These Fast Cartoon Characters Leave The Competition In The Dust

In the world of cartoons and animation, anything is possible. Cartoon characters can change their shape or size and tend to have an endless amount of energy and strength. In addition, they often make convenient tools and objects appear from behind their back when they most need them. They also seem to have an incredible resistance to pain.

Of course, running at tremendous speeds is another trait many cartoon characters exhibit, especially if their animators designed them to be fast. Some cartoon characters are fast because of their unique superpowers. Others are quick due to their clothing or inventions, which can make it difficult to determine exactly which character is the fastest.

Updated on April 6th, 2024 by Chelsea Steele: In the world of animation, sky's the limit when it comes to what characters are capable of. As a result, many beloved cartoon icons have superhuman abilities, including super speed. From classics such as Looney Tunes to more recent titles like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the world of cartoons is full of all kinds of speedy characters who can easily run circles around the rest. We've updated this list to meet CBR's current publication standard, offering more info on some of the fastest animated characters out there.

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15 The Tasmanian Devil Breaks Through Walls And Objects In His Path

Looney Tunes

One of the main antagonists from the Looney Tunes franchise is the Tasmanian Devil, known by most simply as Taz. This carnivorous animal is native to the Australian state of Tasmania. Taz usually growls and makes grunting sounds to portray what's on his mind. He starred alongside his family in his own animated series called Taz-Mania.

Taz spins around extremely fast and breaks through walls and objects in his path. He has a vicious and ferocious reputation thanks to his powerful jaws and quick-spinning speed. He is usually found escaping out of crates or chasing after Bugs Bunny with ravenous intentions. But while his whirlwind speed is impressive, it still pales in comparison to many other animated speedsters out there.

Looney Tunes

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other iconic characters are Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes, featuring in television, movies, video games and more. Created by Leon Schlesinger, Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising.

14 Dick Dastardly & Muttley Have The Fastest Car In Wacky Races

Wacky Races

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Dick Dastardly and Muttley were the devious characters from Hanna Barbera's Wacky Races, which first aired in 1968. Although these two weren't so fast on foot, their vehicle is the fastest car in the series. Ironically, they have never won a race even with the Mean Machine. The pair often gets ahead of the other racers to set up traps or diversions in an attempt to delay everyone else.

Dastardly planned and prepared these elaborate schemes while Muttley just laughed when his partner's plans were foiled. Because of their ambitions to cheat, The Mean Machines' speed was never truly put to the test. However, if the duo were to race with honest intentions, their rocket-powered car could help them secure first place.

13 The Mask Routinely Rejects The Laws Of Physics

The Mask: Animated Series

The Mask started as a comic series published by Dark Horse, but was adapted as a live-action movie and later an animated series. The franchise followed banker Stanley Ipkiss who put on the enchanted Mask of Loki. He transformed into a powerful alter ego with incredible abilities.

The Mask morphed into its victims' faces which turned their skin green and gave them an unleashed personality. Those who wore the Mask spun around rapidly until the change was complete. The subject also adopted cartoon character traits as the mask gave them a slapstick sense of humor and the ability to move really, really fast.

12 Speedy Gonzales Might Be Tiny, But He's Extremely Fast

Looney Tunes

Speedy Gonzales is the fastest mouse in all of Mexico, and he was first seen on television over 60 years ago. This rapid rodent is another character created by Warner Bros. He is usually seen causing trouble and terrorizing Sylvester or Daffy Duck by scaring them or luring them into traps.

This famous fun-loving mouse is one of the fastest cartoon animals to make it on the big screen. His tiny anatomy means his legs are also small, which limits his maximum running speed. However, Speedy Gonzales can easily outrun his enemies and cunningly stay out of harm's way.

11 Rainbow Dash Can Perform A Technique Known As The Sonic Rainboom

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was a surprising hit with older audiences, many of whom formed fandoms devoted to every aspect of the show. While all the characters have iconic characteristics, Rainbow Dash is best known for her flight powers. However, she can do a lot more than just fly. Some of Rainbow Dash's special moves include the "fantastic filly flash," the "rainblow dry," the "buccaneer blaze," and the "super-speed strut" — the last one signifies her incredible agility.

Further, Rainbow Dash can perform a technique known as the Sonic Rainboom, referencing the shockwaves generated when something breaks the sound barrier. If Rainbow Dash can actually move faster than sound, there's no doubt she's one of the fastest cartoon characters out there.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Release Date

2010 - 2018

Network

Hub Network, Discovery Family

Directors

Ishi Rudell, Denny Lu, Mike Myhre, Tim Stuby

Cast

• 

  Tara Strong

  Pinkie Pie / Fluttershy (voice)

• 

  Ashleigh Ball

  Sunny Flare (voice)

• 

  Tabitha St. Germain

  Micro Chips (voice)

• 

  Andrea Libman

  Sonata Dusk (voice)

• 

After learning that her friends, as well as herself, are the magical Elements of Harmony, studious unicorn Twilight Sparkle is sent by her mentor, Princess Celestia, to Ponyville to study the magic of friendship with help from her friends.

