Genndy Tartakovsky is famous for creating kids' cartoons such as Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack, but Primal was his first chance at telling a fully uncensored story as he envisioned it. Fans of Primal were treated to an incredible ride as they followed the adventures of a caveman and a dinosaur traversing prehistoric lands.

Primal grew to be even more fantastical and unpredictable than its premise implied, mixing and matching tropes and mythologies from different civilizations and eras. It was unique in its ability to handle both episodic storytelling and overarching narratives competently. The standout episodes of Primal rank among the best-animated episodes in American animation.

10 The Primal Theory

This episode is a massive departure from the rest of the series, as The Primal Theory takes place in late 19th-century London. The audience is treated to an intellectual conversation about how people have evolved from Neanderthals and some of the intellectuals insist that humans are incapable of becoming "savage" again. During the conversation, it's revealed that a violent escapee from an asylum has entered their house.

The ape-like intruder is as hostile as a rabid animal. He kills off the intellectuals one by one, forcing each sophisticated and pretentious person to dive into their primal urges to fight back. The last two members are Charles and Darlington (a play on Charles Darwin). Darlington becomes more similar in fighting style and appearance to Spear, as he adopts a spear and fights shirtless.

9 The Colossaeus, Part I

The Colossaeus has two major events that kick off the closing arcs of the series. The Viking Chieftain, who failed to avenge his family and village, succumbs to his brutal injuries. We are introduced to a realm that resembles a Nordic hell. The Chieftain makes a deal with a figure resembling Surtr to come back to life as a powerful being.

In the realm of the living, Mira, Spear, and Fang are involved in a battle with Babylonian and Egyptian forces. The mix of cultures and historical references gives a feeling of unlimited depth and wonder to the world of Primal. Most of the episode consists of gigantic battle sequences, including Fang fighting a massive slave with incredible strength. The Colossaeus Part 1 provides both large-scale action scenes and plot elements that enrich its lore while setting up the series finale.

8 Slave of the Scorpion

"Slave of the Scorpion" is the finale of season 1 of Primal. This episode introduces Mira, a character who becomes the third protagonist in season 2. Mira, seemingly a normal Homosapien, appears incredible compared to Spear. She has language, and religion, cooks with spices, and makes complex tools that Spear has never seen before. Mira's existence highlights the significant differences between Neanderthals and homosapiens.

Up to this point, Primal was highly episodic. However, the consequences of "Slave of the Scorpion" lead to season 2 relying more on continuous arcs to tell its story. Mira, an escaped slave, is recaptured by a Nordic-inspired civilization and taken across the sea. Spear, who likely never thought about crossing the ocean, now has a new purpose: to free Mira. The season ends with Spear saying "Mira," the only phrase spoken in season 1.

7 The Red Mist

Fang and Spear have freed a tribe of slaves. Predictably, this has angered the village, and they are not planning on letting the slaves escape willingly. The entire episode is dedicated to Fang and Spear preventing the slavers from pursuing the slaves and fighting them off. The action is stellar and highlights the creativity in the fighting that Primal has. Fang kills an assortment of Vikings in unique ways.

"The Red Mist" also takes its time to build up a female warrior, one who is a mother and has a family of her own.

The fearless woman chucks an ax at Fang and goes for the kill before Fang brutally slams her into the ground until she dies. Not long after, the female warrior's son is accidentally killed by Spear, adding more emotional complexity to the slaughter. The last few minutes of the episode are quiet and slow-paced, contrasting the vibe of most of the episode. The chieftain and his boy return from capturing slaves to discover their family and village slaughtered. They free their recently captured slaves to focus on revenge.

6 Spear and Fang

The first episode of Primal is one of the strongest in the series. Usually, in fiction revolving around men and dinosaurs, they are enemies, but Primal finds a convincing way to make them not only allies but a family. Spear and Fang are both dealing with a gigantic dinosaur that has eaten both of their families.

