If only we all had cartoon bodies! For this list, we’ll be looking at powerful, persistent, and lucky characters that constantly cheat death.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 people try to kill me every week. I end up getting high with half of them."
00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Hardest to Kill
00:09 Cartoon Characters. "Oh my god, we killed Kenny." "We killed Kenny?" "We killed Kenny, we're bastards."
00:13 For this list, we'll be looking at powerful, persistent, and lucky characters that constantly
00:18 cheat death. We'll include those that come back to life and the ones that never die. However,
00:24 we'll be saving anime and superheroes for lists of their own. Is there a death-defying character
00:30 we forgot to mention? Let us know in the comments. Number 20. SpongeBob SquarePants.
00:37 SpongeBob SquarePants. Your first thought when you think of SpongeBob SquarePants probably isn't
00:43 that he's impossible to kill. But when you look back at the series, he seems to have abilities
00:48 that put him a step above most residents of Bikini Bottom. "Scary! There's a bomb strapped to my chest!
00:55 It's gonna explode in three seconds unless you take a bath!" "Please."
01:01 Thanks to his resistant and spongy body, even big tormentors can't hurt the fry cook at all.
01:10 He can also regenerate lost limbs within seconds without effort. And when competitors tried to
01:15 cause him harm in the Demolition Derby, it was SpongeBob who nearly took them all out without
01:21 even realizing it. The character's natural abilities and random nature make him extremely
01:26 hard to stop. He's not just a sponge. He's a pure force of nature. Number 19. Everyone.
01:35 SeaLab 2021. "What about the leak? Oh, Quinn'll save us. Quinn always saves us. Stupid Raccoon Fox."
01:43 "Damn!" The SeaLab crew of SeaLab 2021 seem to always find themselves unscathed from every
01:52 devastating event imaginable. In pretty much every episode, the crew of the highly expensive
01:58 underwater station end face to face with certain death. And yet, no matter how many times a
02:09 character dies - and spoiler alert, it's a lot - they always end up perfectly okay in the next
02:15 episode. Seriously, they could get run over, blown up, or eaten by sharks. Nothing matters because
02:21 nothing really sticks for long. While you can chalk this up to the show's lack of continuity,
02:26 it's also possible the SeaLab has some special ability to revive everyone in the crew at will.
02:32 Number 18. Popeye. "Popeye the Sailor." Normal people just get important nutrients from spinach,
02:40 but for Popeye, it's an entirely different story. "I regret that there's only one way to stop that
02:46 skunk marine." On many occasions, Popeye the Sailor Man has shown us that he's capable of
02:58 extraordinary feats once he eats the leafy vegetable. The plant vastly enhances his
03:03 strength and durability in an instant. Equipped with only a can-do attitude and a can of spinach,
03:10 Popeye can fight off entire submarines, hurl enemies into orbit, and deliver bone-shattering
03:16 punches. Since the vegetable works pretty instantaneously, he can come back from the
03:21 brink of death before you can blink. Unless an opponent can find a way to completely rid
03:26 the world of spinach, it's unlikely they can permanently take the wind out of Popeye's sails.
03:35 Number 17. Everyone. "Happy Tree Friends." Try not to judge this book by its cover.
03:41 If you look at the illustrations of "Happy Tree Friends," you might assume it's a kid-friendly
03:46 show, but it's much more like a cartoon version of "Final Destination." This grisly, gory,
03:55 hyper-violent cartoon sees the Happy Tree Friends dying off in extremely messed-up ways
04:00 every episode. Their causes of death range from being hit by buses to being squashed by the moon
04:06 itself. No matter how much suffering the characters endure in one episode, they're pretty much good
04:12 as new in the next episode. Virtually no one stays dead for long. It's hard to tell if they're happy
04:18 or sad about their seeming immortality. Number 16. Sterling Archer.
04:30 Archer. A lot of the characters on Archer get grievously injured. Barry Dylan even
04:35 gets rebuilt into a cyborg. "How are you not dead?" "Because the Russians turned me into
04:41 the unholy abomination of metal fused with flesh which now stands before you."
