My Top 30 Favorite Cartoons of the Last 30 Years

30. The Owl House (2020)

Luz Noceda is a teenage human girl who accidentally stumbles upon a portal to another world instead of going to Reality Check Camp, a juvenile detention summer camp. When on the Boiling Isles, which is made from the remains of a dead Titan, she befriends the rebellious witch Eda the Owl Lady and her adorable demon roommate named King. Despite not having magical abilities, Luz pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda's apprentice at the Owl House and ultimately finds a new family in an unlikely setting.

I love it so much, endearing characters and an interesting storyline, so far has one season, but was renewed for a second.

29. Major Lazer (2015)

Set in the future, Major Lazer is a Jamaican superhero with a laser gun for a right hand who fights against the dystopian forces led by Jamaica's leader President Whitewall and his servant General Rubbish. Major Lazer is assisted in his fight by President Whitewall's daughter Penny Whitewall and hacker Blkmrkt

I really like Major Lazers' music and it is well integrated into this series. Both fans of music and cartoons will find this one fits nicely into the Venn diagram between the two.

28. Superman: The Animated Series (1996)

Premiering ten years after the 1986 reboot of the Superman comic-book character, the animated series paid tribute to both the classic Superman of old and the newer "modern" Superman.[4] For instance, the depiction of Krypton reflects the older idealized version in the Silver Age of Comic Books. The scope of Superman's powers reflects the more restrained contemporary concept as developed by John Byrne, in that the superhero has to struggle to perform spectacular feats. However, Clark Kent is shown to be openly, if quietly, self-confident. This is similar to the depiction of Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, in Batman: The Animated Series.

Midway through the series' run, it was combined with The New Batman Adventures to become The New Batman/Superman Adventures. The characters of Superman and Batman were then spun off into a new animated series, Justice League. This series also featured other popular DC Comics characters, including Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl. It spawned a sequel series entitled Justice League Unlimited.

I often feel like this one gets overlooked by Batman: the Animated Series and Justice League. I honestly am not a fan of Superman, but this series really made him a compelling hero.

27. Archer (2009)

The series follows the exploits of a dysfunctional intelligence agency, led by Sterling Archer and seven of his colleagues—his mother Malory Archer, Lana Kane , Cyril Figgis, Cheryl Tunt, Pam Poovey, Ray Gillette and Dr. Algernop Krieger. The premise of Archer evolves in the comedy's history from the standard setup of a workplace sitcom mocking spy film to an anthology distinguished with self-contained mythologies. The show returned to its spy parody roots post-tenth season.

I like how further seasons picked up different themes and the comedy is truly good consistently throughout.

26. Harmonquest (2016)

The show is part animated, part live action. Harmon and comedians Erin McGathy and Jeff B. Davis, along with game master Crittenden, play a fantasy roleplaying campaign in front of a live audience, while each episode features a special guest player.

Gotta admit, this show makes me laugh quite a lot. I've never done an RPG campaign, but if anything could convince people it could be fun and worthwhile, it's this show. They animate the story they are going through and it's just gold.

25. South Park (1997)

The show follows the exploits of four boys, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick. The boys live in the fictional small town of South Park, located within the real-life South Park basin in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. The town is also home to an assortment of frequent characters such as students, families, elementary school staff, and other various residents, who tend to regard South Park as a bland, quiet place to live. Prominent settings on the show include the local elementary school, bus stop, various neighborhoods and the surrounding snowy landscape, actual Colorado landmarks, and the shops and businesses along the town's main street, all of which are based on the appearance of similar locations in Fairplay, Colorado.

Admittedly, I stopped watching for about ten years, but once I returned to this show, I found that it had evolved and was once again, funny. It is relevant and has really improved its' humor.

