Top 20 Disappointing Cartoon Show Finales

“Regular Show” (2010-17)
This show was anything but regular. Its odd plots and bizarre characters captivated audiences for years. However, its series finale fell flat. The evil Anti-Pops wants to destroy the universe, but he dies when Pops hugs him and sends the two into the sun. As they approach it, Anti-Pops kind of just ends up accepting his fate. It felt not only anticlimactic but also out of character for the evil entity. Mordecai ends the series by settling down not with someone the show took time to develop, but instead with a character who was only introduced in the finale. To call this a let down would be an understatement.

“Class of the Titans” (2005-08)
Greek mythology comes alive in this show, which follows the teenage descendants of famed Greek heroes as they race against the clock to stop the Titan Cronus. It was a fun show that, like “Percy Jackson,” presented the mythology through a modern lens. But unlike the “Percy Jackson” mega-franchise, “Class” didn’t have the greatest of conclusions. “Phantom Rising” sees team member Theresa turn suddenly weary of the gods and attempt to steal their powers. Her heel turn was unexpected and not to mention very out of character. The finale episode also ended the entire show on a cliffhanger, meaning we never get to see the gang defeat Cronus. Guess class is no longer in session.

“Camp Lazlo” (2005-08)
This was truly a bizarre way to end this series. In order to avoid being burdened by doing laundry, Lumpus and Lazlo decide to paint clothes onto themselves. Sure, that makes complete sense. After replacing their wardrobe with paint, the episode ends with a reveal that Lumpus is an impostor! He actually stole the position of scoutmaster and eventually gets arrested. It should feel like a grand moment. Instead the execution of the whole thing just feels off. Suffice to say this head-scratcher of an episode wasn’t quite the ending fans had in mind!

“Danny Phantom” (2004-07)
There’s writing yourself into a corner, and then there’s what happened to “Phantom Planet.” After three seasons of ghost hunting, Danny meets his match in Vlad’s own ghost-hunting troupe and decides to give up his powers for good. When an asteroid threatens Earth, Vlad attempts to stop it… in exchange for control over the world. Of course he fails, so Danny decides to assemble several ghosts and make the earth intangible. As if that plot point weren’t unbelievable enough, Danny not only manages to regain his powers seemingly out of nowhere; he also quickly convinces all of his enemies to help him. A lotta fans felt this finale was a rushed mess with too many unbelievable moments, even for this show.

“Ren and Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon’” (2003)
The title of this episode is weird, but the plot is definitely weirder. The “Ren and Stimpy ‘Adult Party Cartoon’” was a spinoff of the original Nickelodeon show. But “Adult Party Cartoon” aimed to take the franchise in a more extreme direction. The finale involves the title characters believing that Stimpy is pregnant. However, it turns out that he’s just got some constipation. But their doctor doesn’t want to break the news to them. So instead he tells them that the…well let’s just say the number 2 that Stimpy made is their kid. The two are none the wiser and we’re all left mortified by what we’ve witnessed.

“Kim Possible” (2002-07)
With Kim, Ron, and the rest of the gang at Middleton High getting ready to graduate, things go awry when an alien invasion occurs. Despite being a two-parter, “Graduation” still rushed through some things. While Ron’s sudden development of powers could have been a cool sight to see, it felt abrupt and turned him into a glaringly obvious deus ex machina. Global Justice, the organization that combats threats to Earth, failed to show up to fight the invasion. And much of Warmonga’s story, which had been built up earlier, seemed like it was disregarded in the finale. This ending to the beloved Disney Channel series might not have been actively terrible, but it still left some things to be desired.

“Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog” (1993)
Though this wasn’t technically the last episode of the show to air, it was originally written and produced with the intention that it would be the finale. In it, Sonic and company are trapped inside of a storybook by Scratch and Grounder. They then need to help the book’s characters get their fairytale endings. Unfortunately, the episode just kind of feels like a hollow parody of fairy tales and nothing more, with jokes far and few between. The episode also teases another season, but since that never came to pass, it just aged poorly. This Sonic probably didn't live happily ever after.

