The 2010s might have been the end of Saturday morning network cartoons, but it was also the dawn of a new age. Cartoons of the 2010s turned to cable and streaming. With fewer restraints, it was a chance to make cartoons capable of far more than selling some toys and cramming in a moral lesson.

Cartoons of this era could tell better stories, feature better animation, and provide better representation for marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ+ community. They were also genuinely entertaining for adults as much as kids. These are the cartoons that defined the 2010s and blazed a trail for the next generation.

10

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Released when Hasbro was retooling all their popular properties, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic exploded unexpectedly. Developed by Lauren Faust, who was one of the minds behind The Powerpuff Girls, the remake finds the curious Twilight Sparkle investigating the land of Ponyville. While trying to learn more about the world, she makes several charming friends, ranging from the athletic Rainbow Dash to the eccentric party girl Pinky Pie.

Friendship is Magic had snappy writing, colorful animation, and charming songs that transcended its kid demographic. An entire movement of adults clamored for the show, even holding a convention just for My Little Pony. The series lasted over 200 episodes and had a theatrical movie, extending beyond Hasbro’s Transformers and G.I. Joe cartoon revivals (two 1980 cartoon classics). With its dazzling depiction of moral lessons with ponies that can fly and shoot magical energy beams, it’s easy to see why it was so popular.

9

The Amazing World of Gumball

Watching The Amazing World of Gumball is like watching a collective of animators digging through a toy box of different techniques. While the adolescent anthropomorphic cat Gumball is animated as a 2D vector, he lives in a world of characters composed of CGI, puppets, and live-action mediums. Gumball and his fish brother Darwin get into some wacky adventures that often break the fourth wall as much as his world breaks dimensional limitations.

As one of the first Cartoon Network productions to come straight out of Britain, Gumball is a show exploding with colorful animation techniques and wild humor. The witty commentary on everything from gaming streamers to knock-off cartoons lifts the cartoon far beyond its typical suburban family setting, especially for one with the old trope of the doltish dad and straight-woman mother. Sure, it still has some DNA from shows like The Simpsons, but this is a suburban setting where the usual characters include ghosts, bananas, balloons, monkeys, and a T-Rex.

8

Tron: Uprising

Taking place between the two TRON movies, Uprising focuses on the digital world of the Grid being overtaken by the sinister forces of Clu. Seeking to rebel against this aggressive rule, the mechanic program Beck fights back against the invading General Tesler’s army. Aiding Beck’s fight is the injured hero Tron, who passes the torch (or disc) of heroism onto the next generation for the next revolution.

Coming out a few years after the sequel TRON: Legacy, this side-story cartoon retains much of the same sci-fi action tone, not merely because it features music from the same composer, Joseph Trapanese. The slick CGI contrasting deep blacks with crisp blues and heated reds looks eye-popping for TV animation. The story is also rather brutal, depicting digital casualties and fast-paced action. It is made all the more exciting with a voice cast that includes Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, and Bruce Boxleitner reprising his role as Tron.

7

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

As a reboot of the classic 1980s cartoon, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power follows the adventures of Adora, wielder of the magic sword on the planet of Eternia. After escaping from the sinister armies of Hordak, known as the Horde, she makes new friends in her battle against evil. But she’ll also have to save her childhood friend Catra from being brainwashed by the Horde.

Developed by cartoonist ND Stevenson, this version of She-Ra presented a more engrossing and updated depiction of this fantasy hero. This goes beyond the anime-inspired influence and more intricate exploration of Eternia’s fantasy elements and politics. The series featured more earnest depictions of trauma and romance, where same-sex relationships were more of a common occurrence than a shocking reveal. This cartoon went the extra mile to inspire the next generation to be more honest and brave in more ways than one.

6

DuckTales

Although a reboot of DuckTales seems like another returning-to-the-well production for Disney, plenty of water is left to warrant a return. The show retains the same format of the 1980s cartoon, with the cantankerous mogul Scrooge (now voiced by David Tennant) still whisking his nephews away on globe-trotting adventures. But there’s more to explore this time in this ongoing story’s family drama, alien invasions, and criminal organizations, lifting plenty of material from the long-running comic book series.

Watching the new DuckTales feels like being a kid again with the classic sense of adventure and treasure hunting. What makes the show even more nostalgically engrossing is the many crossovers it shares with shows like TaleSpin, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck, and Goof Troop. But even if you don’t have nostalgia for the Disney Afternoon block, the show is still fun and intriguing with its own unique blend of angular animation and clever humor, especially for the hilarious reveal of Donald Duck’s non-sputtering voice (you’ll never guess who voices him).

