Classic 80s and 90s Cartoons, Ranked From Legendary to Forgettable
This is every cartoon kid who grew up with a VCR and a bowl of cereal argued about on the playground. We're covering the toy-commercial action shows of the 80s and the writer-driven boom that Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network kicked off in the 90s, all 38 of them in one list.
Ranking cartoons is a fight nobody wins, so we leaned on what fans and critics actually agree on most of the time, then made the hard calls ourselves when the comment sections split down the middle. Disagree with where something landed? That's the whole point, go argue about it.
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SS Tier: The untouchables
The Simpsons
The one show on this list that's still making new episodes decades later, which tells you everything. Season 4 through 8 is as good as TV comedy gets, animated or not, and Homer saying 'd'oh' entered the dictionary. It changed what a cartoon was allowed to be about.
About The Simpsons
A long-running animated sitcom following the Simpson family in the fictional town of Springfield, created by Matt Groening for Fox.
- Premiered
- 1989
- Network
- Fox
Batman: The Animated Series
Dark, moody, and written like it respected kids' intelligence. That art deco Gotham design and Mark Hamill's Joker set a bar superhero cartoons are still chasing. Heart of Ice is still brought up as one of the best episodes of any animated show, period.
About Batman: The Animated Series
A Warner Bros. series reimagining Batman with an art deco visual style and a darker, more mature tone than prior adaptations.
- Premiered
- 1992
- Network
- Fox Kids
Animaniacs
Warner Bros threw every kind of joke at the wall, slapstick for the kids, rapid-fire references for the parents, and it stuck. The Pinky and the Brain shorts were so good they spun off their own series. Still quoted by people who weren't alive when it aired.
About Animaniacs
A sketch-comedy animated series from Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg, following the Warner siblings Yakko, Wakko and Dot alongside other recurring characters.
- Premiered
- 1993
- Studio
- Warner Bros.
Rugrats
Told from a baby's-eye view of the world and somehow made that feel profound instead of gimmicky. Tommy, Chuckie and the gang turning household objects into epic adventures is a genuinely clever formula. Carried Nickelodeon's whole animation lineup for years.
About Rugrats
A Nickelodeon series about a group of toddlers who see the world through their own imaginative lens, created by Arlene Klasky, Gabor Csupo and Paul Germain.
- Premiered
- 1991
- Network
- Nickelodeon
AA Tier: Genuinely great
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Pizza, attitude, and four turtles named after Renaissance painters, somehow a massive hit. The original 80s run is goofier than people remember, but it launched a franchise that's never really gone away. Cowabunga earns its place in the pop culture dictionary.
About Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
An animated series based on the Mirage comics, following four mutant turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu by their rat sensei, Splinter, as they fight crime in New York City.
- Premiered
- 1987
- Studio
- Murakami-Wolf-Swenson
DuckTales
Scrooge McDuck diving into a vault of gold coins is one of the most recognizable images from 80s cartoons. Disney Afternoon's flagship show had real adventure plots and a theme song nobody's forgotten. 'Woo-oo!' still gets sung unprompted decades later.
About DuckTales
A Disney Afternoon series following Scrooge McDuck and his grandnephews on treasure-hunting adventures.
- Premiered
- 1987
- Studio
- Disney
X-Men: The Animated Series
Dense, soapy, and surprisingly faithful to the comics it was adapting, which is part of why fans still defend it so hard. That synth theme is instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in the 90s. The Dark Phoenix Saga adaptation took real risks for a Saturday morning show.
About X-Men: The Animated Series
A Marvel adaptation following the X-Men as they defend a world that fears and hates them, closely based on the comics.
- Premiered
- 1992
- Network
- Fox Kids
Gargoyles
Shakespearean in a way almost nothing else on this list even attempted, with Keith David's Goliath carrying genuine weight. Disney let this one get surprisingly dark and serialized for a kids' slot. It has one of the most devoted cult followings of any 90s cartoon.
About Gargoyles
A Disney series about stone warriors who turn to stone by day and come alive at night, transported from medieval Scotland to modern New York City.
- Premiered
- 1994
- Studio
- Disney
Dexter's Laboratory
Dexter's secret lab versus Dee Dee's chaos is a perfect sibling dynamic, and the show's visual style still looks sharp today. One of the original Cartoon Cartoons that proved Cartoon Network could make originals, not just air reruns. Mandark alone is a great comic creation.
