Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for multiple TV shows.Although there’s no shortage of great animated shows, there are few that end on a perfect note. It’s no easy feat to run a phenomenal series for years, building an enormous amount of anticipation among fans, and then execute an ending worthy of the series. But when a great animated series manages to do exactly that, it creates a special and memorable experience for viewers.
Shows like Samurai Jack and Arcane managed to captivate audiences with visually arresting storytelling and finished with perfect endings that solidified their status among the pantheon of animated television. This list will look at those series and others that managed to tell engrossing stories that managed to finish on just the right note for audiences.
10
‘Samurai Jack’ (2001–2017)
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky
Samurai Jack tells the story of a skilled Samurai prince (Phil LaMarr) with a mystic katana who attempts to liberate his kingdom from the grip of a powerful and evil demon lord named Aku (Mako Iwamatsu Seasons 1-4, Greg Baldwin in Season 5). Before dealing the final blow, Aku rips a hole through space and time and casts Jack thousands of years into a dystopian future where Aku is the ruler. Jack battles his way through a slew of villains as he hunts his nemesis down and attempts to get back home.
Inspired by films like Ben-Hur and Lawrence of Arabia, as well as Frank Miller‘s comic book series, Ronin, Samurai Jack features some of the most smooth and visually dynamic animation of all time. While the series stopped production in 2003, it came back in 2017 for a fifth and final season that featured more mature content than its previous seasons. Samurai Jack ends with the eponymous warrior finally defeating Aku and returning in time, but at the cost of the woman he falls in love with, an assassin initially sent to kill him. It’s an emotional and bittersweet ending to a beautiful series, and while it was sad, it feels like the perfect ending to Jack’s story.
9
‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ (2005–2008)
Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko
Avatar: The Last Airbender tells of a world divided into four nations that are named after and defined by the elements their people are able to harness and manipulate. Among them, the Fire Nation seeks to subjugate and rule over all others. The only person who can control all the elements is the fabled avatar, Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), a young boy who reawakens to find he must go on a journey to master the elements and finally bring peace to the world.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best fantasy series of the last 25 years; it tells a thematically rich story about the importance of friendship, community, and redemption. It also offers a thoughtful critique of toxic masculinity while promoting healthy values through the arcs of Zuko (Dante Basco) and Uncle Iroh (Mako and Greg Baldwin). It’s a phenomenally written story that only got better as it went on, and the finale ends with Aang finally defeating the Fire Lord Ozai (Mark Hamill) in the series’ most intense battle. Though things get shockingly brutal between the two, Aang doesn’t sacrifice his pacifist values and chooses instead to strip Ozai of his abilities, demonstrating how one can battle their enemy without forsaking their beliefs. A big bonus was Aang and Katara (Mae Whitman) sharing a kiss at the end of the end of the finale.
8
‘BoJack Horseman’ (2014–2020)
Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
BoJack Horseman is set in a fictionalized version of Hollywood where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist. Protagonist BoJack (Will Arnett) is a washed-up ’90s sitcom star who struggles with depression, addiction, and a fading career. BoJack has a proclivity for hurting those closest to him, but despite his shortcomings, he makes sincere attempts at bettering himself.
BoJack Horseman is a deep and thoughtful series that features a troubled and tragically complex character that’s truer to life than the majority of protagonists in animated series. BoJack Horseman keeps things brutally real for audiences, and isn’t afraid to take on complicated and controversial topics, albeit with a nuanced approach. Just like the rest of the series, the ending doesn’t offer a simple redemption for BoJack. Instead, BoJack gets temporary leave and the opportunity to see his friends one more time at Princess Carolyn’s (Amy Sedaris) wedding. BoJack has a series of conversations with his friends, including a final, poignant discussion with Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie) and he comes to terms with his shrinking presence and importance in their lives. It’s a bittersweet and poignant ending to the series that feels true to life and perfectly illustrates why it’s one of the best animated series for adults.
