See the classic arcade game reimagined as a meta TV comedy.

Matthew Rhys, Liam McIntyre charge into Golden Axe animated series in exclusive first look at SEGA adaptation

See the classic arcade game reimagined as a meta TV comedy.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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August 20, 2026 9:30 a.m. ET

‘Golden Axe’ first look at animated TV comedy. Credit:

- Golden Axe, the classic SEGA arcade game, becomes an animated TV comedy.

- See the first look at Matthew Rhys’ Gilius, Liam McIntyre’s Ax, and more.

- The new trailer teases the show’s meta comedic tone.

From the moment that battle sorceress Tyris Flare (voiced by Lisa Gilroy) screams out “SEGA!” before charging into battle, you understand the vibe *Golden Axe* is going for.

Mike McMahan (*Star Trek: Lower Decks*, *Solar Opposites*) and Joe Chandler (*American Dad*, *Napoleon Dynamite* animated show) co-created the new TV series, which is based on the SEGA arcade game of the same name.

Released in 1989, the simple side-scroller beat-’em-up game allowed players to handle one of three warriors to fight through the fantasy land of Yuria and defeat Death Adder, the big bad who wields the titular Golden Axe.

Ax Battler (Liam McIntyre), Gilius Thunderhead (Matthew Rhys), and Tyris Flare (Lisa Gilroy) on ‘Golden Axe’.

Death Adder of ‘Golden Axe’.

As seen in **’s exclusive first-look trailer and photos, the new, more modern take leans heavily into meta comedy in this realm of swords and sorcery.

“We’re going to do what we do best,” Tyris starts off before laying out exactly how the show (and the game) works: “Face a series of progressively harder enemies until we have a big final battle with Death Adder. And then we kill him for good.”

Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, who’s experiencing a resurgence due to hit show *Widow’s Bay*, plays Gilius Thunderhead, described as “a grumpy battle dwarf with exceptionally poor hygiene and a chip on his shoulder.”

Danny Pudi voices Hampton Squib and Matthew Rhys voices Gilius Thunderhead on ‘Golden Axe’.

Liam McIntyre, the *Spartacus* veteran now playing the title hero in the *Marvel’s Wolverine* video game, plays Ax Battler, “a barbarian warrior with a strict code of honor and sweet golden retriever demeanor.”

*Jury Duty*’s Gilroy as Tyris is considered “deadly in a fight and even deadlier with her sharp wit.” Together, they make up the three playable warriors from the arcade game.

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Danny Pudi, a recurring actor in the voiceover space, now comes into the *Golden Axe* picture as Hampton Squib, described as “a naive, inexperienced first-time adventurer who has dreamt of questing his entire life.”

Matthew Rhys voices Gilius Thunderhead on ‘Golden Axe’.

Liam McIntyre voices Ax Battler, Carl Tart voices Chronos ‘Evil’ Lait, and Lisa Gilroy voices Tyris Flare on ‘Golden Axe’.

The main plot of the animated comedy follows the reunion of Gilius, Ax, and Tyris to take down Death Adder, who just won’t seem to stay dead. Their mission becomes complicated by the arrival of Hampton, who wants to join their quest but remains wildly underprepared for the adventures ahead.

Attempts to adapt *Golden Axe* date back to 2014, though it’s only now that we’re finally seeing one reach the screen. In 2024, the animated series received a 10-episode season order for Comedy Central, but the show will now premiere exclusively on streamer Paramount+ starting Wednesday, Sept. 16.

The images and trailer reveal other parts of the *Golden Axe* world brought to life, including sword-wielding skeletons, the creatures known as Chicken Legs (now just “trusty purple mutant thingys), and the headless golden Death Armor. Comedian Carl Tart can also be heard voicing Chronos “Evil” Lait, described as “an uncomfortably cheesy humanoid panther.”

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McMahan co-wrote the first episode with Chandler, and while both serve as executive producers, Chandler retains showrunner credit.

Watch the trailer above.

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Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Adult”