17 Best Animated Movies of The 80s

If you grew up in the 80s, you know the truth: cartoons weren’t just for kids. They were dark, weird, and sometimes absolutely terrifying.

While Disney was technically in a “slump” (the era before The Little Mermaid saved them), this power vacuum allowed other studios like Don Bluth and huge anime imports to take risks that would never get greenlit today. We didn’t just get fairy tales; we got nuclear war parables, gritty cyberpunk, and tears—lots of tears.

I’ve revisited my childhood favorites to see which ones actually hold up. Here are the 17 best animated movies of the 80s that defined a generation.

80s Animated Movies

It has been nearly four decades since the 1980s, and looking back, it’s clear we were spoiled. The animation was hand-drawn, the soundtracks were synth-heavy, and the stories didn’t talk down to us.

This isn’t a ranked list—it’s a collection of the films that left the biggest scars (and fondest memories) on me as a kid.

The Secret of NIMH (1982)

The Secret of NIMH is the gold standard for animated movies that refuse to coddle children. Don Bluth left Disney to make this, and you can tell—it’s darker, grimier, and far more intense than anything the Mouse House was producing at the time.

The story of Mrs. Brisby isn’t about a chosen hero; it’s about a terrified mother trying to save her sick child. That grounded stake, set against the backdrop of terrifying experimentation and mystical rats, makes it hit harder than most “save the world” epics.

The Last Unicorn (1982)

I must have rented this VHS tape fifty times. The Last Unicorn feels less like a movie and more like a fever dream. Between the haunting soundtrack (“I’m aliiiiive”) and the genuinely unsettling design of the Red Bull, it stuck with me for years.

The animation style is unique—it’s practically anime before we knew what anime was. (The studio, Topcraft, would actually go on to form the core of Studio Ghibli).

While I always felt Jeff Bridges (Prince Lir) sounded a little bored in the role, Christopher Lee’s performance as King Haggard is legendary. He brings a sorrow to the villain that makes him tragically human.

Heavy Metal (1981)

This was the “forbidden fruit” of 80s animated movies. If you saw Heavy Metal as a kid, you probably snuck it when your parents weren’t looking. It’s an anthology film that screams 1981—rock music, gratuitous nudity, and ultra-violence.

The segment with the Loc-Nar connecting all the stories is brilliant, but let’s be honest: we watched it for the vibe. The soundtrack features Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, and Cheap Trick. It captures that gritty late 70s/early 80s aesthetic that has recently come back into style.

When the Wind Blows (1986)

This is the most depressing movie I have ever seen, and I mean that as a compliment. I watched this around age 13, and it fundamentally changed how I looked at the world.

It’s a quiet, deceptive film about an elderly British couple preparing for a nuclear bomb. They follow the government pamphlets, build a shelter with doors and cushions, and trust that everything will be fine. Watching their slow, polite deterioration from radiation poisoning is absolutely gut-wrenching.

The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

If you want to pinpoint the exact moment an entire generation of children was traumatized, it was the first 20 minutes of this movie. To sell new toys, Hasbro decided to ruthlessly kill off the entire original cast, including Optimus Prime.

Looking back, the guts it took to do that is incredible. The animation budget was clearly higher than the cartoon series, with polished shading and an 80s rock soundtrack that slaps harder than it has any right to. It scared me when I was 11, but it also taught me that heroes could die.

The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

I dismissed The Brave Little Toaster as a “baby movie” when I was a teenager, but revisiting it now, it’s shockingly dark. There is a scene where an air conditioner commits suicide and a nightmare sequence involving a demonic clown that feels straight out of a horror movie.

It’s one of the best animated movies from the 80s because it tackles the fear of obsolescence. The appliances are terrified of being replaced and thrown away—a theme that hits much harder now that I’m older.

The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

This is the movie that arguably saved Disney. Before the Renaissance of the 90s, there was Basil of Baker Street. It’s essentially Sherlock Holmes with mice, but it’s executed with such style and energy.

Vincent Price as the villain, Professor Ratigan, is the highlight. He chews the scenery in every scene. The climactic fight inside the gears of Big Ben was one of the first uses of CGI in a 2D film, and it still looks impressive.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Technically a hybrid, but it deserves its spot on any animation list. The sheer technical wizardry required to make cartoons interact with real-world physics (lighting, shadows, bumping into objects) hasn’t been topped since.

But beyond the tech, it’s a love letter to the golden age of animation wrapped in a noir detective story. I showed this to my kids recently, and they were just as captivated as I was in 1988.

Rock & Rule (1983)

Rock & Rule is a cult classic in the truest sense. It was a massive flop in theaters, but found a second life on late-night TV. It’s a Canadian sci-fi musical set in a post-apocalyptic world populated by mutant animals.

The plot is nonsense, but the vibes are immaculate. You have songs by Cheap Trick, Debbie Harry (Blondie), and Iggy Pop. It’s weird, it’s messy, and it’s totally unique.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

While American cartoons were obsessed with good vs. evil, Hayao Miyazaki gave us a movie with no villain at all. My Neighbor Totoro is just about two girls exploring the countryside and dealing with their mother’s illness.

The pacing is gentle, almost meditative. I remember watching the “growing the tree” scene and feeling a sense of wonder that Saturday morning cartoons never gave me.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

This is the movie that almost killed Disney. It was expensive, dark, and terrified test audiences so much that executives were hacking scenes out of the film right before release. Because of that, the editing feels choppy.

However, the Horned King is legitimately scary—he looks like a heavy metal album cover come to life. If you like the darker fantasy vibes of the 80s (like The Dark Crystal), this fits right in.

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

I rewatched this recently and was surprised by how gritty it is. It’s a movie about gambling, murder, and demons, disguised as a dog movie. The protagonist, Charlie, is actually kind of a jerk for most of the film, which makes his redemption arc feel earned.

The Land Before Time (1988)

Forget the 13 awful sequels. The original Land Before Time is a masterpiece. Produced by Spielberg and Lucas, it treats its young audience with respect.

The death of Littlefoot’s mother is the “Bambi’s mom” moment for 80s kids. The soundtrack by James Horner (who later did Titanic) does a lot of the heavy lifting. It’s short, sharp, and emotionally devastating.

The Fox and the Hound (1981)

The Fox and the Hound is a transition movie—it was the last film where the “Old Men” of Disney worked alongside the new generation.

It’s a bittersweet story about how society forces us into roles that destroy our friendships. The ending isn’t “happily ever after”—Todd and Copper survive, but they can’t be friends anymore. That bittersweet reality makes the movie memorable.

The Flight of Dragons (1982)

If you were a D&D nerd in the 80s, this was your movie. Produced by Rankin/Bass, it treats fantasy with a weirdly scientific approach.

The voice cast is stacked: John Ritter as the hero and James Earl Jones as the villain, Ommadon. Having the voice of Darth Vader explain why magic is dying is just cool.

Oliver And Company (1988)

Oliver & Company screams 1988. From the Billy Joel songs to the grimy New York City setting, it’s a time capsule. It’s Oliver Twist with dogs, and while it’s not the deepest movie, it has an incredible energy.

Akira (1988)

This is it. The movie that changed everything. Before Akira, most Westerners thought cartoons were just funny animals. Then we saw Neo-Tokyo, the bike slide, and the body horror of the finale.

The level of detail is insane—you can watch the background lights of the city blur in a way that hand-drawn animation shouldn’t be able to do. It didn’t just entertain me; it obsessed me.