Because life is already serious… let the cartoons do the clowning.
There’s something magical about cartoons. Cartoon characters remain that one consistent thing that can slap the stress off your face with a ridiculous joke or a gloriously dumb expression.
And while some of them inspire us or teach us morals, there are some outright funny cartoon characters who exist solely to crack you up, loud, hard, and with zero apology.
Here’s our list of twenty of the very best of them:
First appearance: 1999
Voice Actor: Tom Kenny
SpongeBob is all things hyper, happy, and hilariously unaware. He wakes up excited to work at a burger joint (Krabby Patty, anyone?) and treats jellyfishing like a national sport. His laugh is a banshee-sounding squeal that’s so ridiculous, you can’t help but join in.
But what truly sells SpongeBob is how seriously he takes things no sane person should take seriously, like writing a one-word essay or befriending a bubble. The more he tries to be normal, the more chaos follows.
First appearance: 1937
Voice Actor: Mel Blanc (original)
Daffy Duck is the drama king of the cartoon universe. Paranoid, competitive, and constantly jealous of Bugs Bunny (who lives rent-free in his brain), Daffy tries, really tries, to be the main character. Unfortunately for him, failure is his full-time job.
The beauty of Daffy is in how committed he is to his own downfall. He explodes, tumbles, crashes, and screeches with the pride of a Shakespearean actor.
First appearance: 1997
Voice Actor: Jeff Bennett
Ah, Johnny. The six-pack-wielding, mirror-kissing, Elvis-sounding, sunglasses-wearing himbo of the century. With biceps like boulders and brain cells like…well, none, Johnny is the gold standard for confidence without competence.
He hits on women like it’s his 9-to-5, drops pickup lines that should be criminal, and somehow manages to flex even when running for his life. But you can’t hate him. He’s too dumb to be dangerous. Johnny’s greatest joke is that he thinks he’s irresistible. And somehow, that delusion is funnier than any punchline.
First appearance: 1999
Voice Actor: Matt Hill
Ed is an entire mood. A big guy with an even bigger appetite for buttered toast and conspiracy theories. He once thought chickens were government spies. He once wore gravy as cologne.
His smile is like the vacant grin of a man who has never paid rent or understood how money works.
He’s physically strong and mentally…not so much. But that combo creates slapstick brilliance. He can break a wall just by tripping into it, and then laugh like it was planned.
First appearance: 1999
Voice Actor: Bill Fagerbakke
Patrick is SpongeBob’s best friend and Bikini Bottom’s resident philosopher of nonsense. His most iconic line? “The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma,” followed immediately by a mental image of a milk carton falling over.
He’s slower than buffering internet and proud of it. Every time Patrick speaks, stupidity shines with the confidence of wisdom. And the irony is that he always sounds so sure.
First appearance: 1989
Voice Actor: Dan Castellaneta
Homer is a funny cartoon character who works at a nuclear plant (yes, a nuclear plant) but couldn’t spell “nuclear” if you spotted him all the letters. His parenting style involves donuts, remote control hogging, and the occasional “D’oh!” after every failed idea.
He knows he’s not smart, doesn’t care, and lives life on cruise control. He loves beer more than responsibility and naps more than character development. But it works. Because somehow, Homer’s clueless charm makes you root for him even when he burns down his own house.
First appearance: 1940
Voice Actor: Silent, then various
You’d think by now Tom would’ve caught Jerry. But no. Eighty years and counting, he’s still falling off cliffs, smashing into walls, and getting outsmarted by a rodent half his size. And every single time? It’s hilarious.
Watching Tom is like watching karma in real-time. He’s the original slapstick icon, the punchline in a never-ending chase, and proof that losing can be very, very funny.
First appearance: 2013
Voice Actor: Justin Roiland
Rick is not your typical funny character. He’s crude, dark, depressed, and devastatingly smart. But he’s also sarcastic as hell and the undisputed king of deadpan comedy.
He turns existential dread into punchlines and cosmic horror into memes. If nihilism had a voice, it would be Rick’s, boozy, bitter, and sharp enough to cut through steel.
First appearance: 1997
Voice Actor: Trey Parker
Cartman is pure chaos in a fat little frame. He’s racist, manipulative, selfish, and somehow still hilarious. His outrageous statements and twisted schemes are so cartoonishly evil, they cross over into comedy gold.
He once tried to start his own church, pretended to be a robot to spy on a friend, and convinced people his tears cured diseases. And it’s funny because he’s always the butt of the joke in the end.
First appearance: 2001
Voice Actor: Daran Norris
Cosmo is a fairy godparent with the IQ of a mop and the heart of a golden retriever, granting wishes he doesn’t understand, speaking before thinking (or blinking), and somehow always ending up turning Timmy’s problems into full-blown catastrophes.
One time, he mistook himself for a chair. Another time, he tried to microwave a pencil. But it’s his innocence that makes him endearing. Cosmo is the kind of funny that doesn’t mean to be, but always is.