10 The Powerpuff Girls Should Thank Chemical X For Their Incredible Speed

The Powerpuff Girls

When Professor Utonium created the superpowered Powerpuff Girls, he added sugar, spice, and everything nice into the mix that produced Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. They protected the city of Townsville from powerful threats like Mojo Jojo and Him with a wide selection of incredible powers. They are some of the strangest cartoon characters out there, but they developed a huge fanbase.

All things considered, it seems likely that Chemical X gave the Powerpuff Girls their incredible super speed. They usually hit their best speeds while flying through the air, though they have been shown to be fast in other daily actions as well. The Powerpuff Girls routinely exhibited incredible new abilities that disappeared after an episode, but their super speed was used frequently.

9 Road Runner Consistently And Effortlessly Evades Wile E. Coyote

Looney Tunes

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Road Runner may not have the largest vocabulary, but he is still the fastest cartoon character from the Looney Tunes franchise. Viewers were first introduced to the speedy bird in a classic Looney Tunes episode that still holds up. He's almost always joined by Wile E. Coyote, a hungry carnivore who spends most of his time chasing the speedy Road Runner and setting up traps. Though in just about every episode the elusive Road Runner proves too fast for Wile E. to catch, there have been a few rare occasions where the coyote has managed to capture his prey, if only temporarily.

Road Runner uses his energy to bolt up and down the desolate roads of Texas and evade capture from Wile E. Coyote. Road Runner's height, slender physique, and long legs help him travel great distances over a short period of time. A descendant of Road Runner named Rev Runner from the future world of Loonatics Unleashed also displayed incredible super speed.

8 Roger Smith Has Been Shown To Break The Sound Barrier

American Dad

Some adult animated series have also featured characters with surprising speed. The popular series American Dad follows the members of the Smith family, and their patriarch Stan, who once worked as a C.I.A. agent. The family has a secret, as they live with an alien that Stan brought home from work one day. His name is Roger, and he used a number of different personas to go out in public.

While it isn't an ability that viewers see often on-screen, Roger exhibits an incredible ability to move faster than the speed of sound. He used this ability to fake the death of one of his personas after she got too close to Steve's high school friend. He moved so fast that he was able to set up a number of objects to simulate his bloody death while a bus sped towards him.

7 Freakazoid Once Ran Around The Earth In An Instant

Freakazoid!

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Freakazoid! is an often overlooked cartoon classic. The series featured similar manic humor to Animaniacs and each episode contained a few different skits and stories. Dexter Douglas was a geeky high school kid who gained a new powerful form and all the knowledge of the internet, which overloaded his mind a bit.

Dexter transformed into his costumed alter ego by saying his catchphrase, "Freak out!" Freakazoid had a number of powerful abilities, including super strength, durability, endurance, and intense super-speed. Freakazoid once quickly ran around the Earth in an instant so that he could yell at a monk for raking too loud, which would make some of the other cartoon speedsters eat his dust.

6 Dash Parr Has The Energy To Consistently Maintain His Super Speed

The Incredibles

Although first introduced in a Pixar movie, The Incredibles' Dash Parr has also appeared in several short films and video games. Every single member of the Parr family has unique powers, and Dash's name proves that he's the fastest of them all. The exact max speed achieved by him remains ambiguous, but the fact that he can easily run over water means that he's no slowpoke.

In addition, Dash's reaction time is absolutely remarkable, allowing him to evade superfast attacks. His energy levels are consistently high, which helps him maintain his speed without experiencing any lag. That said, Dash is still a child at this point, so his powers have a limit. However, as he's still growing, he could become considerably speedier as an adult.

The Incredibles

Release Date

October 27, 2004

Runtime

115 minutes

Director

Brad Bird

Cast

• 

  Craig T. Nelson

  Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible (voice)

• 

  Holly Hunter

  Helen Parr / Elastigirl (voice)

• 

  Sarah Vowell

  Violet Parr (voice)

• 

  Spencer Fox

  Dashiell 'Dash' Parr (voice)

While trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.

5 Sonic The Hedgehog Can Presumably Run Faster Than The Speed Of Sound

Sonic The Hedgehog

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Sonic The Hedgehog was originally a video game released in 1991 for the Sega Genesis console. The game was popular around the world which led to a Sonic comic book series and an animated TV series in 1993. Since then, the franchise has flourished and many more games have been released. The speedy hedgehog also has a popular live-action movie franchise.

As his name suggests, Sonic can run at the speed of sound, which is slightly more than 767 mph. Anything traveling at these speeds will break the sound barrier and cause a sonic boom. However, many fans believe they haven't yet seen Sonic's maximum potential and therefore, his top speed is still to be demonstrated.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Get ready to unleash your inner speed demon with the iconic blue blur, Sonic the Hedgehog! This electrifying franchise, spanning video games, comics, animation, and even live-action films, has captivated audiences for over three decades with its thrilling adventures, memorable characters, and infectious sense of fun.

