5 Best Superman Animated Shows, Ranked

Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane. No, it’s a ranking of the best Superman animated shows! The iconic Kryptonian is undeniably one of the most famous superheroes of all time, as audiences around the world have lapped up comics, movies, and TV shows about Clark Kent since he was first introduced back in 1938.

The first things that come to mind of the character might be the live-action cinematic performances from the likes of Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill, and David Corenswet. But some of the hero’s biggest adventures have taken place in animation on the small screen. It makes sense, since it’s easier to animate a fight between Superman and a villain like Darkseid than it is to film it in live action.

In fact, his animated adventures have delivered some of the best animated DC Comics TV shows of all time, but some are better than others.

In the 1960s, various TV networks went through a boom of giving superheroes their own animated cartoons aimed at kids, like ABC’s “Spider-Man” and “The Fantastic Four.” CBS saw there was an opportunity for a DC Comics show and got to work with Filmation on “The New Adventures of Superman” in 1966.

The episodes were light and fun with not much underneath the surface, but the show charted the hero’s colorful adventures with him fighting an array of weird characters. At the time, it felt like the lighthearted comics had leapt off the page. The usual suspects like Lex Luthor (Ray Owens) and Brainiac (Gilbert Mack) often showed up, but even in the 1960s, CBS and DC were keen to spotlight some of the odd characters in the Man of Steel’s rogues gallery.

Season 1 even introduced the wacky Mister Mxyzptlk (Gilbert Mack), a villainous imp from the fifth dimension. It didn’t reinvent the Kryptonite wheel, but “The New Adventures of Superman” tapped in to a lot of the things in the mythology that still resonate with modern audiences today.

The CW’s “Legion of Super Heroes” is an ambitious cartoon with a wild premise, as it follows a younger Superman (Yuri Lowenthal) as he fights supervillains in the 31st century after being asked to travel to the future with the titular team. It’s a wild concept that stems from the comics, and Superman agrees to it as a way of honing his powers and getting stronger.

It’s incredibly refreshing to see an animated show spotlighting some of the lesser-known heroes in the DC canon, and “Legion of Super Heroes” is a pretty fun way of diversifying that mix of costumed crusaders alongside Superman. Lightning Lad (Andy Milder), Saturn Girl (Kari Wahlgren), Brainiac 5 (Adam Wylie), and more all have major roles throughout the show.

It’s not part of the DC Animated Universe, so it has a visual style different from some of the other fan-favorite shows. But it has a lighthearted tone that appeals more to younger audiences. That’s not necessarily a criticism, but it’s definitely more of a fun watch rather than an exploration of what makes these larger-than-life heroes tick.

Okay, yes, these are technically two shows — but Superman is a main character in the DC Animated Universe, and he’s typically at the forefront of whatever action the team is sent in to deal with. Cartoon Network’s “Justice League” and its follow-up, “Justice League Unlimited,” excellently deliver a cohesive version of the DCAU where Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more defend the universe.

But Superman often gets the spotlight because — well — he’s Superman. Voice actor George Newbern also gets to deliver one of the most impressive Superman monologues. In it, the Kryptonian proves how unmatched his strength is.

In “Justice League Unlimited” Season 3, Episode 13, Superman tells Darkseid (Michael Ironside) that he feels like he lives “in a world made of cardboard.” Essentially, he constantly has to try not to break anything or kill anyone by accident. But with the cosmic villain, he doesn’t have to hold back. It’s one of those crowd-pleasing, fist-in-the-air moments that would rival things like “Avengers: Endgame” if it were on the big screen.

Much like other versions of the Kryptonian, Adult Swim’s “My Adventures with Superman” starts at the beginning of Clark Kent’s (Jack Quaid) time in Metropolis while he establishes himself as Superman. From there, Season 1 is all about how he builds his life, his blossoming relationship with Lois Lane (Alice Lee), and how he tackles a ton of cool villains and story ideas.

What’s impressive about “My Adventures with Superman” is its focus on his relationships with Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Ishmel Sahid). It still delivers the bombastic action and fight scenes expected from Superman, but it’s got a unique wholesome streak because of the focus on the dynamic trio.

It’s also showing plenty of promise in setting up its own corner of the DC Universe by introducing characters like Supergirl (Kiana Madeira) and Brainiac (Michael Emerson), with the Jessica Cruz version of Green Lantern coming to Season 3 ahead of her own TV spinoff. Essentially, this could be the next great Superman show.

Fans are quick to praise producer Bruce Timm’s DC Animated Universe for the likes of “Batman: The Animated Series” or “Justice League,” but Kids’ WB’s “Superman: The Animated Series” is an underrated entry with a fantastic depiction of the big blue boy scout. The DCAU’s signature animated style provides slick visuals across all four seasons, and the writing gives the Man of Steel room to grow.

A perfect example of that is Superman’s (Tim Daly) classic origin story. While most shows or movies would attempt to get it out of the way quickly, “Superman: The Animated Series” spends three chapters charting Krypton’s end, Clark’s life in Smallville, and his move to Metropolis.

This considered approach spreads across the whole series, with several two-part storylines or multiple-episode arcs that are stunningly well made, like the three-episode crossover with Batman (Kevin Conroy) in “World’s Finest.” As a whole, the show features a varied cast of villains, including street-level thugs, megalomaniac billionaires, and cosmic despots — so it never gets stale.