Unicorn: Warriors Eternal

***Unicorn: Warriors Eternal*** is an American adult animated series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. It premiered on May 4, 2023 on Adult Swim.

## Premise

In *Unicorn: Warriors Eternal*, an evil force is looming across the dark, thick-aired streets of industrial revolution London when a group of heroes dubbed Unicorn are accidentally reawakened in the bodies of teenagers instead of adult hosts they've embodied in the past: Melinda, a powerful sorceress, Seng, a cosmic monk, and Edred, a warrior elf. With distorted memories and their magical abilities weakened and fragmented, the trio must work together with help from their steam-powered robot, Copernicus, to unravel the mysteries of their pasts and present that will reveal their path to defeating a timeless threat.

## Cast and characters

### The Order of Unicorn

* Hazel Doupe as Melinda/Emma Fairfax
	+ Grey DeLisle as Orignal Melinda, June Way, Clarice Leydoux, The Necromancer and Andaen
* Demari Hunte as Seng/Alfie
	+ Alain Uy as Original Seng and Lao Xi Sheng
	+ Victor Alli as Adult Alfie, an adult version of Alfie in the cosmic realm.
* Tom Milligan as Edred/Dimitri Dynamo
	+ Jacob Dudman as Original Edred and Tillac
* Copernicus, a steam-powered robot who brings the three souls together and has no speaking lines

### Recurring

* Jeremy Crutchley as Merlin and Gwylfred
* George Webster as Winston, Emma's fiancé
* Gildart Jackson as the Inspector General
* Rosalind Ayres as Lady Katherine Fairfax and Mayor Agatha
* Ron Bottitta as Lord Edward Fairfax, Emma's father
* Sunkrish Bala as Rakshasa, a Hindu guardian spirit
* Peta Johnson as Morgan, Melinda's mother
* Brian George as Darvish

### Guest

* Jack Bandeira as Aelwulf, Edred's younger brother
* Tom Bromhead as Thraen and Turk
* Chris Butler as Dashwood
* Marley Cherry Hilborne as Young Melinda
* Robbie Daymond as Mick, a friend of Alfie's
* Aaron LaPlante as Sailor Jim
* David McCusker as Gobi
* Jason O'Mara as Otto, a robotic engineer

## Production

### Development

Tartakovsky conceived Unicorn: Warriors Eternal in his early days at Cartoon Network Studios. Tartakovsky originally conceived the miniseries in his early days at Cartoon Network Studios. In an interview, Tartakovsky stated, "All the projects we worked on - Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Sym-Bionic Titan - were like a training ground getting us ready for this series." According to Tartakovsky, it was difficult for to get the series off the ground, and it took almost 20 years to be made. After he left Cartoon Network, no studio wanted to work with him, and every time he got one to back the project, it would fail to make progress, first with Cartoon Network, then with Netflix, before being picked up by HBO Max.

The series was of officially greenlit on October 28, 2020, alongside *Tiny Toons Looniversity* and three untitled projects from Mo Willems. It was originally set to premiere on both Cartoon Network and HBO Max at some point in 2021. Eventually, it was picked up by Cartoon Network and Max and was publicly announced in October 2020. It is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, with animation by Studio La Cachette in France and Studio Zmei in Bulgaria. For 19 months, Studio Zmei partnered with French studio La Cachette in working on all 10 episodes of the first season of the series.

Footage of the series was shown at Annecy Festival from June 13-18, 2022. The Annecy website also showed updated character designs. The series was previewed at New York Comic Con on October 9, 2022.

As a result of the long development of the series, a lot of ideas that were originally present were changed because Tartakovsky felt that they had already been done in a lot of media and wanted to avoid being cliché. One example is the conflict of technology versus magic and the robot rising, which took a backseat over the years because it had already been explored in popular films such as *I, Robot* (2004) and *The Terminator*(1984). However, it was through the development that it organically became more about the characters and how they deal with their new awoken selves. Tartakovsky came up with ideas for several seasons of the series and pitched it as a four-season story. He explained that "the world is so ripe and it's so brand new that you can do so much." He added, "If we get tired of these characters, we can go back to another time period or they're re-awoken in the future

On April 24, 2023, Tartakovsky teased that "Unicorn is basically about these heroes being reborn, and they’re solving a mystery of why they’re younger now and what has happened that’s different than [in] the past. They have fragments of their memories, and at the same time, they’re trying to find out who they are, especially Melinda, who now feels that she’s two people in one. It’s a giant metaphor for kinda coming of age or becoming a teenager, or becoming an adult".

