Top 20 Cartoon Moments That Made Fans Rage Quit
#20: Lucy Ruins the Game
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“It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown” (1977) It’s the homecoming game, arguably the biggest football game in Charlie Brown’s life, and he is determined to impress his longtime crush. Unfortunately, LUCY is his placekick setter, and we all know how the dynamic between these two works. You’d think Lucy wouldn’t dare pull her tricks during an important match… but she does. She humiliates Charlie Brown every chance she gets by pulling the football away. The team loses the game… and Charlie Brown is blamed. Lucy doesn’t get reprimanded at all even though it was literally all her fault. Honestly, we probably could’ve accepted Lucy pulling her pranks on Charlie Brown again - it’s a “Peanuts” tradition - but she should’ve at least gotten called out for it this time.
#19: Ben & Julie Break Up
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“Ben 10: Omniverse” (2012-14) While Ben and Julie’s relationship wasn’t perfect, many fans grew fond of the chemistry they shared. However, when “Omniverse” came around, the crew decided it was time to break them up. And how did they accomplish this? In the dumbest way possible – a misunderstanding over the phone while Ben is playing a video game. Splitting up a major couple is one thing, but they decided to take the lazy route and play it off for laughs. Many fans and even some staff members wrote letters and even threatened to stop watching the show, but Cartoon Network wouldn’t budge. Instead, they leaned towards hooking Ben up with his first crush, Kai, which would’ve been fine if their tactic wasn’t so underhanded.
#18: Rest in Peace, Terrence
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“Aqua Teen Hunger Force” (2000-) Part of what makes “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” so beloved is the absurd misadventures of our favorite sentient food creatures in a rundown suburban setting. However, around season five, that zany spark that made the show special started to fizzle out, and in its place came gratuitous, disgusting shock value scenes. For example, in the episode “Reedickyoulus,” Master Shake tries to torment Meatwad by…. microwaving a cat. Not only is the punchline uninspired, but the act is just gruesome. Sadly, the episode only gets worse from here as it includes a disgusting variety of radioactive feces, rotting corpses, and more. The “Aqua Teens” may be vulgar, but this just feels grossly out of place for them.
#17: The Goliath Chronicles
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“Gargoyles” (1994-97) While fans constantly praised the first two seasons of “Gargoyles,” the third - dubbed “The Goliath Chronicles” - left a sour taste in their mouths. The biggest reason was that the writing staff was replaced with a new team that didn’t seem to understand the show. They couldn’t grasp its continuity or how its characters should be portrayed. For example, in one episode, Fox - a well-trained ex-mercenary who can hold her own - was reduced to a weak, fragile person who gives up too easily. This abysmal characterization is just one of the reasons the third season is considered non-canon by everyone. This includes the series’ creator, Greg Weisman, who continued the show’s story the right way in comic form.
#16: The Fart Fairy
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“Total DramaRama” (2018-23) Fans of the original “Total Drama” already had mixed opinions on the spin-off “prequel” series, “Total DramaRama.” But this episode really clinched the fandom’s well-deserved hatred. For context, the kids encounter a fairy that collects farts… by smelling them. The worst part – we’re subjected to a creepy montage of him inhaling the children’s farts and clearly enjoying it way too much. Yes, “Total Drama” is no stranger to fart jokes, but this takes it to a disgusting new level… Seriously, who thought a fairy with a full-grown man’s voice sniffing toddler flatulence would appeal to anyone?! Unfortunately, even with the 2023 reboot, the writers’ obsession with flatulence hasn’t gone away.
#15: The Time Skip
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“Phineas and Ferb” (2007-15) The penultimate episode of “Phineas and Ferb’s” fourth season gave us a look at ten years in the future when the kids are heading off to college. Here, Phineas and Isabella finally confront the latter’s secret feelings for the former, and…. the fandom’s reaction has been very split at best. On the one hand, seeing the two hook up is very wholesome, and the song “What Might Have Been” leaves us feeling misty-eyed. On the other hand, the whole episode feels more like glorified fanfiction with no actual conflict; plus, it doesn’t seem realistic for Isabella to just drift away from Phineas as a friend. Also, the future designs for the kids just feel off somehow.
