10 Movies Like Onward to Watch Next

If you loved Onward’s mix of sibling banter, magical quests and family-sized feelings, there are plenty of animated films that can scratch the same itch. The trick is finding a story with more than a colourful fantasy world: the best follow-ups give their characters something personal to risk, whether that is a friendship, a family bond, a chance to grow up or a dream that others do not understand.

This countdown keeps your order intact, with Coco at number one. It starts with films that share Onward’s coming-of-age or family themes, then moves towards adventures that combine imaginative worlds, emotional stakes and memorable character pairings. You will find sea monsters and summer friendship in Luca, a dragon-riding bond in How to Train Your Dragon, a robot companion in Big Hero 6 and a musical journey through family history in Coco.

The films are not copies of Pixar’s 2020 adventure, and that is a good thing. Some are funnier, some are more visually daring, and some put grief or family pressure at the very centre of the story. Each entry explains what happens, which characters make it work and why it sits at this exact place in the ranking, so you can pick the next movie to watch based on the part of Onward you loved most.

If the Lightfoot brothers’ relationship was the reason you stayed invested, start with films about siblings, friends or families learning to listen to one another. If you mainly want a quest, Kubo and the Two Strings, Raya and the Last Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon bring larger fantasy stakes. If you want the emotional pull of a family story, Coco and The Good Dinosaur offer different ways to explore loss, memory and belonging.

Some films are available on Disney+, while others are on Netflix, ITVX or subscription services with rotating catalogues. Treat each link as a current guide, then confirm the listing in your own account before planning movie night. Let’s get into it

For background on the brothers and the story that started this list, read our published Onward movie review. Pixar’s official film pages also provide character and story details for Coco and Luca.

These picks also offer different levels of emotional intensity. Turning Red and Luca lean into humour and the awkward excitement of growing up, while The Good Dinosaur and Kubo bring loss and danger closer to the surface. Coco is the most direct choice for a story about family memory; How to Train Your Dragon is the clearest option for anyone craving a thrilling fantasy adventure. The ranking is a guide to shared pleasures, not a claim that one film has to copy another. Think about whether you want a warm friendship, a big quest, a laugh or a heartfelt ending, then choose the movie that fits tonight.

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10. Turning Red

Thirteen-year-old Meilin Lee is a high-achieving student who tries to be the daughter her protective mother, Ming, expects while still wanting to spend time with her best friends and the boy band 4*Town. When Mei discovers that intense excitement turns her into a giant red panda, the family’s ancestral magic collides with the ordinary chaos of adolescence. She has to work out what to do with a change that is funny in public, difficult at home and impossible to hide from the people closest to her.

The film feels like a good follow-up to Onward because it treats growing up as a family adventure rather than a simple rebellion. Mei loves Ming, but love does not stop a parent and child from misunderstanding each other. Her friendships with Miriam, Priya and Abby give her a place to be herself, while her father Jin offers a quieter, supportive presence. Pixar’s official character material makes clear that Mei’s story is about balancing family expectations with her own emerging identity.

Turning Red takes tenth place because it shares Onward’s emotional coming-of-age focus but not its road-trip quest or sibling relationship. Its urban, early-2000s setting and red-panda transformation give it a distinct comic rhythm, and its mother-daughter conflict is more central than the fantasy mechanics. Choose it when you want a lively, heartfelt story about friends and family; choose a higher entry if you want a grander quest or a closer match for Ian and Barley’s bond.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

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9. The Book of Life

Manolo is a young musician from a family of bullfighters who feels pulled between the life his relatives expect and the path he wants for himself. He is also caught in a long-running romantic rivalry with his childhood friends María and Joaquín. When a wager between the supernatural rulers La Muerte and Xibalba sends Manolo into fantastical worlds, he must face his fears and find a way back to the people he loves. The adventure draws on Día de los Muertos imagery, music and family history.

The Book of Life is an animated fantasy with a strong visual identity: layered textures, carved wooden figures and vivid colour make its afterlife feel like a storybook brought to life. Manolo’s conflict with his family connects the film to Onward’s interest in inherited expectations, while his journey gives the romance and folklore a clear adventure structure. The film is also a good choice if you want music to carry the emotion, with songs and pop references woven through the action.

