Oh no. This list is going to be brutal. Cutthroat. Merciless. So many phenomenal animated shows cut down on the chopping block. But when it comes to naming the greatest of all time, only the strongest can survive. These 10 series are, perhaps, the ten best animated shows of all time.
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10. Futurama
While never quite reaching the sweeping commercial and critical success of another Matt Groening animated series on this list, Futurama is beloved by animation fans the world over. A sci-fi comedy romp, the series exploded onto the digital scene at the beginning of the 21st century. Satirizing the present through the lens of a world 1,000 years in the future, Futurama was just as much social commentary as it was a nonstop gag fest. It’s perhaps the characters that are this show’s crowning achievement, including the senile evil genius scientist Prof. Farnsworth, the whooping trash-eating alien Dr. Zoidberg (homeowner), and, of course, the monomaniacal psychopath robot best friend we all wish we had: Bender Bending Rodriguez.
9. Samurai Jack
From the mind of Genndy Tartakovsky (Star Wars: Clone Wars) comes one of the darkest and most challenging shows ever to appear on children’s TV. Eschewing the happy-go-lucky worlds of SpongeBob Squarepants and Rugrats, Samurai Jack told a dark, brutal, and downright uncomfortable tale of futuristic sci-fi dystopia. Samurai “fish out of water” Jack must contend with devious forces beyond his understanding to defeat the time-shifting demon lord known as Aku. With the inclusion of the fifth season, which added both blood and guts and romance catered to adult audiences, the legacy of Samurai Jack stands the test of time.
8. Adventure Time
Adventure Time is the crown jewel of 2010’s animation, capturing the adventurous whimsy of cultural touchstones like the Where The Wild Things Are film adaptation and the discography of Arcade Fire from the indie days of yore. Finn and Jake live a cottage core existence that the rest of us can only dream of, spending their days chasing adventure, helping those in need, and earning sweet, sweet dosh in the process. It was a landmark of children’s TV that filled an uninterrupted ten years with storybook delight.
7. South Park
South Park’s raunchy antics began as the late-night guilty pleasure of rebel teens from the ’90s, but the show soon blossomed into one of the most scathing social commentaries ever created. Trey Parker and Matt Stone take potshots at everyone. There is no joke too crude, no shot too cheap, and absolutely NOTHING off-limits. The show captures the spirit of the evil little middle school boy in all of us, the one who wants to pour gasoline on the world, light a match, and laugh madly at the rising flames.
6. Cowboy Bebop
Anime has been a cultural juggernaut in Japan since the 1950s, and it slowly saw more and more global success as the decades passed by. But anime series were never critical darlings, and many an uninformed TV critic turned their nose up at the genre, relegating it to the category of kid stuff not fit for discerning eyes—until Cowboy Bebop came along. Shinichiro Watanabe’s magnum opus redefined a medium once seen as after-school entertainment into the lofty realms of high art. Cowboy Bebop is a brooding sci-fi story whose themes cover everything from Stoic philosophy to Great Gatsby-esque lessons about the past, all set to one of the coolest anime soundtracks ever composed.
5. Spongebob Squarepants
Spongebob Squarepants IS meme culture. Its first three seasons are perhaps the funniest stories ever put to animation. It is the Seinfeld of children’s TV—a show about absolutely nothing, but in this case, the idle hours of the characters are filled to the brim with glorious imaginative games. SpongeBob’s comedy genius can trace itself back to vaudeville roots, with its absurdly clever schticks like “it’s not my wallet” seemingly plucked from a nonexistent Marx Brothers movie of old. Spongebob’s crowning achievement? In the “Sailor Mouth” episode, they figured out how to say “f*ck” on network TV. Children’s network TV. Not even Seinfeld could pull that off.
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is perhaps the greatest drama series for young adults ever produced. Set in a fantastical world inspired by Asian culture and philosophy, children (and adults) were mesmerized by the story of the Boy in the Iceberg. The show uses a fantasy world to tackle heavy real-life themes, including war, genocide, colonialism, death, and abuse. Despite Avatar’s dark undercurrents, the show has wise and constructive words for children and teens attempting to discover who they are in the world. Plus, people throw rocks at each other with their minds. Who doesn’t wanna see that?
3. Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series may have been intended for young audiences, but the result was one of the finest pieces of superhero fiction ever produced that adults could enjoy. This Batman is a tour de force featuring cerebral detective drama, heart-pumping action, and deep character studies never before seen in children’s animation. Not to mention, the show features performances from two voice actors who are seen as the definitive casting choices for Batman and The Joker: I’m talking, of course, about Mark Hamill’s deliciously fun and sinister Clown Prince of Crime and the late, great Kevin Conroy’s legendary performance as the Caped Crusader himself.
2. The Simpsons
You knew it was coming … love it or hate it, The Simpsons is without a doubt one of the most culturally significant animated shows ever created. From the mind of Matt Groening comes the quintessential nuclear family just trying to eke out a middle-class existence in their slice of American suburbia. The Simpson family is both the American Dream and the satirization of it rolled into one. They work their 9 to 5’s, they put up with annoying neighbors, and they try to excel (and rebel) in school, all the while attempting to find purpose in a whacky world that makes less and less sense as the days roll by. At least there are donuts.
1. Looney Tunes
Without Looney Tunes, modern cartoons simply would not exist. Spearheaded by the genius Chuck Jones and voice acting god Mel Blanc, Looney Tunes pioneered the animated sitcom lightyears into the future. The antics of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and others can be enjoyed no matter what generation you belong to. Combining “Who’s On First?” classic cerebral comedy with vaudeville slapstick antics, Looney Tunes is simply a joy to behold. It is, was, and ever shall be the greatest animated series ever made. That’s all, folks.
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