List of animated feature films of 1981
A list of animated feature films first released in 1981.
| Title | Country | Director | Studio | Technique | Notes |
| ' ２１エモン 宇宙へいらっしゃい！ | Japan | Tsutomu Shibayama | Traditional | ||
| Adieu Galaxy Express 999 | Japan | Rintaro | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| American Pop | Ralph Bakshi | Columbia Pictures | Traditional | ||
| Anime-ban Toukaidou Yotsuya Kaidan アニメ版 東海道 四谷怪談 | Japan | Ryuji Sawada Yasuo Otsuka | Traditional | ||
| Around the World with Dot a.k.a. Dot & Santa Claus | Australia | Yoram Gross | Yoram Gross Studios | Traditional/Live-action | |
| Blizkata Dalechina Близката Далечина | Bulgaria | Slav Bakalov | Boyana Film | ||
| ' ぼくらマンガ家 トキワ荘物語 | Japan | Atsutoshi Umezawa Kazumi Fukushima Shinichi Suzuki | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| ' ブレーメン４ 地獄の中の天使たち | Japan | Hiroshi Sasagawa Osamu Tezuka | Traditional | ||
| ' 荒野の叫び声 吠えろバック | Japan | Kozo Morishita | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| Captain | Japan | Satoshi Dezaki | Eiken | Traditional | |
| Chie the Brat じゃリン子チエ | Japan | Isao Takahata | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Traditional | |
| ' 小さなラブレター まり子とねむの木の子供たち | Japan | Traditional | |||
| Defenders of Space 불사조 로보트 피닉스 킹 | South Korea | Jeong Su-yong | Traditional | ||
| ' のび太の宇宙開拓史 Nobita no Uchū Kaitakushi | Japan | Hideo Nishimaki | Toho | Traditional | |
| Enchanted Journey グリックの冒険 | Japan | Hideo Nishimaki | Studio Korumi | Traditional | |
| Eomma chaja sammalli 엄마 찾아 3만리 | South Korea | Jeong Su-yong Gang Han-yeong | Traditional | ||
| The Fantastic Adventures of Unico | Japan | Toshio Hirata | Madhouse | Traditional | |
| The Fox and the Hound | United States | Ted Berman Richard Rich Art Stevens | Walt Disney Productions | Traditional | |
| Frankenstein 恐怖伝説 怪奇！フランケンシュタイン | Japan | Yugo Serikawa Toyoo Ashida | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| Furiten-kun フリテンくん | Japan | Takashi Sugiyama | Toho | Traditional | |
| Gongnyong Baengmannyeon Ttori 공룡 100만년 똘이 | South Korea | Kim Cheong-gi | Traditional | ||
| Grendel Grendel Grendel | Australia | Alexander Stitt | Victorian Film | Traditional | |
| Gugugui taeyang seongung isunsin 구국의 태양 성웅 이순신 | South Korea | Kim Seong-chil | Traditional | ||
| Hashire Melos | Japan | Tomoharu Katsumata | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| Heavy Metal | Canada | Gerald Potterton | Columbia Pictures | Traditional | |
| ' ヘレン·ケラー物語 愛と光の天使 | Japan | Fumio Ikeno | Traditional | ||
| Ico, the Brave Pony Ico, el caballito valiente | Argentina | Manuel García Ferré | Traditional | ||
| ' 怪物くん 怪物ランドへの招待 | Japan | Shin-Ei Animation | Traditional | ||
| 海底大戦争 愛の20,000マイル | Japan | Ippei Kuri | Traditional | ||
| The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie | United States | Friz Freleng | DePatie-Freleng Enterprises Warner Bros. | Traditional | |
| Lupin tai Holmes ルパン対ホームズ | Japan | Masayuki Akehi | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| Manga Hana no Kakarichou まんが花の係長 | Japan | Noboru Ishiguro Minoru Okazaki | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Traditional | |
| Manzai Taikouki マンザイ太閤記 | Japan | Ryuji Sawada Hideo Takayashiki | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Traditional | |
| Maria, Mirabela a.k.a. The Magical Forest Мария, Мирабела | Romania Soviet Union | Ion Popescu-Gopo Natalia Bodyul | Moldova-Film Soyuzmultfilm Casa de Filme 5 | Traditional/Live-action | |
| Minoïe | France | Traditional | |||
| Mobile Suit Gundam I 機動戦士ガンダムⅠ | Japan | Yoshiyuki Tomino | Nippon Sunrise | Traditional | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow 機動戦士ガンダムⅡ 哀・戦士編 | Japan | Yoshiyuki Tomino | Nippon Sunrise | Traditional | |
| The Mystery of the Third Planet a.k.a. The Secret of the Third Planet Тайна третьей планеты | Soviet Union | Roman Kachanov | Soyuzmultfilm | Traditional | |
| Natsu e no Tobira | Japan | Mamoru Masaki Toshio Hirata | Toei Animation Madhouse | Traditional | |
| Old Master Q 七彩卡通老夫子 | Hong Kong | Xie Jintu Cai Zhizhong Hu Shuru | Traditional | First Hong Kong animated feature | |
| Peter-No-Tail Pelle Svanslös | Sweden | Stig Lasseby Jan Gissberg | Sandrews Svenska Filminstitutet Teamfilm AS Treklövern | Traditional | |
| Rennyo and His Mother 蓮如とその母 | Japan | Kihachirō Kawamoto | Stop-motion/Puppet | ||
| Renshenguo 人参果 | China | Yan Dingxian | Traditional | ||
| Run Melos 走れメロス | Japan | Tomoharu Katsumata | Toei Animation | Traditional | |
| The Sea Prince and the Fire Child a.k.a. Legend of Syrius シリウスの伝説 | Japan | Masami Hata | Sanrio | Traditional | |
| Shunmao Monogatari Taotao シュンマオ物語 タオタオ | Japan | Traditional | |||
| Son of the White Mare Fehérlófia | Hungary | Marcell Jankovics | Pannónia Filmstúdió | Traditional | |
| Sonyeon 007 Jihajeguk 소년 007 지하제국 | South Korea | Jeong Su-yong Kim Cheol-jong | Traditional | ||
| Space Warrior Baldios | Japan | Kazuyuki Hirokawa | Production Reed | Traditional | |
| Sugata Sanshiro 姿三四郎 | Japan | Yasumi Mikamoto | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Traditional | |
| Swan Lake | Japan Soviet Union | Kimio Yabuki | Toei Animation Soyuzmultfilm | Traditional | |
| Tomorrow's Joe 2 a.k.a. Ashita no Joe 2 あしたのジョー | Japan | Osamu Dezaki | Tokyo Movie Shinsha | Traditional | |
| Vuk | Hungary | Attila Dargay | Pannónia Filmstúdió | Traditional | |
| Yuki ゆき | Japan | Tadashi Imai | Traditional |