The 15 Best Netflix Original Animated Series of All Time

Legendary videogame developer Capcom's iconic demon-hunting franchise found a spectacular second life on television through this slick, visually arresting adaptation. Spearheaded by Capcom in collaboration with South Korea's Studio Mir and creator Adi Shankar's "Western" animation shingle, the series follows Dante, a white-haired, pizza-loving mercenary who operates a cash-strapped paranormal investigation agency. Balancing massive personal debt management with the casual execution of underworld threats, Dante is quickly drawn into a larger, multi-season conspiracy that threatens the boundary between the human and demon realms.

Critics heavily praised the series for its uncompromising kinetic action, fluid choreography, and faithful adherence to the Gothic-punk aesthetic established by the video games. Rather than leaning purely on nostalgia, the narrative digs into Dante's underlying weariness and isolation, giving the show a grounded emotional anchor between massive sword-and-gun set pieces. Across its two-season arc, it proved that the franchise's signature stylish action could translate seamlessly into a serialized television format without losing its bite.

"'Devil May Cry' effectively translates the game's kinetic pacing with a short story that takes place over 48 hours or less for its eight-episode first season. It's a frenzied, adrenaline rush as swift as the swords Dante wields in both pacing and style, best to digest in one easy binge." —Rendy Jones, RoberEbert.com

Co-created by musician and actor Kid Cudi, this visually stunning romantic drama unfolds alongside his album of the same name. It follows Jabari, a charming comic book artist moving into a pristine Manhattan loft after landing a major publishing deal. A chance encounter introduces him to Meadow, a talented photographer who happens to be his new neighbor. The narrative gently explores the delicate, terrifying balance between chasing professional ambition and opening one's heart to an unexpected soulmate.

Critics swooned over the project's gorgeous, impressionistic art direction, which utilizes a low frame rate and vibrant painterly brushstrokes to make New York City feel alive. The smooth, naturalistic voice performances from Cudi and Jessica Williams add an authentic emotional core to the visual splendor, creating a deeply atmospheric urban fairytale.

"It's a stylish, colorful love letter to animation and the simplicity of Black love in the modern age. It feels like the lovechild between When Harry Met Sally and Spider-Verse for a Black demographic." —Rendy Jones, Paste Magazine

* Even though Entergalactic was released as a "special," it was originally intended and formatted as a series and is included here as such. 

Serving as a gripping, generational sequel to the original Castlevania animated series, Nocturne shifts the timeline forward to 1792 during the height of the French Revolution. In the remote French countryside, an alliance of aristocratic vampires forms a terrifying pact with the "Vampire Messiah" to devour the sun and crush the rebellious lower classes. It falls upon Richter Belmont—the last descendant of a legendary clan of monster hunters—to carry on his family's legacy and ignite a resistance against the looming gothic apocalypse.

Reviewers heavily lauded the show for escalating the franchise's trademark animation fluidity and jaw-dropping choreography. By weaving genuine historical political anxiety into its supernatural vampire lore, Nocturne delivers a narrative with immense weight, offering sophisticated character arcs alongside its visceral, bloody combat. Interest in the legendary demon-hunting franchise is sure to rise this fall as long-awaited game Castlevania: Belmont's Curse returns the franchise to its 2D side-scrolling roots. 

"Castlevania: Nocturne is an exemplary way to take a popular game series and turn it into one of the most exciting animated adaptations yet. It remains to be seen the heights that animated Richter Belmont will reach, but we're confident we'll be left impressed." —Brittany Vincent, Decider

Departing completely from the frantic, battle-centric formula of the main franchise, this delightful slice-of-life series offers a wonderfully cozy retreat. The story follows Haru, a deeply stressed, overworked young woman who takes a job as a customer service concierge at a peaceful tropical resort. Her primary mission is simple yet challenging: help the visiting Pokémon relax, decompress, and feel completely at peace. Through her heartwarming interactions with a highly anxious Psyduck and a rotating cast of guests, Haru slowly learns how to quiet her own internal anxieties.

