Animation is sometimes referred to as a genre, but doing so can be contentious, given works of animation are able to belong to any genre live-action works do, and “live-action” doesn’t tend to be considered a genre. When approaching animation as a format, it thereby becomes far less surprising that animated works can deliver just as much as non-animated works, with this being applicable in both the world of cinema and television.
To focus on the latter, the following episodes of television all demonstrate how great animated TV can be, and all rank up among the best of all time when it comes to this format.To keep things interesting and a little more exciting, there’s a limit of one episode per show, with each show/episode ranked below from great to greatest.
10’South Park' - “Make Love, Not Warcraft” (2006)
Season 10, Episode 8
TV shows based on video games have become something of a hot commodity in the 2020s, withThe Last of UsandFalloutproving to be surprisingly successful. Yet, for a while, thinking about “video games” and “TV shows” side by side would make a good many people think ofSouth Parkfirst, because one of its very best episodes, “Make Love, Not Warcraft,” prominently features the famous/infamousWorld of Warcraftin its plot.
The show isknown for its timeliness and provocative humor, and back in 2006,World of Warcraftwas indeed a dominant presence in many people’s lives. This episodesees the main characters ofSouth Parkgetting horribly addicted to the game, with much of “Make Love, Not Warcraft” incorporating footage from the real game alongside the show’s normal animation. It’s crude, funny, and creative, representing the show at its absolute best.
South Park
Watch on Max
9’Death Note' - “Silence” (2007)
Episode 25
Forget about the live-action movie from 2017, because the anime series ofDeath Note(an adaptation of the manga of the same name) is where it’s at. It’s a heavily serialized show; the kind where missing an episode will likely make someone lose track of the plot, which is twist-heavy and always compelling, following a teenage boy who obtains a strange book that will kill anyone whose name is written in it.
GivenDeath Note’svarious episodes bleed together into a coherent whole (in a good way), it’s hard to single out too many episodes beyond the obvious ones, like the opening episode and the finale. But episode 25, “Silence,” is worth highlighting as a game-changer for the series as a whole.For better or worse, it shifts things completely from a narrative perspective at almost precisely 2/3s intoDeath Noteoverall, and is a difficult episode to forget.
Death Note (2006)
Watch on Hulu
8’Family Guy' - “PTV” (2005)
Season 4, Episode 14
Family Guy’sbest dayswere long ago at this point, butthat tends to happen to most shows that manage to stay on the air for not just a few years, but a few decades (it’s been 25 sinceFamily Guydebuted). As such, though it’s hard to remember,Family Guydid used to feel fresh, funny, and even charmingly subversive compared to some other animated sitcoms out there, with old-school episodes like “PTV” still holding up shockingly well.
“PTV” has a clever concept that allows the writers to vent about their own struggles with censorship on television, withFamily Guybeing no stranger to jokes that dance onthe line of acceptability, and sometimes cross it. Peter starts a cable network, deals with it being shut down, and then has to contend with the Federal Communications Commission attempting to censor his own life, with the relentless jokes and digs at stuffy censors all hitting, making for a wonderfully consistent episode.
Family Guy
7’Neon Genesis Evangelion' - “Ambivalence” (1996)
Episode 18
TheEvangelionfranchise is a compelling, unique, and strange one, encompassing a single iconic anime series that ended bizarrely, and then received additional/alternative endings and expansions inthe form of some equally striking movies. For much the same reason as “Silence” sticks out as a highlight within the aforementionedDeath Note,“Ambivalence” feels likeNeon Genesis Evangelion(the series) at its best.
Like “Silence,” “Ambivalence” occurs about two-thirds through the series, serving as the point where an already dark and psychologically intense series jumps up a notch, and then proceeds to keep building and morphing in strange and haunting ways. It pushes its already troubled protagonist, Shinji, into waters from which there’s no escape, and though whereNeon Genesis Evangeliongoes from this point is divisive, it’s unlikely to have had the same lasting impact without “Ambivalence” being the shake-up it was.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Watch on Netflix
6’Avatar: The Last Airbender' - “The Crossroads of Destiny” (2006)
Season 2, Episode 20
At the risk of comparing all these different animated shows too much,Avatar: The Last Airbenderhas done whatNeon Genesis Evangelionalso managed to do by growing intosomething much bigger than just a single show. Still, it might be that three-season-long series that remains the best piece of the entire franchise as a whole, even if other spin-offs and reboots have proven compelling (or at least worthy of discussion).
