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Here's What Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like IRL, According to AI

Cartoons are an integral part of our childhood memories. The nostalgia surrounding these little animated characters brings us back to simpler and happier times. Whether you were watching them before school, after school, or maybe even waking up early on Saturday morning just to make sure you didn't miss an episode, these characters played a role in our lives that today's cartoons could only dream of doing. 

Depending on the cartoon, some of these characters were drawn extremely simplistic—with minimal details and traditional colors. Others were more eccentric, incorporating bright colors and unique features. What if we told you that we know what they would look like in real life? That's right, your favorite cartoon character just hopped out of the screen and is no longer animated—they've transitioned into the realm of living and breathing. 

In the following slideshow, we've put AI to the test by giving the program cartoon character names and letting it generate hyperrealistic images of each iconic animation. With classic cartoon characters from shows like The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, The Simpsons, South Park, and more, you're sure to see a few of your favorites. How do you think they turned out? Let us know in the comments! Here's what popular cartoon characters would look like IRL, according to AI.

Wilma Flintstone

Wilma Flintstone

In the animated series The Flintstones, Wilma has her red hair in an updo with large bangs and a small bun. She wears a white dress with a single shoulder strap. She accessorizes with a large, chunky white necklace seemingly made out of large stones. She's simplistically drawn with two black dots for eyes, a tiny nose, and a generic mouth with red lips.

 

In this AI image, she has been given a different outfit featuring a blue top with a striped color. Her necklace is gone, but her neck and chest seem to have taken on the chunky stone look! She's also wearing glasses and earrings, which come as a surprise.

 

(Image via Midjourney)

Betty Rubble

Betty Rubble

Betty Rubble, Wilma Flintstone's best friend, sports a very different look. She has jet black hair with a very short, choppy hairstyle and is drawn with whites around her eyes. She wears a light blue dress with a single stone connecting the straps to the top of her dress. She tops off her look with a light blue bow in her hair that complements her dress. 

AI has presented us with a look at Betty Rubble in real life! She has the same short, black hair—it seems a bit lop-sided, but that goes along with her "choppy" look. Instead of a single blue bow on top, she is given two separate bows on each side of her head. Her outfit is the most different—instead of a blue dress, we see a dark top. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Fred Flintstone

Fred Flintstone

Fred Flintstone is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and is characterized as a chubby but charming caveman. He sports some stubble on his face, has black hair, and has a large, round nose. He wears a sleeveless orange and black-spotted loincloth with a blue necktie. He is also always barefoot.

There's a lot to say about this AI image! To start, so many features are the same. He certainly looks like Fred, with the hair, eyebrows, and nose. He even has orange clothing. Too bad he's not smiling—he looks a little mean here! What's missing is the famous blue necktie and black spots on his clothing. Without that, can we truly call him Fred?

(Image via Midjourney)

Barney Rubble

Barney Rubble

Barney is Fred Flintstone's best friend and next-door neighbor.  In the cartoon, he rocks a simple, sleeveless orange tunic and blue tie, complemented by a pair of brown loafers. His signature features include a bow tie, neatly coiffed hair, and an ever-present friendly smile, defining his classic animated look.

As a loyal friend, Barney often finds himself unintentionally involved in Fred's schemes and adventures. Can you think of a more iconic pair? Despite his comical nature, Barney is a devoted family man, married to Betty Rubble, and they have a son named Bamm-Bamm.

(Image via Midjourney)

Natasha Fatale

Natasha Fatale

Natasha Fatale and her sexy villain vibes are totally unmistaken when it comes to classic '60s animation. Natasha Fatale from The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle was the main antagonist on the show, a spy from the fictional country of Pottsylvania, which was basically Russia,  and she took orders from Fearless Leader.

She had an accomplice, Boris Badenov, who was her sidekick, but they were both basically the worst spies in existence, let's face it, because their plans were always thwarted by a moose and a squirrel.  Fatale appeared in almost every episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle except for four, making her one of the most iconic cartoon villains in television history. Here we can see what she might look like in real life - pretty darn good.

