Spider-Man is one of the most influential and celebrated superheroes of all time. He gets reincarnated in film and TV about as much as Batman does in the DC universe. It's not hard to see why either: Peter Parker is a genuinely funny and sympathetic hero. He's someone that everyone can relate to because there's something of themselves they can see in him. On top of that, with one of the strongest moral compasses of any hero, he's someone we can all aspire to be. It’s almost impossible to hate him. Due in part to this, the famous web-slinger has had ten animated iterations on the small screen, with another (Disney+'s Spider-Man: Freshman Year) set to land sometime soon.
Some of these shows have been geared more toward children, while others were able to attract a more mature audience. Some tried to push the envelope and do things that hadn’t been seen before. Despite their differences, all of them kept the fans in mind as they tried to inspire every generation to be the best of themselves. Here are the ten best Spider-Man animated series.
10 Spider-Man (1967)
This series may be recognizable to many. Spider-Man (1967) was the show behind fan-favorite memes such as the pointing Spider-men. Other than that, fans may have a hard time remembering this series. It was produced on a low budget and often reused animation. On top of that, the dialogue was laughably bad, and the animation was sometimes a little odd. It’s not the worst show on this list, however, and had plenty of fun episodes. But that was only in the first season. The following two received a new producer in Ralph Bakshi and experienced a budget slash that saw Spidey’s famous cast of villains removed and replaced with generic monsters. Most of them weren’t even original to the show and were borrowed from Rocket Robin Hood, a series produced by Ralph Bakshi himself. It’s no surprise the show ended after its third season.
9 Ultimate Spider-Man (2012)
New Spider-Man cartoons are as much a certainty as there being new Batman movies. This one, in particular, was ready to capitalize on the success of the newly released Avengers film by including Nick Fury, Captain America, and many other Avengers regulars. The series revolves around Peter after one year of becoming Spider-Man. He’s faced all manner of adversity, yet he still has a long way to go. This is where Fury comes in: to make him into the Ultimate Spider-Man. To Peter’s surprise, doing so will require him to learn to work with other teenage heroes just like him.
Ultimate Spider-Man received mixed reviews for dumbing down the more popular mature Spider-Man storylines. Fans were expecting this to be a more mature take going in, at the very least to complement its mature art style. What they got was a mixed bag of goofy high jinks and attempted odes to classic Spidey. This show was sure to please newcomers, but older fans needed more.
8 Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)
Look at Marvel these days, and one would see stories that began in the movies continued through TV series. Great idea, right? Marvel and Sony pictures thought as much following the release of Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film in 2002. Spider-Man: The New Animated Series was meant to continue the stories that started in the film. However, some glaring issues made this show perhaps the most forgotten on this list. The official reason for the series cancelation after only a season was that it didn’t fit in with MTV’s other programming at the time, but most people attribute it to the contradictory storyline and the poor animation.
To be fair, it was the early-2000s, and 3D animation was nowhere near the quality it is today (CBR would even call it "ahead of its time"). Not even Neil Patrick Harris as Peter Parker could save this poorly rendered series, but perhaps some things would have been better if never attempted.
7 Spider-Man Unlimited (1999)
Spider-Man Unlimited had one of the most interesting concepts on this list. In it, Spider-Man finds himself on a planet called Counter-Earth to find and rescue the crew of a failed shuttle mission. The planet is a futuristic world strikingly similar to his own, even with copies of the villains he faced back home. The series looked cool and sleek and should have ushered in a new era for the famous web-slinger to rival Batman Beyond. It did anything but, though, as poor voice acting and inconsistent storytelling saw this show canceled after only 13 episodes. It’s a shame, too: all the pieces were there for this series to be a fun and fitting new adventure.
