The color red has always been so vibrant that characters who wear this color immediately stand out. Red is also the usual color of leader-like characters in the story.
For example, Blossom, who has a distinct red bow, acts as the leader of the PowerPuff Girls, or even in anime, you have Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail, who rose to the position of “Master” during the time Makarov was missing.
It’s always easy to remember red cartoon characters even if they aren’t the main character in a series because of how vibrant the color and their personality tend to be.
Here are the 30 best red cartoon characters I have seen yet!
Iconic Red Cartoon Characters to Remember
30. Mario – Super Mario Bros
- Age: –
- Height: 155 cm
- Voice Actors: Charles Martinet (game), Chris Pratt (movie)
You can’t miss Mario with his signature red hat. He’s one of the red cartoon characters who became the mascot of their franchise and company.
He was already the main protagonist in a game called Donkey Kong, but creators felt he had a larger story to tell.
The Italian plumber is best known for his signature double jump, which he uses to reach heights and defeat monsters. He also has a younger twin brother named Luigi!
29. Flash/ Wally West – DC Animated Universe
- Age: –
- Height: 182.88 cm
- Voice Actors: Michael Rosenbaum, Charlie Schlatter, Clancy Brown
Just like his name, Flash proudly wears the color red for his superhero costume.
In addition, many consider Flash as the heart of the Justice League due to his approachability and friendliness toward the public.
Flash has super speed that even allows him to pass through solid objects completely unharmed. He’s also called the Scarlet Speedster due to his vibrant costume.
28. Strawberry Shortcake – Strawberry Shortcake Franchise
- Age: 6-19
- Height: “Average human teen height”
- Voice Actors: Russi Taylor (1980-1985), Sarah Heinke (2003-2007), Anna Cummer (2009-2015), Tracey Moore (2009-2015), Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld (2018), Ana Sani (2021-present)
Strawberry Shortcake’s design has changed over the years, but her most iconic look was when she was one of the cartoon characters with red hair.
This made her look very similar to the doll they were producing at the same time the cartoon was released.
Her series depicted her as a sweet young girl who loved baking and gardening. She also serves as a good role model for young girls because the series showed her caring about the future and saving money.
27. Eijiro Kirishima/ Red Riot – My Hero Academia
- Age: 15-16
- Height: 170 cm
- Voice Actors: Toshiki Masuda (Japanese), Justin Cook (English)
Before the series, Eijiro looked rather plain, so as a homage to his favorite hero, The Crimson Riot, he changed his look to stand out a lot more.
He dyed his hair red, and his hero costume has several red-colored articles.
Like the vibrant red that he chooses to wear, the boy’s personality is also boisterous and outgoing. It’s a miracle that he and Katsuki became friends when they became classmates.
26. Larry the Lobster – SpongeBob SquarePants
- Age: 25
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Doug Lawrence
Larry is a side character in SpongeBob SquarePants, a muscular red lobster who usually works as a lifeguard in the Goo Lagoon.
In the cartoon, despite having few appearances, he manages to attract the attention of several sea creators thanks to his muscles and charisma.
The lobster also thinks highly of himself as he looks at SpongeBob and Patrick as underlings during his little appearances in the show.
25. Astro Boy – Astro Boy
- Age: 9 – 13
- Height: 134. 62 cm – 172.72 cm (After Upgrade)
- Voice Actors: Mari Shimizu ( JP 1963), Makoto Tsumura ( JP 2003), Aya Ueto (JP 2009 film), Billie Lou Watt (EN 1963)
Astro Boy doesn’t wear many clothes, but he is one of the cartoon characters with red boots that make him memorable.
The android was created to be like Tobio Tenma and acquired his looks and personality.
But he isn’t just a replacement; Astro Boy has several weapons and gadgets built within him so he can help keep his loved ones and town safe from harm. He is also one of the first Mecha’s to have a series.
24. Tikki – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
- Age: 13.772 billion years
- Height: 10 cm
- Voice Actor: Mela Lee
Tikki is a kwami that resembles a bright red ladybug. She is also the kwami of Creation, making her the opposite of Plagg, who serves as the kwami of Destruction.
