The Ultimate Ranking of Futurama's Xmas Episodes That Will Blow Your Mind

Summary

Futurama has had multiple Xmas episodes throughout its 11-season run, featuring recurring characters like Robot Santa Claus and the Chanukah Zombie.

The Xmas episodes have built upon the traditions and conventions of the holiday, with each season presenting its own interpretation of the Christmas theme. The latest Xmas special, titled "I Know What You Did Next Xmas," distinguishes itself in season 11 through its extraordinary time-travel narrative and harmonious blend of zany science fiction and festive joy.

Ranked are all of the Xmas episodes from Futurama's 11-season run, which has featured numerous holiday-themed episodes. These episodes utilize the show's wide variety of characters, such as Robot Santa Claus, Kwanzaabot, and the Chanukah Zombie, who have become essential figures in Futurama's Xmas episodes. The topic of Xmas has been explored multiple times throughout the show, offering new perspectives and insights into the holiday's traditions. With the recent release of another holiday episode, now is the ideal time to reflect on Futurama's Xmas episodes and determine their relative quality, from the weakest to the strongest.

After more than a decade off the air, Futurama has made a triumphant return thanks to Hulu. The beloved sci-fi series by Matt Groening has been revived for an eleventh season, maintaining a strong connection to the original show's storylines and characters. Several episodes in season 11 serve as direct sequels to past Futurama storylines, such as "Children of a Lesser Bog" and "Parasites Regained," which continue narratives from over a decade ago. Season 11, episode 6, titled "I Know What You Did Next Xmas," is no exception. Now, let's explore and rank every Xmas episode across Futurama's 11 seasons.

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4 "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular"

"The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" is the last Christmas episode of Futurama's seventh season. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after its tenth season, leading to a hiatus in the Christmas stories for seasons 8-10. However, they made a comeback in the eleventh season. Unlike the other Futurama Christmas episodes, this episode is an anthology consisting of three distinct sections. In the first section, a Christmas tree takes control of Earth and transforms it into a sprawling rainforest. The second section, called Robanukah, focuses on Bender's description of a winter holiday specifically for robots. Lastly, the Kwanzaa section follows the gang's quest to locate beeswax for the traditional Kwanzaa candles after Earth's supply runs low.

Although all of the segments from "The Futurama Holiday Spectacular" are entertaining, none of them quite match up to the show's other three Xmas storylines. The Xmas and Kwanzaa storylines succeed because they are associated with actual holidays, but the Robanukah segment revolves around a completely fictional holiday, making it feel less festive compared to the other two stories. It appears evident that the Futurama team wanted to explore something different and avoid another Robot Santa Claus story, especially since they had already focused on him in two previous Xmas specials. However, this novel approach only adds confusion to the special, as expanding any of these ideas into a full episode would have yielded much better results.

3 "A Tale Of Two Santas"

In "A Tale of Two Santas," the third episode of Futurama's third season, the show's second Christmas special, the fusion of Futurama's universe and the established Christmas traditions is executed flawlessly. The plot revolves around the Planet Express crew's relentless mission to permanently thwart Robot Santa, leading Fry, Leela, and Bender to embark on a journey to Robot Santa's Neptunian headquarters to finally bring him down. While there, they successfully manage to immobilize Robot Santa, resulting in a world without a jolly gift-giver. In a selfless act, Bender decides to fill in the role of Santa Claus, but unfortunately, things do not go as planned.

"A Tale of Two Santas" successfully achieves its intended purpose, effectively reintroducing the popular Robot Santa concept from the initial Futurama Xmas special without appearing repetitive. By shifting the narrative to Neptune, "A Tale of Two Santas" stands out among the show's other Christmas episodes, allowing for the introduction of exciting new elements into the world of Futurama. The comedic aspect of Robot Santa's underfed Neptunian elves adds an amusing touch, which later becomes a recurring theme in future Futurama holiday specials. Furthermore, this episode marks the conclusion of Robot Santa's role as the primary antagonist until season 11, successfully wrapping up the storyline before it became tiresome.

2 "I Know What You Did Next Xmas"

The latest Xmas special of Futurama, "I Know What You Did Next Xmas," is part of the show's eleventh season. This new episode was released alongside other new episodes as part of Hulu's revival of the series. Once again, the episode explores Futurama's Xmas traditions, featuring the return of Robot Santa to New New York. Robot Santa's mission is to eliminate those who are deemed naughty. However, Professor Farnsworth takes a journey back in time to try and stop Robot Santa's rampage. This plan works for a while, but eventually, Bender and Zoidberg go on their own adventure involving Robot Santa and time travel. Despite its complexity, this episode stands out in season 11.

1 "Xmas Story"

"I Know What You Did Next Xmas" stands out as one of the finest Christmas specials in the Futurama series. It breathes new life into the Robot Santa narrative by introducing the element of time travel. This clever addition not only enhances the Xmas episode's overall dynamic but also maintains a meticulously crafted timeline that is logically coherent. Futurama, known for its sci-fi themes, strikes the perfect balance between whimsical sci-fi tales and holiday spirit with "I Know What You Did Next Xmas." Furthermore, this Xmas special serves as a delightful follow-up to the beloved episode, "The Late Philip J. Fry."

The second season of Futurama features an unforgettable episode, "Xmas Story," which serves as the show's inaugural Christmas special. This installment sets the tone for future holiday-themed episodes and introduces viewers to an entirely new winter celebration in the 31st century. Fry, the main character, embarks on a journey to comprehend this unfamiliar holiday, realizing how drastically different it is from the Christmas traditions he knew in his previous life. The episode skillfully incorporates comedic elements to highlight the stark contrasts, such as the use of palm trees instead of pine trees due to the extinction of the latter. Nevertheless, the storyline takes a darker turn as Fry becomes aware of the menacing Robot Santa Claus, an autonomous being programmed to eliminate anyone designated as "naughty," including the Planet Express crew.

"Xmas Story" remains the standout among later Xmas specials for Futurama, showcasing an abundance of creativity with its creation of new holiday traditions and the introduction of the iconic character, Robot Santa Claus. While John DiMaggio voices Robot Santa in subsequent episodes, actor John Goodman's portrayal in "Xmas Story" is absolutely flawless. The simplicity of the concept in this episode is perfectly suited to carry the first of Futurama's four Xmas specials. Catch the new episodes of Futurama every Monday on Hulu.