Top 10 Disappointing Cartoon Show Finales
Well… that was a letdown. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Disappointing Cartoon Show Finales.
For this list, we're taking a look at those cartoon finales that left many fans unhappy for one reason or another. Since we're talking about finales, a spoiler alert is in effect.
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#10: “American Idol Parody Clip Show” “Drawn Together” (2004-07)
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“Drawn Together” was a pretty unique show, as it offered not only adult humor with a reality show spin, but also differently drawn characters with varying personalities. However, rather than capitalizing on the series’ great writing team, the finale features clips and songs from previous episodes, interspersed with a bunch of jabs at the producers. You can actually feel the bitterness of the show’s staff in the episode, but taking a trip down memory lane and mocking your bosses for a half hour doesn’t end a series on a high note – as far as fans are concerned, at least. The epilogue movie was no better, as it tried to deal with the cancellation in a disgusting manner.
#9: “The Bronze Giant” “Hero: 108” (2010-12)
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This show debuted during Cartoon Network’s…uh, experimental phase, and earned a relatively good reception – although the show itself was pretty well hidden. As for the finale; it was…rushed. Twin Masters gets hold of the ultimate power, so the heroes must band together to stop him, but nothing seems to work. Enter convenient plot device Bronze Giant – pretty much outta nowhere – and the second battle begins. Unfortunately, even the fusion of every hero doesn’t work, so they combine their harmonic energies and manage to defeat the villain… even though that appears to be what they were doing in the previous two battles. Guess the third time’s the charm…?
#8: “Time After Time” “Xiaolin Showdown” (2003-06)
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For three seasons, we watched our favorite monks fight evil and gather ancient relics, training to become the next Shoku Warrior. When they’re all sent off to discover their own quest, Omi decides to save Chase from becoming evil. In a plot that involves multiple time shenanigans, he travels to the future and then the distant past, showing us different sides of different characters. However, due to a mishap, Omi is forced to undo everything he’s done, making the whole two-part finale… kinda pointless. In fact, we end the series by wasting nearly an hour with nothing to show for it… except for some reason, Raimundo becomes the next Shoku Warrior.
#7: “Operation: I.N.T.E.R.V.I.E.W.S.” “Codename: Kids Next Door” (2002-08)
All kids have to grow up sometime – even our favorite KND Sector V agents, who – in the finale – are brought back as adults to be interviewed about their last mission… in live action. While the episode is filled with tear-jerking moments and heartfelt goodbyes, the live-action versions of adult Numbuhs 2-5 are just… off-putting. In a series dominated by animation, the live-action cutaways feel jarring and out of place. What makes this ending even worse is that it teases the never made spin-off, “Galactic Kids Next Door.”
#6: “The Hong Kong Longs” “American Dragon: Jake Long” (2005-07)
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On their family trip to Hong Kong, the Dark Dragon returns and plots to take control of all dragons. Thanks to Jake, this plan backfires in the worst way possible, making it feel like the villain lacks the very insight and power that made him a threat in the first place. As if diminishing the main antagonist’s status weren’t enough, Rose also manages to regain all her memories of a past that no longer exists thanks to one photo. All in all, many fans agree that this finale is a rushed mess filled with deus ex machina events, which swaps out all the conclusions reached in the previous episode for dumber ones. Can’t we just let “Being Human” be the series finale?
#5: “Goodbye and Good Riddance” “Ben 10” (2005-08)
How do you end an awesome series about a kid with alien transformation powers? If you said “with a “what-if” episode,” then… you would unfortunately be correct. Ben returns to school after a long summer of kicking butt, but he’s finding it much harder to juggle school, home and other normal stuff with the responsibilities of being a superhero. Overall, it’s an interesting setup for what could’ve been, but ultimately it falls short, what with the drastic changes to the characters’ personalities and goals and all. Plus, “Ben 10 Alien Force” essentially confirms that this episode is non-canon, so disappointing all around.
#4: “Phantom Planet” “Danny Phantom” (2004-07)
There’s writing yourself into a corner, and then there’s what happened to “Phantom Planet.” After three seasons of ghost hunting, Danny meets his match in Vlad’s own ghost-hunting troupe and decides to give up his powers for good. When an asteroid threatens Earth, Vlad attempts to stop it… in exchange for control over the world. Of course he fails, so Danny decides to assemble several ghosts and make the earth intangible. As if that plot point weren’t unbelievable enough, Danny not only manages to regain his powers seemingly out of nowhere; he also quickly convinces all of his enemies to help him. A lotta fans felt this finale was a rushed mess with too many unbelievable moments, even for this show.
#3: “The League of Villains” “The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” (2002-06)
Following the success of Nickelodeon’s movie about the boy genius, Jimmy Neutron got his own show. In the finale, Jimmy’s first nemesis manages to round up every villain from the series to take him down once and for all – but unfortunately, it leads to a plethora of problems. Rather than forming a menacing force of foes, the villains stumble around and barely get along, making poor decisions that allow our protagonists to claim victory… despite the fact that they make dumb decisions as well. Ultimately, this climactic finale ended up being more about toilet humor and dumb jokes than an action-packed battle.
#2: “The New Black” “The Boondocks” (2005-14)
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It was once a show full of powerful, thought-provoking messages and polarizing stances, but fans agree that The Boondocks’ fourth season was its worst. In the finale, Riley uses an inappropriate word in class, to the shock of everyone. The situation spirals out of control as the controversy moves from Riley’s homophobic slur to his use of the word “retarded,” prompting advocacy groups for both groups to use Riley for their own personal gain. This would’ve been a great time for Huey to speak up on the hot button issue, but the episode just... ends, leaving both groups demonized and presenting no message to back up their viewpoints. Well, at least fans could rejoice that the season was finally over.
#1: “Things Change” “Teen Titans” (2003-06)
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For the love of all animation, Cartoon Network: if you’re going to tie up loose ends on old shows, please work your magic with this one. While the Titans battle a mysterious new enemy, Beast Boy chases down what looks like Terra, who appears to have lost her memories... or not? In the end, we’re left with several questions from these two plots alone, and the show ends its final season on a cliffhanger, with several ongoing plots left unfinished, characters not fully developed, and even an ongoing battle undetermined. Sure, there was that follow-up TV movie, but it all but ignored the events of this episode.
