Summary
Since 1929,Looney Tuneshas been full of non-stop laughs, made for adults and kids alike. From Bugs Bunny to Daffy Duck, many a childhood was defined by the always funny characters ofLooney TunesandMerrie Melodies.
Even though it’s been almost a century, the modern franchise is still in full swing, with films, video games, and spinoffs in addition to the cartoons, and the future of these characters is looking bright. There are several characters that have been lost to time in those years, but they made an impression even with a single appearance.
Updated on July 17, 2025, by Kristy Ambrose:The humor of Looney Tunes was daring and subversive for its time, using parody and sarcasm along with political satire, while other animation studios were more concerned with flowers and trees. The wisecracking rabbit and his popular adversaries took up most of the popular episodes and storylines, but sometimes a new character would appear to play off the main character’s antics instead. Some of them have appeared again in contemporary games and movies.
12Spike The Bulldog
Dissapeared For 40 Years
Spike The Bulldogwas mostly seen side by side with Chester The Terrier. Both characters first appeared in 1952’sTree for Two, in which they are seen looking for a cat to beat up. Hijinks ensue and before one knows it, the tough-looking Spike is brought to heel.
The duo also engages in a story where Spike is transformed into a cat monster due to a secret formula. Despite having relatively few appearances, Spike and Chester remain hilarious. They also made a cameo inSpace Jam(1996).
Part Of The 1990s Animation Reboot
Also known as Eggbert,Egghead Jr.is a hyper-intelligent baby chick that could never seem to catch a break in life. He is often tutored by Foghorn Leghorn in what it means to be a “man”. This has been a constant source of humiliation for Egghead Jr.
Most of the time, he one-ups his mentor Foghorn by using his brains to defeat the brawn. His silent and studious nature always seemed to make him an outcast, which might be why he was also a character inTiny Toon Adventuresand was the student who didn’t like to be disturbed.
10Elvis The Gorilla
Baby Bugs Versus The Jungle
Apes of Wrathis a remake of a cartoon that was produced in 1948 calledGorilla of My Dreams,so it’s possible to say thatElvis the Gorillahas appeared more than once. Other than appearing in one of the funniest animated shortsfeaturing Bugs Bunny, he’s never been featured again other than a brief on-screen cameo inSpace Jam.
The plot starts when a drunken stork has to make a delivery and accidentally delivers a sleeping Bugs Bunny to a gorilla couple instead of a baby. Mama is willing to accept the strange little gorilla as he is, but Daddy Elvis isn’t having it and makes his feelings known even though he’s not as articulate as his mate.
Bugs plays up the part as much as possible, enjoying Mama’s attention and her scolding of Elvis. However, the stork eventually sobers up and drops off the real baby gorilla, and Bugs has to figure out a quick escape plan.
9Claude Cat
A Hilarious Coward
Never has there been a more neurotic animated cat on the small screen thanClaude Cat. His always worried and nervous demeanor means that he has been pretty much in fear for his life, a perfect stereotype of a spoiled and skittish indoor kitty.
He has no main adversary, anyone who threatens to disrupt his carefully organized life is on his list. At times Claude has shown more of his villainous nature, such as when he was plotting against Marc Antony. Most recently, he has been teamed up with Sylvester and Pete Puma.
8Granny
An Endearing Character
Emma Webster, also known asGranny, is the owner of Tweety, Sylvester, and Hector The Bulldog. She is alsoone of the oldest characters, her first appearance being in the 1937 cartoon “Little Red Walking Hood” where she appeared as, of course, the Grandmother character.
She has made numerous appearances of varying sizes since 1937, yet she has not been seen much in recent years. One of her best appearances is as a detective inThe Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries.
7Giovanni Jones
A Big Voice But A Small Man
Giovanni Jonesonly appears once, but his role is a memorable one. Bugs Bunny is just minding his own business, playing a cheerful song on a banjo, when he’s rudely interrupted by an opera singer practicing for a later show. Annoyed by the noise, Giovanni Jones smashes Bugs' banjo, along with making some other displays of physical violence, and our hero declares war.
In the carnage that ensues, Bugs Bunny sabotages the opera in a variety of ways, until finally appearing as famed conductor Leopold Stokowski. This is also a shot at Disney’sFantasia,in which Stokowski appeared and conducted the music. Bugs comes out on top in the end, banjo and all, but Giovanni’s sacrifice shouldn’t be forgotten.
6Sam Sheepdog
The Main Enemy Of The Also Obscure Ralph Wolf
The kinda-sorta enemy of Ralph Wolf,Sam Sheepdoghas been around since 1953. He most appeared with Ralph Wolf in the beginning, the twowere often seen at oddsover sheep. With very few amounts of effort or hard work Sam would stop Ralph from stealing the sheep he watched over.
Even the Tasmanian Devil himself Taz could not wrestle a sheep away from Sam Sheepdog. Somehow, even though he is mostly seen sleeping, Sam has managed to protect his sheep faithfully over the years.
5Penelope Pussycat
She Only Looks Like A Skunk
The one and only cat that has the eye of Pepe Le Pew isPenelope Pussycat. Since her invention in 1949, she has been avoiding the less-than-charming attempts at romance with Pepe. For a number of years, she was a mostly silent character.
It was only in 1959 that she was finally given a voice and a dose of agency. She seems to have enjoyed dodging the numerous advances of Pepe throughout the years. In recent times, some merchandise has portrayed the two as romantically involved.
4Petunia Pig
Older Versions Were Much Different
First seen in 1937,Petunia Pigis the girlfriend of Porky Pig. Their relationship has evolved over the decades as Petunia was once portrayed as selfish and unkind. In other words, a stereotypical pig, created as a satirical character in pre-WW2 America.
In her few modern appearances, Petunia Pig is shown as kind and very loving. She is most frequently seen in adventures involving Porky Pig where she tries to help him accomplish some kind of goal.
3The Crusher
Another Case Of Mental Versus Muscle
Warner Bros. was making fun of wrestling before it was cool, andThe Crusherwas one of the characters that appeared in these episodes, another of which wasBunny Huggedin 1951. The Crusher would also make modern appearances in Tiny Toon Adventures, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, Duck Dodgers, and a cameo in the 2003 movieLooney Tunes Back in Action.
His first appearances in the late 1940s cast him as another tough guy who would eventually learn to bend to the will of Bugs.Rabbit Punchis a reference to an illegal boxing move, and the audience discovers that The Crusher cheats when the ref is distracted, but Bugs Bunny uses the wrestler’s own tricks against him. The match lasted into Round 110 and included a variety of props, weapons, and insane stunts.