(Image via Midjourney)

Ariel

Ariel

Ariel is everyone's favorite mermaid! This young rebel has long, flowing red hair, youthful, delicate facial features, and blue eyes enhanced with long, dark lashes. As part of her aquatic heritage, she has a green, fish-like tail with the only clothing on her body being a purple, seashell-shaped bra.

In this image, her hair is the first thing you might notice. It seems—lacking! She still has a petite frame and delicate features, though her eyes aren't quite as large. You can also see a small section of clothing on her right shoulder—the start of a green top maybe? And she's underwater! If only we could see if AI would give her a mermaid tail "in real life". 

(Image via Midjourney)

Ranger Smith

Ranger Smith

Ranger Smith looks and acts like your typical park ranger. He’s stern, serious, and all about obeying the rules. But unlike most park rangers, he’s got a problem that most rangers don’t have: Yogi Bear. And make no mistake, Yogi is smarter than your average bear. His words, not ours.

So, when Yogi Bear is about to steal your picnic basket, he’s not going out guns blazing, he’s got a plan to sneak it out. Plus he wears a tie, and there are actually adult humans that don’t even know how to put one on. That being said, Ranger Smith has to be on high alert to stop the problematic bear.

(Image via Midjourney)

Jane Jetson

Jane Jetson

Jane Jetson from The Jetsons is a futuristic wife, mother, and homemaker. She has red hair with a unique hairstyle—two large sections of bangs that furl out like a mustache, and the rest of her hair cut short right below her ears. She wears a dress of different shades of purple with an iconic triangular collar. 

She certainly looks futuristic in this AI image. Her clothing is different, but still has space-age vibes. She stays consistent with her short-kept hairdo, though it is slightly altered here. Her classic, middle-parted bangs are absent, replaced with a more subtle style. Maybe the cartoon 'do couldn't hold up in real life. 

(Image via Midjourney)

George Jetson

George Jetson

George Jetson is a character of average build with short red hair and a long, diving board nose. His head is long and narrow, and his eyes are drawn as small, white circles with tiny black dots. He wears a futuristic white shirt and white shoes, blue pants, and a green belt. 

AI's version of George looks very similar to the cartoon version. He has the same tall, narrow head, small facial features, and wrinkles that go along with the lines on his cartoon face. The only thing that doesn't seem super accurate would be the nose—however, it probably wouldn't be very realistic to add such a large nose. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Tinkerbell

Tinkerbell

Tinkerbell is a pint-sized little fairy from Walt Disney's Peter Pan. In the animated cartoon, she has a blonde pixie cut with a small bun, tiny, delicate facial features, a green, forest-y strapless dress, and a sparkle-shimmer all over. She also has a magical set of wings. How does this translate to real life?

Here we see a youthful face with short, blonde hair. She has a petite frame and is wearing a slightly altered top. While the cartoon version is strapless, all we see here are small straps—at least they are green! As far as the wings go, it looks like AI added them as some sort of hair accessory. We're not really sure what they're supposed to be, but it's definitely giving fairy vibes!

(Image via Midjourney)

Captain Hook

Captain Hook

If there's one fictional pirate who is more iconic than Captain Jack Sparrow, it would have to be Captain Hook. The intelligent pirate ship captain has some serious anger issues and a deep fear of crocodiles stemming from past trauma, but he's also intelligent too, yet not smart enough to stop Peter Pan.

Captain Hook has been portrayed in plays and films as well but one of his first appearances was in the animated film Peter Pan which is what this AI image is depicting in a hyperrealistic way. We have to say, he's a pretty good-looking man but maybe not as much as the one in Once Upon a Time. But hey, at least this one is more accurate when it comes to the animated film. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Snow White

Snow White

As the fairest in the land, Snow White has some pretty famous physical features—"lips red as a rose, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow" describe her most prominent features. She also has rosy red cheeks, short hair with a small red headband/bow, and a dress that features a red and blue top with a white collar and flowing yellow skirt. 

