Last updated on November 25th, 2025
Today’s cartoon review post is about “Wild Kratts,” an educational show on PBS that debuted in 2011. The series focuses on zoology, nature, and the environment.
The Kratt brothers, Chris and Martin, are the show’s stars, and appear in live-action wraparound segments. The siblings have hosted several previous nature shows, including “Zoboomafoo,” an earlier PBS series.
Summary
The series focuses on the Kratt brothers and their nature-watching team, who travel the world in the “Tortuga,” a flying tortoise-like aircraft. The team’s missions involve either learning about animals in their native habitats or protecting animals from harm. Said harm comes either from natural threats or from one of the show’s recurring villains.
Thanks to animation, the Kratt brothers here use various sci-fi equipment: hoverbikes, a “miniaturizer” shrinking device, etc. However, the show’s signature devices are the Kratts’ “creature power suits.” The suits give the wearer the features and abilities of a particular animal when an animal-specific “creature power disc” is used; activation requires touching said animal or some aspect of their DNA, such as a feather or fur.
Cast
Other than the Kratts (who voice their own characters), the Tortuga team includes:
- Aviva Corcovado: A Latino woman who invents and designs the team’s technology, including the creature suits and discs. Aviva can be somewhat competitive, but is proud of her inventions and engineering skills. Aviva is voiced by Athena Karkanis.
- Koki: A Black woman who maintains the Tortuga, including its security/power systems, communications tech, and computer systems. She’s also the one who tracks the movements of various animals or the Kratts. Koki is sometimes skeptical or sarcastic, as seen in an episode about bats (where she takes the longest of the crew to warm up to them). Koki is voiced by Heather Bambrick from seasons 1-6, and by Sabryn Rock from late season 6 onwards.
- Jimmy Z: A Caucasian man who serves as the Tortuga’s pilot. While earnest, he’s also the least knowledgeable (and most skittish) about wild animals; however, this also prompts opportunities for educational moments about said animals. Jimmy’s interests include eating pizza, napping, and playing video games (to the point he uses a joystick to run the ship’s teleporter). Jimmy is voiced by Jonathan Malen.
Villains
The series’ villains, like those on “Captain Planet,” have selfish motives that are also ecologically destructive. The villains include:
- Zach Varmitech: The most prominent villain, Zach’s a sleazy, petty and childish robotics inventor. Zach’s main motive is to use animals to power his inventions, similar to some warped version of “The Flintstones.” (Rhinos as bulldozers, Gila monsters as power wrenches, etc.). Zach frequently insults the Wild Kratts by calling them “wild rats.” He also has a (one-sided) rivalry with Aviva, feeling his inventions are superior to hers. (The two as kids went to summer camp together.) Zach also sometimes steals Aviva’s inventions for his own purposes. Usually accompanying Zach are his “zachbots,” hovering robots who serve as his henchmen/servants/bodyguards. Zach is voiced by Zachary Bennett.
- Donita Donata: A Cruella de Vil-esque fashion designer who uses live animals (held in suspended animation via “pose beams”) for her “fashions.” Like Zach, she also has her own robot servants, namely hovering mannequins. Donita’s voiced by Eva Almos.
- Dabio: Donita’s dim-witted henchman; his name and looks are a loose parody of 90s model/romance novel cover icon Fabio. Dabio is voiced by Cory Doran.
- Gaston Gourmand: A disgraced gourmet chef who specializes in dishes made from endangered/exotic animals. Gourmand’s voiced by Zachary Bennett.
- Paisley Paver: A businesswoman who specializes in paving wilderness areas in order to construct buildings, parking lots, etc.; she feels doing so is an improvement over “icky” nature. She eventually reformed (in the “Our Blue and Green World” special) in favor of ecologically-friendly building practices, even changing her name to “Paisley Planter.” Paisley is voiced by Julie Lemieux.
- Rex: Paisley’s henchman, who’s usually enthusiastic about his paving job. Rex’s voiced by Cory Doran.
Occasionally, all the above villains will team up, as seen in the Christmas and Halloween specials.
Highlights
- “Wild Kratts” has been running since 2011. As of 2025, it has seven seasons and 178 episodes, making it the second-longest-running still-produced PBS Kids cartoon (after “Cyberchase“).
- The second season episode “Road Runner” features several call outs to the “Looney Tunes” Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote shorts, including a scene with a coyote chasing Chris (transformed into a roadrunner). The episode accurately notes that in real life, coyotes are faster than (and can catch) roadrunners.
- The Halloween special, featuring the villains’ attempt at an animal-filled “haunted house” as a money-making scheme. Said house leaves a lot to be desired in terms of frights; the kids who visit with the Kratts are more thrilled about than scared by the animals. The villains’ recorded voiceovers urging house visitors to “pick a door” (to see a specific haunted room) stands out—Donita’s sounds like she recorded her line in one bored take.
- Part of the fallout from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests is animation studios hiring Black voice actors to voice Black characters. “Wild Kratts” is one show that saw this happen; Heather Bambrick stepped down from voicing Koki, with Black voice actor Sabryn Rock taking over the role.
Theme song
Here’s “Wild Kratts”’s theme song.
Conclusion
“Wild Kratts” is a decent and educational PBS Kids show, with an amusing cast of characters. The fact it’s been running this long is impressive.
Image: “Wild Kratts.” (PBS Kids)