04:48 But lead character Sterling Archer is very injury-prone. Over the course of the show,
04:53 he's been shot, stabbed in the back, thrown out of cars, and so much more. Honestly,
04:59 it'd be easier just to say what he hasn't gotten injured from.
05:03 "I seriously wouldn't do that." "Yeah, because you're not awesome."
05:06 "Oh, and what fresh hell is this?" "Whatever it is, they can handle it."
05:12 Despite his many injuries, some of which he accidentally gave to himself, he always survives.
05:18 We don't really know what Sterling's secret to cheating death is, but we do know his stubborn
05:23 refusal to die makes him a challenge to enemies. "Wait, wait, wait, stop! Stop! Do you hear that?"
05:29 "Hear what?" "That crunching noise?"
05:31 Number 15. Bill Cipher - Gravity Falls
05:36 Who knew floating triangles could be so dangerous? In Gravity Falls, Bill Cipher proves to be one of
05:42 Dipper and Mabel's most powerful threats. He'll completely annihilate you without breaking a sweat
05:47 and crack a joke while it happens. Even in a limited form, this reality-altering demon can
05:53 get inside your head and wreak pure chaos. "Do you have any idea what I'm like?"
05:59 "When I'm mad." He's not just a spooky ghost that can possess you. In his true form, there's
06:05 virtually no limits to his power. He can reshape space, time, and the universe around him like it's
06:11 nothing. Bill's one enemy you're better off running away from than trying to fight.
06:16 "Oh wow, that's a great offer! How about instead I shuffle the functions of every hole in your face?"
06:20 Number 14. Uncle Grandpa - Uncle Grandpa
06:31 Given how eccentric and annoying Uncle Grandpa can be, he's sure to have a ton of enemies.
06:39 But good luck trying to get to him. Uncle Grandpa's magical abilities make him nigh
06:44 invulnerable. It might have something to do with that magical fanny pack of his he always carries
06:49 around. But either way, Uncle Grandpa's practically omnipotent. He can clone himself, travel across
06:56 time, and even have his limbs separate from him and act on their own. He also happens to be the
07:02 uncle and grandpa of all of us, which isn't a power but is pretty impressive. It really doesn't
07:08 seem like anyone can stop Uncle Grandpa from having a good morning. "Check out what I can do with mine!"
07:13 Number 13. Rigby - Regular Show
07:21 Rigby's facedown death so much that we should probably give him a medal for it.
07:25 The raccoon co-protagonist of Regular Show has always found a way to return from certain doom.
07:31 For him, dying doesn't seem to be too difficult. But staying dead's always a different story.
07:37 "I'll kill you!" "Rigby!"
07:43 Think about it. Rigby's died multiple times, and yet he's still here. It's pretty impressive too
07:49 when you consider that Rigby doesn't really have any superpowers or enhanced abilities.
07:55 As far as we know, he's just a normal raccoon that routinely defies death. His ability to
08:00 avoid the Reaper makes him one of the most unexpectedly tough characters in the universe.
08:05 "Listen Rigby, uh, sorry for, you know, killing you back there. It was unprofessional."
08:11 "Huh? You know what? Water under the bridge."
08:15 If Rigby works at it, he might be as powerful and formidable as Pops one day.
08:19 Number 12. Carl "Brewtanana" Dlusky - Aqua Teen Hunger Force
08:25 "This is a big deal! It's a very big deal! What is this?"
08:28 While many characters from this series, including the titular trio of food products,
08:33 might be worthy of mention for this list, we have to give credit to their neighbor Carl.
08:37 "Oh, my hip!" A bad-tempered schlub of a man,
08:41 Carl is not on our list for any particular ability to stave off death. Rather, the opposite, in fact.
08:46 The perennially unlucky guy dies dozens of times over the course of Aqua Teen's run,
08:51 and almost always in a graphically violent and painful way, including being eaten alive, crushed,
08:57 frozen, shot, and a host of others. We doubt Carl has any memory of these,
09:02 otherwise he'd have moved away.
09:04 "I'm not gonna get humped by a giant red gorilla in space, okay? No thank you."
