Forgotten 90s cartoons

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

Of course, not all animation from the era is well remembered. Some were lost to time because they were not very good in the eyes of many. Others were only relevant to a particular time and place, and some deserve more recognition and credit but somehow don't seem to be mentioned. We have listed all those '90s cartoons.

Updated February 28, 2026 by Jerel Levy: It's hard to remember a show you watched as a kid. You know, you can hear the theme song, but you can't quite get the name. We've added cartoon shows from the 90s, do you remember everything on the list?

Dare the cowardly dog

From the dog's point of view

Adventure revolves around the ironically named dog named after The Cowardly Dog Show and the Scottish couple who take him in. Cue a flurry of wacky activities, from mad scientists and creeping zombies to aliens and monsters.

John R. Dilworth's Courage The Cowardly Dog has a familiar atmosphere with that typical '90s glitz and charm. Expanding from its origins as a humble animated short, it had a good run, but was fairly short-lived relative to its lasting impact.

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Wild Thornberry

Young, wild and free

The Wild Thornberry stars Eliza Thornberry, a girl who gains the power to speak with animals after rescuing a shaman who takes the form of a warthog. During this odyssey into the wilderness, Eliza and her family embark on various adventures in the forest and occasionally go on hi-jinks while filming a documentary.

The show was praised for its charming, imaginative themes as well as its animal-friendly undertones. In addition to its five seasons, there was also a Wild Thornberries movie, as well as a movie crossover with Rugrats.

Bill and Ted's Fantastic Adventure

The perfect adventure comedy

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

The series sees the troubled, albeit brilliant, duo using their time machine to solve various problems they find themselves in. It also means that they come into contact with many historical figures, although the show may have forgotten how memorable the movie was throughout the series.

I'm Weasel

Short and sweet

I Am Weasel charts the antics of two animal frenemies named IM Weasel and IR Baboon. It began life as a segment on Cows and Chickens, another often forgotten show. It has plenty of banners as the baboon obsessively tries to outdo its more successful, wittier counterpart.

The show had its own eccentric appeal, which helped it garner decent ratings in the late 90s. This slapstick animation by David Feis is one of the first in a string of “cartoon cartoons” – Cartoon Network's answer to Nicktoons.

Dexter's Laboratory

Omelet du fromage

Dexter's Laboratory features an awkward boy genius named Dexter, who speaks with a curiously unrecognizable accent. Most of the series pits him against his hyperactive sister Dee Dee, who has a knack for wreaking havoc in his lab and setting him back with her invention.

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 retains an appeal and comic edge that remains innovative and culturally significant two decades later.

The New Adventures of He-Man

Notorious Powers

Thanks to how well the He-Man series can fit together back in the day, most people have seen a few episodes of this 1990 series and completely forgotten about it. It functions like a classic 80s cartoon and toy but with some updated design and production decisions.

It was relatively short-lived on the air, and since people still seemed to enjoy the series, it would serve as the last time people would see He-Man in the new cartoon format for a while.

Pirates of the Dark Waters

Adventures

The Pirates Of Dark Water first aired as a five-part miniseries titled Dark Water, which turned into a full series. The short-lived fantasy cartoon depicts an alien ocean world destroyed by an evil substance called Dark Water. Ren and his crew try to stop it by gathering thirteen lost treasure rules and war pirate lords along the way.

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

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SWAT CATS: Radical Squadron

radical power

SWAT CATS: Radical Squadron features two anthropomorphic feline vigilante pilots who use their advanced fighter jet, the TurboCat, to defend the MegaCat city from villains and monsters and clash 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 video game. Unfortunately, it was canceled at the end of its second season with three unfinished episodes after the studio was said to be dissatisfied with the level of violence.

Beetle juice

Beetlejuice…beetlejuice!

Based on the 1988 film, Beetlejuice was developed and produced by Tim Burton himself, but the animated series went in a different direction. Beetlejuice is an anti-hero rather than a villain, and he and Lydia Deetz are best friends who explore the twisted and deranged realm of the Netherworld together, encountering colorful characters and embarking on adventures.

Beetlejuice was given a lot of screen time, and the world of animation allowed him to use his powers without worrying about movie-level budgets. However, the novelty wore off, and the show never achieved cult status as the movie did.

Reboot

Computer animated goodness

Reboot was the first fully computer-animated half-hour TV series and featured the adventures of Bob, Enzo, Dot Matrix, Fong, and other citizens of Mainframe, an anonymous user's personal computer, defending themselves from an attack by Megabyte and Hexadecimal viruses.

Starting as a light affair, it became darker, grittier and more mature in the third season when the comic relief character Enzo became the anti-hero of “The Matrix,” the story, and it began to target an older audience. ReBoot has left a deep legacy, and it is still a popular topic among cartoon lovers.