Love, Death, & Robots: Season 3 Ranked

Frank Martin |

May 28, 2022

It’s pretty difficult to rank any season of Love, Death, & Robots, mainly because they’re all so good, but here’s what we thought of season 3.

9. Jibaro

While watching this the phrase avant-garde certainly comes to mind. “Jibaro” is weird, bizarre, and experimental. That doesn’t necessarily make it bad, though.

The story itself is interesting and the animation is beautiful. It just takes such an odd approach to its story that it’s hard to fully love it. This is the type of film I would have enjoyed if somebody had shown it to me online in college. But as one of this season’s nine episodes, which are truly coveted spots, it was hard to truly enjoy it.

8. Pulse of the Machine

This short starts off very interesting and promising. Like always, the animation is on point. But the story starts to take an odd turn into the fantastical. So much so that it is hard to grasp exactly what’s going on.

Again, the purpose of these shorts is to challenge your perspective through a sensory experience. On both of those fronts, “Pulse of the Machine” succeeds. But it still lacked the entertaining components that’s needed to draw you in.

7. In Vaulted Halls Entombed

Soldiers always make for great characters in these shorts, mainly because it’s easy for them to get in over their heads. Here is one that had not just state of the art animation but some excellent action scenes.

The ending also lures it’s audience in for a profound climax. The only problem is that competition is fierce. It’s not enough just to be good. These shorts have to be impactful, and that’s why “In Vaulted Halls Entombed” ranks where it does.

6. Mason’s Rats

These are the fun, quirky stories that serve as the backbone for the series. It takes something ordinary and mundane and cranks it up to the extreme.

“Mason’s Rats” is fun, action packed, and filled with a surprising amount of heart. At ten minutes it’s also just the right amount of length. Any longer and it’s message would have dragged on unnecessarily.

5) Swarm

Shorts like “Swarm” seem to be this show’s specialty. It uses unique settings of different forms of life to make you question it’s meaning and purpose. There is a slow transition in this story as the world of the swarm unravels and ultimately winds up with a horrific outcome.

It might not be a satisfying ending, but these shorts rarely have one. That just makes the questions they induce all the more important.

4. Three Robots: Exit Strategy

This is a tough one to rank as “Three Robots” is largely a subjective kind of short. It also holds the distinction of being the only straight sequel from the series thus far. If you enjoyed the first one, you will enjoy this one as well.

It takes the same running joke and expands upon it while also having some poignant commentary about our own civilization. It’s still up for debate on whether or not a third installment is warranted, but the second is still well worth it.

3. Kill Team Kill

There’s something about being absolutely ridiculous that appeals to the kid in all of us. Especially if that ridiculousness comes with lots and lots of blood.

What makes this such a great series is the wide breath of content. It spans the serious, the funny, and then whatever the hell “Kill Team Kill” is. It scratches that ultraviolet itch in all of us and deserves a top spot for this season.

2. Night of the Mini Dead

This is another one that is largely subjective. Either you thought “Night of the Mini Dead” was brilliantly devised or just dumb. One thing nobody can deny though is that it took a chance to do something new with something largely familiar.

Zombie stories try so hard to get in the middle of the horror that it’s interesting to pull back and see things from a distance. It’s also largely silly, which fills a particular niche.

1. Bad Traveling

What’s interesting about this series being a sci-fi anthology is sometimes there’s no science fiction at all. “Bad Traveling” is largely a supernatural fantasy story, but that’s just fine as there really aren’t any rules to what makes a good episode. It just needs to be willing to push the boundaries of storytelling anyway it wants.

“Bad Traveling” does so by putting the pirate genre on its head and spinning it around. But the supernatural aspect of it is just one component. What makes this short so compelling is that the humanity side of it is just as strong.