Summary
- Animated shows in the 2020s rival big-budget movies in quality and storytelling.
- High-quality Western-made animated series are gaining popularity on streaming platforms.
- Outstanding animated series like Skull Island, Pantheon, Blood of Zeus, and others are worth watching.
The 2020s have been excellent for fans of animated TV shows, often showcasing stories and characters that rival, and in some cases surpass, their live-action counterparts. Animated shows have a unique ability to bring the visions of their creators to life, whether they are adaptations of video games, comics, or novels. Some of the best science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers in the 2020s so far have been attributed to animated TV series.
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Good animation can capture the imagination of its viewers just as easily as a movie with a massive budget, while matching and sometimes beating the biggest movies. Like Japanese anime, the Western-made animated shows are catching up to their Japanese counterparts in terms of quality and style. High-quality animated shows have gained more fans due to their increased accessibility on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. This list features some of the best Western-made animated series launched in the 2020s so far.
7 Skull Island
An Outstanding Take On The King Kong Story
Skull Island
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- Release Date
- 2023 - 2023-00-00
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Monsterverse fans have been dining well with the Kong x Godzilla films, the Monarch TV series on Apple TV+, and the animated Skull Island series on Netflix. The series is set in the 1990s and follows a group of explorers who get shipwrecked on the titular Skull Island. In addition to dealing with the prehistoric inhabitants of the island, including King Kong himself, their escape is blocked by a gigantic and deadly sea monster known as the Kraken.
Skull Island features excellent animation, a great story, exciting monster battles, and a good, well-voiced cast of characters to get behind. A sequel series, Return to Skull Island, launches in June 2025 to continue the story.
6 Pantheon
An Engrossing And Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Show
Pantheon
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- 2022 - 2023-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Network
- Prime Video, AMC+, HIDIVE
Despite being only two seasons, Pantheon is one of the best animated science fiction shows available. It follows two high school teenagers, Maddie, a victim of bullying who suspects her late father is trying to communicate with her online, and Caspian, a hyper-intelligent boy with a family that's not all it seems.
In a world where humans can attain a sense of immortality by uploading their consciousness to the cloud, Pantheon poses many thought-provoking questions while telling a story filled with intrigue and conspiracies. After being canceled by AMC in its first season, Amazon picked it up and concluded the story with a second season.
5 Blood Of Zeus
A Bloody Spin On Greek Mythology
Blood of Zeus
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- 2020 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Blood of Zeus is a brutal and bloody take on Greek Mythology from Castlevania creators, Powerhouse Animation Studios. The story follows a young demigod named Heron, the son of Zeus, the king of the gods. The main characters, like Heron, Alexia, and Seraphim, aren't just beautifully drawn, but they're well-developed too.
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Blood of Zeus delves into complex issues that extend beyond the realm of heroes defeating monsters, gods, and demons. The Olympians, like Zeus, Hades, and Hera, are depicted as human-like, exhibiting traits such as betrayal, jealousy, and sacrifice. While Blood of Zeus features Greek Mythology, it's an original story that was "lost to history," according to the show's lore.
4 The Masters Of The Universe
A Worthy Continuation Of The Classic '80s Shows
Masters of the Universe: Revolution
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- 2024 - 2024
WHERE TO WATCH
- Franchise(s)
- Masters of the Universe
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Masters of the Universe: Revelation divided some fans because there was a focus on developing Teela's character after she came to terms with discovering Prince Adam's real identity as He-Man and as the daughter of the Sorceress. However, despite the complaints, it was a thrill to see the toys and characters brought to life with the stunning animation. The sequel series, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, continues the story from Revelation and has been much better received by fans.
This is largely due to its focus on He-Man and even its inclusion of characters like Gwildor, a character from the 1987 live-action Masters of the Universe movie. Moreover, it's an absolute thrill ride for fans who grew up collecting He-Man figures in the 1980s and seeing more obscure characters and action figures like Scare Glow in action in the opening episode.
3 X-Men '97
The Perfect Comeback For The '90s Superhero Series
X-Men '97
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- March 20, 2024
- Streaming Service(s)
- Dis
- Where To Watch
- Disney+
The original X-Men series is still considered one of the best superhero shows ever, ranking alongside other brilliant 1990s animated Marvel series, like Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. It's also one of the best adaptations of the X-Men characters onscreen. X-Men '97 successfully captures the essence of the original series, featuring subtle improvements to the animation while maintaining the classic look.
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More importantly, it features the same quality storytelling and character development that fans loved about the original. As fans are waiting for X-Men to make their live-action appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men '97, like the original, sets the bar extremely high.
2 Invincible
An Outstanding Superhero Show For Adults
Invincible
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- March 26, 2021
- Network
- Amazon Prime Video
- Where To Watch
- Prime Video
When Robert Kirkman's Invincible launched on Prime in 2021, it quickly established itself as one of the best superhero shows aimed at adults, next to the likes of The Boys and Peacemaker. Much like its comic book source material, Invincible doesn't hold back with its brutality and violence, making it a strictly adults-only show.
However, it's certainly not short on humor and emotion, as the story follows its lead character, Mark Grayson AKA Invincible, balancing what it means to be a hero as well as being the son of Omni-Man, the former hero and Viltrumite who single-handedly destroyed the Guardians of the Globe and almost killed Mark. Similar to Kirkman's The Walking Dead, it feels like no characters are safe from death, and the stakes are always high as Mark must grow stronger to protect Earth from cataclysmic threats.
1 Arcane
A Spectacular Steampunk Fantasy
Arcane
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2021 - 2024
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
Arguably, the best animated series of the 2020s so far is Arcane, a visually stunning animated show based on the League of Legends video game universe. Thankfully, one doesn't have to be a fan or have ever played the game to enjoy the series as a complete newcomer to the universe.
The still images do not do the series justice, as the unique art style is beautiful in motion and brings its steampunk fantasy and magic to life. Even though it's only two seasons long, Arcane effectively tells a complete and compelling story with impressive world-building, depth, and characters, all supported by an outstanding voice cast.
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