''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs'' is an American-Japanese animated television

space Western Space Western is a subgenre of science fiction that uses the themes and tropes of Western (genre), Westerns within science-fiction stories in an outer space setting. Subtle influences may include Deep space exploration, exploration of new, law ...

, similar to the series ''

The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers ''The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers'' is an American animated space Western television series created by Robert Mandell (film producer), Robert Mandell and produced by Transcom Media, Inc. and Ryman Hospitality Properties, Gaylord Entertainme ...

'' and ''

BraveStarr ''BraveStarr'' is an American Space Western animated television series that aired 65 episodes from September 1987 to February 1988 in syndication. The show was created a year after Mattel had released a line of action figures. ''BraveStarr'' wa ...

''. The series premiered in the United States in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes. The show was based on , a Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series created by

Studio Pierrot , previously known as until 2002, is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by Yuji Nunokawa, previously an animator and director for Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for ...

that achieved moderate success in Japan. The English language rights to the series were purchased by

World Events Productions WEP LLC, doing business as World Events Productions, is an American-based animation and distribution company in St. Louis, Missouri, best known for releasing the anime titles '' Voltron, Defender of the Universe'' and '' Saber Rider and the St ...

(WEP), the same company behind the English-language version of ''

Voltron ''Voltron'' is an American animated television series franchise that features a team of space explorers who pilot a giant super robot known as "Voltron". Produced by Peter Keefe (executive producer) and Ted Koplar through his production comp ...

,'' in 1986. WEP reorganized and rewrote the series, incorporating most of the original episodes with some editions and creating 6 new ones, before releasing it under the name ''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.''

Plot

The series is set in the distant future. Humans have spread beyond living on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

and have colonized planets across the universe, creating a ''New Frontier'' of man. In order to protect these new settlers and maintain law and order in the New Frontier, ''Earth's Cavalry Command'' was created. Cavalry Command is a military organization that maintains an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier and the residents of the planets within it known as Settlers. Within Cavalry Command is a unit of special operatives known as ''Star Sheriffs'' that function as the organization's field agents, investigating any crimes and plots that threaten the security of the New Frontier. The main foe of Cavalry Command and the Star Sheriffs is a race of non-human creatures known as ''Vapor Beings'' (also sometimes called ''Outriders'') that have jumped into our dimension in order to conquer it. They attack the Settlers, destroy settlements, and kidnap humans in order to mine various metals or crystals from the soil of various planets. Outriders are superior to humans in battle technology. They control a legion of gigantic robots ("Renegade Units") with weapons greatly superior to the weapons and defenses of the space-going fleets of Cavalry Command. In response to the Outriders's threat, Cavalry Command develops a prototype spaceship known as the "Ramrod Equalizer Unit" (or simply ''Ramrod'') that has the ability to transform from a spaceship into a powerful robot that can fight the Outriders's Renegade Units on equal terms.

Characters

Protagonists

; Saber Rider :''Original name: Richard Lancelot'' : The title character in the American version of the series, Saber Rider is the team's leader and captain of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit. He is occasionally referred to by the nickname "Top Sword." He is a young man, yet is described as having legendary sword skills and marksmanship. Saber Rider hails from the

Scottish Highlands The Highlands (; , ) is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Scottish Lowlands, Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Scots language, Lowland Scots language replaced Scottish Gae ...

and is an expert with both swords and horses. He is generally depicted as being a gentleman with a cool head for tactics and decision-making. The American version retained the British

Union Jack The Union Jack or Union Flag is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. The Union Jack was also used as the official flag of several British colonies and dominions before they adopted their own national flags. It is sometimes a ...

on the upper arm and the helmet design of Saber Rider's armored uniform; this helmet's design appears to incorporate a bearskin hat. : Saber Rider often rides a robotic horse, responding to the name of "Steed," who has high–powered thrusters, and the ability to fly, run, and function in space. Steed is not capable of long–range space travel, so he is kept stored in Ramrod's cargo bay during journeys. He is used mainly to travel to planets from orbit, or utilized on a planet's surface. Steed has so sophisticated an artificial intelligence as almost to be sentient, as he is capable of recognizing his master's voice commands, and working independently when Saber Rider is in danger. : He is voiced by

Rob Paulsen Robert Frederick Paulsen III (born March 11, 1956) is an American voice actor and voice director, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Pro ...

