The Best ’90s Cartoons to Watch in 2023

Sorry to be a bummer, but it’s been quite a long time since the 1990s. It’s been a few decades since some of the original animated series back then first graced our screens, and things have changed dramatically since then. But one of these changes now makes revisiting some of these 1990s cartoon classics easier than ever before. It used to be if you missed an episode, you wouldn’t be able to catch it again until its rerun in the Summer, but now all of these classics are complete and available for streaming whenever you want to feel like a kid again. 

With so many ’90s cartoons coming back in many ways with new projects, or just coming back as fans decide to revisit them just because, it’s the perfect time to revisit some of the heavy hitters. There are so many cool cartoons that it’s impossible to list them all here, so read on to see some of the best 1990s cartoons that still hold up in 2023, and let us know your favorites to rewatch in the comments! 

X-Men: The Animated Series

• When Did It Air? October 31, 1992 to September 20, 1997
• Why You Should Watch Now: With X-Men ’97 bringing the original animated series back for new stories like it never left, now is the best time to actually watch the show and see where it all ended. Both new and old fans will get something out of this as new fans will get to see some of the best X-Men arcs ever put to screen, and classic fans will get to see how well it’s aged leading into the new series coming our way next! 
• How to Watch: You can now check out X-Men: The Animated Series streaming on Disney+. 

AAAHH!! Real Monsters

• When Did It Air? October 22, 1994 to November 16, 1997
• Why You Should Watch Now: AAAHH!! Real Monsters is still one of the most unique cartoons to ever be broadcast with Nickelodeon. Making its mark with fans by showcasing how monsters learn how to scare humans, it’s full of gross imagery that was just perfect for kids back then. But all these years later its blend of horror, humanity, and humor make AAAHH!! Real Monsters a perfect revisit for adults. 
• How to Watch: You can now AAAHH!! Real Monsters streaming on Paramount+. 

SpongeBob SquarePants

• When Did It Air? May 1, 1999 to TBD
• Why You Should Watch Now: SpongeBob SquarePants is now more relevant than ever before. Not only are the newest episodes of the series getting attention with fans, but its spirit as a new cartoon released at the tail end of the 1990s has helped it to become hugely popular with fans online. Becoming the source of memes, in jokes, and all kinds of references, there’s a reason SpongeBob SquarePants has remained dominant to this day. Time to go back and see how truly great those first few seasons were. 
• How to Watch: You can now check out SpongeBob SquarePants streaming on Paramount+. 

Recess

• When Did It Air? September 13, 1997 to November 5, 2001
• Why You Should Watch Now: While there are many more loud and active cartoons from the 1990s that you might want to revisit first, Recess is definitely a fun and chill option to check out. Not only does it hold up well after all these years thanks to how much older some of its stories skew in terms of tone and subjects, but it’s a rather relaxing animated series that’s bound to also help scratch that nostalgic Disney’s One Saturday Morning line-up itch. 
• How to Watch: You can now find Recess streaming on Disney+. 

Dexter’s Laboratory 

• When Did It Air? April 26, 1996 to November 20, 2003.
• Why You Should Watch Now: Dexter’s Laboratory is one of the Cartoon Network classics coming back for Adult Swim’s new Checkered Past block later this month, and so now is the perfect time to see why it’s still such a beloved cartoon after all these years. Not only was it one of Cartoon Network’s first standout projects in the “Cartoon Cartoons” era, but it’s part of why creator Genndy Tartakovsky is still making award winning animated projects with the network today.
• How to Watch: You can now find Dexter’s Laboratory streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

What are some of your favorite ’90s cartoons to visit in 2023? Let us know all of your picks in the comments!