Top 20 Most Iconic BoJack Horseman Moments

“Zoës and Zeldas”


In a show full of eccentric characters, lovable loser Todd stands out as one of the zaniest. As it turns out, his life’s work has resulted in a science-fiction rock opera about...well, it’s not entirely clear what it’s about. BoJack helps Todd work out the ridiculously complex plot and music, giving him the chance to make it big. The story takes a dark turn, however, when BoJack sabotages Todd in order to keep him on his couch. Besides providing an abundance of hilarity, this storyline is also a pivotal character moment for both BoJack and Todd, as it shows the best and worst of them both.

“BoJack Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Story, Chapter One”


Anyone who watches this show can tell you that BoJack is...complicated, to say the least. Many of his relationships can turn toxic in the blink of an eye, as seen with his on-again-off-again girlfriend and agent, Princess Carolyn. When she points out that he doesn’t want a baby, as indicated by his actions, we’re treated to one of the series’ best cutaway gags. Princess Carolyn points out a cute baby and BoJack flips out, overturning the baby’s stroller and causing a car wreck as he tries to escape the scene. It exemplifies the off-the-wall brand of humor that has made the show so successful.

“Our A-Story Is a ‘D’ Story”

BoJack and Diane have instant chemistry from the start of the show, which poses a problem since she’s dating Mr. Peanutbutter. After a long night of drinking and an increasingly absurd effort to one-up Mr. Peanutbutter, BoJack steals the Hollywood sign’s D. For Diane. Get it? What ensues is a hilarious scheme where BoJack teams up with Mr. Peanutbutter to return the “D” and maintain BoJack’s innocence. This moment has reverberated throughout the entire series, as after this episode, everyone refers to the city as “Hollywoo,” due to the lack of a “D.”It was an easy choice for this entry since it deftly balances the humor and heart of the show.

“BoJack Hates the Troops”

It’s not what it sounds like. The show didn’t wait around to show off BoJack’s arrogance. In the second episode, we see him get into a public feud with a Navy SEAL...who is an actual seal. When BoJack takes a box of muffins, which Neal McBeal the Navy SEAL allegedly had dibs on, it’s a battle between these two prideful animals. And things only get worse from there. In fact, BoJack manages to offend just about everyone as he accidentally calls the troops jerks, and then refuses to apologize. Fantastic guest voicing by Patton Oswalt and Keith Olbermann complete the disastrous controversy. But once again, we think Todd says it best.

“The Telescope”

This is a hard pill for anyone to swallow— whether they’re a cartoon horse or not. While writing his book, BoJack and Diane decide to pay a visit to the former’s old best friend and creator of “Horsin’ Around”, Herb Kazzaz. Things went well— until he attempted to apologize for throwing the writer under the bus back in the ‘90s. Herb refused the attempt at penance, instead opting to tell the equine exactly why he didn’t deserve it. His scathing message was clear— that BoJack would have to live with his guilt. It was one of the first instances of a character not allowing him to apologize and move on from the regrettable choices he’d made— and a bitter reminder that forgiveness is never guaranteed.

“Out to Sea”

Getting— and maintaining— the motivation to change is harder than it seems. Though Season 2’s events had rocked his world, BoJack was intent on bettering himself. During the final episode, he attempted to get back into his fitness regimen— namely, running up the hill next to his house. Despite his remarks about how awful it was, he managed to make it to the top before collapsing. Just when it seemed he was about to throw in the towel, another jogger stopped by to deliver a message— that it would get easier the more he did it. Though the words themselves were about running, the underlying lesson was clear. It was a surprisingly optimistic end— giving BoJack and the viewer hope for the future.

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Tired of BoJack’s shenanigans, Princess Carolyn decides to date a more grown-up man, which she finds in Vincent. He works at the business factory and loves seeing R-rated movies and riding the tall person rides at Disneyland. Okay, real talk: Vincent is clearly three young boys in a trench coat, and, for some reason, only BoJack can see that in this hysterical running gag. And the characters’ ignorance of this as he enters a long-term relationship with Princess Carolyn is absolutely absurd, but also absolutely gut busting. Though the relationship ended dramatically in season two, we still hoped to see more of Vincent in later seasons.

