The 40 Best Cartoon Characters of All Time

Marvin The Martian rocks!

Seriously, that many Simpsons characters? Seems like either a cop-out or biased and neither one is ok.

What, no Professor Farnsworth?? Bah.

Any list that ranks Eric Cartman higher than Charlie Brown just can't be taken seriously.

16. Phineas Flynn (Phineas and Ferb)
16. Mighty Mouse

Two 16 places? Then, the main title must be: "The 41 Best Cartoon Characters of All Time"

Scrooge McDuck, The Gargoyles crew, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Thundercats would probably round this out for me.

Interesting article, but an omission of Donald Duck is unacceptable. He had more shorts than any other Disney character, made the transition into movies and led the charge for World War II cartoons designed to lift America's spirit (and pony up for some war bonds!)

thanks for putting Daria on the list, I just purchased the entire series on DVD and have been basking in 90s teen angst. I would have put Ralph Wiggum instead of Bart Simpson on the list. Who else would give us the genius of 'I bent my Wookie?' And what's with the Phin and Ferb making the list?

BAH! This Phineas and Ferb nonsense (as well as a few other pointless repetitions) points to a clear bias and shortsightedness on behalf of the author. Where's Woody Woodpecker? Huckleberry Hound or Droopy Dog? Where's Heckle and Jeckle?!?! And no Tiny Toons made the cut? What about Popeye? Aqua Teen Hunger Force? Too many missing from this list that are super important.

Where is the Pink Panther? That cat was smooth.

No Captain N or Roger Rabbit?

How can you completely ignore Genndy Tartakovsky? Dexter should probably be on this list, but Samurai Jack is an absolute must. That was one of the best animated shows ever made.

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Duck Dodgers? Popeye? The Animaniacs? This list is so bogus.

Ha! Nice catch, Leandro. Our mistake is your gain: an extra character!

There are a lot of ccharacters missing: Pink Panther, Donald Duck, Goofy, Scooby Doo, Droopy...
Too many Simpson characters and i only agree on 2. Surprised to see Marvin the Martian. One of the best Looney Toon characters! I´m from the 80´s and Tom and Jerry and they´re part of my childhood!

@Sarah, I believe you're mistaken. Donald Duck neither had shorts nor jeans nor any kind of pants at all.

Linus Van Pelt is The Man.

Way to put Daria on there, who can ever forget that self absorbed mopey suburbanite. Get real. How is she along with Phineas and the Home Movies guy on here and there be not one TMNT, Scrooge MCDuck, Donald Duck, Captain Planet, or Liono. I guess they were too mainstream and not as hipster friendly as Daria.

Greg, of course the story is biased. It's a blog ranking cartoon characters by the vague standard of "best." I'm not sure what you expected...

Love the list, but I agree that there are too many Simpsons characters on the list. Where is Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hungar Force ??? He is one of the funniest and most original of all cartoon characters. Most memorable for quotes like, "I'm gonna start dropping F-bombs. Listen to this: Fart you, fart head."

Lisa would never read something as dumb as Paste.

Charlie Brown barely makes the list and some Phineas and Ferb villain makes the top 10? For reals? Will anyone 40 years from now even remember Phineas and Ferb? Peanuts has stood the test of time and I know Snoopy is a top 5er, but Charlie Brown should've made the top 10 at least.

And amazed not a single Venture Brothers character made this list either.

One South Park character? That is ridiculous, I mean...fine, I get that some of those characters have to be included (Homer Simpson, Micky Mouse) but the characters on South Park can have crazy and serious sides, and even make fun of something while making an important issue. I mean, Butters, Mr. Garrison and Officer Barbrady alone deserve mentions.

Not one of The Penguins of Madagascar? Skipper is a classic by himself!

yes! homer #1 forever.

What about Rocko's Modern Life?

sponge bob squarepants is great

Woody Woodpecker, anyone?

Homer Simpson? Ridiculous. Bugs Bunny should easily have been number one. That aside, although the list is decent, it's obviously a poorly thought through list with the absence of The Pink Panther.

