The Top 8 Cartoon Network Shows of All Time

Cartoon Network has been at the epicenter of animated television for decades now. This channel has certainly earned its place on the Mount Rushmore of children’s television programming and, in my mind, the only other channels that can compete with Cartoon Network are Disney and Nickelodeon. But, personally, Cartoon Network holds a special place in my heart. It was channel 32 on my local programming and it was the channel I’d turn to when I snuck out of my room after my parents had gone to bed. It was the first thing I’d flip to on Saturday and Sunday mornings while I ate my Cheerios. 

And, considering how prominent Cartoon Network has been over its lifetime, it should come as no surprise that it was born from greatness. In fact, the idea for Cartoon Network came about in 1991 when Turner Entertainment Company purchased the library of Hanna-Barbera, arguably the greatest American animation studio of all time, and the minds behind iconic shows like The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and The Yogi Bear Show. These were some of the first shows to be broadcast on Cartoon Network, thus kickstarting this channel’s legacy of greatness. 

In the subsequent decades, Cartoon Network continued to deliver some of the best cartoons that the world has ever seen. But, amongst so much greatness, it’s hard to separate the best of the best. So, in this article, I’m going to attempt to identify the 8 best Cartoon Network shows of all time (in no particular order). 

1. The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff Girls first debuted on Cartoon Network in 1998 and was instantly well-received. After all, this show did have the recipe for success: sugar, spice, and everything nice. This cartoon centered around three young girls (Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup) who were created in a lab and given superpowers. They were created to protect the city of Townsville from evil villains and monsters. 

This show was hilarious, adorable, intense, and exciting. Each of the three girls had a much different personality, meaning that any type of person could identify with at least one of them. The success of this show was also aided by the amazing cast of villains, such as Mojo Jojo and The Rowdyruff Boys. 

2. Courage the Cowardly Dog

There truly has never been another cartoon quite like Courage the Cowardly Dog. This show was every bit as creepy as it was funny. Its animation style looked like the product of a heavy dose of psychedelic drugs. Anyone who was a child between the years of 1999 (when the show first aired) and 2002 probably remembers being scared out of their wits by an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. 

The premise of the show was a dog named Courage who lived in a house in the middle of nowhere with his owners Eustace and Muriel, two seniors who are obviously to the sheer chaos ensuing around them. As their lives are endangered and Eustace and Muriel prove themselves completely useless, Courage must save the three of them from all types of different evils. 

3. Codename: Kids Next Door

The crew from Codename: Kids Next Door had just about everything a kid could possibly want: an exciting life of adventure, great friends, crazy gadgets, and the coolest treehouse any kid could ever imagine. Yes, from the outside, it appeared to be just a normal treehouse. However, it had the ability to transform into a tricked-out lair full of top-secret technology. 

Codename: Kids Next Door ran from 2002 to 2008. Each episode was a different covert operation (such as “Operation H.A.M.S.T.E.R.” or “Operation A.M.I.S.H.”) that usually involved a villain endangering the lifestyle and ethos that the KND agents held dear. This series had a ton of iconic characters and storylines but, really, Codename: Kids Next Door was all about that treehouse. 

4. Scooby-Doo

First of all, Scooby-Doo is arguably the most well-known dog in all of pop culture. Airbud? Not as famous as Scooby-Doo. Lassie? Maybe if you’re an old fart. Toto from The Wizard of Oz? Gimme a break. Yes, Scooby-Doo and Mystery Incorporated became so iconic after the original show Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! aired in 1969 that there have been a ton of spin-offs since then, many of which were broadcasted on Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network hosted three different iterations of Scooby-Doo, including Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo, and Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?. With all the villains and tricksters who’ve been thwarted throughout the long history of this series, Scooby-Doo absolutely deserves to be counted among the best Cartoon Network shows of all time. 

5. Samurai Jack

Samurai Jack is just one of several legendary Cartoon Network shows to come from the mind Genndy Tartakovsky (who also helped create Dexter’s Laboratory and Primal). This cartoon follows a samurai named Jack who is sent to the future by an evil spirit named Aku. Jack must find his way back to the present and defeat Aku before he takes over the world. Oddly, this show featured very little dialogue. 

What made Samurai Jack such a great show was the gorgeous animation, the use of silence to convey both calm and danger, the captivating battle scenes, and the impeccable virtue of the show’s titular character. When Samurai Jack was first aired in 2001, there had never been another cartoon even moderately similar to it before in the United States. 

6. Adventure Time

Regardless of whether or not you’re personally a fan of Adventure Time, the numbers don’t lie. The show spanned 10 seasons and won eight Primetime Emmy Awards and one Sundance Film Festival Award. The show was also groundbreaking in introducing genderfluid and queer characters into children’s programming with beloved characters like Marceline the Vampire Queen, Princess Bubblegum, and BMO.

Adventure Time follows the adventures of a boy named Finn and his dog and adoptive brother named Jake (who has the ability to change his shape and size). The duo gets into all sorts of hijinks and debacles throughout the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo. Interestingly, Adventure Time started out as a short film on Nickelodeon. However, after the short film went viral, Pendleton Ward (the show’s creator) decided that he would produce the show for Cartoon Network. I bet Nickelodeon regrets one of the most successful cartoons of the last decade slip away from them. 

7. Dexter’s Laboratory

As previously mentioned, Dexter’s Laboratory was also a product of the visionary mind of Genndy Tartakovsky. The show was based on a short film that Tartakovsky produced as a student at the California Institute of the Arts. After leaving CalArts, Tartakovsky got a job at Hanna-Barbera and turned Dexter’s Laboratory into a full-fledged show that soon became wildly successful. 

The show follows a boy-genius named Dexter who has a massive laboratory in his basement that his parents don’t know exists. He is also at odds with his bubbly and dimwitted sister Dee Dee who is constantly ruining his experiments. 

8. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends

The premise of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends is absolutely ingenious. After kids grow too old for their imaginary friends and abandon them, where do they go? Foster’s! However, one child named Mac (the protagonist of the show) doesn’t want to stop seeing his imaginary friend Bloo and so he visits the home every day. 

This series spanned from 2004 to 2009 and featured some of the kookiest characters to ever appear on Cartoon Network, including a bird with a palm tree for a head, a giant one-armed sock puppet loosely based on NBA star Wilt Chamberlain, and a character simply named “Cheese”. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends was wonderfully wacky.