If you grew up in the 2010s, you would be familiar with the name Ben 10. Ben 10 became a popular media franchise that started as an animation show and expanded into movies, games, toys, and trading cards. The story is centered around a boy, Ben Tennyson, who has to spend his summer with his cousin Gwen and their grandfather in his RV for a fun summer. One day Ben comes across a mysterious wristwatch with the DNA of 10 different aliens.
The watch also gives him the power to transform into different aliens and harness their abilities to fight villains and save the world. The series eventually goes down a science-fiction route involving traveling space-time, space politics, and more.
Fans never really got enough of the series, and its sequels, so as we get nostalgic about the show, let’s take a look at 19 Cartoons Like Ben 10 that can remind us about how great the show was!
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the first cartoons that come to mind, although the more appropriate word should be animation and not a cartoon. Avatar: The Last Airbender is the story of Aang, who wakes up after having been asleep for a hundred years. The world has succumbed to the fire nation, and an ongoing war exists. He has to step into his role as the Avatar and master all four bending techniques to save the world from the greed of the Fire Lord.
Ben 10 is the journey of a boy dealing with adventures and aliens just because a wristwatch chose him, Avatar: The Last Airbender is the journey of a boy who has to save the world all because he happened to be the Avatar. Both shows have the “chosen one” trope and follow protagonists who are good-natured, kind, and just boys. The Avatar franchise has recently released a live-action film on Netflix.
Teen Titans
Next, we have the Teen Titans. Anyone who watches Cartoon Network must have come across this show at some point. The Teen Titans are set in the DC Universe and are a story of a team of five rag-tag heroes with different superpowers who join in to save the day. The group is led by Batman’s former sidekick, Robin, and his members are Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beastboy. They go on adventures to the Earth and prevent crime by catching the bad guys.
Ben 10 and Teen Titans both have themes of saving the world. While they are mostly set in sci-fi, with Starfire being an alien and Ben 10 being able to transform into aliens, they also deal with themes of magic, like Gwen’s Lucky Girl and Raven’s dark superpowers commanding the shadows. Both these themes mix to create a nice vibe to the show. Both the shows are essentially also about growing up and learning to work together with your friends and family. If you want to give this show a try, check out Hulu. The show is available for streaming there.
Max Steel
Max Steel is a CGI animated cartoon series. The story follows the life of a boy called “Max McGrath” who moves into a new city Copper Canyon with his mom. He is just starting to settle down into his life, making new friends, enemies, and more, when he starts feeling new energy. This is the T. U. R. B. O energy, and he joins the N-Tek, a secret organization his father worked in. He meets Steel there. Whenever villains attack Copper Canyon, he must join Steel and defeat them.
The similarity between Max Steel and Ben 10 would be the part where they both have to transform into something else to tap into their powers and save the world. They are both young boys who have many insecurities and doubts and, throughout the series, become more and more confident in their identities. If you want to catch the nostalgia of watching Max Steel, rush over to Hulu!
Generator Rex
The same creator as Ben 10, Man of Action, created the Generator Rex series. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where nanites infect people. This causes them to become monsters known as E. V. O. The story follows the life of a boy Rex who is an E. V. O, except he has no memories of his past. Memories of his past life. He also has certain unique abilities where he is able to control the nanites of his body and remove nanites of other E. V. Os. Hence, Rex is working under Providence using his abilities to cure haywire E. V. Os.
Suppose something you miss about Ben 10 is the simple act of Ben trying to save people by letting himself transform into aliens by their DNA invading his body. In that case, you will like Generator Rex, where he is able to control the nanites in his body and uses them to save others. If you want to take a look at the episodes from Generator Rex, you can stream them on HBO Max.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The next show that you can enjoy having been a proper Ben 10 fan is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The story follows a group of mutant turtles that live in the New York Sewers and are trained in ninjutsu combat. They fight villains every night to keep New York safe. The origin story of these turtles is also based on aliens, seeing that the aliens were carrying a chemical that transformed the turtles into mutants with human characteristics and their master Yoshi into a rat.
The show is similar to Ben 10 in that they both are science-fiction animated shows where the prime cause of the story beginning is the interaction with aliens and transformation. While Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle has a slightly darker plot line than Ben 10, both are stories about coming of age, working together, and saving people. The show is available on Netflix in the US.