The kwami grants her owner the abilities of a ladybug-themed superhero.
Her current holder is a girl from Paris named Marinette, who she grows close to in the series. She cares about her holder’s happiness so much that she offered to release Marinette of her duty so she can pursue a relationship with her crush.
23. Meilin Lee – Turning Red
- Age: 13
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Rosalie Chiang
Mei became one of Disney’s red cartoon characters after she gained the ability to become a giant red panda.
Just like any other teen, Mei struggles with puberty, especially with all the unstable emotions that come with it.
She’s a huge fan of a boy band called 4*Town and is incredibly helpful to her family. Since activating her ability, she began to feel peer pressure and became conscious about her appearance.
22. Papa Smurf – Smurfs
- Age: 546
- Height:
- Voice Actors: Mike Reynolds, Don Messick, Jonathan Winters, Davis Freeman
Papa Smurf may be blue, but he is a cartoon character with red boots and a hat making him more noticeable than all the other Smurfs.
As the oldest and wisest Smurf in the village, he acts as their leader, but the Smurfs look up to him more as a father figure to them.
He is calm in most situations but is very capable of losing his temper when the younger Smurfs are being too rowdy.
21. Knuckles the Echidna – Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise
- Age: 15-16
- Height: 158 cm
- Voice Actors: Yasunori Matsumoto (JP 1996), Nobutoshi Canna (JP 1998), Bill Wise (EN 1996), Michael McGaharn (EN 1999), Ryan Drummond (EN 2000), Scott Dreier (EN 2001 – 2004), Dan Green (EN 2005 – 2010), Travis Willingham (EN 2010 – 2019), Dave B. Mitchell (EN 2019 – present)
Knuckles is a treasure hunter and the last of the Echidnas who was first antagonistic towards Sonic and Tails when he thought the two of them were after the Master Emerald.
The echidna’s personality tends to change depending on the game or series he is in. Sometimes Knuckles is portrayed as an idiot, like in Sonic Boom, but usually, he is a dependable ally in other media.
He is also portrayed to have a friendly rivalry with the blue Hedgehog after the misunderstanding was cleared.
20. Eugene H. Krabs – SpongeBob SquarePants
- Age: 57
- Height: 12 cm
- Voice Actor: Clancy Brown
Mr. Krabs is one of the main characters in SpongeBob SquarePants. He is SpongeBob’s boss in the Krusty Krab and the creator of the Krabby Patty.
The crab is obsessed with money and usually enlists SpongeBob to help him get richer, even if it is not related to work.
Oddly enough, Mr. Krabs has a whale for a daughter named Pearl. It was never explained how this happened in the story, but Stephen Hillenburg simply wanted different species for the main cast.
19. Spider-Man/ Peter Parker – Marvel Animated Universe
- Age: Usually 15
- Height: 177.8 cm
- Voice Actor: Christopher Daniel Barnes, Drake Bell, Peter Mark Richman, Warren Sroka, Rino Romano
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man usually chooses a bright red for his color of choice when it comes to making his costumes.
Spider-Man is a spider-themed superhero from the Marvel Animated Universe.
He accidentally got his powers when a radioactive spider bit him. All versions of Peter Parker seem to be genius as they usually invent things that will help them in battle.
18. Kushina Uzumaki – Naruto Shippuden
- Age: 24
- Height: 145 cm (when she was 12)
- Voice Actors: Emi Shinohara (JP) Laura Bailey (EN)
Kushina is a Japanese red girl cartoon character from the anime series Naruto, although she made her first official appearance in Naruto Shippuden in the anime.
She is Naruto’s mother, who died before the start of the series. Back when she was an academy student, the kids would call her “Tomato” mainly because she has red hair.
However, Minato, Naruto’s father, has expressed that he always loved her red hair.
17. Red Guy – Cow and Chicken
- Age: –
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Charlie Adler
Red Guy is among the more popular cartoon characters with a red nose. Actually, his entire body is covered in crimson to depict he is the devil at one point.
Although the truth is, no one is sure what species the Red Guy is.
