10 Modern Animated Shows That Are 10/10, No Notes

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three robots; one pyramidal, one white and humanoid, one orange and small, from Love, Death and Robots

Published Feb 13, 2026, 8:35 AM EST

Born with Autism (formerly classified as Asperger syndrome), Tyler B. Searle has been obsessed with storytelling since he was old enough to speak. He gravitated towards fairy tales, mythology, the fantasy genre, and animated movies and shows aimed at family audiences. When not writing, Tyler enjoys watching more cartoons and reading fantasy books in his home in Ontario, Canada.

Animated shows are among the most versatile television shows out there. Limited only by budget and the creativity of the artists, animated shows can get weird and wild, resulting in everything from sitcom comedies to epic adventure stories. While traditionally seen as just for kids, more mature animated shows have been produced over the years, meaning that there's something for everyone to find enjoyment in.

Recent years have seen animation take a bit of a hit compared to the golden years of the 1990s or 2010s, but good shows can still be found. Many of them have come from streaming services in their eternal race to find original content. When animation works at its highest level, it delivers storytelling that rivals—and often surpasses—live-action television. These are the very best that have impressed audiences with flawless animation and compelling storytelling.

10 'Inside Job' (2021–2023)

To the rest of the world, things like The Illuminati and reptile people are just conspiracy theories, but as it turns out, each and every one of them is real. An American shadow government organization called Cognito, Inc., works tirelessly to keep the rest of the world in the dark and plays ball with the other shadow organizations that run the world. Its main team is led by the ambitious but socially awkward scientist Dr. Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan) and the friendly but ill-equipped Brett Hand (Clark Duke).

Inside Job is a show that tragically ended before its time, but what we got is a comedic masterpiece. The show is jam-packed with hilarity, mixing the usual tropes of an office comedy with absurdist situations that creatively utilize every crackpot theory you can think of, all brought to life with fast-paced animation. It also helps that the characters are all well constructed, with Reagan in particular standing out thanks to her mix of boundless ambition with empathetic social awkwardness.

9 'Amphibia' (2019–2022)

Anne, Sasha, and Marcy dance in school with purple beams of light in Amphibia.

When Anne Boonchuy (Brenda Song) steals a music box for her friends Sasha Waybright (Anna Akana) and Marcy Wu (Haley Tju), it ends up transporting all three of them to the world of Amphibia, populated by humanoid frogs, toads, and newts. Anne lands in the town of Wartwood and is taken in by the Plantars: Hopediah "Hop Pop" (Bill Farmer), the traditionalist grandfather; Sprig (Justin Felbinger), the adventurous older brother; and Polly (Amanda Leighton), the outgoing younger sister. As Anne searches for her missing friends, she bonds with the townsfolk, grows up as a person, and discovers the secret behind the music box's origins.

Amphibia became one of Disney's best-received animated shows since Gravity Falls, and managed to receive similar praise for its animation, story, and character development. The world of Amphibia is incredibly creative, with a rich history, diverse wildlife, and an interesting blend of magic and technology, creating a world familiar enough, yet alien, and inviting the audience to explore its mysteries alongside Anne. The show was also great at balancing humor with drama, with plenty of memorable jokes consisting of references, running gags, and funny visuals, between moments that force the characters to confront their flaws and grow as individuals.

8 'Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia' (2016–2018)

On his way to school, Jim Lake Jr. (Anton Yelchin and Emile Hirsch) discovers an amulet that bestows upon him a magical suit of armor and sword. This marks him as the newest Trollhunter, tasked with protecting the human and hidden magical world from malicious trolls and other dark forces who seek to conquer it. He is aided by his best friend Tobias (Charlie Saxton) and his crush Claire (Lexi Medrano), as well as a hidden village of trolls, who teach him what he needs to be a worthy Trollhunter.

Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia was born from the creative mind of Guillermo del Toro and brought to life through fantastic animation from DreamWorks. Thus, it's no surprise that the show is one of Netflix's best animated shows, with an evolving storyline that sees the characters forced to mature and make difficult choices, while also delving into some complex worldbuilding regarding troll society and the history of the magical world. Its success led to two sequel series—3Below: Tales of Arcadia and Wizards: Tales of Arcadia—before concluding with the movie Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.

7 'X-Men '97' (2024–Present)

Magneto (Matthew Waterson) putting his helmet on in X-Men '97

One year after Professor Charles Xavier's (Ross Marquand) near-assassination, the X-Men continue to fight for his ideal world where humans and mutants can co-exist peacefully. This is easier said than done, with anti-mutant groups becoming more violent, and the UN has sanctioned the X-Men. Most shocking of all is the revelation that Xavier left everything, including the X-Men and his school, to his old friend and the X-Men's greatest enemy, Magneto (Matthew Waterson).

X-Men 97 is a continuation of one of the greatest superhero shows ever made, so it had some lofty shoes to fill. Fortunately, it proved to be more than a worthy successor, tapping into the original show's mix of action, character drama, and covering important social issues in a fun and engaging way. It also looks great, updating the iconic art style of X-Men: The Animated Series, leading to some engaging action sequences.

