Sometimes you don’t need to be brilliant and heroic to be considered a charming character. Cartoon characters come in all levels of intelligence, and often it is the dumb cartoon characters that quickly become fan favorites.
But why do fans enjoy watching these dim-witted characters?
Well, these characters are pretty relatable in some cases, and some of them serve a deeper purpose than comic relief.
So, keep on reading the article, and learn why some of these dumb cartoon characters are the most loved of them all!
15+ Hilariously Dumb Cartoon Characters
17. Ed, Edd, and Eddy – Ed, Edd, N’ Eddy
- Age: 12-14
- Height: 147 cm (Ed), 131 cm (Edd), 131 cm (Eddy)
- Voice Actors: Matt Hill (Ed), Samuel Vincent (Edd), Tony Sampson (Eddy)
This trio is inseparable, so they’ll be listed here together. Ed, Edd, and Eddy are the titular main characters of their show, and they spend most of their time devising plans to get a popular candy called a jawbreaker.
Edd (often referred to as Double D) may be the smartest of the trio, but even this character comes up with over-the-top plans just to get some candy, which is honestly pretty dumb to waste that much energy on.
Still, the three of them believe their friendship is more important than any candy. They are also the kindest among the kids in their neighborhood despite being victims of bullying.
16. Homer Simpson – The Simpsons
- Age: 36-39, 50
- Height: 183 cm
- Voice Actor: Dan Castellaneta
There’s a very good reason why the creators decided to give the main character position to Homer, the yellow cartoon character, instead of Bart in the later seasons.
Homer may not be the most intelligent character in the series, but he has a big heart and some of the best intentions. His comical antics have won the hearts of fans all over the world.
Fans even appreciate him more once they see all the sacrifices he makes for his family, especially the way he chose to work in such a high-risk job.
He did it all for his baby girl, Lisa.
This is why fans always root for Homer!
15. Patrick Star – SpongeBob SquarePants
- Age: 15
- Height: 15.2 cm
- Voice Actor: Bill Fagerbakke
The show SpongeBob SquarePants is notorious for not having very brilliant characters (Except for Sandy) in their cast. However, SpongeBob’s best friend displays another level of dumb.
The slow-brained and lazy starfish prefers to stay under his rock and do nothing whenever SpongeBob cannot play.
However, there are times when he shows a better understanding of things compared to his friend. In earlier seasons, he seems aware of Squidward’s hatred towards them and seems to pick up on some social cues that SpongeBob often misses.
He also is good at driving, a skill SpongeBob constantly fails at. Patrick even gave the yellow sponge some advice to ace his boating test.
14. Peter Griffin – Family Guy
- Age: 46
- Height: 184 cm
- Voice Actor: Seth MacFarlane
You’d think if a character wears specs, they would be smart. Well, Peter Griffin is one of the few dumb cartoon characters with glasses.
Thanks to an I.Q. test he took Peter discovers he has below-average I.Q. and is mentally retarded. It also seems like he is suffering from brain damage. So, we can’t really blame the guy for being the way he is.
Despite his lack of intelligence, Peter has an incredible sense of humor and even enjoys making other people laugh, even if it’s at his own expense.
He also comes up with out-of-this-world ideas, which often fail, but at least fans get a good show out of it.
13. Goofy – Walt Disney
- Age: 42-50
- Height: 201 cm
- Voice Actor: Pinto Colvig (1932-1938,1942-1967), Danny Webb (1938-1941), Bob Jackman (1951), Jimmy MacDonald (1960), Hal Smith (1967-1983, 1986-1987), Bill Farmer (1987- Present)
Goofy is, by far, the most lovable dumb cartoon character Disney has ever created. He was originally created to be a funny one-shot character but was an instant hit with fans. This earned him a permanent spot at Disney.
During its early years, Walt Disney wasn’t a fan of Goofy’s series or character, and the cartoon was often at risk of termination. Luckily, a lot of creators working with Disney gave Goofy a full-blown background, and he became a character worth keeping.
He even has his own movie series with his son Max Goof.
