Golden Axe Review: Paramount+'s Meta Hysteria Sets The Bar Even Higher For Video Game Adaptations

Published Sep 15, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

Grant Hermanns is a TV News Editor, Interview Host and Reviewer for ScreenRant, having joined the team in early 2021. He got his start in the industry with Moviepilot, followed by working at ComingSoon.net. When not indulging in his love of film/TV, Grant is making his way through his gaming backlog and exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends.

Paramount has been on a real run the past few years with the video game adaptation genre thanks to the Sonic the Hedgehog films and series and the very well-received Among Us adaptation.

Now, the studio's back with Golden Axe, another partnership between them and SEGA adapting the iconic beat 'em up franchise of the same name, and it has already established itself as one of the best of the genre. Hailing from Solar Opposites co-creator Mike McMahan and American Dad vet Joe Chandler, the animated series revolves around the powerful warriors Gilius Thunderhead, Ax Battler, and Tyris Flare, who discover their homeland of Yuria is once again under threat from the villainous Death Adder, though part ways to try and bring him down with different methods.

There have been a variety of approaches to bringing video games to life on screen throughout the years, from the more direct and dramatic chapters of The Last of Us universe to the tongue-in-cheek tone of the upcoming Street Fighter film. With Golden Axe, McMahan and Chandler push their tongue practically all the way through the cheekbone with its mixture of clever wordplay and meta commentary on the lightly written lore from the games, and it results in a nonstop joyride.

Golden Axe's Simple Story Is Authentic, But Leaves Wanting More

Sticking closely in line with the first two games in SEGA's franchise, Golden Axe doesn't necessarily look to reinvent the wheel of its source material with much of its plot. Each of its 10 episodes feels akin to a level progression as Ax and Tyris, now venturing with Carl Tart's Chronos from 1993's third game, slowly make their way toward where they suspect Death Adder to be holed up, while Gilius and new character Hampton Squib do the same, while also finding a way to make use of the mysterious Emerald Blade.

That doesn't inherently mean that Golden Axe's plot doesn't find ways to entertain, particularly an episode in which Chronos, thought to have the most peaceful upbringing of all of the heroes, learns he may have had the most traumatic of them all. Another standout is Hampton and Gilius' travels taking them through the former's hometown, which they realize has been decimated by Death Adder, but left his parents in a very particular state of being.

However, in many ways, it does feel like McMahan, Chandler, and their writing team don't feel like they're as invested in evolving Golden Axe beyond the source material's direct storytelling and characters for their show. Hampton too often feels like a generic weak wannabe adventurer slowly coming into his own as the series progresses, while every attempt to start to unpack the various characters' backstories and actions are so swiftly chucked away.

The Show's Comedy More Than Elevates The Proceedings

Even if the story can't help but feel routine for much of its 10-episode run, McMahan, Chandler, and their team thoroughly keep Golden Axe alive and well with their comedic stylings. In many ways, they aim for the classic beats with clever wordplay, particularly jokes about Ax's name and choice of weapon, as well as the vague rules of the medieval fantasy world of Yuria and the different magic the heroes use to face their foes.

Arguably, the best way that Golden Axe incites its gut-busting laughs is through its meta humor and Easter eggs from the classic SEGA franchise. From the magic-providing imp having a masochistic enjoyment from Tyris and Ax kicking him for potion bottles to Gilius' near-death experience actually taking him into the world of the games themselves with classic low-resolution sprites and no vocal audio for its dialogue, the writers clearly have a strong affinity for the games as much as a willingness to poke fun at them.

Golden Axe's Voice Cast Is Great, But There's One Clear Stand-Out

With its animated format, Golden Axe attracted a mix of high-profile live-action performers and classic voice-over stars, with the series primarily led by Wolverine's Liam McIntyre as Ax, Twisted Metal's Lisa Gilroy as Tyris, Widow's Bay's Matthew Rhys as Gilius, Saturday Night Live's Carl Tart as Chronos and Community's Danny Pudi as Hampton, among many others. They all prove solid fits for their various parts, with McIntyre bringing the classic heroic barbarian inflection to his dialogue, while Pudi appropriately taps into the fledgling personality of Hampton.

Among them all, though, if there's one star who proves a very welcome surprise with his work in Golden Axe, it's that of Rhys. He's certainly no stranger to the animated genre, having lent his voice to everything from FX's Archer to the animated Watchmen adaptation and Prime Video's Invincible. But it's the style of voice that he has as Gilius that makes the character such a treat to watch and follow, with the Emmy winner amplifying his natural Welsh accent for the more outrageous antics of his dwarf barbarian hero to fully disappear into the character.

Given the show primarily adapts the events and lore of the first game, Golden Axe is not only off to a great start with its 10-episode debut, but hopefully isn't going to end there. Unlike the Among Us series, Paramount+ has actually put some marketing thoughts into the series in lieu of a sudden release, and the sheer hilarity and worldbuilding McMahan, Chandler, and their writers have laid out feels rife for years of new stories. If it gets a season 2 renewal, one can hope that the creative team do at least find a way to maintain that level of humor while diving a bit deeper into its characters.

All 10 episodes of Golden Axe premiere September 16 on Paramount+.

Cast

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  Matthew Rhys

  Gilius Thunderhead (voice)

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  Hampton Squib (voice)

A new animated series drawn from the hit video game franchise finds legendary warriors Ax Battler, Tyris Flare, and Gilius Thunderhead reuniting to save Yuria from the evil Death Adder.