35+ big head cartoon characters we love: from Stewie to Tweety

Big head cartoon characters are a common feature in classic and popular animations like Family Guy, South Park, and The Simpsons. They often emphasise extreme intelligence, a big ego, baby-like innocence, or are adapted for comedic effects.

Key takeaways

• Many cartoon characters have big heads to show innocence, such as Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, and Boss Baby.
• Big heads in cartoons like Megamind, The Brain, Dexter, and MODOK signify superintelligence.
• Animators often use oversized heads in animation to make characters more expressive and easier to read emotions, especially in comedy and kids' cartoons.

Iconic big-head cartoon characters

Cartoons with massive craniums are instantly recognisable even as silhouettes, whether it is Arnold and Stewie's football head, Phineas triangular cranium, or SpongeBob's square body. These are the most memorable characters with big heads:

1. Stewie Griffin – Family Guy

Stewie Griffin has a football-shaped head, which creator Seth MacFarlane said he chose because "it looked like the voice sounded". The mischievous baby genius is loosely based on English actor Rex Harrison and is voiced by Seth. Stewie has been on TV since 1999.

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2. Megamind – Megamind

Megamind is a blue cartoon character with a big head because of his large brain and extreme intelligence. According to animator Jason Schleifer, they created him with features like raised eyebrows, open eyes, and infectious enthusiasm to make him a likeable alien supervillain. Will Ferrell voiced Megamind in the 2010 animated film.

3. Jimmy Neutron – The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius

Jimmy Neutron, whose full name is James Isaac Neutron, is a boy genius with a huge brain, a high IQ of 210, and gravity-defying hair. He became one of Nickelodeon's iconic characters from 2002 to 2006.

4. Dexter – Dexter's Laboratory

Dexter is a classic Cartoon Network character known for his genius scientific inventions. His sibling rivalry with his sister Dee Dee became the highlight of Dexter's Laboratory animated series, which aired from 1996 to 2003.

Russian-American animator Genndy Tartakovsky created the character. He shared in a 2024 interview with Animation Magazine that he first designed Dee Dee based on a ballerina, then made Dexter the complete opposite of her features.

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I thought she is all about art and dance, and we need something completely opposite of that, and that would be science. She was like a thin, long stick, and what would be the opposite of that shape-wise? That would be a little boxy character, so that's how Dexter was created.

5. SpongeBob SquarePants – SpongeBob SquarePants

BikiniBottom resident SpongeBob SquarePants has been one of Nickelodeon's iconic characters since the show premiered in 1999. His entire body is basically a square head designed as a sea sponge, resembling a kitchen sponge. SpongeBob was created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg.

6. Squidward Tentacles – SpongeBob SquarePants

Squidward is an octopus with a large bulbous head and a long drooping nose, but animator Stephen Hillenburg designed him with six limbs instead of eight. The grumpy and arrogant BikiniBottom resident is SpongeBob's neighbour and co-worker at Krusty Krab.

7. Tweety Bird – Looney Tunes

Tweety Bird is a small-bodied canary with a huge head, large blue eyes, and yellow feathers. He is one of the most iconic characters from the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, after first appearing in the 1942 short A Tale of Two Kitties.

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8. The Powerpuff Girls

The Powerpuff Girls, including Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, are superpowered girls with big oval heads and oversized eyes. They were created in the laboratory by Professor Utonium. The original series aired on Cartoon Network from 1998 to 2005 and was rebooted in 2016.

9. Phineas Flynn – Phineas & Ferb

Phineas Flynn has a distinct triangular head and often wears an orange-white striped shirt and blue cargo shorts. He is known for his optimism and visionary ideas. The Disney Channel character was co-created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff 'Swampy' Marsh.

10. Ferb Fletcher – Phineas & Ferb

Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh designed Ferb Fletcher with a tall rectangular head like a capital F and green hair. The character is portrayed as extremely intelligent and an engineering inventor, but rarely speaks. Ferb is Phineas's stepbrother and closest friend.

11. Dora Márquez - Dora the Explorer

Dora is easily recognisable by her bob haircut, pink shirt, orange shorts, and a purple backpack. She is a 7-year-old bilingual Latina kid in preschool who loves adventure and solving problems. Dora the Explorer was co-created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes, and Eric Weiner and premiered on Nickelodeon in 2000.