Infinity Train
Infinity Train is a relatively newer show compared to the other shows on this list. The first pilot episode of the show was out in 2016. There are four seasons to the show. The plot is about an infinite train in a barren landscape where each compartment is its own universe. There is no one main character in the show. The first season focuses on a girl, Tulip Olsen, while the seasons after that keep changing the focus. The train picks up passengers with unresolved emotional traumas and problems. The passengers have to face their issues, and once they have resolved everything, they can go back home.
Both Ben 10 and Infinity Train are science-fiction shows. Although Infinity Train doesn’t really have anything about superpowers, it does get its main characters to deal with their emotions and other unresolved issues. Ben 10 has a much lighter take on helping with the character’s issues compared to Infinity Train, but in the end, both are wholesome and focus on being there for each other. If you want to watch Infinity Train, it is available on Prime for some countries, but HBO Max has taken it down.
Adventure Time
Let’s switch the genres for a bit. Adventure Time is a fantasy-type adventure series that ran for ten seasons on Cartoon Network. This show follows the adventures of Finn The Human and his adoptive brother Jake The Dog. They live in the Land of Ooo, which has been through a Mushroom War a thousand years ago. They go on various adventures and meet many different characters across their universe. Ultimately the story is about Finn growing up and learning many different lessons across the world.
Although the genres are different, with Ben 10 being in science-fiction and Adventure Time being in fantasy settings, there are similar themes about family, friendship, and having each other’s back. Even if the context of the problems the characters face are different, they are similar in the way the characters grow and become true to themselves. If you want a taste of the action-packed, Adventure Time, look no further than Hulu!
American Dragon: Jake Long
Speaking of main characters who can transform into other creatures while fighting supervillains, one of the best shows is American Dragon: Jake Long. The story follows the life of a Chinese-American boy, Jake Long, who has the ability to transform into a dragon. His grandfather is the Chinese Dragon, and if Jake unlocks his full potential, he is the American Dragon. He must fight to protect all the magical beings in his city, battling a clan of Dragon Slayers while also being a normal teenager.
Similar to Ben 10, the main character here can transform into otherwordly creatures to fight villains and protect the people they love. While Ben uses a wristwatch to become an alien, Jake Long has the natural ability to transform into a dragon that he inherited from his mother’s side of the family, If you watch a glimpse of American Dragon: Jake Long, you can stream it on Disney+.
Scooby Doo
If the best part about Ben 10 for you was all the mystery-solving, especially unlocking the secrets of the wristwatch, then you will enjoy a dive into Scooby Doo. Scooby Doo is one of the old classics in animated shows that is still ongoing. This story follows the adventures of four friends and one dog. Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Shaggy Rogers, Velma Dinkley, and Scooby Doo, their dog, solve mysteries of apparently supernatural incidents.
What Scooby-Doo and Ben 10 have in common are the mystery aspects. There are many mysteries in the Ben 10 universe that the Tennysons have to solve, and similarly, there are many mysteries that the Scooby Gang has to solve while they go on trips on their Mystery Machine.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
A new-age animation series, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, came out only in 2015. The story follows the journey of a girl, Kipo Oak, who is looking for her father in a post-apocalyptic world where the beasts have mutated into Wonderbeasts. These beasts would have attacked the human race forcing them into living in burrows. One such beast attacked Kipo’s home, and now she must look for her father.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts have in common with Ben 10 the interaction with these Wonderbeasts. Ben 10 also has to interact with and fight alien life forms. If you are nostalgic for seeing the main characters interact with other life forms, Kipo and the Wonderbeasts is the show to watch. You can stream the show on Netflix.
Summer Camp Island
If what you miss about Ben 10 is the childlike magic and wonder of discovering a whole new world of creatures and people, then Summer Camp Island is the apt show for you. The series follows the adventures of Oscar the Elephant and Hedgehog the hedgehog after they are dropped onto the Summer Camp Island. Although the show is already set in an anthropomorphic world, Summer Camp Island has even more bizarre occurrences that are adventures in themselves.
So if you want to revisit the magic of your childhood, watching TV in the hot and humid summer months, Summer Camp Island is just right for you. Some of the episodes are available on Cartoon Network’s website. The whole series is available on Prime Video for some countries and Apple TV.
Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom is another classic from Cartoon Network that no one will forget soon. The story follows the life of a boy Danny Fenton who accidentally becomes a half-ghost. Now he has to protect and save the world from ghostly entities using his supernatural powers that evolve throughout the show.