. ; Fireball Hikari :''Original name: Shinji Hikari'' : Shinji a.k.a. Fireball, a former

race car driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including n ...

, was the youngest driving champion in history. He now serves as the pilot of the Ramrod Equalizer Unit, and also has secondary control of the heavy weaponry located in Ramrod's chest region. He drives the ''"Red Fury Turbo Racer,"'' a race car armed with an extensive arsenal of weapons. He has a somewhat quick temper, and at one time boasted of having a perfect memory. In the original ''Sei Jūshi Bismarck,'' Fireball is the Japanese leader of the crew. The Japanese flag is on his sleeve and his helmet. : During the course of the series, he discovers that his father was a fighter pilot who fought alongside King Jaray of the Legendary Kingdom of Jarr when the Outriders first attacked fifteen years prior to the series's time frame. Sacrificing himself, Fireball's father sent his ship into Nemesis's command ship, robbing Nemesis of his body and sending them both into the Outrider dimension, where he remained lost as of the time frame of the series. :Coincidentally or not, Fireball's real name is strikingly similar to ''

Shinji Ikari is a fictional character from the ''Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. He is the franchise's poster boy and protagonist. In the Neon Genesis Evangelion, anime series of the same name, Sh ...

'' of '' Evangelion.'' : He is voiced by

Pat Fraley Pat Fraley is an American voice actor and voice-over teacher, known as the voice of Krang, Casey Jones, Baxter Stockman and numerous other characters in the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated television series and voiced Falcon in ...

. ; Colt Willcox :''Original name: William "Bill" Willcox'' : Bill, also called Colt, is introduced in the series as a bounty hunter on the trail of Vanquo, an Outrider spy. Colt has an almost infallible accuracy with firearms and serves as the gunner on board Ramrod. His character is depicted as somewhat of a loner, but also as an outrageous flirt; he flirts with nearly every woman he meets. His parents were attacked and presumably killed by Outriders just after Colt left to join a traveling rodeo. This event prompted him to become a bounty hunter. : For personal transportation and solo battles he uses a blue and white one-man spaceship he calls the ''"Bronco Buster."'' In ''Sei Jūshi Bismarck,'' the character comes from the United States, therefore a US flag is seen as a patch on his armored uniform; the design of the armor's helmet incorporates a simulation of a "ten-gallon hat." : He is voiced by

Townsend Coleman Townsend Putnam Coleman III (born May 28, 1954) is an American voice actor who has performed in many animated series and TV commercials beginning in the early 1980s. Among his most notable roles are Michaelangelo from ''Teenage Mutant Ninja ...

. ; Commander Charles Eagle :''Original name: Charles Louvre'' : Commander Eagle is the leader of Cavalry Command, which includes all of the fleets and armies that protect the United Star Systems, including the Star Sheriffs. Charles takes his responsibilities seriously, but underneath has a warm heart and caring nature. : He is voiced by

Peter Cullen Peter Claver Cullen (born July 28, 1941) is a Canadian voice actor. He voiced Optimus Prime in the original 1980s ''The Transformers (TV series), Transformers'' animated series, later returning to the role in ''Transformers'' media in 2007, sta ...

. ; April Eagle :''Original name: Marianne Louvre'' : April Eagle is the daughter of Commander Charles Eagle. She is the engineer who designed, and was in charge of, Project Ramrod. Before joining the Star Sheriffs, she was a professional tennis player. She was trained at Cavalry Command under General Whitehawk. April has a robotic horse, responding to the name of "Nova;" who has the abilities (and, presumably, the limitations) of Saber Rider's Steed. : April is the subject of several romantic

plot arc Plot or Plotting may refer to: Art, media and entertainment * Plot (narrative), the connected story elements of a piece of fiction Music * ''The Plot'' (album), a 1976 album by jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava * The Plot (band), a band formed in 2003 ...

s. In early episodes of the series, April had an unrequited crush on Richard a.k.a. Saber Rider. In later episodes, Jesse Blue had an unrequited love interest in April. Finally, April and Shinji did begin a romantic relationship. Unlike most similar series, in ''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs'' the heroine does not end up in a romantic relationship with the main hero. This is because her eventual love interest, Shinji a.k.a. Fireball, was the hero in the original Japanese version. : In the Japanese version, April is French, which is why her armored uniform bears the

French tricolor The national flag of France () is a tricolour featuring three vertical bands coloured blue ( hoist side), white, and red. The design was adopted after the French Revolution, whose revolutionaries were influenced by the horizontally striped red ...

