Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

After being dubbed the first human Trollhunter, James "Jim" Lake Jr., reluctantly, begins to lead a double life with best friend Tobias "Toby" Domzalski at his side, along with gaining mentors from the trolls Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!!. Jim faces hostility and resentment not just from other trolls, but from other humans during school time as well. The adventures of Jim and Toby become interrupted when Claire Nuñez gets dragged into the life, kicking and screaming, as well.

With Jim trapped in the Darklands, his friends race to rescue him. With Jim out of the Darklands, he faces repercussions for his actions by going in. Blinky deals with old family wounds as the rest of Trollmarket deals with a possible mole among them. Things are not made easier when Steve Palchuk and Eli Pepperjack begin to stumble upon Jim's double life, on top of the pressures of high school.

It's the end of sophomore year at Arcadia High: Jim's double life has taken its toll on his mother as Claire experiences trouble from an ancient sorceress. The final battle is looming over the trio as Jim and Claire begin to grow closer in their relationship. Jim has to realize that defeating Gunmar is impossible unless he makes an irreversible sacrifice.

• Kelsey Grammer as Blinkous "Blinky" Galadrigal,[2] Jim's six-eyed four-armed troll mentor. A wise and scholarly troll with a heart of gold, he serves as the brains of the Trollhunters and eventually becomes a sort of father figure to Jim.
• Anton Yelchin and Emile Hirsch as James "Jim" Lake Jr. / Trollhunter,[1][2] the first human Trollhunter and a reluctant hero dealing with the pressures of leading a double life. He has a talent for cooking and eventually sword-fighting, and cares deeply for his mother and friends. Yelchin provided the voice of Jim from Part 1, through portions of Part 3 before his death. Hirsch assumed the role and replaced him.
• Charlie Saxton as Tobias "Toby" Domzalski,[16] Jim's best friend and confidant. Dorky and excitable, he fully embraces the secret world of trolls and aids Jim in his quests. His weapon of choice is a warhammer.
• Lexi Medrano as Claire Maria Nuñez,[16] Jim's girlfriend. She is a feisty, kind, jolly, sarcastic, curious, and intelligent tomboy who enjoys books and is a talented martial artist and gymnast. She obtains the Shadow- staff (Skathe-Hrün)a staff capable of creating portals activated by the user's emotions.
• Jonathan Hyde as Waltolomew ‘Walter’ Stricklander ‘Strickler’ ,[16] Jim's history teacher who is actually a Changeling. When Jim discovers the truth, he loses all respect for him and the two become bitter enemies. However, he remains affable toward Jim and has redeeming qualities.
• Fred Tatasciore as Aarghaumont "AAARRRGGHH!!!",[16] a burly troll and close companion of Blinky who forms a deep bond with Toby. He was kidnapped by the Gumm-Gumms as a child from the Krubera ( a race of troll that lives deep in the earth) which stunted his vocabulary. Tormented by the atrocities he committed, he deserted Gunmar to live a life of peace. However, he will still fight to protect those he cares about.
• Victor Raider-Wexler as Vendel, the leader of Trollmarket. An ancient and wizened troll, Vendel is at first suspicious of Jim and often comes across as a pessimist, but shows a softer side and eventual faith in Jim. At the end of Part 2, he is killed by Usurna after she revealed herself to be working for Gunmar, but not before recording the act to warn the Trollhunters.
• Ron Perlman as Bular,[2] the son of Gunmar. A brutish and powerful troll warrior, he's obsessed with freeing his father from the Darklands. He holds a special disdain for Changelings, whom he considers "impure", putting him at odds with Strickler and other Changelings who seek to free Gunmar. He is killed by Jim in the first half of season 1, but later makes appearances in the season 1 episode "Where Is My Mind" and the season 2 episode "Unbecoming".
• Amy Landecker as Barbara Lake,[16] Jim's protective and overworked mother. Her husband left the family when Jim was five years old. Her doctor job means she's often away from home, which lets Jim pursue his Trollhunter duties.

