From Tom and Jerry to Rick and Morty, Discover the Top 10 Cartoons of All Time Based on Fan Votes and Lasting Popularity

Ask a room full of animation fans to name the greatest cartoon ever made, and you'll get a dozen different answers depending on which decade shaped their childhood. Rather than relying on a single opinion, this list draws heavily on large-scale fan voting, most notably Ranker's crowd-sourced ranking, where over 219,000 viewers have weighed in to reflect what audiences have actually chosen as animation's most enduring favorites.

The Undisputed Top Tier: Tom and Jerry and Avatar

One show that always holds its place at the top of any list, when voted upon by fans, is Tom and Jerry – the silent, cartoon mouse and cat who’ve continued to entertain people with their antics ever since the 1940s; evidence that the comedy of sight gags has a universal quality even without using any words. Right on their heels comes the series Avatar: The Last Airbender – often cited by fans as the ultimate example of animation, thanks to an epic story spread over several seasons.

Comedy Classics That Never Left the Conversation

Looney Tunes rounds out the top three on most major fan polls, its roster of instantly recognizable characters- Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig- having shaped decades of comedic timing in animation. The Simpsons, still airing as of 2026 and holding the record as the longest-running animated sitcom in US television history, remains a perennial fan favorite for its sharp writing and cultural staying power, particularly its earlier seasons.

South Park continues to rank highly for a different reason: its crude, rapid-turnaround satire has stayed sharply relevant by directly responding to current events almost as they happen.

Fan-Favorite Rankings at a Glance

Rank	Cartoon	Known For
1	Tom and Jerry	Timeless slapstick comedy with minimal dialogue
2	Avatar: The Last Airbender	Epic, multi-season storytelling and rich world-building
3	Looney Tunes	Iconic cast of classic animated characters
4	SpongeBob SquarePants	Longest-running and most popular Nickelodeon series
5	The Simpsons	Longest-running American animated sitcom
6	Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!	Enduring mystery-comedy format with memorable characters
7	South Park	Sharp, topical satire with a fast production cycle
8	Dragon Ball Z	Foundational shonen action anime with global influence
9	Phineas and Ferb	Cross-generational Disney appeal and inventive storytelling
10	Rick and Morty	Intelligent sci-fi comedy with a dedicated cult fanbase

Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network's Lasting Grip on Fan Polls

SpongeBob SquarePants is a name that continues to appear among the most consistently voted programs across all major polls for the franchise that was once slow to start but became the longest-running cartoon from the Nickelodeon network. Another program that continues to remain in popularity is Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! since fans often speak about the spookiness of this show and how it features an effective Mystery Inc. format that works quite well compared to other cartoons of this time period.

Finally, Phineas and Ferb makes its appearance again on several polls for being capable of entertaining both children and their parents through ingenious storytelling and excellent music.

Where Anime and Adult Animation Fit In

Dragon Ball Z is often seen as one of the most influential action shows to date and is often cited as having introduced the Western world to the world of anime, as well as the shonen style of story telling. In the realm of adult animation, Rick and Morty is one of the shows that has cultivated a very loyal fanbase due to the show's sci-fi elements and complex continuity.

Also Read: All-Time Great Anime Villains: Ranked

Why These Rankings Keep Shifting

Fan-based rankings are inherently fluid, since factors like voting, nostalgia, and availability on streaming services can change the order. That is, in fact, the reason why the rankings by Ranker are always changing. The shows that will not change, however, are those that show up at the top despite any given poll. This means Tom and Jerry, Avatar, and Looney Tunes will be the ones mentioned over and over again in the debate.

Why it Matters

Cartoons have shaped generations of viewers by influencing storytelling, humor, creativity, and popular culture. Fan rankings highlight the animated series that have stood the test of time, helping both longtime enthusiasts and new audiences discover iconic shows whose characters, memorable moments, and lasting appeal continue to resonate across generations worldwide.

Industry Wired : Latest Posts

Message History

Delivery option(s)