“The Old Sugarman Place”

One of the show’s greatest strengths is highlighting the damage caused by generational trauma. Though we see how it affects BoJack, it doesn’t begin and end with his parents. In “The Old Sugarman Place,” the viewer gets a glimpse of his mother Beatrice’s childhood— revealing one of many reasons she was emotionally closed-off as an adult. Following the death of her brother Crackerjack, her mother began to spiral. She grew more erratic and impulsive, even getting into a car crash that resulted in her begging her husband for help. His response? To have her lobotomized. The moment where Beatrice runs to her mother only to find a shell of her former self is truly haunting— and indicative of how far mental health help has come.

“Let’s Find Out”

On a lighter note, as it turns out, legendary author J.D. Salinger is still alive, and very interested in producing game shows about celebrities. Mr. Peanutbutter takes on hosting duties, and is meaner than usual to contestant BoJack, who is presented with ridiculously difficult questions. Playing ingeniously on BoJack’s insecurities about his celebrity, Daniel Radcliffe makes a guest appearance as the “big celebrity” who is supposed to beat BoJack because he’s more popular with audiences. As the tension builds between Peanutbutter and BoJack, their issues are brought to the forefront on live TV and, naturally for television, they resolve their issues in a half-hour.

“The Telescope”

BoJack’s main claim to fame before his funemployment depressive state was his role in the ‘90s sitcom “Horsin’ Around.” We get to witness this period of his life firsthand, in a rather meta flashback joke. We see BoJack go from his humble beginnings to his less-than-humble prime. Of course, the relationship between BoJack and Herb, the creator of “Horsin’ Around,” is critical to the episode, as Herb kick-starts BoJack’s career and is his best friend. But when push comes to shove, BoJack abandons his buddy in favor of his career. A brilliant mix of sadness and humor, this one allows us a lot of insight into our complicated equine antihero.

“Say Anything”

Getting older is hard for everyone. Princess Carolyn— BoJack’s agent and ex-girlfriend— had spent most of her adult life working towards her goals, no matter the cost. Throughout the episode, we see her attempt to win a project that would save her career— and all the pitfalls that come with it. At the end of the day, everyone else leaves— but she remains alone in the office, lamenting that she has nowhere else to be. Then, her phone tells her Happy Birthday— the first one to do so all day. As if that wasn’t depressing enough, it then throws in that she turned 40 – a sign of how much of her life she’d already worked away.

“Ruthie”

The imagination is a powerful tool— for better or for worse. In “Ruthie,” the plot is told through the lens of Princess Carolyn’s great-great-great granddaughter. It was a lighthearted episode with plenty of jokes— until it suddenly hits you with an emotional rug pull. After having a horrible day— wherein she finds out she miscarried, among other personal tragedies— Princess Carolyn ends up talking to BoJack. She goes into detail about how on bad days, she imagines how a far-off relative will one day speak highly of her. When told those fantasies are fake, she simply says they make her feel better. It’s then that the viewer realizes that Ruthie was never real and never would be— completely recontextualizing the entire episode.

“Brand New Couch”

Though she had a few sympathetic moments later on in the series, for the most part, Beatrice Horseman’s main objective seemed to be making her son’s life as painful as possible. This was made clear in the first episode of the second season. BoJack, wanting to change, had been doing his best to maintain a happy-go-lucky attitude. Those attempts were dashed as soon as his mother called. She served up a dose of the cold, hard truth— that no matter how hard he tried or how many projects he distracted himself with, he would never be happy. She explained that misery ran through their family— and that there was no cure for being himself. With just one call, BoJack was right back at square one.

