Animated sci-fi has come a long way. The subgenre became popular in the 1960s, thanks to shows like Astro Boy, about a scientist creating a robot to replace his deceased son, and The Jetsons, about a family living in a futuristic world with advanced technology. Things became even better in the 1970s. During the decade, fans got Star Trek: The Animated Series and a few Japanese anime.
Since then, animated science fiction has continued to grow on television. We now have tons of great shows spread across various streaming services. But with over 300 million subscribers, Netflix likely has the largest number of people looking for great animated sci-fi shows to watch. Thankfully, the platform has plenty to offer. If you are hunting for gripping shows with great production values and great plots, here’s what you ought to prioritize.
Here are the 10 best animated sci-fi series you can stream on Netflix.
10
‘Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’ (2024 – Present)
- Release Date
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May 24, 2024
- Showrunner
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Scott Kreamer, Aaron Hammersley
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Paul-Mikél Williams
Darius Bowman
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Sean Giambrone
Ben Pincus
-
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Raini Rodriguez
Sammy Gutierrez
Set six years after Camp Cretaceous, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory sees the protagonists reunite following the tragic death of their friend. They then prepare for a new mission: dismantling a global conspiracy involving illegal dinosaur trafficking, orchestrated by a figure known as The Broker.
A New High for the Franchise
Chaos Theory received three nominations at the Annie Awards, and it’s easy to see why. For those not put off by the endless globetrotting, the show is like a sumptuous, colorful dream with incredible visuals. It could be viewed as a commentary piece on the real-world practice of animal trafficking, and also as a cautionary tale about the things that cause extinction. More broadly, the show is a meditation on the beauty of friendship.
9
‘Pantheon’ (2022 – 2023)
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022
- Network
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Prime Video, AMC+, HIDIVE
- Directors
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Melchior Zwyer, Ed Tadem, Micah Gunnell, David Dwooman Woo, Mari Yang
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Arthel Neville
Host (voice)
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Madhur Jaffrey
Preethi (voice)
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Pantheon examines the concept of “Uploaded Intelligence” (UI), where human consciousness can be digitized and stored in the cloud to make someone immortal. For bullied teenager Maddie Kim (Katie Chang), life gets interesting when she starts receiving messages from someone claiming to be her dead father.
Tech Solutions to Human Problems
The voice work in Pantheon is superb, thanks to a talented cast that includes Katie Chang, Paul Dano, and Taylor Schilling. Additionally, the show impresses by seamlessly blending elements of espionage, geopolitics, and advanced technology. For the tech part, it goes into advanced course levels while educating viewers about concepts they didn’t know. What’s a DDoS attack? You’ll feel very knowledgeable once you are done.
8
‘Skull Island’ (2023)
- Release Date
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June 22, 2023
- Showrunner
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Brian Duffield
- Directors
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Brian Duffield
- Writers
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Brian Duffield
Skull Island is the first TV show in the Monsterverse and the fifth installment overall. Set in the 1990s, the show finds a group of explorers stranded in the middle of the ocean after venturing out to rescue a young girl. Soon, they realize they’ve been shipwrecked on the deadly Skull Island, where all kinds of dangerous creatures roam, including Kong.
Kong is Back
To watch a Monsterverse production is to enter a strange world where logic doesn’t apply. Therein lies the appeal. Here, the proceedings evoke colorful imagery. Skull Island should captivate all audiences, but we hasten to add that it’s more enjoyable for those who’ve been following the movies. Fans can also look forward to the comic book series Return to Skull Island (releasing in 2025), which will serve as a continuation of the show.
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7
‘Arcane’ (2021 – 2024)
- Release Date
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2021 – 2023
- Showrunner
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Christian Linke, Alex Yee
- Directors
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Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord
- Writers
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Christian Linke, Alex Yee
- Franchise(s)
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League of Legends
Set in the sprawling League of Legends universe, Arcane covers the rivalry between the wealthy, utopian city of Piltover and the shabby, oppressed underbelly of Zaun. At the center of the proceedings are the sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Ella Purnell), who find themselves clashing due to conflicting ideologies.
A Fun and Expensive Ride
Don’t Arcane’s video game franchise origins deter you from experiencing the show’s expertly crafted pleasures. With a $250 million budget, the production team orchestrates an aesthetically pleasing and captivating experience. The proceedings also move with the kind of fleetness normally not found in dystopian dramas like this. Though the dizzyingly ambitious small-screen project overflows with subplots and twists, the main plot remains straightforward to appeal to all viewers.
6
‘Pacific Rim: The Black’ (2021 – 2022)
In Pacific Rim: The Black, a race of monsters emerges from the continent and overruns the continent of Australia. Humans fail to fight them off, so the continent is abandoned, leaving only a few survivors, including the teenage siblings Taylor (Calum Worthy) and Hayley Travis (Gideon Adlon). Five years later, the siblings activate an abandoned destroyer and set out to find their parents.
