Dozens of incredible shows have premiered onCartoon Network, but these 10 stand out not only within the network but also on TV in general. True to its name,Cartoon Network has primarily aired animated TV showson its main block and its late-night block, Adult Swim, since it launched in 1992.
These shows have run the gamut of weird, hilarious, creepy, thoughtful, and action-packed, with the best of them combining all those elements into one unique package. On thelist of the best animated shows ever, you’ll always find several that first premiered on Cartoon Network. Here are the 10 best.
Courage the Cowardly Doglikely fostered a love of horrorin the hearts of young viewers who caught the animated horror comedy when it aired. The series follows the purple, computer-savvy dog Courage, who lives in an isolated farmhouse in Kansas with an elderly couple, cranky Eustace and loving Muriel.
Courage and his owners often come into contact with all manner of strange and terrifying people, creatures, ghosts, and monsters, nearly all of whom have sinister designs on the family. It’s a frightening show for viewers of any age, andthe series' refusal to ever wink at the audience made it all the more terrifying.
Rebecca Sugar’s coming-of-age storySteven Universefollows the titular character, who lives in the town of Beach City, which is also inhabited by Crystal Gems, mineral-based aliens with magical powers who work with Steven, himself a half-gem, half-human hybrid, from aliens, monsters, and other threats.
It’s a lore-packed series, with a strong story that consistently raises interesting questions and mysteries, and never fails to make good on those questions. TheLGBTQ+ representation in the showis also some of the most well done in television of any kind, with queer characters figuring heavily into the story without sexuality being the primary focus.
Aqua Teen Hunger Forceis probably a terrible name for this acclaimed Adult Swim series, considering the only word in the title with any relevance to the show is “hunger”, and yet, it’s weird, unexpected, creative decisions like that that made the series last so long in the public consciousness.
The show stars three roommates: Master Shake (Dana Snyder, a milkshake), Frylock (Carey Means, a floating box of French fries), and Meatwad (Dave Willis, a ball of ground beef). These three get up into all kinds of misadventures that make perfect easels for the show’s unique brand of hipster, nerd humor.
A parody of animated adventure shows of the ’60s and ’70s likeJonny Quest,The Venture Bros.is an adult-animated comedy that follows the Venture family, a group of unethical, underachieving adventurers who get into all kinds of trouble. It’s funny, smart, and rewards multiple viewings.
Beyond the zaniness of the premises of a lot of episodes,there’s a deep core of emotion and wit, all told with a distinctive and effective art style that never grows tiresome. There’s something unique and mature aboutThe Venture Bros., even while it’s aping ’60s TV shows and making crude jokes.
Pendelton Ward’sAdventure Timeis, as you may expect, filled with adventures. The series has so many characters, locations, and stories that it’s hard to believe that it all takes place within the same timeframe and show, and yetAdventure Timehas a clear series-spanning mythology that it adheres to.
Hilarious, clever, and often unnerving, it’s worth watching every season.
The show stars Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, two best friends who roam around the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, interacting with the many kingdoms there, making friends, defeating monsters, and uncovering more about their own histories. Hilarious, clever, and often unnerving, it’s worth watching every season.
InSpace Ghost Coast to Coast, the eponymous Space Ghost (George Lowe) interviews live-action guest stars as if the show were a reallate-night style talk show. The Hanna-Barbera superhero character is now presented as an egomaniacal, eccentric, and notably dumb host, incapable of holding a long conversation.
The series featured guests such as Ashley Judd, Alice Cooper, David Byrne, Conan O’Brien, Ben Stiller, Hulk Hogan, and many other notable celebrities.Space Ghost Coast to Coastis a surreal and fourth-wall-breaking seriesthat was completely unique for the time, opening up a whole new style of comedy.
The series that put Genndy Tartakovsky on the animation map,Samurai Jackis an action-packed, beautifully structured, and amazingly animated show. As the title implies, the show follows a feudal Japanese prince who is sent to a dystopian future by the evil shapeshifting demon, Aku.
There, in this new future, he not only must deal with the pain of being torn away from the people he loves, but he must also continue after Aku, who has only grown more powerful.Samurai Jackis bursting with imagination, with characters including everyone from submachine gun-toting Scotsmen to dog-headed Egyptian gods.
Developed by Genndy Tartakovsky,Star Wars: Clone Warsis partially responsible for the reevaluation of theStar Warsprequel films as “hidden gems”, a claim that speaks more to the strength of the animated series than anything worthwhile inAttack of the ClonesorRevenge of the Sith, of which there is very little.
The similarly titledStar Wars: The Clone Warspremiered in 2008 on Cartoon Network, and while it has a similar story, it is unrelated to Tartakovsky’sClone Wars.
That should tell you how great a showClone Warsis, though, that it can cause a generation of people to retroactively decide its inspiration must be good too.Clone Warsis simple in its storytelling, but Tartakovsky’s animation and visual style are so dynamic that every frame ofClone Warsrewards paying close attention.
The Powerpuff Girlsare the quintessential “Saturday morning cartoons with a cereal bowl and all the time in the world” type of show. It combines slapstick and witty humor that still works, superhero-style storytelling with action and memorable characters, and fantastic voice acting from everyone involved.
It’s a series that remains funny over two decades later.
The series explores what happens when a professor mixes “sugar, spice, and everything nice” with the mysterious Chemical X. What you get is Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, three super-powered little girls who are innocent, strong-willed, cool, and delightfully charming. It’s a series that remains funny over two decades later.
A sequel to the originalJustice Leagueanimated series,Justice League Unlimitedpicks up two years after the first series aired. Generally considered one of the best products ever put on screen for DC,Justice League Unlimitedwas the standardfor superhero movie or TV storytelling until the MCU.
The series still remains the standard for animated superhero fare, thanks in part to its strict adherence to continuity, which was not always a given before 2004, when it started airing.Cartoon Network’sJustice League Unlimitedembraced the DC Comics like nothing before, exploring every nook and cranny of the vast history.
