Top 20 Unexpectedly Violent Moments in Cartoons

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Unexpectedly Violent Moments in Cartoons. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most brutal scenes from animated programs that came out of nowhere. Keep in mind there will be spoilers. Which of these left your jaw on the floor? Let us know in the comments below!

#20: Pearl vs. Pearl

“Steven Universe” (2013-19)

As it turns out, Pearl still has a lot to learn about herself. Literally. After deciding to train Steven in the art of sword-fighting, she projects a hologram of herself to spar with. But, Steven is unimpressed. Pearl begins to lecture him about waiting for the right moment to strike - only to ironically be stabbed from behind by her own hologram. That Pearl may be fake, but rest assured, the wound is very real. It’s a gasp-worthy moment not just because of the brutality of it all, but also because this was supposed to be a training session. On the bright side, Pearl’s lengthy recovery teaches Steven that combat is no joke.

#19: A Close Shave

“Courage the Cowardly Dog” (1999-2002)

Admittedly, this curious canine has a real nasty habit of getting wrapped up in terrifying schemes. Case in point, the episode “Perfect” is just something else. But, somehow, Freaky Fred’s elongated smile is scarier than any monster Courage has ever gone up against. The fear factor isn’t just for show, though. As Courage soon discovers, Fred has a spine-tingling compulsion to cut hair. The poor pup is subjected to a forced shave that leaves him shivering from both cold and terror. Let’s just say it’s no surprise that this episode ends with Fred being admitted back into the so-called Home for Freaky Barbers.

#18: Slade’s Return

“Teen Titans” (2003-06)

The last Robin and the others saw of their nemesis Slade, he was melting in a pool of lava. But, shockingly, he later reappears during one of the Titans’ operations. The catch? Robin’s the only one who can see him. The other Titans can’t help but wonder if Slade is really back, or if it’s all in Robin’s head. Either way, Raven’s psychic powers confirm that, to their teammate, Slade’s presence is all-too-real. It’s some downright haunting subject matter that brings out the worst of Robin’s violent tendencies. After all, the fact that Starfire has to subdue him speaks for itself. This hair-raising episode proves that Slade is gone, but nowhere close to forgotten.

#17: Brush Your Teeth

“CatDog” (1998-2005)

A show about two domesticated pets sharing a body sounds like fun for the whole family. And, for the most part, “CatDog” totally is. But, not the episode “Teeth for Two.” In this installment, a trip to the dentist ends with both Cat and Dog realizing they can sabotage each other’s pearly whites. What follows is a series of painful and horrific acts that are all-but-guaranteed to make you wince. The images alone will have you running to the bathroom to brush your own teeth. The most jarring part is that nothing in this show’s whimsical humor will prepare you for the places this episode goes.

#16: Billy Loses His Face

“The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy” (2001-07)

It’s almost impressive that, even though this show features the Grim Reaper as a main character, he’s nowhere to be found in this ghastly scene. Instead, the culprit behind this shocker is none other than Billy and his bicycle. More specifically, his not-so-graceful crash landing. After hitting a tree on his way to a lemonade stand, Billy slides across the ground so fast, he loses both his nose and face. It all happens so fast, there’s barely any time to look away before Billy reveals his head’s mangled remains. To put it lightly, the sight is not for the faint of heart. You have to wonder if the lemonade was worth it.

#15: How Captain K’nuckles Got His Wooden Hands

“The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack” (2008-10)

The life of a pirate isn’t all sunshine and treasure hunts, and Captain K’nuckles’ is no different. Back in the day, he lost one of his hands by sticking it into a garbage disposal of sorts. He quickly commissioned a wooden prosthetic, but it ended up being for the wrong side. Naturally, the only option was cut off his remaining good hand so he’d have a full set of fake fingers. As if that surprisingly gruesome backstory isn’t bad enough, Captain K’nuckles is later tracked down by pirates and robbed of everything besides his eyeballs. After all that, not even Flapjack’s optimism can save this episode from becoming a full-on body-horror film.

