Disney+ is home to some of the best animated series, offering everything from nostalgic childhood favorites to raunchy adult comedies. Whether you’re in the mood for epic adventures or heartwarming tales, the streaming platform makes sure to have animated TV shows for all ages.
With so many options, settling on just one can be overwhelming. These 15 animated series represent the strongest of the Disney+ catalog, containing some of the best Star Wars TV shows to comedies you can’t help but laugh out loud at. Spanning different eras, genres, and audiences, there’s something for everyone.
Futurama
Futurama has one of the oddest ensembles of characters that TV has ever seen, ranging from robots to an exceptionally elderly scientist. A pizza delivery boy wakes up 1,000 years in the future, embarking on adventures with an unlikely group of friends that’s guaranteed to be a good time.
The plot feels like a fever dream in the best way possible. It definitely earns a spot in the top 15, but it just doesn’t top the other series on this list.
Hercules: The Animated Series
It’s a bit of a hidden gem on Disney+, and it deserves much more recognition. For fans of the Disney movie that came out just a year before, you’ll find this one particularly entertaining.
The Hercules animated series takes place during the events of the 1997 film of the same name. It follows the titular character’s journey to becoming a hero, focusing on the years he spent training under Phil the satyr. The show ran for only 65 episodes, and its popularity dwindled shortly after it went off the air.
Even for those who aren’t the biggest Disney fans, the series is incredibly heartwarming and nostalgic. It has plenty of callbacks to the original movie and other Disney works, such as the episode where Hades revives Jafar, the villain from Aladdin.
Gravity Falls
Gravity Falls combines mystery, laughs, and supernatural adventures, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Dipper and Mabel alone are enough to land the show on this list. They’re hilarious and unapologetically themselves, which sends an inspiring message to the audience.
The twins spend a summer with their great uncle Stan, helping him run The Mystery Shack, the local tourist trap. While there, Dipper discovers a journal that holds years of secrets and dangers in the town of Gravity Falls.
Its intended audience ranges a bit younger, but after rewatching it, it’s clear it works for all ages. The show conveys many valuable themes of identity and self-confidence, and seeing atypical heroes fighting to keep a town safe is a refreshing change.
Over The Garden Wall
This sure is one weird show, but that’s what makes it stand out. Two half-brothers get lost in a time-defying forest, where they have to embark on a series of strange adventures to try to find their way back home.
Elijah Wood voices an anxious Greg, who’s the oldest brother on the journey and the one who tries to keep the gang on track. It’s a quick watch, with only 10 episodes that run at about 10 minutes each. Binging it takes less than two hours, so it can double as a movie option, too.
It’s visually pleasing and uses a warm palette of colors for its animation, which makes it a perfect rewatch during the fall and winter months. There are catchy songs and a beautiful soundtrack, making it unlike any other series on Disney+.
The Simpsons
With over three decades of episodes, The Simpsons helped define adult animation and laid the blueprint for the countless shows that came after. Its impact is undeniable, but even that isn’t enough to rank it higher.
The series follows the dysfunctional Simpson family as they go through life in Springfield, a town packed with iconic characters and never-ending chaos. Its success has led to several Simpsons movies and even a themed land at Universal Studios.
It almost feels wrong to rank the show this low, but the quality eventually started dwindling in later seasons, and some of its jokes felt cheap. Still, it’s an essential watch and one of the greats on the streaming platform.
Eyes Of Wakanda
Eyes of Wakanda is another hidden gem on Disney+, but it undoubtedly deserves a spot in the top ten. Premiering just this year, the show expands on the Black Panther universe by exploring the history of Wakanda.
Eyes Of Wakanda spans across different eras, traveling to time periods like 1260 B.C. and Ancient Greece. Wakandan warriors are sent to retrieve vibranium relics, making sure the nation’s most powerful resource doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
The animation style leads into Afrofuturism while still being grounded in the world of Marvel. It has a more serious tone than most of the other animated series on this list, which makes the action feel more intense. For Marvel fans looking for something deeper, Eyes of Wakanda is the perfect choice.
Recess
Recess is proof that even a playground can feel just as epic as a fantasy world. The series follows a tight-knit group of six elementary school kids who navigate the daunting social politics of recess.
In a world of unwritten rules enforced by King Bob, fourth-grade playtime can be pretty intense. It’s undeniably funny, but also a realistic interpretation of what we all felt in elementary school.
But beneath the humor and the exaggerated characters lie depictions of authority, friendship, and finding yourself. Recess works for all ages and is a great rewatch for any stage of life. Few animated shows have managed to capture childhood so authentically while still being entertaining.
Star Wars: Visions
This is one of the most daring projects the Star Wars universe has done, largely due to its animation style. It’s rooted in anime aesthetics that brings studios from across the globe together into one art form.
The series tells standalone stories set in a world far, far away and features popular characters like Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett. It keeps the same themes of the Force and the Jedi, but uses different art styles to make it feel new.
Some of the episodes lean into emotional storytelling while others go all-in on the action. Since they’re standalone stories, Visions also caters to first-time viewers, but it’s a must-watch for longtime fans and a great reminder of how flexible the Star Wars universe can be.
Phineas and Ferb
It’s a show that never gets old, even 18 years later. While on summer vacation, the stepbrothers go on increasingly ridiculous adventures as their sister, Candace, desperately tries (and fails) to expose them to their mom.
Each episode follows the stepbrothers as they search for ways to keep themselves busy. Dr. Doofenshmirtz became a fan-favorite villain, and his confrontations with Perry the Platypus kept audiences wanting more.
What makes this series so great is its creative writing and iconic musical numbers that are still catchy all this time later. There are endlessly quotable lines and hilarious characters that work together to make this one of Disney Channel’s most rewatchable animated shows.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Spider-Man: The Animated Series still remains one of the strongest adaptations of the superhero to date, even after all the fan-favorite movies that dominated box offices years later. First airing in 1994, the show follows Peter Parker as he balances superhero responsibilities with everyday struggles.
The dichotomy of a high-school student facing an intimidating lineup of villains in between chemistry exams should be laughable, but the series doesn’t exaggerate it. It treats its stories seriously, which ultimately makes it stand out.
Storylines spanning across multiple episodes that carried heavy emotional stakes were uncommon for animated shows at the time, but the ’90s Spider-Man series embraced them. It also introduced many fans to comic book favorites that helped define Marvel as we know it today.
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