10 Best Adult Animated Shows Of All Time, According To IMDb

Animation has had to fight against a bit of a reputation problem. Broadly speaking, the medium tends to be thought of as being exclusively for children and/or more juvenile audiences (whether in age or sensibility). In terms of mere output and reception, storytellers from everywhere from France to Japan have proven time and time again that the medium has the bandwidth to tell complex, adult stories in ways that live-action simply cannot. And yet, in the United States, general audiences still have a hard time accepting everything that adult animation should represent.

Thankfully, though, IMDb users have championed adult animation in all its narrative forms. Certainly, readers can expect to find the defining comedies of the 2000s and 2010s below, as well as several standouts from the anime world. But what makes this list even more compelling is how it recognizes a few fleeting, underrated projects that (even if they only ran for a season or two) left an indelible mark on audiences.

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10 | Number of Votes: 36K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 179

"Scavengers Reign" starts off our list as the most underrated (and therefore surprising) entry. Created by Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner for HBO Max, this Emmy Award-winning science fiction/horror drama transports viewers to the mesmerizing alien world of Vesta, where a crew of futuristic spacefarers must survive its beautiful — and brutal — biosphere.

As of writing, "Scavengers Reign" has only released one season. HBO Max declined to renew it for a second outing in 2024. Despite this, Bennett released a teaser for a prospective Season 2 to assert his (and his studio's) resolve to push the story forward. Netflix acquired the streaming rights to the series in 2026, but it has yet to commission further episodes. (Bennett has since returned to the Warner Bros. family for another acclaimed adult animated series with Adult Swim's "Common Side Effects." It has been granted a second season.)

Though fans would surely rather have more episodes of "Scavengers Reign" to watch, a single universally lauded season makes for stronger positioning on IMDb. The episodic rating average for Season 1 is 8.4/10, based on approximately 14,000 submitted ratings. The two highest-rated episodes are the Season 1 finale, "The Reunion" (8.8), and Season 1, Episode 6, "The Fall" (8.9). The latter episode is a major emotional turning point for the series that gets to the heart of its themes of empathy, brutality, and humanity. So, though it's unlikely to ever make a comeback, "Scavengers Reign" will be remembered as one of the many hidden gems in the HBO Max catalog.

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10 | Number of Votes: 30K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 153

For any hardcore fan of animation, the name Genndy Tartakovsky should ring a strong bell. The prolific animator and producer has spent decades creating classics for audiences of all ages, including the Cartoon Network shows "Dexter's Laboratory," "Samurai Jack," and "Sym-Bionic Titan." In 2019, he created "Primal," a revisionist prehistory epic that combines elements of the horror, action-adventure, and fantasy genres, and it stands out as his first creation made specifically for an adult audience. (Ironically, Tartakovsky once imagined "Primal" for an audience under the age of 12.)

The series was an instant, monster hit in terms of critical reception. /Film hailed the first season of "Primal" as Tartakovsky's magnum opus — shortly thereafter, when the world was ushered into lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommended it as a perfect quarantine stream. It won several Emmy Awards during its first season as well (including Outstanding Animated Program) and was at one point the best-reviewed horror TV series on Metacritic. Praise for subsequent seasons has remained consistent, as Tartakovsky continues to surprise viewers with delightfully bizarre narrative choices while raising the bar for the action spectacle — so much so that Season 2 almost broke the animation studio.

IMDb users have rated the first season of "Primal" the highest, collectively awarding it an episodic average of 8.7 from 20,000 ratings (Seasons 2 and 3 have averages of 8.6 and 8.3 respectively). The top episode as of writing is Season 2, Episode 4, "The Red Mist," which features a particularly thrilling (and bloody) battle between protagonists Spear and Fang (a Neanderthal and a Tyrannosaurus rex) taking on an entire village of Viking warriors.

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 | Number of Votes: 104K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 111

If you thought the Jurassic T-rex jousts of "Primal" were bloody, wait until you see the violence on display in Netflix's "Blue Eye Samurai." The revenge drama (one of the best animated projects that debuted in 2023) requires fight sequences so visceral and vicious that its showrunners were genuinely squeamish about bringing them to life. They even provided content warnings to their animators ahead of production.

This shouldn't suggest that gore is the main appeal of "Blue Eye Samurai." As co-creators Amber Noizumi and Michael Green explained in an exclusive interview with /Film, all that blood-and-guts stuff is purely rendered in service of a complex story about a mixed-race samurai (Maya Erskine) trying to track down and ultimately slay the man who assaulted and abandoned her mother. The series won multiple Emmys in 2024, including Outstanding Animated Program. On IMDb, the highest-rated episode is Season 1, Episode 5, "The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride," which currently has a rating of 9.5 (far above the season's episodic average of 8.7).

That being said, we do have to put something of an asterisk on the ranking of "Blue Eye Samurai" on this list. Unlike "Scavengers Reign," "Blue Eye Samurai" has been renewed for a second season. No official release window has been confirmed, though it seems likely (especially after a three-year hiatus) that a nearby date will be announced after Netflix previews the new season at a festival in June 2026. Whenever Season 2 is released, it will undoubtedly affect the series' rating on IMDb, for better or for worse.

