Top 10 Darkest Kids Cartoons
#10: “Teen Titans” (2003-06)
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Although “Teen Titan” focused on DC’s younger superheroes, the show wasn’t afraid to talk about mature themes. Every member of the group struggled with at least one complex issue. The alien Starfire overcame prejudice and stereotypes. After Robin fought the vicious Slade, the hero fought the villain’s ghost in an episode that was a metaphor for post traumatic stress disorder. The titans even had to fight Raven’s twisted father in a climactic episode that directly discusses death and features tons of disturbing imagery. While the show sounds dark, its ability to incorporate humor and action kept this superhero adventure from being too grim.
#9: “Invader Zim” (2001-09)
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This kids’ cartoon about an alien constantly tiptoed the edge of being a full horror. Invader Zim's unique animation style already seemed a little freaky and weird. But the show often crossed the line when the little green guy tried to conquer Earth with unsettling plans full of body horror. One of the most notorious examples comes from the episode “Dark Harvest.” When the alien Zim wanted to get human organs to fit in better, he...borrowed some from whoever’s nearby. As his body gets more horrifying to look at, victims have their organs replaced with random items. It’s hard to believe “Invader Zim” episodes like this were allowed to be shown to younger viewers.
#8: “Gravity Falls” (2012-16)
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After the Pine twins travel to spend time with their Gruncle Stan, they discover that there’s lots of strange things lurking around Gravity Falls. The creatures and characters that inhabit the local area can be really terrifying. We still have nightmares about the unsettling forms the shapeshifter twisted itself into before Dipper literally gave it the axe. Unfortunately, that scary creature doesn’t hold a candle to Bill Cipher. This Demon had no problem possessing bodies or openly declaring that he’ll slay whoever he wants in the falls. With characters like these, it’s no mystery why you might want to watch “Gravity Falls” with lights on.
#7: “Adventure Time” (2010-18)
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On the surface, this show is just a light-hearted fantasy adventure about Finn and his dog Jake fighting the evil ice-king and other baddies. But as the series continues, the characters deal with increasingly complex situations. We learn that the wacky Ice King was once a normal guy whose crown caused him to slowly lose his memories and sanity. At one point, we watch the happy-go-lucky Finn lose an arm in a visceral and dramatic incident. And we could go on for hours about why the Lich King is one of the most terrifying villains in western animation. While the land of Ooo Finn lives in can be a charming place, he and his friends often took really dark turns.
#6: “Infinity Train” (2019-21)
“Infinity Train” is a fantastic show with vibrant art direction and concepts that will engage audiences of all ages. The titular vehicle also has stopped many times to cover mature territory. While characters have been on the train, they’ve unpacked issues about divorce, morality and serious trauma. Audiences had to watch beloved beings meet tragic ends in several emotional episodes. There’s also a character known as Mirror Tulip AKA Lake who had to find her life’s purpose while trying to avoid being shattered to pieces. Her dangerous and existential crisis alone was full of heartbreaking moments that raised questions that even adults would find hard to answer. Riding the “Infinity Train” will take children on an adventure that veers into truly complex places.
#5: “Steven Universe” (2013-19)
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Steven Universe had a lot to unpack with a therapist by the time the beloved and layered series ended. While the adorable animation will pull new viewers in, images of Steven turning into a cat-Cronenberg monster might throw them off. Outside of body horror, we learn that each character carries heavy baggage underneath their gems. Even the extremely composed Pearl constantly copes with abandonment issues and depression due to the loss of her friend Pink Diamond. Another gem named Lapis had trouble trusting others after being imprisoned and thrown into a toxic relationship. And as Steven grows up, he’s forced to make complex moral decisions and deal with his own mortality. The longer you spend with the crystal gems, the more serious things got.
#4: “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08)
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We had a feeling a show set during a global war would be more mature than your average cartoon. But “Avatar: The Last Airbender” shocked us with how willing it was to show heroes dealing with everything from the loss of one person to the destruction of an entire culture. Although you’d think these events would make viewers completely despise the villains, we felt bad for antagonists like Zuko who struggled with trauma and harsh childhoods. And when the show wasn’t tackling these issues, it could dive into pure nightmare fuel imagery. Watching Koh the Face Stealer do exactly what his name implied still leaves us shaken today. “Avatar’s” sequel series, “The Legend of Korra” also became known for combining heavy themes and startling imagery.
#3: “The Ren & Stimpy Show” (1991-96)
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Sometimes it feels like 90s Nickelodeon was TRYING to freak you out as a child. In Rocko’s Modern Life, we saw a character nearly expire and visit...um, “heck”. (xref) And “CatDog” was known for putting its main character in the middle of skin-crawling situations. (xref) But by far the most disturbing of the bunch was “The Ren & Stimpy Show.” It was a deranged black comedy full of brutal slapstick and really adult jokes. And since the illustrations drew a lot of scenes with excessive amounts of detail, the show was full of shocking and disgusting imagery. It’s no wonder the boundary pushing show eventually got a reboot that was firmly and exclusively for adults.
#2: “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-95)
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If you’re talking about dark kids’ shows, you can’t forget about the “dark knight” himself! As Batman traveled through Gotham, he came across twisted and sympathetic characters. He met an actress who started losing touch with reality because she was unable to traditionally age. The “Heart of Ice” episode dived into Mr. Freeze’s tragic history with his ill wife. And occasionally, Batman would question his own sanity. The grim tone this show set would pave the way for series like “The New Batman Adventures” to tackle subjects around death. And it also allowed “Batman Beyond” to feature more scenes of body horror. (xref) Without the dark knight’s original series, animated superhero offerings might not have become so mature. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“The PowerPuff Girls” (1998-2005)
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“The Animals of Farthing Wood” (1993-95)
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“The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack” (2008-10)
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“Over the Garden Wall” (2014)
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“Samurai Jack” (2001-17)
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#1: “Courage the Cowardly Dog” (1999-2002)
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It almost felt like this award-winning kids show had a special talent for freaking its viewers out. Each misadventure this fearful little mutt and his owners went through was almost guaranteed to disturb you. In one episode, a man with an obsession with shaving animals constantly torments Courage. The little dog also stared into disturbing faces like a ghost head that was too focused on planting. And every single Courage fan remembers where they were when that disturbing blue being appeared in one of the dog’s nightmares. We don’t blame the pink pup for screaming his lungs out in every episode. Since we still get scared watching the series, it will probably stand the test of time as one of the darkest kids’ shows ever.