• Steven Yeun as Steve Palchuk,[1] a narcissistic bully who frequently harasses Jim. Suspicious of Jim's unusual behavior, he eventually discovers the truth and teams up with Eli Pepperjack and becomes the Creepslayerz to help Jim in Part 2.
• Matthew Waterson as Draal, the son of previous Trollhunter, Kanjigar. He is originally jealous and suspicious of Jim but later befriends him – acting as Jim's fighting tutor. During a battle in the museum, Draal sacrifices his lower right arm while removing the Trollhunter amulet from the Killahead Bridge to close the portal, and later obtains a mechanical prosthetic. Draal explains that his father kept a distance from him as he grew up, and he had hoped to become the next Trollhunter that he might earn his father's approval.
• Lauren Tom as Nomura, the Changeling museum curator and a colleague of Strickler. Originally an antagonist, she was pulled into the Darklands and imprisoned by Gunmar for her failures. When Jim is captured in the Darklands, the two form a connection and escape together.
• Jimmie Wood as NotEnrique, the Changeling swapped with Claire's baby brother Enrique. While troublesome and self-serving, he isn't actively malicious and even helps the Trollhunters from time to time (usually after being bribed). He forms a rocky but brotherly connection with Claire.
• Clancy Brown as Gunmar, the iron-fisted leader of the Gumm-Gumms who reside in the Darklands. He is powerful and ruthless, and will readily dispose of loyal minions and allies who can no longer serve him. He has no qualms about enslaving or killing his fellow trolls to accomplish his goals.
• Tom Hiddleston and James Purefoy as Kanjigar the Courageous, Draal's father and the noble Trollhunter prior to Jim. His ghost tutors Jim, often worrying about Jim's team fighting style, believing that the Trollhunter must work alone to avoid endangering those he cares about – this leads to Jim's guilt and decision to venture into the Darklands alone. Hiddleston provided the voice acting for Kanjigar during the series premiere, while Purefoy was cast to assume the role for the rest of the series.
• Ike Amadi as Angor Rot, an ancient troll assassin who hunts down Trollhunters and takes their souls. In medieval times, Angor made a deal with Morgana, surrendering his own soul in return for his mystical powers.
• Rodrigo Blaas as Gnome Chompsky, a Gnome adopted by Toby. He started out as a "rogue Gnome" causing trouble, but after he was finally defeated by Jim he became friendly when he was given a dollhouse to live in and a plastic doll to be his companion. He later helped locate Enrique in the Darklands and also helped rescue Jim from the Darklands.
• Mark Hamill as Dictatious Galadrigal, Blinky's brother. Presumed dead, he helps Gunmar in his quest to conquer the surface lands. He is blinded by Blinky during a struggle in the Darklands.
• Anjelica Huston as Queen Usurna, the queen of the Krubera, AAARRRGGHH!!!'s race of trolls who lives in the Deep Caverns, and a member of a council of troll leaders known as the Tribunal. She initially seems to be a kind queen concerned for AAARRRGGHH!!!'s well-being. As a Tribunal member, she is strict and judgmental and leads the Tribunal to act against Jim and his friends. Late in Part 2, she reveals herself to be a traitor who works for Gunmar and helps him take over Trollmarket.
• Cole Sand as Eli Pepperjack, a nerdy classmate of Jim who believes in the paranormal. In Part 2, he teams up with Steve Palchuk to investigate the strange creatures they both have seen and to help Jim.
• Lena Headey as Morgana / The Pale Lady, an ancient and seemingly malevolent entity and the patron of Angor Rot.
• Tom Kenny as Otto Scaarbach, a Changeling Polymorph who can change into the form of anyone. He is the Grand Commandant of the Janus Order, a secret society of Changelings who assist the Gumm-Gumms.
• David Bradley as Merlin, the wizard who created the Trollhunter's amulet.
• Colin O'Donoghue as Douxie "Big D", a charming English teen from Arcadia Oaks Academy whose band, "Ash Dispersal Pattern," is an entrant in the Battle of the Bands in Part 3.
• Tatiana Maslany as Aja, a "foreign exchange student" from "Cantaloupia" older sister to Krel. Jim is tasked to show them around and acclimate them to Arcadia late in Part 3.
• Diego Luna as Krel, younger brother to Aja.
• Yara Shahidi as Darci Scott, Jim, Toby and Claire’s classmate.

The first season of Trollhunters was released on DVD on November 7, 2017.[21][22]

Trollhunters has received positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.81/10 based on 16 reviews for the first season. The website's consensus reads, "Trollhunters manages to capture del Toro's enthusiasm for telling monster stories, in a youthful and more colorful fashion that may well earn him a new generation of fans."[23] On Metacritic, the season has a normalized score of 69 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[24]

In 2017, it received six Daytime Emmys, more than any other television program, animated or live action, that year.[25]

The second season of Trollhunters was nominated for six Annie Awards, tied for the most nominations of any television program in 2018.[26] It was also nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards, including Best Children's Animated Series, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program.

On January 30, 2017, Trollhunters writers Kevin and Dan Hageman stated that the series is the most successful Netflix original show to date that is targeted at a younger audience.[27]