# What is the best animated TV series of all time?

> Western cartoons, prestige adult animation, and anime legends collide in this lineup spanning everything from Saturday morning staples to emotionally devastating masterworks. Which series stands above the rest?

*By YPB Team · Published April 14, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-animated-tv-series-of-all-time*

---

## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Avatar: The Last Airbender**
   Nickelodeon's 2005 animated epic spanning three seasons about a young boy destined to master all four elements and save the world.
2. **The Simpsons**
   Matt Groening's 1989 satirical animated sitcom about a middle-class American family that became the longest-running scripted TV show.
3. **Batman: The Animated Series**
   The 1992 acclaimed dark reinvention of Batman that defined the character for a generation with its noir art deco aesthetic.
4. **Arcane**
   Riot Games' 2021 stunning Netflix animated series based on League of Legends, praised for its animation quality and storytelling.
5. **Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood**
   Bones' 2009 anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's manga, universally acclaimed for its story, characters, and emotional depth.
6. **Neon Genesis Evangelion**
   Hideaki Anno's 1995 groundbreaking mecha anime that deconstructed the genre with psychological depth and abstract storytelling.
7. **Samurai Jack**
   Genndy Tartakovsky's 2001 Cartoon Network series featuring stunning minimalist animation and a time-displaced samurai's quest.
8. **Gravity Falls**
   Alex Hirsch's 2012 Disney mystery-comedy about twins spending summer in a supernatural Oregon town, loved by kids and adults alike.
9. **Rick and Morty**
   Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's 2013 adult animated sci-fi sitcom about an eccentric genius and his anxious grandson's adventures.
10. **SpongeBob SquarePants**
   Stephen Hillenburg's 1999 Nickelodeon comedy set in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom that became a global pop culture icon.
11. **Death Note**
   Madhouse's 2006 psychological thriller anime following a high-school student who discovers a notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it.
12. **Attack on Titan**
   Wit/MAPPA's 2013 dark action anime set in a world where humanity hides behind walls to escape giant humanoid Titans.
13. **Over the Garden Wall**
   Patrick McHale's 2014 Cartoon Network miniseries about two brothers lost in a mysterious autumnal forest, acclaimed for its fairy-tale atmosphere.
14. **BoJack Horseman**
   Rafael Bob-Waksberg's 2014 Netflix animated drama about a washed-up Hollywood horse-man, praised for its unflinching exploration of depression.
15. **Steven Universe**
   Rebecca Sugar's 2013 Cartoon Network series about a boy raised by Crystal Gems, celebrated for its LGBTQ+ representation and emotional storytelling.
16. **Demon Slayer**
   ufotable's 2019 anime adaptation of Koyoharu Gotouge's manga featuring some of the most stunning animation in anime history.
17. **Looney Tunes**
   Warner Bros.' classic animation anthology from the 1930s-1960s featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig in timeless shorts.

Tags: tv shows, animation