Top 10 Best Cartoons Created in the 2010s
If you were watching cartoons in the 2010s, you know it was a wild time in the best way possible. Animation studios weren't just cranking out shows to keep kids occupied after school. They were pushing boundaries, getting weird, and somehow making you cry over anthropomorphic animals and talking rocks. This list is all about the shows that kicked off during that decade. So no, The Simpsons doesn't count here, even though it technically never ends. Neither does Phineas and Ferb, since they started before 2010. We're only talking cartoons that began in the 2010s.This list lets you weigh in on which cartoons from the 2010s were actually worth the hype. Maybe you were there for the iconic finales. Maybe you binged it all later and thought, how did I miss this? Either way, your votes help decide which ones really stood out.
Gravity Falls is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation that first aired on Disney Channel, and then on Disney XD from June 15, 2012 to February 15, 2016. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines and his twin sister Mabel in the fictional town of Gravity... read more Gravity Falls is easily the best television show that has ever been made. This is one of the shows that does not actually drag on for a long time, leaves you wanting more, and it actually has a real plot. I swear, people who say that they hate it are absolutely crazy. I don't mean that in an insane Bill Cipher way. I mean that in a bad way.
Its characters actually have character development, unlike some of the worse ones I have seen. It deserves many awards, and it definitely suits any age group. Heck, even my youngest brother (a toddler) and my dad love to watch this show!
Adventure Time is an American animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada) and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio)—a dog with the magical power to change shape... read more I like Gravity Falls, but this is the cartoon that actually got me into Cartoon Network. That means it also got me into Steven Universe, Regular Show, and Johnny Bravo. How is this not #1? Some people don't like it because "it has lots of gross humor and dumb jokes."
I do agree, the first season had a lot of bad, dumb, and embarrassing episodes, but as the show went on, it went into the territory of deep, inspiring, and some episodes seemed to be aimed at adults. I love this cartoon so much, and I recommend the newer episodes to any fan of cartoons with heart, friendship, valuable life lessons (not the cheesy kind), and of course, adventure.
Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. The show's based around a young boy by the name of Steven Universe, who is a hybrid of a gem and a human. He lives with his gem friends, Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. In my opinion, Gravity Falls is easily the best cartoon... maybe ever. But after that show ended, I had to fill the hole in my heart for story-driven animation. Then, my friend suggested this show, and I am so glad I got into it.
This show is great for just sitting down on a couch and binging because it's so much fun to watch! It's more entertaining than Adventure Time and honestly the sweetest show. It appeals to all people: male and female, young and old.
And can I take the time to discuss the music?!?! HOLY CRAP! It's beautifully simple, and I find myself singing along to the songs without knowing. Okay, so I don't care for the Sadie Killer songs, but the rest are just beautiful.
Rick and Morty is an American adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon for Adult Swim. If it's in the top 5, I'm happy. This is just the greatest show of all time.
"Star vs. the Forces of Evil" is an American animated television comedy produced by Disney Television Animation for Disney XD. It was created by Daron Nefcy and developed by Jordana Arkin and Dave Wasson. The series follows teenage magical princess from the dimension of Mewni Star Butterfly and her... read more Season 1 can turn viewers away if they're not into random jumbled episodes, minus the finale episode and maybe 2 more. Season 2 gets better, and Season 3 trumps them both. Season 4 is a great closer, with a pretty wholesome ending. I'd say this show is better than Gravity Falls, at least for my personal taste. Highly recommend it.
SVTFOE is the best current cartoon, not just under the Disney brand, but the best cartoon in general. Star vs. has that old-school appeal while still retaining what kids like nowadays. Star vs. has the charm of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and the now rare creativity of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, easily making it one of the greats of all time.
Regular Show is an American animated television series created by J. G. Quintel for Cartoon Network that premiered on September 6, 2010. The series revolves around the lives of two friends, a blue jay named Mordecai and a raccoon named Rigby—both employed as groundskeepers at a local park. Regular Show is indeed one of the greatest (if not the greatest) Cartoon Network shows of all time. It is my favorite Cartoon Network show of the 2010s. It just feels so different from other CN shows (and in a good way). It has an adult-ish feel to it. It had some cussing in Season 1, such as "crap" and "pissed." Unfortunately, those words were redubbed and changed to "crud" and "ticked" or "miffed."
