Mothers and maternal figures are integral individuals in people's lives. The case is no different in Netflix animated series. For some characters, their moms raised them, nurtured them, lavished them with love, and ultimately worked in their best interests. However, for others, the same cannot be said. Whether their mothers abused them, treated them as expendable, or downright tried to murder them...They will not be winning "Mother of the Year" anytime soon.
These ten mothers listed below were ranked among the top 5 best and worst mothers in Netflix animated shows. Those who ranked among the best were selected for being efficient and considerate parents. Whilst, the worst was chosen for the opposite reasons.
Worst: Cutie Pie from F is For Family
Cutie Pie ( F is for Family as Vic's (Sam Rockwell) girlfriend. She later turned out to be a less than savory person after she cheated on him with various partners including his underage neighbor Kevin (Justin Long).
It was revealed in season four that Cutie Pie got pregnant with Vic's child and was going to give it up so her promotion would not be jeopardized. While not everyone is suited for motherhood the fact she was keen on dumping her child without finding suitable parents (before running into Vic again) came off as selfish and careless on her part.
Best: Karen Crawford from Paradise PD
Paradise PD. She is established as the mayor of the city and a strong-willed, career-oriented woman.
She previously divorced Kevin's father Randall (Tom Kenny) due to his anger issues and blatant sexism. While she made some questionable mistakes as a mother (indirectly teasing Kevin and blaming him for her divorce) she looks out for her son and genuinely wants to see him succeed.
Worst: Jenna Bilzerian from Big Mouth
Jenna Bilzerian (Heather Lawless) is Jay's (Big Mouth along with his two older brothers. Trapped in a loveless marriage (with a philandering husband) she spends most of her time locked away scrapbooking and drinking wine.
This leads to her sons mostly fending for themselves and Jay turning to his friend's mother for care and warmth instead. Additionally, she has forgotten to pick Jay up at school repeatedly and slept with his gym teacher. While it is later hinted she and her family turned over a new leaf it is the viewers' guess as to whether this remains.
Best: Janet Vanderheim from F is For Family
Janet Vanderheim (Mo Collins) is Quincy's (Debi Derryberry) mom on F is For Family. Being a single mother, she works as a prostitute and stripper to her son. She makes it a priority to attend Quincy's school functions such as Parents Night (even though she could be working).
Janet also tells her son and others how proud she is of him and his accomplishments. Despite her gruff image, she is one of the most caring mothers in the series.
Worst: Shadow Weaver from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Catra (AJ Michalka) as her wards and sort-of daughters. However, she clearly favored Adora over Catra. Whereas Weaver taught Adora how to tie her shoes and read her stories (albeit dark stories) she treated Catra as the bane of her existence and constantly criticized her.
It is later revealed her harsh treatment of Catra was to toughen her up (as she saw so much of Catra in herself). However, even when she acted motherly towards Adora she still ruled with an iron fist and had bias motives.
Best: Krolia from Voltron: The Legendary Defender
Steven Yeun) had difficulty trusting people and opening up to them due to his mother Krolia (Ana Gasteyer) "abandoning" him and his father (who died later) when he was a baby.
Keith and Krolia's paths later crossed in the series and while it was a bumpy start they inevitably picked things back up. She also explained why she left him and his father on Earth was to protect them from the enemy. Krolia regretted this but realized it was for the best.
Worst: Queen Dagmar from Disenchantment
In season one of King Zøg (John DiMaggio) was searching for the elixir of life to resurrect his wife Queen Dagmar (Sharon Horgan). She is later revived by her daughter Bean and quickly showed her true colors.
Dagmar managed to turn Bean against her father and took her back home. After some digging, it was discovered her marriage to Zøg was a sham. Additionally, she only had Bean to fulfill a prophecy that would lead her daughter to be sacrificed to pay back her nation's debts to hell. Mother dearest she is not.
Best: Princess Carolyn from Bojack Horseman
Despite being a workaholic on Amy Sedaris) strived to be a mother. After suffering countless miscarriages she adopted a baby porcupine that she later named Ruthie. Initially, as a single parent, Carolyn felt flustered and overwhelmed.
She questioned if this is what she truly wanted and felt guilty. After receiving some reassurance, Carolyn felt more confident and soon found a healthy balance between work and life with Ruthie. Having had a toxic mother, Carolyn was determined to be the opposite, and taught Ruthie she could be anything in this world.
Worst: Beatrice Horseman from Bojack Horseman
Throughout Bojack's (Beatrice (Wendi Malick) remained a thorn in his side and emotionally crippled him. Beatrice never wasted an opportunity to remind him he was a mistake. Despite attempting to apologize (in her way) for the mistreatment, she inevitably brought it back on Bojack commenting, "You're Bojack Horseman. There's no cure for that."
Her cruelty and incompetent parenting was the result of her abusive childhood and promising her mother she would never love anyone as much as she loved Beatrice's brother Crackerjack (Lin Manuel Miranda).
Best: Diane Birch from Big Mouth
On Big Mouth, Diane (Maya Rudolph) is the mother of Nick Birch (Nick Kroll) and his two older siblings. Her children are her pride and joy. She is always keen to help them with their problems but also give them their space.
While she is more strict than her husband, Diane rarely oversteps her boundaries and gives efficient punishments when necessary. Despite struggling to let Nick grow up she encourages his and her other children's growth.