15 Best Animated Movies of All Time, Ranked

Animation is an incredibly diverse medium for telling stories, and the best animated films of all time come in a variety of styles. Feature animation has continued to evolve since its beginnings in the 1930s. Hand-drawn 2D animation used to be the norm, but new technologies have set the stage for computer-generated animation, stop-motion, and many other techniques. This means that filmmakers have more freedom than ever and are limited only by their imagination.

Choosing the best animated films will always generate debate among fans, as animation is very diverse. Animation should not be seen as a genre. Instead, it is best understood as an art form that can facilitate many genres. This means that the best animated films of all time span comedy, sci-fi, fantasy, action, and more. It’s impossible to come to a consensus on the best animated films, but there are some classics that everyone can agree on.

15

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

A short and sweet holiday horror

A great Christmas movie and a great Halloween movie rolled into one, The Nightmare Before Christmas It fully justifies its status as a holiday classic. The otherness of the world in The Nightmare Before Christmas It’s strangely attractive. There are infinite mysteries to be unraveled, creatures to be examined, and dark corners to be illuminated. Tim Burton and Henry Selick draw audiences into this strange landscape, enchanting them with memorable music and some gut-wrenching humor, but The Nightmare Before Christmas it also has a surprising emotional impact. The edgy nature of stop-motion is used to full effect.

14

The Wild Robot (2024)

Wild Robot Could Signal a Bright Future for Mainstream Western Animation

The Wild Robot is already being recognized as one of DreamWorks’ best films, rivaling films like Shrek, how to train your dragon and Chicken Race. At a time when Pixar, Disney and other major studios are more interested in sequels and remakes than ever, the originality unleashed The Wild Robot It’s a breath of fresh air. It adds an interesting touch to 3D animation, with broad impressionist-style brushstrokes giving The Wild Robot a unique visual appeal that reflects his taste for the rough edges of the natural world. It’s a tender but infinitely funny story, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments.

13

Akira (1988)

Akira is action-packed and atmospheric

Animated films can easily make audiences laugh, cry or think, but Akira It’s a shock to the systempulsing with the kind of vibrant action that animation rarely seems capable of. The story behind the explosive action extravaganza sets the scene perfectly without becoming overly complex. It’s an intriguing science fiction tale that showcases smart, economical worldbuilding. This gives the audience everything they need to experience unrelenting thrills. The science fiction elements develop organically as the story progresses, creating a mind-bending ending that leaves a lasting impression.

12

The Incredibles (2004)

The Incredibles combines comic book thrills with everyday drama

The Incredibles is a nice throwback to a bygone era of superhero stories. Its quirky retrofuturistic style evokes classic comic books and delivers the same excitement. The Incredibles It has much more action and violence than other Pixar films. It is worth remembering that Mr. Incredible kills several people during his James Bondstyle infiltration of the Syndrome’s lair. Yet, The Incredibles It distinguishes itself from comic book emotions by telling a deeply personal story about the characters behind the masks. Syndrome is arguably Pixar’s best villain, and Bob’s story will be relatable to parents everywhere.

11

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation shows off his idiosyncratic style to the fullest

Wes Anderson’s films can be easily identified based on their unique visual style where everything within the frame is well taken care of. His first stop-motion animated film allowed him even more control and Fantastic Mr. Fox He doesn’t have a mustache out of place. Anderson is a natural choice for a Roald Dahl adaptationfor he also has a childlike sense of wonder and aesthetic exuberance that obscures some darkness. Fantastic Mr. Fox It’s beautiful to look at, but it’s an emotionally complex story about a former con man struggling to settle into his new life as a father. It defied categorization, with critics debating whether it should be classified as a children’s film or not.

10

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

The touching war story shows the potential of animation

Grave of the fireflies debunks the old notion that animated films are exclusively for children. The Studio Ghibli classic is a harrowing story of desperation and desperation, set during the final months of World War II in Japan. It follows a boy and his younger sister as they struggle to survive as the streets fill with rubble and food remains more scarce. Although the tragic ending is shown early on, it is no less emotionally devastating. Grave of the fireflies is so painfully relatable that it makes the audience pray against the inevitable, reflecting the dire situation of war. Animation has rarely been this powerful.

9

Bambi (1942)

Bambi is as fun as ever

As one of Disney’s first animated films Bambi it’s filled with the studio’s intangible magic. The beautiful story of the forest seems to take place in a world a little more colorful and bright than ours. However, Bambi it is also mature enough to darken when necessary. It’s a simple but deeply emotional story. The opening scene where Bambi’s mother dies is one of Disney’s saddest moments, not only because of what it means to the young fawn, but also because of the dark artistry on display. The entire film is so lovingly sketched that the animation perfectly reflects the story.

