ThunderCats first aired in 1985 as an American animated series following Lion-O and his fellow Thunderians after they escape their dying home world for Third Earth. Its bold opening theme quickly became inseparable from the show, helped by weekday syndication, toy lines and repeated reruns that kept it in front of new audiences. A later revival and endless clips online renewed interest, and today the theme survives as shorthand for heroic nostalgia, instantly signalling adventure to anyone who recognises its opening bars.