The series captured critics' hearts instantly through its exquisite, meticulously detailed stop-motion tactile animation by dwarf studios. The plush textures, vibrant coastal lighting, and radically gentle pacing make it a brilliant, stress-relieving tonic that redefines what a gaming adaptation can look and feel like. Gotta relax with 'em all!

"It's a beautifully animated, breezy watch starring a mix of Pokémon and the humans that love them. .... The show's high level of craftsmanship makes every small detail worth poring over in awe." —Allegra Frank, The Daily Beast

With a mysterious rogue planet hurtling directly toward Earth and total global extinction guaranteed in less than seven months, humanity reacts exactly as you might expect: mass hedonism, wild bucket-list checking, and total societal liberation. Then there is Carol. A quiet, painfully ordinary, middle-aged woman, Carol, played by the incredible Martha Kelly (Baskets), has absolutely no desire to skydive, party, or reinvent herself. Instead, she craves the quiet comfort of routine, eventually discovering a mysterious, fully functioning corporate office building where like-minded individuals quietly show up every day to do pointless administrative paperwork.

Created by Dan Guterman (Rick and Morty), this deeply melancholic comedy-drama was praised by critics as an existential masterpiece. It bypasses typical post-apocalyptic thriller cliches to deliver a profoundly moving, quiet, and darkly funny examination of human connection, isolation, and the strange comfort found in the utterly mundane.

"It is one of the far too rare works of animation for adults. It still has its own distinct tone and sentimentality that, while occasionally out of balance in some sections surrounding Carol's parents when they go on a boat, soars when the focus is back on her." —Chase Hutchinson, Collider

What initially looked like a straightforward, nostalgic animated translation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels (previously adapted into the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) turned out to be one of the most brilliant narrative subversions in recent television history. While the premiere sets up the familiar premise of slacker musician Scott Pilgrim battling Ramona Flowers' mysterious evil exes in order to date her, the narrative undergoes a massive, reality-bending twist at the end of the first episode. This choice completely reframes the entire saga, shifting the spotlight directly onto Ramona and the complex emotional baggage of her past relationships.

Produced by Science SARU and featuring the entire live-action film cast returning to voice their characters, the series was universally celebrated for its kinetic energy and brilliant storytelling. It acts as a more evolved companion to the original graphic novel and film, exploring accountability, maturity, and closure through spectacular, video-game-infused action sequences.

"'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' is not just a great anime, but one that shows the promise of streaming services in delivering global productions that put together different aesthetics and talents. It is also a fantastic adaptation that proves you can do more than just remake the same thing in a different medium." —Rafael Motamayor, Slashfilm

Widely regarded as one of the definitive pillars of Netflix's original programming history, this bitingly satirical adult comedy takes place in a surreal, pastel-hued Hollywood where anthropomorphic animals and humans coexist. Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and designer Lisa Hanawalt, the series chronicles the messy life of BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett), a washed-up, cynical horse who starred in a beloved 1990s family sitcom. As he attempts to engineer a career comeback with a tell-all autobiography, BoJack constantly battles severe clinical depression, self-loathing, and deeply destructive addiction cycles.

While the earliest episodes—which were not universally loved by critics—leaned heavily into entertainment industry satire, the show rapidly evolved into an incredibly devastating, brutally honest exploration of generational trauma, mental health, and the exhausting reality of accountability. Its brilliant balance of ridiculous animal puns and raw emotional devastation earned it status as a monumental creative achievement.

"In the end the depressed horse show didn't just give us a way to vocalize our own vulnerabilities, insecurities, and mental anguish. It also gave us hope for a better future, as well as a guide for us all to find our own happiness." —Kayla Cobb, Decider

Born from the brilliant minds of Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward and comedian Duncan Trussell, this mind-melting psychedelic series is unlike anything else on television. The narrative centers on Clancy, a space-caster who owns an unauthorized, glitchy universe simulator. In every episode, Clancy travels to strange, dying digital worlds to interview their eccentric residents for his broadcast. Remarkably, these bizarre conversations are pulled directly from real-world audio interviews from Trussell's podcast, covering deep existential topics like meditation, magic, mortality, and enlightenment, making for a format somewhat adjacent to 1990s cable classic Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.

