Starbarians is a series of cartoons by Harry Partridge, about a duo of space barbarians set out for various quests for money, meat and girls. The teaser cartoon was released on Newgrounds on 3 September 2010, with the first proper episode appearing two years later. As of the time of this writing, there have been three episodes released so far, with three further companion shorts. They can be viewed here
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Harry has also confirmed that there is a graphic novel in the works, with Starbarian Tales #1 set for release in 2024.
The series contains examples of:
- All of the Other Reindeer: Killgar in Killgar's Kode - How to Survive Anything not-so-discreetly reveals that he was mocked by the other members of his now extinct species for never developing natural bio-armor, which led to him buying imitation Killgarian armor years later and pressuring Hogstrong into doing the same.
- All There in the Manual: A 2013 tweet from Harry Partridge named Killgar's space dad as "Thrillgar" (more than a decade prior to his first on-screen appearance), while another described him as Killgar's Parental Substitute as Killgarians don't have biological parents (with a later episode revealing they emerge as adults from fiery birthing pits).
- Always Chaotic Evil: If Killgar's descriptions are accurate, then he is, if anything, one of the more empathetic Killgarians, with the race as a whole being defined by over-the-top violence, selfishness, and spiteful cruelty. Just to throw out one example, in "How to Survive Anything", he claims that despite Killgarians having absolutely no need for physical sustenance, they still eat constantly, and take special pleasure in eating food that other people want or need, as if reducing the amount of food in the universe for everyone else is enough of a reason.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The Starbarians' rap sheet, which mentions a bunch of transgressions like war crimes and theft, only to end with loitering.
- Big Guy, Little Guy: The Starbarians consist of the tall, barrelchested Killgar and the short, stocky Hogstrong. The latter was even the smarter of the two.
- Cerebus Retcon: Killgar's Kode - How to Survive Anything reveals that the Starbarians' ridiculous Stripperiffic armor is actually an imitation of a Killgarian's natural bio-armor that Killgar was born without due to a rare mutation which made him an outcast among his people, something Hogstrong wasn't even aware of.
- Character Development: In the earliest Starbarians episode Killgar and Hogstrong are blantantly jerks, if not evil, with Hogstrong being the mind and Killgar the brutish arm of the team needing Hogstrong to suggest the course of their jerkass actions like betraying the King and steal back Bustilda and the rewards for saving her, killing Tri-Rex and wear his skin to claim the higher reward for "killing the Starbarians" and suggesting to Killgar to flee from the Beast of Gorlax because they were already paid in advance for fighting it. By the third episode, Killgar has evolved into a Jerk with a Heart of Jerk, willing to kill random people and even betray his best friend Hogstrong for money and Hogstrong into a Jerk with a Heart of Gold, willing to risk his life for the forces of good without reward or compensation, and even to call Killgar of on what they did in their life after becoming the Starbarians.
- Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon: In Episode 1, Killgar threatened that he will "bend [Siad's] very cock up [his] own evil ass!", and moments later an off-screen beatdown occurs, and if Hogstrong's observation was anything to go by, Killgar followed through on the threat.Hogstrong: That's it Killgar, it can bend all the way up there if you really want it!
Bustilda: Oh, that poor man. - Cutting the Knot: The Starbarians are challenged by Siad the Snake-Wizard to a game of chance. Since he's able to manipulate fate itself, they instead opt to beat the crap out of him.
- Destructive Savior: Never hire the Starbarians for anything. The best-case scenario is that they'll solve the problem (as long as you don't pay upfront), and then proceed to beat you half to death and rob you for all you're worth.
- Divergent Character Evolution: Initially, the Starbarians were equally callous and willing to engage in horrible acts, with the major difference being that Killgar was the stupider and more violent of the two. By episode 3, Hogstrong began to develop more of a conscience and genuine sense of honor, while Killgar managed to become even worse and willing to betray Hogstrong for the sake of money.
- A Dog Named "Dog": Killgar the Killgarian.
- Extreme Omnivore: According to Killgar in Killgar's Kode - How to Survive Anything, if there is no food within a Killgarian's current vicinity, they will opt to eat the planet they're currently on as "punishment".
