Summary
The bestSpider-Mananimated 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.
There’s aSpider-Manseries 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 newSpider-Manshows, it’s time to look back at what came before and to see which was the bestSpider-Manseries among the rest.
Updated on February 20th, 2025, by Melody MacReady:All Spider-Man animated shows present audiences with a variety of intriguing interpretations of the beloved Wall Crawler. Disney+ has introduced yet another version of Spider-Man with Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. This series reboots the character once again, showcasing the challenges of being both a beloved superhero and a regular high school student in New York City. Many are curious about how this new iteration compares to the iconic animated series that has established a gold standard over the past several decades, and this list has been updated to rank the new Spidey series among the rest of his animated appearances.
Still airing,Spidey and His Amazing Friendsis 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 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 Friendsisn’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.
1970
Rating
TV-Y7
The original cartoon,Spider-Man, introduced audiences to the famed web-slinger, briefly afterhe debuted for Marvel Comics. The 1967 series had a campy goodness, with goofy and outdated animation that helped cement the show in a pop culture standing, with many memes and references, even in officialSpider-Manmedia.
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 originalSpider-Mancartoon allows for fun and camp, without a worry for gritty and dramatic stories. It also introduced what is arguably Spider-Man’s definitive theme song.
1983
TV-Y
Peter Parker is one of three heroes inSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends, which follows the trio of Spider-Man, Iceman, and Firestar as they battle to say New York City and even the world. They encounter villains like Green Goblin, Scorpion, and even The Fantastic Four’s very own nemesis, Doctor Doom.
There are some unique origins to the characters inSpider-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.
Spider-Man Unlimitedhas Spider-Man heading off to Counter-Earth, experiencing new, yet similar fights and adventures on a parallel world where people are animal/human hybrids. A gritty new costume isperfect for the ’90s erathat this series came from, and its design gives off the vibe that the creators wanted to make a Spider-Man 2099 series, but with Peter Parker.
On the one hand, its unique narrative and high-tech take on Spider-Man left a bad taste in audiences' mouths because it ends on a cliffhanger, with no conclusion. This series could have potential, but it left fans of the character feeling conflicted about whether they even enjoyed it or not.
Riding off of the success ofSam Raimi’sSpider-Manmovie, the titular character returned to TV, featuring an experimental visual style that not everybody loved.Spider-Man: The New Animated Serieswas fully CGI, sacrificing the usual art style for something more stiff and expensive. The series was also different as it was fairly mature compared to other Spider-Man cartoons.
Spider-Man: The New Animated Serieshas Peter and his friends in their 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, including characters that hadn’t been seen in years. However, side characters such as Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson feel one-dimensional.
While still fun and campy, there was a darkness to the1981Spider-Manseries, as a priority in writing was the focus over the animation. This allowed Spider-Man to have more team-ups with the likes of Captain America and other Marvel characters, which helped to cement the show as memorable, as many love a good crossover between heroes and villains.
To some, this is aSpider-Mancartoon with plenty of nostalgia and iconic moments for Spidey to cross paths with. After all, it’s not every day thatDoctor Doom is seen fighting Spider-Man, or that the famed Peter Parker is dealing with adult responsibilities. The reason for this series being less remembered is because of its timeframe, with many considering it an upgrade from the 1967 series.
Riding off of the success ofUltimate Spider-Man, and a dependency on Marvel Studios' MCU,Marvel’s Spider-Manattempted 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-Manrelies on the debut of other characters, sacrificing the story and growth of characters for exciting visuals and concepts that are often left forgotten or executed dully. It’s not considered a bad Spider-Man show, as it still provides fun adventures, but it is often regarded as forgettable.
There’s somewhat of a divide withUltimate Spider-Man,as this version of Spider-Maninteracts 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., but Spider-Man is more like Deadpool thanks to his constant fourth-wall breaking.
The stories ofUltimate Spider-Manalso 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. There is also a deception with the title, as there is little to nothing to do with the Ultimate Spider-Man comics until Miles Morales is introduced far down the line.
Marvel’s new animation division continues to impress withYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.While telling the story of a brand-new Spider-Man is nothing new, it takes multiple liberties and tries new ideas to keep things fresh, such as Norman Osborn being more of a mentor and Spider-Man being the newest hero in a world full of pre-existing Marvel heroes.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manbegins as a family-friendly series but gradually turns dark with gruesome violence and Peter’s character development. The characters steal the show, particularly Lonnie Lincoln, Doctor Strange, and Nico Minoru, along with a focus on lesser-known villains. It’s exciting to witness Spider-Man’s evolution into the iconic hero fans adore throughout the season.
The ‘90sSpider-Man: The Animated Serieswas many people’s first introduction to the character.It features still-thrilling adventureswith iconic heroes and villains, including the Venom Saga, a romance with Mary Jane, and early Multiverse explorations, predating the popularity of the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: The Animated Serieswas a lot of fun, and the show wasn’t afraid to get serious when the narrative called for it. Despite dated animation and hammy voice-acting, the series remains a beloved one as it helped create a shared universe with X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and other 90s Marvel shows.
