Dive into the world of animated superheroes that are definitely not for kids! We're exploring the most mature, complex, and boundary-pushing superhero characters that bring adult themes to animated storytelling.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our picks for the best animated superhero
00:09characters that kids definitely shouldn't be watching.
00:19Number 15, Homelander โ The Boys Presents Diabolical
00:29The Homelander from The Boys is already a television tour de force, but we were still
00:34surprised by the depth of his animated counterpart.
00:37In the eighth episode of the anthology series, we see the superhero's first day as a member
00:41of the Seven.
00:42While the Homelander we know today is undoubtedly a monster, he surprisingly started out with
00:47good intentions, but that side of him is thrown out of the window when his team up
01:03with Black Noir goes south.
01:05Anthony Starr's live action portrayal is already compelling, but the younger and more
01:09naive depiction gives us a refreshing perspective on the character.
01:12With the right guidance, Homelander really could have been a force for good.
01:17Number 14, Injustice Superman โ Injustice
01:34After the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane and destroys Metropolis, he's
01:38met with the wrath of a Superman with nothing left to lose.
01:41From then on, the Man of Steel slowly becomes the world's most dangerous supervillain
01:45as he brings the Earth under tyrannical rule.
02:00It's fascinating to see the dynamics between the heroes and villains change as Superman
02:04leads an all-out war on Batman's insurgency.
02:07While the film's violence can be hard to stomach, we can't help but be fascinated
02:11by the idea of an evil Superman.
02:17Number 13, Stripperella โ Stripperella She might not be the first character that
02:22comes to mind when you think of Stan Lee, but she certainly stands out for being one
02:26of the most unique superheroes he ever created.
02:29At night, Erotica Jones is an exotic dancer, and by late night, she's a superhero slash
02:34spy named Stripperella.
02:41In the early 2000s cartoon, she uses various superpowers and herโฆassets to fight crime.
02:47Her raunchy adventures have put her in the crosshairs of many bizarre and very adult-themed
02:53supervillains.
02:54Though she had a short run on TV, it's hard not to appreciate her boldness and cheeky
02:59Number 12, The Max โ The Max This MTV comic book adaptation came at a time
03:16when few superhero shows dared to tread such dark and experimental territory.
03:31The title character, The Max, is an unhoused man who also lives a double life as a purple
03:37skinned hero in a bizarre reality called the Outback.
03:40In both realms, he protects social worker Julie from danger.
03:43With his vivid mask and animalistic traits, he's one of the most striking and intimidating
03:47heroes out there.
03:48However, it's his struggle to navigate the line between fantasy and reality that really
03:53makes him fascinating.
04:08Number 11, Kite Man โ Kite Man Hell Yeah Who would have thought that a D-Liz Batman
04:21villain could be a pretty endearing lead character?
04:24Chuck Brown is a wannabe supervillain with unearned confidence and a heart of gold.
04:29From gaining his parents' approval to running a grimy dive bar, Kite Man's goals aren't
04:34exactly villainous.
04:35You'll find him in most episodes of this Harley Quinn spinoff just trying to get by
04:39and keep a positive attitude.
04:41While we love how evil and ambitious the Joker and Lex Luthor are, Kite Man's problem and
04:46down-to-earth personality are a breath of fresh air.
05:03Number 10, Joker โ Batman The Killing Joke When making an R-rated Batman movie, there's
05:14only one person you could get to voice the Joker, Mark Hamill.
05:18He reprises the role to perfection in what many consider to be the Clown Prince's definitive
05:23storyline.
05:24The story captures the Joker at his worst.
05:26He leaves Barbara Gordon with paralysis by shooting her point-blank, then tortures Jim
05:31Gordon in an attempt to drive him insane, and he does this all while delivering haunting
05:36jokes and disturbing monologues.
05:44We also get flashbacks of the man before his chemical bath, letting Hamill showcase an
05:49oddly endearing Joker before he had his one really bad day.
06:03Number 9, Magneto โ X-Men 97 The original animated series had a lot going
06:15for it with its surprisingly mature themes.
06:17X-Men 97 takes it a step further by being more overt in its messaging.
06:22Nowhere is this clearer than with Magneto, who returns to the series to fight for mutant
06:26rights once again.
06:44Throughout his journey, he makes an effort to follow in Xavier's footsteps.
06:47Eventually, he's pushed too far when a sentinel attack takes countless mutant lives.
06:53His subsequent actions, while radical, are more understandable than ever, an aspect of
06:57the character that's better appreciated from an adult perspective.
07:01While Magneto's powers are also fun to watch, it's really his fight against hate and bigotry
07:06that makes him one of the greats.
07:22Number 8, Red Hood โ Batman Under the Red Hood
07:34Years after the Joker brutally kills the second Robin, Jason Todd, a new vigilante
07:38called the Red Hood comes to Gotham.
07:40This would turn out to be a vengeful Jason back from the dead.
07:43While there are plenty of heavy hitters in Batman's rogue gallery, no one strikes at
07:48his heart quite like Red Hood does.
07:50Jason's resentment of his no-killing rule calls his whole purpose into question.
08:10Jason even threatens to replace Batman by permanently wiping out criminals in the city.