6 Spider-Man / Spider-Man: Maximum Venom (2017)
Spider-Man, later renamed Spider-Man: Maximum Venom, is arguably one of the better and more unique Spider-Man animated series. It was praised by critics for its strong writing and voice acting. This is probably why it's at Collider’s number four spot on its ranking of Spider-Man animated shows. It follows the usual storyline of Peter getting his powers and learning to become a hero. It eventually makes a hard left turn when Peter is sent to a school for the gifted. The show features popular Spidey variations like Miles Morales and Spider Gwen as Peter’s classmates and partners in fighting crime.
This series was fun and utilized 2D animation with 3D backgrounds for a crisp look. However, despite everything it had going for it, some fans failed to get into the show, finding it convoluted. Despite this, it had its fanbase and went for a successful three seasons.
5 Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (2021)
Currently running, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends is different from all the other shows on this list in that it's made for toddlers. This modern update of the classic '80s cartoon left out Iceman and Firestar, and traded them with other popular web-slingers like Ghost-Spider/Gwen Stacy and Miles Morales, nicknamed "Spin" to avoid confusion with Peter Parker's alter-ego. This trio appeared in two computer-animated shorts per episode filled with youthful fun and adventures. Each adorably animated episode featured a classic Spider-Man villain committing some mild mischief.
More than that, the series even included an occasional appearance from Marvel superheroes like Black Panther and Captain Marvel to add to the age-appropriate fun. This show was such a hit with its targeted age group that it earned itself a second season, which is expected to air sometime in 2022.
4 Spider-Man (1981)
With the success of other superhero cartoons in the late-70s came the revival of the wall-crawler in all-new adventures that centered as much on the personal life of Peter Parker as it did on crime-fighting. Made by the then-brand-new Marvel Productions, Spider-Man (1981) was faithful to its source material with unique villains and stories, with a few appearances from other characters like Doctor Doom and Captain America. Due to television restrictions of the 80s, Spider-Man didn’t quite pull in an older audience, but it was a massive hit with the kids and is one of the more fondly remembered adaptations from the web-slinger.
3 Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981)
Older Spider-Man fans may recognize this show as it may be where they first became acquainted with the world-famous crime fighter. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends first aired on NBC and ran for three years, and saw Spidey as part of a team for the first time, long before he joined the Avengers on the screen. It also served as the first TV introduction of the X-Men, as well as both his friends Firestar and Iceman, popular members of the mutant team. The show is still fondly remembered today by fans for its quaint stories, flashy bad guys, and light-heartedness. It was considered a step up from the previous Spider-Man animated incarnations, and the three inspired both comic book and small-screen stories for years to come.
2 The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008)
Having not attempted to make a Spider-Man animated series for five years after the failure of Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, Sony decided to give the wall-crawler another go on the small screen and created The Spectacular Spider-Man. Producer and writer Greg Weisman took everything he did in Gargoyles and brought it to the wall-crawler series. This animated interpretation ultimately received high praise for its use of mature themes, bold storytelling, and complex characters throughout its run.
It also thrived on its fresh interpretations of the classic villains and characters, strong world-building, energy, and sense of humor that drew in audiences of multiple age groups. Much to the ire of its loyal fanbase, the show was unceremoniously canceled when Disney studios bought out Sony's animation rights to Spider-Man in 2009. However, the series is still included in many "best" lists and is still the subject of fan-driven revival campaigns. Fans can watch the series now on Netflix and Disney+.
1 Spider-Man (1994)
Following the success of other popular superhero cartoons such as Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men (1992), Marvel decided to relaunch the hero that initially made them famous. Spider-Man (1994) showcased epic storylines aimed at teens and adults for the first time in his animated history. The show certainly drew in kids, but the series took the character more seriously than previous incarnations had. There was also a considerable shift in animation.
Gone were the stiff stock images. Here, we saw smooth Disney-style animation with CGI backgrounds that elevated the heightened storytelling to another level. Spider-Man would also see an extension of the Marvel Animated Universe as it would feature hard-hitting appearances from Daredevil, Punisher, Blade, Dr. Strange, and Captain America. The series also featured a multi-part tie-in with X-Men (1992) as well as an adaptation of the comic book saga Secret Wars, a vast cross-over epic that beforehand had never been attempted before.