Netflix has a huge selection of amazing animated movies. Features within the medium are among the most-watched programs on the streamer for the first half of the year, from the original features to licensed flicks. There are numerous nostalgic gems for adults, popcorn flicks for family movie night, or typically the entertaining background noise to enjoy with your children or those you are babysitting. Whether you’re doing any, the Netflix library has your animated feature fix for you.
To help you decide what to watch next, we looked at the seventh Netflix Engagement Report, which covered all viewers from January 2026 to the end of June. It shows you which animated movies were the most popular among the bunch. This includes the cumulative viewership, revealing which animated films were among the top performers on the platform during the first half of the year.
Note that licensed titles come and go from the domestic and international libraries continuously, so we won’t include their addition dates.
This is your go-to reu can also view all of Netflix’s engagement report data here:
1. Swapped
First added to Netflix: May 1, 2026
The Netflix body-switching fantasy comedy starring Juno Temple and Michael B. Jordan switched it up against the other animated fare in the number one spot, racking up a soaring 130,800,000 views. Swapped tells the story of two rival species who switch bodies via a magical flower. Now they must come to understand each other’s struggles while on their quest to return to normal. The movie is one of the biggest movie hits of the first half of the year, with the movie officially on track for a spot on Netflix’s all-time most-watched list.
2. KPop Demon Hunters
First added to Netflix: June 20, 2025
The two-time Oscar-winning Netflix phenomenon is staying up, up, up in the rankings as number two. It’s still their moment. Right behind Swapped by 400,000 views, K-Pop Demon Hunters shows the rest of the animated flicks how it’s done, done, done with 130,800,000. One year post-release, the movie about a K-pop girl group facing off against a hot demon boy band remains golden among the rest of the Netflix library. The movie looks like it’ll continue to be one of Netflix’s biggest hits every single time these engagement reports drop, having already topped Netflix’s all-time most-watched list by quite some considerable margin.
3. Madagascar
Out of all the licensed films, 53,400,000 viewers still like to “move it, move it” to DreamWorks Animation’s 2005 smash hit. It may be a large drop-off, but Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman’s (and don’t forget those heist-loving penguins) first of three uproarious adventures went on to become the leading licensed film on Netflix thus far this year. Madagascar follows four Central Park Zoo animals inadvertently washing up on Africa’s smallest island and trying to find their way back home.
4. GOAT
First added to Netflix: May 14, 2026 in the US, weeks later elsewhere
The 2026 animal-oriented animal sports comedy starring Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin is making buckets among viewers, racking up 42,500,000 views. GOAT might’ve gotten onto the platform late into the game, but already this winning stylized flick about a goat going pro and playing roarball with his favorite team has so much bleating heart. Sony’s still making buckets with their pay-one Netflix window.
5. Despicable Me 3
Out of all the Despicable Me movies, the third installment rounds out the five highest animated flicks with 37,000,000 views. In Despicable Me 3, Gru, ousted from the Anti-Villain League, meets his long-lost twin brother Dru and considers returning to villainy. Meanwhile, the Minions disband from Gru and their hilarious efforts land them in prison.
6. Despicable Me 4
The most recent mainline Despicable Me entry from 2024 crash-landed slightly below the third, but it remains among the top 10 animated films that <a href="https://comicvibe.com/nintendo-says-consumers-are-not-legally-entitled-to-tariff-rebate/” title=”Nintendo says consumers are not legally entitled to tariff rebate”>consumers have viewed on the service this year, with 35,900,000 views. In Despicable Me 4, Gru and his family are put under witness protection after his nemesis breaks out of prison and hunts him down for revenge. All the while, he tries to impress his devilish infant son, Gru Jr. Meanwhile, the Minions become AVL employees and are turned into superheroes: the Mega Minions.
7. In Your Dreams
Added to Netflix: November 14, 2025
With over 33,000,000 views to date, this 2025 Netflix original family fantasy film is truly something to dream about. In Your Dreams is a charming tale about two siblings who embark on a journey to find the Sandman during slumber, hoping he will grant their wish that their parents won’t move them from their childhood home, or worse.
8. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Three years post-release, gaming’s iconic plumbing brothers’ first cinematic outing remains a power-up among the animated fare, scoring 30,500,000 views this year thus far. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is based on Nintendo’s iconic video game series, follows Mario and Luigi getting transported to the Mushroom Kingdom, and with the help of Princess Peach, Toad, and Donkey Kong, they must stop the Koopa King Bowser from taking over the world.
9. Despicable Me 2
The second Despicable Me film has received 25,600,000 views on Netflix, so the kids must still be addicted to the purple Minions and listening to Pharrell’s “Happy”. Despicable Me 2 sees Gru entering his secret agent era as he’s recruited by the Anti-Villain League and paired up with a quirky agent named Lucy, whom he eventually catches feelings for.
10. The Boss Baby
Taking tenth place is none other than DreamWorks’ Alec Baldwin-led 2017 comedy, which received 25,300,000 views. The Boss Baby revolves around a boy who helps his walking, talking, and dapperly dressed secret agent baby brother in the battle for the affection of adults between puppies and babies. The Netflix Engagement Reports expanded to the full 3-year period reveal that The Boss Baby is the second most-watched title in this entire period, second only to KPop Demon Hunters.
Looking for more? Here are the feature films rounding out the rest of the list! 11-20
- Shrek – 24,300,000 — DreamWorks’ prolific fairytale satire that taught the world that ogres have layers.
- The Grinch (2018) – 24,300,000 — The colorful CG-animated 2018 take on the beloved Dr. Seuss story of the green curmudgeon who hated, and then stole, Christmas.
- Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – 23,400,000 — Leaving the hotels, the Drac Pack embarks on a summer cruise adventure.
- Trolls – 23,000,000 — A cheerful princess and a grumpy troll attempt to save their friends from the hungry Bergens in DreamWorks’ vibrant musical comedy.
- Back to the Outback – 23,000,000 — Searching for freedom, a group of Australia’s most dangerous animals escapes from their zoo enclosure to the outback.
- Despicable Me – 21,800,000 — Gru and the Minions’ iconic beginning as a villain whose plans to steal the moon get derailed when he unexpectedly adopts three orphan girls who change his heart.
- Minions: The Rise of Gru – 21,500,000 — Minions cause chaos in this 70s-set prequel following twelve-year-old Gru’s quest to become the world’s greatest supervillain.
- Migration – 20,900,000 — This high-flying adventure comedy follows the epic journey of a family of mallards from their tranquil pond to tropical Jamaica for a family vacation.
- Shrek 2 – 20,400,000 — Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey travel to the kingdom of Far Far Away to meet their in-laws in this ogre-rific sequel to the 2001 blockbuster.
- The Croods: A New Age – 19,800,000 — The Croods sequel features a hilarious clash of cultures as the caveman family meets the Bettermans, a sophisticated and evolved family.
