Getting started with Unity’s animation system can be intimidating for beginners. However, once you master the fundamentals, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your game development toolkit. Rather than trying to digest lengthy text instructions, this guide covers the core concepts, while the embedded 25-minute video tutorial provides a hands-on, visual demonstration.

So what is the animation system?

In Unity 6, animation is handled through two complementary windows found under Window -> Animation. The Animation window (Ctrl+6 / Cmd+6) is where you actually create and edit your animation clips for a GameObject. The Animator window, on the other hand, manages the state machine—giving you control over how, when, and under what conditions those animations play and transition into one another.

Animation System Overview

Before creating animations, your GameObject requires an Animator component and an Animator Controller. Simply select the GameObject, add the Animator component via the Inspector window using Add Component, and assign an Animator Controller asset to the Controller field. Once attached, you can begin making animations for your character. See the screenshot below for an example setup using the Sai Warrior GameObject (from my own personal game project) and the project window asset structure.

After creating your animation clips, you’ll use the Animator window to adjust playback settings and configure transitions between multiple animations. Because the Animator window is a visual, node-based tool, it’s much easier to learn by watching it in action. Follow along with the video below for a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of how state machines and transitions work!