[
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a genuine landmark in animated film with its emotional coming-of-age story, humor, comic-book visual style, and fresh approach to superhero storytelling. The movie follows Brooklyn teenager, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), as he becomes Spider-Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider and is quite suddenly pulled into a multiverse crisis involving different Spider-people from other dimensions. But as groundbreaking as the movie truly is, several other animated masterpieces can be argued to be even better, with much more timeless wonder, richer themes, and deeper emotional storytelling.
Iconic films like the amazing Princess Mononoke, which uses animation to explore survival, nature, violence, and humanity’s deeper conflicts, and the underrated fantasy Wolfwalkers, which turns friendship, folklore, and freedom into something emotionally wealthy and visually breathtaking, are just two fantastic animated movies that outrank Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Compiled on this list are the animated films that either surpass Into the Spider-Verse with their greater sense of artistic ambition, deeper emotional narratives, or simply wonder-filled world-building.
‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
Spirited Away is a fantasy Japanese animated film that wields a timeless wonder. The movie follows a ten-year-old girl, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi), who discovers a mysterious and magical bathhouse for spirits after moving to the countryside with her parents. When her parents are captured and transformed by a witch, little Chihiro is forced to navigate that supernatural world as a servant for said witch, who tightly holds her parents hostage.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has definitely raised expectations of the visual language of modern animated superhero films, but Spirited Away remains one of the rare and masterfully crafted animated movies that feels almost untouchable. It’s a film that is lauded by most as one of the greatest animated movies ever made. Spirited Away is a genuine iconic classic with hand-drawn animation that is gorgeously detailed and a story that is more layered and mature than what is seen in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, marking it as the perfect addition to this list of cinematic animated hits.
‘The Incredibles’ (2004)
This 2004 cinematic gem is a true masterclass in absolute balance. The family-action film The Incredibles centers around the retired superhero Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and his wife Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) as they live undercover, with their three children.
The Incredibles is praised consistently as one of the superhero animated greats. It’s a Pixar classic that delivers exciting action and a brilliant blend of family dysfunction and superhero spectacle. The Incredibles outclasses Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse because it delivers an incredibly cohesive story that, unlike Spider-Verse, perfectly balances its satirical superhero elements with genuine heart, making it a more satisfying watch overall. The film is decades old, yet it still stands as one of the most complete superhero movies ever made, animated or otherwise.
‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’ (2010)
Batman: Under the Red Hood is an insanely gripping superhero drama in the DC universe. The film centers on Bruce Wayne, also known as the vigilante Batman (Bruce Greenwood), as the city he protects is disrupted by the arrival of the mysterious vigilante Red Hood (Jensen Ackles), whose brutal methods challenge everything Batman stands for.
Batman: Under the Red Hood is beloved by nearly all who experience it. It’s an icon in the Bat universe that left both young and old viewers alike emotionally moved. In comparison to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Batman: Under the Red Hood is the darkness to Spider-Verse‘s light—a film that wields a tighter narrative focus, much more emotional intensity, and remarkably mature character drama. The movie can be quite heavy, as it leans into tragedy and is morally intense, yet the movie stands as fantastically entertaining, offering fans action that is only deepened by its emotional stakes rather than simply providing outlandish spectacle.
‘Wolfwalkers’ (2020)
This fantastic fantasy film is one that definitely deserves far more attention than it’s ever received. Set in medieval Ireland, Wolfwalkers focuses on a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey), who befriends Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a free-spirited girl from a rumored wolf-witch clan, only to discover that she herself has the power to become a wolf by night.
Wolfwalkers is lauded for its heartfelt storytelling and stunning art. It’s a film that wields flowing, vibrant animation that is a stark contrast to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s 3D sheen. Despite its mostly underrated status, Wolfwalkers explores themes of friendship, nature versus civilization, and freedom with subtlety. It’s praised as a lyrically animated, emotionally rich film, cementing it as not only a fantastic animated watch but also one that surpasses Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in emotional truth, artistry, and sheer magic.
‘Ne Zha’ (2019)
Ne Zha is a Chinese-animated fantasy that is far too underrated internationally, despite it being a blockbuster that became China’s highest-grossing animated film. The movie follows Ne Zha (Lü Yanting and Joseph Cao), who is born as a devil but refuses his fate, determined to be the defender of his village, battling gods and demons alike.
