The series was based on Chong's webcomic The Three Bare Bears, and the pilot episode made its world premiere at the KLIK!

[1][2] A film adaptation, We Bare Bears: The Movie was released digitally on June 30, 2020,[3] and later aired on Cartoon Network on September 7, 2020; it served as a conclusion to the narrative of the series.

He was able to rescue his older brothers from certain deaths without too much hassle and is quick to jump into action if he finds a threat arising.

[6] Occasionally, the Bears share adventures with their friends, such as child prodigy Chloe Park (Charlyne Yi), bigfoot Charlie (Jason Lee), the Bears' rival and internet sensation koala Nom Nom (Patton Oswalt), park ranger Tabes (Cameron Esposito), and produce saleswoman Lucy (Ellie Kemper).

The show was created by cartoonist Daniel Chong, who had previously worked as a story artist for Pixar and Illumination Entertainment.

[7] According to Chong, much of the pilot was done with traditional watercolors, then digitally altered, to give "a naturalistic feel", but traditional work was not possible for a full show so he and the art director found a digital way to produce a "painterly feel", using references such as Peanuts, children's book illustrators like Tomi Ungerer and E. H. Shepard, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

The pilot was described by the EYE Film Institute Netherlands as "hilarious and endearing",[23] and it won in the "Young Amsterdam Audience" category.

[25] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media described the show "a funny and heartwarming story" that "sometimes poke gentle fun at hallmarks of modern society".

[26] Alison de Souza, writing in The Straits Times, noted that We Bare Bears has appealed to adults as well, and said that the series stands out "because it juxtaposes a somewhat mature sense of humour with a visual style that recalls the hand-drawn illustrations from children's books.

It noted that the show "unapologetically showcases and simultaneously normalizes Asian culture through their references to Panda's love for K-pop and K-dramas, the Bears' regular trips to their favorite boba shop, and Ice Bear's impressive ability to speak fluent Korean and cook traditional Korean dishes.

Club was more mixed, saying in 2015 that the show "bounc[ed] between the extraordinary and the endearing," describing typical episodes as the bears "find[ing] themselves in some sort of bizarre yet generic conflict...with little background music, a more muted color palette, and a simpler vibe."

[28] Helen Armitage of Screen Rant said that the show was known for its 1990s pop culture references, such as depicting Charles Barkley magically appearing from a trading card.

[10] Penguin Random House announced in 2014 that it would publish books based on various programs for Cartoon Network, including We Bare Bears.

[4] On May 21, 2020, the film was announced to be released digitally on June 30, 2020, and on Cartoon Network on September 7, 2020; it served as a conclusion to the narrative of the series.

Though expressing regret over the series' unresolved story lines, she complimented its zany sense of humor and its ultimate message, which to her was that "you can always choose your family".

Commending the relationship of its main characters, whose fight against intolerance he said infuses every moment of the film with more power and relevance than any other story the show has done before.

[42] A prequel spin-off series titled We Baby Bears was announced on May 30, 2019, which was slated to premiere on Cartoon Network in spring 2021 but was delayed to January 2022.