Most Controversial Cartoon Episodes

Cartoon episodes that caused a lot of controversy and garnered negative reception leading to most of them being banned.
The Top Ten
1 Electric Soldier Porygon - Pokemon

The international dubbing has made several edits. They could've easily removed the flashing lights and replace them with a single color (white or yellow) lightning bolt as they used to do in other episodes. Really, they didn't need to ban a 22 minute episode for a 3 second moment that could have easily been edited.

If you know Pokemon, then you should be familiar with this one. In this episode there is a scene where Pikachu attacks missles with Thunderbolt, causing an explosion. This was banned because the strobe effect caused many seizures. When this got banned, Porygon was never featured in the anime again.

This episode was banned due to the seizure effect, causing 600 Japanese children to be hospitalize. It was all Pikachu who did the seizures, Porygon didn't do anything. This controversy holds a Guiness World Record after all.

2 Rude Removal - Dexter's Laboratory

The swearing in this one was edgy but it shouldn't be taken seriously because many other children's cartoons had episodes using the same method, such as SpongeBob, Powerpuff Girls, Rugrats, and Tiny Toon Adventures. The title card for Rude Removal goes a bit beyond that, though, showing Dee Dee holding up the middle finger

This happens to be my favorite episode from Dexter's Laboratory. But what is shocking to me is for kids and they swearing going around this episode and never aired. But, SpongeBob did it too and they did aired it and it's still getting aired on T.V..

It's because the rude duplicates swear. It was banned because even though it's bleeped, you can still clearly hear what they are saying.

3 200 - South Park

Since the prophet Muhammad was controversial by his appearance and they managed to censored it permanently, a bunch of Muslim group warns Trey and Matt that if they reveal the prophet in the next episode, they will be exterminated to the public.

Along with the second Part 201 was controversial mainly because once again the shows creators had the Prophet Muhammad involved in the story line both Parker and Stone received threats from the Revolution Muslim.

The prophet Muhammad was involved in the plot and Trey and Matt received death threats from an Islamic Terrorist Group.

4 Man's Best Friend - The Ren & Stimpy Show

I am a fan of this show, so I heard about the episode. This episode was not the only reason John K. got fired, he got fired because he treated his crew horribly, missed deadlines and turned in late work. The episode was banned for being too "violent" for Nickelodeon as a rerun replaced the episode instead. But here is what's more stupid and hypocritical, SpongeBob had suicide jokes in one episode, "One Course Meal".

I am a big fan of the Ren and Stimpy Show (I watch full episodes online), so I was interested in hearing about their banned episode. But what the heck was this?! Tobacco references were all over the place, but what really got it banned was the scene where Ren beats his owner with a paddle. It was INCREDIBLY violent and definitely went too far for a kid show.

I don't understand why Nickelodeon banned Ren and Stimpy because of this episode... Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are MUCH worse than this now and Ren and Stimpy have worse episodes than this one. Like Ren's Pecs, where they actually show blood during Ren's operation.

5 Super Best Friends - South Park

You can actually get killed just for watching this episode because of the whole your not allowed to show an image of Muhammad thing which they did for the first and only time.

This is the only episode that actually shows an image of Muhammad.

6 Partial Terms of Endearment - Family Guy

This episode was banned in the United States because of the plot involving the subject of abortion.

7 Barbequor - Dexter's Laboratory

I saw the episode on YouTube today and I'm gonna guess why it was banned: It had to do with a supervillain, Silver Spooner portrayed as a stereotypical homosexual. Not to mention that Krunk got drunk; ironic because it rhymes.

This is controversial because the villain, The Silver Spooner, falls under the Camp Gay trope.

From What I heard, The Silver Spooner is depicted as a Stereotypical Homosexual.

8 Burning Clouds of Sand - Mobile Suit Gundam SEED

Controversial due to an infamous scene where Kira and Flay have some X with each other

9 I Dream of Jesus - Family Guy

It's probably controversial due to the cutaway where Marlee Matlin calls Moviefone and asks for The Last Mimzy and ends up getting 300 due to the announcer mishearing her due to her impaired speech. Matlin was very pissed off about the gag and led to a confrontation between her and Alex Borstein at a Seth MacFarlane roast. Matlin was hired to voice Peter's deaf co-worker, Stella.

There was also the scene where Jesus made Lois' breasts grow to massive proportions at the dinner table.

10 Surf's Up - Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi

Controversial due to the tsunami that happened in India at the time

The Contenders
11 Blame It On Lisa - The Simpsons

Unfaithful recreation of Brazil insinuating the country is full of rats, monkeys and robbers. No wonder which is one of most controversial episodes from Simpsons.

So stereotypical and xenophobic that the Brazilian government threatened to sue Fox.

Brazil was so infuriated by the episode they actually threatened to sue Fox

12 Candibalism - Viva Piñata

The dance scene was a clear incest joke.

I'm shock that 4kids would do that!

13 Trapped In the Closet - South Park

Not surprisingly the shows creators came under fire from sociologist even Issac Hayes the voice of Chef quit when they refused to pull the episode.

