El Tigre: The Indecisive Struggle of Manny Rivera

Located in Burbank, California, Nickelodeon Animation Studio has created countless memorable cartoons. The list includes Rugrats, Invader Zim, Danny Phantom, Spongebob Squarepants, and Hey Arnold! In 2007, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera joined the roster. The cartoon focused on the titular character as he struggled to decide his future. He cannot choose whether to follow the legacy of a hero or a villain.

Photo byNickelodoen, courtesy of Paramount

The Story of El Tigre

El Tigre was the coming-of-age story of Manny Rivera, a 13-year-old good-natured troublemaker. He was a typical kid but becomes the mighty El Tigre when danger strikes. This tiger-themed hero fights supervillains in the crime-riddled metropolis of Miracle City. However, he often finds himself becoming attracted to the excitement of villainy. This conflict of interests usually led to hilarious misadventures with his best friend, Frida Suárez. But every incident helped him decide whether to become a hero or a villain.

Manny was not the only one concerned about his future. His father, Rodolfo, is Miracle City's legendary superhero known as White Pantera. He is a semi-retired hero who acts as Manny's guide toward the path of goodness. On the opposite side was Manny's supervillain grandfather, Puma Loco. He was eager to teach his grandson his ways of villainy and greed. This tug of war often led to Manny settling into the role of an antihero.

The Lineage of the Rivera Family

Besides Manny's father and grandfather, the Rivera family tree is full of heroes and villains. The El Tigre episode The Grave Escape explored this revelation in greater detail. The supervillains are Dark Leopard and Mighty Cheetar, known for piloting mech-suits like Puma Loco. Golden Leon and Justice Jaguar are the heroes, each wearing magical golden boots like Rodolfo's. The choice between villainy and heroism appears to shift from generation to generation. This tradition was consistent until Manny became El Tigre and grew indecisive about his choice.

Surprisingly, he was not the first one who couldn't choose his fate. There was another uncertain Rivera before Manny: the original El Tigre. He was the very first super-powered member of the family. But he could not choose whether to use his powers for good or evil. The inability to pick drove him insane, making him develop a split personality. This fate also propelled Manny's family to help him decide on a path.

El Tigre's Ultimate Decision

Manny finally made his choice during a crucial episode of El Tigre. Entitled The Good, The Bad, and the Tigre, Sartana of the Dead announced her retirement. She gathered Miracle City's villains and proposed a tournament for her evil empire. White Pantera and Puma Loco joined, as did El Tigre and Sartana's grandson, Django. All four made it to the final event, where Sartana made Manny a life-changing offer. He could betray his family for power or save them from certain doom.

When the episode aired, a television special called Decision of Destiny accompanied it. It was to help choose the episode's ending, like Spongebob's Shanghaied episode. The Good, The Bad, and the Tigre had both a heroic and an evil ending. And the chosen ending would even serve as El Tigre's life decision. Ultimately, voters chose the heroic conclusion where El Tigre saved his father and grandfather. This result also sealed his fate of becoming a hero like his father.

Final Thoughts

El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera was a spectacular series. It had heart, thrilling action, and rib-tickling humor around every corner. And speculating on Manny's choice kept people around for the entire show. The show became a cult classic despite being abruptly taken off the air.

Fans have even hoped it would return in a reboot or remake. On the bright side, they can still relive El Tigre on Paramount+, Prime Video, Roku, and Apple TV. Nevertheless, El Tigre will live on in the hearts of people forever.

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This article was originally written by Ashton Wilson.