5 Best Episodes Of The Powerpuff Girls, Ranked

What's the secret to a great superhero TV show? Turns out it's pretty simple: Sugar, spice, and everything nice — plus the accidental addition of Chemical X. That's the formula that made "The Powerpuff Girls," Cartoon Network's stylish series about a trio of kindergarteners with superpowers.

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup fought crime in the City of Townsville from 1998 until 2005. A mixture of cuteness, violence, girl power, and esoteric pop culture references that might've even gone over an adult viewer's head, "The Powerpuff Girls" could do it all. One episode might have them dealing with their archenemy Mojo Jojo or foiling a high-stakes plot from the demonic (and legitimately unsettling) villain known as HIM. Another would have them dealing with more age-appropriate threats, like a new bedtime or cooties.

With 136 story segments to pick from, most of which were paired two-per-episode across the original 78-episode run, narrowing down the five best episodes of "The Powerpuff Girls" is a mighty task. The following episodes showcase what made cartoonist Craig McCracken's series so wonderful, and it's no wonder that "The Powerpuff Girls" spawned a movie, anime spin-off, 2016 reboot, failed live-action series, and more. This list, though, just includes episodes from the original series. 

When the girls discover that an ancient relic called the Head of Anubis has been stolen from the museum, and that several of Townsville's citizens have been transformed into dogs, they feel as though they've already solved this case. Audiences watching this Season 3 episode for the first time might have thought they were watching a rerun — because in a way, they were.

Mojo Jojo is redoing his cunning canine plot from the very first episode of "The Powerpuff Girls," only this time he's determined not to let it fail. The first time around, using the Anubis head to transform the girls into dogs ended up biting him in the butt because, well, Buttercup bit him in the butt. To prevent that from happening again, Mojo does not turn the girls into dogs. Believing he's thought of everything, Mojo's confidence is at an all-time high — only for the girls to simply use their superpowers to beat him up the old-fashioned way.

Like most animated cartoons of this era, "The Powerpuff Girls" was not an exceptionally continuity-heavy series, though there were plot lines and characters that recurred and developed throughout the show's run. "Monkey See, Doggie Two" was a sequel that referenced the show's history while cleverly playing with the idea of reruns, and it's a perfect example of Mojo's tendency to overthink things so much that his smart ideas loop back around to being dumb.

"The Powerpuff Girls" — which was almost titled something not kid-friendly — would occasionally release an episode that told one 22-minute story rather than two tales put together. "The Rowdyruff Boys" was the first, and it lived up to the pressure of the extended runtime.

Foes who are dark opposites or mirror images of the protagonists are a common superhero trope (see: Superman's Bizarro). It's only natural that the counterpart to sugar, spice, and everything nice would be snips and snails and puppy dog tails, assembled in toilet water by Mojo Jojo in an effort to make his own superpowered kids to defeat the girls. The Rowdyruff Boys are rude, crude, and they're able to hand the Powerpuff Girls their first real loss.

The girls regroup and manage to beat their foes not with brute force but a different sort of girl power; a little smooch on the cheek disgusts each of the boys so much that they all explode. It's a reminder that the girliness of the Powerpuff Girls is a huge part of what makes them special.

Most episodes of "The Powerpuff Girls," even the high-stakes ones, are fun. "Twisted Sister," on the other hand, is a tearjerker. Exhausted from crime-fighting and their household chores, the girls decide to make a new Powerpuff sister to do all their work for them, only they botch the recipe. The result is a hulking girl they name Bunny before sending her off to fight crime while they relax.

Bunny means well, but the girls quickly get angry at her for putting cops in jail and releasing all the criminals. In Bunny's defense, she thought the police were the bad guys because they had guns. The girls yell at her to go away, and Bunny tearfully does. She proves that she is a true hero, though, when she returns to rescue her sisters from the onslaught of criminals. Sadly, she doesn't survive the attempt; the effort makes her explode because the concoction that created her was unstable.

It's a lot heavier than your average "Powerpuff Girls," and even the narrator who closes out every episode is in tears. Bunny's sacrifice teaches the girls an important lesson about being kind and understanding to those who are different from you — especially if they're family.

Princess Morebucks, the spoiled rich brat who hates the Powerpuff Girls because she can't buy her way into being a hero like them, is perhaps the best villain the show has — she's certainly the most infuriating one. Her debut in the Season 2 premiere is a top-tier episode that also features Blossom at her coolest, but this Season 4 entry featuring her is even better because it's one of the best instances of the show remembering that its protagonists are little girls.

The girls have a new neighbor who is their age, and the trio quickly become good friends with Robin, a sweet, normal little kid. However, when the Powerpuffs' superhero responsibilities keep cutting into their playdate time, Robin gets jealous, and Princess Morebucks swoops in to take advantage of the situation. Eventually the girls apologize to Robin, and Robin better understands how important their superheroics are — though not so important that Professor Utonium can't tell the Mayor the girls are busy playing when he calls asking for their help. It's surprisingly affecting to see the girls having fun like normal little kids rather than punching bad guys and saving the day.

Normally the deep-cut pop culture references in "The Powerpuff Girls" are a garnish. In "Meet the Beat-Alls," they're more like the whole dish, and it's wonderful. First airing on the 37th anniversary of the Beatles' appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," the best episode of "The Powerpuff Girls" is 11 minutes of jokes, Easter eggs, and references to the Fab Four.

When Mojo Jojo, Princess Morebucks, HIM, and Fuzzy Lumpkins join forces, they discover that the Powerpuff Girls don't stand a chance against them, and the Beat-Alls become a sensational criminal team. The arc of the band of bad guys mirrors that of the Beatles' meteoric rise and eventual breakup.

The nonstop Beatles jokes, some of which are more subtle than others, are incredible, but "Meet the Beat-Alls" is more than just a parade of shout-outs. It's a showcase for four of the show's best villains, especially Mojo, the John Lennon of the group. A parody like this only works if there's a firm grasp on the characters and tone before the shout-outs and spoofing begins.