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Film & TV expert Finding Miko shares which cartoon characters he finds the coolest
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If you’re on the hunt to find out who the coolest cartoon characters to ever exist are, you’ve come to the right place. How many of your favorite characters have made you laugh out loud, cheer them on, and smile from ear to ear? We’ve rounded up the most amazing characters in the cartoon world that ooze cool, from icons like Mickey Mouse to rebels like Bart Simpson.

3

Minnie Mouse (Disney)

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  1. She’s Mickey’s sweetheart and love of his life. For a few years, Walt Disney voiced Minnie, until voice actress Marcellite Garner took over in the 1930s. While she made appearances in a few cartoons with Mickey, she was really put into the spotlight in 1986 when it was announced it was “Minnie’s Year” at Disney theme parks. That year was also the debut of a TV special titled Totally Minnie. Since then, everyone has had heart eyes for Minnie.[3]
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6

Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)

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  1. Nancy Cartwright has been the voice behind Bart for over 30 years![6] This kid is the ultimate prankster who loves to stir trouble when he can, whether he’s playing a trick on his dad Homer or pulling a fast one on Principal Skinner.[7] Plus, his cool factor is hard to deny when there’s an episode dedicated to him called “Bart the Cool Kid” (S33.E15).
    • Bart has had some great one-liners over the years. Some of his most popular are "Don't have a cow, man" and “Ay caramba!”
7

Blossom, Bubbles, & Buttercup (The Powerpuff Girls)

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13

Snoopy (Peanuts)

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  1. His debut was in the 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas. He has a quirky imagination and is often seen with his tiny sidekick Woodstock. He does his best to communicate with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang, but you can never quite make out what he’s jabbering about. It doesn’t matter, though, because we have a great time watching his shenanigans.
    • Although Snoopy doesn’t say much, his sounds were originally done by Bill Melendez, the director of the animated Peanuts specials, from 1963 until 2008.[14]
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14

Garfield (Garfield and Friends)

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  1. The chubby, orange cat quickly stole the hearts of readers and, in the 1980s, he appeared as the star of the Saturday morning cartoon series, Garfield and Friends. His hobbies include eating and sleeping, and his favorite food is lasagna! We can’t get enough of his dry sense of humor and sarcasm, which he often uses on his owner Jon Arbuckle and his companion Odie.[15]
    • Lorenzo Music did the original voice of Garfield, but actor Bill Murray voiced the character in the 2004 film Garfield: The Movie.
15

Beavis and Butt-Head (Beavis and Butt-Head)

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  1. The dynamic duo made quite an impression and scored their own series named after them. The creator, Mike Judge, handled the voices of both characters, from every grunt, awkward laugh, and weird remark. These guys are just two teens trying to navigate the world and, sometimes, they get into trouble. But it’s hard not to laugh while they’re doing it.[16]
    • Beavis and Butt-Head have had some great lines. One of the most popular is said by Beavis: “I am the great Cornholio. I need T.P. for my bunghole.”
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17

Pinky and the Brain (Animaniacs)

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18

Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, & Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

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  1. The Ninja Turtles are some of the coolest characters that have ever been made, says Finding Miko.[19] Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello are talented ninjas, fighting the bad guys. Plus, they’re named after some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. They look to their sensei, a rat named Splinter, for guidance. They’re just a cool group who love pizza and combating crime.[20]
22

Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)

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26

Goku (Dragon Ball)

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  1. He comes from the extraterrestrial race known as Saiyan and was sent to Earth as a baby by his parents. He was raised by his Grandpa Gohan and becomes a great protector of the world and the humans in it. He’s saved the planet from destruction on multiple occasions.[26]
    • When asked about the most notable anime characters, anime expert and gamer Inferno Jae shares that appearance plays a big part in how memorable a character is. He explains that “the most popular characters would be Goku, Naruto, Luffy, and Pikachu, mostly because of how recognizable they are.”[27]
28

Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones)

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  1. The original Flintstones cartoon series ran from 1960 to 1966, but many other adaptations have come about in later decades. He’s our favorite caveman for many reasons. He’s a laidback but hilarious character, and he gave us one of the most memorable lines in cartoon history, “Yabba-dabba-doo!”[29]
    • Post’s Pebbles cereal was the first cereal ever to be inspired by a media character. It came out in 1971 with two versions: Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles.[30]
33

The Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas!)

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38

Dexter (Dexter’s Laboratory)

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  1. He’s a scientist with a hidden lab that sits behind a bookshelf. He wants to do great things and is constantly inventing new creations. His sister Dee Dee, however, often gets in the way of his work. But, that doesn’t stop Dexter from continuing with his myriad of projects. Also, he speaks with a Russian accent, although no one else in his family does.[39]

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  7. https://beavisandbutthead.fandom.com/wiki/Beavis_and_Butt-Head
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  10. Finding Miko. Film & TV Expert. Expert Interview
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  14. https://www.bewakoof.com/blog/stitch-character/
  15. https://dailycollegian.com/2023/02/lois-griffin-is-one-of-the-greatest-written-characters-on-television/
  16. https://fairlyoddparents.fandom.com/wiki/Cosmo_and_Wanda
  17. https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Goku
  18. Inferno Jae. Anime Expert & Gamer. Expert Interview
  19. https://pinkpanther.fandom.com/wiki/Pink_Panther_(character)
  20. https://greatcharacters.miraheze.org/wiki/Fred_Flintstone
  21. https://www.postconsumerbrands.com/news/pebbles-cereal-50th-birthday/
  22. https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/animation/the-50-best-cartoon-characters-of-all-time
  23. https://www.fleischerstudios.com/becomingbettyboop.html
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  26. https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/animation/the-50-best-cartoon-characters-of-all-time
  27. https://daria.fandom.com/wiki/Daria_Morgendorffer#Beavis_and_Butt-Head
  28. https://spaceghost.fandom.com/wiki/Space_Ghost
  29. https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost
  30. https://dexterslab.fandom.com/wiki/Dexter
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  33. https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Samurai_Jack_(character)
  34. https://prolificstudio.co/blog/famous-cartoon-characters/
  35. https://www.animaker.com/hub/iconic-cartoon-characters-of-all-time/
  36. https://futurama.fandom.com/wiki/Bender_Bending_Rodríguez
  37. https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Kim_Possible_(character)
  38. https://prolificstudio.co/blog/famous-cartoon-characters/
  39. https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/animation/the-50-best-cartoon-characters-of-all-time
  40. https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/100-years-felix-cat

About This Article

Finding Miko
Co-authored by:
Film & TV Expert
This article was co-authored by Finding Miko and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA. Finding Miko is a film and TV expert and content creator based in Baltimore, Maryland. Miko has been creating content since 2021, allowing him to share his passion for animation, cartoons, television, and film. His content includes discussions, news, and reviews around screen media, and he has built a community of over 236k followers across platforms. This article has been viewed 3,587 times.
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Co-authors: 2
Updated: July 11, 2026
Views: 3,587
Categories: TV Viewing and Shows
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