09:10 Number 11. Bugs Bunny - Looney Tunes
09:13 "What's up, Doc?"
09:14 As a main character of the Looney Tunes franchise,
09:18 Bugs Bunny doesn't let anybody stop him from doing what he wants.
09:22 Sure, Elmer Fudd's routinely tried to hunt him down, but he never wins.
09:27 That's because Bugs is always able to get the drop on him pretty much no matter what.
09:32 Seemingly nothing can keep Bugs Bunny down for long.
09:34 "All right now, you wise guy, dance!"
09:38 Between his wits and talent for escapes, Bugs is nigh impossible to catch.
09:48 He can pretty much evade anybody that tries to get on his tail.
09:52 Rivals like Yosemite Sam and Elmer Fudd know all too well that this is no regular rabbit.
09:58 While they've made plenty of attempts over the decades,
10:00 all they learned was that Bugs will always find ways to hop away.
10:04 "Adios! Have a nice trip! Bon Voyage! Farewell to thee!"
10:10 Number 10. Peter Griffin - Family Guy
10:13 "Peter, sweetheart, how do you feel?"
10:15 "Uh, had better days, Lois."
10:18 The protagonist of the show and the Griffin family patriarch,
10:21 Peter Griffin has received a huge amount of punishment over the years.
10:25 "Okay, go!"
10:25 "Ow, ow, ow!"
10:29 The dopey and reckless man engages in plenty of dangerous behavior.
10:34 That has seen him have a stroke, his spine distended, die repeatedly,
10:39 get into epic battles with a giant chicken, not to mention his repeated knee injuries.
10:44 "Ahh! Ah! Ah!"
10:52 Peter's ability to survive such punishments can mostly be attributed to the fact that
10:56 most of Family Guy's events revert to the status quo.
10:59 Though he does demonstrate unexpected skill in a fight.
11:02 Number 9. Steven - Steven Universe
11:11 Steven Quartz Universe is the main character of the hit show, Steven Universe.
11:16 Although he doesn't like fighting, his natural abilities make him into an extremely dangerous
11:21 warrior. As a human-gem hybrid, he can shapeshift, float, and demonstrate incredible super strength.
11:28 "Oh, no!"
11:29 "Steven Quartz, help!"
11:32 His defense is also impressive. As part of Steven's extensive power set,
11:36 he can generate powerful barriers that are hard to break through.
11:40 And since his powers seem to grow as he ages, there's no telling how powerful he'll get.
11:45 The universe should consider themselves very lucky that Steven is content hanging
11:50 with friends on Earth instead of conquering the galaxy.
11:53 "You're right, Jasper. I have been holding back."
12:00 Number 8. Aku - Samurai Jack
12:04 A cold, calculating, and demonic villain, Aku has been the bane of Samurai Jack's entire existence.
12:11 It probably has something to do with the fact that he sent Samurai Jack flying through time.
12:16 Just a guess, though.
12:17 "There is no future for you, Aku."
12:20 "I disagree."
12:21 "What trickery is this?"
12:25 Aku is able to shapeshift, regenerate, and tap into dark magic. Although many have tried,
12:34 few have succeeded in taking down this shadowy beast.
12:37 Only a select few weapons can even hurt him. Even if he's sliced up, he comes back at full
12:42 strength if just the tiniest bit of him remains. And as Jack learned, he can send you into the
12:48 future and just keep the past for himself. It's no wonder Jack nearly lost his mind
12:54 trying to end Aku for good.
13:03 Number 7. Brock Sampson - The Venture Brothers
13:06 "Oh God, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle."
13:13 The Venture family's hyper-macho bodyguard, Brock Sampson,
13:16 is more than just a protector to the danger-prone clan.
13:18 "Hello, Brock. I was wondering when you'd show up."
13:23 He's also a veritable one-man army. Possessing outlandish skill in hand-to-hand combat,
13:28 and even dismissing guns as being too girly, Brock regularly takes on hordes of henchmen,
13:34 monsters, and skilled assassins with ease. He also displays impressive endurance,
13:39 as he's able to survive things like being filled with tranquilizer darts,
13:42 a robot's head being lodged in his chest, and even the vacuum of space.