- Faux Horrific: The Starbarians getting caught in a Negative Space Wedgie causes their animation to get cheaper and less advanced. After a few versions with progressively lower detail and framerate, suddenly they have their normal character designs again, but then...Hogstrong: Well, this one isn't so bad, I mean — (gasps upon seeing himself move) — MOTION TWEENS!
Killgar: (looking at himself in disgust) Ewwww! I feel all practical and cost-effective! - Fountain of Expies: Parodied in-universe with the Starbarians where it's shown in episode 3 that there are several Big Guy, Little Guy mercenary adventurer duos running around the universe.
- Go-Go Enslavement: Bustilda meets this fate... twice, once from a Sorcerous Overlord, and once from the Starbarians themselves. She even gets ballgagged for good measure.
- The Heart: It's what Character Developments turns Hogstrong into. Basically, while the Starbarians are both jerks, Hogstrong strives to keep their jerkiness into Anti-Hero limits realizing that sometimes glory is the only reward needed, while Killgar tries to keep the Starbarians as a mercenary duo, selling their services for money and stealing more if the reward is not enough. Even if he has to get rid of Hogstrong and his morality.
- Heel Realization: Shown to be the case with Hogstrong in episode 3. He's grown aware that he and his partner are assholes, especially after a woman who Killgar tried to blow out the airlock calls them bad guys, and wants to make some effort to be more of an actual hero.
- Hidden Depths: It was revealed in Killgar's Kode - How to Survive Anything that Killgar was seen as a wimp within his own race, on account of not being able to grow his own armor, and that he really misses his dad, even after trying to save face in Hogstrong's presence and maintain a cocksure facade when coming to grips with being the Last of His Kind.
- Jerkass:
- In the teaser, the Starbarians agree to kill a dangerous beast on the planet of Mammoria in exchange for a month of alcohol, orgies, and plentiful food, because they'll probably die on the mission. They get their reward up front, and when the month is over, they renege on their promise after exiting the capital. They only get worse in Episode 1. It's acknowledged In-Universe in Starbarians 1.5 where they discover they're actually ten times more wanted than the wanted criminal they aim to collect on. In Episode 3 however they start to become different kinds of jerks. Hogstrong is very much a Jerk with a Heart of Gold who is willing to help a world in peril even if their is no reward. Killgar however is a Jerk with a Heart of Jerk, who refuses to help anybody unless they get rewarded, tries to kill the help when they ask for more money (Hogstrong saves her) and tried to override the controls to the ship when Hogstrong insisted on saving people instead of making money.
- According to the scrapped Starbarians Graphic Novel of 2013, the main difference between Hogstrong and Killgar is that Hogstrong is actually bothered by his bad reputation and wonders what his ''ongoing mission'' really is, Killgar doesn't care and knows what the Ongoing Mission is meant to be: seeking his own interests and pleasure, no matter what the cost is
- Lantern Jaw of Justice: An x-ray of Killgar's head reveals that his lower jaw makes up most of his skull.
- Last of His Kind: According to Killgar's Kode, Killgar is the last living Killgarian. It's unknown what happened, but if Killgar is any indication, it's highly probable they wiped themselves out due to being relentlessly violent, pointlessly antagonistic, and extremely stupid.
- The second Killgar's Kode only raises further questions when Killgar insists that the others are all dead despite all Killgarians being invincible, indestructible, immortal, and able to survive seemingly anything.
- List of Transgressions: The Starbarians' rap sheet, as seen in episode 1.5:Hogstrong: "Starbarians, wanted on 120 systems, for coercion, extortion, extinctions, distortions, desertions, perversions, illegal insertions, invasions of nations and space-tax evasion, commotions, explosions, and loitering?"
- Macho Camp: The Starbarians certainly have the look down, anyway.
- Morality Chain: Basically, what Hogstrong is to Killgar. As blatantly jerky and misguided as they are, it's strongly hinted that if the Starbarians acted on Killgar's whim, they'd be straight villains, while Hogstrong keeps them acting as random jerks with a definite Anti-Hero streak.
