Television series
Arcane: League of Legends
A gorgeous, brutal fantasy built on League of Legends lore that doesn't need you to know a single champion. Piltover's shining towers sit on top of Zaun's chemical slums, and two sisters end up on opposite sides of that divide. The animation is the real star — painterly, kinetic, unlike anything else on television — but it earns its style with real grief underneath.
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Cyberpunk: Edgerunners2022
Same Netflix pedigree, same willingness to let gorgeous animation carry genuine tragedy. A doomed protagonist, a corrupt city, and action sequences that hit like a gut punch.
But It's shorter and even bleaker — no happy detours, just a straight, fast slide toward heartbreak.
Blue Eye Samurai2023
Another adult animated series that treats class, rage and revenge with real weight. The fight choreography and character design are on Arcane's level, maybe above it.
But Slower burn, more brooding than kinetic — it earns its violence through patience rather than spectacle.
Castlevania2017
Proof that Western animation can do R-rated fantasy properly: political factions, monster carnage, and characters who actually change across seasons.
But Rougher animation budget early on, and the humor leans pulpier than Arcane's more melancholic tone.
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Metropolis1927
Piltover and Zaun's vertical class divide is a direct descendant of Metropolis's shining upper city and its exploited underground — this is where that visual language began.
A silent German masterpiece that invented the image Arcane borrows wholesale: a gleaming city on top, a suffering workforce below, and a machine grinding both together.
But Silent, black-and-white, nearly a century old — the pace and melodrama require patience modern viewers may not expect.
More like this (8)
Avatar: The Last Airbender2005
The gold standard for animated worldbuilding and morally complex villains, with a sibling-adjacent bond at its core that rivals Vi and Jinx for emotional stakes.
But Aimed at a younger audience — brighter, gentler, with far less blood and despair.
Attack on Titan2013
Walled societies, oppressed underclasses, and an escalating war that keeps redefining who the villain actually is. Anime's answer to Arcane's scale and dread.
But Denser mythology and a much larger cast — it demands more patience and note-taking.
Invincible2021
Ultraviolent adult animation about family, inherited power, and the cost of violence — it shares Arcane's appetite for shocking its audience without warning.
But Superhero furniture and gore-for-shock moments some viewers will find gratuitous rather than earned.
The Legend of Korra2012
A more grown-up, politically knotty follow-up to Avatar, with class uprising, industrial cities, and a heroine wrestling with real trauma.
But Uneven pacing across seasons and a smaller budget than its predecessor show in places.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse2018
The animation that changed what people thought animation could look like — kinetic, painterly, emotionally sincere under all the visual fireworks.
But It's a two-hour film, not a series — you won't get the slow-burn character arcs Arcane builds over episodes.
The Legend of Vox Machina2022
Adult fantasy animation with real stakes, messy found-family dynamics, and a willingness to let its heroes be genuinely broken people.
But Leans harder into D&D-style humor and crudeness than Arcane's more controlled tone.
The Sisters Brothers2018no page yet
Same core engine as Vi and Jinx — siblings pulled onto opposite moral paths, one increasingly unstable, both unable to fully let go of the other — just relocated to the Old West.
A darkly funny, surprisingly tender Western about two brothers — one steady, one volatile and dangerous — bound together by blood and violence they can't escape.
But Slow, dialogue-driven, and deliberately anti-spectacular where you might want more action.
Amy2015
Strip away the magic and the neon and this is Jinx's arc in the real world: a brilliant, damaged person spiraling while the person who loves her most can't reach her in time.
A documentary about Amy Winehouse's rise and self-destruction, assembled almost entirely from real footage, with the people who loved her watching helplessly as she unravels.
But No fantasy gloss, no action, no rescue fantasy — just a real, unresolved tragedy that offers no comfort.
People
Cast
Writing
- Alex YeeCreator
- Christian LinkeCreator
Recommended by
House of the Dragon, Golden Axe, The Legend of Vox Machina, Castlevania, Blue Eye Samurai