10 Best Animated TV Series Finales of All Time

Cartoons often feel episodic, like they are meant to reset everything by the end of an episode so that the next one can begin anew. However, some series go the extra mile and give the series a proper finale, resolving the story’s main conflict and other driving questions. This has become more common as more and more animated series have embraced telling an overarching story as the seasons go by.

Often, all the characters that have appeared throughout the story make a big return. The big “will-they-or-won’t-they” romantic subplots between the characters, especially the main leads, may finally get resolved. A character might make the ultimate sacrifice, gain the redemption they’ve been seeking, or the villain will finally get their comeuppance.

Endings aren’t always happy, but the sad ones can still leave a lasting impression. What’s important is that the viewer is left with the feeling they are grateful they took this journey with the characters they saw onscreen.

10 Amphibia

Season 3, Episode 18 – “The Hardest Thing”

In Amphibia‘s finale, Anne Boonchuy has found herself magically sent to a new world populated by frogs by the mysterious Calamity Box. Two of her friends, Sasha and Marcy, have also been trapped there but Anne isn’t sure where to find them or how to get back home. As she makes new friends and reunites with old ones, she learns of an upcoming battle that will even involve the fate of the Earth.

After the series’ villains seem to be defeated in “The Hardest Thing,” the series finale, the Core, the series’ true main antagonist, is revealed to have one last plan: using Amphibia’s moon as a doomsday device. Anne, Sasha, and Marcy must harness their powers to stop the threat once and for all. Anne appears to be destroyed in the final battle, but she soon finds herself before a powerful cosmic guardian who sends her back.

Anne is given the chance to return home, but this will come at the cost of leaving her new friends in Amphibia forever. The story ends by skipping forward in time to reveal older versions of Anne and Sprig. In Amphibia‘s emotional conclusion, it’s made clear that Amphibia hasn’t forgotten Anne and neither has Anne forgotten her time with her amphibian friends.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

The story offers a bittersweet, and notably mature, ending, which is something casual viewers might not expect from a cartoon aimed at younger viewers. It’s a poignant note, reflecting how the people we meet in our lives, even briefly, can have a lasting impact, and that our loved ones are always with us in some form.

Both Anne and Sprig’s influence still lingers on in the other’s lives. In the end, viewers learn through Anne’s journey that change is part of life and, while things come and go, they might find some way to come back to you.

9 King of the Hill

Season 13, Episode 24 – “To Sirloin with Love”

“To Sirloin with Love” serves as the series finale for King of the Hill‘s original run. When Hank and Bobby go to a steakhouse, Bobby surprises and impresses his father by correctly pointing out the poor quality of the steaks. This also gets the notice of Heimlich County Junior College’s meat examination team, who invites Bobby to join them.

Things start to get heated, however, when Bobby makes a mistake during a competition, causing his team to turn on him. It soon becomes clear that the rival teams take things just as seriously and are willing to take drastic measures to sabotage the competition. In the end, Bobby proves himself and helps win the competition for his team.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

The most important part of the story is Hank and Bobby’s relationship, which is also a major part of the series. Throughout the show, the two have struggled to make a common connection. The finale finally has them find some common ground.

Both characters have also shown a fondness for meat in earlier episodes, so it comes off as a natural conclusion and not a tacked-on happy ending, either. In the final scene, all the characters even come together for a barbecue, allowing everyone to come together for the big send-off.

It’s a moving ending, allowing viewers to reflect that this was a down-to-earth show that offered heartfelt moments along with laughs. Viewers can also appreciate that the series doesn’t end with a big move or some drastic change, as this was a show that favored, and offered, the simple pleasures of life to tell a story. It perfectly fits with the overall feel of the show.

8 Adventure Time

Season 10, Episode 13 – “Come Along With Me”

The Adventure Time finale, “Come Along With Me,” also known as “The Ultimate Adventure,” starts off in a distant future, where two friends, Beth and Shermy, find a mechanical arm that once belonged to Finn. They encounter BMO, who has survived the long passage of time and tells them the story of the Gum War.

The fates of the characters eventually play out. Betty becomes one with GOLB. Fern begins to break apart, with Finn planting his remains, allowing a new tree to grow. Ice King is transformed back into Simon, while Gunter becomes the Ice Thing thanks to Ice King’s crown. Marceline and Princess Bubblegum also restart their relationship.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

Some characters, like BMO, still live on in the finale, showing that nothing is certain, even endings. Even Beth and Shermy, representing future incarnations of Jake and Finn, help to remind viewers that even as the series draws to an end, there will always be adventures left to be had.

What makes the finale important is the audience gets to be part of this adventure. They are the ones who got to meet these characters and even get glimpses of new ones.