While the fighting is incredibly exciting, what makes it special is the bond it forms between Fang and Spear. The two protagonists are both grieving and become closer to one another as they are filling a hole left by the deaths of their family. While Primal is filled with blood, violence, and fanatic creatures, it is a story about how to deal with loss.

5 Terror Under the Blood Moon

This episode of Primal begins with a high-octane chase as a pack of raptors pursues Spear and Fang across a large field. The two manage to escape and discover a group of starving cavemen. Like Spear and Fang, these cavemen are constantly threatened by terrifying monsters. A horde of bats, controlled by a gigantic spider, has pinned the humans down, and Fang and Spear are the only ones who can stop them.

"Terror Under the Blood Moon" is the first action-heavy episode of Primal. Fans are introduced to the brutal and bloody nature of the series. After defeating the spider, Fang and Spear find themselves still running for their lives from the flying bats. They brilliantly lure the bats into the raptors encountered at the beginning of the show. Fang and Spear then run off, maintaining a constant feeling of momentum as they travel across the wild.

4 Vidarr

Fang, Spear, and Mira have slain a village of slavers and are escaping on a boat. A Viking-inspired father and son discover their village in total ruin and make a pact to avenge their fallen tribe. Primal, especially in season 1, often plays with emotion, but "Vidarr" is an episode packed with action from start to finish.

The Viking Vidarr and his son engage in a rematch on the boat. At one point, the boy is stranded on the boat with a pregnant Fang. Vidarr and Spear go toe to toe. Around this time, Fang lays her eggs, which becomes a vulnerability for the group from this point onward in the series. The episode continues with pumping adrenaline as the Vikings return, this time riding flying vultures. The action is tense as we see Mira holding on for dear life while a vulture grabs her high into the sky. Vidarr falls to his doom, and the episode ends with the strong image of Vidarr sending his fallen son into a river, adding more fuel to Vidarr's revenge.

3 Coven of the Damned

Primal doesn't shy away from magic, and "Coven of the Damned" is the best episode dealing with spiritual beings. Fang and Spear are captured by a clan of old witches who absorb life force from humans to create their babies. One of the witches, Lula, is curious why a dinosaur and a Neanderthal are friends and explores their memories.

Lula, mourning the death of her child, discovers that Spear and Fang have experienced similar pain. She battles the Witch Queen and sacrifices herself for Spear and Fang's escape, reuniting her with her daughter. "Coven of the Damned" is one of the biggest tearjerkers in Primal, highlighting a major theme in the series: empathy.

2 A Cold Death

This episode serves as a stark reminder that Fang and Spear are in the wild, where survival often requires killing. They are hunting down a pack of mastodons. The oldest and weakest of the pack falls behind and is devoured by Spear and Fang.

The horde of mastodons mourns their fallen family member and subsequently hunts down Fang and Spear. The audience feels for both sides, yet ultimately, it's a battle for survival. However, a twist occurs when Fang realizes that the mastodons simply want the bones of their fallen member.

Like humans, the mastodons use the bones of the deceased as part of a ritual for a proper burial. This addition of ritualistic burial rites injects the right amount of humanity into an episode otherwise focused on primal instincts.

1 Shadow of Faith

For the first time, Spear and Fang are separated. The two have been in each other's company for the entire series and have picked up traits from one another. Spear has become more animal-like, and Fang has become more human-like. This is evident when Spear and Fang both meet members of their species and begin to bond with them.

While Spear is integrating into a Gaelic-inspired civilization, Fang has encountered a potential mate. Fang and her new red-colored companion hunt together and bond. However, the red dinosaur begins terrorizing the same Gaelic village Fang has recently joined. Fang finds herself torn between her primal instincts to be with a mate and her desire to help Spear defend the villagers against the red dinosaur. Ultimately, Fang chooses to assist Spear, resulting in her mate's unintended death. Despite this, Fang and Spear reunite as a team. This episode highlights one of the many dark themes in Primal, their isolation from their respective species.