08:14Although Jason's methods were demonstrated to be wrong in the end, he still gets points
08:19for challenging Batman in a way that no one else has.
08:29Number 7, John Constantine โ DC AMU One of the best characters in the whole DC
08:34animated universe is the laughing magician himself.
08:37From conning ancient gods to summoning demons, Constantine has probably infuriated just about
08:43everyone he's crossed paths with.
08:45As a master of the occult, Constantine uses his magic to fight monsters and, on occasion,
08:51save lives.
08:52But his real power isn't in his spells, it's in his sharp wit and cunning, which
08:56have helped him survive everything from Hellspawn to Aliens from Apocalypse.
09:10Despite his deceptive charm, however, he's a deeply tragic figure.
09:14He's often haunted by his greatest sins and the ghosts of his past.
09:18Wherever he goes, you can count on him to turn any situation into a bloody chaotic mess.
09:27Number 6, Batman โ Batman The Dark Knight Returns
09:40There have been several iconic animated Batmans.
09:44Films like The Long Halloween were great at adapting the character's deep sadness
09:47and intelligence.
09:48The Dark Knight Returns, however, captures practically everything we love about Batman,
09:53even if he is an older and more cynical iteration.
09:56Based on Frank Miller's acclaimed miniseries, this story follows Batman as he comes out
10:00of retirement to fight a new wave of crime in Gotham.
10:03His crusade leads him to face off against a mutant gang leader, the Joker, and Superman
10:08in some of his greatest fights ever put to film.
10:11In the end, he proves that even old age won't stop him from being one of the best superheroes
10:16of all time.
10:32Number 5, Hellboy โ Hellboy Blood and Iron
10:38While we do love Guillermo Del Toro's live-action films, animation perfectly captures the flair
10:44and horror of the supernatural hero.
10:46Set between Del Toro's first two movies, this animated feature pits Hellboy against
10:50the dark goddess Hekate.
10:51He delivers all the fierce action and witty banter that fans have come to expect from
10:56him.
10:57That's due in no small part to Ron Perlman, who flawlessly transitioned into voicing the
11:02role.
11:03Hellboy's design is also reminiscent of Mike Mignola's original artwork, so it really
11:15feels like the character hopped straight out of the pages of the comics.
11:21Number 4, Hitmonkey โ Hitmonkey
11:29One of Marvel's most underrated characters, Hitmonkey finally gets the spotlight in his
11:34own series.
11:35After the traumatizing massacre of his entire clan, Monkey sets off on a revenge quest against
11:40those who killed his family.
11:41If you're a Marvel fan and action junkie, this character is tailor-made for you.
11:46Hitmonkey gets into all kinds of thrilling shootouts, fast-paced sword fights, and high-octane
11:51chases, but he's not just about mindless violence.
11:54Monkey's guilty conscience and friendship with the assassin Bryce serve as the emotional
11:58core of the series.
11:59You'll watch Hitmonkey for the gunfights, but you'll stay for his surprisingly heartfelt
12:03story about loss and redemption.
12:18Number 3, Spawn โ Spawn The Animated Series
12:33The assassin-turned-antihero from Hell may be Todd McFarlane's most iconic creation,
12:39though the series strays quite a bit from the comics.
12:42The violence and mature storylines are present throughout, but the best part of the show
12:46has to be Spawn himself.
12:48His internal struggle with the devil's influence makes for a tragic and deeply captivating
12:53figure.
12:54He steals every scene he's in just by letting his cape billow in the wind, and we'd be
12:59remiss to not mention Keith David's chilling and outright badass vocal performance.
13:04The show wouldn't be nearly as memorable without him in the role.
13:15Number 2, Harley Quinn โ Harley Quinn
13:27What happens when the Joker's girlfriend decides to become her own special brand of
13:31villain?
13:32You get one of the funniest, most foul-mouthed, and excessively violent characters that DC
13:37has ever produced.
13:38In this show, Harley Quinn, voiced by Kaley Cuoco, tries to make a name for herself by
13:43pulling off insane crimes.
13:45She may not be the most dangerous Batman villain, but she manages to stand out by being
13:50resourceful and hilariously relatable.
13:52We all know what it's like to want independence, deal with frustrating co-workers, and feel
13:57nervous about a new relationship.
13:59We might not handle it by swinging a baseball bat, but we get why it works for Harley.
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14:26Number 1, Invincible โ Invincible
14:29Most of the first episode had us thinking we were getting a typical superhero show.
14:33The end fight quickly proved us wrong, and Mark Grayson's violent journey since has
14:37made him one of the most uniquely adult superheroes.
14:52Throughout the series, Invincible is constantly put through the wringer.
14:55He dishes out brutal beatdowns and takes his fair share of punishment in return.
15:00Somehow he manages to keep his moral compass intact, choosing to hold back his full power
15:04so that he doesn't become like his enemies.
15:07That doesn't mean he won't get his hands dirty when he needs to.
15:10Invincible is a shining example of how to write a superhero for adult audiences without
15:15making them evil or edgy.
15:21Many of the most violent and adult-themed superheroes seem to come from DC.
15:25Does that mean DC is darker than Marvel?
15:28Let us know in the comments down below.