Kulipari


Kulipari is an animated television series created by Trevor Pryce for Netflix. It is co-produced by Splash Entertainment, The Outlook Company and Telegael Teoranta. Its first season, subtitled An Army of Frogs, was released in September 2016. The show is based on Pryce's novel series of the same name. Kulipari: Heritage, a four-issue comic miniseries taking place between the first and second seasons, was published by Red 5 Comics and released from August to November 2016. The series was renewed for a second season called Kulipari: Dream Walker on March 8, 2017, which was released on November 20, 2018. A graphic novel called Kulipari: Warflower was purported to be released on January 1, 2019, but it was canceled.
Three compilation movies for season 1, Kulipari: An Army of Frogs, Kulipari: Mercenaries and Kulipari: Amphibian's Rise have been released on Amazon, Google Play and iTunes between 2017 and 2018.
On February 28, 2023, it was announced that Hulu would be continuing the series with a newly announced third season titled Kulipari: A King Rises, that was set to premiere at the end of the year but was delayed to July 28, 2024, as well as a CGI film reboot of the first season, initially announced to premiere in 2024. The first two seasons were added to Hulu in February. The first two seasons have also been remastered and include new opening and ending credit sequences.
The third season, Kulipari: A King Rises, was released on July 28, 2024.

Plot

The series takes place in the Amphibilands — a hidden village of frogs. For many years the inhabitants of the Amphibilands have lived safely, protected by a magical Veil and an elite group of poison frogs called the Kulipari. The story begins with the frogs of the Amphibilands finding their homeland threatened by an army of scorpions teamed up with the magically powerful Spider Queen. Our hero, Darel, a young frog that has always dreamed of joining the Kulipari despite his lack of poison, finds himself at the front of the battle. With the help of his friends, Darel must overcome his anxieties to embrace his dream of becoming a Kulipari warrior and save all the frogs from extinction.

Characters

Main characters

  • Darel - The main protagonist, and an Australian wood frog. Son of Apari and Acala.
  • Gurnugan "Gee" - Darel's loyal best friend, he is a fat, gluttonous, awkward Australian wood frog.
  • Coorah - Another Australian wood frog who is also a friend of Darel, and brief girlfriend of Arabanoo. She has medical skills.
  • Stinger - A young scorpion who is identified as being "of Marmoo's bloodline" by Old Jir. Later he becomes the new Scorpion Lord. In A King Rises, he initially trusted Marmoo while leading the scorpion armies before being killed during the war at the Reef.
  • Tharta, Thuma & Tipi - Triplets, children of Apari and Acala and younger siblings of Darel. In the Dream Walker and A King Rises, the triplets grew up to be young Kulipari in Nova Australis. Tipi, however was chosen by the Rainbow Serpent to save everyone due to her love and compassion for Stinger and the entire species. Becoming the Queen of the Outback.
  • Old Jir - An elderly Kulipari frog warrior living as a hermit near the village.

    Professional Kulipari Frogs

  • Burnu - The green, wig-wearing male leader of an elite team of four Kulipari.
  • Ponto - Yellow male medic of Burnu's team, brother to Dingo.
  • Dingo - Orange female Archer of Burnu's team, sister to Ponto.
  • Quoba - The green, hooded female scout of Burnu's team, but she sacrificed all her poison to save everyone at the Great Rock. In the Dream Walker and A King Rises. She later becomes the current Warflower and wields War Botany and explore the abandoned Cardigal, She confronts Darkan and his minions, Yabber and Allora despite her struggles to find the way. Near the end of the war, she saved everyone once again with the help of the assistance to stop a huge tidal wave.
  • Wilka - The newest partner of Burnu, a light blue Kulipari female who was sent on a mission to infiltrate the spider god's fortress and like Koa, she too was also raised by the geckos in Kulipari: Heritage.
  • Koa - A young Kulipari frog who was raised by Chief Bindi and the geckos from the Reef. He was briefly kidnapped by Darkan.

    Villains

  • Lord Marmoo - A powerful scorpion warlord who is the main antagonist of the first season and Darel's first biggest nemesis. He was eventually resurrected twice from Jarrah and Nahradhan after being killed twice. Although in Kulipari: Heritage and later on. He's revealed to be one of the four Poison Scrolls.
  • Commander Pigo - Marmoo's younger brother and right-hand man. He later joined Darel and the others during their exile by Marmoo. In the Dream Walker, he becomes one of council members in Nova Australis and later sacrificed himself during the ambush by Darkan's armies during the rescue mission to Cardigal.
  • Spider Queen Jarrah - The queen of the redback spiders and Sergu's former student.
  • Darkan - A giant marine iguana warlord ruling the fortress city of Cardigal. While battling Ponto in the dungeon, he revealed to be a Kulipari as well. In A King Rises, he and his armies and henchmen survived the fall of Cardigal and exact a revenge by threatening the Reef. During the war at the Reef. he is incapacitated and knocked out when the Queen Cobra appears.
  • Nahradhan - The golden-colored "god" of spiders and their strongest Nightcaster and Dreamcaster, whom Falgha worked with until her betrayal after Season 1.
  • Daly - A white female spider Nightcaster and Darkan's right-hand woman.

    Other characters

  • Apari - The late Kulipari and husband of Acala and Darel and the triplets' father.
  • Acala - Darel's mother and widow of Apari.
  • Arabanoo - A red-eyed tree frog, who initially thinks Darel will never become a Kulipari. During the Invasion of the Amphibiland, he is killed by Marmoo while Darel and other are away.
  • Turtle King Sergu - A wise old turtle and practitioner of Dreamcasting magic.
  • Pippi - A young platypus girl and a Stargazer student who has visions that help Darel on his quest. She remains and becomes a Dreamcaster of the new settlement in Season 2.
  • Killara - A green lizard mercenary leader who works for Marmoo with his people until he betrayed Marmoo when Darel offered him a pearl. In the Dream Walker, he spends a significant amount of time and effort trying to steal his pearl back from Lord Darkan despite the debt from him. He enters a shaky alliance with Darel's rescue party, offering them a way into Darkan's palace in exchange for help reaching his goal. In his pursuit for the pearl, Killara abandons his loyal companions, and claimed the fake pearl instead of an actual one, resulted in all for nothing. In A King Rises, he is assisted by Payu, Moe, and Toukley from his sister Careel in order to search for Poison Scrolls. Throughout search, they came across many obstacles, including Orani.
  • Skink - A female skink mercenary working for Killara until he betrayed her and Nogo.
  • Nogo - A large and strong male bearded dragon mercenary working for Killara until he betrayed him and Skink.
  • Xava - An mute white male lizard living with in the village Darel founded.
  • Caz - An elderly male scorpion who is the survivor of the Amphibilands wars. He was later killed by Stinger for poisoning Jir.
  • Falgha - A female redback spider who is Queen Jarrah’s pupil and the current leader of the spiders after the fall of Cardigal.
  • Yabber - A turtle who is the apprentice, star pupil of former Turtle King Sergu, and the current Turtle King.
''More characters to be listed''

Cast

The series is co-produced by American studios Splash Entertainment and The Outlook Company and Irish studio Telegael Teoranta. Animation was outsourced to Cartoon Conrad Enterprises for the first season and Oasis Animation for the second and third seasons.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1: ''An Army of Frogs'' (2016)

Season 2: ''Dream Walker'' (2018)

Season 3: ''A King Rises'' (2024)

Accolades

was nominated for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program at the 46th Daytime Emmy Awards.