Universal Gladiators is a spin-off series adapting the Gladiators format into the style of other animated 'gameshows' (e.g. Total Drama, Wacky Racers, Laff-a-Lympics, etc.) as contenders from across the universe (both supporting characters and OCs alike) must do battle in games of physical strength, agility and speed against not only each other, but also the heroes of the universe and a few of their rivals who be acting as the Gladiators, their opposition in namesake to prove themselves worthy of being season champions with the grand prize of becoming a new Gladiator to take up the reins the following seasons and earning themselves a spot of Team Leader for a new Adventures team.
Format[]
"They came from the infinite corners of the universe. The mightiest adventurers from far and wide, made from heroes and rivals alike from adventures born of fights against the forces of evil and strength as well as comradery. Together they have united to take up the role of Gladiators to accept the challenge of the contenders from across the universe in a battle that will decide who is worthy of being the best and joining their very ranks." ~ Opening Narration
The Gladiators formed of heroes from numerous adventure teams and several of their rivals have united to lay down challenges that will test the contenders on their speed, strength, willpower and agility to win their way to the Grand Final and earn the ultimate two prizes on the line. The first one is a spot on the Gladiators' team for future seasons to lay down the gauntlet they've run to reach that point. The second and perhaps the most coveted to the contenders is becoming the leader for their own new adventure team, an opportunity the Gladiators themselves have put forward to give those who win here a chance to prove their worth beyond the arena for many future adventures to come across the unknown depths of the universe. Many of the contenders are ones who have previously met their heroes on past adventures and wish to prove themselves worthy to join their ranks.
Each episode, five random events will be played by four contenders (two male and two female for each block) to earn points by facing each and the Gladiators themselves. The contender who scores the most points at the time of the Eliminator will earn the greatest of advantages, where they will start the course before their opponent. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf reprise their roles as commentators and hosts (having had experience in the role from Laff-a-Lympics) for the challenges ahead and Sir Topham Hatt joins the arena to act as the firm but fair referee to keep the rules enforced and to keep in check any Gladiators who feel like pushing their luck.
Events[]
Hang Tough[]
This classic event sees the contender and the Gladiator suspended on two opposite platforms above a large pool of water with only several hundred rings hanging from the arena ceiling between the posts. Contenders must traverse these rings to the Gladiator's platform within a sixty second time limit to score 10 points or 'Hang Tough' in the scoring zone around the midway section of the course for the full time limit for 5 points. Standing in their way will be a Gladiator that will also be traversing the rings in an attempt to pull the contender off and knock them into the water. If the contender falls off, is forced off by the Gladiator or fails to reach the scoring zone at the very least in sixty seconds, they will receive no points.
Powerball[]
It's just like Football or Basketball (whatever your preference is), only the targets are five-fold and scattered across the pitch. Contenders will start from either end of the pitch to try and dodge the Gladiators to throw a ball into one of five pods to score. 2 points are scored for every ball thrown successfully into the four outer pods and 3 points will be awarded for the center pod. Guarding the pods and attempting to stop the contenders will be three Gladiators who will attempt to tackle them to the floor to prevent them from scoring. If a contender's ball misses the pod, is dropped by accident or dropped because they were tackled by the Gladiator, they must run to the other side of the pitch to pick up a new ball to try again. There's only sixty seconds on the clock and every point earned will be worth it.
The Wall[]
A thirty feet wall stands between the contenders and the summit and they only have sixty seconds to try and beat the clock and each other. 10 points will be awarded to the first who scales the Wall before their opponent and 5 points will be awarded for second place. The clock and each other aren't the only factors in play however as pursuing each contender is a Gladiator that will pursue them up the wall after the first 7 seconds have passed and if they succeed in pulling a contender off the Wall or they fail to reach the summit in the time limit, they will not score.
