The Best Cartoons of the ’90s

It’s well-established cultural lore that the 1990s are of mythical importance to many Gen-Xers and even some millennials.

But why though? Was it the relatively strong economy? Preponderance of the color teal? Or even just the fact that the ’90s was the last decade to seem like its own distinct thing before new millennium turned intervals of 10 into an unrecognizable sludge? Seriously – you rarely hear people opine for the innocent times of the “’00s” or “’10s” because that just sounds ridiculous.

All of those are possibilities but real ’90s-heads know the appeal comes down to one thing alone: the cartoons. Animation quite simply dominated the end of the 20th century. With Nickelodeon, Disney, MTV, and many other studios operating at full capacity, the decade was filled with creative and entertaining options. From crude renderings to lush, operatic works, the ’90s had something for every animation fan.

Since it’s never a bad time to live in the past, let’s take a moment to honor the best cartoons the ’90s had to offer.

Beavis and Butt-Head

Available on: Paramount+ (U.S. and U.K.)

One of MTV’s greatest creations initially stood out thanks to shock value and controversy. As time went on, the show’s quality increased, and it figured out how to relay the idiotic adventures of these two teenage losers in a way that was, at times, smarter than its protagonists. The commentary as they watched music videos hit that sweet spot where they were constantly stupid but in profound ways. That it has returned twice in this century is a testament to how these ‘90s poster boys are truly timeless. – Gavin Jasper

The Ren & Stimpy Show

Available on: Paramount+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Ren & Stimpy could be simultaneously smart and irreverent while also being really disgusting and occasionally a little bit harrowing. Following the adventures of Ren, the psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpy, the idiot cat, the pair go to space, re-enact classic tales, come up with mad inventions, and frequently break the fourth wall. Weird highlights included the time Stimpy gives birth to a fart, the Happy Happy Joy Joy machine, and the time Ren’s teeth fall out and he attempts to attract the nerve ending-fairy, who gives him a ball of lint instead of a $100 bill… – Rosie Fletcher

Gravedale High

Available on: Not currently streaming

There were only 13 episodes of this Hanna-Barbera cartoon, so it remains a perfect 1990s nugget. Rick Moranis stars as headteacher Schneider, the only human in a school populated by teenage versions of classic movie monsters. Vinnie Stoker is the cool greaser vampire, Blanche is the Southern Belle Zombie, Reggie Moonshroud is the anxious werewolf, and Cleofatra is the plus-sized mummy voiced by Rikki Lake (yes, it hasn’t all dated that well). See also Galaxy High School from the late ’80s— created by Chris Columbus; all 13 episodes are worth a watch. – RF

Animaniacs

Available on: Purchase on Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV (U.S. and U.K.)

As Tiny Toon Adventures built its cast as the so-called future of Looney Toons, Animaniacs took the idea of retconning characters into WB’s past, both in the forms of the wacky Warner Siblings and the cranky and weathered Slappy the Squirrel. This witty variety show featured a big cast of characters where some worked better than others, but the main trio stood tall as an energetic and youthful take on what made Bugs Bunny and the Marx Brothers so popular in years past. Not to mention the many musical numbers, which were not only educational and entertaining but also incredibly impressive at times. – GJ

Pinky and the Brain

Available on: Purchase on Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV (U.S. and U.K.)

While Animaniacs featured many different segments, only Pinky and the Brain were able to reach such heights of popularity that they got a full-blown spinoff that lasted four seasons. The show took the fun of watching Wile E. Coyote’s fruitless attempts to catch the Roadrunner and evolved it into a bromance between a cockney idiot and a rodent Orson Welles built around plans for world domination. The duo’s constant failures fueled the show’s creativity and the endearing love/hate relationship between the protagonists. The Christmas special is a must, but…skip the follow-up season where they live with Elmyra from Tiny Toon Adventures. – GJ

Batman: The Animated Series

Available on: Max (U.S.); Purchase on Prime Video, Google Play, and Apple TV (U.K.)

A classic for a reason and pretty much the gold standard of superhero cartoons, Batman: The Animated Series surpassed expectations of what an adventure cartoon could be. Each 30-minute episode (and the occasional two-parter) feels like a self-contained movie set in a surprisingly eerie Gotham City. Told in a style that recalls 1940s film noir in both presentation and style, showcasing all of the Dark Knight’s greatest villains, and featuring a stellar voice cast that includes definitive performances of Batman (the late, great Kevin Conroy) and Joker (Mark Hamill). Utterly timeless in its style and appeal and not only a great cartoon but the best Batman adaptation ever made. – Mike Cecchini

X-Men: The Animated Series

Available on: Disney+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Even at the absolute peak of their popularity in the early 90s, Marvel’s X-Men could be a tough sell for casual fans thanks to their sprawling history and often-confusing continuity. But along came X-Men: The Animated Series to not only distill everything that makes Marvel’s mutants great down into a more easily digestible form but to become the definitive version of the team for an entire generation. Lightly serialized, featuring hundreds of mutants throughout its run, and as colorful and weird as its source material, it’s still a thoroughly compelling watch. – MC

Recess

Available on: Disney+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Through six seasons of storytelling from 1997 through 2001 (first on ABC and then on UPN), Recess depicts nothing less than the careful self-governance of fourth graders … right down to some deliberate Cold War era motifs and themes. The show takes place during recess and as soon as the bell rings, the kids organize themselves into a society more complete than boring school could ever fit them into. Six lead characters, led by the plucky T.J. Detweiler, try to have some fun playing kickball, while navigating a hilariously complex class and legal system complete with a sixth-grade king (King Bob). Recess is a show about kids learning to figure out their place in society and the rest of us enduring the same struggle as well. – Alec Bojalad

Hey Arnold!

