Wildfire (1986 TV series)


Wildfire is a 1986 American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera about the adventures of Sara, a 13-year-old girl growing up in the American West as she discovers her true identity as a princess-in-hiding from another realm who is destined to fight the evil witch Lady Diabolyn. The show was first broadcast on CBS for 13 episodes from September 13 to December 6, 1986.

Plot

As a baby, Princess Sara of Thurinia was saved from the clutches of the evil Lady Diabolyn by a mystic talking horse named Wildfire following the death of Sara's mother Queen Sarana who is Lady Diabolyn's step-sister. Wildfire took her away from the planet Dar-Shan and deposited her in Montana where she is taken in by a farmer named John Cavanaugh. Lady Diabolyn was a stepsister to Queen Sarana, whom she always considered weak and unfit to rule. To gain her "rightful" throne, she learned dark magic and allied herself with the demonic Spectres.
Twelve years later when Sara was ready to fight evil, Wildfire brought her back to Dar-Shan to regain her kingdom. Wildfire summons Sara through her magic amulet and transports her across dimensions to her real home in Dar-Shan. Sara joins with her friends consisting of a sorcerer named Alvinar, a young boy named Dorin, and his cowardly colt Brutus in order to thwart her wicked step-aunt. John and Sara's Indian friend Ellen provide moral support on Earth.
Lady Diabolyn is helped by the Goons, mischievous creatures consisting of Dweedle, Nerts, Booper, Mudlusk, and Thimble. They were formerly Diabolyn's personal guards until they gained their monstrous appearances by the Spectres upon opening the urn containing them when Diabolyn told them not to.
Each episode revealed more and more of the mythical world of Dar-Shan and gave its audience a new puzzle piece to help reason out the past events that led up to the current state of affairs. It was later revealed that Sara's adopted father John was actually Prince Cavan, her biological father, sent to Earth to protect him from the curse which Lady Diabolyn and the Spectres had placed on Dar-Shan. Sara and Wildfire are the only ones who know John's true identity, which has been kept secret even from him.

Voice cast

Reception

According to the Los Angeles Times, "despite the hackneyed writing and poor animation, Wildfire is sure to be a hit with little girls, its obvious audience".