24. Venture Bros (2004)

The series chronicles the lives and adventures of the Venture family: well-meaning but incompetent teenagers Hank and Dean Venture; their loving but emotionally insecure, unethical and underachieving super-scientist father Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture; the family's bodyguard, secret agent Brock Samson, or his temporary replacement, the reformed villain and pederast Sergeant Hatred; and the family's self-proclaimed archnemesis, The Monarch, a butterfly-themed supervillain. Initially conceived as a satire of boy adventurer and Space Age fiction prevalent in the early 1960s, it is considered to be an action/adventure series with comedy-drama elements.

I have loved everything about this show, it does satire right. If you like superhero stuff, then this will fill the niche to make fun of it.

23. Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts (2020)

Sometime by the 23rd century, animals have mutated to become anthropomorphic creatures known as "mutes". Most mutes rose up against their human oppressors, forcing the majority of the human race to live in underground cities known as burrows, while civilization has been reduced to a post-apocalyptic wasteland collectively known as "Las Vistas". The series follows a girl called Kipo Oak, who is searching for her father after being forced to flee from her burrow, and must explore the post-apocalyptic surface world ruled by mutated animals to find him. Along the way she befriends human survivors Wolf and Benson, and the mutant animals Dave and Mandu.

I just finished this one recently and instantly loved it. Very well realized world and characters, feels different while still following a general Heros' Journey type format.

22. Gargoyles (1994)

The series features a species of nocturnal creatures known as gargoyles that turn to stone during the day, focusing on a clan led by Goliath. In the year 994, the clan lives in a castle in Scotland. Most are betrayed and killed by humans while petrified and the remainder are magically cursed to sleep—i.e., be frozen in stone form until the castle "rises above the clouds." A thousand years later in 1994, billionaire David Xanatos purchases the gargoyles' castle and has it reconstructed atop his New York skyscraper, the Eyrie Building, thus awakening Goliath and the remainder of his clan. While trying to adjust to their new world, they are aided by a sympathetic police officer named Elisa Maza and quickly come into conflict with the plotting Xanatos. In addition to dealing with the gargoyles' attempts to adjust to modern New York City, the series also incorporated various supernatural threats to their safety and to the world at large.

Grew up loving this show, gave me similar vibes to Batman TAS, but very original concept and brilliantly executed. Super relatable now in adulthood since Goliath has a murderous crazy ex and well, I have a few of those.

21. Primal (2019)

Set in an anachronistic and fantastical prehistoric-like world, the premise is a bond between a caveman and a Tyrannosaurus (named “Spear” and “Fang” in the production notes and credits, respectively) who struggle to survive as they encounter the various dangerous fauna and people that live in their world.

The amount of story and emotion this show pulls off WITHOUT dialogue is stunning. I love Genndy Tartakovsky (he created Samurai Jack) and this is well distinguished from his other works.

20. Hilda (2018)

Hilda is a young girl who grew up with her mother in a cabin on the edge of a woods. Over the course of the series, she and her deerfox Twig, later accompanied by an elf named Alfur, and friends David and Frida, go on a number of adventures interacting with and befriending the mysterious animals and spirits that live in and around the city of Trolberg.

Not many shows fill me with a warm feeling of happiness quite like Hilda. Really unique lore in the show, mixed with a few familiar tropes (that usually have something different mixed in). Endearing characters and engaging storylines. The second season just finished up and I eagerly await the third.

19. Carmen Sandiego (2019)

Carmen is essentially a modern-day Robin Hood, traveling the globe, stealing from V.I.L.E. and giving back to its victims. Cloaked in red, she is accompanied by her hacker, Player, and her best friends Zack and Ivy. Carmen is publicly perceived as a criminal by most law enforcement agencies – or actually, make that a master criminal due to the sheer scale and theatricality of her heists. We follow her escapades and get to determine not only where in the world but “who” is Carmen Sandiego? A recurring theme is that both V.I.L.E. and A.C.M.E. make mistaken assumptions about Carmen's actions.

