That's all folks! No, really, that's all. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most lackluster endings to cartoon series. Beware of spoilers ahead!
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00:00 "Star, I have so much to apologize for. I don't even know where to begin, or if it's even possible."
00:05 "Mom, you messed up."
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most lackluster endings to cartoon series.
00:13 Beware of spoilers ahead.
00:15 "Please, Poiter Robin, I'm on my way. Over."
00:20 This show was anything but regular.
00:28 Its odd plots and bizarre characters captivated audiences for years.
00:32 However, its series finale fell flat.
00:34 "I know you all mean well, but I should have been listening to my heart this whole time."
00:39 The evil Anti-Pops wants to destroy the universe,
00:42 but he dies when Pops hugs him and sends the two of them into the sun.
00:46 As they approach it, Anti-Pops kind of just ends up accepting his fate.
00:50 "I wish I could take it all back."
00:53 "You can try."
00:54 It felt not only anticlimactic, but also out of character for the evil entity.
00:59 Mordecai ends the series by settling down not with someone the show took time to develop,
01:04 but instead with a character who was only introduced in the finale.
01:07 To call this a letdown would be an understatement.
01:10 "Whoa!"
01:12 "I can't believe we used to do that."
01:16 Greek mythology comes alive in the show,
01:22 which follows the teenage descendants of famed Greek heroes
01:25 as they race against the clock to stop the Titan Cronus.
01:28 It was a fun show that, like Percy Jackson, presented the mythology through a modern lens.
01:33 But unlike the Percy Jackson mega-franchise,
01:35 Class didn't have the greatest of conclusions.
01:38 "You can't handle this kind of power."
01:40 "Yes I can!"
01:41 Phantom Rising sees team member Theresa turn suddenly weary of the gods
01:46 and attempt to steal their powers.
01:48 Her heel turn was unexpected, and not to mention very out of character.
01:53 "You'll soon become everything you hate."
01:55 "Hate? It's the gods I hate!"
01:58 The finale episode also ended the entire show on a cliffhanger,
02:04 meaning we never get to see the gang defeat Cronus.
02:06 We guess Class is no longer in session.
02:09 "Enjoy the moment, Jay, for the future is no longer foretold."
02:15 #18 Lumpus' Last Stand - Camp Lazlo
02:19 This was a truly bizarre way to end the series.
02:22 In order to avoid being burdened by doing laundry,
02:24 Lumpus and Lazlo decide to paint clothes onto themselves.
02:28 Sure, that makes complete sense.
02:30 "Oh man, that's perfect!"
02:31 "Kiss those dry cleaning bills goodbye!"
02:34 After replacing their wardrobe with paint,
02:36 the episode ends with a reveal that Lumpus is an imposter.
02:39 He actually stole the position of Scoutmaster, and eventually gets arrested.
02:43 "He fooled all of you! He's an imposter!"
02:47 It should feel like a grand moment.
02:49 Instead, the execution of the whole thing just feels off.
02:52 Suffice it to say, this head-scratcher of an episode
02:55 wasn't quite the ending fans had in mind.
02:58 "I'm a genius, you know! I'm a genius!"
03:03 #17 Phantom Planet - Danny Phantom
03:07 There's writing yourself into a corner,
03:09 and then there's what happened to Phantom Planet.
03:12 After three seasons of ghost hunting,
03:14 Danny meets his match in Vlad's own ghost hunting troupe,
03:18 and decides to give up his powers for good.
03:20 "It worked! I don't have my ghost powers anymore!
03:24 I'm normal again! Isn't that awesome?"
03:27 When an asteroid threatens Earth,
03:29 Vlad attempts to stop it, in exchange for control over the world.
03:32 Of course, he fails.
03:33 So, Danny decides to assemble several ghosts,
03:36 and make the Earth intangible.
03:38 "Yeah, you need like a bazillion ghosts to do that."
03:41 "Behold, the addresses of a bazillion ghosts!"
03:45 As if that plot point weren't unbelievable enough,
03:47 Danny not only manages to regain his powers seemingly out of nowhere,
03:51 he also quickly convinces all of his enemies to help him.
03:54 A lot of fans felt this finale was a rushed mess
03:57 with too many unbelievable moments, even for this show.
04:00 "Sorry, citizens, but I have no idea what you're talking about!"
04:06 #16 Stimpy's Pregnant - Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon
04:11 The title of this episode is weird, but the plot is definitely weirder.
04:15 The Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon was a spin-off of the original Nickelodeon show,
04:23 but Adult Party Cartoon aimed to take the franchise in a more extreme direction.
04:28 The finale involves the title characters believing that Stimpy is pregnant.
04:32 "I'm gonna have your baby!"
04:34 However, it turns out that he's just got some constipation.
04:40 But their doctor doesn't want to break the news to them,
04:43 so instead he tells them that the...
