Top 20 Most Satisfying Animated TV Kisses of All Time

When this series started up, we were just excited to have a raunchy adult series starring our favorite pig-tailed sidekick. Little did we know, a friends-to-lovers story would steal the show. The relationship between Harley and Ivy is a slow build with third-parties and some inopportune grand displays of affection, but that only makes it all the more real. Their first kiss comes in the heat of the moment after Harley tries to sacrifice herself and Ivy moves in quickly at the last second to save her. They’ve had some great kisses since but, this one, coming off of adrenaline and fear, is both shocking and gratifying.

If we weren’t bound to our own criteria limits, this entry would be about their big kiss in the movie and be ranked quite a bit higher. Instead we settle for the iconic lip-locking that happens in the origins episode. Starfire’s species has an interesting way of learning new languages, though it does seem more efficient than the human way. If this episode had started off the series, we may have taken it for granted but, because it came all the way in season 5, we were able to truly enjoy it after so many seasons of shipping the two heroes.

The payoff in this one comes as a result of Jim’s long-time crush on Claire. From the very beginning, we see him go to lengths to get close to her. The two click pretty quickly after they become friends and it isn’t long at all before she’s part of the troll-hunting team. Their first real embrace – not the “Romeo and Juliet” one – comes after they escape the Darklands. There’s nothing like the stress of potential death on the horizon to bring two people together, after all. We looked a lot like Toby watching this one.

After a couple of missed or otherwise offscreen kisses, we were happy to finally witness this special moment. So many cartoons take the slow-burn route, but Gumball and Penny were built up early on in the show, which meant a lot of time to see them forge a closer connection. It wasn’t until season three, however, that we’d see a major development. Penny’s shell gets cracked and Gumball spends the episode encouraging her to embrace whatever’s inside. After a small misunderstanding, Penny shapeshifts into several different beasts and monsters, and flees. When Gumball finds her, he drops some surprisingly deep lines and plants one on her. The two find themselves in that same spacescape where only the two of them exist.

While their first kiss left something to be desired, Rayla and Callum quickly made up for things just the next episode. Their bond is virtually indestructible by this point in the series and we knew it was only really a matter of time before they got together romantically. This moment, in part thanks to Callum’s uninhibited sincerity, always makes our stomachs flip-flop. Thankfully, Rayla isn’t too caught up in the awkwardness of their last kiss and pulls him in for another one, and we’re left absolutely reeling. Not only was it such a treat to see them finally get together, but it got us super excited for how their relationship would progress throughout the rest of the show.

It’s always a good day when we get to gush over these two. “DreamWorks Dragons” acts as a bridge series between the first and second movies, where the world is expanded on a lot and the characters are nicely fleshed out. We get to see Hiccup and Astrid’s relationship progress from friends to something more and it’s every bit as sweet as it is bumbling. It happens in the episode “Blindsided” when Astrid loses her sight and Hiccup is there for her in more ways than one. The end of the episode sees her reciprocating his sentiments and the two share their perfect kiss at sunset. It was about time they took the next step!

After five whole seasons, a childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers storyline, and some crazy tension, we finally got a kiss. Slow builds always yield the most satisfying results, and that’s definitely the case for these two. Catra has finally turned over a new leaf and joined the side of good but, even with her help, Horde Prime is an opponent worth his salt. Just when it looks like the end of the line for Adora, Catra is able to pull her out of it and, with a confession, She-Ra is brought forth just in time. Not only is this kiss one for the books, but those exchanged I-love-yous definitely merit some applause too.

Considering how insufferably long it’s taken for these two to get together, there are actually an appreciable amount of kisses to choose from. For a second, we thought we might see a flip in the love square when Marinette and Cat Noir had their adorable date. But, ultimately, we’re going to give this entry to the kiss that marks the officiality of something real. There’s no memory-erasing, no Akuma-induced action, and the two are finally on the same page about having feelings for each other. Not to mention, the whole airport setting and the utter drama of it all makes for something both memorable and rewarding, like a thank-you for following their journey through all the highs and lows.

If you watched “Recess” growing up, chances are you shipped T.J. and Spinelli before you even knew what shipping was. In this episode, the gang learns that, in the future, kids don’t care about jungle gyms and dodgeball so much as they do about kissing each other. To prove otherwise, the gang decides to test out the theory for themselves. They all draw straws for who’s going to be the subjects and, wouldn’t you know who ends up being selected by fate’s hand? The whole school turns up to watch their big kiss and, despite the audience, the two pucker up – for the good of science, of course.

This is a relationship that progressed beautifully. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, these two eventually come around to one another and develop the sweetest relationship ever. On the Day of Unity, Luz comes to recruit Amity for the fight. From the heightened emotions to the stunning background, their reunion is simply stunning. If the crew had to pick any moment to abuse the animation budget, we’re so glad it was this one. Their kiss is adorable and also so true to their relationship – we get a little bit of awkwardness, a little bit of blushing, and a whole lot of love.

