The best AI tool to make a kids cartoon series that keeps your own characters looking the same is Atlabs. In its Animated Video workflow you upload a reference image for each character once, and those portraits are used in every scene. You can save them to your library and reuse them for every new episode.
Last updated: October 2026
You've already done the hard part. Your characters have names, faces, hair, skin tones and kits. A 6 year old will notice if the goalkeeper's hair changes color between scenes.
Most AI video tools make one clip at a time, 5 to 20 seconds long. A series needs the same three faces across dozens of scenes and ten or twenty episodes. This list ranks tools on that test.
What should you check before you pick a tool?
Check five things, in this order:
Episode length. Can it make a whole episode of several minutes in one project, not loose clips you join yourself?
Your own references. Can you upload a reference image for each character, and does every scene use it?
Same cast in every episode. Can you save the cast and reuse it in episode 2, 3 and 10?
Talking characters. Do your cartoon kids get lip sync when they speak?
One cast, two shapes. Can you make 9:16 for Shorts and Reels, and 16:9 for YouTube, with the same characters?
How do the tools compare?
Atlabs builds whole episodes from your cast. The other five make clips or shots that you put together yourself.
Tool | Best for | Max video length | Character consistency | Price model | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atlabs | Full kids cartoon episodes with your own cast | Full episodes of several minutes | Upload each character once, reuse across scenes and episodes | Credit packs and subscriptions | |
Runway | Animating one character from a reference image | 5 or 10 sec per Gen-4 clip | Up to 3 reference images per clip | Credit subscription | |
Pika | Quick, playful clips | 5 to 10 sec clips; Pikaframes up to 25 sec | Keyframes from 2 to 5 images | Credit subscription and packs | |
Kling | Multi-shot clips with a bound character | Up to 15 sec per generation | Elements from 2 to 4 reference images | See kling.ai | |
LTX Studio | Planning a script shot by shot | Up to 20 sec per generation | Elements for characters and locations | Credit subscription | |
OpenArt | Chat based stories with OpenArt Director | Up to 5 min | Director keeps characters steady across scenes | Credit subscription |
1. Atlabs: the best pick for a kids series with your own characters
Best for: kids brands and creators who already have character designs and want a recurring 3D cartoon series for ages 4 to 8.
Where it fits: you have two to four main characters, a new episode every week, and you want them to look the same in every scene.
Atlabs is a long form AI video generator. Animated Video writes the script, builds the cast, adds voices and music, and makes the full episode. Atlabs is also covered in a Pinion Newswire roundup of AI cartoon video generators. For more on how it keeps characters steady, see the consistent character video generator page.
Here is how to make episode 1. The Animated Video workflow has 4 steps: Script, Style, Cast and Screenplay.
Script. Open Animated Video and paste your script, or describe the episode in a few lines. Name each character and keep one simple action per scene. Pick the language, then press Continue.
Style. Pick your aspect ratio first: 9:16 if Shorts, Reels and TikTok come first, or 16:9 for YouTube. Then, under Visual Style, choose 3D Cartoon. It's the soft, rounded look that suits ages 4 to 8, and the one in every example image here.
Cast. Atlabs lists the characters, objects and locations it found in your script. For each of your characters, click Add Image and upload your own reference art. Pick a narrator voice at the top. Atlabs makes a portrait from each reference, and every scene uses it.
Screenplay. Read every scene before you generate. Each scene shows its location, shots, dialogue and length, and the total duration sits at the bottom. Fix names, lines and timing now, then press Finalise.
Preview with Video Teaser. In the Finalise dialog, pick Video Teaser. It animates up to 4 opening scenes into a 20 to 25 second clip, so you can check faces, hair and kits before the Full Video.
An opening scene, the kind Video Teaser animates first so you can check every face.
Render the Full Video. If the teaser looks right, render the whole episode. Character lines get lip sync, and it works on cartoon kids too.
The same three characters in 9:16 for Shorts and Reels.
Check your portraits closely. Atlabs redraws your references in the style you pick. Before you go on, compare each portrait with your art: skin tone, hair shape, eye color and kit color. Regenerate any portrait that's off.
Save your cast for the next episode. Add your characters to the Character Library. In episode 2, pick them from the library instead of uploading again.
Plan length by scenes. The finished length follows the scenes, not the number you type in your idea. Check the total duration on the Screenplay step, and add scenes if you want a longer episode.
Budget credits per episode. Every image, motion run, lip sync run and export uses credits. Preview each episode with Video Teaser, then render the Full Video once you're happy.
Watch the Animated Video tutorial
2. Runway
Best for: animating one character from a reference image.
Where it fits: Runway's Gen-4 makes 5 or 10 second clips and can use up to 3 reference images. It is not built for long form episodes, so a full episode means many clips and your own edit.
3. Pika
Best for: quick, playful clips for a channel promo.
Where it fits: Pika makes 5 to 10 second clips, and Pikaframes on Pika 2.5 can run up to 25 seconds from 2 to 5 images. Good for a short teaser, not a full episode.
4. Kling
Best for: multi-shot clips that keep one character steady.
Where it fits: Kling 3.0 makes up to 15 seconds per generation and binds a character with Elements built from 2 to 4 reference images. You still join many generations to make an episode.
5. LTX Studio
Best for: planning a script shot by shot.
Where it fits: LTX Studio builds a storyboard from your script and saves characters as Elements. Each generation runs up to 20 seconds, so you render an episode shot by shot.
6. OpenArt
Best for: building a story through chat with OpenArt Director.
Where it fits: Director plans videos of up to five minutes and aims to keep characters steady across scenes. It's part of a wider image and video suite, not a tool made only for kids series.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Atlabs if you have your own character designs and want a weekly kids series with the same faces in every episode. It is the only tool here that builds full episodes from one saved cast, with lip sync and a Video Teaser preview.
Pick Kling or Runway if you only need a few single shots of one character. Pick LTX Studio if you want to plan every shot yourself. Pick Pika for a quick promo. Pick OpenArt if you already use its suite and your episodes stay under five minutes.
A simple plan: one episode a week in 9:16 for Shorts and Reels, with the same cast saved in your library.
FAQ
Can I upload my own character art?
Yes. On the Cast step in Animated Video, click Add Image and upload a reference image for each character. Atlabs makes a portrait from it in your chosen style, and every scene uses that portrait.
How do I keep the same characters across numbered episodes?
Save each character to your Character Library after episode 1. In every new episode, pick them from the library on the Cast step. A library pick is restyled to match the episode's style, so keep the same style each time.
Should I make vertical or widescreen episodes?
Pick 9:16 if TikTok, Reels and Shorts are your main channels, and 16:9 for YouTube. You can switch the aspect ratio in the editor later to make the other version with the same cast.
Do cartoon characters get lip sync?
Yes. In Animated Video, character lines get lip sync and narrator lines get motion. Lip sync works on human, cartoon and animal characters.
How much does a multi-episode series cost?
It depends on how many scenes each episode has. Every image, motion run, lip sync run and export uses credits. Preview each episode with Video Teaser before you render the Full Video, so you only spend on what you keep.
Your characters are ready for episode 1.
