The Best Adult Animated Shows on Netflix Right Now (November 2024) (2025)

It wasn’t long ago that animation was considered a medium that only children could enjoy, but in the last few decades, we have entered a golden age of adult animation. And sure, any anime fan reading this is probably breaking their keyboard in half as they scream about animation being a broad medium for people of all ages. From Studio Ghibli to the heady concepts of the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Japan has been taking advantage of the vast potential of animation since the 1970s. But Americans have finally caught up, opening their minds to all the amazing and artful ways that animation can represent the human imagination without the shackles of physical sets and fragile human bodies.

So, here are the best adult animated shows on Netflix that showcase the tremendous possibilities of animated storytelling. For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows on Netflix across all genres or the best adult cartoons streaming on every platform.

‘Scavengers Reign’ (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 8.6/10

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Scavengers Reign

Animation

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Drama

Release Date

October 19, 2023

Creator

Joe Bennett, Charles Huettner

Cast

Sunita Mani , Wunmi Mosaku , Bob Stephenson , Alia Shawkat

Listen, I’m gonna break the fourth wall really quick to say that Scavengers Reign is one of the most visually stunning and imaginative shows on this list, and if you watch nothing else from this article, please do yourself a favor and immediately consume this once-in-a-generation passion project — you’ll be better for it. That said, you should know a bit about it. The show is the brainchild of creators Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner, who took the concept of a space crew stranded on an alien planet who must adapt to the harsh environment from their viral short in 2016 and expanded the story and world-building to create mind-bending biomes and environments for the diverse crew to navigate and overcome. The series doesn’t pull any punches as it takes its time exploring the lengths humans will go to survive.

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‘Arcane’ (2021 - 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 9.0/10

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Arcane

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Animation

Release Date

November 6, 2021

Cast

Hailee Steinfeld , Ella Purnell , Kevin Alejandro , Katie Leung , jason spisak , Toks Olagundoye , Harry Lloyd , JB Blanc , Reed Shannon , Mick Wingert

This Emmy-winning animated series based on characters from the hit battle arena game League of Legends is a juggernaut of animation with a distinct style, rich themes, and amazing world-building. Arcane follows two estranged sisters, Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), on opposite sides in a struggle between the rich upper class of Piltover and the underclass getting left behind in the decaying city of Zaun. A huge aspect of the conflict and the primary contributor to the show’s unique take on the steampunk aesthetic is the use of intricate arcanotech that combines magic and technology in interesting ways. But an even bigger draw is that viewers can go into the series with absolutely zero knowledge of the game and enjoy every frame of the story through the impeccable acting of Steinfeld and Purnell.

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‘BoJack Horseman’ (2014 - 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 8.8/10

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BoJack Horseman

Animation

Comedy

Drama

Release Date

August 22, 2014

Creator

Raphael Bob-Waksberg

Cast

Will Arnett , Aaron Paul , Alison Brie , Amy Sedaris , Paul F. Tompkins

BoJack Horseman, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, is one of the rawest depictions of living with mental illness and working through trauma while simultaneously being one of the most cleverly written comedies of the last decade. Taking the reins of the titular horseman in a world with humans and anthropomorphic animal people is Will Arnett (Arrested Development), who gives the performance of his lifetime playing a formerly famous '90s sitcom star constantly attempting to restart his career while being his own biggest obstacle. But Arnett isn’t alone, as the series features an all-star cast along with a full roster of comedic cameos — Alison Brie (Community), Amy Sedaris (The Mandalorian), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), and Paul F. Tompkins (Star Trek: Lower Decks) are just a few of the regulars, not to mention appearances from Patton Oswalt, Stanley Tucci, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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‘Big Mouth’ (2017 - 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.8/10

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Big Mouth

Animation

Comedy

Release Date

September 29, 2017

Cast

Nick Kroll , John Mulaney , Fred Armisen , Jordan Peele , Jason Mantzoukas , Maya Rudolph , Pamela Adlon

With its final season upon us, now is the perfect time to catch up on the raunchiest animated series on Netflix. Comedian Nick Kroll (The League) co-created and stars in Big Mouth, which is an outlandish and heightened version of his adolescence, alongside his long-time comedy buddies John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live), Jessi Klein (Kroll Show), and Jason Mantzoukas (Star Trek: Prodigy). While many teen-focused shows tend to shy away from the grosser and more awkward parts of puberty, typically glossing over it with an expectation-ruining sheen, this show dives head first and tackles the many insecurities, anxieties, and uncomfortable horniness that comes with growing into an adult. The show is a great balance of absurdity and genuine exploration of the inner world of an average teenager that manages to be as relatable as it is hilarious.

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‘Blue Eye Samurai’ (2023 - Present)

Rotten Tomatoes: 97% | IMDb: 8.7/10

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Blue Eye Samurai

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

November 3, 2023

Creator

Cast

Maya Erskine , George Takei , Masi Oka , Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa , Brenda Song , Darren Barnet , Randall Park , Kenneth Branagh

Created by wife-and-husband team Amber Noizumi and Michael Green (Logan), Blue Eye Samurai is a revenge tale about a half-Japanese samurai set in Feudal Japan. Maya Erskine (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) brings the titular blue-eyed samurai to life in a performance that stands in stark contrast to her comedy roots — and she nails it, infusing the role with gravitas and nuance while tapping into her own experiences growing up as a half-white, half-Japanese woman herself. Though the series is lauded for its bombastic action and stunning animation, the core of the story dives into themes of racial oppression and belonging, power dynamics, and gender roles in a feudal society.

