Tron: Uprising facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tron: Uprising
Genre	Action Science fiction Cyberpunk Drama Superhero
Developed by	Edward Kitsis Adam Horowitz
Directed by	Charlie Bean Robert Valley
Voices of	Elijah Wood Bruce Boxleitner Mandy Moore Nate Corddry Lance Henriksen Emmanuelle Chriqui Reginald VelJohnson Paul Reubens Tricia Helfer
Composer(s)	Joseph Trapanese
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	19
Production
Executive producer(s)	Charlie Bean
Producer(s)	Edward Kitsis Adam Horowitz
Running time	approx. 22 minutes
Production company(s)	Sean Bailey Productions Disney Television Animation Polygon Pictures
Distributor	Disney–ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network	Disney XD
Original release	May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18) – January 28, 2013 (2013-01-28)
Chronology
Preceded by	Tron
Followed by	Tron: Legacy

Tron: Uprising is an American science fiction TV show. It's part of the bigger Tron world. The story happens between the movies Tron and Tron: Legacy.

There are 19 episodes in total. They aired on Disney XD from May 2012 to January 2013. Charlie Bean directed the series. He was also an executive producer.

Story of Tron: Uprising

Beck is a young computer program. He becomes the leader of a revolution in the computer world called the Grid. He fights against the bad guy, Clu, and his helpers.

Beck is a mechanic. He gets trained by Tron, who is the best warrior the Grid has ever known. Tron teaches Beck how to fight and how to use light cycles. This helps Beck challenge the army that controls Argon City.

Tron also helps Beck grow. Beck learns to be a brave and strong leader. He used to be impulsive, but he changes. Beck starts to act like Tron. He becomes the main enemy of General Tesler and his mean forces.

Meet the Characters

Main Characters

• Beck (voiced by Elijah Wood) – He is the main hero of the show. Beck is a young program who leads a fight against Clu. Tron trains him to challenge Tesler and Clu's evil forces. People often call Beck "Tron" or "the Renegade."
• Tron (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner) – He was the Grid's first protector. Everyone thought Clu had killed Tron. But Tron survived, though he was hurt. Since he couldn't protect the Grid himself, Tron found Beck. He promised to train Beck to take his place. In one episode, "Scars," it's shown that Dyson also hurt the left side of Tron's face.
• Mara (voiced by Mandy Moore) – She works with Beck at Able's Garage. Mara is one of Beck's friends. Beck saves her early in the show. Mara strongly believes that Tron will return. She also supports the Renegade's actions. She often questions the official news that says the Renegade is a bad guy.
• Zed (voiced by Nate Corddry) – He also works with Beck at Able's Garage and is a friend. Zed likes Mara a lot. He gets jealous because Mara is such a big fan of the Renegade. Zed doesn't like the extreme actions taken against the current government. Beck sometimes makes this worse. When Beck acts as the Renegade, he uses Zed, which makes Zed feel even worse.
• General Tesler (voiced by Lance Henriksen) – He is Clu's main helper and the show's bad guy. Tesler's job was to stop rumors about Tron being alive. He also had to hide reports of Tron's return. Tesler doesn't often fight directly. But when he does, he shows he is a good fighter and planner.
• Paige (voiced by Emmanuelle Chriqui) – She is a young program and one of Tesler's commanders. Paige is tough and dedicated. But she is not as mean as Tesler. She takes a special interest in the new "Tron." Paige used to be a medical program. She chose to become a soldier after seeing what she thought were ISO attacks. She didn't know that Tesler had ordered those killings.
• Able (voiced by Reginald VelJohnson) – He owns Able's Garage. It's the best repair shop in Argon City. Able knows that Tron is still alive. He is also one of the first to find out about Beck's secret life. Able doesn't openly support Beck. But he often gives Beck extra time off and covers for him when he's not at work. In "No Bounds," Cyrus kills him. This happens when a bomb Able took from Zed and Mara gets turned on again.
• Pavel (voiced by Paul Reubens) – He is Tesler's second-in-command. Pavel has been with Tesler longer than Paige. But he often lacks skill. This means Paige gets jobs that need a better public image. This makes Pavel less loyal to Tesler. It also hurts his working relationship with Paige.
• The Grid (voiced by Tricia Helfer) – This is the main place where the Tron stories happen.

