Introduction

We all grow up, that is something we can’t stop as human beings. Our bodies age, we end up having to work, grow families, and just move past our earlier days. Despite growing older though, I know personally I still love cartoons, anime, comics, and all things we nerds and geeks appreciate! It’s why SunsetNerdVerse exists, this is our haven for all things nerdy and geeky! As an adult, I can appreciate great cartoons like Rugrats, Ed, Edd and Eddy, Scooby Doo, and so on, but my tastes have changed as an adult in my 30s. I want more mature cartoons and that can be quite difficult to find. Luckily, we are going to help you all as we discuss some of our favorite adult themed cartoons that yes, are still cartoons, not anime as much as I love anime, and probably shouldn’t be watched by those under the age of 18. Here are our Top 10 Cartoons for Adults!

Honorable Mention: South Park

Release Date: August 13, 1997 – Ongoing | Genre(s): Dark Humor, Comedy, Satire

I would be a criminal if I didn’t mention South Park on a list of shows adults can still enjoy even if they are well beyond their teen years. This raunchy simple cartoon has been around for decades now and seems to never end thanks to its ongoing viewership and fandom. Always making fun of current world events and making the news go “OMG what did they just say,” South Park is hilarious…even if it can go a bit far.

Why I can’t directly place South Park on our list is because I watched it as a kid and teen even if it was very dark and adult oriented. In fact, I know plenty of friends who are parents who allow their kids, not saying you should, watch South Park despite the humor. Yeah, it’s a good cartoon for young to older adults, but let’s face it…many of us sure as hell didn’t watch these goofy felt-like characters as adults but as teens.

10. Home Movies

Release Date: April 26, 1999 – April 4, 2004 | Genre(s): Comedy, Slice of Life

Despite its short run of only 52 episodes, Home Movies was an incredible, albeit very ugly, cartoon perfect for us adults. Exploring the life of Brendon Small, a wannabe filmmaker who was also still a kid, Home Movies was the perfect cartoon to help adults remember what it could be like being a kid…the good and sometimes not so good. Having parents who were focused on more than just their kids, trying to grow up in a world that didn’t understand you, and holding on to a dream despite being told how it wouldn’t get you anywhere, Home Movies was relatable to so many for the themes it had. Again, it was ugly in design and ended after only 4 seasons, but I can still watch Home Movies now, sometimes with my dad, and find myself remembering the challenges of growing up all while the extremes it went to at times in a laughable manner.

9. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

Release Date: December 30, 2000 – October 12, 2018 | Genre(s): Animated Sitcom, Surreal Comedy, Legal Satire

For those that grew up in the late 60s, they knew their action hero cartoons to be corny but exciting. One such cartoon was Birdman. He fought galactic level threats and was an icon of your typical gimmick hero…then he went into law. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law is absurd but in the best way. Take numerous 60s and 70s cartoon hero and villain references and give it a goofy law themed cartoon that just makes for some ridiculous humor that is perfect for those who need more adult oriented jokes. Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law had a long 18 year stint but only ever released 39 episodes, which still strikes me as a bit bizarre. Nevertheless, I occasionally will put on an episode of Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and go wow…if law was really like this our legal system would be in turmoil.

8. Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal

Release Date: October 8, 2019 – Present | Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror, Drama, Action, Adventure

As great as comedy is and adult humor can be, I need some substance every now and again. I want action cartoons with fights and long adventures, that’s what made Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal so captivating. Yes, the same man behind Samurai Jack, Dexter’s Laboratory, and The Powerpuff Girls made Primal, and no…this isn’t a show I recommend ever showing a child as it would scar them a bit. Primal is brutal action with people being de-limbed, cut into pieces by gigantic creatures and dinosaurs, and being impaled by spears and other sharp weapons. Primal also does something so different than most cartoons, there’s almost no dialogue in this series aside from one episode set in the future and people grunting or speaking random languages. Primal hasn’t confirmed a 4th season as of yet but here’s hoping. You can watch the entire series on Adult Swim or HBO Max!

7. Beavis and Butt-Head

Release Date: March 8, 1993 – Present | Genre(s): Animated Sitcom, Satire, Black Comedy, Slapstick

When I was a kid, and I mean truly a kid, Beavis and Butt-Head was a weird cartoon. Two grown men, never working, always watching TV, and just laughing annoyingly never struck me as funny. Add to that the odd cartoon style and I couldn’t understand why teens and adults gravitated to this series aside from the brief moments of MTV music that would pop up. As an adult, I now understand the legacy this adult cartoon made. Two losers who just enjoy life the way they know how and never really mature make for a cartoon that I can kind of love as an adult who would love to be home all day without a care in the world. Beavis and Butt-Head even have a current ongoing revival so fans can dive back into this strange world.

