10 TV Shows Like Adventure Time You Should Watch Next
Adventure Time ended in 2018, but the delightfully weird animated series—not just for kids—lives on, with its new spinoff , Adventure Time: Side Adventures, premiering later this month on Disney+ and Hulu. If you’re looking for more adventures in the same vein, here are 10 shows worth checking out—some inspired by the pop culture dominance of Jake the Dog and Finn the Human, and others created by the people who worked on the iconic animated series. As Finn would say: “Mathematically!”
Bee and the Puppy Cat (2022)
This series from Adventure Time animator Natasha Allegri had an unusual origin story: starting in 2013 as a Kickstarter-funded YouTube project, it then moved to Netflix for a second season (the original episodes are still available on YouTube , but were remastered and became the first few episodes of the series on Netflix). Somewhat reminiscent of Adventure Time and Sailor Moon , the series follows the cheerful, hapless temp worker Bee, who meets the mysterious, self-absorbed PuppyCat. Realizing she’s broke and unemployed, he whisks her away to another dimension, where TempBot offers them a series of adventures in space.Watch Bee and PuppyCat on Netflix.
Gravity Falls (2012–2016)
This beloved, albeit relatively short-lived, animated series follows twin siblings Mabel and Dipper Pines (Kristen Schaal and Jason Ritter), who go to spend the summer with their great-uncle (aka “Uncle”) Stan (voiced by series creator Alex Hirsch). Helping Stan manage his mystical-themed vacation home, the kids investigate a series of supernatural mysteries, many of which involve the show’s main antagonist, the dream demon Bill Cipher. Like Stranger Things , the series concluded as planned (albeit after four years rather than ten), and its finale was also a ratings blockbuster— the highest-rated broadcast in Disney XD history. Watch Gravity Falls on Disney+ .
The Owl House (2020–2023)
Teenager Luz Noceda finds herself trapped in the Demon Realm, where she befriends nonconformist witch Eda Clawthorne (aka the Owl Lady), played by Wendie Malick. Eda takes on the non-magical Luz to teach her everything she can. It all takes place on the Boiling Islands, part of an archipelago formed from the remains of a dead Titan. This is just the beginning of many interesting moments that flesh out the world of the series, alongside impressively developed characters and deeper themes of oppression and disability. The series, which opened the door for LGBTQ representation at Disney before the increasingly timid company decided to force everyone back into the closet, is full of queer characters and remained both creatively quirky and charming throughout its run. Watch The Owl House on Disney+ .
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (2020)
This charming adventure series, a collaboration between DreamWorks and South Korean animation studio Mir ( known for The Legend of Korra ), follows Kipo Oak as she searches for her father in a unique dystopian future: in the distant past, mutated animals rebelled against their human oppressors and forced them to live underground. Along her journey, Kipo learns new things about herself (like that she’s not 100% human) and makes friends and allies among animals. It’s a gorgeous and delightful adventure with considerable diversity and LGBTQ representation.Watch Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts on Netflix.
Steven Universe (2013–2019)
Rebecca Sugar’s series, like Adventure Time , begins as a series of seemingly standalone adventures before evolving into an impressively rich and complex narrative over five planned seasons and a film. The protagonist, Steven (Zach Callison), lives in Beach City with magical, mineral-based aliens named Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. Steven himself is half-Gem, and the series follows him as he develops his abilities and discovers himself, while discovering that his companions are fugitives from an interstellar empire. It’s a beloved, musical, and highly acclaimed series that has spawned the aforementioned film and sequel , Steven Universe: Beyond , as well as another spinoff in development. Watch Steven Universe on Disney+ and Hulu .
Centaurworld (2021)
Separated from his rider, a warhorse from an apocalyptic, anime-inspired land finds himself transported to a bizarre, magical, and musical world inhabited by centaurs of all sizes, shapes, and species combinations—among those the Horse encounters are cataurs, finchtaurs, and even leaf centaurs. Feeling like an outsider, the Horse desperately wants to return home and reunite with his rider, and in the process, he unleashes the evil King of Nowhere, who threatens both worlds. Among other delights, each episode includes a variety of hilarious musical numbers.Watch “World of Centaurs” on Netflix .
Beyond the Garden Wall (2014)
Like Natasha Allegri of Bee and Puppy , Over the Garden Wall creator Patrick McHale worked on Adventure Time before creating this instant classic, spooky holiday miniseries. The series begins with brothers Wirt and Greg (Elijah Wood and Collin Dean) getting lost in a mysterious forest known only as the Unknown. Wirt is anxious and often annoyed by the more carefree Greg, and they must overcome their differences to cope with the strange people and creatures they encounter along the way. The beautiful animation is inspired by cartoons of earlier eras, and the entire series possesses an unsettling strangeness and unexpected complexity that makes it more than just a typical story about kids lost in the woods. Watch Over the Garden Wall on Disney+ and Hulu .
Hilda (2018–2023)
Hilda’s world feels like it was created by Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, but with more trolls (incidentally, this isn’t a Japanese series, but based on a British graphic novel). The main character lives with her mother in the remote wilderness, a land full of magic and animals with which the adventurous Hilda is well acquainted. Circumstances force them to move to the city of Trollberg, a place where magic seems considerably less present. It’s a beautiful series with a curious and sympathetic protagonist who is also incredibly stubborn and unyielding. It’s equally good for children and adults, and Bella Ramsey ( The Last of Us ) gives a superb performance as the title character. It all culminates in the feature film Hilda and the Mountain King .Watch Hilda on Netflix .
Rick and Morty (2013–)
It might not be the best choice for young children, and therefore doesn’t live up to the spirit of Adventure Time for all ages, but this sci-fi comedy is nonetheless a twisted (and drunken) take on other shows about friends going on magical journeys together. Rick Sanchez plays an old-school (and deeply cynical) mad scientist who drags his good-natured but hapless grandson on high-concept sci-fi adventures—it’s a bit like Back to the Future . It’s smart, crude, often disturbing, and at times a bit emotional, but mostly it’s a wildly fun exploration of the multiverse. Watch Rick and Morty on Disney+ and HBO Max .
Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake (2023–)
Finally, a true spin-off: both Adventure Time and its sequel, the miniseries Distant Lands , followed the adventures of Finn the human and Jake the dog, but this series features their multiverse counterparts. In a universe without magic, Fionna and her cat live boring lives during the day, dreaming of adventures in a strange world at night. Meanwhile, the Ice King struggles to survive without his powers when he discovers that Fionna and Cake, whom he thought were just figments of his fan fiction, are actually real and need his help to save their universe. The series captures all the joys of Adventure Time while developing both the characters and the mythology. Watch Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake on HBO Max .