Top 10 Worst Cartoon Episodes of All Time

Cartoons may be meant for laughs, lessons, or lighthearted fun. But sometimes an episode does the exact opposite. Some try to be edgy and end up just gross. Others think they're deep but come off as preachy or mean.

And then there are those that are just confusing trainwrecks from start to finish. Whatever the reason, you remember them, and not in a good way.

Scroll through the list, shake your head at the episodes that still make you cringe, and vote for the ones you think deserve a spot at the bottom.

The Top Ten

Ren Seeks Help (Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon)

This episode originally aired in 2003 as part of the Adult Party Cartoon revival. It follows Ren visiting a therapist to discuss his violent tendencies. The episode is known for its graphic and disturbing content.

This episode has to be the worst, most vile, atrocious, and abysmal cartoon episode I've ever seen. This episode is just rotten to the core.
It starts with Stimpy crying for three minutes, then we hear the backstory of Ren. We see the complications of birth from Ren's perspective and watch him get slapped so hard that he acquires a desire to hurt and torture anything he gets. Then, we watch Ren torture animals in horrendous and atrocious ways, such as plucking the legs of a millipede and burning an ant alive after we see the ant scream and beg for mercy.
Eventually, Ren meets a frog and decides to keep it as a pet. Then, he tortures the poor creature in vile and atrocious ways, such as electrocuting it with a car battery and burning it. Then, Ren discovers he doesn't want to kill the frog because that would end its suffering. Later, Ren is forced to kill the frog by his parents, but when they get distracted, he throws it into the garbage bin.
Then, Dr. Horse calls Ren "legitimately a psychopath" and attacks him. Ren then breaks down to a wild, uncontrolled animalistic side and murders Dr. Horse, making this scene one of the worst in the history of animation. After that, Ren is imprisoned and isolated for life. The frog enters the room, slowly drags its broken body, and finally kills itself.
One Coarse Meal (SpongeBob SquarePants)

This episode from season 7 centers on Mr. Krabs tormenting Plankton with his fear of whales. SpongeBob attempts to intervene after seeing the emotional toll. The storyline drew criticism for its portrayal of mental health.

The worst part: the episode is stating that the man who stalked and drove his enemy to suicide (which he later laughs about) is the good guy. That would be like a terrorist destroying the U.S. Capitol with a nuclear bomb and later winning the Nobel Prize for Physics.

I used to like this episode when I was younger, but I've recently lost all of my respect for it. Mr. Krabs is a complete jerk in this episode. Plankton is my favorite character, and he is driven mad in this episode. I hate Mr. Krabs now.

This episode is the worst. I mean, why would anyone want to try and get run over? That's horrible! This episode, to me, is filled with mean spirit.
A Pal for Gary (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob brings home a new pet to keep Gary company while he's away. The new pet turns out to be dangerous, but SpongeBob doesn't believe Gary's warnings. The episode features Gary being attacked while SpongeBob remains oblivious.

Is there already a list of the most unwatchable SpongeBob episodes? If not, can I make one so I could put this at number one? The climax and the resolution of this episode were just excruciatingly irritating to watch, given how oblivious and moronic SpongeBob is in this episode.

SpongeBob must have smoked too many joints in this episode because of how careless he is, not noticing Gary being attacked by Puffy Fluffy! Stupid Sponge!

This episode is HORRIBLE! SpongeBob is so ignorant, dumb, and stupid! This episode is painful to watch!
It's a Wishful Life (Fairly Odd Parents)

Timmy wishes he had never been born after feeling unappreciated. Jorgen shows him an alternate reality where everyone is happier without him. The episode ends with Timmy realizing the consequences of his actions.