This Snow White rendition might be the most accurate portrayal we've seen so far! With her hair being a bit longer than the animated version and the bow being a little bigger, nearly everything else has stayed the same. She's shown here in a white cloak, but even her clothing is consistent. She looks like she jumped straight out of the TV screen!

(Image via Midjourney)

Elmer Fudd

Elmer Fudd

Elmer J. Fudd is an animated character from Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes. As Bugs Bunny's archenemy and frequent hunter, Elmer is usually dressed in brown and green hunting colors. He wears a tall, brown hat, carries a rifle in hand, and is short in stature. He has a large, round head which is completely bald, and has no facial hair. 

In this AI portrayal, he dons his usual expression of disappointment and frustration. Though he is bald, we see some hair cropping up on the sides of his head, which is not consistent with the cartoon version. He still has on muted clothing—perfect for hunting. However, without his iconic hat, it's hard to tell that this is Elmer Fudd in real life!

(Image via Midjourney)

Yosemite Sam

Yosemite Sam

In the words of the man himself, Yosemite Sam was the "hootin'est, tootin'est, shootin'est, bob-tail wildcat, in the west!" His unmistakably red mane and ridiculously large mustache are part of what make him one of the most recognizable characters in cartoon history, but it's also that think Texas accent as well.

Most of the time, Yosemite Sam was depicted as a cowboy, which was clearly his main occupation, but he’s also been a pirate, a viking, a knight, a chef, and so much more. The man of many talents certainly has a temper, but that never stopped us from loving him. Finally, we can see what he might look like in real life.

(Image via Midjourney)

Aurora

Aurora

Aurora looks like your typical blond Disney princess with delicate features and distinct high arching eyebrows. She was one of the first Disney princesses, and at the time, looked a lot different from the others - before there were like a million different Disney princesses. But make no mistake, it's certainly easy to spot Aurora when she’s asleep like this.

Is it that Aurora is the only Disney princess that sleeps? No, but the other ones are usually always up to something, or their stepmom is trying to kill them, so they are always on high alert. You’d think that all the princesses would want their beauty sleep rather than doing chores, but alas, only Aurora knows what’s up.

Okay, so maybe she had a little help from Maleficent. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Pocahontas

Pocahontas

Pocahontas is an animated Disney princess. She is drawn to be a beautiful young woman with copper skin, long, black hair, and dark brown eyes. She has a tall, slender, stoic figure and has a red-orange tattoo on her right arm. She wears a blue necklace with a single jewel and a tan-colored one-shouldered suede dress.

Here, we see the same wise, stoic expression. She has long, dark hair, dark eyes, and appears to be wearing a dress with her iconic blue necklace. A unique feature we see here is her two strands of hair that are lighter than the rest forming what almost looks like a symbolic crown. We love this version!

(Image via Midjourney)

Popeye

Popeye

Popeye the Sailor Man is an oldie but a goodie. With bulging forearms, a squinty eye, and a screwed-up face, this character is always ready for a fight. There is a pipe that rarely leaves his mouth, and he has a tattoo of an anchor on one of his massive forearms. His furrowed brows give him an ever-present mean scowl. 

Though this cartoon character would be hard to imagine in real life, not sure this image is what would come to mind. He still has the squinty eyes and furrowed brows (though not too prominent). Though he has large forearms, the rest of his body is a bit on the average to slim side—his neck here is too thick! Popeye is also clean-shaven in the cartoons. AI was feeling a little creative on this one!

(Image via Midjourney)

Olive Oyl

Olive Oyl

Olive Oyl is a comedic character known as Popeye's love interest. Unlike many of the female characters we'll see on this list, Olive Oyl is known for being a bit—goofy! She is a tall, lanky young woman with a stick-like figure and enormous feet. She has tightly wound hair that comes out to a long bun on the back of her head. She wears a red top, a dark skirt, and tall, brown boots. 

