Top 10 Unexpectedly Dark Moments in Kids' TV Shows

When Raven and Chelsea apply to the same job at a store, the latter secures the gig despite Raven clearly being more qualified. The reason for Chelsea getting the job is shown during a psychic vision where the manager reveals her racist hiring practices. Most of the time, “That’s So Raven” is filled with wacky comic adventures and goofy situations. But the show also addresses serious issues — though perhaps many didn’t expect racism to be tackled. Though it’s unexpected, it’s an important topic worth exploring. While the gang gets things sorted in the end, it’s a sobering depiction of issues that are unfortunately still common today.

Who knew that something as sweet as chocolate could turn sour? In this episode from “Hey Arnold”, Chocolate Boy is picked on by other school kids. During the hazing, his love for the treat gets put to the test. The kids push him to do humiliating tasks in order to get it all while laughing at him. It gets so bad that they eventually start throwing the candies at him like they’re pennies. This moment is both cruel for the treatment of Chocolate Boy and highlights the awful situation he’s in. The episode as a whole also sees the character getting to the root of his problem. It could be interpreted as a pretty close mirror to substance use disorder.

Though “Steven Universe” is mostly lighthearted, it’s never been afraid to delve into serious topics, and this moment is no exception. In “Alone at Sea”, Lapis and Steven spend time together on a boat trip after she is no longer fused to Jasper. Though their fusion as Malachite was pretty disastrous, Lapis reveals that she actually misses Jasper. But when the latter shockingly arrives, conflict quickly follows. The situation shines a light on the all-too real problems of dysfunctional, toxic relationships. While Lapis recognizes how horrible of a partner Jasper was, she also felt a sense of power in their fusion. Her feelings are complex and the intensity of the moment just shows the messiness of the trauma and emotional manipulation she’s endured.

Reeling from his breakup with Topanga, Cory decides to get wasted while at a party. But this choice ends up having dire consequences when he gets Shawn drunk in the process as well. The latter then begins to spiral into an entire week of drinking, and naturally, everyone grows worried. When his girlfriend Angela tries taking him elsewhere, he reacts by angrily shoving her. It’s a dark moment that makes Shawn see the error of his ways. However, it’s disappointing that the realization came at the expense of his girlfriend. While he thankfully gets help later, it’s a sad scene to watch unfold.

The written word is a powerful way to share complex emotions and intense feelings. In fact, those sorts of things bubble up to the surface in an episode called “And She Was Gone”. Ginger writes a poem for a school contest, but the story isn’t exactly cheery. It’s about a girl who wants to escape from the world. The bleak piece gains the attention of her teacher, fellow classmates, and later a psychologist who think Ginger might be depressed. It’s a brilliant portrayal of her emotional frustrations. But even though it’s a somber poem, her mom notably still ends up seeing the beauty in it. Mental health is a sensitive subject, especially for a kids cartoon, but the episode explores it wonderfully.

Things are bleak in “Speed Demon.” The episode sees the Powerpuff Girls accidentally travel fifty years into an apocalyptic future where Townsville has been permanently changed. To say that the place is in bad shape would be an understatement. It’s completely destroyed and in the chaos has been taken over by the notoriously nightmarish villain Him. The citizens who live under his tyrannical rule are shells of their former selves. If that isn’t bad enough, they all begin to blame the girls for abandoning them. It’s a haunting future with an unsettling tone that terrifies the girls and shapes up to be one of the show’s darkest moments.

Just because the big bad of this series is suspected to be dead doesn’t mean he isn’t still a threat. In “Haunted”, Robin struggles with hallucinations that lead him to believe that Slade is alive. The paranoia makes him a volatile threat to both himself and his teammates, which culminates in a moment where he gets strapped down to a bed and put on surveillance. Given the nature of superhero shows, this cartoon was expected to cross into some dark territories. In fact, the very next episode is essentially about Raven getting gaslit by a villain. Still, representing such trauma, even though there ends up being an explanation, is next level. The mere idea of Slade’s existence is torture. Some wounds are hard to heal.

When the tiny toons gang get their hands on some beer, it leads to disastrous results. Honestly, that description doesn’t do this moment justice, because it’s far darker if you really think about it. It shouldn’t take an expert to see how a portrayal of kids consuming alcohol and then driving can be problematic! Even though the moment is meant to serve as a PSA against underage drinking, there probably could’ve been some more tasteful ways to go about it. Whether you agree with the approach or not though, there’s no denying it’s heavy stuff for any show, let alone a cartoon like “Tiny Toon Adventures.”

Usually, SpongeBob gets into a little bit of mischief here and there. But then sometimes he and Mr. Krabs have to make a dead body go away? When Krabs mistakenly thinks that the health inspector is a scammer, he tries teaching him a lesson with his fry cook’s help. That leads the pair to think they’ve committed murder, and they try disposing of the body. It’s morbid stuff. The inspector isn’t actually dead, but the pair’s stupidity could’ve led to his demise. You know, this show is really not as squeaky clean as we thought. Remember that time Squidward’s loneliness pushed him to the brink? Or how about the time his unhappiness leads to a seriously concerning spiral? Yeah, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

In hindsight, maybe an entire sitcom revolving around dinosaurs was a bad idea. Sure, you can pull off a lot of comedic moments but ultimately, these creatures are just destined for extinction. Indeed, that moment of total annihilation happens in “Changing Nature.” After an evil corporation wipes out an entire species of bugs, main character Earl gets involved. Unfortunately, all he does is contribute to making the situation more dire — like, end-of-the-entire-world dire. With the destruction of Earth’s ecology, “Dinosaurs” ends with these characters essentially left to die. There’s lots of ways to wrap up a kids show, but a massive environmental disaster is an inspired choice. And by inspired, we mean, incredibly depressing!

Is there a dark moment we completely spaced out on? Keep us posted in the comments!