. : She is voiced by

Pat Musick Patricia Anne Musick is an American voice actress who has provided numerous voices in many television shows, films, and video games. Career Musick’s first role was in the 1981 film ''The Loch Ness Horror''. Her roles in animation include Snapp ...

. ; Ramrod :''Original name: Bismark'' : The Ramrod was developed by April Eagle as the technological "miracle weapon" that would allow humans to counter the threat of the Outriders. Although it can be flown by one person, the ship is designed to be operated by four people, each sitting in separate units that control specific functions: navigation (April), weapons (Colt), pilot (Fireball) and the commander/tactician (Saber Rider). : A highlight of nearly every episode is Ramrod's transformation from an airborne battleship into a giant fighting robot. When the Ramrod Equalizer Unit undergoes the "Challenge Phase" (usually activated by Fireball pressing a button in the center of his unit console), April calls out that Ramrod is taking over the navigational controls during the transformation. Ramrod acknowledges this while the 4 control units are shifted to new positions inside of Ramrod's head. As it completes the transformation it calls out its rallying cry in a heavy Western drawl, "Head 'em up, move 'em out...power stride, and ready to ride." The Ramrod vehicle will transform into a giant robot packing an over-sized six-shooter at the hip and appears to be wearing a cowboy hat and a cape. The battle conversion to robot form is used mainly when the Star Sheriffs encounter the Outriders' giant robots, which are known as either a Renegade or Desperado Unit. In "Maverick Quick-draw" mode, an array of assorted cannons will be deployed at Ramrod's chest, delivering the final blow to send an Outrider "Renegade Unit" back to the Vapor Zone. The Star Sheriffs sometimes refer to Ramrod's robot form as the "Big Sheriff." : In the final episodes of the series, the original Ramrod was dismantled as part of a peace treaty brokered between the Outriders and Cavalry Command. However, when the Outriders broke the treaty by attempting to invade the New Frontier dimension, Cavalry Command issued the Star Sheriffs a more powerful version of Ramrod known as "Ramrod 2" with double the power of the original. Ramrod 2's Challenge Phase transformation was the same as the original Ramrod, only April now said "Ramrod 2 will now take navigational control." : Ramrod was named Bismarck in the Japanese version, hence the series' name ''Sei Jūshi Bismarck.'' The Americanized name for the battleship possibly originates from a cowboy slang referring to the person-in-charge of an outfit, the leader of the pack, or the person who gets the job done. : The Ramrod Equalizer Unit Challenge Phase is essentially the sequence in which ''Saber Rider And The Star Sheriffs'' becomes similar to a "monster-fighter (''kaiju'') series;" otherwise the series, in American form, is mainly Western-oriented. : It is voiced by Peter Cullen in imitation of