He is mainly portrayed as the antagonist in the series who constantly tries to scam Cow or Chicken whenever they cross paths. However, there are times he takes on different personas to do so.
16. Clifford Howard – Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Age: 2
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: John Ritter
Clifford is Emily Howard’s pet dog that grew into a giant dog due to the amount of love from his owner.
He is a popular character from a book series with the same name, and it was eventually used to make several cartoons.
Clifford can be very naïve and gullible despite his size. However, he always means well and only wishes to keep his owner happy at all times.
15. Erza Scarlet – Fairy Tail
- Age: 19
- Height: 175.26
- Voice Actor: Sayaka Ohara (JP), Colleen Clinkenbeard (EN)
Erza is a dedicated member of the Fairy Tail Guild and is one of this list’s girl red cartoon characters with her fiery red locks.
She was brought in by Makarov to the guild, where he raised and trained her.
Eventually, she succeeded Makarov during his absence and became the 7th Guild Master of Fairy Tail. She returned the title to him once he returned and resumed duties. Her magic allows her to equip different types of armor that she owns.
14. Blossom – The Powerpuff Girls
- Age: 5
- Height: 68.58 cm
- Voice Actor: Jennifer Fried (1992) Catherine Cavadini (1995 – present)
Even though Blossom’s signature color is Pink, it’s her iconic big red bow that makes people look at her character more often than the other girls.
She acts as the leader of their little superhero team and is the smartest among her sisters.
Her unique ability is Ice Breath, and she is the first one to discover she has such an ability. After discovering this, Bubbles and Buttercup quickly become jealous.
13. Ariel – The Little Mermaid
- Age: 16 (first film) 28 (second film)
- Height: 162.56 cm
- Voice Actor: Jodi Benson
Ariel is a Disney red character known for her iconic long red hair. She is a curious young mermaid who wishes to experience what it is like to have legs.
She eventually finds a way to get what she desires by making a deal with a sea witch named Ursula.
Ariel has to give up her voice and make Prince Eric kiss her by the end of three days; otherwise, Ursula will own her.
12. Lightning McQueen – Cars
- Age: “Adulthood”
- Height: –
- Voice Actors: Owen Wilson
Lightning McQueen is a rising rookie race car in the movie Cars. Getting most of the spotlight due to his outstanding popularity as the fast new guy on the track, Lightning felt like he had it all.
On the way to a big competition, he suddenly finds himself in Radiator Springs and that’s where he rediscovers his zeal.
At the small run-down town, Lightning learns what it’s like to be a team player and falls in love in the process.
11. Anger – Inside Out
- Age: 11-12 (follows Riley’s age)
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Lewis Black
Anger is one of Riley Andersen’s five emotions, and from his namesake can easily find every situation irritating.
Joy manages to keep him at bay most of the time, but he becomes the leader of the emotions when Joy and Sadness get lost in their girl’s mind.
He becomes an accidental antagonist in the film due to his bad temper, which often leads to Riley making bad decisions once Joy and Sadness are lost.
10. Lago – Aladdin
- Age: –
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Gilbert Gottfried
Lago is a Disney cartoon character with red feathers who used to serve as Jafar’s sidekick.
During the first film, Lago was ill-tempered and craved riches and power, much like his then-master.
However, in the sequel, he joins Aladdin and Jasmine as their comrade and continues his role in the series. Whenever Genie is unavailable to explain magic, Lago takes his place since he is well-versed in it.
9. Grelle Sutcliff – Black Butler
- Age: 25-28 (physically)
- Height: 175 cm
- Voice Actors: Jun Fukuyama (JP), Daniel Fredrick (EN)
No one on this list loves red as much as Grell Sutcliff, as this Grim Reaper is covered in this color.
This character’s gender is left ambiguous, but Grell likes to refer to herself as a female. She is first introduced as Angelina Dalles’ incompetent butler.
However, the truth of the story is that she was actually a Grim Reaper aiding Angelina to commit mass murder on pregnant prostitutes.
8. Big Mclntosh – My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
- Age: –
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Peter New
Are you looking for cartoon characters with red nose? Well, one of the ponies in Ponyville is just covered in his red mane from head to toe.
