Top 20 Best Cartoons You Forgot Existed

“With the Strength of Ra!” Remember this animated series about ancient Egyptian mummies? After Scarab kills Prince Rapses, he reawakens in the modern world on his quest to find Presley – who now has Rapses’ spirit – so he can become immortal. Luckily, 12-year-old Presley is protected by a group of dedicated mummies: Ja-Kal, Rath, Armon, and Nefer-Tina. Different Egyptian gods and spirits appeared in the short-lived show like Anubis, Set, Geb, and Apep, with each mummy paired with a god in order to fight evil. Unfortunately, it was cancelled after its first season due to low ratings, but with 42 episodes to go through, this gem is worth re-discovering.

Filmation knew a thing or two about making entertaining sci-fi shows; however, very few remember the very last cartoon it ever produced – BraveStarr. A Kerium rush has brought colonists to the far-off planet of New Texas, and most of them are villainous. Fortunately, Marshal BraveStarr and Thirty/Thirty are there to keep the peace. If he’s ever in a jam, BraveStarr can call on the power of the spirit animals to amp up his game. Like most series at the time, BraveStarr offered morals that anyone at any age can learn, with some lessons hitting harder than others. Unfortunately, it couldn’t measure up to shows like He-Man; and after one last origin film, both the show and Filmation were shut down for good.

During his time on Danger Mouse, Count Duckula always dreamed of having his own show. He finally got his wish in 1988 with his very own spin-off… or at least some form of him did. It turns out that the Count actually comes from a long dynasty of vicious vampire ducks; but unlike his villainous predecessor, this new descendent is a vegetarian pacifist with ketchup for blood. Longtime Danger Mouse viewers enjoyed this series for its smart humor and hilarious concept – a vegetarian vampire, how is that NOT funny? Sadly, the fun couldn’t last forever, and the count had to be put to rest from the airwaves. However, like the rest of his dynasty, he will always make a comeback in showbiz.

Many remember Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, but few remember the series that premiered on the same day. Welcome to the Land of Wuz, home of the Wuzzles – strange creatures that are a mix of two different animals. Each Wuzzle has its own “split personality,” from bumblelions – half bumblebees and half lion– to eleroos– half elephant and half kangaroo. And each episode follows the fantastic adventures of these strange hybrid creatures. In addition to its smooth animation, this show offered some very sweet and fun stories that the whole family could enjoy. While its first season was a success, its time on the air was cut short after the tragic death of Bill Scott – the voice of Moosel.

Though we can’t see them, there are wild and creepy monsters lurking among us – from prankster gods to money-hungry mummies. Luckily there’s Juniper Lee to keep the balance between the human and magic worlds. Unfortunately, keeping peace between worlds doesn’t help with our sassy protector’s school or social life; but somehow she keeps things flowing. This rare gem has been described as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Simpsons;” and although it’s a fantasy story, it was never afraid to make fun of itself. The ratings were not on the show’s side however, and after three seasons, Juniper Lee left the airwaves. Who keeps the two worlds balanced now?

Hanna-Barbera-produced cartoons have a solid track record, and this program is no exception. The insidious Dark Water substance is destroying the fictional world of Mer, and only the Thirteen Treasures of Rule can free the planet. Knowing this, Prince Ren and his crew sail off to find these hidden treasures and save their world; the only thing standing in their way is the evil pirate lord, Bloth. Pirates of Dark Water stuck out among other toons of the time with its swashbuckling premise and grit. Tragically, the adventure ended on a cliffhanger; with only eight treasures found, and the Dark Water undefeated.

What would happen if the dinosaurs suddenly returned after years of extinction? A savage future where nature’s gone wild and only the strong can survive, that’s what. Based on the Xenozoic Tales comics, the series follows Jack Tenrec and his crew of mechanics as they struggle for survival in this untamed land, while also facing corrupt politicians and merciless poachers. This series was definitely ahead of its time; in addition to being well-written and animated, the story tackled some very deep environmental issues, like crooked governors who hate nature for taking their world, and freedom fighters who want to make peace with nature. Despite its cult following, the show ended after only 13 episodes with no renewal plans.

In the faraway Aniverse, an empire of toads controlled by a rogue computer program threatens the galaxy and plans to turn every animal into slaves. However, Captain Bucky O'Hare and his crew of The Righteous Indignation are ready to croak those toads with the help of their new human engineer, Willy. Based on the Continuity Comics series, this well-animated toon explored a vast and expanding universe of animals while following an intense story arc about intergalactic war. Sadly, it only lasted 13 episodes on the air; but at least it ended with a major victory for the funky green rabbit.

Chicks dig giant robots, and so do we. 1000 years in the future, Earth is at war with the alien forces of the Glorft; and the only hope for humanity is a giant time-traveling robot called MEGAS. Unfortunately, it travels too far into the past… and gets discovered and modified by two slackers, Coop and Jamie. Now Commander Kiva must train the two primitives to pilot MEGAS and defeat the Glorft for good. The pilot first aired as part of a contest to see which show Cartoon Network would greenlight, and audiences LOVED this action comedy. Sadly, there wasn’t much love when it came to the ratings, prompting its unfortunate cancellation. However, longtime fans still have hope for a revival.

This Toon Disney classic was all about the fun of living for the weekend. Our four favorite seventh graders, Tino, Lor, Carver, and Tish, took on Bahia Bay from Monday to Friday as they powered through school and dealt with everything that comes along with being in junior high, while getting into all sorts of crazy adventures come Saturday. Viewers were entertained at all times, whether it was watching these friends hit up always-changing pizza joint, the arcade, or a museum that gives away interesting free samples. Despite its positive reviews and ratings, it was cancelled after 4 seasons, but it’s definitely worth re-discovering– especially to pump you up for the weekend!

