With kids and adults alike, animated television shows are among the medium’s most popular and beloved. After all, there’s something uniquely special about falling in love with a series' visual style over the course of several years and seasons, coming to appreciate its intricacies and its personality. Then, there are particularly good-looking shows;ones that don’t settle for just looking pretty, and instead go all-out with an animation stylethat’s downright stunning.
FromLove, Death & RobotstoAttack on Titan, some of the greatest animated TV shows of all time are, not coincidentally, also among the most visually striking. From classic anime aesthetics to more modern 3D animation that’s setting new trends in Western animation, the impressive look of these gripping television shows plays a big factor in explaining their success.
10’Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005 - 2008)
Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko
Celebrated by some as the single greatest animated TV show ever made,Avatar: The Last Airbenderis a Nickelodeon show mainly aimed at kids, but has found success even (or perhaps even especially) among older viewers. It’s set in a war-torn world of elemental powers, where a young boy reawakens to fulfill a mystical quest to bring peace to the world.
The Last Airbenderhas some ofthe greatest episodes in the animation genre, the most interesting characters, and the best-looking sequences in all of television animation.Highlighting the importance of not just solid artwork in hand-drawn animation, but also of thoughtful cinematography, the show boosts the emotional power of countless moments with its outstanding looks.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
9’The Midnight Gospel' (2020 - )
Created by Pendleton Ward and Duncan Trussell
From its concept alone, Netflix’sThe Midnight Gospelis one of the most creative sci-fi TV shows ever. Its style and energy are not only inspired by podcasts: In fact,Pendleton Wardco-created the show withDuncan Trussell, directly taking segments from hisThe Duncan Trussell Family Hourpodcast. The result is a fascinating show where Clancy, a spacecaster with a malfunctioning multiverse simulator, travels to interview beings from dying worlds.
With a vibrant personality and a delightfully idiosyncratic style,the series deals with topics as vast as existentialism, death, meditation, drug use, and many more. Indeed, it’s one of thebest animated shows of the 21st century, but its themes aren’t the only reason why. Colorful and often completely unrelated to what’s being talked about in the podcast dialogue (to hilarious effect), the show’s animation may seem deceptively simple, but in fact, it hides tremendous amounts of detail and thought behind it.
The Midnight Gospel
8’Primal' (2019 - )
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
Genndy Tartakovskyis a well-known legend of television animation, being the man responsible for some of the medium’s greatest pieces of art. One such masterwork isPrimal, a virtually dialogue-less and highly unorthodox buddy drama (with plenty of elements of horror and action-adventure) set during the time of the dinosaurs. It’s about a caveman and a T-Rex, brought together by a shared tragedy, who must work together to survive in a world that wants to have them for dinner.
WithPrimal’s exciting third season fast approaching, the seriesremains as much of an assured hit as it was back in 2019. Its structure, stories, and style may be experimental (and they sure are), but there’s one thing about it that followsa tried-and-true formula that can never fail: Tartakovsky’s typical eye-popping animation. Playing with lights, shadows, and lots and lots of blood and guts,Primal’s visual signature is one of the most impressive currently on streaming.
7’Love, Death & Robots' (2019 - )
Created by Tim Miller
Not only one of thebest sci-fi anthology shows of all time, but one of the best anthology shows in general,Tim Miller’sLove, Death & Robotsbrings together elements of multiple genres — from sci-fi to fantasy to horror —in a collection of gripping short stories dealing with all sorts of profound themes. Like all series in its genre, this one can be a bit hit-or-miss, but when it hits, it hitshard.
The thing that makes the animation style ofLove, Death & Robotsso compelling is that it’s not just one style, but multiple. Different stories call for different looks; like the stunning photorealism of episodes like “Beyond the Aquila Drift”; or the comic-like aesthetic of ones like “Zima Blue”; or the grotesque character designs of stuff like “Mason’s Rats”. Even with certain styles repeating themselves across seasons from time to time, the creative teams behind these short stories always find ways to make them look and feel entirely unique.
Love, Death & Robots
Watch on Netflix
6’Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' (2022)
Created by Rafal Jaki
Despite the fact that it was off to a start that was, to say the least, a bit rough,Cyberpunk 2077is now typically praised as one of the best sci-fi video games available for this generation. Japanese animation studio Trigger and Polish video game developer CD Projekt Red saw an opportunity and took it, releasingCyberpunk: Edgerunners. This exceptional anime web series based on the game is about a street kid trying to survive in the body-modification-obsessed future. Having everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an Edgerunner, a mercenary outlaw also known as a Cyberpunk.
Edgerunnershas plenty of awesome sci-fi concepts, engaging characters, and interesting storylines, making it one ofthe best sci-fi shows of the last five years. Perhaps its main strength, though, lies in its jaw-dropping visuals. Stylish, energetic, bloody, and with phenomenal set and character designs, it makes an already engrossing experience all-the-more entertaining.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
5’Castlevania' (2017 - 2021)
Created by Warren Ellis
TheCastlevaniagames are such pioneers that they share credit with Nintendo’sMetroidgames for being the source of a whole genre’s name: TheMetroidvanias. As such,it was a matter of time before they got their own Netflix adaptation, which turned out betterthan anyone could have expected. The streaming giant’sCastlevaniais about a vampire hunter fighting to save a besieged city from an army of otherworldly creatures controlled by Dracula himself.
One ofthe best-ever animated series for adults,Castlevaniahas pretty much everything that any kind of viewer, fan of the source material or not, could possibly want out of an adaptation. Scary, dark as hell, and with enough violence and gore to make even an adult animation veteran squeamish, it’s a bold show that knows its audience and doesn’t attempt to pander to anyone else. This makes its distinct anime-like animation all-the-more memorable.
Castlevania
4’Attack on Titan' (2013 - 2023)
Created by Hajime Isayama
Attack on Titanis praised by many as the greatest anime ever made, and it’s rather hard to disagree with them. It’s, at the very least, amongthe best shonen anime series of all time. It’s a survival epic centered on Eren Jaeger, who, after his hometown is destroyed, vows to cleanse the Earth of the giant humanoid titans that have brought humanity to the brink of extinction.
The writing forAttack on Titanis absolutely impeccable,offering some of the most thrilling and finely-crafted episodes in the history of television, let alone animated television. But its profound narrative would arguably not work half as well as it does if it weren’t for the impressive animation, which always has a stunning attention to detail.Attack on Titanis on a tier of its own visually, setting a new standard for anime fans both old and new.
Attack On Titan
Watch on Hulu
3’Neon Genesis Evangelion' (1995 - 1996)
Created by Hideaki Anno
Hideaki Anno’sNeon Genesis Evangelion’s reputation precedes it. As one of the most acclaimed, beloved, and influential anime series of all time, it’s a classic that’s aged like fine wine. It’s about a teenage boy who finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of mecha pilots by his father.It was so successful that it spawned an impressive transmedia franchise spanning several films, video games, audio dramas, and the likes.
Perhapsthe greatest sci-fi anime show ever made,Evangeliondeals with complex philosophical, religious, and social themes, which was trailblazing at the time — and remains potently impactful today. Another one of its revolutionary factors was its animation, which, well over a quarter of a century later, looks just as exquisite, colorful, and full of life as it did back in its day.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
2’Samurai Jack' (2001 - 2017)
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky
Many fans' favorite Tartakovsky show,Samurai Jackis pretty much universally agreed to be his best-looking work. Taking inspiration from Tartakovsky’s fascination with samurai culture and media, a hand-drawn dark fantasy story about a samurai sent through time, who fights to save the world and return home. Atmospheric, action-packed, and cinematic in all the best ways, it’s a phenomenal show with a riveting story.
With its breathtaking action and one of themost intimidating villains in animated television history,Samurai Jackis a feast for all the senses.Incredibly bold and delightfully experimental in its superficially simple, yet intricately detailed and deep animation, it’s a masterpiece that proves why Tartakovsky has for so long been considered a master of his craft.
Samurai Jack
1’Arcane' (2021 - 2024)
Created by: Christian Linke and Alex Yee
It’s no small achievement that if one asks the average animated television fan what the most visually stunning show they’ve ever seen is, more than one will answer with a show that’s not even five years old:Arcane, probably Netflix’s biggest achievement yet in the field of animation, and undoubtedly one of their best originals. Based on the world and characters ofLeague of Legends, it’s an action epic set in a utopian society built above the oppressed underground of Zaun. Its story follows two sisters and the powers that tore them apart.
It’s astonishing, but one needs zero familiarity with theLeague of Legendscanon to enjoyArcane.It’s an emotionally riveting, deeply thrilling tale with compelling themes and charactersthat absolutely anyone can enjoy. A big reason why is the fact that its animation is so unbelievably impressive. Detailed, creative, colorful, and full of rich meaning and symbolism, it’s a fascinating visual style that keeps every second of the story engaging.
