Scooby-Doo has been a beloved animated character for almost sixty years, and in that time the famous cartoon dog hasn’t changed too much. There was never a need to constantly alter how Scooby acted as the times changed. While other members of the Mystery Gang have shifted and their personalities have varied, Scooby has largely remained the same.

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However, some of the many television shows and movies that he has been in over the decades have captured the essence of Scooby’s personality and his character better than others. From his first appearance to movies still being released to this day, the character of Scooby-Doo is an impeccably fun one.

6 Scooby-Doo 2002

Scooby And Shaggy In Scooby-Doo 2002

Scooby was in his element as a CGI companion to the exceptional cast brought together to play the Mystery Gang in 2002. His character was focused on being Shaggy’s impeccable best friend, and a being of general kindness and virtue. This felt like only a minor shift from the original, wholesome cartoon dog that fans have always known.

There were also several wonderful moments of memorable comedy from Scooby in this movie. A few of the more memorable examples include him dressing up as a grandmother to get on the plane to Spooky Island and him bopping Scrappy on the nose during the movie's finale.

5 Big Top Scooby-Doo

Scooby And Shaggy In Big Top Scooby-Doo

Big Top Scooby-Doo was one of the few times that Scooby has faced conflict within the group directly. Shaggy and Scooby almost always get along, and seeing these best friends fight makes for a true piece of heartbreak to the audience. When Shaggy started taking credit for the circus act they put together, Scooby got irritated with him.

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This led to the pair properly fighting, and, for a while, it seemed as if their life-long friendship really might come to an end. Eventually, however, the pair made up. Shaggy apologized and seeing this level of growth from Scooby was refreshing. He finally stood up for himself and made sure he got the credit that he was due.

4 Scoob!

Scooby And Shaggy In Scoob!

The most recent attempt at a big-budget Scooby-Doo project was Scoob! Featuring a major Hollywood voice cast and a complete animation overhaul, this project was designed to bring a major cinema audience back to the franchise. While the movie was dubiously questioned by critics, it did a better job than many of the other movies when it came to focusing on Scooby as a character.

Allowing him to breathe, learn about himself and push both himself and Shaggy to be better people and be better to one another. Scooby’s character and his friendship with Shaggy were explored in detail and this movie has that to its credit above all else.

3 Scooby-Doo Monsters Unleashed

Scooby-Doo In Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

Every cinematic version of the Scooby-Doo franchise has one thing in common. They manage to pull Scooby’s character into the front and center of what is happening. The sequel to the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie did this very well, focusing on Scooby becoming a hero himself without the help of his friends. Nowhere is this better represented than in the finale of the movie.

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Throughout the sequel though, Scooby managed to again be the most comedic member of the gang. From trying to seriously look for clues while drawing bunnies to fleeing from skeletons by riding trashcan lids, Scooby was on top form throughout Monsters Unleashed.

2 Scooby-Doo And The Alien Invaders

Scooby-Doo With Amber In Scooby-Doo And The Alien Invaders

It is common enough that Daphne and Fred should fall for someone or each other. Viewers have seen romances for Velma and even Shaggy over the years as well, but a romance for Scooby is a rare occurrence. However, both he and Shaggy fell for their counterparts in Alien Invaders. The problem, in the end, was that their romantic interests were the titular alien invaders.

Crystal and Amber turned out to be aliens, which was a problem for them as they were also interested in Shaggy and Scooby. Eventually, they had to leave and break the hearts of their best friends. While it was a sad ending, seeing Scooby smarten up and fall head over heels for someone was a new angle on his character, a daring and beautiful idea that the movie deserves huge credit for.

1 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

Scooby And The Gang In Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

Of all the many versions of Scooby-Doo that there have been over the years, the best is still the original TV show from the 1960s, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? This show defined the character so well that there really haven’t been too many changes or times when the character has varied since his debut almost sixty years ago.

Keeping a character so relevant over that length of time without having to significantly change their personality or style is an incredible testament to this show and what it accomplished for the world of animation. The Scooby-Doo franchise is still going strong, and through all the crossovers and modern-day releases, Scooby remains what Scooby has always been.

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