04:45 well, let's just say the number two that Stimpy made is their kid.
04:49 The two are none the wiser, and we're all left mortified by what we've witnessed.
04:54 "I'm afraid there's a complication."
04:56 #15 Graduation - Kim Possible
04:59 With Kim, Ron, and the rest of the gang at Middleton High School getting ready to graduate,
05:04 things go awry when an alien invasion occurs.
05:07 "Ron!"
05:08 Despite being a two-parter, Graduation still rushed through some things.
05:16 While Ron's sudden development of powers could have been a cool sight to see,
05:20 it felt abrupt and turned him into a glaringly obvious deus ex machina.
05:24 Global Justice, the organization that combats threats to Earth,
05:33 failed to show up to fight the invasion.
05:35 And much of Warmonga's story, which had been built up earlier,
05:38 seemed like it was disregarded in the finale.
05:41 This ending to the beloved Disney Channel series might not have been actively terrible,
05:45 but it still left some things to be desired.
05:48 "Told you Graduation wasn't the end of the world."
05:51 #14 Sonically Ever After - Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
05:56 Though this wasn't technically the last episode of the show to air,
05:59 it was originally written and produced with the intention that it would be the finale.
06:03 In it, Sonic and company are trapped inside of a storybook by Scratch and Grounder.
06:07 "Who's that nibbling on my house?"
06:09 "He just got a heck of a lot weirder."
06:12 They then need to help the book's characters get their fairy tale endings.
06:16 Unfortunately, the episode just kind of feels like a hollow parody of fairy tales
06:20 and nothing more, with jokes few and far between.
06:23 "Close your eyes and pucker up."
06:29 The episode also teases another season, but since that never came to pass,
06:33 it just aged poorly.
06:35 This Sonic probably didn't live happily ever after.
06:38 "But it's no fairy tale to say, 'See you soon for more Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.'"
06:43 #13 Golden Boy - All Grown Up
06:47 This sequel series to Rugrats took the titular characters and aged them up to their tween years.
06:52 While it didn't run as long as the original show, it still managed to garner popularity.
06:57 Unfortunately, its finale, Golden Boy, ended the show on more of a whimper than a bang.
07:02 "I'd rather not indulge you in your infantile competition, but if I have to, bring it on."
07:08 While on a hiking trip with their grandpa Lou, Tommy and Dil fight over who's Lou's favorite.
07:14 It's a pretty cliche plot, but it's nothing terrible on its own.
07:17 "Thanks for the helpful hint, Dil."
07:22 However, it's a very unsatisfying note to end the entire show on.
07:27 Considering the whole point of the show was about the Rugrats growing up,
07:30 this could have been a finale that tied into just what that really meant.
07:34 Instead, it's mainly an episode about bickering brothers.
07:37 "His favorite is Angelica? I refuse to accept that as fact."
07:44 #12 Back on Shack - Johnny Bravo
07:47 Having Shaquille O'Neal on an episode of Johnny Bravo isn't actually as strange as it might sound.
07:52 The show frequently featured celebrity guest stars, and if anything,
07:56 they ramped that idea up in the last couple of seasons.
07:59 However, it probably would have been better for them to focus on their homegrown talent
08:02 for the series finale.
08:04 "Come here, half pint. Do I have a long?"
08:07 Instead, they went with Back on Shack,
08:09 an episode that makes Johnny feel like a side character in his own show.
08:12 After trying to woo some cheerleaders while at a basketball game,
08:16 Johnny ends up becoming Shack's good luck charm.
08:18 "Whether you like it or not, you're gonna be hanging with the Shack.
08:21 As my new good luck charm."
08:23 We're not quite sure what the goal was,
08:25 but it almost feels like a premiere episode of a Shack-centric cartoon.
08:29 Regardless, this episode was not a slam dunk.
08:33 "Why don't I join you up there?"
08:34 "Sorry, half pint. Guess my bad luck was all in my head.
08:37 Thanks for all your help. Last thing I can take you from here."
08:39 "But let's go, people!"
08:40 #11 Fancy Schmancy - The Fairly OddParents
08:45 This show was a hit when it first started,
08:47 but as it continued, it became clear to fans that its quality had suffered.
08:51 Multiple later seasons were poorly received,
08:53 and the series finale didn't do much better.
08:56 Fancy Schmancy revolves around Timmy and Chloe trying to celebrate their friend-iversary.
09:00 "Uh, that's a thing?"
09:01 Unfortunately, they're stopped by their respective parents who can't stand each other.
09:05 That's pretty much the whole plot, and it's not a very good send-off.
09:09 What made this so frustrating was that the franchise could have ended perfectly with channel chasers.
09:14 The TV movie was beloved by fans for getting at the root of Timmy's problems,
09:19 and it arguably gave him the perfect send-off already.
