It can be difficult to make an ending to your favorite cartoon show. While the ending will satisfy most fans, it should also close any loose threads of plot and characters. Despite the complexity, if successful, it can make a strong impression on all who watch it.

Of course, the opposite is also true. A bad ending can be disappointing for fans to see their favorite show fade and, in some scenarios, can retroactively change their minds about the show as a whole, not just the ending.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY

1 “Angels in the Night” - “Gargoyles” (1994-1997)

Goliath and Eliza Maza

After success Batman: The Animated SeriesDisney has created its own action movie. gargoyles hit it big with amazing character development and season-long storylines. Unfortunately, behind-the-scenes changes resulted in a lackluster third season, with the gargoyles mostly battling a KKK replacement called the Quarrymen.

Angels in the Night takes the conflict to a forced conclusion when the Stonemasons decide to kill an entire train full of innocent bystanders if that means killing two gargoyles. When the gargoyles stop them, humanity immediately accepts them despite the whole season of fear. Compared to how the previous two seasons took time to develop the plot and the villains, it’s no surprise that fans prefer to forget about the third season.

2 “A Million Points of Light” - “Digimon Adventure 02” (2000–2001)

digimon-adventure-02
Image via Toei

Although it is often called a fake Pokemon, Digimon the franchise has found an audience through diverse characters and mature storytelling. As the second season drew to a close, many fans wondered if they would get the same bittersweet ending as the first season, where the kids kept two words but were separated from their Digimon friends. The short answer was no: like many things in Digimon Adventure 02the ending was broken.

Things begin promisingly enough when the heroes defeat their final opponent, Myotismon (Richard Epcar), and its unwitting human host, sacrificing himself to repair the damage done to the Digital World. He then jumps forward many years to see Digitestine as adults with families. What’s frustrating is that the choices made don’t fit most of the characters, either in professions or in some couples inexplicably falling apart.

3 “Back to Shaq” - “Johnny Bravo” (1997-2004)

Johnny Bravo on the back of Shaquille O'Neal

One of the original animated cartoons, Johnny Bravofollowed the adventures of the titled Johnny (Jeff Bennett). An association Elvis Presley And James Dean, he is constantly looking for a beautiful woman, but always fails due to his incompetence. The show has gained a large following thanks to its edgy humor and funny celebrity cameos.

Unfortunately, the last episode plays out as if it was chosen by a committee. Instead of Johnny’s romantic exploits coming to an end, he becomes a good luck charm. Shaquille O’Neal. It feels like every other episode is meant to showcase a celebrity cameo and not a series finale.

4 “Things Change” - Teen Titans (2003-2006)

Terra tells Beast Boy that everything is changing.

On the outskirts of Jump City, in a T-shaped tower, Robin lives (Scott Menville), Cyborg (Khary Payton), Beast Boy (Greg Cipes), Starfire (Hynden Walch) and Raven (Tara Strong). Every day they protect the city from super criminals and also try their best to be roommates. Able to juggle serious topics and goofy storytelling, Teen Titans quickly became one of Cartoon Network’s most popular superhero shows.

Unfortunately, the show ended with one of the most infamous cliffhangers in cartoon history. While the other Titans are busy fighting a monster that can turn into any material, Beast Boy sees a girl that looks like a fallen Titan, Terra (Ashley Johnson). It ends without explaining how Terra returned, whether the girl was Terra, or whether the Titans defeated the monster.

5 “Ghost Rising” - “Class of Titans” (2005-2008)

Jay and Teresa hugging

Titan class saw a group of teenagers, descendants of Greek heroes, trying to stop the Titan of time Kronos (David Kaye), from land grabs. It was a wonderful show to get kids interested in Greek mythology by presenting classic stories with a modern twist. The characters were also a lot of fun, playing different roles on the team and going through their own arcs.

Unfortunately, “Phantom Rising” ends the story of the team’s mystic, Teresa (Kelly Sheridan) in a bad way. She inexplicably becomes furious with the gods and finds a way to steal their powers. It’s poorly explained, out of character, and ends the show with a cliffhanger without resolving the main conflict with Kronos.

