10 Unskippable TV Intros

Gargoyles

The smooth animation, the gothic atmosphere, the Gargoyles theme not only comes off as nostalgic but as a grand epic spanning many generations. Which really fits with the story of the show. Season two might be a step down due to adding narration to it, but it still stands out as one of the more epic intros in television that can't be skipped.

Peacemaker

James Gunn's first foray into television, and he just hits it out of the park on a first try with his great taste in music. Set to Do Ya Wanna Taste It by Wig Wam, this intro does a great job of setting the tone for the first (and last) DCEU show. Everyone is dancing with just a stone-cold expression on their face, which really adds to the comedy of the whole thing. The intro is just so infectious that you can't bare to skip it.

Stargate SG-1 (excluding S4-5)

A childhood favorite of mine, that really still holds up today. This theme is just really catchy, and set to the iconic action scenes from the show, it's just really hard to skip. That is, until Season 4 and 5, which bizarrely switch up to the feature film Stargate's title sequence of a slowly spanning sarcophagus, which doesn't fit the tempo of the song at all. Regardless, I find this theme to be the measuring stick to which all sci-fi/action shows are to be judged.

X-Men '97

The most recent entry on this list, and one I show I had my doubts about. Ever since it was announced, I was wondering why they would make a sequel show to the 90's X-Men Animated Series, as the original show ending pretty succinctly. Boy the creators of this show proved me wrong, starting with the excellent title sequence remixed by The Newton Brothers. Each episode features a different bit of animation in the theme, referencing moments from the original show, that accurately gets you ready for what the episode is actually about. I wish there was more title sequences like this, as it's a brilliant way to hype people before the episode starts.

Ultraman Orb

The first Ultraman show I had the pleasure of watching all the way through, and was instantly hooked because of its epic theme song. The sharp action poses coupled with the hard-rock aesthetic is something that really works, and it seems to be a thing with most Japanese intros, in both live-action and animation. It's funny how in Japan they're able to consistently put out banger live-action openings, but America struggles to even make one.

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Season 1 Theme)

Marvel Animations answer to the DCAU, an Avengers animated show that honestly rivals Justice League/Unlimited in terms of quality, and it all starts from an amazing intro with music by Bad City. This intro does a great job of introducing all of the characters in a small amount of time while also hyping you up for superhero action. I'm not kidding when I say this theme song is so iconic, fans debate "which song is better" between this song and the MCU Avengers theme, that's how good it is. In fact, this theme is so good they managed to adapt it into the comics.

Justice League/Unlimited

Both intros are of equal quality to me, and do a great job of setting up the tone of each show. The intro of Justice League keeps our heroes shrouded in shadow, mostly to build them up as mythical heroes to look up to. That is reflected by the music created by Michael McCuistion, Kristopher Carter, and Lolita Ritmanis. The slow, epic crescendo into the heroic theme Justice League is known for. Justice League Unlimited, on the other hand, is great for other reasons. While the original seven do show up, this intro does a great job of introducing the ever-expanding ranks of the Justice League after they recruited more members, and the theme reflects that with a more hard-rock aesthetic. Coupled with a hopeful note to end the theme, with the Trinity looking on to a hopeful future, you've got one of the best intros DC ever put out.

Xena: Warrior Princess

For an intro to a spin-off series, this does all it needs to do to introduce you to the character of Xena and her backstory present in Hercules: The Legendary Journey. The now iconic them song by Joseph Lo Duca is just great, having a phenomenal fantasy tone, with the intro of it making it sound like a Siren of Greek myth. It perfectly sets you up for what the show has to offer.

Spectacular Spider-Man

Probably one of the more out there entries on this list, but one that gets me hyped up regardless. This theme isn't really hard-rock, but more of a laid back, almost jazz type approach. Even still, it manages to feel right for the show. It gives the show an espionage/ spy thriller feel, which makes the action scenes really pop. The stylized intro also does a great job of grabbing the viewers attention, because not a lot of cartoons in the late 2000's looked like this. It really lives up to the name "Spectacular."

Batman: The Animated Series

What other show was I going to put, it's a no-brainer that BTAS was going to be on this list. The iconic theme by Danny Elfman. The crisp, smooth animation. The stark shadows that seem to pervade Gotham City. This intro is simply perfect. Not only doing a great job of introducing the viewer to Batman, but also seems to give a character to Gotham City as well. It was so great, in fact, that in jumpstarted the entire DCAU.

What other TV intros would you mention. Enter them in the comments below.