About Dexter's Laboratory
A Cartoon Network series following child genius Dexter, who maintains a secret laboratory hidden from his family, especially his sister Dee Dee.
- Premiered
- 1996
- Network
- Cartoon Network
The Powerpuff Girls
Sugar, spice, and everything nice turned into a genuinely great action-comedy with a real visual identity. Craig McCracken's Townsville had jokes for adults hiding inside a show about three kindergarten superheroes. Mojo Jojo's monologues are still funny.
About The Powerpuff Girls
A Cartoon Network series about three chemically-created superpowered kindergarteners, Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, defending Townsville.
- Premiered
- 1998
- Network
- Cartoon Network
Spider-Man: The Animated Series
Took Spider-Man's soap opera side seriously, running the Clone Saga and Venom storylines in ways that felt ambitious for Saturday mornings. The animation budget shows in places, but the writing more than makes up for it. A lot of fans still call it the best Spidey cartoon ever made.
About Spider-Man: The Animated Series
A Marvel adaptation following Peter Parker's adventures as Spider-Man, running multi-episode storylines adapted from major comic arcs.
- Premiered
- 1994
- Network
- Fox Kids
Pinky and the Brain
Two lab mice trying to take over the world every single night, and somehow it never got old. Spun off from Animaniacs and arguably surpassed it in some fans' eyes for sheer consistency of premise. 'Are you pondering what I'm pondering?' is one of the most quoted lines from 90s cartoons.
About Pinky and the Brain
A Warner Bros. spinoff of Animaniacs following two genetically altered lab mice as Brain repeatedly attempts to take over the world.
- Premiered
- 1995
- Studio
- Warner Bros.
The Magic School Bus
Ms. Frizzle shrinking a bus full of kids down to explore the bloodstream is still one of the most ambitious educational formats ever put on TV. Lily Tomlin's voice work gave the Frizzle real warmth and weirdness. Rare case of an 'educational cartoon' that actual kids wanted to watch.
About The Magic School Bus
An educational series following Ms. Frizzle and her class on fantastical field trips via a magic, shape-shifting school bus, voiced by Lily Tomlin.
- Premiered
- 1994
- Network
- PBS
BB Tier: Loved for a reason
The Transformers
Yes, it exists to sell toys, everyone knows that going in. But Optimus Prime's death in the 1986 movie traumatized a generation of kids in theaters. The cartoon itself is clunky by today's standards, the mythology around it is what people actually love.
About The Transformers
An animated series about warring factions of transforming robots, the Autobots and Decepticons, created to support Hasbro's toy line.
- Premiered
- 1984
- Studio
- Sunbow/Marvel Productions
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
By the power of Grayskull, this is peak 80s cheese, limited animation, recycled footage, and a moral at the end of every episode. It's beloved for being exactly what it was, not despite it. Skeletor remains one of the most quotable villains of the decade.
About He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
A fantasy action series following He-Man, alter ego of Prince Adam, defending the planet Eternia, produced to support Mattel's toy line.
- Premiered
- 1983
- Studio
- Filmation
ThunderCats
Lion-O and the Sword of Omens gave 80s kids a genuinely cool fantasy-adventure hook buried inside another toy tie-in. The animation is rough and the plots repeat, but the character designs stuck in people's heads for life. Still gets revived and referenced constantly.
About ThunderCats
A fantasy-adventure series about a group of cat-like humanoid aliens led by Lion-O, battling the mummified sorcerer Mumm-Ra.
- Premiered
- 1985
- Studio
- Rankin/Bass
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
Knowing is half the battle, and so is tolerating how often Cobra's lasers somehow never hit anyone. The PSAs at the end of episodes are more fondly remembered by some fans than the plots. Still, the roster of characters and vehicles is massive and genuinely creative.
About G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
An animated series about the elite military team G.I. Joe battling the terrorist organization Cobra, tied to Hasbro's toy line.
- Premiered
- 1983
- Studio
- Sunbow/Marvel Productions
TaleSpin
Disney Afternoon took Jungle Book characters and dropped them into a 1930s aviation adventure, which sounds odd on paper and mostly worked. Baloo flying cargo planes with Kit Cloudkicker had real charm. Never quite as beloved as DuckTales, but it has a loyal following.
About TaleSpin
A Disney Afternoon series reimagining Jungle Book characters in a 1930s-style aviation adventure setting.