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 | Number of Votes: 338K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 102

For years, Robert Kirkman worked tirelessly to write two comic book series at the same time. One of them was adapted into one of the biggest television franchises of all time; the other, Kirkman himself turned into the most-respected superhero series of the 2020s so far.

It's hard to imagine anyone reading this doesn't know what "Invincible" is, broadly speaking. It's the single most effective deconstruction of the superhero genre fans have gotten thus far, often feeling like a blend of traditional television dramas, exaggerated anime action, horror-level gore, and the animated superhero action of a Saturday morning cartoon. "Invincible" has been widely praised for the performances of its stacked voice cast, as well as Kirkman's deft remixing of his original narrative to hone in on the most interesting themes. What was once simply a solid independent superhero story is now the loudest voice asking audiences to question what they expect from the genre at large.

Surprisingly, "Invincible" has not received the same level of institutional recognition as other series on this list. (The show has just two Emmy nominations for series star Steven Yeun and major guest star Sterling K. Brown.) Despite this, it has a proven track record among fans on IMDb represented by the episodic averages of 8.7, 8.4, 8.8, and 8.7 for the first four seasons, all of which have been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics overall. The series' highest-rated episodes — from the Season 1 finale, "Where I Really Come From" (9.7), to Season 4, Episode 7, "Don't Do Anything Rash" (9.9) — are ranked as some of the best-reviewed single episodes of television on the site.

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 | Number of Votes: 79K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 87

"Berserk" is a manga you may not have read, but will often hear compared to other popular television series you've no doubt encountered. /Film, for example, has described it as a mixture of "Game of Thrones" and the work of horror maestro Clive Barker; we have also lauded it as a better version of the same story told through the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy. It is one of the most undeniably influential works of fiction ever written, the reach of which was expanded with a beloved but short-lived anime adaptation that ran for just 25 episodes from 1997-1998.

Adapting only the first two major arcs of Kentaro Miura's manga, Oriental Light and Magic's (OLM) "Berserk" is unrelenting in its grand, tragic brutality throughout. Miura's iconic artwork is brought to life with almost uncomfortably painstaking fidelity, given how gruesome the original series often gets. The story follows Guts (Nobutoshi Canna), a mercenary whose destiny is warped by an unusual alliance with a band of warriors under the command of the irresistible Griffith (Toshiyuki Morikawa). Beginning as a medieval fantasy and adventure tale, it gradually evolves into a horrifying, apocalyptic epic that culminates in what is arguably the most traumatizingly bleak series finale in anime history. (Seriously, it's not for the faint of heart, and anyone interested should go in with a massive content warning.)

The episodic average for the first and only season of "Berserk" is 8.2, though multiple episodes breach the 9.0 barrier (including the finale, "Eien no koku"/"Time of Eternity," which is rated 9.6). A second, more expansive anime adaptation of "Berserk" was attempted in 2016 but failed to reach the standards set by OLM.

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10 | Number of Votes: 79K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 85

By far the longest-running series on the list (having reached its 28th season as of writing), "South Park" was the defining adult animated series of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and it remains a cultural Rorschach test to this day . Trey Parker and Matt Stone created the series using but a few strips of paper and their own voices back in 1995 (when the original "The Spirit of Christmas" short was released) and spun their young, foul-mouthed characters into over 300 episodes of (varyingly effective) satire.

On IMDb, the first 10 seasons consistently have episodic averages in the mid-to-high 8s, with a few exceptions. Season 8 has the highest average of 8.6. Later seasons typically rank in the 7.7-8.2 range. Season 5, Episode 4, "Scott Tenorman Must Die" (an essential "South Park" episode that everyone should watch at least once), has long held its position as the highest-rated episode of the series at 9.5. Elsewhere, Season 10's "Make Love, Not Warcraft," Season 6's "Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers," and Season 5's "Good Times with Weapons" all rank among the top 10. While the vast majority of these episodes hail from the first 10 seasons, the fourth-highest-rated episode of the series overall is actually Season 27, Episode 1, "Sermon on the 'Mount." The episode pointedly took aim at Donald Trump around the same time Paramount (which owns the rights to "South Park") began bending the knee to his administration. It's one of many "South Park" episodes seemingly made to court controversy, albeit with its heart in the right place.

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 | Number of Votes: 139K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 70

IMDb users have proven remarkably passionate about anime as a medium, but, in particular, the series "Vinland Saga." Thanks to both its fanbase's passion and its own masterful blend of several different genres, it has eked its way into several of IMDb's all-time highest-rated lists. For example, it's not only one of the highest-rated anime series on IMDb but one of IMDb's highest-rated historical shows as well.

Yes, "Vinland Saga" is, at its heart, something of a historical drama. The series takes viewers back to the age of the Vikings, where real historical figures occasionally collide with its fictional protagonists. It's but one way the show sets out to ground itself compared to other anime and Viking adventure stories, as "Vinland Saga" attempts to subvert the audience's expectations for righteous violence and cathartic retribution.

