“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.
20. Walky Talky Hawky (1946)
Whether it’s one iconic character or a unique pairing, the majority of this list is made up of debuts, and while the lack of variety would normally drive me insane, I also can’t deny how good the studio is at introductory episodes. Every time they launch a character, they also establish a comedic routine that every follow-up would run variations on. For example, Walky Talky Hawky is not only the very first appearance of Foghorn Leghorn but it also sets up what his goals are or who his antagonist is. Like every cartoon that stars the loud, overconfident, and comically verbose Colonel Sanders-sounding rooster, this one has him fucking with a young chicken hawk determined to catch and eat a chicken despite not knowing what one looks like by convincing an old barnyard dog is a chicken. What follows is a series of slapstick gags, trickery, and back-and-forth revenge pranks between Foghorn and the backyard dog (named Backyard Dawg, they really didn’t even try with this guy), all while the clueless but determined chicken hawk remains caught in the middle. This trio and their antics became a recurring setup in future cartoons and it was great every time but none quite captured the magic of this one.
19. Tweetie Pie (1947)
Tweetie Pie is more than just a cartoon—it’s a piece of animation history. It kickstarted a beloved character duo, won critical acclaim, and helped define the tone and style of Warner Bros.’ animated output for years to come. Its success paved the way for dozens of follow-up cartoons featuring the cat-and-bird dynamic that would become a staple of Saturday morning TV. It’s so impactful and memorable, you totally forgot Sylvester’s original name was Thomas. But that’s the strength of their dynamic, it doesn’t even matter. The plot is simple but effective: Sylvester tries repeatedly to catch and eat Tweety, who is kept in a birdcage inside a home. As expected in Looney Tunes fashion, Sylvester’s elaborate attempts to get to the bird are met with failure, thanks to Tweety’s wit and the interference of a housemaid and other comedic mishaps. This short is notable not just for its humor and timing, but also for its place in animation history. Tweetie Pie was the first Warner Bros. cartoon to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, a significant achievement that highlighted the studio’s growing dominance in the field.
18. The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall (1942)
A parody of The Rover Boys Series (a relative obscurity from Edward Stratemeyer, creator of Tom Swift, The Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew), The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall tells three stories of three brothers who all share the same fianceé and their ongoing attempts to thwart their nemesis who has made it his mission to steal away their lady. While nowhere as popular as the non-animal-starring Looney Tunes cartoons, The Dover Boys still remains one of the best cartoons Chuck Jones ever made.
17. The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)
While reading his beloved Dick Tracy comic book, Daffy knocks himself out upon which he enters a fantasy in which he is Duck Twacy, who has to investigate a conspicuous piggy bank robbery crime wave. What ensues is a very atmospheric parody of a typical detective movie, albeit peppered with typical mainstays of Bob Clampett’s shorts, including strong emphasis on musical timing, plenty of wordplay, dynamic background layouts, and some of the most bizarre, expressive animation displayed on the Silver Screen since the heydays of Fleischer Studios.
16. Birds Anonymous (1957)
Birds Anonymous features the familiar cat-and-bird duo of Sylvester and Tweety, but with a brilliantly original twist: instead of trying to eat Tweety, Sylvester checks himself into Birds Anonymous, a support group for cats addicted to eating birds. A parody of addiction recovery narratives, the short cleverly sends up real-life 12-step programs in a hilarious fashion. Sylvester vows to quit birds cold turkey, but he quickly discovers that resisting temptation is far harder than he thought. Sylvester’s mental breakdown as he struggles to resist Tweety is played both for laughs and with real emotional weight. His internal battle escalates into frenzied desperation as he’s driven nearly mad by the sight and sound of Tweety’s carefree presence. Birds Anonymous won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1958, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a smart, stylish, and surprisingly sophisticated cartoon that combines slapstick with satire, showing that Warner Bros. could not only make us laugh, but make us think as well.
