Television has never been in a better place, producing high-quality, culturally relevant shows constantly. Audiences are spoiled with the choices on offer to them and have more places than ever to watch these great shows. And of course, animation is no different with a frankly overwhelming amount of must-watch cartoons being produces year in and year out over the last decade.
Furthermore, the variety has never been better. With everything from sitcoms to epic adventure tales, all with beautiful cutting edge animation to boot. With this in mind, here are the 10 best cartoons from the 2010s.
Bob's Burgers
Bob's Burgers continues the tradition of animated sitcoms, in the vein of The Simpsons and Family Guy. The series follows the misadventures of the Belcher family and the wacky goings-on at their burger restaurant; the titular Bob's Burgers.
Though the series had a rocky start with season one proving to be something of a mixed bag, the show has since gone from strength to strength. And at the time of writing, the show has been on the air for ten seasons and even has a movie on the way, showing just how far it came from its bumpy beginnings.
The Ricky Gervais Show
The Ricky Gervais Show should really be called The Karl Pilkington Show, as he really is the one providing most of the comedy. The show takes classic stories from the trios mega-hit podcasts and simply adds in funny Hanna-Barbera style animation.
The series is hilarious and although it only ran for two seasons, every episode is brimming with the usual surreal and strange anecdotes such as Monkey News and tales from Karl's childhood, which have made Karl famous the world over.
The Legend Of Korra
The Legend of Korra was given the almost impossible task of serving as a sequel to the universally praised Avatar: The Last Air Bender. Despite the monumental pressure, this sequel succeeded and retained the same level of quality as its predecessor.
The series was praised for unique visual style, fantastic animation, and for the expertly crafted story which was unafraid to delve into complex issues and treat its audience with respect, despite being a Nickelodeon show.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
Making its debut way back in 2010, even before the Avengers movie franchise took off and went onto worldwide successes, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes provided an alternate take on the heroic super team.
The series is truly epic in scope, taking the very best of cosmic craziness and heart-pounding action from the comics and reimagines it for television. With so many Marvel cartoons on television of varying quality, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes is the one that's most worth checking out.
Young Justice
Though Young Justice had a short run of only two seasons, it was universally praised for its quality, proving to be the crown jewel of DC film and television. The show outmatches every other DC series out there, with epic storylines, ground-breaking animation, and fantastic voice-acting.
The series ended in 2012 but it was not forgotten. Cut to 2019, and the series was revived and a whole new season was released. The show has gained a new lease of life with a fourth season already on the way - much to the dedicated fanbase's delight.
Steven Universe
Steven Universe holds the unique honor of being the first Cartoon Network series created solely by a woman. The fun and inventive series is a whimsical mix of science-fiction and fantasy, which it uses to tell the epic coming-of-age story of Steven Universe and the powerful gem residing in his belly button.
The bright and colorful animation style reflects the humorous tone of the series, which is a brilliant blend of adventure and comedy. The show ran for five seasons and even had a TV movie and a sequel miniseries in Steven Universe Future. It also garnered high praise for its topical issues and ideas, most especially LGBTQ themes.
Gravity Falls
Gravity Falls ran for only two seasons, with the show's creator Alex Hirsch choosing to end the series and give "a real conclusion for the characters." This is astoundingly admirable, as the series was a huge hit and is regarded not only as only of the greatest animated series in recent years but one of the greatest series, full stop.
The series captivated audiences as sibling Dipper and Mable investigate the stage and spooky goings-on, in and around the eponymous Gravity Falls. As a result of its high quality and low episode count, the show is endlessly rewatchable.
Adventure Time
Adventure Time captured the hearts of both adults and children alike. The unique series was like no other on television, with a unique eye-catching visual style that lent itself effortlessly to the whimsical and wacky adventures of Finn and Jake.
The show was host to outlandish and unexpected concepts too numerous to name. With characters such as Lumpy Space Princess and Ice King becoming surprising fan favorites, not to mention the endlessly quotable dialogue, the series had an epic run of ten seasons, and it's not hard to see why.
Bojack Horseman
The Netflix hit Bojack Horseman has received universal praise from both audiences and critics alike. Though on paper the shows strange and unique premise shouldn't work. Humanoid animal? Huh? A washed-up horseman sitcom actor? Say what? And yet, Bojack Horseman just works.
The show has become famous for the welcomed and refreshing exploration of darkness inside Bojack. Unafraid to pull any punches while still delivering the laughs, the series delves into Bojack's psyche and traumas, perhaps more so than any other show on television would.
Rick & Morty
Rick and Morty has become a pop culture phenomenon, with fans from almost every country on the planet embracing the show's unique blend of high concept science fiction and bizarre sense of humor. With the show gaining so many viewers of all ages and kinds, it was inevitable that it attracted some who were a little unhinged - but the less said about that the better.
The odd couples' antics of Rick and Morty have entertained and astounded fans, with every episode feeling fresh and unexpected. The adventures the lie ahead for Rick and Morty are unknown, but fans can bet that they'll be weird and fun in their own raunchy ways.