In the ever-growing world of animation, several cartoon trios have graced screens as protagonists. These trio characters often quickly stand out because they share the spotlight, having almost similar screen time. While several of these cartoon trios are obvious to pick out, others are not so obvious.
This often happens in animated films where one or all three characters are given arcs/subplots that may significantly expand the trio of characters. Good examples are Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa in The Lion King, whose friendship is formed in adversity and would later expand to introduce a few other characters in their circle. The same applies to Shrek (Shrek, Donkey, and Puss in Boots) and Ice Age (Sid, Manny, and Diego). To this end, here are the top 9 most popular cartoon trios.
Alvin, Simon, and Theodore in Alvin and the Chipmunks
46 years before Tim Hill‘s live-action/animated jukebox musical comedy was released in 2007, Alvin and the Chipmunks have long been a staple for television audiences in the early 60s. The Chipmunks first appeared in animated form in the CBS series The Alvin Show (1961–1962). However, the characters became popular on the NBC animated TV series Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally aired from September 17, 1983, to December 1, 1990. These anthropomorphic Chipmunks are one of television’s earliest cartoon trios and include Alvin (oldest and musical band leader), Simon (middle brother and tallest of the trio), and Theodore (youngest and most sensitive). All three characters appear and play the lead whenever the Chipmunks are represented.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie in DuckTales
The Walt Disney Television Animation’s DuckTales made the cartoon trios Huey, Dewey, and Louie popular. Appearing together, these cartoon trios are the nephews of the famous Donald Duck and the grand-nephews of Scrooge McDuck. DuckTales revolves around Scrooge McDuck and his grand-nephews as they embark on various adventures. The cartoon trios are created as anthropomorphic white ducks with yellow-orange feet and bills. Often, audiences can tell them apart with the colors of their shirts and baseball caps. Huey wears red, Dewey wears blue, and Louie wears green. The original DuckTales aired on Syndication from September 18, 1987, to November 28, 1990. DuckTales was rebooted on DisneyXD and aired for 3 seasons from August 12, 2017, to March 15, 2021.
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot in Animaniacs
The Animaniacs shaped the childhood of several late 80s and 90s kids. The cartoon series was more of a variety show that featured several other cartoon characters. These characters often appear in the show’s short skits. However, The Warner siblings Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are more like the series hosts. These cartoon trios live in the Warner Bros. Water Tower. The original Animaniacs show aired on Fox/The WB from September 13, 1993, to November 14, 1998. A reboot was developed by Wellesley Wild and Steven Spielberg for Hulu and aired for 3 seasons from November 20, 2020, to February 17, 2023.
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup in The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls was one of Cartoon Network’s most popular television series from the late 90s to the mid-2000s. Set in the fictional city of Townsville, the cartoon trios Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are superheroes who defend the town from villains and giant monsters. The cartoon trios live with their father and creator, Professor Utonium. The superhero animated series aired originally from November 18, 1998, to March 25, 2005. The girls were differentiated by their clothing (with matching eye color) and hairstyle. Blossom wears pink (with orange hair and a red hair bow), Bubbles wears blue (with yellow hair), and Buttercup wears green (with black hair).
Courage, Eustace and Muriel in Courage the Cowardly Dog
Courage the Cowardly Dog is another Cartoon Network animated television series with cartoon trios as lead characters. The cartoon series is set in the fictional town of Nowhere in Kansas and revolves around the eponymous dog, Courage. Courage lives in their farmhouse with an elderly couple, Eustace and Muriel. As a dark horror series, Courage the Cowardly Dog follows the cartoon trios paranormal and supernatural adventures. The series ran for 4 seasons on Cartoon Network from November 12, 1999, to November 22, 2002.
Ed, Edd, ‘n Eddy
The eponymous characters are the cartoon trios in Ed, Edd, ‘n Eddy. The Cartoon Network animated series is also set in the fictional town of Peach Creek. The cartoon trios are friends who live in a suburban cul-de-sac. Although the series features other neighborhood children, Ed, Edd, and Eddy are the main characters. Most episodes follow the friend’s unsuccessful schemes to make money off their neighborhood friends. Ed, Edd, ‘n Eddy originally aired from January 4, 1999, to November 8, 2009.
Timmy Turner, Cosmo, and Wanda in The Fairly Odd Parents
The Fairly Odd Parents first aired on Nickelodeon on March 30, 2001. Although it moved to a sister network, Nicktoons, The Fairly Odd Parents is Nickelodeon’s second longest-running animated series after SpongeBob SquarePants. The Fairly Odd Parents is also based on cartoon trios and follows the adventures of 10-year-old Timmy Turner and his two fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda. To stay hidden from others, the fairy godparents often disguised as inanimate objects or animals.
Billy, Mandy, and Grim in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy was a popular supernatural animated series aired in the 2000s. The series follows cartoon trios comprising the idiotic, happy-go-lucky boy Billy, tomboyish, cold-hearted, and cynical Mandy, and a reluctant Jamaican-accented Reaper Grim, who has supernatural abilities. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy ran successfully on Cartoon Network for 6 seasons from August 24, 2001, to October 12, 2008.
Kevin, Stuart, and Bob in Minions
A good way to wrap up the list is with one of the most famous cartoon trios in the history of animated films. Supervillain Gru‘s henchmen were first introduced in the animated comedy Despicable Me in 2010. The cartoon trios shared the spotlight in the spin-off/prequel animated comedy film Minions in 2015. It follows three Minions, Kevin, Stuart, and Bob, who, after accidentally killing the previous evil masters, search for a new replacement. The cartoon trios returned for the sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022).