Best Animated Shows and Cartoon Series of 2021
2021 has been an exceptional year for animation. Most of these stand-out programs are hilarious, while some also have a level of depth and poignancy that isn’t often associated with cartoons. All of these shows are remarkably creative and highly recommended viewing.
1. Solar Opposites Season 2
Solar Opposites is a show that rarely takes its time. Watching things escalate from tiny misunderstandings to disasters threatening to destroy a city or reconstitute the fabric of timespace is this show’s sweet spot.
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2. Marvel's M.O.D.O.K. Season 1
If you’re a fan of Adult Swim-esque humor and have always wondered what that might look like in the Marvel Universe, “M.O.D.O.K.” is going to make you laugh and maybe make you feel sympathy for a megalomaniacal C-list supervillain.
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3. Disenchantment Season 3
Matt Groening has been knocking adult animation out of the park for decades and more specifically redefining it. Disenchantment Part 3 is wholeheartedly different than the other entries in the series, in a good way.
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4. Invincible Season 1
Invincible will have you sucked in by the end of the first episode with great action set pieces, but will really hook you in with the human elements. Rest assured, this is so much more than just another superhero cartoon. No, this is humor, mystery, drama, romance and science fiction, all rolled up into one absolutely addictive treat.
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5. Birdgirl Season 1
If you were a fan of Harvey Birdman, Birdgirl will be a satisfying return to the nutty world of Sebben & Sebben. With Paget Brewster carrying the comedic load, there’s a good story arc to follow, as well.
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6. Archer Season 12
The joy of Jessica Walter's final season of Archer proves in every moment that Malory Archer is the show’s underrated anchor character. Season 12 maintains Archer’s recently restored momentum throughout, and Walter is central to that. She's also irreplaceable, and that factor lends these exceptional episodes a slight sting.
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7. Centaurworld Season 1
The show meshes silly humour and serious ideas, with impressive results. The clever use of stylistic animation differences, as well as the unique approach to music for an animated show, makes it worth a watch.
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8. Devil May Care Season 1
Devil May Care’s humor is edgy, but warm-hearted. We get a lot of gross-out jokes, as well as some truly biting satire, and some of the best moments of the series are visual gags. Every single scene is packed with interesting backdrops that tell a compelling story.
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9. Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2
Lower Decks season 2 remains a highly enjoyable way to "engage" with the Star Trek universe. The comedy is still fast-paced and largely broad enough to work pretty well, and there are several non-reference-based gags that had me cracking up.
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10. Final Space Season 3
It’s always a treat to see what this show manages to unleash. It’s weird and wonderful and not hemmed in by an overly referential charm. With Season 3, ‘Final Space’ has managed to sharpen all of its component parts on both logistical and emotional levels. And there’s plenty of room for it to keep going.
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11. The Great North Season 1
Like Bob's Burgers? In just their first season, The Great North has a straightforward family-sitcom dynamic, loaded up with endearing eccentricity. These are rich characters in absurd situations full of quotable dialogue.
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12. Tuca & Bertie Season 2
Tuca & Bertie is a rare treat of a show. BoJack Horseman producer Lisa Hanawalt continues her compassionate adventure through friendship in a second season that deepens its rich characters while pushing into new territory.
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13. Rick and Morty Season 5
If you are plotting to monkey around with the space-time continuum, at least let it result in a show as funny, clever and brilliant as Rick and Morty. It’s much more clever and funny and sophisticated than its forebears – an adult cartoon that fills the yawning chasm where the now-cancelled BoJack Horseman used to go with something even more dense, with brilliant writing and a worldview so bleak it makes BoJack seem Pollyanna-ish.
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Sea Shell is available worldwide as a free download on the App Store and the Play Store.
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14. Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 1
Do you love The Mandalorian? Do you love Clone Wars? Do you fantasize about being Dave Filoni’s cowboy hat to be as close to that brilliant Star Wars brain as possible? Then The Bad Batch is for you. In all seriousness, The Bad Batch is another home run for Disney and Star Wars.
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15. The Harper House Season 1
Sometimes family is a pain, but they can also be all that people have sometimes. The Harper family look incredibly normal upon an initial glance, but the first episodes of this new show do excellent work to establish each of them as individuals and accentuate the quirks that make these characters stand out among the standard animated sitcom family flock.
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16. Star Wars: Visions Season 1
The galaxy far, far away has never looked more stunning in animation, and at its best Visions folds core Star Wars tenets into compelling stories with characters you instantly want to see more of. Here’s hoping this isn’t the only season we get.
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17. Marvel’s What If...? Season 1
Marvel 's What If...? is a thrilling ride into the multiverse. Each episode locks viewers in with breezy scripts, an agile narrative energy and a mesmerizing, near-photorealistic animation style. ‘What If…?’ holds the highest potential for longevity among all the Marvel shows we've seen so far, due to its relative freedom from either contributing to or connecting with the existing universe moving forward.
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18. Masters of the Universe: Revelation Season 1
Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation radically re-imagines He-Man’s 1980s world. The characters look familiar, but the story is a startling departure. Its story is simple, fun and efficiently told. Its action is slightly more violent than that of its predecessor, though it’s never unpleasant, so younger viewers will have a blast.
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19. Bless The Harts Season 2
Bless The Harts is a fast-moving, very funny show about a working-class family trying to make ends meet, featuring the voices of Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Jillian Bell, and Ike Barinholtz. With a big heart, season two built on the solid foundation they had built with their short first season. It’s very unfortunate that Bless the Harts will not be returning for a third season.
20. Ultra City Smiths Season 1
Ultra City Smiths is much more than an eccentric goof. It’s high-concept past the stratosphere: Sin City plus Labyrinth starring Serpico directed by Jacques Demy — but with toys. Yet as with all of creator Steve Conrad's work, the spacey oddities are grounded by low-key humane sweetness and genially tossed-off humor.
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