The movie that inspired two sequels and a TV series. The Beastmaster tells the story of Dar (Marc Singer), the royal son of a king named Zed (Rod Loomis) who was stolen from the womb of Zed's queen (Vanna Bonta) by a witch under the command of vicious high-priest sorcerer Maax (Rip Torn). A poor villager saves Dar from being sacrificed and raises him as his own son, teaching Dar how to fight and witnessing the boy's ability to telepathically communicate with animals. Their happiness is destroyed when their village is attacked by the evil Jun horde, a race of fanatic beast-like warriors controlled by Maax. Dar, the only survivor of the attack, vows revenge and journeys to his father's former kingdom to destroy Maax.
Lone warrior Dar senses the presence of his long-lost love Kyra, who has been kidnapped and enslaved by the brutal Terron warriors. Gathering up his two ferret friends, Kodo and Podo, he takes off to rescue her. Dar arrives at a Terron camp and finds prisoners, including Kyra. The prisoners are being pushed into a ring to be mauled to death by tigers. Tao is next, but when the tiger, Ruh, is released, he attacks the Terron guards instead of Tao. But Ruh is stopped by a Terron net. Dar attacks, but is outnumbered by the Terrons. Dar and Ruh make eye contact and a connection is made. Dar manages to release the ferocious beast and Ruh tears into the Terrons. The evil King Zad, leader of the Terrons, rounds up his troops and escapes with Kyra and the remaining prisoners, leaving Dar, Tao and Ruh behind. After seeing the connection Dar made with Ruh, Tao realizes that Dar is the BeastMaster, the last surviving male of the Sula tribe, who has the ability to communicate telepathically with
Dar and Tao rescue a man named Akili, who is being chased by a group of savage Terron warriors. Only when they are safe does Dar learn that Akili himself is a Terron. Akili explains that he has been banished by his tribe because he fell in love with a member of King Zad's harem. His punishment is to be hunted down and killed. Akili also tells Dar that he is going to return to the Terron camp to rescue his true love. Suspicious of Akili, Tao is dismayed when Dar and Akili decide to work together. Meanwhile, two tiger cubs named Sita and Raja are playing in a jungle clearing when Sita is captured by a group of hunters led by Ishmael. Raja runs off to find Ruh. Before Ishmael gets away with Sita, Ruh comes, makes eye contact with the hunter and recognizes him as one of the men who work for Baha , the legendary slaver. Years before, Ruh killed Baha's son when he tried to capture him. Later, Dar is attacked by the evil Spiderwitch who wraps him in a deadly cocoon-like web. Akili kills th
Dar must search for the key to release his family from the crystal ark. While Balcifer commands King Zad to find the key first to open the crystal ark. While Dar, Tao amd Dartanus search for the key, King Zad's men burn down and destroy the village but luckily did not find the crystal ark. Balcifer is angry over King Zad not finding the crystal ark and King Zad promises he can find the key. Dar's search for the key leads him to his father's crypt only to find that the crypt is guarded by people loyal to Eldar. They lead Dar to his father's true resting place with King Zad hot on his trail. The guardians also give Dar the Crown of Eldar, His father's sword sheath and a Crystal Ring which turns out to be the key to the Crystal Ark. Within moments King Zad attacks and steals the key. Dar persues King Zad and is cut off by Balcifer on the battle field where he killed Dar's father. Balcifer brags about how he used King Zad in his plan to defeat Dar and then Balcifer kills King Zad.