Skylanders is a toys-to-life action-adventure video game series created by the American game company Toys for Bob and released by Activision.

Players use NFC-enabled collectible figurines of characters from the games. These figurines work with a special device called the "Portal of Power," which reads data stored on a microchip at the base of each figure. The data includes the character's identity, in-game upgrades, and statistics. This allows the figurines to keep their progress and information even when used in different games from the Skylanders series.

Each Skylander is linked to one of ten elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Magic, Tech, Life, Undead, Light, and Dark. Skylanders with different elements have advantages in specific parts of the game. They can also unlock secret areas of the game that are protected by "Elemental Gates."

Plot

The games take place in the Skylands, a place with floating islands at the center of the universe. This world is often in danger from evil groups that want to control it and enter other worlds. For many years, a group of heroes called the Skylanders has worked with the Portal Masters to protect Skylands from evil and keep the Core of Light safe. Spyro is one of the known Skylanders. Each Skylander is connected to one of the elements: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, Light, Dark, Magic, Tech, and Undead. The dark and light element Skylanders first appear in Skylanders: Trap Team after the Core of Light is restored.

Before each game begins, the Skylanders are sent to Earth by the villain Kaos. On Earth, they become frozen because there is no magic in the human world. In most games, they are mistaken for toys and sold in stores.

Players take on the role of a Portal Master, using the Portal of Power to send the Skylanders back to their home world. There, they fight against Kaos, a villain who appears in many games, and his army along with other villains.

Characters

There are 144 playable Skylanders. They are grouped based on the game in which they first appeared, with some characters belonging to special groups.

• Spyro (voiced by Josh Keaton in the first five games, Matthew Mercer in Skylanders: Imaginators) is a purple dragon from the Magic element and a legendary Core Skylander. He first appeared in the main Skylanders series.
• Bash (voiced by Keith Silverstein) is a rock dragon from the Earth element.
• Boomer (voiced by Joey Camen) is a troll who throws dynamite and belongs to the Tech element.
• Camo (voiced by André Sogliuzzo) is a plant dragon from the Life element.
• Chop Chop (voiced by David Lodge) is an Arkeyan skeleton from the Undead element.
• Cynder (voiced by Tobie LaSalandra) is a violet dragon from the Undead element.
• Dino-Rang (voiced by Keith Silverstein) is a dinosaur who uses a boomerang and belongs to the Earth element.
• Double Trouble (voiced by Alex Ness) is a sorcerer with a tiki mask from the Magic element.
• Drill Sergeant (voiced by Thomas Bromhead) is an Arkeyan machine with a drill from the Tech element.
• Drobot (voiced by Alex Ness) is a dragon from the Tech element who wears a robotic suit.
• Eruptor (voiced by Keythe Farley) is a lava monster from the Fire element.
• Flameslinger (voiced by Keith Szarabajka) is an elf archer from the Fire element.
• Ghost Roaster (voiced by John Kassir) is a ghost-eating ghoul from the Undead element.
• Gill Grunt (voiced by Darin De Paul) is a "gill-man" who uses a harpoon gun and belongs to the Water element.
• Hex (voiced by Courtenay Taylor) is an undead elf from the Undead element.
• Ignitor (voiced by Dwight Schultz) is a fire spirit knight from the Fire element.
• Lightning Rod (voiced by Alex Ness) is a storm giant from the Air element.
• Prism Break (voiced by Peter Lurie) is a crystal rock golem from the Earth element.
• Slam Bam (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) is a four-armed yeti from the Water element.
• Sonic Boom (voiced by Lani Minella) is a griffin from the Air element.
• Stealth Elf (voiced by Audrey Wasilewski) is an elf ninja from the Life element.
• Stump Smash (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is an ent from the Life element with mallet-shaped hands.
• Sunburn (voiced by Troy Baker) is a dragon/phoenix hybrid from the Fire element.
• Terrafin (voiced by Joey Camen) is a dirt shark from the Earth element.
• Trigger Happy (voiced by Dave Wittenberg) is a gremlin who uses a gold gun and belongs to the Tech element.
• Voodood (voiced by André Sogliuzzo) is an orc from the Magic element.
• Warnado (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) is a turtle from the Air element.
• Wham-Shell (voiced by Chris Parson) is a crab from the Water element.
• Whirlwind (voiced by Salli Saffioti) is a dragon/unicorn hybrid from the Air element.
• Wrecking Ball (voiced by Ryan Cooper) is a grub worm from the Magic element.
• Zap (voiced by Jeff Bergman) is a water dragon from the Water element who was raised by electric eels.
• Zook (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) is a bamabazooker from the Life element who uses a bamboo bazooka.

