The 2000s were truly the golden age for kids who grew up watching television after finishing their homework. Cartoon Network completely dominated the decade by giving us unforgettable characters and worlds that we still talk about today. Let us take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and look at the absolute best hits that shaped our childhood.
Samurai Jack
This incredible show followed a brave prince sent into a dark future by an evil demon named Aku. Kids everywhere loved the beautiful animation and the silent action scenes that felt like watching a real movie. It taught us so much about honor and resilience while keeping our hearts racing every single week.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Stepping right into the legendary space saga this series filled the massive gap between the big theatrical films perfectly. Fans were obsessed with the intense space battles and the introduction of Anakin’s brave padawan Ahsoka Tano. It gave the entire franchise a brand new life that still impacts television stories today.
Justice League
This massive superhero team up brought together icons like Batman and Superman to protect the universe from giant threats. It had a serious tone that introduced young fans to the deep comic book world. Many credit this show with starting the modern obsession with superhero universes.
The Powerpuff Girls
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup proved that tiny kindergarten girls could easily save the world before bedtime came around. The show completely flipped the standard superhero dynamic on its head with its bright colors and hidden adult humor. It picked up six Emmy nominations and gained a huge following from kids and parents alike.
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Living in the middle of Nowhere, Kansas this poor pink dog had to face some genuinely creepy paranormal monsters. We all loved how Courage would overcome his massive fears just to save his beloved owner Muriel from danger. The experimental art style mixed with horror elements made it an instant classic that we never forgot.
Ben 10: Alien Force
Growing up with the original fans this sequel jumped five years into the future to show a teenage Ben Tennyson. It featured a much darker tone and a completely new set of awesome alien forms inside the Omnitrix watch. Taking a suggestion from fans this era proved to be even more gripping than the original run.
Ben 10
The original series introduced us to a ten year old kid who found a strange alien device during a summer road trip. Kids were completely hooked on the idea of transforming into different heroes to fight off evil aliens like Vilgax. It became a massive commercial success that spawned endless toys and games for everyone.
Dexter’s Laboratory
This clever cartoon featured a tiny boy genius who built a giant secret lab right behind his bedroom wardrobe. The endless comedy came from his hyperactive sister Dee Dee constantly breaking in and smashing his expensive inventions. It successfully mixed smart pop culture jokes with chaotic fun that won three Annie Awards.
Johnny Bravo
Our favorite musclebound romeo with a massive pompadour traveled around trying to make women fall in love with him but he always failed miserably. The wacky show actually taught kids great early lessons about boundaries and consent through pure jest and silly pop culture humor.
Scooby-Doo
Shaggy and his talking dog bumbled around solving spooky mysteries while driving across the country in their iconic Mystery Machine van. The show was pure comfort food because the terrifying monsters always turned out to be just regular con artists fooling people for money.
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