Reasons Why Hey Arnold Is The Greatest Cartoon Of All Time

My love for this football head and his gang of misfits is vast and endless. Let me break it down for you.

1. Arnold himself.

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You couldn't ask for a kinder, nobler, more upstanding dude than this guy right here. In almost every episode, we see Arnold encouraging his friends, lending a hand or dispelling conflict with ease and grace. If my future husband is even half the man Arnold is, I'll consider myself lucky.

2. Well-developed, complex and dynamic cast of characters.

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From Arnold's friends to the residents of the Boarding House, each character is unique and has an in-depth backstory that informs why they are the way they are. Take Helga, who grows up in the shadow of her perfect sister and is neglected by her parents, which leads her to adopt a hard exterior amongst her peers and a crush on the only boy who seemed to notice her: Arnold. Or Rhonda, who's posh and privileged upbringing manifests in a obsession with style and status. I could go on. Just check out "Helga on The Couch" if you need more proof.

3. The music.

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I mean, just listen to that jazzy keyboard.

4. Their struggle is real.

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Many Hey Arnold episodes tackle topics that are real and hard-hitting. Peer pressure (Season 1, Episode 11 - "Cool Jerk" where Arnold's fascination with an cooler older classmate leads him to some bad decisions), bullies (Season 5, episode 84 - "New Bully on The Block") and parental absence (Season 3, Episode 60 - "Parents Day" where Arnold learns about his missing parents and comes to terms with being an orphan), to name just a few. Heck, there's even an episode about Mr. Hyunh being forced to give up his daughter during the Vietnam War (Arnold's Christmas).

5. Along with real problems, came real lessons.

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Like when Helga finds out hat just because someone's life seems perfect (Lila) from a distance doesn't mean it is perfect. Or when Arnold visits Pigeon Man and learns not to judge a person by the rumor mill.

6. Arnold and Helga's will-they won't-they non-relationship.

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Here's to hoping that one day Helga shelves her defense mechanisms and they have a real shot.

7. It's not just a kid's show.

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The humor and storylines can be appreciated by all audiences. Like this Cats musical reference that went wayyyyy over my head when I first saw it as a kid.

6. Arnold's sense of style.

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7. The fact that it isn't quite over yet.

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Despite the fact that Hey Arnold! aired it's last episode on June 8th 2004, Nickelodeon will be releasing a two hour special in November 2017 called The Jungle Movie. The Jungle Movie is said to follow Arnold and the rest of the gang as they travel to San Lorenzo to find out what really happened to Arnold's parents.