History WesternAnimation / ThePiratesOfDarkWater

* PiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Both the ''Wraith'' and the ''Maelstrom'' just hunt the 13 treasures all the time. The ''Maelstrom'''s crew might be composed of slaves (and Bloth is seen to have no concern as to what his crew eats, for example), and the ''Wraith'''s crew always complains of having no money, but it's still strange that they manage to keep it up at all. The ''Wraith'' crew in particular, despite presumably being the titular "Pirates of Dark Water", don't engage in any piracy, though Ioz used to before he joined. In "The Beast and Bell", he complains that a true pirate steals goods instead of bargaining for them like Ren.

* PardonMyKlingon: ''"Noy Jitat!"'' seems to be a version of "damn", and is often shortened to the adjective ''jitatin'' (probably "damned") as in "that jitatin monkey-bird". There are also ''chonga'' and ''chongo-longo'', and "naja dog" seems to be the strongest as is said less frequently.

* PardonMyKlingon: ''"Noy Jitat!"'' seems to be a version of "damn", and is often shortened to the adjective ''jitatin'' (probably "damned") as in "that jitatin monkey-bird". There are allso ''chonga'' and ''chongo-longo'', and "naja dog" seems to be the strongest as is said less frequently.

* PiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Both the ''Wraith'' and the ''Maelstrom'' just hunt the 13 treasures all the time. The Maelstrom's crew might be composed of slaves (and Bloth is seen to have no concern as to what his crew eats, for example), and the Wraith's crew always complains of having no money, but it's still strange that they manage to keep it up at all. The ''Wraith'' crew in particular, despite presumably being the titular "Pirates of Dark Water", don't engage in any piracy, though Ioz used to before he joined. In "The Beast and Bell", he complains that a true pirate steals goods instead of bargaining for them like Ren.

* NoEnding: The show ended with only 8 of the 13 treasures recovered. The Sega Genesis game finagles the plot a little to provide one, though.

* AmazonBrigade: The female warriors in "The Living Treasure".
* AmbiguouslyHuman: Many inhabitants of Mer who aren't HumanAliens, including several in Bloth's pirate crew.

* CallARabbitASmeerp: Bloth's crew ride around on dragon-like creatures called...dagrons.
* ChainedHeat: Ren and Bloth in one episode, The Game.

* CoolBoat: The ''Maelstrom'', Bloth's huge ship made of sea monster bones.

* DoomedHomeTown: Octopon.
** [[spoiler:It gets undoomed in the first season finale and shows signs of being a viable seaport again in the second season.]]
* DumbMuscle: Most of Bloth's crew, but especially the Lugg Brothers.
* EldritchAbomination: The source of the Dark Water.

** "A Drop Of Darkness" - Bloth won't kill Ren until after he's performed Ren's supposed wedding (though it should be noted that the woman who arranged this promised Bloth the compass and treasures in exchange for this).
** "The Game" - Bloth helps Ren defeat the Korb monsters hunting them after they are no longer chained together, as payback for Ren not abandoning him earlier in the episode when he had the chance (and just after said chains had been broken).
** "The Dark Dweller" - Bloth captures Ren just after the latter has lost Tula to the dark water and is in the midst of a HeroicBSOD. Does he throw him to the Constrictus? [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim Heck no!]] [[spoiler:Instead, he keeps Ren around as a ship slave because he "would rather watch Ren die a thousand deaths by guilt..."]]
*** Also in the same episode, when Bloth forces Ioz to battle one his pirates, he decides to "be a fair man" and tosses him a sword. All Ioz has to do is get past the pirate to reach it... the pirate who has four arms and a weapon in each hand.

* FighterMageThief
** Ren = Fighter
** Tula = Mage
** Ioz = Thief
*** The arrangement is unusual, because Ren (despite being the fighter) is quick, agile and tricky rather than particularly strong, while Ioz seems to be the physical powerhouse (and is the MightyGlacier in the video game). Tula has her thieving moments as well, and was trained as a warrior (though this doesn't really come up much after the miniseries and in the LadyLand episode).

* FreakyFridayFlip: Bloth switches bodies with Ren (and Konk with Niddler) thanks to a powder by Morpho. It has to be noted, however, [[VoicesAreMental that their voices stay the same]] - so the audience has Ren bellowing ''Curse my eyes!'' through the entire episode.

%%* GottaCatchThemAll: The 13 treasures of Rule.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Morpho is half human, half sea creature.

%%* HumanAliens: Many of the inhabitants of Mer

* IslandBase: Many.

* {{Jerkass}}/JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Ioz. More the first.

* LargeAndInCharge: Bloth, bigger than all.

* OrganicTechnology: Making a submarine from a baby leviathan, starfish used as shuriken, and one episode shows a pistol-like arrangement attached to a glass bottle with a lizard that breathes noxious fumes inside.
** The gun-like device containing a venomous cloud-spitting lizard is a particularly awesome example.

* PardonMyKlingon: ''"Noy Jitat!"'' seems to be a version of "damn", and is often shortened to the adjective ''jitatin'' (probably "damned") as in "that jitatin monkey-bird".
** Also ''Chonga'' and ''Chongo-longo''.
** "Naja dog" seems to be the strongest as is said less frequently.

