Top 10 Best Daffy Duck Cartoons

Each Warner Bros. director put their own spin on Daffy. Robert McKimson often cast him as a swindler, taking advantage of Porky in “The Prize Pest” and “Dime to Retire.” He’d also don a slick salesman persona in cartoons like “Design for Leaving,” which stands out due to Daffy’s pairing with Elmer Fudd. Usually, Daffy finds himself at Elmer’s mercy. In this case, it’s Daffy who targets the hunter, but not with a rifle. From the second Elmer opens his door, Daffy bombards him with rapid-fire salesmanship, not taking no for an answer. Adorning Elmer’s house with chaotic gadgets, the short finds Daffy at his most relentless, but also his most charismatic with Mel Blanc giving one of his most dynamic performances as the character.

Of all the Termite Terrace directors, Bob Clampett might’ve had the looniest eye for comedy. With Daffy arguably being the looniest Looney Tune, he was a natural fit for Clampett. “Baby Bottleneck” would go down as one of Clampett’s most unhinged Daffy cartoons. Daffy might not be a stork, but he joins the delivery business with Porky. The premise leads to some cheeky one-liners, one of which proved too edgy for the Hays Office. It’s in the visual humor where the cartoon shines the most, unleashing a literal assembly line of gags. After Daffy and Porky get into an argument about sitting on an egg, they find themselves on the assembly line, leading to a finale that takes the insanity into overdrive.

In their earlier pairings, Daffy was usually billed as Porky’s sidekick. By the time “Drip-Along Daffy” came along, the duck had firmly asserted himself as the star. The cartoon’s opening title card spells this out for us. Even then, Porky found a way to steal the spotlight back. Porky seems content with letting Daffy go up against an outlaw named Nasty Canasta, whose tiny legs hilariously shouldn’t be able to support his massive upper body. Setting us up for a “High Noon” showdown, the short culminates in a classic anticlimax that sees Porky save the day. Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, this cartoon gets to the root of Porky and Daffy’s dynamic with the latter being the true comedic relief.

For a while, Daffy was a source of anarchy with little to lose. While still maintaining his eccentric persona, “Draftee Daffy” tapped into what would become a defining character trait: the need for self-preservation. With World War II ongoing, Daffy is all about patriotism until The Little Man from the Draft Board - no seriously, that’s his name - comes knocking. With geeky glasses, a onesie ensemble, and a slow manner of speaking, the Draft Board Man is among the least intimidating “Looney Tunes” characters. This only adds to the humor as Daffy runs rampant around the house, inexplicably encountering the Little Man around every turn. Bob Clampett once again brings his lightning-speed timing to the table with Daffy sending himself to Hell and back again.

Bugs is the winner we all like to see ourselves as, but in reality, we’re probably closer to Daffy. Few shorts better exemplify their rivalry than “Show Biz Bugs,” directed by Friz Freleng with a story from Warren Foster. Challenging the rabbit for top-billing, Daffy receives nothing but crickets while Bugs absorbs the applause. Getting himself cut in half and blowing off his beak in pursuit of attention, this is Daffy at his greediest and most self-destructive. Yet, a part of us still wants to see him come out on top. He does, but at a price that serves as both a victory and a loss. The ending delivers a perfect punchline that needs no encore… even if Daffy could give one.

No Looney Tune demands to be taken seriously more than Daffy. What better way to present himself in a dignified light than by casting himself as a swashbuckling hero in an epic? Daffy presents his skyscraper-sized script to Jack Warner, or “J.L.” as he casually calls him. Sidenote, Daffy’s middle name is “Dumas?” While Daffy takes center stage, he casts his fellow Looney Tunes in supporting roles. This results in several rare pairings. It’s among the few times we see Daffy with Sylvester and one of Melissa Duck’s only appearances. It also allows these characters to play against type with Porky as a villain and Daffy sporting multiple masks. It’s a standard seven minutes, but we’d totally watch the feature-length version Daffy pitches.

Daffy goes from playing the Scarlet Pumpernickel to channeling Errol Flynn again in “Robin Hood Daffy.” Just because Daffy wears the green outfit doesn’t automatically make him the king of the outlaws. He needs to convince Friar Porky, as well as the audience. To prove himself, Daffy engages in all of the typical Robin Hood activities, continually missing his mark. The funniest bit finds Daffy swinging from tree to tree. Speaking of which, the backgrounds are some of the most visually pleasing in any Chuck Jones cartoon, but that doesn’t take away from the pain Daffy experiences. We never learn whether Daffy really is Robin Hood or if he just desperately wanted people to think he was. Either way, he changes professions by the end.

Duck Dodgers may be Daffy’s most famous alter ego, headlining this Buck Rogers sendup. Aesthetically, “Duck Dodgers” is one of Chuck Jones’ most ambitious shorts. Maurice Noble’s layouts and Philip DeGuard’s backgrounds envision a polished yet appropriately looney future. It’s the character dynamics that propel this cartoon to one of the all-time greats, however. Daffy once again fills the egotistically incompetent leader role while Porky’s Eager Young Space Cadet is the true brains of the operation. Marvin the Martian also serves as a terrific comedic foil in a space race that ironically destroys Planet X. “Duck Dodgers” would inspire follow-up shorts and a TV series, but the original remains the “Star Wars” of Golden Age cartoons. It was even a favorite of George Lucas’.

Before there was Duck Dodgers, there was Duck Twacy, a parody of Dick Tracy. “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” demonstrates Bob Clampett’s tendency to go the extra mile. When Daffy receives a comic book in the mail, the cartoon could’ve just jumped to him opening the first page. Instead, he excitedly zooms across a sunlit hill before diving in. Every second that goes by, Clampett’s unit packs in as much detail and humor as possible. The premise surrounding a stolen piggy bank might be silly, but the crew brings a surprisingly hardboiled ambiance to the short through the backgrounds and the inventive designs of Duck Twacy’s foes. It’s some of the most creative imagery in any “Looney Tune,” as well as some of the funniest.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Porky’s Duck Hunt” (1937)
In His Official Debut, Daffy Stole the Show from Porky

“The Daffy Doc” (1938)
Daffy Doesn’t Get Daffier Than This


“The Abominable Snow Rabbit” (1961)
What Comes to Mind Whenever We Meet Someone Named George

“Hollywood Daffy” (1946)
Daffy Encounters a Cavalcade of Celebrity Caricatures

“Porky Pig’s Feat” (1943)
A Rare Golden Age Cartoon Where Daffy, Porky, & Bugs Share the Screen

“Duck Amuck” isn’t just the best Daffy cartoon. It’s a shimmering example of what animation can do, which is everything. In under seven minutes, Daffy becomes a musketeer, a farmer, and… whatever this is. He finds himself at the mercy of a mysterious animator, who can’t seem to settle on a background or scenario. While the Looney Tunes regularly broke the fourth wall, this cartoon broke down barriers in ways that the audience never experienced before. Chuck Jones might’ve been too ahead of the curve, hence why “Duck Amuck” shockingly wasn’t nominated for an Oscar. However, 1,000 professionals would rank it the second greatest cartoon of all time. It finished just behind a Bugs Bunny cartoon, which is fitting considering how “Duck Amuck” ends.

What’s your favorite Daffy cartoon? Let us know in the comments!