Big Mclntosh is Applejack’s brother who does most of the heavy farm work.
He is a character of few words and usually only responds to things to affirm or deny something. However, he does have a talent for singing, as revealed in the number “Find the Music in You.”
7. Kenshin Himura – Rurouni Kenshin
- Age: 15-33
- Height: 158 cm
- Voice Actors: Mayo Suzukaze (JP Original), Soma Saito (JP 2023), Richard Cansino (EN), J. Shannon Weaver (EN)
Besides the unique “X” shaped scar on his face, Kenshin is well-known for his long red hair and usual plain red male kimono.
In the first episode, he is a Rurouni who happens to help Karou with a problem she is facing with her dojo.
As thanks, she offers him a temporary home in the Kamiya Dojo. Eventually, the dojo became his permanent residence since he found a “home” in Karou and his newfound friends.
6. Red – Angry Birds
- Age: 13
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Jason Sudeikis
Whenever someone thinks of Angry Birds, this spherical red cartoon bird character will probably be jumping around in your mind.
Red is an iconic Angry Birds character and the leader of the flock!
Just like his intense color, Red is always almost angry, which caused him to be hated by the flock. However, when the pigs started attacking their island, Red was welcomed back in to lead the fight!
5. Mushu – Mulan
- Age: 3200 years
- Height: –
- Voice Actors: Eddie Murphy (Mulan), Mark Moseley (Mulan II)
Mushu is a small red dragon who is the guardian of Fa Mulan. Originally a bigger dragon was supposed to aid her, but due to Mushu accidentally destroying the guardian’s statue, he ended up taking on the job instead.
Mushu is protective over his role as a guardian and even went as far as trying to ruin Mulan’s relationship with Shang to keep his position.
However, he decided that Mulan’s happiness was more important than his comfort.
4. Marinette Dupain-Cheng – Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
- Age: 13-14
- Height: 135 cm
- Voice Actor: Cristina Vee
Marinette is a ladybug-themed superhero in the show Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.
Her usual superhero outfit is composed of a red bodysuit with black spots. She’s a very outgoing girl who wishes to be a fashion designer one day.
She was chosen as the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous to stop Hawk Moth from stealing all the other artifacts to make a wish that may destroy the universe.
Also read: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir Characters
3. Flora – Sleeping Beauty
- Age: –
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Verna Felton
In the tale of Sleeping Beauty, one of the fairies that were invited to Princess Aurora’s party was Flora. Among the three fairies present, she is the tallest fairy wearing red.
She gifts Aurora with beauty. After the Princess was cursed, she and the other fairies took it upon themselves to raise Aurora till the curse was lifted.
However, the curse still caused the Princess to fall into a deep slumber. Flora later aids Prince Philip when rescuing Princess Aurora from her curse.
2. Gaara – Naruto
- Age: 12 -17 (Shippuden)
- Height: 172.5 cm (Adult)
- Voice Actor: Akira Ishida (JP), Liam O’Brien (EN)
Gaara is one of the boy red cartoon characters on the list due to his short but notable crimson-red hair. He also has a red tattoo with the kanji for “love” on the left side of his forehead.
Initially, Gaara only cared about himself because his own village shunned him.
However, after suffering a defeat by Naruto, who has a similar past, he starts to look at his strength as something to be used to protect his people.
1. Red Blood Cell AE3803 – Cells at Work
- Age: –
- Height: –
- Voice Actor: Kana Hanazawa (JP), Cherami Leigh (JP)
Just like all the other red blood cells, AE3803 has a red uniform and has a job making deliveries in all parts of the body. However, she is very air-headed and often gets lost.
Unlike the other red blood cells, she has vibrant red hair, which was the main reason she was sorted into her current job as a worker cell for deliveries.
It’s very possible she was supposed to be a white blood cell because she seems attracted to danger.
And we are done!
This is my list of the best red cartoon characters that I remember whenever I think of the color red. Most of them have outstanding personalities that are just as vibrant as the color they represent.
How about you? Which red cartoon characters do you think of first up?