Comicon’s Best Animated Series Of 2025

As we approach a new year, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the amazing animation we’ve received in 2025. And has become Comicon custom, out own Tito W. James takes a look at what he considered to be the best of animated series in the year that was. Take a look below:

Common Side Effects

Common Side Effects is an adult animated series created by Joseph Bennett (Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (The Office). It follows a quirky group of characters drawn together by the properties of a rare psychedelic mushroom with revolutionary healing properties. The series has plenty of twists and turns and is well worth going into cold. Common Side Effects has managed to capture the zeitgeist, delivering not only rich animation but thought-provoking television.

Splinter Cell Deathwatch

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch is a new animated series from the writer of the John Wick franchise with Liev Schreiber voicing black ops agent Sam Fisher. As someone with a background in video game art and a burning passion for animated action-adventure shows, I’m pleased that we’re getting more games adapted into adult animation. While the series may not be to my taste, fans of the games will probably get what they came for.

Lara Croft: The Legend of Lara Croft Season 2

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft delivers a propulsive second season steeped in African mythology. This new run of episodes focuses on the relationship between Lara (Hayley Atwell) and Sam Nishimura (Karen Fukuhara). Their chemistry is excellent and it’s a joy to see their relationship deepen. Season 2 also levels-up the villains, magic, and spy-missions. This show embodies who Lara Croft should be — an international action heroine with a thirst for adventure.

The Elephant

There is an old folk tale about three blind men trying to describe an elephant without actually having seen the whole animal. Such is the basis for the new three-part animated special created by Ian Jones-Quartey, Patrick McHale, Rebecca Sugar, and Pendleton Ward aptly titled The Elephant. Working independently, the creators tell three stories that add up to one narrative. It’s great to see Adult Swim take a risk by bringing these animation legends together and create an experimental work.

Hazbin Hotel Season 2

Since the pilot of Hazbin Hotel, we’ve seen a rise in indie animated shows incorporating action, horror, lore, spicy character designs, and openly queer characters. I cannot overstate how bold and pivotal the series is — not only was it picked up for a full streaming series, but the studio’s other project, Helluva Boss, delivered two full seasons direct to YouTube. Maintaining independent control within the streaming landscape is a victory that sets a positive precedent for creators moving forward. There is a short list of animated shows that changed the rules and Hazbin Hotel is one of them.