"Animaniacs" is a show most fondly remembered by those of us who grew up watching it, but it is certainly one that can and should be enjoyed by people of all ages. The show is built on segments that range from musical numbers to educational skits to parodies. "Animaniacs" is a show that is truly able to appeal to a wise array of audiences. This is primarily because of it's extensive cast of recurring characters. Different characters appear in different skits. While each of these characters has a place in the "Animaniacs" line-up, not all are drawn equal. Here's my personal ranking of some of the show's most popular recurring characters.
13. Katie Ka-Boom
Katie might indeed blow up were she to see this last-place ranking. Unfortunately, Katie's blowing up isn't enough to make her appealing. This infrequent skit was essentially a one-note gag about the stereotypical short fuse of a teenage girl. In a show that was often ahead of its time, Katie Ka-Boom feels oddly dated.
12. Hip Hippos
More frequently than Katie, the Hippo skits also relied heavily on a tired cliche. Their skits often boil down to fat joke after fat joke. At their best, the characters were used to parody superficial high society concerns, but one can only take so many gags about Hippos crushing things.
11. Minerva Mink
Minerva Mink holds the strange distinction of only having two segments devoted to her character throughout the series' 99 episode run. Those two segments primarily are a play on her cartoon trope of going gaga for an attractive member of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, Minerva pushed the boundaries a bit too far, even by "Animaniacs" standards, and so she never really got to live up to her full potential.
10. Buttons and Mindy
Buttons and Mindy is an "Animaniacs" mainstay, but hardly one worth getting excited about. It was essentially a one-note gag about an ill-fated canines attempts to protect a careless child. The characters themselves are charming enough, but this skit ran out of fuel pretty early on. Also, poor Buttons deserved better!
9. Colin
These short skits feature a young boy, Colin, telling the audience a seemingly implausible story about his unseen friend, Randy Beaman. Although brief, these skits provide something relatable to any audience member who has dealt with a young child's stories before.
8. Goodfeathers
The chemistry between the characters is undeniable and their parodies of classic films are often on point. The Goodfeathers made for good skits and they rank here only because "Animaniacs" had so many other great skits.
7. Slappy Squirrel
The ever-grumpy Slappy allowed "Animaniacs" to both pay homage to the classic Warner Brothers cartoons of the past and to fit in a healthy amount of meta-humor. Slappy's self-aware attitude is one we can only relate to more as we grow older.
6. Rita and Runt
This dim-witted dog and musically gifted cat makes for a welcome addition to the many duos of "Animaniacs." These characters are used in a lot of different ways, but every one of their skits is defined by one of Rita's catchy tunes. They even did a full "Les Misérables" parody once.
5. Mime Time
The Mime Time skits are never particularly deep, but they are always examples of vintage cartoon slapstick. These skits are short, sweet, and to the point; and are better for it.
4. Mr. Skullhead
Mr. Skullhead is perhaps most notable as the perpetrator of many a bad idea in the "Good idea, Bad idea" segments, and it's not a bad reputation to carry as those skits, like Mime Time, were often brief moments of gold. Less known is the fact that Mr. Skullhead was once featured in a very well-done "Edward Scissorhands" parody.
3. Chicken Boo
Sometimes the simplest skits are the best. Chicken Boo's skits are all centered on the idea that a wig and some clothes could fool everyone (save one person each time) into believing Boo was a very reputable person. Their ridiculous nature embodies a key part of what "Animaniacs" is all about.
2. Pinky and The Brain
Pinky and The Brain landed themselves a spin-off series and it was well-deserved. Of all the show's duos, none have such an entertaining chemistry as these two. Their segments are always a bright spot in any episode in which they appear, complete with their own running gags.
1. The Warners
It would simply be a great injustice to not put Yakko, Wakko, and Dot at the top of this list. The stars of the show always shined brightest. They sing super catchy songs, teach us about the world, read Shakespeare, harass historical figures, and make just about every pun imaginable. Skits with the Warners capture the absurdest nature that really drives "Animaniacs" better than anything else. While the show's other characters all bring something worthwhile to the table, the Warners have always been the heart of the show.
