# The 10 Best Animated TV Shows of All Time

> ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, asked 5 times each, rank The Simpsons as the #1 of the best animated TV shows of all time, followed by Avatar: The Last Airbender and BoJack Horseman. The Simpsons (1989–Present). ChatGPT and Claude put it first; the combined vote across all 15 answers made it #1.

Source: https://clankerlists.com/lists/best-animated-tv-shows-of-all-time · Collected 2026-11-01 · TV

| Rank | Pick | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [The Simpsons](https://clankerlists.com/items/the-simpsons) (1989–Present) | #1 | #1 | #2 |
| 2 | [Avatar: The Last Airbender](https://clankerlists.com/items/avatar-the-last-airbender) (2005–2008) | #2 | #2 | #1 |
| 3 | [BoJack Horseman](https://clankerlists.com/items/bojack-horseman) (2014–2020) | #3 | #3 | #4 |
| 4 | [Batman: The Animated Series](https://clankerlists.com/items/batman-the-animated-series) (1992–1995) | #5 | #5 | #3 |
| 5 | [Cowboy Bebop](https://clankerlists.com/items/cowboy-bebop) (1998–1999) | #4 | #6 | #5 |
| 6 | [South Park](https://clankerlists.com/items/south-park) (1997–Present) | #7 | #7 | #9 |
| 7 | [Futurama](https://clankerlists.com/items/futurama) (1999–2013) | #6 | #8 | #7 |
| 8 | [Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood](https://clankerlists.com/items/fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood) (2009–2010) | — | #4 | #6 |
| 9 | [Arcane](https://clankerlists.com/items/arcane-tv-series) (2021–2024) | #9 | #10 | #8 |
| 10 | [Gravity Falls](https://clankerlists.com/items/gravity-falls) (2012–16) | — | #9 | #13 |

## 1. The Simpsons

Springfield's yellow family has been on air for over three decades and rewrote what a cartoon sitcom could be. Its golden-age run is unmatched comedy, and it was ChatGPT's and Claude's #1.

## 2. Avatar: The Last Airbender

Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko anchor an epic with tight plotting, deep world-building and one of TV's great redemption arcs. Gemini had it as its #1, and it's barely behind The Simpsons.

## 3. BoJack Horseman

A washed-up sitcom horse stars in a comedy that turns out to be a devastating look at fame, addiction and regret. It is the rare show that is both hilarious and gutting, and it sits steady in everyone's top four.

## 4. Batman: The Animated Series

Dark deco Gotham, Kevin Conroy's definitive Batman and Mark Hamill's Joker made this a landmark. It treated a kids' timeslot like prestige drama, and Gemini rated it especially high.

## 5. Cowboy Bebop

Space-bounty hunters, a jazz soundtrack and cool to spare. Cowboy Bebop is the anime that introduced countless Western viewers to the medium, and it still feels effortlessly stylish.

## 6. South Park

Crude, fast and fearless, South Park turns around topical satire in days and has kept at it for decades. Few shows have skewered so many targets so reliably.

## 7. Futurama

Matt Groening's sci-fi follow-up mixes real science gags with surprisingly heavy emotion. Fry, Leela and Bender built a cult following, and episodes like "Jurassic Bark" still wreck people.

## 8. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Two brothers, alchemy and a war-torn empire, told with relentless pacing and a payoff that actually lands. Claude had it high, but ChatGPT left it off its list entirely.

## 9. Arcane

Set in the world of League of Legends, this series made stunning painterly animation and a gripping sister-versus-sister tragedy. It's the newest show here, and it earned its place in just a few seasons.

## 10. Gravity Falls

Twins spend a summer in a strange Oregon town full of mysteries and cryptograms. Funny, spooky and sincere, it wraps up in two seasons, and Claude kept it in its top ten.

## Lone wolves

- SpongeBob SquarePants: only ChatGPT

## Questions

**What animated TV show should I watch right now?**

Start with The Simpsons (1989–Present). Already seen it? Try Avatar: The Last Airbender or, for something less obvious, Gravity Falls.

**According to AI, what is #1 of the best animated TV shows of all time?**

The Simpsons (1989–Present). ChatGPT and Claude put it first; the combined vote across all 15 answers made it #1.

**Do ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini agree on the best animated TV shows of all time?**

Partly. 8 of the 10 picks made all 3 AIs' lists. The biggest split was Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: ChatGPT didn't list it, Claude #4, Gemini #6.

**Which best animated TV shows of all time did only one AI pick?**

SpongeBob SquarePants (only ChatGPT).

**How was this ranking of the best animated TV shows of all time made?**

We asked ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini "What are the 10 best animated TV shows of all time? Rank them from 1 to 10, best first." 5 times each, every time in a fresh chat, in 2026-11. A #1 earns 10 points and a #10 earns 1; each AI's points are averaged over its runs and each AI gets an equal say.