"Vinland Saga" has one of the more consistent sets of episodic averages on this list, even though that's mostly due to it only having two seasons. Both Season 1 and Season 2 come in at 8.8, with the show's top 10 episodes breaking into mid-to-high 9s territory. Of course, the famous Season 1 finale, "End of the Prologue," remains on top with a score of 9.9 and is one of the highest-rated episodes of any show on the site, having breached the top 5 overall list on IMDb before. However, our favorite "Vinland Saga" episode at /Film is Season 2, Episode 22, "Emperor of the Rebellion," which currently ranks as the series' second-highest-rated episode on IMDb at 9.7.

IMDb Rating: 8.8/10 | Number of Votes: 233K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 67

As much as "South Park" defined adult animation into the 21st century, "BoJack Horseman" took the reins in the mid-2010s. That said, it isn't the single most influential show of this time period — rather, it shares that responsibility with the very next entry on this list.

Nevertheless, the Netflix series did pioneer several elements that have since gained in popularity and are now more or less expected from any serious animated program meant for adults. That includes grounded, audibly textured performances like Will Arnett's in the titular role; morally and emotionally complex subject matter that punctures the comedy with surprising yet effective emotional beats; and the use of animation as a way to both emulate and subvert what audiences normally see in a prestige live-action drama.

Though it won not a single Emmy Award throughout its run, "BoJack Horseman" is widely regarded as one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Its sixth and final season is the best-reviewed on IMDb, with an episodic average of 8.8. Its highest-rated episode — Season 6, Episode 15, "The View from Halfway Down" — has consistently held a strong 9.9 rating for years, as well as a position within the top 5 highest-rated episodes on IMDb. Both it and the series' second-highest episode — Season 5, Episode 6, "Free Churro" — perfectly encapsulate those influential qualities described above, showcasing "BoJack" at its most imaginative and devastating. Both episodes were considered for the series' two Outstanding Animated Program nominations. "Free Churro" lost to the "Simpsons" episode "Mad About the Toy," while "The View from Halfway Down" lost to a slightly more worthy episode from the other most influential animated program of the mid-late 2010s.

IMDb Rating: 9.0/10 | Number of Votes: 695K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 22

Whether you love it, hate it, or simply feel it's oversaturated, "Rick and Morty" is one of the most important animated programs ever produced. It maintained something of a cult status throughout its first two seasons, but a growing and strangely evangelical fanbase had two full years between Seasons 2 and 3 to spread the show as far and wide as possible. By the time Season 3 premiered, the series had become so popular that it infamously led to an incident where McDonald's locations were stormed across the U.S. by overzealous "Rick and Morty" fans after the show mentioned the fast food chain's discontinued Szechuan Sauce.

That event and its aftermath have, in part, led to the show's declining reputation post Season 3, though other major contributing factors include separate controversies surrounding co-creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland (the latter of whom departed the series in 2023), the show shying away from the serialized aspects that large portions of its fanbase enjoyed, and its increasingly predictable sense of humor. Then again, audiences were so immersed in that humor because "Rick and Morty" effectively set the tone for animated sitcoms in the 2010s. Since the "Rick and Morty" writers are afforded an unusual amount of creative freedom, the show's jokes are dark, chaotic, and far from careful in their construction (and, often, apparently improvised).

The first three seasons are the highest-rated on IMDb, with succeeding episodic averages of 8.5, 8.7, and 8.7. The highest-rated episode of the series overall is Season 3, Episode 7, "The Ricklantis Mix-up." It won two Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program, attributed to Season 3's "Pickle Rick" and Season 4's "The Vat of Acid Episode."

IMDb Rating: 9.1/10 | Number of Votes: 717K | Official Top 250 Ranking: No. 17

Like "Vinland Saga," "Attack on Titan" exemplifies how anime has long been celebrated for deconstructing certain genre tropes and story archetypes more successfully than Western animation (though it ironically has a diametrically opposite thesis on violence). The show begins as a thrilling mash-up of the survival horror, dark fantasy, action, and war genres, only gradually developing a deeper set of dramatic ideas that unite its varied influences toward a common goal. Without spoiling anything for potential new fans, "Attack on Titan" essentially becomes a different series entirely during its final season — and it was still amazing nonetheless.

The extraordinary consistency of the quality of "Attack on Titan" season-to-season is undeniable and further supported by IMDb's users. From Season 1 to Season 4, its episodic averages are 8.8, 9.1, 9.3, and 9.2. That array of numbers peaks higher than any other series on this list. Fans of the show at large were divided on the series finale — yet, on IMDb, the praise seems near-unanimous. The two "Final Chapters" specials rank at 9.5 and 9.0, respectively, while the rest of the last season sits comfortably in the high 8s and low-to-mid 9s throughout. (Season 4, Episode 7, "Assault," is the second-highest-rated episode of the series on IMDb, behind Season 3's "Hero.") Given how influential anime has become over the past two decades, it isn't surprising to find one of the best anime shows of this period at the top of a list celebrating animation as a serious art form for adults.