Cartoons of Our Past: 5 Animated Series Millennials Can't Forget
For millennials who grew up in the '90s and early 2000s, the Saturday morning and after-school TV lineups were sacred rituals. Stay tuned so we can reminisce together about the cartoons that shaped us!
Long before streaming services and vast content libraries took over, we used to gather around our TV sets, cereal bowls in hand, to watch our favorite animated shows.
Those cartoons did more than entertain us — they shaped our sense of humor, introduced us to complex stories, helped us develop critical thinking skills, and created cultural touchstones that still resonate today.
Here are five animated series that defined our generation and continue to hold special places in our millennial hearts.
1. ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ (1999-)
No way the list would have started with anything else, right? SpongeBob SquarePants managed to create the whole world underwater that became a cultural phenomenon with its own rules and characters varying from one-dimensional to extremely complex.
The show's absurdist humor and memorable catch phrases infiltrated our everyday conversation (up to date), and characters like Patrick and Squidward became archetypes for different approaches to life.
The heart of the show, of course, was SpongeBob, whose enthusiasm for his job at the Krusty Krab and friendship with Patrick demonstrated positive and loyal values that resonated with people of all ages. This cartoon created shared experiences that continue to unite us millennials today.
2. ‘Hey Arnold!’ (1996-2004)
Hey Arnold! captured the complexity of city life through the eyes of a football-headed fourth-grader with an unusually wise perspective on life. Arnold's adventures in his diverse neighborhood dealt with real issues like bullying, family dysfunction, social inequality, all wrapped in stories that never talked down to their young audience.
The show's jazz-influenced soundtrack and unique animation style created an atmosphere that felt both nostalgic and timeless. And characters like Helga's secretly vulnerable bully and Grandpa Phil with his eccentric wisdom provided depth that many adult shows couldn't match.
“Hey Arnold! is one of the best cartoons ever in my personal opinion, not just of the 90s and 2000s but of all time (And I like cartoons from all eras). The show's character development was excellent (Flanderization is mostly nonexistent in this show, other than a few instances, usually beefing up a minor character), it was a very wholesome show, and was also very entertaining,” Redditor Somerandomdeude1886 said.
3. ‘Rugrats’ (1991-2004)
One of the shows that was on a favorite list for many of us, Rugrats mastered the art of seeing the world through a child's eyes. In this series’ world a trip to the grocery store became a jungle expedition and the backyard transformed into uncharted territory in an instant.
Tommy Pickles and his band of adventurous babies turned ordinary household situations into epic quests of imagination, and we were always there for it. It was extremely fun to hear adult conversations, filtered through baby gibberish and constant misunderstandings.
The series tackled surprisingly mature themes like divorce, death, cultural identity and so much more while maintaining its playful take.
4. ‘Dexter's Laboratory’ (1996-2003)
For all of us who dreamed of becoming technology stars and thought we were smarter than anyone, Dexter's Laboratory was the IT show. This was especially true for those of us with little, annoying sisters who were considered the ultimate reason anything went wrong in our science projects.
The show made viewers feel smart for understanding the scientific references, while the slapstick humor kept things accessible. Dexter's rivalry with Mandark and his complicated relationship with his family created ongoing storylines that we just loved so much.
5. ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ (1998-2004)
Sugar, spice, everything nice, and a mysterious Chemical X created three kindergarten superheroes who balanced saving Townsville with typical childhood concerns like bedtimes and homework.
The Powerpuff Girls revolutionized the superhero genre for young audiences by featuring female protagonists who were genuinely powerful without sacrificing their femininity or childhood innocence.
