2004 was a pretty interesting year for animated television. Cartoon Network was still putting out some seriously creative shows, Nickelodeon had plenty of memorable cartoons, and adult animation was starting to find an even bigger audience. There were superheroes, giant robots, bizarre imaginary friends, and some genuinely strange comedy that probably wouldn’t get made the same way today. Not every show became a massive hit, but that doesn’t mean people forgot about them. Some of these cartoons developed incredibly loyal fanbases, while others seem to get overlooked whenever people start talking about the best animated shows of the 2000s.
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What’s interesting is just how different these shows were from one another. You’ve got everything from a giant robot controlled by two slackers to a superhero dealing with ghosts and supernatural threats. Some were aimed at younger audiences, while others had humor that was clearly intended for adults. And let’s be honest, a few of these shows were just plain weird. But that’s part of what made them so memorable. Here are five cult animated shows from 2004 that I still think about decades later.
5) The Batman (2004–2008)
Batman has been getting animated adaptations for decades, so coming up with something that feels different isn’t exactly easy. The Batman took a pretty interesting approach when it premiered in 2004, giving Bruce Wayne a younger look and introducing a slightly different take on some of his most famous enemies. Rino Romano voices the Dark Knight, while the series features plenty of familiar faces, including the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, and Mr. Freeze. The animation also has a distinctive style that separates it from Batman: The Animated Series. Some longtime fans weren’t entirely convinced by the changes, but I always thought the show deserved a little more credit.
One thing I particularly liked was how the series gradually expanded its world and introduced more characters as it went along. The early episodes have a fairly straightforward Batman-versus-villain formula, but things get considerably more interesting when other superheroes start showing up. The show also gave us some surprisingly entertaining versions of characters like Firefly and Killer Moth. Is it better than Batman: The Animated Series? Definitely not, but that’s a pretty unfair comparison. The Batman has its own personality, and there’s plenty here for fans of the Caped Crusader to enjoy. Honestly, I’d love to see more people give this one another chance.
4) Danny Phantom (2004–2007)
Danny Fenton wasn’t exactly having the most exciting teenage life until an accident in his parents’ laboratory turned him into a half-ghost. Suddenly, he could fly, become invisible, and shoot all sorts of supernatural energy blasts. Not bad for a kid who still had homework to worry about. Danny Phantom follows Danny as he tries to keep his ghostly abilities a secret while protecting his hometown from all sorts of nasty spirits. His best friends Sam and Tucker help him out along the way, although his parents are probably the last people you’d want finding out about his new abilities. They’re ghost hunters, after all. The whole situation makes for some pretty entertaining television.
What I remember most about this show is its villains. Vlad Plasmius was particularly good, especially considering his connection to Danny and his rather unhealthy obsession with becoming part of the Fenton family. There were also plenty of other ghosts with strange abilities and personalities, which kept the adventures from getting stale. The show could be genuinely funny, but it also had some great action sequences and a surprisingly memorable soundtrack. It’s a shame Nickelodeon ended the series after three seasons because I always thought there was more to explore with Danny and his ghostly adventures. And let’s be honest, that theme song is probably still stuck in the heads of plenty of people who grew up watching it.
3) Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (2004–2009)
Cartoon Network had some pretty strange ideas in the 2000s, but Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends was something else. Where else were you going to find a cartoon about a house full of imaginary characters that their original owners had simply outgrown? Mac visits the place regularly to hang out with Bloo, his imaginary friend, who’s basically a walking headache for everyone else living there. Bloo is selfish, constantly getting into trouble, and has a habit of making everybody else’s problems worse. Frankie, Madame Foster’s granddaughter, is usually the poor soul left trying to keep things under control. I don’t know how she puts up with any of them.
The best part was seeing all the strange imaginary friends that turned up at the house. Some had ridiculous designs, others had even stranger personalities, and the show never seemed to run out of ideas. You also had characters like Eduardo, Wilt, and Coco, who were all completely different from one another. Bloo could be a real pain, but he was also responsible for some of the funniest moments. Craig McCracken clearly had a lot of fun with this series after the success of The Powerpuff Girls. It’s one of those Cartoon Network shows that I think deserves to be remembered alongside the channel’s biggest hits. There’s still nothing quite like it.
2) Megas XLR (2004–2005)
A couple of New Jersey slackers finding a giant robot from the future sounds like the setup for a pretty ridiculous cartoon. That’s exactly what Megas XLR delivered. The series follows Coop, a video game-loving mechanic who discovers a massive alien robot in a junkyard and decides to customize it with his own modifications. His best friend Jamie is along for the ride, while Kiva, a warrior from the future, isn’t particularly happy about what Coop has done to her advanced fighting machine. Naturally, this leads to plenty of giant robot battles, alien invasions, and some wonderfully stupid situations. And honestly, that’s exactly what makes the show so much fun.
Megas XLR was packed with video game references, giant robot movie parodies, and a sense of humor that never took itself too seriously. Coop is hardly your typical heroic protagonist, either. He’d much rather eat junk food and play video games than save the world, which makes him a pretty entertaining lead. Unfortunately, the series only lasted two seasons before Cartoon Network pulled the plug. That’s a shame because there was so much more they could have done with this concept. The show has developed a devoted following over the years, and I still think it deserves a proper revival. Come on, who wouldn’t want to see Coop and Megas back in action?
1) The Venture Bros. (2004–2018)
If you grew up watching old adventure cartoons like Jonny Quest, The Venture Bros. is going to feel pretty familiar at first. Of course, things get weird pretty quickly. The show follows Hank and Dean Venture, two teenage brothers who somehow manage to get themselves into all sorts of dangerous situations thanks to their father, the eccentric Dr. Thaddeus Venture. Fortunately, they’ve got Brock Samson looking out for them. He’s their bodyguard, and probably the only reason these kids are still alive. Created by Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer, the series started out poking fun at classic adventure cartoons but eventually grew into something much bigger. You’ve got supervillains, mad scientists, secret organizations, and some of the most dysfunctional characters you’ll find in an animated series.
What really makes The Venture Bros. special is how much attention it gives even its strangest characters. The Monarch is a particularly memorable villain, and his rivalry with Dr. Venture is often more entertaining than anything the actual heroes get up to. The humor is also considerably smarter than you might expect from a show that initially looks like a goofy parody of classic adventure cartoons. It ran for seven seasons, followed by a feature-length movie that finally gave fans another adventure with these characters. That’s quite an achievement for a series that started out poking fun at old television shows. Honestly, I wish more animated comedies were willing to be this weird.
Which of these shows are you favorite? Are there any animated series that should be on this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!
