The 2000s were a great decade for animation, with countless great shows landing on the small screen over the first ten years of the 21st century. While some of these have come to be known as the best animated shows of their era, others have struggled to secure the popularity they deserve. As with every genre, there are many animated shows that are now considered cult classics, particularly those that were short-lived or have since become relatively obscure. While every year of the 2000s had great shows, 2003 in particular seemed to deliver a wealth of incredible animation, with several shows still standing out more than two decades later.
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The following are all series that not only made their debut in 2003, but are all also remembered as great animated TV shows. While they might each appeal to a slightly different audience, they all make great use of their animated format to deliver unique, charming, and entertaining stories. They’ve all secured cult followings, and that helps them endure as excellent shows from 2003 that are still well worth watching.
4) Clone High
While it might not seem to be an animated sci-fi show, Clone High‘s premise makes excellent use of one of the most enduring tropes of the science fiction genre: cloning. Set in a high school that serves as a secret military experiment, and which is populated by clones of important historical figures, Clone High was created by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Bill Lawrence, with much of its voice cast overlapping with the actors from Lawrence’s most popular show, Scrubs. With its comedic historically-minded premise and parodying of teen dramas, Clone High is remembered as a cult classic.
While low ratings ultimately doomed the show to a criminally short 13-episode run in 2003, it was eventually revived for two more seasons, which were released in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Though Clone High was no stranger to controversy due to its depiction of various historical figures in comedically inventive ways, it remains a fairly obscure title outside of its dedicated following. However, it’s an incredible and hilarious show that truly deserves far more attention, and is still well worth checking out.
3) The Venture Bros.
Over the years, there have been many excellent animated shows aimed at more mature audiences. While some, such as Family Guy and South Park, might have secured themselves reputations as massively successful examples of the genre, some of the best adult animation shows are criminally overlooked. This is the case with The Venture Bros., which delivered seven seasons over the 15 years it spent in production, and while it’s one of the most critically acclaimed Adult Swim shows, many have still never seen it.
The show follows the titular family, led by the unethical and perpetually underachieving Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture, as well as his incompetent teenage sons and their secret agent bodyguard. Described as an action-adventure series with comedic and dramatic elements, The Venture Bros. is a truly brilliant piece of animation. The show’s seven-season run cemented its cult status and established it as one of the best animated shows to debut in 2003, and it’s another classic that the unfamiliar should definitely watch from start to finish.
2) Xiaolin Showdown
Xiaolin Showdown isn’t a show that’s talked about too much today, but in its day, it was a major success. Once considered one of the best Kids’ WB animated shows, Xiaolin Showdown was the perfect Saturday morning cartoon. Its story followed the exploits of four young Xiaolin warriors in training who each have mastery over a different element as they are tasked with retrieving and protecting powerful artifacts known as the Shen Gong Wu.
During its original run, which began in 2003, Xiaolin Showdown was a huge ratings hit for Kids’ WB, with its episodic adventure format perfectly accessible to audiences of all ages. The show’s anime-inspired action and moments of comedy all contributed to its overall success, and it ran for three seasons before ending in 2006. It has become relatively obscure in the years since, but as its cult following will tell you, Xiaolin Showdown is a show that fans of animation definitely need to watch from start to finish.
1) Teen Titans
2003’s Teen Titans is, by most standards, one of the best animated superhero shows of all time. While this might make its status as a cult classic seem somewhat redundant, the show does boast an incredibly dedicated following even years after its initial run ended. There are also countless other fans who remember the show fondly from its time on the air, and while they might not qualify as part of its cult following, they certainly contribute to its continued pop culture relevance.
The show followed the titular DC team of young heroes and also adapted several other figures from the DC Universe. The success of its sequel show, Teen Titans Go!, is something of an indicator of just how good Teen Titans really was in the ’00s, though very few shows have ever lived up to its dark yet accessible presentation of its DC characters. For returning nostalgic fans or those who have never seen it, Teen Titans is by far the best animated show from 2003 that’s still worth watching in full today.
