11 Classic 80s Movies With Awesome Animated TV Shows You Forgot Existed

One year after the success of the simplistic action sequel Rambo: First Blood Part II, the titular character returned for more gung-ho heroics in the cartoon series Rambo: The Force of Freedom. A blatant copy of GI Joe, the series saw Rambo team up with a Special Forces unit to do battle with paramilitary terrorist group the Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion or SAVAGE for short.

Each episode would see the Force of Freedom head to a different fictional country and another military skirmish. It was notable for two reasons. Firstly, despite the prevalent hand-to-hand combat and gunfire in the cartoon, there was little actual violence, blood or gore and no one ever died. Secondly, while the series saw the gang travel to fictional countries like Namboola, Tierra Libre, and Bagdinia, episodes often deal with real-life issues like the Cold War or apartheid.

The first cartoon based on an R-rated movie; the creators appeased censors by having most episodes conclude with an explanation of the moral message behind what viewers had just seen. Any mention of Vietnam or Rambo’s PTSD was also scrubbed from the show.

Originally conceived as a one-off five-part animated adventure, Rambo: The Force of Freedom ultimately ran for a total of 65 episodes after being picked up for syndication. Despite Coleco producing a line of toys, the show did not return for a second season.