7 Hey Arnold!

The Jungle Movie (2017 TV Film)

Hey Arnold! already had a famous finale through “The Journal,” in which Arnold learned about the fate of his parents. The story ended on a surprisingly hopeful note, with Arnold’s reaction to the final page implying there was a chance he could reunite with his parents. Over the years, rumors abounded of a possible movie where the story would finally be concluded, and it eventually came to be in The Jungle Movie.

Thanks to a contest, Arnold’s class has won a trip to Central America, where he hopes he will finally find his lost parents. Trouble starts up with pirates and the mysterious Green-Eyed people, making the journey a dangerous one.

The movie provides a resolution to two driving stories throughout the series. Arnold indeed gets the reunion he longed for. Even when the movie teases that the events were just a dream, it’s made clear his parents are back.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

This was a story fans had waited years to see, with many initially believing plans for The Jungle Movie were just a rumor. The movie made sure to conclude every story fans still had questions about. Even the slight tease at the end helps assure fans once and for all that this is the story’s happy ending. It’s a story that shows that sometimes patience is rewarded.

6 Ed, Edd n Eddy

Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show (2009 TV Film)

Ed, Edd n Eddy started out as a somewhat episodic series. The three “Ed’s” would work together on some scam to get money from the other local kids in their cul-de-sac, but things would often backfire. Things rarely went well for them, from being bullied by the other kids to dealing with the unwanted advances of the Kanker Sisters.

In Ed, Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show, when their latest monkey-making idea seemingly devastates the cul-de-sac, Eddy convinces the other two Ed’s to find his often-mentioned, but rarely seen, older brother for help. He’s not exactly sure where he lives, so they will have to whatever facts they come up with to find him, somewhat parodying The Wizard of Oz.

As the story goes on, it comes to light that Eddy’s brother is actually cruel to him, which causes Eddy to confess that all of his schemes were attempts to impress the other kids. Touched by this, the other kids finally accept the Ed’s, even inviting them to have some jawbreakers, the treat that eluded them throughout the series. The Kanker Sisters also ensure Eddy’s brother gets his comeuppance.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

For years, viewers found the three Eds more and more sympathetic, with fans even defending their episodic “scams” to be well-thought-out business ventures. Many fans just wanted the Eds to finally get to their hands on those out-of-reach jawbreakers already.

The movie is important because it finally gives a payoff to these fans. It shows that the hopes they had for the Eds did not go unnoticed. The happy ending, with the Eds finally getting the appreciation they’ve been denied since the start of the show, is truly something the fans can share.

Stream on Max

5 OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes

Season 3, Episode 19 – “Thank You for Watching the Show”

OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes is a series set in a world filled with characters straight out of fighting games, complete with their own trading cards and rankings. Young K.O. seeks to become a great hero and level up all the while working at Gar’s Bodega, all the while protecting it from villains.

The series finale, “Thank You for Watching the Show,” somewhat pokes fun at the series drawing to its end, with K.O. experiencing time literally skipping ahead with no way of stopping it. While something supernatural seems to be at work, it all serves as a metaphor for how it is impossible to prevent the passage of time.

The fates of various characters are explored. Enid begins to accept herself as a witch and ends up running a fitness dojo with Red Action. Rad becomes a celebrated war hero. Many characters get married, including K.O.’s mother and Mr. Gar. As a joke, one character even gets a fictional spin-off. K.O. himself appears an an adult and becomes the new owner of the bodega, as well as a Level 100 Hero.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

The series finale is especially unique in that it tries to insert everything it can into a single episode, both showcasing and poking fun at things that fans would’ve eventually wanted to see had the show lasted longer. Everything is played with a sense of humor, allowing viewers to pick and choose what they want to consider canon.

What makes the finale truly unique is that it feels like a long-awaited answer to shows that have been canceled without warning. The showrunners were effectively given one last story to wrap things up, and they inserted everything they could. This also fit in perfectly with the show’s style and sense of humor, all the more allowing viewers to appreciate how the show ended. It’s ultimately refreshing to see an animated show end on its own terms.

Stream on Hulu

4 Ducktales

Season 3, Episode 22 – “The Last Adventure!”

“The Last Adventure!” serves as the finale to the 2017 Ducktales reboot. The future of the Duck family becomes clear as new secrets come to light. The story starts out with Webby’s birthday, but things get complicated when she encounters two girls resembling her, June and May.

Bradford, who serves as the main antagonist of the series and the finale, has captured the McDuck family, only allowing them to go if Scrooge agrees to never go on adventures again. Otherwise, they risk getting obliterated within the vortex.

The story’s ultimate twist is that Webby herself turns out to be a clone of Scrooge McDuck, effectively making her his biological daughter. This serves as the payoff to Webby idolizing Scrooge and McDuck family throughout the series. Scrooge even beings to act like an overprotective parent to Webby in the story’s final moments. After the villains’ defeat, the growing Duck family prepares itself for another adventure.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

The finale is a love letter to fans, picking up on theories fans had been speculating about even before the start of the series. In particular, the reveal of Webby’s connection to Scrooge is seen as the payoff to fans wondering if there was something more to her devotion to the McDuck family.

