Best Cartoons of the 2000s
The 2000s were an interesting time period for cartoons. So many fun slice-of-life shows for children, some awesome story-based shows and even some amazing shows catered towards teenagers and adults. It truly was a magical time with many outstanding cartoons. Here are my best cartoons from the 2000s!
10. The Grim Adventures of Bill and Mandy
Seeing how this is a list talking about the best cartoons of the 2000s, what better way to start off the list other than Cartoon Network’s hit series Bill and Mandy? Spanning a total of six seasons and running from 2001 to 2007, Bill and Mandy became a classic pretty quickly. The story revolves around a grim reaper that is forced to be companions to Bill and Mandy, two friends and this leads to many fun adventures. Overall, it is a pretty fun series delivering lots of slapstick comedy and even does transcends into dark themes at times. I love the premise alone, but the humor makes watching it even more satisfying. I also really commend the show for its excellent voice acting. While it is great, some episodes in the later half of the series can be weaker than others early on which is why it is only at number 10. Nonetheless, it is a great show with many more highs than lows. Watch it if you haven’t! You can watch it on HBO Max, Amazon Instant Video or iTunes.
Ah, Canada. The mid-late 2000s was an interesting time for Cartoon Network. Lots of Canadian exports dominated the channel, and while Canada does get hate for their cartoons, I strongly disagree. They do have lots of mainstream cartoons that are great like Total Drama and they have some more obscure gems like this one (and there is one more obscure gem from the 2010s I can’t wait to talk about). The series spanned from 2004 to 2010 running a total of 93 episodes. It is about 6 teenagers, Wyatt, Caitlin, Nikki, Jen, Jude and Jonesy who are just living everyday teenager lives. They go through lots of problems that teenagers go through such as losing a job (some more than others *cough* Jonesy *cough*), social issues and dealing with exams. It is a great show for teens, and one character that really stands out to me is Caitlin - she starts out as a shallow girl who is spoilt and we get to watch her character develop once she befriends the rest of the gang. The more raunchy humor is another plus. Despite having a few weaker episodes, the series stayed strong for its 93 episode run and it’s always fun to rewatch! You can watch 6Teen on the YouTube channel, Retro Rerun, Amazon Prime, Pluto or Tubi.
Like 6Teen, Invader Zim was a series that while it was aimed at a younger audience, it was edgy. Though with Zim, it was more dark than raunchy. This dark cartoon comedy ran from 2001 to 2006 with a total of 2 seasons and 27 episodes. It revolves around an alien named Zim who gets sent to Earth by the Irken race as an attempt to get rid of him. Zim along with his brain dead robot assistant GIR attempt to conquer earth, and the only one aware of their plans is Zim’s classmate, Dib (Zim went to school to disguise as a normal kid). The plot points this series takes is truly amazing, and while some episodes are grotesque (there was an entire episode dedicated to Zim eating other student’s organs), they are never gross to the point where I wish to stop watching. Some highlights for me are the much darker themes and humor, the pacing which was relatively fast and made it so that the episodes would never feel too boring and the voice acting. I really commend Richard Horvitz as Zim. I also cannot stress enough how the dark atmosphere and colors add so much more to the series for me. It was overall a great show and I’d even argue it was ahead of its time. You can watch Invader Zim on Paramount+, Amazon Instant Video or iTunes.
While the three previous shows I have covered in this list were edgier shows aimed at a younger audience, entry number 7 does actually aim towards an older audience. The Boondocks was a series running from 2005 to 2014 spanning 4 seasons and a total of 55 episodes. The series revolves around brothers Huey and Riley Freeman who move from Chicago to live with their grandpa in the suburbs. The black siblings try embracing a mostly white environment and they go through their struggles trying to fit in. Huey is more of a freedom fighter while Riley is “thugged out” to the max which provides many interesting and downright funny stories for both of them. Two highlights would be the episode “The Red Ball” where Huey leads the baseball team against a rigged team, and “The Fundraiser” where Riley organizes a fundraiser for his own selfish needs. While being a funny show, it was also quite introspective giving us the American life from a black perspective. This really was a great way to make people think outside of the way they usually think. My favorite character is Riley with his “thugged out” nature and his absolutely hilarious moments. Another highlight is the anime-influenced artstyle. The creator Aaron McGruder did say he was influenced by Cowboy Bebop. Despite 3 absolutely amazing seasons, the fourth one was weaker than the rest due to the creator leaving and at times felt more racist and embracing of the stereotypes instead of providing more of a social commentary. Due to the flaws with the last season, it earns a #7 spot. Overall, I still highly recommend it as it is an amazing show. You can watch The Boondocks on Amazon Prime Video.
Samurais are already such an interesting concept, and cartoons are something I love so what could go wrong with a cartoon about samurais? Absolutely nothing! Samurai Jack was a cartoon which ran from 2001 to 2004 only to return in 2017 for one final season. The series ran for 62 episodes. It revolves around a samurai named Jack who tries to stop Aku, a shapeshifting demon who has taken over his kingdom. Unfortunately, Aku sends him into the dystopian future where he is ruler. The first 4 seasons had a younger audience in mind, while the fifth targeted an older audience.The fifth season’s darker approach was outstanding as well, and while many did not like the ending, I loved it! Some factors I love about the series are the darker themes (especially in the later seasons), the very cool art style and colors which compliment the series very well and the awesome voice acting, especially by Phil LaMarr as the lead character. I would recommend Samurai Jack to anyone that hasn’t seen it. You can watch Samurai Jack on HBO Max.
