Best 90s cartoons to make you nostalgic right away

Binge-watch these 90s cartoons and the evergreen animated TV shows to relive special memories of your childhood.

Written by Chhavi Puri , Skincare Coach & Makeup Expert

Updated on Jun 28, 2023 | 02:57 AM IST | 2.6M

Best 90s Cartoons to Make you Nostalgic Right Away

In this Article

Here are some of the best 90s Cartoons that made our childhood great:
Honorable mentions of some of the great 90s cartoon shows that we all enjoyed during our childhood:

When it comes to cartoon shows, nothing can beat the fun and charm that 90s cartoons used to have. Time flies like anything, but 90s kids can never forget the joy they used to get from watching the epic and classic cartoon shows. Anyone born in the 90s would agree that cartoons had a great impact on shaping their childhood. Right from the charismatic, handsome hunk - Johnny Bravo to the brave-hearted Powerpuff Girls; from intelligent Courage the Cowardly Dog to the geek Dexter's Laboratory, these old cartoons gave us our animated heroes to choose from.

So, if you want to be hit by nostalgia and relive those golden days when we used to sit back, munch on snacks, and enjoy the best cartoons with our family (most times alone, because parents won't let us watch too much TV) then let me take to you an emotional roller-coaster ride.

Here are some of the best 90s Cartoons that made our childhood great:

1. Courage the Cowardly Dog

Release date: 1996
Cast: Marty Grabstein, Thea White, Peter Fernandez, Simon Prebble, Paul Schoeffler
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Directed by: John Dilworth
Suitable for: R
Run Time: 4 seasons
Genre: Adventure
OTT platform: Amazon Prime

This is one of the best-animated TV shows in the horror genre to date and the first episode of this cartoon was aired on 18 February 1996. Created and directed by John R. Dilworth, this classic cartoon had an eerie vibe to it and is known for its dark, a bit creepy, and surreal humor. The story revolved around a couple - Muriel Bagge, a sweet and nurturing woman, and Eustace Bagge, a greedy and annoying man, and together they have a dog named Courage.

However, unlike his name, the dog is easily frightened. In this classic cartoon series, it is shown that Courage was abandoned as a puppy but then was found by Muriel Bagge who then took care of him and loved him as her child. The three of them live in a deserted place in the middle of Kansas wherein Courage frequently encounters aliens, vampires, zombies, demons, and other supernatural entities.

Going against his nature, whenever Courage encounters such monsters, he is determined to protect Muriel and Eustace from the dangers that can fall on them due to these horrifying entities. Courage is shown as a kind-hearted, loyal, and caring dog who fights evil and doesn't even get any credit for it most of the time. For sure, this is one of the old cartoons that taught us to face our fears and be kind and loyal to those we love.

Courage the Cowardly Dog was one of the most loved 90s cartoon series and has even been awarded Annie Award. During its run, the cartoon was also nominated for three Golden Reel Awards, and won the title 'Best Sound Editing—Television Animated Series—Sound' for the episode episode "Courage in the Big Stinkin' City".

Courage the Cowardly Dog used to air on Cartoon Network and had 4 seasons, each consisting of 13 episodes. All in all, it was one of the best old cartoons that we can still binge-watch.

2. Batman: The Animated Series

Release date: 1992
Cast: Rino Romano, Alastair Duncan, Evan Sabara, Danielle Judovits, Kevin Michael
IMDb Rating: 9/10
Directed by: Bob Kane, Eric Radomski
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 4 seasons
Genre: Adventure
OTT platform: Amazon Prime

Even as kids when we used to get scared by bats, for sure, we weren't scared of batman. That was because this animated TV series was created in such a brilliant way that as kids, we believed batman was real and out there saving the world.

Batman: The Animated Series is one of the best 90s cartoons that was based on the famous DC Comics superhero Batman. It aired on Fox Kids with a total of 85 episodes. The series is focused on a boy named Bruce Wayne who at the age of 8 witnessed the murder of his parents after they got mugged on the streets. He then trains himself hard mentally, physically, and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight against injustice in Gotham city.