6 'The Legend of Vox Machina' (2022–Present)

The Legend of Vox Machina crew ready to fight in Season 3

The kingdom of Tal'Dorei is beset by many dangers, from evil cultists to powerful dragons. Here to face them is Vox Machina, an adventuring group consisting of the half-giant barbarian Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), half-elf twins Vex'ahlia (Laura Bailey) and Vax'ildan Vassar (Liam O'Brien), and druid Keyleth (Marisha Ray), human noble Percival de Rolo III (Taliesin Jaffe), and gnome cleric Piyke Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson) and bard Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel). While they initially appear to be a ragtag group of misfits better at getting into trouble than solving it, Vox Machina quickly rises to the occasion and sets off to save Tal'Dorei from escalating evils.

The Legend of Vox Machina is an adaptation of the popular Dungeons & Dragons live-play called Critical Role, using its new medium to expand on the story in ways they couldn't at the table. The result is a show with strong character development and an epic scale befitting a high fantasy series, which feels like such a breath of fresh air in this post-Game of Thrones world. It also has perhaps the best dragons in any fantasy show, complete with great voice acting, powerful designs, and the right amount of majesty, arrogance, and destructive potential you expect from fantasy's most iconic monsters.

5 'Love, Death, & Robots' (2019–Present)

The orange robot from Love, Death & Robots looks happy in Three Robots Exit Strategies episode.

Anthology series break away from the typical storytelling structure by presenting audiences with a new story and cast of characters in each episode. This can be tricky to pull off right, since by the time the audience has gotten to know the characters, they are left behind. When it's done well, though, it can create something spectacular, and one of the best examples is Love, Death, & Robots.

The show uses groundbreaking CGI to explore provocative themes concerning such topics as cosmic horror, humanity's relationship with technology, and the double-edged sword that is love and desire. Each Love, Death, & Robots episode also features at least one of the topics that make up the show's name, if not all three. The episodes are also short, meaning you can get through several of them in one sitting.

4 'Smiling Friends' (2022–Present)

In a chaotic world where humans live alongside many strange critters, an organization called the Smiling Friends exists to bring happiness to those in need. The two main agents are the ever-optimistic Pim (Michael Cusack) and his cynical best friend, Charlie (Zach Hadel), though they are sometimes aided by co-workers Allan (Cusack) and Glep (Hadel). Chaos always seems to follow them, but no matter how difficult the job, the Smiling Friends won't stop until their client smiles.

Smiling Friends is a hilarious comedy that blends different animation styles and surrealist humor to create a truly one-of-a-kind show. When it's not bombarding you with rapid-fire images and confusing character designs, many of its conversations are written as if they could take place in real life, with awkward pauses and people talking over one another. This goes a long way in making the characters feel more relatable, and leaves you wondering what the next episode will bring.

3 'Invincible' (2021–Present)

Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) surrounded by ReAnimen in Invincible Season 3.

Mark Greyson (Steven Yeun) is the son of Omni-Man (J. K. Simmons), a Viltrumite who serves as Earth's most powerful superhero. When Mark's own powers develop, he decides to become a hero as well, taking the name Invincible. He soon discovers that there's a lot more to being a superhero than he initially thought, and that there is a much darker side to his father than anyone could have imagined.

Invincible is an animated superhero show that plays into and subverts every imaginable trope, such as exploring how terrifying it would be to live in a superhero world or what the life of a superhero does to their loved ones. Yet it always remains heroic and hopeful, with plenty of moments of triumph against impossible odds that humanize its characters, be they heroes, villains, or someone just watching from the sidelines. It's also got some of the best action sequences in any superhero show, with copious amounts of violence and destruction that make the victories even more triumphant.

2 'Bluey' (2018–Present)

Bingo and Bandit sit on the couch while Bluey stares begrudgingly and Chilli dances on her own.

Bluey Heeler is a young girl living in a world populated by anthropomorphic dogs with her father, Banjo (David McCormack), mother Chilli (Melanie Zanetti), and younger sister Bingo. Bluey is a curious child and loves to explore and make up games to help her make sense of the world around her. Through these activities, she slowly learns about the complexities of life and grows a little bit each day.

Bluey is one of those beautiful kids' shows that is just as loved by adults as it is by younger audiences. This is because the writing never talks down to the audience, presenting complex topics like death or childhood fears, like sleeping alone for the first time, in a way that respects the child's perspective. It also helps that the show portrays Banjo and Chilli as great parents who support one another and love their kids without coddling them, which is a great departure from the usual cliché of making parents in a kids' show silly and incompetent.

1 'Primal' (2019–2022)

Spear riding Fang alongside other dinosaurs in Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal

Spear (Aaron LaPlante) is a neanderthal man who tragically witnesses the death of his wife and children at the jaws of a pack of horned theropods. The same pack later eats the children of a female Tyrannosaurus named Fang, and the two work together to get revenge. Spear and Fang decide to team up for mutual survival, but there are worse dangers in the world than hungry predators.

Primal is the masterpiece of legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, combining his unique animation style with savage prehistory. The show has little to no dialogue in it, relying instead on terrific animation to visually relay the emotions of the characters. It also pulls no punches when it shows how brutal the ancient world was, with bloody battles that reinforce that this is a kill-or-be-killed world.