DANNY PHANTOM EPISODE RANKINGS

rankings are in order. my top 5 episodes in the entire series (with explanations), and then my top 5 episodes from each season + honorable mentions

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    1. My Brother's Keeper

    the fentons are my favorite fictional family of all time, and danny and jazz fenton are probably one of my favorite sibling relationships of all time, which means that an episode focused on the love and care jazz has for her brother was always going to be a hit for me. but you add in danny's ongoing identity crisis regarding his own humanity? well that's just a recipe for dannybait. i can't think of an episode more perfectly suited to capture everything i love about my favorite cartoon of all time.

    2. Maternal Instincts

    remember what i said about the fentons being my favorite fictional family? an episode about danny's relationship with his mom hits me right in my "i love my mom" emotions. the way maddie so obviously cares and wants the best for her son, and the way danny is trying his best to let her in despite all his teenage anxiety about what he even is anymore is executed much better than some of the other emotions expressed in the show. and as a bonus, we get to see vlad masters humiliated and called out as a creepazoid multiple times! what's not to love?

    3. Flirting With Disaster

    i am a KNOWN valerie gray defender. in my opinion, she is the most genuinely well-written and interesting character on the show (yes including danny) and not only do i think this episode captures her arc really well, i also think she and danny have a great dynamic and i love the tension that identity shenanigans cause between the two of them.

    4. The Ultimate Enemy

    what can i say? this is one of the most-remembered episodes of danny phantom in my experience. it has that title for a reason. something something danny phantom is a superhero comic at it's heart and every comic book hero has to face the darkness inside of them at some point. especially when that darkness is personified as his evil apocalyptic future self. it's a good one, folks.

    5. Control Freaks

    there's few tropes that hit harder for me than mind control. the loss of autonomy is uncomfortable and unsettling and something that i think can be so interesting to explore in fiction. the show is pretty bad about the whole "woowoo are ghosts evil~" thing, BUT this episode i think is a solid exploration of danny's fears about what he could become.

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SEASON ONE

    1. My Brother's Keeper

    2. Maternal Instincts

    3. Control Freaks

    4. Shades of Gray

    5. Life Lessons

Honorable Mentions

Bitter reunions, Prisoners of Love

SEASON TWO

    1. Flirting with Disaster

    2. The Ultimate Enemy

    3. Reality Trip

    4. Doctor's Disorders

    5. Identity Crisis

Honorable Mentions

Pirate Radio, Kindred Spirits, Micro-Management

SEASON THREE

    1. D-Stabilized

    2. Urban Jungle

    3. Torrent of Terror

    4. Frightmare

    5. Forever Phantom