This is the first-ever DC Comics animated series produced by Warner Bros. This is one of the best animated series ever made and is also ranked as No.2 of the greatest animated TV shows of all time. This 90s cartoon is known for its characters, darker tone, aesthetics, battles, and voice acting. It also has won four Emmy awards. Batman: The Animated Series is still highly popular for its character portrayal of Bruce Wayne and the Joker. Needless to say, Batman still lives in our hearts as a superhero who fights evil and gives justice to others.

3. The Powerpuff Girls

Release date: 1998
Cast: Cathy Cavadini, Elizabeth Daily, Tara Strong, Tom Kenny, Tom Kane
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Directed by: Craig McCracken
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 6 seasons
Genre: Family
OTT platform: Amazon Prime

This is one of those cartoons from the 90s that was my personal favorite. I am sure many of you also must have ditched your books for a while to enjoy the Powerpuff Girls. 'Sugar, spice, and everything nice, but Professor Utonium accidentally added Chemical X, and this is how the Powerpuff Girls were born' - I am sure someone who loved this cartoon can never forget these lines. Back in the 90s, this was considered one of the best Cartoon Network shows.

The Powerpuff Girls had a simple theme - three kindergarten-aged supergirls named Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, who despite having different personalities fought for one thing, and that is injustice and evilness. They used their ultra-super powers and dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil in Townsville city. Blossom is portrayed as an intelligent, fierce, calmest, and composed member of the group. Her signature color is pink and her unique abilities are lightning bolts, and ice breath.

Bubbles, on the other hand, is very soft-hearted and wears her emotions on her sleeves. Blue is her signature color and she can communicate with various animals and also has the power to create high-level sonic screams. The third sister - Buttercup is the most fierce of them all, she is a tough-headed girl who would take no nonsense from anyone. Buttercup's signature color is green and she does not believe in making any plans. She can create fireballs and spin into a tornado. This is one of the most loved 90s cartoons shows and has been nominated six times for Emmy Awards, and also a Kids' Choice Award during its run.

4. SpongeBob Squarepants

Release date: 1999
Cast: Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, Mary Jo Catlett.
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Directed by: Stephen Hillenburg
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 13 seasons
Genre: Family
OTT platform: Amazon Prime

SpongeBob Squarepants is one of the most loved 90s animated TV shows that was created in the comedy genre by Stephen Hillenburg. The show is about a talking sea sponge who attends a boating school, works at a fast-food restaurant, and lives in a two-story pineapple house in a town called Bikini Bottom. This renowned cartoon series shows how Spongebob makes new acquaintances and goes through some fun and crazy adventures with his best friend.

SpongeBob works at one of the most reputed restaurants as a chef in the town named the Krusty Krab. He is known for cooking their most famous & delicious burger - The Krabby Patty. The story revolves around his boss named Eugene Krabs and Plankton, a sea creature who wants to steal the recipe of SpongeBob's famous burger recipe. It is also shown in this old cartoon show that SpongeBob doesn't take life logically, instead, he uses unconventional ways to solve problems. SpongeBob goes through fun and crazy adventures with his friend Patrick and Mrs. Puff and usually ends up creating chaos while solving some problems. But does it even matter? We love SpongeBob because he is such a fun-loving, humourous, positive, and an amazing character!

Just like other famous 90s animated TV shows, SpongeBob SquarePants also has won numerous awards such as eight Golden Reel Awards, four Emmy Awards, six Annie Awards, two Bafta Children's Awards, and 19 Kids' Choice Awards.

5. Pokémon

Release date: 1997
Cast: Veronica Taylor, Rachael Lillis, Eric Stuart, Ikue Ôtani, Rica Matsumoto
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Directed by: Satoshi Tajiri
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 2,002 seasons
Genre: Adventure
OTT platform: Voot

Raise your hands if you loved collecting Pokémon toys? I am sure most of your hands are up in the air right now. Pokémon was one of those 90s cartoons that were loved by almost every kid. And we all had one common favorite Pokémon and that is - Pikachu. Pokémon is one of the best old cartoons that was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama. It aired in the year 1997 and had 1,197 episodes.

