The Cuphead Show Season 1 Episodes Ranked

Now here's a real high-class cartoon! Based on the beloved and bestselling 2017 video game, "The Cuphead Show!" is Netflix's latest animated adaptation from the interactive medium, following previous outstanding efforts like "Castlevania” and last year's "Arcane." But unlike those shows, the ceramic superstar's series is aimed at a much younger audience, embodying the 1930s rubber-hose art style of its source material while playing out like a modern iteration on the shows that defined Saturday mornings in decades past.

Three years after the announcement for the animated series, "The Cuphead Show!" finally arrived with a 12-episode debut season (with a second season due this summer). Despite a mixed reception from critics, the show has been widely embraced by animation aficionados and "Cuphead" connoisseurs alike. Not every episode hits, but on the whole, Netflix Animation has successfully translated Studio MDHR's passion project to the small screen. The following list ranks each Season 1 episode of "The Cuphead Show!" from weakest to strongest.

Despite his frequent attendance on "The Cuphead Show!" Elder Kettle had an extremely limited presence in the original title, bestowing Cuphead and Mugman their magical offensive abilities at the journey's outset and little else. Since the show isn't following the events of the game (for now, anyway), what's the franchise's father figure to do but adopt the most classic tropes of his cartoon-character archetype? Incidentally, his lone central episode in the show's first season also has a similar perspective: Worried he's aging into irrelevance, Elder Kettle overhears his surrogate sons "plotting" to dispose of their rusty guardian, leading Elder Kettle to spiral into a bout of extreme paranoia, even though it becomes clear something's been lost in translation.

"Dirt Nap" is a good old-fashioned sequence of literal misunderstandings and exaggerated projection, building a conflict completely out of nothing. It's a fine story, but it feels more tired than traditional, especially given that other, better episodes usually carry a unique beat to catch audiences off-guard. Joe Hanna is lovely as Elder Kettle as always, and the hints at the old can's decorated past are fascinating. Even so, "Dirt Nap" is a disposable episode that likely won't leave any lasting impressions.

Initially designed as a humble avatar for any and all potential player 2s, Mugman's depiction in "The Cuphead Show!" matches the more cautious and timid characterization he embodies (in a single line of dialogue) in the original game, striking a chord similar to Nintendo's Luigi, the most famous brother in gaming. In that sense, it's no surprise Mugman's starring episode features a fairly standard lightweight character arc. Tasked with a certifiably dangerous errand from the irritable shopkeep, Porkrind, the blue brother finds unexpected bravery in a pair of goggles modeled after Dirk Dangerous, a Dick Tracy-esque radio drama character whom the boys idolize.

"The Cuphead Show!" is at its weakest when it reuses tired scenarios. In this case, a timid character adopts a new sense of courage upon wearing an item of clothing. The moment that elevates the episode from being a complete drag is when Cuphead consciously decides to be a supportive brother, ranking among one of the most genuine moments of the season (and it's not the only one, thankfully). Topped off with a surprise cameo at the end, "Dangerous Mugman" sits comfortably in the show's qualitative midpoint between aggressively adequate and surprisingly solid.

Right alongside Ribby and Croaks, The Root Pack are among the first batch of bosses Cuphead and Mugman face in the original "Cuphead," as a trio of powerful perishables loosely based on The Three Stooges. Sal, Ollie, and Chauncey may not be exact recreations, but they still embody the same troublemaking attitude as a group of freeloaders who scour the land for gardens to inhabit. In this episode's case, they take up root in Elder Kettle's garden, sucking it dry and organizing an anthropomorphic veggie celebration that would make Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato from "VeggieTales" blush.

Fittingly, "Root Packed" is defined by its titular gang of nutritional transient tricksters, even if their slight redesigns mean less interesting visual charm (Chauncey's signature psychic powers are completely absent, for example). It's also one of two times in the season in which composer Ego Plum dips into Kristofer Maddigan's sensational soundtrack from the original game — the other being "Ribby & Croaks" — diegetically incorporating "Botanic Panic," The Root Pack's very own battle music, as the big band jazz piece from a group of vegetables during the party. It's a lovely tribute in a solid episode.

"The Cuphead Show!" starts off on a strong note, debuting its main characters and lively world with a fun premise and stunning animation. Naturally, the pilot introduces Tru Valentino, Frank Todaro, and Joe Hanna as Cuphead, Mugman, and Elder Kettle. As they prove throughout the rest of the season, the three are exceptionally cast, bringing so much life and energy into their characters. Their performances are helped by their buttery smooth and bouncy movement.

The three central voice actors (and the rest of the cast) are completely outdone, however, by Luke Millington-Drake's star-making turn as the Devil, whose soul-sucking carnival marks Cuphead a target for spiritual debt collection. Millington-Drake's preening and leering delivery is delightful, calling back to other cartoon caricatures of Old Scratch, such as Him from "The Powerpuff Girls." Even his old-timey musical number is fun, as it's one of the only songs in the season that actually sounds like a product of early 20th Century American music. Like any good TV pilot, "Carn-Evil" impresses in the present and sows the seeds of a promising future.

If any singular episode of "The Cuphead Show!" represents its success in simplicity, it's Cuphead and Mugman's impromptu overnight stay in a local graveyard. Featuring the dark imagery and thick shadows of '30s animation classics — including a copyright-friendly recreation of Ub Iwerks' and Walt Disney's debut Silly Symphony short, 1929's "The Skeleton Dance" — "Ghosts Ain't Real!" is nothing short of spectacular, in the most traditional use of the word. From ghoulish hallucinations to creepy background art, the most potent part of the rubber hose era is given full, unfiltered representation.

Elevating the art is the inclusion of stereoscopic radial processing, infusing the show's smooth 2D animation with gorgeous clay-model backgrounds, courtesy of studio Screen Novelties. The original game used similar techniques, but never to such an extent, making "Ghosts Ain't Real!" the only time that the "Cuphead" show outdoes the "Cuphead" game. The only thing holding back the episode from taking the top spot is the plainly forgettable musical number permeating throughout (even if it ends with one of the most emotionally arresting moments the show has to offer). Still, even the most frequent issue of the season can't hinder this spooky showstopper.

First seasons are tricky. They're built to give a positive first impression, yet almost never reflect the show's highest moments, in retrospect (with exceptions like "Stranger Things" and "Westworld"). "The Cuphead Show!" had a solid debut overall, but if the season finale is any indication, it's only going to get better from here. "In Charm's Way" introduces Ms. Chalice, a recurring side-character in "Cuphead" (and the third playable character in the game's upcoming downloadable expansion, "The Delicious Last Course"). Though the Inkwell Isles host a handy helping of memorable residents, the wayward Chalice resides in a league of her own, demonstrating unparalleled depth and dimensionality.

Upon meeting the brothers, Chalice agrees to teach them how to charm their troubles away. Though suspicious of them at first, she quickly befriends the two before an unforeseen obstacle shows the brothers where her conflicted priorities lie, ending the season on a captivating cliffhanger. It's the only episode with a musical number that benefits the experience, helped by a great performance from voice actor Grey Griffin as Chalice. "In Charm's Way" isn't just the finest episode of "Cuphead's" debut season on television — on its own merits, it's a knockout!