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The Powerpuff Girls: How to watch all the series, specials, and the movie

Sugar, spice, and everything nice.

Powerpuff Girls opening
Image credit: Cartoon Network
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How to by Fran Ruiz Contributor
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The Powerpuff Girls is celebrating a big anniversary in 2024, so there's never been a better time to jump into the original cartoon as well as the follow-ups. Here's our guide to properly watching the entire Powerpuff Girls franchise more than 25 years after the original series started.

The iconic animated superheroines celebrated their official 25th anniversary last year, and that included a number of special events on Cartoon Network as well as merchandising tie-ins. However, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the year in which the very first pilot ep. ('Meat Fuzzy Lumkins') was produced; it would later be broadcast on February 20, 1995, as part of What a Cartoon!

So far, The Powerpuff Girls franchise includes the original TV series that aired between November 1998 and March 2005, a movie released in 2002, an anime adaptation which arrived in 2007, the shorter-lived 2016 reboot, and the upcoming second reboot with original creator Craig McCracken involved, plus some scattered specials. It's one of Cartoon Network's longest existing franchises to date. Recently, a live-action take on the material was also in development at The CW, but it was binned in 2023 after a reportedly poor pilot episode and struggles to rework the concept into a project worth greenlighting.

How to watch The Powerpuff Girls in chronological/release order

Both series and the specials largely follow a straightforward chronology and can be safely watched in release order, but we've pointed out how the specials and the movie fit within the continuity. As a bonus, you can also jump into the Powerpuff Girls Z anime series if you're curious.

The Powerpuff Girls (1998)

The original Cartoon Network show by Craig McCracken that most people have watched on-and-off countless times.

Powerpuff Girls original series
Image credit: Cartoon Network
  • 'Whoopass Stew!' pilots: A Sticky Situation! (1994) - The only finished short out of the four ones that series creator Craig McCracken initially presented to Cartoon Network. It's an early version of the girls' origin story.
  • What a Cartoon! shorts (1995 & 1996): Meat Fuzzy Lumkins & Crime 101 - The two official pilots for the original Powerpuff Girls series, broadcast as part of What a Cartoon!
  • Season 1 (1998-1999) - 24 episodes.
  • Season 2 (1999-2000) - 26 episodes.
  • Season 3 (2000-2001) - 24 episodes.
  • Season 4 (2001-2002) - 10 episodes; the shortest due to work on The Powerpuff Girls movie.
  • The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) - It chronicles the origin story of the girls and introduces a new visual style which the beginning of season 5 also uses before shifting into a slightly different one.
  • Season 5 (2002-2004) - 30 episodes, including a Christmas special.
  • Season 6 (2004-2005) - 23 episodes, contains the original series finale.
  • 'The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!! (2008) - The first of two TV specials following the end of the series.
  • 'Dance Pantsed' (2014) - The second TV special, done in CGI style. McCracken wasn't involved.

Powerpuff Girls Z (2006)

Powerpuff Girls Z
Image credit: Aniplex

The 2006 Japanese anime TV series was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Toei Animation and was planned by Cartoon Network and produced by TV Tokyo, Aniplex, and Toei Animation. It was directed by Iku Ishiguro, with Yoshio Urasawa handling series scripts and Miho Shimogasa (one of the animation directors behind Sailor Moon) designing the characters. While based on McCracken's series, it's essentially a reboot.

  • Season 1 (2006-2007) - 52 episodes.

The Powerpuff Girls (2016)

Powerpuff Girls 2016
Image credit: Cartoon Network

A rebooted TV series developed by Nick Jennings and Bob Boyle that felt oddly continuist while packing a refreshed art style. Craig McCracken wasn't involved, and the critical reception was mixed.

  • Season 1 (2016) - 39 episodes plus 5 standalone digital shorts.
  • 'Teen Titans Go! vs. The Powerpuff Girls' (2016) - A crossover episode with Teen Titans Go!
  • Season 2 (2017-2018) - 40 episodes plus 5 standalone digital shorts.
  • Season 3 (2018-2019) - 40 episodes.

Where to watch the Powerpuff Girls franchise

The original Powerpuff Girls series is available to buy digitally on Amazon, and can be streamed via Netflix and Max too. Some specials, however, are only available in the DVD release of the show.

The Powerpuff Girls Movie on DVD can be bought on Amazon. It's also streaming on Max.

Powerpuff Girls Z sadly isn't available legally at the moment in the US, and your best bet is to look for a second-hand DVD copy or streaming services and anime sites in other territories.

The 2016 rebooted Powerpuff Girls series is available to buy digitally on Amazon (split in volumes), but you can also stream it via Netflix and Max.

Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out our guides to upcoming movies, upcoming TV shows, upcoming comics, and upcoming comic conventions. If you're looking for specific franchises or genres, we have all the upcoming MCU, upcoming Star Wars, upcoming Star Trek, and upcoming DC movies & TV for you. If you're a fan of superheroes and not specific to just Marvel or DC, we have overall guides to all the upcoming superhero movies and upcoming superhero TV shows (and new seasons) as well.

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