Animator vs. Animation: Difference between revisions

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| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|14}}

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|14}}

| DirectedBy = Alan Becker

| DirectedBy = Alan Becker

| ShortSummary = In a flashback set between the events of Animator vs. Animation (2006) and Animator vs. Animation II (2007), Victim is shown to have endured repeated torture before eventually escaping into the outernet alongside a newly created stick figure named Mitsi; the two quickly grow close, later implied to share a romantic relationship, and establish a company where they spend several happy years. On the company’s fourth anniversary in 2011, numerous stick figures abruptly vanish—including Mitsi—after being transported to a Newgrounds-themed realm, later revealed to be the site of The Chosen One and The Dark Lord’s destructive rampage. Mitsi is killed in a fireball blast during the chaos, with The Chosen One hovering above the aftermath, a moment Victim later discovers through the memory scanner. Seven years later, Victim witnesses footage of The Chosen One fighting alongside Alan’s cursor and concludes that The Chosen One and Alan are working together.

| ShortSummary = In a flashback set between the events of Animator vs. Animation (2006) and Animator vs. Animation II (2007), Victim is shown to have endured repeated torture before eventually escaping into the outernet a stick figure Mitsi the two quickly grow close, later implied to share a romantic relationship, and establish a company where they spend several happy years. On the company’s fourth anniversary in 2011, numerous stick figures abruptly vanish—including Mitsi—after being transported to Newgrounds, later revealed to be the site of The Chosen One and The Dark Lord’s destructive rampage. Mitsi is killed in a fireball blast during the chaos, with The Chosen One hovering above the aftermath, a moment Victim later discovers through the memory scanner. Seven years later, Victim witnesses footage of The Chosen One fighting alongside Alan’s cursor and concludes that The Chosen One and Alan are working together.

| LineColor = 0D3A4D

| LineColor = 0D3A4D

}}

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Animated web series (2006–present)

Animator vs. Animation
Logo used in the Season 2 finale poster
Also known as
Genre
Created by	Alan Becker
Written by
Directed by
Composers	AaronGrooves Scott Buckley
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	12
Producers
Running time	3–31 minutes
Network	Newgrounds
Release	June 3, 2006 (2006-06-03) – October 2, 2014 (2014-10-02)
Network	Atom.com
Release	November 4, 2006 (2006-11-04) – October 4, 2010 (2010-10-04)
Network	YouTube
Release	September 12, 2007 (2007-09-12) – present

Animator vs. Animation (AvA) is an American animated web series created by Alan Becker.^[1][2][3] The original animation was first published on Newgrounds on June 3, 2006,^[4] with a sequel following five months later.^[2] Almost every installment is animated in either Adobe Animate or Blender, with live-action scenes also being incorporated into the series, starting with the fourth episode.

The premise of the web series is a stick figure attempting to escape the animation program in which it was created, either by using the built-in animation tools or through sheer brute force.^[5] The series contains almost no spoken dialogue.^[6]

Known for its unique concept and high-quality animation, it became an immediate internet hit, receiving 4.78 stars on Newgrounds^[7] and 80 million views on YouTube.^[8] The fourth installment gained almost 5 million views on YouTube within a month.^[9]

A Kickstarter campaign for a reboot episode of the series was created on July 10, 2013,^[5][10] reaching their $10,000 funding goal on August 9, 2013. The episode was released on October 2, 2014.

Multiple browser game adaptations of the series have been created, including one in 2006 titled Animator vs. Animation Game: SE, developed by Charles Yeh.^[2]

Characters

Humans

• “The Animator” (a self-insert of Alan Becker): The titular character. He initially showed disdain towards his creations, before showing more care to them after learning that one of them (The Second Coming) could talk through text.

Stick figures

Artificial Stick Figures

Four hollow-headed stick figures all created by the Animator at different points in the story.

• H4CK3R (formerly victim) [sic]: A black (later gray) stick figure created in June 3, 2006 by the Animator. He debuted in “Animator vs. Animation” before seemingly being killed off in the same episode.^[11] Nearly seventeen years later, he was revealed to have ultimately escaped Macromedia Flash via a rocket after being recreated and tortured by his creator countless times throughout 2006 and 2007, turning dull gray and being marooned alongside an animated female character known as Mitsi. The two create a technology company called Rocket Corp together and live a peaceful life in the Outernet until Mitsi is killed by victim’s successor, The Chosen One/The Dark Lord, in 2011. This prompts victim to track him down over the coming years with the help of four mercenaries. He later tricks the Animator into changing his name to H4CK3R, granting him tech-based reality-warping abilities before teaming up with The Dark Lord.