* SealedEvilInACan: [[spoiler:The Dark Dweller in the backstory. Unlike other sealed evils, he actually managed to ''free himself'' and the Dark Water]].
** [[spoiler:Kiroptus, one of the servants of the Dark Dweller]] was also sealed in the backstory. And like [[spoiler:The Dark Dweller]], he managed to free himself [[spoiler:with a little help from [[UnwittingPawn Ren]]]] - only to be sealed again by the end of the one episode he appeared.
* SecretLegacy: Ren discovering he is a prince.
* ShipTease: Ren and Tula had a few moments, but the series came to an end before anything could really go anywhere.

* FantasticRacism: Monkeybirds were used as slaves, and the first mini-arc even went so far as to show the slave markets. While it was swept under the rug later, Niddler does mention on occasion that he can't enter certain pubs because monkeybirds aren't allowed there, and characters in general seem to consider Niddler a lesser being even before he has a chance to prove himself as the SmallAnnoyingCreature.

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: The ghost pirate captain captures Ioz for this purpose, stressing her appreciation for his looks several times and going so far as to say that while being a ghost may be unpleasant, [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar the sex will make it better.]]

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Ioz smacks Tula on the rear in the first episode. Also see PardonMyKlingon below.
** Later in the series, he turns down a pirate ghost captain's amorous advances by bluntly stating that he prefers his women live.

* FreakyFridayFlip: Bloth switches bodies with Ren (and Konk with Niddler) thanks to a powder by Morpho. It has to be noted, however, that their voices stay the same - so the audience has Ren bellowing ''Curse my eyes!'' through the entire episode.

* MythArc: The quest to find the thirteen treasures to stop the Dark Water from spreading across the world. The show was notable as one of the first kid shows to actually have an over-arching plot. Sadly, the show was TooGoodToLast and it got cut short with only eight of the treasures found.

* EvilAlbino: Bloth is pretty pasty. The Pale/White Warriors from the second episode are a subversion, as they were aggressive but not evil. They were also much taller and more muscular than any of the other characters.

The high production costs and drop in art quality after its ChannelHop dealt the series a fatal blow and it was canceled 21 episodes into its run (only eight of the thirteen treasures had been collected). All 21 episodes were later released on DVD on August 31, 2010, listed as [[http://www.wbshop.com/Pirates-of-Dark-Water-The-Complete-Series/1000161863,default,pd.html?cgid The Complete Series]]. Additionally, in 1991 Creator/MarvelComics released a comic book series based on the show.

* PiratesWhoDontDoAnything : Both the ''Wraith'' and the ''Maelstrom'' just hunt the 13 treasures all the time. The Maelstrom's crew might be composed of slaves (and Bloth is seen to have no concern as to what his crew eats, for example), and the Wraith's crew always complains of having no money, but it's still strange that they manage to keep it up at all.

* DeathWorld: The Planet Mir, has Middle Ages level of Civilization in a few Island Kingdoms. But everywhere else is filled with vicious pirates and bizarre beasts, with occasional savage tribesmen or fiendish swindlers to boot. And, large areas of the planet are getting eaten away by a substance of pure evil called Dark Water.

* TooDumbToLive: In "The Living Treasure", when the female warriors captured the ''Wraith'' crew, he plead that they're on a quest to save the world from the Dark Water. Only for the captain to tell them their "quest has ended for good".

* FantasticRacism: Monkeybirds were used as slaves, and the first miniarc even went so far as to show the slave markets. While it was swept under the rug later, Niddler does mention on occasion that he can't enter certain pubs because monkeybirds aren't allowed there, and characters in general seem to consider Niddler a lesser being even before he has a chance to prove himself as the SmallAnnoyingCreature.

* VillainousRescue: Unintentionally in "The Living Treasure", the pirates came along and the female warriors thought them. Giving the ''Wraith'' crew and the slaves the chance to escape.

No relation to the Japanese horror film ''Film/DarkWater'' ([[ForeignRemake or its US remake]]). Also no relation to ''DarthWiki/CandleCove''. Also no relation to [[strike:[[SpiritualSuccessor Gothic 5]]]] ''VideoGame/{{Risen}} 2: Dark Water'' (which shares a pirate themed setting).

->''”Thirteen treasures of ancient time,
->thirteen lessons of rule in rhyme.
->To find the jewels in secret places,
->follow where the compass faces.
->If returned from the shore beyond,
->a new day dawns for Octopon.
->But if they should fall into evil hands,
->darkness descends on all the lands.
->For these riches two shall vie,
->in the realm of Dark Water where the Treasures lie.”''

[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/piratesofdarkwater.JPG]]



->”Thirteen treasures of ancient time,

->in the realm of Dark Water where the Treasures lie.”

Short-lived but fantastic 1991-1993 Creator/HannaBarbera cartoon series which switched off between syndication and Creator/{{ABC}}. It began as a five-part miniseries which aired on Creator/FoxKids as simply "Dark Water". It's well known as one of the first animated television shows for children to have legitimate high-stake adventures and an epic storyline.

%%* OpeningNarration

%%* OurDragonsAreDifferent

* MythArc: The quest to find the thirteen treasures stop the Dark Water from spreading across the world. The show was notable as one of the first kid shows to actually have an over-arching plot. Sadly, the show was TooGoodToLast and it got cut short with only eight of the treasures found.
* NoEnding: The show ended with only 8 of the 13 treasures recovered. The Sega Genesis game finagles the plot a little provide one, though.

*** The arrangement is unusual, because Ren (despite being the fighter) is quick, agile and tricky rather than particularly strong, while Ioz seems to be the physical powerhouse (and is the MightyGlacier in the video game). Tula has her thieving moments as well, and was trained as a warrior (though this doesn't really come up much after the miniseries and in the AmazonLand episode).

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

->to find the jewels in secret places,