You may have forgotten this animated show, but we’ve gotta ask: how could you forget the perpetually unlucky Sharon Spitz? The brace-faced junior high school student experienced the ups and downs– well, mostly downs– of being a teenage girl, regularly getting herself caught in embarrassing situations. Along with her pals Maria, Connor, Alden and Brock, she would often go up against queen bee Nina Harper, but thankfully her friends always had her back. It may have only lasted for three seasons, but it was funny and relatable, and with Alicia Silverstone serving as both executive producer and the voice of Sharon, we wish this often-forgotten show had never left us.

How do you make dinosaurs more awesome than they already are? You equip them with futuristic artillery, team them up with aliens, and place them in the middle of a war, duh! Considering the “Star Wars” meets “Jurassic Park” premise, it’s peculiar that “Dino-Riders” only lasted 14 episodes. While it primarily existed to sell toys, this cartoon really epitomized every imaginative little kid’s dream by not only including dinosaurs, but also spaceships, lasers, and time travel too. Heck, it even had Frank Welker doing his Dr. Claw voice as the villainous Krulos!

One thing you might have noticed about late 80’s and early 90’s cartoons: a lot of them sounded like 50’s B-movies targeted at kids. One of the most notable examples was “Biker Mice From Mars”– just try to say that title out loud without giggling a little. Although the idea of biker mice Martians named Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie may seem like a random combination, these elements went together better than crackers and cheese. With self-aware humor, creative characters, and colorful action, this sci-fi action cartoon knew exactly how to appease the Saturday morning crowd.

It might sound like a “Ninja Turtles” rip-off, but “Samurai Pizza Cats” was actually an English adaptation of an anime series. Reworked with new dialog for its US release, the show played out like the most ludicrous anime ever meets “Animaniacs.” It never stopped to take a breather as pop-culture references and rapid-talking characters zoomed by every second. Just watching one episode made you feel like you were on a sugar high, making “Samurai Pizza Cats” the perfect show to go with a bowl of unhealthy cereal.

The J-pop group Puffy AmiYumi is immensely popular in Japan, but did you know they had their own animated series in America? Created by Sam Register, a fan of the real-life group, this series follows the hilarious misadventures of our cartoon rock stars as they tour the world to perform rocking music and bring J-pop coolness around the globe. This long-lost comedy took a lot of inspiration from Japanese culture; even the voice actresses – Janice Kawaye and Grey DeLisle - can speak fluent-Japanese. The real-life AmiYumi made live-action appearances throughout the series, and even provided some of the songs. Sadly, even though it increased Cartoon Network’s audience, CN pulled the series’ plug in 2006, and that was that.

“Darkwing Duck” essentially took all the adventure, wit, and imagination of “DuckTales” and put them in a superhero setting. What distinguished the cartoon from all the other comedic superhero shows at the time was its title character, who managed to be lovable despite being an egomaniac. The self-centered Darkwing maintained a strong moral center through his plucky daughter Gosalyn, bumbling sidekick Launchpad, and on-again, off-again girlfriend Morgana in a never-ending pursuit to take on the incredibly inventive villains that plague the city of St. Canard. While we haven’t gotten a reboot yet, a new comic series featuring the beloved duck was released in January 2023, so there’s still hope.

Believe it or not, kids, there was a time when CGI-animation was considered innovative. “ReBoot” was the first television series to be completely rendered through computers and it put the technology to great use. This high-tech show had all the thrills of a video game, with delightful characters and a unique world of its own. Although some of the animation might be dated by today’s standards, “ReBoot” remains a significant stepping-stone between “Tron” and the CGI renaissance started by “Toy Story.” While "Reboot" did receive a spinoff in 2018 in Netflix's "ReBoot: The Guardian Code", it has less in common with the original show than peanut butter has with pickles. Now can we please get a REAL “ReBoot” reboot already?

Live-action or animated, this four-time Emmy award-winning series was one of the most cinematic television series ever produced. Unlike some action cartoons that relied heavily on exposition and dialog, “Samurai Jack” told a slew of diverse stories through a dazzling fusion of choreography, atmosphere, and animation. Creator Genndy Tartakovsky had hoped to bring Jack and Aku’s ongoing battle to a conclusion with a feature film, but it never came into fruition. Fortunately, after fans had spent over a decade hoping for a “Samurai Jack” movie, comic, or TV revival, their beloved samurai got his final curtain call when Adult Swim ordered a long-overdue fifth season.

A spiritual successor of sorts to “ReBoot,” this CGI sci-fi series takes place in a solar system known as the Cluster. When the dreaded Beast Planet rises into power, the feuding worlds of Fire, Rock, Bone, and Ice join forces to save the galaxy they all call home. With an original mythology and strong connection to nature, “Shadow Raiders” is a surprisingly adult series about the importance of unity. The show is so much more than either of its titles would lead you to believe, and even though it was based on the Trendmasters toy line, it stood on its own as an original, innovative, and well-executed series.

If ever there was an animated series that deserved a wider audience, it was “Gargoyles.” That’s not to say the show hasn’t found a dedicated cult following over the years, but it’s never quite achieved the same status as other cartoons produced by Disney. Creator Greg Weisman truly assembled a breathtaking epic, however, employing stunning animation, a dark tone, sophisticated themes, complex characters, a well-developed plot, and influences from classic literature. If you never caught the show when it aired, drop everything and go check out the show– it’s an experience you won’t forget anytime soon!