Let’s get one thing settled right out of the gate. Cartoons are cool, okay? It doesn’t matter how old you are, watching cartoons is entertainment you should never deprive yourself of.
If you are interested in the history of animation, check out Fantasmagorie by French artist Émile Cohl. Film historians believe that it was the first animated cartoon. Cohl made it back in 1908 with hand-drawn animation. Since then, many other ways of creating animated films have been developed; some of the most common ones include stop motion, and more recently, 3D animation.
Animated shows have become increasingly popular ever since veteran animation studio Hanna-Barbera introduced the first animated sitcom, The Flintstones. Some people think that animation is only for children, but that’s absolutely not true. Animation is just a technique, an artistic tool the creators choose to tell their stories. In a way, you may even say it gives you more creative freedom because you are not limited by the laws of physics.
Whether you prefer feature-length or short, standalone movies or series, there are tons of fun adult cartoons in any genre you can choose from. And if you are searching for some cartoons to watch next, we really recommend our selection below.
Do you have a favorite cartoon? Recommend it to us in the comments.
#1 Rick And Morty
Rick and Morty
2013 | Seasons: 5
Trying to explain Rick and Morty is very much like trying to explain interdimensional travel in a language you don’t speak. You just accept that it’s awesome and follow along. While full of the hilarious adventures of a mad (genius?) scientist and his grandson (and occasionally, the rest of the family), nonsensical timelines, clever meta-jokes and a ton of sarcastic humor, this cartoon still pulls all the right emotions, making you think about subject matters like loneliness, abandonment, family, the consequences of your actions, and many more.
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#2 South Park
South Park
1997 | Seasons: 25
Although not as old as The Simpsons, South Park is also in the veteran camp of adult animation. If you ever thought the life of a typical fourth grader is all light and carefree, this show will quickly change your mind. Full of dark comedy, profanity, and satire on a number of everyday topics, it follows four boys who often happen to be the only voice of reason amidst chaos in the town. And did you know? They killed Kenny… again!
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#3 Gravity Falls
Gravity Falls
2012 | Seasons: 2
Have you ever noticed how much out of this world stuff happens in the Pacific Northwest? Must be something in the air. Twins Dipper and Mabel discover that first-hand when they visit their great uncle Stan in a town in Oregon, a town where nothing is what it seems to be, and now they’re in for a summer full of adventures. The only negative thing about Gravity Falls is that it’s just two seasons long; however, its creator Alex Hirsch mentioned that it was solely his decision to finish the series as it approached its logical end.
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#4 The Simpsons
The Simpsons
1989 | Seasons: 33
The Simpsons are 33 years old! Let that sink in. Probably the most well-known among animated shows for adults worldwide, it hardly needs any introduction. A parody on American life and culture, it centers around a typical dysfunctional family, where all members except for Bart are named after the family members of the creator Matt Groening. Currently, the show has been extended for yet another, 34th season, but knowing The Simpsons’ history, it’s probably safe to assume that it won’t stop there. It’s also common knowledge that the show somehow managed to predict numerous cultural and political events in its storyline, so maybe we should pay more attention to new episodes to avoid certain disasters.
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#5 Futurama
Futurama
1999 | Seasons: 7
If the animation style of Futurama somewhat reminds you of The Simpsons, it’s because they were both created by the same author, Matt Groening. Set in a future distant even from our standpoint, it tells the story of a professional procrastinator Fry who goes into cryogenic sleep and wakes up a thousand years later, in the 31st century “New New York.” Everything on Earth seems to be the same but dialed to eleven: bureaucracy, global warming, and even the vibe of cities itself. A heavy parody of not only present society but also the future we’re dangerously quickly pedaling ourselves towards, this animated TV show won a number of prestigious awards.
