JacobsonCinemas

Happy Birthday to me! I was having trouble thinking of what kind of list to do. Then I remembered that the series finale of the Amazing Digital Circus was releasing next month (expect an episode ranking after episode 9 releases on YouTube) and that inspired me to make my top 10 favorite animated series finales list. A great series finale is one that perfectly wraps up everything in an emotional and satisfying way and these are the ten finales that I thought concluded the series wonderfully. There are some rules in terms of which finales will be included. I will not be including full-length animated films that act as the series finale such as Ed Edd n Eddy’s Big Picture Show (it would definitely be on this list if it counted). I will also not count shows like Futurama or King of the Hill which had series finales but were then renewed. One last thing, this list is based on my personal opinion.

Honorable Mentions: Ducktales 2017, Regular Show, The Ghost and Molly Mcgee, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, She-Ra and the Princesses of Light, Craig of the Creek

10. Arthur – All Grown Up:

It was absolutely shocking when it was announced that PBS’s longest show Arthur would be ending. Seeing the author of the book series Marc Brown talk to Arthur was very sweet. Having the original actor for Arthur reprise his role during the timeskip was a brilliant bookend to the series. I also almost got teary eyed when he shows his graphic novel which is a cute reference to the opening.

9. BoJack Horseman – Nice While it Lasted:

Every finale of BoJack Horseman is traditionally calmer compared to the always intense penultimate episode and after the existential nightmare that was “The View from Halfway Down” the series finale is defiantly needed to be the show’s calmest yet most poignant finale. “Nice While it Lasted” brilliantly gives each of the main characters one last goodbye by having BoJack have one last bittersweet conversation with each of them. BoJack’s conversation with Diane being the most poignant.

8. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic – The Last Problem:

Much like BoJack Horseman’s series finale, MLP FIM’s serves as more like an epilogue after the previous epic two-parter. Having Twilight Sparkle (who has become the new Princess of Equestria) help her new student learn about friendship brilliantly harkens back to when Twilight was sent to live in Ponyville by her mentor Princess Celestia at the beginning of the show. It really shows how much Twilight has grown throughout the show.

7. The Owl House – Watching and Dreaming:

While it would’ve been cool to see a whole third season rather than three long episodes (thanks Disney), each extra-long episode was still amazing especially the finale. Seeing Luz reunite with Eda and King was great and her unlocking her mega witch form was awesome. For as little screentime the Collector had in the show, this finale managed to make them an interesting and sympathetic character while still making them very entertaining. Belos’ death is also one of the most satisfying villain deaths in any animated series.

6. Amphibia – The Hardest Thing:

Matt Braly woke up one day and thought, let’s have the final boss of Amphibia be the literal moon, and history was made! I couldn’t imagine this showing topping the already epic penultimate episode “All In” but it did. Seeing the Calamity Trio unlock their full Calamity powers is amazing and the fight between them and the Core is awesome. The Calamity trio saying goodbye to Amphibia and the characters that have helped them grow as better people made for one of the most bittersweet endings of any animated series.

5. Over the Garden Wall – The Unknown:

Having the show’s cozy autumn aesthetic change to the cold and intense winter in the last episode brilliantly adds more tension to the story and signifies the end of the adventure. I’ve always loved stories where the changing of the seasons tie into the story. The confrontation of the Beast is definitely the highlight of the finale thanks to the scene’s eerie music, creepy atmosphere, emotional story beats, and of course Samuel Ramey’s amazing performance as the Beast. An amazing conclusion to Cartoon Network’s most cinematic show.

4. Steven Universe/Steven Universe Future – Change Your Mind/The Future:

I’m placing both these finales as a tie because I feel like both of them perfectly represent the climaxes of two different types of conflict in the show. Steven Universe’s finale Change your Mind acts as the climax of Steven’s external conflict where he succeeds in defeating White Diamond, fixing the corrupted gems and making peace with Homeworld. Steven Universe Future’s The Future acts as the climax of Steven’s internal conflict where he solves his personal trauma and chooses what to do with his life after saving Earth. Each of these finales wonderfully wrap up each important conflict in Steven’s character arc.

3. Gravity Falls – Take Back the Falls:

The inconsistent release dates of every Gravity Falls episode made each of them feel like an event and the series finale was definitely their biggest one. I remember having to leave my college class early so I wouldn’t miss it. I love finales that bring back almost character and Gravity Falls managed to do that. There are callbacks to pretty much every episode of the show here which help make the more “episodic” episodes feel much more important. Take Back the Falls is pretty much Gravity Falls at it’s best and at the time it was my favorite series finale of all time.

2. Avatar the Last Airbender – Sozin’s Comet:

I’ll admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of Avatar when it first aired on Nickelodeon but I do remember watching the series finale live and liking it just fine, but now that I’ve seen the whole show multiple times, I completely agree that this is one of the most epic series finales ever. The fights between Aang vs Ozai and Zuko/Katara vs Azula are some of if not the most epic fight scenes in any animated series and perfectly cap off the great character arcs of Aang and Zuko. Micheal and Bryan knew that it was important that a story-driven show like Avatar deserved to have a satisfying and epic conclusion and Sozin’s Comet did not disappoint.

1. Hilda – The Fairy Isle:

For those who don’t know, Hilda is not only my favorite animated series but also my favorite show of all time. So of course, this show’s finale had to be my number one. Everything about this finale is perfect from the gorgeous animation, the amazing music and especially the emotional story beats. The heart of the show has always been the relationship between Hilda and her mum Johanna and the Fairly Isle puts them up and front. Seeing Hilda choose to return to her new life in Trollberg rather than stay in the Fairy Isle really show how much she has grown throughout the show. The ending of this finale is not only my favorite ending of any TV show but it’s up there with Pixar’s Up and Kingdom Hearts 2 as one of my favorite endings in all of fiction and I cry every time the credits begin. The Fairy Isle has everything that makes Hilda my favorite show and that’s why it deserves to be my number one favorite animated series finale.

What are your favorite animated series finales?