Volume 2 of Love Death + Robots was just released, so it’s the perfect time to binge right through all of Volumes 1 and 2. It’s dangerously easy to watch—each episode is only 6 to 17 minutes long and is a complete story with no relation to any other episode in the series.
But, you may ask, how do I know what order to watch them in? That’s what this tier list is for! Let this be a guide to choosing your binge order: best to worst, worst to best, a good one then a not-so-good one, or vice versa. My favorite episodes are the ones which I felt had a satisfying ending or are just really fun to watch…and one episode which was particularly gorgeous. I’ve ranked each episode below from favorite to least favorite, along with its length and its strongest aspect—Excellent Story, Just Plain Fun, or Excellent Style. And when you’re done reading, check out my ranked list for Love Death + Robots Volume 2!
Overall, Love Death + Robots feels like Netflix threw money at a bunch of different animators and said, “Make something!” and it worked out (for the most part) in the best way. I’m glad there’s a second volume, and I hope they continue with the series!
FAVORITES
1. “Sonnie’s Edge” – 17m – Excellent Story
Definitely one of the most memorable episodes. Maybe it’s because it was the first Love Death + Robots episode I saw, but this episode’s beautiful art, intense story (and ending), and its ability to bring you into the uncanny valley of hyper-realism really set the standard for the best of what this series has to offer. But fair warning, there is a pretty gruesome monster fight, so maybe skip this episode if you’re not into that—there are many other episodes which showcase this series without the extreme violence.
2. “Good Hunting” – 17m – Excellent Story
Another beautifully animated episode with a magical, haunting story. It’s one of the longer episodes in the series, but it deals with themes of traditionalism vs. modernization in a fantastical world that will make you wish the episode was even longer.
3. “Three Robots” – 12m – Just Plain Fun/Style
Just three friends commenting on the idiocy of humanity after all humans have long since destroyed one another. And cats.
4. “Zima Blue” – 10m – Excellent Story
This episode may seem like it’s taking itself a little too seriously at first, but the ending is really, really fun—fun enough to make it #4 on this list. Don’t be put off by the art! It’s extremely stylized, and ultimately adds to the atmosphere of the story. I cannot tell you how much I loved the ending on this one.
5. “Suits” – 17m – Excellent Story/Fun
Have you ever had your heart strings pulled by the plight of a farmer in a mech-suit defending his cattle from an onslaught of aliens? If not, well, now you have! As soon as you’ve watched the episode, of course.
6. “The Witness” – 12m – Excellent Style
This episode placement is a bit of a hot take! The friends I saw this series with don’t like this episode at all, but the art style and animation are incredibly beautiful (even if the story is a bit lacking). Heads up, though, the episode is pretty explicit, so make sure you’re ready for some NSFW content if you choose to watch!
7. “Blind Spot” – 9m – Just Plain Fun
Another hot take amongst my friends. I loved this episode; the art style and animation are reminiscent of early 2000s video games if they were done really, really well. The characters are quirky and fun with their own diverse strengths. The episode is loud, colorful, and fun: it’s a robot fight. Even though the story lacks depth, if you have fond memories of video games from two decades ago, this episode will bring on the nostalgia.
8. “When the Yogurt Took Over” – 6m – Just Plain Fun
This story makes you wonder about the mind that imagined it. It’s fun, silly, and short, and the title says it all.
9. “Alternate Histories” – 8m – Just Plain Fun
Talk about the butterfly effect! What would happen if Hitler not only got rejected from art school, but died immediately after leaving? Or if he died a little ways over on that bench over there? Or over there? Thanks to some predictions by a super-accurate, never-wrong A.I., we have the answers.
NOT FAVORITES
10. “Sucker of Souls” – 13m – Excellent Style/Fun
This could have been so good! The characters are enjoyable, the art style and animation are fun, and the beginning of the story is cool! The ending is just disappointing. Everything up until the last two minutes is a great time.
11. “Ice Age” – 11m – Just Plain Fun/Story
This episode contains the only live action with non-animated actors in the entire series. It’s a bit difficult to describe: a lot happens in this episode, but almost nothing happens in this episode. I had a hard time liking this one because the premise was too outlandish for me, but my friends really enjoyed it—you’ll have to get back to me with your thoughts!
12. “Helping Hand” – 10m – Excellent Story
If you’ve seen the movies Life or Gravity and didn’t like them, this episode is not for you. The story is just a bit too grim for me; it has the same tension as the movie 127 Hours, where the main character needs to make brutal decisions just for the chance of surviving. The hyper-realistic animation and realistic premise make you viscerally feel for the predicament the protagonist is in.
13. “Lucky 13” – 15m – Excellent Style
Love Death + Robots really does like peeking into the uncanny valley. They literally animated actress Samira Wiley for this episode and had her voice it as well. As unnervingly realistic as the art is, who doesn’t like a classic tale of the bond between a pilot and her aircraft?
14. “Shape-Shifters” – 16m – Excellent Style
Honestly, while the art is great and the animation is smooth, not a lot goes on here story-wise. It’s a fun watch and there’s a cool fantastical fight at the end (warning: blood and nudity), but no beginning, middle, and end per-se.
15. “Fish Night” – 10m – Excellent Style
Really, really beautiful. It doesn’t have much of a plot, but this may be one of the prettiest episodes in Volume 1.
16. “The Secret War” – 16m – Excellent Style
While stories involving duty-bound, self-sacrificing heroes are usually right up my alley, the pacing on this episode was slow for my taste. If more time was spent learning about the characters and what makes each of them unique and human, then this story would have packed a huge emotional punch. As it is, it focuses a lot on the buildup to the last five minutes, which are extremely action-packed and interesting.
17. “Beyond the Aquila Rift” – 17m – Excellent Style/Story
This episode is as close to horror as Love Death + Robots gets. Once again, if you don’t like the movies Life or Gravity, I highly recommend you do not watch this episode. While not explicitly scary, I found the plot twist at the end really unsettling, and I wish I hadn’t seen the episode.
But who knows? You might be a bit braver than me.
18. “The Dump” – 11m – Excellent Style
“The Dump” really did not do anything for me. There’s no plot, I didn’t really like the drawing style, and the characters and setting aren’t particularly fun. Despite all this, the ending manages to feel unsatisfying as well. You can tell a lot of work went into making it—there’s a tremendous amount of detail in every frame—but it just didn’t land with me. However, one of my friends really enjoyed this episode, so it really is just a matter of preference.
