Animated shows are no longer meant just for kids. Their themes aim relatability towards young adults or adults and become a medium of adventure to enjoy and watch.
Shows like Rick and Morty and BoJack Horseman have been running for more than a decade because of their immense popularity among the adult audience who are interested in watching shows about life lessons doused in humor. Another popular animated series theme is adventure and action, which is thrilling to watch in animation as it doesn’t lower the believability factor in the storytelling and, on the contrary, pulls more audience.
So, if you are looking for an adventurous story or something like a sitcom, you are in the right place because here is a list of 25 most popular animated TV series for you to watch.
Rick and Morty (2013- )
Explore the wonders of the infinite space and universe with a pair of grandpa and grandson. Rick is a careless, alcoholic, but brilliant scientist who has the ability to travel through space and time. Roping in his initially reluctant grandson, they start a never-ending series of adventures.
Genres: Adventure, Science Fiction, Comedy
Stream on: Netflix, Adult Swim
Big Mouth (2017-24)
With lessons focused on a growth spurt, puberty, and s*xual exploration, Big Mouth follows a group of five 7th-grade teenagers who interact and deal with people or objects around them, which give them advice.
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Coming of Age
Stream on: Netflix
The Simpsons (1989- )
It is a sitcom about a family of five with an airhead father, a responsible mother, a reckless 10-year-old boy, a quiet but smart and often overlooked girl, and lastly, a sweet one-year-old baby girl. A satirical comedy about finding unconventional in a conventional family, The Simpsons is one of the longest-running TV series.
Genre: Comedy
Stream on: Disney +
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir (2015- )
Marinette and Adrian are a couple of normal teenagers who are going through problems of family, friendship, and love but they also have a secret. They both are tasked with miraculous powers to stop evil forces from terrorizing the city of Paris.
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
Stream on: Disney +, Netflix
South Park (1997- )
A social and political satire is shown through four 10-year-old boys in the odd small town of South Park. The show follows their misadventures with plenty of crude humor and shows a dysfunctional society in this fictional town.
Genre: Comedy
Stream on: Max, Vudu
Scavengers Reign (2023)
Follow a crew of destroyed freighter ships in their cosmic exploration of the planet they are left stranded on that hides dangers within its gorgeous landscapes. Scavengers Reign is a science fiction show where the surviving members have to fight for their survival until rescue arrives,
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama, Adventure
Stream on: Max
Invincible (2021- )
Mark is afraid that he won’t be able to follow in his father’s footsteps, who is one of the greatest superheroes on Earth, the Omni-man. But when his latent powers awaken, Mark has to learn to soldier the responsibility of being a good superhero and save the people before danger strikes.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Family Guy (1999- )
The animated TV series Family Guy follows a family of five and their dog through their various daily misadventures. With sick and twisted humor, the family consists of a doofus father, a charming mother, an awkward eldest sister, a teenage son who is hopeless with girls, and a psychopathic but brilliant baby who is hell-bent on destroying the world as well as his family, and last but not the least is their anthropomorphic family dog who is cleverest of them all.
Genre: Comedy, Family
Stream on: Disney +
Bob’s Burger (2011- )
Down on his luck, a burger restaurant owner who is constantly hindered in taking his business to success by his rival pizzeria, his in-laws, and his own three mischievous children.
Genre: Comedy, Family
Stream on: Hulu
Pantheon (2022-23)
A girl discovers that something bigger and sinister is at play when she starts receiving calls from her deceased father. Maddie is grieving the loss of her father, who was a brilliant programmer, but later, she learns that his mind has been preserved and he can still maintain his presence in her life.
Genre: Science Fiction, Drama
Stream on: Apple TV, DirecTV, Vudu
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-20)
Jedi Knights Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, along with stalwart Yoda, led the way for the Grand Army of the Republic to fight against the vicious army of the Separatists.