This famous 90s animated TV show portrays the story of a 10-year-old boy Ash Ketchum, who dreams of becoming a Pokémon master. He is a young trainer from Pallet Town who along with his best companion Pikachu goes on a long journey where they meet new people, make new friends, and also make new rivals. They venture through different regions such as Sinnoh, Kanto, Johto, and so on, and also compete in the regional league. In fact, Pokémon and Pikachu are considered one of the most iconic animated friends as they always have each other's back.

The entire cartoon show revolves around Ash and his goal to discover as many Pokémons as he can and become the world's greatest master of Pokémon. Throughout this journey, they make new friends, and rivals, and also fight other evil organizations. This anime series is famous globally and is one of the most successful anime series on television. It is currently aired in 169 countries and is also one of the most-watched shows on Netflix.

6. Johnny Bravo

Release date: 1997
Cast: Jeff Bennett, Brenda Vaccaro, Mae Whitman, Tom Kenny, Larry Drake
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed by: Van Partible
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 6 seasons
Genre: Adventure
OTT platform: NA

Johnny Bravo is another of the epic 90s cartoon that was created by Van Partible and still gets cherished a lot. This cartoon series circulates around Johnny Bravo - the main protagonist of the series who is a muscular, handsome, and dim-witted man. He wears stylish sunglasses and lives with his mother.

This is one of the best cartoon network shows that shows how a young man tries innumerable ways to date a woman but in vain. His efforts are usually unsuccessful and he lands himself in difficult situations. Most of the time, his advances are rejected by women and he ends up getting harmed in a comedic way.

Other important characters in Johnny Bravo - one of the best 90s cartoons are Bunny "Momma" Bravo - his caring and extroverted mother, Carl Chryniszzswics - a geek who is a huge fan of Johnny Bravo, Little Suzy - an intellectual girl whose name Johnny hardly remembers but she loves annoying him, and Pops - the owner of the local diner who gives various advice to Johnny.

The cartoon series also starred various guest characters such as Adam West, Donny Osmond, and so on. The show was loved by many, owing to its surreal adult humor and pop culture references. This old cartoon show had 4 seasons and has been nominated for Golden Reel Awards, Annie Awards, and YoungStar Awards.

7. Dexter's Laboratory

Release date: 1995
Cast: Kath Soucie, Jeff Bennett, Christine Cavanaugh, Frank Welker, Tom Kenny
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 4 seasons
Genre: Adventure
OTT platform: Amazon Prime

Everyone who loves science and experiments must have been intrigued by this great cartoon network show - Dexter's Laboratory. This is one of the most famous 90s cartoons that was created by Genndy Tartakovsky. The story follows a highly genius boy Dexter who loves to experiment and invent. He has a laboratory which he is very secretive about. This old cartoon also features his older sister named Dee Dee, who leaves no stone unturned in annoying Dexter.

In many episodes, it shows that she enters Dexter's laboratory and ruins his experiments unintentionally. There is also another genius shown in this cartoon series named Mandark who is a rival of Dexter.

All in all, Dexter's Laboratory was one of the best-animated TV shows and had 4 seasons. This cartoon series has also won three Annie Awards and has also been nominated for various other prestigious awards such as Golden Reel Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and Annie Awards.

8. X-Men

Release date: 1992
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, James Marsden
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Directed by: Mark Edward Edens, Sidney Iwanter
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 5 seasons
Genre: Action fiction
OTT platform: Amazon Prime

If we have talked about a DC hero Batman here, we can't really miss anything for Marvel fans, isn't it? Well, here we go - X-Men is one of the top-rated 90s animated TV shows that debuted on October 31, 1992. X-Men was created by Eric Lewald, Sidney Iwanter, and Mark Edens.

X-Men is an action and adventure series wherein several humans possess unique powers and abilities and they come together to fight for human acceptance. These people are called mutants and they are taught how to channel their powers in a positive way by Professor Charles Xavier - a telepath. There are different types of mutants shown in this one of the great 90s cartoons such as Wolverine, Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm, the Beast, Jubilee, and so on. They form a team called X-Men to fight evil mutants like Mystique and Magneto. There were in total 5 seasons of X-Men with a total number of 76 episodes.

