2018 has been a fantastic year for television, especially when it comes to animation. A ton of new animated series debuts arrived over the last 12 months. There was so much new content, in fact, that we have to split up our year-end list of the best of the best into two categories: One for kids and one for adults. First up, a retrospective look at the best animated series for kids, a list that shines a spotlight on the shows you might have missed and highlights new favorites that you'll be hoping to see more of in 2019.

Fans of animation of all ages have more places to watch fresh and original content than ever before. The old standbys like the Disney Channel and Disney Junior, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network are joined by relative newcomers like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and streaming services like VRV and their many genre channels, including Crunchyroll, Boomerang, Rooster Teeth, and more. That's a lot of places to keep track of. That's also why we brought you the best new animated shows that 2018 had to offer all in one place as an easy guide to sort out these incredible debuts.

2018's best animated series for kids range from preschool standouts like Muppet Babies and Fancy Nancy, to nostalgic throwbacks like Craig of the Creek and Harvey Street Kids, to amped-up action-packed shows like Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel Rising, and Star Wars Resistance. This list also includes new classics that are appropriate for kids and adults alike, shows like Hilda, Summer Camp Island, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. There's really something here for everyone to enjoy!

The following list, presented in order from youngest to oldest audiences, sums up the best kids animated series of 2018 and includes some of your favorites and shows you might have missed.

Muppet Babies

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If you're old enough to remember the original 80s-90s animated Muppet Babies, then you're old enough to have kids or grandkids whose first introduction to the magical Muppet show is this new Disney show. Though the medium may have changed from traditional hand-drawn 2D animation to computer-generated 3D characters and settings, the heart of the original series is still here. The pint-sized versions of Jim Henson's most famous characters still pal around in the playroom under the watchful eye of Miss Nanny. Their adventures continue to instill positive virtues and dole out life lessons to the little ones, all while paying homage to classic movies and TV shows from pop culture, something the adult viewers can appreciate a little better. It's been such a success for Disney Junior that they've ordered a second season of the preschool series. There's still plenty of time to check it out before Season 2 arrives, so give it a shot if you haven't just yet.

Fancy Nancy

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Another new Disney Junior show, Fancy Nancy brings to life the beloved character from the best-selling books by author Jane O’Connor and illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser. The series centers on the title character, a six-year-old girl who lives for everything fancy, from the way she speaks to the way she dresses. The animated family comedy has rubbed some viewers the wrong way, with some parents focusing on the materialistic elements of the story while others appreciate the show's celebration of uniqueness, diversity, and individuality. If you're a fan of the books or have kiddos that are fans themselves, check out Fancy Nancy to see which side you land on.

Apple & Onion

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The delightful pairing of Apple & Onion, a new Cartoon Network series, brings the unique and lovely story of George Gendi's creation to life with the equally unique and lovely voices of Gendi and Richard Ayoade. The series follows the title friends on their journey to the big city from their separate hometowns, coming together by happenstance to become best buds and roommates. The world, populated by anthropomorphic food (my favorite of which is a walking, talking container of whey protein) is full of wacky adventures and musical medleys, making Apple & Onion a pure delight to watch. It's meant for a younger crowd, so don't let some of the toxic elements of Cartoon Network's viewing audience dissuade you from giving it a chance.

Big City Greens

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Another tale of smalltown folk moving into a big city is Disney's Big City Greens, an animated series that follows young Cricket and his family as they pick up stakes on their rural farm and move to a modern metropolis. This original story, which hails from Shane and Chris Houghton, pulls from the creators' childhoods and is unintentionally reminiscent of classic TV shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and a sort of reverse Green Acres. (The fantastic series even had a super-fun Halloween special that got a little spooky.) It's a fun show packed with crazy characters who bring a little country know-how to solve their big city problems. Pay a visit to the Greens; you'll be glad you did!

Craig of the Creek

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2018 has been a fantastic year for animated series that revisit childhoods and let older viewers (like myself) relive that feeling of nostalgia. From co-creators Ben Levin and Matt Burnett comes Craig of the Creek, a new Cartoon Network series that follows young Craig and his pals Kelsey and JP in their adventures in the local creek. Whether you grew up playing in the creek or simply wish you had, this throwback to simpler times will make you long for the experience once more. This particular creek is totally controlled by the neighborhood kids who have rigged up their own transportation and defense systems, and have developed their own peculiar economy. It's a fun-filled adventure story that harkens back to newer classic cartoons like Hey Arnold! and Ed, Edd n Eddy. Take a trip to the creek with Craig and his pals today!

