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Dragon's Lair

Dragon's Lair

1984–1985Ended1 season13 episodes~30 min/epTV-Y7Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

Dragon's Lair is a short-lived television cartoon series by Ruby-Spears Productions based on the 1983 video game of the same name. Thirteen half-hour episodes were produced from 1984–1985, airing on ABC. Between the late '80s and the early '90s, the show was rerun on the USA Cartoon Express, and has also aired on Boomerang.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dragon's Lair?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Dragon's Lair to rent or buy on Apple TV, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Highlights

What stands out about Dragon's Lair?

Dragon's Lair earns 1 badge: Fun.

Reception

Is Dragon's Lair worth watching?

Dragon's Lair's Midcredits score is the 25th percentile of all shows, from 257 ratings across 2 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

25th percentile

Better received than 25% of shows

29th percentile among Animation14th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)22nd
Approval (how many liked it)30th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

64 /100

22nd percentile of all shows

25th percentile among Animation13th percentile among 1980s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

59% liked it

30th percentile of all shows

36th percentile among Animation17th percentile among 1980s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

22nd percentile

250 ratings across platforms

9th percentile among Animation9th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 1984 · 13 episodes

  • S1E1

    Tale of the Enchanted Gift

    Sep 8, 198430 min
  • S1E2

    Sir Timothy's Quest

    Sep 15, 198430 min
  • S1E3

    The Tournament of the Phantom Knight

    Sep 22, 198430 min
  • S1E4

    The Smithee's Haunted Armor

    Sep 29, 198430 min
  • S1E5

    The Pool of Youth

    Oct 6, 198430 min
  • S1E6

    The Story of Old Alf

    Oct 13, 198430 min

Watch experience

What is Dragon's Lair like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulAbsurdThrilling
Heaviest: throughout
Register
PlayfulAdventurous · 15% of shows
Told as
Frame story · 3% of shows: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show treats its medieval fantasy setting with earnest adventure while leaning into goofy comedy and self-aware audience interaction.
The rideThe series maintains a consistently light and playful energy, with comedic set pieces and adventures keeping the mood buoyant and evenly balanced across episodes.
StructureEach episode is framed by a Storyteller who directly addresses the audience, pausing the action to offer choices.
Episode formatWhile each episode presents a self-contained quest or dilemma, the show subtly advances character relationships and the kingdom's overarching status quo.
Season formatThe show's single season holds together as a continuous set of episodic adventures, with the story concluding without a serialized arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves you entertained and grinning, with the lighthearted fantasy adventure serving as a comforting escape.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA typical episode follows Dirk the Daring as he defends the kingdom from a monster or rescues Princess Daphne, with the dragon Singe as the recurring predator.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

FriendshipFamily bonds
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe series centers on the camaraderie and comic rapport between Dirk, Timothy, and their companions as they face the kingdom's perils together.
StanceThe show celebrates the comedic camaraderie and bravery of its hero, treating the fantastical threats as opportunities for fun and laughter rather than genuine peril.

The world

TimelessRuralInstitutionalFantasy
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingA fairy-tale medieval kingdom of knights, dragons, and magic.
MusicThe score borrows from the iconic arcade game's sweeping themes, giving the series a cinematic fantasy feel.

Content guide

Is Dragon's Lair okay for kids?

TV-Y7

Dragon's Lair is rated TV-Y7.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • BrazilL

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Dragon's Lair have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dragon's Lair?

Cast

Arthur Burghardt
as Singe
Michael Mish
as Timothy
Fred Travalena
as King Ethelred
Ellen Gerstell
as Princess Daphne
Bob Sarlatte
as Dirk the Daring
Clive Revill
as Storyteller
Peter Cullen
as Bertram
Marilyn Schreffler
as Additional Voices
Michael Sheehan
as Additional Voices

Crew

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240 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: sword and sorcery. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.