14 Dumb Cartoon Characters That Everybody Loves

Cartoon shows have a way of surprising viewers. They’re not just about dumb and silly jokes. Sometimes animated series are complex, heartwarming, thought-provoking, and even tragic. They feature stories about loss and beautiful love stories. Let’s be honest, though. Cartoons wouldn’t be the same without silly, goofy, and stupid humor.

Dumb cartoon characters are a staple of animated shows. These lovable dummies find a balance between screwing everything up and being caring and wise. Many of the most famous cartoon characters are pretty dumb. They show signs of intelligence too, but their impulsive and impatient nature takes over. Let’s take a look at some of the best dumb cartoon characters. 

14 Dumb Cartoon Characters That Everybody Loves

1. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

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The Simpsons is one of the longest-running and most influential animated sitcoms. The series revolves around the Simpsons family and the residents of Springfield. It’s not a surprise that Homer Simpson would be on this list. At his core, he’s a good father and husband, but Homer isn’t the brightest bulb in town.

He has low intelligence, a short fuse, and makes impulsive decisions. For instance, Homer will pursue a brand new career on a whim, something he has done multiple times in the show. On rare occasions, he shows signs of intelligence, but for the majority of the time, he’s a lazy bumbling goofball getting into trouble.

2. Peter Griffin (Family Guy)

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The critically acclaimed and controversial Family Guy follows blue-collar worker Peter Griffin and his family living in Quahog. It’s no secret that Peter has a low IQ that often gets him into awkward situations. Furthermore, he usually makes impulsive decisions that have a way of blowing up in his face.

Based on the surreal cutaways, Peter doesn’t understand how devices and appliances work. It’s also very easy to influence him because of his naive and dim-witted nature. 

3. SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob SquarePants Official/YouTube

SpongeBob SquarePants revolves around the life of a sea sponge, SpongeBob, who lives in Bikini Bottom and works at the Krusty Krab. Debuting in 1999, SpongeBob is one of the most popular animated characters. He’s known for his naive and childlike personality.

While he’s fun-loving, SpongeBob tends to be clueless. At times, SpongeBob is much smarter than everyone realizes, but those moments are few and far between.

4. Philip J. Fry (Futurama)

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Futurama follows a lazy slacker, Philip J. Fry, who is accidentally frozen and awakens 1000 years in the future. Despite being in the future, he’s the same dim-witted and gullible pizza boy from the past. Fry has a kind soul and cares deeply for his friends but lacks intelligence and motivation. 

5. Wile E. Coyote (Looney Tunes)

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Since debuting in 1949, Wile E. Coyote has attempted to capture and eat his arch-nemesis the Road Runner. Coyote often comes up with complex plans using Acme Corporation gadgets that always backfire. He shows a bit of intelligence in coming up with the scheme but the application is where he lets himself down.

Coyote often falls for the very traps he sets for the Road Runner, suffering the pain of his misplaced scheme while the Road Runner is none the wiser. Despite Acme gadgets blowing up in his face, he continues to use the products. 

6. Ralph Wiggum (The Simpsons)

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Ralph Wiggum is one of the most famous characters from The Simpsons who is not a part of the core family. Wiggum is so beloved due to his naive and innocent personality. He has a low IQ and makes random comments that appear to mean nothing.

While he’s usually childlike and dim-witted, Wiggum does show courage and bravery at times. He is also famous for his many hilarious quotes. When Wiggum learned he was failing English, he responded, “Me fail English? That’s unpossible.”

7. Space Ghost (Space Ghost Coast To Coast)

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In the 1960s, Space Ghost was a typical cartoon superhero who seemed to disappear from TV. However, he returned in 1994 to host a talk show, Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Instead of being a regular superhero show, he became a typical talk show host.

Unlike most superheroes, Space Ghost is selfish and only cares about himself. Furthermore, Space Ghost tends to either fight with his guest or fall in love with them. 

8. Goofy (Goof Troop)

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By the 1930s, Mickey Mouse was the most famous cartoon character in the world. So it was time to introduce some of his friends. One of Mickey’s closest friends is the dim-witted Goofy. He has blind optimism and is oblivious to the damage he causes.

When Goofy, Mickey, and Donald team up, Mickey is often viewed as the brains of the operation, with Goofy being the least intelligent of the three. Goofy’s low IQ and naive personality usually get his friends into trouble, although it does lead to some great stories. 

9. Cosmo (Fairly Odd Parents)

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The critically acclaimed Fairly Odd Parents revolves around a young boy, Timmy Turner, and his fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda. While they both grant him daily wishes, Cosmo grants or approves dumb wishes, He’s easily a stupid character.

Cosmo’s various ideas and plans often get Timmy into trouble. Furthermore, Cosmo encourages Timmy’s most insane ideas. At times, Cosmo appears not to use his brain. To be fair, he literally doesn’t have a brain, as his skull is full of jelly.

10. Charlie Brown (A Boy Named Charlie Brown)

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Charlie Brown made his debut in the famous Peanuts comic strip in 1950. Deep inside, Charlie Brown is a friendly kid with a big heart. At the same time, he fails at everything he tries in his life. He often tries to have a positive attitude but becomes negative when things don’t go his way.

Lucy considers Charlie one of the dumber characters, which she tells him all the time. Charlie does show signs of brilliance from time to time although he famously loses a spelling bee in the feature-length film A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

11. Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)

SpongeBob SquarePants Official/YouTube

It’s safe to say that SpongeBob SquarePants wouldn’t be the same without the sweet but dim-witted and ignorant Patrick Star. Patrick isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. He tends to be naive and has low intelligence.

Despite being SpongeBob’s best friend, Patrick’s immature and clueless nature drags them into trouble. While Patrick annoys SpongeBob, every hero needs a sidekick. Well, in this case, every sea sponge needs a village idiot. 

12. Scooby-Doo (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?)

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Debuting in the late 60s, Scooby-Doo is one of the most iconic cartoon characters. Scooby and his friends usually investigate a supposed supernatural mystery. Scooby has a reputation for scaring easily. Plus, he’s easy to trick and fool into believing a lie. Scooby and his best friend Shaggy share many similarities. They’re both not bright and can easily fall for a scam.

13. Carl Wheezer (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius)

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The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius follows brilliant 11-year-old inventor Jimmy Neutron. Jimmy goes on many adventures with his two best friends, Sheen Estevez and Carl Wheezer. In comparison, Carl and Sheen seem dumb, standing next to Jimmy.

Sheen appears to be slightly brighter than Carl. Carl’s dim-witted and naive. He’s pretty much allergic to everything. If that wasn’t enough, he’s afraid of horror stories, germs, and beans.

14. Chris Griffin (Family Guy)

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In the hit series Family Guy, Chris Griffin faces all the same challenges as a typical teenage boy. He has a low IQ, doesn’t use common sense, and struggles in school. He does show signs of intelligence, especially when discussing movies. Much of Chris’ sense of humor comes from his lack of knowledge. He’s easily one of the dumbest cartoon characters.