Subscribe!Xyber 9: New Dawn (1999)
Originally posted on 01 August 2026First episode title: Origin Part 1: New Acquaintance
How familiar with the show am I?: I wasn't aware of it.
Xyber 9 - the X is pronounced as a Z - is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where a highly technologically advanced society has turned to ruin. In this world, the forces of King Renard and Queen Tatania are at war with each other, and a young man named Jack is doing what he can to survive the chaos...
As the episode begins, Jack is sleeping on a rocky slab, when the ground shakes due to the approach of some tanks, tipping him right into their path! He wakes up and scrambles out of the way, then jumps on top of one open-topped tank to ask the driver for a lift, only to be rebuffed. Some war planes fly overhead, and the tanks and planes start firing on each other as Jack takes cover. The tank drivers, overpowered, start to flee their vehicles, but a pair of slaves in one military truck are left there, still in the process of cooking the troops' food. One slave, who's baking bread, steps out of the truck eating an apple, takes control of a machine gun on one of the tanks, and opens fire on the planes, driving them away. As Jack and the soldiers marvel at his ability, the other slave reminds him about the bread and he rushes back to it. Elsewhere, a hammer-shaped aircraft lands, and soldiers stand to attention as King Renard, a man with one eye, disembarks. The soldiers lead him down a mineshaft, assuring him that they haven't touched anything of what they've discovered, and they reach a metal door labelled "9" with a hand-shaped indent on it. The King presses it, and it opens to reveal a circular room centred on a receptacle from which a metal staff extends. He tries grabbing the staff, but it gives him an electric shock. Then he uses some kind of spider-like communicator to tell someone "I've found it".
The military convoy from earlier is on the move again - Jack is hiding out on top of the slave truck, but the bread slave has realised that he's there and leaves out some food for him. Then they stop at a town where the soldiers enjoy some entertainment. A soothsayer of some kind gives a rhyming prophecy about the war, hinting that a darkness is to come across the land, but he seems to indicate that Jack will be the one to save everyone. Then the leader of these soldiers spots a horned, pig-like creature trying to eat some of his food. Angered, he holds up the creature and a flaming stick, saying he's going to show everyone how he treats thieves, but Jack kicks the man over and takes the creature. The stick falls to the floor and fire quickly spreads through the settlement, causing flaming barrels of fuel to start rocketing into the sky. Soldiers, slaves, and townsfolk all start running for safety, and Jack fights his way through soldiers to make his escape. He finds a kind of glider vehicle, and he and his new pet fly away. When the soldiers see that he has entered the "Dark Lands", they decide he's as good as dead and end their pursuit. Then, in the mine, a different group of soldiers in more high-tech uniforms blast their way in. Their leader is a tall pale man who Renard bows down to and calls "Lord Machestro". Machestro has learned that Renard tried to take the staff, and blasts him with some kind of energy from two spikes on his back.
In the Dark Lands, Jack tries to let the pig creature go but it insists on staying with him, and he names it Honk after the noise it makes. Jack climbs an old structure, like a chimney, to try and see if he can see a way ahead from above, but the old material breaks and he falls down the shaft. This leads him straight down into the room with the metal staff in it, and, fascinated, he is about to take it when Machestro and his soldiers walk into the room. The light from above burns Machestro's skin and he stays back, but his soldiers charge in and attack the boy, as he forms some kind of visor over his face from his outfit. Jack, not knowing that the staff is anything special, takes it from its place just to fight the soldiers with it. Machestro, walking in, tells his soldiers to stand down as he does not want the staff harmed. Then the staff starts talking to Jack, asking if he (the staff) can be of assistance. Jack is shocked but asks if he can get them out of there, and the staff drags him back up out of the shaft. Soldiers pursue Jack in their own flying vehicles, and he gets back into his own, but it won't start. A mysterious figure in an outfit that covers their face, riding a large flying animal, kicks a boulder off a cliff to cause an avalanche that buries the soldiers, but more are on their way. Then the staff offers to help with the vehicle, and plugging the staff into the vehicle ends up super-charging it and getting Jack flying again. The staff finally introduces himself as "Xyber 9".
It's unclear how much of the technology seen in the show is scavenged from the pre-apocalyptic world, or whether there have been many new inventions since. Xyber 9's discovery down inside a cave makes it clear that he's ancient, and the staff makes a comment about Jack's flying vehicle indicating that the engine is one that Xyber 9 recognises but it's being used in a very kludgy way. The armies of tanks and planes look too organised to be similar kludges, although there was quite a wide range in shapes of the tanks, some looking more like robots, perhaps to indicate that they are in fact rebuilt scavenged tech. The machines themselves are mostly rendered as CGI, as opposed to the 2D animation in the rest of the show.
One of the first things we see Jack do after his rude awakening is that he picks up a key on a chain from his belongings, puts it on like a necklace, and tucks it into his shirt. It's never seen or referenced again for the rest of the episode. That's what makes a "Part 1" so tantalising!
Anyway, Jack himself is a strong character. He's very cocky so he could be a hero in his own right - but the prophecy, plus the whole thing with Xyber 9 accepting him after shocking Renard, does seem to imply we have a "Chosen One" thing going on.
I can't remember whether I've previously seen a kids' cartoon explicitly portraying slavery, except perhaps for the purpose of history education. I mentioned that their hands are in chains, but they seem to be able to move pretty freely and they help themselves to the food they make, so it's not exactly a stark picture!
The bit where the soldier threatens to burn Honk was shocking. Despite Honk's fantasy appearance, the moment felt very real!
Seeing King Renard bow down to Lord Machestro was another striking moment, revealing that the supposed leader of one of the factions is actually a puppet for a greater evil. Renard's army does very much seem to be the evil faction - even though Queen Tatania doesn't appear within the episode, the opening sequence does imply that she is on the side of good.
Of course we only see a little bit of Xyber 9 right at the end, but he has one of those posh C3PO voices that you get on robots that are equally capable of helpfulness or sarcasm depending on how they're treated.
That mysterious figure at the end riding the flying animal... the freckles just about visible on their face make me almost certain that this is going to be one of those situations where the protagonist is surprised that the person who's mostly covered up turns out to be a woman.
Well, I am interested enough to want to know more about this show. The post-apocalyptic setting is unusual for a kids' show, and I do want to know what Xyber 9 actually is.
Unfortunately, that will be the last proper Debutniverse entry for a little while to give me some time to focus on other things. Still, if you have anything you want to share, like any new fanart submissions, please get in touch as I will still be watching the inbox!