Ne Zha is a quality action movie that explores gripping Chinese mythology. The film may not be as popular as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but it does wield a cult following who are addicted to its stunning action animation and emotional story. Ne Zha‘s blend of heroism and myth feels on par with most masterful Western superhero epics—arguably placing it above Spider-Verse for offering a fresh non-American perspective that wields innovative animation.
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2010)
How to Train Your Dragon is one of the finest masterpieces in animated fantasy. Set in the Viking village of Berk, the adventurous fantasy centers around the young and awkward Viking, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), as he struggles to live up to his tribe’s expectations of becoming a dragon slayer, only for things to change when he himself gets to know a dragon he once intentionally injured.
How to Train Your Dragon may not be as visually experimental as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but it arguably surpasses it in soaring adventure and emotional simplicity. Both films follow a young hero discovering that who they want to be is entirely up to them, and the expectations of others shouldn’t have a hand in that. Yet, How to Train Your Dragon‘s true strength lies in how gracefully it builds that lesson through friendship rather than some clear-cut destiny. The movie is definitely above Into the Spider-Verse as it delivers a more emotionally resonant and more focused coming-of-age story.
‘Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox’ (2013)
This 2013 DC movie delivers a brilliant combination of emotional tragedy and time-travel consequences, and fantastic superhero action. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox focuses on Barry Allen, also known as the vigilante hero, The Flash (Justin Chambers), after he awakens in an alternate timeline where history has been drastically altered.
In the long and ongoing war between Marvel and DC, Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox stands as a definite triumph for the DC cinematic universe. The animated film arguably beats out Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse through its darker storytelling, emotional weight, and willingness to explore the devastating consequences of altering reality. Where the Marvel film is all bright colors, high energy, and optimism, Flashpoint offers audiences a film that embraces moral ambiguity, tragedy, and difficult choices, marking it as a watch that uses alternate realities to examine the weight of responsibility and regret, instead of just a fun concept.
‘Princess Mononoke’ (1997)
Princess Mononoke is a Japanese-animated movie that stands as one of the finest examples of moral complexity and mythic power. The powerful anime film is set in feudal Japan and centers on young warrior Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda) as he’s cursed by a demon boar and journeys west in search of a cure, only to find himself entangled in a conflict between industrializing humans and the gods of the forest when he meets a human girl named San (Yuriko Ishida).
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse easily triumphs in superhero reinvention and style, while Princess Mononoke feels like an ancient legend brought to life, never dividing its world into simple lines of heroes and villains. The fantasy film is a genuine landmark anime with mature themes of war, ecology, and understanding. This honestly only adds to its superiority over the superhero action film. Princess Mononoke is a truly mesmerizing watch with layered storytelling and lush visuals, outranking even a transcendent hit like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
‘The Little Prince’ (2015)
This French film is a quiet masterpiece, one that may not wield the explosive energy of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but still captivates with the delicate emotional beauty that makes it just as worthy of attention. The 2015 movie The Little Prince centers on a young girl who befriends her eccentric elderly neighbor after her mother enrolls her in a strict program that leaves no time for playing. Her new friend then regales her with a tale of his encounter with a boy known as the Little Prince.
The Little Prince is a masterful adaptation filled with wisdom and whimsy. It may be completely underrated, not wielding close to the popularity that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse does, but it really excels at delivering an extremely poetic story, with a unique visual style and heartfelt message. The Little Prince is an overlooked masterpiece that places above even a flashy superhero action film such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse due to its ambition in style and theme.
‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ (2016)
Kubo and the Two Strings is a woefully underrated action-adventure fantasy film that is definitely not as comic-book-innovative as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but stands as an animated masterpiece for its emotional storytelling and stop-motion artistry. The movie follows young Kubo (Art Parkinson), who lives peacefully with his mother until he accidentally summons a spirit, triggering the wrath of his grandfather, the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes).
Kubo and the Two Strings is truly breathtaking and deeply emotional, often praised as an incredibly moving story. In comparison to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s action-filled spectacles, the animated fantasy offers audiences a more tactile craft and poignant narrative. Kubo is unique with an emotional depth that inspires real feelings. It is no doubt an underrated watch, but it’s one that definitely stands tall against even a fantastic watch like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
https://static0.colliderimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/peter-b-parker-spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-1.jpeg?w=1600&h=900&fit=crop
https://collider.com/animated-movies-better-than-spider-man-into-the-spider-verse/
Jiminna Shillingford
Almontather Rassoul
