25 Years On, Jackie Chan Adventures Still Kicks — Why the Kids’ WB Classic Holds Up
Jackie Chan Adventures reached its 25th anniversary in September 2025. The animated series premiered in September 2000 on Kids’ WB and combines martial arts, fantasy artifacts, and episodic adventure around a fictionalized version of Jackie Chan.
Series overview
The show follows an animated, fictional Jackie Chan who travels the world with his niece Jade and his Uncle. Together they recover magical artifacts, most notably the twelve talismans tied to the Chinese zodiac, and face recurring villains such as the demon Shendu and crime lord Valmont.
Season structure mixes standalone episodes with longer story arcs. In addition, the show introduced the fictional government agency Section 13 as part of its recurring plotlines, and it used a blend of action choreography and supernatural elements across episodes.
Characters and cast
Jackie Chan’s animated character was voiced by James Sie, not by Jackie Chan himself. Other principal voice actors include Clancy Brown as Captain Augustus Black, Noah Nelson as Tohru, and Adam Baldwin as Finn.
Key character notes: Jade serves as the youthful audience surrogate and participates in missions; Uncle is a feng shui master and artifact shop owner who provides magical knowledge; Tohru begins as a henchman for Valmont and later shifts roles to ally and apprentice to Uncle.
Talismans and magic
The series centers on the twelve talismans, each tied to a sign of the Chinese zodiac and granting a specific power. For example, the Ox Talisman grants superhuman strength, the Rabbit Talisman grants speed, and the Rooster Talisman grants telekinesis. Each talisman carries a distinct ability and appears in multiple storylines.
Uncle is the primary source of magical lore in the series and uses a number of repeated lines. His catchphrases include: “one more thing,” “magic must defeat magic,” and “Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao.”
Availability and notes
The series originally aired on Kids’ WB beginning in September 2000 and marked 25 years in September 2025. Episodes have been made available on free streaming platforms; for example, the series is currently available to stream on Tubi.
Jackie Chan made short live-action segments at the end of many episodes to read fan mail and discuss his training and stunts. In those segments he discusses his commitment to doing his own stunts and his motivation for having a cartoon version of himself.
For a discussion of how the show used animation to expand on Chan’s on-screen persona, see this Syfy article about the series’ approach to cartoons and stunts.
Note: The series blends martial arts, supernatural elements, and serialized storytelling across its run, and it features recurring villains, government intrigue via Section 13, and artifact-focused storylines such as the hunt for the talismans.