8

Toy Story (1995)

Pixar’s first film changed animation forever

Toy Story represented a landmark moment for animation, but it is much more than just a piece of history. Computer-generated 3D animation seems relatively strange by modern standards, as Pixar and other studios have continually advanced the technology. The story and characters are as charming as ever, and no wonder that Toy Story gave rise to the biggest animated film franchise of all time. The simple premise of Toy Story showcases Pixar’s ability to capture children’s minds with ease, and the charming dynamic between Buzz and Woody means the film captures hearts too.

7

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke’s moral complexity is fascinating

Other directors would create entire franchises out of any one of Hayao Miyazaki’s films, but he is able to create complex, captivating worlds with such regularity that he never needs to retread old ground. Princess Mononoke sees this boundless creativity in full flow as a dangerous story unfolds in a rich fantasy world. The action scenes are particularly exciting, but Princess Mononoke It works so well in your quiet moments. Its environmental message has stood the test of time well and is woven into a story so compelling that it never feels heavy-handed. Princess Mononoke is one of Studio Ghibli’s greatest films.

6

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

The ripple effect of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is still reverberating in the field of animation. After a long period in which all Western animation tended towards similar styles of 3D animation, Into the Spider-Verse ripped up the rulebook with a patchwork of different visual influences, including comic books, graffiti, and Saturday morning cartoons. It helps that the story is equally creative and told with the same originality. Into the Spider-Verse is designed to be visually stunning. Happily, the action is so exciting and the humor is so refreshing that it’s easy to watch over and over again.

5

The Lion King (1994)

The Disney Renaissance reached its peak with The Lion King

The Disney revival of the 1990s produced a number of classics, including Aladdin, Beauty and the beast and Mulan. The Lion King still reigns supreme, with a box office total of nearly a billion dollars and a critical reputation to match. The plot famously mirrors that of Shakespeare Villagebut it’s given new life with an adorable cast of animals and some charming musical numbers. The Lion King It is, above all, a generous filmwith giveaways for your audience in every scene and every song. It’s a grand epic that details a struggle for power across generational boundaries, but the smallest details are painted just as delicately.

4

The Iron Giant (1999)

Just like his protagonist, the iron giant has a dazzling exterior and a tender heart.

Before becoming one of Pixar’s favorite directors, Brad Bird proved he was equally adept at handling 2D animation with the 1999 films. The Iron Giant. Although it was a box office failure The iron giant is now recognized as a masterpiece of the medium, just before computer-generated 3D animation became the industry standard. The iron giant There are some breathtaking imagesas an alien robot advances thoughtfully amidst an American crash. However, the film always prioritizes the story. It is at once a charming story of young friendship and a gripping Cold War thriller about paranoia and distrust.

3

Pinocchio (1940)

Disney’s take on a classic children’s book shows what the studio can do

Pinocchio was only the second animated feature film produced by Disney, after 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It represents a bold leap in both animation and storytelling. Pinocchio is one of the films that perfectly crystallized the early Disney formula, with a lovable protagonist and enough menace to keep things interesting. At best, Disney can connect with its young audience on an emotional level by refusing to talk down to them. Pinocchio It’s cute and full of laughs, but it’s also a resonant story of growth and reconnecting with family. It remains one of Disney’s best animated films.

2

WALL-E (2008)

WALL-E’s visual narrative is inspired

WALL-E It may be Pixar’s best film, but it’s certainly its most ambitious, both visually and narratively. Pixar proves it can make audiences love anything, as a rusty old robot somehow becomes one of the studio’s most relatable characters. The opening act of WALL-E is particularly breathtakingas the robot protagonist travels through the ruins of a distant future Earth, which has been destroyed by an environmental catastrophe. Soon after, the story transitions into a children’s horror style. 2001: A Space Odyssey, and an emotional romance that ends with just one word exchanged.

1

Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli’s best work tells a credible story in a fantasy world

Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece is a gloriously creative treasure, filled with strange details and fantastical creatures that invite audiences deeper into the spiritual world that Chihiro discovers. It’s hard to imagine a movie from a Western studio leaving so many mysteries hanging in the air, but Away from spiritThe ending doesn’t answer some of the most intriguing questions the story raises. Every corner of Miyazaki’s world is inhabited by intriguing charactersbeautifully rendered in traditional hand-drawn animation. It is this attention to detail and this boundless invention that makes Away from spirit So satisfying to watch again and again.