History WesternAnimation / Primal2019

The series [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KFyVu514DY was announced]] on May 14th, 2019. The first half of Season 1 ran from October 7th to October 11th, 2019 (the first four episodes later being repackaged into a theatrical film entitled ''Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal — Tales of Savagery''), while the second half aired from October 4th to November 1st, 2020. Season 2 began airing on July 21st, 2022. The trailer for the second season can be [[https://youtu.be/UpPNDoKP6d4 viewed here.]]

* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler:The Chieftan is met with Valkyries when he dies, but is dragged to the underworld just as he begin to ascend. He swears loyalty to a demon and is transformed into a fire juggernaut to get his revenge on Spear. When he finally battles with Spear, apparently he didn't do a good enough job to kill Spear fast enough, as he is dragged of by a giant fist one last time before he has a chance to continue his attack]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Spear and Fang's story ends with Spear sustaining seemingly mortal wounds fighting an empowered Viking Chieftain. However, by doing so, he saves Fang, Mira, and their new family. Years later, it's revealed that Fang's new children have survived into adulthood alongside their mother and that Spear and Mira had conceived a child of their own before Spear died.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Spear and Fang's story ends with Spear dying to the empowered Viking Chieftain. However, by doing so, he saves Fang, Mira, and their new family. Years later, it's revealed that Fang's new children have survived into adulthood alongside their mother and that Spear and Mira had conceived a child of their own before Spear died.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Spear and Fang's story ends with Spear dying to the empowered Viking Chieftain. However, by doing so, he saves Fang, Mira, and their new family. Years later, it's revealed that Fang's new children have survived into adulthood alongside their mother and that Spear and Mira had conceived two children of their own before Spear died.]]

* CatharsisFactor: After everything [[spoiler: she]] puts the main cast through in season two, [[spoiler: the Egyptian Queen's death at the hands of Kamau is supremely satisfying.]]

* BeastlyBloodsports: The ape-men release Fang into an arena to fight their champion one-on-one as the other ape-men cheer him on, which is reminiscent of gladiatoral games.

** The loss of one's child is another recurring theme in the show. The series starts with Spear and Fang both using their families to the same predators, and this loss still haunts Spear in later episodes, but also becomes the basis of their bond. We then meet three different antagonists over the course of the story who are or were parents: [[spoiler:Lula the witch, who saves Spear and Fang from her fellow witches after realizing they lost their children the same way she did; the Viking chief whose wife and children are killed by Spear and Fang, leading him to a revenge-driven frenzy and ultimately a DealWithTheDevil; and Kamau, the giant slave, whose daughter is held hostage by the Egyptian Queen, and is willing to commit horrifying acts so that the Queen keeps her alive.]]

* {{Conlang}}: Most of the first season has no dialogue, with Spear only ever communicating with inarticulate grunts and shouting. In the final episode of the season we meet Mira, who does speak in a genuine language. As of Season 2, more humans are encountered that speak in fictitious languages, though there are no subtitles, and the viewer must guess what is being said based on context and gestures.

** While every episode has lots of blood and graphic injuries, the last act of "Rage of the Ape-Men" really takes it UpToEleven, when Spear [[spoiler:takes a PsychoSerum, turning into a hulking beast that reduces dozens of monkey-men into LudicrousGibs with his bare hands onscreen]].

* PrehistoricMonster: Most animals appearing in the show are exaggerated in size and are given monstrous features. The first episode alone gives us a giant [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile crocodile]], a [[PteroSoarer large and toothy pterosaur]] and a pack of ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' with ''Ceratosaurus''-like horns. The show also contains mammoths twice the size of African elephants, human-sized bats, saber-toothed wolves, vicious ape-men, and a GiantSpider as large as a sauropod dinosaur. Taken UpToEleven with the seventh episode, which gives us what are essentially ''[[PlagueZombie zombie dinosaurs]]''.

** In ''Colossaeus Part II'' the Egyptian Queen/High Priestess [[No Sells ''Spear'' without any magic at all - just martial arts skills.]]

** The land on the other side of the ocean actually downplays this. While it's still a hostile, dangerous world, where one has to be sharp and vigilant in order to survive, it's shown not to be the constant, day-to-day struggle that Spear's world is shown being. Perhaps not incidentally, human civilization is on the rise here. However, this land is also revealed to be torn by war, with armies led by despotic overlords killing and enslaving their opponents.

** The land on the other side of the ocean actually downplays this. While it's still a hostile, dangerous world, where one has to be sharp and vigilant in order to survive, it's shown not to be the constant, day-to-day struggle that Spear's world is shown being. Perhaps not incidentally, human civilization is on the rise here.

-> ''"[[spoiler:Of course, we have multiple layers masking our true inner selves: the uniforms of society, education in its highest form, lavish indulgences. We have evolved beyond creation's expectations. But under the right circumstances...facing a primeval threat...I assure you, gentlemen, that our evolution will revert back to its PRIMAL savage form: fighting for survival at the very cost of humanity]]."''

* MedievalPrehistory: The Season 1 finale revealed the existence of other civilizations in the world which fit this description. Season 2 heavily features a Bronze-age technology BarbarianTribe and shows Bronze-age Babylonians, Iron-age Romans, and Medieval-age Saxons.

* MedievalPrehistory: [[spoiler:The Season 1 finale implies that there may be civilizations in the world which fit this description. Season 2 heavily features a Bronze-age technology BarbarianTribe]].

* NoNameGiven: In contrast to Krog and Lula in the previous season, the leader of the Celt-like tribe featured in "Shadow of Fate" obviously isn't named on-screen (just like nearly all the other characters) but is only identified as "Chief" in the credits. The same goes for all of the Vikings thus far, with the exception of Rikka, wife of the Vikings' apparent leader.

** No matter how brutal the world may be life is still worth living because there is beauty and wonder to be found in the most unlikely of places.