Everyone loves a good, well-written animated series, and it doesn’t get much better than the animated shows of the ’80s to early 2010s. The Millennials and Gen Z grew up with some amazing shows, and while countless have gone down in history as shows that are still remembered fondly to this day, there are some that have fallen to the wayside, despite being incredibly beloved and high-quality.
Whether it be because they aren’t based on a previously established IP, was a smaller kids’ show, or simply didn’t get the recognition they deserved, there are plenty of shows that are amazing that have aged like fine wine. Superheroes, children’s, fantasy, and science fiction series—whatever they may be—the niche audiences that remember these shows dearly miss them, and will claim that even to this day, they’re incredibly good.
‘The Tick’ (1994–1996)
The Tick holding Arthur mid-jumpImage via FOX
Despite being relatively popular and recognizable, the character of The Tick is still pretty niche in the grand scheme of the superhero cinema/television space. His live-action shows are the most well-known projects surrounding him, but, little do some know, he had an animated show that is filled with humor and plots that have aged very well.
Many who still like it and watch it to this day claim that it’s even funnier nowadays, and even more relevant. It’s extremely goofy, lighthearted, comedic, and pretty much a satire of the entire superhero genre. It feels genuinely timeless and if someone is looking for a fun, satirical take on what is now the most famous genre in the world, The Tick is the place to go.
‘Max & Ruby’ (2002–2020)
The titular rabbits together in ‘Max & Ruby’Image via Treehouse TV
There’s one thing that is for certain: real ones remember Max & Ruby. While it says the show ran until 2020, the main seasons ran from 2002 to 2011. Max and Ruby is an incredibly comfy show, which also features a very, very well-written sibling dynamic that taught a lot of siblings—even only children with friends—many ways to resolve conflicts and how to get along with others.
Yes, it’s a kids’ show, but who cares? There are a lot of people out there who look back on this show quite fondly, and because of that, it deserves a spot among the greats. It’s unfortunate that, besides those who grew up watching it and loved it enough to remember it, it hasn’t gotten much attention outside of that. Kids nowadays would love Max & Ruby.
‘Transformers: Animated’ (2007–2009)
An autobot in the Cartoon Network series ‘Transformers: Animated’Image via Cartoon Network
Everyone loves Transformers and knows about the movies, and the old animated series, The Transformers. An iconic animated series that didn’t get nearly enough attention, though, and is still amazing to this day, is none other than Transformers: Animated. For those who have seen it and still hold it in their hearts, they consider it one of the best Transformers adaptations to this very day.
Transformers: Animated does a phenomenal job with its storytelling, created by the likes of Sam Register, Matt Youngberg, and Derrick J. Wyatt—creatives known for being executive producers and art directors on hit franchises like Ben 10. Because of this, it should be clear exactly why this show is as good as it is. As the Transformers franchise continues to struggle in a hiatus, this is the perfect show to watch in 2026 for good Transformers media.
‘Green Lantern: The Animated Series’ (2011–2013)
Hal Jordan/Green Lantern (Josh Keaton) hovering in space in ‘Green Lantern: The Animated Series.’Image via Cartoon Network
Until—hopefully—Lanterns proves this wrong, the character of Green Lantern has always struggled in movies. After the failure that was Green Lantern, a lot of people not only lost interest in the franchise, but the character as well. However, airing at the same time was the opposite to the film, one of the best adaptations of Green Lantern of all time, Green Lantern: The Animated Series.
It’s pretty clear that the reason not a lot of people got around to seeing—forgetting, as well—Green Lantern: The Animated Series is because of the reputation surrounding the character that same year (thanks Ryan Reynolds). Looking back, this show has aged excellently well thanks to people now getting to view it without the bad taste in their mouth of just seeing a film that was horrible.
Collider Exclusive · Star Wars Quiz
Which Force User
Are You?
Light Side · Dark Side · Or Somewhere Between
The Force is not a binary. It is a spectrum — from the serene halls of the Jedi Temple to the shadowed corridors of Sith space. Ten questions will reveal where you truly fall. The Force has always known. Now you will too.
🔵Jedi Master
🟡Padawan
🔴Sith Lord
⚫Inquisitor
⚪Grey Jedi
IGNITE YOUR SABER →
01
What is the Force to you?
Your relationship with the Force defines everything else.
AA living energy I must be worthy of — it is not mine to control.
BSomething vast and mysterious I’m only beginning to understand.
CNeither light nor dark — just a current I choose to ride.
DPower. Pure and simple. The strong take it; the weak don’t.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
When you feel strong emotions — anger, grief, love — what do you do?
The Jedi suppress. The Sith feed. Others choose differently.
