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Top 20 Looney Tunes Characters

Looney Tunes is an iconic series of animated shorts from the late twenties all the way to today. Throughout decades this series (along with its sister series Merrie Melodies) has introduced countless unforgettable characters, most of them getting their own dozens of movies in the process. Here is my list of 20 best and most memorable Looney Tunes characters with some honorable mentions as well.

20. Taz

Squeezing in last on this list is the Tasmanian Devil himself also known as Taz. A ferocious and dim-witted carnivore with a very short temper, Taz did get a couple of solid movies, especially when he was paired with Bugs himself. Although he has a very cool design and he is memorable, I’ve never truly loved this character and I find him to be one-note and overrated. This is why he is ranked this low on the list.

19. Granny

Granny has always been a decidedly supporting character, but what a lovely creation she is. An indispensable part of the Tweety and Sylvester movies, Granny is at her best when hitting Sylvester with her umbrella or other objects. This wonderful, fiercely protective old woman is so charming that she ended up on this list despite not appearing all that much in the series.

18. Barnyard Dawg

The signature archenemy of the great Foghorn Leghorn, Barnyard Dawg is a very important part of this particular series and these shorts were always hugely entertaining when they pitted these two against each other. Dawg is a surprisingly competent foil for the rooster and the two made for such a great dynamic. He deserves more love from animation fans for sure.

17. Sylvester Jr.

Sylvester Jr. is extremely annoying. That goes without saying. But that is the point of his character, so it worked for the movies that he was in. He always doubts his father’s competence and basically guilt trips him into having to prove himself for his son. Their dynamic was always immensely entertaining.

16. Henery Hawk

For the life of me I cannot grasp why this little guy doesn’t get the respect that he deserves. He is never in any of these best Looney Tunes characters lists, but I am changing that now for my list. This little chicken hawk is so obsessed with hunting chicken and many of his lines of dialogue are hysterical and iconic. He was a hilarious annoyance to both Dawg and Foghorn.

15. Michigan J. Frog

This guy only got a couple of shorts for himself, but he ended up being so iconic that he had to be ranked high on this list. He’s an unforgettable creation that is phenomenally designed and conceptually unique. Michigan sings opera from time to time but is always silent when important, thus driving everyone who came into contact with him insane. He’s a true cartoon icon.

14. Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf

By far the most underrated characters on this list, Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf are simply iconic in my book. Ralph does look too much like Wile E. Coyote visually, but is otherwise an entirely unique creation. In each and every episode he set out to steal sheep, but he was thwarted by Sam, a burly and mysterious sheepdog. When you realize that this is all just a work setup, you see that the two had a more complex and authentic dynamic than most other cartoon duos. They did not get many movies sadly, but every one of them was a delight.

13. Marvin the Martian

Marvin the Martian also did not get nearly enough movies as he should have gotten, but he still achieved cult status. Unforgettable in design and amusing in his monotone, robotic voice, Marvin is a unique intergalactic foil for Bugs. A special mention goes to Marvin’s endearing dog K-9. Both of them lent a unique SF twist to the Looney Tunes formula.

12. Yosemite Sam

This Southern redneck is ridiculously stupid, but that made him so fun. His angry outbursts were particularly memorable. Yosemite Sam added a fresh western wrinkle to the series and he remains one of the most important Bugs Bunny villains. I did not love all of his movies, but some of them were highly enjoyable.

11. Elmer Fudd

I actually prefer Elmer over Sam. Both of them ended up being just shy of my top ten list as they’re too similar to each other, but Elmer is distinguished by his sweeter and more vulnerable personality that made rooting for him easy. The best of his movies involved both Bugs and Daffy. We got some of the biggest classics starring these three together.

10. Pepe Le Pew

Pepe Le Pew is pretty much canceled today for being sexist, which just goes to show how stupid and ridiculous the PC police is. This guy is obsessed with girls to the point that he becomes dumb and foolish, so we are supposed to laugh at him. Pepe also only got a handful of movies under his belt, but his amorous pursuits of Penelope and his suave manner of speech never ceased to amuse me.

9. Speedy Gonzales

Another character who they tried to cancel, but failed as Latinos love the guy for obvious reasons, Speedy Gonzales remains one of the Looney Tunes’ most iconic creations. This fast-talking Mexican mouse is also a great speedster, so he managed to free his friends on numerous occasions. He was a particularly good foil for the poor Sylvester. A special mention goes to Slowpoke Rodriguez, Speedy’s hilariously lazy companion.

