This list only represents my personal taste and not the best cartoon characters in animation history. I chose these 50 as my favorites for various reasons but the one thing they all have in common is that they stayed with me. Whether it’s for the fact that they make me laugh, their relatability, their emotional resonance or just a rare quality that makes them stand out from typical cartoon characters, these are the ones I love the most.

50. Yosemite Sam

Created by Friz Freleng

Debut: Hare Trigger (1945)

49. Tina Belcher

Created by Loren Bouchard

Debut: Bob’s Burgers (2011)

48. Rocky and Bullwinkle

Created by Alex Anderson and Jay Ward

Debut: Rocky and His Friends (1959)

47. Harley Quinn

Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm

Debut: Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

46. Joker

Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson

Debut: Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

45. Michigan J. Frog

Created by Chuck Jones

Debut: One Froggy Evening (1955)

44. Popeye

Created by E.C. Segar

Debut: Popeye the Sailor (1933)

43. Betty Boop

Created by Max Fleischer and Grim Natwick

Debut: Dizzy Dishes (1930)

42. Bender

Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen

Debut: Futurama (1999)

41. Roger

Created by Seth MacFarlane

Debut: American Dad! (2005)

40. Thumper

Created by Marc Davis

Debut: Bambi (1942)

39. The Three Bears

Created by Chuck Jones

Debut: Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears (1944)

38. Tom and Jerry

Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

Debut: Puss Gets the Boot (1940)

37. Ludwig Von Drake

Created by Walt Disney, Milt Kahl and Ward Kimball

Debut: The Wonderful World of Color (1961)

36. Cruella de Vil

Created by Dodie Smith

Debut: One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

35. Hades

Based on Greek mythology

Debut: Hercules (1997)

34. Tinker Bell

Created by J.M. Barrie

Debut: Peter Pan (1953)

33. Baloo

Created by Rudyard Kipling

Debut: The Jungle Book (1967)

32. The Grinch

Created by Dr. Seuss

Debut: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

31. Doug Funnie

Created by Jim Jinkins

Debut: Doug (1991)

30. Winnie the Pooh

Created by A.A. Milne

Debut: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966)

29. Slappy Squirrel

Created by Sherri Stoner

Debut: Animaniacs (1993)

28. Brian Griffin

Created by Seth MacFarlane

Debut: Family Guy (1999)

27. The Powerpuff Girls

Created by Craig McCracken

Debut: What a Cartoon! (1995)

26. The Ninja Turtles

Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Debut: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)

25. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy

Created by Joe Ruby, Ken Spears and Iwao Takamoto

Debut: Scooby-Doo Where Are You? (1969)

24. Babs Bunny

Created by Tom Ruegger

Debut: Tiny Toon Adventures (1990)

23. Peter Griffin

Created by Seth MacFarlane

Debut: Family Guy (1999)

22. Jafar and Iago

Created by Andreas Deja, Will Finn, John Musker, Ron Clements and Howard Ashman

Debut: Aladdin (1992)

21. Belle and Beast

Created by Linda Woolverton

Debut: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

20. Charlie Brown

Created by Charles Schulz

Debut: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

19. Snoopy

Created by Charles Schulz

Debut: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

18. Jiminy Cricket

Created by Carlo Collodi

Debut: Pinocchio (1940)

17. Droopy

Created by Tex Avery

Debut: Dumb-Hounded (1943)

16. Bart Simpson

Created by Matt Groening

Debut: The Tracey Ullman Show (1987)

15. Angelica Pickles

Created by Paul Germain

Debut: Rugrats (1991)

14. Jessica Rabbit

Created by Gary K. Wolf

Debut: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

13. Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner

Created by Tom Ruegger

Debut: Animaniacs (1993)

12. Foghorn Leghorn

Created by Robert McKimson and Warren Foster

Debut: Walky Talky Hawky (1946)

11. Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner

Created by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese

Debut: Fast and Furry-ous (1949)

10. Eric Cartman

Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Debut: Jesus vs. Frosty (1992)

9. Rick Sanchez

Created by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon

Debut: Rick and Morty (2013)

8. Homer Simpson

Created by Matt Groening

Debut: The Tracey Ullman Show (1987)

7. Pinky and the Brain

Created by Tom Ruegger

Debut: Animaniacs (1993)

6. Genie

Created by Eric Goldberg

Debut: Aladdin (1992)

5. Goofy

Created by Walt Disney and Frank Webb

Debut: Mickey’s Revue (1932)

4. Donald Duck

Created by Walt Disney

Debut: The Wise Little Hen (1934)

3. Stewie Griffin

Created by Seth MacFarlane

Debut: Family Guy (1999)

2. Daffy Duck

Created by Tex Avery and Bob Clampett

Debut: Porky’s Duck Hunt (1937)

1. Bugs Bunny

Created by Ben Hardaway, Cal Dalton and Charles Thorson

Debut: Porky’s Hare Hunt (1938)

In my mind, nobody deserves the top spot more than Bugs Bunny. He epitomizes many things I admire, including confidence, cleverness and courage. Not to mention the fact that he is downright hilarious, thanks in large part to voice actor Mel Blanc, directors like Bob Clampett and writers like Michael Maltese.

I hope you enjoyed the list.