The X-Men are one of the most iconic superhero teams of all time. Introduced in 1963, the team truly found its groove in the 1970s and since then has been one of the pillars of Marvel Comics. The characters and storylines from the X-Men have been adapted into films, video games, and animation. The X-Men franchise has a rich history in animation and most likely a large part of the fanbase first was exposed to the characters through one of the many animated series.
Update March 21st, 2023: This article has been updated with more information on each X-Men series as well as recent announcements to the X-Men franchise and recent additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Fans were sent into overdrive following Patrick Stewart's appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he seemed to be a variant of his film counterpart mixed with the animated series version of the character with the iconic yellow hover chair and parts of the 1990s X-Men theme music playing.
A continuation of the animated series titled X-Men '97 is set to premiere sometime on Disney+ in the future, and fans are excited to see the story continue. With that in mind here is the list of every animated X-Men show ever made, ranked.
6 X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men
Originally broadcast in 1989, and narrated by Marvel legend, Stan Lee, X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men only had one episode to its credit. The series was greenlit in an attempt to launch an X-Men animated series which sadly did not come to pass and the franchise would have to wait another three years before becoming an animated series.
In this case, it was too bad because the ally showed promise, featuring cameos such as Emma Frost. The episode was pretty action-packed and featured a mission to space to fight Magneto and his evil Brotherhood. The character designs were later reused in the popular X-Men arcade game. Despite its great potential, one episode lands it at the bottom of this list.
5 Marvel Anime: X-Men
More of a limited series than anything, X-Men Anime ran 12 episodes in 2011. The key focus was the X-Men as they traveled to Japan to investigate a series of mysteries surrounding a mutant named Armor.
There wasn't much here in the way of story, but the animation style, background, and characters are just so beautifully drawn that the show demands watching. Marvel has dipped their feet into anime on several occasions and the series has the distinction of being the last animated series based on the X-Men for over a decade.
4 Wolverine
Everything you would expect a Logan story to be as far as tone: violent and dark. Another selection from the Marvel Anime library, Wolverine portrayed a sole focus on the titular mutant, which followed the comic story of the same name. As far as anime goes the show, which ran in 2011, was one of the best pieces put out under the Marvel Anime library, which included titles such as Iron Man and Blade.
Tonally, the show brought much more than X-Men Anime and didn't sacrifice aesthetics to do it. Wolverine provided fans the rare-for-the-time combination of being a great comic book adaptation in a time when Hollywood found itself taking liberties, which has continued to this day.
3 Wolverine and the X-Men
Wolverine and the X-Men premiered on Nicktoons on January 23, 2009, and was partially made to tie in with the premiere of X-Men: Origins Wolverine that summer. On the heels of the popular X-Men movies, this show thrust Wolverine into the spotlight as the leader of the team with traditional X-Men leaders Professor X and Cyclops taking supporting roles.
Anyone with a basic understanding of the characters could jump right in and immerse themselves in the story, thus making it easy to follow. It drew from many eras of the X-Men including the comics but also played off the movie's version of the franchise. The series was sadly canceled after just one season due to Disney acquiring Marvel and canceling all animated series on non-Disney networks including the brilliant Spectacular Spider-Man and Wolverine and the X-Men. Had Disney not purchased Marvel there is a chance Wolverine and the X-Men could have run for a few seasons.
2 X-Men: Evolution
Film Ronan
In a time when animated offerings were incredibly subpar and mainly used to appeal to kids to sell toys, X-Men: Evolution wasn't even in the same stratosphere. The show was easily one of the best 2000s animated TV shows, and many may consider placing it as number one on this list. X-Men: Evolution dealt with several mature themes as it showed the iconic team as kids in high school and the forces of good and evil recruiting teens to their sides.
Magneto was first portrayed as a shadowy character, and while there were certainly dust-ups between the X-Men and the Brotherhood, towards the end of the show, all parties, including the Acolytes, discovered they must work together to stop the main threat: En-Sabah-Nur, a.k.a. Apocalypse. The show was memorable for fleshing out character dynamics — Rogue and Nightcrawler with their mother Mystique, Magneto and his kids, the difficult decision to put Wanda away because of her out-of-control powers, and Scott coming to terms with the death of his parents.
In addition, the series introduced fan-favorite X-23 aka Laura who would later be brought into the comics and eventually the film Logan. X-Men: Evolution ran for four seasons and while it may have been less faithful than the 1990s series it tapped into the core themes of the X-Men franchise in a fresh way that was also relatable to the target audience of kids watching the series.
1 X-Men: The Animated Series
Running from 1992-1997, X-Men: The Animated Series was simply amazing. The offering had a different tone from most Saturday morning cartoons. Immediately, the show dealt the audience a devastating blow with the loss of X-team mate Morph, showcasing that the series was willing to tackle mature themes. The series adapted many iconic X-Men storylines including "Days of Future Past" and "The Dark Phoenix Saga" in a way that set a high bar for feature films.
Much like Evolution, The Animated Series fleshed out its own set of issues, such as mutants and their acceptance into society, being different, a struggle many know in the current climate of the world. With universal themes as well as great action and plenty of cameos including Spider-Man from his adjoining cartoon that ran in a similar time slot, the show resonated with fans everywhere — and the toys were incredible.
The success of the series likely gave 20th Century Fox the confidence to invest in a live-action X-Men movie. The show simply accomplished everything that it was intended to, which is probably why it is going to be revived on Disney+ as an upcoming project for the House of Mouse's Marvel selections.