#14: Lance’s Interrogation

“Sym-Bionic Titan” (2010-11)

Usually, the violence in this fighting robot series stays among, well, the robots. However, Lance has no armor to protect him when the villainous G3 organization kidnaps him and Ilana. They tie Lance up, throw him in an interrogation room, and do whatever it takes to get answers out of him - even if it means repeatedly punching him in the face. It’s one thing to see giant robots duke it out, but another entirely when Lance himself is on the other end. Even worse, the interrogators don’t spare Ilana from the pain, either. By the time they escape, the message is loud and clear: no one is safe anymore.

#13: The Justice League Goes Down

“Young Justice” (2010-13; 2019-22)

This episode wastes no time throwing you into some seriously traumatic events. In the opening scene alone, most of the Justice League is vaporized by invading aliens. Sure, it’s later revealed to be a training simulation, but that doesn’t make it any less devastating at the moment. Especially for M’Gann. Her grief is so overwhelming, she unknowingly escalates this training exercise into a nightmarish hallucination. We can’t exactly blame her, though. It’s truly painful to see so many of Earth’s heroes die in battle, particularly since we got to know most of them over the course of the season. It’s really no wonder the Young Justice team needs therapy after this.

#12: Organ Theft

“Invader Zim” (2001-02; 2006)

He may be here to conquer the planet, but this so-called invader has more luck protecting Earth than attacking it. However, when Zim is scheduled for a checkup by the school nurse, he realizes he lacks the same organs as other humans. So, in order to maintain his disguise, he takes it upon himself to start harvesting his classmates’ innards. The very thought of it is disturbing enough, but it’s even more astonishing coming from the usually-ineffective Zim. He takes his new mission very seriously, though, even treating his rival Dib to a no-holds-barred chase scene. For what it’s worth, he ends up passing his checkup with flying colors.

#11: Lars’s Death

“Steven Universe” (2013-19)

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best not to attack evil, mutant Robonoids without a helmet. Lars has to learn that lesson the hard way. Even though he wins the fight, the ensuing explosion blows him into a nearby wall. He falls to the floor with a “splat” that’s downright bone-chilling. When Steven and the others catch up to him, it’s no surprise to learn that Lars has closed his eyes for good. The whole scene is so abrupt it doesn’t even feel real. Thankfully, Steven’s magical tears ensure Lars escapes this fight with only a scar to show for it. Although, something tells us he won’t be challenging more Robonoids any time soon.

#10: Fruit Witch Is Eaten

“Adventure Time” (2010-18)

Despite its whimsical tone and art style, “Adventure Time” frequently goes to some dark places. One of its most shockingly grisly moments happens when Jake the Dog and Finn the Human go exploring their father’s dungeon. In one room, a trio of enticing witches ask Finn to “partake of the fruit.” Angry at Jake and their dad for apparently mocking him, Finn decides to do so, only for Jake to stop him; shoving the apple into one of the witch’s mouths instead. This transforms her into a giant version of the fruit, leading the other two to devour their transformed sister and leaving behind bones. Cannibalism: totally kid friendly.

#9: Riff Tamson Is Blown to Bits

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (2008-14; 2020)

Violence is pretty frequent throughout “The Clone Wars” – after all, the show takes place during a prolonged, galactic conflict. But even with that in mind, the series isn’t without some surprisingly brutal content. One story arc sees young Mon Calamari prince Lee-Char ousted from his throne after his father’s assassination leads to civil war. The shark man responsible, Riff Tamson, is eventually killed by the prince while attempting to retake his planet. Tamson is killed with his own explosive daggers – and although it happens off-screen, his burned, severed head is shown soon after. Pretty graphic stuff.

#8: The Earth Queen Runs Out of Breath

“The Legend of Korra” (2012-14)

Given that it’s aimed at a teenage or even adult audience, “The Legend of Korra” has more instances of violence than most of our other entries. While it was tempting to choose the deaths of Tarrlok and Aman from Season 1, we went with this moment from two seasons later. The tyrannical Earth Queen is more of a hindrance than a help to Korra and company, but it’s still shocking and disturbing when the airbender anarchist Zaheer uses his powers to asphyxiate the monarch by pulling their air out of her lungs. Yikes!

