Four of my favourite 2D animated shows from the past few years
Fuck.
I loved Scavenger's Reign, and now you're telling me I gotta watch these ones too?
Well if I must, I shall.
this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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On top of what OP said, Pantheon is incredible. It's one of the best TV shows ever, and you are required to watch it.
I think there's a lot of similarity between Scavenger's Reign and Common Side Effects. Many of the same people worked on it. Pantheon is also a great slow burn scifi.
Mighty Nein is quite different. It's fantasy, and leans into overt comedy a lot more than the other 3. But still very good.
Common Side Effects sometimes feels like it's drawn over real footage. Not because it's super accurate but the way the camera moves
I know this is a place for animation, but if you enjoyed Pantheon, I highly suggest checking out Hidden Girl and Other Stories by Ken Liu. The tv show is based off of loosely connected stories from that anthology and the stories are great. Another short story was turned into the episode Good Hunting on Love, Sex, and Robots.
If you haven't played Dispatch, it was cowritten by critical role, the team behind Mighty Nein and Vox Machina. Almost positive it was animated in 3D, but looks 2d through its art direction.
Dude. Pantheon blew my mind. I have several scenes burned into my mind forever (Chanda being scanned).
I love all four that you posted, but I can't remember the last time a show stayed with me as well as Pantheon did 🤯
The body horror combined with existential dread of the chanda scanning scene hits harder than anything else I've seen, it's definitely burned into my mind as well. Having experience with seeing the effects of a traumatic brain injury on a loved one made it so much more emotionally impactful as well, and anyone who has experience with neurological disorders/diseases would be affected by it as well because of the visceral realism. Whoever directed that scene has definitely seen someone with progressive aphasia before.
Pantheon is one of my favorite shows ever. It's so so good. I both want more people to watch it and for it to remain a low-key show that you have to watch the first episode to know what it's about (please just watch the first episode before even looking up the synopsis I promise you will know if it's your kind of show or not from the first episode and it's worth going in blind to experience it that way).
I'd also like to throw in
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off - anime version of the movie with all the same voice cast, with a major major twist at the first episode (hint - it's very different from the movie and much more mature while still keeping the same vibes)
Adventure Time - Fionna and Cake - an excellent follow up to Adventure Time. Idk how comprehensible it is to non-adventure time watchers, but it is it's own story that does some cool stuff.
Blue Eyed Samurai - just a great revenge story with gorgeous animation.
Blue Eyed Samurai just kept hitting in different ways. Awesome story, animation, and characters. Much more than I expected.
I think another one that's worth adding is Infinity Train. It's targeted at a slightly younger audience, but is a great sci-fi animated show.
Each season follows its own characters with a little bit of overlap.
Hmm, I might have to check out Pantheon...
Well if we are recommending 2d shows, I gotta rep up Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Season 2 came out just a little while ago and it was as fun as the first season.
Common Side Effects was such a stressful watch for me.
They put that turtle in mortal peril every damn episode.
I can confirm, I was terribly impressed with Mighty Nein. Really good show.
Scavengers Reign and Common Side Effects share the same creators, and are both very good! It's interesting that they both have themes related to harmony with nature and the various relationships that humans form with it, good and bad.
Pantheon is also fantastic, super heady sci-fi with a lot to say about the modern tech industry, and loads of references to sci-fi classics. It's clear the writers are huge sci-fi geeks and their enthusiasm comes through in the show.
I haven't seen The Mighty Nein but if it's being grouped with the other shows here it must be worth a watch. It does seem like the odd one out of the bunch though since it's fantasy rather than sci-fi like the other 3.
Same here. I loved all three, though Scavenger's Reign feels like the most polished.
I need to go back and try Scavengers Reign again because Common Side Effects is fucking incredible.
Is Scavenger’s Reign good? I really dig the art style. Reminds me of Moebius.
Ps: I love the character designs of Common Side Effects. Looks absolutely unhinged xD
They share the same animators! Even though they went in different directions with the animation style you can see the similarities if you watch both, especially in the portal scenes of CSE.
It made me cry, like a lot.
It's breathtaking
I liked it a lot!
I just looked up the trailer and it looks pretty cool, ngl xD
Thank you for sharing, friend! 🤗
You have good taste.
Watch both Avatar series if you haven't already. The Vox Machina/Meighty Nein makers are shameless Avatar fans; you'll recognize the references immediately.
Also:
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DOTA: Dragon's Blood
-
DCAU. I'd recommend Justice League, BTAS, and (though technically not DCAU) Young Justice, specifically.
I hadn't heard of any of these but as someone who loves Avatar and enjoyed vox machina I'll have to check them out
Mighty Nein just began. I recommend watching The Legend of Vox Machina first so you don't have to wait so long.
I'm also looking forward to the coming Captain Laserhawk season (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)
We found Mighty Nein first and are now working backwards through Vox Machina. Looking up Captain Laserhawk now!
I can personally attest to Pantheon and Scavneger's Reign (although I haven't watched the newest season of SR yet).
Pantheon is very much a show of morals versus "progress". The end is a WILD ride.
Scavneger's Reign is about people on a foreign planet and using the planet's resources to survive and possibly escape. The alien fauna is downright incredible to imagine. Another stellar show.
I'm sorry, "newest season" of Scavenger's Reign? It was very famously not picked up for a second season despite winning awards and audience petitions.
If you know of more that's out there other than Season 1, please share with the class, because all I've seen so far is a short 2 minute teaser that the creator animated when trying to get season 2 approved.
Well fuck me then. I could've sworn I saw a season 2, but you're right. Only the one season.
Unless they mean season 2 of Pantheon.
I have the opposite taste, I like most animated shows, not any of these. Tried a few episodes of each multiple times, hasn't hit/clicked.
Don't remember scavenger's reign, might try that again
In hindsight Scavengers Reign reminds me a lot of La Planète Sauvage.
Replace Pantheon with The Legend of Vox Machina.
I liked Vox Machina a lot, and every season has been better than the last. Personally, I think Pantheon edges it out for me.
Have you seen Pantheon? I've only seen a few episodes of Vox Machina but Pantheon is legitimately great and very interesting, though also completely different tone and vibe wise.