A lot of finales like to give a conclusive ending. This one, however, knew that fans would still be left wanting new adventures and wrote a story reflecting that. Scrooge’s desire to go on new adventures is the driving point of the story and the ending shows that the McDuck family still have a few more stories left to tell. Viewers can enjoy this ending knowing that there will always be more adventures to be had because they are encouraged to believe that will happen.

Stream on Disney+

3 BoJack Horseman

Season 6, Episode 16 – “Nice While It Lasted”

“Nice While It Lasted” serves as the finale to the adult animated seriesBoJack Horseman. BoJack wakes up at the hospital where he learns he’s been sentenced to serve fourteen months at Super-Max Prison. Officially, this is for breaking and entering, but BoJack feels it’s for something more. While serving his time, BoJack takes on the role of a director for a prison show and is given leave to attend Princess Carolyn and Judah’s wedding.

In his time out, BoJack sees Diane, learns about her marriage to Guy and her new book series. Diane also reveals the last voicemail BoJack sent her caused her to initially think he had died. Ultimately, as she explains, she now believes the people you meet in your life can help you become the person you are meant to be.

BoJack wants to tell Diane a funny story and mentions how the prison movie is often The Family Stone due to the choice being rigged. BoJack’s attempts to switch things up made Pieces of April. Ultimately, BoJack points out that, “Sometimes life’s a b**ch and then you die.” Diane counters this by pointing out people keep on living. The series ends with a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

Viewers fell in love with a show that was subversive, delightfully awkward, and tongue-in-cheek. The finale didn’t go for a more typical happy ending because that isn’t the type of story that made such an impression for 6 seasons. Life doesn’t always have clean-cut endings, either. This is an ending fans can both appreciate and relate to.

2 She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Season 5, Episodes 12 and 13 – “Heart”

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, a reboot of She-Ra: Princess of Power, ends the series with the “Heart” two-parter. The “Best Friends Squad” fight Horde Prime while racing to reach for the Heart of Etheria. Either the villains will harness its power or Entrapta can hopefully disrupt it. Meanwhile, Adora is impacted by feelings of self-doubt, causing her to switch back and forth between being Adora and She-Ra.

However, all the allies She-Ra hs obtained over the series come together, including former antagonists. Shadow Weaver ultimately redeems herself by sacrificing her life to help Adora and Catra. Adora similarly plans to sacrifice herself as well, but Catra won’t let that happen.

In a pivotal moment, Catra professes her love for Adora, allowing the two to finally embrace, resolving the tension between them throughout the series. In turn, She-Re frees Hordak from Horde Prime, allowing him to reunite with Entrapta, as the characters all come together.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

This is finale is a bittersweet one, with characters getting both happy and sad endings. On one hand, viewers get to enjoy happy endings, and they’re well deserved. Various characters, including Adora, Catra, and even Hordak, find themselves fighting until the very end just to get a well-earned victory. Even romantic struggles throughout the story, including love that characters doubted could ever be returned, end in triumph.

On the other hand, other characters did not survive the story, such as Shadow Weaver, presented as an ambiguous mother figure. She gets to redeem herself in the end, even with a chiding, “You’re welcome.” The narrative allows her death to become her shining moment. The important thing is that neither ending, happy or sad, feels forced or tacked on, but the well-planned ending to a long, arduous journey.

1 Avatar: The Last Airbender

Season 3, Episodes 18 to 21 – “Sozin’s Comet”

Avatar: The Last Airbender ends the inspiring original series with the “Sozin’s Comet” four-parter. The titular Great Comet is an event that occurs once every one hundred years. Fore Lord Ozai hoped to harness its power and fulfill his ambitions.

As the story begins to reach its end, Ozai causes Aang to enter the Avatar State. This allows him to overpower him, but he still doesn’t want to kill him. Taking advantage of a new bending ability, “energy-bending,” Aang strips the Phoenix King by stripping him of his fire-bending, sparing him while making him endure a fate he would see as worse than death.

Lord Zuko finally declares an end to the war. His antagonistic sister Azula suffers a breakdown, giving her a fate that causes even her enemies to pity her. The story also concludes much of the show’s romantic pairings, with Aang and Katara finally embracing.

What Makes This a Great Series Finale

Fans got to see Aang truly triumph in the end and not just by overcoming Ozai. The story allows the hero to win on his own terms, not compromising his morals, but finding the untapped power within himself to succeed.

This is a finale that delivers on action and emotion. Characters get to reach the end of their emotional journeys, from Zuko’s redemption giving way to him becoming the new Fire Lord to the confirmation of Aang and Katara’s relationship. The finale left such an impression on viewers because it reflects the importance of pursuing a goal and the happiness of finally reaching it, as any good conclusion should do.