Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light |
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Title card
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| Created by | Flint Dille |
| Voices of | Susan Blu Roscoe Lee Browne Peter Cullen Jim Cummings Jennifer Darling Bernard Erhard Jonathan Harris Chris Latta Michael McConnohie Hal Rayle Neil Ross Beau Weaver |
| Narrated by | Malachi Throne |
| Theme music composer | Ford Kinder Anne Bryant |
| Composer(s) | Thomas Chase Jones Steve Rucker |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Tom Griffin C.J. Kettler Yutaka Fujioka |
| Running time | 22 min. |
| Production company(s) | Abrams/Gentile Entertainment, inc. Hasbro Sunbow Productions TMS Entertainment |
| Distributor | Claster Television (United States) Sunbow Productions International (Internationally) |
| Release | |
| Original network | first-run syndication |
| Original release | September 20 – December 13, 1987 |
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light is a cool science fantasy story. It started with action figure toys and vehicles made by Hasbro. Then, an animated TV show by Sunbow Productions came out in 1987. It had one season with 13 episodes.
There was also a comic book series by Star Comics. It ran for six issues from November 1987 to September 1988. Later, in 2018, IDW Publishing released a five-issue comic series. It featured the Visionaries characters along with the Transformers!
Contents
The Story of Prysmos
The story takes place on a planet called Prysmos. It was a very advanced world with lots of technology. But then, something amazing happened! The planet's three suns lined up. Their energy caused all technology to stop working. It was like a huge power outage everywhere!
Because of this, people on Prysmos had to learn to use ancient magic to survive. The main characters are knights called the Visionaries. They split into two groups: the good guys, called the Spectral Knights, and the bad guys, called the Darkling Lords.
A powerful wizard named Merklynn invited everyone who wanted magic to a special competition. The knights had to get through traps and dangerous creatures. The ones who made it were given unique animal totems. These totems appeared on their armor. They let the knights transform into their special animals!
Some knights also got magical staffs. These staffs had different powers. To use a staff, the knight had to say a special verse. In the TV show, they could only use a staff once before it needed to be recharged. But in the comics, they could use them as much as they wanted! Knights who didn't have staffs could make their vehicles magical.
Meet the Characters
The Heroic Spectral Knights
The Spectral Knights are the good guys. They use their magic to help others. Their leader is Leoric.
| Character | Description | Totem Animal | Voice Actor | |
| Leoric | He is the leader of the Spectral Knights. He is also the prince of New Valarak. His totem is the Lion. His staff gives him the Power of Wisdom. His main enemy is Darkstorm. | Lion | Neil Ross | |
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| Ectar | He is Leoric's helper in New Valarak. He used to be a police detective. His totem is the Fox. He can make vehicles magical. His main vehicle is the Lancer Cycle. | Fox | Michael McConnohie | |
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| Feryl | He is the youngest Spectral Knight. His totem is the Wolf. He can also make vehicles magical. His main vehicle is the Capture Chariot. His enemy is Mortdredd. | Wolf | Beau Weaver | |
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| Cryotek | He is the oldest Spectral Knight. He comes from a cold northern land. His totem is the Bear. His staff gives him the Power of Strength. He is friends with Galadria. His enemy is Cindarr. | Bear | Bernard Erhard | |
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| Witterquick | He is a prince from a southern city. His totem is the Cheetah. His staff gives him the Power of Lightspeed. He often takes charge when Leoric is not around. | Cheetah | Jim Cummings | |
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| Arzon | He is one of the younger Spectral Knights. His totem is the Eagle. His staff gives him the Power of Knowledge. He is very eager to help. | Eagle | Hal Rayle | |
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| Galadria | She is the only female Spectral Knight. She is from Androsia. Her totem is the Dolphin. She can drive vehicles. Her enemy is Virulina. She and Cryotek like each other. | Dolphin | Susan Blu | |
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The Evil Darkling Lords
The Darkling Lords are the bad guys. They use their magic for selfish reasons. Their leader is Darkstorm.
