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Cartoon Network and Toonami introduced many people to anime, and many of the shows it aired, from early series like Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon to later shows like Hunter x Hunter and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, are still iconic today. However, many more anime that aired on Cartoon Network have been almost completely forgotten by fans today.
Many Cartoon Network anime series, like Blue Submarine No. 6, made an impact on viewers when they originally aired but aren't remembered by most fans today. Not all of these series have stood the test of time, but looking back at this anime provides a welcome window into just how much Cartoon Network did for the medium as a whole.
Cyborg 009 Didn't Finish Its Cartoon Network Run
Based on a manga that started in the '60s, Cyborg 009 was an incredibly influential manga that spawned radio plays and an array of films and animated series. The 2001 Cyborg 009 series made its way to Cartoon Network, but only half of its episodes were actually shown on Cartoon Network.
Later episodes of Cyborg 009 were shown late on Friday nights, but the series was eventually dropped from Cartoon Network's library entirely. For years, the dub that aired on Cartoon Network was extremely hard to find, but the series was restored and officially re-released in 2019.
Blue Submarine No. 6 Turned Adult Swim Into a Home for Bleak Sci-Fi War Stories
Blue Submarine No. 6 is a short OVA series that Adult Swim helped introduce to a wider audience when anime on late-night TV still felt like contraband. Set in a flooded future where humanity is pushed to the brink by a genetically engineered sea empire, it follows a reluctant submarine officer forced into a war that he would rather not fight in. The show is often forgotten because of how compact it is, and because its early hybrid animation style can read as dated at first glance.
That surface-level awkwardness hides a story with real thematic bite. Blue Submarine No. 6 treats conflict as tragedy, not spectacle, and repeatedly questions whether victory means anything when empathy is the first casualty. The series also features unusually thoughtful environmental imagery, tying its apocalyptic setting to human arrogance and ecological collapse without turning into a lecture. As a brief, emotionally heavy sci-fi war story, this still hits harder than many longer shows.
Witch Hunter Robin Proved Adult Swim Could Thrive on Slow-Burn Supernatural Noir
Witch Hunter Robin is one of Adult Swim’s most quietly influential supernatural dramas, built less on monster fights and more on slow-burning dread. The story follows Robin Sena, a fire-wielding investigator recruited by an organization that hunts witches, humans with dangerous powers. What starts as procedural casework steadily reveals a web of institutional control, moral compromise, and identity manipulation. It’s unfortunately easy to see why the memory of the series faded, as the pacing is slow, the action is restrained, and the aesthetic leans far from loud spectacle.
Witch Hunter Robin's approach clashes with the way many anime are recommended in sound-bite form. Still, the show’s mood is its weapon. Each episode tightens the sense that the system is broken, as Robin’s confidence is eroded by the realization that justice is being used as a convenient mask. For audiences drawn to modern prestige dramas, Witch Hunter Robin will feel like an early example of anime embracing atmosphere-first storytelling.
Android Kikaider: The Animation Made Adult Swim’s Lineup More Philosophical Than Fans Remember
Android Kikaider: The Animation arrived on Adult Swim as a classic-style hero story with a distinctly melancholy core. Based on tokusatsu roots, the anime centers on Jiro, an android built for battle who is burdened with an incomplete conscience circuit. Jiro’s humanity is not a given, but an ongoing struggle shaped by choice and the fear of becoming a weapon without restraint. This anime’s low profile comes simply from timing and branding.
Android Kikaider: The Animation offers a moody blend of action, philosophical reflection, and episodic tragedy, often framing each conflict as a test of what separates a person from a machine. Android Kikaider’s best moments are quiet rather than explosive, like long walks through rainy streets or hesitant conversations about free will. The production leans into that atmosphere, setting it apart from the hyperactive style of other action imports.
Zoids: Chaotic Century Was a Toonami Staple That Deserves More Credit
Zoids: Chaotic Century is frequently misremembered as being a toy marketing effort first and a story second, which does a disservice to how well it worked as a Toonami adventure series. The anime follows a runaway pilot who bonds with a rare Zoid and gets pulled into a war defined by evolving technology and personal rivalries that grow sharper over time. Giant animal-shaped mechs provide the hook, but the real fuel is that every arc raises the tactical and emotional cost. Sadly, Zoids: Chaotic Century can be hard to track down today.
The show’s place in Cartoon Network’s history gets buried because the Zoids brand sprawls across multiple series, reboots and tonal shifts. The localization and broadcast order confusion don't help either. Even so, its strengths remain clear. Battles have weight, mechanical designs are memorable, and the narrative gradually transitions from one of survival to full-scale military stakes. Toonami often thrived on stories where teamwork and perseverance met flashy action, and Zoids: Chaotic Century fit that template perfectly.
Immortal Grand Prix Was Toonami’s Most Unusual Mecha Hit
Immortal Grand Prix is one of the most unique anime on Cartoon Network because it was developed as a collaboration between major Japanese and American creators. The show then aired as a Toonami centerpiece. The premise follows a futuristic sport where teams race and fight using high-speed mechs. Immortal Grand Prix treats competition like drama, focusing on team chemistry, ego clashes, injuries, sponsorship pressure, and the psychological toll of performing under constant scrutiny.
The series gets forgotten because it does not fit the traditional anime gateway narrative. Immortal Grand Prix is neither a classic shonen quest nor a fantasy epic. It’s a sports story in mecha clothing, and its character work is more grounded than the louder Toonami staples. That grounded approach makes it special, despite the show not being very popular. The story benefits from clean pacing and clear stakes, and audiences that enjoy sports anime today will almost certainly appreciate Immortal Grand Prix.
Outlaw Star Was Toonami’s Complete Space Adventure Package
Outlaw Star is often overshadowed by other late-90s space westerns, which makes its Cartoon Network run a prime candidate for collective forgetfulness. Airing on Toonami, the series follows Gene Starwind, a brash jack-of-all-trades who stumbles into ownership of a powerful ship. He gets swept into a galaxy-spanning chase involving assassins, ancient technology and a mysterious galactic leyline. The vibe gives pure adventure: swagger, danger and constant forward motion. What makes Outlaw Star memorable now is how effortlessly it blends tones.
Outlaw Star can pivot from comedy to thriller without losing itself. The cast lineup is also built for chemistry, with personalities that clash in ways that push the plot. The action scenes are punchy, but the real charm comes from its momentum and worldbuilding. Outlaw Star’s Cartoon Network era can be hard to place because it lived in the same ecosystem as louder giants, and rerun patterns often defined what stuck in memory. Still, Outlaw Star remains one of Toonami’s most satisfying complete packages.