Other Important Characters

• Clu (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) – He is an updated version of the original Clu. Kevin Flynn, who created the Grid, made him. Clu betrayed Flynn and Tron. Then he took over the Grid.
  • Tatasciore also voices Kevin Flynn (Clu's original user) in episode 9, "Scars Part 1."
• Bartik (voiced by Donald Faison) - He joined a group Paige formed to hunt the Renegade. He and his friend Hopper sometimes bother Zed and other workers. In "Terminal," he and Hopper decide to help the Renegade. They do this after seeing the workers stand up to Pavel.
• Hopper (voiced by Paul Scheer) - He also joined Paige's group to find the Renegade. He is Bartik's friend. Like Bartik, he sometimes bothers Zed and other workers. In "Terminal," he and Bartik also decide to help the Renegade.
• Dyson (voiced by John Glover) – He was once Tron's friend. But Dyson became a traitor. He joined Clu's army.
• Perl (voiced by Kate Mara) – She is a member of a criminal group. She tricks Zed into bringing her to Able's Garage. There, she steals a special lightcycle. Paige later arrests her.
• Cyrus (voiced by Aaron Paul) – Cyrus was Tron's first Renegade. After Tron was hurt by Dyson, Cyrus saved him. Cyrus then became the first "Renegade" before Beck. However, he believed that to free the Grid, he had to destroy it. Tron disagreed and trapped Cyrus in a crack in the Grid. Cyrus later meets Beck. He explains he was the first Renegade. Cyrus tried to use Beck and himself as power to "free" programs from Clu. He escaped his prison but fell back when Beck broke free. Cyrus then escaped again and caused trouble as the Renegade, blaming Beck for his crimes.
• Keller (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden) - She is a scientist. Tesler first hired her to brainwash programs in Argon City to obey Clu. She saw how cruel Tesler's rule was. Her brainwashing device was destroyed by the Renegade. She then ran away from the city. Beck and Paige chased her.
• Cutler (voiced by Lance Reddick) – He is a veteran of the ISO wars. He fought for the ISOs and wore an armband to show his past. Cutler came to Argon City after hearing about the "Renegade." In "Terminal," it's revealed Clu captured and changed him.
• Quorra (voiced by Olivia Wilde) - She is the last surviving ISO.
• Link (voiced by David Arquette) - He is a minor character often seen in the background. Link is a mechanic at Able's garage. He is also a friend of Beck and Mara. He is quiet and a bit clumsy. He often causes accidents at work. His friends often ignore him. He usually gets boring tasks, which frustrates him. Pavel once tricked him into falsely saying who the "Renegade" was, in exchange for a vehicle. Despite this, he looks up to the "Renegade." He is seen with the rebellion in the last episode.
• Gorn (voiced by Kathryn Hunter) - She is a technician in Purgos, Argon City's poor area. She can erase or change memories of programs. Pavel often hires her to help with his schemes. She is later made unable to speak so she can't tell anyone about Pavel's plans.

Episodes of Tron: Uprising

How the Show Was Made

Show Design and Look

The series uses a cool mix of 2D (flat) animation and CGI (3D) animation. The show's style was inspired by other animated series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ThunderCats, and Aeon Flux.

Director Charlie Bean wanted a unique look for the CGI. He worked closely with art director Alberto Mielgo. They also worked with character designer Robert Valley (who made music videos for Gorillaz). The lead vehicle designer was Daniel Simon. He designed many vehicles for the Tron: Legacy movie, like the light cycles. Alberto Mielgo won an Emmy Award in 2013 for his amazing art direction.

Voice Actors

In December 2010, the voice cast for Tron: Uprising was announced. It included famous actors like Elijah Wood, Bruce Boxleitner, Lance Henriksen, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mandy Moore, Paul Reubens, Nate Corddry, and Reginald VelJohnson.

Why the Show Ended

On January 14, 2013, producer Edward Kitsis talked about rumors that the show was ending. He said, "I don't know what the future [of Tron: Uprising] is now. I know right now, we need more viewers." Disney XD moved the show to a different time slot. It aired on Monday mornings at 12:00 AM Eastern until the first season finished on January 28, 2013. After the last episode of the first season, no more episodes of Tron: Uprising were made.

How the Show Was Released

Promoting the Show

A preview video for the series came out online in May 2012. It had a voice-over by Bruce Boxleitner. It was also included on the home video releases of Tron: Legacy in April 2011. Disney XD showed 3D models of characters and concept art at San Diego Comic Con 2011.

Disney released the first episode early on May 18, 2012. The full 31-minute episode was available on Disney XD on Demand, YouTube, Facebook, and iTunes a week before it aired. This first episode was only shown on the Disney Channel. It was originally planned as a 10-part mini-series.

Streaming Services

On May 9, 2013, Disney announced a deal with Netflix. This meant Tron: Uprising would be available to stream there. However, it was removed one year later.

Today, you can watch the full series on Disney+.

Music from the Show

The music for the series was created by Joseph Trapanese. He also helped arrange Daft Punk's music for the Tron: Legacy movie. A soundtrack album with the show's music was released digitally and as a special CD by Walt Disney Records on January 8, 2013.

Song List

Awards the Show Won

See also

In Spanish: Tron: Uprising para niños