7
‘Dragon Ball Z’ (1989–1996)
Created by Akira Toriyama
Dragon Ball Z continues the story of Goku (Sean Schemmel), an alien sent to conquer Earth by the Saiyans. Instead, Goku is raised by a peaceful martial artist who he regards as his grandfather and comes to regard Earth as his home. He makes friends with a group of people known as the Z fighters, and together they protect the Earth from a variety of enemies. Dragon Ball Z remains one of the most popular and enduring anime series of all time.
While Dragon Ball Z didn’t make the end to Goku’s adventures, it still featured a perfect ending to the most iconic and popular Dragon Ball series. Dragon Ball Z included some of the most unforgettable moments and characters in the Dragon Ball universe, including Vegeta (Christopher Sabat and Brian Drummond), Frieza (Linda Young and Pauline Newstone), Cell (Dameon Clarke), and Majin Buu (Scott McNeil and Josh Martin). Formative moments include Goku’s transformation into a Super Saiyan, which featured one of the greatest battles in anime history, and Gohan’s final battle with Cell. The series ends with Goku saying farewell to his beloved friends as he embarks on a new journey to train Uub (Sean Teague and Reece Thompson). It’s a bittersweet ending to one of the most important and influential anime series of all time, and it was just open-ended enough to pave the way for new spin-offs.
6
‘Adventure Time’ (2010–2018)
Created by Pendleton Ward
Adventure Time follows the journey and experiences of twelve-year-old Finn (Jeremy Shada) and his mystical 28-year-old dog Jake (John DiMaggio) as they travel the Land of Ooo battling evil. The two meet several characters, including the evil Ice King (Tom Kenny), who attempts to force Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch) to marry him. Adventure Time is one of the most unique animated series of all time; it blended a surrealist animation style with deep storytelling in a way that resonated with audiences.
Adventure Time featured a perfect ending that wrapped up with all the qualities that made the show a beloved mainstay in the first place. In the four-part finale, it features the heroes of the series in a final showdown against GOLB to save the Land of Ooo, a heartwarming kiss between Marceline (Olivia Olson) and Bubblegum, and the heartbreaking death of Fern (Hayden Ezzy). The series featured equal amounts of action and sentimentality in a way that seamlessly tied up every plot thread of the show. It was a moving ending to one of the best animated fantasy series.
5
‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)
Created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee
Arcane is a modern television masterpiece that follows the story of sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who become embroiled in a violent war between the opulent city of Piltover and the oppressed poverty-stricken city of Zaun following a botched robbery. Inspired by the video game League of Legends, Arcane explores the origins of two of the game’s main characters and in doing so tells a nuanced story rife with rich character development and riveting storytelling.
Arcane is the type of series that immediately grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go throughout the course of its two mesmerizing seasons. There’s no shortage of tragedy and action as Arcane delves into a multitude of deep themes that include the nature of existence, fate, and time itself. Arcane pivots from intense, visually arresting action that’s beautifully shot and choreographed, to heartbreaking moments of tragedy. The ending of the series features Jinx sacrificing herself with a grenade to kill Vander (JB Blanc) and save her friends. It’s a fitting conclusion to Jinx’s arc, who spends the entire series trying to become a hero. While this eventually puts her on an evil path due to Silco’s (Jason Spisak) influence, she finally redeems herself in the heartbreaking finale. Although there’s just enough ambiguity to suggest she may have faked her death, it doesn’t detract from the perfect ending to a perfect series.
4
‘Regular Show’ (2010–2017)
Created by J. G. Quintel
Regular Show follows the lives of Mordecai (J. G. Quintel) and Rigby (William Salyers), two groundskeepers that work at a park and spend their time trying to avoid responsibility. They hang out, play video games and basically spend their time trying to chill, but somehow these mundane activities spiral out of control into insane, surreal adventures that throw the characters into all sorts of bizarre scenarios, including time travel and battling intergalactic foes.