Created by

Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, Hirokazu Yasuhara

First Film

Sonic the Hedgehog

Latest Film

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

First TV Show

The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog

Latest TV Show

Sonic Prime

Upcoming TV Shows

Knuckles

Cast

Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Jim Carrey, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Idris Elba, Colleen O'Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub, Jaleel White, Kath Soucie, Christine Cavanaugh, Bradley Pierce, Charlie Adler, Jim Cummings, Rob Paulsen, Cree Summer, Frank Welker, Roger Craig Smith, Mike Pollock, Travis Willingham, Nika Futterman, Kirk Thornton, Wally Wingert, Brian Drummond, Deven Mack, Ashleigh Ball, Adam Nurada, Shannon Chan-Kent, Ian Hanlin, Kazumi Evans, Vincent Tong

TV Show(s)

The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Boom, Sonic Prime, Knuckles

Video Game(s)

Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode One, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Two, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Advance, Sonic Advance 2, Sonic Rush, Sonic Rush Adventure, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, Sonic Mania, Sonic Mania Plus, Sonic Superstars, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic And The Secret Rings, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors, Sonic Colors Ultimate, Sonic Generations, Sonic Lost World, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, Sonic Forces, Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Dream Team, Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic R, Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity, Sonic Rivals 2, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, Team Sonic Racing, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Sonic the Fighters

4 Quicksilver Is Known For His Exceptional Reflexes And Lightning Speed

Marvel/X-Men

Pietro Maximoff, otherwise known as Quicksilver, first appeared on television in the Captain America segments from The Marvel Super Heroes animated series from the '60s. He has also appeared in the various X-Men animated series over the years, as well as in two different live-action adaptations.

Quicksilver is known for his lightning speed, incredible reflexes, and impressive levels of stamina and endurance. He could effortlessly travel at the speed of sound and rapidly run around the world, skimming across the ocean's surface. After more recent live-action portrayals, fans have calculated Quicksilver's speed to be around roughly 1,047,600 mph.

X-Men

Since their debut in 1963, Marvel's X-Men have been more than just another superhero team. While the team really hit its stride as the All New, All Different X-Men in 1975, Marvel's heroic mutants have always operated as super-outcasts, protecting a world that hates and fears them for their powers.

Key members of the X-Men include Professor X, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Wolverine, Iceman, Beast, Rogue, and Storm. Often framed as the world's second strongest superheroes, after the Avengers, they are nonetheless one of Marvel's most popular and important franchises.

3 Superman Can Travel At The Speed Of Light

DC/Superman

Superman first appeared in 1938's Action Comics. He debuted in animated film serials in 1941 and a number of other solo series and team cartoons. In 1998, he got his own cartoon with some of his scariest villains in Superman: The Animated Series. This superhero from the planet Krypton possesses superhuman strength and the ability to travel at incredibly fast speeds.

Superman can travel at the speed of light, which is approximately 186,000 miles per second. He can also travel a thousand times faster than that, if necessary, which puts his top speed closer to 186 million mps. The Man of Steel has no problems keeping up with other speedsters, though he isn't the fastest member of the Justice League.

2 Silver Surfer Obtained His Cosmic Speed Ability From Galactus

Marvel/The Silver Surfer

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Norrin Radd is the Silver Surfer, a powerful cosmic being who first appeared in an issue of the Fantastic Four comic in 1966. He officially became a cartoon character when he appeared in 1967's Fantastic Four cartoon. However, he starred in his own series in 1998 that lasted for one season. Silver Surfer perfectly explained the cosmic hero's origins and displayed his many powers.

One of the main abilities that Galactus gave the Silver Surfer is his superhuman speed. This enabled him to travel across the cosmos at speeds of almost half a million light-years per second. This impossibly fast speed is difficult to comprehend but it puts him among the fastest fictional characters ever created.

Marvel

Marvel is a multimedia powerhouse encompassing comic books, movies, TV shows, and more, captivating audiences with its iconic characters, thrilling narratives, and diverse worlds. From the legendary Avengers to the street-level heroes like Daredevil, Marvel's universe is vast and ever-expanding.

Created by

Stan Lee

First Film

Captain America

Latest Film

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Upcoming Films

Madame Web

First TV Show

the incredible hulk

Latest TV Show

Secret Invasion

Upcoming TV Shows

ironheart

First Episode Air Date

November 15, 1966

Cast

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Brie Larson

Where to watch

Disney Channel

Spin-offs

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Spin-offs (Movies)

Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter

Character(s)

Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man (Characters)

Video Game(s)

Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel SNAP, Marvel's Avengers, Marvel's Spider-Man 2

1 The Flash Is By Far The Fastest Cartoon Character Of All Time

DC/The Flash

The Flash made his first TV appearance in his own animated short that aired on The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure in 1967. The character was also featured in shows like Super Friends and the numerous Justice League animated adaptations that followed. Barry Allen was even joined by the rest of the Flash Family in the Young Justice animated series.

The Flash is another character who continues to get faster over time. If he draws energy from the Speed Force, he can increase his speed exponentially. The Flash has saved the universe a number of times thanks to his incredible speed. The Flash ran fast enough to travel through time, easily blowing past most of the other speedy cartoon characters.

DC Comics

DC Comics follow the adventures of iconic superheroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and more.

Created by

Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson