12 Favorite Animated TV Series of 2024: Arcane, Hazbin Hotel, and More

2024 was a big year for animated series, with TV shows that captivated audiences of all ages and tastes.

From the visually stunning storytelling of Arcane to the heartfelt charm of Bluey and the irreverent humor of Star Trek: Lower Decks, this year proved the limitless potential of animation.

In no particular order, here are the animated TV series we loved most in 2024:

1. Arcane 

The worst thing about Arcane was that it was only two seasons (and maybe the pacing). Every single frame of this show deserves to be displayed in a museum, making it one of the most beautiful animated series out there.

There’s so much passion and thought made in the series that you can’t help but feel an emotional attachment to everything. Who knew a League of Legends animated show would become one of the greatest pieces of media release this decade?

2. Star Trek: Prodigy

Viewers almost never saw Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2. After an excellent first season on Paramount+, the streamer unexpectedly canceled the series even though season 2 was already in production.

Luckily, the series found a new home on Netflix because missing any of this adventure would have been tragic.
Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 not only met fans’ already high expectations, it blasted right past them, cementing its place among the franchise’s best entries.

Season 2 saw Dal, Gwyn, and the rest of the gang join Starfleet, jump through different dimensions, prevent a civil war, and save the past to secure their future. The season effortlessly incorporated characters, species, and stories from past Star Trek series to create a new high-stakes adventure while expanding the stories of some fan favorites.

With beautiful animation, excellent voice work, and exceptional world-building, Star Trek: Prodigy is a thrilling ride and a heartfelt character story that makes you feel all the feels. It is the perfect entry point for Star Trek newbies and a wonderful continuation for long-time fans.

Now, if only Netflix would announce more seasons because there is so much left to explore with the crew of the USS Protostar.

3. My Adventures with Superman

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 expands Clark Kent’s world with the knowledge that Lois knows he is Superman and still wants to date him. He ends up struggling to keep the balance between his two identities.

With added pressure from Lois’ father, Lex Luther, Amanda Waller, and eventually other antagonists such as Brainiac, Clark/Superman’s alternative identity is threatened with exposure. Unlike last season, the stakes are higher because Clark realizes he has that much more to lose now that he’s with Lois.

Meanwhile, Lois and Jimmy face their own career struggles while also attempting to help keep the rest of the world safe. In a final epic showdown, the trio proves that life is more manageable when you have people in your corner.

4. Hazbin Hotel

Almost five years after the pilot episode took YouTube by storm, Hazbin Hotel finally premiered with a full season on Prime Video.

Vivienne Medrano’s raunchy, irreverent, and heartwarming adult animated musical comedy boasts an all-star voice cast, from Broadway’s Erika Henningsen leading the charge as the steadfast Charlie Morningstar to the legendary Keith David as the curmudgeonly Husk.

Hazbin Hotel will unlock the inner musical theater nerd in you with a host of catchy, toe-tapping tunes. Soundtrack highlights include the sweetly funny “Loser, Baby,” the hilariously up-tempo “Hell’s Greatest Dad,” and the heartstring-tugging “More Than Anything.”

Thankfully, Prime Video has renewed the popular series for additional seasons, so we’ll have plenty more adventures with our merry band of misfit demons (and more happy days) in Hell.

5. Star Trek: Lower Decks

This year, we bid farewell to the U.S.S. Cerritos and, statistically, “the horniest and least romantically-committed crew in Starfleet.” Star Trek’s adult animated comedy is a treasure trove of franchise Easter eggs, delightfully unexpected cameos, and superb vocal performances. The five-season series proves the possibilities are endless for Star Trek.

If you let out a “Boimler scream” after watching the Star Trek: Lower Decks finale, you’re not alone. This zany, fast-paced, whip-smart series will be sorely missed.

6. Secret Level

Much like its spiritual predecessor in Love, Death & Robots, Secret Level’s anthological structure made truly iconic. Though Season 2 was greenlit recently, Secret Level Season 1 truly proved what franchised storytelling can be capable of.

The entire concept of anthology series is certainly not unfamiliar to creators Tim Miller and Dave Wilson. However, the way they adapt the stories and lore of these respective games is as faithful as they could be.

One of the most weirdly exciting episodes comes in Secret Level Season 1 Episode 6, “Circle.” Even though it’s based on Pac-Man, it’s spinning off in a different game, Shadow Labyrinth. It also contains really intricate easter eggs to another game, Xevious, which only some may get.

Nonetheless, the transformative method Secret Level takes with this episode really works. Other episodes, like the ones centered on Warhammer 40k and Unreal Tournament, also rock!