Avatar: The Last Airbenderstarts with modest ambitions and grows in its thematic complexity as it goes along, also succeeding in building a fleshed-out world and some interesting mythology as it progresses.With its ominous-sounding title, “The Crossroads of Destiny” is naturally a key episode inAvatar: The Last Airbenderexecuting such ambitions. It takes things into surprisingly dark territory for a kid-friendly show while also providing a foundation for the beloved third and final season, given it serves as the second season’s finale.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
5’BoJack Horseman' - “Free Churro” (2018)
Season 5, Episode 6
There are plenty of well-regarded Netflix shows that didn’t get to end on their own terms, withBoJack Horsemansort of avoiding the curseby wrapping up its sixth season well, even if it mightnot have been what the writers wanted. Still, for as great and dramatic as its final season was,the finest episode ofBoJack Horsemanwas arguably from its penultimate season: “Free Churro.”
It’s a one-man-show of an episode, feeling like a modern and improved take onthe infamous fourth-season episodeofMAS*Hcalled “Hawkeye,” which was just the titular character (played byAlan Alda) talking constantly to keep himself from falling unconscious. In “Free Churro,” there’s just one credited voice actor,Will Arnett(as BoJack himself), and the episode sees his character delivering a eulogy for a bit under half an hour, and that’s it. It’s shockingly compelling, works very well as one of the dramedy’s most dramatic episodes, and is a tremendously important one forBoJack Horseman- both the show and the character - as a whole.
BoJack Horseman
4’Futurama' - “Jurassic Bark” (2002)
Season 5, Episode 2
It might not quite come close to the episode counts of some of its contemporaries, likeSouth ParkandFamily Guy, butFuturamahas nevertheless had a sizable number of seasons over the years,with seasons 13 and 14 being confirmedin late 2023. It’s still got enough of a fanbase then, it’s safe to say, but its glory days were its earlier seasons, with perhaps the most famous episode of the show’s run, “Jurassic Bark,” airing as part of season 5.
It’s a notorious tearjerker of an episode, revolving around a dog’s undying loyalty and having a soul-crushing final sequence that’s probably the most famous scene inFuturama’shistory. Theshow is generally a laugh-riot and consistently goofy fun, but “Jurassic Bark” works in something a little more serious and heartfelt remarkably well, and it deserves its status as an iconic episode.
3’Rick and Morty' - “Total Rickall” (2015)
Season 2, Episode 4
Another comedic science fiction show that’s unafraid to get heavy sometimes (not to mention intensely existential),Rick and Mortyhas had its fair share of classic episodes. The characters do grow and change slightly over time, butRick and Mortyis also quite episodic in nature, meaning many episodes get to introduce and play around with a single wild concept or location, often pushing such things to their natural limits.
Rick and Mortywas especially good at doing this throughout the very strong and endlessly creative season 2, with “Total Rickall” representing the show at its very best. It deals with paranoia and false memories, andthereby gets to function as a parody of clip shows… something fans of co-creatorDan Harmon’sother iconic series,Community, might think sounds familiar, given that show did something similar in “Paradigms of Human Memory,” fromCommunity’s(also amazing) second season.
Rick and Morty
2’The Simpsons' - “Marge vs. the Monorail” (1993)
Season 4, Episode 12
The longest of all long-running sitcoms, animated or otherwise,The Simpsonshas endured as arguably the most famous animated TV show of all time, thanks to its zany humor,memorable characters, and occasional heartfelt moments. To pick a single episode of the show as the very best of them all is a fool’s errand, but Homer’s success in life shows that being non-foolish is potentially overrated, so how about this: “Marge vs. the Monorail” is the best.
Everyone loves Golden AgeSimpsons, andthe show doesn’t get much more golden than season 4, with season 4 not getting much better than “Marge vs. the Monorail.” It’s an episode that has it all: a musical number, non-stop jokes,Leonard Nimoy,Phil Hartmanas Lyle Lanley, and, of course,the enigmatic Mr. Snrub. If you had to sellThe Simpsonsto someone who’d somehow never heard of the show with a single episode, “Marge vs. the Monorail” would probably be a wise pick.
The Simpsons
Watch on Disney+
1’Cowboy Bebop' - “The Real Folk Blues: Part 2” (1998)
Episode 26
A landmark anime series thataired 26 episodes (most of them great),Cowboy Bebopendures like few other animated shows out there. It strikes a good balance between having an overarching storyline across its single season and containing strong one-off/episodic adventures, though naturally, the show’s final episode, “The Real Folk Blues: Part 2,” is all about concluding the main narrative of the series.
It’sCowboy Bebopat its most dramatic, and is a perfect conclusion to what’s pretty much a perfect show. Spike’s storyline comes to a fitting end here, and even though it’s somewhat sad that there are only 26 episodes ofCowboy Bebopin total, the fact they’re all so good makes such a bittersweet ending feel more sweet than bitter. It’s a great show with a great ending;“The Real Folk Blues: Part 2” is arguably as good as finales get.
