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Sandokan is a pirate known throughout the South China Sea as "the Tiger of Malaysia". He is the protagonist in a series of novels by Italian author Emilio Salgari.

Contents 1 Sandokan novels 2 Animated series 3 TV show's story 4 See also 5 DVD 6 External links

Emilio Salgari wrote several novels about his eponymous hero Sandokan mostly because of the success of his first, The Tigers of Mompracem. In these novels, Salgari chronicles the struggle of Sandokan, his right hand man Yanez and his band of pirates against the British and the Dutch who seek to wipe them out. Subsequent novels saw the struggle continue against new enemies such as 'The Exterminator' - James Brooke the Rajah of Sarawack who received the name because of his hatred and success against pirates. Later novles also chronicle Sandokan's attempts to rescue his friends Tremal-Naik and Kamamuri from their enemies and earned the continued appreciation of Salgari's many fans.

Sandokan was released in 1992 and broadcast in the United Kingdom on Channel 4. This children's animated show is loosely based on Salgari's novels. In the show Sandokan is an usurped prince who travels the seas as a pirate seeking to reclaim his rightful throne from the Rajah of Sarawak. The story tells of the efforts of Sandokan and his men, the 'Tigers of Mompracem', to recapture the throne of Sarawak that was stolen from him when he was a child. Because he is fighting the present Rajah, the evil James Brooke, he and his men are considered pirates by the Rajah and the British, who are also a power in the area. The story covers his brave adventures against these and other enemies as he tries to win back the throne. His love for Lady Marianna, the beautiful niece of the governor of the island of Labuan, and his attempts to rescue her from Labuan and marry her, are another important motive. In these adventures he is aided by his right-hand man and master of disguise Yanez, his loyal and courageous crew Malco, Sambigleone, Patan, Jiro-Bataal and Crackers the parrot, his faithful friend Tremal-Naik, the fishermen and others won over to the justice of his cause. He must overcome the devious schemes of the Rajah and his men, Lord James and Baron William and the British soldiers, the evil Dayaks and the crafty bandits of the Suderbunds. The question remains to the very end whether Sandokan and the forces of good will triumph over the forces of evil.

In 1976, Indian actor Kabir Bedi played the lead in Sandokan, a six part mini series for European television. Carole André was cast as Lady Marianna Guillonk, while Philippe Leroy played Sandokan's trusted friend and lieutenant Yanez de Gomera. Motivated by his consuming hatred for the British, Sandokan fights with every ounce of his strength for the independence of his small kingdom, the island of Mompracem. The island is threatened, invaded, and finally destroyed by his enemies. A noble person and prince, Sandokan is a formidable warrior, fighting bravely until the end. He is pitiless with his enemies but generous and faithful with his friends. To counterbalance these features, Salgari placed side by side with Sandokan his faithful companion, the Portuguese Yanez de Gomera. Yanez is, in Sandokan's words, "my regulator." With an ironic view of life and an amusing personality, Yanez complements Sandokan perfectly with an eternal cigarette in his mouth and another ready to be smoked. These characters and many others that adorned Salgari's swashbuckling adventure stories ensured his reputation as one of Italy's greatest authors.

• Emilio Salgari

Currently 3 volumes of the Sandokan animated series are available in the UK [1]

• BRB International There is a catalogue link on this website relating to Sandokan
• Images from the BRB series.