The 18 Best Cartoons Of All Time, Ranked

Cartoons don't always get the respect they deserve, but viewers of all ages love animated programming. Though American studios have traditionally relegated animation to a specific niche — mostly comedy, and mostly children's programming — the medium is capable of doing everything live-action shows can do and more. In fact, the best cartoons on TV are some of the best shows, period.

This list is centered around episodic animated series made for television, video, and/or streaming, as opposed to animated movies or theatrical shorts (that's why there's no "Looney Tunes" here, as they were all made for theaters). Beyond that, everything was on the table: Action shows and comedies, kid-friendly cartoons and adult ones, American animation, and Japanese anime.

How did we come up with this ranking? We weighed personal taste against cultural impact, and considered higher peaks of greatness versus consistent quality over time, all while comparing shows with very different genre aims. So, without further ado, these are the greatest cartoons of all time, ranked.

Existing in the sweet spot between "The Simpsons" and "The X-Files," "Gravity Falls" is a funnier, weirder, and more complex cartoon than one typically expects from Disney. Its ongoing mysteries, elaborate world-building, and copious cryptographic Easter eggs make it an easy target of obsession for geeks of all ages. Yet, for all its complicated lore and supernatural shenanigans, at the heart of "Gravity Falls" is an emotionally relatable story about growing up. Creator Alex Hirsch drew inspiration from his own life to create the characters of "Gravity Falls." Dipper, the anxious intellectual desperate to be taken seriously, and Mabel, the energetic artist who'd rather stay a kid forever, have opposing responses to the challenges of being 12 years old, but these twin siblings need each other to make it through the summer of Weirdmageddon.

• Starring: Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, Alex Hirsch
• Creator: Alex Hirsch
• Year: 2012-2016
• Episodes: 41
• Rating: TV-Y7
• IMDb Score: 8.9

Alongside "The Ren & Stimpy Show" and "Rocko's Modern Life," "Invader ZIM" is peak "How on Earth did that air on Nickelodeon?" Seriously, how did the creator of the comic book series "Johnny the Homicidal Maniac" get put in charge of a kids' show and get away with so much Cronenbergian body horror? Jhonen Vasquez's cartoon about an incompetent alien invader hiding in plain sight among oblivious humans got canceled midway through its second season, but the twisted style, random humor, and the sheer adorableness of ZIM's malfunctioning robot GIR kept it popular among the Hot Topic crowd long after it ended. The show still holds up to this day — if anything, its cynical satire feels more relevant than ever in a world that feels doomed by humanity's stupidity.

• Starring: Richard Horvitz, Rikki Simons, Andy Berman
• Creator: Jhonen Vasquez
• Year: 2001-2006
• Episodes: 28
• Rating: TV-Y7
• IMDb Score: 8.4

On multiple levels, "Arcane" is an anomaly on this list. Episodes tend to run for around 39–44 minutes, a format rarely used in animation but one that is starting to pick up steam thanks to series like this as well as "Invincible" and "Blue Eye Samurai." It's the only show on our list made primarily in 3D animation — a medium that often suffers from TV budgets and schedules, but with six years of development for Season 1 and a record-breaking $250 million budget when you include Season 2, French animation studio Fortiche made perhaps the most visually stunning streaming series ever. And then there's the fact that it's an adaptation of the video game "League of Legends," which might inspire skepticism for non-fans, but you don't need any "League" knowledge to get hooked on this thrilling action-packed story of class warfare and familial tragedies.

• Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro
• Creator: Christian Linke, Alex Yee
• Year: 2021-2024
• Episodes: 18
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb Score: 9.0

Few TV cartoons approach the freewheeling comic brilliance of the Golden Age "Looney Tunes" shorts, but "Animaniacs" came closer than most. Creator Tom Ruegger and executive producer Steven Spielberg built upon the foundation of their earlier hit "Tiny Toon Adventures" with a zany-to-the-max variety show filled with classic slapstick, catchy educational songs, and levels of adult humor that most kids' shows wouldn't dare attempt. Children who grew up on "Animaniacs" were getting an education on pop culture before they even knew what was being parodied. Not every segment was a winner, but it was always a pleasure watching Yakko, Wakko, and Dot drive authority figures to their wit's end. The fantastically weird spin-off "Pinky and the Brain" deserves an honorable mention, but it never quite reached the level of "Animaniacs."