8. Tweety

I don’t get why so many people dislike Tweety when he is obviously a lovely creation. Most of the classic cartoon characters that are prey to predators are nasty bitches, so Tweety just fits that archetype beautifully. Him making fun of Sylvester after his numerous failed attempts to eat him never ceased to amuse him. He’s got such a funny childish voice and manner of speech. Couple that with genuinely hilarious lines of dialogue and you got a winning creation for sure.

7. Road Runner

The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote are the best silent Looney Tunes characters and their movies are among the most recognizable of the bunch. This bird doesn’t speak and seems to be timid, but always ends up taunting the poor coyote with his signature beep-beep sound. Phenomenally designed and unforgettably fast, Road Runner is an icon, though honestly I prefer and mostly root for his counterpart.

6. Wile E. Coyote

Yes, Wile E. Coyote is the better part of this iconic duo. Both are terrific, but he is obviously the star of their movies, so he gets the upper edge on this list. Superbly designed and wonderfully animated, he is always expressive in emotions that usually involve a lot of pain and anger to amusing results. His weapon arsenal is impressive, though his attempts at making good use of them are always miserable. This guy’s one of the most sympathetic Looney Tunes characters.

5. Porky Pig

Porky Pig is the oldest continuing Looney Tunes characters and that’s for a reason. Since his very awkward debut he’s gone from a fat to a thin body and from a comic relief to more of a straight man while always remaining very memorable. His stutter and innocence made him immensely likable and his interactions with all the other characters were continually highly entertaining. He’s a wonderful character.

4. Sylvester

Sylvester is Porky’s pet, but he’s also the father to his insufferable son Sylvester Jr. Most importantly, he’s the main antagonist to Tweety himself. All of these three distinct occupations received their own fair share of films and most of them were a delight. His sloppy lisp, his long rants and his clumsiness and failure to do anything right made him consistently enjoyable to follow in his various adventures.

3. Foghorn Leghorn

Yes, I am putting Foghorn Leghorn this high on my list because I’ve always loved this crazy guy. He definitely deserves more love from cartoon fans. This roster is a practical joker who has the propensity to also be a loud mouth and an all-around annoying prick. But he always remained a lovable goof due to his eccentric, arrogant personality and a funny accent. His dynamic with both Barnyard Dawg and Henery Hawk was delightful and he definitely deserved to get many more movies under his belt.

2. Bugs Bunny

I know. I know. Placing Bugs Bunny second on this list would be a blasphemy to most, but that’s only because my first placement is a character whom I just adore. With that being said, it is easy to see why Bugs is number one for the vast majority of people. He’s an icon, that’s for sure. He has a couple of catchphrases that are instantly recognizable. He is beautifully designed. And he got so many of the best movies in the series, especially the masterful music-centered shorts. The master manipulator who is also a competent cross-dresser, Bugs is among the liveliest and funniest Looney Tunes characters out there and their most famous creation by far.

1. Daffy Duck

And the number one Looney Tunes character of all time has to be Daffy Duck for me. I just love this guy. Like Porky himself, Daffy has also had a very tumultuous, but satisfying character growth. He started off as a mad anarchist of sorts. His antics in those first movies were genuinely crazy and unhinged. But later on he became something entirely different – a sarcastic, bitter Scrooge-type character who is always in on the newest get-rich-quick schemes. His dynamic with Bugs was always highly entertaining and they remain classic cartoon rivals. Beautifully designed and superbly voiced, Daffy Duck is a masterful, iconic cartoon character and the deserved number one choice for this list.

Honorable Mentions:

Witch Hazel – This witch did not get many movies under her belt, but whenever she was used, she was a delight. She added a nice bit of magic to the Bugs Bunny movies in particular.

Bosko – Bosko deserves recognition for being the first big Looney Tunes character. Although not as fun as most of the creations on this list, he was historically important nonetheless.

Buddy – Buddy is more boring than Bosko, but even he got some solid movies to shine and he was also a big part of the earlier movies, so he had to be included on this list.

The Big Bad Wolf – This was a lovely rendition of this famous fairy tale character that was present in a couple of parody shorts that worked so well.

Hippety Hopper – This kangaroo mistaken for a mouse was a big foil for Sylvester. Although those gags surrounding him quickly got repetitive, at first they were quite fun.