• Chill (voiced by Julie Nathanson) is a person whose type is not clearly stated and belongs to the Water element.
• Flashwing (voiced by Tara Strong) is a crystal dragon from the Earth element.
• Fright Rider (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) is an undead elf jouster from the Undead element who rides a skeletal ostrich.
• Hot Dog (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) is a fire dog from the Fire element.
• Jet-Vac (voiced by Greg Ellis) is a sky baron from the Air element who uses a vacuum device.
• Pop Fizz (voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait) is a gremlin alchemist from the Magic element who drinks a potion to become stronger.
• Shroomboom (voiced by Matthew Moy) is a one-eyed mushroom from the Life element who uses a slingshot.
• Sprocket (voiced by Elizabeth Daily) is a goldling from the Tech element.

• Bumble Blast (voiced by David Sobolov) is a beehive from the Life element.
• Countdown (voiced by Richard Tatum) is a walking bomb launcher from the Tech element.
• Dune Bug (voiced by Nolan North) is a rhinoceros beetle from the Magic element.
• Fryno (voiced by Robert Cait) is a fire rhinoceros from the Fire element.
• Grim Creeper (voiced by Lex Lang) is a ghost from the Undead element.
• Pop Thorn (voiced by Chris Edgerly) is a pufferthorn from the Air element.
• Punk Shock (voiced by Tara Platt) is an electric eel from the Water element.
• Rip Tide (voiced by Patrick Seitz) is a fish from the Water element.
• Roller Brawl (voiced by Cree Summer) is a vampire roller derby player from the Undead element.
• Scorp (voiced by Rino Romano) is a scorpion from the Earth element.
• Scratch (voiced by Kat Cressida) is a feathercat from the Air element.
• Slobber Tooth (voiced by Dave Fennoy) is a turtle dinosaur from the Earth element.
• Smolderdash (voiced by Grey DeLisle) is a fire spirit from the Fire element.
• Star Strike (voiced by Misty Lee) is an alien from the Magic element.
• Wind Up (voiced by Bob Bergen) is a toy robot from the Tech element.
• Zoo Lou (voiced by Gideon Emery) is a bear from the Life element.

• Bat Spin (voiced by Eliza Schneider) is a vampire from the Undead element.
• Blackout (voiced by Brian Bloom) is a black dragon from the Dark element.
• Blades (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes) is a knight-armored dragon from the Air element.
• Cobra Cadabra (voiced by Sunil Malhotra) is a king cobra from the Magic element who travels in a basket.
• Chopper (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) is a dinosaur who uses a drill from the Tech element.
• Chopper (voiced by Dave B. Mitchell) is a dinosaur who uses a drill from the Tech element.
• Chopper (voiced by Dave B.

Games

Spyro's Adventure is the first game in the series. It includes 32 Skylanders, with four for each of the eight elements. Light and Dark elements were not added until the fourth game. The Skylanders work to restore the Core of Light, which was destroyed by Kaos. They collect the Eternal Sources of each element and other parts to complete their mission.