• Starring: Rob Paulsen, Jess Harnell, Tress MacNeille
• Creator: Tom Ruegger
• Year: 1993-1998
• Episodes: 99
• Rating: TV-Y7
• IMDb Score: 7.9

Shojo anime are often unfairly overlooked on "best cartoons of all time" lists, but the 2019 adaptation of Natsuki Takaya's manga series "Fruits Basket" is one that deserves such high praise (the earlier 2001 series is also well-loved by some, but it only told around a third of the story). This romcom with a fantasy twist — its characters are cursed to turn into animals of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by members of the opposite sex — bears surface similarity to the pure screwball antics of "Ranma 1/2," but its comedy is only a fraction of its greatness. You will undoubtedly cry while watching "Fruits Basket," which evolves into a nuanced psychological exploration of abusive families and what it takes to recover from trauma. Its heroine, an orphaned girl named Tohru Honda, is an inspiration in her unrelenting kindness and empathy.

• Starring: Manaka Iwami, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Yuma Uchida
• Creator: Taku Kishimoto
• Year: 2019-2021
• Episodes: 63
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb Score: 8.6

"Bob's Burgers" makes this list through the power of sheer consistency. Any show that's stayed this funny and charming for 15 seasons and counting is doing something right. It's less outrageous or ambitious than "The Simpsons," but that's part of its appeal: It's simply a down-to-Earth sitcom about a family just trying to make ends meet with their not-particularly-successful burger restaurant. The lovable eccentricities of the Belcher family — Bob talking to his burgers, Linda breaking into song, Tina writing "erotic friend-fiction," Gene saying whatever pops into his head, Louise causing trouble — have become a source of weekly comfort. Unlike most cartoons, the show's voice actors record many of their scenes together (they did it remotely during the pandemic), lending it a unique, improv-heavy style.

• Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Kristen Schaal
• Creator: Loren Bouchard
• Year: 2011-present
• Episodes: 282+
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb Score: 8.2

With excellent cartoons like "Dexter's Laboratory" and "Primal" under his belt, not to mention his work on Craig McCracken's "The Powerpuff Girls," Genndy Tartakovsky might be the greatest director in American TV animation today. "Samurai Jack" is his masterpiece, an epic about a ronin's quest to get back to the past and defeat the embodiment of evil that rules over the dystopian future. Most episodes of "Samurai Jack" are simple in plot and light on dialogue, operating on a level of pure visual storytelling — with animation so beautiful and action so intense, you don't need to overcomplicate things. In its artful experimentation, the original run of "Samurai Jack" felt more mature than the average Cartoon Network show, so it was a natural evolution that the belated final season went to Adult Swim.

• Starring: Phil LaMarr, Mako, Greg Baldwin
• Creator: Genndy Tartakovsky
• Year: 2001-2017
• Episodes: 62
• Rating: TV-Y7 (Seasons 1-4), TV-14 (Season 5)
• IMDb Score: 8.5

"Over the Garden Wall" captures the feeling of autumn better than most any other piece of media. This Emmy-winning Cartoon Network miniseries has become an annual viewing tradition when the leaves turn brown and the air grows cold. With gorgeous artwork and a delightful soundtrack, its retro Americana style sits at the perfect intersection of cute and uncanny for the Halloween season. Angsty Wirt and innocent Greg's journey through The Unknown is the stuff classic fairy tales are made of — or Dante's "Inferno" for children, depending on your perspective. This series goes to dark places, capturing the feelings of hopelessness and melancholy that can come for any of us, but it also reminds us that despite all that, we can still make life as sweet as potatoes and molasses.

• Starring: Elijah Wood, Collin Dean, Melanie Lynskey
• Creator: Patrick McHale
• Year: 2014
• Episodes: 10
• Rating: TV-PG
• IMDb Score: 8.8

"FLCL"  is your typical "boy meets girl, girl hits boy on head with guitar, robot bursts out of boy's head, girl seeks pirate king, giant hand tries to iron out everyone's brain wrinkles" story. Another one of those! Everyone has trouble following the plot of "FLCL" the first time they watch it, but the deranged animation (from many of the artists who'd go on to make "Gurren Lagann" and "Kill La Kill") and awesome music (by garage-rock band The Pillows) make it eminently rewatchable — and once the shock value wears off, there's a strangely moving coming-of-age tale within. Adult Swim co-produced four sequel series, which range from "pretty good" to "massive disappointment," but the original stands on its own.