| Character | Description | Totem Animal | Voice Actor | |
| Darkstorm | He is the leader of the Darkling Lords. His totem is the Mollusk. His staff gives him the Power of Decay. He can also reverse his own spell. His main enemy is Leoric. | Mollusk | Chris Latta | |
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| Reekon | He is a thief who works for Darkstorm. His totem is the Lizard. He can make vehicles magical. His main vehicle is the Dagger Assault. He often fights Ectar. | Lizard | Roscoe Lee Browne | |
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| Mortdredd | He is Darkstorm's most loyal follower. His totem is the Beetle. He flies the Sky Claw, an attack vehicle. His enemy is Feryl. | Beetle | Jonathan Harris | |
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| Cindarr | He used to be a construction worker. His totem is the Gorilla. His staff gives him the Power of Destruction. He is not very smart, but sometimes he is kind. His enemy is Cryotek. | Gorilla | Peter Cullen | |
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| Cravex | He is the most short-tempered Darkling Lord. His totem is the phylot (a flying creature from Prysmos). His staff gives him the Power of Fear. | Phylot | Chris Latta | |
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| Lexor | His totem is the Armadillo. His staff gives him the Power of Invulnerability (meaning he can't be hurt). He is often seen as a liar and a coward. | Armadillo | Michael McConnohie | |
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| Virulina | She is the only female Darkling Lord. Her totem is the Shark. She can drive vehicles. Her main enemy is Galadria. | Shark | Jennifer Darling | |
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Other Important Characters
- Merklynn – He is the powerful wizard who lives in Iron Mountain. He gives the knights their magic powers. He also sends them on quests to recharge their staffs. (Voiced by Roscoe Lee Browne)
- Fletchen – A young woman from a village. Darkstorm tried to trick her people into fighting the Spectral Knights. She helped the knights understand the truth. (Voiced by Jennifer Darling)
- Gleering – Fletchen's father. He and his village were scared of magic. Darkstorm used their fear against the Spectral Knights. (Voiced by Peter Cullen)
- Sun Imps – These are small, tricky creatures. They were locked away a long time ago. In the last episode, they were accidentally set free and caused a lot of trouble!
Visionaries Toys
In 1987, Hasbro made action figures based on the TV show. The toys had cool hologram stickers on their chests and staffs. This made them expensive to make. Only figures of the twelve male characters were released, along with four vehicles. There were plans for more toys, but they were never released.
In 2017, a new Leoric action figure was released. It was part of a special set at the San Diego Comic-Con.
The TV Series Episodes
The Visionaries TV series had 13 episodes. They were written by Flint Dille, Buzz Dixon, or Douglas Booth.
| # | Title | Writer | Original Airdate | |
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| 01 | "The Age of Magic Begins" | Flint Dille | September 20, 1987 | |
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Technology stops working on Prysmos, and magic begins! Knights race to Merklynn's mountain for powers. Only 14 succeed, and some want power for themselves.
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| 02 | "The Dark Hand of Treachery" | Flint Dille | September 27, 1987 | |
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Darkstorm and his Darkling Lords use magic vehicles to trap Leoric and his friends. Leoric realizes they must work together and names them the Spectral Knights.
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| 03 | "Quest for the Dragon's Eye" | Flint Dille | October 4, 1987 | |
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The Spectral Knights escape and get their own magic vehicles. Both groups need to recharge their staffs. Merklynn sends them on a quest for the Dragon's Eye.
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| 04 | "The Price of Freedom" | Doug Booth | November 8, 1987 | |
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The Darkling Lords find a city that won't give up old technology. Darkstorm promises them human slaves. They invade New Valarak and capture the Spectral Knights.
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| 05 | "Feryl Steps Out" | Buzz Dixon | October 11, 1987 | |
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Feryl feels sad after a fight and leaves the Spectral Knights. Darkstorm tries to trick him and lure Leoric into a trap. Feryl finds out and helps his friends.
