List of Mysterious Cities of Gold episodes

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The following is an episode list for the Studio Pierrot animated television series The Mysterious Cities of Gold. The series is comprised of 39 half-hour episodes, in the typical anime serial style of one continuous story. As with many other animated shows of the time, the number of episodes in the series is a multiple of 13 due to the fact that 13 weeks represent a quarter of a year making scheduling easier for networks. In some countries (though not in the UK or the US versions) a short documentary followed after the story, presenting concise, accurate and appealing information for children about subjects related to the episode. The documentaries were funded by the NHK. The series first aired between May 1, 1982 and February 5, 1983.^[1]

The English language episode titles are listed below, along with brief episode synopses:

Episode	Title	Original airdate	Production number
1	"Esteban, Child of the Sun"	May 1, 1982	101
Father Rodriguez, who has looked after Esteban since he was a baby, tells him a great secret on his deathbed: somewhere his father may still be alive. So Esteban decides to begin his search in the New World. With the help of Mendoza, a mysterious man who claims to have rescued him as a baby, Esteban hides as a stowaway, aboard the Esperanza. As they are about to set sail, he meets a young Inca girl: Zia.
2	"Crossing the Atlantic"	May 8, 1982	102
The two children, Esteban and Zia, find out that they both wear the same strange medallion. The Esperanza crosses the Atlantic and nears the entrance of the Straits of Magellan, where wild seas and strong winds create terrible storms. Mendoza, the navigator, prepares to spend four days and nights at the wheel.
3	"Heroes Again"	May 15, 1982	103
Buffeted by a fierce wind and a wild sea, the Esperanza manages to sail through the Straits of Magellan, under Mendoza's guidance. But now, the ship faces another trial of strength: it is in the grip of a hurricane.
4	"Adrift on the Endless Sea"	May 22, 1982	104
Esteban and his friends barely cross through the terrible Straits of Magellan before their ship, the Esperanza, sinks in a storm. Tossed around on a small raft and attacked by sharks, they're left in the middle of the ocean, with no provisions. But a seagull overhead guides them towards the closest shores, and they finally reach a small island.
5	"The Abduction of Zia"	May 29, 1982	105
After a dangerous journey, Esteban and his friends are washed up on a mysterious island. That night, a shadowy figure comes creeping towards them. Silently, the figure steals a chart and a pistol, then snatches up Zia. Esteban gives chase. He discovers a curious house in a tree, where Zia is a prisoner. To Esteban's surprise, the mysterious shadow turns out to be a friendly boy of his own age, called Tao.
6	"The Ship Solaris"	June 5, 1982	106
On a small island among the Galapagos, Esteban and Zia find a young boy living all alone: Tao. His ancestors left a magnificent ship, the Solaris, which contains their ancient secret knowledge, hidden in a temple on the island. Esteban and Zia want to use the ship to reach the mainland.
7	"Secret of the Solaris"	June 12, 1982	107
Gomez' Spanish galleon overtakes and attacks the Solaris, the sun-powered ship on which the children are travelling. They manage to outrun the Spanish ship when Tao discovers a wonderful secret solar power boost, just in time. At last, they reach the new continent.
8	"The New Continent"	June 19, 1982	108
After many adventures, Esteban and his friends finally set foot on the new continent. But there, they meet the soldiers of Governor Pizarro, men who think only of gold. They capture Zia and try to make her tell them the way to the Cities of Gold, but Tao and Esteban help her to escape.
9	"The End of the Solaris"	June 26, 1982	109
Esteban and his companions escape from Pizarro, but their fabulous ship, the Solaris, is taken by Gaspard and Gomez. They offer to exchange the ship for Zia, and her secret. Trying to save Zia, and the friendly Inca people in the village, Tao blows up Gomez's ship, but sadly the Solaris is also destroyed.
10	"Secret of the Temple"	July 3, 1982	110
Esteban and his friends are on their way to Zia's village, when they are surrounded by Spanish soldiers. The children manage to escape, and take refuge in an underground temple, where they meet the old priest, Pasha. To help them escape, the priest melts the pillar of ice that supports the temple roof, and it crashes down on top of him. The others just manage to get away.
11	"Messengers of the Region"	July 10, 1982	111
Gomez captures the children and forces Zia to reveal the secret of the Golden Quipu. It is an Inca message which reveals that the Cities of Gold lie beyond the High Mountain Peak. In the night, Esteban and the children escape. They find a secret underground passage and set off for the High Peak.
