Top 10 Secret Cartoon Network Easter Eggs

“Adventure Time” was one of Cartoon Network’s best shows. Its perfect blend of humor, loveable characters, and deep lore made us want to stop whatever we were doing and tune in. Animated characters seem to love the show as much as we do. On the offbeat comedy “Clarence,” a character named Chad tunes into “Adventure Time” while on a camping trip. Over on another offbeat comedy called “We Bare Bears,” a student named Chloe uses the show as background noise while working on her homework. After catching these adventurous Easter eggs, we know exactly what to binge-watch next.

You don’t have to be Detective Pikachu to uncover this Pokémon reference. During an episode of “Kids Next Door,” the young operatives plan an attack on adult coffee shops. When the camera stops on the crowd, we see a child with a red hat, green backpack, and blue and black clothing scheme. His outfit is identical to Ash Ketchum’s iconic clothes from the beginning of the original anime series. This kid in the crowd is either excellent at cosplay or the bona fide Pokémon trainer himself. If it is really Ash, the other operatives will want to know how he stayed 10-years-old for 20 plus years.

Over the years, the Hanna-Barbera company has created a huge roster of animated characters. “I Am Weasel” used a fraction of them for hilarious cameos. In the “I Am My Lifetime” episode, elderly versions of I.M. Weasel and I.R. Baboon are now living in separate nursing homes. Weasel lives with a gray Johnny Quest and balding Dexter. Meanwhile, baboon hangs in a home with an aging Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm. We also see an asylum for old villains that features Ranger Smith from “Yogi Bear” and the red guy from “Cow and Chicken.” The slew of cameos was a great way to showcase Hanna-Barbera’s legendary history.

When Dexter gets tired of working on groundbreaking inventions, he can always unwind by playing with his toys. The best action figure in his collection doubles as an awesome Easter egg. While Dexter’s Dad is cleaning his son’s room, you can spot a “Samurai Jack” toy on the shelf. The action figure comes complete with his trademark sword and a permanent frown. It’s a shame the real Jack never met Dexter while he was trapped in the future. The little scientist probably could’ve built the samurai a time machine in a single afternoon.

If you were making a list of the most iconic Christmas specials of all time, you’d have to include Charlie Brown. The animated “Peanuts” special is full of sweet moments and memorable scenery. “Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” paid homage to the famous cartoon during their own Christmas special. While Mac is struggling to get in the Christmas spirit, he walks by an award-winning dog house decorated with Christmas lights and a sad-looking Christmas tree. Upon closer inspection, it’s clearly meant to be Snoopy’s doghouse and Charlie’s small tree. While the two Christmas specials are wildly different, both end with their main characters rediscovering their holiday spirit.

The Kids Next Door need resourceful and clever agents to defeat their adult foes. Between his insane smarts and young age, Dexter would be an ideal recruit. While we don’t know if the scientist ever joined, he still got a sizable cameo on their show. During the “Operation: U.N.C.O.O.L.” episode, an operative escapes from nerd zombies in an emergency blimp. When it launches, a large balloon version of Dexter springs out of the top. Although the balloon deflates quickly, the design shows a lot of potential. If stopping adults doesn’t work out, the kids could build balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Outside of Adult Swim, you wouldn’t expect a “South Park” reference on Cartoon Network. Yet, the “Powerpuff Girls” pulled off an innocent and hilarious gag in an early episode. When Blossom is thrown into a pile of clothes, she emerges looking like the foul-mouthed Eric Cartman. Instead of swearing, she throws out a quick “seriously“ to shout out one of his many catchphrases. Hopefully, a greater awareness of this wardrobe gag will pave the way for the long-awaited “South Park” and “Powerpuff Girls” team-up episode. After all, Cartman already has a superhero costume. Let’s see if he can take Mojo Jojo.

“Teen Titans Go!” doesn’t always rely on subtle gags, but it set up a few sneaky bonuses for Batman fans in the “Sidekick” episode. If you look next to the picture of Batman & Robin, you’ll see an entire bookcase of Easter eggs. There’s the evil Scarface dummy, bandages previously worn by Batman foe Hush, the beauty cream that made Clayface, and Mr. Freeze’s entire head. The darkest trophies are a crowbar next to an urn that says Robin II. Those items reference the time Joker beat Jason Todd’s Robin with a crowbar before blowing him up. That’s awful bleak for a show that normally jokes about waffles.

One of the most bizarre characters on “The Powerpuff Girls” is the talking dog. Despite being mostly in the background, he managed to get himself featured on a dog food billboard in Townsville. The same ad is later seen on “Samurai Jack.” After Jack is flung into the distant future by the evil Aku, he walks through a barren wasteland with talking dogs. When they point out artifacts they’ve uncovered, the same dog food billboard can be seen. Wait. If the two shows take place in the same universe, does that mean the girls were defeated by Jack’s nemesis Aku? Geez, and we thought the Robin reference was dark.





Before we uncover our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.

“The Big Lebowski” Character Cameos

“Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” (2004-09)


George Jetson
“Powerpuff Girls” (1998-2005)



Ice King
“Regular Show” (2010-17)

Powerpuff Girls Poster
“Courage the Cowardly Dog” (1999-2002)



Ed, Edd n Eddy
“Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” (2004-09)

Even a boy genius like Dexter needs to start his education somewhere. He just so happened to have some extraordinary kindergarten classmates. In the “Powerpuff Bluff” episode, Dexter can be spotted sleeping next to the girls during their school naptime. He appears in several other episodes as either a bystander or a doll. His sister Dee-Dee and her imaginary friend also receive brief appearances of their own. These cameos might’ve been suggested by Genndy Tartakovsky, who created “Dexter’s Lab” before working on “Powerpuff Girls.” Thanks to him and his fellow animators, we may have only scratched the surface of Easter eggs on the channel.