With a Season 2 on the way, Secret Level serves as a great example not only in what an anthology series is, but also how to platform originality in extensive franchises.

7. Creature Commandos

As the first project to be set in James Gunn’s DC Universe, Creature Commandos certainly feels as crazy as 2018’s The Suicide Squad. However, it still has enough vibrancy and focused storytelling to make it stand out.

Given how this is the birth of Gunn’s new world, there’s a lot of classic Gunn humor. Characters like Frankenstein and Weasel are absurdly hilarious with their over-the-top personalities. Yet, most of these characters have this depth of realism to them.

Other characters, like the Bride and Nina Mazursky, and their stories create this empathy to be recognized. As perhaps the most sensible of the team, they know that they’ll never be accepted as regular. However, they’re able to use this fact to their strength.

Creature Commandos‘ focus on not judging a book by its cover is fully shown in those flashbacks. That aspect is where Creature Commandos really shines as it both fleshes out these characters and makes us resonate with their cause.

Even though the episodes may have short run times, Creature Commandos still takes advantage of what it can. As a result, Gunn and company prove that they’ve mastered this character-centric formula.

8. Batman: Caped Crusader

A revival in spirit and style of the beloved Batman: The Animated Series by that show’s creators, Batman: Caped Crusader is a Noir-ish cartoon.

Set in 1940s Gotham City, each episode is a standalone story about Batman versus one villain—a forgotten art form. Hamish Linklater’s cold, deep performance fits like a glove for this greener, angrier Batman.

Across its 10 episodes, there are some refreshing twists on some familiar supporting characters, from a Joker-less Harley Quinn to a Two-Face who needed some acid to face to bring out his good side.

9. Terminator Zero

The Terminator franchise has infamously run out of steam (or oil, rather) in the last few decades. Netflix’s Terminator Zero anime is the closest the franchise has come to the majesty of the original two films. For one, there’s a stellar voice cast to carry the material: André Holland as Dr. Malcolm Lee, Timothy Olyphant as the Terminator, and Sumalee Montano as Misaki.

The story can get convoluted (what time travel plot doesn’t), but the anime has a philosophical bent, mirroring Terminator creator James Cameron’s beloved Ghost In The Shell.

The lynchpin of the show is Kokoro (Rosario Dawson), another AI created to stop Skynet in a risky fight fire with fire plan—the AI is made not into just an ominous threat, but a character learning about the world, and we understand how it reaches conclusions about humanity that it does.

10. Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory premiered in May of 2024 and shortly after followed it with its second season. Unlike many other Netflix shows, this animated series didn’t leave fans hanging for too long, and only months later, they were able to find out what happened to their favorite characters and the dinosaurs around them.

While the first series, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, in the saga had themes aimed more toward children, this series carries a lot of underlying messages for the adults. How the characters navigate PTSD, grief, and loss is incredible, setting the perfect example of how these themes should be handled onscreen.

The second season of the show has definitely placed it among some of the best versions of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise. These characters are just as memorable and lovable as Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, Claire Dearing, and Owen Grady.

11. Bluey

Bluey continues to be the warm hug parents need after a day of parenting and second-guessing every choice they’ve made. It is the kind of show made for children with a secret, encouraging message that reminds parents we’re all human (funny enough) and mistakes are bound to happen, but what matters is that you show your children that you love them.

While every episode will keep the children entertained, it will pull at the heartstrings of the grownups as they remind us of past experiences or give us a look into what our future might look like.

Whether you’re watching with your kids or alone, Bluey is bound to get a tear or two out of you, but it will always leave you happier and more at peace than how it found you.

12. Dragon Prince

The Dragon Prince continued its sprawling tale in 2024. After 6 seasons and with a 7th just around the corner, The Dragon Prince is one of Netflix’s longest-running series, animated or otherwise.
As a result, the creators have had time to create a rich world of magic and adventure that captures viewers’ imaginations with each new revelation.

It is a world populated with complicated characters who have been given time to grow and build relationships in a way few animated shows get.

Whether it’s delivering on Rayla and Cullen’s ship, the wonderful queer representation of Amaya and Janai’s relationship, the political intrigue, or the thrilling climatic battle, The Dragon Prince Season 6 was a deeply satisfying continuation of what has always been a stand-out animated series.

It is the fantasy genre at its best and an example of what’s possible when shows are given time and space to tell their stories.

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Contributions by: Mads Misasi, Sarah Fields, Melody McCune, Lara Rosales, Devin Meenan, Misael Duran, and Christopher Gallardo.

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