12	"Secret of the Medallions"	July 17, 1982	112
The Spanish army follow Esteban and his friends to the Fort of the Black Eagle. Under cover of darkness, the Spaniards attack the fort, but Tao devises a rocket flare that repels the attackers, saving the fort. The three children leave the fort and at last reach the City of the High Peak, whose chief, Kraka, tells them that the medallions Esteban and Zia wear can open the doors of Sela, one of the Cities of Gold.
13	"Mystery of the Parents"	July 24, 1982	113
When Esteban arrives at the place called the High Peak, he meets an old man, Mayuka, who seems to know something about his parents.
14	"Esteban's Medallion"	July 31, 1982	114
Mendoza steals the Spanish army's cannon in order to win the trust of the Indians, but his plan fails. As the three Spaniards are about to be executed, Esteban comes to save them. But he demands that Mendoza give him back the sun section of his gold medallion.
15	"The Subterranean Secret"	August 7, 1982	115
Gomez and his soldiers attack the Fort of the Black Eagle to try to recapture the cannon Mendoza had stolen. Mendoza uses the cannon to fight back, but cannot stop the Spanish army who storm the fort and drive the Incas out. Esteban, Tao and Zia run away towards the High Peak, following secret underground passages constructed by the Incas.
16	"The Urubus"	August 14, 1982	116
Searching for the Cities of Gold, Esteban and his friends cross a high plateau up in the Andes. Near Lake Titicaca, they are attacked by the Urubus, a tribe of giants. Tao invents a submarine, and they capture Karuga, chief of the tribe, and hold him prisoner. Karuga tells them that there's a City of Gold on a mountain, guarded by the earth goddess, Pachamama.
17	"The Great Condor"	August 21, 1982	117
The setting sunlight leads Esteban and his friends to the statue of the earth goddess, Pachamama. The legend goes that when Pachamama takes the sun in her arms, the Gates to the Cities of Gold will open. Estaban and Zia place their medallions in the statue and the mountain opens up to reveal the first City of Gold. Inside they discover a great bird, made of solid gold.
18	"Maiden Flight of the Great Condor"	August 28, 1982	118
Inside the first City of Gold, Esteban finds a great Golden Condor. When the volcano on which the Cities are built begins to erupt, the Cities are destroyed. Sheltering inside the body of the Condor, they try to make its mechanism work, using the Medallion of the Sun. Suddenly, the giant bird spreads its wings and takes flight.
19	"The Nazca Plateau"	September 4, 1982	119
The great Golden Condor, carrying Esteban and his friends away from Pachamama and the erupting volcano, lands in the desert at Nazca. But when Pizarro and his soldiers arrive, Esteban makes sure everyone escapes.
20	"The Spaniards' Cannon"	September 11, 1982	120
The Golden Condor carries Esteban and his companions to the High Peak, where they encounter the Spanish forces, armed with their cannon. With the help of the Golden Condor, they stop Gomez and Gaspard. And when they had saved their friends, they leave the High Peak, in search of the land of the Mayas.
21	"The Amazons"	September 18, 1982	121
The group head for the land of the Mayas, on board the Golden Condor, when they are forced to land in the jungle. They are captured by Amazon warriors and taken to their temple, to be sacrificed to the Rain God. But Esteban uses his special powers, and the sun comes out. The Queen is so impressed by his power to command the sun, that she orders their release.
22	"The Mirror of the Moon"	September 25, 1982	122
Esteban and his friends on board the Golden Condor have to make a forced landing in the jungle, where they're captured by Amazon warriors who want to sacrifice them to their Rain God. After some difficulties, they manage to escape from this dangerous situation. And in the end, the Queen of the Amazons allows them to leave for the land of the Mayas.
23	"The Jade Mask"	October 2, 1982	123
In the jungle, Esteban and his friends discover some ruins, deserted temples and pyramids. In one of the temples, Pedro and Sancho try to remove a jade mask from the wall when the mask begins to glow. Suddenly the stone beams shoot out of the walls, ceiling and floor and trip them up.
24	"The Manuscript"	October 9, 1982	124
After solving the secret of the green jade mask, Esteban and his friends find a manuscript which seems to hold the key to the whereabouts of the Cities of Gold. But almost immediately, they are captured by Doctor Fernando Laguerra and his friend, Marinche, who are also searching for the Cities of Gold. However, Kokapetl manages to rescue them all.