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12. Mike Wazowski – Monsters, Inc

Mike Wazowski's entire body is a head with one large eye, a massive mouth, two small horns, and thin limbs. The green monster starts as a loyal scare assistant to Sulley and later follows his natural talent in comedy. Billy Crystal voiced Mike in Pixar's Monsters, Inc in 2001 and Monsters University in 2013.

13. Minions – Despicable Me

Minions are yellow pill-shaped henchmen known for their chaotic nature and serving villains. They became cultural icons after first appearing in the 2010 film Despicable Me. French animator and director Pierre Coffin voices the minions in the franchise films. He created their unique non-sensical language, Minionese.

14. Boss Baby – The Boss Baby

Boss Baby is a toddler with an adult personality who works as a corporate executive for Baby Corp. The character is loosely based on Marla Frazee's 2010 picture book The Boss Baby. He is voiced by Alec Baldwin in the feature films and JP Karliak in the Netflix series.

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15. Timmy Turner – Fairly OddParents

Timmy Turner is a 10-year-old boy with neglectful parents and his evil babysitter, Vicky, before he is given fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda, to grant his wishes. Butch Hartman designed the Nickelodeon character with big blue eyes, buck teeth, and a signature pink cap and shirt.

16. Eric Cartman – South Park

Eric Cartman is a foul-mouthed and manipulative fourth grader with a big, round head covered in a light-blue hat. The controversial South Park resident is voiced by Trey Parker, who also co-created the character with Matt Stone.

17. Kyle Broflovski – South Park

Kyle Broflovski is a smart and principled fourth grader often considered one of the smartest kids in South Park. His round, oversized head is covered with a green ushanka hat. Series co-creator Matt Stone voiced Kyle.

18. Mr Mackey – South Park

Mr Mackey is the school counsellor at South Park Elementary, known for his trademark catchphrase "M'kay". He has a distinctive balloon head, thin neck, oval glasses, and a tiny body. Trey Parker also voices Mr Mackey.

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19. Zim – Invader Zim

Nickelodeon character Zim is an overconfident alien from the Irken race sent to conquer Earth. He has green skin with an oversized head and large red eyes. Zim tries to prove himself because he is short and incompetent compared to the tall leaders on Irk planet known as The Almighty Tallest.

20. Billy – Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Billy is a nine-year-old elementary school kid with a goofy personality and a very low IQ. An oversized pink bulbous nose dominates his large face. Actor Richard Steven Horvitz voiced Billy in the Cartoon Network series created by Maxwell Atoms.

21. Gumball Watterson – TAWOG

Gumball Watterson is a 12-year-old blue cat from Cartoon Network's The Amazing World of Gumball, which aired from 2011 to 2019. The mischievous and adventurous character has a big head with large oval eyes and a small pink nose. French-British animator Ben Bocquelet created Gumball.

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22. Darwin Watterson – TAWOG

Darwin Watterson is Gumball's loyal adoptive brother, who was originally his pet goldfish before it grew long, slender legs. His head takes up his entire body with a tail on the back and small fins that he uses as hands.

23. Carl Fredricksen – Up

Carl Fredricksen from the Pixar film Up is a grumpy elderly widower with a large square head, thick square glasses, and a large nose. The iconic male cartoon character walks with a four-pronged cane that has four tennis balls attached to the base. Carl worked as a balloon salesman at the zoo and was married to Ellie.

24. Casper the Friendly Ghost

Casper the Friendly Ghost has a large, rounded head with a childlike body and oval, expressive eyes. He is kind-hearted and likes to make friends instead of frightening people. The classic cartoon character was created in the late 1930s by Joe Oriolo and Seymour Reit.

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25. Arnold Shortman – Hey, Arnold!

Arnold Shortman from Nickelodeon's 'Hey, Arnold!' has a football-shaped head, which earned him the nickname Football Head. He was raised by his grandparents and is portrayed as kind and a problem solver. Animator Craig Bartlett said he chose Arnold's head shape so that he is easily recognised from "far away or in silhouette."