The cartoon series was loved by many and is to date highly popular, all thanks to the adrenaline rush we got by watching mutants fight with their extraordinary superhero powers. X-Men is hugely popular in not just India or the US but in other countries as well and there are comics, animated series, as well as movies related to the same. So, if you want to see a few superheroes fighting for something good this weekend, do binge-watch X-Men.

9. Superman: The Animated Series

Release date: 1996
Cast: Tim Daly, Dana Delany, David Kaufman, Clancy Brown, Lauren Tom, Victor Brandt, Corey Burton, Joseph Bologna.
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Directed by: Bruce Timm, Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 3 seasons
Genre: Sci-fi
OTT platform: NA

One of the most cherished 90s cartoons, Superman: The Animated Series was developed by Alan Burnett and Bruce Timm. It is one of the most brilliant cartoon series based on the popular DC Comics character Superman. The cartoon series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired for about 4 years. This is one of those great old cartoons that was loved for its writing, character development, voice acting, and thematic complexity.

The story centers around Superman who has superpowers and swears as well as dedicates his life to fighting evil. Superman: The Animated Series also portrays sagas that happen on the planet Krypton and also includes villains like Lex Author and Brainiac who want to destroy everything.

The powers of x-ray vision, heat vision, flight, great hearing, and superhuman strength makes him one of the greatest superheroes. Superman: The Animated Series is one of the best old cartoons that had 4 seasons and 54 numbers of episodes. Superman is a hero that we cannot forget, also, his attire is something that makes him even more unique. All in all, he is a superhero we all love.

10. Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron

Release date: 1993
Cast: Charlie Adler, Barry Gordon, Gary Owens, Lori Alan, Jim Cummings
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Directed by: Christian Tremblay and Yvon Tremblay
Suitable for: PG
Run Time: 2 seasons
Genre: Sci-fi
OTT platform: NA

Swat Cats: The Radical Squadron is one of the most popular 90s cartoons on Cartoon Network that was created by Christian Tremblay and Yvon Tremblay. Although this is one of those animated TV shows that didn't run for long, it was loved by many people.

The cartoon takes place in Megakat City, which has a high population of anthropomorphic felines, also known as "kats". This is one of the most loved 90s cartoons that show how these kats who are highly intellectual and possess the ability to create a top-notch fighter jet to fight villains and save the city. These "kats" named Jake and Chance with their intelligence and wit created a three-engine jet fighter called the Turbokat to fight their enemies. It is also shown in the cartoon series that "Swat kats" live in secrecy and do not disclose their identity to anyone.

This is a meticulously made series with well-developed characters and a great story plot with a dash of humor. This is one of the best-animated series ever made but it didn't run for a long time and had only 2 seasons with a total number of 25 episodes. However, given the popularity of "Swat kats" in 2022, show co-creator Christian Tremblay gave a statement that the new series is being made for kids in the age range of 5 to 11. In a nutshell, it was one of the great 90s cartoons that made our childhood better.

This was the list of the top 90s cartoons that we love and no cartoon show can ever replace them. 90s cartoon characters, their storyline, animation - everything was great which is the reason why we watch these old Cartoon Network shows and relive our memories.

Honorable mentions of some of the great 90s cartoon shows that we all enjoyed during our childhood:

1. Tom & Jerry

2. Scooby-Doo Where Are You!

3. Popeye, the Sailor Man!

4. Duck Tales

5. The Flinstones

6. Looney Tunes

7. The Mask

8. The Bugs Bunny Show

9. The Simpsons

10. Make Way for Noddy

It is always said that childhood is the best time of our lives, and these cartoon shows helped us create memories that we will forever have in our hearts. In this list of the best 90s cartoons, every cartoon character has something good to teach us. We hope we brought back good memories to you by making you relive those moments when we used to bid farewell to all our worries and watch 90s cartoons and animated TV shows. Which was your favorite cartoon show? Do tell us in the comment section below. Till then, stay happy and keep your inner child alive.