The show faced a lot of censorship, so because I live in South Africa, I've been watching the show censored. This was especially annoying with the Halloween specials "Terror Tales of the Park," where the intro is changed to the normal RS intro. Adventure Time has faced the same problem throughout its run.
But nonetheless, this show was a true masterpiece with a lot of hidden adult jokes that would just fly over little kids' heads. Speaking of kids, this show was never really meant for kids as it was originally going to air on Adult Swim, but there wasn't any space for new programming for AS at the time.
It was sad when we had to say farewell to one of the greatest CN shows of all time. This (along with Adventure Time) started the Cartoon Renaissance Era, so it was really sad when we had to say farewell.
RIP Regular Show, we will never forget you.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated children's television series based on the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. The show follows a studious unicorn (later an alicorn) pony named Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) and her friends Applejack (Ashleigh Ball), Rarity (Tabitha... read more After 9 long years and over 200 episodes, a theatrical movie, a TV movie, a spin-off series, several holiday specials, and several hundreds of thousands of fan-created works, it is hard to argue that MLP: FiM, whether you like it or not, is a cultural phenomenon unlike any other cartoon of the modern age.
It has reached further corners of the internet than most others, creating a fandom that no one saw coming, spawning dozens of conventions, and launching the careers of musicians, analysts, animators, and many other fans who have become huge internet icons of the modern age.
For some people, myself included, it has even been a source of catharsis, therapy, and even a preventative to suicide at some point in their lives. There are very few shows that can lay claim to such a prestigious honor.
To have such a far-reaching grasp, to last for so long and never truly feel like quality went out the door completely, and to go out on such a high note, I feel that My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is truly one of the greatest cartoons of all time. Is it for everyone? No, but it truly is deserving of its impact.
The Legend of Korra is an American animated television series that aired on the Nickelodeon television network from 2012 to 2014. It was created by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino as a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender. Not as good as Avatar: The Last Airbender series because that show is pretty much perfect. But this is a more than good sequel. The only thing that sucks about this is the lack of run time, resulting in a very fast pacing that puts many people off who expected better from the sequel to what might be the greatest show of all time.
The Legend of Korra has beautiful animation, a great character arc for its main character, amazing worldbuilding and development, and funny side characters (Do the thing!). Most of the villains have great motivations, and the action is overall the best we have seen.
Simply put, it's amazing and absolutely deserves more attention. By the way, Rick and Morty is better, but I wanted to give this show the vote.
An animated comedy show by Daniel Chong about three different species of bears - Grizzly, Panda and Ice bear (polar bear). Since they were little, they wanted to get adopted by owners separately. But then they missed each other too much, so they reunited again. Now as adults, they now live in a cave... read more This is so underrated to me! I love this show SO MUCH I tried to watch a season every week. If you haven't watched it yet, you should totally go try it out!
I love this show. It's just a slice-of-life cartoon.
The Amazing World of Gumball is a British-Australian-German-American-Irish children's animated television series created by Ben Bocquelet for Cartoon Network. I initially found Season 1 childish and Nick Jr.-esque. Season 2 was better. Season 3 to present was amazing. The show includes witty and intelligent jokes and pop culture references.
The Newcomers
Amphibia is an American animated television series created by Matt Braly that aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2019 to May 14, 2022.
The Powerpuff Girls is an American animated television series created by animator Craig McCracken for Cartoon Network.
The Loud House is an American animated television series created by Chris Savino for Nickelodeon. The series revolves around the chaotic suburban everyday life of a boy named Lincoln Loud and his ten sisters, to which he survives as the middle child and only son in a large family of eleven children... read more Personally, I see The Loud House as the Nickelodeon equivalent of Adventure Time. In other words, like how Adventure Time brought about a modern Cartoon Network renaissance and cartoon renaissance in general, The Loud House has brought about a modern Nickelodeon renaissance. It's pretty nice to see something besides SpongeBob SquarePants being featured prominently on Nickelodeon.
