2025 Recap: The Best 3D Animations of the Year
Let's take a look at the 3D animated setups from the passing year that you loved the most.
The New Year is approaching, and it's a good time to look back on the past months. Throughout the year, we had the privilege of featuring outstanding works created by talented 3D artists, and each artwork was a valuable contribution to the development of 3D art.
In this digest, we've highlighted the 3D animations that resonated most with you, our readers, in 2025.
Flow, an Animated Movie Made in Blender Eevee, Has Won an Oscar
We could not overlook one of the most significant events in the 3D art industry: Flow, an animated movie helmed by Latvian Director Gints Zilbalodis, created entirely within free 3D software Blender, won the most prestigious award in the cinema world. The film received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, becoming the first Latvian film to be nominated and win an Oscar, as well as the first international submission to win in this category.
This Animated Film From India Co-Made With Ex-Arcane Talent Looks Epic
Another outstanding work is Baahubali: The Eternal War, an upcoming Indian animated feature, directed by Ishan Shukla, renowned for work on Star Wars: Visions – The Bandits of Golak, and written by Scott Mosier, who worked on The Grinch and Clerks. The movie continues the country's most successful film franchise and expands its universe into CG animation.
A Free Zelda Rig for Blender 3.0
This charming Zelda rig, created by the talented Animator and Blender Artist Soranin and originally featured by us back in 2022, has unexpectedly captured renewed attention this year. And we agree with you, this adorable take on The Legend of Zelda's protagonist presents both a high-quality technical work and a fresh look at the bold character.
Clean Animation on Glass Buttons
Another animation that sparked your interest was this juicy setup by Product and Web Designer and 3D Illustrator Reijo. The artist crafted several candy-like button animations, so make sure to check it out to enjoy these aesthetically pleasing UI elements.
3D Artist Demonstrates a "Hollywood-Level" Shot Made in Blender
3D Environment Artist Azadream presented a cinematic piece that parries a Hollywood level of quality, along with a breakdown, unveiling the behind-the-scenes process. The stunning demo, which became viral on social media, earning 160K likes and over 1.7 million views in just a few days, was crafted using Blender, bringing the software to a place alongside industry-standard tools like Maya and Houdini.
3D Artist Shows "Simpler Doesn't Always Mean Worse" in Animation
Tech Artist Taras Tereshchenko unveiled this UE5 fountain animation, sharing that the setup was crafted without "expensive and complex solutions" like translucency, Single Layer Water Material shading model, or Geometry Cache. "Simpler doesn't always mean worse," the artist fairly notes.
Check Out This 3D Hatsune Miku Animation Created by TuxedoPato
Game Animator Martin Chang, also known as TuxedoPato, showcased this 3D animation of Hatsune Miku based on a 3D model created by a 3D Artist known as TuxedWhale, which awed us with its complex character movements. Miku dances and shows complicated hand movements, with changing camera angles making the setup look like it was taken from an anime.
3D Artist Depicts Doomscrolling Habit Using Blender & After Effects
Another setup that you loved – and so did we – is this vibrant and relatable depiction of binge-watching short clips, crafted by 3D Artist shortPants_vfx using Blender and After Effects. The clip went viral on social media, reminding us of reasonable content consumption and standing out as a great example of 3D artwork.
Zenless Zone Zero Collectible Card Taken to Next Level with Bendable Display
This Zenless Zone Zero-inspired work by 3D Artist YORIMIYA looks like a collectible card from the future – the artist placed a digital avatar of Nicole Demara from ZZZ into two double-sided flexible OLED displays. The character moves while the artist bends the card, holding the pose set up in Unity.
Historical 3D Scenes Crafted with Blender's Grease Pencil
These stylized scenes, set in ancient Greece during the Ionian Revolt and the first Greco-Persian War, were crafted by 3D Artist Martin Klekner using Blender's Grease Pencil. The artist's personal work-in-progress project, Heroes of Bronze, including a six-minute short film, several short stories, and a plethora of renders and illustrations, immerses the viewers into a fantasy-like epic atmosphere.
That's all for today, but we are not saying goodbye – we'll continue our journey with you in the fascinating world of 3D art. We wish you happy holidays and thank you for being with us throughout this year. Stay tuned, and let's continue exploring 3D art and the game industry together in 2026!
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