Critical reception
The pilot episode was critically acclaimed for its animation quality, music, and characters. Matthew Field of Go! & Express, argued that the pilot was part of the "animation renaissance" on YouTube, and said there may be "a lot more projects like Hazbin in the future". Lidia Vassar of the MSU Reporter praised the show, noting its "raunchy sense of humor and quirky art style". She also stated that she was looking forward to future episodes, enjoyed the "diversity of character designs", and stated that it is clear that the show's creators "put a lot of time and heart into this project". In December 2019, in an article about the current state of adult animation, CBR animation critic Reuben Baron stated that while the pilot episodes of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss had garnered "some warranted criticism" because of their inappropriate and edgy humor, they are still "clear labors of love from an animation standpoint". Another critic on CBR, Nerissa Rupnarine, pointed out that Alastor is on the small list of "canon asexual characters" within animation.
Some reviewers argued the series will have a positive influence on independent animation going forward, and argued that the success of Hazbin Hotel led to the success of Helluva Boss. Reviewer Sean Cubillas for CBR praised the show for "quirky, ambitious, and dark humor" and some of the "fastest, wittiest, and raunchiest dialogue ever seen in independent animation".
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 33 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "A hellzapoppin' musical series swathed in hot, vibrant colors, Hazbin Hotel is worth a booking." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 69 out of 100 based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Erik Piepenburg of the Los Angeles Times (LA Times) said the show's universe is a "brazenly colorful, queer-inclusive and fast-paced mishmash" with "outlandish grotesque scenes and copious potty mouths", along with "a Broadway pop score". Christine N. Ziemba of Paste argued that the series is not "simply a rehash" of the pilot, is not for kids, and includes "wickedly pointed adult humor", characters which are eccentric or are sinners, and "Disney-esque musical numbers", and called the series "visually eye-catching". Hope Mullinax of Collider said series expectations were "easily smashed", praising the music, cast, and design choices. She was excited to see where the series went forward, but was disappointed that Cherri Bomb did not get a bigger role. Joe Draper of Digital Spy described the series as explicit and including an "all-star cast of stage performers and TV favourites". Petrana Radulovic of Polygon described the series as a "character-driven musical with an overarching driving plot and a lot of deep world-building", also noting that it features "multiple female and queer leads".
Rendy Jones of Rogerebert.com said that some jokes are not as effective, and that the "ambitious wings" of Medrano were trimmed "by corporate streaming demands". He claimed the series has hit-or-miss gory humor and disorienting camera angles, but overall has stellar music, skillful voice actors, and a "balanced charm to round out its hellish setting", and called it a "sweet, raunchy time" that many adults will like. Rachel Leishman of The Mary Sue called the series special for its musical element and argued that animated series have a "special kind of magic to them", and stated that Hazbin Hotel's shine is its own, and is a "fun series to take a dive into". Mae Abdulbaki of Screen Rant called the series "lively", praised the cast, characters, catchy songs, and "chaotic energy", while saying the themes of good and evil could be "more nuanced" and that the characters can act "extremely childish" at times.
In contrast, Alison Herman of Variety said that although the series has a "feel-good backstory belied by its grim premise" and original idea that's "easy to root for", it pays less attention to cosmological details or motivations of the protagonists. She said the series has retrograde morality, gets lost in "its chaotic, contradictory atmosphere", and is not far along enough to "function as a full season of TV", comparing it unfavorably to The Good Place. In addition, Jenna Scherer of The A.V. Club said the series has a "lot going for it", praising the premise, stylish and innovative animation, music numbers, and voice actors, but criticized the writing as lacking, and hoped the second season allowed the series to "slow down and find its groove", but noted that the series will "find its audience regardless".
Kristy Puchko of Mashable described the series as a "perky pink cartoon show about sinners and singing", but argued that the first three episodes are "unremarkable" to newcomers, and said that the dialogue is jarring when compared with an animation style which "seems to be aping Disney XD", as well as saying it is "not satisfyingly subversive". She hoped that the series will "overcome its growing pains" in the first season, and says this expansion of Medrano's works is "flashy but thin". The New Hampshire Union-Leader criticized the series as having an "utterly confusing backstory/mythology", frantic action, overall calling it a "headache of a show", as well as stating the dialogue sounds "more adolescent than shocking".
Following its release, Hazbin Hotel set a new streaming record for Prime Video, becoming the largest global debut in viewership for a new animated title on the platform. In February 2024, the pilot episode surpassed 100 million views on YouTube.
Evangelicals criticized the show's flipping of certain fundamental aspects of Christian theology, even as they acknowledged that the driver of the plot was redemption. Former fundamentalists have acknowledged that the series' addressing of religious trauma is one reason for its popularity and concomitant fan base. It has been regarded as a critique of American evangelicalism.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on four critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Upon the debut of season 2, Hazbin Hotel briefly became the number one television show worldwide on Prime Video, as well as number one in 23 countries, and in the top 10 in 50 countries.
