"Survival of the Fittest" is the eighteenth episode of ThunderCats 2011 TV series.
Synopsis[]
WilyKit and WilyKat are taught to hunt for their food by Panthro and Cheetara, who believed it was time for the kittens to learn to fend for themselves. In a boys versus girls match, WilyKit teamed up with Cheetara while WilyKat teamed up with Panthro in a hunt for a meal.
Panthro attempted to teach WilyKat about tracking and the use of traps, but WilyKat couldn't bear the idea of killing another animal and helped the grazer to run free.
Meanwhile, Cheetara shows WilyKit about masking their scents in an attempt to kill another grazer, but WilyKit also ruined the hunt, as she couldn't kill the animal as well. Both Panthro and Cheetara had it with the kittens and decided to make them hunt for themselves or they won't be able to return to the ThunderTank.
But during their hunt, both Kat and Kit run into trouble as they remember their past. It's revealed that the kittens are the eldest of four cubs, and their father was an ambitious farmer who died in a tornado. This resulted in their mother trying to make ends meet on her own by doing all the chores herself (while ignoring the older Wily siblings' offers of help) and skipping her meals so her children could eat when food was short. Inspired by their late father's stories of a city of great riches, El-Dara, WilyKat believed leaving would allow their younger siblings and mother to survive (without the need to feed and support the older Wily siblings) until they could find El-Dara. So the pair left their home to search for it. However, their search led them to starvation in Thundera and they quickly learned that survival would mean compromising their ethics.
Back in the forest, the duo relents to the idea of going after the grazers they spotted earlier. When they realize the grazers are a family, they decide they could not harm them. Just then, a giant porcupine-like animal attacked the grazers. Unwilling to let the grazers die, the kittens successfully distracted and tied up the creature. Grateful for their help, the grazers lead the twins to a trove of fruit. Successful in getting food, the two victoriously return with sweet bounty and Panthro now believes that the two have potential to survive on their own.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- This episode explains that Kit and Kat have two younger siblings and a mother, whom they left so she could feed their little brother and sister and herself. It also shows their father, who died, was also the one to inspire the Wileys with the legend of El-Dara.
- In this episode, we learn that Cheetara's new staff, given to her by Viragor, has the same ability as her old staff to retract and expand.
- This is the first episode where Lion-O and Tygra don't make an appearance.
Gallery[]