#14: Iggy Torments Arnold
“Hey Arnold!” (1996-2004) When Arnold discovers an embarrassing secret about Iggy, Sid and Stinky find out and turn Iggy into a laughingstock. Arnold is blamed for all this and goes out of his way to apologize to Iggy for something that wasn’t even his fault. Iggy refuses to accept his apology… unless he completely humiliates himself. Even though Iggy learns his lesson at the last minute, his unsympathetic characterization ensured that he never got a major role in an episode ever again. Meanwhile, Sid and Stinky - the ones who cause all this trouble - get off completely scot-free and remain major players for the rest of the show. And poor Arnold learns that some people aren’t worth forgiving.
#13: Bendy Gets off Scot-Free
“Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” (2004-09) Eleven minutes is all a show needs to send its reputation down the toilet. Case in point – the short episode “Everyone Knows It’s Bendy.” Throughout the episode, newcomer Bendy commits a ton of bratty actions like writing on the walls, breaking vases, and walking through the house with muddy shoes. Unfortunately, other characters like Bloo and Wilt are framed and accused of Bendy’s wrongdoings, and he eventually gets off without repercussions. Bendy was such a detested character that he was never brought back, and the episode’s writer, Lauren Faust, apologized to fans for writing him into the show.
#12: “No Such Luck”
Top 10 Cartoon Moments That Made Fans Rage Quit
“The Loud House” (2016-) Overwhelmed with attending important family events, Lincoln tricks the rest of the Louds into thinking he’s bad luck so they’ll leave him be. Unfortunately, the trick goes too far as the rest of the Louds go to extreme lengths to avoid Lincoln’s alleged “unluckiness,” including boarding up his bedroom and locking him out of the house. Worst of all, in the end, he’s forced to wear a “lucky” mascot suit for who knows how long. Yes, Lincoln shouldn’t have tried to weasel out of supporting his family, but how they treat him over some stupid superstition is just cruel. Fans universally agree how horrible this episode is and are STILL writing fanfics of it to this day.
#11: “Arthur’s Big Hit”
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“Arthur” (1996-2022) To set the scene, D.W. destroys Arthur’s model plane and acts like a callous brat about it. Arthur, in a fit of frustration, punches D.W. in the arm. Obviously, Arthur hitting his sister is wrong, but later he gets hit by Binky…. but Binky doesn’t get punished for it. Nor does D.W. for breaking Arthur’s personal property. Instead, Arthur is the ONLY one in the wrong. The episode tries to show that violence isn’t the answer to conflict, but it struggles to properly deliver the message and makes everyone involved look terrible. This episode is so hated that the infamous punch scene has since become an online meme.
#10: The Entire “American Fung” Episode
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“American Dad!” (2005-) American Fung was an experiment that just did not work. In this meta episode, “American Dad!” creator Seth MacFarlane sells the show to a Chinese businessman named Fung Wah. It’s kind of an interesting concept that could have yielded some funny scenarios, but…it didn’t. It was immediately disliked by fans and currently sits at a quite abysmal 4/10 on IMDb. Common criticisms include the purposeless inclusion of Fung Wah, the lame, repetitive jokes, and the total absence of a plot. Viewers were left staring at their TV screens in total disbelief as this bizarre and humorless event played out in front of them. And let us tell you, they weren’t very happy about it.
#9: Archer Falls Into A Coma
“Archer” (2009-) We hate to say it, but the future legacy of “Archer” could be in question. If it ended around Season 7, it may have been praised as one of the best animated shows of all time. But Seasons 8 and 9 have done significant damage to its reputation, and it all started with Archer falling into a coma. The subsequent seasons - “Dreamland” and “Danger Island,” respectively – have been fiercely criticized by the fanbase for being inconsequential. Yes, Archer’s coma has allowed the writers to experiment with different settings, time periods, and situations, but it also means that none of the onscreen events hold meaning. They’re essentially two seasons of filler, and unfunny filler at that.
#8: Garrison’s Sex Change
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“South Park” (1997-) If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the TV business throughout the years, it’s that “South Park” can survive anything. Whether it’s seemingly world-ending controversies, political enemies, or proclamations of declining quality, the show has weathered it all. Except maybe the whole Garrison thing. The sex change storyline was criticized for being lazy and clichéd, with many considering it little more than an excuse to be controversial. This is reinforced by the inclusion of graphic footage from a real sex change operation, which Trey and Matt only included because they were out of ideas. “South Park” can be intelligent and thought-provoking when it wants to be, but this was not one of those times.
