Nickelodeon spent its first decade as a kids' channel without much original animation. That changed on a single day in August 1991, when it premiered three cartoons at once: Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show. It called them Nicktoons, and the brand went on to produce some of the most recognisable characters in television, including a yellow sponge who became one of the most famous cartoon characters on Earth.
Where Cartoon Network often built its shows around a single sharp gag, Nickelodeon's best cartoons tended to be about kids and their everyday lives, seen at a slight angle: babies who think the backyard is a jungle, a city kid who solves his neighbours' problems, a boy with secret fairy godparents. This guide goes era by era and show by show, linking to our dedicated pages for SpongeBob and Avatar.
- Network name since
- 1979 (launched in 1977 as Pinwheel)
- First Nicktoons
- August 11, 1991
- Owner
- Paramount
- Biggest franchise
- SpongeBob SquarePants (1999)
- Preschool brand
- Nick Jr.
The 1990s Nicktoons
The early Nicktoons were made by very different creators with very different sensibilities, from the gentle diary-keeping of Doug to the gross-out chaos of Ren & Stimpy. What they shared was a willingness to treat children's feelings seriously.
Tommy Pickles
Rugrats (1991) · Brave baby
Tommy is a one-year-old who leads his friends on adventures around the house and backyard, armed with a plastic screwdriver to break out of his playpen. The show's trick is that everything is seen from the babies' point of view, so a trip to the kitchen becomes an expedition. Created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó and Paul Germain, Rugrats became one of Nickelodeon's longest-running shows and led to films and the spin-off All Grown Up!
- Voice
- E.G. Daily
Angelica Pickles
Rugrats · Spoiled cousin
Angelica is Tommy's three-year-old cousin, who can talk to both babies and grown-ups and abuses that power completely. She's the show's villain and often its best character, a bossy schemer who is also just a little kid desperate for attention from her busy parents.
- Voice
- Cheryl Chase
Chuckie, Phil, Lil and Susie
Rugrats · Tommy's friends
Chuckie Finster is Tommy's nervous, red-haired best friend, afraid of almost everything. Phil and Lil DeVille are twins who love eating worms. Susie Carmichael is the neighbour who stands up to Angelica and is usually the smartest person in the scene.
- Voice
- Christine Cavanaugh, later Nancy Cartwright (Chuckie)
Doug Funnie
Doug (1991) · Diary-writing everykid
Doug is an ordinary eleven-year-old in a new town, writing down his worries in his journal and imagining himself as the superhero Quailman. His crush on Patti Mayonnaise and rivalry with bully Roger Klotz are as dramatic as the show gets, which is the point.
- Voice
- Billy West (Nickelodeon series)
Ren and Stimpy
The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991) · Chihuahua and cat
Ren is a scrawny, psychotic chihuahua and Stimpy a big, dim, loving cat. Their show was the grossest, most extreme Nicktoon by far, famous for its exaggerated close-ups and for pushing the network's limits. It's a landmark in animation history and not really a show for young children.
- Voice
- Billy West (Stimpy)
Rocko
Rocko's Modern Life (1993) · Wallaby
Rocko is a mild-mannered Australian wallaby living in the town of O-Town, dealing with jobs, bills, neighbours and his friends Heffer, a steer, and Filburt, a turtle. The show sneaked a surprising amount of adult satire past its audience. Its creator, Joe Murray, later went on to Cartoon Network's Camp Lazlo.
- Voice
- Carlos Alazraqui
Arnold
Hey Arnold! (1996) · City kid
Arnold is a calm, kind fourth-grader with a football-shaped head who lives with his grandparents in a boarding house full of eccentric tenants. He spends most episodes helping other people with their problems. Craig Bartlett's show is unusually thoughtful about loneliness, city life and loss, and the mystery of Arnold's missing parents finally got an answer in a 2017 TV movie.
Helga Pataki
Hey Arnold! · Secret admirer
Helga is the class bully who torments Arnold in public and writes lovesick poetry about him in private, complete with a shrine. Her neglectful family explains a lot. She's one of the best-written characters in 1990s kids' TV.
