Tygra at Lion-o&#039;s sword ceremony
First appearance | The Sword of Omens
Voiced by | Matthew Mercer
Name | Tygra
Gender | Male
Species | Cats
Race | Tiger
Affiliation | ThunderCats
Weapon(s) | Bolo Whip, Laser Pistol
Family | Tygus (Possible Ancestor),
Cheetara (Mate),
Unnamed adopted mother,
Claudus (Adoptive Father),
Lion-O (Adoptive Brother)
Javan (Biological Father)

For the 80's incarnation look here.

Tygra is the son of Javan, the sole surviving heir of the fallen Tiger Clan. He was adopted by the Thunderian royals and became a prince when he was a baby; currently, he’s the elder adoptive brother to Prince Lion-O and adoptive son to King Claudus. After surviving the fall of Thundera, he and the surviving cats formed the new ThunderCats and serves as second-in-command. Should Lion-O ever fall or relinquish his title as King, Tygra is next in succession as Lord of the ThunderCats.


Tygra is slightly taller than Lion-O. Being adopted, he looks very different from his adopted family. He has red-orange fur with black stripes and white areas. He is seen wearing two outfits, a blue outfit and green armor, though he is usually wearing the green armor when in combat. Like the rest of the Cats, his foot coverings essentially leave him barefoot, capable of using his claws for climbing or traction.


Tygra has the ability to render himself invisible with his whip, likely some form of magic.
Tygra invisible

Tygra going invisible

He also uses an energy pistol as his weapon and shows great accuracy with it. Tygra is seen using a sniper-type rifle to protect Cheetara in New Alliances. It's undetermined if the rifle was a weapon confiscated from the lizards or yet another gift from the Berbils.

Tygra has shown to be a skilled unarmed combatant [1] and swordsman as well as enjoying tinkering with the handheld blaster he took from one of the lizards [2].

Tygra is also a trained military tactician, having studied military strategy under King Claudus[3]. Though his personal fighting style tends to be stealthy and disciplined, his style of command is generally blunt and forceful.


Tygra can be cocky and arrogant at times (In Curse of Ratilla, he claimed to be "right about everything"). He often displayed feelings of jealousy and resentment toward his younger brother and originally felt he was better suited to be king. He was also quite offended when Lion-O declared that when he became king, he hoped that he'd be nothing like him. However Tygra has shown to be mature as well, when he obeyed Lion-O's orders without disrespect. Tygra also has a sense of loyalty towards his family since childhood, despite his early intentions against them, which can be seen when he knocked Lion-O into the Forbidden Ruins as a child, but immediately went to find help, or having Lion-O's back when Lion-O stood up against the Thunderans' treatment of the lizards or when making peace with Lion-O when entering the Astral Plane. He has also showed a somewhat sympathetic nature towards the Thunderkittens when he urged Lion-O to let WilyKit and WilyKat join them. Tygra also has a flirtatious side as well which can be seen when he winks at Cheetara in a more than friendly manner, having always loved her since childhood and despite his loyalty, Tygra also has shown to be quite stubborn when proven wrong, not giving up in a fight and not being told where to go (example: Song of the Petalars, when Tygra wanted to fight the lizards instead of running away, and Native Son, when Lion-O said that they were lost and Tygra argued that he never gets lost when it's obvious they were).



Tygra as a baby (episode: Native Son

Cursed Birth & Royal Thunderian Adoption

Tygra appeared as an infant cub in Thundera, floating on a descending hot air balloon into the courtyard of Claudus. The balloon was sent off by Javan, Tygra's biological father, who refused to kill his son at the request of the Ancient Spirits in order to save his Village from a devastating Plague. Claudus and his wife adopted him, taking it as a sign from the gods, and declared him as a prince of Thundera...for a time. Though he was loved dearly by the pair, the first hint of jealousy toward Lion-O was sparked when Claudus and his wife told him they were expecting a child, and the queen stopped calling him her "handsome little prince."

Unfortunately the queen died in giving birth to Lion-O. Tygra remembered the day as when he lost everything he ever really wanted: his Mother and his Kingdom. As Tygra got older, he was assigned his first ever military function, a job at guard post. That was when he first met Cheetara (having blushed when meeting her), she asked where she could find the Cleric's domain, wishing to join. He lead her to the Cleric's Door and wished her luck. Initially she was thrown out because she failed the test Jaga set for her. She was fast, Jaga admitted, but "she had no patience". After this failure, she sat outside the Cleric's doors and waited to be let back inside. Tygra, having developed feelings for her and watching her all this time, tried to lift her spirits by giving her a flower while she was asleep. Eventually her patience did impress Jaga, and he let her join. Tygra was at first ecstatic. However, he was heartbroken when he realized that while she is now a cleric, they would most likely never see each other again.