First appearance: 1940
Voice Actor: Mel Blanc (original)
Bugs isn’t like your average cartoon villain who’s wild. Nah, he’s cool, calm, and criminally clever. His secret weapon? That smug little “Eh… what’s up, Doc?” delivered just before he ruins someone’s life in the most stylish way.
Whether he’s cross-dressing to confuse Elmer Fudd or flipping reality to escape danger, Bugs always stays one step ahead. His humour is sarcastic, sharp, and delightfully smug. You’ll laugh, sure. But deep down, you’ll wish you had his level of chill under pressure.
First appearance: 2000
Voice Actor: Patrick Warburton
Kronk is the lovable henchman who was clearly hired for his muscles, not his mind. But unlike most villains’ sidekicks, Kronk is actually the star of the show.
He talks to squirrels. He burns spinach puffs. He has an angel and devil on his shoulders who hold full debates while he blinks like a confused golden retriever. Kronk is dim, but he’s so sweet, you almost want him to win. And when he fails (which he always does), it’s in the most ridiculous, hilarious way possible.
First appearance: 2013
Voice Actor: Peter Browngardt
This man-child hybrid is exactly as chaotic as his name. Uncle Grandpa is a grown man who’s everyone’s uncle and grandpa at the same time.
He travels in a flying RV, hangs out with a slice of pizza that wears sunglasses, and yells “Good Mornin’!” like it’s an alarm clock from hell. He bends logic like paper, does the most random things with full confidence, and somehow solves problems by making them worse.
First appearance: 1999
Voice Actor: Seth MacFarlane
Peter is what happens when you give a toddler a grown man’s body, a family, and access to beer. He once got into a fistfight with a giant chicken that lasted three episodes. And lost.
Every decision Peter makes is the wrong one. He says things that make you choke on your laughter. He’s an offensive trainwreck, but that’s the point. You’re not laughing with him. You’re laughing at him. Hard.
First appearance: 1994
Voice Actors: Nathan Lane (Timon), Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa)
Name a more iconic comic duo. We’ll wait.
Timon is the fast-talking meerkat with big-city energy. Pumbaa is the farting warthog with a soft heart. Together? They’re the jungle’s version of Abbott and Costello, full of banter, sass, and bodily-function jokes that land every single time.
They brought us “Hakuna Matata,” which is basically therapy with a beat. Whether they’re avoiding danger or just eating bugs, these two always bring chaos wrapped in charm.
First appearance: 1995
Voice Actor: Rob Paulsen
Pinky is the goofy one. The ridiculous one. The one who doesn’t understand Brain’s plan to take over the world, but fully supports it anyway. He lives in the moment, laughs at everything, and says “Narf!” for no reason.
Brain is the genius. Pinky is the reason it all goes wrong. But his random, left-field comments and hilariously dumb questions often end up sounding oddly wise. He’s the comic relief within the comic relief. And sometimes, that’s all you need to stay sane.
First appearance: 2010
Voice Actor: John DiMaggio
Jake is chill. Too chill. He’s a shape-shifting dog who can turn into anything but mostly uses that power to nap or steal snacks. He gives life advice like a stoned uncle at a barbecue. Half of it makes no sense. The other half is accidentally profound.
One moment, he’s making pancakes with his stretchy limbs. The next, he’s giving a pep talk that starts with “You gotta focus on what’s real, man,” and ends with “…like sandwiches.”
First appearance: 1932
Voice Actor: Pinto Colvig (original), Bill Farmer (modern)
Goofy is physical comedy in cartoon form. Tall, clumsy, and eternally good-natured, Disney’s Goofy trips, tumbles, and fumbles through life and makes it all look graceful in the dumbest way possible.
His voice alone can make you laugh. His laugh is a rollercoaster. He’s earnest, clueless, full of heart, and the kind of character that makes you laugh without even saying a word.
First appearance: 1984
Voice Actor: Various (originally Townsend Coleman)
Mikey is the party dude of the turtle squad. Where his brothers brood and battle with purpose, Michelangelo brings the jokes, the pizza obsession, and the random surfer lingo. Cowabunga, baby.
He doesn’t take anything seriously, except having a good time. He laughs in the face of danger (usually while holding a slice of pepperoni) and says the weirdest things at the weirdest times. He’s the comic relief that keeps the gang from becoming too dark, reminding you that fun has its place, even in ninja fights.
First appearance: 2014
Voice Actor: Will Arnett
BoJack is dark comedy done right. He’s a washed-up 90s sitcom star who also happens to be a horse. He’s sarcastic, bitter, wildly self-destructive, and deeply, painfully funny.
His jokes are layered with self-loathing and brutal honesty. He’ll say something depressing, and before it sinks in, he hits you with a clever punchline. BoJack’s humour is adult, raw, and occasionally too real. He makes you laugh even when you know you shouldn’t. And somehow, that makes it hit harder.