A girl’s first kiss is a big deal, and Mabel was lucky enough to catch herself a merman. Mermando didn’t make it easy for Mabel though; she has to save him from the community pool in the middle of the night, and he almost suffocates. Luckily, Dipper gives him reverse CPR, securing his ‘first kiss’ and some blackmail for his twin sister. It was Mabel’s first and last kiss with Mermando, but his letter reveals that she stole at least one of his 17 hearts… at least it was memorable!

He's a guy from "the stupid ages" and she's an accomplished captain from the future. Thanks to accidental time travel, they’re able to come together and kiss. This particular kiss was born of necessity, but that didn’t make it any less satisfying. After spending time in a robot asylum, Fry thinks he is a robot, so Leela kisses him to give him a spark of humanity. Sadly, it doesn’t work. He only beeps in response, although it’s a hilarious moment. Even though the kiss was one-sided, it was pretty steamy, and it was the moment fans had been waiting three seasons for!

After three seasons of fighting the forces of Evil together, these two finally kiss. The kiss is just as sweet and innocent as fans were expecting, but their reaction is definitely not. They just stare wide-eyed at each other, sputtering at what just happened, until Fotino bursts into the room. In Marco’s defense, he really had no choice but to kiss Star. What else are you supposed to do when locked in a ‘magical’ photo booth? It definitely wasn’t the best timing since Star had a boyfriend, but now they’ll have a souvenir from this awkwardly-sweet moment.

There have been many kisses between Danny and Sam, aka “fake-out make-outs,” but this kiss is really real. Danny is on his way to try and save the world so he finally lets Sam know his true feelings, and he leaves her with a kiss. Neither of them knows what will happen. Danny may not come back, so this kiss is full of urgency, uncertainty, and love. Thankfully, this is Nickelodeon we’re talking about… Sam and Danny fly off into the distance at the end, safe and happy. Another great end to another great show.

You get a kiss, and you get a kiss, everyone gets a kiss! The group was in good spirits after defeating The Light. It was New Years and the perfect time for kissing. Kid Flash leads the charge by scooping Artemis up, bridal style, and they kiss. He echoes all our thoughts when he says he should have done it sooner, but he couldn’t have picked a better moment. Starting a relationship is a great way to end the first season and start the New Year. Red Tornado is the only one not to get a kiss, but we’re pretty sure he prefers it that way.

“Steven Universe” has been leading the charge for LGBTQ+ representation in cartoons since its inception. Ruby and Sapphire’s relationship has been a central focus. It was the first kids cartoon to show a same-sex engagement and the first same-sex wedding, which is where we get this gem of a kiss. A historical kiss full of promise, love, and so many feels! As they kiss, Ruby sweeps Sapphire up and they fuse together to make Garnet! The entire gang came together to make the wedding extra special and we definitely feel the love.

Despite the age difference, just about a hundred years, these two are meant to be together. From the moment they meet, Aang has feelings for the bad*ss waterbender, but Katara took a little longer to realize her feelings. This kiss doesn’t happen until the last episode of the last season, that’s 61 episodes of waiting, but it’s worth it. The world is finally safe from the Fire Nation and all that’s left for Aang and Katara to do is enjoy their future together. The kiss is full of hope and excitement, making for a great finale.

“Adventure Time” has had its fair share of interesting kisses… like the time Finn kissed Mega Frog to break his curse, or the time he kissed Princess Bubblegum to break her curse. Luckily, the kiss between Bubblegum and Marceline has nothing to do with curses. For years fans have suspected that these ‘rivals’ were secretly in love, and after several long seasons this kiss finally gave ‘Bubbline’ fans sweet vindication. When Bubblegum almost dies, Marceline is so relieved she’s okay that they kiss! Yay, for more LGBTQ+ representation on the Cartoon Network! It’s sad that the show is over, but we know Marcy and Bonnie are out there, living their adventure.

Every so often, an episode comes along that’s special, and this one is super special. It’s set 10 years in the future, making Phineas and Ferb teenagers, and it aired just before Valentine’s Day, so romance is in the air. Alas, poor Phineas is too stressed about choosing a college that he didn’t even notice. Isabella had been crushing on him for years… crushing hard. Thankfully, everyone else noticed and convinced Phineas in time for him to chase Isabella down and kiss her before she left for college. They grow up so fast!

Here’s the sitch: these two have been through a lot together over the years and even saved the world a few times. They’ve had first kisses, almost kisses, and cheek kisses. For this list, we’re going to focus on their most bittersweet kiss, their last one. It happens in the series finale while they’re zooming into their future together in a flying car, which definitely gives them style points. Ron was afraid that they would break up after graduation, but this kiss ties everything together and ends the show on a happy – not to mention deeply satisfying – note.

Which kiss did you always hope to see happen? Let us know in the comments.