13:46 Only the most skilled or powerful people in this fictional world can even prove a challenge to
13:53 Brock. And considering what he's up against, that's saying something.
13:58 "You get the boys. I'll take care of these guys."
14:01 "Are you sure? There's an awful lot of them."
14:02 "They hit me with a truck."
14:04 "Excuse me, I'd like to request $17 for a push broom re-bristling."
14:14 Springfield has a number of durable residents, but one of the more surprisingly resilient is
14:18 Hans Molman, a feeble, nearsighted, and possibly elderly man. Molman receives a variety of awful
14:27 and seemingly fatal injuries over the course of the series. Whether he's being forced off the road,
14:33 blown up, being set on fire, suffocated, getting his skull mutilated by a power drill,
14:39 executed at the local jail, or just hit in the groin by a football,
14:45 Molman can take it all, and reappear unscathed.
14:48 What a sad sack, though.
14:55 Rick Sanchez - Rick and Morty
14:56 The misanthropic genius scientist who makes up one half of the titular duo,
15:05 Rick Sanchez is a grouchy, amoral person with a heavy reliance on alcohol and alien substances.
15:12 But his brilliance is such that he's basically invincible.
15:15 Rick may not always have a plan, and he's rarely sober. But even when he's impaired or improvising,
15:20 he's able to outwit or kill alien supervillains, galactic governments,
15:25 and even alternate versions of himself. As he's constantly proven, though,
15:29 Rick is most dangerous to himself, and his self-destructive behavior could very well be
15:33 his only weakness. The Transformers franchise has seen many characters resurrect multiple times,
15:49 like the heroic Optimus Prime or the treacherous Starscream. However,
15:52 if there's one Transformer who's absolutely unkillable, it's the incredibly unfortunate Waspinator.
15:58 A wasp-transforming scout or grunt in the Predacon faction,
16:08 Waspinator may be lacking in intelligence and skills, but his endurance is otherworldly.
16:15 The poor bot can't seem to catch a break, as he's constantly destroyed and rebuilt throughout
16:19 the show's run, to the point where it's a running gag. The universe may seem to be
16:23 out to get Waspinator, but his suffering only makes him more endearing.
16:27 Number 3. Tom & Jerry - Tom & Jerry Franchise
16:41 A cat and mouse perennially engaged in a game of, well, you know. Tom and Jerry are both worthy of
16:46 a shared spot on our list. Tom, as the Pursuer, frequently receives outrageous cartoon punishments
16:56 and injuries for his attempts to catch and eat Jerry. Jerry, meanwhile, proves supernaturally
17:02 elusive to Tom, able to elude, fight, or luck his way out of many sticky situations. Together,
17:07 they each embody our criteria well, even if neither quite stands out enough to put them in our top two.
17:12 Number 2. Kenny McCormick - South Park
17:19 An eight-year-old boy almost always ensconced within an orange parka,
17:25 Kenny McCormick has probably died more than all the other entries on our list combined.
17:29 A running gag especially prominent in the early seasons of South Park
17:36 saw Kenny die every episode, usually in a needlessly violent way.
17:40 Although this has been phased out over time, Kenny still dies every now and again,
17:48 and returns completely fine the next episode. One major storyline reveals that every time Kenny dies,
17:53 he is literally reborn the next day, making him essentially immortal, possibly because of Cthulhu.
17:59 Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get
18:12 notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or
18:18 all of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
18:23 Number 1. Roadrunner - The Looney Tunes Franchise
18:27 Although Wile E. Coyote's resilience is impressive too, we don't know how he survives everything he
18:34 goes through. We had to give our top spot to his elusive prey, Roadrunner.
18:38 A fleet-footed bird of few words, the Roadrunner, despite the countless dangerous
18:45 gadgets and clever tricks tried by Wile E., always manages to escape.
18:49 While you could chalk up his getting away to his pursuer's incompetence,
18:55 you'd think that after all the things Wile E. has tried, at least one of them would have worked by now.
19:00 Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
19:11 and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
19:16 Thanks for watching!