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Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero

2014–2017Ended2 seasons53 episodes~22 min/epTV-Y7Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

Penn Zero is not your average kid - every day, he's zapped into another dimension with his friends to save the world.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero streaming on The Great Courses via The Roku Channel and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero?

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Preferred by Under-30s.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero worth watching?

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all shows, from 2.6K ratings across 2 sources. 84% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of shows

72nd percentile among Animation63rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)46th
Approval (how many liked it)81st

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

70 /100

46th percentile of all shows

52nd percentile among Animation44th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

84% liked it

81st percentile of all shows

86th percentile among Animation79th percentile among 2010s
84% rated it 7–1016% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

79th percentile

2.6K ratings across platforms

77th percentile among Animation80th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A show about a part-time hero jumping into different wacky dimensions with a team of friends and bumbling villains.

Fans praised

  • creative multiverse worlds and genre-hopping
  • lovable character dynamics and development
  • genuine humor without relying on gross-out

Detractors panned

  • comedy feels forced and annoying
  • main character treated as a punching bag
  • generic premise and forgettable stories

What stands out

CharactersDivisive75

lovable trio and hilarious villains, but some find them uninteresting

OriginalityDivisive75

creative dimension-hopping and genre subversion

Acting75

strong voice cast including Alfred Molina and Adam Devine

CinematographyDivisive70

fluid animation and colorful design

Atmosphere70

immersive and varied worlds

HumorDivisive65

genuine laughs for fans, forced and annoying for detractors

Plot and storyDivisive65

simple multiverse premise with some continuity

DialogueDivisive65

witty and self-aware, but detractors find it forced

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 27 points higher than over-30s.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Episodes

2 seasons

Season 2 · 2017 · 23 episodes

  • S2E1
    S2E1

    The Pirates, the Parrot, the Puzzles & the Talking Boats

    Jul 10, 201712 min
  • S2E2
    S2E2

    Alpha, Bravo, Unicorn

    Jul 11, 201712 min
  • S2E3
    S2E3

    A Game of Cat and Mouse

    Jul 11, 201712 min
  • S2E4
    S2E4

    Wings of Destiny

    Jul 12, 201712 min
  • S2E5
    S2E5

    Sensitivity Training

    Jul 12, 201712 min
  • S2E6
    S2E6

    The Bewildering Bout of the Astounding Automatons

    Jul 13, 201712 min

Watch experience

What is Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Wry, light and charged — a relentless watch that leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
JoyfulThrilling
Heaviest: throughout
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
PlayfulWry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Case of the week plus an arcOne continuous story
ToneThe show is self-aware and playful, subverting tropes while keeping a warm heart.
The rideThe series maintains a consistently lighthearted and adventurous tone across its run, with no major emotional shifts.
StructureEach episode follows a standard three-act structure within the visited dimension.
Episode formatEach episode features Penn being zapped into a new dimension for a self-contained mission, but there may be an overarching story across seasons.
Season formatThe same cast and world continue across seasons, likely with ongoing character development and a cumulative story.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves the viewer with a lighthearted, joyful feeling and amusement from the clever dimension-hopping adventures.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeEach episode, Penn and his friends are zapped into a different dimension to stop the villainous Rippen and Larry from taking over.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 9% of showsFriendship
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having. stakesSingle lead
How it treats its themeThe series follows Penn balancing his heroic duties with growing up, while relying on his friends for support.
StanceThe show celebrates the fun and heroism of Penn's adventures, treating world-saving as a playful, affirming challenge.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanAlternate dimensionStylized realism
Orchestral classicalPopSupportive music · original score
SettingA generic suburban town where Penn is zapped into various cartoonish alternate dimensions.

Content guide

Is Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero okay for kids?

TV-Y7

Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero is rated TV-Y7. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at minimal (11/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • CanadaC8
  • BrazilL
  • IndiaU
  • MexicoAA
  • MYU
  • Netherlands6
  • PhilippinesG
  • SingaporeG
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (8 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero?

Cast

Thomas Middleditch
as Penn
Adam Devine
as Boone
Tania Gunadi
as Sashi
Alfred Molina
as Rippen
Larry Wilmore
as Larry
Samuel J. Levine
as Phyllis
Fred Tatasciore
as Additional Voices
Jess Harnell
as Additional Voices
Dee Bradley Baker
as Additional Voices
Gary Cole
as Brock Zero

Crew

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