It's been a good year for animated shows on streaming services. I've watched over 40 shows so far this year and of the nine animated series I've watched, quite a few rank highly on that list.
One animated show even makes the top 10 of the best shows I've watched so far in 2024. Which show, you ask? Well, unsurprisingly, it's "X-Men '97," which has been a smash hit for Disney Plus. But it's not alone in terms of animated shows I rate particularly highly this year, as two others currently crack my top 15.
So without further ado, here are my picks for the five best animated shows of 2024 on Netflix, Disney Plus and more of the best streaming services.
'X-Men '97' (Disney Plus)
"X-Men '97" picks up almost immediately after the events of the 1990s show "X-Men: The Animated Series." Part sequel and part reboot, this show brings back several original voice cast members and the original show's iconic theme song. It also brings back the original show's 2D animation style, which some people didn't love. But for me, I appreciated it as an original choice.
Thankfully, this show following the adventures of Marvel's iconic X-Men characters isn't just a nostalgia play. It's Marvel's best show in years (though not the only Marvel show on this list) and episodes like "Remember It," "Bright Eyes" and "Mutant Liberation Begins" are among the best episodes of television this year. This is a must-watch show, whether you're a Marvel fan or not.
Stream the entire first season now on Disney Plus
'Terminator Zero' (Netflix)
"Terminator Zero" only just dropped on Netflix on Aug. 29, but I binged the entire eight-episode limited series in less than 12 hours while trying (and failing) to get Oasis tickets. Set in the "Terminator" universe, this animated series starts the day before Judgement Day but is set in Japan rather than the U.S. But while the first few episodes feel a bit familiar, it quickly shifts into its own story within this sci-fi universe rather than just retreading the same story.
The show centers around an AI Kokoro (Rosario Dawson/Atsumi Tanezaki) developed by Malcolm Lee (André Holland/Yuuya Uchida), which both Skynet and resistance soldiers have deemed a threat. Skynet sends a cybernetic assassin Terminator (Timothy Olyphant/Yasuhiro Mamiya) back in time to stop Kokoro, while the resistance fighters send Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno/Toa Yukinari) back in time to stop Kokoro and Skynet's assassin. The voice cast never quite lives up to the hype, but the story, animation and score more than make up for it. Despite typically preferring subtitles, I watched the English dub, which was expertly done.
Stream the entire limited series now on Netflix
'Marvel's Hit-Monkey' (Hulu)
This Marvel show you've probably never heard of might also be one of the best Marvel shows ever. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, "Marvel's Hit-Monkey" follows the adventures of Hit-Monkey (Fred Tatasciore), a Japanese macaque turned elite assassin, and Bryce Fowler (Jason Sudeikis), a former assassin and Hit-Monkey's mentor ... who also happens to be a ghost.
If that premise sounds too wacky, I get it. It's why I initially stopped watching after just two episodes back in 2021. But on a whim, I picked the show back up this year when season 2 dropped on Hulu this July and I couldn't stop watching. The voice cast is incredible and the writing is just as good.
My favorite thing about season 2 has to be the arrival of Bryce's estranged daughter Iris (Cristin Milioti), who teams up with crime scene cleaner extraordinaire Buddy (Rob Corddry) so she can be involved in her ghostly father's line of work. If you're a Marvel fan, or love adult animated shows like "Archer," this show is a must-watch.
Stream seasons 1-2 now on Hulu or Disney Plus
'The Dragon Prince' season 6 (Netflix)
"The Dragon Prince" is the lone family-friendly entrant in this list, frankly because when kid shows do kid show things, they tend to become overly saccharine. Thankfully, this show from Aaron Gabriel Ehasz, former head writer and co-executive producer of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," largely avoids this, producing family-friendly animation that still manages to get deep and emotional on a level that's on par with even the best live action shows.
Set in the fictional continent of Xadia, the story of "The Dragon Prince" centers around the struggles between the three main factions on the continent: humans, elves and dragons. With the arrival of the new Storm Dragon Prince, Azymondias, human princes Callum (Jack DeSena) and Ezran (Sasha Rojen) and the Moonshadow Elf Rayla (Paula Burrows) have a rare opportunity to secure an era of peace for Xadia. But the Startouch Elf Aaravos (Erik Dellums) is working behind the scenes to sow chaos and get revenge on those who wronged and imprisoned him.
In season 6, we get incredible insight into Aaravos' motivations as the show's villain, ratcheting up the tension of the show to new heights. Each episode is around 30 minutes or less, so catch up on "The Dragon Prince" now before season 7 arrives on December 19, 2024, bringing the show's current storyline to a close.
Stream seasons 1-6 now on Netflix
'Invincible' season 2 part 2 (Prime Video)
"Invincible" stars Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson. Mark has superpowers thanks to his father Nolan (J.K. Simmons), who most of the world knows as the superhero Omni-Man but in reality, is an advanced scout for the alien Viltrumite empire. While the events of season 1 see the two irrevocably split, the first part of season 2 saw the pair reunited on an alien world, all while Mark still tries to balance college, his girlfriend (Zazie Beetz) and trying to save the world.
This season wasn't the strongest season from "Invincible." It didn't help that it took over two years for season 2 to arrive in the first place, and then took another several months for the final four episodes of the season to arrive this March. But, luckily, a bad season of "Invincible" is still a good season of television. The final episode in particular still manages to land an emotional gut punch, even if it's undercut a bit by season 2 part 2's pacing is a bit off.
Stream seasons 1-2 now on Prime Video