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‘Love, Death + Robots’ (2019 - Present)

Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 8.4/10

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Animation

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Release Date

March 15, 2019

Cast

Fred Tatasciore , Scott Whyte , Rosario Dawson , Joe Manganiello , Nolan North , Noshir Dalal , Joel McHale , Topher Grace , Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Creator(s)

Tim Miller

Created by director Tim Miller (Deadpool) in collaboration with David Fincher (Mindhunter), Love, Death + Robots is an innovative, award-winning anthology series revolving around short stories exploring science fiction concepts across many different genres. The show features a myriad of different animation styles from studios all across the world and continues to find new angles to examine the relationship between society and technology — whether it be the mundane lives of robots after the fall of humanity, a botched intergalactic warp gate trip that hides a dark secret, or an artist’s journey from simplicity to stardom and back again. Personally, I would recommend the series to anyone looking to dip their toes into different kinds of sci-fi to figure out what speaks to them most.

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‘Castlevania’ (2017 - 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 8.3/10

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Castlevania

Animation

Horror

Fantasy

Drama

Release Date

July 7, 2017

Cast

Richard Armitage , James Callis , Malcolm McDowell , Bill Nighy , Marsha Thomason

Renowned comic book writer Warren Ellis (Marvel Anime) adapts the popular vampire hunter game franchise into an anime-style gothic epic following a misfit trio taking on the lord of the night himself, Dracula. Castlevania is an action-packed thrill ride filled with blood, vengeance, and pathos that elevates the story of the side-scroller by combining elements of different media from across the decades of the franchise’s run. Ellis weaves together a narrative that fleshes out the backstories of the three main characters — brought to life by Richard Armitage (Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft), James Callis (Battlestar Galactica), and Alejandra Reynoso (Pokémon Horizons: The Series) — that not only makes their motivations relatable but also manages to humanize Dracula in the process. Missing this breakout hit would really… suck? Eh? (Yeah, you get it.)

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‘Archer’ (2009 - 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% | IMDb: 8.6/10

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Archer

Animation

Comedy

Action

Release Date

December 28, 2010

Cast

Lucky Yates , Aisha Tyler , Adam Reed , Amber Nash , H. Jon Benjamin , Chris Parnell , Judy Greer , Jessica Walter

Story By

Adam Reed

Parodying mid-20th century spy thrillers like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and the James Bond franchise, Archer is a delightfully quick-witted meta-comedy following a bumbling American intelligence agency. Prolific voice actor H. Jon Benjamin (Bob's Burgers) takes on the role of the titular Archer, a womanizing alcoholic with a boner for extrajudicial murder that is a direct commentary on the Bond-type spies that have come to dominate the public perception of what spycraft looks like. Joining Benjamin is a motley crew of agency members voiced by comedy greats like Aisha Tyler (Criminal Minds), Jessica Walter (Arrested Development), and Chris Parnell (Rick and Morty), who each bring a great new flavor to this hilarious cocktail of absurdity. And with 14 seasons, you can rest assured that creator Adam Reed (Sealab 2021) keeps it fresh by introducing new settings in the latter half of the series.

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‘Tuca & Bertie’ (2019 - 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 7.4/10

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Animation

Release Date

May 3, 2019

Cast

Tiffany Haddish , Ali Wong , Steven Yeun , Nicole Byer , John Early , Cole Escola , Lisa Hanawalt , Reggie Watts

Creator(s)

Lisa Hanawalt

Tiffany Haddish (Solar Opposites) and Ali Wong (Big Mouth) lead this outlandish animated sitcom following two anthropomorphic birds in a world of animal and plant people as they go about their messy lives trying to figure out who they want to be — and who they want to be with. Like the series this is most compared to, BoJack Horseman, also features a dynamite voice cast that includes Steven Yeun (Invincible), Reggie Watts (The Great North), and Nicole Byer (Big City Greens) but doesn’t take its stories nearly as seriously. Anyone in their mid-20s to early 30s can relate to the struggles of these two bird ladies, from trying to get sober to trying to excel at your job while getting zero recognition. It's a good time from start to finish that will keep you laughing the whole time.

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‘Aggretsuko’ (2018 - 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8/10

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Aggretsuko

Animation

Comedy

Music

Release Date

April 2, 2018

Cast

Kaolip , Komegumi Koiwasaki , Maki Tsuruta

Creator(s)

Rarecho

Set in Sanrio’s Hello Kitty universe, Aggretsuko eschews the cutesy mascot aesthetic the brand is known for and chooses instead to wade into the depths of repressed aggression that many millennials and Gen Z feel as they exist in corporate structures that demand they conform. The series follows a red panda named Retsuko in her mid-20s, who is constantly badgered by her coworkers and has to suppress her true feelings. That is until she can make it to the karaoke bar at night, where she vents all her rage and frustrations through heavy metal songs. Though the series operates within the Japanese corporate environment, the demands and contentious relationship with demanding supervisors are highly relatable for Americans working in any industry.

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