Well I'm going to assume you are asking for good animation software.
As far as 3D goes you have the 3 major programs.
MAXON Cinema 4D
3DS Max
and Maya
C4D and 3DSM are both more specialized as modeling programs for stuff like architecture.
Maya is more specifically used for animations. One of the most notable examples is the use of Maya by Disney to create Dinosaur.
As far as 2D animation goes, I have not delved into it that much but I have some suggestions.
If you want to do stuff like stick battles and things along those lines Adobe Flash is the best option by far.
For more sophisticated animation in 2D you have several options. The best of these are Toon Boom, Digicel Flipbook, and TVPaint.