This episode is one of the most mean-spirited, evil, and sadistic episodes I have ever seen in any cartoon. Timmy wishes that he never existed in this episode because he doesn't get compensation for anything good that he does.
Then you've got Jorgen, who shows Timmy that the world is infinitely better now that he doesn't exist. He shows a 10-year-old that his parents are better off without him, Vicky isn't even a babysitter, and Francis isn't a bully. Think about that. What this episode is saying is that it's Timmy's fault that Francis is a bully. That's not just wrong. It's sadistic that anybody would even think something like that.
It's horrifying. This is the worst case of victim-blaming anyone will ever see, and I mean worse than Screams of Silence, because at least they noticed it wasn't Brenda's fault and killed Jeff. This is telling a child that the world is better off without him and that he's supposedly the cause of so much pain in the world. It's not true, and it's one of the cruelest things you can do to somebody.
Stimpy's Pregnant (Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon")

This 2003 episode presents Stimpy experiencing a male pregnancy. Ren reacts with confusion and frustration as the storyline unfolds. The plot includes exaggerated and surreal body horror.

Always read what it is: The Ren & Stimpy Show or The Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon.

The entire top ten could be Adult Party Cartoon episodes.

This should be so much higher! How is it so low?
Boys of Bummer (The Simpsons)

Bart becomes a baseball pariah after costing Springfield's team the championship. The town turns against him, leading to a storyline involving public shaming. The episode aired during season 18.

Is this the episode where the whole town hates Bart for not catching a ball?

Want to see One Coarse Meal done three years earlier? Here you go.

So, One Coarse Meal but aimed at an older demographic?
1 Night in Gottlieb (Allen Gregory)

This episode involves Allen attempting to reunite his teacher with her ex-husband. The plot includes romantic manipulation and inappropriate behavior. It aired during the show's short-lived run in 2011.
The Big Fairy Share Scare (The Fairly OddParents)

Chloe and Timmy are forced to share their fairy godparents due to budget cuts in Fairy World. Conflict arises as they struggle to coexist. The episode introduces Chloe as a major character.

Look, Poof was tolerable. Yeah, that's right! Sparky? OK... But Chloe, Chloe! This character just makes me mad. Heck, she's so bad I actually feel ashamed I share a name with this character.
And you know what? The writers could have actually tried to make this a good episode by giving her depth and a reason why she acts all perfect. But nope! Let's make Timmy a loud, spoiled, obnoxious, whiny brat. Have Cosmo and Wanda act like idiots by making duck lips on their phone. Change the theme song millions - I repeat, millions - of people grew up on! And add a Mary Sue character with the most stupid reasoning for having fairies.
Why couldn't they use characters like Chester, Remy, or even Tootie? Those characters have more miserable lives than Chloe ever will! And don't get me started on how they completely forgot the rules that made the show make sense.
No Such Luck (The Loud House)

Lincoln pretends to be unlucky to avoid attending his sisters' activities. The family begins excluding him from everything based on this belief. He later tries to prove his luck to regain their trust.

Saying that it is okay to kick a child out of the house - what the hell, Chris Savino? It's kind of the Loud House version of Seahorse Seashell Party.

This episode is so cruel. In my opinion, it's tied with It's a Wishful Life.

This episode is just Hitler's anti-Semitism but with a visit from the Misfortune Sisters from Legends: Arceus!
Seahorse Seashell Party (Family Guy)

This episode is part of the "Night of the Hurricane" crossover event. It features Meg confronting her family's abusive behavior. Brian also experiments with psychedelic drugs during a storm.

The "moral" of this episode is that you should stay in an abusive relationship for the abuser's benefit.
This episode makes me sick.

You know whose idea it was for Meg to take back what she said? Chris Savino's, that's who. That man is awful.

It's Meg, guys, come on. There's nothing special about her.

The Newcomers

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Trespassing (CatDog)

Cat and Dog argue over personal space and end up dividing their home. Their rivalry escalates as each tries to live independently. The episode focuses on conflict and compromise.

Chris Savino worked on CatDog too? This episode was probably his idea.
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HumancentiPad (South Park)

Kyle agrees to new iTunes terms without reading them and becomes part of a human centipede experiment. The story satirizes tech user agreements and consumer culture. It is based on the horror film The Human Centipede.