TCats Ep5 6a

Tygra and Lion-O as young boys.

Tygra then developed a close bond with his younger adopted brother Lion-O. However he would develop an on and off rivarly with Lion-O over time, and was able to outdo his little brother at many things from a young age. He was even often able to beat Lion-O in sparring matches. He would excell in many things, and was often favored by most of the Thunderian population, who agreed that he should be king, especially generals such as Grune, who taught Tygra that "What you cannot earn, can always be taken". This may have triggered Tygra's jealousy over the crown, believing that people should earn what is given to them and that Lion-O did not deserve the Sword of Omens. There was one time when he and Lion-O went to visit the forbidden ruins, where he would purposely push Lion-O into a pit, but instantly regretted it and instead went to find help. Like his father Claudus, he did not approve of Lion-O's belief in technology and after some time he grew to be his father's favorite son, hoping Lion-O would be more like him, and would often accompany him in studying military strategy.

As the years passed by, Tygra grew into a strong liberated prince. He attended Lion-O's ceremony, held by Jaga, to see if he was worthy to become a king or not. During the ceremony, he saw Cheetara, now a full-fledged Cleric, and even flirted with her. When Grune returned from his journey to find the Book of Omens, he came back bearing a gift (a Large Crystal Stone ember carried by Lizard slaves), claiming that he could never find the Book and Panthro was killed on this journey. A ceremony was then held in Grune's honor, by King Claudus, which Tygra attended. Tygra expressed his opinion that the Book of Omens was probably a fable, and is no more real than Mumm-Ra and stories of technology, as Grune stated that he has seen nothing even resembling technology, much to Lion-O's annoyance. After a brief competition with Lion-O, he defended his brother who was trying to protect a pair of captured lizards alongside Cheetara.

Fall of Thundera

Soon after, Thundera is attacked by Lizards, and Tygra accompanies his father to help defend it. But the Lizards reveal their newly formed army, with vast amount of weapons and technology, much to the Cats' shock and horror. Grune then reveals his treachery and his so called gift was a trojan horse that held half the Lizard army, wiping out the Thunderian army in the process while Panthro was being held hostage. Lion-O interferes, allowing Claudus to go rescue Panthro, but Tygra states to his father "You can't leave the protection of the Clerics" (showing his concern for Claudus). Claudus than manages to rescue the captured Panthro, but is later killed by none other than Panthro himself, later revealed to be Mumm-Ra in disguise, who is now the ruler of the Lizard race. Tygra, along with Cheetara, Jaga, and Lion-O, are then captured. But later he and Lion-O escape with the help of a Lizard, due to Lion-O's earlier compassion and mercy towards the Lizard race. They manage to rescue Cheetara but Jaga, who was supposedly dying, was left behind, but not before he made them into the newly formed ThunderCats and told them to seek the Book of Omens.

Quest for The Book of Omens

On this journey they would pick up two young kittens WilyKit and WilyKat, manage to save a crew of by Fishmen retrieving their home from a monster called the Ramlak and aid a group of Petalars find their way home from Briar Woods. Eventually, the group manages to find the Book of Omens, along with the real Panthro, within the Tower of Omens.

But along this journey they discover Jaga, who is seemingly alive, as his soul was trapped inside a lantern by Mumm-Ra. Mumm-Ra who than transformed into his Utimate form, by calling upon Ancient Spirits of Evil and manged to defeat all of them with ease, but before he could slaughter Lion-O, Jaga sacrificed himself by turning into a powerful beam of light, causing Mumm-Ra the Ever Living to flee.

When they retrieve the book, they find it empty. The next day Tygra and the rest of the group find Lion-O asleep on the floor, when he wakes up he reveals that there are three other power stones beside the Eye of Thundera and that they must find them and unite all the animals on Third Earth, to overthrow Mumm-Ra, just as their ancestors, the Original ThunderCats, have done in the past.