• Starring: Jun Mizuki, Mayumi Shintani, Izumi Kasagi
• Creator: Kazuya Tsurumaki
• Year: 2000-2001
• Episodes: 6
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb Score: 8.1

In such a fractured cultural landscape, there's something oddly beautiful about the way several different generations can have full conversations in "SpongeBob SquarePants" quotes. Popularity by no means equals quality, but when a show so utterly strange has that level of popularity for a quarter of a century, that typically means there's something there. "SpongeBob" is a genuinely hilarious series with a refreshing sense of optimism. Everyone wishes they could go about life as happy as SpongeBob does — and when they can't, that's where Squidward becomes relatable. The first three seasons, run by the show's late creator Stephen Hillenburg, are still the best, but recent "SpongeBob" still gets points for giving its artists more freedom to be cartoony than anything else currently on TV.

• Starring: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass
• Creator: Stephen Hillenberg
• Year: 1999-present
• Episodes: 322+
• Rating: TV-Y7
• IMDb Score: 8.2

With "Steven Universe," creator Rebecca Sugar sought to break down the barriers between "boy shows" and "girl shows." Steven, the half-human son of the alien Crystal Gem leader Rose Quartz, is a model of positive masculinity, a boy with no hang-ups about expressing his emotions, solving problems non-violently, or looking up to the powerful femme-presenting Gems. The relationships between the Gems broke new ground for queer representation in children's programming — it feels safe to say "Steven Universe" was life-changing for many LGBTQ+ viewers. This cartoon has beautiful artwork, catchy music, a great sense of humor, and expertly crafted plot twists. But it's the show's emotional intelligence (a quality also strong in the epilogue series "Steven Universe Future") that pushes it from merely top-notch entertainment into a modern classic.

• Starring: Zach Callison, Deedee Magno Hall, Estelle
• Creator: Rebecca Sugar
• Year: 2013-2019
• Episodes: 155
• Rating: TV-PG
• IMDb Score: 8.2

All of Bruce Timm's DC Animated Universe shows deserve praise, but "Batman: The Animated Series" is the one that changed the game for American action cartoons. Its stylized designs allowed for richer, more expressive animation, with aesthetics drawing from Art Deco and German Expressionism, a far cry from the likes of "He-Man" and "G.I. Joe." Of course, it sold toys (it's Batman!), but for once, the focus wasn't on making an advertisement — this was about telling great stories that could entertain all ages. Kevin Conroy's portrayal is widely regarded as the best version of Batman, and who can think of The Joker without hearing Mark Hamill's laugh? And, in introducing characters like Harley Quinn, "Batman: The Animated Series" is the rare superhero cartoon that actively shaped the future of its comic source material.

• Starring: Kevin Conroy, Loren Lester, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
• Creator: Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski
• Year: 1992-1995
• Episodes: 85
• Rating: TV-PG
• IMDb Score: 9.0

Many American cartoons in the 2000s aped the aesthetics of anime, but "Avatar: The Last Airbender" went one step further by drawing serious influence from anime's serialized storytelling. The result is an exceptional fantasy epic that still hooks young and old alike. It addresses heavier material than most Nickelodeon fare — war, genocide, imperialism — but it never forgets its heroes are still children, and both Avatar Aang and the show itself maintain their childlike sense of fun even when the going gets tough. The creators did their research on Asian and Native American cultures when developing the four nations, and the elemental bending looks as awesome as it does because it's built on actual schools of martial arts. Hollywood keeps trying to adapt "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to live-action, but the disappointing results show why the story was best suited for animation.

