Every so often a show comes along that makes you want to grab people by the shoulders and tell them to watch it. For me, Hilda on Netflix is one of those.
It is a hand-drawn fantasy series about a fearless blue-haired girl, a city full of trolls and giants, and the kind of gentle, adventurous heart that almost no cartoon pulls off anymore.
I went in expecting a nice kids show. I came out recommending it to every adult I know.
Based on the graphic novels by Luke Pearson, Hilda ran on Netflix from 2018 to 2023 and quietly became one of the best animated series the platform has ever carried. Here is why it earns the must-watch label, plus everything you need to know before you press play.
Hilda: The Netflix Must-Watch, at a Glance
Hilda comes from creator Luke Pearson, adapted from his award-winning comics, and stars Bella Ramsey as the voice of Hilda herself.
It follows a young girl who moves from her cozy wilderness home into the walled city of Trolberg, and the magical creatures of Scandinavian folklore she meets along the way. The quick facts:
- Created by: Luke Pearson
- Premiered: September 21, 2018 on Netflix
- Ran until: December 7, 2023 (the show has now ended)
- Seasons: 3, plus one movie special
- Episodes: 34 across three seasons (13, 13, and 8), plus the film
- Studios: Silvergate Media and Mercury Filmworks
- Voice of Hilda: Bella Ramsey
What Is Hilda About?
Hilda is an eleven-year-old adventurer who grew up in a cabin at the edge of the wilderness with her mom, Johanna, and her deerfox companion, Twig. When the two of them move into the bustling city of Trolberg, Hilda trades a world of fantastical creatures for a world of other kids, and slowly learns that magic is hiding in the city too.
She befriends an elf named Alfur, plus two classmates, the book-smart Frida and the cautious, kind David, and together they get pulled into one folklore-tinged mystery after another.
That is the magic of the setup.
Every episode blends the ordinary business of growing up with something wonderfully strange from Scandinavian myth, a nisse living in the walls, a giant walking the hills at midnight, a nightmare spirit under the bed. It never talks down to kids, and it never bores the adults watching along.
Hilda Season 1 (2018)
The first 13 episodes cover Hilda’s move from the wild into Trolberg, adapting the first four graphic novels along with brand new stories. It is all about the adjustment, trading the creatures she loved for a city that seems mundane at first, then discovering it is anything but.
By the end, home stops being a place and starts being wherever her people are. It is a lovely, low-stakes introduction that quietly sets up everything to come.
Hilda Season 2 (2020)
With most of the comics already adapted, Season 2 strikes out on its own with 13 original episodes, and it is even stronger for it.
The stories dig deeper into Hilda’s friendships and the wider world of Trolberg, while a real antagonist emerges in Erik Ahlberg, the vain Safety Patrol leader obsessed with hunting trolls.
That running thread gives the season a tension the first one did not have, and it builds to a properly bold cliffhanger in “The Stone Forest.”
Hilda and the Mountain King (Movie)
Released on December 30, 2021, the roughly 85-minute special Hilda and the Mountain King picks up right off that Season 2 cliffhanger. Hilda has been swapped into the body of a troll and left in the Stone Forest, while a troll child takes her place at home.
It is the darkest and most emotional chapter of the whole series, and it is essential viewing between the second and third seasons. Do not skip it thinking it is optional, because Season 3 assumes you have seen it.
Hilda Season 3 (2023): The Final Season
The show wrapped up with a third and final season of 8 episodes in 2023. This one is more serialized than the earlier seasons, with a focused ongoing story that moves past the events of the movie and carries Hilda toward the end of her arc.
Creator Luke Pearson confirmed up front that Season 3 would be the last, so it was written as a proper ending rather than an open door.
For a series this beloved, going out on its own terms with a real conclusion is a rare gift.
Why Hilda Stands Out
Plenty of shows have magic. What makes Hilda special is the specific, lived-in kind it uses. The creatures come straight out of Scandinavian folklore, trolls, giants, elves, the nisse, and the show treats them with real curiosity rather than as generic monsters.
You come away having quietly learned some actual mythology, which is a neat trick for a cartoon.
Then there is the look. In a market drowning in computer-generated everything, Hilda is proudly hand-drawn, with a soft color palette and a storybook warmth that feels like flipping through an illustrated book come to life. The music matches it.
The dreamy theme was composed by the musician Grimes, and the whole soundscape wraps the world in a cozy, slightly magical hum.
It is one of the most beautiful animated shows you can stream right now.
The Verdict
I do not hand out must-watch labels lightly, so let me be clear about where I land. Hilda is one of the best animated series Netflix has ever produced. It is smart without being smug, gentle without being boring, and gorgeous from the first frame to the last. It works for a six-year-old and for the adult sitting next to them, which is the hardest balance in all of animation, and it nails it across every season.
The critics agree, for what it is worth.
Season 1 holds a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and across its run the show won six awards, including multiple Annie Awards and Daytime Emmys, plus a BAFTA. It even took a 2024 Annie for its final season. This is not a hidden gem that only fans defend.
It is a seriously decorated series that somehow still feels underseen.
Hilda Characters and Cast
A big part of the show’s charm is its cast of unforgettable characters, human and otherwise. Here is the core lineup and the voice actors behind them.
| Character | Voiced by | Who they are |
|---|---|---|
| Hilda | Bella Ramsey | The fearless, blue-haired adventurer at the center of it all |
| Johanna | Daisy Haggard | Hilda’s patient mom, a graphic designer balancing worry and freedom |
| Twig | Non-speaking | Hilda’s loyal deerfox and constant companion |
| Frida | Ameerah Falzon-Ojo | Hilda’s book-smart best friend and a dedicated Sparrow Scout |
| David | Oliver Nelson | Hilda’s cautious, kind-hearted friend and fellow Scout |
| Alfur | Rasmus Hardiker | A tiny, paperwork-loving elf who guides Hilda through the hidden world |
| The Great Raven | John Hopkins | A wise bird who turns up to help when Hilda needs it |
| Wood Man | Ako Mitchell | A deadpan wooden being who lets himself into Hilda’s home uninvited |
Want a closer look at one of the best of them? I wrote a whole piece on Frida from Hilda, Hilda’s loyal, rule-following, secretly brave best friend.
Where to Watch Hilda
Good news and bad news. The good news is that all three seasons of Hilda, plus the Mountain King movie, live in one place.
The bad news, if you want to call it that, is that the one place is Netflix.
As a Netflix original, the whole series streams there and nowhere else, so a subscription is your ticket in. The upside is that you get the complete, finished story in a single spot, no hunting required.
That is my case for Hilda. Beautiful, warm, a little spooky, and one of the smartest family shows going. If you have been scrolling Netflix looking for something with real heart, stop scrolling. This is the one.
I recently watched Hilda on Netflix, and I honestly really liked it.
It has such a calm, magical feeling to it, but it still has adventure, mystery, and funny little moments.
I actually wasn’t expecting it to draw me in, I orginally put it on for my little one, but i tink I liked it more.