Growing up, watching Cartoon Network was my bread and butter. I could spend all day and all night just watching all of the shows they would air on TV. With that being said, in this list I have gathered for you all today, I will not be including animes or other shows from their different programming blocks, such as Toonami and Adult Swim. We can save those all for another day. Now without further adieu, these are my top 5 Cartoon Network shows.
At number 5, I decided to give it to Young Justice. This show started off strong with some of the best storytelling, at least in the first couple of seasons, from what I have seen and heard. Something I will always take from this show is how Robin would always say, “Stay whelmed.” I like how we were introduced to Beast Boy’s origins by Megahn while attempting to save Garfield by doing a blood transfusion. This explains how he is able to shapeshift into different animals. On top of that, Garfield’s mom was the inspiration and role model for her human alter ego. This opened the door for viewers to see how dark Miss Martian’s character was. An incredible show. It truly was.
Next, at number 4, if you have not guessed it yet, goes to none other than the one and only Teen Titans! Yes, the OG Teen Titans, not to be confused or compared to their “Go” reboot, but we will not focus on that here. The story progression and how deep the story got with the characters in this show were amazing. The struggles each character undergoes, and the importance of teamwork and being there for your friends through thick and thin. That bond becomes the heart and soul that no evil can ever break. This show will always have a special place in my childhood. Not to mention the theme song was always pretty cool, especially when they aired the Japanese version. I would always have to take a second look just to make sure I was hearing that right, and it was still banging. Perhaps it sparked my interest in anime as well.
Now for the top 3 to have made it up to our podium for the all-time best shows of Cartoon Network. It will begin with Courage the Cowardly Dog. The whole premise behind Courage, regardless of him being a big ol’ scaredy cat, terrified of EVERYTHING. However, he will not stop at anything to save those he loves most. Which, in all reality, was Muriel. When he was abandoned as a pup, he was found by Muriel. Aside from having some of the creepiest villains that perhaps helped grow my affection for the horror genre at a young age, it honestly had the saddest plots. My mom had pointed this out to me when I was young, and I was confused about why she didn’t like it. But now, as an adult, I can understand that fully. The struggles that Courage went through all out of love show us why dogs are truly man’s best friend. They will willingly throw their life on the line just to save us.
For second place, it will have to go to Samurai Jack! This show was incredible! The story was cleverly developed. The theme song alone was enough to make me want to watch the show. The enemies Jack had to fight against and the clever ways he would come up with to defeat them. Like the blind archers, how he decided to meet their match and defeated them while being blindfolded himself. Amazing!
Before we go on to the top number 1 show of all time on Cartoon Network, here are a few honorable mentions. After all, this was not an easy decision to make, given all of the shows that went into our childhood. So we have Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Ed, Edd & Eddy, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Johnny Bravo, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Justice League, Codename: Kids Next Door, Totally Spies, Cow and Chicken, The Regular Show, Adventure Time, and Scooby Doo, Where Are You!
The number 1 all-time show from Cartoon Network is Batman: The Animated Series. This show was also very clever with its storytelling. The way all of the major characters were introduced was awesome. The main highlight for this being my top pick is that this show gave birth to one of the most iconic characters we have today. If it weren’t for this show, we would not have the one and only Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn was only supposed to be a very minor character, but little did we know that the world was going to fall so madly, deeply in love with the character—all thanks to this fantastic show.
Ummm, I hate to burst your bubble, but Batman: the Animated Series wasn’t made by Cartoon Network. It was made for Fox Kids, then migrated over to Kids WB. But never on Cartoon Network as far as I know.