10 Incredible Movies Like Zootopia Every Animation Fan Needs to Watch

When Walt Disney Animation Studios released Zootopia in 2016, it did more than win over millions of hearts; it also broke the mold for what modern animated family movies could be. According to the outside, it looked like a brightly colored, dazzling city run by anthropomorphic animals. Behind that polished exterior, though, was a very complex buddy-cop mystery, a well-developed world, biting comedy, and a deep story that dealt with systemic racism, social stereotypes, and the search for one’s own identity.

You may have fallen in love with Officer Judy Hopps’ unwavering optimism, Nick Wilde’s street-smart charm, or the unbelievably detailed metropolis that stretched from Sahara Square to Tundratown. It can be hard to find a movie that gets that exact magic. There is a huge world of animation for people who want to find more shows like this one that mix animal-centered societies with investigative tales, social commentary, and high-octane humor.

Here are 10 great animated movies like Zootopia that every animation fan should watch right away. They range from hidden indie gems to big hits from Pixar, DreamWorks, and other companies around the world.

10 Incredible Movies Like Zootopia:

1. The Bad Guys (2022):

If Nick Wilde’s role as a smooth-talking, misunderstood criminal was your favorite part of Zootopia, then The Bad Guys from DreamWorks Animation is the closest thing you will find to a spiritual brother. This high-energy heist comedy is based on the popular children’s graphic book series by Aaron Blabey. It shows a sophisticated metropolis where humans and anthropomorphic animals live together in a delicate social balance.

The story is about a notorious group of criminals led by the charming Mr. Wolf. His partners in crime are the cynical Mr. Snake, the skilled master of disguise Mr. Shark, the short-tempered muscle Mr. Piranha, and the sharp-tongued hacker Ms. Tarantula. The gang is finally caught after a lifetime of high-profile thefts. Mr. Wolf comes up with a clever plan to keep the bad guys out of jail: they will have to go through a public recovery program to show that they can become “good citizens.”

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988):

Long before Zootopia perfected the noir detective story set in an animated world, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, directed by Robert Zemeckis, was the ultimate masterpiece in the genre. Going back to a very imaginative Hollywood in the 1940s, the movie shows a different world where real people live with cartoon characters, which are simply called “Toons.”

In the story, Eddie Valiant, a cynical and unlucky private detective who hates Toons very much, is at the center. When a powerful Hollywood studio mogul is killed in a strange way, Roger Rabbit, the hyperactive and stuttering cartoon star, is blamed for the crime. Roger is desperate to clear his name, so he talks Eddie into taking on the case even though he doesn’t want to. This leads them both into a dark, twisty plot that threatens Toon Town’s very existence.

3. Monsters, Inc. (2001):

One of Zootopia’s most praised achievements was how carefully it built its world, making a city that worked and met the bodily needs of all of its different residents. If that level of environmental imagination blew your mind, you have to watch Monsters, Inc. by Pixar Animation Studios.

The world takes place in the busy industrial city of Monstropolis and is run by monsters who get their power from the screams of human children. Best friends James P. “Sulley” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, who has one eye and is funny, lived a good life working for the city’s main power company. Still, things go wrong when a human child, called “Boo,” slips through the closet doors and into the monster world. Monsters think that human children are highly poisonous and can kill them with just a touch. To get Boo back home, Mike and Sulley have to run an underground, high-stakes rescue mission while avoiding corporate spying.

4. Sing (2016):

Sing, from Illumination Entertainment, came out the same year as Zootopia. It shows a different, more artistically rich side of an all-animal society. Instead of focusing on law enforcement and legal defense, Sing shines a light on the arts, entertainment, and the desire to become famous that everyone has.

Buster Moon is the main character of the movie. He is a showman koala who is always positive and whose favorite old theater is about to go bankrupt. Buster chooses to put on the world’s best singing competition as a last, desperate attempt to bring back the glory days of his venue. The prize money on the advertising flyers goes from $1,000 to $100,000 because of a funny mistake with a glass eye that got lost. Suddenly, animals from all walks of life, like a stressed-out mother pig in the suburbs, a teenage gorilla trying to get away from his father’s bank-robbing gang, and an extremely shy elephant with crippling stage fright, try out for a chance that could change their lives forever.

5. Robot Dreams (2023):

Robot Dreams, a Spanish-French production, is a true revelation for animation fans who want to watch a highly acclaimed, deeply artistic masterpiece from around the world. This tragicomedy, which doesn’t have any speech and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, shows the busy, varied energy of city life in a very different way.