It ranks ninth because the central romance and supernatural wager take more space than the sibling bond or family grief that powers Onward. Manolo’s decision to follow his own heart is appealing, but the story’s emotional focus is more spread across romance, tradition and myth. It remains a colourful recommendation for viewers who want a fantasy quest with warmth and humour. Official studio information describes the film as a journey through three fantastical worlds as Manolo confronts his fears.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

8. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Katie Mitchell is an imaginative young filmmaker thrilled to leave home for film school, while her nature-loving father Rick worries that their relationship is fading. Rick turns the family drive to college into a last attempt at bonding, bringing Katie, mum Linda, little brother Aaron and their pug Monchi together for a road trip. Their plans collapse when a global technology uprising puts robots in control. The mismatched family has to work together, alongside two friendly malfunctioning robots, if they are going to survive and stop the machine takeover.

This film is the most chaotic comedy on the list, but its family conflict is sincere. Katie and Rick do not lack love; they struggle to understand what the other person needs. The road trip gives their disagreement a physical setting, and the robot apocalypse forces the whole family to depend on one another. Aaron’s enthusiasm, Linda’s optimism and Katie’s creative point of view prevent the story from becoming only a father-daughter drama. Monchi is an excellent source of beautifully stupid dog comedy.

It lands at number eight because the Mitchells’ family road-trip structure echoes the Lightfoots’ journey, while its technology-apocalypse plot is louder and more action-driven than Onward’s intimate quest. The movie is fast, visually playful and full of jokes, but the emotional arc is less about grief and more about parents learning to see their children as they are now. It is ideal if you want a funny family adventure with plenty of motion. Sony’s official synopsis outlines the road trip and machine uprising.

Where to watch: Netflix UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

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7. Raya and the Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon (animated film)

Raya is a young warrior from Kumandra, a land divided into regions after an ancient threat called the Druun turned people to stone. When that danger returns, Raya searches for Sisu, the last dragon, hoping to reunite the pieces of a gem that can save her father and the people of Kumandra. Along the way, she gathers an unlikely team that includes the street-smart child Boun, the formidable Tong and the mischievous toddler Noi. The mission becomes a test of whether Raya can trust people after betrayal has shaped her life.

Raya offers the broadest fantasy world among the lower half of this list. Its quest has a clear purpose, and the companions each contribute a different skill and sense of humour. Raya’s guarded nature gives the adventure an emotional conflict beyond defeating a threat: she has to decide whether trusting others is reckless or necessary. Sisu brings a lighter, self-deprecating energy, which helps balance the action. The film’s central question about teamwork gives its spectacle a relationship-driven centre.

It ranks seventh because the epic scale and team quest make it a strong fantasy pick, but the story’s focus on political division and trust feels less close to Onward’s brotherly grief. Raya is a better choice when you want warrior action, world-building and a group of allies learning to cooperate. The Lightfoot brothers’ smaller, more personal quest remains the closer emotional match. Disney’s UK film page describes Kumandra, Raya’s search for Sisu and the need for trust and teamwork.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

6. The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur imagines a world where the asteroid missed Earth and dinosaurs continued to live alongside early humans. Arlo, a young Apatosaurus, is the smallest and most fearful member of his family’s farming household. After a storm sweeps him far from home, he meets Spot, a feral human boy who has survived alone in the wilderness. The two set out across a dangerous landscape, with Arlo trying to find his way back while learning that courage does not mean never being frightened.

Arlo’s story has a close emotional connection to Onward because it is about a young character coping with loss, fear and the need to move forward. Spot cannot talk in words, so their friendship grows through gestures, shared meals and practical care. That gives the film a simple but effective character dynamic: the timid dinosaur learns from the boy who has survived by relying on instinct. The landscapes are enormous, and the contrast between their small friendship and the vast terrain gives the journey its scale.

It sits at number six because its themes of courage and family loss are a strong match, but the character work and plot are more straightforward than the stronger films above it. Arlo’s growth is clear, though the story can feel familiar and its spectacular scenery sometimes outshines its supporting characters. It is a useful pick for younger viewers who want a dinosaur adventure with real feelings, and for anyone who liked Onward’s mix of peril and heart. Pixar’s official synopsis identifies Arlo and Spot’s unlikely friendship.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

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5. Big Hero 6

Hiro Hamada is a fourteen-year-old robotics prodigy living in San Fransokyo with his older brother Tadashi. After a devastating loss, Hiro finds comfort in Baymax, the gentle healthcare robot Tadashi created, and gradually discovers that a masked figure is connected to a dangerous plot in the city. Hiro turns to Tadashi’s friends—Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon and Fred—and transforms their skills into a team of high-tech heroes. The adventure lets Hiro pursue answers while learning that grief cannot be handled through anger alone.

