Help identify a 90's sci-fi cartoon - main character with a name from greek mythology(?)

Question

I have vague memories of a cartoon which would have been made in the 80s or early 90s - I would say that the animation looked like it was from the 80s but I would have seen it on UK television around 1990-94. I get the impression it was European in origin, possibly originally produced in a non-English language (German? French?) and later re-dubbed. I think it was shown in the UK on channel 4 in an early morning slot (like 6:30am or something).

It was set in space or had some space elements and I believe the main character or another very prominent character had a full beard and he (and the show?) may have been named after a character from greek (or other ancient) mythology? I want to say Hercules but I know that's not right. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Could it be Ulysses 31? Its original release was 26 half hour episodes shown from October 10, 1981 to April 3, 1982, but indeed, Wikipedia lists broadcasts in the UK from 1985 to 2009. It was a French-Japanese collaboration, so that would fit with you thinking of it as European, and dubbed.

The plot line of the series (made by the French Jean Chalopin) describes the struggles of Ulysses and his crew against the divine entities that rule the universe, the ancient gods from Greek mythology. The Gods of Olympus are angered when Ulysses, commander of the giant spaceship Odyssey, kills the giant Cyclops to save a group of enslaved children, including his son. Zeus sentences Ulysses to travel the universe with his crew frozen until he finds the Kingdom of Hades, at which point his crew will be revived and he will be able to return to Earth. Along the way they encounter numerous other famous figures from Greek mythology who have been given a futuristic twist.

The main character is named after a mythological one, and he does have a very full beard:

Intro

Found by searching for cartoon space "greek mythology" beard, which pointed me to http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/25/10-cult-cartoons-from-he-man-to-jem-that-made-you-proud-to-be-a-child-of-the-80s-4709120/, wherein I saw the mythological name and the sweet full beard.

Answer 2

Definitely Ulysses 31

I watched it during the late 80's on French TV, it was a great cartoon (not so French but more Japanese style when you come from Switzerland like me), and the music and lyrics (in French) are still in my head 30 years later ... :) This show was very popular in France/Switzerland, and the parents allowed kids to watch it because it did not promote violence (unlike Ken the Survivor), but rather intelligence and moral values from the heroes through the episodes. I would rate this carton 9,5/10 and would watch it again with my future kids. Other GREAT cartoon I personally recommend is (in French) "Les Mystérieuses Citées d'Or" (story about Esteban and Zia, two kids travelling to South America during the Conquistador invasion circa 1550, in search of the ancient and mysterious Inca civilization & cities).

I would say that what triggered me is the Greek with beard (the character does have a beard, a laser sword and a electromagnetic shield which grows instantaneously on his arm when he decides to use it) and that the whole story takes place in space because the character is searching for the Kingdom of Hades to help bring back his frozen companions to life.

...and this is the B version of the intro in French, which was the one showed on French TV. All the kids were singing this in the schoolyard :)

If anyone wants translation of the French lyrics in English, I'll be happy to indulge