Giants is the second game in the series and follows Spyro's Adventure directly. It introduces a new group of Skylanders called the Giants. These Skylanders are larger than usual and were created to stop the Arkeyans. They are strong enough to lift, throw, and destroy trees, rocks, and walls that normally require bombs. The Giants must stop Kaos after he reactivates the Arkeyan Conquertron and tries to take over Skylands by bringing back the Arkeyans.

Swap Force is the third game in the series. It takes place in a new area of Skylands called the Cloudbreak Islands. This game introduces a new group of Skylanders called the Swap Force. These Skylanders can swap their top and bottom halves to combine abilities. The Swap Force and other Skylanders work together to stop Kaos and his mother from disrupting the magic of the Elementals on Mount Cloudbreak.

Trap Team is the fourth game in the series. It adds two new elements: Light and Dark. It also introduces a new group of Skylanders called the Trap Masters. These Skylanders use weapons made of Traptanium, the strongest material in Skylands. Their job is to guard dangerous prisoners in Cloudcracker Prison until Kaos frees them. The game includes a trap mechanic, where players can trap enemies in Elemental Traps made from Traptanium. Trapped enemies can later be summoned as playable characters for a short time. The Skylanders and their trapped foes team up to stop Kaos and the Doom Raiders.

SuperChargers is the fifth game in the series. It introduces a new group of Skylanders called the SuperChargers, who drive special vehicles on land, in the sky, and at sea. The Skylanders must stop Kaos and his Sky Eater, as well as The Darkness, which has its own plans. SuperChargers includes a multiplayer racing mode similar to Mario Kart, playable online or locally. It was the last game released on tablets, the Wii, and the 3DS. The 3DS version, called SuperChargers Racing, focused only on the racing mode. It is also the only main Skylanders game released digitally.

Imaginators is the sixth and final main game in the series. It was developed by Toys for Bob and released on October 13, 2016, in Australia and New Zealand; October 14, 2016, in Europe; and October 16, 2016, in North America. It was the only Skylanders game released for the Nintendo Switch. The game introduces two new types of Skylanders: Imaginators and Senseis. Imaginators are characters created by players with customizable appearances and abilities. The Skylanders must stop Kaos, who uses Mind Magic with Brain to create evil Skylanders called Doomlanders. Crash Bandicoot and Doctor Neo Cortex appear as playable characters for the first time since 2010. Their figures were first available only in PlayStation 3 and 4 starter packs but later sold separately.

In 2011, Activision released Skylanders Universe, an online game where players could explore Skylands, play mini-games, customize islands, and track their Skylanders collection. Players could connect their portals to computers to summon Skylanders, as in the main series. The service is no longer available.

Activision also made mobile versions of spin-off games, including Cloud Patrol, Battlegrounds, Lost Islands, Collection Vault, and mobile versions of Trap Team and SuperChargers. Other games include Battlecast and Ring of Heroes.

Development

Skylanders is a new version of the classic video game series Spyro the Dragon. After Activision combined with Vivendi Games and took over all the rights to its games, the Toys for Bob studio was asked to create a new Spyro game. At first, ideas included a new version with scary and serious themes that included violent scenes, but this was quickly cancelled because employees had negative reactions. Instead, they created a creative, family-friendly game that focused on how toys could interact with a digital world. The first Skylanders game cost Activision about $100 million, which is similar to the budget given to games like Call of Duty.

Version differences

The Skylanders games have been released on many platforms, with different developers creating various versions. These versions have important differences in how they work and what they include.

The Nintendo 3DS versions have unique stories and gameplay that focus more on jumping and moving through levels. They use a smaller portal that connects to the console's infrared sensor. In the first two games, players could load two figures at once and switch between them using the touch screen until a new figure was added. Starting with the game Swap Force, every figure scanned is saved permanently in the game. In Trap Team, villains are captured using the touch screen instead of real-life traps, which the 3DS portal cannot support.

