We've already talked about '80s TV shows and the best kids' movies, and it is finally time to talk about cartoons of the decade. So we present you with the ultimate list of the best '80s cartoons!
We've compiled the original order based on Ranker, yet it's entirely up to you to rearrange the list and put your favorite '80s cartoon in the prime spots or higher on the list! Also, if you see that some of your beloved '80s cartoon shows are missing, let us know in the comments so we can add them to the list!
Anyhoo, let's check out the best '80s cartoons below and see if the characters are still as loveable as they seemed before. Also, share this article with your friends, and don't forget to upvote your favorite cartoons from the '80s to see them up top! And the voting starts now. Go, go, go!
#1 DuckTales
DuckTales is an animated series produced by Disney Television Animation that first aired in 1987.
And no, it isn't a cartoon where you see ducks nesting, picking worms, or gaggling - it's full of adventures supplied by the legendary trio of ducklings supervised by their money-thirsty uncle Scrooge McDuck.
And boy, what awesome shenanigans do Dewey, Huey, and Louie get into! From seeking treasures to thwarting enemies' plans of stealing Scrooge's riches, no day goes by without something exhilarating happening.
And no, it isn't a cartoon where you see ducks nesting, picking worms, or gaggling - it's full of adventures supplied by the legendary trio of ducklings supervised by their money-thirsty uncle Scrooge McDuck.
And boy, what awesome shenanigans do Dewey, Huey, and Louie get into! From seeking treasures to thwarting enemies' plans of stealing Scrooge's riches, no day goes by without something exhilarating happening.
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100points
#2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1987 animated series adapted from superhero comics of the same name. Here, the four mutant turtles, named after famous Renaissance painters, spend their days living in the sewers under New York City, training in martial arts with their rat sensei Splinter, eating pizza, and battling various enemies such as Shredder and Krang. It was the first time these heroes in a half-shell made their appearances on TV screens, and it propelled them to heights of fame unknown before. So, it would be actually quite a wonder if you've never heard of these teenage turtles before!
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86points
What Cartoons Existed in the ‘80s?
Compared to their predecessors of earlier decades, the cartoons from the ‘80s became braver by showing heroes battling enemies (though the violence displayed now seems pretty meek), using adult-oriented jokes and references, and becoming generally flashier.
Of course, a couple of animated series ran before the '80s and didn't stop even after the decade had passed. Still, those are only exceptions, as plenty of new cartoons spawned at the time, too. It might've been because TV sets were now completely affordable by the general public and, undoubtedly, because the kids ruled Saturday mornings.
So, Saturday morning cartoons '80s gave us such classic pieces as the TMNT series, He-Man, Care Bears, and Transformers, DuckTales, The Simpsons (the oldest cartoon to still run today, by the way!) all of which shaped our early years and, undoubtedly, pop culture. Who would we be if not for Rainbow Brite's sweetness, She-Ra's inspiring strength, and Garfield's cynicism?
#3 ThunderCats
Did someone say 'catlike humanoid aliens?' We say it's one of the most famous animated series of the '80s - ThunderCats! Besides being these feline aliens that are eerily similar to people, they are also the last aristocrats from Thundera - their dying home planet. Now, they have to escape and fight for a new home, leading to various adventures. Even if it does sound kinda weird now, back then, it didn't - the ThunderCats series became wildly popular, spawning various spin-offs and merchandise items galore.
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83points
#4 He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe
He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe is a 1983 animated series and now a piece of truly classical animation - a flag bearer of everything that was the '80s. The series' main character, Prince Adam, is the son of the king and the queen of Eternia. Adam is in possession of a magical sword that transforms him into He-Man, the strongest being in the universe. Together with his close allies, Prince Adam/He-Man battles the evil forces of Skeletor, aiming for Eternia's throne. The series was unbelievably successful because of its engaging action and stories and its generally positive and thoughtful vibes. Wouldn't expect that from a half-naked macho man, would you?
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82points
How Were ‘80s Cartoons Made?
Before there was computer animation, all cartoons were drawn by hand and the most often used techniques for that are called rotoscoping and cel technique.
Cel technique, also known as the traditional technique, works like this: the key animator draws the most important points in a scene, while assistant animators add in frames to fill in the gaps. Every frame has to be hand-drawn and colored individually. Once the drawings are approved, they are transferred to cel paper (cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet used exactly for this purpose) and then filmed.
