The 20 Greatest 1980s Cartoon Series of All Time

Toy-line juggernauts, Saturday-morning staples and cult oddities from a golden age of animation. Which one ruled your childhood?

1. 1
   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

   The 1987 animated hit that turned four pizza-loving turtles into a global phenomenon.
   1000pts
2. 2
   G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero

   The 1985 military-action series pitting the Joes against the Cobra organization.
   832pts
3. 3
   Jem and the Holograms

   The 1985 series of a music executive who leads a secret glam-rock band.
   787pts
4. 4
   Garfield and Friends

   The 1988 series adapting Jim Davis's lasagna-loving cat for Saturday mornings.
   786pts
5. 5
   Bravestarr

   The 1987 space-western series of a marshal with animal-spirit powers.
   636pts
6. 6
   Care Bears

   The 1985 series of pastel bears spreading caring from their home in the clouds.
   636pts
7. 7
   Voltron

   The 1984 series of pilots forming a giant lion robot to defend the universe.
   538pts
8. 8
   The Adventures of the Gummi Bears

   The 1985 Disney series of medieval bears guarding a secret magical heritage.
   538pts
9. 9
   The Transformers

   The 1984 series of warring robot factions that anchored a toy and film empire.
   418pts
10. 10
    Muppet Babies

    The 1984 series reimagining Jim Henson's Muppets as toddlers in a nursery.
    418pts
11. 11
    Dungeons & Dragons

    The 1983 series of kids swept into a fantasy realm by a mysterious amusement ride.
    418pts
12. 12
    Alvin and the Chipmunks

    The 1983 series reviving the singing chipmunk trio and their manager Dave.
    418pts
13. 13
    DuckTales

    The 1987 Disney series of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews on globe-trotting adventures.
    418pts
14. 14
    She-Ra: Princess of Power

    The 1985 spin-off starring He-Man's twin sister leading a rebellion.
    418pts
15. 15
    The Smurfs

    The 1981 Hanna-Barbera series about tiny blue creatures in a woodland village.
    418pts
16. 16
    ThunderCats

    The 1985 series following cat-like heroes exiled to the world of Third Earth.
    269pts
17. 17
    He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

    The 1983 sword-and-sorcery series built around the Mattel toy line, launching in 1983.
    269pts
18. 18
    The Real Ghostbusters

    The 1986 animated spin-off of the hit film franchise.
    269pts
19. 19
    Inspector Gadget

    The 1983 series about a bumbling cyborg detective and his clever niece Penny.
    269pts
20. 20
    M.A.S.K.

    The 1985 series of a task force with transforming, weaponized vehicles.
    269pts