10 Black Girl Cartoons That Deserve All The Credit

Though Black girl cartoon characters were sometimes few and far between, the ones we had while growing up were definitely in a class of their own.

From the overachieving to the sassy, the laid-back to the multitalented, these characters had a huge role in shaping the generations that tuned into their shows every week.

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In no particular order, here are some of the top-tier Black girl animated characters who carried their animated peers on their backs through the years:

1. Monique from Kim Possible:

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The beautiful, chic, tell-it-like-it-is best friend that Kim and Ron needed to get through high school.

2. Susie Carmichael from Rugrats:

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Not only did Susie have the cutest natural hairstyles throughout the show and in All Grown Up, but she was also the perfect character to look up to! In addition to being a gifted singer and dancer and fluent in 10 foreign languages, she was always there to put a stop to Angelica's antics. Angelica could literally never.

3. Trixie Carter from American Dragon: Jake Long:

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Not only was this show completely underrated, but so was Trixie! She was the perfect definition of "triple threat," being an extremely talented cheerleader and skateboarder (get you someone who can do both), an aspiring doctor, and an incredible friend.

4. Penny Proud from The Proud Family:

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We were so blessed to have the always entertaining Penny as the main character of this show.

*Patiently waits for the reboot on Disney+*

5. Jodie Landon from Daria:

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I will never forget how important it was to have a character like Jodie, who continued to call out the lack of diversity at her school and the downside of continually being the token Black girl among her peers.

6. Miranda Killgallen from As Told by Ginger:

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We all have the one "villain" character we actually love, and Miranda was definitely one of them for me. Although she wasn't the kindest, her sarcastic comments and confidence were absolutely spot on.

7. Abigail Lincoln, aka Numbuh 5 from Codename: Kids Next Door:

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Tell me when your character fave was skilled in martial arts, strategy, and weapon proficiency intelligence. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the smartest on her team and the backbone of the team.

8. Libby Folax from Jimmy Neutron:

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It actually doesn't get cooler than Libby. Our vegetarian sister was not only related to Queen Hasabataslapya, making her Black royalty, but was also super talented and well versed in hip-hop and funk music. Plus, she was always the voice of reason when her friends were acting out of pocket.

9. Alex Casoy from Totally Spies:

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Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes they have super-cute bob haircuts and really good taste in clothes. Out of all three of the Totally Spies girls, Alex was always the one to get shit done. (Note: While her race was never explicitly discussed on the show, many speculated that she was Black after her parents were shown.)

10. Princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog:

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The Black Disney princess who was long overdue, and one we absolutely needed! It was so incredibly special to see a Black character work as hard as she did, achieve her dreams, and still win in love.

Did I miss any? Let me know some of your favorite Black cartoon characters in the comments!

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Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed