Lion-O (Larry Kenney) ? The leader, and the hereditary "Lord of the ThunderCats." Lion-O, based on the lion, wields the legendary Sword of Omens, able to fire bolts of energy and allow Lion-O to see across great distances with its power of "Sight Beyond Sight," and the Claw Shield, a gauntlet that launches grappling lines from its claws. A mere child of twelve years old at the time of Thundera's destruction, Lion-O aged to adulthood during the trip to Third Earth when his suspension capsule failed to prevent his aging. Although cunning and skillfull, he is truly a child in a man's body, and throughout the series, must learn what it takes to become a true leader and gain true maturity. In the latter half of the show's first season, Lion-O has to put all that he has learned to use in the "Anointment Trials" ? contests of strength, speed, cunning and intelligence against each of the other ThunderCats. Ultimately triumphing over Mumm-Ra in a final battle in the heart of the villain's pyramid, Lion-O is crowned the true Lord of the ThunderCats in an august ceremony attended by nearly every inhabitant of Third Earth. Lion-O also has the ability as Lord of the ThunderCats to command all cats, as he demonstrated in his battle with the Snowman of Hook Mountain when he commanded Snowmeow to halt.
Jaga (Earl Hammond) ? Known as ?Jaga the Wise?, based on the jaguar, this elder warrior was once regarded as the greatest of all ThunderCats. An adviser and protector of the Lord?s family, it was Jaga who gathered the nobles of the ThunderCats to escort Lion-O and the Eye of Thundera to safety, but in his aged condition, he did not survive the trip to Third Earth. However, Jaga does reappear on Third Earth as a spirit ? seen only by Lion-O at first, to guide him in his lessons and adventures. At times, he appears before the other ThunderCats as well, such as when facing down Grune the Destroyer, and when the ThunderCats need to rescue their fellow Thunderans. When he was alive, Jaga also wielded the Sword of Omens and was a formidable fighter in combat.
Tygra (Peter Newman) ? A staunch, level-headed warrior, based on the tiger, Tygra is known as the ThunderCat architect and scientist. He is the one Lion-O often turns to as second-in-command and for counsel. He is responsible for the design of all of the ThunderCat structures on Third Earth ? Cat?s Lair and the Tower of Omens. He is also gifted with ?mind-power? ? the ability to create life-like illusions in other people?s minds; he used this for Lion-O?s Anointment Trial, but it puts a great strain on him. He uses a bolas in combat, with which he can render himself invisible to the naked eye. In the episode "All that Glitters", Lion-O instructs Tygra, "If I do not return, you will be the new Lord of the ThunderCats" verifying that indeed, Tygra is the second-in-command. Where creators described Panthro's character as being based on "strength" & Cheetara's character as being based on "speed", Tygra's character was described as being based on "integrity."
Panthro (Earle Hyman) ? The next noble and also the eldest (after Jaga), based on the panther, this warrior is the chief mechanic/engineer and pilot for the ThunderCats. He?s also physically the strongest and is a cunning warrior in combat. With Tygra?s help, he builds all of the vehicles the ThunderCats use on Third Earth ? including the ThunderTank, the Feliner and the ThunderClaw, ThunderStrike and HoverCat. A jovial soul, he?s also quick to lose his temper and has a paralyzing fear of bats and a dislike of spiders. In combat he uses a pair of chained fighting sticks (nunchaku) which house several chemical spray-compounds that he can use against foes. The spikes on his chest bands can be used like projectile weapons or as rappelling lines.
Cheetara (Lynne Lipton) ? A female warrior, based on the cheetah, who is the only adult female ThunderCat (until the later appearance of Pumyra). She is as lovely as she is brave and caring. Often a voice of reason, she is also the bearer of a budding ?sixth-sense?, detecting when something is unsafe or if evil is near. This precognitive sense, which Cheetara regards as a curse for the most part, also allows her to perceive visions ? whether involuntary or by forcing herself ? but this drains her and she may require days or weeks to recover. She has incredible speed ? once clocked at speeds of 120mph on a morning jog. She can only maintain this top speed for a short moment, but with it, she can move very fast in combat. Her weapon of choice is a battlestaff that can grow or shrink to variable lengths, with which she can vault or leap over enemies. When not in use, it is attached to the armband on her left arm.
WilyKat and WilyKit (Peter Newman and Lynne Lipton) ? Twin siblings (Kat the boy & Kit the girl) who are the youngest members of the ThunderCat team, both based on the wildcat. They are the mischief-makers, and often have their own lessons to learn alongside Lion-O while they live on Third Earth, where they frequently use tricks and traps to combat evil. Kit is the more adventurous, while Kat usually errs on the side of caution. Kit is also the more agile, and at times employs a rolling-attack against the enemy. Their agility is often displayed when they ride their "space boards" ? specially designed flying devices shaped like Earth surfboards that can carry them over long distances. Each uses special capsules, balls and other gimmick weapons carried in pouches on their belts. They sometimes use slingshots to fire these at the Mutants or other foes. They also carry trick lariats, with which they can either tangle and ensnare foes, or use to pull themselves out of danger.