#7: Enzo Loses an Eye

“ReBoot” (1994-2001)

This early computer-generated show – fittingly themed around computer programs – may have initially been more bright and kid-friendly, but it grew darker and more serious as it went on. This is best exemplified in an episode where Enzo Matrix, the show’s former designated kid sidekick (and later, older badass), enters a game parodying the “Mortal Kombat” series. Despite some disturbing, fatality-like defeats, the real kicker is when Enzo loses an eye during one of his matches. As violent as kids’ programming can sometimes get, the permanent loss of a body part is still something shows like these rarely delve into.

#6: SpongeBob Is Beaten up From the Inside

“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)

This long-running cartoon has featured plenty of surprisingly violent and gross moments over the years, but our pick has to go to one of the most one-sided fights in the series. After finding Mermaid Man’s utility belt, SpongeBob gets into immediate trouble after accidentally shrinking Squidward. Unable to find a way to reverse its effects and not wanting word to get back to the superhero, the yellow sponge boy ends up shrinking nearly all his friends and the townsfolk of Bikini Bottom. Out of revenge, they go inside his body and attack his organs. Even if they work things out, we’d be hard-pressed to forget that kind of trauma.

#5: Beating Up Mojo Jojo

“The Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005)

The Powerpuff Girls may have been made with sugar, spice, and everything nice, but that doesn’t mean everything they do is just as kind. One episode sees them hooked on candy to such a degree that they agree to work with their archenemy Mojo Jojo because the Mayor will reward them with sweets. However, when their green, large-brained nemesis steals the Mayor’s candy jar, the usually wonderful girls beat Mojo Jojo senseless; leaving his brain visible, his teeth cracked, and several of his limbs visibly broken. After a beating like that, it’s a wonder the intelligent ape ever challenges them again!

#4: Shuffling Orifices

“Gravity Falls” (2012-16)

Already more adult and violent than most Disney shows, “Gravity Falls” really goes all out with its three-part finale, “Weirdmageddon.” This sees the show’s demonic, triangular nemesis, Bill Cipher, invade the titular town with bizarre, extra-dimensional forces to enslave the world and make everyone playthings for his sadistic glee. While nearly everything Bill does elicits some kind of horror, one of his most creative and disturbing acts is to shuffle the orifices in the face of local smarmy rich man, Preston Northwest. It’s a brief moment, but this kind of body horror in a cartoon is pretty shocking nonetheless.

#3: Kitty Attacks Courage

“Courage the Cowardly Dog” (1999-2002)

Already heavily influenced by the horror genre, “Courage the Cowardly Dog” is a show that’s no stranger to unexpected violence – for example, the title character’s dodgeball match to the death, or his owner being decapitated. However, our pick goes to the moment when a masked visitor to the farm, who happens to be a cat in disguise, attacks Courage. First beating him to a pulp with a sink, she then continues to repeatedly assault him. Despite his cowardice, Courage usually manages to escape the worst of the dangers he faces. But this time, he faces several grim – if cartoony – assaults.

#2: Bloodbending

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08)

“The Legend of Korra’s” predecessor pushed boundaries for what kids’ cartoons could be. While there were several notably violent moments in the show’s run, one of the most visceral occurs when Team Avatar investigates a town in the Fire Nation where residents are disappearing. As it turns out, the culprit is a waterbender, who has learned how to manipulate the water in people’s blood to control their movements like a puppet master. The loss of control of one’s body is a profoundly disturbing concept, and the jerking movements made by those being controlled only add to the creep factor.

#1: Bugs Bunny Straight up Murders a Guy

“Looney Tunes” (1930-69)

The “Looney Tunes” franchise is known for its cartoon violence, with characters regularly receiving comically brutal injuries that would kill them in real life. However, one of the most unsettling moments of violence happens to someone we can’t even see. One short sees Bugs Bunny playing a concert on a piano. As he’s about to perform, an audience member coughs loudly. When it happens a second time, Bugs pulls out a gun and shoots him. There isn’t a yell or sound from him or the rest of the audience – that man is definitely dead! Gee, ain’t he a stinker?