The best Spider-Man animated series is often a mix of animation, action, and story beats. Luckily for fans of the famous Web-Slinger, there are countless Spider-Man shows, more than there are movies. The Web-Head is often joined with superhero friends, fighting across New York City and beyond against his plethora of exciting villains from a ghastly Rogues Gallery.

Related

8 Spider-Man Games With The Best Combat, Ranked

Combat is integral to Spider-Man's DNA, and with a plethora of video games, he's brought more than a few punches, kicks, and web gadgets.

There's a Spider-Man series for everyone, whether fans want something kid-friendly, campy, or even more serious for mature audiences. With the era of streaming and the growing potential of new Spider-Man shows, it's time to look back at what came before and to see which was the best Spider-Man series among the rest.

Updated on June 12, 2024, by Jake Fillery: Every Spider-Man cartoon has something to offer audiences. Whether it's an engaging story featuring their favorite web-head or just a nice way to see a bunch of Marvel characters on screen. With so many Spider-Man cartoons over the decades, there are really only a few that remain as some of the best. For audiences to better choose what the best Spider-Man cartoon is to watch, fans can find pros and cons to each entry.

10 Spidey and His Amazing Friends (2021–)

IMDb Rating: 5.8

• Seasons: 3 (Ongoing)
• Episodes: 93 (Ongoing)

Still airing, Spidey and His Amazing Friends is a very child-friendly take on Spider-Man and the Marvel mythos. It's a great show for young kids who watch Disney Junior, and the show itself features Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and Miles Morales as the Spidey trio, who embark on many adventures across New York City to stop their foes, and team with iconic allies like Hulk, Black Panther and Ms. Marvel.

Spidey and His Amazing Friends isn't a serialized show that offers story arcs and tense fights, as it's made for young children. However, for those with young children, it's a great watch due to the friendship lessons it teaches, and the cute art style featuring many Marvel heroes and villains.

9 Spider-Man (1967–1970)

IMDb Rating: 7.3

• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 52

The original cartoon, Spider-Man: The Original Animated Series, introduced audiences to the famed web-slinger, briefly after he debuted as a comic book character for Marvel Comics. The 1967 Spider-Man series had campy goodness, with goofy and outdated animation that helped cement the show in pop culture standing, with a bout of memes and references even in official Spider-Man media, like Into The Spider-Verse's post-credits scene.

Even if fans haven't seen the show, they know the theme song. This series lacks the sophistication of newer cartoons, but that doesn't mean that's a bad thing, as the original Spider-Man cartoon allows for fun and camp, without a worry for gritty and dramatic stories.

8 Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1983)

IMDb Rating: 7.2

• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 24

Battling crime in New York City has never been easier with allies like these. Spider-Man is joined by super-powered friends, allowing the trio of Spider-Man, Iceman, and Firestar to battle against some deadly and camp villains, like Green Goblin, Scorpion, and even the Fantastic Four's very own nemesis, Doctor Doom.

Related

8 Most Iconic Spider-Man Comic Covers, Ranked

Spider-Man is one of Marvel's best heroes, so it's no surprise that he has some of the most iconic comic book covers of all time.

There are some unique origins to the characters in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, that may help new audiences to learn of the characters that will soon become their favorites. The show itself is rather silly, and doesn't take itself too seriously, so other, more recent series', might be more enjoyable.

7 Spider-Man Unlimited (1999–2001)

IMDb Rating: 6.3

• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 13

A weird '90s adventure, Spider-Man Unlimited has Spider-Man heading off to Counter-Earth, experiencing new, yet similar fights and adventures on a new world. A gritty new costume is perfect for the '90s era that this series came from, and it's definitely one of the less traditional Spider-Man animated series' which could be why it's not revered as one of the best.

Spider-Man Unlimited captured new themes of the series, and its unique narrative will sadly leave a bad taste in audiences' mouths due to the fact that it ended on a cliffhanger, with no conclusion. This series could have potential, but it came at the wrong time, sandwiched between greatness.

6 Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003)

IMDb Rating: 6.9

• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 13

Riding off of the success of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movie, the titular character returned to TV screens with a new animated series, with an experimental design. Spider-Man: The New Animated Series was fully CGI, sacrificing the usual art style for something more stiff and expensive. There's nothing inherently wrong with this series, and it's actually fairly mature compared to other Spider-Man cartoons.