26. Emporio Ivankov – One Piece

Emporio Ivankov is known for their flamboyant personality in the One Piece anime. The gender fluid character has a large head with exaggerated features, including a wide mouth, a massive afro, dramatic makeup, and a distinct chin. Ivankov was created in the late 1990s by illustrator Eiichiro Oda.

27. Glenn Quagmire – Family Guy

Glenn Quagmire is one of Family Guy's memorable characters, known for his inappropriate behaviour and being a neighbour of the Griffin family. He has a long, narrow head with a massive protruding chin and often wears a red Hawaiian shirt. Seth MacFarlane voices Quagmire.

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28. The Brain – Pinky and the Brain

The Brain is a genetically engineered laboratory mouse with a disproportionately big head for its massive brain. He is portrayed as intelligent and ambitious, with a mission to take over the world, but is often frustrated by Pinky's silliness. Pinky and the Brain premiered on The WB in September 1995.

29. MODOK – Marvel Animated Series

MODOK, whose full name is Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, is a classic intelligent supervillain in Marvel Comics. The character is a giant floating head with psionic powers and moves around on the Doomsday Chair. MODOK was created in 1967 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

30. The Great Gazoo – The Flintstones

The Great Gazoo is a quirky green alien with a giant head from the Zetox planet. He first appeared in 1965 in the final season of The Flintstones. The character has since featured in spin-offs and adaptations, including The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, where he was portrayed by Alan Cummin.

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31. Bart Simpson – The Simpsons

Bart Simpson is the eldest underachieving child of Homer and Marge Simpson, known for his mischievous and rebellious personality. He has prominent spiky yellow hair and an overbite. Bart, designed by Matt Groening, has been a central character on The Simpsons since it premiered in 1989.

32. Betty Boop – Classic Cartoons

Betty Boop was the first female animated sex symbol with a large head, huge baby eyes with long lashes, and a short black bob. Animator Grim Natwick created the character for Fleischer Studios and first appeared in the 1930 cartoon Dizzy Dishes.

33. Porky Pig – Looney Tunes

Porky Pig from Looney Tunes is a kind-hearted character with a big, round head, a signature stutter, and an innocent appearance. The Warner Bros. character debuted in 1935 in the short I Haven't Got a Hat.

34. Beavis and Butthead

Beavis and Butthead are iconic big-headed cartoon characters from the 90s. Butthead has brown hair and wears a black AC/DC T-shirt, while Beavis has blond hair and wears a blue Metallica T-shirt. Animator Mike Judge created and voiced the MTV duo.

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35. Snoopy – Peanuts

Snoopy is one of Peanuts' most iconic characters with a round head, large floppy ears, and a big black button nose. He is famous for his loyalty to Charlie Brown and having a vivid imagination with iconic alter egos. Charles M. Schulz created the Beagle in 1950.

36. Chuckie Finster – Rugrats

Chuckie Finster from Nickelodeon's Rugrats is famous for his messy hair, large purple square glasses, and red shoes that are often untied. The character, which first appeared in 1991, was based on DEVO's lead singer, Mark Mothersbaugh.

What cartoon is Elmyra from?

Elmyra Duff is an iconic 1990s character from the Warner Bros. animated series Tiny Toon Adventures. She is portrayed as an animal lover. Elmyra also appeared in Animaniacs and Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain.

What is the cartoon with the blue guy with the big head?

Megamind is the most popular blue cartoon guy with a big head. He is the supervillain who later becomes a hero in the DreamWorks animated film.

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What is a big head, small body cartoon called?

Big-head characters with small bodies are often referred to as Chibi or Super Deformed (SD). They usually have key features such as oversized eyes and tiny limbs.

Conclusion

Big head cartoon characters have been a popular animation strategy since the early 20th century, even as the industry evolves with technology. Most of them are pop culture icons that are hard to ignore.

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Briefly.co.za highlighted facts about Disney's fan-favourite male characters. From charming princes to adventurous heroes, they have left a lasting impact on both children and adults.

Characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are the foundation of Disney, while Flynn Rider and Aladdin represent modern heroes and heartthrobs. Animated characters, including Simba and The Beast, have dominated the box office.

Source: Briefly News