Created by animator John R. Dilworth in 1999, Courage the Cowardly Dog became a phenomenon. Here are the 10 best episodes ever (according to IMDb).

Created by animator John R. Dilworth back in 1999, Courage the Cowardly Dog became something of a phenomenon following its four-season run on Cartoon Network. With its mix of absurdist comedy and unsettling horror, the show cemented itself as a landmark in children’s animation, appealing to both kids and adults alike – and providing some serious nightmare fuel along the way.

The show is so well done, in fact, that its pilot – titled “The Chicken from Outer Space” – was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short. With all of that said, here are the show’s ten greatest ever episodes, ranked according to IMDb.

10 “Human Habitrail/Mission to the Sun” – 8.5

In a fun twist on the concept of animal testing, “Human Habitrail” introduces the nefarious Dr. Gerbil, a mad scientist and cosmetologist who shrinks down Muriel and Eustace, subjecting them to several grotesque experiments in the process.

“Mission to the Sun” on the other hand, sees a burrowing alien parasite take over Muriel’s brain during the family’s mission to reignite the Sun. It’s one of the show’s more unique stories, taking place entirely in space – and even includes some references to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

9 “The Hunchback of Nowhere/The Gods Must Be Goosey” – 8.5

Whereas most Courage the Cowardly Dog episodes feature some kind of supernatural antagonistic force as a source of anxiety for the easily-scared Courage, “The Hunchback of Nowhere” turns things on its head by having his own cruel owner Eustace become the episode’s sole villain – bullying his dog after he befriends a nomadic, deformed hunchback.

In the episode’s second story, “The Gods Must Be Goosey”, a lovestruck goose god takes a liking to Muriel, plotting to steal her away from Eustace – a plan that Courage is forced to put a stop to.

8 “Queen of the Black Puddle/Everyone Wants to Direct” – 8.7

Contrasting the show’s previous episode, “The Gods Must Be Goosey”, “Queen of the Black Puddle” sees an attractive demon steal Eustace away from Muriel, much to her dismay. While Courage is eventually able to save the day, the Queen appears in several other episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog, becoming one of its multiple recurring villains.

“Everyone Wants to Direct” is a notably darker story, however, following a zombified director who plans on resurrecting his deceased partner – who resides under the Bagges’ farmhouse – and devouring the entire family.

7 “The Curse of Shirley/Courage in the Big Stinkin’ City” – 8.7

With Eustace’s cruel attitude being one of the core elements of Courage the Cowardly Dog, his actions finally come back to haunt him in “The Curse of Shirley”, in which the titular psychic chihuahua places a hex on him after he gleefully destroys the gifts given to her by Muriel and Courage.

“Courage in the Big Stinkin’ City” however, sees the family take a trip to New York when Muriel is chosen to play the sitar at Radio City Music Hall. Naturally, things go south when a giant cockroach forces Courage to retrieve an ‘evil package’, with Muriel’s life hanging in the balance.

6 “Last of the Starmakers/Son of the Chicken from Outer Space” – 8.8

Another space-centric story, “Last of the Starmakers” introduces Courage to a powerful, extraterrestrial Starmaker, who must retrieve her eggs after crash-landing on the Bagge family’s farm – serving as one of the show’s weirdest ever concepts.

A follow-up to Courage the Cowardly Dog’s Oscar-nominated pilot episode “The Chicken from Outer Space”, “Son of the Chicken from Outer Space” sees the offspring of the pilot’s titular villain return to Earth to terrorize Courage and his family.

5 “King Ramses’ Curse/The Clutching Foot” – 8.8

Widely considered one of the creepiest episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog amongst fans, “King Ramses’ Curse” opens with Courage stumbling across an ancient stone tablet, which he takes back to the farmhouse. Finding out its incredible worth, Eustace refuses to return it, incurring the wrath of an ancient pharaoh who sends three nasty plagues the family’s way.

Meanwhile, “The Clutching Foot” pits Courage against a mob of fungal gangsters, who begin to take over the family’s body parts one by one – starting with Eustace’s foot – forcing Courage to undertake their dirty work to spare them.

4 “The Mask” – 8.9

Featuring one of the show’s most spine-chilling monsters, “The Mask” is one of only two double-length episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog. The episode sees Courage attacked by a terrifying, pale creature adorned with a creepy porcelain mask – prompting him to investigate the reason behind the being’s anger.

As it turns out, one of the creature’s friends has been abducted by the evil Mad Dog, and Courage is eventually able to save her – putting an end to the masked being’s hatred of dogs.

3 “The Tower of Dr. Zalost” – 9.1

While it’s not one of the show’s creepiest stories, the double-length second season episode “The Tower of Dr. Zalost” has become a firm favorite amongst fans regardless, due to its focus on the more mature topic of depression.

The episode tells the story of the lonely Dr. Zalost, who fires cannonballs across the town of Nowhere that cause widespread depression. Fortunately, Muriel’s ‘happy plums’ are eventually able to counteract the effect of Zalost’s cannonballs – and even cure the depression of Zalost himself.

2 “Remembrance of Courage Past/Perfect” – 9.1

In “Remembrance of Courage Past”, the audience learns that Courage’s birth parents were launched into space by a nefarious veterinarian, which is likely what kickstarted his intense anxiety to begin with. Concerned by his recent behavior, Eustace and Muriel take Courage to see the very same vet, leaving him at the mercy of the megalomaniacal villain.

The show’s final episode, appropriately titled “Perfect”, serves as a great distillation of what’s so great about Courage the Cowardly Dog. The story sees the physical embodiment of Courage’s fear and doubt manifest as a ‘teacher’, hoping to cure the dog of his neuroticism. By the end of the episode, however, Courage learns that he’s perfect just the way he is.

1 “The Demon in the Mattress/Freaky Fred” – 9.2

Taking great inspiration from the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, “The Demon in the Mattress” follows Muriel as she’s possessed by her new mattress, which just so happens to house a demonic entity. The scenes of Muriel’s possession are amongst the creepiest the show has to offer, and its loving homage to William Friedkin’s classic movie has since made it one of the most beloved episodes of the show amongst horror aficionados.

Making a great double bill with the previous episode, “Freaky Fred” sees Muriel’s disturbing nephew come to stay with the family, as his uncontrollable urge to shave everything in sight begins to bubble to the surface. As it turns out, Fred is an escapee from a psychiatric ward, and Courage is forced to fight off his advances while he waits for the authorities to arrive.

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