Yes, I grew up with the original admittedly terribly show (I think it was a game show??). This one, however, fleshes out who Carmen is and how she became the titular character. REALLY well done character arcs and inventive heists make this a must watch. It just finished its fourth season and I'm pretty sure that's the last one. With that in mind, it definitely doesn't over stay its welcome.

18. Teen Titans GO! (2013)

Teen Titans Go! is an animated series that follows the adventures of the young Titans: Beast Boy, Robin, Cyborg, Raven and Starfire. They reside in Jump City when they are not saving the world while living together as teenagers without adults who intrude. Unlike most of the other superhero series, the situations are comic, crazy and parodic—for example, juvenile jokes that reach new heights of danger, obtaining a license to drive after destroying the Batmobile or washing the suits after staining them when fighting their enemies. The show regularly features characters who have appeared in the original series, albeit with reduced roles and/or exaggerated personalities. It also features greater attachment to the DC Universe at large, with more references to other characters including those in the Justice League, plus a few appearances by Batman and Commissioner Gordon in lighthearted moments.

The show expresses in-jokes regarding the whole of DC's library, many of them in blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments, as well as numerous jokes at the expense of the show itself.

I understand that Teen Titans was also a good show and I enjoyed that one as well. However sorry, not sorry, I LOVE this show. It genuinely makes me laugh and has done so consistently for eight years now.

17. Star vs the Forces of Evil (2015)

Star Butterfly is a magical princess from the dimension of Mewni and the heiress to the royal throne of the Butterfly Kingdom. As per tradition, she is given the family heirloom wand on her 14th birthday. After she accidentally sets fire to the family castle, her parents King River and Queen Moon Butterfly decide that a safer option is to send her to Earth as a foreign exchange student, so she can continue her magic training there. She befriends Marco Diaz and lives with his family in suburban Los Angeles while attending Echo Creek Academy. Going in a series of misadventures using "dimensional scissors" that can open portals, Star and Marco must deal with everyday school life while protecting Star's wand from falling into the hands of Ludo, a half-bird half-man creature from Mewni who commands a group of monsters.

As the series progresses, new, more threatening antagonists appear in the show, including the mysterious monster Toffee and Eclipsa's half-Mewman, half-monster daughter Meteora Butterfly, and the plot shifts from the defence of the wand from Ludo to a bigger and more complex narrative focusing on the various conflicts revolving around the rulership of Mewni. Several mysteries about the past of the Butterly royal family are also unveiled, mostly revolving around Eclipsa Butterfly, the "Queen of Darkness" and the most infamous member in the Butterflys' family history. Several secondary protagonists also appear more prominently or join the series in subsequent seasons, including Star's Mewman best friend Pony Head (who is a floating unicorn head), half-demon ex-boyfriend Tom, the mischievous Janna, and Magic High Commission member Hekapoo; Queen Moon also takes on a bigger role, especially with Toffee.

Wonderful series with lore that is explored in depth, admittedly has a will they won't they string throughout, but it's done well. I love the characters and the overarching storyline A LOT. Well worth a watch, has some really funny moments too.

16. Invader Zim (2001)

The series centers on Zim, an outcast member of the imperialistic Irken race, sent to Earth in a desperate act to get Zim as far away as possible and ensure he would not ruin things for his species again, The Tallest send Zim on a fake "secret mission" to a "mystery planet" located on the outskirts of their known universe which they do not think even exists, in order to keep him occupied and away from the real invasion. Zim is joined in his mission by GIR, an ineffective and erratic Standard Issue Information Retrieval (SIR) unit which was hastily made out of spare parts found in a trash can.

I'm sure most of you have heard of this one and it deserves all the praise and fame it has accrued. I love this show and actually own a PHYSICAL copy of the whole series.