12. William “Billy” – The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
- Age: 9
- Height: 45.72 cm
- Voice Actor: Richard Horvitz, Maxwell Atoms (Pilot)
Billy is one of the central characters of the Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and he isn’t the smartest character of the main trio.
According to his bio, his IQ is – 5, which is worse than Peter Griffin’s.
The series usually involves him getting himself in trouble, and the bad part is he won’t be able to get himself out of the situation despite his best efforts.
Still, you can’t help but like this sweet kid. He is happy-go-lucky and incredibly dopey, making him a lovable character. Billy will also do anything for Mandy and Grim, his best friends.
11. Cosmo Cosma – The Fairly Odd Parents
- Age: Over 10,000
- Height: 66.04 cm
- Voice Actor: Daran Norris
Cosmo is the fairy godfather of Timmy Turner, who often grants wishes without thinking things through. Unlike his wife, Wanda, who tries to talk Timmy out of bad wishes, Cosmo is ready to do as he pleases.
His stupidity even caused him to sink Atlantis numerous times before the start of the series.
While he often has no idea what he is doing with his magic, he is a great character to watch due to his infectious enthusiasm. Cosmo doesn’t let logic stop him from making Timmy the happiest kid in the world.
At least with Cosmo around, Timmy is in for a magical adventure every day of his childhood.
10. Dee Dee – Dexter’s Laboratory
- Age:11
- Height: 177.8 cm
- Voice Actor: Allison Moore (Seasons 1 & 3), Kat Cressida (Seasons 2 & 4)
Dee Dee is Dexter’s sister who runs around his lab, destroying whatever she can get her hands on. Of course, she doesn’t destroy things due to malicious intent. She is just a naturally curious character.
Dee Dee isn’t book smart like her brother, but she seems knowledgeable in other subjects such as nature and peace.
The blonde is also shown to have a powerful imagination, being able to create an imaginary world and travel into it. She can even communicate with its people!
In the siblings’ older years, Dee Dee somehow managed to avoid senility and take care of her ailing brother.
9. Philip J. Fry – Futurama
- Age: 25-33 (biologically)
- Height: 180 cm
- Voice Actor: Billy West
Philip Fry is often referred to by his surname, “Fry,” in most of the series. There’s a running gag in the show where he is immune to attacks called Brain Slugs and Brainspawn, and the characters often say it’s because of his stupidity.
Most people will be shocked in a bad way to discover they have been sent to the future, but Fry is immensely happy for leaving everyone in the past.
He may be extremely dumb with a low sense of danger, but he is still willing to do anything for his future friends, even if it means putting his own life at risk.
8. Carl Wheezer – The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
- Age: 12
- Height: 157.48 cm
- Voice Actor: Rob Paulsen
Carl Wheezer is another dumb cartoon character with glasses, but just about anyone can look dumb standing next to Jimmy Neutron. The poor boy even revealed that his low IQ is something he feels insecure about and envy’s his friend for being smart.
He doesn’t know it yet, but he is usually the one who gives Jimmy brilliant ideas from time to time. Even if he gets harmed by Jimmy on several occasions, the llama-loving boy is still loyal to his friends.
He even solves a lot of problems due to his innocent observations. But only when he isn’t the cause of the problem.
7. Johnny Bravo – Johnny Bravo
- Age: 20s
- Height: 190.50 cm (With hair)
- Voice Actor: Jeff Bennett
Johnny Bravo is one of the dumb male cartoon characters who actually look good! Unfortunately, his dim-witted traits often result in him getting hit by numerous characters in the show.
While everyone in the show generally dislikes him except for his best friend and mother, real-life fans won’t forget the joy his silly antics brought on screen.
Johnny is a male representation of the Dumb Blonde stereotypes, but he seems knowledgeable about things he is passionate about, such as Jerry Jake’s Beef Jerky and Mr. Kevin’s Hair Gel.
He also works out a lot thinking most girls are after muscular men.
