Random Childhood Favorite Cartoon Characters With Tragic Origin Stories (13 items)

(#10) Ice King
- Adventure Time, Adventure Time 'It Came From The Nightosphere'
Adventure Time's Ice King was once a respected historian named Simon Petrikov. He was studying a strange crown, which happened to be cursed, and after donning it, he began to gradually lose his sanity before ultimately transforming into the evil Ice King.

Prior to this transformation, he was very close to Marceline the Vampire Queen, who was forced to watch her friend slowly descend into madness. Simon left Marceline behind when he realized what was happening to him, leading her to lose him forever.
(#4) Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
- Phineas and Ferb, Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz is the primary antagonist of Phineas and Ferb, but his origin story helps explain his nasty attitude. His parents kept him from doing anything enjoyable, and as a result, he was tormented both at home and at school.

His parents eventually disowned him, and he was forced to live with a pack of ocelots. He later joined a circus, but he was used as the "ball" in a dunk tank, meaning he was repeatedly hurled at a target by carnival attendees.

After finally returning home, he was made to dress and act as a garden gnome after his father's actual gnome was repossessed. This long line of torments eventually led him to his mad scientist vocation.
(#12) Smurfette
- The Smurfs, The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute, The Smurfs 3, The Smurfs 2, The Smurfs, The Smurfs
Smurfette, the only female Smurf, was introduced in the 31st episode of The Smurf's first season. The wizard Gargamel crafted her from blue clay, as well as "sugar and spice but nothing nice, crocodile tears, half a pack of lies, a chatter of a magpie, and the hardest stone for her heart." Once she was brought to life, she was left in the forest until Hefty Smurf found her.

She was initially working with Gargamel, but after her treachery was exposed, she was taken to Smurf Court. At the trial, she atoned for her misdeeds, and Papa Smurf absolved her of guilt by magically removing Gargamel's curses. Her black hair then transformed to blonde, and from then on, she was a member of the group.
(#8) Astro Boy
- Astro Boy, Astro Boy, Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates, Astro Boy, Undersea Super Train: Marine Express
Astro Boy was originally created and given human emotions by Umataro Tenma, whose son had recently passed. Soon after Astro Boy was built, Umataro rejected him and sold him into servitude in a robot circus.

However, the young boy was soon saved from this life by Professor Orchanomizu, who adopted him as a surrogate son. From that point on, Astro Boy's life began to improve, and the Professor even created a robotic family to help him live like a normal boy.
(#6) Harley Quinn
- Batman: The Animated Series, Birds of Prey, Batman: New Times, DC Universe
Dr. Harleen Quinnzel was a respected psychiatrist working with dangerous inmates at Arkham Asylum when she came face to face with the Joker. Soon after she began treating him, she fell in love with him, but tragically, their relationship was filled with mistreatment and aggression.

Batman: The Animated Series, the show in which Harley originated, attempted to gloss over the more troubling aspects of their union, but most agree it was decidedly unhealthy.

After the Joker threw her into the same vat of chemicals that transformed him into his demented self, Harleen became Harley Quinn, the supervillain partner of Batman's nemesis.
(#3) Babar the Elephant
- Babar
When Babar, King of the Elephants, was a child, his mother was taken out by a hunter, prompting Babar to flee into the jungle. Eventually, he made his way into a city and met the Old Lady, a nice woman who outfitted him in human clothing and hired a tutor to teach him the ways of "civilized life."

Some time later, his cousins Celeste and Arthur located him and helped return him to the elephant realm, which had recently suffered the loss of its king after he ate a toxic mushroom. When Babar returned, the Council of Elephants approached him about taking the job.

He was chosen because he had "lived among men" and learned the ways of the world, which they believed made him an ideal candidate. From that point forward, Babar was king.