Looney Tunes first aired for children in the 1930s and 1940s, and yet, 80 years later, the cartoon is still popular among children. From Mel Blanc’s boundless voice talent and Treg Brown’s soundscape, to the visuals of animators such as Chuck Jones and Bob Clampett, among others, Looney Tunes has provided the blueprint for modern-day comedy. Many of the characters from the cartoon have become pop culture icons; their existence goes beyond the context of the show. The Looney Tunes universe is filled with a variety of characters, including heroes, villains, and sidekicks. Name a trope, and viewers will be able to find it in the cartoon series. Here are some of the most popular characters from Looney Tunes, ranked.
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7 Wile E. Coyote
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In terms of intellect, Wile E. Coyote is definitely one of the smarter characters in the franchise. The coyote is often seen using his intellect to put together his mail-order weapons to catch the Road Runner. However, it seems that the coyote is constantly outsmarted and outrun by the Road Runner. As the villain to Road Runner’s hero, Wile E. Coyote is often seen laying down traps for the bird behind every boulder. The coyote always fails to catch the Road Runner, but never fails to make the audience laugh at his antics, which often result in the coyote falling to the desert floor with a smack.
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6 Porky Pig
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Even those who aren’t familiar with the Looney Tunes universe would be able to recognize Porky Pig from the closing line, “That’s all folks!”, that he stutters at the end of each episode. Often portrayed as a side character, Porky is perhaps one of the most relatable characters in Looney Tunes. While most of the other characters are getting into some adventure or the other, Porky is content with staying at home and napping with his cat. It’s rather interesting to see how Porky’s calmer nature kind of balances out the wild nature of the other characters. However, this does not mean that he hasn’t been the source of some rather hilarious situations. He’s often partnered up with Daffy, being the more competent and level-headed of the duo.
5 Sylvester the Cat
As with many on-screen cats, Sylvester’s main occupation is to antagonize small creatures that could possibly serve as his afternoon snack. Tweety Bird is the tuxedo cat’s main target. Despite the numerous tactics that the cat has used over time, he has yet to snack on the yellow bird. Each one of Sylvester’s failures is marked by his signature catchphrase: “sufferin’ succotash”. Sylvester is easily annoyed and runs on low levels of patience. His attitude when paired with miserable attempts to capture Tweety, often leaves him in hilarious situations that have the audience laughing with tears running down their faces.
4 Tasmanian Devil
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The Tasmanian Devil, or more commonly referred to as Taz, is based off a real life native Australian animal. Although the only similarity between the actual animal and Looney Tunes’ Tasmanian Devil is their ravenous appetite. Taz’s food diet has no bounds; the Devil will devour anything and everything in sight, from trees to shrubs and even boulders. Taz is often seen devouring and destroying everything, as he whirls on screen in the form of a miniature cyclone. As with most Looney Tunes antagonists, Taz is dim-witted and has a short fuse. Taz is often seen trying to chase Bugs, and at times, even Daffy, so he can turn them into his afternoon snack. The chase between Taz and whatever poor creature that he’s chasing often leads to comical situations that have the audience trying to hold back their laughs.
3 Lola Bunny
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
First introduced in the 1996 sports comedy Space Jam, Lola Bunny is the female counterpart to Bugs. In terms of character, Lola is a combination of the tomboy and femme Fatale archetypes. Her distaste for being referred to as “doll”, which she finds derogatory and offensive, shows that she’s a no-nonsense type of woman. Many fans prefer her character in the movie as opposed to the dumbed-down version of her that’s portrayed in some of the cartoons. Not surprisingly, Lola is one of the more popular female cartoon characters. Based on various internet searches, she ranked higher than other female characters such as Marge Simpson, Zelda, Velma from Scooby-Doo, and even Kim Possible. Much like Bugs, Lola also is quite the pop-cultural icon; her appearance in Space Jam made such a mark that there’s even a Lola Bunny version of Air Jordans.
2 Daffy Duck
One could argue that Daffy Duck is the exact opposite of Bugs Bunny. He’s definitely not the smartest duck in the room, and neither is he the most patient, often letting his temper get the best of him. Interestingly, Daffy can often be both the hero and villain of his story. The duck often ends up making the situation worse for himself, failing at whatever tasks that he’s working on, leaving the audience in guffaws. Daffy is quite obnoxious and thinks quite highly of himself, even rarely accomplishing much. It’s always amusing to see Daffy paired up with Bugs Bunny, given that the two are such contrasting characters. Daffy with his high-strung nature along with Bug’s more calm and collected attitude often leads to amusing situations.
1 Bugs Bunny
There aren’t many fictional characters that can rival Bugs Bunny in terms of popularity. Over time, Bugs Bunny has become a pop culture icon. Those that aren’t even familiar with Looney Tunes would still be able to identify Bugs Bunny. The poster boy for the Looney Tunes franchise, Bugs has a fun and unique character that makes him quite charming and likable among audiences of all ages. There’s no character in the Looney Tunes universe that matches Bug’s level of intellect. The Bunny is quite laid back, smart, and a smooth operator among the frantic, short-tempered, characters. As Bugs is often paired with a variety of characters it’s quite amusing to see him interact with each of them, out-witting them all in the end with his schemes. Moreover, what really makes Bugs stand out is his sarcasm and biting humor which have created quite a few iconic gag reels. Daffy would disagree, but Bugs Bunny with his iconic “What’s up, Doc?” is definitely the coolest character in the Looney Tunes.
