The 24 Best Animated Shows On Netflix

    From Netflix originals like BoJack Horseman to Saturday morning classics like Sonic X, check out the best animated series currently on Netflix!

    Anderson Evans
    by Anderson Evans

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    1. Tuca & Bertie

    A coy Tuca stands next to wary Bertie
    The Tornante Co. / Netflix

    About two birds trying to make their way in a modern world made up of chimeras and humans, Tuca and Bertie takes what made BoJack Horseman so interesting but leaves behind the Hollywood life for a more Main Street USA kind of vibe.

    2. BoJack Horseman

    BoJack talks candidly with Diane
    Tornante Television / Netflix

    Netflix’s first adult animation slam dunk follows a has-been celebrity horse as he tries to deal with addiction, narcissism, his past, and Hollywood. The series becomes darker and more serious as it goes along but never loses its cartoonish playful side.

    3. Disenchantment

    Princess Bean and Elfo look at one another
    The Ululu Co. / Netflix

    This show is what happens when you mix Futurama and Game of Thrones, and it is excellent. It is also more epic in scope than other Matt Groening series, going deeper and deeper into world and character building with each episode. For the really deep-cut Groening fans, pretty sure this series has way more Life in Hell references than anything since The Simpsons arcade game.

    4. Neon Genesis Evangelion

    Rei Ayanami looks on within her EVA
    Gainax

    This series about Japanese animators who read evangelical literature goes to a really weird, awesome, amazing place. If this is what the end of the world is like, I wouldn’t be surprised. The animation is top notch and is a favorite among Japanese-animation enthusiasts.

    5. The Midnight Gospel

    Clancy Gilroy looks at his dog
    Oatmeal Maiden / Netflix

    From Pendleton Ward, creator of Adventure Time, comes a Netflix original with some of the trippiest animation since Yellow Submarine. The audio track is primarily a podcast hosted by Duncan Trussell, which can be quite interesting, but it’s the visuals that really shine in this series.

    6. Hilda

    Hilda and Frida converse with elves
    Silvergate Media / Netflix

    What looks at first glance like a generic cartoon show about a little girl is an incredibly interesting, fantastical, wholesome series about a young girl and her mother who live in a fantasy realm, taking much of the fantastic surroundings for granted, or at least as something to be expected, even with incredibly high stakes. Great animation, great writing — heartily recommended.

    7. Aggretsuko

    Aggretsuko enjoying karaoke.
    Fanworks

    Move over, Hello Kitty, and make way for the most lovable metalhead on the planet, Aggretsuko. From Sanrio, the same company that brought you Keroppi and Tuxedo Sam, comes an equally adorable, grown red panda working for corporate. Her only escape from the daily grind is her love of heavy metal music. This offbeat series can be described as Mr. Men meets Metalocalypse.

    8. Avatar

    Aang with Katara on a journey
    Nickelodeon Animation Studio

    Drawing on East Asian mythology, this early-2000s Nickelodeon cartoon was set in a world where people could control water, earth, fire, or air. Considered a cult classic, it spawned a film version directed by M. Night Shyamalan and a comic series published by Dark Horse.

    9. The Magic School Bus

    The Magic Schoolbus readies itself for transformation
    Nelvana

    In this gateway drug toward liberal arts education for '90s kids everywhere, Mrs. Frizzle and her class go on incredible adventures because the vehicle they go on field trips in is super magical. Great for little ones, or simply some fun-filled nostalgia!

    10. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

    Members of Mystery Incorporated take part in a bizarre encounter.
    Warner Bros. Animation

    One of the many latter-day Scooby-Doo incarnations, this show is slightly more serialized than most Scooby-Doo shows and plays with a Velma-and-Shaggy romantic relationship. If you like all the other Scooby-Doo shows, you’ll like this one, too.

    11. Big Mouth

    Andrew Glouberman talks with Maurice the Hormone Monster
    Danger Goldberg Productions / Netflix

    In this show, which is uncomfortable to watch with parents or the elderly, John Mulaney and Nick Kroll are hilarious while pointing out the horrors of life during adolescence, especially the sexual side of self-discovery.

    12. Death Note

    Light Yagami being followed by Ryuk
    Madhouse

    A Japanese series with a hard-boiled edge, Death Note is a battle of dark vs. light that is incredibly hard to stop watching once you start. This series puts the world’s greatest detectives in a lockstep race against demons and their tormentors, and the result is a must-watch. Make sure you don’t get tricked into watching the live-action movie adaptation, an easy mistake to make.

