Top 10 Best Animaniacs Characters

Rita is a sassy, independent kitty roaming the streets alongside her best friend Runt – a very dimwitted dog who’s as loyal as they come. While Runt isn’t the smartest pooch, Rita still sticks by him because, underneath her cool, detached demeanor lies a caring soul hoping to find a good home. Of course, Rita’s most notable trait is her singing – at least once in almost every sketch, she needs to belt out a song straight out of Broadway –thanks to the musical talent of her actress, Bernadette Peters. Sadly, after Season One, Rita and Runt rarely ever appeared again and were reduced to supporting or background characters, but it’s hard to forget the feline with the golden voice.

It’s not pretty being her. Minerva is a drop-dead gorgeous mink who can freeze men in their tracks just by walking past them. She is mostly snobby, using her beauty as a means to get what she wants or to avoid danger from predators. However, not even she can resist going nuts when she sees a handsome fellow –or a priceless diamond. Unfortunately, Minerva was a little TOO pretty; she was deemed too mature for the target audience, and thus served as a background character with only two solo sketches to her name. While her time in the spotlight was short-lived, she made the most out of it and still holds a place in our hearts.

#8: The Goodfeathers

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One of the more sophisticated sketches of the original series featured a trio of Italian-American pigeons calling themselves the Goodfeathers. Bobby is the coolheaded leader, Pesto is the ill-tempered hothead, and Squit acts as the hopeless newcomer/occasional episode narrator. Every day, these birds take to the streets looking for food and to show what tough birds they are… only to end up splattered. Obviously, the three are direct parodies of the three leading characters of “Goodfellas”, and most of their episodes are kid-friendly spoofs of the Mafia movie genre –made even funnier by their boss being the “Godpigeon.” Though luck’s rarely on their side, at least the Goodfeathers will always have each other… for better or worse.

#7: Dr. Otto von Scratchansniff

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Whenever anyone at Warner Bros. has a meltdown, they pay a visit to the studio’s “P. Sychiatrist”, Dr. Scratchansniff. Unfortunately, there are three patients that this Austrian doctor is incapable of fixing – the Warners. Poor Scratchy is almost always the butt of the Warners’ zany antics, and ends up being driven insane himself –how do you think he ended up going bald? Despite how much they love messing with him, the Warners have a soft spot for dear old Scratchy, and vice versa. Who knows, with Scratchansniff’s return in the reboot, maybe he’ll finally have a chance to get the jump on the Warners for a change.

Yes, believe it or not, that IS her name. Nurse is the studio’s medic and arguably the most beautiful woman on the show. She’s the object of Yakko and Wakko’s affection and the inspiration behind the iconic catchphrase and running gag. However, she’s more than just a gorgeous face – she’s also a multi-talented genius who’s shown to have more occupations than just being a medic, making her one of the most versatile characters in the show. Unfortunately, the only thing Nurse can’t do is make a full comeback in the reboot, which is sad as she could’ve easily been the new CEO at Warner Brothers’ if she wanted to be.

Word of warning – call her “Dottie” and you’re as good as dead. Dot is the youngest and only Warner sister, and the self-appointed “cute” one. Many are powerless against her adorableness, and she relishes every minute of it. While she’s arguably the more stable of the siblings, she’s still got her overdramatic, aggressive moments, and she’s not afraid to bring the hammer down on her brothers –literally. Nevertheless, she happily joins them in spreading the zaniness across the Warner movie lot and the globe, and she adds a little touch of cuteness and sassiness to the mix. This transitions well into the reboot where she’ll step up as leader whenever the need arises.

Meet the crankiest critter in the whole wide world. Voiced by series writer Sherri Stoner, Slappy Squirrel used to be a fictitious “Looney Tunes” star, but is now retired and living with her cheerful nephew, Skippy. She’s been around the block when it comes to comedy and absolutely despises how soft today’s cartoons are. Despite her age, Slappy is a pro when it comes to cartoon violence, and stays one step ahead of boneheaded villains, annoying neighbors, and even obnoxious critics. Aside from looking out for Skippy, Slappy isn’t too concerned about others’ safety and will happily blow up anyone who annoys or antagonizes her as long as it’s funny. After all, what’s comedy without some serious pain?

#3: Pinky and the Brain

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These two bounce off each other so well, we HAD to place them together. Pinky is a slim, cockney-speaking dimwit, while Brain is a squat, Orson Welles-inspired genius with dreams of world domination. Every night, these two genetically-enhanced lab mice concoct a harebrained scheme to take over the world, only to fail miserably –either due to Pinky’s incompetence, or Brain’s lack of foresight. While they’re as different as night and day, they’re an inseparable duo that cares for one another despite their blunders –and Brain’s temper. Their sketch became so popular with fans that the duo got two of their very own spin-off series, and a guaranteed return in the Hulu reboot.

Heavily inspired by Harpo Marx, Wakko is the middle Warner sibling and is easily the most optimistic and zaniest of the three. Along with his funny Liverpudlian accent, he’s also a master of prop comedy thanks to his magic bag of gags. He also has a MASSIVE appetite for anything and everything –edible or not, and is deadly afraid of clowns –not that we blame him. Wakko may not be the brightest bulb, and may suffer from “middle kid syndrome”, but it’s hard not to love this weird little doofus, especially when he’s able to belch classical music with no effort. Leave it to Wakko to turn lowbrow humor into first-class comedy. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Francis "Pip" Pumphandle Mr. Director The Flame Ralph T. Guard Skippy Squirrel

Taking the number one spot is the eldest and self-appointed leader of the Warner Brothers. As his name implies, Yakko is the talkative one of the trio, armed with biting sarcasm and smart-alecky comebacks –and pointing out the series’ innuendoes with his iconic “Goodnight, everybody” catchphrase. He also has a bit of an obsession with girls like any boy at his age –of course, Yakko takes it to a zany new level. It’s possible he may have some insecurities, but he definitely hides them well and still remains, in our eyes, one of the funniest and most iconic characters in the franchise. Plus, who else can teach us about the nations of the world in a catchy song?