AAcknowledge them, then release them. Attachment leads to suffering.
BFeel them fully, then decide what to do — they’re not the enemy.
CBury them. Emotion is a liability I can’t afford to indulge.
DUse them. Passion is the engine of the dark side for good reason.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
The Jedi Council gives you an order you disagree with. You:
How you handle authority reveals your alignment.
AFollow it. The Council’s wisdom surpasses my own perspective.
BVoice my objection clearly, then defer to the decision.
CComply outwardly while doing what I think is right.
DIgnore it. The strong don’t answer to committees.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
You are offered forbidden knowledge that could give you enormous power. The cost is crossing a moral line. You:
The dark side’s pull is never more than a choice away.
ARefuse without hesitation. There is no cost worth that price.
BWeigh it carefully — sometimes darkness holds real answers.
CFeel the pull but walk away — for now.
DAccept it. Power justifies the method used to obtain it.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
Your approach to training and learning is:
A student’s habits become a master’s character.
ADedicated but humble. There is always more to learn from my masters.
BRigorous and patient. Mastery is earned through years of discipline.
CEclectic — I draw from every tradition, not just one.
DRelentless and brutal. Pain accelerates growth. Rest is weakness.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
In a duel, your lightsaber fighting style reflects:
Combat is the purest expression of a Force user’s philosophy.
ADefense and composure — I wait for my opponent to overcommit.
BFast and instinctive — I trust the Force to guide my movements.
CUnpredictable — I blend styles to keep enemies off-balance.
DOverwhelming aggression — I end fights before they begin.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
A defeated enemy lies at your feet, powerless. You:
Mercy — or its absence — is the truest test of alignment.
AStrike them down — compassion toward enemies is naïve and costly.
BNeutralize them permanently. I can’t afford loose ends.
CSpare them if I can — but stay clear-eyed about the risks.
DOffer them a chance to surrender. Every being deserves that.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
The Jedi Code forbids attachment. Your honest view on love and bonds:
The source of the greatest falls in the galaxy.
AThe Code is right. Attachment clouds judgment and invites suffering.
BLove is not a weakness — the Jedi Code got this one wrong.
CI have no attachment — only loyalty to my master’s mission.
DI feel it deeply but struggle to reconcile it with my training.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Why do you use the Force at all? What’s the point?
Purpose is the difference between a knight and a weapon.
ATo learn. I’m still figuring out what I’m capable of.
BTo protect and serve. The Force is a responsibility, not a gift.
CTo survive — and maybe carve out something worth having.
DTo dominate. Strength demands to be expressed, not contained.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
At the final moment — light side or dark side pulling at you — what wins?
In the end, every Force user faces this moment. What does yours look like?
AThe light. I choose peace, even when darkness would be easier.
BNeither fully — I carve my own path through the middle.
CWhoever I serve — my loyalty defines me more than my morality.
DThe dark. Power is the only thing that’s ever actually been real.
REVEAL MY ALIGNMENT →
Your Alignment Has Been Determined
Your Place in the Force
The scores below reveal how the Force sees you. Your highest number is your true alignment. Read on to understand what that means — and what it will cost you.
🔵
Jedi Master
🟡
Padawan
🔴
Sith Lord
⚫
Inquisitor
⚪
Grey Jedi
Disciplined, compassionate, and deeply attuned to the living Force, you have walked the path long enough to understand its demands — and accept them. You lead not through authority alone, but through example. You have felt the pull of the dark side and chosen otherwise, every time. That is not certainty. That is courage.
You are earnest, powerful, and brimming with potential — and you know it, which is both your greatest asset and your most dangerous flaw. You act before you think, trust your gut over your training, and sometimes confuse impatience for bravery. The Masters see something in you, though. The question isn’t whether you have what it takes — it’s whether you’ll be patient enough to find out.
You are not simply dangerous — you are certain, and that is worse. You have decided what the galaxy needs, and you have decided you are the one to deliver it. Your power is genuine and formidable, earned through sacrifice that would have broken lesser beings. But examine your victories carefully. Every Sith believed their cause was righteous. The dark side’s cruelest trick is that it agrees with you.
You were forged in fire and reshaped by those who found you at your lowest. You serve, because service gave you structure when you had none. Your allegiance is not to an ideology — it is to survival and to the master who gave you purpose. But there is something buried beneath the conditioning. The Jedi you hunt? You recognize them. Because you remember what it felt like before the choice was taken from you.