Another technique used to make ‘80s cartoons is called rotoscoping. This technique involved tracing over live-action footage frame by frame and then repeating the cel process. While this technique wasn’t as popular as the traditional one, it allowed animators to create very life-like cartoon characters that moved just like real people or animals.
#5 Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget, a 1983 animated series, is probably the only one on our list that falls under the science fiction category. The series revolves around the adventures of Inspector Gadget, a clumsy, not-too-bright detective who's actually a cyborg human with multiple bionic gadgets built into his body. This goofy detective is sent on various missions to thwart the plans of his nemesis Dr. Claw who is the leader of an evil organization called M.A.D. Inspector Gadget is still one of the best animated series ever for its crazy characters, awesome adventures, and entertainment value.
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82points
#6 The Bugs Bunny Show
The Bugs Bunny Show, an animated anthology series, is proudly one of the longest-running American cartoons, having its first appearance in 1948 and ending its career in 2000. That's 52 years of runtime! Since its inception, The Bugs Bunny Show has produced half-an-hour episodes, segmented into three shorter cartoons following the shenanigans of Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird, Sylvester, and Road Runner, just to name a few of their Looney Tunes gang. The Bugs Bunny Show was a real Saturday morning staple and a wildly popular series that many of us watched in our early years. And maybe still do.
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79points
Why Were the ‘80s Called The Dark Ages of Animation?
The two most popular techniques to create cartoons back then and their time-consuming nature presented quite a problem to the animators. The demand for cartoons rose quickly during the mid-1950s, reaching its peak in the ‘80s. Thus, animators were forced to work faster and produce as many cartoons as possible. That led to lower-quality products that were produced hastily and loaded with errors. Some even call this period the Dark Ages of Animation.
Dark Ages or not, though, we still love these ‘80s cartoons! As much as they were a huge part of our childhoods, they were also unlike anything else done before or after. And if you like to see more of them, continue reading this article.
#7 The Smurfs
Based on a Belgian comics series by Peyo, The Smurfs got their first appearance as animated characters in 1981. They soon proved to be a major success for Hannah-Barbera Productions. Like the comics, the series follows the lives of these tiny blue human-like creatures living in mushrooms in a beautiful forest. The main thing that they occupy themselves with, besides being so stinkin' cute, is repeatedly outwitting an evil sorcerer Gargamel, his apprentice Scruple, and his mean cat Azrael. Because of the initial series’ success, Smurfs later got various spin-offs, feature movies, and of course, plenty of original merchandise for die-hard fans to collect!
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78points
#8 Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers
Chip' N Dale: Rescue Rangers, a 1989 animated series, follows the already established characters of Chip and Dale in a whole new setting - here, the two chipmunks start a detective agency. These tiny inspectors solve various crimes that are 'too small' for police, and it is usually other animals that are their clients. Although there are plenty of villains that are responsible for the crimes against the tiny animal fellows, it is usually the gangster Fat Cat character and the mad scientist Norton Nimnul that are the culprits of the misdeeds.
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74points
#9 The Transformers
The Transformers that we are talking about is the American series that first aired in 1984 - the original series in the franchise. While there isn't any substantial plot in this cartoon, millions of kids worldwide were mesmerized by the humongous robots transforming into cars and various other objects and fighting against other humongous robots in a conflict lasting eons. If this sounds silly to you, just try and watch the original Transformer series without getting hooked on the action, the unmistakable '80s animation style, and without becoming a die-hard fan of one of the robots. Mine was the blue horse.
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73points
#10 Garfield And Friends
You could already guess that Garfield And Friends, a 1988 animated series, was an ecranisation of the legendary comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. It was the first time audiences saw Garfield moving and talking and going about his plans to send Nermal to Timbuktu while eating all the lasagna. Besides Garfield and his company, this series also showed the adventures of the U.S. Acres characters in separate segments of the show, a comic strip Davis was concurrently working on. We say double the characters, double the fun!
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71points
#11 Adventures Of The Gummi Bears
You wouldn't believe what inspired Disney's Adventure Of The Gummi Bears animated series. Was it real bears? Aliens? No, it was gummy bear candies! And that, my friends, proves once again that you can never know what can inspire you and when. Here, the Gummi Bears are the descendants of the royal Gummi Bear roots, who once lived peacefully together with humans. However, after the malevolent human side revealed itself, the original Gummies fled the planet, leaving only a few scattered groups living among humans. The series is heartwarming, sweet, and never lacking adventures, so it was greatly beloved among the younger cartoon fans.