- Voice
- Francesca Marie Smith
CatDog
CatDog (1998)
Conjoined twins with a cat's head at one end and a dog's at the other, and no tail. Cat is uptight and Dog wants to chase everything.
Eliza Thornberry
The Wild Thornberrys (1998)
A girl travelling the world with her nature-documentary family, who can secretly talk to animals.
Norbert and Daggett
The Angry Beavers (1997)
Two beaver brothers who move out of their parents' dam and drive each other mad in their own bachelor pad.
The SpongeBob era
SpongeBob SquarePants premiered in 1999 and quickly became the network's defining show. Around it, the early 2000s brought several of Nickelodeon's most-loved characters, often from creators with a sharper, more cartoony style.
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants (1999) · Fry cook
SpongeBob is a relentlessly cheerful sea sponge who lives in a pineapple in Bikini Bottom and loves his job flipping Krabby Patties more than anything. His innocence and enthusiasm are the engine of every episode, and they drive his neighbour Squidward to despair. Created by marine biologist turned animator Stephen Hillenburg, the show has run for more than two decades, with films and spin-offs. Our SpongeBob characters page covers the full cast.
- Voice
- Tom Kenny
Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs and Sandy
SpongeBob SquarePants · Bikini Bottom
Patrick Star is SpongeBob's loyal and gloriously dim best friend. Squidward is the grumpy clarinet-playing cashier who wants to be left alone. Mr. Krabs is the money-obsessed crab who owns the Krusty Krab, and Sandy Cheeks a karate-loving squirrel from Texas who lives underwater in an air dome.
- Voice
- Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Carolyn Lawrence
Plankton
SpongeBob SquarePants · Villain
Plankton is a tiny, furious genius who runs the failing Chum Bucket across the road and spends his life trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula. His computer wife, Karen, is usually the brains of the operation.
- Voice
- Mr. Lawrence
Timmy Turner
The Fairly OddParents (2001) · Kid with fairy godparents
Timmy is a ten-year-old with a pink hat, neglectful parents and a sadistic babysitter, Vicky, so he's given fairy godparents to grant his wishes. Every wish goes hilariously wrong. Butch Hartman's show began as shorts in 1998 and became one of Nickelodeon's longest-running cartoons.
- Voice
- Tara Strong
Cosmo and Wanda
The Fairly OddParents · Fairy godparents
Cosmo is a sweet, astonishingly stupid fairy with green hair; Wanda is his sensible pink-haired wife, who does her best to stop Timmy's worst ideas. They disguise themselves as goldfish when anyone else is around.
- Voice
- Daran Norris, Susanne Blakeslee
Zim
Invader Zim (2001) · Alien invader
Zim is a tiny, shouting alien sent to conquer Earth by his leaders, who actually sent him there to get rid of him. He disguises himself as a schoolboy with a wig and contact lenses, and somehow only one person notices. Jhonen Vasquez's dark, gleeful show was cancelled early but became a lasting cult favourite.
- Voice
- Richard Steven Horvitz
GIR and Dib
Invader Zim · Robot and rival
GIR is Zim's malfunctioning robot servant, built from scrap and obsessed with tacos, cupcakes and a green dog costume. Dib is the paranormal-obsessed boy who knows Zim is an alien and can't get anyone to believe him.
- Voice
- Rosearik Rikki Simons (GIR), Andy Berman (Dib)
Jimmy Neutron
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron (2002) · Boy genius
Jimmy is a boy inventor with an enormous swirl of hair, a robot dog called Goddard and a habit of nearly destroying his town with his creations. He began in a 2001 CG film before getting his own series.
- Voice
- Debi Derryberry
Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom (2004) · Half-ghost hero
Danny Fenton is a fourteen-year-old who gets turned half-ghost by an accident with his ghost-hunting parents' portal. He becomes Danny Phantom, protecting his town from ghosts while hiding the secret from his family. Butch Hartman's second big show, it has a loyal fanbase who still hope for more.
- Voice
- David Kaufman
Avatar and the action shows
In the mid-2000s Nickelodeon started making serialised action shows aimed at slightly older kids. One of them became the most acclaimed series the network has ever made.