Considering I just became an adult a year ago, this show is actually pretty good. It's not the best, but it does have its strong moments. It's better than most other Nickelodeon cartoons in recent years.
Harvey Beaks is an American animated television series created by C.H. Greenblatt for Nickelodeon. Originally announced to premiere on March 29, 2015, the series instead premiered on March 28, 2015 following the 2015 Kids' Choice Awards. It may not be the 'best' cartoon ever, but it is my favorite cartoon ever.
Over the Garden Wall is an American animated television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network. Seriously, if you haven't seen this, you are missing out on one of the best cartoons of all time. It's roughly 2 hours long and is so tightly wound in mystery and symbolism that it is a must-watch!
It's short, sweet, and was what got me back into western animation after years of loving anime and only anime.
It is great if you are into dark stuff. Out of 10 episodes, I would only consider 1-2 episodes lighthearted.
Clarence is an American animated television series created by Skyler Page for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around a young boy named Clarence and his two best friends Jeff and Sumo. Page, a former storyboard artist for Adventure Time and revisionist for Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, developed... read more Say what you will about Seasons 1 and 2, but Season 3 has improved upon the show so much. It's given the main characters (especially Sumo) character development, it has a lot less disgusting imagery, and it isn't as fast-paced as it was before. Overall, even though the show has had its downsides, Season 3 was a major improvement.
It's just so underrated that it hurts. It's a really funny and creative show that gets way too much hate.
Finally, this show is in the right place.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American 3D rendered computer animated television series based on the fictional superhero team. It aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from September 29, 2012 to November 12, 2017. Great comedy, great action, great animation, great heroes and villains - to me, it stands out from the other modern cartoons that put more focus on random silliness.
BoJack Horseman is an American adult animated sitcom created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg. The series stars Will Arnett as the title character, BoJack Horseman.
Bob's Burgers is an American animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard for Fox Broadcasting Company. It premiered on January 9, 2011, and is still running as of May 2025.
The Looney Tunes Show is an American animated television series that premiered in 2011. It is a modern interpretation of the classic Looney Tunes characters, featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and others as they navigate contemporary suburban life. The show blends elements of comedy, drama, and adventure... read more I love the show and how it brings all the characters together in a modern way.
Wander Over Yonder is an American animated television series on Disney XD. Created by Craig McCracken, it follows Wander and his best friend and steed Sylvia. Adventurous and optimistic, Wander rides across the galaxy to help persons live freely, against the intentions of Lord Hater to rule the universe... read more Woah, woah, woah! How the heck is this one so low?! Wander Over Yonder was cancelled too soon. It was honestly hilarious!
Is it better than Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, and Regular Show? No. But it was a smart and clever piece of animation that Disney took for granted. No fair!
Wander Over Yonder deserves a much higher spot on the list.
Such an underrated show. Wonderful animation.
Star Wars Rebels is an American 3D CGI animated television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation. Set fourteen years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and five years before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Rebels takes place during an era when the Galactic Empire is securing... read more
Milo Murphy's Law is an American animated television series from the creators of Phineas and Ferb, Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, which premiered on October 3, 2016 on Disney XD. This is the best thing ever. Milo is awesome. He has everything go wrong around him, but he is so cheerful regardless.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! is an American animated television series by Marvel Animation in cooperation with Film Roman, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers.
Dan Vs. is an American Flash animated television series created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson. The series spanned three seasons, airing on The Hub from January 1, 2011, to March 9, 2013.
DuckTales (2017) is an American animated television series that serves as a reboot of the original 1987 series. It features the adventures of Scrooge McDuck and his grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie as they seek treasures and fight villains. The series has been lauded for its modern updates, deep... read more
'Teen Titans Go!' is an American animated television series produced by Cartoon Network. The show follows a superhero group called the Teen Titans, and shows what happens when they go home and have silly adventures. This show is Cartoon Network's revival of the popular 2003-2006 American animated television... read more