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#6 Bojack Horseman
BoJack Horseman
2014 | Seasons: 6
BoJack Horseman is a once-popular, now retired and essentially forgotten sitcom star from the 1990s. While struggling with depression, all sorts of addiction, and reckless behavior, he plans a grand return into the limelight by publishing an autobiography that will spill the beans on a lot of things going on in Hollywood. He has even hired a ghostwriter to achieve his goal. While this seems to be a mildly amusing story, your perception will turn 180 degrees when you realize the protagonist is an anthropomorphic horse and that the entire plot of this Netflix animation series is set in an alternative reality where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side.
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#7 Archer
Archer
2009 | Seasons: 12
You know how in spy movies the intelligence agency the protagonist works for is always portrayed as a highly professional, superior organization that never fails? Yeah, not this time. In fact, Archer takes the word “dysfunctional” to a whole new level, parodying not only espionage, but society at large. While the protagonist Sterling Archer is a narcissistic womanizer, every other member of the secret service is also corrupt in one way or another. The show is deliberately set in an anachronistic universe that resembles the times of the Cold War but is not exactly the same, putting the characters in weird circumstances and having them perform even weirder tasks.
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#8 Family Guy
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#9 Bob’s Burgers
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#10 The Venture Bros
The Venture Bros
2003 | Seasons: 7
Space Age and boy adventures in space were all the rage in the 1960s. Humankind launched its first satellite in 1957, and for a while it was all about the space race, building rockets, and conquering planets. But The Venture Bros was made in the early 2000s, so instead of glorifying the topic, the creators of the show turned it into a parody. However, you can’t say that the story of twin brothers Hank and Dean Venture, their insecure scientist father and a bunch of people close to the family is fully devoid of genuine drama, as it explores their daily lives and adventures.
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#11 Samurai Jack
Samurai Jack
2001 | Seasons: 5
The animation style of Samurai Jack won’t immediately give away that you are watching an adult cartoon. A young prince from feudal Japan, whose name we never learn, has a noble mission. With a magic katana that his father received from the gods Ra, Rama, and Odin, he must defeat a shapeshifting demon, Aku. If you’re wondering why the Egyptian, Indian, and Norse gods had a Japanese sword, that’s beside the point. What’s more important is that before the prince-turned-samurai has the chance to land the final blow, Aku sends him to the distant future. And thus begins their permanent battle.
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#12 Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
2019 | Seasons: 3
Harley Quinn and Joker didn’t live happily ever after. She dumped him after she learned he didn’t love her. And good for her, because villain or not, a girl deserves to be in a relationship where she is appreciated and respected. To prove herself to be a worthy criminal, she starts her own gang. But even in the world of supervillains, it is tough for a girl to be accepted on merit alone, though Harley doesn’t give up. She fights the other villains who mock her and exclude her the only way she knows – with violence. And since she’s really good at what she does, she defeats most of them, including her ex, Joker, inadvertently saving Gotham from a bunch of dangerous criminals. And this is not the only unconventional thing you’ll see in this version of Harley Quinn, but that’s a spoiler alert.
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#13 The Boondocks
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#14 Regular Show
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#15 Steven Universe
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#16 Metalocalypse
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#17 Arcane
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#18 Clone High
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#19 Black Dynamite
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#20 Big Mouth
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#21 Pinky And The Brain
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#22 Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law
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#23 Celebrity Deathmatch
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#24 The Ren & Stimpy Show
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#25 American Dad!
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#26 Courage The Cowardly Dog
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#27 Love, Death & Robots
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#28 Daria
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#29 Robot Chicken
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#30 King Of The Hill
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#31 Drawn Together
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#32 Adventure Time
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#33 X-Men: The Animated Series
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#34 Invader Zim
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#35 Space Ghost Coast To Coast
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#36 Aqua Teen Hunger Force
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#37 Beavis And Butt-Head
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#38 Final Space
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#39 Avatar: The Last Airbender
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#40 Gargoyles
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#41 Todd McFarlane’s Spawn
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#42 Ugly Americans
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#43 Batman: The Animated Series
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#44 Human Resources
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#45 Hit-Monkey
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#46 Bless The Harts
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#47 Tuca & Bertie
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#48 The Critic
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#49 F Is For Family
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#50 Trailer Park Boys Animated Series
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