90s Cartoons You Watched But Can't Remember The Name Of

The 1990s is the decade known for bright colors, grunge music, and Saturday morning cartoons. It's the subject of nostalgia on television, cinema, and even in fashion. It's got fondly remembered shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Ren & Stimpy, DuckTales, Batman: The Animated Series, and many more.

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Of course, not all animation from the era is so well-remembered. Some were lost to time because they weren't very good in the eyes of most. Others were only relevant to a particular time and place, and some deserve more recognition and credit but somehow never seem to get mentioned. We have them all in this list of '90s cartoons.

Updated April 7, 2025 by Noura Costany: The '90s feel like yesterday, even though they are over 25 years old. The shows once watched are now being shown to the children of '90s kids, and the cycle of nostalgia goes on and on. This update added a few great shows to the list.

Courage The Cowardly Dog

From The Dog's Perspective

Length

22 minutes split into two segments

Episodes

52 (102 segments)

Seasons

4

Run Dates

1999 - 2002

Courage The Cowardly Dog revolves around the ironically-named dog the show is named after, and the Scottish couple who took him in. Cue a slew of wacky antics involving everything from mad scientists and creeping zombies to aliens and monsters.

John R. Dilworth's Courage The Cowardly Dog has a prominent '90s vibe with that typical zaniness and charm. It had a decent run after expanding from its origins as a humble animated short, but was fairly short-lived relative to its lasting impact.

The Wild Thornberrys

Young, Wild & Free

Length

23 minutes

Episodes

91 + Movie

Seasons

5

Run Dates

1999 - 2004

The Wild Thornberrys stars a girl named Eliza Thornberry, who gains the power to speak with animals after rescuing a shaman taking the form of a warthog. Throughout this odyssey in the wilderness, Eliza and her family embark on various adventures in the wild and occasionally get into hi-jinks whilst filming a documentary.

The show was praised for its endearing, imaginative themes as well as its animal-friendly undertones. As well as its five seasons, there was also a Wild Thornberrys movie, as well as a movie crossover with Rugrats.

Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventures

The Perfect Adventure Comedy

Length

20-23 minutes

Episodes

21

Seasons

2

Run Dates

1990-1991

Believe it or not, this bizarre animated follow-up to the cult-classic 80s film aired in 1990 and featured much of the cast from the film, including Keanu Reaves (at least for the first season). Running for two seasons from 1990 to 1991, this animated adventure continued the shenanigans you’d expect from Bill and Ted.

The series sees the troublesome, albeit excellent, pair using their time machine in order to solve the various problems they’ve gotten themselves into. This also means they come into contact with plenty of historical figures, though the show might be forgotten thanks to just how memorable the movie was throughout the series.

I Am Weasel

Short & Sweet

Length

7 minutes

Episodes

79

Seasons

5

Run Dates

1997- 2000

I Am Weasel charts the antics of the two animal frenemies fittingly named I.M. Weasel and I.R. Baboon. It began life as a segment in Cow and Chicken, another oft-forgotten show. It features ample back-and-forth banter as Baboon obsessively strives to outdo his more successful, wittier counterpart.

The show had its own wacky appeal, which helped it obtain decent ratings in the late 90s. This slapstick animation created by David Feiss is among the first of a string of "Cartoon Cartoons" - Cartoon Network's answer to Nicktoons.

Dexter's Laboratory

Omlette Du Fromage

Length

22 minutes split into segments of 7 - 12 minutes

Episodes

78 (216 segments)

Seasons

4

Run Dates

1996 - 2003

Dexter's Laboratory features an uptight boy genius by the name of Dexter, who speaks with a curiously unidentifiable accent. Much of the series has him facing off against his hyperactive sister Dee Dee, who has a knack for wreaking havoc in his lab and setting him back with his inventions.

The Cartoon Network classic Dexter's Laboratory actually went on hiatus in 1998 after 39 episodes spread over two seasons. It was revived in 2001 for two more seasons under a new creative team. It holds an appeal and comedic edge which remains innovative and culturally significant over two decades later.

The New Adventures Of He-Man

Infamous Powers

Length

30 minutes

Episodes

65

Seasons

1

Run Dates

1990

Thanks to how much the He-Man series could blend together back in the day, it’s easy for most people to have seen a few episodes of this 1990 series and have completely forgotten. It functioned similarly to the classic 80s cartoons and toys but with some updated designs and production decisions.

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It was relatively short-lived on the air, and while people were seemingly still enjoying the series, it would serve as one of the last times people would see He-Man in a new cartoon format for quite some time.

The Pirates Of Dark Water

Adventures Galore

Length

23 minutes

Episodes

21

Seasons

2

Run Dates

1991 - 1993

The Pirates Of Dark Water first aired as a five-part miniseries titled Dark Water, which was turned into a full series. The short-lived fantasy cartoon portrays an alien oceanic world being destroyed by an evil substance called Dark Water. Ren and his crew try to stop it by gathering the lost Thirteen Treasures of Rule and battle pirate lords along the way.

The Pirates of Dark Water has fleshed-out characters, a compelling story, and a creative setting. Unfortunately, it ended after the pirates had collected only eight treasures. Sadly, few seem to remember the show, though it spawned a video game and a toy line. A small dedicated fanbase still calls for a remake.

Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron

Radical Strength

Length

22 - 26 minutes

Episodes

25 and 1 Special

Seasons

2

Run Dates

1993 - 1995

SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron features two anthropomorphic feline vigilante pilots who use their advanced fighter jet, the Turbokat, to defend Megakat City from villains and monsters while also clashing with the city's law enforcement.

SWAT Kats was the number one syndicated show of 1994, and its high ratings spawned a toy line and a video game. Unfortunately, it was canceled near the end of its second season with three unfinished episodes after the studio was said to be displeased by the level of violence.

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice...Beetlejuice!

Length

22 minutes with occasional segments

Episodes

94 (109 segments)

Seasons

4

Run Dates

1989 - 1991

Based on the 1988 movie, Beetlejuice was developed and produced by Tim Burton himself, but the animated series went in a different direction. Beetlejuice is an anti-hero instead of a villain, and he and Lydia Deetz are best friends who explore the morbid and wacky realm of the Neitherworld together, encountering colorful characters and getting up to misadventures.

Beetlejuice was given more screen time, and the world of animation let him use his powers without worrying about movie-level budgeting. However, the novelty wore off, and the show didn't gain the level of cult following the movie retains.

ReBoot

Computer Animated Goodness

Length

23 minutes

Episodes

48

Seasons

4

Run Dates

1994 - 2002

ReBoot was the first completely computer-animated half-hour TV series and features the adventures of Bob, Enzo, Dot Matrix, Phong, and the other citizens of Mainframe, the personal computer of an unnamed user, defending themselves from attacks by the viruses Megabyte and Hexadecimal.

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Starting off as a lighthearted affair, it turned darker, gritty, and more mature in its third season when the comic relief character Enzo became "Matrix," the anti-hero protagonist of the story, and it started targeting older audiences. ReBoot left behind a profound legacy, and it's still a popular subject among cartoon aficionados today.