Available on: Paramount+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Hey Arnold! is simply about Arnold (last name never revealed in the series, but apparently “Shortman”)—a fourth grader with a football-shaped head who lives in a big American city and likes to hang out with his P.S. 118 classmates. The secret to the show’s appeal is how richly drawn Arnold and his crew are, both metaphorically and literally. From idiosyncratic peers like the paranoid Sid to the obsessive Helga, the kids of Hey Arnold! bring a lot to the table. And that’s not even to mention the adult characters that make up Arnold’s grandparents’ boarding house. – AB

The Powerpuff Girls

Available on: Netflix and Max (U.S.); Purchase on Apple TV (U.K.)

Powerpuff Girls was able to lace its cutesy style and adorable flipper-handed heroes with edge, but not to the point that it overshadowed everything. Sure, there are a lot of adult jokes thrown in there, including an episode based around how many times they could yell “Dick!” on a children’s cartoon, but the show remained earnest and kept its heart pure. It was regularly engaging, clever, and not afraid to get twisted at times. Plus, while many superhero cartoons love to play the “villain team-up episode” card, few pulled it off better than the genius of “Meet the Beat-Alls.” – GJ

Rugrats

What must the big, scary adult world look like to babies? If only they could speak to tell us. Well in Nickelodeon’s classic “Nicktoon” Rugrats, they can! First premiering in 1991, this classic series follows the adventures of Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Lil & Phil DeVill as they encounter the confusions of both ’90s suburbia and their own imaginations. Imbued with a love of both childhood and adulthood, Rugrats was its network’s biggest hit in a pre-SpongeBob era and helped establish a bona fide animated dynasty on cable. – AB

Daria

Available on: Paramount+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Sardonic high schooler Daria started out as a regular on Beavis and Butt-Head but arguably became the more compelling heroine when she got her own show. Daria was created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn, but B&B’s Mike Judge wasn’t actually involved in the series which ran for five seasons from 1997–2002. Daria is clever, acerbic, downbeat, and a cynical observer of school and family life, while her relationship with her artsy best friend Jane brings warmth. It’s packed with identifiable cultural tropes, the typical make-up of jocks and cheerleaders, stoners and nerds, but Daria is so sharply written the show feels fresh even now. – RF

Gargoyles

Available on: Disney+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Disney simply did not need to go this hard, and yet here we are. A clan of gargoyle protectors from medieval times are cursed to become statues until a scheming billionaire genius frees them in the present. From there, the clan spends their nights fighting their many enemies while protecting the humans that fear them. For two seasons (we don’t talk about Goliath Chronicles), this was must-watch television. So many awesome storylines and badass characters. Where else could you watch King Arthur get in a fistfight with Shakespeare’s Macbeth? – GJ

Darkwing Duck

Available on: Disney+ (U.S. and U.K.)

Many beloved shows from the Disney Afternoon lineup would take random cartoon characters from Disney’s past and put them in genre-heavy adventures. That made Darkwing Duck seem extra fresh in comparison, as other than the inclusion of Launchpad McQuack from DuckTales, this action adventure about an egomaniac pulp hero felt incredibly original. Everything about the show felt fully realized with its memorable family of heroes and iconic collection of villains. More than anything, it gave Dan Castellaneta a vehicle to do that awesome “Krusty the Clown going through puberty” voice for Megavolt, and for that, we will forever be grateful. – GJ

The Critic

Available on: Not currently streaming

The Critic was simply too beautiful for this world. The misadventures of pretentious film critic Jay Sherman, living as a bachelor in New York City, had a cup of coffee in primetime on ABC before being shipped off to Fox, where it quickly died, despite being the perfect evening follow-up to The Simpsons. Jay’s world came with an outstanding supporting cast, from disgruntled makeup lady Doris, the manly-yet-childish boss Duke Phillips, and Jay’s cartoonishly goofy father, Franklin. The constant movie jokes were precursors to Family Guy’s cutaway gimmicks. At least Jay’s legacy lives on in “A Star is Burns,” one of the most quotable Simpsons episodes of all time. – GJ

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

Available on: Not currently streaming

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist, starred Jonathan Katz as a shrink whose many clients were stand-up comedians. Under the guise of a therapy session, said comedians would essentially do their act, accompanied by some very limited and squiggly animation. Otherwise, Katz would have his own mundane yet humorous storylines going on with his friends, loser son, and disinterested secretary. The unique animation style and improvised dialogue would lead to the cast coming together for similar and equally watchable Home Movies. – GJ