Regular Show ended on a note as epic and outrageous as the rest of the series. Mordecai, Rigby ,and the gang head to space for one final climactic battle that involves cosmic powers and heartfelt goodbyes. It was the perfect final battle for one of the best animated series of the 2010s. But the best part of the ending was the heartwarming sentimental epilogue that depicts Mordecai and Rigby growing up, starting families, and remaining friends after 25 years. It’s brilliantly scored to David Bowie‘s masterpiece “Heroes” and leaves audiences with a surprisingly touching sendoff.
3
‘Gravity Falls’ (2012–2016)
Created by Alex Hirsch
Gravity Falls is a mystery adventure series that follows 12-year-olds Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel (Kristen Schaal) during a summer that they spend with their Grunkle Stan (Alex Hirsch) in the strange town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Gravity Falls is a magnet for supernatural and paranormal phenomena and a dream-demon named Bill Cipher (Hirsch).
Over the course of two seasons, Gravity Falls kept audiences rapt in a riveting story that followed the twins as they investigated the town’s many mysteries. This beautifully written series led up to an emotional finale in which Bill Cipher unleashed a bizarre apocalypse on the town called “Weirdmaggedon”. Grunkle Stan ultimately sacrifices his memories, including those he shares with his beloved great-grandchildren, to put an end to Bill’s terror, and the kids make a somber exit back to their homes in California. It was an incredibly moving ending to an incredible series that was able to seamlessly blend horror with comedy in a style similar to Twin Peaks and The Simpsons, appealing to younger and older audiences alike.
2
‘Futurama’ (1999–)
Created by David X. Cohen and Matt Groening
Futurama is a science fiction comedy series that follows Philip J. Fry (Billy West), a pizza delivery guy who wakes up in 2999 after accidentally being cryogenically frozen in 1999. Fry joins the crew of the Planet Express, captained by the one-eyed Leela (Katey Sagal). Futurama is a classic animated series that’s revered for its razor-sharp humor and moments of profound sentimentality.
Although Futurama’s been canceled and revived on several occasions with over four series finales, “Meanwhile” remains the best of them. In the 2013 series finale, Professor Farnsworth (West) invents a button that can take a person 10 seconds back in time, but Fry inadvertently freezes everyone except Leela and himself. The couple proceed to live out their entire lives together in a touching episode that reminded fans of how much heart Futurama has. Futurama is a comedy series that’s capable of building up to unforgettable emotional gut punches that are sure to make even the toughest audience members shed a tear, and “Meanwhile” exemplifies this.
1
‘Star Wars: Clone Wars’ (2008–2020)
Created by George Lucas
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and presents the complexities of The Clone Wars through the eyes of Jedi like Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), as well as breakout characters like Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) and Commander Rex (Dee Bradley Baker). Canceled in 2013, the series was a smash hit among fans who eagerly waited and hoped for a conclusion to the series, which finally arrived in 2020.
The four-part finale of The Clone Wars is an elegant and emotional finale featuring such an incredible arc that it redeemed the prequel films. The series finale centers on Ahsoka and Rex during the events Revenge of the Sith in an escape story that unfolds as the full weight of Order 66 comes crashing down. It’s a devastating episode that features emotionally searing moments, including Ahsoka refusing to kill the clones despite their attempts to kill her and Darth Vader finding Ahsoka’s abandoned lightsaber in the snow, a moment that features little sound save for the lightsaber and a condor overhead. It’s a poignant and perfect conclusion to the series.
- Release Date
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2008 – 2020-00-00
- Network
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Cartoon Network, Netflix, Disney+
- Directors
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Brian Kalin O’Connell, Steward Lee, Giancarlo Volpe, Bosco Ng, Danny Keller, Rob Coleman, Justin Ridge, Nathaniel Villanueva, Saul Ruiz, Jesse Yeh, Duwayne Dunham, Atsushi Takeuchi, Robert Dalva, Walter Murch