Ordinarily, fictional cartoon universes aren’t as chaotic and crime-ridden as live-action ones. There is more focus on fun and laughter than anarchy, hence there is never a need to have law enforcement officers roaming around sniffing for felonies and whipping out pistols in each episode. However, there are a few animated projects that trigger childish delight while still heavily focusing on crime. In such shows, detectives normally emerge as the best characters.
No matter how challenging the case is, these sleuths can be expected to get to the bottom of it. While at it, they get caught up in slapstick moments and even deliver a couple of clever quips. Others are as eccentric as TV protagonists can get, but no matter how outlandish their methods might be, these investigators maintain their resourcefulness and general goodwill. So far, these are some of the most memorable detective cartoon characters to appear on the screen.
10 Quick Draw McGraw (The Quick Draw McGraw Show)
True to his name, Quick Draw McGraw is quite the marksman and any outlaw that challenges him to a Mexican standoff is guaranteed to end up on the losing side. The anthropomorphic horse serves as a small-town Sheriff and is very dedicated to his task of protecting the people, so much so that he even uses disguises to deal with bandits that already know him.
Most of his disguises are spoofs of iconic Western movie characters and the common one he uses is El Kaboong (a Zorro imitation). While dressed as the vigilante, he enjoys descending on criminals using a rope before hitting them with an acoustic guitar. Afterward, he hilariously shouts “Kaboooong!” — a confirmation that the opponent has been subdued. Over the years, the titular protagonist of The Quick Draw McGraw Show has gone on to have cameo appearances in Hanna Barbera productions such as I Am Weasel and The Yogi Beat Show.
9 P.J. “LongArm” O’Malley (COPS)
COPS has a long list of men and women in blue but LongArm is the most likable one because he uses a counselor’s approach to solve crimes. The Empire City detective believes in dialogue rather than force, and so he is ever ready to spare some time to convince delinquents about the benefits of reforming. Throughout his entire career as a lawman, he has never once drawn a firearm or used a truncheon to beat up an uncooperative suspect.
LongArm’s work is made easier by the fact that he has a gadget that shoots out handcuffs. Because of it, he doesn’t need to get physical with anyone. Additionally, he has a better understanding of the streets, hence he tends to be aware of criminal motivations and what can be done to dissuade them from crime. Regrettably, he always has to deal with bureaucratic obstacles because his fellow officers prefer belligerent approaches.
8 Inspector Gadget (Inspector Gadget)
Inspector Gadget can be clumsy and goofy but solving cases is easy for him because he is not only a cyborg but also because he has dozens of high-tech gadgets located in several sections of his body. Some of his notable devices include the Gadget ‘Brella (for landing in style), Gadget Copter (blades on his hat), and the Gadget Spring to enable him to bounce from one section to another. In addition to that, he has an extra pair of mechanical hands which he uses whenever he needs.
Apart from his own competence, the Inspector Gadget protagonist benefits a lot from the observational and analytical skills of his niece, Penny. She deeply adores him, so she normally goes out of her way to ensure he doesn’t fail in anything he does. So likable is the character that his ‘80s Saturday morning cartoon spawned a franchise of books, toys, and video games.
7 Sam & Max (The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police)
The dynamic duo of Sam (an anthropomorphic dog) and Max (a lagomorph) from The Adventures of Sam & Max stands out because of its ambition. The two buddies are convivial goofballs who take on complex cases only. After all, they have their own detective agency named the Freelance Police, so that can make all the rules. In their quest to maintain law and order, they have been to space, to Mount Olympus, and to hell, among other locations. Even more adorable is their philanthropic nature. After every few episodes, the detectives make a point to visit a school or hospital to deliver goodies.
Like every other good detective, Sam and Max are quick to seek assistance rather than rely on their own judgment. To them, the go-to person for help is the young scientist, Darla “The Geek” Gugenheek. Thanks to her innovations, the investigators have been able to travel to all kinds of destinations to stop threats. Some of their wildest adventures include them heading to the moon to assist “Rat Men” to deal with a cockroach invasion, going back in time to apprehend a rogue knight, and stopping a meteor from hitting Earth.