- Mr. Fanservice: Not only do the Starbarians' uniforms leave them completely bare-chested, but they're really casual about nudity, being content to lounge around their ship in the buff until they need to go on a mission.
- Ms. Fanservice: Every female character in the Starbarians cartoons. No exceptions. Their boobs are big, busty, prone to jiggling all over the place, and barely covered.
- Naked People Are Funny: The apparent reason for why the Starbarians walk around in the buff almost every time we see them in their ship.
- The Needless: Killgarians like Killgar do not need oxygen, nutrition, or sleep.
- Negative Space Wedgie: The Starbarians 2017 April Fools episode features the heroes' ship getting trapped in a space vortex that changes their own art style drastically.
- Nigh-Invulnerable: Killgar reveals in Killgar's Kode - How to Survive Anything that Killgarians have naturally impenetrable skin, with most developing further biological armor over that. Hogstrong asks the obvious question as to how Killgar is the Last of His Kind if his species is supposed to be invincible, but Killgar refuses to elaborate.
- Nominal Heroes: The Starbarians don't give a crap about actually doing heroic deeds, and in episode 1.5 are revealed to be even worse than the villains they oppose. Their bounty is 10 times higher and bringing them in is enough to absolve Trinosaur of his crimes.
- Pig Man: Hogstrong has porcine features on his face - namely the ears and nose - all fitting of his name.
- Power Limiter: Taken to an absurd degree in Killgar's Kode, where Killgar mentioned that his race engage in fights with blades wielded in each hand, not to enhance their fighting but merely to make fights interesting given their more lethal hands.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: In Killgar's Kode, his race was literally born from the core of Killgaria, fully grown with a blade in each hand. Killgar himself is quite fond of getting into fights, though he merely stated that's how they debate, implying that fights are actually much nastier.
- Real Men Eat Meat: Meat is about the only thing the Starbarians are ever shown eating and the only food they even keep in their fridge. Killgar freaks out if even a little bit goes missing.
- Really 700 Years Old: Killgar implies that he is over 800 years old when he reveals that his planet, which he was literally born from, was destroyed 800 years ago.
- Repetitive Name: Killgar of Killgaria and Hogstrong LeStrong.
- Save the Princess: The first episode had the two heroes rescuing Princess Bustilda. Only to end up kidnapping her themselves.
- Self-Deprecation: In the April Fools episode, Harry Partridge makes fun of himself for how high his artistic standards are, and how that's caused his output to drop over time.
- Sore Loser: The Starbarians. Siad did beat them in the dice roll (as evidenced by his "that's not fair, I won!") and they beat him to a pulp for it. In fairness, knowing the Starbarians they would have done that even if they won.
- Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Killgar implies that he harbors deep pain from being the Last of His Kind.
- Space Jews: The residents of Pangaia in Starbarians are a particularly silly case of Space First Nations, down to having tipis with technologically-advanced structures poking out of the top and using spears and knives with energy blades.
- Talk to the Fist: The Starbarians are challenged to a game of chance by the Snake-Wizard, Siad. They promptly beat him senseless.
- Testosterone Poisoning: Taken up to eleven with the Starbarians for comedic effect. They are both burly buff dudes that use excessive violence to murder people (bad guys or not), take what they want regardless of whether they have any right to it, they eat nothing but a ridiculously over-stocked fridge of meat, Killgar is seen both eating an excessive amount of meat while having sex with a random woman, not to mention their spaceship/mancave is a t-rex with tits.
- Token Heroic Orc: Shockingly, if Killgar's descriptions of his own people are accurate, he's the nicest and most approachable member of his species. While he is a hedonistic Jerkass who cares little for the plight of others unless he gets something out of it, he can at least be convinced with some coercion into doing the right thing. His people on the other hand engaged in activities like eating starving aliens despite having no need for sustenance.
- Vocal Evolution: Hogstrong had a deep voice in the teaser cartoon. All of his subsequent appearances gave him a more normal-sounding voice
- Winds of Destiny, Change!: Siad the Snake-Wizard's power in Starbarians is to change fate itself, though it's not clear if it isn't simply a euphemism for changing the print on the sides of dice since he never gets to try anything bigger before the Starbarians beat him into submission and promptly move on.