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5

Regular Show

Akin to Rocko’s Modern Life, J. G. Quintel’s Regular Show found the absurdity in the lifestyle of twenty-something adults. The show centers around the blue jay Moredcai and raccoon Rigby working at a local park. Working under the direction of Benson, the easily-angered gumball machine, the two slackers would have been given typical jobs around the park, but end up in the oddest situations, like being transported to the moon or sucked into a video game dimension.

Cartoon Network clearly had a big focus on the prime-time slot, with Regular Show’s relatable vibe amid weird situations making for the perfect mix. It featured subversive sexual gags, weird and surreal realms, and an abundance of references only millennials would grasp, but it was also genuinely hilarious. Although rated just TV-PG, Regular Show has more in common with many adult animated shows, so it’s no wonder Quintel went on to create the TV-MA-rated Close Enough, a more adult cartoon about thirty-somethings.

4

Steven Universe

Created by Rebecca Sugar of Adventure Time fame, Steven Universe follows the adventures of the boy Steven after he learns he’s a half-breed of the Earth-defending Crystal Gems team. Working alongside the magical crystal guardians, Steven uses the gem powers within his belly button to save the world from mystical threats. As an underdog, Steven works relies on his earnest and thoughtful nature to prove himself to the more intelligent Crystal Gems.

Steven Universe became just as much of a Cartoon Network staple as Adventure Time because it was more daring in its emotional storytelling. Complex topics of family, friendship, and romance were addressed in a surprisingly nuanced manner. In addition, the cartoon was also a huge trailblazer for being more open with LGBTQ representation, showcasing one of the first same-sex weddings in a cartoon for kids. For its meaningful storytelling, the show continued for five seasons and an epilogue movie, and also won a prestigious Peabody Award.

3

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

Scooby-Doo reboots have been a constant for decades, but Mystery Incorporated is far and away one of the best iterations of the long-running cartoon franchise. Set during the early days of the mystery-solving group, the teenagers and their dog Scooby solve mysteries in their hometown of Crystal Cove. The constant spooky schemes, however, reveal a greater conspiracy as the show continues.

Mystery Incorporated was a refreshing change of pace from the usual Scooby-Doo formula. In addition to the serialized story, there was also great character drama with Velma and Shaggy being a couple. While the show played with many of the conventions of Scooby-Doo (it’s hilarious how they treat Scrappy-Doo as a dark part of their past), it also had clever references to H. P. Lovecraft and Twin Peaks. There’s also a stellar voice cast, especially with Matthew Lillard taking on the role of Shaggy, who has previously played the character in live-action movies.

2

Gravity Falls

Perhaps the easiest way to describe Gravity Falls is that it’s Twin Peaks for kids. Siblings Dipper and Mabel spend the summer helping out at their great-uncle Stan’s tourist trap, The Mystery Shack. While Stan might peddle tall tales to make money, there are plenty of strange creatures and dark secrets that lurk in the woods of this small community. Dipper aims to learn all about them through a mysterious journal.

Gravity Falls combines sci-fi, horror, and coming-of-age elements into a clever animated adventure saga. The mystery of the woods was just as entertaining as the wry and absurd comedy, posed in familiar summer situations of county fairs and going fishing. Despite the long delay in the finale, the show has become revered for its writing, which won it multiple Emmy and Annie awards, garnering it a fandom following.

1

Adventure Time

If there’s one show that changed the entire landscape of cartoons in the 2010s, it has to be Adventure Time, a show that Nickelodeon likely kicked itself over passing on. Developed by Pendleton Ward, the Emmy-winning show features the heroic boy Finn and his stretchy dog Jake battling the evil Ice King and in a fantastical landscape as they try to rescue the Princess Bubblegum. The show has a charming sense of wonder but also features a great sense of world-building in how it continuously peels back the layers of what turns out to be a world formed after an apocalypse.

Adventure Time embraced the sweet and surreal with its cute character designs and thoughtful storytelling. The show was inspired by the geeky pillars of Dungeons & Dragons, retro video games, and anime. It was also responsible for inspiring many of the cartoons that followed, with Rebecca Sugar’s LGBTQ+ focus carrying over more overtly with Steven Universe and Pete Browngardt’s penchant for surreal comedy in Uncle Grandpa. The show lasted for 10 seasons and spawned a sequel and spin-off series.

The cartoons of the 2010s had undeniable freedom of expression. The levels of representation, animation quality, and mature writing seem almost alien when compared to the restrictions of the 1980s. With so many trails blazed, seeing what cartoons the next decade will bring will be exciting.