It is undoubtedly the best time to be an animated film fan. One would be hard-pressed to recall an animated movie in recent memory that failed to live up to expectations. Only a few months ago, Pixar released Turning Red, a film that saw a young woman transforming into a large red panda and taught audiences important lessons about womanhood and cultural identity. Even more recently, DreamWorks Animation released The Bad Guys, a film about a gang of anthropomorphic animal baddies who learn how to do the right thing.
Netflix's The Sea Beast, which became available for streaming less than a month ago, is yet another addition to the rapidly growing collection of perfectly made modern animated pictures. The film was visually stunning, providing audiences with gorgeous ocean vistas and dynamic ocean leviathans. Beautiful artwork aside, The Sea Beast was jam-packed with fascinating characters, many of whom had impressive voice actors behind them. Karl Urban (The Boys, Thor: Ragnarok) portrays Jacob Holland, a veteran sea monster hunter in line to become the captain of the legendary hunting ship "The Inevitable." However, despite Urban's obvious talent, it's possible that his character doesn't even rank among the top five best characters in The Sea Beast.
Here are some of the best characters in the film.
Captain Crow, a Swarthy Sea Captain 
Monster hunting is a dangerous game, and Captain Crow, voiced by Jared Harris (Carnival Row, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows), has the scars to prove it. Early on in the film, when Captain Crow's legendary monster hunting ship "The Inevitable" is attacked by a terrifying crocodilian Kraken, Crow leaps from the ship, spear in hand, to deliver a lethal blow to the beast, making sure to claim the slowly sinking creature's massive horn and almost drowning in the process.
Captain Crow likely has the most fascinating character arc in The Sea Beast. He's an unapologetic monster hunter, driven by a near Captain Ahab-ian desire for revenge against sea beasts. He even goes so far as to make a deal with a mysterious scientist to obtain a poison harpoon gun with the ability to kill The Red Bluster. He also has an immense hatred for the royals he serves and goes out on a hunt for the sea monster to prove that monster hunting is alive and well.
However, at the film's end, audiences see Captain Crow lay down his hunting sphere in solidarity with the sea monster Red, whom he had long sought to destroy.
The Fierce First Mate Sarah Sharpe 
Of course, a captain is only as strong as their first mate. That's where Marianne Jean-Baptiste's (Homecoming, Training Day) Sarah Sharpe comes in. She is the first mate on Captain Crow's "The Inevitable" and, as evidenced by her peg leg, the veteran of countless monster hunts.
There are many factors that make Sarah Sharpe such an incredible character. She is the one tasked with taking care of the film's main character, a young orphan named Maisie Brumble. She possesses sea monster hunting capabilities that are possibly even better than those of Captain Crow. Yet, she is one of the first hunters in the film to reconsider the morality of sea monster hunting. By the end of the film, Sarah Sharpe is unapologetically assisting Maisie in her mission to free Red from captivity.
The Titular Scarlet Sea Beast, Red
Obviously, a film called The Sea Beast couldn't rely merely on its human characters. The success of any good monster movie is closely linked to the quality of its respective leviathan. Fortunately, The Sea Beast has Red, a terrifying oceanic specter who easily smashes ships while simultaneously showing her softer side.
At the beginning of the film, Red, along with all the other sea monsters, is thought to be little more than a killing machine with a few clever ship-smashing tactics. However, it is quickly revealed that Red has a complex understanding of the world around her. At several points throughout the film, Red demonstrates a capacity for empathy that exceeds that of the most understanding humans in the movie. Red proves that the sea beasts, who have long been maligned by the film's fictional society, are not the real beasts. Rather, the true monsters are powerful elites.
There are so many interesting characters in The Sea Beast that its gorgeous animation and morally resonant storyline almost fade into the background. From the swash-buckling, tattooed titan Captain Crow to the whip-smart first mate Sarah Sharpe, and even the formidable yet compassionate sea monster Red, no character gets through The Sea Beast without some sort of moral reckoning. The film's characters are as deep as the ocean they set sail upon.