6. Rick and Morty

Release Date: December 2, 2013 – Present | Genre(s): Comedy, Dark Humor, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Action, Adventure, Slapstick

When Rick and Morty first aired I won’t lie folks, I didn’t even care. In fact, I think I didn’t even watch the first season until the second season finished airing. That wasn’t because it didn’t appeal to me, the genres alone sounded amazing, but more so it just escaped my attention. When I finally sat down and watched it…I was hooked and binged both seasons before watching season 3 weekly as each episode released. Rick and Morty takes the concept of Back to the Future and makes it a what if situation. What if Marty and Doc were family, what if Doc was even crazier, and what if their shenanigans went beyond just going back to the past? Rick and Morty can be incredibly goofy and sometimes not all the jokes always land, especially for those who don’t understand older TV cartoons and/or media, but I think almost every episode has made me break out laughing at some goofy comment or ridiculous action our main characters go through. Rick and Morty I doubt will be going away anytime soon seeing how successful the franchise has become, there’s VR games and merchandise everywhere, but I’m not complaining. This is one cartoon that is perfect for adults and never tries to be for anyone else but adults.

5. Family Guy

Release Date: January 31, 1999 – Present | Genre(s): Comedy, Slapstick, Dark Humor, Animated Sitcom

How often is a series cancelled, renewed, cancelled, and renewed again? Yeah, not many shows. Despite that, Family Guy has survived the test of time and continued to help us adults enjoy cartoons despite our evolving lives. Like South Park, I watched Family Guy occasionally as a kid and teen, but the main difference was a lot of the humor it has is better when you’re an adult. Where South Park’s poop jokes and potty mouth humor is understandable, Family Guy I think leans more heavily into being clever and easier to gauge if you are an adult…not to say it also doesn’t have similar humor stylings. Family Guy is a show that almost every episode makes me laugh, from having Peter Griffin falling down a flight of stairs or Meg being thrust into space just because…it’s Meg. I truly believe that Family Guy will always have a place in my heart.

4. Final Space

Release Date: February 26, 2018 – June 14, 2021 | Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy, Drama

There’s an absurd amount of sci-fi animation, probably a lot on this list if we’re being honest, but that’s because the sci-fi genre has so many outlets to make for great shows! Perfect example, Final Space by Olan Rogers. This overly goofy sci-fi comedy makes fun of various franchises like Star Wars and Star Trek, but that isn’t the main goal here. Final Space has an incredible story that, despite the humor and dumb MC Gary Goodspeed, the narrative in Final Space hits with moments of actual emotion and even a little romance for good measure. Final Space was unfortunately cancelled leaving the series with a cliffhanger, but fans can pick up the comic which gives the series a proper finale even if it isn’t animated. Final Space is a criminally discarded comedy that I think more adult sci-fi fans need to watch!

3. BoJack Horseman

Release Date: August 22, 2014 – January 31, 2020 | Genre(s): Tragic Comedy, Dark Comedy, Psychological, Drama, Surreal Humor

Netflix can produce some quality animations like Blue Eye Samurai and Arcane, but they also do adult cartoons quite well. BoJack Horseman examines the life of BoJack Horseman, who was once a popular Hollywood star until he wasn’t, and now is basically a typical unknown star. What makes BoJack Horseman so easy to recommend to adults is that this is a cartoon that examines what happens when a person peaks and then kind of just falls apart. There’s a scary amount of relatable humor here ranging from paranoia when one gets sick in their older age to the desire to find a purpose in life when you can’t see one readily. BoJack Horseman needs a fifth season, but for now the series is available to watch on Netflix and has some true talent behind it such as Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, and Aaron Paul.

2. Archer

Release Date: September 17, 2009 – December 17, 2023 | Genre(s): Action, Dark Comedy, Espionage, Animated Sitcom, Adventure, Drama

Despite his role as a coach in Home Movies, many would know H. Jon Benjamin best in his role as stupid but lucky spy Archer. I love Archer, it more or less takes TV and movies like Mission Impossible and 007 and adds a dumb theme to them. Archer is a spy that does save America, but more often than not his actions are what leads the country into possible disastrous situations. Archer at first glance looks like a high end serious action cartoon, but beneath the solid animation and great designs just lies a comedic adult cartoon that never holds its punches back. Expect people to curse, drink, have sex, and be the worst of themselves in the world of Archer. I pray this series gets a revival one day…it needs another season!

1. Futurama

Release Date: March 28, 1999 – Present | Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Animated Sitcom, Satire, Black Comedy, Drama

I think many would expect us to have The Simpsons on this list, but in my opinion, one show that has always been my go to adult cartoon that has only gotten better over the years is Futurama. This sci-fi comedy has a colorful cast of nutcases like the frozen in time Fry, the rude Bender, the butt-kicking Leela, and the list goes on. Futurama is one of those shows you can watch any episode, from season 1 to season 14, and just lose yourself in laughter, which is a must for us adults. Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, Futurama is perfect and I pray this series only keeps getting renewed as long as Groening’s Simpsons has gone on for.

Conclusion

Even when we grow older it doesn’t mean we need to discard what we loved from our pasts. Cartoons might be a bit harder to love when your tastes change, but that’s why these cartoons are a bit easier to digest. I still can watch Courage the Cowardly Dog and Tom and Jerry without issue, but there are times I need more adult oriented works and this list has what you need. Let us know in the comments which shows you’d recommend and maybe tell us some of your favorite adult cartoons!

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