25	"The Lake of Gold"	October 16, 1982	125
Esteban and his friends are captured by Indians who wanted to sacrifice them to purify their sacred lake of gold. Marinche and Doctor Laguerra try to poison the lake so they could get at all the treasure on the bottom. Mendoza foils their plan by breaking through the dam, flooding the village and allowing the children to escape.
26	"The Swamps"	October 23, 1982	126
The Serpent God of the Mayas was said to have crossed the mountains to build a new city in the east, among the swamps of the Rain God. Setting out to find this second city, Esteban and his friends are tricked by Marinche, and find themselves fighting the alligators in the marshes. After a savage battle, they escape to the other side of the swamp.
27	"The Doors of Night"	October 30, 1982	127
Esteban and his friends find the second City of Gold, but they are captured by Marinche and the Doctor. The Doctor finds a new manuscript, but is caught in a trap set into the floor of the temple. The children get the manuscript which tells of a third city, to be found near a forest of statues.
28	"The Forest of Statues"	November 6, 1982	128
After much travelling and many adventures, Esteban and his friends finally discover the third temple built deep inside an enormous cave. A golden statue is holding a third manuscript which mentions a mountain known as "The Burning Shield".
29	"The Burning Shield"	November 13, 1982	129
Having found the Burning Shield, Esteban and his friends fall into the hands of the mysterious Olmecs, who possess very advanced technology. They escape from them, but are captured again. So what will happen to them now?
30	"The Escape"	November 20, 1982	130
Using their advanced technology, the Olmecs are able to collect energy from the heat of the sun, and from deep inside the Earth. They capture Esteban, Tao and Zia, intent on transplanting their cells to regenerate their elders, so they can become young again. With Mendoza's help, the children manage to escape.
31	"The Village of the New Sun"	November 27, 1982	131
Esteban and his friends are guests at the Village of the New Sun. But the Olmecs have found the Golden Condor, and prepare to attack the village, with the help of the Doctor and Marinche, who mean to steal the great golden bird for themselves. Meanwhile, Myena discovers that Papacamayo, the old chief, is really Zia's father.
32	"Attack of the Olmecs"	December 4, 1982	132
With the help of Gomez and Gaspard, Esteban and his friends succeed in getting the Golden Condor to fly. But the Olmecs find the Indian Village of the New Sun, and mount a fierce attack. With the help of the Golden Condor, they are defeated. But Zia's father, Papacamayo, has been seriously wounded.
33	"The Reunion"	December 11, 1982	133
In the Indian Village of the New Sun, Zia at last finds her father, Papacamayo. But her happiness is short-lived, when he dies from his wounds, after defending the village against an attack by the Olmecs. All the Mayan tribes unite to fight against the Olmecs.
34	"Revolt of the Mayas"	December 18, 1982	134
The Mayan people arm themselves and attack the Olmecs, who have been tyrannising them for years. A fierce battle takes place near the entrance to the Olmec base. From the Golden Condor, Esteban and the other children bombard the Olmecs with stones, turning the tide of the battle in favour of the Mayas.
35	"The Olmec Machine"	January 8, 1983	135
Esteban and his friends manage to find their way into the Olmec base. But Kalmec discovers them, and takes Zia prisoner. Suddenly, a gigantic war machine rushes up from deep inside the Olmec underground temple.
36	"Aerial Pursuit"	January 15, 1983	136
Esteban flies the Golden Condor against the terrible Olmec war machine, to try to rescue Zia. Tao and Esteban manage to leap onto the machine in mid-air, and Zia is saved. But Tao is left behind, a prisoner.
37	"The City of Gold"	January 22, 1983	137
With Tao as a hostage, the Olmecs force Esteban and Zia to use their medallions to open the doors to the City of Gold.
38	"The Great Legacy"	January 29, 1983	138
After wounding the High Priest of the Cities of Gold, Kalmec steals the Great Treasure, a concentrated source of the sun's power also called the Sun Power Unit. However, the security systems of the City are activated and destroy the Olmecs' flying machine. Kalmec and Menator make their way back to their base, taking the Great Treasure with them.
39	"End of the City of Gold"	February 5, 1983	139
The Olmecs place the Sun Power Unit at the bottom of their sunlight collecting crystal and activate it. However, the unit does not behave as expected and the Sun Power Unit begins to overheat. The High Priest of the Cities of Gold, who turns out to be Esteban's father, tries to shut it down using Tao's jar which is actually a control unit. But he could be too late.

[edit] Notes