15. Duck Tales (2017)

After not speaking to each other for ten years, Donald Duck reunites with his estranged uncle Scrooge McDuck when he asks him to babysit his three triplet nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie for the day. The boys rekindle Scrooge's sense of adventure, and he invites Donald and the boys to live at McDuck Manor with him, along with his housekeeper Mrs. Beakley and her granddaughter Webby Vanderquack. Together, along with Scrooge's chauffeur and pilot Launchpad McQuack, the Ducks go on many new treasure-hunting expeditions and globe-trotting adventures while contending with villains like Flintheart Glomgold, the Beagle Boys, and Mark Beaks.

I watched the original as a kid but it did not leave much of an impression on me. This iteration, however, is AMAZING. Great humor, good aver arching plot as well as one off episodes. If you haven't watched this yet, shame on you, go now, shoo shoo.

14. Samurai Jack (2001)

Samurai Jack tells the story of a young prince from a feudal Japan kingdom, whose father was given a magical katana from three gods — Ra, Rama, and Odin — that he could and had used to defeat and imprison his soon to be arch-enemy, the supernatural shape-shifting demon Aku. Eight years later, Aku escaped, took over the land and held the Emperor hostage, but not before the prince was sent away by his mother to travel the world and train so he could return and use the magic sword to defeat Aku. On his return, the prince-turned-samurai faced and almost defeated Aku, but before he could land a finishing blow, Aku created a time portal that sent him into the distant future, anticipating that he would be able to deal with the samurai by that time.

Love it. Yes, loved the fifth season too. Such a great story, amazing action sequences, just awesome.

13. Justice League (2001)

From the same team that brought you Batman TAS and Superman TAS comes the logical leap forward. This show really does the League....justice (see what I did there?) Giving depth and arcs to characters that had not had much exposure to the public in such a wide spread medium. Watch this show and then lie to yourself that the Avengers even come close. Hell, if they were still making this show, I would absolutely still be watching it.

Where's my Flash love at?

12. Bob's Burgers (2011)

The show centers on the Belcher family — which consists of Bob, his wife Linda, and their children Tina, Gene, and Louise. The family runs a burger restaurant on Ocean Avenue in an unnamed seaside community. Not much else as far as synopsis goes, it's really funny and has continued to be funny for a whole decade. I'm sure you've watched this, why am I even continuing?

11. Rick and Morty (2013)

The show revolves around the adventures of the members of the Smith household, which consists of parents Jerry and Beth, their children Summer and Morty, and Beth's father, Rick Sanchez, who lives with them as a guest. According to Justin Roiland, the family lives outside of Seattle, Washington. The adventures of Rick and Morty, however, take place across an infinite number of realities, with the characters travelling to other planets and dimensions through portals and Rick's flying car.

Yet another one I'm sure everyone has seen, but it is brilliant and inventive. It makes you laugh and think. It also has interesting storylines, so there is that.

10. Adventure Time (2010)

Adventure Time follows the adventures of a boy named Finn the Human, and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake the Dog, who has magical powers to change shape and size at will. Pendleton Ward, the series' creator, describes Finn as a "fiery little kid with strong morals". Jake, on the other hand, is based on Tripper Harrison, Bill Murray's character in Meatballs. This means while Jake is somewhat care-free, he will "sit [Finn] down and give him some decent advice if he really needs it". Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, which was ravaged by a cataclysmic event known as the "Mushroom War", a nuclear war that destroyed civilization a thousand years before the series' events.

Epic show and kept me glued for about a decade. Yet another one I am positive everyone has heard of and for good reason.

9. Young Justice (2010)

The series follows the lives of teenage superheroes and sidekicks who are members of a fictional covert operation group referred to simply as 'the team'. Young Justice is essentially a young counterpart to the famous adult team, the Justice League. The main setting is a fictional universe apart from the previous DCAU and other continuities (designated at one point as Earth-16) during a time period in which superheroes are a relatively recent phenomenon.

I'm not sure how this is SO much better than Justice League, but it absolutely is. Much more mature themes and violence. In depth character development. Engrossing over arching storylines mixed with seasonal storylines. If you haven't watched this, do it.

8. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is set on the planet Etheria and follows the stories of Adora and Catra, orphans who were raised to be soldiers in the Horde. They are part of an evil army led by Hordak, a tyrannical despot who dreams of conquering the planet. One day, after getting lost in the woods, Adora finds a magic sword that transforms her into the legendary Princess of Power, She-Ra. Realizing the Horde is actually evil and has been inflicting suffering on Etheria and its inhabitants, Adora decides to join the Rebellion in the fight against the Horde. She helps rebuild the Princess Alliance, a league of kingdoms ruled by other magical girls that once all opposed Hordak. However, Adora's newfound allegiance to the Rebellion pits her against Catra, her former best friend, whose feelings of betrayal and abandonment twist her personal ambitions and lead her to become Adora's mortal enemy. Much of the show centers around their conflict.

THIS SHOW. YOU GUYS. THIS FUCKING SHOW ROCKS. Honestly, anything the Dreamworks team does for Netflix has been amazing. Five seasons of well done reboot, taking an old 80s cartoon I had no interest in and creating an epic story. *chefs kiss*

7. Tron: Uprising (2012)

Beck is a young program who becomes the leader of a revolution inside the computer world of the Grid against the villainous Clu and his henchmen. A mechanic, he is trained by Tron, the greatest warrior the Grid has ever known. Tron not only trains Beck in the fighting and light cycle skills to challenge the brutal military occupation of the city of Argon, but also guides and mentors him to grow beyond his youthful, impulsive nature into a courageous and powerful leader. Beck adopts Tron's persona and becomes the enemy of General Tesler and his oppressive forces.

My god how I wish there had been more than one season. I would take the next twenty years of potential Christmas presents away in exchange for another season. I love the concept of the TRON universe, the first movie was meh, the second movie was gorgeous to look at and listen to, but the epitome of this world is this show. So well done, from the voice acting, to the storyline, to the look of the show.

6. Voltron Legendary Defender (2016)

For millennia, the Galra Empire has plagued the universe by destroying other civilizations and enslaving various races. The only known threat strong enough against the empire's power and plans is the legendary "Defender of the Universe" Voltron, a 328-foot tall robot warrior composed of five lion robots whose pilots are known as the Paladins. At the crux of the war that ended with the destruction of planet Altea, King Alfor of Altea separated Voltron to protect it from falling into the evil Galran King Zarkon's possession. King Alfor bonded the five lions' energies to his daughter Allura's life force and sent them across the universe to different locations until the time for the next generation of Paladins to appear and pilot Voltron arrived. Princess Allura, her royal adviser Coran, and the Altean Castle of Lions were hidden on planet Arus along with the Black Lion.

In the present, the Galra Empire's path of conquest and search for Voltron has led them to Earth's solar system. A group of space pilots – Shiro, Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk — discover the Blue Lion and immediately get swept up into the Galran War. They meet Princess Allura, become the new Paladins, and reunite the five lions to form Voltron, beginning their fight to liberate the universe from the Galra Empire.

Remember how I said anything Dreamworks did for Netflix was awesome? WELL this show is the absolute best out of that lineup. I was hooked harder than a fish on a line. I cannot express enough how much I had NO interest in Voltron growing up but am absolutely in love with every aspect of this show. So much character development and amazing story arcs.

5. Batman Beyond (1999)

In 2019, Bruce is too old to continue his Batmanning ways as he threatens a goon with a gun after suffering a mild heart attack. He retires, fast forward 20 years later to 2039 in Neo-Gotham, Bruce is now an elderly man in his 70s and a recluse living in bitter isolation in Wayne Manor, with no other companion but his guard dog Ace. Terry McGinnis is an athletic 16-year-old high school student and reformed troublemaker with a deeply ingrained sense of social justice. He inadvertently meets Bruce as they confront a gang called the Jokers. Terrys' father is killed allegedly by the Jokerz and to catch the man who did it, Terry steals the old batsuit. Reluctant at first, Bruce slowly comes to an agreement with Terry to let him take up the mantle of Batman.