Though we can't see her figure here, many of her features seem to be consistent with her animated version. She has the dark, curly, pinned-up hair and small, simplistic facial features. We get a peek at her top, which definitely has some red on it. The main thing that is different is her hat—however, it would make sense for her to have a hat by the sea and for it to be yellow to match the band on her skirt. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Jon Arbuckle

Jon Arbuckle

Jon Arbuckle - the lonely guy with the cat who basically eats anything, but his favorite food being lasagna. We are, of course, talking about Garfield, the sassiest cat around who hates Mondays more than any of us. While Garfield is the one who usually gets the spotlight, that orange tabby was nothing without his owner. 

The confident Garfield proved a stark contrast to his awkward owner, who was clumsy and never had much luck in his dating life.  From his outfits to his lack of social skills, Jon Arbuckle spent most of his nights alone until he met Liz, although it certainly took a while before anything happened there.

(Image via Midjourney)

Jessica Rabbit

Jessica Rabbit

Jessica Rabbit is a cartoon embellishment of the male-gaze. She is extremely tall, beautiful, and voluptuous. She has long, red hair (with bangs that frequently cover half her face), red lips, and a revealing red dress paired with blue gloves that climb nearly to her shoulders. The gloves complement her eye shadow.  

In much the same way, AI has produced an image of this character that emphasizes her appeal. She still has the revealing red dress, long red hair, and matching lips. Her proportions are much more human here—honestly, this is exactly what she would look like in real life! A knockout either way. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Lucy

Lucy

Lucy is a beloved animated character from Peanuts. She has short, black hair with wavy bangs and extremely simple facial features. She wears a blue dress with puffy sleeves, blue socks, and white sneakers. Her nose is drawn to be even with her eyes—between her eyes, actually. How does that look in real life?

Her nose is not between her eyes, thankfully, and we are pleasantly surprised with how this portrayal turned out! She has the same short, black hair and is wearing a sky-blue outfit. Her features are simple and youthful, consistent with the animated eight-year-old. The only thing that looks added is a hint of light (almost translucent) blue eyes—her animated version has two black dots for her eyes. We prefer these eyes!

(Image via Midjourney)

Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown

If depression had a face, it would look like Charlie Brown.  Now Charlie Brown is typically drawn as almost being bald but if a kid were without hair that early on we would think he were sickly.  That being said, an in-real-life Charlie Brown would probably have hair unless he shaved it or was an actual baby. 

Charlie Brown from the Peanuts cartoon strip, and a number of cartoon TV specials and movies, has some serious confidence issues, anxiety and mood swings - so, like the rest of us, basically. It's made him one of the most relatable characters of all time and that's why we love him.

(Image via Midjourney)

Betty Boop

Betty Boop

Similar to Jessica Rabbit, Betty Boop is another character modeled around a sexy personality. She is drawn with larger-than-life eyes framed with long eyelashes, a short, black hairstyle, a short, strapless red dress that reveals a garter, high heels, and hoop earrings. She is also well-known for her high-pitched voice and coy ways, which her expressions do a good job at portraying. 

AI gave her the same big, wide eyes with small, punctuated facial features. She has black, curly hair and a revealing red dress. Though we don't see the same hoop earrings, she is wearing a red beaded necklace instead. The shape of her lips and lipstick are reminiscent of the flapper-girl era.

(Image via Midjourney)

Shaggy

Shaggy

Another Scooby-Doo favorite is Shaggy! He's a goofy character—tall and lanky with a long neck. He has a few whiskers on his chin that look somewhat like a goatee. He has shaggy, dirty-blonde hair and wears a baggy green t-shirt paired with loose-fitting brown pants and black shoes. While he is sometimes drawn with whites in his eyes, most of his earlier animations were simply black dots for eyes. 

Shaggy, is that really you? While we see some of the same characteristics, the beloved cartoon character looks much different in real life than his animated self. With dark facial hair and missing his famous green shirt, he's almost unrecognizable! We prefer the original. Like, zoinks—this guy needs a Scooby snack. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Cartman

Cartman

Ever wondered what Cartman from South Park would look like in real life? Probably not, but now you know! His animated character was short and squat in stature, with a potbelly and double chin. He has large eyes with tiny irises/pupils and a crooked mouth. He wears a blue and yellow beanie with a large red jacket. Although you rarely see it, he also has brunette hair. 

