It seems that all cartoons tend to stick to a few quick rules and staples of their form of media. Whether it’s the fact that they never change clothes or the fact that they often times seem invincible, cartoons make us utilize a suspension of disbelief for the sake of entertainment, but there is one rule that seems to work its way into all major cartoons: cartoons never age.
Grown up versions of our favorite cartoon characters have been a staple of internet fan art in recent years. They take a look into all of the possibilities that the future could hold for beloved cartoon favorites. Some may seem shockingly realistic and make the character look less like their animated counterpart while others depict sophisticated versions of the characters while adhering to the style that they were originally conceived in.
It’s interesting to imagine what our favorite kid cartoon characters would look like if time actually passed in their universe, especially if we took a look into their future and saw them as adults. Sure, some cartoons have been depicted as adults before through flash-forward episodes or spinoffs taking place later in their lives, but some of the best versions of these characters are exclusive to the internet. Even though plenty of our favorite cartoon characters have gotten much older over the years, the internet has managed to show them age with grace.
17 More Power, Less Puff
The Powerpuff Girls sure do have some staying power, considering they debuted back in the nineties and got a reboot just a couple of years back. Not much has changed with the trio (other than some different voice work, sadly) and the girls are still just as adorable and powerful as ever. Despite that, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup can’t stay young and innocent forever. It looks like they are still saving the city of Townsville from crime and monsters, though, even if they have gotten a bit older. It looks like each girl has grown up beautifully and is still donning their traditional colors… albeit with a bit more leather than their usual dresses they wore when they were little girls.
16 Top Of Her Class
Netflix sure has been playing a big part in the anime game recently, bringing new content to American audiences. Even though Little Witch Academia debuted in Japan half a decade ago, Netflix just recently brought the charming tales of Luna Nova Magical Academy to Western audiences this past year. Akko Kagari may not be the best student at her school training young witches considering her non-magical background, but she is certainly the underdog everyone should be cheering for. She only looks a few grades older in this fan art. It looks like she hasn’t stirred up quite enough mischief in the cauldron to get expelled yet, but she certainly looks more confident. She’s finally coming to grips with controlling magic.
15 From Princess To Queen
Adventure Time has no shortage of awesome female characters, whether it is the hot-headed vampire Marceline or Finn’s female alter ego Fiona, but it’s Princess Bubblegum who really takes the cake. Ruler of the Candy Kingdom, and certainly more capable than most other princesses in the Land of Ooo, Princess Bubblegum grew up with royalty in her blood. It’s no surprise she would eventually grow up to be the queen that we see in this piece of fan art. With a more realistic art style, Princess Bubblegum looks more elegant than ever, with a design that could match up to the most popular Disney Princesses. It looks like Finn has grown up quite a bit as well, looking buffer than ever and still defending his beloved queen.
14 Not Much Has Changed
It looks like Lilo kept around her Polaroid camera after all these years, continuing her hobby of capturing memories through photography. Lilo may not have had the most ordinary upbringing in Lilo and Stitch. She was raised single handily by her older sister Nani (and maybe a couple other aliens after the events of the original movie). It looks like Lilo turned out to be a lovely-looking adult, still enjoying her time on the beach after all these years. Apparently, Stitch doesn’t age in dog years, considering he’s still alive and kicking. It doesn’t look like the two have stopped being best friends since the day they first met.
13 As Sweet As Ever
There’s no doubt that Vanellope von Schweetz is the sweetest animated character on this list, literally and figuratively. Wreck-It-Ralph certainly was a surprise hit by Disney when it released in 2012. It lampooned various video game genres while managing to tell a tale about castaway video game characters who only wished to be accepted. We can’t wait to see these characters back in its upcoming sequel. Vanellope likely isn’t an adult in this picture and looks more like she’s entered her teenage years. She certainly has gotten a lot taller than when she debuted in her original film! Perhaps she makes a more grown-up appearance in Sugar Rush 2, but it seems that they still haven’t gotten that glitch worked out.
12 Making Us Proud After All These Years
The Proud Family has a pretty interesting history as a cartoon, considering it almost wasn’t going to be on Disney Channel at all. The original pilot had a possibility of being picked up by Nickelodeon, but after they didn’t take it, Disney Channel picked it up, making it their first original cartoon for the network. The show followed the everyday life of Penny Proud and her family as she dealt with everyday issues of a teenage girl while dealing with her rather eclectic family. This fan art rounds all the girls up, friends and rivals alike (and Sticky Webb, because why not?). While I’m saddened to not see Suga Mama getting any love, it’d be difficult to make her look older.
11 Not So Adorable Anymore
We haven’t seen Boo since she first appeared in Disney Pixar’s Monsters Inc. If she turned out anything like the Boo we see here, we’re actually kind of thankful for that. Even though Boo initially opened up a soft spot in Sulley’s heart, it seems short-lived. It looks like the monsters are back to terrorizing people, with Boo helping out as well. Even though the creatures from Monsters Inc. usually look more cuddly than terrifying, this version depicts them in a scary light. It looks like Boo has grown up to be a leader of sorts for them. We’ll take the sweet little girl we remember from the original movie any day.
10 As Vain As Ever
Oh, Lumpy Space Princess. It looks like not much has changed over the years, despite a more realistic art style. Well, I’m not sure how you make what is essentially a purple blob realistic, but this seems somewhat close. Princess Bubblegum may be queen bee when it comes to the Land of Ooo princesses in Adventure Time, but you can’t ignore the popularity of Lumpy Space Princess. Despite her appearance, Lumpy Space Princess can’t seem to see what’s in front of her in the mirror. She believes she is the most beautiful being ever. While there are plenty of pieces of fan art online depicting her as a rather beautiful human, we like this more realistic approach. It shows the slob she actually is.
