Top 20 Greatest EVER Animated Crossovers

#20: “Rugrats Go Wild”

“Rugrats” (1991-2004) & “The Wild Thornberrys” (1998-2004)

By 2003, both the Rugrats and the Thornberry’s had earned a trip to theaters. So, how could Nickelodeon possibly top that? With a theatrically-released crossover film, naturally. “Go Wild” follows the diaper-clad gang as they get stranded on an island, coincidentally running into the Thornberry crew. You can probably guess what happens next. We mean, the jokes simply write themselves. The zany Thornberries bounce off the babbling toddlers so well, it’s a wonder how no one thought to have them interact before. Having it all go down on the big screen is just the cherry on top.

#19: “Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest” (2015)

“Tom and Jerry” (1940-) & “Jonny Quest” (1964-65)

You’d think slapstick humor and Cold War espionage would go together as well as toothpaste and orange juice. But, against all odds, this crossover film does justice by its Hanna-Barbera properties. The plot is totally bonkers in the best way, featuring moments like Tom dooming the heroes in the name of getting a meal. The real magic, though, comes in the form of how it honors both of its namesake heroes. As the first Johnny Quest project made after the death of its creators, this zany mish-mash is more than a fun romp. It’s a love-letter to one of animation’s greatest contributors.

#18: “TTG v PPG”

“Teen Titans Go!” (2013-) & “The Powerpuff Girls” (2016-19)

There’s no such thing as too much superpowered spandex! When the JV Justice League comes up against sugar, spice, and everything nice, fireworks and humor ensue! There’s a great bit where Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup compete against Robin, Starfire and Raven, to see who’s the best hero team. But, the funniest gag is seeing Beast Boy and Cyborg unwittingly help Mojo Jojo, because of course they trust a fellow green monkey! It all comes to a head with a delightfully silly conclusion that has us wishing the Powerpuff Girls could sleepover at Titans Tower more often.

#17: The Whole Show

“Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law” (2001-07)

Everyone needs a lawyer on call for emergencies. And we do mean everyone! What happens when the Scooby Gang or Yogi Bear need legal representation? They call Harvey Birdman. Every episode follows him defending Hanna-Barbera characters in the court of law, and yes, it’s as insanely awesome as it sounds. We never tire of the revolving door of guest stars, especially since each case finds clever ways to wink at the original series. If courtroom dramas aren’t your speed, “Attorney at Law” is actually a spinoff of the equally great “Space Ghost Coast to Coast,” which puts cartoon characters in a late-night talk show.

#16: “Future Shock”

“Static Shock” (2000-04) & “Batman Beyond” (1999-2001)

It’s all in the timing for Virgil Hawkins, who finds himself catapulted forty years in the future to face a new villain threat. Luckily, he has help from the Caped Crusader. Two of them, actually! With Bruce Wayne retired, it’s hot-shot Terry McGinnis behind the cowl. Not only does this give Virgil another teen hero to relate to, but it also lets “Static Shock” play in DC’s wider sandbox for the first time, too. At a baseline, though, this is just a great, action-packed episode of TV. Who doesn’t love seeing Static Shock and Batman dole out some justice?

#15: “Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue” (1990)

Various

The roster here is staggering: you’ve got Smurfs, you’ve got The Chipmunks, you’ve got Looney Toons. You want more? Okay, how about Alf, The Muppets, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Still not satisfied? Fine - it’s even got Winnie the freaking Pooh. What could possibly warrant such a massive collection of iconic animated heroes? Well they’re all gathered to fight… substance use disorder. Okay, full disclosure, this is definitely one of those after-school specials all about making good choices. But, its intentions are good, and quite frankly, seeing all these characters together is worth the price of admission on its own.

#14: “Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2019)

DC Comics (1937-) & “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1984-)

The title kind of says it all, huh? Based upon an acclaimed comic-book miniseries, this animated crossover film gives you exactly what you want. Action, turtles, and Batman, all together in a story guaranteed to have you saying “cowabunga!” Pitting Batman’s wits against the Turtles’ unconventional sense of humor is just too much fun to pass up. Their namesake brawl is certainly a highlight, but as cheesy as it sounds, it’s the moment they all join forces against the villains that really takes the pizza. As exciting as it is to see our heroes duke it out, nothing tops a good, old-fashioned half-shell team-up.

#13: “Crossover Nexus”

“OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes” (2017-19) & Various

When a nefarious villain named Strike begins targeting Cartoon Network characters, K.O. realizes it’ll take a whole team to bring the crook down! So, he recruits the help of Garnet, Ben 10, and Teen Titan’s Raven. If you think that roster’s impressive, just wait! The episode crams in cameos from all sorts of Cartoon Network veterans, from deep-cuts to niche fan-favorites and everyone in between. It’s a high-energy crossover full of action and spectacle, but it’s seeing how many easter eggs they filled each frame with that makes this one of the network’s greatest episodes, period.

#12: "Totally Mystery Much?"

“Totally Spies!” (2001-14; 2023-) & “Martin Mystery” (2003-06)

When an alleged yeti starts terrorizing a ski resort, Sam, Alex and Clover hop on the case. But, they aren’t the only ones! Martin Mystery is already there, bringing his expertise of the supernatural to “Totally Spies.” And, yeah, it’s totally amazing. While Martin’s paranormal knowledge is a big help, the best part of this episode is seeing his relationship with each of the girls. He’s initially smitten with Clover, thinks Sam is like his step-sister, and then ends up hitting it off with Alex. It’s hilarious, light-hearted, and totally in character. It’s a compliment to say the yeti is the least interesting part of this case.

#11: “Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel”

“Phineas and Ferb” (2007-) & Marvel (1939-)

There’s some new recruits to the Avengers. They may look small, but they make up for it with brains! After Doofenshmirtz’s latest scheme robs the Marvel heroes of their powers, it’s up to Phineas and the gang to set things right. It’s a heroic package, alright, brimming with fun interactions, high-octane fights, and musical numbers! We’ve had “My Evil Buddies and Me” stuck in our heads for years, and we’re okay with that. Phineas and Ferb’s time in the Galaxy Far, Far Away is another noteworthy crossover. But, “Mission Marvel” is what really saved the day for us.

#10: “Say Uncle”

“Steven Universe” (2013-) vs. “Uncle Grandpa” (2013-17)

These two shows could not be any more different. “Steven Universe” is essentially a magical destiny epic with an overarching narrative while “Uncle Grandpa” is… well, not. It’s hard to really put Uncle Grandpa, both the show and the character, into a single category, which is what makes this crossover so interesting; getting to see the fourth-wall breaking weirdo enter Steven’s world and screw with reality, causing everyone (especially Pearl) to freak the heck out. It was a delight that even hardcore “Steven” fans could enjoy, since, at the end of the day, “Say Uncle” was just a fun April Fool’s day crossover and is not part of the “Steven Universe” canon.

#9: “Simpsorama”

“The Simpsons” (1989-) vs. “Futurama” (1999-2013)

Both of Matt Groening’s wildly successful animated series have referenced each other countless times, from Groening himself appearing in “The Simpsons” as the creator of “Futurama,” to a pile of discarded Bart Simpsons dolls. However, it wasn’t until 2014 that the shows actually crossed over. Well, there was a comic book crossover, and Bender did show up in a previous episode, but “Simpsorama” was the first time the two cartoons “officially” crossed over. And what a crossover it was, involving time travel, monsters mutated from Bart’s DNA, and, of course the Planet Express crew working together with the Simpsons only after trying to kill them.

#8: “Ben 10 / Generator Rex: Heroes United”

“Generator Rex” (2010-13) vs. “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien” (2010-12)

Two teen heroes, two awesome power sets, one big crossover. Comedic crossovers are great and all, but it’s hard to beat a killer team up between two uniquely powered superheroes like the crossover between “Ben 10” and “Generator Rex,” aptly titled “Heroes United.” The TV special followed a lot of the unwritten crossover “rules” — the heroes meet through an alternate dimensional portal and fight at first before eventually teaming up to defeat the bad guy — but it never feels cliché or boring. In fact, the action in “Heroes United” is a whole lot of fun, especially when Ben and Rex combine their powers for the final showdown.