Harvey Street Kids

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Another throwback cartoon, courtesy of DreamWorks Animation and Netflix, is Harvey Street Kids, a modern adaptation of the mid-20th century's Harvey Comics. Producers Brendan Hay and Aliki Theofilopoulos had the tough but enviable task of bringing these 40s and 50s-era characters into contemporary times. They did so by delivering a core of three unique and lovable girls, hometown heroes who get into wild adventures with their friends all along Harvey Street. With stories that center on treehouse battles, all-night block parties, and zombified sleepovers, there's always a wild and wacky tale waiting for viewers to enjoy. And it looks like we'll be getting a second season on Netflix next year, so if you haven't gotten to know the many and varied characters of Harvey Street Kids, now's as good a time as any!

Mega Man: Fully Charged

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Man of Action, the incredibly successful and talented team behind the likes of Ben 10, Generator Rex, and Big Hero 6, delivers their take on the Capcom classic video game character Mega Man in the Cartoon Network series Mega Man: Fully Charged. This 3D animated series centers on Aki Light, a young boy with the ability to transform into the powerful Mega Man in order to save the citizens of Silicon City from the evil intent of Sgt Night and his Robot Masters. It's definitely a younger-skewing version of the title hero, so folks who may have been expecting a grittier take might be disappointed, but for kiddos, this is a great introduction to the character. The show even works in old school 16-bit sprites and animation as transition scenes or introductions for heroes and villains arriving on scene. Go into this one expecting to have some robot-action fun and you won't be disappointed.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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Here's another contemporary take on a kids cartoon classic, this time from Nickelodeon. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles takes a new approach to a nearly 35-year-old property by reinventing the title team and the overall look of the series itself. It's kinetic, hypercolored, and relentlessly paced. It's as funny as it is action-packed with both jokes and villainous attacks coming out of left field throughout each episode. I particularly like the redesigns of the heroes in a half-shell since they're now based on actual turtles in the real world; it gives each of the reptilian crime-fighters their own distinct look, attitude, and style, doing more to distinguish them than a simple color scheme or weapon type. (Oh and I love the new weapons in this series!) Rise also introduces a new take on Master Splinter that's downright delightful, along with the franchise's first African-American April O'Neil, who's as much a butt-kicker as her turtle pals. The villains in this new take are just as bonkers as they were in the 80s series, all while injecting some fresh energy and material into the often-adapted title. This one's for true TMNT fans.

The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants

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Another animated adaptation that's made its way online this year is The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, an impressive series version of Dav Pilkey's smash-hit story. Peter Hastings adapted the best-selling books for Netflix and the result is a wildly fun story that follows best buds and budding comic book creators George and Harold. I actually prefer this animated series version to the feature-length film, not just for its ambitious approach to animated storytelling but because of its humor, heart, and values of friendship and creativity. (The animation really is the standout here; there are so many wild swings from one medium to the next throughout the tale that the story never loses steam and keeps you laughing from one moment to the next.) It's clear that Pilkey has tapped into something special with Captain Underpants, and this series has managed to do the franchise justice and then some.

Nomad of Nowhere

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Rooster Teeth, best known for the machinima series Red vs. Blue and the worldwide anime phenomenon that is RWBY, continues to reinvent itself and push the studio's boundaries of animation year after year. With Nomad of Nowhere, created by Georden Whitman, Rooster Teeth has gone for a kind of throwback story that brings together the Wild West, a cartoonish sort of magic, and a nod to classic cartoons of the mid-20th century. The title character, one of this world's last known magic wielders, is a mute, opting to communicate through sign language and magic tricks. That's certainly a unique approach to a title character but it often gets the Nomad into as much trouble as it gets him out of. It's a magical, adventurous tale that features a very silly collection of characters who come into the Nomad's sphere of influence through fate or happenstance. It's also a short watch, so check this one out if you're looking for something that's just a bit different from the rest.

3Below

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A new Netflix series that's due to debut in just a few short days, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia promises to pick up where Trollhunters left off. While we can't get into specifics about the Guillermo del Toro production just yet, we can say that this spinoff series has a lot going forward it before the first episode even airs. The story centers on royal alien refugees Krel and Aja who, with their bodyguard Vex, crash land in Arcadia while on the run from an evil warlord who's taken over their home planet. Chased by bounty hunters, the alien trio must blend into the small town and make friends with its human inhabitants if they hope to avoid capture. It remains to be seen just how well 3Below will execute this idea, but if Trollhunters is any indication, viewers should be in for a treat.

Hilda

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Now we're starting to get into the new animated series of 2018 that are just as much fun for adults to watch as they are for the kiddos. Hilda, a surprising new addition to Netflix's animation catalogue, brought delight, hope, and whimsy into a year that's been anything but delightful, hopeful, or whimsical out in the real world. In the vein of David the Gnome and Over the Garden Wall, Hilda centers on a fearless but somewhat naive blue-haired heroine who travels from the magical wilderness into the busy city of Trolberg. Based on Luke Pearson's graphic novel of the same name, Hilda features incredible takes on Scandinavian mythology to deliver a world full of elves, trolls, and spirits alongside a more modern way of life in the big city, all accompanied by music that's pure delight to listen to even if you aren't watching the series. You may have missed Hilda earlier this year, so now's a perfect time to give it a watch.

