The Pirates of Dark Water

The Pirates of Dark Water is a fantasy animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera in the early 1990s. Using a detailed, realistic form of animation, it followed a group of adventurers on a quest to save the alien world of Mer from an evil consuming substance known as "dark water" by locating the Thirteen Treasures of Rule.

Due to falling ratings and expensive production costs, the series was never completed, ending abruptly after 21 episodes with only eight of the thirteen treasures collected.

Characters

The heroes of the story, described by the introduction as an "unlikely crew of misfits," have different backgrounds and are driven by different motives, as do the villains, and they often find themselves working at cross-purposes:

• Ren: The Prince of Ruined Octopon and primary protagonist, Ren was raised by his sister in a lighthouse off the skirts of Octopon unaware of his destiny and heritage. He wields the broken sword that probably once belonged to his father. In the beginning of the second season, he has freed one half of the planet from the Dark Water.

• Niddler: A monkey bird who once belonged to Bloth. He hails from the island of Pandawa. He is usually depicted as greedy and ravenous for food and luxury, but he likes Ren and his ability to fly often comes in handy.

• Tula: An ecomancer, she has the ability to control the elements and also non-sentient biological life. She is headstrong and often flusters Ioz.

• Ioz: A rogue and pirate, he joins up with Ren initially for the promise of treasure. Throughout the seasons, he continues his attempts at getting rich quickly but is mostly unsuccessful.

• Zoolie: A jolly redheaded rogue much in the vein of Ioz, he runs a gamehouse in Janda-Town and sometimes helps Ren and his crew out so he can escape the "drudgery of life on land."

• Bloth: The oxen-sized Captain of the pirate ship Maelstrom, he had Ren's father captured and held him captive for years before the old man escaped back to Ren. In the second season, Bloth becomes allies with the Dark Dweller who wishes to keep the remaining six treasures out of Ren's hands.

• Mantus: Bloth's second-in-command. His cool and calculating personality makes him the perfect battle strategist for Bloth's feet.

• Konk: A short, fat pirate who works for Bloth, he lost his leg thanks a close encounter with his master's ferocious pet, the Constrictus. Although not particularly smart, Konk is still more intelligent than most of Bloth's crew.

• The Lugg Brothers: Two huge, dimwitted siblings who are members of Bloth's crew. They try to assist Konk, but their stupidity makes them more of a hinderance than anything.

• The Dark Dweller: The powerful, evil creature that created the Dark Water. He had the treasures originally scattered because their power is the only thing capable of opposing him and his mission to swallow Mer in Dark Water.

• Morpho: A servant of the Dark Dweller and the leader of his worshippers, the Dark Disciples. He helps Bloth and acts as a go-between for him and the Dark Dweller.

Mer

Mer is a world very different from Earth, with a variety of its own creatures with varying degrees of intelligence, such as the monkey-bird and the leviathan. Much of the planet's surface is water, comprising Mer's twenty seas, and most of the crew's stops are made at islands.

External link

• Andorus's Pirates of Dark Water Page (http://www.piratesofdarkwater.net/)