HumancentiPad is one of the vilest, cruelest, most disturbing, mean-spirited, and outright intolerable episodes of any TV show so far.
Kyle is forced into an experiment, all because he didn't read Apple's Terms and Conditions. I can't blame him for that. Kyle is imprisoned along with two other test subjects (one is a Japanese man, and the other is a woman). Steve Jobs then stitches them together, with Kyle's mouth connected to the Japanese man's anus and the woman's mouth connected to Kyle's anus. Jobs announces this cruel creation as the HUMANCENTiPAD.
It's already abysmal enough that they're torturing three test subjects for a new product, but it's even worse when one of the test subjects (Kyle) is literally a child.
The subplot, though less disturbing at first glance, isn't much better. Cartman wanted an iPad, but his mother said no. Then Cartman, refusing to take no as an answer, complains and threatens his mother to fornicate with him. That scene is infamous for creating a sub-genre of grounded videos on GoAnimate (now Vyond). This doesn't stop there, as Cartman insists and falsely claims that his mother had fornicated with him when there's no evidence to prove it.
I can commend the episode for taking risks. However, that's probably the only positive thing I can say about it.
That said, the Season 20 episode, The End of Serialization as We Know It, might be even worse.

The Contenders

Onward and Upward (Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon)

In this episode, Ren and Stimpy move into a spittoon they mistake for a luxury apartment. The story focuses on their adaptation to the new home. It includes adult humor and grotesque visuals.

This episode... Ugh. Like all of Adult Party Cartoon, it's disgusting and disturbing. So what is our plot, if you can even call it that? Well, Ren is tired of living in a hobo's mouth and, after torturing Stimpy for a bit, he decides to leave with Stimpy.
They go to a spittoon where Stimpy pooled some cash into, and for the rest of the episode, the two stay in this golden thing and proceed to eat vomit and nasal... What? You heard me right, vomit and nasal! This happens the entire episode too. And at the end of the episode, Ren and Stimpy end up back in the hobo, making the entire episode completely pointless.
It's not the worst Adult Party Cartoon episode, but it's up there, people. Avoid this one like the plague.
The Return of Slade (Teen Titans Go!)

The episode teases the return of the villain Slade but does not follow through with the premise. Most of the episode consists of jokes about misleading the audience. It first aired in 2015.

An entire episode of the writers thumbing their noses at everybody with the common sense to condemn their precious show. Seriously, they're the ones who need to grow up!

It was basically an insult to the haters of the show, executed terribly with strawman arguments. Even fans of the show admit this was a crappy episode.

Man, this show creeped me out! Unlike other people, I actually never minded TT Go! until I saw this episode.
Van Moon Rising (Allen Gregory)

Van faces an identity crisis after learning surprising information about his past. The episode deals with family tension and awkward revelations. It aired during the show's first and only season.
Love Loaf (Breadwinners)

SwaySway and Buhdeuce create a magical loaf of bread that causes others to fall in love with them. Chaos ensues as they lose control of its effects. The episode relies heavily on slapstick comedy.

The worst episode of an already horrible show.
Fart Baby (Sanjay and Craig)

In this episode, Sanjay believes he is pregnant after swallowing too much air. He and Craig treat the gas as a baby and prepare for its "birth." The story is centered around flatulence-based humor.

Sanjay and Craig appears to be a cross between Regular Show and Bob's Burgers but fails to have the charm of either. It's too childish for Adult Swim and too adult for a children's program. This bizarre mishmash has a whole slew of stupid episodes. This one has to be the worst. Sanjay thinks he's pregnant with a fart? What dummy thought that this would be a fantastic idea for a kids' cartoon? Mind-boggling!
The End of Serialization as We Know It (South Park)

This episode concludes the show's serialized storyline from season 20. It involves the characters dealing with internet trolling, political chaos, and narrative resets. The episode attempts to tie together multiple subplots.
Ejaculation (Big Mouth)

This episode explores Andrew's experience with premature ejaculation. The plot includes conversations with hormone monsters and awkward sexual scenarios. It is part of the show's broader themes of puberty and adolescent behavior.

