23 Cartoons That Defined the 2000s (And Why They Still Feel Iconic)

There's something about a classic 2000s cartoon that stirs up memories of throwing your backpack on the couch, grabbing a snack, kicking your feet up, and clutching the remote, ready to recite your favorite show’s theme song word for word. Simpler times.

Maybe you watched these cartoons during a lunch break, between outdoor adventures with friends, or spent hours binge-watching on a rainy Sunday. However you watched 2000s cartoons, you remember them, and even if it’s been ages since your last episode, they likely still hold a special place in your memory.

Let's take a nostalgic look back at 23 iconic cartoons (in no particular order) that defined the 2000s and shaped a generation.

SpongeBob SquarePants
Ed, Edd n Eddy
The Powerpuff Girls
What’s New Scooby-Doo?
The Fairly OddParents
Kim Possible
Codename: Kids Next Door
Recess
Dexter's Laboratory
The Proud Family
Courage the Cowardly Dog
Cyberchase
Teen Titans
Danny Phantom
Phineas and Ferb
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
Winx Club
The Wild Thornberrys
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Johnny Bravo
The Replacements

SpongeBob SquarePants

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? If you know the answer, you probably watched SpongeBob SquarePants as a child (and maybe even as an adult). This 2000s classic premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999 and thrived throughout the 2000s, introducing unforgettable characters like Patrick Star, Squidward Tentacles, Mr. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, and SpongeBob SquarePants, of course. Watch one episode, and you'll know all about life as a fry cook in Bikini Bottom!

Ed, Edd n Eddy

The obsession with jawbreaker candy was undeniable in Ed, Edd n Eddy, which premiered on Cartoon Network in 1999 and remained relevant into the millennium. The show featured three best friends and neighbors (all with the same name) who lived in a suburban cul-de-sac, attempting to trick other characters into giving them money for giant jawbreakers for an entire summer. Despite their efforts, Ed, Edd and Eddy rarely secured their jawbreakers.

The Powerpuff Girls

And so the day is saved, thanks to... The Powerpuff Girls! Professor Utonium created Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup in a lab with sugar, spice, everything nice, oh, and chemical X, in 1998 (via Cartoon Network). Mojo Jojo and other villains were no match for these three, who protected Townsville from monsters until the show ended in 2005.

What’s New Scooby-Doo?

Zoinks! What's New Scooby-Doo? was the 2000s version of an already beloved cartoon series that started in the 1960s. This version, which premiered in 2002 on Kids' WB, featured the same shenanigans the gang (Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo) was previously known for, monster hijinks, unmasking criminals, and quick escapes in the Mystery Machine, all to the tune of Simple Plan's revamped theme song, "What's New Scooby-Doo?"

The Fairly OddParents

Obtuse, rubber goose, green moose, guava juice, giant snake, birthday cake, large fries, chocolate shake! If you can recite these lyrics word for word, it's possible you watched every episode of The Fairly OddParents on Nickelodeon from 2001 to 2017. The show follows 10-year-old Timmy Turner, who navigates life in Dimmsdale with his parents, sister Vicky, teacher Mr. Crocker, and his magic counterparts, Cosmo and Wanda, who grant his every wish!

Kim Possible

Call me, beep me if you wanna reach me! Kim Possible premiered on Disney Channel in 2002 and introduced audiences to Kim Possible, an ordinary high school cheerleader who secretly fought villains as a secret agent, teaming up with her best friend Ron Stoppable and his pet mole-rat, Rufus. Kim Possible believed she could do anything, and so she did!

Codename: Kids Next Door

Kids Next Door, BATTLE STATIONS! In Codename: Kids Next Door, which aired on Cartoon Network in 2002, five children, Numbuh 1, Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, Numbuh 4, and Numbuh 5, formed “Sector V,” a rebellious squad that stood up to teenagers, adults, and villains determined to enforce bedtimes, homework, and vegetables. Their headquarters was a treehouse, their weapons were everyday household items, and their mission was simple: protect their childhood freedoms.

Recess

Fourth graders TJ, Spinelli, Vince, Gretchen, Mikey, and Gus navigated childhood and playground politics in 1997's Recess, a Disney Channel classic that aired until 2001. The children (otherwise known as The Recess Gang) took matters into their own hands to protect their freedom in opposition to Miss Finster and Principal Prickly. At the end of each recess, social order was restored on the playground, and all school-day conflicts were overcome.

Dexter's Laboratory

Dee Dee, get out of my laboratory! Dexter's Laboratory kicked off the 2000s with a bang, running from 1996 to 2003. The show followed kid genius Dexter as he created inventions in his secret laboratory behind the bookshelf in his bedroom. He prevents his arch-nemesis, Mandark, from stealing his inventions, all the while attempting to keep his nosy sister Dee Dee out of his lab and stop her from foiling his plans. While many mishaps lead to the demise of Dexter's laboratory, it reappears good as new in the next episode.

The Proud Family

The Proud Family, Oscar, Trudy, Penny, BeBe, CeCe, and Sugar Mama, captured the spotlight on Disney Channel in 2001. The show zoomed in on 14-year-old Penny Proud, highlighting her family life, shenanigans with her friends, and what it was like to be a teenager. The show was so popular that The Proud Family Movie was released in 2005, featuring a now 16-year-old Penny rescuing her family from Dr. Carver’s world-domination plot.

Courage the Cowardly Dog

Courage the Cowardly Dog was as truly frightening as it was funny. The show, which premiered on Cartoon Network in 1999, was a staple early 2000s cartoon, following a scared pink dog named Courage and his owners, Muriel and Eustace, who lived in a small farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, where all sorts of strange and supernatural events occurred. Every episode, it was up to Courage to protect his owners from monsters, mad scientists, and aliens, whom he was very frightened of.