• The Chosen One (TCO) (now “NO ONE”): A black stick figure, originally almost identical in appearance to victim, was created in 2007 by the Animator.^[12] He has several superpowers, including fire-breathing, laser vision, and superhuman strength, creating ice, among others. He debuted in “Animator vs. Animation II” as a villain and was presumed dead after the next episode before reappearing at the end of “The Virus”, having redeemed himself to defeat The Dark Lord. In Animator vs. Animation 12, H4CK3R downgrades The Chosen One by changing his name to NO ONE.

• The Dark Lord (TDL): A red stick figure, created by the Animator in 2011,^[a] programmed solely with the mission of destroying The Chosen One. He^[13] debuted in “Animator vs. Animation III”. He was presumed dead in the same episode, only to reappear in “The Flashback” as a villain seeking to spread havoc across the internet with his army of computer viruses. He was killed by The Second Coming in “The Showdown”, but was revealed in “Hacker” to have been resurrected by his minions, the ViraBots, reprising his role as an antagonist by teaming up with H4CK3R.

• The Second Coming (TSC): Also known as “Orange”. He is an orange stick figure accidentally created by the Animator in 2014 and the leader of the Stick Gang. In almost all animations he appears in, The Second Coming is depicted as being a completely normal stick figure, much like the other figures he meets the same episode in which he is introduced, albeit with far more honed fighting abilities. However, he has hidden powers and capabilities that make him one of the most potent figures currently introduced in the series. These powers include telekinesis, flight, laser vision, extremely powerful strength, and regeneration. These abilities have only surfaced temporarily through vague means.

Fighting Stick Figures

A group of four solid-headed stick figures consisting of Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green was introduced in 2014. Residing on sticksfight.com, they escaped with the help of The Second Coming before each being terminated by the Animator, then subsequently revived. They were later killed by The Dark Lord during “The Showdown”, only to be revived again by The Second Coming.

• Red: A red stick figure that loves animals. He is reckless and most impulsive of the Stick Gang.
• Blue: A cyan stick figure that likes farming and brewing potions. He’s been described as a “hippie” and has an addiction to nether wart in the Animation vs. Minecraft spin-off.
• Yellow: A yellow stick figure that likes computer programming. In “The Box” he is kidnapped by victim’s company, Rocket Corp, to manifest the Animator in the Outernet.
• Green: A lime stick figure who likes music and is The Second Coming’s best friend. He is arrogant and, as karma, suffers the most out of the Stick Gang.

Mercenaries

A group of four stick figures with unique designs and fighting styles. Excluding Ballista, the mercenaries lack official names and are only being referred to with community-created nicknames.

• “Agent”: A thin, dark gray stick figure of above average height who wears sunglasses. He has a solid white head with a dark gray outline, identical to his body, and possesses a toolbar that gives him the powers of an animator. Despite being grouped as part of the mercenaries, the episode “Victim” reveals he is victim’s full-time employee, security guard and best friend who watched victim’s lover Mitsi die at The Chosen One’s hands and wants to avenge her death. It was revealed in a Q&A that his non-canon production name is G.U.I..
• “Hazard”: A pictogram portrayed as uncommitted and comical, but also loyal to victim. He has control over any and all pictogram signs, allowing him to use electrokinesis; clone himself; or summon an atomic bomb, among many other powers.
• “Primal”: A tall, brown stick figure (similar to stick figure drawings by cavemen) that embodies a wild and untamed nature, often acting on immediate instinct and raw power while having a stronger, more powerful form. His non-canon production name is Lasco, after the cave system he was based on.
• Ballista: A pixelated stick figure that can shapeshift and is short-tempered. He’s a crossover character from the 2003 animation Stick Figure vs Door. His non-canon production name is EZToon, after the animation program he was created in.