I think R. Kelly sued Comedy Central after this episode.

14 Der Fuehrer's Face - Donald Duck

Der Fuehrer's Face (also known as Donald Duck in Nutziland) is a propaganda cartoon created by Walt Disney back in WW2. It shows Donald Duck being a Nazi and works on a missle factory and somehow salutes Hitler inside the picture. But Hitler (in his voice) convinced Donald that he will be going on vacation IF he will work harder and harder then it was completely messed up until the story was just a dream. Donald hugging the Statue Of Liberty as he loves being an American.

This short did won an Oscar for Best Pictures but screw that award because the way Oscar give an accolades to Frozen.

I'm glad this won't aired on T.V..

Donald Duck is a Nazi, Enough said.

15 Usagi's Love! The Moonlight Lights up the Galaxy - Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars
16 Arthur's Big Hit - Arthur

This episode was so bad that even Marc Brown, the author of the Arthur book series, hatred it.

17 Beauty and the Beach - Pokemon

It was the Japanese version of the episode that garnered the most controversy.

18 Dark Harvest - Invader Zim

A criminal was inspired by this episode.

I love this show and this episode, I have it downloaded and it's amazing despite its disturbing imagery

19 One Coarse Meal - SpongeBob SquarePants

This episode makes me sick. This is the debut of the antagonist Mr. Krabs that we see later on in the series. He drives Plankton to near suicide and then laughs about it. I'm glad that this episode was banned. I hope that there were severe repercussions for whoever wrote that. Newsflash, suicide jokes are NOT FUNNY.

The worst SpongeBob episode. This episode made me feel sick and disgusted that such a serious issue of suicide could be made fun of. Yes Plankton is a villain but this episode really made me feel bad for him. Whoever wrote this episode clearly was an idiot.

Mr. Krabs went too far by stalking & harassing Plankton by dressing as Pearl. He gave Plankton nightmares so severe that he cuts himself off from the outside world by staying in his room seemingly nonstop with suicidal thoughts. He shows to have grown a large gray beard and and claws from cutting himself off from the outside world. Read this transcript:

Karen: [off microphone] Plankton, your dinner is ready. Plankton, can you hear me?

Plankton: Yes, Karen. I can hear you. Could you please bring it up? I can't risk stepping into the light. The whale might see me. [cries]

Later, Plankton attempts to commit suicide by sitting in the middle of the road, hoping to get ran over by a bus. He sees that there is no point to continue his life and that he will just be tortured for the rest of his life by Pearl/Mr. Krabs. He even asks SpongeBob to step on him as hard as he can. When SpongeBob tells Mr. Krabs that Plankton is attempting to commit suicide, he just laughs, claiming Plankton to be a mess. When SpongeBob suggests that he has taken things too far, he threatens to fire him because he accidentally revealed the location of the secret formula earlier. SpongeBob then goes to Plankton, who is still waiting for a bus to run him over, and tells him what Mr. Krabs fears and it was him who stalking him. When Mr. Krabs goes to stalk him once more, Plankton has the upper hand by telling him that he is aware of he is and what his fear is. He then traps Mr. Krabs and forces him to watch his worst fear act: mimes. (At least Plankton's fear made sense, since whales are the natural predator to plankton. Mimes can't be scary at all. All they do is act like they're trapped in an invisible box and are mute. So Mr. Krabs fear makes no sense at all while Plankton's does. ) Sadly, SpongeBob shows to still be loyal to Mr. Krabs, as he shows a video a whales appearing in front of the Krusty Krab. Plankton, who is unaware that these whales are simply projections from the... more

20 Daffy the Commando - Looney Tunes
21 Episode 12 - School Days

Makoto is killed by Sekai because he cheated her. Konotoha behead the corpse of Makoto, kills Sekai and open her uterus to see if she is pregnant from Makoto. In the end, Konotoha goes to a trip in her boat, embracing Makoto's head.

Is School Days is an anime horror?

22 One Beer - Tiny Toon Adventures

This was supposed to inform everyone about the dangers of alcohol. In it, the character drink a beer and steal a car. Then they start drunk driving and fall off a cliff and die. If you said this was banned, then you are right. I think this sent the wrong message.

I watched the actual episode. The episode consists of the friends getting drunk, and then driving a car down a clift.

Warner Bros. probably received a lot of complaints from angry parents after this episode's airing.

23 Extra Large Medium - Family Guy

Chris dates a girl with down syndrome and at one point she says her mother was the former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin was outraged over the episode claiming they were making fun of her son who has Down Syndrome.

Is the only reason for this episode being controversial because of that girl with down syndrome?

The Girl with Down Syndrome was played by an actual girl with Down Syndrome.

24 The Ducktators - Looney Tunes

Main character is Hitler as a duck.

25 Blue Cat Blues - Tom and Jerry

This is understandable. They decide to kill themselves because their girlfriends turned out to be 'gold diggers'. As in those who marry for wealth.

Oh no! They actually try to kill themselves? I thought Tom and Jerry was for kids.

I thought Tom & Jerry was supposed to be a funny show.

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