Cyberchase

Cyberchase, we're movin', we're beating Hacker at his game! This list would not be complete without a classic PBS Kids show, like Cyberchase. CyberSquad members Jackie, Matt, and Inez, alongside their cybird Digit, used math, science, and general problem-solving skills to protect Motherboard, the ruler of the digital universe, Cyberspace, against Hacker and his henchbots, Buzz and Delete. While engaging, the show is also educational, as is true for many PBS series.

Teen Titans

Titans, GO! Teen Titans’ Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy lived in Titans Tower and worked as a team to defend Jump City with their own special talents and powers. The show premiered on Cartoon Network in 2003, and followed plotlines of villains, friendships, and navigating relationships as teenagers. Each episode presented a new adventure and a new lesson for the five Teen Titans.

Danny Phantom

Danny Fenton transformed into white-haired superhero Danny Phantom with three words: "I'm going ghost!" The popular series premiered on Nickelodeon in 2004, following 14-year-old Danny Fenton, who acquired ghost powers from a laboratory incident. He uses the Fenton Portal and his newfound abilities to protect Amity Park from ghosts, all while trying to navigate the ins and outs of being a normal high school student. Danny's friends, Sam and Tucker (and later his sister Jazz), are the only ones who know his secret, as he attempts to hide his powers from his ghost-hunting parents.

Phineas and Ferb

Phineas and Ferb might not have everything figured out, but rest assured, they will be getting the most out of their 104 days of summer vacation. Before school starts in the fall, stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb plan to live out an epic adventure every day of summer (like maybe building a rocket, or fighting a mummy, or climbing up the Eiffel Tower), to the dismay of their older sister Candice, who desperately tries to inform their parents of their shenanigans with no success. And what would the show (that premiered on Disney Channel in 2007) be without antagonist Dr. Doofenshmirtz and the family's iconic pet, Perry the Platypus?

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius

Brain blast! 11-year-old boy genius Jimmy Neutron lives in Retroville, Texas, with his family, and has a knack for invention. He creates clever gadgets to solve problems and complete chores, and most of them end up causing chaos (and adventure) among him, his two best friends, Sheen and Carl, his robot dog, Goddard, and the entire town. He uses science to get through school (and beat Cindy Vortex) from 2002 to 2006. Gotta blast!

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy premiered on Cartoon Network in 2001, and haunted TV sets across the nation with Billy's naivety, Mandy's cynicism, and Grim's involuntary (and sometimes selfish) servitude. The plot follows Grim, the literal Grim Reaper, who must serve Billy and Mandy after losing a limbo competition. The trio embarks on magical, monster-filled, mischievous adventures as they explore the supernatural world and cause chaos in Endsville.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends

If you watched Cartoon Network in 2004, you probably remember Mac, his imaginary friend Bloo, and Wilt, Eduardo, and Coco, at the Fosters' Home orphanage (run by Madame Foster), where these abandoned imaginary friends are put up for adoption by children who no longer believe in them. 8-year-old Mac visits the orphanage every day to ensure that Bloo, whom his mother insists he's outgrown, doesn't get adopted by another child. Mac goes on adventures with his imaginary friends, and Bloo causes chaos in every episode.

Winx Club

Come join the club! The Winx Club, that is. This whimsical fantasy series, which premiered on Kids' WB in 2004, followed Bloom, a teenager from Earth who discovers she has fairy powers. Bloom attends Alfea College in Magix, where she befriends Stella, Flora, Musa, Tecna, and Aisha, who form the Winx Club and fight against dark forces and protect the Magic Dimension. Each Winx Club member has their own personality and special skills they harness throughout the series.

The Wild Thornberrys

The Wild Thornberrys filled screens and hearts with adventure from 1998 to 2004, following 12-year-old Eliza Thornberry, her filmmaker parents, and their pet chimpanzee, Darwin, who traveled the globe in an RV. Eliza is no ordinary tween. She was given special powers from a shaman that allow her to communicate with animals. The protagonist does her best to help creatures and protect them from evil poachers. Eliza can continue to aid and speak to these animals, so long as no one discovers her secret.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender premiered on Nickelodeon in 2005, introducing the world to 12-year-old Aang, frozen in an iceberg for 100 years, who is the last surviving Airbender and Avatar. Aang learns to harness the elements, Earth, Fire, Water, and Air, to end the war started by the Fire Nation (which wiped out the Air Nomads). With his friends Katara (a Waterbender), Sokka (a non-bender from the Southern Water Tribe), and Toph (an Earthbender) by his side, Aang attempts to defeat Fire Lord Ozai and restore order to the world.

Johnny Bravo

Woah, Mama! Johnny Bravo premiered on Cartoon Network in 1997 and continued into the early 2000s. The series was a kids' cartoon with adult themes, following Johnny Bravo, a mama's boy with a big ego who lived at home. His attempts to find a partner were never fruitful and catapulted him into a cycle of unfortunate events. Despite being rejected multiple times, Johnny, alongside his mother, his neighbor Little Suzy, and a local restaurant owner, Pops, remains hopeful that he will one day get a date.

The Replacements

The Replacements premiered on Disney towards the end of the 2000s and introduced audiences to orphans Todd and Riley Daring, whose lives got a little more exciting after they came across a Fleemco comic book ad. They are sent a Fleemco cellphone that, when utilized, allows them to replace any and every adult in their lives. Each episode sees them swapping out an adult and creating a chaotic adventure alongside their parents, Agent K and Dick Daring, who also came from the ad.