The 10 Most Successful Cartoons of All Time: Overrated or Earned It?

Some cartoons make history. Some make money. And some make so much money they could buy a small island and name it after a sidekick.

But being successful and being good aren't the same thing. So for each giant, we look at what made it a hit, what's a little overrated, and the final verdict.

10. The Flintstones (1960)

Why it's a giant: The first animated sitcom on prime-time TV. Before The Flintstones, cartoons were for Saturday mornings. Hanna-Barbera put one on at night for the whole family. Overrated? It's a 1950s office comedy with rocks. Fred's car runs on feet. Verdict: Earned it. It invented a whole genre.

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984)

Why it's a giant: Started as an indie comic parody, became a cartoon, toys, movies and a pizza-based worldview. Overrated? Four turtles, four colors, one personality each. Simple. Maybe too simple. Verdict: Earned it. Simple is why it works.

8. Tom and Jerry (1940)

Why it's a giant: Seven Academy Awards and more than 80 years of chases. Overrated? We've been rooting for the mouse for 80 years, and Jerry is honestly the instigator in a lot of those shorts. Verdict: Earned it. Nobody has topped their timing.

7. Looney Tunes (1930)

Why it's a giant: Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Road Runner. The blueprint for animated comedy. Overrated? Some later reboots and spin-offs never matched the classic shorts. Verdict: The originals earned it forever.

6. Peanuts (1965 on TV)

Why it's a giant: A Charlie Brown Christmas has aired on TV for decades, and the Peanuts gang is one of the most recognizable casts on Earth. Overrated? Charlie Brown has tried to kick that football for over 50 years. At some point, it's on him. Verdict: Earned it. Quiet, honest and still beloved.

5. Scooby-Doo (1969)

Why it's a giant: More than 50 years of shows and movies, all built on one formula. Overrated? Fred's traps almost never work, and nobody ever just calls the police. Verdict: Earned it. A formula this simple shouldn't last this long, which is exactly why it's impressive.

4. Paw Patrol (2013)

Why it's a giant: A massive toy, TV and movie franchise built for preschoolers. Overrated? A 10-year-old runs an entire city's emergency services. The mayor should be concerned. Verdict: Earned it with its audience, which is all that matters for a preschool show.

3. SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)

Why it's a giant: Nickelodeon's biggest show ever, with movies, a Broadway musical and a worldwide fan base. Overrated? Fans argue the early seasons were the golden age. Squidward has a point most days. Verdict: Earned it. The early seasons are as good as cartoons get.

2. Pokémon (1997)

Why it's a giant: Often called the highest-grossing media franchise in the world, from games to cards to the show. Overrated? Ash spent more than 25 years as a 10-year-old before finally winning a world championship. Verdict: Earned it. It turned "collect them all" into a worldwide hobby.

1. Mickey Mouse (1928)

Why it's a giant: The face of the biggest entertainment company on Earth, ever since Steamboat Willie. Overrated? Modern Mickey is so nice he's a little bland. The early Mickey was a scrappy troublemaker. Verdict: Earned it. And here's a fun fact: in 2024, the original Steamboat Willie version of Mickey entered the public domain in the United States.

The lesson: success comes from a simple idea, repeated well

Every giant on this list has one clear idea: cat chases mouse, kids solve mysteries, a sponge loves his job. They didn't win by being complicated. They won by doing one thing so well that people wanted it for decades.

Your turn

Which giant do you think is overrated? Which one earned every bit of it? Tell me in the comments.

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