10 Best Nickelodeon Cartoon Characters, Ranked

While not as popular overall as Disney, Nickelodeon cartoon characters eventually achieved a level of popularity that rivaled classic studios like Hanna-Barbera. This success came largely from one major character: SpongeBob SquarePants brought so many viewers to the long-lasting kids' network that he helped shine a light on other cartoon characters.

Nickelodeon has been around since 1979 as a kids' cable television network, and it started with educational kids' series like Pinwheel, which served as the network's flagship show for many years. By the 1990s, Nickelodeon began moving into cartoons, and after hits like Rugrats and Doug, the network exploded in popularity among younger audiences.

Arnold (Hey Arnold!)

Hey Arnold! was one of Nickelodeon's early cartoons, following a fourth-grade boy named Arnold Shortman. Arnold lives with his grandparents in an inner-city tenement in Washington State, where he navigates life in an urban society with his friends and others he encounters.

The animation here was distinctive, and Arnold is easy to recognize thanks to his football-shaped head. He's someone with the biggest heart, always ready to help someone in need. He's also eternally optimistic and sees the best in everyone, making him a perfect Nickelodeon cartoon character for kids to look up to.

Hey Arnold! ran for five seasons and 100 episodes before its cancellation and final episode, which aired in 2004. The series also spawned a theatrical release called Hey Arnold!: The Movie, and a 2017 made-for-TV movie called Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie, which concluded his story.

Zim (Invader Zim)

Debuting in 2001, Invader Zim was a Nickelodeon cartoon that pushed boundaries and seemed almost more suited for adults than kids. The cartoon focuses on the title character, voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz, an alien from the planet Irk sent to conquer Earth and enslave all humans.

However, he arrives alone with a malfunctioning robot dog named GIR. He has no chance of succeeding in his mission, and when a young paranormal investigator realizes his diabolical plans and sets out to stop him, it creates a bizarre sci-fi cartoon.

Nickelodeon canceled the series after two seasons, with the final six episodes going unaired until the DVD release. However, this cartoon gained popularity over time and has become a cult classic, remaining a merchandising hit with Invader Zim himself a beloved character to this day.

Cosmo (The Fairly OddParents)

The Fairly OddParents was a Nickelodeon cartoon that aired from 2001 to 2017, making it one of the network's most successful shows with a total of 10 seasons and 172 episodes. The story follows Timmy Turner, a 10-year-old boy who has two fairy godparents who grant him wishes to help him solve everyday problems.

The two fairy godparents are Cosmo and Wanda, and it is Cosmo who remains the star of the show. Voiced by Daran Norris, he is a dimwitted fairy who often causes more disasters than he fixes because of the mistakes he makes when granting Timmy's wishes. This leads to Timmy finding ways to solve his own problems without magic.

Despite being the one who is supposed to solve problems, his ability to mess things up makes him a minor antagonist, but he is too lovable and goofy to dislike, making him the most entertaining part of the entire series. A reboot of Fairly OddParents premiered in 2022.

Ren (The Ren & Stimpy Show)

It might be easy to list both Ren and Stimpy here, but when breaking it down to just one character, it would have to be the hot-headed Chihuahua who ranks as the star of this Nickelodeon cartoon. Ren is everything wrong with a person (or dog). He is cruel, selfish, and abusive toward his best friend, Stimpy.

Stimpy, a dim-witted cat, doesn't deserve the grief that Ren imposes on him, but that is what makes this toxic relationship so entertaining. Ren has two character types: he is either mean or he doesn't care about anything. For a show aimed at kids, it was easy to feel bad for Stimpy, but Ren made people laugh.

Ren and Stimpy were so popular that they aired on Nickelodeon for five seasons and even enjoyed an adult animated reboot in 2003.

Jimmy Neutron (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius)

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was a Nickelodeon cartoon based on a movie. The Jimmy Neutron movie that came out in 2001 even earned a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, which speaks volumes about the quality of this Nickelodeon cartoon character.

What resulted was the first CGI-animated Nickelodeon cartoon, and that brought something to the network that changed everything for years to come. The story follows Jimmy Neutron, a young boy from Retroville who has adventures with his friends and makes inventions that often go wrong.

The Nickelodeon cartoon ran for three seasons and 61 episodes and included some major crossovers with another Nickelodeon series, The Fairly OddParents.

Korra (The Legend Of Korra)

Most Nickelodeon fans fell in love with Avatar: The Last Airbender and moved on to watch The Legend of Korra when it debuted as a sequel series. While Avatar: The Last Airbender was the original, The Legend of Korra might be the better show.

The Legend of Korra has stronger character development and a storyline that runs deeper than anything in Avatar, although that original series was a fun watch from start to finish. The battles are also more epic, and much of that is thanks to the character of Korra.

Unlike Aang, who was a young child tasked with stopping a war, Korra was older: the incarnation of Raava's Avatar, the spiritual embodiment of balance and change. The show was also revolutionary in its depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships on children's television. It ran for four seasons and 52 episodes.

Tommy Pickles (Rugrats)

The second of the first three original animated cartoons on Nickelodeon in the 1990s was Rugrats, which debuted in 1991. The series followed toddlers, but this wasn't a wholesome series like Teletubbies. Instead, this was about toddlers who often had great adventures and got into lots of trouble.

Tommy Pickles served as the de facto leader of the toddlers, alongside Chuckie Finster and twins Phil and Lil DeVille. The series ran for 65 episodes and stopped in 1994. However, it returned in 1996 and ended up with nine seasons and 172 total episodes, remaining one of the best Nickelodeon cartoons of all time.

Tommy might be the first true breakout Nickelodeon cartoon character: curious and excitable, the adventures he led his friends on were often grand in appearance, even if they were small in nature. Kids of the '90s still love Tommy Pickles.

Dora Márquez (Dora the Explorer)

Many kids grew up with Dora the Explorer, and that presented a level of representation missing on television. Dora the Explorer features a Latina girl named Dora and her monkey friend Boots as they go on adventures. It is known for its use of the Spanish language and the interactive format that helps them on their journey.

Dora Márquez did something important: she gave representation to both little girls and young Latina children, and it was done in an entertaining and educational show. Dora the Explorer ran for eight seasons and 172 episodes, and she appeared as a guest on Go, Diego, Go!

There was also a sequel series, Dora and Friends: Into the City! in 2014, a reboot in 2024, and even a live-action movie in 2019.

Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

While SpongeBob SquarePants is the most popular and successful Nickelodeon cartoon character of all time, Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender gives him a run for his money. This popular animated series ran on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008 and followed the 12-year-old Aang.

While this was an animated series about martial arts and mystical powers, Aang is a youngster who would rather seek peace than fight, although he can fight with the best of them, especially to protect the people he loves. Characters in this world can manipulate the four elements, and Aang is the last survivor of his nation and an Airbender.

What makes this series special is that this 12-year-old has one major goal: to stop the Fire Nation's war against other nations and prevent Fire Lord Ozai from conquering the world. The series also received a sequel series called The Legend of Korra.

SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob SquarePants is the most popular and beloved Nickelodeon cartoon character of all time, and it isn't even close. This character proved that Nickelodeon could attract adult audiences with its bizarre and off-the-wall humor while still keeping kids engaged with ridiculous moments.

SpongeBob SquarePants is the mascot of Nickelodeon, and with several movies to his name, he is the breakout star of the cable network. The little fry cook debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999, and the show is still airing 26 years later, with the most recent movie hitting theaters in 2025.

Even with beloved supporting characters like Patrick Star, Mr. Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, Squidward, and more, it is the universally optimistic SpongeBob SquarePants who remains the star of the show.