On March 27, 2023, it was revealed that the show was moved to Adult Swim, and that it would premiere on May 4, 2023. The series was originally going to be aimed at kids and family, with the show premiering on Cartoon Network as part of its ACME Night programming block, but it was instead moved to another programming block Adult Swim. In addition to premiering on Adult Swim, its Toonami programming block will run an encore. The premiere date and the main cast were officially confirmed on March 29, 2020, and the first trailer was also released.

The series streamed on Max (formerly HBO Max) the following day.

On June 13, 2023, when it comes to what changed between that version Tartakovsky dreamed up two decades ago and the one airing now, Tartakovsky says not much. He goes onto say that, “It’s definitely more nuanced a bit from where it started more focusing on the magic versus technology aspect,” Tartakovsky said. “But then, through the years that became more and more cliché – how many robots come alive trying to take over the world could you do? And what started to rise was all the complexity of the character stories, especially with Melinda with her duality of being two characters at once. That was the golden ticket for me to really focus on. And then we started to shift away from the technology and really into like, how are they supposed to figure out this mystery and figure out themselves at the same time?”

On June 25, 2023, some sketches of what would become a scene in A Love's Last Light was released on Twitter.

## Inspirations

Tartakovsky drew inspiration from Disney's *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs*, particularly the funeral scene, for being emotional yet featuring cartoony and goofy dwarves. He stated: "There's a dirty word in animation of being 'too cartoony'. They say that you can't feel emotion if it looks too goofy. And that's bullshit. And so that's what I really wanted to do is have this very cartoony thing, but the emotions are real. And the drama really is a soap opera almost, it's so heightened." The story was partly influenced by Tartakovsky watching his children grow up, which he thought the series lengthy development benefited from.

The look of Unicorn Warriors Eternal and its character was inspired by the works of Max Fleischer and Osamu Tezuka. Tartakovsky acknowledged that Tezuka himself was influenced by Fleischer and Disney cartoons and described the look as an "incestual pool of beloved characters." He started drawing influences from Tezuka's work when he was writing an Astro Boy script for Sony in 2004 and read the manga. Stephen DeStefano, who worked with Tartakovsky on Sym-Bionic Titan, Primal, and his cancelled Popeye film, served as character designer. The two wanted the series to have an "old aesthetic but told in a very contemporary way with contemporary filmmaking". The works of Hayao Miyazaki and general steampunk aesthetics also inspired Tartakovsky.

Tartakovsky's inspiration for his direction style comes from his love of 70's movies, *Pulp Fiction* and comic books. According to Tartakovsky, when explaining how he developed the plot, "[the series] started off as usual with anything that I do, a visual image. It was a version of the team fighting a spectral train on fire (as seen in The Awakening). I wanted everything to be more magic themed, and so that was the beginning. As I started to develop it further through the years, it was really a metaphor for becoming teenagers. Having teenagers, you realize once they hit 13 or 14, it’s like a switch goes off, and they’re different people, right? So, it started out as the Industrial Revolution versus magic, and it grew to the duality of who we are. And it became much more about the characters, which I love because it made it that much more interesting. Especially with the character of Emma, because she’s obviously struggling the most with it. And that became the goal of it, for me. From that, it really was the wedding scene in the first episode, as one of the first things that I imagined, and I just wanted to see that".

## Reception

On June 7, 2023, it was revealed that Adult Swim’s one-hour expansion of its daily programming one month prior gained enough traction with viewers that the Warner Bros Discovery network would be adding another hour to its schedule heading into the fall. On Saturdays, the new 6 p.m. hour will feature reruns of current TV-PG originals like *Unicorn: Warriors Eternal* and *My Adventures With Superman*. The new series anchoring the 7 p.m. hour, is Adult Swim’s best launch in more than a year and the top-rated new animated show in the demo, according to the network.

