Let’s take a minute and tap into our inner child. You had the weekend off, away from school, and you wanted to enjoy your Saturday watching good old-fashioned cartoons. As a nineties child, I got to experience the golden age of cartoon network, but even before that, children of the eighties had cartoon heroes to admire. Some of those heroes are more comedic characters than heroes (looking at you, Garfield) but they made their mark. I love Bugs Bunny and SpongeBob Squarepants as much as the next guy, but for now, I’m choosing to focus on the cartoon characters who were true heroes, not just goofballs.
Go back to the eighties, the nineties, or even the cartoons of today’s age, but there are many to choose from. I’ve narrowed it down to my top five absolute favorite cartoon heroes. Again, I’m looking at cartoon heroes, not just characters, so if you’re expecting the likes of Scooby-Doo, then this isn’t the list for you. Let’s get to it, kiddies.
5. Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe)
It’s pretty rare that a supporting character is better than the actual hero, but there are always exceptions. In the case of Snake Eyes, he’s basically the elephant in the room. G.I. Joe is filled with tough guy American soldiers shouting the same war cry, but Snake Eyes is a silent ninja. He’s not the leader of the team, and he’s overly fond of guns, but he brings a unique kind of elegance to the old show. He’s quick, he’s quiet, and firmly believes in his clan’s traditional ways. His rivalry with fellow ninja, Storm Shadow, is by far the best aspect of any piece of G.I. Joe story.
I mean, come on, who doesn’t want a ninja on your team? When the guy with the sword is cooler than the guys with guns around him, you know you got a great character. Step aside, Duke.
4. He-Man (Masters of the Universe)
I wasn’t born in the eighties, but lucky for me, I got to watch Masters of the Universe on Netflix last year. It almost makes me sad that I didn’t grow up with the show, but being able to watch it was fun. He-Man is a macho-man of a hero, carrying a big sword and wearing the right amount of clothing to show off his muscular physique. In a way, he’s almost like the Hulk of cartoons, acting as a feeble Prince Adam when he has to, but turning into the massive He-Man when Skeletor and his forces threaten Edenia. And yes, he stirs up some controversy when he forces his house cat, Cringer, to turn into Battle Cat, but hey, he looks cool while riding it.
Whenever an episode of this show ended, He-Man or his friends would try to teach viewers some kind of moral lesson. Is there anything more heroic than teaching kids to always do the right thing? Probably not.
3. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT)
Turtles are slow, you say? Just get a load of these four pizza-loving ninjas. They were mutated when they were small and raised in the sewers of New York City by a talking rat called Master Splinter. Does that sound weird? Well, guess what? It’s a cartoon, so who the heck cares? Named after Italian Renaissance painters, Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo are the ultimate crime-fighting team of turtle brothers. They each have a unique personality and different colored headband to distinguish them, not to mention they carry each carry a different set of weapons. In short, you don’t want to mess with them. Ever.
The most amazing thing about them is that they operate like a family. Master Splinter is their father of the family, Mikey is the immature and youngest brother the others have to reign in. Donnie is the brains of the family, while Leo is the team leader. Then everybody’s favorite, Raph, is the tough, hot-headed black sheep (or turtle) of the family. They bicker, they party together, and fight their enemies as one. Out of all the cartoon heroes, these four turtles are the most unique.
For the record, I grew up with the nineties cartoon, not the one from the eighties. Yes, the nineties show had that weird Shredder and Krang hybrid, but aside from that, the show was overall true to the turtles. One can say, it’s one shell of a show. Da dum dish.
2. Batman (Batman: The Animated Series)
Yeah, Batman is ultimately a comic book character, but I don’t anyone my age who has never heard of Kevin Conroy’s Batman. The iconic voice of Batman began in the cartoon from the nineties, something was a vital part of my childhood. It was dark and gritty for a cartoon, but managed to keep it appropriate for kids. To this day, I remember the stellar opening and the amazing theme song that goes with it. This show captured the essence of what Batman is all about and introduced every villain and supporting character related to him in the best way possible. I mean, come on. Can you possibly forget Mark Hamill’s Joker?
Whenever I read Batman comics, I hear Kevin Conroy’s voice. His Batman voice is one of conviction and intimidation. If you want good Batman, he needs to have those qualities. When he talks, you know he means business, and his business is all about intimidating criminals. The animated series Batman stays true to the comics version, protecting Gotham City from the scum that infest it, being a wise mentor to his young disciples, and just succeeds in looking cool.
1. Optimus Prime (Transformers: Animated Series)
Optimus Prime. Now that is one of the coolest names of any character in the history of pop culture. He’s a giant robot that has a colorful paint job and can transform into a big truck. He’s also the leader of group of freedom-fighting robots called the Autobots. After their world of Cybertron was destroyed, they found refuge on Earth and devoted themselves to protecting it ever since. Let’s be honest, without Optimus, there is no Transformers. Unlike in Michael Bay’s films, the old cartoon doesn’t focus on the humans and makes us pay attention to the conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons.
Optimus fits into the equation by acting as the wise leader to the Autobots. He’s not just a leader, but a father figure to his fellow Autobots, and is more than willing sacrifice himself for any of them. But Optimus isn’t just wise and strong, he’s the embodiment of compassion. Not all of Earth’s humans like him, but that doesn’t stop him from being hero. He doesn’t view himself above the humans and believes it’s his responsibility to protect them. No matter how much Megatron and the Decepticons throw at him, he always finds a way to come back and kick some metal butt. Optimus is very much a giant robot, but in a way, he’s very more human than anyone.
Optimus is a paragon of what every leader and hero should be. If you want to purge your mind of the Bay movies, watch the cartoon.
Final Thoughts
Did I bring back a lot of fond childhood memories? These are the best of the best cartoon heroes, in my opinion. Their shows may be old, but they will continue to live on. If the future is kind to them, maybe they’ll get some proper live-action treatment, aside from Batman, of course.
Follow Us