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

Antagonists

The main antagonists are called the Outriders who are humanoids from the Vapor Zone, an alternate dimension. They do not require oxygen, but do require great quantities of water. They have the ability to disguise themselves as human beings, to the point where even a medical examination will not reveal their true identities. Their personal existence is bleak, as is their home dimension. They have squandered all the resources on their home planet, forcing them to move to an artificial planet. The Outriders' goal is to conquer mankind and control the universe unhindered—they think the human dimension has much more to offer than their own. When an Outrider is shot or wounded, they do not die, but rather ''dimension jump'', a process where they vanish and return to their home dimension. After dimension jumping, a wisp of poisonous, green gas, and a smudge where the Outrider stood remain. A self-initiated dimension jump leaves no trace at all. Outriders who are shot or killed in the vapor dimension will turn to a human. Under unique circumstances an Outrider, while in the human dimension, is in a situation that prevents them from making a dimension jump may also turn them to a human. ; Nemesis :''Original name: Hyuza'' : Nemesis, a huge, darkly clad, masked being, is the evil genius in charge of the renegade Outriders. He created the ''Vapor Trail'' that allows the Outriders to cross from their dimension into the human dimension. His primary motivation for ordering an invasion of the New Frontier is the unbearable boredom he feels in the Vapor Dimension. In the last episodes of the series it is revealed Nemesis is a cyborg, and his consciousness also existed as the ''Nth Degree'', a powerful computer on the Outrider's artificial homeworld. : Saber Rider is the only member of the Star Sheriffs to meet Nemesis one-on-one. In the episode "Stampede", the two faced each other in a laser sword duel after Saber crossed into the Vapor Zone in the wake of an Outrider ship travelling along the Vapor Trail. When Saber Rider was on the verge of winning the duel, Nemesis saved himself by emptying the oxygen from the chamber where they were fighting, rendering Saber Rider unconscious. : He is voiced by Peter Cullen. ; Jesse Blue :''Original name: Perios'' : Jesse Blue is a man with odd traits; he has blue-green hair and a sarcastic streak. He was a promising cadet at Cavalry Command, until he fell in love with April Eagle during a training exercise. When April rejected his advances and inadvertently embarrassed him in front of the other cadets, he turned against the Star Sheriffs. : Jesse cultivated a personal grudge against Saber Rider because he thought it was April's affection for Saber Rider that made her refuse his love. He planted a bomb aboard Ramrod, in an attempt to kill Saber Rider. When he learned April would be aboard at the time it would detonate, he panicked and confessed what he'd done to Saber. While it was too late to stop the bomb from exploding, Saber Rider was able to reach Ramrod in time to prevent the ship from being destroyed. Jesse Blue escaped and became a fugitive, turning his back on Cavalry Command and joining forces with the Outriders. He became obsessed with defeating the Star Sheriffs and conquering the New Frontier. : He is voiced by Rob Paulsen. ; Gattler :''Original name: Zatora'' : Gattler (occasionally referred to as Gattler the Rattler) wears a foreboding, fanged space mask. When his mask is removed, his form is revealed to be a glowering, dark villain. He is heavy-handed with a heart of stone, and answers only to Nemesis. ; Vanquo : Vanquo is a ghostly Outrider with vacant eyes and a long pale face. He is a sinister character with a chilling laugh. Dressed in a

serape The serape, sarape or jorongo is a long blanket-like shawl or cloak, often brightly colored and fringed at the ends, worn in Mexico, especially by men. The spelling of the word sarape (or zarape) is the accepted form in Mexico and other Sp ...

and

sombrero In English, a , ; ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high, pointed crown; an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck, and shoulders of the w ...

, he is an incredibly fast draw. : Vanquo ultimately had a strange fate for an Outrider: he became human. He was confronted by Saber Rider in the Vapor Zone shortly after Saber Rider's duel with Nemesis in the episode "Stampede". Vanquo presented a rather piteous figure, abandoned by Nemesis and knowing he was defeated, he was at Saber Rider's mercy. Saber Rider reasoned that if he shot Vanquo inside the Vapor Zone, he would not be able to dimension jump and reform anew since he was already in his own dimension. This meant that shooting Vanquo would make him a solid being. Saber Rider consoled Vanquo by telling him he might like being a human. Afterwards, Vanquo looked down at his new human body and said, in somewhat teary happiness, "I think I might."

Supporting characters

Additional characters include Buck (voiced by

Neil Ross Neil David Ross is a British–born actor. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''G.I. Joe'', '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', '' My Life as a Teenage Robot'', '' Voltron'', a ...

), Grimmer (Neil Ross), Philip (

Cam Clarke Cam Clarke is an American voice actor, known for his work in animation, video games, and commercials. Among his notable roles are Leonardo and Rocksteady in the 1987 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' animated series, Shotaro Kaneda in the 1989 ...

), Robin (

Tress MacNeille Teressa Claire "Tress" MacNeille (; born June 20, 1951) >https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/macneille-tress-1951 is an American voice actress, who has contributed to voice-over work with credits including vo ...