Quest for the Power Stones

While searching for the Power Stones, the ThunderCats would help other beings, such as the Berbils, Elephants and Forest Spirits. But Tygra's jealousy and resentment of Lion-O would grow even more, mostly because of Lion-O's new freindship with Cheetara. Fearing he might loose her, he would constantly try to outshine Lion-O and prove himself worthy to Cheetara. While accompanying Lion-O in the Astral Plane, in search for the Spirit Stone, an Elephant Leader called Anet predicted that Lion-O would be betrayed by Tygra, which made their relationship more complicated. In the Astral Plane, Mumm-Ra would divulge Tygra's worst memory into reality (the time when he and Lion-O went to the forbidden ruins), in order for both of them to destroy one another. This would cause Tygra to repeat the same event that occured to them as children and cause him to knock Lion-O in the same Pit. But Tygra realizes he can never betray Lion-O, just like before, and instead saves him as they both resolve their differences. After defeating Mumm-Ra and finding the Spirit Stone, the Astral Plane began to collapse but both brothers escape in time while Grune gets sucked in and Panthro looses his arms in the process.

On the same night, during the celebration in the Elephants village, Cheetara approached Tygra. After hearing what he and Lion-O went through in the Astral Plane she expresses her consent that she contributed to this by not being clearer with her feelings. At first Tygra misinterpreted her, but she reveals that she held feelings for him since the day they met and she had

Cheetara and Tygra kiss.

chosen years ago. She also reveals that she kept the flower he gave her (the Day Astrid, which is said to have trapped a day of life within each petal) and that she would have never made it, if it had not been for his kindness. She than thanks him by wrapping her arms arounds him as they both share a passionate kiss and in the end both become a couple. Unbeknownst to them, a shocked Lion-O was witnessing their exchange, this was the betrayal that Anet had predicted.



Tigra was second-in-line. The death of Lion-o brought Tigera's long time ambition to reality. Tygera, now Lord of the ThunderCats, helped the group escape and vowed to get the Sword of Omens back. As they journeyed towards Mumm-Ra's pyramid, Tygra claimed that they should go in with a suprise attack but only to get themselves captured by Mumm-Ra himself.

However Lion-O, having been brought back to life by the Spirit Stone, finds his way to Mumm-Ra's Pyramid by following WilyKit's markings. There, he tricked Slithe, Kaynar and Addicus, freed the other Thundercats and led them into battle against Mumm-Ra. Thanks to the Spirit Stone, Lion-O was able to retrieve the Sword of Omens and weaken Mumm-Ra with it. The group managed to escape the Pyramid afterwards.

When sunrise finally came, Jaga's spirit appears and tells them they must continue on their journey. The ThunderCats question Lion-O as to how he survived the fall, in which he reveals that he underwent a series of Trials, due to the power of the spirit stone, that allowed him to understand the meaning of becoming a true king.

Tiger Clan Reunion & Cursed Revelations

Some time later, Tygra and Lion-O left the team behind in search of a new route. While in the snowy mountains, the brothers found a cave entrance and stumbled upon the lost Tiger clan and Tygra reunited with Javan, his biological father. At first Tygra resented Javan because he, looking to save his son from a fatal fate again, tells him to leave. He is unable to call Tygra his son, as he had been living with a family of lion, and so he believes he no longer has a place with the rest of the tigers. As Tygra and Lion-O were about to leave, some tigers attempted to kill Tygra, only for him to be saved by Javan again. The tigers then turned into unconscious night creatures because of the curse, and attacked the brothers. Javan atacked Tygra, almost killing him by choking him, but by knowing the reasons why Javan gave him away, Tygra was able to forgive his father. That act of humility broke the curse. Tygra thought he would be able to stay with his father and his people, but they explain the curse kept them alive with no need of food or water, and that they are no dead, netiher alive, and one by one started vanishing, the last of them being Javan, not before telling Tygra "Always remember son, you are a tiger. I will be watching you ...with pride." After that, Tygra picked up Javan's three-sphered bolowhip and asked Lion-O if it was his destiny to always lose what he cares for; Lion-O assures Tygra he will never lose him.

The City of Dogs & entering The Pit

After meeting up with the rest of the ThunderCats, they journey to the City of Dogs were they discover a Cat refugee named Pumyra, who is being forced to fight as a Gladiatrix in the Pit. The group watches the "games" and witness the cat, Pumyra, defeat a robot named Gormax with impressive skill and victory. Tygra states that this arena is barbaric and gives him "Another reason not to like Dogs".

Lion-O than asks who is in charge of the arena and is led to Dobo, who will not give up Pumyra, believing she is too valuable to loose while it is also discovered that Panthro was an old friend of Dobo who both fought in the arena as slaves in the past. Dobo says she must win one hundered battles to gain freedom. Lion-O isn't satisfied with Dobo's choice and decides to sneak into the cells and break Pumyra out, but as he tries to release her she begins to yell at him with anger and rage (as she deemed him responsible for Thundera's downfall and their people to be sold in to salvery,) allowing himself to get caught. Dobo appears, taking the Sword of Omens and the Gauntlet while telling Lion-O that he would have to fight Pumyra to earn his freedom. As Dobo returns the Sword and Gauntlet to Panthro and the others, he tells them that if Lion-O wins this fight he will go free. Panthro, Cheetara and Tygra cannot intervene in order to avoid causing a problem with the Dogs, but instead try to convince Dobo to release them. Dobo refuses and recalls how in the past Panthro had escaped one night and left Dobo alone with all the enemies they made during their slavery.