Skytrak[]
A figure of eight loop that seems like the average Scalextric track only supersized and upside-down is the challenge that lies ahead. Contenders are also suspended upside down and must run the figure of eight in a one-lap race against each other and the two Gladiators assigned to pursue them. 10 points are awarded for the chequered flag and 5 points for the one who crosses second, but strapped to the back of each contender is a backpack and a detonator switch behind them on the track that the pursuing Gladiators will attempt to hit to stop the contender and eliminate them from the race, leaving them empty handed.
Pursuit[]
The contenders must race across a series of obstacles and sprint to the finish line whilst attempt to stay ahead of the pursuing Gladiators who will attempt to tag them to eliminate them from the race. 10 points will be awarded to first place and 5 points for second.
Pyramid[]
Atop a triangular pyramid consisting of 15 large steps is a button the contenders will race each other to press before their opponent whilst trying to bypass a Gladiator assigned to each one, attempting to either impede their progress or throw them back to the crashmats at the base of the Pyramid. 10 points will be awarded to the first who can hit the button and 5 points will be awarded to the one who can either make it to the button second or stay above a scoring zone step midway up the Pyramid after the sixty second time limit.
Duel[]
Atop two tall platforms above a pool of water, a contender fights against an opposing Gladiator armed with a pugil-stick in an attempt to force them off their platform without falling themselves. If they are successful in doing so or forcing their opponent to mis-step over to their platform or drop their pugil-stick, 10 points will be awarded. If they can stalemate by holding on for the full thirty second time limit, they will earn 5 points as a consolation prize to add to their score. If they fall, step over to the other platform or drop their weapon, the contender will earn nothing from this event.
Rocketball[]
A revamped version of the classic Gladiators event Swingshot, contenders will grab a ball from their box, jump from their platform to the ground and leaping with their harness as high as possible in an attempt to throw it into one of three nets, either yellow, blue or red to score points within a sixty second time limit. Throwing it into the yellow net will score 1 point, 2 for blue and 3 for red. Attempting to block their throws will be two Gladiators who will also leap with the added pull of their harnesses to prevent contenders from scoring.
Atlaspheres[]
Several mounds in the arena floor emit smoke and the contenders can only trigger them to score by rolling the Atlaspheres they are caged within over the sensor perfectly. But it won't be easy as not only will they be trying to score within the sixty second time limit, but they will also be pursued by Atlasphere encaged Gladiators who will attempt to knock them off course or block their path to prevent them from scoring. 2 points will be awarded for each mound that successfully emits smoke after an Atlasphere rolls over it.
Pole-Axe[]
The contenders must race their opposing Gladiator up a rotating cylinder with only footholds to keep them steady as they attempt to hit a button that will forcefully retract the footholds of the opponent's pole, causing them to fall to the pool below. If the contender successfully beats their Gladiator to the punch, the full 10 points are awarded. Don't look down or in the blink of an eye, that's where you'll be going.
Gauntlet[]
If there is one event other than the Eliminator that is the toughest of them all, this one easily takes the cake for the roughest. The contender must push and shove their way past five of the Gladiators, three of them armed with a Long Staff and two with a pair of shield pads, in an attempt to clear the Gauntlet. Each Gladiator they pass within the thirty second time limit will earn them 2 out of the maximum 10 points.
Earthquake[]
Suspended a few meters above several crash mats is a platform suspended by loose ropes which will cause it to tilt slightly with the slightest shift of immense weight. Contenders must attempt to wrestle their opposing Gladiator off the platform within thirty seconds without falling themselves to earn the full 10 points, but can pick up 5 for surviving the time limit and the battle to the end.
Tightrope[]
Suspended above a giant crash mat are two thin coils of rope on each side. The contender and Gladiator must race up their first rope to reach the other side to change over to the zipline for the race back to the start to hit a detonator button that will break the opponent's zip-line and cause them to fall onto the mat. If the Contender beats the Gladiator back to the button first, they earn 10 points and if their feet hit the button before they fall to the mat due to the Gladiator returning first, 5 points will be acquired.