6 “Ghost Planet” - “Danny Phantom” (2004-2007)

Danny with Sam and Tucker after getting rid of his ghost powers

After Pretty weird parents, Danny Phantom is Butch Hartman most famous show. A tribute to superhero comics, this follows Danny Fenton (David Kaufman) and his struggle to save his life as a teenager while mastering phantom powers. The series, beloved for its colorful villains and teen drama, unfortunately ended in failure with Phantom Planet.

What makes this episode so lackluster is the combination of bad pacing and bloat. The conflict between Danny giving up his powers and a meteor threatening to destroy the Earth could have been a separate episode, but here they are awkwardly combined. It doesn’t help that the writers had to end Danny and Sam’s romance.Gray DeLisle) and conclude Vlad (Martin Mull), leaving many other questions unanswered.

7 “Operation INTERVIEW” - “Codename: Kids Next Door” (2002-2008)

Live versions of Numbu 4, 2 and 3 adults talking about the operation INTERVIEW

Stories that focus on how children see the world tend to encourage creativity. Codename: The Kids Next Door was no exception. This show was dedicated to a global organization of children who are using 2×4 technology to fight oppressive child laws such as homework, flossing and broccoli. With a colorful cast and many hilarious villains, the show ran for six seasons before closing. Operation INTERVIEW in 2008.

Unfortunately, this made-for-TV movie was also supposed to serve as a teaser for a spin-off that was never fully developed. So this latest mission for KND is a lengthy scavenger hunt with occasional live performance segments of adult Sector V members giving interviews. In retrospect, the previous made-for-television film Operation ZEROwas a much stronger contender for reaching the final.

8 “Shattered” - “Star vs. the Forces of Evil” (2015-2019)

Star and Marco stand together after their worlds have merged.

First, beloved Star vs the Forces of Evil, dropped a lot towards the end. Early seasons were praised for their creative writing, light-hearted attitude, and funny nature, while later seasons insisted on a serious plot that didn’t catch on. It also didn’t help that the show devoted most of its time to love triangles.

These frustrating writing decisions come to a head in the finale, where Star Butterfly (Eden Sher) decided to destroy all magic in the multiverse. The show views this extreme decision as the right one, acknowledging that Star is committing what amounts to genocide against all creatures born of magic. It also ends with her world and Earth suddenly merging, allowing her and her boyfriend Marco (Adam MacArthur) to get a forced happy ending.

9 “Change Your Mind” - Steven Universe (2013-2019)

Steven confronts White Diamond with his mind-controlled minions Pearl, Blue Diamond, and Yellow Diamond.

Known for his work on Adventure Time, Rebecca Sugar left to present her own Cartoon Network show. The result was steven universe: a bright and colorful show about a boy named Steven (Zach Callison), who, along with his friends, the Crystal Gems, defend his home from the galactic empire of the gems. Among the accolades it received was its large selection of LGBTQ+ characters.

Unfortunately, the tone of the show was incoherent and unfocused, leading to a mess called “Change Your Mind”. Endgame is a rushed event that tries to wrap up multiple storylines and character achievements with little buildup. Villains are also easily persuaded and will not be punished for their crimes.

10 “The Last Lullaby” - “The World of the Centaurs” (2021)

Horse meets Elk in the mind of the King of Nowhere

An ambitious project from Netflix, World of centaurs combined colorful imagery with a mature story that dealt with themes of self-loathing and loss of identity. The second season was built on this, but unfortunately character development was sped up due to the main character, Horse (Kimiko Glenn), an opportunity to immerse yourself in the prehistory of people. Using it on her friends was disappointing, but using it on a villain was terrible.

In The Last Lullaby, a horse jumps inside the head of the terrifying King of Nowhere (Brian Stokes Mitchell) in the middle of the final battle - resulting in a frustrating exposition dump that should have been spread throughout the season. The final battle is also a disappointment, with fake deaths and an inconsistent tone.