Genre: Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Stream on: Disney +
Castlevania: Nocturne (2023- )
Richter Belmont comes from a family who has a legacy of being bounty hunters who eliminated vampires. He finds his calling when a sorceress seeks his help in stopping the rise of a terrifying and tyrant vampire who wants to take advantage of the French Revolution to enslave humans and cause the destruction of humanity.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Horror
Stream on: Netflix
Archer (2009-23)
Themes of espionage and violence come together in this retro-style animated series, Archer, following Agent Sterling Archer, who works for his domineering mother’s spy agency and deals with crises locally and globally.
Genre: Action, Comedy
Stream on: Netflix
BoJack Horseman (2014-20)
BoJack Horseman deals with the loss of his stardom with the help of his ex-girlfriend and his manager, Princess Carolyn. The show uses comedy as a medium to talk about serious topics like mental illness.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Stream on: Netflix
Love, Death & Robots (2019- )
Love, Death & Robots is produced by David Fincher and created by Tim Miller and follows the format of an anthology to tell stories on themes of romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror through the medium of beautiful, eye-catching animations.
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction
Stream on: Netflix
What If… ? (2021- )
The TV series What If chooses the significant moments from the history of the Marvel Heroes, changes the circumstances and results, and answers the interesting questions of what could have been like if Killmonger had saved Tony Stark or Thor grew up as a single child.
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Action
Stream on: Disney +
Arcane (2021- )
Two sisters come to face each other when they stand against each other in this fantastical world of Arcane, where the society is on the verge of collapse because of the massive difference between the rich and poor, and adding to the mayhem is a mad scientist who has produced a strange drug that can turn humans into monsters.
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Drama
Stream on: Netflix
Castlevania (2017-21)
Castlevania is a dark fantasy animated TV series that follows a vampire hunter, Trevor Belmont, who is the last of his family. After an angry vampire raises his army of hellish monsters in order to take revenge for his wife’s murder, Trevor is the only person capable of stopping his bloody carnage.
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Stream on: Netflix
American Dad (2005- )
It is a farcical show about an American family where the dad is a secret CIA agent whose duty is to protect the people and save the day. With unconventional characters, relatable plots, and quirky family dynamics
Genre: Comedy
Stream on: Disney +
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-08)
The world needs saving, and only an Avatar who is the master of all four elements: water, air, fire, and earth, will be able to save it. The world is divided into four parts on the basis of elements and when the fire realm is invaded by malicious forces, the other realms start to look for the Avatar and find him in a young boy, Aang.
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
Stream on: Netflix
Gravity Falls (2012-16)
Dipper and Mabel, a pair of twins with different personalities, are bummed to hear that they will have to spend a boring summer vacation with their uncle in Gravity Falls, a scenic town in Oregon. When Dipper, who is obsessed with paranormal and adventure, discovers a book about malevolent forces lurking in Gravity Falls, he and his twin sister start their own adventure.
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Fantasy
Stream on: Disney +
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95)
Gotham City has sinister forces, thugs, and lunatics lurking in its every corner, and billionaire Bruce Wayne moonlights as a nightly vigilante who removes these criminals from the streets of Gotham with the help of Robin, Batgirl, and police officer James Gordon.
Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery
Stream on: Max
The Legend of Vox Machine (2022- )
In the kingdom of Exandaria, a group of carefree mercenaries, Vox Machina, who only cares about money and cheap alcohol, come to understand the need for the usage of their powers when their kingdom becomes the target of evil and malicious people.
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Harley Quinn (2019- )
The show follows Harley Quinn on her adventure after separating from being only known as ‘Joker’s girlfriend’ and establishing an evil crew of her own, finding her own nemesis, and impressing the Legion of Doom.
Genre: Crime, Fantasy, Comedy
Stream on: Max, DirecTV
Justice League (2001-04)
Back to back, evil and malevolent forces are attacking the peace and stability of Earth, and it’s not only up to one superhero to save it alone, so Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Aqua Man, among others, form a team called Justice League.
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Crime
Stream on: Netflix
