Quest of the Skeleton Warrior

Dekion, a once-great knight, tricks the kids into taking on a dangerous mission to retrieve the Circle of Power. It's a deadly quest that splits them up, and unfortunately for them, Dekion is working for Venger.

It's always a good sign when an episode opens with Venger - and this one wastes no time. Summoned by Dekion, the fallen knight, it feels instantly cinematic: thunder, shadow, and a sense that something truly dangerous has been unleashed.

Once again, the adventurers make the mistake of judging by appearance, just as they did with the old wizard in an earlier episode. It's a recurring theme in the series - that true evil and true goodness aren't always what they seem.

There's a real weight to Dekion's story - the idea of a hero cursed for his choices, doomed to walk the earth until he redeems himself. It gives the episode that tragic, mythic feel the show occasionally reaches for and nails.

The animation stands out too. The castle, Diana's ageing, and those opening scenes are among the best in the whole series. Dekion himself is one of the show's most compelling characters - a haunting blend of menace and melancholy.

The showdown between Dekion and Venger is an awesome scene - dark, dramatic, and pretty epic . It's the kind of sequence that reminds you how cinematic this series could be at its best.

Proof again that this series could handle real emotion beneath the fantasy, 'Quest of the Skeleton Warrior' stands as one of the most atmospheric and memorable of the run.

8/10.