Introduction
Ask most kids who grew up in the 2000s and had or knew someone else with Cartoon Network and they’ll tell you about one of the many shows which raised them: namely in this case Ben 10 Alien Force. Oh, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars but we already did that ranking. Anyway, despite being one of those shows which was always on yet somehow had less than 50 episodes, Ben 10: Alien Force is widely considered a very solid follow up to the original Ben 10 series. Also, it helped popularise the Omnitrix watch toys which already makes it an elite show before we discuss the best episodes. Now without further ado, here is some history about the show.
History
Ben 10: Alien Force first debuted on Cartoon Network (or on Teletoon for all our Canadian readers) in 2008 and ran for three series and 46 episodes until 2010. The show is set five years after the original Ben 10 series with a slightly wiser Ben (emphasis on slightly), his cousin Gwen and their grandfather Max still as dedicated as ever to protecting the Earth from hostile alien invasions. The show was nominated for four Emmys and unbelievably has a better conversion rate than Better Call Saul (25% to 0%) when it won for Outstanding Sound Mixing – Live Action and Animation.
Now there’s a fun bit of trivia…. Anyway, this is considered (at least by me) the last great Ben 10 series as there is a follow up series which we don’t mention under any circumstance because it was more of a letdown than the Game of Thrones finale. Now with all of this out of the way, here are our picks for the best episodes of Ben 10: Alien Force!
10. Good Boy, Bad Copy (S2, E3)
Unfortunately there’s a lot less dogs in this episode than the title may imply. However, kudos to the Ben 10: Alien Force writers for waiting nearly 17 episodes before doing an evil twin storyline. So after Ben is reportedly up to night time activities (somehow that isn’t supposed to be a w***ing euphemism) Kevin and Gwen are sent to investigate. And somehow they discover an evil clone of Ben but just one which was clearly bought off Wish.com given the shoddiness of it. A good episode mostly thanks to Yuri Lowenthal’s (yes that Yuri Lowenthal) vocal performance about his nighttime activities.
9. Max Out (S1, E6)
What do Formula One fans and Ben 10: Alien Force fans have in common? Well, they both (want) Max Out…. Now that’s terrible even by my standards, so what makes this episode good? Well, it’s a good old conspiracy episode. When Gwen’s brother, Ken (He’s just Ken) stops in a small town for repairs he disappears mysteriously. Soon, Max is on the scene followed by Ben as they desperately search for Ken and what could have taken him. However, the conspiracy they uncover runs way deeper than expected and there’s going to be a heavy price to pay for it. Though not too heavy as it’s a mid series episode….
8. Ben 10 Returns Part Two (S1, E2)
And so we come to the second half of the series’s premiere with Ben grappling with the new Omnitrix because they’ve gotta build him up to full white boy saviour mode. However, he isn’t left long to adjust, as like the audience, he, Kevin and Gwen must have to search for clues to an alien plot on Earth. All of this is in hopes that they can find Grandpa Max before the latest flavour of the episode alien does. Whilst this is a decent follow up to the series premiere, it does leave a bit to be desired. Though this could be us reading too much into the world of children’s cartoons again….
7. Ben 10 Returns Part One (S1, E1)
Speaking of the series premiere, the opening episode plays out very similar to most films and TV where the protagonist has been out of the game for ages. By this, we mean that Ben hasn’t used the Omnitrix for several years and has been living a normal life. But as we briefly mentioned in the last entry when Grandpa Max mysteriously disappears Ben is forced back into using the Omnitrix to track him down before it’s too late. Overall, this is a great episode which has a formulaic approach and absolutely nails said formula to a tee.
6. The Final Battle: Part One (S3, E19)
From the series opening two parter to the first part of the series finale. Now if you haven’t seen the show this is going to be a lot of alien waffle but here goes. Basically, the two main villains across the show, Vilgax and Albedo, decide that two is better than one when it comes to fighting a skinny teenager with alien technology. However, this time Albedo has something better than the Omnitrix: the Ultimatrix. And yes, this is supposedly better than the Omnitrix. Honestly, it’s clear to see why kids loved this show because it’s so damn good and silly.
5. War of the Worlds: Part One (S2, E12)
Before you ask, this isn’t a weird artsy crossover with H.G Wells’ iconic novel or the fantastic TV series. Again, terrible segue but two slightly friendly aliens to Ben, Gwen and Kevin’s cause, Paradox and Azmuth, reveal that the latest big bad, the DNAliens (fantastic pun name there), are ready to make their move. This leaves Kevin and Gwen to gather support whilst Azmuth reveals some more secrets about the Omnitrix and its nature. Because the show needs the audience to think there’s a chance Ben might not win aka the Roman Reigns effect. Overall, a good episode which moves the pieces into play for the finale.
4. Alone Together (S2, E2)
If there’s one thing we love it’s a paradoxical title. And other than that this is an episode which really has a buddy cop feel to it. By that we mean Ben and a HighBreed commander (just think of them as self righteous aliens who feel superior to every other life form) get stranded on a remote planet and have to help each other to help themselves. The wrestling fans must be dying to know if they can coexist. Either way, this is a pretty fun episode with it using the duology of the character’s opposing views to perfection.
3. The Final Battle: Part Two (S3, E20)
And so we come to the finale of Ben 10: Alien Force and it pulls out the oldest trick in the history of films and TV. And by this we mean that Ben must defeat his greatest nemesis: Vilgax, without the use of the Omnitrix. Now is this an incredibly corny and overdone handicap for the series finale? Absolutely. However, are we reading too much into an animated series intended for children? Absolutely yes. Overall, this is a remarkably sweet episode which acts as a fitting farewell to Ben 10 and his crew. That is unless Cartoon Network wants to ruin another nice series ending (not so obvious foreshadowing)….
2. War of the Worlds: Part Two (S2, E13)
Now we revisit the second half of War of the Worlds which is leaps and bounds above the first part. Not that this is an insult to the first part but you just can’t compare them. Now, this is very similar to Endgame in the sense that the good guys call in a truck load of reinforcements which unfortunately can’t prevent the DNAliens’ arrival to Earth. However, this fight ends up going to space which is just the chef’s kiss. Also, it pulls another trick from films and TV history by having a small group attempt to sneak around the DNAliens and attack them on their homeworld. Overall, a very silly but extremely fun episode.
1. Paradox (S1, E10)
And the best episode of Ben 10: Alien Force is….. Paradox. Now this is no surprise to any fans of the series but for those who haven’t seen the episode this is what makes it so damn good. Firstly, it has a cool monster to fight as it can age people and objects which might sound lame but is actually cool. Secondly, there’s the hint Ben and co have encountered this alien before and will encounter it again. And finally, it just nails the tried and tested Ben 10: Alien Force formula better than any other episode. Overall, just an incredibly fun episode which sets up plenty of intrigue for later episodes and story arcs.
