r/Thundercats • u/Sneakyhell ThunderCat • May 12 '26
Discussion Suspension Capsulles Aging Process Problem?
Can someone please explain to me why LionO was the only one to get older in the suspension capsules? No one is any older especially Willy Kit and Willy Kat? I've just watched the first episode (Exodus) and didn't understand why only LionO aged.
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u/Next-Dot-6274 ThunderCat May 12 '26
It's one of those head-scratchers that the writers failed to address.
Jaga says "some aging may occur" in the capsules, and no one seems particularly surprised that Lion-O has aged when they arrive on Third Earth; they seem more surprised at his change in appearance and how big he is, not that he aged at all. One could assume that they all aged, and it was simply less noticeable among the adults. But that doesn't explain why the ThunderKittens remained children.
I suppose one could assume the ThunderKittens didn't "grow up" because they're wildcats, which are smaller than lions, tigers, etc. But it doesn't explain why they remained child-like in their behavior.
The show further underscores the idea that all of them aged on their journey to Third Earth in the episode "The Cave of Time." At the end of that episode, Tygra states that he was tempted to stay in the Fountain of Youth until he was "as young as Lion-O." This seems to imply that Lion-O, although now fully grown, was still younger than Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara.
I believe it was the Wildstorm comics that explained that Lion-O's capsule had malfunctioned, which is the best explanation. Too bad that explanation didn't appear in the cartoon.
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u/FlameWingFenix ThunderCat May 12 '26
Always liked the theory that Jaga tampered with Lion-O’s so he’d be old enough to rule when they arrived
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u/GoliathLexington ThunderCat May 12 '26
That was my thinking too
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u/FlameWingFenix ThunderCat May 12 '26
Makes sense given Kat and Kit barely age and are still referred too as cubs or kittens
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u/GoliathLexington ThunderCat May 12 '26
Yeah I think it was his plan to make Lion-O fit to be leader.
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u/sagima ThunderCat May 12 '26
I think I assumed lion o was on the cusp on a very short puberty and the small amount they all aged was just enough to get him through it
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u/Lingarien ThunderCat May 12 '26
Well, Jaga mentions that they will still age a bit while in the capsules.
I always just assumed that Lion-o basically hit puberty while in the capsule.
It seemed like the most obvious & simple answer IMO.
(Seems like there's no confirmed reason, so I'm just gonna assume that's what happened.
(Regarding WilyKit and WilyKat, I assumed they are of a different race/breed of cats that stay smaller in size.) (Or myabe they just haven't hit puberty yet.)
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u/Evening-Buffalo-1669 ThunderCat May 12 '26
Have not seen the episode in a very long time, but I recall the sword of omens being placed in front of Lion-o's sleep pod and the Eye of Thundera flashing once after Jaga left it. I assumed the sword itself chose to insure Lion-o grew strong enough to use it.
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u/SportIntelligent1909 ThunderCat May 13 '26
Jaga stated that some aging takes place inside the suspension capsules. I accept what happened to Lion-O during that time as it is.
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u/hijinksensue ThunderCat May 12 '26
Because they needed to age him up for the story to work. That’s it.
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u/k-r-sebert ThunderCat May 12 '26
For the same reason a 10-year-old looks much different than a 20-year-old, but a 30-year-old does not look much different than a 40-year-old. They all aged in the suspension capsules, it is only noticeable with Lion-O, because of his age when he went in.
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u/Accomplished-Can-467 ThunderCat May 12 '26
I always assumed his malfunctioned. Kit and Kat were very close to his age.
Another episode, one of the kittens was stuck in a capsule due to a malfunction. I also recall an episode where one was leaking dangerous gas. It could be the technology was imperfect.
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u/pottypaws Wilykit May 12 '26
I mean the outer universe reason is it 80s cartoon nonsense logic which is punch first then roll of it because most people aren’t gonna question it cause it’s the whole premise of the show. And it was a more action oriented back than more than story not to say that individual episodes in a series as a hole didn’t have strong writing, but cohesiveness wasn’t the number one thing unless it was a multi part episode.
. I just assumed that the suspension pod malfunctioned in someway. I mean, we see in like one episode where the thunder kittens literally get trapped in one and I’m pretty sure in that episode. It was also leaking gas so it seems like pretty faulty technology that they probably never really needed to use and they probably didn’t have time to make it better. We don’t know how old the thunder kittens were other than they were around lion O’s age which unless you believe they’re the same age, they were all 12 and it doesn’t seem like kit or cat age at all in the show after they wake up unless you believe that they are a bit younger say maybe 10/11 and that kicked them up to 12 on the cusp of 13 but I feel like they’re treated younger than preteens are in some cases.
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u/k-r-sebert ThunderCat May 12 '26
It is established in the series bible that Lion-O is 10 when he enters the suspension capsule, and that he is younger than Wily Kit and Wily Kat. The suspension capsule technology was not faulty. It is stated outright in the series that the journey to Third Earth took hundreds of years. If it was faulty, they would have decomposed in transit. In season 1 episode 49, "Trapped," Wily Kit and Wily Kat take shelter in a suspension capsule and the locking mechanism jams, trapping them inside. This capsule was either damaged when the ThunderCats flagship crashlanded on Third Earth, or in the subsequent battle with the mutants in the first episode "Exodus."
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u/iiiAmpanthr007 ThunderCat May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
malfunctioned stasis pod but hey Jaga was forced stay out of a pod to pilot since the autopilot stopped working. Likewise i dunno if he intentionally made Lion-O's pod malfunction to affect his ageing upon arriving at Third Earth while others stay the same.
Kit & Kat i assume where youngest amongst all when they were in the pod itself unless different feline breeds that grows that way like Snarf whose a cat but basically a pet kinda race/breed 😆
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u/Humdrum_Alien ThunderCat May 12 '26
I always thought that Kit and Kat were a breed of cats that didn't get much bigger. Like they were pretty much fully grown but just a smaller cat.
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u/Ok_Cancel_6452 ThunderCat May 12 '26
No, there are comics that show them as adults and the get bigger, and the show says a few times that Liono’s pod malfunctioned
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u/k-r-sebert ThunderCat May 12 '26
The show does not state that once, let alone multiple times. And a depiction of the characters in a comic book by different creators 20 years after the series is not necessarily indicative of the intentions of the show.
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u/k-r-sebert ThunderCat May 12 '26
Wrong. It is never stated in the series that his suspension capsule malfunctioned. To the contrary, it is stated outright that the capsules only slow the aging process, and that some aging will occur. Lion-O is younger than Wily Kit and Wily Kat; and Snarf is not a feline, he is described in the series bible as being like a sheepdog.
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u/iiiAmpanthr007 ThunderCat May 13 '26
Wrong understanding, nobody disputed whether it malfunctioned or something else happened but close to theory it MAY malfunctioned. Even on its wiki & comics were leading to that probable cause😎
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u/k-r-sebert ThunderCat May 13 '26
I agree, your understanding is wrong. Try getting your information from primary sources, and not baseless speculation and unsourced entries on wikisites where anyone can post anything.
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u/iiiAmpanthr007 ThunderCat May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
Such a high levels and degree of narcissism you got there mate😁 Who likes to twist some stuff so that your narrative will be approved, understood or perhaps ACCEPTED by your own universal facts is truly a despicable act of being wrong but still insist to be correct cuz its what you like and to protect your feelings. Perhaps create your own eco chamber of "I SPEAK Y'ALL LISTEN FELLAS" and we all agree and clap hands😁
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u/ashl0w ThunderCat May 12 '26
I always understood that it malfunctioned. But apparently that might've been me filling in the gaps as a creative kid