Animated Movies Tier List
Twelve animated features from the last few decades, and a ranking that has to separate craft from nostalgia. Several of these were watched at an age when everything worked, which is precisely why a second look is worth building into the board. All twelve entries begin in Unranked, so the ordering is entirely yours: drag or tap into S–F, rename the rows, share the link or export a PNG.
Toy Story
Finding Nemo
Shrek
The Lion King
Up
WALL-E
Ratatouille
Inside Out
Coco
Zootopia
The Iron Giant
Klaus0 of 12 items ranked.
Board saved automatically in this browser. Original.
How this board is built: the 12 tiles are an editorial starting set, not an official roster and not a published ranking — every entry waits in Unranked until you place it. Item tiles are original pictograms or two-letter emblems drawn for this site rather than character artwork, film stills or club logos, so nothing here is licensed material reused from a rights holder. Tiers you set are your own judgement.
What's included in this Animated Movies board
The board arrives with all 12 entries present as tiles and none of them assigned to a tier. That is deliberate: a template that opens with a finished ranking only invites you to agree or disagree with whoever made it, whereas an empty ladder makes you commit to an ordering of your own. Drag a tile onto a row, or on a phone tap the tile and then the tier you want. You can add rows for extra categories, rename the standard ones, and remove any entry you do not recognise — a list you can defend is more useful than a long one you cannot.
How to rank this Animated Movies board
Story first: structure, stakes and whether the emotional beats are earned or announced. Then artistry — design, animation, and how distinctive the film's world is compared to its studio's house style. Music deserves its own pass, because in this genre a score often carries more weight than dialogue. Emotional impact is the fourth axis and the one most affected by when you first saw the film; if nostalgia is doing the work, say so openly rather than dressing it up as analysis. A useful check is whether the film still plays for an adult viewer without children in the room. That single question reorders most animated film boards, and it is worth adding as a row label.
Using the board without over-thinking it
Most people finish a board like this in a couple of minutes and then reorder the middle rows for another ten. That middle is where the honest disagreement lives, so do not rush it: place the obvious top three and the obvious bottom three first, then work inward. If two entries still feel identical, that is a real observation — say so in a row note or a text tile rather than inventing a difference. When the ordering settles, export the PNG so the arrangement is saved somewhere permanent, and copy the share link if you want someone else to argue with it.
Ranking criteria used here
- story
- artistry
- music
- emotional impact
Before you share it
Put your criterion in the board title, so a reader knows whether they are looking at a favourites list or an analytical one. If the subject changes with patches, seasons or releases, add the date. And remember the share link carries tier names, colours and the tile order — uploaded photos stay on your device, so export a PNG when those matter.
All 12 items in this template
Back to the boardToy StoryFinding NemoShrekThe Lion KingUpWALL-ERatatouilleInside OutCocoZootopiaThe Iron GiantKlausAnimated Movies tier list FAQ
Should I rank films I grew up with?
Yes, but flag it. Childhood attachment is a real part of the viewing experience and worth including; it just is not the same measurement as craft.
How do I compare different animation styles?
Judge intent and execution rather than realism. A stylised film and a naturalistic one can both be excellent, so the criterion should be how well the style serves the story.