“Fish Out of Water”

This series is known for its intelligent and hilarious dialogue, which is why it was so surprising when the show made an episode with almost no speaking. Taking a page out of “Lost in Translation”’s book, BoJack attends the Pacific Ocean Film Festival, where he is a complete outsider due to his lack of understanding of underwater language and culture. He becomes entangled in a misadventure with a newborn seahorse and, as always, animal jokes abound. Showing off some of the series’ most beautiful animation and best slapstick humor, “Fish Out of Water” is now one of the most critically acclaimed episodes.

“That Went Well”

To say the third season was an emotional rollercoaster would be an understatement. In the finale, it seemed to be taking an especially tragic turn. BoJack was hurtling down the road when he suddenly closed his eyes and took his hands off the wheel. It seemed his dark intentions were about to come to fruition— when he opened his eyes and was met with the sight of a herd of horses running through the valley. The music swelled as he took in the scene. The expression on his face made it clear that his outlook on life had shifted. To be able to convey so much without saying a single word is a testament to how good the series was at creating a poignant scene.

“Escape from L.A.”

BoJack tries to reconnect with his oldest real friend, Charlotte, who he still has feelings for; but the attempt goes haywire when he discovers she’s now married and has a family. Classic BoJack, he steers into the skid and stays as the family’s guest for months. He even agrees to take Charlotte’s daughter Penny to the prom, and the two have a chaotic but meaningful night. Then Penny makes a move on him. BoJack rejects it as he should, but after a final rejection from Charlotte, his demons get the better of him. It’s the most heartbreaking moment in the series, to see a character we’ve come to love fall so hard.

“It’s You”

You know things are getting real when the comedic relief character is forced to be the voice of reason. After finding out BoJack had slept with one of his childhood friends, Todd finally snapped. He made it clear that the actor’s usual technique of feeling bad for himself wasn’t going to work anymore. He needed to actually try and become a better person. He twisted the knife even further by saying that BoJack was the common denominator in all of his issues, rather than his substance use or childhood trauma. It was a truly sobering and brutally honest moment that made it clear that he had successfully severed one of his few remaining genuine relationships.

“Free Churro”

With the whole episode being a masterclass in writing and acting, it’s hard to choose just one moment. The entirety of BoJack’s eulogy to his mother is unforgettable— from his recollection on making a restaurant worker cry to his realization that he’ll never have a good relationship with either of his parents now that they’re both gone. You get to see him deal with his complex feelings of grief in real time— including the bitter understanding that a random stranger showed him more kindness than his family ever had. Just when it seems things couldn’t get more bleak, it’s revealed that he had been at the wrong funeral the entire time— an ending that gets the viewer to laugh despite everything they’d just seen.

“Downer Ending”


When BoJack tries to write his biography in a single day, Dr. Hu (no, not that one) helps him out. BoJack, Sarah Lynn and Todd do some unspecified drugs, and that results in one raucous, uproarious night. Bizarre hallucinations make for some darkly humorous moments, not to mention a few attempted murders. A few seriously traumatizing moments take us through BoJack’s psyche and show us his fears and regrets. The animators really thought outside of the box on this one, mixing various animation styles in a fluid sequence. Equal parts hilarious, heartbreaking and horrifying, it reminds us why we love these characters.

“That’s Too Much, Man!”

Talk about a fitting episode title. Across the first few seasons, viewers had come to love Sarah Lynn. Despite her antics, it was clear that underneath it all, she was just a girl who’d been exploited her entire life. In the penultimate episode of the third season, she and BoJack went on a lengthy bender where they traveled all over, eventually ending up in a planetarium. As Sarah Lynn dreamily recounted her childhood dreams of becoming an architect, he was focused on his own legacy. He happily pointed out how nothing but that moment mattered— not even realizing that she’d already passed. Him repeating her name only added to that haunting realization, causing an emotional gut punch that still hits hard today.


Which “BoJack Horseman” moment has stuck with you the most? Let us know in the comments below!