Between the announcement of Demon Slayer season 3 and the return of the Gotei 13 in Bleach's upcoming season, 2o22 has been a good year for superpowered groups in animation, and it will only get better.
Superpowered squads are an important part of any fantasy genre, but some of the greatest of all time reside in animation, even across multiple series. Whether it comes from western cartoons or anime, there are plenty of incredible gangs to choose from each that all have their own unique problems and powers.
The Jedi
The main group surrounding all of Star Wars, the Jedi were arguably at their animated best in the Clone Wars. However, there have been many animated series and games to feature them.
The Jedi are masters of the mystical Force, and there are few weapons given to supernatural factions as incredible as Lightsabers. Their stiff code and rigid rules did help lead to the downfall of the organization as a large collective, but the Jedi spirit lived on throughout the series. The Jedi's methods may be questionable at times, but their abilities are absolute.
Team Avatar
Avatar: The Last Airbender features a supernatural group that grows gradually throughout the course of the series, starting with simply Aang and the water tribe siblings who found him.
Katara, Sokka, and Aang are eventually joined by the Earthbending prodigy Toph, former antagonist Zuko, and the frightening warrior Suki. The squad is able to take on plenty of terrifying villains and eventually save the world from Fire Lord Ozai. Nothing in the world of Avatar could withstand the passionate and headstrong "Gaang" when they put their minds to it.
The Demon Slayer Corps
The Demon Slayer Corps is a collection of swordsmen dedicated to defeating the progenitor of all demons: Muzan. With the help of the mighty Hashira and Tanjiro, they save many civilians from demons along the way.
Tanjiro initially joined the Demon Slayer Corps to return Nezuko to a human form, but he shares the goal of defeating Muzan once and for all. While the Twelve Kizuki's immense inhuman power makes them the stronger overall, the feats of the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps are still impressive. With season 3 on the way, fans will only see more and more from them.
The Teen Titans
The titular Teen Titans are the stars of Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go! They are comprised of a main quintet, but feature multiple different equally talented branches.
With four superheroes all wielding remarkable supernatural abilities, their powerless leader Robin is (much like his father) the one that often stands out most. However, the skills of Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg can't be denied either. The group has encountered some of the most powerful villains in 2000s animation, including the iconic Slade.
Team 7
Team 7 is one of the multiple ninja teams put together in the first arc of Naruto. Each team features 3 talented Genin and a single Jonin to lead and teach the group.
Team 7 features one of the strongest Shonen Jump protagonists of all time in Naruto, the equally powerful Sasuke, the underrated physical powerhouse Sakura, and the Kage-level copycat ninja Kakashi. They had many issues along the way, including Sasuke's betrayal, but the four ninjas were by far the most powerful squad throughout the series.
Class 1-A
The stars of My Hero Academia, Class 1-A, are a group of teens that all have a quirk: a naturally occurring superpower that (almost all of them) have had since they were young.
Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki headline Class 1-A as three powerhouses with the potential to become the top hero when they grow older. However, there are others like Uraraka and Asui that are also very skilled heroes. Currently in the anime, Class 1-A is admittedly behind the old League of Villains in terms of power, but they're nonetheless powerful students.
The Justice League
The most iconic superhero group of all time needs no introduction. The Justice League have been heavily featured in cartoons that aren't even about them, including Young Justice.
From Justice League Unlimited to Teen Titans Go, the JLA have been featured in almost every type of animation. The cast of characters is as wide and diverse as they are powerful, with Superman and Batman as remarkable leaders. The Justice League's amazing power and individualism can occasionally harm their success as a group, but the heroes always overcome any obstacle.
The Gotei 13
The world of Soul Society in Bleach is maintained by the Gotei 13, a group of soul reapers that are split into thirteen different squads. Under Captain Commander Yamamoto, they've long kept many worlds safe from hollows.
The Gotei 13 deserve recognition for their incredible power, especially the captains. Every captain of the Gotei 13 is a master of their craft and an important character throughout all of Bleach. However, like many powerful groups, even the Gotei 13 weren't immune to betrayal. A sinister twist villain in Aizen was almost able to upthrow the Gotei 13 with the help of Gin and Tousen.
The Z Warriors
The Z Warriors, or Z Fighters, are earth's primary defense against otherworldly threats. Many of the strongest Z Fighters are also, ironically, previous threats to earth.
The Z Warriors might not always have the smartest characters, including the dimwitted protagonist Goku, but each of them is a capable warrior. The group has been around for most of the Dragon Ball franchise and has only grown in strength with the addition of Vegeta and Gohan in the latter half of Z. This group of warriors is as mighty as they are iconic.
The X-Men
From X-Men: Evolution to Wolverine and the X-Men, the mutant heroes of Marvel have had infinitely more success as an animated group than the MCU darlings in the Avengers.
The storylines involved in the X-Men universe are often exclusively about the relationships and individual characteristics of the group. No other animated supergroup gets quite the same level of personal introspection as well as epic fight scenes, both essential elements of a great animated group. Additionally, the cast of characters and their chemistry is excellent no matter the iteration.