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| 06 | "Lion Hunt" | Buzz Dixon | October 18, 1987 | |
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The Darkling Lords get a potion to trap Leoric in his lion form. Leoric is attacked by enemies and even his own friends. The Spectral Knights must race to save him.
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| 07 | "The Overthrow of Merklynn" | Flint Dille | October 25, 1987 | |
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Darkstorm gets tired of Merklynn and takes over Iron Mountain. He causes big problems with a spell. The Darkling Lords have to free Merklynn to fix things.
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| 08 | "The Power of the Wise" | Doug Booth | November 1, 1987 | |
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The Spectral Knights worry about Darkstorm's aging spell. They search for a magic spring to stay young. Leoric gets caught by the spell, but learns a lesson about age.
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| 09 | "Horn of Unicorn, Claw of Dragon" | Buzz Dixon | November 15, 1987 | |
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A magic sickness hits Prysmos, making knights very sick. To survive, they need a unicorn's horn and a dragon's claw. Good and bad knights must work together to find them.
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| 10 | "The Trail of Three Wizards" | Flint Dille | November 22, 1987 | |
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Merklynn sends the Spectral Knights to catch three rogue wizards. The Darkling Lords ambush them. The knights must recapture one wizard who is helping the Darkling Lords.
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| 11 | "Honor Among Thieves" | Flint Dille | November 29, 1987 | |
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Merklynn gives the Spectral Knights a magic crystal to warn them of danger. Reekon steals it. Ectar and Arzon must use clever tricks to get it back.
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| 12 | "Sorcery Squared" | Doug Booth | December 6, 1987 | |
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Cryotek is captured, and the Darkling Lords try to take his power. He ends up with two totems and acts strangely. Both sides must work together to help him.
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| 13 | "Dawn of the Sun Imps" | Flint Dille | December 13, 1987 | |
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A tomb holding six mischievous imps is exposed. Lexor tricks Cindarr into freeing them. Both the Spectral Knights and Darkling Lords must work together to catch the imps.
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Visionaries Comics
Marvel Comics Series
Marvel's Star Comics published a comic series starting in November 1987. It had six issues. The first issue was like the first TV episode. But later issues told new stories. For example, in the comics, the knights could use their power staffs as many times as they wanted. Also, the animal totems looked like real animals, not just blue or green.
| Issue No. | Title | Summary | Published |
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| 01 | The End... | Prysmos loses its technology and magic begins. Merklynn offers powers to knights who reach Iron Mountain. 14 knights get animal totems and staffs. This issue retells the first TV episode. | November 1987 |
| 02 | The Balance of Power | The Visionaries start fighting and split into two groups. The Darkling Lords look for a secret weapon. Reekon and Mortdredd learn to power vehicles with magic. | January 1988 |
| 03 | The Star Stone | The Spectral Knights learn about a hidden weapon that could bring back technology. Both sides fight for it, and the weapon gets buried forever. | March 1988 |
| 04 | Dream Maker | Witterquick and Cindarr both dream of a trapped woman, Sirena. They go to rescue her, fighting each other. They find out she is an evil witch and work together to defeat her. | May 1988 |
| 05 | Quest of the Four Talismans | Merklynn sends the Visionaries to find four magic talismans: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Galadria and Cryotek find the Earth talisman, but a tribe guards it. | July 1988 |
| 06 | Wings | Arzon and Feryl find the Air Talisman. People called High Flyers have it. Virulina and Cindarr attack, making the tribe sick. Arzon uses his wisdom to cure them. | September 1988 |
IDW Publishing Comics
IDW Publishing released a five-issue comic series called Transformers Vs. Visionaries. It came out from January to May 2018. It was written by Magdalene Visaggio and drawn by Fico Ossio.
Future Film Plans
In 2015, Hasbro and Paramount Pictures announced plans for a movie universe. It would combine Visionaries with other Hasbro stories like G.I. Joe and Transformers. Writers were hired in 2016 to create stories. However, the project is still being developed.
See also
In Spanish: Visionarios: Caballeros de la Luz Mágica para niños
