13 Times ‘90s Cartoons Terrified You As A Kid

Let’s face it: A lot of things that we were exposed to as children were totally terrifying. Whether it was the rides we rode at carnivals, the dangers of a playground (don't tell me you never jumped off a swing the wrong way), or what we were watching on TV, there were endless opportunities to have the daylights scared out of us. And, when it came to the cartoons that our parents assumed were totally fine for us to be watching, it was no different: there were tons of ‘90s cartoons that terrified us all when we were kids. I'm pretty sure if our parents had known that the stuff they were exposing us to in the name of childhood entertainment was just as terrifying as some of the things they would never let us watch. Whether it was a show that you tuned into every week or a movie that your parents were so excited to take you to see, there were so many moments in those cartoons that were absolutely horrifying.

They were the stuff of nightmares, and probably the scenes and themes you still picture when you can’t go to sleep at night. Or maybe they were moments that you just didn’t understand and only later came to see as completely harmless. Whatever they were, these scenes definitely did a number on your well being.

Admit, these moments in some of your favorite ‘90s cartoons totally terrified you, too.

1. When Homer Had That Nuclear Waste To Contend With In The Simpsons

It wouldn’t be until chemistry class that you really understood how horrifying this was, but the shot of that nuclear waste bouncing into Homer’s shirt in the opening credits was enough to terrify anyone.

2. When Bobby Almost Drowned In Bobby’s World

He was at the bottom of the pool for a terrifying while there — but thankfully his brother, Derek, saved him. Sure, the scene inspired one of the greatest musical numbers in the history of the show, but it also inspired an entire summer of you being afraid to go in the pool.

3. When All Of Ren’s Teeth Fell Out In Ren And Stimpy

It wasn’t the pain was so terrifying so much as the image of his rotten and broken teeth that made me squirm in my seat.

4. Every Single Episode Of Tales From The Cryptkeeper

Enough said.

5. When Inspector Gadget Almost Electrocuted Himself To Death In Inspector Gadget

Remember those little safety clips at the end of every episode? I remember one in particular where Inspector Gadget was teaching Penny the importance of turning off the light before changing the light bulb... and things don’t exactly go as planned. Needless to say, it’s a life lesson that has been burned into my memory.

6. Every Time The Coyote Died In Looney Tunes

He worked so hard to catch that The Road Runner, but, man, was it so scary when he just plummeted to his death on a regular basis.

7. When Beavis Would Get Mad In Beavis And Butthead

Something about those two was always super creepy to me — but when Beavis would freak out and get those crazy eyes, it was extra scary to watch when I was a kid.

8. Just, Like, All Of Creepy Crawlers

Good show, though.

9. When Nicholas Was Possessed In The Care Bears

There are no words for the level of terror this moment gave me as a child. Why my parents let me watch on repeat for, like, all of my fifth year on Earth is really beyond me.

10. When Ursula Became Enormous In The Little Mermaid

How and why did this happen? I still don’t know, but it’s still the reason why I don’t like swimming in open water.

11. When Jafar Turned Into A Snake In Aladdin

As if that man weren’t terrifying enough on his own.

12. Those Three Hyenas In The Lion King

I know they never did anything too terrible, but they were still entirely terrifying.

13. When The Townspeople Tried To Burn The Beast In Beauty And The Beast

Not that the beast was such a great guy up until that point in the movie, but when Gaston led the charge to go set fire to his castle, it was pretty terrifying.

Who else is going to have to sleep with their light on tonight?

Image: Walt Disney Pictures; Giphy (12)