It’s hard enough to make a consistent animated show, but to make an animated show whose level of quality remains so consistent throughout its run that the series never has a single bad season is on a whole other level. This phenomenon isn’t all that common, but over the years, there have definitely been animated shows legendary enough that they’ve gone through several seasons and dozens upon dozens of episodes without ever seeing any significant dip in quality.
From classics like Batman: The Animated Series to modern masterpieces of the medium like Arcane, these shows are proof that it’s definitely possible to do a relatively long-running animated show that never jumps the shark. With a good enough writers’ room, a timeless visual quality, and the undying love and support of loyal fans, any series should be able to offer high-quality season after high-quality season, and these demonstrate that principle perfectly. For fairness’ sake, only shows that have had two or more seasons will be counted for this list.
7
‘Phineas and Ferb’ (2007–)
As far as animated shows for kids go, it doesn’t get much more timeless or universally entertaining than Phineas and Ferb. This love letter to summer has a remarkably simple premise, but throughout the entire show, creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh have been able to keep things feeling fresh and infinitely fun. The series ran for only four short-lived seasons until 2015, but it was so successful that it spawned several films and specials, as well as a revival that recently premiered on Disney+. It takes something quite special to achieve all of that.
But as great as the films and specials have been, it’s the original show that’s always kept the magic alive. And though fans tend to agree that Phineas and Ferb was beginning to lose its magic toward the fourth season, there’s no denying that the show doesn’t have a single season that’s anything less than delightful. It’s true that the premise and structure can get a little repetitive and even stale from time to time, but at its best, Phineas and Ferb proves that you don’t need a hugely compelling plot to deliver a show this fun.
6
‘BoJack Horseman’ (2014–2020)
No one could have predicted that Netflix’s sitcom about a horse that’s also a washed-up actor would prove to be one of the most complex and depressing animated masterpieces in the history of television, but here we are. BoJack Horseman may have been off to a bit of a rough start with one of the weakest pilots of any televisual masterpiece, but it quickly picked up steam with a pretty solid inaugural season and gradually became the hilarious yet tear-jerking work of art that fans know and love today.
BoJack‘s first season indeed has some duds here and there, but it’s not bad by any stretch, and the seasons that follow only keep getting better and better. By the time it was approaching its conclusion, BoJack had become one of the most nuanced and emotionally stirring portrayals of addiction, depression, and the dark side of the entertainment industry that TV viewers had ever been treated to, and it did so without ever delivering a single bad season.
5
‘Gravity Falls’ (2012–2016)
One of the most original animated shows ever made, Disney Channel and Disney XD’s Gravity Falls is easily the biggest cult classic that either network has ever produced. You might not expect a kids’ show inspired by the likes of Twin Peaks and The X-Files to work even half as well as this one does, but that’s only one of the many surprises that Alex Hirsch‘s little gem has in store. Mixing elements of sci-fi, supernatural fantasy, and even a healthy dose of horror, this genre-bending modern classic is one of the most mysterious and magical family-friendly shows of all time.
Hirsch always envisioned Gravity Falls as a finite, self-contained story, and so, even though only two seasons of the series ever aired, each episode always felt like it was hugely purposeful, building up to a greater whole. From its delightful pilot to its mind-blowing finale, Gravity Falls remained consistently fun, funny, and atmospheric, full of fascinating lore and interesting characters. Though fans would certainly not have complained about getting one or two more seasons of equal quality, they will always be grateful that the story of Dipper and Mabel remained on such a high note throughout its whole run.
4
‘Samurai Jack’ (2001–2017)
Genndy Tartakovsky, one of the biggest legends of animation, has never been exempt from criticism, but he’s undeniably made some of the most iconic animated TV shows in history, and among them, some might even point to Samurai Jack as the best of the best. Inspired by samurai culture and martial arts films, this cult classic initially aired for only four seasons, but was revived over a decade later for a much darker and more mature final season.
What’s not to love about Samurai Jack? Its implementation of genre elements is consistently entertaining, it has some of the best visuals of any animated series, and it has top-tier writing that complements those visuals quite flawlessly. Artistic, action-packed, with some cleverly implemented bits of humor, and with a final season that’s an absolute blast, this classic has been hailed for years as a timeless masterwork of American animation.
3
‘Batman: The Animated Series’ (1992–1995)
Batman is a hero with no shortage of television portrayals, but none of them are more legendary than the version of the Caped Crusader seen in Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by the iconic Kevin Conroy. This show entirely redefined the character for a new generation, offering what are still some of the most entertaining and compelling Batman stories ever seen in any piece of media. Fun, moody, and visually exquisite, Batman: TAS is a gem through and through.
There’s a clear weakest season here, as the show’s fourth and final installment only had five episodes (all of which originally aired during the same week), but even that short-lived season had tons of strengths that cannot be overstated. All in all, Batman: TAS is one of the most groundbreaking superhero shows in history, and the fact that every one of its seasons has action, mystery, laughter, awesome villains, and an enrapturing atmosphere definitely doesn’t hurt.
2
‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)
Yet another unexpected animated hit from Netflix, Arcane is a show based on the iconic multiplayer online battle arena League of Legends, but newcomers don’t need to know a single thing about the game to get into and enjoy Arcane. After all, a show with this kind of outstandingly engrossing world-building, complex and layered character-writing, and consistently jaw-dropping visuals should be enjoyed by anyone who likes good genre television.
It’s no wonder that Arcane is among the highest-rated streaming original shows on IMDb. Throughout its two seasons, it was always surprising how the creative team behind the show had been able to come up with a story so fascinating and animation so impressive. Fans certainly would have loved to get to see more of this world and its inhabitants, but as a self-contained tale of family dynamics and class struggles, it’s an absolute masterpiece that remained perfect from beginning to end.
1
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Nickelodeon has produced some great cartoons, but the kind of magic that they managed to capture with Avatar: The Last Airbender was a generational kind of perfection that’s virtually impossible to replicate. With visuals inspired by anime and a story that deserves to be counted among the greatest fantasy stories of the 21st century—no matter the medium—, this modern classic has remained one of the biggest cult classics that television has ever offered for years. That’s not likely to change anytime soon.
All it takes is one look at how consistently phenomenal each of the series’ three seasons always remained to realize why it’s so beloved. Though there are elements of slow-burn here, Avatar proves that slow-burning fantasy is always worth it, with some deeply compelling character arcs, lots of hugely satisfying narrative payoffs, and lore and world-building that’s impossible not to find fascinating. The Last Airbender isn’t your typical animated show: It’s a testament to the heights that the medium can achieve at its best.
