 Being the earliest of the Smurfs' sworn enemies, it was inevitable that Gargamel would be a recurring character in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, even in the opening theme where he shouts out loud his hatred for the Smurfs and his desperate attempts to catch them.Despite his never-ending hatred and frustration for the Smurfs, more than once has he had to rely on Papa Smurf to help save him from a more wicked enemy's plans (such as Balthazar) or to rescue him from a potion gone horribly wrong.Other times, they have had to team up to fight a common enemy.