09:22 "What's this?"
09:23 "Hey, I remember this. It's my time capsule."
09:26 But instead, we were stuck with the fairly disappointing Fancy Schmancy.
09:36 "Happy friend-iversary!"
09:38 #10 Extinct Possibility - Darkwing Duck
09:43 Time travel makes our brains hurt.
09:45 When Darkwing Duck goes back in time,
09:46 he tries to discover why a museum's amber-covered duck looks like him.
09:51 Through his hijinks, he ends up getting encased in the amber,
09:54 revealing the duck was actually him the whole time.
09:57 "Let's have some of those pancake figures."
09:59 "Oops."
10:00 But if Darkwing was the duck from the museum,
10:04 how did he ever exist before becoming encased in the amber?
10:07 The episode is confusing, though you might be able to look past that.
10:11 "Anybody know what eon it is?"
10:15 But even if you do, it doesn't feel like a real finale.
10:18 It just feels like another episode.
10:20 Maybe one day someone can time travel back to give the show a more conclusive ending.
10:25 "We think we can chip him out too."
10:27 #9 Angels in the Night - Gargoyles
10:32 This 90s cartoon was a smash hit thanks to its brilliant storylines
10:36 and attention to detail with its characters.
10:38 But its third season suffered due to major changes behind the scenes.
10:42 The season revolved around the Gargoyles battling the Quarrymen,
10:44 and their conflict was forced to an end in Angels in the Night.
10:48 The Gargoyles stop the Quarrymen from killing a train filled with innocent civilians,
10:56 which inspires humanity to accept them.
10:58 "I sure like the sound of that. It has been a long time coming."
11:05 The message was nice, however the execution was sloppy.
11:09 The entire season was built around humanity's fear of the Gargoyles,
11:13 so accepting them in the span of just one episode felt rushed.
11:16 The season was already unimpressive,
11:19 and this finale made some fans want to forget it even existed.
11:22 #8 Endgame - Transformers Animated
11:32 This series conclusion put everything on the line,
11:35 with the high stakes two-part finale fittingly called Endgame.
11:38 "You're a persistent little Autobot."
11:41 "My name is Optimus Prime!"
11:45 The Autobots do battle with the Decepticons with the fate of the entire world at stake,
11:49 and eventually they succeed.
11:51 In terms of quality, this is a finale that admittedly isn't a bad watch,
11:55 but Endgame wasn't supposed to be the ending for the whole show.
11:58 Another season had been in the works that would have continued the series with new plot points,
12:03 such as Megatron's trial and a deeper look into Cybertronian society.
12:07 "What are you waiting for, Autobot?"
12:09 "Finish me."
12:12 Unfortunately, the cartoon was cancelled.
12:18 Endgame held its own fairly well, but considering what we lost out on,
12:22 it's hard not to feel a bit shortchanged.
12:25 "That would be the easy way out, Megatron."
12:27 "You don't deserve it."
12:30 #7 Cleaved - Star vs. The Forces of Evil
12:35 There was so much to love about this Disney original.
12:38 Great characters, top-notch writing, and a fun atmosphere.
12:41 But eventually, the show made creative choices that put it at odds with fans,
12:45 and by the last episode, those choices became downright frustrating.
12:49 In Cleaved, Star makes a bold decision to wipe out magic from all reality.
12:54 "It's working!"
12:56 It's a serious decision to make,
12:58 and going through with it would result in the deaths of all magical creatures.
13:02 [Splash]
13:04 It seems like a no-brainer to not do it,
13:10 but the show still frames it as a good idea.
13:12 Fans were not too happy with this,
13:14 and the finale was almost universally hated.
13:17 Yeah, turning your main character into a genocidal maniac probably isn't the right move.
13:22 "I'm proud of you, kid."
13:24 #6 American Idol Parody Clip Show - Drawn Together
13:29 Drawn Together was a pretty unique show,
13:31 as it offered not only adult humor with a reality show spin,
13:34 but also differently drawn characters with varying personalities.
13:37 "Hmm, popular comedy central tune cancelled, uh, no."
13:42 However, rather than capitalizing on the series' great writing team,
13:45 the finale features clips and songs from previous episodes,
13:48 interspersed with a bunch of jabs at the producers.
13:51 "Alright, stop this nonsense, Drew producer.
13:54 Everybody knows you're not voting anybody off.
13:56 We've been here for three years, we're all coming back."
14:00 You can actually feel the bitterness of the show's staff in the episode,
14:04 but taking a trip down memory lane and mocking your bosses for a half hour
14:07 doesn't end a series on a high note,
14:09 at least as far as fans are concerned.
14:11 "Let's do the Dunkleman."
14:13 The epilogue movie was no better,
14:19 as it tried to deal with the cancellation in a disgusting manner.
14:23 #5 The Bronze Giant - Hero 108
14:26 This show debuted during Cartoon Network's, um, experimental phase,
14:30 and earned a relatively good reception,
14:33 although the show itself was pretty well hidden.
14:35 As for the finale, it was rushed.
14:38 Twin Masters gets hold of the ultimate power,
14:40 so the heroes must band together to stop him,
14:42 but nothing seems to work.
14:44 "There is no more harmony left in Hidden Kingdom."
14:49 "It is chaos, which now reigns supreme."
14:53 Enter convenient plot device Bronze Giant, pretty much out of nowhere,
14:57 and the second battle begins.
14:59 "Is this intended to intimidate us?"
15:04 "No, it's intended to destroy you."
15:08 Unfortunately, even the fusion of every hero doesn't work,
15:11 so they combine their harmonic energies and manage to defeat the villain,
15:15 even though that appears to be what they were doing in the previous two battles.
15:19 Guess the third time's the charm?
15:21 "Now we rebuild Big Green!"
15:24 #4 Operation Interviews - Codename Kids Next Door
15:31 All kids have to grow up sometime,
15:32 even our favorite KND Sector V agents,
15:35 who, in the finale, are brought back as adults
15:37 to be interviewed about their last mission,
15:40 in live action.
15:41 "Well, they were going pretty fast."
15:44 "Not as fast as my care nowadays, mind you."
15:48 "But they had the pedal to the metal."
15:50 While the episode is filled with tear-jerking moments and heartfelt goodbyes,
15:54 the live-action versions of adult numbers 2 through 5 are just off-putting.
15:58 "And would you mind hugging your own wife instead of mine?"
16:01 "Hey! You're not Abby!"
16:06 In a series dominated by animation,
16:08 the live-action cutaways feel jarring and out of place.
16:11 What makes this ending even worse is that it teases the never-made spin-off,
16:15 Galactic Kids Next Door.
16:17 "Kids next door!"
16:19 "Goodbye."
16:20 On their family trip to Hong Kong,
16:27 the Dark Dragon returns and plots to take control of all dragons.
16:31 "How do you like the new and improved Dark Dragon?"
16:34 "Uh, he does seem a lot bigger."
16:37 "Yeah, like maybe he's been working out."
16:39 Thanks to Jake, this plan backfires in the worst way possible,
16:42 making it feel like the villain lacks the very insight and power
16:45 that made him a threat in the first place.
16:47 As if diminishing the main antagonist's status weren't enough,
16:50 Rose also manages to regain all her memories of a past that no longer exists,
16:56 thanks to one photo.
16:57 "Let's just say it brought back some memories."
17:00 All in all, many fans agree that this finale is a rushed mess,
17:03 filled with Deus Ex Machina events,
17:06 which swaps out all the conclusions reached in the previous episode for dumber ones.
17:10 Can't we just let being human be the series finale?
17:13 "I always knew there was something magical about my family."
17:16 "Trust me, there's something magical about you too."
17:19 Number 2 - The New Black - The Boondocks
17:22 It was once a show full of powerful, thought-provoking messages and polarizing stances,
17:27 but fans agree that The Boondocks' fourth season was its worst.
17:31 In the finale, Riley uses an inappropriate word in class to the shock of everyone.
17:36 "Thank you."
17:37 The situation spirals out of control as the controversy moves from Riley's homophobic slur
17:42 to his use of the R-word,
17:43 prompting advocates for both groups to use Riley for their own personal gain.
17:47 "All you had to do was read what was on the page."
17:50 This would have been a great time for Huey to speak up on the hot button issue,
17:54 but the episode just ends,
17:56 leaving both groups demonized and presenting no message to back up their viewpoints.
18:01 Well, at least fans could rejoice that the season was finally over.
18:05 "That's a bad word! You not supposed to say that word!"
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18:26 Number 1 - Things Change - Teen Titans
18:32 For the love of all animation cartoon network,
18:34 if you're gonna tie up loose ends on old shows, please work your magic with this one.
18:39 While the Titans battle a mysterious new enemy,
18:42 Beast Boy chases down what looks like Terra,
18:44 who appears to have lost her memories...or not?
18:48 "Sorry, you've got the wrong girl."
18:50 In the end, we're left with several questions from these two plots alone,
18:55 and the show ends its final season on a cliffhanger,
18:58 with several ongoing plots left unfinished,
19:01 characters not fully developed,
19:03 and even an ongoing battle undetermined.
19:06 "We need Beast Boy."
19:07 Sure, there was that follow-up TV movie,
19:10 but it all but ignored the events of this episode.
19:13 "Things change, Beast Boy.
19:14 The girl you want me to be is just a memory."
19:17 Is there a bad cartoon ending we missed?
19:21 Let us know in the comments.
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19:38 [music]