“All Grown Up!” (2003-08)
This sequel series to “Rugrats” took the titular characters and aged them up to their tween years. While it didn’t run as long as the original show, it still managed to garner popularity. Unfortunately, its finale “Golden Boy” ended the show on more of a whimper than a bang. While on a hiking trip with their grandpa Lou, Tommy and Dil fight over who’s Lou’s favorite. It’s a pretty cliche plot, but it’s nothing terrible on its own. However, it’s a very unsatisfying note to end the entire show on. Considering the whole point of this show was about the rugrats growing up, this could’ve been a finale that tied into just what that really meant. Instead it’s mainly an episode about bickering brothers.

“Johnny Bravo” (1997-2004)
Having Shaquille O'Neal on an episode of “Johnny Bravo” isn’t actually as strange as it might sound. The show frequently featured celebrity guest stars and if anything they ramped that idea up in the last couple of seasons. However, it probably would’ve been better for them to focus on their homegrown talent for the series finale. Instead, they went with “Back on Shaq,” an episode that makes Johnny feel like a side character in his own show. After trying to woo some cheerleaders while at a basketball game, Johnny ends up becoming Shaq’s good-luck charm. We’re not quite sure what the goal was, but it almost feels like a premiere episode of a Shaq-centric cartoon. Regardless, this episode was not a slam dunk.

“The Fairly Oddparents” (2001-17)
This show was a hit when it first started. But as it continued, it became clear to fans that its quality had suffered. Multiple later seasons were poorly received and the series finale didn’t do much better. “Fancy Schmancy” revolves around Timmy and Chloe trying to celebrate their Friendaversary. Unfortunately, they’re stopped by their respective parents who can’t stand each other. That’s pretty much the whole plot and it’s not a very good sendoff. What made this so frustrating was that the franchise could've ended perfectly with “Channel Chasers.” The tv movie was beloved by fans for getting at the root of Timmy’s problems and it arguably gave him the perfect sendoff already. But instead we were stuck with the fairly disappointing “Fancy Schmancy.”

“Darkwing Duck” (1991-92)
Time travel makes our brains hurt. When Darkwing Duck goes back in time, he tries to discover why a museum’s amber-covered duck looks like him. Through his hijinks he ends up getting encased in the amber, revealing the duck was actually him the whole time. But if Darkwing was the duck from the museum, how did he ever exist before becoming encased in the amber? The episode is confusing, though you might be able to look past that. But even if you do, it doesn’t feel like a real finale. It just feels like any other episode. Maybe one day someone can time travel back to give this show a more conclusive ending.

“Gargoyles” (1994-97)
This nineties cartoon was a smash hit thanks to its brilliant storylines and attention to detail with its characters. But its third season suffered due to major changes behind the scenes. The season revolved around the gargoyles battling the Quarrymen, and their conflict was forced to an end in “Angels in the Night.” The gargoyles stop the Quarrymen from killing a train filled with innocent civilians, which inspires humanity to accept them. The message was nice, however the execution was sloppy. The entire season was built around humanity’s fear of the gargoyles, so accepting them in the span of just one episode felt rushed. The season was already unimpressive, and this finale made some fans want to forget it even existed.

“Transformers Animated” (2007-09)
This series conclusion put everything on the line with the high-stakes two-part finale fittingly called “Endgame.” The Autobots do battle with the Decepticons with the fate of the entire world at stake and eventually they succeed. In terms of quality, this is a finale that admittedly isn’t a bad watch. But “Endgame” wasn’t supposed to be the ending for the whole show. Another season had been in the works that would’ve continued the series with new plot points, such as Megatron’s trial and a deeper look into Cybertronian society. Unfortunately, the cartoon was canceled. “Endgame” held its own fairly well, but considering what we lost out on, it's hard not to feel a bit shortchanged.