6. Ralph Wiggum – The Simpsons
- Age: 8
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Nancy Cartwright
Ralph suffers from a severe learning disability, which explains why he is a dumb character in The Simpsons. Fans can’t help but feel sorry for him because he always means well on screen.
In an episode called Moms I’d Like to Forget, he was dropped as a baby by his father, which caused his learning disorder.
Despite his inability to learn at a normal pace, he is talented. He can tap dance and act when needed. He even brought the audience to tears when he played George Washington.
Ralph is an outcast in school, but luckily, Lisa and Bart defend him from bullies.
5. Richard Watterson – The Amazing World of Gumball
- Age: 38
- Height: 195 cm
- Voice Actor: Dan Russell
Father figures are supposed to be wise as they guide their kids through life, but not Richard Watterson. He steers entirely away from that stereotype. He isn’t smart or a good role model to any of his kids, but he still tries to be the best dad.
The reason for his child-like personality is that Granny Jojo overly sheltered him as a child.
He tries to sprout some advice for his kids every now and then, and sometimes it’s actually good advice. For example, he advises his sons to befriend Masami instead of leaving her out of the group.
4. Stimpy – The Ren and Stimpy Show
- Age: 3
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Billy West
Stimpy is an overweight manx cat who is said to have a brain the size of a peanut but apparently can be smart enough to be a chef or even a scientist in some episodes.
Most of the time, he’s just nonsensically stupid. His facial expression also gives away how intelligent he is. The cat usually wears a look of ignorant bliss with his tongue hanging out.
Oddly enough, dogs are usually portrayed as the dumb character, but here Stimpy plays the dumb cat instead. Of course, Ren isn’t the smartest character either, but he does have a head over Stimpy.
3. Cheese – Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends
- Age: 5
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Candi Milo
Cheese may be one of the most annoying and dumbest cartoon characters to ever show up on Cartoon Network.
The yellow creature is an unintelligent imaginary friend who often gets confused and has a low attention span. There’s a fan theory going around that he might be a combination of disorders.
Cheese doesn’t seem to understand that he doesn’t belong in the Foster Home and keeps trying to break his way into the house. This feat shows some level of intelligence because he managed to memorize the code based on how the buttons sound.
People love Cheese because the character has limited lines, and every sentence he speaks is as good as a catchphrase.
2. Calvin “Cal” Evans – Undergrads
- Age: 16
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Pete Williams
Unlike Johnny Bravo, Cal manages to be a pretty good ladies’ man even when he isn’t the sharpest knife out there. He’s pretty chill, but that’s only because he’s oblivious to everything around him, thanks to his low intelligence.
Cal has a high-pitched voice for a guy and has a knack for ending his sentences with the word “Guy.”
Overall, he is pretty nice and considers a guy named Rocko, who openly despises him, a dear friend of his. However, it doesn’t seem like he is aware of all the ladies that are attracted to him.
When learning about STDs, Cal did not know “sleeping” with people meant having sex with them, something he has been doing. So, Cal still thinks he isn’t sleeping with anyone.
1. Beavis and Butt-Head – Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head
- Age: 14 – 17
- Height: 162.56 cm (Beavis), 165.10 cm (Butt-Head)
- Voice Actor: Mike Judge (Both characters)
Like Ed, Edd, and Eddy, Beavis and Butt-head are also hard to separate. The two teens are slackers characterized by their stupidity and apathy. Both of them seem to have little interest in their future, so they skip school and do not engage in any learning activities.
During their adventures, they do crazy things (like playing with fire) without knowing that they can get seriously injured. Then, even when they do get injured, they’re ready to do it again once they are able.
MTV, at a certain point, had to put a disclaimer reminding viewers that Beavis and Butt-Head are cartoon characters and their actions shouldn’t be tried at home.
That’s It!
A lot of people think stupid characters in cartoons are only included as comic relief and entertainment value. While it may be true for the most part, these characters are often relatable and endearing, making viewers feel better about silly mistakes in life.
The list above is a mix of iconic and endearing dumb cartoon characters that have played significant roles in the shows they have been featured in.
