Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja - Season 1 -

(Minus one point because the "McFizzle" product placement is aggressively early-2010s Disney.)

In an era where every cartoon needs a "lore bible" or a sad dad backstory, Randy Cunningham Season 1 is just fun. It is a show about a kid who is terrified of being a loser, forced to be a legend. The moral is simple: You don't have to be the smartest guy in the room; you just have to show up and try not to blow up the school. Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja - Season 1

You cannot talk about Season 1 without discussing the best "best friend" in animation. Howard is lazy, gluttonous, and morally flexible, but he is also the only person who knows Randy’s secret. Their chemistry drives the show. In "Monster Dump," Howard’s desire to skip gym class accidentally unleashes a trash monster. In "Sword Quest," Howard almost ruins Randy’s destiny because he wanted a cool sword of his own. (Minus one point because the "McFizzle" product placement

Stay sneaky, Norrisville.

Unlike later seasons where Howard is occasionally flanderized, Season 1 Howard feels real. He is the guy who will eat your last pizza slice but will also jump in front of a laser to save you. You cannot talk about Season 1 without discussing

Season 1’s slow-burn reveal of The Sorcerer (voiced with delicious ham by John DiMaggio) is a masterclass. For the first half, we only see his floating mask or hear his whisper. He isn’t trying to kill Randy; he is trying to humiliate him. The arc culminates in "Night of the Living McFizzles" where Randy realizes that every monster he fought was a test.

Season 1 nails the balance between high school embarrassment (pop quizzes, bullies, asking a girl to the dance) and actual life-or-death stakes. When Randy messes up, the entire town gets turned into sentient meatballs or robotic zombies.