The sheer concept of this show is brilliant. The execution of it equally so. I still demand a live action Batman Beyond movie. If you like super heroes at all or especially Batman and SOMEHOW haven't seen this, go watch it, now.

4. Gravity Falls (2012)

For their summer vacation, 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off from their home in Piedmont, California, to the fictitious town of Gravity Falls, Roadkill County, Oregon to spend the summer with their Great Uncle Stan Pines (often shortened to Grunkle Stan), who runs a tourist trap called the "Mystery Shack". Things are not what they seem in this small town, and with the help of a mysterious journal that Dipper finds in the forest, they begin unraveling the local mysteries. With appearances from Wendy Corduroy, Mystery Shack cashier; Soos Ramirez, a friend of Dipper and Mabel and handyman to Grunkle Stan; plus an assortment of other characters, Dipper and Mabel always have an intriguing day to look forward to.

This was for me the precursor to Star Vs TFOE and The Owl House and I am sure others, but it is the best of those. This show is hilarious, interesting and just so well done. I remember eagerly awaiting each new episode. I honestly miss this show.

3. Avatar Legend of Korra (2012)

Korra is set 70 years after the events of Avatar TLA. The people of the world belong to four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. The distinguishing element of the series is "bending", the ability of some people to telekinetically manipulate the classical element associated with their nation (water, earth, fire, or air). Bending is carried out by spiritual and physical exercises, portrayed as similar to Chinese martial arts. As a result of a genocide in the series's backstory, there is only one living family of airbenders at the time of the series.

Only one person, the "Avatar", can bend all four elements. Cyclically reincarnating among the world's four nations, the Avatar maintains peace and balance in the world. The Legend of Korra focuses on Avatar Korra, a seventeen-year-old girl from the Southern Water Tribe and the successor of Avatar Aang from The Last Airbender.

I love this series almost as much as the original, I honestly don't get when people hate one and not the other. The four seasons were all very different tonally, but the brilliant character development, story arcs, action sequences, and messaging this show had were phenominal.

2. Avatar the Last Airbender (2005)

A century ago, the young Avatar Aang, afraid of his new responsibilities, fled from his home and was forced into the ocean by a storm and encased himself in suspended animation in an iceberg near the South Pole. Shortly after, Fire Lord Sozin, the then-ruler of the Fire Nation, launched a world war to expand his nation's empire. Knowing that the Avatar must be an Air Nomad, he carried out a genocide against the Air Nomads with the help of a comet enhancing firebenders' power. One hundred years later, Katara and Sokka, teenagers of the Southern Water Tribe, accidentally discover Aang and revive him.

Again, this is set in a world where people can bend elements and Yes I do like it more than Legend of Korra (Aang for the win). This show is a testament to what cartoons can achieve. The brilliant character development, story arcs, action sequences, and messaging that Korra has were all originally here. This would have been my favorite if not for one other cartoon...

1. Batman The Animated Series (1992)

This show was my childhood. I remember watching it every afternoon that it aired. Even eagerly watching reruns. To me, this is the definitive version of Batman (all hail Kevin Conroy) and the definitive version of Joker (all hail Mark Hamill). Even re-watching this series several times as I have gotten older has not in any way diminished its' value. The aesthetics are brilliant, the storylines, characters, voice acting and seriously EVERYTHING in this show put it at number one for me. It set the bar SO high that no other cartoon has dared even touch that bar.

The series was praised for its thematic complexity, film noir aesthetics, darker tone, artistic presentation, and modernization of its title character's crime-fighting origins IGN.com listed Batman: The Animated Series as the best adaptation of Batman anywhere outside of comics, the best comic book television show of all time. The series is more adult-oriented than many of the previous superhero cartoons. It depicts outright physical violence against antagonists, including realistic firearms.

There, Batman is #1.