Four animated shows on HBO Max that are not for kids
Last updated: February 12, 2026
While many kids shows are animated, not all animated shows are for kids. Whether they’re gory, use a lot of bad words or simply deal with heavy subjects, these four shows on HBO Max are definitely for the older audience.
Primal
Primal is set in prehistoric times and follows the unlikely duo of Spear and Fang. A human and a dinosaur working together to try to live in their hellish landscape after both of their families has been killed by other dinosaurs. The regular dinosaurs were a big enough threat but, when a virus breaks out that puts even herbivores in violent zombie-like states, the two really have to put their brains and brawns together to survive. This dinosaur show is no “Land before time” with its extreme gore and violent action scenes. But it’s a great show for those grown up dinosaur lovers.
Harley quinn
Harley Quinn has finally broken up with the Joker for good. And after having lost her way from the break up and being denied to join the Legion of Doom she decides to build her own villain team. She teams up with other rejects like King Shark, Clayface and Dr. Psycho to take over as the best villain team in Gotham City. And to start she’ll make Batman her archnemesis. Both the humour and themes are more adult than other animated DC shows, which are usually aimed at kids. In a humorous and sometimes parody-like take on the DC universe we follow Harley on her journey to become more than just a villain sidekick.
Unicorn Warriors Eternal
Emma Fairfax gets possessed on her wedding day by the spirit of a powerful sorceress called Melinda. It turns out Melinda is part of a team of warriors who has had their souls transferred to different hosts for generations. All to try to conquer a formidable evil, so powerful, they wouldn’t have been able to beat it in one lifetime. However this time the team struggle with memory loss, especially Melinda who couldn’t possess Emma completely, and they get stuck trying to fight for control over their body. By the same creator of Primal, animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky has created a fantastical steampunk setting for this fantasy/sci-fi story.
Metalocalypse
The death metal band Deathklok brings what it means to be a famous metal band to the extreme. Not only with names like Murderface, Wartooth and Pickles, but also with their absolutely loyal fans who’d do anything for them, even die. Which is lucky since their concerts are usually so dangerous that the audience has to sign a pain waiver before the shows. But not only is the band famous, its members are also incredibly stupid, getting them into all sorts of hijinks. With its extreme violence, extreme metal and extreme stupidity, this series will have you laughing even when the fans get scalded to death by hot coffee.
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