## Trivia

* On May 7, 2022, Stephen DeStefano, teased his appearance at the Annecy Animation Festival for that year, and also shared drawings done by him and Genndy. The penciling and layout for these drawings were by Genndy, and the digital inks by DeStefano.
* On May 5, 2023, Bryan Arnett shared some character designs he helped with for the show.
* On May 6, 2023, it was confirmed that while The Order of Unicorn have been fighting this monster for centuries, the show specifically zeroes in on 1890s London as its main time period.
* On May 8, 2023, Arnett also shared some designs for the elephant that appeared on the series.
	+ Some character designs of the warriors in various time periods was also revealed on this day.
* On May 9, 2023, Tartakovsky did an interview for WIRED's Youtube Channel where he ended up sharing some concept art and rough storyboards for The Awakening, the entire first episode of the series since he showed viewers a closer look into his sketchbook!
* On May 12, 2023, Eva Skelinen revealed which background paintings she worked on during episode 1.
	+ Also on this day, Tara Billinger revealed that she did some board clean up for Genndy.
* On May 17, 2023, Tara Billinger, an art director revealed some panels she did for A Fateful Encounter and further stated that Genndy pitches his boards verbally himself so he always likes me to write the lines on the panels when needed. I loved how the action/color came out for this scene.
* On May 23, 2023, Tartakovsky mentioned in a post on Instagram that "Part of creating a world and making it feel inhabited is making sure that you have plenty off other characters living in it. It’s sometimes a very thankless job because the crowd or secondary characters go by in a blink, they are our extras. Stephen DeStefano is especially great at making our extras look so amazing! Here is a collection of some of my favorites from *Unicorn; Warriors Eternal*."
* On May 26, 2023, Tartakovsky took part in an AMA on Reddit using the Adult Swim Official account and revealed several caveats of information, such as:
	+ There are plans for more seasons down the road, but the show has to be successful, so he urged people to watch it, if they want to see more.
	+ Morgan and Fox Lady are not the same person, and Tartakovsky also hinted that Morgan could be the Morgan Le Fay from Arthurian lore.
	+ When asked what his favorite part of working on the show was, Tartakovsky stated that it was doing the stories and finally getting a chance to do the series because he's had it stored in his brain for such a long time. In particular, what comes to mind is the scene with Emma Fairfax becoming Melinda in the church on the series premiere. So getting to do it after 20 years was his favorite part.
	+ When it comes to how old the current Unicorn hosts are, Alfie is about 12, Emma Fairfax is 18 and Dimitri Dynamo is 20 years old respectively.
	+ Melinda and the others have been reincarnated many times. Tartakovsky thinks it has probably been more than 10; with Melinda being Joan of Arc for a bit.
	+ Tartakovsky also confirmed that Season 1 will consist of 10 episodes.
	+ Episode 7, "The Heart of Kings" is 40 minutes long, and is too big to fit into the normal time constraints of the other 9 episodes.
* On June 9, 2023, Eva Eskelinen released some background paintings she did for the seventh episode: "The Heart of Kings".
	+ Similarly, Dee C. an animator for the series revealed that they worked on "The Mystery of Secrets" and the seventh episode as well.

## Gallery

### Promotional images

Development poster.Poster showed at the 2022 Annecy Festival.Centennial CelebrationGenndy Tartakovsky May 5th Youtube Live Announcement

## Videos

International Animation Film Festival & Market - Annecy 2022Annecy 2023 TeaserUnicorn- Warriors Eternal - OFFICIAL TRAILER - adult swimUnicorn- Warriors Eternal - Official Trailer - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧🔴 LIVE- Genndy Tartakovsky- A Legacy in Animation - adult swimToonami - Unicorn Warriors Eternal Bumpers (May 6, 2023)FULL EPISODE - Unicorn- Warriors Eternal S1E1- The Awakening - adult swimGenndy Tartakovsky Answers Animation Questions From Twitter - Tech Support - WIREDCopernicus Fights The Mysterious Woman's Minions - Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - adult swimUnicorn- Warriors Eternal - Sneak Peek! What Lies Beneath - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Sneak Peek! The Past Within - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Emma confronts Melinda - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Melinda’s Past - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Return Of Seng - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧The Best of Copernicus - Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - adult swimUnicorn- Warriors Eternal - Meet the Genius Otto - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Sneak Peek! The Heart Of Kings - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Edred’s Ancestral Burden - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Sneak Peek! Darkness Before The Dawn - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧-adult swim- - Unicorn- Warriors Eternal Season 1 Episode 10 PromoUnicorn- Warriors Eternal - Sneak Peek! The End Of The Beginning - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Behind The Scenes - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧Unicorn- Warriors Eternal - Melinda and Edred - Adult Swim UK 🇬🇧
## References

