The BEST Episodes of The Mysterious Cities of Gold
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Apr 9, 2020
Network: NHK
In the year 1532, Mendoza, a Spanish Navigator, Estaban, a young orphan, Zia, a young Incan girl, and a band of Spanish sailors set sail from Barcelona in search of El Dorado, the Mysterious City of Gold. Each is on a personal quest of discovery, heritage, and wealth. This is their story... The Mysterious Cities of Gold is a 39-episode animated series that was produced in 1982. It was a French/Japanese co-production that was loosely based on the Scott O'Dell book: The King's Fifth. Since 1982, The Mysterious Cities of Gold has aired on television stations around the world, and has gone by many different names. In Japan it is known as "Taiyō no Ko Esuteban", In the United States it is known either as "The Mysterious Cities of Gold" or "Estaban and the Seven Cities of Gold", and in France it is known as "Les Mystérieuses Cités d'or".
#1 - The Great Condor
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired Jan 18, 1984
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.
9.32 
#2 - End of the City of Gold
Season 1 - Episode 39 - Aired Jun 20, 1984
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.
9.14 
#3 - The Jade Mask
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired Feb 29, 1984
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.
8.82 
#4 - Revolt of the Mayas
Season 1 - Episode 34 - Aired May 16, 1984
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.
8.67 
#5 - The Doors of Night
Season 1 - Episode 27 - Aired Mar 28, 1984
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.
8.65 
#6 - Secret of the Solaris
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired Nov 9, 1983
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.
8.64 
#7 - Attack of the Olmecs
Season 1 - Episode 32 - Aired May 2, 1984
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.
8.63 
#8 - The Spaniards' Cannon
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired Feb 8, 1984
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.
8.59 
#9 - The Swamps
Season 1 - Episode 26 - Aired Mar 21, 1984
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.
8.58 
#10 - The Ship Solaris
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired Nov 2, 1983
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.
8.57 
#11 - The Mirror of the Moon
Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired Feb 22, 1984
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.
8.54 
#12 - Esteban's Medallions
Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired Dec 28, 1983
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.
8.43 
#13 - The New Continent
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 16, 1983
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.
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#14 - The Reunion
Season 1 - Episode 33 - Aired May 9, 1984
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.
8.39 
#15 - Maiden Flight of the Condor
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired Jan 25, 1984
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.
8.38 
#16 - The Nasca Plateau
Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired Feb 1, 1984
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.
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#17 - The City of Gold
Season 1 - Episode 37 - Aired Jun 6, 1984
With Tao as a hostage, the Olmecs force Esteban and Zia to use their medallions to open the doors to the City of Gold.
8.37 
#18 - The Great Legacy
Season 1 - Episode 38 - Aired Jun 13, 1984
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.
8.36 
#19 - The Olmec Machine
Season 1 - Episode 35 - Aired May 23, 1984
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.
8.34 
#20 - The Subterranean Secret
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired Jan 4, 1984
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.
8.34 
#21 - The Forest of Statues
Season 1 - Episode 28 - Aired Apr 4, 1984
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".
8.34 
#22 - The Escape
Season 1 - Episode 30 - Aired Apr 18, 1984
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.
8.32 
#23 - Secret of the Temple
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired Nov 30, 1983
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.
8.29 
#24 - The Village of the New Sun
Season 1 - Episode 31 - Aired Apr 25, 1984
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.
8.29 
#25 - Mystery of the Parents
Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired Dec 21, 1983
When Esteban arrives at the place called the High Peak, he meets an old man, Mayuka, who seems to know something about his parents.
8.27