#7: “Hercules and the Arabian Night”

“Hercules” (1998-99) & “Aladdin” (1994-95)

Bless our soul, it’s a whole new world up in Disney animation! This time, Hades and Jafar are back, and are dead set on taking out each other’s nemesis. It doesn’t go great for them, but it sure is fun to watch! Herc knocks Jafar all the way back to the Underworld, and Hades’ minions mistake Abu for Aladdin. It’s pure, Disney silliness at its finest, and that’s before our heroes join forces. Seeing Hercules and Aladdin share the screen sounds like something out of a dream. But this is real, and yes, it’s everything you’d ever want, and more. What can we say? This crossover really went the distance!

#6: “Bravo Dooby-Doo”

“Johnny Bravo” (1997-2004) vs. “Scooby-Doo” franchise (1969-)

Whoa mama! The Scooby-Doo gang has had quite few team ups and crossovers in their decades-long cartoon career — including “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” — but none were quite as funny as their run-in with Johnny Bravo. After breaking down on the way to his aunt’s spooky old house, Johnny catches a ride in the Mystery Machine, leading to all the classic Scooby-Doo tropes as Johnny and the gang pursue a ghostly gardener haunting the home. But, as it turns out, the ghost was actually Johnny’s aunt trying to scare him off because she doesn’t like him very much. Jinkies!

#5: “The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour” trilogy (2004-06)

“The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” (2002-06) vs. “The Fairly OddParents” (2001-)

What happens when magic and science collide? You get the “Jimmy Timmy Power Hour,” an ambitious and unlikely crossover between “Jimmy Neutron” and “The Fairly OddParents.” The first entry in this cartoon crossover trilogy was more of a switcheroo between the two characters, but the sequels actually saw the two characters clash and eventually become inter-dimensional friends. As strange as these crossovers were, they were still tons of fun and loaded with action, and seeing the characters animated in different styles was definitely one of its biggest draws.

#4: “The Grim Adventures of the Kids Next Door”

“Codename: Kids Next Door” (2001-08) & “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy” (2003-08)

It’s hard to imagine a show about two kids befriending Death crossing over with a series following kid operatives who fight against adult tyranny, but Cartoon Network managed to pull it off with “The Grim Adventures of the KND.” After Billy gets into some supernatural related trouble, he seeks the help of the Kids Next Door, leading to a strange series of events that results in Mandy running the KND and a giant supernatural pants monster. Yeah, this one is pretty weird, but it still makes our list, and it even gets bonus points for multiple references to other Cartoon Network series, including an extended cameo from Ed, Edd and Eddy.

#3: “The Simpsons Guy”

“Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-) vs. “The Simpsons” (1989-)

Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” has been called a blatant rip-off of “The Simpsons,” which is why the eventual crossover between the two came as a bit of a surprise. Nonetheless, “The Simpsons Guy” brought the two family centric animated sitcoms together to somewhat mixed results. The episode was criticized for leaning too heavily into the shock value humor of “Family Guy,” but the crossover also deserves some merit for poking fun at the differences between the two series, as well as the blatant similarities, the latter of which is pointed out in a wonderfully meta way – which is part of the reason why “The Simpsons Guy” earns the number three spot on this list.

#2: “Rufus”

“Lilo & Stitch: The Series” (2003-06) vs. “Kim Possible” (2002-07)

Of all the unlikely crossovers on this list, this one definitely takes the cake. Seriously, who would imagine that Kim Possible would ever show up in the world of “Lilo & Stitch?” Even weirder, this was just one of four other crossovers with “Lilo & Stitch,” the others being “Recess,” “The Proud Family,” and “American Dragon: Jake Long.” Crazy, right? But, as strange as this crossover was, it was still a ton of fun, following Lilo as she calls upon Kim Possible’s services to help rescue Stitch from Drakken’s clutches.

#1: “The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones” (1987)

“The Jetsons” (1962-63; 1985-87) vs. “The Flintstones” (1960-66)

Hanna-Barbera cartoons are some of the greatest classics of animation, which is why this crossover between two of their most notable properties, “The Jetsons” and “The Flintstones,” is our number one pick. This crossover followed the Jetsons as they met the Flintstones after being accidentally sent back in time… or were they? On top of being a great crossover, this TV movie also contributes to the dark theory that “The Flintstones” takes place after “The Jetsons,” their primitive technology and prehistoric-looking society being a result of the pollution and radiation implied by the future of “The Jetsons.” Of course, nothing is confirmed, but that doesn’t make this crossover any less awesome.

What’s your pie-in-the-sky crossover idea? Pitch it to us in the comments below!