Hit and Run[]
Danger Zone[]
The Gladiator stands at the top of a fort wall with a tennis ball cannon and their target is the contender in the arena. Contenders must race to each station in a specific order and attempt to fire a weapon at a target above the Gladiator's turret that will send them flying backwards into a pool behind them. Each weapon fired successfully will earn the contender 1 point and if they successfully hit the target, they will score the maximum 10 points instead. But time is off the essence as well as once a weapon is picked up, the contender must fire it within 10 seconds and bail to the next station before it self-destructs. If they are caught in the blast radius, hit by one of the Gladiator's shots, or fail to fire all four weapons and hit a button at the end of a tunnel to bank 5 points within the sixty second time limit, then their run ends in failure. If they are hit by the Gladiator or caught in the blast radius however, they will keep the points scored from firing any prior weapons.
The Eliminator[]
After 5 events are complete and the scores are tallied up for each contender in their two blocks, whoever has the most points will earn a time headstart over their opponent by 0.5 seconds for each point they have more than their opponent's total.
The contenders must first deal with a series of high and low hurdles by jumping and ducking under the correct hurdles to reach a rope that will bring them to the top of a wall. Jumping down from the wall, they must swim across the pool and beneath a grate of fire to reach the cargo net at the far side to get to the handbikes at the top. Once they have traversed the handbikes over the pit beneath them (falling there will incur a 10 second time penalty that they must wait out before continuing) and rolling down a giant cotton reel, the contenders must cross a rotating beam where falling there will require a reattempt, then moving on to ascend the mighty Pyramid to reach the ziplines that will take them to the balance beams and beyond those, the dreaded uphill treadmills known by infamously alone as the Travelator. Ascending that successfully and being the first to crash through the wall of blocks making up the Universal Gladiators logo will earn that contender victory in the episode, allowing them to move on to the next round. The grand finalists that win the Eliminator in their respective blocks will become series champions, new Team Leaders for their own Adventure Teams and take up the roles of new Gladiators for future seasons.
Seasons and Transcripts (Coming Soon)[]
Series 1[]
- Heat 1
- Heat 2
- Heat 3
- Heat 4
- Heat 5
- Heat 6
- Heat 7
- Heat 8
- Quarter-Finals 1
- Quarter-Finals 2
- Quarter-Finals 3
- Quarter-Finals 4
- Semi-Finals 1
- Semi-Finals 2
- Grand Final
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Heat 1
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Heat 2
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Heat 3
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Heat 4
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Semi-Finals 1
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Semi-Finals 2
- Gladiators' Battle Royale Specials Grand Final
Gladiators (Feel free to add)[]
Male Gladiators[]
- Thunderstrike - Ash Ketchum
- Blitz - Gladion
- Padlock - Sora
- Eruption - Kiawe
- Rollerblade - Tino Tonitini
- Terra - Brock
- Fang - Tabby the Fox
- Scavenger - Knuckles the Echidna
- Quickdraw -Kalin Kessler
- Fortune - Joey Wheeler
- Wolf (Special Episodes Only)
- ... - ...
Female Gladiators[]
- Whip - Mallow
- Torrent - Misty
- Witch - Twilight Sparkle (EG)
- Edge - Astrid Hofferson
- Glacier - Rika Nonaka
- Thorn - Akiza Izinski
- Inferno - Blaze the Cat
- Luster - Rouge the Bat
- ... - ...
Music[]
General Themes[]
- American Gladiators 2008 Theme - Intro Credits
- Australian Gladiators 1995 Theme - Credits
- Gladiators ITV/BBC Theme - Special Episode Intros
- Another One Bites the Dust - Gladiator Victory Theme
Gladiator Entrance Themes[]
- Thunderstrike - Thunderstruck AC/DC
- ...
- Wolf - Wild Thing by the Troggs
Trivia[]
- The original UK Gladiator Wolf reprises the role from a onlooker's perspective in his own corner of the audience when an event concludes, usually giving in-character jabs at the contenders or Gladiators if they perform particularly poorly. He also provides recaps during his own segment of every episode that recaps the five events for each division prior to the Eliminator, usually from his own perspective which he sometimes skewers to give his own 'honest' opinion.