After mentioning a lot of Cartoon Network shows, it was only fair I mentioned a Disney show, and what show from the 2000s is better than Kim Possible? A comedy with plenty of action and adventure that ran from 2002 to 2007 and had a total of 87 episodes amongst its 4 seasons. It was about Kim, a high school cheerleader who was also a crimefighter. Assisted by her friend Ron and his pet mole rat, Rufus, Kim fought crime all over the world while still managing a “normal” school life. One way Kim Possible approached the high school crime fighter plot line differently which stood out for me was that Kim’s identity was not hidden. This really made it unique as in most shows with this concept, the protagonist’s identity remains hidden. Some of the highlights of this show are the fantastic characters (my favorites are Kim, Rufus and Shego), the unique concepts and the action. Some standout episodes to me are Rappin’ Draken, Trading Faces and of course the final episode. I would definitely recommend watching the entire series. You can watch Kim Possible on Disney +.
Way way back in the 1980s…just joking. We’re not going that far. Clone High was a classic cartoon that unfortunately only ran for one season comprising thirteen episodes. However, a reboot will be coming sometime soon. It was a very fascinating show with probably the most intriguing concept on this list. The series is a high school dramedy aimed at a slightly older audience. But get this: the students are all clones of famous people like John F Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Gandhi, etc. However, secretly, the clones are being used as a military experiment by a government organization. Filled with high school humor and a serious back story, Clone High was ahead of its time. The best part of this show is easily John F Kennedy’s character. Though, I would also like to praise the show’s unique artstyle which has started a whole new look prominent in Canada as seen in shows like Total Drama, 6Teen and Detentionaire. I also love the humor. I really recommend Clone High to anyone who hasn’t seen it. You can watch Clone High on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, Paramount + or Amazon Prime Video.
3. Spectacular Spider Man
Spider Man is someone we all know and love…but have you guys heard of his underground series, Spectacular Spider Man? A series which ran from 2008 to 2009 and contained a total of 26 episodes. An awesome tale focusing on the origins of Spider Man, and it kept me hooked throughout. Some highlights for me are the high paced fight scenes, the awesome voice acting from the entire cast (but Josh Keaton stood out the most to me in his role as Spider Man) and the depiction of Spider Man. The series depicts Peter as a teenager really well as we get to see him learn about his responsibility as a superhero. Easily an awesome show which I recommend. You can watch Spectacular Spider Man on Netflix.
Ah yes, the good old Teen Titans that we all grew up with. I’m sure this was expected. Teen Titans had a total of 65 episodes in it’s 5 season run from 2003 to 2006. This series revolved around a group of 5 heroes that call themselves the Teen Titans. The team consists of the leader Robin, a hero with the power to morph into animals named Beast Boy, an alien princess named Starfire, a cyborg named well…Cyborg and a goth girl with telekinesis named Raven. The series goes through multiple arcs with each arc focusing on a different character. What isn’t there to love about this show? Great voice acting, a soundtrack that matches the intensity of the show, a team of awesome superheroes with distinct personalities and arcs that are both action packed and heavy on emotion. I’m not going to sugarcoat this: watch Teen Titans. You can watch Teen Titans on HBO Max, Vudu, Google Instant Play, Amazon Instant Video or iTunes.
1. Avatar: The Last Airbender
If anybody who knows me in real life is reading this blog, they’d have known what number 1 would’ve been already. I mean who wouldn’t put this cartoon in their best cartoons of the 2000s list? This absolute gem of a show: Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar: The Last Airbender was a series that lasted for 3 seasons and had a total of 61 episodes. The series takes place in a world where there are 4 divided nations: water, earth, fire and air. The four nations lived in peace until the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar who can master all four elements can restore peace. The Avatar is a young boy named Aang who alongside his new friends, Katara and Sokka travel to different nations in order for him to learn all the elements and to be capable of taking down the fire lord, Ozai. Where do I start with this show? It is perfect: the story is amazingly done, it has great humor, the anime-styled designs are amazing (seriously, I hear people talking about cartoons that look like anime a lot and this one is the best from those), the intense and emotional music, heck, I could go on forever. If I were to narrow it down to one thing I love about the show, it would be the fact that there are characters I deeply care about. And the reason I care for them is because they’re written so beautifully and the situations that they are put in are executed so well that you can’t help but to care for them. I am sure most of you have seen it but if not, watch it as soon as you can! You can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, the Nick+ channel on Amazon, iTunes or Google Play.
Well, these are my best cartoons of the 2000s! I hope I introduced you to some new awesome cartoons! Which of these cartoons would you agree with? Which would you disagree with? What is your top 10 cartoons list? Are you going to watch any of the cartoons on this list? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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