9 Hopefully She’s Less Pesky Now
Candace Flynn certainly has grown into her own since her days trying to bust her brothers in the Disney show Phineas and Ferb. While her wardrobe hasn’t changed much over the years, she certainly seems less anxious. She seems more happy since moving out of the house she shared with her two brothers. The design is definitely an interesting approach as well, ditching the geometrical shapes that typically made up the characters in Phineas and Ferb. Instead, it goes with a more traditional style of animation. Hopefully, she sees more success in adulthood than she did as a teenager and can move past the summer shenanigans of Phineas and Ferb.
8 More Powerful Than Ever
Starfire is a character that was originally conceived as already having a more adult appearance. She made her debut back in DC Comics back in the 1980s. Even though she was still a teenager at the time, she had a more adult look about her. Teen Titans, airing on Cartoon Network back in the early 2000s, showed Starfire with a less realistic animated look and a younger design. She was teamed with the Teen Titans from the original comics in a more kid-friendly show. Even though we’ve seen adult versions of Starfire before, this version gives us more of her modern comic book vibe. It lets us compare the younger teen version from Teen Titans to a full-grown heroine.
7 Looks Like These Two Made It
Wendy Testaburger and Stan Marsh have been dating on and off since South Park’s original conception back in 1997. Wendy Testaburger is something of an oddity in the South Park universe, being one of the only characters who seems to really have a realistic grasp on actual issues and goings-on in the world. That being said, she’s only dated guys who typically have a grasp on reality and morals as well. This style shows adult versions of Wendy and Stan sharing a romantic kiss in a style that somewhat resembles the drawings of Tweek and Craig from the episode “Tweek X Craig.” Hopefully, Stan has gotten over that whole vomit issue, though.
6 Uncharted Territory
The internet sure does like to show off Dora in a way more adult setting than her subject material. There’s plenty of fan art of the show Dora the Explorer that conveys this, depicting her as a more Lara Croft or Indiana Jones-esque character. She likely wasn’t going to be following maps to Grandma’s house forever, though. Dora has been going on adventures (and without adult supervision!) since a young age, so it seems natural that her thirst for adventure would carry on into adulthood. Why is she holding a gun, who knows? It’s not exactly the type of weaponry you’d use against wildlife such as sneaky swiping foxes. Maybe she’s gotten in a little more trouble than normal. Or maybe this is just concept art for Michael Bay’s upcoming live-action version of the show. Who knows.
5 Still Too Cool For Seventh Grade
Pepper Ann may not have been the most popular animated show airing around the early 2000s, but it definitely deserves some credit. It was the very first Disney animated series to be created by a woman. Originally debuting as a comic strip in YM Magazine, the show follows the misadventures of Pepper Ann and her two best friends Nicky and Milo as they make their ways through Hazelnut Middle School. The show was kind of like a girl’s version of the Nickelodeon show Doug. Pepper Ann oftentimes got lost in her own imagination.
4 Totally Spies, Totally Stronger
If you watched cartoons throughout the early 2000s, you are most likely familiar with Totally Spies!, a Charlie’s Angels-style animated show starring three teenage girls living in Beverly Hills, California. The girls lead double lives, juggling between being a high school student as well as being spies. Certainly, being a spy part-time while studying for finals is no easy feat. But clearly Sam, Alex, and Clover survived high school and became full-blown spies, complete with heavy weaponry. Sure, they already looked fairly adult to begin with, but this image of them paints them a few years older, likely post-high school, and showing that they still haven’t moved on from the secret agent game.
3 Growing Through The Years
We may have gotten one more glimpse of Helga Pataki in the recently revitalized Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie, a spinoff of the original Hey Arnold! cartoon that debuted in the nineties. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t craving to see more about the budding romance between her and Arnold. Sure, the movie took its time, but maybe this could lead to the series being rebooted. Even better, a reboot with slightly older versions of its characters! This artist’s rendition of Helga shows what she might look like as she ages through the years. Even though Helga seemed to be forever trapped in that “awkward” phase, it looks like she came out nicely and has grown into a beautiful woman. Thankfully, she ditched the over-the-top bow in her teenage years!
2 A More Realistic Approach
The Smurfs cartoon got its start back in the early 80s and has managed to somehow maintain popularity ever since. They may not be as significant as they were in the 80s, but they’ve reappeared here and there. This is especially thanks to their recently released CGI animated films. The Smurfs have only seen a handful of females as the species is primarily male, yet Smurfette is the exception. She was originally created by Gargamel in order to infiltrate the Smurf village in order to tear them apart, but eventually became part of their village. Maybe she would have been more successful if we got this stunning blue beauty in this piece of fan art? Sure, she looks more like a gorgeous woman painted blue. But we’re really not much different than Smurfs to begin with, other than our size and color.
1 She’s Still Got A Bone To Pick
Pebbles Flintstone has appeared in a more grown-up form on several occasions. She had a teenage persona in The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and sometimes appeared as an adult. She got her start as Fred and Wilma’s baby early on in the original cartoon The Flintstones. This art style differs quite a bit from the traditional Hanna Barbara animated style. A grown-up version of Pebbles in today’s world would more likely resemble a fossil, but it looks great nonetheless. We are glad that Pebbles is still rocking the bone hairpiece after all these years.
