10 90s Cartoons That Set Millennials' Standards for Media

These four heroes in a half shell combined martial arts, wacky antics, and friendship into one of the most popular animated series of the decade.

Whether fighting Shredder or cracking jokes, the turtles became a pop culture juggernaut, spawning toys, games, and live action movies.

Widely considered the gold standard of superhero animation, this Warner Bros. show featured Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker.

Its dark tones, sharp storytelling, and film noir style set a new benchmark for animated series, influencing superhero cartoons for decades.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup weren’t just cute; they packed serious power. This Cartoon Network hit was full of bright colors, wacky villains, and non-stop action. The show’s smart writing and exciting battles turned it into one of the most iconic 90s cartoons.

With exciting stories, a colorful cast of heroes and villains, and connections to the wider Marvel world, Spider-Man swung into pop culture dominance in the 90s. It introduced kids to classic comic book arcs while maintaining the fun of Saturday morning cartoons.

Premiering on Fox Kids, this superhero show became the gold standard for comic book adaptations in animation.

With a large cast of mutants, exciting battles, and strong themes of justice and acceptance, it brought the world of Marvel comics into kids’ living rooms.

This Nickelodeon hit centered on Arnold, a football-headed boy navigating life, school, and friendship in the city.

With smart storytelling, memorable characters, and lessons about family and friends, it became one of the most popular Nicktoons of its era.

A Cartoon Network original, "Dexter’s Laboratory" captured the fun and chaos of a boy genius constantly foiled by his sister Dee Dee.

With sharp humor, wacky science adventures, and colorful characters, it was a defining favorite cartoon for kids in the 90s.

Educational yet wildly fun, this animated series took elementary school students on various adventures through space, inside the human body, and even back in time. Ms. Frizzle’s class showed kids that learning could be exciting, colorful, and full of imagination.

This Cartoon Network favorite followed a timid pink dog who lived with his elderly owners in the middle of nowhere.

Despite his cowardly nature, Courage faced off against monsters, villains, and otherworldly threats in episodes filled with wacky antics and surprisingly dark stories.

Disney’s masked mallard mixed superhero action with slapstick comedy. As a parody of the Dark Knight, Darkwing Duck balanced crime-fighting with his role as a father.

Its bright colors, fun villains, and action-packed episodes made it a favorite cartoon for young audiences, even if it never reached the same pop culture status as the others.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.