The first two games were designed for the Nintendo Wii, and their HD versions were adapted for HD consoles with slightly better graphics. Starting with Swap Force, the games were made for HD consoles, and the Wii version had much lower quality graphics. The game Superchargers on Wii and 3DS only included racing parts and was called Superchargers Racing. The game Imaginators was not released on Wii or 3DS.

Usually, portals can be used across platforms, but the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions require their own portals because of rules set by Microsoft.

The Nintendo Switch version of Imaginators does not use the Portal of Power. Instead, figures are scanned using NFC on the game controller. Like the 3DS versions of earlier games, scanned figures are saved and can be switched through a menu. Traps are not supported, and vehicles only unlock special chests called Imaginite Chests.

Media

Cavan Scott wrote a series of books, starting with Skylanders: The Machine of Doom, which happens before the events in Spyro's Adventure. He later wrote Skylanders: The Mask of Power, another series that also takes place before Spyro's Adventure. Another series, Skylanders: Book of Elements, focuses on two elements in each book. Shubrik Bros. wrote the first book in this series, and Barry Hutchson wrote the second.

Two art books, Strata: The Art of Skylanders: Swap Force and Clutch: The Art of Skylanders: Superchargers, were created by Vicarious Visions. These books are special items only available through online sellers or charity events.

IDW Publishing made a comic series connected to the Skylanders franchise. This comic takes place between the video games. The series was reportedly stopped to avoid conflicts with Skylanders Academy, which uses a different version of the story.

In 2016, Activision Blizzard Studios announced plans to make an animated television series based on Skylanders. The first season began on Netflix on October 28, 2016. The second season started on October 6, 2017, and the third and final season began on September 28, 2018. On April 30, 2019, it was announced that Skylanders Academy was cancelled.

Activision has discussed the possibility of making a movie based on Skylanders. On May 6, 2014, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg said the company was interested in creating a film version of Skylanders.

Future

After the release of Imaginators, the franchise took a break, and people guessed there might be a seventh game for consoles. However, future projects in the Skylanders universe were limited to a mobile game called Ring of Heroes, which ended in 2022. The studios focused on other games not related to Skylanders until Activision Blizzard was bought by Microsoft in January 2022. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said Microsoft was interested in bringing back some of the old studios' popular franchises, such as Guitar Hero and Skylanders.

Reception

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure received "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic. The game was nominated for two Toy Industry Association awards: "Game of the Year" and "Innovative Toy of the Year."

Skylanders: Giants received "generally favorable" reviews on most platforms according to Metacritic; the Nintendo 3DS version received "mixed or average" reviews. However, the overall reviews were slightly lower than those for the previous game, especially for the Nintendo 3DS version, which had the lowest Metacritic score in the series.

Skylanders: Swap Force received "generally favorable" reviews for most platforms according to Metacritic; the Nintendo 3DS version received "mixed or average" reviews. The Metacritic scores for the game were the highest and most positive of the series on most platforms.

Skylanders: Trap Team received "generally favorable" reviews for most platforms according to Metacritic; the iOS version received "universal acclaim." Although the Metacritic scores were slightly lower than those of the previous game on most platforms, the iOS version had the highest Metacritic score in the series.

Skylanders: SuperChargers received "generally favorable" reviews according to Metacritic. The game was also nominated for two awards: Best Family Game at The Game Awards 2015 and Favorite Video Game at the 2016 Kids' Choice Awards. Despite its positive reception, Activision reported in February 2016 that the game did not meet sales expectations.

Skylanders: Imaginators received "generally favorable" reviews for most platforms according to Metacritic; the Nintendo Switch version received "mixed or average" reviews. Despite the generally positive reception, the game sold only 66,000 copies during its launch month.

As of February 2015, the Skylanders series reached $3 billion in sales, with 175 million toys sold since 2011, making it one of the top 20 highest-selling video game franchises of all time. By June 2015, over 250 million toys were sold. By 2016, over 300 million toys had been sold, and the franchise became the 11th biggest console franchise of all time.