“What’s up, doc?” If those three words instantly conjure up images of wisecracking rabbits, explosive slapstick, and cartoon chaos, then you already know the magic of Looney Tunes. For nearly a century, Warner Bros.’ iconic animated shorts have entertained generations with their wit, artistry, and unforgettable characters—from the ever-clever Bugs Bunny to the explosive antics of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. But with hundreds of classics to choose from, which ones truly stand out? Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just hopping into the world of Looney Tunes, this list rounds up the all-time greatest shorts that capture the humor, heart, and zany brilliance that made the series legendary. So grab your Acme gadgets, cue the orchestra, and prepare for a wild ride through the very best of Looney Tunes.
These are the 50 Greatest Looney Tunes Shorts of All Time.
10. Hair-Raising Hare (1946)
Whether it’s Bimbo’s Initiation or The Mad Doctor, cartoons involving characters stuck in a creepy castle are always a sure-fire recipe for success. Not only do they provide spooky but harmless thrills for youngsters, the most memorable ones usually introduce a fun monster or mad scientist to antagonize our lead. Hair-Raising Hare is this high on the list because it has all three. After getting lured to a creepy castle by a robotic female bunny, Bugs is now stuck inside with a hulking monster and a Peter Lorre-esque scientist. Later named “Gossamer” (though not in this short), the monster was one of those one-off characters that immediately became a fan favorite that only grew in popularity as the years went on. In one memorable moment, Bugs pretends to be a manicurist and styles the monster’s nails while cracking jokes—one of many examples of the gender-bending humor Looney Tunes often employs. Gossamer only appeared in one more cartoon before being sidelined for nearly 30 years but that’s a testament to the strength of his debut, once you see it, you never forget it.
9. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950)
A parody of swashbucklers, most notably the Scarlet Pimpernel, The Scarlet Pumpernickel is the first Looney Tunes cartoon that acted like a crossover event. Featuring Daffy Duck, Sylvester the Cat, Porky Pig, and with cameos from Elmer Fudd and Mama Bear from Jones’s Three Bears series, the short is Daffy’s attempt at pitching an over-the-top adventure film to producer J.L. Warner. Outside of the Duck Dodgers series, this is the closest Daffy ever came to outshining Bugs.
8. Fast and Furry-ous (1949)
Fast and Furry-ous is a seminal animated short notable for being the debut of the iconic duo Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, the greatest cartoon duo not involving a mouse. The short centers on the relentless pursuit of the Road Runner (Accelerati Incredibilus) by the ever-hopeful yet always-failing Wile E. Coyote (Carnivorous Vulgaris). Set in the barren desert landscape of the American Southwest, the cartoon follows a simple but effective formula: the coyote devises increasingly elaborate and ridiculous schemes to catch his prey, only for them to backfire spectacularly—often with Wile E. ending up at the receiving end of a crash, explosion, or fall. Fast and Furry-ous is more than just a cartoon—it’s a blueprint for a certain kind of comedic storytelling that relies on repetition, escalation, and the charm of a well-meaning but perpetually doomed protagonist. It was the start of a legendary rivalry that continues to delight audiences of all ages and has cemented its place in animation history.
7. Ali Baba Bunny (1957)
After taking a Wrong Turn at Albuquerque, Bugs and Daffy find themselves inside the cave from “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”. At the sight of a cave filled to the brim with treasure, Daffy immediately loses his mind to greed, which leads to a comedic series of attempted backstabbings and betrayals. When he was first introduced, Daffy was much more like Dodo– absolutely insane but over time, he went from being crazy to being obsessed with wealth and/or fame and this is the best and most funny example of that turn.
6. Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953)
An obvious send-up of the Cold War with Earth representing the United States and Mars (the Red Planet) the Soviet Union as well as a parody of the old sci-fi serial Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century features Daffy Duck as the titular space hero Duck Dodgers who, with the help of Porky Pig, battle Marvin the Martian for control of Planet X. One of the few shorts were Daffy is portrayed as a hero (an egotistical one that is still the butt of the joke but still a hero nevertheless), Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century proved so popular, it led to a number of subsequent Duck Dodgers adventures, as well as a TV show fifty years later.
5. Rabbit Seasoning (1952)
Animation experts seem to gravitate towards the more technically impressive end of the animation spectrum when determining the best of the best, and while there’s nothing wrong with that approach, ask any Looney Tunes fan which cartoon is the funniest and the vast majority of them will pick Rabbit Seasoning. With the sharpest writing from the underrated Michael Maltese, pitch perfect direction from Chuck Jones and amazing voice work from Mel Blanc, this is Looney Tunes at their most essential.
4. Rabbit of Seville (1950)
Released six years after the Woody Woodpecker version, Chuck Jones’ take on the famous opera has easily eclipsed that cartoon in popularity and additionally, has become synonymous with the opera itself. It’s now impossible to hear Gioachino Rossini (not that you ever would outside of this context) without thinking of Bugs and Elmer Fudd. With action synchronized to the music, it’s a laugh riot as well as a technical marvel. Fantasia (1940) may have revolutionized animation by having the entire film animated to the music but as amazing as that is, it’s still nowhere as memorable or technically impressive as anything Chuck Jones did.
3. One Froggy Evening (1955)
The cartoon Steven Spielberg once described as “the most perfect cartoon ever made…the Citizen Kane of animated shorts”, One Froggy Evening tells the story of a construction worker who thinks he’s stuck paydirt when he finds a singing and dancing frog but quickly realizes capitalizing on his newfound discovery will be damn near impossible since the frog refuses to perform in front of anyone else. It’s an ingeniously simple concept told brilliantly. It’s by far, the greatest stand-alone Looney Tunes short.
2. Duck Amuck (1953)
The only time Looney Tunes ever dipped into postmodernism, Duck Amuck is Chuck Jones’ attempt at asking the question “what makes a character a character? Would you still recognize and accept Daffy as Daffy, if he was no longer a duck?” Using that question as its jumping-off point, the short focuses on Daffy getting tormented by an unseen animator. Depicted as a huge pencil, the animator does everything he can to disrupt the cartoon, much to the annoyance of Daffy. Backgrounds are altered, random sound effects are added and Daffy himself is continually redrawn and even erased at one point. Far ahead of its time, Duck Amuck is an audacious experiment in examining what it is exactly that makes a character beloved.
1. What’s Opera Doc? (1957)
The first cartoon short to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry, one of the few animated features included on Roger Ebert’s Great Movies List and it ranked number 1 in Jerry Beck’s 50 Greatest Cartoons list. What’s Opera Doc? is the most critically acclaimed cartoon in history and for good reason, it’s seven minutes of absolute perfection. Having taken roughly six times as much time and money to produce as most contemporary Looney Tunes shorts, the cartoon is a parody of the operas of Richard Wagner, particularly Der Ring des Nibelungen (especially Die Walküre), and (musically) Der fliegende Holländer and Tannhäuser. Which means this also qualifies for best musical and parody on top of best short.
20-11 | Theatrical Animated Shorts
Are you surprised with what made the Top 10? Did I overlook any Looney Tunes shorts that you believe should have made the cut? Tell me down in the comments!
