Audience-Alienating Premise: Got hit with this from multiple angles. A Denser and Wackier spinoff of ThunderCats (1985) didn't appeal to fans of the franchise, who'd have preferred a Darker and Edgier show like the 2011 version. Meanwhile, the vocal backlash from detractors over the show's direction was the main way others learned of the show, which made them not want to watch. And unlike the similar Teen Titans Go!, the ThunderCats were more obscure among kids, without leaning into guest stars in the way Go uses the DC Comics characters for guest roles and jokes, so it didn't appeal to that demographic either. Putting all these facts together, along with the oversaturation of shows using the Teen Titans Go! formula, it's not much of a surprise that the show was not renewed for a second season.
Awesome Art: While the character designs were a source of controversy, the animation itself is very fluid, particularly in its action scenes.
When the show isn’t straight up using music from the original series, the show extensively remixes the score from the original '85 cartoon, including all the character leitmotifs and background music, in a way that updates them while staying very faithful.
With Thunder Cats 2011, obviously. Even when this show was merely announced, fans of the former were quick to jump at its throat for being another reboot of the same property instead of being a continuation. Especially due to the huge change in tone and the 2011 series being Cut Short. The fact that the Teen Titans Go!Fake Crossover claimed that "nobody cares about 2011 Lion-O" doesn't help.
The announcement of a ThunderCats movie from Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard a mere four months after Roar was canceled immediately set a rivalry in motion between Roar fans, who felt their show was unfairly treated, and those looking forward to the film that didn't care for Roar's more comedic take.
Fan Nickname: The redesigned Sword of Omens has the Eye of Thundera built into the cross-guard instead of above it◊, obscuring the Third Eye motif and placing it level to Lion-O's nose when he does the familiar "Sight Beyond Sight" pose. Some fans have thus playfully called this "Smell Beyond Smell".
Harsher in Hindsight: The Fake Crossover with Teen Titans Go! ended with the original Lion-O declaring the show to be a worthy successor to the original. Less than a year later, it was revealed the show had ended production after one season, putting those words in doubt.
"ThunderCats No!", due to it being the reaction of many critics.
"ThunderCats Go!", due to comparisons with Teen Titans Go!, which is similarly a Lighter and Softer reboot of an older series using a simpler, more cartoony style (and has drawn similar complaints from fans of the older series).
"Those weren't even words, Snarf." Explanation An early scene in "The Legend of Boggy Ben" involves Snarf responding to a question with a bunch of meowing noises, before Lion-O responds with the above line. The meme involves replacing Snarf's "words" with an opinion the memer dislikes or an unpopular joke, with the implication being that Lion-O, representing the memer, thinks that the replaced text is so stupid that it might as well be gibbering nonsense.
Cartoon Network is commonly considered completely to blame for ThunderCats Roar getting greenlit, even though Roar is a Warner Bros. Animation production, not a CN original.
The backlash from the Teen Titans Go! episode "Teen Titans Roar!", a Fake Crossover with Roar where the Titans sans Starfire parody the fan reaction to the initial trailer, is entirely directed at Roar and its crew, with some even saying that Teen Titans Goat least didn't insult their detractors out the gate. The episode was completely produced by the crew of TTG — that initial fan reaction was what inspired them to make it — and the only involvement of Roar's team were reused clips from the intro and "Exodus Part 2", and Max Mittelman and Larry Kenney lending their voices for Roar Lion-O and 1985 Lion-O and Snarf, respectively. Further, the episode was written by Michael Jelenic, not only the producer for Thundercats 2011 and TTG, but also the writer of the former series' two-parter, "Omens".
Nightmare Fuel: While most of the episode is played for laughs, "Mumm-Ra the Ever Living" includes a scene where Mumm-Ra captures the entire team by impersonating them, and the viewer doesn’t know what happened to them until we see them alive a few scenes later. Especially apparent in Cheetara’s scene where she realizes her fear of not being the fastest around. This is lightened a bit by Mumm-Ra just putting Snarf in a bag after capturing everyone else.
Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Snarf was changed from an annoying whiner that did nothing in the original series, into a silent and charming battle machine that frequently gets to show off his skills.
Tainted by the Preview: The cartoon drew vitriol as soon as it was announced.note The announcement trailer was met with near-universal dislikes, racking up 10,000 dislikes in just one day, and sat comfortably at 115,000 dislikes to just 8,000 likes before YouTube hid the dislikes bar in November 2021. It was so bad that an industry worker acknowledged it shortly afterward. The complaints mainly focused on the art style and the humor being seen as unfitting for the source material, and/or the show being seen as just too similar in art style and tone to several other cartoons that were airing at the time of its announcement.
Take That, Scrappy!: The show delights in making the insufferable Ro-bear Berbils into frequent punching bags.
WTH, Costuming Department?: Of all the redesigns, Cheetara's tended to receive the most flak. It's really not that different from her classic design, but swapping her iconic '80s Hair with Boyish Short Hair throws the whole getup off in some indescribable way.
◊, obscuring the Third Eye motif and placing it level to Lion-O's nose when he does the familiar "Sight Beyond Sight" pose. Some fans have thus playfully called this "Smell Beyond Smell".