You have looked at the Jedi Code and the Sith Code and found both of them incomplete. You walk the line not out of indecision but out of conviction — you genuinely believe both extremes miss something essential. The Jedi don’t fully trust you. The Sith think you’re wasting your potential. They’re both partially right. But so are you.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
‘Code Lyoko’ (2003–2007)
The Lyoko Warriors in the season 4 promotional image of Code LyokoImage via Cartoon Network
There are 2D-animated shows, 3D-animated shows, and then there’s Code Lyoko. Despite being extremely innovative for its time—ahead of its time, at that—no one talks about this iconic Cartoon Network series. What makes Code Lyoko so special is the fact that it actually blends both 2D and 3D animation, using the two different animation styles to make the two different worlds within the show stand out in comparison to each other.
Code Lyoko has almost completely fallen to the wayside, aside from the very niche audience that still remembers it. The way it handled its combination of animation styles was wildly well-done, and that, alongside the engaging writing behind it—crafting a world that is incredibly unique and unlike anything else on television at the time.
‘X-Men: Evolution’ (2000–2003)
Disney+ poster of the animated series ‘X-Men: Evolution’Image via Disney+
Everyone and their mother knows about X-Men: The Animated Series, but most do not know/remember the 2000 series, X-Men: Evolution, which takes a different approach in comparison to the other series. This show manages to set itself part by bringing the cast that is typically portrayed as adults, and making them full-on students at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
Making the cast younger helped them be more appealing to younger audiences and that did it a lot of good. It’s hard to exist alongside a show like X-Men: The Animated Series and remain widely recognizable, though. With the X-Men finding a resurgence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most likely with a younger cast next time, this has kind of aged perfectly.
‘Danny Phantom’ (2004–2007)
Danny Phantom in action in his titular TV series.Image via Nickelodeon
While similar cartoon heroes like Ben Tennyson had their franchises continue on for some time after their initial shows ended, Danny Phantom did not get so lucky. As time has pushed onward, it feels like the folks at the studios have seemingly forgotten about poor Danny Fenton (David Kaufman), which is a huge shame, because it 100% holds up in the big 2026.
In the age of superheroes traveling the multiverse with gigantic crossovers and nostalgia bait, Danny Phantom remains a unique, grounded, coming-of-age superhero story that can still be enjoyed by pretty much anyone. It’s got comedy, drama, and awesome action—Danny’s incredibly unique powers play a huge part in that.
‘Generator Rex’ (2010–2013)
Rex Salazar in the animated show ‘Generator Rex’Image via Cartoon Network
Those who grew up with Ben 10 may remember the series known as Generator Rex. This 2010 show is one of the most special superhero shows of its time, with a hero who has powers unlike any other. In a unique world that was gripping and engaging, Rex Salazar (Daryl Sabara) stood out as an incredibly cool hero that could make virtually anything with the technology within him.
What makes the world pretty much forget about him so sad is the fact that he was very popular back in the day. He was so popular, in fact, that he crossed over with the hit series, Ben 10: Ultimate Alien in a crossover titled Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United. Why didn’t it live on as much as Ben 10 did? Hard to say. However, much like the more popular show, it still holds up very well in modern day and is better than most of what’s on television.
‘Gargoyles’ (1994–1997)
‘Gargoyles’ characters Goliath and Elisa standing together, voiced by Keith David and Salli Richardson respectively.Image via Walt Disney Television Animation
One of the best animated movie showrunners out there is, without a doubt, the one and only Greg Weisman. The mastermind behind the likes of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice started out doing a phenomenally well-made original animated show titled, Gargoyles, of which he was one of the founding creators. However, due to it being an original IP, it doesn’t get remembered as often as his other works, despite being just as good.
It’s one of those animated shows that takes itself seriously and doesn’t treat the audiences like they’re mindless children. It allows itself to tell darker stories that don’t get too dark for kids. It has deep themes, tones, and character arcs. Traits like this are missing from a lot of animated television for all ages today, which means it finds itself being better than most modern shows made for all ages.
‘My Life as a Teenage Robot’ (2003–2009)
Jenny Wakeman holding up and showing Brad the evil yet unthreatening wind up toy villain, Killgore, in the My Life as a Teenage Robot episode ‘Killgore’.Image via Nickelodeon
Speaking of The Spectacular Spider-Man, it’s always impressive when a network animated series can tell a great teen drama with thrilling action. A profoundly underrated series that does this very well is none other than My Life as a Teenage Robot. Filled with great animation from Nickelodeon, this series is super engaging.
It’s not just an action series with flashy and fun animation and choreography, though. The teen drama of it all is very compelling, thanks to how extremely well-written it is by Rob Renzetti—known for directing other hit shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and Dexter’s Laboratory. As stated about Gargoyles, these traits are pretty much nonexistent in a lot of today’s family-friendly animated media, making this one a great watch.
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