Aang
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) · The Avatar
Aang is a twelve-year-old Air Nomad who wakes up after a hundred years frozen in ice to find the Fire Nation has wiped out his people and is close to conquering the world. As the Avatar, he's meant to master all four elements and restore balance, but he's a playful kid and a committed pacifist. Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko's show is widely considered one of the best animated series ever made. See our Avatar characters page for the full cast.
- Voice
- Zach Tyler Eisen
Zuko
Avatar: The Last Airbender · Banished prince
Zuko is the scarred son of the Fire Lord, banished until he captures the Avatar. His slow, painful turn from antagonist to ally, guided by his uncle Iroh, is one of the most celebrated redemption arcs on television.
- Voice
- Dante Basco
Katara, Sokka and Toph
Avatar: The Last Airbender · Team Avatar
Katara is a determined waterbender and the group's heart; her brother Sokka is a sarcastic, inventive non-bender; Toph Beifong is a blind earthbending prodigy who sees through vibrations and takes no nonsense.
- Voice
- Mae Whitman, Jack DeSena, Jessie Flower
Korra
The Legend of Korra (2012) · The next Avatar
Korra is the Avatar after Aang, a hot-headed, physically fearless young woman from the Southern Water Tribe who arrives in the modern metropolis of Republic City. Her series deals with political extremism and trauma more directly than its predecessor did.
- Voice
- Janet Varney
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles · Ninja brothers
Nickelodeon has owned the Turtles since 2009 and has made several animated versions, including a 2012 CG series and the stylised Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2018. Leo leads, Raph fights, Donnie builds and Mikey jokes, more or less.
Modern Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.
Since the mid-2010s, Nickelodeon's biggest original cartoon has been The Loud House, alongside revivals of older favourites. Its preschool channel, Nick Jr., has produced characters that are now just as recognisable to young children.
Lincoln Loud
The Loud House (2016) · Only boy among ten sisters
Lincoln is an eleven-year-old who shares a crowded house with ten sisters and often talks straight to the audience about his plans for surviving them. Each sister has one strong personality trait, from the goth poet Lucy to the athlete Lynn, which makes the show easy to follow and endlessly reshufflable. It spun off The Casagrandes, about Lincoln's friend Ronnie Anne.
The Loud sisters
The Loud House · Lincoln's family
Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lily. They range from the eldest, a phone-glued teenager, to a baby, by way of a rock musician, a comedian, a tomboy, twins and a four-year-old genius.
Dora
Dora the Explorer (2000) · Nick Jr.
Dora is a bilingual young adventurer who asks viewers to help her read her map, spot the fox Swiper and call out Spanish words. With her monkey friend Boots, she became one of Nick Jr.'s defining characters.
Ryder and the PAW Patrol
PAW Patrol (2013) · Nick Jr.
A boy named Ryder leads a team of rescue puppies, each with a job and a vehicle. It's one of the biggest preschool franchises of the last decade; see our PAW Patrol characters page for every pup.
Steve, Joe and Blue
Blue's Clues (1996) · Nick Jr.
A puppy called Blue leaves paw-print clues for her human host and the audience to solve together.
Nicktoons voice cast highlights
| Character | Show | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| SpongeBob | SpongeBob SquarePants | Tom Kenny |
| Patrick Star | SpongeBob SquarePants | Bill Fagerbakke |
| Squidward | SpongeBob SquarePants | Rodger Bumpass |
| Mr. Krabs | SpongeBob SquarePants | Clancy Brown |
| Tommy Pickles | Rugrats | E.G. Daily |
| Angelica Pickles | Rugrats | Cheryl Chase |
| Doug Funnie / Stimpy | Doug / Ren & Stimpy | Billy West |
| Helga Pataki | Hey Arnold! | Francesca Marie Smith |
| Timmy Turner | The Fairly OddParents | Tara Strong |
| Zim | Invader Zim | Richard Steven Horvitz |
| Danny Phantom | Danny Phantom | David Kaufman |
| Aang | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Zach Tyler Eisen |
| Zuko | Avatar: The Last Airbender | Dante Basco |
| Korra | The Legend of Korra | Janet Varney |
Several of these actors also voiced major Cartoon Network characters: E.G. Daily played Buttercup, Tara Strong played Bubbles and Ben Tennyson, and Richard Steven Horvitz played Billy. Tom Kenny voiced the Ice King. Our voice actors guide has more on the people behind these performances.