Big Hero 6 has one of the closest emotional connections to Onward on this list: both films centre on a young man whose relationship with an older brother shapes what happens after loss. Baymax provides the humour and tenderness, while Hiro’s friends become a found family who help him face a problem too large to solve alone. San Fransokyo also offers a distinctive city setting, mixing familiar streets with bright technology. The film moves briskly between action and quiet moments, and Baymax’s literal care makes the emotional theme unusually clear.

It takes fifth place because the grief-and-brotherhood thread is powerful, and its ensemble gives the film strong rewatch value. The superhero plot is more conventional than the top four’s character journeys, and some of the emotional material is filtered through action beats. Still, Baymax and Hiro are an affecting pairing, and the supporting team makes the city feel lively. It is a particularly good choice if you want Onward’s emotional warmth with more superhero spectacle. Disney’s official page introduces Hiro, Baymax and the team.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

4. Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings (animated film)

Kubo is a kindhearted boy who earns a living by telling stories in a seaside village. His quiet life is interrupted when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past and becomes the target of a family vendetta. Kubo flees with Monkey and Beetle, two unlikely protectors, and searches for a magical suit of armour connected to his late samurai father. His shamisen, a stringed instrument with magical powers, helps him face gods and monsters while he learns more about the family history he has been asked to remember.

Kubo and the Two Strings is the most visually distinctive movie in the countdown. LAIKA’s stop-motion craft gives its paper creatures, storms and landscapes a tactile quality that feels different from Pixar’s computer animation. Kubo’s stories are not just decoration; the film asks how memory, storytelling and family keep people connected after death. Monkey and Beetle provide comic friction and parental guidance in contrasting forms, so Kubo’s journey is also about learning who he can trust.

It ranks fourth because its grief, family history and fantasy quest make it a close thematic companion to Onward, while its animation and mythic atmosphere feel daringly different. The film can be darker and more intense than the Pixar adventure, and its slower passages may be less appealing to viewers who mainly want broad comedy. For families ready for an imaginative story with a stronger mythic edge, it is one of the richest recommendations here. Focus Features’ official announcement gives the central quest and character details.

Where to watch: ITVX (with ads) or ITVX Premium. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

3. Luca

Luca Paguro is a curious young sea monster who has been warned to stay away from the human world above the water. He meets Alberto, a free-spirited older boy who shows him that sea monsters transform into humans when dry. The pair escape their families’ cautious world for the Italian seaside town of Portorosso, where they meet Giulia and enter a local race to win a Vespa. Their summer becomes a test of friendship, courage and whether they can be open about who they are in a town that fears sea monsters.

Luca is a gentler follow-up to Onward, built around friendship and self-discovery rather than grief. Luca and Alberto’s personalities pull in different directions: one is careful and eager to learn, while the other performs confidence and wants to keep the adventure going. Giulia gives them a real ally and a shared goal, and her enthusiasm makes the trio feel like a summer team. The coastal setting, food and scooter dreams give the film a warm, nostalgic mood that suits a relaxed movie night.

It earns third place because the central friendship is vivid and the coming-of-age theme is beautifully clear, even though it does not have the same emotional weight as Coco or the fantasy-scale adventure of How to Train Your Dragon. Its quieter pace is a strength if you want warmth and character chemistry, but it can feel smaller than the films above it. Luca is the best pick for viewers who loved the brotherly affection in Onward and want a softer story about a friendship that helps two young people imagine a bigger life.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

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2. How to Train Your Dragon

Hiccup is a young Viking living on Berk, where his community has fought dragons for generations. He is expected to become a dragon slayer like his father, Stoick, but his slight build and inventive mind make him feel like an outsider. After he injures a rare Night Fury, Hiccup secretly befriends the dragon and names him Toothless. Their growing trust changes what Hiccup believes about dragons and puts him at odds with the village’s traditions, his father’s expectations and the danger threatening both sides.