What Danny Phantom and Ben 10 have in common is that Danny’s DNA transformed and turned him into a half-ghost, and Ben’s DNA transformed to turn him into an alien at will, and both of them use their powers to protect their world and their loved ones.
Gravity Falls
Many shows love having the theme of summer adventures. Gravity Falls is one of them. Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to live with their Great Uncle “Gruncle” Stan in Gravity Falls. The town is full of mysterious and paranormal incidents. The twins must not only help their Gruncle manage his Mystery Shack but also keep an eye on the local mysteries.
Gravity Falls is a fantastic choice if you miss the atmosphere of summer adventures and exploring new places from Ben 10. It has mysteries, supernatural themes, and so much more. If you want to check out the show, it is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Transformers Prime
If we are talking about alliance and science-fiction cartoons, then Transformers is not a far stretch. A team of Autobots, whose leader is Optimus Prime, stay on Earth to battle Decepticons. They also have human allies who help them now and then. The series is mainly set on the events that happen on Earth.
What Transformers Prime has in common with Ben 10 is that they both involve a great deal of interspace war, which humans are dragged into. So if you enjoy a bit of intergalactic conflict, Transformers is a good fit for you. You can watch Transformers Prime on Netflix.
Glitch Techs
Maintaining the theme of science fiction, we have Glitch Techs on the list next. Glitch Techs follows the lives of a group of teenagers who are responsible for handling glitches. These glitches cause video games to manifest into the real world and wreak a great deal of havoc for the people in their city. These teenagers must run errands to help contain these glitches.
Ben 10 and Glitch Techs have the premise of science-fiction in common. The difference is that Ben has to deal with aliens, and the Glitch Techs have to deal with video game monsters. Both series have some epically cool action scenes that are worth a watch. If you want to watch Glitch Techs, it is up for streaming on Netflix, and you don’t have to go further than that.
Jackie Chan Adventures
Jackie Chan Adventures is a show about a close group family. Jackie is an archaeologist, and his uncle is the owner of an ancient artifact shop. Jackie’s niece, Jade, moves in with them and the three of them go on adventures together, uncovering ancient secrets and solving supernatural puzzles.
If you liked the bonding Ben, Gwen and Grandpa had throughout the show as a family, and then you will like Jackie Chan Adventures. Although the themes are different, with Ben 10 being about alien watches and space wars, and Jackie Chan Adventures being about ancient artifacts and east-Asian magical themes, both the series have themes of family and growing to understand them. You can watch it on AppleTV or Prime Video, although it is not available in all countries yet.
Atomic Betty
Since we are talking about space fiction and alien life, the next series is Atomic Betty. Atomic Betty follows the life of Betty Barrett, who lives a normal and quiet life on Earth. However, she has a secret. She is a part of the Galactic Guardians. The team is dedicated to protecting the galaxy and handling any crisis that arises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDmfKgeCmcY
If you enjoyed the bits of outer space travel and interactions with alien life forms, you would enjoy the simple animation series, Atomic Betty. If you want to catch a glimpse of it, the show is available on YouTube TV.
Kid Cosmic
Kid Cosmic is another of the newer additions to the list of series. The story follows the adventures of Kid Mulligan, who comes across a spaceship crash where he finds the five Cosmic Stones of Power. The power of the stones attracts alien invaders, which means Kid Mulligan must join with a rag-tag team to protect the stones.
Ben finds the alien wristwatch at a crash site too. They seem to have similar premises for the beginning, so if you want to feel the familiar warmth of Ben 10 again, you should give Kid Cosmic a shot. You can find it on Netflix for streaming.
Steven Universe
One of the best superheroes shows about protecting the planet is Steven Universe. The show follows the life of a boy, Steven, who is a half-Gem. Gems are ancient alien warriors who get their life forms from gems and fight to protect humanity from threats. Steven is the son of Rose Quartz, a gem who led Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl into protecting the planet. He now has to learn about his powers and responsibilities and eventually learn how to protect the planet.
The themes Ben 10 and Steven Universe have in common are protecting the planet and coming of age. There are also themes of both the boys growing up and learning about responsibilities and kindness and the refreshing bonding with their family and friends. If you want to try out Steven Universe, you should check out Hulu, where it is streaming!
This concludes our list of 19 cartoons like Ben 10. We hope you will find them to your taste and enjoy the feeling of nostalgia about going on adventures during summers and fighting aliens. If there is any show like Ben 10 that we have missed, do let us know in the comment section!