The story takes place in a beautifully stylized alternate 1980s version of New York City where all the people are animal-people. Dog is a lonely dweller who lives alone in a small apartment. Dog orders a mail-order do-it-yourself buddy robot because he needs someone to talk to. Dog and Robot become best friends as soon as they are put together. They enjoy the city’s sights, sounds, and beats together. Robot, on the other hand, gets stuck in the sand after a summer trip to the beach because of rust. Dog is left behind at the beach until next summer, so he spends months trying to fill the void. Robot, on the other hand, dreams of his friend while he is stuck on the shore.

6. Elemental (2023):

If your best part of Zootopia was the multi-district, segmented architecture, with climate-controlled zones that are good for different kinds of mammals, Pixar’s Elemental takes that idea to a whole new level.

The story takes place in Element City, a beautiful city where people made of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air live together. There is an unwritten rule that says elements should not mix. The story is mostly about Ember Lumen, a young firefighter who is fierce and smart. Her immigrant parents made a life in the poor Fire Town neighborhood. Because of a plumbing problem, she has to cross paths with Wade Ripple, a fun, laid-back water guy. By mistake, the two of them start dating. As they make their way through the city to save Ember’s family business, they have to deal with both the natural laws and the deeply ingrained social biases that keep their communities separate.

7. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022):

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a landmark animated movie from DreamWorks Animation, also has a lot to do with death, fear, and fixing a bad image. Both movies use modern cities as main settings for their stories.

After wasting years of careless living through his legendary adventures, the charming cat criminal Puss in Boots finds out that he has finally used up eight of his nine lives. Puss has to swallow his pride and go to a safe house for house cats because he is about to die and is being chased by the Wolf, a scary and relentless bounty hunter. When Puss learns about a mythical, secret Wishing Star that can bring back his lost lives, he goes on a huge, dangerous quest through the Dark Forest with his ex-partner Kitty Softpaws and a therapy dog named Perrito who is always happy.

8. Kung Fu Panda (2008):

DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda is one of the best underdog stories in movie history, especially for people who admired Judy Hopps’ hard work, refusal to give up, and final victory over a system that told her she was “too small” to be a protector.

The movie shows the Valley of Peace, a mythical old Chinese society where all the people were animals that looked like people. Po is a clumsy, overweight bear who works in his family’s noodle shop. He is deeply interested in kung fu but isn’t very good at it. When the cruel snow leopard Tai Lung gets out of a high-security prison and says he will destroy the valley, a big tournament is held to find the famous Dragon Warrior. In a strange turn of events, the old Master Oogway chooses Po, which means that the strict Master Shifu has to completely change the way he trains pandas to turn an uncoordinated one into a savior.

9. Robin Hood (1973):

To fully understand the artistic roots and historical background of Zootopia, all animation fans must first see Robin Hood, the hand-drawn gem that started it all for Walt Disney in 1973.

The film reimagines the famous English folktale using animals that look like people. Robin Hood is played by a clever red fox, Little John by a gentle bear, Friar Tuck by a badger, and the cruel, thumb-sucking Prince John by a lion without a mane. From the depths of Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood and his merry band pull off daring, staged heists against the rich ruling class to give money back to the poor people of Nottingham, all while avoiding the Sheriff of Nottingham’s relentless chase.

10. The Wild Robot (2024):

Finally, we have The Wild Robot, an animated movie from DreamWorks that is both beautiful to look at and very moving. Based on the popular book by Peter Brown, this movie swaps the busy, high-tech streets of a city for the wild, untamed beauty of a natural forest.

The story is about ROZZUM unit 7134, a highly advanced service robot lovingly known as “Roz,” who gets lost at sea and ends up on a remote island with no people living on it. Built to only do what people tell it to do, Roz is surrounded by animals that are aggressive and territorial and see her as a mechanical monster. Roz has to go against her natural instincts when she has to take care of a gosling named Brightbill who was left alone after a terrible accident. To make sure the gosling lives, she forms an unusual alliance with Fink, a cynical, outcast red fox. Over time, she learns how to talk to all the different animals on the island.

Conclusion: Which Animated World Will You Explore Next?

Zootopia is still a great movie because it manages to balance a lot of different storylines without any problems. It shows that animation isn’t just a genre for kids, but a deep visual language that can be used to explore the complicated workings of human psychology, society, and living in cities.

The Bad Guys is a fast-paced, stylized heist movie. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a nostalgic, rule-breaking detective masterpiece. And Robot Dreams is a silent, emotional masterpiece. Each movie on this list honors the same creative spirit that made Disney’s 2016 masterpiece a modern cinematic treasure. These amazing stories show that the lessons they teach us about unity, identity, and strength are the same whether the characters are made of fur, scales, images, or metal.

Get some popcorn, choose your favorite streaming service, and get ready to be sucked into these amazing places.

What do you think? Which of these cartoon gems are you most excited to watch this weekend? Maybe we missed your all-time best movies like Zootopia. Share your thoughts in the box below!

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