“Star vs. the Forces of Evil” (2015-19)
There was so much to love about this Disney original – great characters, top-notch writing, and a fun atmosphere. But eventually the show made creative choices that put it at odds with fans. And by the last episode those choices became downright frustrating. In “Cleaved,” Star makes a bold decision to wipe out magic from all reality. It’s a serious decision to make and going through with it would result in the deaths of all magical creatures. It seems like a no-brainer to not do it but the show still frames it as a good idea. Fans weren’t too happy with this and the finale was almost universally hated. Yeah, turning your main character into a genocidal maniac probably isn’t the right move.

“Drawn Together” (2004-07)
“Drawn Together” was a pretty unique show, as it offered not only adult humor with a reality show spin, but also differently drawn characters with varying personalities. However, rather than capitalizing on the series’ great writing team, the finale features clips and songs from previous episodes, interspersed with a bunch of jabs at the producers. You can actually feel the bitterness of the show’s staff in the episode, but taking a trip down memory lane and mocking your bosses for a half hour doesn’t end a series on a high note – as far as fans are concerned, at least. The epilogue movie was no better, as it tried to deal with the cancellation in a disgusting manner.

“Hero: 108” (2010-12)
This show debuted during Cartoon Network’s…uh, experimental phase, and earned a relatively good reception – although the show itself was pretty well hidden. As for the finale; it was…rushed. Twin Masters gets hold of the ultimate power, so the heroes must band together to stop him, but nothing seems to work. Enter convenient plot device Bronze Giant – pretty much outta nowhere – and the second battle begins. Unfortunately, even the fusion of every hero doesn’t work, so they combine their harmonic energies and manage to defeat the villain… even though that appears to be what they were doing in the previous two battles. Guess the third time’s the charm…?

“Codename: Kids Next Door” (2002-08)
All kids have to grow up sometime – even our favorite KND Sector V agents, who – in the finale – are brought back as adults to be interviewed about their last mission… in live action. While the episode is filled with tear-jerking moments and heartfelt goodbyes, the live-action versions of adult Numbuhs 2-5 are just… off-putting. In a series dominated by animation, the live-action cutaways feel jarring and out of place. What makes this ending even worse is that it teases the never made spin-off, “Galactic Kids Next Door.”

“American Dragon: Jake Long” (2005-07)
On their family trip to Hong Kong, the Dark Dragon returns and plots to take control of all dragons. Thanks to Jake, this plan backfires in the worst way possible, making it feel like the villain lacks the very insight and power that made him a threat in the first place. As if diminishing the main antagonist’s status weren’t enough, Rose also manages to regain all her memories of a past that no longer exists thanks to one photo. All in all, many fans agree that this finale is a rushed mess filled with deus ex machina events, which swaps out all the conclusions reached in the previous episode for dumber ones. Can’t we just let “Being Human” be the series finale?

“The Boondocks” (2005-14)
It was once a show full of powerful, thought-provoking messages and polarizing stances, but fans agree that The Boondocks’ fourth season was its worst. In the finale, Riley uses an inappropriate word in class, to the shock of everyone. The situation spirals out of control as the controversy moves from Riley’s homophobic slur to his use of the r-word, prompting advocates for both groups to use Riley for their own personal gain. This would’ve been a great time for Huey to speak up on the hot button issue, but the episode just... ends, leaving both groups demonized and presenting no message to back up their viewpoints. Well, at least fans could rejoice that the season was finally over.

“Teen Titans” (2003-06)
For the love of all animation, Cartoon Network: if you’re going to tie up loose ends on old shows, please work your magic with this one. While the Titans battle a mysterious new enemy, Beast Boy chases down what looks like Terra, who appears to have lost her memories... or not? In the end, we’re left with several questions from these two plots alone, and the show ends its final season on a cliffhanger, with several ongoing plots left unfinished, characters not fully developed, and even an ongoing battle undetermined. Sure, there was that follow-up TV movie, but it all but ignored the events of this episode.