- Premiered
- 1990
- Studio
- Disney
Darkwing Duck
Let's get dangerous. A superhero parody with genuine jokes aimed at both kids and the adults watching with them. Darkwing's ego being the butt of the joke constantly is what makes the show work. Disney Afternoon's funniest entry, by a lot of fans' count.
About Darkwing Duck
A Disney Afternoon series following a self-styled crimefighting superhero duck protecting the city of St. Canard.
- Premiered
- 1991
- Studio
- Disney
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Tiny detectives solving big problems, with a theme song that's aged better than almost anything else from the Disney Afternoon block. Gadget became an instant favorite for a lot of 90s kids. Got a surprisingly sharp live-action revival decades later, which says something about the fondness people have for it.
About Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
A Disney Afternoon series following Chip and Dale leading a small team of detective animals solving mysteries too small for humans to notice.
- Premiered
- 1989
- Studio
- Disney
Tiny Toon Adventures
Spielberg's name on a cartoon about Looney Tunes students felt like a big deal at the time, and the show earned it with genuinely sharp gags. Buster and Babs Bunny never fully escaped their predecessors' shadow, but the series has real fans who rate it above Animaniacs even. A clear bridge between old-school Looney Tunes and 90s cartoon sensibility.
About Tiny Toon Adventures
A Warner Bros. series following young animal students at Acme Looney Tunes University, mentored by classic Looney Tunes characters.
- Premiered
- 1990
- Studio
- Warner Bros.
Hey Arnold!
A football-headed kid in a city that felt lived-in and real gave Nicktoons some of its most emotional moments. Grandpa Phil's stories and the show's surprisingly sad episodes stand out for a lot of viewers. Underrated for how well it captured city-kid life without being preachy about it.
About Hey Arnold!
A Nickelodeon series following Arnold, a fourth-grader living with his grandparents in a diverse city boarding house.
- Premiered
- 1996
- Network
- Nickelodeon
Doug
Quiet, anxious, and relatable in a way most cartoon protagonists weren't, Doug Funnie narrating his own insecurities in a journal was a smart hook. Not as flashy as its Nicktoons siblings, but it's held up with a gentle, honest charm. Quailman alone earns it a spot in a lot of people's hearts.
About Doug
A Nickelodeon series following middle schooler Doug Funnie as he navigates everyday life and insecurities, narrated through his journal.
- Premiered
- 1991
- Network
- Nickelodeon
The Ren & Stimpy Show
Gross, chaotic, and genuinely groundbreaking in how far it pushed what a kids' cartoon could look and sound like. The behind-the-scenes drama around John Kricfalusi complicates the legacy for a lot of fans now, and that's fair. Still, you can draw a direct line from this show to half of Cartoon Network's later lineup.
About The Ren & Stimpy Show
A Nickelodeon series following a neurotic chihuahua and a dim-witted cat, known for its gross-out humor and surreal visual style.
- Premiered
- 1991
- Network
- Nickelodeon
Rocko's Modern Life
A wallaby navigating adult anxieties like bad customer service and worse jobs, aimed squarely over kids' heads at the parents. Genuinely weirder and more subversive than it got credit for at the time. Aged into a cult favorite as people noticed just how much was sneaking past censors.
About Rocko's Modern Life
A Nickelodeon series following an Australian wallaby named Rocko adjusting to modern life and adulthood in the city of O-Town.
- Premiered
- 1993
- Network
- Nickelodeon
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Genuinely unsettling in a way almost nothing else aimed at kids ever attempted, with visuals that still unnerve people as adults. Muriel and Eustace's farmhouse in the middle of nowhere became the setting for some legitimately disturbing storytelling. A cult favorite that's only grown in reputation since it aired.
About Courage the Cowardly Dog
A Cartoon Network series following a timid dog who must protect his owners from recurring supernatural threats on their isolated farm.
- Premiered
- 1999
- Network
- Cartoon Network
Ed, Edd n Eddy
A cul-de-sac full of kids scamming each other for jarhead candy shouldn't work as well as it does, but the show's manic energy and distinct character designs carried it for six seasons. Closed out the 90s Cartoon Network boom on a high note. Still has a dedicated fanbase who'll argue it's underrated next to Dexter and Powerpuff.
About Ed, Edd n Eddy
A Cartoon Network series following three boys named Ed scheming to earn money for jawbreakers from the other kids in their cul-de-sac.
