When you hear X-Men ’97, Invincible, and Castlevania mentioned in the same sentence, your first thought is usually “quality animation.” These shows set the gold standard for adult animated series. So, why has Gabriel and the Guardians, from creators tied to those very shows, fallen off everyone’s radar?
The most obvious reason is the subject matter. Yes, it borrows from the Bible, but only in the loosest sense. The series isn’t a Sunday School special where the action fades to black before the fight starts. Instead, it dives into celestial guardians battling Nephilim, half-demon giants straight out of Genesis. Think less VeggieTales and more “what if He-Man and the Masters of the Universe had darker themes and scarier monsters.”
The official synopsis sets the tone for what to expect: Gabriel, a celestial guardian, is sent to the dark realm of Ara to recover the Eternal Seed, a powerful artifact stolen from the celestial realm. On his journey, he joins forces with Nok, a giant hunter looking for redemption, and Namay’ah, an alchemist princess with her own secrets. Together, they trek across deadly lands and face monstrous foes in a desperate fight between light and chaos.
The first episode, “Palizha’ah! (Invasion!),” wastes no time. Gabriel initially wants nothing to do with mortal battlefields, content to guard his heavenly sky garden. But when a thief smashes through his defenses and a rogue princess accidentally resurrects a towering beast, Gabriel is forced into a war he can’t ignore.
It’s packed with high-energy action, lush 2D animation, and a story that feels surprisingly epic for something most people haven’t even heard of.
The show was developed by Colossul Studio, with animation handled by Tiger Animation and pre-production from Robot Playground. The voice cast is stacked with talent, too: Johnny Yong Bosch, Matt Lanter, Cristina Vee, James Arnold Taylor, and Cristina Milizia all lend their voices.
You’d think that alone would have generated buzz. Even the trailer on YouTube managed 350,000 views and plenty of positive feedback.
One user commented, “I wasn’t expecting to see a Christian anime today. But I am here for it. I can’t wait.” Another praised the production values: “Nothing—absolutely nothing—about this trailer looks crowd funded. Angel Studios has achieved the mainstream look, and it’s incredible.” Others highlighted how well the supernatural battles fit into animation, with one writing, “The Bible is so full of supernatural battles. I’m glad to see artists taking some creative liberty and making a really beautiful and interesting animation!”
Bruno Zarka, President of Toonz Media Group, echoed the sentiment in a press release: “We are thrilled to join hands with Angel Studios to distribute this promising animated series, as Gabriel and the Guardians has all the elements to become a globally popular show.”
Yet, despite the praise, you won’t find it trending on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s no audience or critic score. On IMDb, it’s sitting at a solid 8.1 stars, but how many people even know it exists? Outside of Christian media outlets, the show has been largely ignored.
That’s a shame, because strip away the faith-based angle and what you have is an animated adventure with the same kind of appeal as ’90s classics like Conan the Adventurer, the kind of Saturday morning fantasy that sticks with you. Remember, even The Lord of the Rings was built on Christian allegory.
So, why isn’t anyone talking about it? Maybe because most people haven’t been given the chance. And maybe, just maybe, Gabriel and the Guardians deserves the same attention fans give to mutants, vampire hunters, and superheroes.
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