1. ↑ As Adult Swim Gets Set To Add An Hour Of Daily Programming, President Michael Ouweleen Sees Warner Bros Discovery In A More Settled Post-Merger State: “We’re All Feeling More Possibility” - Deadline
2. ↑ UNICORN: WARRIORS ETERNAL GETS PREMIERE DATE FOR…ADULT SWIM - Bubbleblabber
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Milligan, Mercedes (March 29, 2023). Official Trailer Released for Genndy Tartakovsky’s Newest Animated Series, “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal”. *Animation Magazine*.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Hannah, Sara (March 29, 2023). Official Trailer for ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ Unveils Tartakovsky’s Epic Tale for Adult Swim’s Expanded Block. *Warner Bros. Discovery*.
5. ↑ Unicorn: Warriors Eternal creators on the animated marvel 20 years in the making - Polygon
6. ↑ Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Review: Genndy Tartakovsky Is Back With Another Thrilling And Genre-Bending Series - Slash Film
7. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky’s New Animated Series ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ Headed to Cartoon Network, HBO Max. *Collider* (October 28, 2020).
8. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (October 28, 2020). Warner Bros. Takes Over HBO Max Kids and Family Programming (EXCLUSIVE). *Variety*.
9. ↑ Bulgarian Animators Share in New Genndy Tartakovsky Series - Bulgarian News Agency
10. ↑ Hopewell, John (May 2, 2022). Annecy Gets ‘Pinocchio,’ ‘Spider-Verse,’ ‘Puss in Boots’ Footage and ‘Lightyear,’ and Unveils Festival Lineup. *Variety*.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Unicorn: Warriors Eternal. *Annecy Festival*.
12. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (September 12, 2022). NYCC: WBD Spotlights ‘Velma,’ Tartakovsky’s ‘Unicorn,’ DC Animation & More. *Animation Magazine*.
13. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 4 - Reddit
14. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky Talks Creating Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, Returning to Primal, and More - Comicbook.com
15. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky Explains How ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ Coming-Of-Age Tale Is Told Throughout Time - TV Insider
16. ↑ Swimpedia (March 27, 2023). Unicorn: Warriors Eternal, by Genndy Tartakovsky, will be premiering on @adultswim on May 4th at midnight! (Tweet). *Twitter*.
17. ↑ Official Trailer Released for Genndy Tartakovsky’s Newest Animated Series, “Unicorn: Warriors Eternal” -WBD
18. ↑ UNICORN: WARRIORS ETERNAL GETS PREMIERE DATE FOR…ADULT SWIM - BubbleBabbler
19. ↑ As Adult Swim Gets Set To Add An Hour Of Daily Programming, President Michael Ouweleen Sees Warner Bros Discovery In A More Settled Post-Merger State: “We’re All Feeling More Possibility” - Deadline
20. ↑ The Making of ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal:’ How Genndy Tartakovsky Crafted His Magnum Opus - The Wrap
21. ↑ 2Craene June 25, 2023 Tweet - Twitter
22. ↑ Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Review: Genndy Tartakovsky Is Back With Another Thrilling And Genre-Bending Series - Slashfilm
23. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky Shares News of a Primal Sequel and How Unicorn Survived the WB-Discovery Purge - Paste Magazine
24. ↑ Annecy WIP: The Latest from Tartakovsky, Trueba, Aardman & More - Animation Magazine
25. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 7 - Reddit
26. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky Explains How ‘Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’ Coming-Of-Age Tale Is Told Throughout Time - TV Insider
27. ↑ NYCC 2022: Genndy Tartakovsky reflects on Cartoon Network’s history and premieres his newest show - Flixhist
28. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 5 - Reddit
29. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky on Unicorn: Warriors Eternal’s Mythology, Love Triangles, & His 15-Year Journey to Get It Made - Paste Magazine
30. ↑ Adult Swim Sees Gains From May Expansion, Continues To Add Programming Real Estate With Launch Of Nostalgia Block ‘Checkered Past’ - Deadline
31. ↑ May 7, 2022 IG Post by DeStefano - Instagram
32. ↑ May 5, 2023 IG Post by Arnett - Instagram
33. ↑ Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Is Genndy Tartakovsky Unleashed - Gizmodo
34. ↑ May 8, 2023 IG Post by Arnett - Instagram
35. ↑ Unicorn: Warriors Eternal Creator Shares First Character Designs - Comicbook.com
36. ↑ Genndy Tartakovsky Answers Animation Questions From Twitter - YouTube
37. ↑ Eva Skelinen May 12, 2023 Tweet - Twitter
38. ↑ Tara Billinger May 12, 2023 Tweet - Twitter
39. ↑ Tara Billinger May 17, 2023 Tweet - Twitter
40. ↑ Tartakovsky IG Post - Instagram
41. ↑ Adult Swim Official Account Posts History - Reddit
42. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 1 - Reddit
43. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 2 - Reddit
44. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 3 - Reddit>
45. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 6 - Reddit
46. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 8- Reddit
47. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 9 - Reddit
48. ↑ Tartakovsky AMA Part 10 - Reddit
49. ↑ Eva Eskelinen June 9, 2023 Tweet - Twitter
50. ↑ Dee C. June 9, 2023 Tweet - Twitter

## External links

* Unicorn: Warriors Eternal on Wikipedia
* Unicorn: Warriors Eternal on IMDb

* Watch Unicorn: Warriors Eternal on Max