Over the last twenty years, Cartoon Network has had a range of excellent shows with Adventure Time easily being one of the most successful. The show was praised for its humor, intricate storylines and, quirky and complex characters.
However, Cartoon Network has made a variety of shows that are in many ways equally as good or even better. Therefore, here is a list of why Adventure Time is the network's greatest show of the last few years and five shows that are better.
It Had A Unique Post-Apocalyptic World
Adventure Time is set in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo. It was created after the Great Mushroom War, which wiped out almost all of human civilization. However, unlike most post-apocalyptic worlds, the Land of Ooo was fantastical and magical.
Yet, the show didn't shy away from the darkness of its past and found ways to creatively make use of it, like to explain the tragic origin story of the Ice King and Marceline.
Alternative: Samurai Jack
First aired in 2001, Samurai Jack was for a time one of the most unique shows on Cartoon Network. Following a story of a samurai who was sent to the future in order the save the world, the show was surprisingly dark and grown-up for a kid's cartoon.
This was in part due to its dystopian world which was ruled by the demon Aku, who Jack was meant to destroy. Just like Adventure Time, the future had magical elements but it also merged it with futuristic technology. Combined with all the epic fight scenes and its groundbreaking animation style, it is easy to see why the show won a total of eight Emmys.
It Was Charmingly Odd
In cartoons, almost anything is possible but Adventure Time redefined how creatively bizarre a show could get. From its characters, storylines, and random gags, it was always unexpected, surreal, and a little weird.
Yet, the show was able to carefully balance its strangeness with sweet childlike humor, genuine characters, and heartfelt storylines which made it feel a lot more grounded.
Alternative: The Amazing World Of Gumball
The Amazing World Of Gumball followed the shenanigans of 12-year-old Gumball, a blue cat, and his adopted brother and goldfish, Darwin. Just like Adventure Time, the show pushed its creative barriers. It combined multiple animation styles and had bizarre characters like the Sussie, an upside-down chin with googly eyes.
The show consistently pushed its creative boundaries and in many ways even further than Adventure Time. Importantly, although the show was more childlike, it was also strangely self-aware for a kid's show.
The Epic Adventures
As the title says, Adventure Time, at its core was about best friends going on adventures. From rescuing princesses from the Ice King to trying to find the last surviving humans, the show had the most entertaining quests.
Importantly, those adventures helped the show to introduce new characters and parts of the Land of Ooo which allowed the show to consistently innovate and stay fresh.
Alternative: Over The Garden Wall
While Adventure Time was made up of many adventures, Over The Garden Wall was essentially one long one. Created by Patrick McHale, who was the creative director for Adventure Time, it followed the story of two-step brothers as they tried to find their way through a fantastical and mysterious forest.
The cartoon was praised for its combination of childish humor with sometimes dark and creepy undertones. As a mini-series, the show provides a shorter and less complicated alternative to Adventure Time.
The Characters Were Able To Grow
Unlike most cartoons, Adventure Time was often serialized which allowed the show to have ongoing narratives and space for its characters to develop.
The show was able to cleverly grow its characters using fascinating and sometimes dark backstories and by putting them through collective and personal challenges. By the end of the show, there were notable differences in characters like Jake, who had become more responsible and Finn, who had become wiser and a lot more self-assured.
Alternative: Regular Show
J. G. Quintel's Regular Show followed the story of two slackers Mordecai and Rigby who worked at a park. Just like Adventure Time, the show had a large adult following, and this was in part due to the relatable characters. However, the growth of the characters was possibly a lot more evident than in Adventure Time, especially in the last few seasons which saw Mordecai and Rigby turn into semi-functioning adults.
Notably, the show had a unique brand of off-beat and eccentric humor and style that made the show just as fantastically weird as Adventure Time, while also having a more grounded and grown-up tone.
It Had A Rich Mythology
As with many of the great pieces of fantasy like Lord of The Rings, Adventure Time built up a rich mythology over its ten seasons. From the show's antagonists like The Lich and Gumbald to various kingdoms of the Land of Ooo, the show built a complex and elaborate world.
The mythology was always perfectly underpinned by the show's intriguing characters and heartfelt relationships, which created a fantasy world that fans grew to love.
Alternative: Steven Universe
Created by Rebecca Sugar, a former storyboard artist on Adventure Time, Steven Universe was a coming of age story of a young boy and his team of ageless intergalactic warriors, called the Crystal Gems.
The show possibly had an even richer and more concrete mythology than Adventure Time. Through the Crystal Gems, the show built an intricate history, culture, and set of characters. Combined with the show's progressive nature, clever writing, and silly humor, it is easy to see why it was often ranked as Cartoon Network's best.