#7: The “Return” of Slade
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“Teen Titans Go!” (2013-) Sometimes a show is a little too cheeky for its own good. This infamous episode began with Robin breaking the dramatic news of the evil Slade’s return. But it then cut straight to the battered Titans emerging from the tower and talking about how great the battle and associated storylines had been. As you can imagine, this royally pissed off fans, and many were quick to denounce the show’s manipulation. Others hated the episode’s message about how childish nostalgia can be. “The Return of Slade” currently sits at a 3.1/10 on IMDb, a clear indication of the utter disdain the fans have towards this episode.
#6: Scrappy-Doo
“Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo” (1979-80) When Scooby-Doo’s ratings were falling, one bold decision ended up saving our favorite meddling kids – Scrappy-Doo. Scooby’s nephew brought something fresh to the series and the show was saved…. but very soon, Scrappy overstayed his welcome. He ended up stealing his uncle’s spotlight, replaced Fred, Velma, and Daphne, and his more abrasive personality really drove people nuts. After one last appearance in “The Reluctant Werewolf” and a villainous role in the first live-action film, Scrappy was never used again outside of a few jokes about his existence. Of course, Scrappy does still have his fans, most of them feel like it’s unfair to abandon him instead of trying to make him work in the new era. What do you think?
#5: Plankton’s Drastic Attempt
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“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-) Honestly, what the heck happened to “SpongeBob SquarePants?” What was once a charming show about an eccentric sea sponge is now… whatever it is. We can think of two specific scenes that are emblematic of the show’s decline – the disgusting toenail sequence from “House Fancy,” and Plankton’s attempt on his own life in “One Coarse Meal.” The former represented an unwelcome shift to gross-out humor while the latter was something that just didn’t belong on a children’s TV show. Fans hated that Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob prayed on Plankton’s fears to this point, and harshly condemned the writers for treating a sensitive topic irresponsibly. There’s nothing like this kind of joke to get the kids laughing . . . said no one.
#4: The Introduction of Poof, Sparky & Chloe
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“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17) Introducing new characters into a beloved show is always tricky. Some, like the cherished Desmond Hume on “Lost,” become instant fan favorites. Others, like Poof, are so bad that they single handedly ruin what was once a great show. The death knell of “The Fairly OddParents” arguably rang with the Season 6 premiere “Fairly OddBaby,” which introduced fan-not-favorite Poof to the show. And things only got worse. Sparky joined the Turner family in Season 9, but was instantly hated by the fans and written out. And then Chloe was introduced in Season 10 and broke the proverbial camel’s back. A show can only withstand so much!
#3: Meeting the Great Gazoo
“The Flintstones” (1960-66) Jumping the shark is a term that represents a show’s instantaneous decline in quality, and it’s named after a scene in “Happy Days” where Fonzie literally jumps a shark on water skis. If “jumping the shark” never caught on, we could have used “meeting the Great Gazoo,” because this little, green alien effectively killed “The Flintstones.” While Gazoo wasn’t introduced until the final season and only appeared in a handful of episodes, critics immediately lambasted his inclusion for being nonsensical and stupid. Why on Earth did they decide to write an alien into the show? No one knows, and to this day it remains one of the most baffling decisions in TV history.
#2: Brian’s Death
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“Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-) Brian Griffin’s death will always have a place in the TV history books. Just not for the right reasons. The whole fiasco began with the twelfth season episode “Life of Brian.” In it, Brian is graphically mangled by a car and later dies with the tearful Griffins by his side. His surprisingly poignant death made headlines and reinvigorated mainstream interest in “Family Guy” but met with terrible ire from the show’s fanbase. IMDb was pummeled with bad reviews and a petition to bring back Brian was started on change.org. And while Brian did indeed return only two episodes later, this too received criticism, as the temporary death was considered a manipulative ratings ploy. It was a lose-lose situation.
#1: Skinner Is an Imposter
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“The Simpsons” (1989-) The weird thing about “The Simpsons’” decline is that no one can agree on when it started. Many critics point to the evil elf jockeys from Season 11’s “Saddlesore Galactica.” But mothers argue that the decline came sooner, in Season 9’s “The Principal and the Pauper.” This is the episode that reveals Seymour Skinner to be an imposter named Armin Tamzarian. Fans absolutely hated this revelation, and it’s often called the definitive end of the show’s Golden Age. Even those associated with “The Simpsons,” including Matt Groening and Harry Shearer, consider the episode to be a horrible mistake and one of the show’s worst. With this one simple storyline, a TV empire began to crumble.