This is the closest match to Onward’s adventurous spirit. Hiccup and Toothless build their relationship through curiosity and repeated acts of trust, just as Ian and Barley learn to rely on each other through the quest. Hiccup’s bond with his father also gives the film a strong family dimension: Stoick wants to protect his son, but he has to learn that protection cannot mean forcing Hiccup into a role that does not fit. The aerial sequences are thrilling, and the emotional stakes never disappear behind the dragon spectacle.

It takes second place because the friendship, family conflict and fantasy adventure are all exceptionally well integrated. It narrowly loses to Coco because the latter’s themes of family memory and grief align more directly with why Onward affects viewers, while Hiccup’s journey is more about challenging inherited fear and finding his own way. If you want the biggest adventure and one of animation’s most affecting human-and-creature friendships, this may still be your personal number one. DreamWorks’ official page describes Hiccup’s bond with Toothless and the conflict it challenges.

Where to watch: Prime Video, Sky Go or NOW TV Cinema. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

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1. Coco

Miguel Rivera is a twelve-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a musician, even though his family has banned music for generations. On Día de los Muertos, a chain of events takes him to the Land of the Dead, where he meets the charming trickster Héctor and searches for the truth behind his family’s history. Miguel hopes to earn the blessing he needs to return home and pursue music, but the people he meets challenge what he thinks he knows about his ancestors. His journey turns a colourful fantasy adventure into a story about memory, identity and belonging.

Coco is a natural companion to Onward because both films use a fantastical quest to help a young person understand family and loss. Miguel’s relationship with his ancestors differs from Ian’s imagined meeting with Wilden, but the emotional question is similar: how can someone remain part of your life when you never fully knew them? The Rivera family’s rule about music also creates a clear conflict between personal ambition and inherited tradition. Héctor’s humour keeps the film lively, while the Land of the Dead gives memory a vivid, storybook form.

Coco earns first place because its music, character relationships and fantasy setting all serve the same emotional story. How to Train Your Dragon is the stronger pure adventure, and Luca has a wonderfully believable friendship, but Coco most closely matches Onward’s blend of a young lead, family history, grief and an urgent journey. It also gives the audience a richer ensemble: Miguel, Héctor, Mamá Imelda, Mamá and Papá all represent different ways of loving, remembering and protecting one another. The result is funny, visually generous and deeply moving without losing its sense of adventure. Pixar’s official character guide explains Miguel’s musical dream and Héctor’s connection to the Land of the Living.

Where to watch: Disney+ UK. Check the current UK listing on JustWatch.

Why these films make good follow-ups to Onward

The strongest recommendations here share more than animation. They give their young characters a relationship or responsibility that changes how they see themselves. Ian wants to meet the father he never knew, while Hiccup has to challenge the beliefs he inherited from his father and village. Miguel’s musical dream puts him at odds with a family rule, and Luca has to decide whether the world beyond the sea is worth the risk of being seen. Each story turns a personal question into a journey with clear stakes.

Family also means something different in each film. The Mitchells have to reconnect as a household while machines take over the world; Hiro builds a support system around Baymax after a loss; and Arlo finds companionship in Spot while trying to return home. These films vary in tone, from the gentle summer warmth of Luca to the fast jokes of The Mitchells vs. the Machines, but all of them make their emotional conflict visible through action and character choices.

If you want the closest match to Onward, choose How to Train Your Dragon for a fantasy quest and a central relationship that transforms both characters. Choose Coco for a family story shaped by grief, memory and a young person’s dream. Choose The Good Dinosaur for a simpler survival journey, or The Book of Life if you want a more musical, romantic take on family expectations. These are not interchangeable films; they are different ways into the mix of fantasy, family and growing up that makes Onward memorable.

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Final Thoughts

There is no single formula for a movie like Onward. Sometimes you want the fantasy quest and the strange new world; sometimes you want the tenderness between two people who are still learning how to talk to one another. How to Train Your Dragon offers soaring adventure and a close bond between Hiccup and Toothless. Luca keeps the scale smaller and lets friendship, courage and a summer by the sea carry the story. Big Hero 6 and The Mitchells vs. the Machines bring bigger comedy and action, while Kubo and the Two Strings builds a more mythic journey around family memory.

