After watching Deadpool & Wolverine, I was reinspired to finish watching X-Men The Animated Series on Disney+. I have been watching X-Men on and off for close to three years. I would watch a few episodes, then take a break, watch a few episodes, then take a break. I decided enough was enough and I devoted time to finish the series. I’m glad I did because I think the show still holds up all these years later. Instead of writing a traditional review, I wanted to share some of my favorite episodes from the show.

Night of the Sentinels Part 1 – Season #1 Episode 1

Night of the Sentinels is the first episode of the series. In this episode, the Sentinels attack and go after Jubilee. Jubilee is eventually recruited by the X-Men after the attack is thwarted. I picked this episode as a favorite because it starts the series with a bang. On top of that, Jubilee becomes a valued member of the X-Men. Jubilee develops a great friendship with Wolverine throughout the episodes. She brings youth and positive energy to the X-Men which I think they needed.

Repo Man – Season #2 Episode 5

Repo Man is the fifth episode of the second season and focuses on Wolverine. Wolverine goes to meet a woman from his past and is captured. Through flashbacks, we see Wolverine being injected with Adamantium which explains his increased healing factor. Wolverine is helped by several allies to escape the facility.

One of the many reasons that X-Men The Animated Series holds up is how great the show is at highlighting classic comic storylines. If someone is ever new to comics or to the X-Men in general, this show is a great way to introduce someone to the characters. Wolverine is often seen as the face of the X-Men and his story is tragic. He has powers, but because he can be healed so quickly, it makes him close to immortal. That’s a lot to grapple with and that’s what makes Wolverine’s story so interesting.

A Rogue’s Tale – Season #2 Episode 9

In A Rogue’s Tale, this episode focuses on Rogue and how she came to be. When Rogue gained power, her father was abusive. Rogue is forced to flee and struggles with her powers.

When X-Men 97 was released on Disney+, fans critiqued the series for making the X-Men “woke”. I can’t help but laugh. The X-Men have always been political. Charles and Magneto represent two ideas of fighting for basic rights. Charles serves as the pacificist who doesn’t want to hurt humans even though some truly hate the existence of mutants. Magneto offers a hint of brutality and why should he protect humans when they hate him. It can’t get more political than that. The X-Men are all about fighting for equality.

With this episode, the look of Rogue’s father reminds me of Trump supporters. Rogue’s father is wearing a baseball cap with the American flag. He believes he’s a patriot because he loves his country, but can’t even learn to love his own daughter? I think this episode is one of the more tragic episodes in the series and it’s done so well.

No Mutant is an Island – Season #3 Episode 8

This episode is a Cyclops-focused episode where he confronts Killgrave! For those unaware of who Killgrave is, he’s a villain with mind-control capabilities. He was played wonderfully by David Tennant in Jessica Jones. I wasn’t expecting to see Killgrave in this series, so I thought this episode was a pleasant surprise.

Nightcrawler – Season #4 Episode 8

In Nightcrawler, this is what you would expect as Nightcrawler’s introduction in the series. While in Germany, Wolverine hears rumors of a demon in the area. When Wolverine confronts the demon, he realizes he’s also a mutant named Nightcrawler. Wolverine and the other X-Men protect Nightcrawler from the other townsfolk. This was another solid episode. I like how this series focuses on each member of the X-Men and how they get their episode to shine

Family Ties – Season #4 Episode 13

This episode centers around Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver discovering Magento is their father. Scarlet Witch is one of my favorite Marvel superheroes, so any episode that features her front and center will automatically be a favorite of mine.

Old Soldiers – Season #5 Episode 7

Old Soldiers is a flashback episode where Wolverine teams up with Captain America during World War II. During their mission, they encounter Red Skull, another classic supervillain in comics. This episode was unexpected, I did not think any of The Avengers would appear, so I had to add this episode to my list.

This post ended up being much longer than I anticipated! I consolidated my list and removed episodes I originally had. If you have been watching X-Men The Animated Series, let me know in the comments which episodes you liked the most.