Marvel Rising

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Disney's new franchise Marvel Rising set out to embrace Marvel Comics' diverse compendium of superheroes, focusing on female forces of nature like Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Quake, and America Chavez. Not a standard series, this franchise arrived in two parts: Initiation introduced the new team-up and told of the adventures of Ghost Spider while Secret Warriors brought the team together in earnest to face a greater threat. Marvel Rising acts as a nice complement to the big-screen MCU, giving lesser-known characters (who will be the face of future films, mark my words) a chance to shine and giving viewers a chance to get to know them. With this new fresh-faced team led by the veteran hero Captain Marvel, hopefully we can expect big things for the future of the series and some more crossovers into Marvel Studios' live-action space ... eventually.

Star Wars Resistance

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When Star Wars animation veteran Dave Filoni rolls out a new series, it's a no-brainer. So Disney's Star Wars Resistance needs little fanfare on my part. The series, which takes place before the new film trilogy and features the rise of the First Order, centers on a up-and-coming pilot stranded on a massive floating refueling aircraft on an Outer Rim planet. While new Star Wars favorites like Poe Dameron and BB-8 do factor into this story, the new characters really hold their own in this original tale that keeps the spirit of the franchise alive and well. It's a tale of outsiders, underdogs who have a slim chance of coming out on top but somehow manage to pull through in even the toughest of situations. It's a fun and funny show for younger audiences who will get to meet new and returning characters alike, and I hope it's one that flies far into the future with more seasons ahead.

The Hollow

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There's a good chance you missed this original Netflix series. It's sort of like an animated version of The Maze Runner or a younger-skewing take on Lost. The mystery-thriller, a real rarity when it comes to animated shows, focuses on a trio of strangers, Mira, Kai, and Adam, who have to figure out how they ended up together in this dangerous and unfamiliar world if they hope to restore their lost memories and make it out in one piece. At only 10 episodes, it's an easy binge watch, and an addictive one at that. The three teenagers navigate all sorts of settings and related problems by relying on each other, but it's a tough thing to establish trust in people you essentially just met for the first time. That tension makes for a fascinating telling that's just as interesting as the core mystery itself. Ultimately, the finale answers most if not all of the questions you have along the way, resulting in a satisfying conclusion that probably wraps this series up for good.

The Dragon Prince

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Another Netflix original you may have missed is The Dragon Prince, an original tale from Aaron Ehasz (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and Justin Richmond (Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception). You can really feel the experience of both co-creators at work in The Dragon Prince, a story that has all the nuance and humor of Avatar alongside the action elements of adventurous video games like Uncharted. The Dragon Prince follows two human princes, whose brotherly relationship makes this show worth the watch by itself, who end up traveling alongside an elfin assassin from a rival land sent to kill them. In their epic quest to bring peace to their warring peoples, the trio must seek out the legendary last dragon. While the animation is rough at times (the production company opted to cut down on the number of frames throughout for reasons that are somewhere between improving blur in action scenes and saving money), the story and the characters make it all worthwhile. I sincerely hope there's more to come for The Dragon Prince because it's truly a diamond in the rough.

Summer Camp Island

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If you're a fan of Over the Garden Wall, Adventure Time or Steven Universe but you haven't seen Cartoon Network's Summer Camp Island, stop reading this article and go check it out now. Even if you haven't watched any of those aforementioned shows, the chance to watch best friends head to a magical summer camp (on an isolated island, no less) in order to make new friends, meet monsters, hang out with their camp counselors who are actual witches, and encounter all sorts of strange creatures. It's a delight to watch, especially while in the cold grip of winter. We only wish we could go to the island ourselves!

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

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While this list isn't necessarily a ranking of the best new kids animated series of the year, Netflix and DreamWorks Animation's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is my favorite new addition in this category for 2018. Showrunner Noelle Stevenson's take on the classic 80s property is an absolute reinvention for the contemporary socially conscious world we're living in. She-Ra is no longer in the shadow of her musclebound cohort who anchored the Masters of the Universe back in the day, but a fully realized superhero in her own right, complete with complex relationships, relatable inner conflicts, and an empowering message for viewers of all ages, races, creeds, and sensibilities. It's also pure magic, an adventurous tale that's got as much action as just about any other animated series you'll see on TV today. That's why it works on a purely entertainment level for younger audiences and offers something deeper for an older, more mature crowd.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is one of the best animated series of the year, hands down, and a fine example of boundary-breaking storytelling in kids animation. Long may she reign!

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Image via Netflix