Coco takes the top spot because it brings the most elements together: a young lead with a personal dream, a colourful fantasy setting, a family history that shapes the present and an emotional question about how love survives loss. If you want a lighter watch, pick Luca. If you want a creature friendship, try How to Train Your Dragon. If you want an animated film about grief that still feels full of music and life, Coco is the natural next step.

Which one would you watch first? Tell us whether we got your favourite too low, or whether there is another animated movie that belongs beside Onward. There is plenty of room for different answers: the best choice depends on whether you are here for brothers, fantasy, dragons, music or a story that might leave the whole sofa quiet for a moment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I watch after Onward?

If you want the closest mix of fantasy adventure, family relationships and emotional growth, try Coco or How to Train Your Dragon. Coco centres on a young musician uncovering his family history, while Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless changes how he sees his village and father. Luca is a gentler choice if you want friendship and coming-of-age themes, and Big Hero 6 is a good fit if you want grief, comedy and an unlikely companion.

Which movie is most like Onward?

Coco is our closest overall match because it follows a young character into a vivid fantasy world and links the adventure to family history, grief and a personal dream. How to Train Your Dragon is closer in quest structure and fantasy spectacle, while The Good Dinosaur shares a journey-home setup and a bond between very different companions. The best match depends on whether you loved Onward most for its family story, magical adventure or emotional ending.

Is Coco similar to Onward?

Yes. Both films are animated fantasy adventures about young characters whose journeys help them understand their families and their own place in the world. Ian hopes to meet his late father, while Miguel tries to pursue music and uncover the truth about his ancestors. Coco is more musical and centred on family memory, whereas Onward focuses on two brothers and the short window in which they hope to bring their father back.

Is How to Train Your Dragon like Onward?

How to Train Your Dragon is a strong choice if you liked the fantasy quest and the relationship at the centre of Onward. Hiccup befriends Toothless, a dragon his Viking community considers an enemy, and their bond challenges the beliefs of both sides. The film has more action and a larger fantasy conflict, but it also explores family expectations, courage and learning to trust someone others fear.

What movies like Onward are good for family movie night?

Coco, Luca, Big Hero 6 and The Good Dinosaur can all work for family movie night, depending on the ages and sensitivities of the viewers. Luca is the gentlest in mood, while Coco deals directly with death, memory and family history. Big Hero 6 includes action and loss, and The Good Dinosaur has perilous wilderness sequences. Check the age rating and consider whether your family is comfortable with those themes.

Which film on this list is about brothers?

Big Hero 6 has an important older-brother relationship between Hiro and Tadashi, though the story also follows Hiro’s bond with Baymax and his friends. The Mitchells vs. the Machines focuses on Katie, her father Rick, her mother Linda and younger brother Aaron as they try to reconnect during a family road trip. Neither film is exactly like Ian and Barley’s story, but both explore family support and the changes that come with growing up.

Which movie is the most emotional?

Coco is our most emotional recommendation because the adventure is built around family memory, grief and the fear of being forgotten. Kubo and the Two Strings also explores loss and the stories families leave behind, but it takes a darker, more mythic path. Big Hero 6 begins with a painful loss and turns towards friendship and healing. The one that affects you most will depend on which themes feel closest to home.

Are all these movies available on Disney+ in the UK?

No. Several are on Disney+ UK, including Coco, Luca, Big Hero 6, Raya and the Last Dragon, The Good Dinosaur, Turning Red and The Book of Life according to current listings. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is listed on Netflix, and Kubo and the Two Strings is listed on ITVX. How to Train Your Dragon has rotating availability across UK streaming services. Check each JustWatch link because catalogues can change.

What is a good Onward-like movie about friendship?

Luca is a warm choice if you want a friendship story with humour and a coming-of-age arc. Luca and Alberto are very different young sea monsters who help one another imagine lives beyond their families’ expectations. How to Train Your Dragon is another strong option, with Hiccup and Toothless building trust across a conflict that has lasted for generations. Both films make the central relationship matter to the adventure.

Are these recommendations all Pixar films?

No. Coco, Luca, The Good Dinosaur and Turning Red are Pixar films. How to Train Your Dragon is from DreamWorks, Kubo and the Two Strings is a LAIKA stop-motion film, The Mitchells vs. the Machines is from Sony Pictures Animation, and The Book of Life is from Reel FX. Big Hero 6 and Raya and the Last Dragon are from Walt Disney Animation Studios. The list includes different studios because the shared themes matter more than a single brand.