After learning why Panthro left and witnessing the loyalty between Pumyra and Lion-O, he lets them live and grants them both their freedom. With old wounds fully healed and new friends made, Lion-O asks Pumyra where the other Cats that were taken by the lizards are now and she replies "Mount Plun-Darr" as she points to the ominous looking mountain.



Cheetara is Tygra's mate, and they were old friends. Having loved her since childhood, he has always held deep feelings for her. He blushed and stuttered when they met for the first time. Cheetara's friendship with Lion-O, seemed to have triggered Tygra's resentment and jealousy with his younger brother. When Cheetara heard what he and Lion-O had gone through in the Astral Plane, she acknowledged that she had unknowingly contributed to their rivalry by not making her feelings clear. Tygra misunderstood her to mean she'd chosen Lion-O, but Cheetara revealed it was Tygra she had feelings for, stating that she'd chosen years ago. She then revealed that she'd kept the flower Tygra had left for her as a reminder of his kindness, which resulted in a passionate kiss and in the end become a couple. Unbeknownst to them, however, a shocked Lion-O witnessed their exchange.


Tygra and Lion-O were siblings from a very early age. It is seen that he and Lion-O had an on and off rivalry. Sometimes Lion-O would show resentment towards his older brother, due to Tygra's jealousy over the crown and favoritism by Claudus, as he was able to out do Lion-O in many things. During one time, as kittens both he and Tygra were visiting the forbidden ruins, where Tygra would purposely push Lion-O into a pit, but instantly regretted it and went to find help, showing the bond they both have as siblings. It's possible that because he was adopted, Tygra felt he had to prove himself worthy to be a part of the Royal Family, thus causing him to outperform Lion-O. When entering the Astral Plane, their relationship became more complicated and Lion-O, having heard of Anet's prediction that he would feel betrayed by Tygra, was much more cautious, but instead he and Lion-O resolve their differences. However the betrayal, unintentionally, was from not Tygra alone but Cheetara as well. Lion-O was shocked, possibly angry, when he saw Cheetara and Tygra kissing. Tygra gained a new respect for Lion-O when Lion-O was believed dead, and Tygra became the new king. After a failed attempt to retrieve the Sword of Omens, Tygra admitted that while he always questioned Lion-O's decisions, they always worked out in the end, and when he was in charge, he only succeeded in getting everyone captured and didn't know what to do. After Lion-O rescued them, he stated he would follow him anywhere.


Claudus was Tygra's loving adoptive father. He had a very close and affectionate relationship with his adoptive son, and sometimes would wish Lion-O would be more like him. He would even accompany Tygra while studying military Strategy and allow Tygra to sit more closer to him during events. At the time of Thundera's downfall and Claudus' death, his last words to Lion-O and Tygra were, "No matter what happens, you've made me proud today".


"Now you see me, now you don't!" - Tygra's phrase the first time he went invisible, while fighting alongside Lion-o and Cheetara for the lizzard captives (this same line was also said by Tygra in one episode of the the original 80s cartoon).

"And you never act your age."- Tygra's response to Lion-o's remark that he never admits when he's wrong.

"When it comes to everything except the crown, you're always going to be 2nd place. When are you gonna learn, little brother?"



Notes & Trivia

  • It appears that Tygra gets seasick. This could be a nod to the original series Tygra, who could not swim unless invisible.
  • Understandably, he is somewhat inept with technology, having not been exposed to it his entire life. This did not stop him from trying to connect the Book of Omens to the ThunderTank, or being a good first-time pilot.
  • Tygus might be a possible ancestor, though this is, for now, only speculation. If so, then it would be ironic considering how loyal Tygus was to Mumm-Ra while Tygra is fighting against Mumm-Ra.
  • Tygra took to piloting quite easily, since his ancestors were fighter pilots for Mumm-Ra.
  • There bracelet/cuff that was in the hot-air balloon with Tygra when he was an infant. As an adult, the cuff he wears on the right arm of his green armor bears the same design. 
  • Tygra is a Sumatran Tiger,a rare tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra. 

Articles & References

  1. "Omens (part 2)"
  2. "Between Brothers"
  3. "Into the Astral Plane"