• Starring: Zach Tyler Eisen, Mae Whitman, Dante Basco
• Creator: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko
• Year: 2005-2008
• Episodes: 62
• Rating: TV-Y7
• IMDb Score: 9.3

Some will say that #5 is too high a position for "Neon Genesis Evangelion," while others will say it's not high enough. This mecha anime phenomenon is nothing if not divisive, but that very ability to provoke such intense emotion is proof of its undeniable artistic power. Whether or not you like Shinji Ikari, a depressed 14-year-old who'd really rather not get in the robot, it's impossible not to empathize with him. "Neon Genesis Evangelion" tells a story about the end of the world, filled with convoluted sci-fi lore and religious symbolism of dubious meaning, but it's the psychological and emotional conflicts that fill it with meaning. What starts off as one of most entertaining "monster of the week" anime shows ever evolves into one of television's most daring and ambitious works of art (and if you're baffled by the ending of "Neon Genesis Evangelion," here's an explainer).

• Starring: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Yuko Miyamura
• Creator: Hideaki Anno
• Year: 1995-1996
• Episodes: 26
• Rating: TV-MA
• IMDb Score: 8.5

Right from the original Nickelodeon pilot, which went viral online before Cartoon Network picked it up for a full series, it was clear that "Adventure Time" had something special going for it. But even fans who were on board from the beginning could never predict the ride Pendleton Ward's cartoon would take them on over 10 seasons and multiple spin-offs. 10-year-olds and college professors enjoyed it equally for completely different reasons. It's the rare series that could be as silly as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and as profound as a Hayao Miyazaki movie at the same time. Like Jake the Dog, "Adventure Time" could stretch itself in any direction; like Finn the Human, the show grew up alongside its audience. More than any other cartoon on this list, this one demonstrates the full imaginative potential of animation as an artform. The fun will never end!

• Starring: Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio, Tom Kenny
• Creator: Pendleton Ward
• Year: 2010-2018
• Episodes: 289
• Rating: TV-PG
• IMDb Score: 8.6

Shinichiro Watanabe has made many great anime, but "Cowboy Bebop" remains his most influential. Has any animated show ever been this cool? Outer space bounty hunter Spike Spiegel's picture could be placed right next to the word in a dictionary. Yoko Kanno's jazz fusion score is incredible ("Tank!" is arguably the best anime opening of all time), and, some dated CG effects aside, the art and animation still looks better than 99% of anime being made today. Episodic adventures explore a wide range of styles and tones — a gritty film noir homage one week, a psychedelic blaxploitation parody the next — while the ongoing story arc layers its characters with existential angst. Watching "Cowboy Bebop," you want it to last forever, but it wraps up its 26-episode run with a perfect (and tragic) finale.

• Starring: Koichi Yamadera, Unsho Ishizuka, Megumi Hayashibara
• Creator: Shinichiro Watanabe
• Year: 1998-1999
• Episodes: 26
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb Score: 8.9

"BoJack Horseman" is an example of the Netflix binge model actually helping a show — the early episodes pique your curiosity, and before you know it, you're hooked. What starts as just another pun-filled adult cartoon soon reveals its shocking emotional complexity. Over six seasons, washed up sitcom actor BoJack Horseman took his place alongside Walter White and Tony Soprano on the list of TV antiheroes you just had to follow even when they repulsed you, and the show was quite reflective about that. Its deep dives into depression, generational trauma, and what it takes to find redemption result in some of the most heartbreaking episodes of television ever produced. But it's also really funny! The animal puns! The Hollywood in-jokes! Every single Todd subplot! "BoJack Horseman" set a new model for adult animation, and you could definitely argue it deserves the #1 spot on this list.

• Starring: Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins
• Creator: Raphael Bob-Waksberg
• Year: 2014-2020
• Episodes: 77
• Rating: TV-MA
• IMDb Score: 8.8

People can debate how much "The Simpsons" has declined from its classic era and if it's "good again," but the following statement shouldn't be controversial: For at least the first eight seasons, "The Simpsons" was the funniest thing on TV, changing the mediums of both animation and television forever. When it began, a cartoon in primetime was a risk, dysfunctional families were controversial material, and Bart's "eat my shorts" rebelliousness sent parents' groups and even the President into shock. Today, it's weird to imagine how anyone got offended by what's at heart a sweet and good-natured show, with characters who love each other even if they get on each other's nerves. With an extensive array of pop culture references and possibly the highest laugh-per-minute ratio in TV history, the best "Simpsons" episodes are built for rewatching, memeing, and obsessive quoting. It's the greatest cartoon of all time, and it will take something truly special to dethrone it.

• Starring: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer
• Creator: Matt Groening
• Year: 1989-present
• Episodes: 776+
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb Score: 8.7