Others

• Purple: Purple is one of the main stick figures alongside Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. Initially introduced as a friend to the others, Purple becomes an antagonist in Animation vs. Minecraft after being driven by power within the Minecraft world. Unlike the Dark Lord, Purple’s motivations are not inherently evil; they stem from ambition and the temptation of control over digital elements. Over time, Purple’s actions lead to conflict with the other stick figures, though later appearances show him displaying remorse and an eventual desire for redemption. His complex character arc, shifting between ally and adversary, has made Purple one of the most prominent and discussed figures in Becker’s animated universe.
• Pink: Pink is the posthumous mother of Purple. Pink is portrayed as caring, protective, and resourceful, living peacefully with her child before being caught in the larger conflicts of the series. Pink was uploaded to Newgrounds by an unknown animator alongside her husband Navy and her son Purple.
• Navy: Navy, or Dark Blue, is a overarching antagonist, the biological father of Purple, and the husband of Pink. He tried to train Purple to become a fighter before leaving after an argument with Pink about his son’s wellbeing. He was indirectly the cause for Purple’s evil arc.
• ViraBots: The Dark Lord’s minions, a species of computer viruses that take the form of robotic spiders. The majority of them are killed by The Second Coming in “The Showdown”, but “Hacker” reveals that a few of them have survived and have resurrected The Dark Lord.
• Mitsi: Victim’s first friend and lover, and the co-founder of Rocket Corp. She helped Victim overcome his trauma caused by the Animator’s abuse of him. She is killed by what appears to be The Chosen One in “Victim”, which motivates Victim and Agent into avenging her death. Victim, as H4CK3R, later teams up with The Dark Lord under the promise of resurrecting her.
• Corn Dog Guy: A tall maroon stick figure with an incredible head for business and an ability to stay calm in many disastrous situations, which he turns into business opportunities. He is apparently saddened when customers ignore him. He was uploaded to the Outernet in March 15, 2007. He was originally uploaded as a side character by Alan, but he quickly went viral on the Internet.

Episodes

Season 1 (2006–14)

Season 2 (2018–20)

Season 3 (2023–)

Development and history

Becker was inspired by many popular animations and stories, such as Duck Amuck and the 1959 animated version of Harold and the Purple Crayon. Many other Flash games, such as Cursor Thief on Newgrounds, also gave him the spark to create the animation.^[14] Approximately three months after starting the animation, Becker posted it to Newgrounds. The next day, the animation received second place for the entire day.^[7] Becker began receiving numerous emails and instant messages from website owners who wanted to host the animation on their websites, with one of the websites even offering $75, provided they received exclusive rights to the animation. Becker declined after reading an email above from Steven Lerner, the owner of Albino Blacksheep.^[14][15]

AtomFilms offered to fund the making of a sequel, which was released on November 4, 2006.^[16][14] Becker used his real AIM username in the animation, which made him unable to use the service without his desktop screen being flooded by hundreds of fans who attempted to message him online. Becker began uploading the videos to YouTube, manually reporting clones of the videos using YouTube’s copyright report system, but it reportedly took several years. Becker uploaded “Animator vs. Animation 3” onto Atom.com on October 4, 2010, intending for it to be the final episode. He then went on to study animation at the Columbus College of Art and Design and tried to get an internship at Pixar but was rejected.^[14] Becker launched a Kickstarter campaign for the funding of Animator vs. Animation 4 after being motivated by his teacher’s words and encouragement to keep going. The campaign launched on July 10, 2013, and the $10,000 funding goal was reached on August 9, 2013.^[14] On October 2, 2014, “Animator vs. Animation 4” was released onto YouTube. It reportedly gained almost five million views on YouTube within a month.^[9]

eBaum’s World controversy

“Animator vs. Animation” was uploaded to eBaum’s World without Becker’s permission and proper credit.^[17] Legal action was threatened against eBaum’s World under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.^[17][18] eBaum’s World later contacted Becker, offering him $250 as compensation and pressuring Becker into a false testimonial. Becker later retracted the statement and officially requested that eBaum’s World remove the animation and testimonial from the website.^[14][17]

Game adaptations

In 2006, a browser game adaptation titled Animator vs. Animation Game: SE was released for Adobe Flash Player, developed by Charles Yeh.^[2]

On March 26, 2025, a Kickstarter campaign was launched for Animation VERSUS, a fighting game slated for release in June 2028. The game is being developed with the help of Muno, who created a Rivals of Aether mod featuring characters from the series.^[19][20][21]

Spin-offs

The series has had multiple spin-offs, under the Animation vs. label, with some of them gaining more views than the original series itself.^{[citation needed]}

A spinoff called “Animation vs. Minecraft” was uploaded on December 14, 2015. The video briefly had the title of the most popular Minecraft video on the internet for a month.^[22] A companion series, “Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts” (AvM Shorts), which alternates between slice-of-life and serialized storytelling, debuted on November 17, 2017. Its fourteenth episode briefly became the most popular Minecraft video on the internet,^[23] and it was Becker’s most popular video to date.

Another spinoff, “Animation vs. YouTube”, featured cameo appearances from numerous YouTubers, including PewDiePie and Markiplier.^[24][25] Actual Shorts are shorts formatted for YouTube Shorts, with the name referencing the fact that most episodes in the Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts series are too long to be considered “shorts”, with running times of up to thirty minutes.^[26][6]

• Animation vs. League of Legends
• Animation vs. Pokemon
• Animation vs. Super Mario Bros
• Animation vs. Arcade Games
• Animation vs. Education

Reception

The series has gained a generally positive reception.^[27]

Awards and nominations

See also

Notes

References

External links