Related

Marvel: Spider-Man's Best Friends, Ranked

Spider-Man has developed some brilliant friendships with some iconic Marvel characters over the decades.

Modern and mature, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series has Peter and his friends in college years, no longer reduced to the simplicities of high school and origin stories. This series wasn't afraid to add drama and tension to Spidey and Peter's lives, as well as characters that hadn't been seen in years.

5 Spider-Man (1981–1982)

IMDb Rating: 6.9

• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 26

The early '80s had a rather comical Silver Age bout for Spider-Man, albeit, with groundbreaking design and risky storylines. There was a darkness to the 1981 Spider-Man series, as a priority in writing was the focus over the animation. Yet, there was a tad reliance on cameos, and character team-ups with the likes of Captain America helped to cement the show as memorable, as who doesn't love a good crossover between heroes and villains?

To some, this is the Spider-Man cartoon with plenty of nostalgia and a confusing bout of villains for Spidey to cross paths with. After all, it's not every day that Doctor Doom is seen fighting Spider-Man, or that the famed Peter Parker is dealing with some adult responsibilities. The reason for this series being less remembered is because of its timeframe, where it comes after its campy predecessor, and just before the fan-favorite successor.

4 Marvel's Spider-Man (2017–2020)

IMDb Rating: 6.2

• Seasons: 3
• Episodes: 58

Spider-Man receives another reboot, which at this point in the character's timeframe, can grow a tad boring to general audiences. Riding off of the success of Ultimate Spider-Man, and a dependency on Marvel Studios' MCU, Marvel's Spider-Man attempted to bring aspects of the movies into the show, which were met with mixed opinions, as the trope of a teenage Spider-Man who just got his powers has been seen and done many times before.

Marvel's Spider-Man relies on the debut of other characters, sacrificing the story and growth of characters for exciting visuals and concepts that are often left forgotten. It's still a good Spider-Man show, in terms of animation and the ability to just enjoy a fun Spidey story, but it could've been bettter.

3 Ultimate Spider-Man (2012–2017)

IMDb Rating: 7.2

• Seasons: 4
• Episodes: 104

There's somewhat of a divide with Ultimate Spider-Man, a show that attempts to make Spider-Man a fourth-wall-breaking character with some bizarre cartoon antics. This version of Spider-Man interacts with many members of the Marvel universe, and he tries to juggle his life as a teenage school student, whilst also training with members of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ultimate Spider-Man is great thanks to its library of characters, from Deadpool, Wolverine, and Hulk.

The stories of Ultimate Spider-Man also follow through, allowing character arcs to grow, but sometimes, at a sacrifice for jokes, in which the show dominates over its humor instead of its stories. The animation is fun, and the action is well done, but some characters are far too different from their comic counterparts.

2 The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009)

IMDb Rating: 8.4

• Seasons: 1
• Episodes: 27

A sixteen-year-old Peter Parker discovers that with great power, must also come great responsibility. The Spectacular Spider-Man has the iconic Web-Head swinging across New York City, and it's a great modern animated show, and definitely one of the best Spider-Man cartoons on the market thanks to its range of Spidey villains, with new animated twists that still stay loyal to the source, whilst adding a flair for creativity.

The Spectacular Spider-Man has plenty of action and adventure within its exciting animation, as well as overarching storylines, including the Venom symbiote. It's a shame that The Spectacular Spider-Man was canceled too soon, as it was easily one of the greatest Spider-Man series on Disney XD.

1 Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998)

IMDb Rating: 8.4

• Seasons: 5
• Episodes: 65

The classic '90s Spider-Man series was many peoples' first introduction to Spider-Man and his iconic gallery of characters and troubles. This animated series takes audiences through a thrill ride, with multiple seasons of Spider-Man heroes and villains. Audiences can enjoy many famous entries, like the Venom Saga, a romance with Mary Jane, and even see Spider-Man embark on Multiverse adventures for the first time, way before the Spider-Verse had become popular with general audiences.

Spider-Man: The Animated Series was a bout of fun, and the show wasn't afraid to get serious when the narrative called for it. Many episodes carry over to the next, and storylines have exciting and rewarding payoffs, with some pretty gritty themes involving addiction and death.

More

33 Strongest Multiverse Versions Of Spider-Man, Ranked

With so many versions of Spider-Man across the multiverse, fans often ask who is the strongest Spider-Man. These are the most powerful.