    13. Shaun the Sheep: Adventures From Mossy Bottom

    Shaun the Sheep admires Bitzer's drone
    Aardman Animations

    Because who doesn’t love British claymation? From Aardman Animations, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep: Adventures From Mossy Bottom is a great time for the whole family.

    14. Love Death + Robots

    Three robots questioning the past
    Blur Studio / Netflix

    This is an excellent series to watch piecemeal, since all of the episodes are completely self-contained. It consists of many, many incredibly well-made animated shorts with different cyberpunk, futuristic, and sci-fi themes. A lot of the episodes can be pretty violent and intense, while others are cute and simple. Really great, inspiring animated series.

    15. The Super Mario Bros. Super Show

    Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool speak with Mouser
    DIC Enterprises

    While portions of this show are live action, the animated sequences, primarily based on Super Mario Bros. 2, are a great look at who Mario was during the NES era. Gotta love the brash theme song, “The Plumber’s Rap,” laid on top of that traditional Super Mario chiptune. You’ll be hooked on the Brothers!

    16. She-Ra: Princess of Power

    She-Ra looks on wistfully
    DreamWorks Animation / Netflix

    A modern take on the Princess of Power, this Netflix original is definitely a critical success. Far more progressive than its source material, this version of She-Ra homes in on powerful, mythical women locked in complex battles on the fantastic planet of Etheria.

    17. Trollhunters

    AAARRRGGHH!!! points and Toby holds video
    DreamWorks Animation TV / Netflix

    From Guillermo del Toro, who brought the world maudlin indie essentials like Pan’s Labyrinth and Cronos, as well as action-packed blockbusters like Hellboy and Pacific Rim, comes this animated, family-friendly show. It’s fun and upbeat, with offbeat creatures you’d expect in a del Toro property.

    18. Sonic X

    Sonic is not amused
    TMS Entertainment

    There are a few Sonic shows discoverable on Netflix; The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was one of two early-'90s versions, and not heartily recommended. The other, more canonical series from that era has been moved from Netflix to another streaming service. Sonic X came in the early 2000s and leans more into the Hedgehog video game universe that by this time had become pretty epic.

    19. Full Metal Alchemist

    Edward and Alphonse ride a train
    Bones

    In a world where alchemy evolves to be an essential during an Industrial Revolution–style era, two brothers seek out the Philosopher's Stone. Based on the hit manga, the animated series diverges greatly from its source material once about half of the manga's storyline is covered.

    20. Castlevania

    Alucard battles Trevor
    Netflix

    Based on the video game series, this Netflix original has pretty short seasons but is great fun for video gamers. Most reliant on the PlayStation-era game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for its storyline, it focuses on the adventures of Trevor Belmont as he follows in the family footsteps: seeking out Dracula to protect people who don’t appreciate what he does for them.

    21. Danger Mouse

    Danger Mouse leaps with a smile
    Cosgrove Hall Films

    A British cartoon that happened to air on Nickelodeon regularly back in the 1980s, this is a very hip show with a great voice cast and low-budget but incredibly fun and effective animation. Danger Mouse is a well-known gentleman spy, and with him as always is his business-casual lifemate, a hamster named Penfold. Watch them go up against a Goldfinger-esque frog named Baron Greenback, and be glad you did.

    22. My Little Pony

    Several ponies standing at the ready
    Allspark Animation

    Do you even watch, Brony? This series may look incredibly simple and colorful, but these ponies aren’t just for babies — in fact, they seem to be most known for having a following made up primarily of adult men. The series has a very deep and intricate lore, and a lot of pony characters to try and relate to, regardless of age or gender.

    23. Iron Man: Armored Adventures

    Iron Man recovers after an attack
    Marvel Animation

    A short-lived series about a Marvel superhero, this series originally aired on Nickelodeon. Great fun for the comic book lovers looking for some episodic crime-fighting fun.

    24. Pokémon: Indigo League

    Misty, Brock, and Ash being shocked by Pikachu's behavior
    OLM Inc.

    The original Pokémon series. Learn the origins of the phenomenon that is still going strong all these years later. Join Ash, Misty, Brock, and all their Pokémon pals go into battle just so that Brock can drool over the pink-haired nurses who gift any and all Pokémon with full health. Watch the series that asks the question, Is Ash's mom and Mr. Mime romantically involved? Gotta catch 'em all!

    What's your favorite animated series on Netflix? Let us know in the comments!