Nice to see Ren and Stimpy made the top 40, as well as Rocky and Byllwinkle

I just don't understand why characters from Phineus and Ferb are on here. I mean, seriously? What about the Penguins of Madagascar? Peter Griffin? Pink Panther? Danger Mouse? Donald Duck? The PowerPuff Girls? Dexter's Lab? Doug? Rugrats? Porky Pig? Why are Charlie Brown and Bender so low on the list? I never thought Wile E. Coyote was funny. Again, seriously, Phineus and Ferb?

Bad research.. How about Popeye, Mr Magoo, Speed racer? Josh Jackson, Do your research.

No Peter Griffin? The greatest cartoon creation of all time and a lot more funny than Homer. Peter tried to kill his wife 3 times, he's had over twenty different occupations including being someone's false eye and he shot his own daughter once. And yet his family has nothing but undying love for him. I mean, how on Earth do you beat that? You simply cannot.

Got to agree on Pink Panther being a big miss. I watched Home Movies and that guy shouldn't have made it. I don't understand Josh's fever for Phineas & Ferb, either but I haven't given that one much attention. Don't agree about it being too many Simpsons characters - so many of them deserve to have made it.

Congratulations! You've made my "40 Worst Lists" list. Randomly chosen & numbered like words shouted out in a brainstorm in answer to "How many cartoon characters can you name".

This list just doesn't seem right. A Phineas and Ferb character at #8!? What the what?

Perhaps you should clasify them, like Action Cartoons or so. Because there are too many cartoons in the world, and several "types" of them. And you should list the whole Simpsons Family in one spot so you could rank very important characters like:

Pink Panther
Rocko (from Rocko's Modern Life)
Zim, Gir, Dib or Gaz (From Invader Zim)
Dexter (Dexter's Lab)
Dilbert or Dogbert (From Dilbert; the 30 minutes show that was cancel years ago)

Wheres Garfield? Heathcliff? Batman:the Animated Series? Only one Futurama character? Ducktales? Alvin and the Chipmunks? Snagglepuss?

While they may not have an enduring body of work, Erin Esurance and Sam from Totally Spies are waaaaayyyy hot. Hot has to count for something?

No Droopy?!

seriously WHAT THE FUCK of all people to be #1 let alone be on the list HOMER FUCKING SIMPSON? American
children's minds are being poisoned by that kind of no talent crap

You should be banned from society for not including Grouchy Smurf, one of thee greatest cartoon characters of all time besides Scooby-Doo.

The early Popeyes were the best. One I seldom hear about is Deputy Dawg, the counterculture's best cartoon statement about the 60's.

Thanks for contributing to the current renaissance in internet journalism that is making lists of things, you thoughtless hacks.

Were no cartoons ever produced outside the U.S.?

SERIOUSLY NO TIN TIN?

They included about 20 of the right ones, and completely missed out on 20 others that were way better than some of the ones they put in their list. And who ordered the list? There have been 38 cartoon characters better than Charlie Brown? Sorry, but, you guys are blockheads.

Hm, no Jetsons? No Porky Pig? He is at the end of every Merry Melodies and Looney Toons! What about the Disney characters - Darkwing Duck, (sure he may not be that important, but he's what I grew up on)! Muppet Babies? There seemed to be an awful lot of Simpsons and who is Phineas and Ferb?

Yikes! Popeye is easily top five. His early shorts are some of the best classic animation I've ever had the pleasure to view.

Also, the exclusion of Donald Duck and the Pink Panther is pretty wack.

And personally I'd give Space Ghost a nod. Without him I don't think Adult Swim would be what it is today.

They included about 20 of the right ones, and completely missed out on 20 others that were way better than some of the ones they put in their list. And who ordered the list? There have been 38 cartoon characters better than Charlie Brown? Sorry, but, you guys are blockheads.

Totally agree - The Pink Panther is a must. Also, no Sherman and Mr. Peabody? Droopy Dawg? Top Cat?

No Foghorn Leghorn? .. What a joke!

Why is Bender in the end??

Dr Katz!

How about Tooter Turtle, GoGo Gophers, The Ant Hill Mob, Mike Mouse, Ralph Wiggum, Schnitzel (from Chowder), Pete Puma, Space Ghost, Muddy Mudskipper, Powdered Toast Man, George of the Jungle, Grape Ape, Secret Squirrel, Pink Panther, The Inspector, Chumley and Blip the Monkey?

Why are there two 16's?