- Premiered
- 1999
- Network
- Cartoon Network
The Real Ghostbusters
A genuinely solid adaptation of the movie's tone, with Slimer added mostly for kid appeal and the rest of the team keeping the adult wit intact. Took real swings into horror territory that surprised parents watching along. Well-regarded among fans of 80s action-comedy cartoons specifically.
About The Real Ghostbusters
An animated continuation of the Ghostbusters film franchise, following the team battling ghosts and supernatural threats in New York City.
- Premiered
- 1986
- Studio
- DIC/Columbia
Beavis and Butt-Head
Two idiots on a couch mocking music videos became an unlikely MTV institution and a genuine cultural flashpoint, with plenty of parents furious about it at the time. The humor is dumb on purpose, which is exactly the point fans make in its defense. Influence on later adult animation is hard to overstate.
About Beavis and Butt-Head
An MTV series following two apathetic teenage boys who mock music videos and stumble through misadventures, created by Mike Judge.
- Premiered
- 1993
- Network
- MTV
The Wild Thornberrys
Eliza talking to animals gave this show a genuinely sweet hook, and it mixed family dynamics with globe-trotting adventure better than you'd expect. Donnie's feral energy became a favorite among fans for comic relief. Quietly one of Nickelodeon's more heartfelt shows of the decade.
About The Wild Thornberrys
A Nickelodeon series following Eliza Thornberry, a girl with the ability to talk to animals, as she travels the world with her documentary-filmmaker family.
- Premiered
- 1998
- Network
- Nickelodeon
Recess
Playground politics treated with the seriousness of a workplace drama, which is exactly why it worked so well. T.J. and his crew navigating the social order of elementary school still feels true to how kids actually think. A low-key favorite that a lot of people rate higher once they rewatch it as adults.
About Recess
A Disney series following a group of elementary school friends navigating the social structure and politics of their school playground.
- Premiered
- 1997
- Studio
- Disney
CC Tier: Fun, but flawed
Johnny Bravo
One joke, repeated with real commitment: a dim, vain bodybuilder gets rejected constantly. It's funny in short bursts but wears thin over a whole run, which is a common complaint among fans comparing it to Cartoon Network's sharper shows. Still, the Scooby-Doo crossover episode is a highlight people remember fondly.
About Johnny Bravo
A Cartoon Network series following a vain, muscle-bound bachelor whose attempts to impress women consistently fail.
- Premiered
- 1997
- Network
- Cartoon Network
Inspector Gadget
Go-go-gadget everything, in a show that leaned hard on repetition and a twist ending that got old fast (Penny and Brain did all the actual work). Charming in small doses, mostly remembered now for its theme song and gadget arm. A product of its era more than a standout within it.
About Inspector Gadget
An animated series following a bumbling cyborg detective whose gadget-filled body helps (and hinders) him in solving crimes, with his niece Penny doing much of the real work.
- Premiered
- 1983
- Studio
- DIC
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
The power is yours, and so is the heavy-handed environmental messaging in literally every episode. Earns real goodwill for trying to teach kids something, and the villains like Hoggish Greedly are memorably over the top. Fans mostly remember it fondly while admitting it's pretty corny.
About Captain Planet and the Planeteers
An environmentally themed series following five teens who combine their powers to summon the superhero Captain Planet.
- Premiered
- 1990
- Studio
- DIC/TBS
Garfield and Friends
Garfield's lasagna-and-sarcasm routine translated fine to Saturday mornings, with Lorenzo Music's voice doing a lot of heavy lifting. The U.S. Acres segments split opinion hard, some fans loved them, plenty just wanted more Garfield. A comfortable, low-stakes watch rather than an ambitious one.
About Garfield and Friends
A Saturday morning series based on Jim Davis's comic strip, following the lasagna-loving cat Garfield alongside the U.S. Acres segments.
- Premiered
- 1988
- Network
- CBS
CatDog
One body, two heads, two completely opposite personalities, a weird premise that mostly got mileage out of its own absurdity. Never reached the heights of its Nicktoons stablemates, but it's got a soft spot with a lot of 90s kids. The theme song alone is more memorable than most of the plots.
About CatDog
A Nickelodeon series following conjoined twin animals, one a cat and one a dog, with opposite personalities sharing one body.