Yet this gets more seasons than DuckTales and Dark Crystal. These people were homeschooled and never graduated high school or college.
Waffles (Teen Titans Go!)

Beast Boy and Cyborg sing the word "waffles" repeatedly, annoying the rest of the team. The plot is minimal and centers around this single gag. It is often cited as an example of the show's humor style.

They simply say waffles the entire episode.

Aren't all the episodes equally bad?

An awful episode from an awful show!
Herpe the Love Sore (Family Guy)

Stewie and Brian get a cold sore after sharing a water bottle with Chris. They mistakenly believe it is herpes and panic about its consequences. The episode includes references to misinformation and embarrassment.
Dead Dog Walking (Family Guy)

Brian becomes engaged to a wealthy older woman for financial gain. He then plans to kill her to inherit her fortune. The episode features themes of manipulation and greed.
Stuck in the Wringer (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob gets trapped in a wringer after a shower and struggles to live normally. Patrick's misguided attempts to help make things worse. The episode focuses on SpongeBob's frustration and helplessness.

It's easy to handle SpongeBob's annoyance, so I even watch the 2019 episodes with no problem! However, this episode is the wringer version of the snail disease episode. That episode sucked so hard, even Patrick hated SpongeBob.
That is the worst episode I've ever seen aside from Banned in Bikini Bottom (bad unites with justice but not protagonists and it disrespects the bad guy and justice vs. protagonists) and Call the Cops (I can handle their annoyance and it fakes justice, ending up with innocent people in jail - even SpongeBob, even though he's a jerk).

SpongeBob is the biggest jerk in this flipping episode. After watching this, I wanted to punch SpongeBob in the face. Several times. Hard.
Lisa Goes Gaga (The Simpsons)

Lady Gaga visits Springfield to help boost Lisa's self-esteem. The plot features musical numbers and exaggerated celebrity appearances. It originally aired as the season 23 finale.
Naked Beach Frenzy (Ren and Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon)

Ren and Stimpy visit a beach filled with scantily clad women. The episode contains exaggerated adult content and visual gags. It originally aired as part of the 2003 revival series.

What makes this episode even worse is not only does the episode depict one of John K's victims, Katie Rice, but the episode was originally pitched for the original Nickelodeon series. Yes, Naked Beach Frenzy was going to be shown to kids if John K had his way, which thankfully never happened.

Naked Beach Frenzy is porn. That's all it is - animated porn. Knowing John K, most of the girls in the episode are underage.
Life of Brian (Family Guy)

Brian is killed in a car accident and temporarily replaced by a new dog named Vinny. The Griffins struggle to adjust to life without him. The episode aired in 2013 and sparked significant viewer reaction.

Brian dies, then in the next episode, they bring him back! What was the point of even killing off Brian in the first place?

Awful episode that was only made to get media attention.
Everyone Knows It's Bendy (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)

The episode introduces Bendy, a troublemaking imaginary friend who avoids punishment. Mac and Blooregard try to prove Bendy is responsible for various mishaps. Their efforts are dismissed by the adults in the home.

Oh, God! Where to begin? This episode was so bad it was made non-canon, and the cast and crew apologized for making it in the first place. Executive meddling at its worst. Frankie and Herriman act very out of character, and the punchable jerk who is Bendy gets zero comeuppance for framing Bloo, Coco, Eduardo, and Wilt, of all people.
Not nearly as bad as "I Only Have Surprise For You," where the entire main cast acts out of character to embarrass Mac on his birthday. Thankfully, that one was also made non-canon.

Chris Savino didn't want Frankie to believe Wilt of all people. Wilt is the nicest, most caring, understanding, and honest imaginary friend in the whole house, and she chose to believe Bendy. What is wrong with him?
I know Lauren Faust wrote the episode, but Chris Savino came up with the idea. Lauren Faust is just too nice to blame.