Since the series was a cartoon for children, it was decided that Conan's family would be turned into stone statues rather than killed by the Snake Cult.
The Snake Cult in the series is different from its depiction in Conan the Barbarian (1982), on which the cartoon is based. In the film, the Snake Cult is led by the evil sorcerer Thulsa Doom and he and his warriors raid Conan's village and slay Conan's tribe including his parents. In the series, however, the Snake Cult is led by Wrath-Amon, an evil wizard who turns Conan's family into stone statues.