17 Flash Animations That Defined the 2000s
Here's a collection of 17 Flash animations that captured the humor, creativity, and chaos of the 2000s internet.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Flash animation shaped internet culture in the 2000s by allowing independent creators to share unique and experimental works. From absurd loops like Badger Badger Badger to narrative-driven series like Madness Combat, these animations showcased the creativity of the early web. Together, they defined a generation of online entertainment that set the stage for modern meme and video culture.
1. Homestar Runner
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Homestar Runner became one of the earliest viral sensations thanks to its quirky humor and bizarre characters. The Strong Bad Email series was especially popular, where Strong Bad answered fan questions in sarcastic and hilarious ways. The site thrived as a Flash-only project and influenced the tone of internet comedy.
2. Salad Fingers
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Created by David Firth in 2004, Salad Fingers was haunting and surreal, with its eerie main character obsessed with rusty spoons. Its unsettling animation style stood out from the lighter Flash comedies of the time. It became a cult classic that many still reference when talking about creepy internet content.
3. The End of the World
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This 2003 animation explained global politics in a satirical way with a narrator making jokes about world powers launching nukes. Its casual delivery mixed with simple stick-figure art made it easy to share and remember. The famous line “but I am le tired” is still quoted today.
4. Badger Badger Badger
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Jonti Picking’s looping Flash animation of dancing badgers, mushrooms, and a snake was an internet earworm. The repetitive chant stuck in everyone’s head and quickly spread on forums and emails. It was simple yet perfectly captured the absurd humor of early internet culture.
5. The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
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This animation by Lemon Demon, paired with a catchy song, depicted famous characters and celebrities battling in ridiculous fights. It showcased Flash’s ability to synchronize music with visuals in an entertaining way. The sheer randomness of who fought whom kept people laughing and rewatching.
6. Animator vs. Animation
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Alan Becker’s clever Flash project had a stick figure rebelling against the animator who drew it. The stick figure “broke out” of its window and fought back against the artist’s tools. Its innovative concept made it one of the most admired Flash works of the 2000s.
7. Happy Tree Friends
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At first glance, Happy Tree Friends looked like a kid’s cartoon with cute woodland creatures. But each episode spiraled into gory slapstick violence that shocked and amused audiences. It became a prime example of how Flash was used to push boundaries in animation.
8. Peanut Butter Jelly Time
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This looping Flash of a dancing banana to the Buckwheat Boyz song was unavoidable online. It became one of the earliest viral memes that jumped from internet culture into mainstream references. Even TV shows like Family Guy paid homage to it.
9. Weebl and Bob
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These British looping animations featured two egg-shaped characters who loved pie and made silly jokes. The series ran for years and had a loyal following that appreciated its absurd humor. It cemented Weebl’s Stuff as one of the big names in Flash comedy.
10. Foamy the Squirrel
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Foamy was a foul-mouthed cartoon squirrel who ranted about everything from society to fast food. His monologues were both funny and biting, giving audiences something raw compared to traditional animation. The character built a cult fanbase that carried on well past the Flash era.
11. Xiao Xiao
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Xiao Xiao was a series of stylish stick figure animations created by Zhu Zhiqiang. The smooth fight choreography and clever use of Flash tools amazed viewers at a time when stick figures were usually simple. It inspired countless imitators in the stick figure fighting genre.
12. Decline of Video Gaming
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This parody series poked fun at the state of video games and gaming culture in the early 2000s. Its crude humor and spot-on references resonated with gamers online. It became one of the most shared Flash series among video game communities.
13. The Demented Cartoon Movie
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Despite its intentionally crude art style, this incredibly long Flash project was a chaotic mix of random jokes and bizarre storylines. Its humor leaned on randomness, which was a defining trait of early internet culture. People watched it in chunks and quoted its strangest lines to each other.
14. Madness Combat
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This violent stick figure series by Krinkels became iconic for its dark tone and intense action sequences. Its chaotic fight scenes and distinctive character designs gave it a recognizable identity. The series expanded into multiple episodes and even inspired fan-made games.
15. Strong Bad’s Trogdor
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One of the most famous creations from Homestar Runner was the dragon Trogdor. The song and animation about “Trogdor the Burninator” became an inside joke among fans and even influenced pop culture beyond the internet. It showed how Flash characters could live on as memes.
16. Stick Death
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Stick Death animations were short, often violent clips that gained popularity through their simplicity and shock value. While not as polished as Xiao Xiao, they had a raw edge that made them addictive. Many kids in computer labs passed these around when Flash was at its peak.
17. Joe Cartoon’s Frog in a Blender
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Joe Cartoon became infamous for interactive Flash animations, the most popular being Frog in a Blender. The viewer could control how much the frog was “blended,” which was shocking but oddly funny to many. It was one of the earliest viral Flash works that showcased interactive possibilities.