When I think of my childhood, the first thing that I think of are the cartoons that I watched as a kid. They are, in my opinion, superior to the current cartoons today in every way.

The animation style and techniques of cartoons may have advanced farther since when I was a kid, but the content and the storytelling techniques have not.

I believe the cartoons today have actually regressed since the early 2000s. So here are my top five cartoons from late 90s to early 2000s.

Before getting into the list, here are some honorable mentions: Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Justice League, Samurai Jack, and What’s new, Scooby Doo.

Coming at number five is Codename: Kids Next Door, which began airing in December of 2002.

This was a cartoon series about five kids who acted as spy agents and battle against the oppressive adults and teenagers.

The main characters were a group of five young kids codenamed “numbah” 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Next at number four is Batman Beyond. Batman Beyond which first aired in 1999. Batman Beyond is set in the year 2039, 20 years after Bruce Wayne has given up the mantle of the batman.

The series follows Bruce Wayne’s newest protégé, Terry McGinnis. Terry’s transformation into the Batman is very similar to Dick Grayson’s transformation into the original Robin.

Terry’s father was killed by Derek Powers after stumbling upon information about illegal weapons. While Dick lost his parents to Tony Zucco after the circus manager refused to pay Zucco “protection money.”

This set both on the path to becoming masked vigilantes as they sought to bring justice to their family killers.

This has been consistently one of my favorite DC cartoons, more so than the animated series in the early 2000s due to the darker tones, but also what I see as superior storytelling.

At number three is Power Rangers Ninja Storm which aired in 2003. This series holds a special place in my heart. It was the first power ranger series that I ever watched. And in my opinion, it was probably the best.

I can’t say that it was the best power ranger series ever created. That honor goes to the first power ranger series: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

But Ninja Storm ranks higher than Mighty Morphin for me because of the sentimental value and the memories I have from my childhood.

At number two is Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired in 2005. The show follows the journey of Aang, a young boy, awakening in a war-torn world of elemental magic as he undertakes a peril-filled mystic quest.

He tries to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar to bring peace and harmony back to the four nations.

This renditon of the series has got to be one of my favorites because it mixes both lighthearted tones with darker and more sinister tones.

The success that the series has had has inevitably led to a sequel: Legend of Korra. And while that series was still great in its own right, it never came close to matching the success of the original series.

At number one is Teen Titans. The Teen Titans show began airing in 2003. This show is what I would call a masterpiece that got a reboot went wrong.

Yes, I am referring to the mockery that is Teen Titans Go!

That show is an insult to the original. It got so bad, that the show wrote an episode just to show how superior the original Teen Titans were.

The original series had character development, great storytelling, and wasn’t afraid to touch the darker tones of the plot.

But at the same time there were funny moments that gave kids the chance to laugh and smile at.

The reboot had absolutely nothing going for it except corny jokes, and those got old before the first episode was even over.

Teen Titans has been and will always be my favorite cartoon from my youth.

While other shows may come close, Teen Titans stands head and shoulders above the rest.