Tracking the best cartoon network shows took us back to 1992, precisely to the 1st of October when Warner Bro eventually launched the channel it promised to dedicate for broadcasting children’s programming, anything from animated comedy to action and what have you. As the channel equally made older teens and adults its viewers, targeting them with mature content, it is no surprise that it has become one of the biggest pay television channels in the world and truly “the best place for cartoons” as one of its slogans bragged.
The coming of Cartoon Network saw a vast range of programming which birthed many original animated series that was aired alongside those from other studios. Add that to its night-time program (Adult Swim) meant for adults and we have an endless list of shows. Among them, many would agree that the following are the best cartoon network shows.
10 Best Cartoon Network Shows
10. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
This is a show about friendship. One friend is a simple fellow who is a bit retarded and the other is kind of spooky. Their third friend is the Grim Reaper. Billy and Mandy get into a lot of mischiefs, but they’re mostly out looking for adventure, which mostly involves using Grim’s powers to travel to strange worlds and try out new experiences while trying to tolerate each other’s excesses.
9. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends
It’s easy to see why this is one of the best cartoon network shows. Its appeal is that it is loosely based on magical realism. Think X-Men, but for Imaginary Friends with children who have outgrown them. The characters are mostly goofballs, but they give you a lot to think and care about. It’s colorful, fun, light-hearted, and with a lot of good humor.
8. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars will always find a huge following whether it’s in a live-action movie or an animated series. The Clone Wars is a favorite of young and adult viewers across the world thanks to how great the dialogue and narrative is written. It boasts great storylines, endearing ensemble, strong character developments, and impressive animation and design. All these make it one of the best cartoon network shows ever made.
7. Courage The Cowardly Dog
It’s a show about a sweet and anxious little dog willing to do whatever it takes to help the people he loves. It has raked in numerous awards for a reason or another. There’s also a healthy dose of spookiness and fearsome villains, all of which the beloved Courage has to overcome. At its core, this is a show about hope, family, the importance of friendship, and being brave enough to face your fears.
6. Adventure Time
The basic premise of this show is pure, unbridled adventure. It follows Finn and Jake, his dog as they try to find their way out of some really weird situations like mistakenly making zombies out of candy. It’s fun, inspiring, magical, and captivating all at once. There’s a lot of strange characters to be introduced to, and the friendships seem all too real and humorous. Adventure Time is easy to follow and a great cartoon to binge on any day regardless of how old you are. It certainly can’t be left out of any list of best cartoon network shows.
5. Johhny Bravo
This is a classic and one of the best shows to come out of the cartoon network. The titular character is too confident for his own good, extremely vain about his looks, hilarious, and sometimes dumb. The conversations are brilliant and funny, even the supporting characters are lovable, but what really takes the cake is watching Johnny maneuver his way out of awkward situations, mostly due to his love for women. It’s a show that never gets old no matter how far in the future you watch it.
4. Dexter’s Laboratory
Dexter’s Lab was the cartoon that allowed children to imagine themselves as tortured geniuses and gave adults nostalgia for their own childhoods and all they longed to be. It’s one of the biggest hits for the Cartoon Network. It was hilarious, smart, and accessible to viewers of all ages, but more importantly, it taught an entire generation the wrong way to order a cheese omelet in the French language.
3. Powerpuff Girls
Powerpuff Girls is among the best cartoon network shows for obvious reasons. Among other things, this show brought together pop culture, action, comedy, girl power, and a dash of chemical X in one daring and entertaining package. The protagonists, Blossoms, Buttercup, and Bubbles were the perfect embodiment of sugar, spice, and everything nice. The girls were total badasses, ever ready to save the day and defeat all kinds of criminals with their superpowers. The show was Cartoon Network at its very best, and it remains a brilliant work of art even today.
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2. Samurai Jack
What’s not to love about Samurai Jack? The storyline was brilliant, magical, and entirely unique. It follows the protagonist as he tries to avenge all he has lost and defeat the evil villain who rules over the world. The animation is heavily inspired by Japanese anime, but it is a masterpiece in its own right. It boasts a strong cultural twist, entertaining characters, positive values, and all-around goodness.
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1. Over the Garden Wall
This is one of the most memorable cartoons in history. It follows two brothers as they navigate their way out of a dark and unusual forest, and the numerous adventures they find along the way. It’s elegant, breathtaking, magical, a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, and short enough to hold your interest from the beginning right till the very last second. Nobody would assert that it isn’t one of the best cartoon network shows.
Disregarding the foregoing there are dozens of other cartoon network shows that are worth binging on, from Cow and Chicken to Chowder, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Teen Titans, Steven Univers, Ben 10, Uncle Grandpa, The Flintstones, and We Bare Bears.