15. Knighty Knight Bugs (1958)
Knighty Knight Bugs might be the only short on this list that actually suffers from the fact that it won an Oscar. Not because it isn’t deserving or that it beat out something better but because this was the first and only Oscar Bugs Bunny ever received. While this short is unquestionably great, it’s nowhere near the first cartoon people think of when they think of Bugs. That Oscar robs it of its greatness because then you start comparing it to other great cartoons such as What’s Opera Doc?, Rabbit of Seville and Ali Baba Bunny. And while this still holds its own, it’s unfair to the short that its legacy has been reduced to a trivia question.
Set in the age of chivalry and dragons, the short opens in the court of King Arthur (Yosemite Sam) who is in a crisis: the Singing Sword has been stolen by the dreaded Black Knight and no knight in the kingdom dares to retrieve it. Enter Bugs Bunny, not as a brave knight, but as a lowly jester who ends up volunteering (or being volunteered) for the dangerous task. Knighty Knight Bugs is a great example of the versatility of Bugs Bunny as a character, capable of adapting to any setting or era while maintaining his iconic cool and cleverness. The Oscar win was not just a testament to this cartoon’s quality but also to Bugs Bunny’s status as a cultural icon. It just should’ve happened sooner.
14. For Scent-imental Reasons (1949)
For Scent-imental Reasons is one of the most iconic cartoons featuring the amorous and obliviously persistent skunk, Pepé Le Pew. This short not only refined Pepé’s persona into the hopeless romantic we recognize today, but it also won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1950, cementing its place in animation history. Set in a perfumery in Paris, the cartoon begins with panic: a skunk has taken refuge inside the shop, prompting everyone to flee. Enter Pepé Le Pew, mistaking the situation as one of romantic opportunity. Meanwhile, a black cat, Penelope Pussycat, accidentally acquires a white paint stripe down her back, leading Pepé to believe she is a fellow skunk and the object of his undying affection.
While modern audiences have rejected the character on the grounds that he’s an annoying sex pest, older viewers understood the joke. The humor is drawn from classic farce and unrequited love. Pepé’s flowery, faux-French monologues, delivered with smooth charm by Mel Blanc, contrast sharply with Penelope’s frantic attempts to escape his suffocating advances. She’s trying to escape because he’s a skunk, not because he’s annoying. That’s the joke and it’s crazy that he’s been cancelled simply because this generation doesn’t get it.
13. Feed the Kitty (1952)
Marc Anthony–a big, brutish-looking but sensitive bulldog–has a new friend, a tiny little kitten named Pussyfoot, who makes it a habit out of sleeping on Anthony’s back. Eventually, the big dog takes a shine to the lil’ kitty and then does everything in his power to hide said kitty from his owners who explicitly told him not to bring anything or anyone inside the house. It’s a cartoon that milks the same gag over and over again but because Chuck Jones is a genius, the milk never sours.
12. Porky in Wackyland (1938)
One of the few Looney Tunes cartoons to star Porky Pig, Porky in Wackyland is about as crazy as a Looney Tunes cartoon ever got. The entire cartoon is a relentless blitzkrieg of jokes, puns, and free-wheeling mayhem brought on by Dodo the dodo bird, a foul fowl who can manipulate reality much like Superman’s nemesis Mr. Mxyzptlk. Woefully underutilized for the rest of the rest of Looney Tunes‘ run, the absolutely bonkers Dodo is used to great effect here. It’s just a shame he never became a series regular because his fourth wall-breaking comedy could’ve been further explored in dozens of cartoons but as Porky always says “that’s all folks!”
11. Rabbit Fire (1951)
The second in the Rabbit Seasoning trilogy (with Duck, Rabbit, Duck!! (1953) being the last installment) Rabbit Fire, like each entry, is built around the same premise with the same joke–it’s rabbit season but Daffy, not Bugs, is ultimately going to be the one who gets shot. Again and again and again but it never stops being funny. This is a testament to the brilliance of animator Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese that they can milk as much funny from the same joke. They were truly the Lenon/McCartney of animation.
30-21 | 10-1
What is your favorite Looney Tunes short? Do you think it will crack the Top 10?