- Premiered
- 1998
- Network
- Nickelodeon
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
Monsters in a junkyard learning to scare humans is a fun flip on the usual formula, with genuinely creative, grotesque character designs from the Klasky Csupo team. Never became as beloved as Rugrats or Ren & Stimpy, but it's held onto a dedicated cult audience. Worth revisiting for the sheer weirdness of its visual style.
About Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
A Nickelodeon series following three young monsters learning to scare humans under the guidance of their elders in a junkyard lair.
- Premiered
- 1994
- Network
- Nickelodeon
The Smurfs
A village of tiny blue creatures running from Gargamel carried an entire Saturday morning block for years on charm alone. The formula is simple and repetitive, and a lot of fans admit it hasn't aged as well as its 80s peers. Still, 'la la la-la la la' is permanently stuck in a lot of people's heads.
About The Smurfs
A Saturday morning series about small blue creatures living in a forest village, adapted from the Belgian comic by Peyo.
- Premiered
- 1981
- Network
- NBC
How we ranked them
We weighed how well each show has aged, its actual writing and animation quality (not just nostalgia), its influence on cartoons that came after it, and how consistently fans and critics praise it across forums, reviews and retrospectives. Toy-commercial shows got judged on charm and staying power, not on how many action figures they sold. Where the fanbase is genuinely split, we say so and explain which way we leaned.
Think we got it wrong?
Drag all 38 classic 80s and 90s cartoons into your own tier list, then download the image or share a link.
Rank these yourselfFAQ
What's the best cartoon from the 80s and 90s?
Based on consensus, The Simpsons, Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs and Rugrats sit at the top, each one genuinely changed what cartoons could do, not just fondly remembered.
What's the most underrated cartoon on this list?
Gargoyles gets brought up constantly by fans as deserving more credit than it gets, it was darker and more serialized than almost anything else airing in its timeslot.
Which cartoons here are mainly toy commercials?
The Transformers, He-Man, G.I. Joe and ThunderCats were all built to sell toy lines first. That doesn't stop fans from loving the shows themselves, but it's part of why they rank below the more writer-driven 90s shows.
Is Ren & Stimpy still considered a classic?
Most fans still call it groundbreaking for how far it pushed cartoon humor and gross-out visuals, though its legacy is complicated by what later came out about creator John Kricfalusi's behavior on set.
Why is Inspector Gadget ranked lower than other 80s shows?
It's fondly remembered for its theme song and gadget arm, but fans generally agree the repetitive formula and the twist that Penny and Brain did all the real work wears thin over a full series.
More rankings
Image credits
- The SimpsonsLogo: 20th Television Animation, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Batman: The Animated SeriesLogo: DC Entertainment, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- AnimaniacsCover: Wikipedia · Source
- RugratsLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesCover: Wikipedia · Source
- DuckTalesLogo: Original: The Walt Disney Company Vector: TilmannR, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- X-Men: The Animated SeriesLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- GargoylesLogo: Uploaded to Commons by Xeworlebi, self created, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Dexter's LaboratoryLogo: Cartoon Network, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- The Powerpuff GirlsLogo: The Cartoon Network, Inc., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Spider-Man: The Animated SeriesLogo: Saban Entertainment & Marvel Animation, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- The TransformersCover: Wikipedia · Source
- He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- ThunderCatsCover: Wikipedia · Source
- G.I. Joe: A Real American HeroCover: Wikipedia · Source
- TaleSpinLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Darkwing DuckLogo: Walt Disney Television, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Chip 'n Dale: Rescue RangersLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Tiny Toon AdventuresLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Hey Arnold!Logo: Nickelodeon, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- DougPhoto: Saginaw-hitchhiker, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- The Ren & Stimpy ShowLogo: Nickelodeon/Viacom, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Rocko's Modern LifePhoto: Nickelodeon, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Johnny BravoLogo: Duque Santiago, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Courage the Cowardly DogLogo: Cartoon Network, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Ed, Edd n EddyPhoto: Cartoon Network, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Pinky and the BrainLogo: Warner Bros., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Inspector GadgetLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Captain Planet and the PlaneteersLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Garfield and FriendsCover: Wikipedia · Source
- The Real GhostbustersCover: Wikipedia · Source
- The Magic School BusLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Beavis and Butt-HeadLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- CatDogCover: Wikipedia · Source
- The Wild ThornberrysLogo: Viacom International Inc., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- RecessLogo: Disney, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons) · Source
- Aaahh!!! Real MonstersLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- The SmurfsCover: Wikipedia · Source