Critics were mesmerized by the fascinating juxtaposition between the heavy, deeply philosophical audio discussions and the chaotic, hyper-colorful apocalyptic animation unfolding across the screen. It stands as a beautiful, profoundly moving meditation on what it truly means to be alive and present in an unstable universe.

"Gospel's not for kids, but it reflects the ecstatic innovations that made Adventure Time such a trip. Ward directs every episode and finds moments of religious astonishment alongside gloopy horror, all of it served with chatty humanism and palpable sweetness. ... The result is a new kind of masterpiece: easy to like, easier to worship." —Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly

Co-created by Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, this long-running, unabashedly raunchy comedy pulls absolutely no punches in its depiction of the absolute horror show that is human puberty. The series follows a group of suburban middle school students as they navigate the terrifying minefields of changing bodies, sexual awakening, and social anxiety. To make these invisible internal shifts visible, the show personifies their roaring impulses through literal Hormone Monsters, towering, chaotic beasts who offer terrible, hilarious, and aggressively loud advice.

Beneath its heavy layer of shock humor, gross-out gags, and surreal musical numbers, Big Mouth earned consistent critical acclaim for its underlying empathy and psychological accuracy. It fearlessly de-stigmatizes complex topics surrounding mental health, identity, and bodily changes with sharp intelligence, refreshing honesty, and unabashed hilarity.

"In the end, all the gleeful obscenity took a backseat to the story's true subject: the terrifying process of growing up. .... 'Big Mouth' leaves them, and us, with one final lesson: Once you have the confidence to embrace your own messy quirks, you're equipped to face whatever comes your way — pun somewhat intended." —Alison Herman, Variety

Set within the vast universe of Riot Games' League of Legends, this masterful steampunk tragedy explores the escalating, violent ideological divide between the utopian, wealthy city of Piltover and its oppressed, neon-drenched undercity, Zaun. At the heart of this sweeping societal conflict is the tragic personal dissolution of two orphaned sisters, Vi and Jinx, whose opposing paths tear them apart and position them on opposite sides of a brewing civil war fueled by volatile magic.

Produced by French studio Fortiche Production, Arcane set a new gold standard for television animation. Critics were awestruck by its breathtaking fusion of hand-painted 2D textures and dynamic 3D depth, coupled with an incredibly mature script, complex political machinations, and gut-wrenching emotional stakes that transcend its video game origins.

"Even if you have no interest in picking up any kind of gaming console, do yourself a favor and give Arcane a try. It has more mature storytelling and emotional resonance than many live-action shows do right now. And it deserves to be lauded as the new benchmark for what can be done when it comes to successfully translating worthy videogame universes into a different medium while refusing to dumb down or simplify complex storytelling. Arcane is a world worth getting lost within." —Tara Bennett, Paste Magazine

Based on Naoki Urasawa's celebrated manga, which masterfully reinterprets a classic story arc from Osamu Tezuka's legendary Astro Boy, this high-stakes neo-noir sci-fi thriller unfolds in a fragile society where following a devastating global conflict, humans and highly advanced, sentient AI robots live side-by-side under strict laws of equality. The peace is shattered when someone (or something) begins systematically hunting down and destroying the seven most powerful, heroic military robots on the planet. Gesicht, a brilliant robotic detective for Europol, is assigned to solve the case, only to realize he is also on the killer's hit list.

Critics universally lauded the series for its suspenseful pacing and stunning, classical art direction. It functions as a devastatingly powerful critique of the cyclical nature of war, artificial consciousness, and the heavy emotional weight of artificial entities learning how to experience grief and hate.

"Even if Pluto strikes some sci-fi watchers as a bit derivative or self-serious, animation fans should appreciate its designs, fluidity, and invention. This is a great-looking show, and effective testimony for how sometimes fantastical stories are better-served by animation rather than live-action." —Jesse Hassenger, Decider

Set against the strict, isolationist backdrop of Japan's Edo period, this sweeping, cinematic adult action epic chronicles a relentless quest for ultimate vengeance. The story follows Mizu, a fierce half-Japanese, half-European swordmaster who disguises her gender and wears tinted glasses to hide her striking blue eyes. Driven by deep-seated trauma, Mizu travels across a harsh, snow-dusted landscape to hunt down four white men who remain illegally in the country. One of them might be her bio-dad. 