The Kaiju Must Go
Pacific Rim: The Black cleverly analyzes the corrosive effects of early childhood trauma on people. While the plots are familiar and certainly disquieting, the material gets injected with a few twists, making the viewing experience more enjoyable. Both of the lead voice actors are outstandingly credible in wildly demanding roles, while supporting players also provide adequate backup.
5
‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ (2022)
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022
- Network
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Netflix
- Writers
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Mike Pondsmith, Yoshiki Usa, Masahiko Otsuka
- Franchise(s)
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Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners introduces us to a dystopia overrun by corruption and violent crime. When a talented street kid named David Martinez (Zach Aguilar) loses everything in a drive-by shooting, he becomes an Edgerunner: a high-tech, black-market mercenary. Will his new life make him happier?
Echoes of ‘Blade Runner’
Part crime story, part dark travelogue, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a gripping ride full of unforgettable action sequences. Great sci-fi concepts also lurk behind many of the show’s many combat moments. It’s fun watching the array of strange characters crossing paths and then colliding in the most unexpected ways. From megacorporation schemes to the dangers of cybernetic enhancements, the show goes as far as you’d expect a good cyberpunk production to.
4
‘Love, Death & Robots’ (2019 – 2025)
- Release Date
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March 15, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Víctor Maldonado, Alfredo Torres Martínez, Jerome Chen, Robert Valley, Rémi Kozyra, Léon Bérelle, Dominique Boidin, Alberto Mielgo, Maxime Luère, Dave Wilson, David Nicolas, Patrick Osborne, Simon Otto, Damian Nenow, Laurent Nicolas, Kevin Van Der Meiren, Vitaliy Shushko, Emily Dean, Owen Sullivan, István Zorkóczy, Javier Recio Gracia, Oliver Thomas, Jon Yeo, Elliot Dear
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Fred Tatasciore
Count Dracula
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Love, Death & Robots is an anthology series consisting of episodes produced by different casts and crews. It explores diverse genres, particularly sci-fi, comedy, horror, and fantasy. Some of the science fiction stories include gladiatorial beast battles in a dystopian future, three robots wandering through the Earth after the fall of humanity.
If ‘Black Mirror’ Had a Cousin
One of the best anthology shows to come out in recent years, Love, Death & Robots is an intense, beautifully crafted production that sustains a mournful tone throughout its three seasons without losing itself in the usual artifice of suspense. Further proof of the show’s awesomeness lies in its numerous accolades, including two Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
3
‘Terminator Zero’ (2024)
Terminator Zero is set in Tokyo in 1997, just before the events witnessed in James Cameron’s Judgment Day. Scientist Malcolm Lee (André Holland) is developing Kokoro, an AI system designed to counter the powerful Skynet. A Terminator is soon sent back in time to kill him. Thankfully, a resistance fighter from 2022 also arrives to protect the scientist and his family.
Danger From the Future
This franchise might have been milked to soreness, yet every new installment always fascinates. The plot isn’t so different from what James Cameron envisioned for his live-action films, but the characters have enough unique traits to make viewers care. Timothy Olyphant also does an incredible job of voicing the Terminator. Thanks to him, we empathize with the viciously sociopathic creature.
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2
‘Inside Job’ (2021 – 2022)
Inside Job is an animated sci-fi sitcom set in the workplace (the offices of the shadow government agency Cognito, Inc). It takes viewers to an alternate world where common conspiracy theories are fact. Several influential bodies or groups are said to control all key events on Earth. These include the Illuminati, the Catholic Church, the Juggalos, the Atlantians, and the Reptoids.
The World Is Not as It Seems
Apart from endless clever jokes, the show trumps others of its kind by providing detailed analyses of themes like capitalism, greed, leadership, gender bias, and corporate machinations. And has there ever been a better satirical piece about the absurdity of conspiracy theories? The series might have been canceled by Netflix after only one season (due to expenses), but its legacy is likely to live forever.
1
‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ (2021 – 2024)
4
/5
- Release Date
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2021 – 2023
- Network
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Paramount
- Showrunner
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Dan Hageman
- Directors
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Dan Hageman
- Writers
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Dan Hageman
Star Trek: Prodigy follows a group of young alien outcasts who discover an abandoned Starfleet ship (the USS Protostar). Guided by the hologram of the famous Captain Janeway, they flee from a villain aiming to use the Protostar for his own selfish interests.
Young One to the Rescue
One of the most entertaining Star Trek animated shows ever made, this sprawling masterpiece cleverly studies the mischief and resourcefulness of non-adults. But the enduring strength of the series lies in the talented voice actors. Even better, there are tie-in novels and a video game to keep fans engaged. Hop on this gem that’s perfect for the whole family.
