and gets reincarnated in different entities throughout dimensions.

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal doesn’t only have the Eternal Champion reference in its title but also has a set of rules that establish one of the main world-building cores in the series. Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is a fantasy show through and through, one that lets us know just how much of a fan its creator is of the genre, and one that might give us that dose of fantasy we have been searching for on Television for a while. We were only able to see some episodes of this first season, but the result is just amazing and makes this series an easy recommendation.

On a visual level, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal feels more in line with the work done in something like Primal than in something like Samurai Jack. There is a level of detail here that just wasn’t present during the adventures of the lost samurai. However, the scale of the tale being told here definitely feels more in line with that show. Yes, this is a show that kids could see, but there is definitely a dark edge that tells us that this is aimed at an audience that grew up alongside Tartakovsky as a creator. Both old fans and newcomers will have a blast watching this.

This is the thing, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal is all about telling an epic fantasy tale with many twists and turns, powerful and exciting action sequences, and with fantastic humor. This show is certainly funnier than Primal or Samurai Jack, at least in my opinion. The fact that the series goes into full gear right from the get-go also feels quite refreshing. There is setup, of course, but the story is always moving, and the characters are always interacting in fun ways. Our four main characters are truly a dream team and one I can see myself rooting for several seasons.

It is also clear that Tartakovsky has character development, emotions, and a long-arching story in mind when it comes to the future of the series. He has already done this to perfection with Samurai Jack, so the feeling of experiencing a grand tale as it is being made also adds a certain level of excitement to the entire project. Unicorn: Warriors Eternal might have had a hard time gaining the approval of producers and the powers that be, but I find it hard if Tartakovsky’s audience doesn’t find themselves invested from episode 1.

Of course, the impressive visuals and the cool story are just some parts of the entire project, but the voices are, in great part, one of the reasons why we will connect with these characters. The cast of actors is all very new to me, I have only seen some of these performers in some other projects or in very small roles. However, here in Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, each of the characters shines thanks to expressive voices and the line delivery that can move from very intense lines to just plain situational comedy. I might not know them as well as others, but these people have a future in the industry.

This first season seems to be setting up some major fantastical events, and it would be great if more and more concepts from other classic fantasy stories could find their way into the show. As it is, it feels like a love letter to the genre and proves that Tartakovsky should definitely receive more support when it comes to getting greenlight shows like this one that feel so original and just fun to watch. We need more weird and brave stuff on modern streaming services and less formulaic stuff that just pushed people away.

Unicorn: Warriors Eternal feels like another great Tartakosvsky series in the making. The world-building and the concepts that find their way into the show merge in a very organic way, and the strength of the characters also assures me that I will be watching this show for as long as it lasts. The mystery is also quite important, and I cannot wait to see the numerous revelations the plot line is setting us up for. So, watching this is a no-brainer, and it will certainly be one of the best-animated shows of the year.

SCORE: 10/10