Created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner: 2049), the series was immensely acclaimed for its stunning, widescreen cinematic sensibilities. The kinetic, martial arts combat sequences play out like beautifully choreographed ballets, anchored by a fiercely compelling narrative that tackles identity, gender constraints, and the heavy, self-destructive cost of holding onto blind rage. A second season is eagerly anticipated. 

"The whole thing is an incredible, utterly badass example of how animation can be used to create worlds, characters, and adventure every bit as vivid as live-action, if not more at times. Choose your weapon and leap right in." —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

Marking the highly anticipated return of BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg, this brilliant adult dramedy offers an incredibly unique, ambitious take on the traditional family sitcom format. The series chronicles the complex, interlocking lives of the Jewish Schwooper family over the course of several decades, exploring how internal dynamics shift, secrets unravel, and relationships gracefully evolve or fracture across generations.

True to Bob-Waksberg's signature creative style, the show seamlessly balances laugh-out-loud humor with sudden, deeply devastating emotional reality. Critics immediately hailed Long Story Short (which will return for a second season) as an instant classic, praising its razor-sharp dialogue, formal narrative experimentation, and its beautiful ability to find profound universal truths within the messy, chaotic landscape of family history.

"It's a minor creative miracle, a rapid-fire animated comedy with tremendous heart and a bold narrative structure that only enhances the emotional impact." —Chris Vognar, Boston Globe

Taking a simplistic, 50-word children's book and somehow expanding it into a sweeping, high-stakes cinematic road trip adventure is a massive creative gamble that paid off beautifully. The series pairs the eternal optimist Sam-I-Am (Adam Devine) with the grumpy, cynical inventor Guy-Am-I (Michael Douglas). Together, this mismatched duo accidentally goes on the run across a whimsical Seussian landscape to rescue a rare, endangered Chickeraffe from an elite collector, all while Sam persistently tries to get Guy to try a specific, colorful breakfast dish.

With a massive production budget (reportedly five to six million dollars an episode) that is visible in every frame, the series features breathtaking, hand-drawn Warner Bros. animation. Critics fell in love with its witty, meta humor, clever rhyming schemes, and an unexpected emotional depth that honors the spirit of Dr. Seuss while building something entirely fresh. Be careful with Rivers Cuomo's theme song, "Backflip" as once you listen, it might take a while for the earworm to leave your senses. 

"The team behind it has added depth of character and backstory – and with those things come heart and frankly ridiculous emotional impact." —Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

The highest-rated Netflix animated series is animator Jorge R. Gutiérrez's (The Book of Life) breathtaking fantasy masterpiece Maya and the Three. Set within a rich, hyper-colorful world inspired by Aztec, Maya, and Inca mythologies, the story follows Maya, a fiercely rebellious warrior princess celebrating her fifteenth birthday. The celebration is abruptly cut short when underworld gods appear to declare that Maya must sacrifice her life to pay for her family's past sins. Refusing to yield, Maya embarks on a thrilling quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy, traveling across lands to recruit three legendary warriors to help overthrow the God of War.

The nine-episode limited series received universal acclaim for its jaw-dropping visual design. The screen constantly overflows with intricate Mesoamerican iconography, neon lighting, and dynamic aspect-ratio shifts during colossal action sequences. Driven by a powerful voice cast (Zoe Saldaña, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Stephanie Beatriz, Alfred Molina) and a narrative that is both profoundly moving and genuinely epic in scope, it stands as a stunning achievement.

"In its most basic iteration, 'Maya and the Three' could have been a cute enough story of a plucky girl who saves the world. What a treat, then, to watch as the show digs deeper, reaches farther, and takes bigger leaps to explore more complicated terrain. It's an epic, in all senses of the word, with a palpable love for its world that proves hard to resist." —Caroline Framke, Variety

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