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71points
#12 The Care Bears
Care Bears, a 1985 animated series, is probably the most family-friendly and sweet entry on our list. Just hearing the name makes you go 'aww,' doesn't it? For those unfamiliar with these bundles of joy, Care Bears are these magical bears living in a faraway place right in the clouds, called Care-a-Lot. With the help of their Buddies and their Cousins, they travel around the world, fixing everything with their care and their magic powers. Each bear has one specific character attribute or ability that is shown as an icon on their fluffy bellies. With a premise like this, you know that it was the most heartwarming series of the decade. Even more than Rainbow Brite or My Little Pony, one might say.
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68points
#13 The Simpsons
The Simpsons, which is the longest-running American animated series, has made us laugh, cry, and feel love for the last three decades. It saw Baby Boomers laughing at hidden jokes their Millennial kids couldn't understand at the time, and it saw those same Millennials showing The Simpsons to their own kids - a staple animated series any generation can find relatable and loveable.
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67points
#14 The Real Ghostbusters
Just two years after the success of the Ghostbusters movie, in 1986, the gang of paranormal investigators got their own animated series, leaving the younger fans positively overjoyed. A nice addition to the original foursome was their secretary Janine (human) and Slimer (not so human), who here became the investigators' mascot. Together, they are onto capturing every spook, specter, poltergeist, and demon that appears in New York City or anywhere else around the world. Not only is it a great example of an animated series, but also of '80s comedy, which seems so nostalgic right now.
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66points
#15 Alvin And The Chipmunks
Alvin And The Chipmunks, a 1983 animated series, gave us the chance to see the squeaky-voiced tiny heroes meet their match in The Chipettes - a trio of lady chipmunks who added their fair share of musical endeavors to the show. As you might recall, Alvin And The Chipmunks was a fictional band that sang various hits of the day and some original pieces in their high-pitched voices. Some of their songs were wildly successful, with the 'Chipmunks Song' topping the US music chart at one point. Who could've thought that their somewhat annoying falsetto voices could produce such megahits? Everybody!
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60points
#16 Muppet Babies
Muppet Babies, a 1985 animated series, as the name states, is centered around baby versions of Muppets. They all live together in a nursery supervised by the Nanny, of which we only see the sweater, the skirt, and the legs. The babies often play imaginary games, transcending into the 'real' world. These fantasies are often filled with stock footage and short clips from popular movies like Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Once their adventure starts edging on perilous, there's some distraction, most likely the Nanny coming to check in on them, that ends it, and the fantasy dissolves. The central idea of the series was the power of imagination and encouraging kids to stay imaginative whatever they do. Something that we could all probably use a little bit more of!
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60points
#18 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
G.I. Joe, an action figurine made by Hasbro, got its first TV incarnation in 1983 with the animated series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Before that, G.I. Joe and his colleagues were just toys with background stories supplied by Marvel comics of the same name, but kids were the ones that had to come up with the plotlines for playing. So, seeing Joe on screens was kind of a big deal that also propelled the figurines' sales vastly. And although a war-themed cartoon wouldn't necessarily be the thing you'd be wanting to show to your kids now, by today's standards, G.I. Joe would seem pretty meek and straight out of the fantasy world. Which, in fact, is exactly the thing that made this series so wildly popular!
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56points
#19 Voltron
The first Japanese-American animation entry on our list, Voltron is an adaptation of an anime series that first aired in 1984. And, as you'd expect from an anime adaptation, the premise of the series isn't a simple one. Here, five pilots command five robot lions which combine to form Voltron - the ultimate robot. The pilots are aboard these machines not for their leisure but rather on a mission to save their planet Arus from the evil warlord King Zarkon. To make it even more complicated, there's also this witch called Haggar who creates monsters that terrorize the fleet and the planet ruled by Princess Allura. It's flashy, it's full of action, and it got kids mesmerized, becoming a phenomenally successful franchise over time.
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52points
#20 Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends
1981's Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends animated series gave us the chance to follow up on Spidey's adventures and, besides reintroducing some of the characters that we had already met, gave us a couple of new ones. One of them was the never-before-seen original female superhero called Firestar. The trio of Spider-Man, Iceman, and this new and exciting Firestar made up the Spider-Friends trio, who then, of course, set out to battle various villains of the Marvel Universe. As with plenty of other animated series born in the '80s, today's reruns are a couple of episodes shorter than the original seasons were due to some controversies, which in the '80s were still totally normal things to talk about. But, controversies or not, Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends is still a highly entertaining series, carrying a nice message of self-esteem to the young kids watching it.
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51points