At first glance, this IRL character looks more like Tweedledee or Tweedledum! But that makes sense—Cartman is shaped just like those two! Although he lost his beanie, the blue and yellow descended onto his hoodie. He is also sporting dark, arched eyebrows, just like the cartoon version when he is scheming or angry. We think if he had kept a beanie, he would have been much more recognizable!

(Image via Midjourney)

Peter Griffin

Peter Griffin

It's the dad we all love to hate—Peter Griffin from Family Guy. Usually a bumbling idiot, he is overweight with short brown hair, a round nose, and an obscenely large cleft chin. He wears glasses, a white button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up, and green pants secured by a black belt with a yellow buckle. He wears plain brown shoes. 

Interestingly enough, AI has given Peter a large widow's peak! His expression here is one not usually seen in his animated version—a smile or a completely neutral face would have been more accurate. The program did its best in the chin department—it would be hard to translate that thing into real life. The biggest takeaway here is that jawline. It's definitely too square here. Cartoon Peter Griffin has no jawline!

(Image via Midjourney)

Lois Griffin

Lois Griffin

Lois Griffin is the wife of Peter Griffin in Family Guy. She has short, red hair, a large, triangular nose, and small, red lips. She has an average build, wearing a green button-up shirt with khaki pants and maroon slides. Her small, round earrings match her shirt. Her eyes are circular, with tiny eyelashes and pupils. 

Lois Griffin IRL looks very similar! Here, she has her hair in somewhat of a side part, while her hair in the animated version is parted straight down the middle. She actually has no eyebrows as a cartoon—we're glad she gained some in real life. Her curved lips come directly from the show, and even her nose and cheekbones are extremely accurate. Big Lois vibes for sure!

(Image via Midjourney)

Beavis and Butthead

Beavis and Butthead

Beavis and Butthead are, without a doubt, some of the most uniquely drawn characters in pop culture. Beavis has a severe underbite, dark blonde hair, and a large forehead. His eyes are small, he has two zig-zag patterned eyebrows, and his nostrils always look flared. Butthead also has a large forehead with brown hair. His eyes are even tinier, with gums that frequently show, and a long, pointed nose. Overall, they're pretty hideous to look at. 

AI is out here trying to get them a job! Dressed in business attire, these characters look much more presentable. AI had a heck of a job trying to translate some of these fictional characteristics, and we think it did a pretty good job. If their mouths were open, we could better see if they were done accurately with the underbite and the exposed gums. But the other features seem pretty spot on. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Lisa Simpson

Lisa Simpson

Lisa Simpson is the oldest daughter from The Simpsons. She has yellow skin which extends seamlessly into her starfish-like hair. Her bulging eyes have two tiny black dots as pupils with four eyelashes on each eye. She wears a red, strapless dress with matching red shoes and accessorizes with a white pearl necklace. In a way, she kind of looks like a yellow triceratops. 

Lisa in real life has the same spikey, yellow hair. Besides her hair, the rest of her characteristics are unrecognizable. I guess it's hard to translate a simply-drawn, yellow character into a realistic human! Here, she wears glasses, a blue-green top, and a necklace to match. 

(Image via Midjourney)

Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson

Homer is one of the worst dads in television history. He’s lazy, clumsy, selfish, dumb and suffers from alcoholism on top of it all. His emotional intelligence is lacking to say the least. And all of his flaws are exactly what we love about him.  Having been conceived back in the late ‘80s, Homer Simpson is a television icon.

Except for the yellow skin, there’s nothing to remarkable about his appearance. He’s a typical dad who's balding, overweight, has a five o clock shadow, and wears a polo t-shirt. But somehow, Homer Simpson has really come to own his unremarkable appearance. And this is what he would look like in real life. Like anybody -  but with yellow skin and a big nose.

(Image via Midjourney)