11 Edgy But Brilliant 90’s Cartoons - The Extreme Era Of Animation!

In terms of TV animation, the 90s brought us stuff that was equal parts unconventional and addictive. From extreme violence and disastrous characters to beautifully crafted fight sequences and gripping plots, this decade gave us a bit of everything. These TV shows packed generous amounts of exoskeletons and mech-suits, monstrous heroes and villains, mythological and mystical plots, and most importantly- aesthetically rich and vibrant animation. We wouldn’t be wrong in saying that what was provided was a much-needed bridge, reducing the gap between kids-centric cartoons, and ones aimed at adults. After the 90s were over, there came a radical and dramatic shift in the way cartoons were made and viewed, and adult viewership became a luxury that’s enjoyed even today than by animation creators. The introduction of CGI alongside live-action sequences in cartoons gained prominence in the 90s, and the 2021 movie Tom and Jerry is the latest direct consequence of the trend. In this video, we will look at some of the edgiest, avant-garde cartoons that pioneered something new. We will refrain from including mainstream cartoons and deal only in the ones that we think were minor or major game-changers. So sit back and enjoy this thrill ride and let us know in the comments which among these you’d like to watch.

0:00 Intro
2:03 Exosquad (1993–1995)
4:10 The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996-1997)
6:36 Biker Mice from Mars (1993-1996)
8:42 Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)
10:37 Skeleton Warriors (1994)
12:26 Godzilla: The Series (1998)
14:32 Conan the Adventurer (1992 TV series)
16:43 Wild CATS: Covert Action Teams (1994)
18:14 Highlander: The Animated Series (1994–1996)
20:04 ACTION MAN (1995)
22:00 GI JOE EXTREME (1995)
23:58 The Savage Dragon (1995-1996)

[lucasclement]

Man, the eighties and nineties were a goldmine of great shows!
They had action, incredible animation, and amazing storylines and characters!
Each one of these science fiction, fantasy, and action series is worthy of being revived, remade, and rebooted for audiences who are starving for quality animated shows today!

[ezzedinezeid]

BIKER MICE OF Almost forgot this pearl of animation. I will binge watch it tonight

[rogieramilo]

Wow! Nostalgia. I was animator from the 90's... I worked in animated TV series thru P.A.S.I. for the titles X-Men, Daredevil teaser, Biker Mice from Mars, Battletech, and more. I miss the days 😢

[austinboucher]

Yes! Skeleton warriors was my favorite as a kid! Never heard anyone else mention it before.

[Genethagenius]

How was “The Pirates of Dark Water” NOT on this list? Such a great show with an awesome premise and well ahead of its time. With the popularity of Anime and many of its show’s long-form storytelling, I think if “Pirates of Dark Water” came out today it would find a good audience of fans, such as another American show heavily influenced by Anime, “Avatar: The Last Airbender”.

[andrewwright]

Most of these cartoons suffered from the same fate, being aired to early in the morning. Even if you wanted to watch it as a kid you still had to rely on your parents waking you up early enough, and even if you woke up early enough you had to keep yourself awake through the whole show. Cartoons like Spiderman or Batman figured it out and aired after you came home from school. That's why they are the most remembered.

[kaisarr]

The 90s was the best era of animation in general in western cartoons. Gargoyles, Batman Tas, XmenTas, Animaniacs, MightyMax, Bobbys world, Hey Arnold, Mummies Alive, Pirates of Dark water, King Arthur and Knights of Justice .etc.
So many well made classic shows. Half of which got cancelled due to idiotic executives putting them in bad time slots or bad merchandise deals.

[kingsiah]

Anyone remember mummies alive, mighty Max or street sharks?

[maat]

Real adventures of Johnny quest had one of the most killer theme songs.

[TheEyeofTerror]

I can't say it enough, we 90s kids had the best cartoons.

[allcyrus]

For 26 minutes, I was smiling and re-living chidhood memories and humming intros. Thank you!

[Juandraym]

My two most remembered lines, from two of these shows -
"Farewell operator JT Marsh."
&
"Let's Rock, and RIDE!"

[seph]

you forgot Gargoyles... that was one of my favs. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, the new adventures of heman, sonic the hedge hog, darkwing duck. then some edgy computer 3d anime Transformers beast wars and Reboot. we really did have the best cartoons early 90's

[phenrilwolf]

Oh my, ...Biker Mice from Mars was awesome.
They knew they were a TMNT rip off and didn't care, even from the very first episode when Modo says to Charley:
-"You were expecting turtles maybe?"

Ah, ... the good ol' childhood!

[TheScreamer]

I feel I'm the only one in the world who remembers in the early 90s a show called Mighty Max. It was ahead of it's time and yet has been forgotten by it and everyone else. Such ashame because it had a badass cast, animation and stories.

[SSD_Penumbra]

Anyone else remember the Men in Black cartoon made by the same animation team behind the Godzilla cartoon? I remember it being quite scary and violent for kids.

[CarlosRodriguez-jolb]

My 30 year old son still has all the Exo frames I bought him back then! It was the best cartoon!

[jsagers]

The oddest and edgiest cartoon of the 90's had to be The Tick. As an 11 year old I thought it was stupid. As an adult, I realize it's a masterpiece. Amazing that this show was played on Fox Kids Club. Totally an adult cartoon. Lol!

[MoCaJr]

Extreme Ghostbusters had potential & should've had some of the OG Ghostbuster pop up from time to time.
I'm a bit surprised B.A.D.: bureau of alien detectors wasn't on this list.

[Grungivaldi]

I mean conan still had a lot of adult themes. Slavery, cannibalism, rape...just didnt show any blood