10 animated shows to watch after Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a troublesome act to observe, however fortunately, if you happen to’re watching the sequence for the primary time, sequel present The Legend of Korra is ready for you proper after. If you’ve already completed each of these, nevertheless, you may nonetheless be itching for a character-focused, plot-heavy, fantasy-action animated sequence to fill the void in your coronary heart. What comes subsequent?

Many folks would level to anime because the pure subsequent step, however if you happen to’re not fairly prepared to dip into the anime pool but and also you’re hungering for serialized all-ages animation that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of the medium and sort out deeper themes, then listed below are 10 shows you need to take a look at.

Samurai Jack

Image: Cartoon Network

Where to watch: Max

Samurai Jack pushed the boundaries of what all-ages motion may seem like. (There’s a motive he principally fought robots within the first 4 seasons — no blood!) Genndy Tartakovsky’s sci-fi motion sequence follows a samurai who, after being displaced into the distant future, should defeat an evil demon so as to return house. The combat sequences are stellar and the animation is wonderful. The present returned in 2017 to wrap up for one ultimate (darker and adult-tailored) season.

Teen Titans

Image: Warner Media

Where to watch: Max

Teen Titans did simply as a lot as ATLA in bringing anime sensibilities to younger American audiences, particularly when it got here to its distinct visible fashion. Based (loosely) on the DC superhero squad of the identical identify, Teen Titans follows a bunch of 5 teen superheroes who battle superpowered villains to defend their house. It begins out gentle, with episodic shenanigans and lots of jokes, however finally builds to some extremely epic fights and highly effective character moments.

Young Justice

Image: DC Entertainment

Where to watch: Max

One of essentially the most compelling components of Young Justice is the way it digs into the implications of a world stuffed with superheroes. Each season builds upon the foundations of its universe. What begins out as a easy crew of younger heroes taking up covert missions turns right into a sprawling interrogation of masked vigilantes’ place on the planet. It is loads, however like ATLA and Korra, it doesn’t draw back from the more durable themes.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

Image: Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

From the animation studio behind The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender was the primary indication that serialized animation had discovered a groove on streaming companies. It may be reboot of a toyetic franchise, but it surely’s worthy sci-fi epic, one which “takes the time to make you care about the characters and the travesties happening around them,” as our season 2 evaluate stated.

The Dragon Prince

Image: Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

With ATLA author Aaron Ehasz on the head, The Dragon Prince is essentially the most pure successor to Avatar. It’s a extra conventional European medieval fantasy world than that of Avatar, however there’s lots of element within the world-building that helps make it distinctive, particularly when it comes to the magic system. There are some foolish moments, but it surely nonetheless manages to sort out heavy themes of conflict and prejudice because the younger human heroes enterprise right into a magical world.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Image: DreamWorks Animation/Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

ND Stevenson’s tackle She-Ra turns the heroine from a easy He-Man spinoff into one thing extra complicated. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power breaks down the chosen one narrative and offers compelling and fleshed-out relationships to all of the characters (significantly Catra and Adora). It deftly balances heavier moments with lighter moments of character interplay. It is the improbable queer magical woman present of our goals.

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Image: DreamWorks Animation/Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

If your very particular favourite a part of ATLA was the funky hybrid animals, then you definitely’re in for a deal with with Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. It takes place in a world the place humanity is compelled underground after a bunch of animal hybrids achieve sentience. It’s a brightly coloured, boldly visible post-apocalyptic world, with some very wacky set-pieces and characters. And like Aang, Kipo is decided to discover peaceable options in a world that continually pushes her to do in any other case.

Maya and the Three

Image: Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

Cultural specificity meets kick-ass motion in Maya and the Three. Creators and husband-wife crew Jorge Gutiérrez and Sandra Equihua weave an epic story on this restricted miniseries, which follows a warrior princess in a Mesoamerican-inspired fantasy world who recruits three warriors to assist her defeat the gods. It has some actually cool combat sequences, some stellar world-building, and a narrative that seems like a intestine punch in the easiest way.

The Owl House

Where to watch: Disney Plus

Disney Channel not often does serialized animation, however when it does it nicely, it does it nicely. The Owl House begins off a bit episodic, when a plucky teenager named Luz finds herself transported right into a world of witches and demons. But it builds up to a extra overarching plot, one which’s tremendous character-driven and entails lots of rivals turning into allies. There’s a motive one character will get referred to as the “Gen Z Zuko!” There’s additionally a very cool magic system and only a typically pleasant world to discover. Disney could’ve shafted The Owl House with an abridged season 3 order, but it surely nonetheless shines.

Arcane

Image: Netflix

Where to watch: Netflix

I used to be on the fence about Arcane since technically it’s not an all-ages present. But whereas it does go a little bit grittier on the violence, it by no means will get explicitly grownup. It’s a little bit of an ensemble present, the place a complete internet of characters — from road youngsters to scientists to political ambassadors — find yourself entangled within the escalating tensions between lessons. Yes, it’s a League of Legends present, however you don’t want to know something about League to get swept up within the steampunk motion and the tragedy of two sisters torn aside.

Honorable point out: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Image: Bones/Crunchyroll

Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Hulu

OK, I do know I stated no anime on this record, however the ATLA-to-FMAB pipeline is a really actual phenomenon and I might be remiss not to embody the masterpiece that’s Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. If you’re a giant Avatar fan who has but to make the leap into anime, then Fullmetal Alchemist is the good soar.

It follows a younger, gifted alchemist named Edward Elric who searches for the thinker’s stone so as to return his youthful brother, Alphonse, to his physique, which he misplaced years in the past in an try to resurrect their mom. But alongside the best way, Edward and Alphonse uncover a darkish corruption of their nation that they need to cease. It has all the pieces nice about ATLA — cool powers, nice combat sequences, compelling characters, fascinating world-building — but additionally interrogates the concept generally, after you’ve performed some horrible issues, you’ve got to make it proper.