How Nickelodeon's characters changed over time
- 1991 Doug, Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy premiere together as the first Nicktoons.
- 1993–1998 Rocko's Modern Life, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!, The Angry Beavers, CatDog and The Wild Thornberrys broaden the lineup.
- 1999 SpongeBob SquarePants premieres and soon becomes the network's flagship.
- 2001–2004 The Fairly OddParents, Invader Zim, Jimmy Neutron and Danny Phantom.
- 2005–2014 Avatar: The Last Airbender, then The Legend of Korra and new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
- 2016 onward The Loud House leads a newer generation, alongside SpongeBob spin-offs and revivals of Rugrats, Fairly OddParents and others.
The Nicktoons sit naturally next to Cartoon Network's originals and Disney's series; the cartoon characters hub collects all of our animated TV pages.
Nickelodeon character names A–Z
A–C
- Aang — Avatar
- Angelica Pickles — Rugrats
- Arnold — Hey Arnold!
- Blue — Blue's Clues
- CatDog — CatDog
- Chuckie Finster — Rugrats
- Cosmo — Fairly OddParents
D–H
- Daggett — Angry Beavers
- Danny Phantom — Danny Phantom
- Dib — Invader Zim
- Dora — Dora the Explorer
- Doug Funnie — Doug
- Eliza Thornberry — Wild Thornberrys
- GIR — Invader Zim
- Helga Pataki — Hey Arnold!
J–L
- Jimmy Neutron — Jimmy Neutron
- Katara — Avatar
- Korra — Legend of Korra
- Lil and Phil DeVille — Rugrats
- Lincoln Loud — The Loud House
M–R
- Mr. Krabs — SpongeBob
- Norbert — Angry Beavers
- Patrick Star — SpongeBob
- Plankton — SpongeBob
- Ren Höek — Ren & Stimpy
- Rocko — Rocko's Modern Life
- Ryder — PAW Patrol
S–Z
- Sandy Cheeks — SpongeBob
- Sokka — Avatar
- SpongeBob SquarePants — SpongeBob
- Squidward Tentacles — SpongeBob
- Stimpy — Ren & Stimpy
- Susie Carmichael — Rugrats
- Timmy Turner — Fairly OddParents
- Tommy Pickles — Rugrats
- Toph Beifong — Avatar
- Wanda — Fairly OddParents
- Zim — Invader Zim
- Zuko — Avatar
Frequently asked questions
What are the most famous Nickelodeon characters?
SpongeBob SquarePants is by far the most recognisable, followed by his friends Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs. Other widely known Nickelodeon characters include Tommy Pickles and Angelica from Rugrats, Arnold and Helga from Hey Arnold!, Timmy Turner, Invader Zim and GIR, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron, and Aang and Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
What were the first Nicktoons?
Doug, Rugrats and The Ren & Stimpy Show, which premiered together on August 11, 1991. They launched Nickelodeon's own animation brand, Nicktoons.
Who voices SpongeBob?
Tom Kenny has voiced SpongeBob since the show began in 1999. He also voices Gary the snail and the French narrator. See our SpongeBob characters page for the rest of the cast.
Is Avatar: The Last Airbender a Nickelodeon show?
Yes. It aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008, and its sequel, The Legend of Korra, premiered there in 2012 before moving online for its later seasons.
What happened to Arnold's parents in Hey Arnold!?
The original series left it unresolved. The 2017 TV film Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie finally followed Arnold to San Lorenzo to find them, and resolved the mystery.
Is Invader Zim finished?
The TV series was cancelled in 2002 before all its episodes had aired. Fans kept it alive for years, and a follow-up film, Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, was released on Netflix in 2019.