6 Sherlock Hound (Sherlock Hound)
There are a couple of versions of Sherlock Holmes that differ from the original and Sherlock Hound happens to be one of them. That’s because he is a dog. However, Hound shares his human counterpart’s attributes, notably his proficiency in forensic science and willingness to pull all-nighters in order to solve a case. Furthermore, he is calm, perceptive, and logical, but since he is a cartoon character, he doesn’t succumb to the original incarnation’s drug-related vices.
Despite borrowing the traits of Sir Arthur Doyle’s original character, the Sherlock Hound titular character goes on his own unique adventures in each episode, which mostly revolve around thefts instead of murders. He is quick to piece clues together and tends to have an advantage when pursuing criminals because he drives a high-performance Benz Velo. Every high-speed chase in the series ends with Hound victorious, and so he comes to be known as England’s most heroic officer.
5 B-Brothers (The Adventures of T-Rex)
The Adventures of T-Rex is set in a world where anthropomorphic dinosaurs are the dominant species. Its heroes are the brothers Bernie, Bruno, Bubba, Buck, and Bugsy who work as a Comedy Quartet group by day and as detectives that pore over clues by night. Their crime-fighting exploits are boosted by the fact that each of them has a specific power on one of their body parts. And to make them more fun, they each give the voices of great actors from past eras.
Though the Rep City crime kingpin, Big Boss Graves, is their main foe, the brothers deal with plenty of low-level criminals and hoodlums on the regular. These individuals are usually no match for the B-brothers because their superpowers enable them to spot clues where ordinary officers won’t and to defend themselves whenever there is a need to. Besides that, the sibling brothers have a cool Rex mobile that enables them to easily move around the city.
4 Ace Ventura (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)
Rumors about an Ace Ventura threequel have been going on for a while now but while the project remains uncertain fans can still get to enjoy the detective’s adventures in animation. From catching a bullet with his teeth to riding on a tortoise’s back while chasing criminals, Ace does a lot of weird things while maintaining an air of roguish magnetism. Because of his hedonism, he can be mistakenly dismissed as a lazy investigator, but he never fails to complete the job.
Just like in the movies, Ace appeals to viewers because of his love for animals. His tasks only involve finding mission animals and rescuing them. Consequently, he has encountered the strangest of mammals, reptiles. He once gets called in to find a hamster that has crammed Elvis Presley’s entire catalogue and, on another occasion, he even gets to exorcise a cat. When he is not working, Ace thrives on gormless jokes and anachronisms, hence making himself a valuable character in a cartoon landscape that requires endless jokes.
3 Eliza Maza (Gargoyles)
In Gargoyles, NYPD detective Eliza Maza is the only human who truly understands the fling creatures also known as the Manhattan Clan. She thus becomes so close to them to the point where she falls in love with their leader, Goliath. Because of this arc, Maza is depicted as a character that knows how to balance work and play. Despite her feelings, she maintains her meticulousness when it comes to police work.
Overall, Maza has the creatures to thank for her great law enforcement record. Since they see everything around the city, they never hesitate to inform and aid her whenever something goes wrong. Additionally, Maza’s involvement with the Manhattan Clan accords her the opportunity to deal with supernatural threats on the regular.
2 Biggles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ lead detective is more opportunistic than competent. Since he oversees all cases in New York’s 2105 timeline, he prefers allowing the Ninja Turtles to bring down criminals then he takes all the credit. While the strategy is morally questionable, it has worked extremely well for him and as a result, he has plenty of medals to his name.
The best part is that Biggles actions haven’t damaged his relationship with the turtles. They understand that they cannot be honored for the work they do and that the lawman is doing them a favor by not arresting them. In the end, there is a win-win situation where the city gets to have fewer crimes and the heroes get all the freedom to do what they want, despite the fact that vigilante activities are illegal.
1 Lucky Piquel (Bonkers)
True to his name, Lucky Piquel is a very lucky detective, so he normally closes the cases in Bonkers without trying too hard. Because of his huge stature, he often defeats villains by falling on them or knocking them over unintentionally. He is still quite good at police work too, since he relies on by-the-book methods instead of the violent approach that his less-effective partner, Bonkers, prefers.
Early in the series, earns the position of Detective Lieutenant of the Toon Division after arresting a mugger that was trying to steal from Donal Duck, and from there on, his confidence shoots up. At some point, he gets to have such a good record that he earns himself a promotion to the FBI in Washington DC.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
