Summary
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 thebest science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers in the 2020s so far have been attributed to animated TV series.
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.
Monsterverse fans have been dining well with theKong x Godzillafilms, theMonarchTV series on Apple TV+, and the animatedSkull Islandseries 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 Islandfeatures 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.
Despite being only two seasons,Pantheonis 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,Pantheonposes 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.
Blood of Zeusis a brutal and bloody take on Greek Mythology fromCastlevaniacreators, 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.
Blood of Zeusdelves 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. WhileBlood of Zeusfeatures Greek Mythology, it’s an original story that was “lost to history,” according to the show’s lore.
Masters of the Universe: Revelationdivided 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 fromRevelationand 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-actionMasters of the Universemovie. 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.
The originalX-Menseries is still considered one of the best superhero shows ever, ranking alongside other brilliant 1990s animated Marvel series, likeSpider-Manand The Incredible Hulk. It’s also one of the best adaptations of the X-Men characters onscreen.X-Men ‘97successfully captures the essence of the original series, featuring subtle improvements to the animation while maintaining the classic look.
More importantly, it features the same quality storytelling and character development that fans loved about the original. As fans arewaiting forX-Mento make their live-action appearancein the Marvel Cinematic Universe,X-Men ‘97,like the original, sets the bar extremely high.
When Robert Kirkman’sInvinciblelaunched on Prime in 2021, it quickly established itself as one of the best superhero shows aimed at adults, next to the likes ofThe BoysandPeacemaker.Much like its comic book source material,Invincibledoesn’t hold back with itsbrutality 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’sTheWalking 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.
Arguably, the best animated series of the 2020s so far isArcane,a visually stunning animated show based on theLeague of Legendsvideo 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,Arcaneeffectively tells a complete and compelling story with impressive world-building, depth, and characters, all supported by an outstanding voice cast.