), Sincia ( B.J. Ward), Snake Eyes ( Michael Bell), Colonel Wyatt (

Lennie Weinrib Leonard Weinrib (April 29, 1935 – June 28, 2006) was an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for playing the title role in the children's television show '' H.R. Pufnstuf'', Grimace in McDonaldland commercials, the title role i ...

), and Emily Wyeth (B.J. Ward). Peter Cullen provides the show's narration.

Music

The program's music score was composed by Dale Schacker, who was given complete artistic freedom in his composition of the whole score. The score features guitar based music in a fast, rhythmic, yet very fashionable

Country Western Country (also called country and western) is a music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is primarily focused on singing stori ...

style. Despite the fact that the music uses

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s ...

elements, its predominant instrument is the electric guitar rather than a synthesizer, creating a unique sound. Just like a Western movie score, the music is sometimes enriched by whip cracks, rattle snake, harmonica or similar

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

sound effects. The music is also intentionally composed with a recurring musical theme, so that the show can be easily recognized, adding a sense of familiarity each time the show is viewed. Despite this aspect, the music does not sound repetitious, since only key elements of the composition are repeated. The opening and closing credits vocals were also sung by Schacker himself. Two soundtrack compilations are available, each containing 2 CDs. * Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs – Soundtrack I * Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs – Soundtrack II

Other media

Video game

''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs - The Game'' is an upcoming video game developed by a German group called "Team Saber Rider", under license from both

and

. The game was planned for multiple platforms, after a successful funding campaign on

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

. Originally announced in 2010, the game's development faced several problems, including the shuttering of the original developer Firehazard Studio. The head of development, Chris Strauss, originally worked on an earlier video game adaptation project, a 2D side-scrolling shooter initially planned for the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

, and later the

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

. However, the original game was then scrapped due to notions that more "casual" games sold better on the Nintendo DS.

Comic book

A comic miniseries based on the show was released on March 16, 2016. The four-issue miniseries is a reboot of the show's premise in order to appeal for a new generation. The miniseries is written by Mairghread Scott, and illustrated by Sendol Arts.

VHS UK history

*''Video Gems'' (Then: Little Gems) (1989–1991)

Episodes

The series premiered in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1987 and had a run of 52 episodes (46 of 51 original episodes plus 6 extra episodes).

Release

Ten episodes of ''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs'' were released in America on DVD by the U.S. rights-holders, World Events Productions. Several episodes were also released on VHS. At

Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...

2008, WEP announced that the entire series would be released on DVD through VCI Entertainment. The first of three DVD sets was released on November 18, 2008. The second DVD set was released on August 25, 2009. The complete Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs DVD boxset was released on October 20, 2009. In the UK, one DVD, titled ''Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs – Volume 1'', has been released by

Anchor Bay Entertainment The revived Anchor Bay Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company owned by Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Anchor Bay Entertainment markets and releases "new release genre ...

. Two additional DVDs have been released under their Kids Entertainment label. The entire series (46 of 51-original episodes + 6 extra episodes + 5 "Lost Episodes" of ''Bismark'') has been released in German by Anime House on 10 DVDs. Special Editions of Volumes 5 and 10 featured a slipcase to hold 5 DVDs each. A limited-edition box featuring the complete series as well as three tin figures was also released. The entire Series is also released in standard definition on Blu-ray in Germany. The First Volume was released on July 25, 2014 and the second on September 26, 2014. On July 11, 2016, the anime-focused television channel Toku began airing the series, and months later, it was added to its Amazon Prime channel. On January 31, 2023, it was announced the series will be released on Blu-ray by

Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. History Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...

References

External links

World Events Productions – Saber Rider and the Star SheriffsOfficial Saber Rider video game site
* * {{Pierrot (company) 1980s American animated television series 1980s American children's television series 1980s American science fiction television series 1980s Western (genre) television series 1987 American animated television series debuts 1987 anime television series debuts 1988 American television series endings Action anime and manga Adventure anime and manga American children's animated action television series American children's animated space adventure television series American children's animated science fantasy television series American television series based on Japanese television series Western (genre) animated television series First-run syndicated animated television series Japanese science fiction television series Nippon Television original programming Space Western anime and manga Space Western television series Super robot anime and manga Television series set in the future