10 Cartoon Characters We All Had Crushes On As Kids, Even When We Didn't Know What That Meant

Being a young kid is definitely a weird time: your parents still have to remind you not to eat certain things, you have to go to bed while the sun's still up, and of course, the opposite sex is icky and full of cooties.

Of course, not all of us want to admit it, but there were some characters that, when we saw them in our favorite cartoons, made us feel a strange way that we couldn't quite understand. Well, we at Throwbacks always do our research, so we polled our office to find out who our writers crushed on as kids!

The names of the parties involved have been withheld for their own protection.

Aladdin - Aladdin

It's hard to resist that charming smile and winning personality, which makes it no surprise that Aladdin was a popular choice. As one writer put it:

"It's obviously Aladdin. There are other princes that are just as hot, but he completely wins in personality too."

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - Jessica Rabbit

I'm sure this one comes as a surprise to nobody given this cartoon femme fatale was basically designed to be attractive to pretty much every pubescent male. According to our staff:

"Between that voice, that makeup and that dress, she's pretty much the most stunning woman who isn't actually real."

Mulan - Captain Li Shang

With a body like a god and the singing voice of Donny Osmond, it's pretty easy to see why the ladies all wanted to get down to business (to defeat the Huns). Let this quote sum it up:

"I did give Captain Shang from Mulan that 'I think your body is hot' look but I couldn't understand my feelings because I was only 7."

The Little Mermaid - Ariel

I feel like an entire generation of 90s kids has grown up with a fondness for red hair and seashell bikinis thanks to everyone's favorite precocious mermaid. One of our staff members had a lot to say about it:

"I think you uncovered something from my subconscious. I liked Ariel as a kid, and now I date a redhead who works as a lifeguard! Coincidence?! I! THINK! NOT!"

Haven't seen your crush on here yet? Keep reading!

Anastasia - Dimitri

A schemer that ultimately sees the error of his ways, Dimitri is a lovable rogue that we don't like to admit we had a thing for. To put it simply:

"He was a total jerk at first, but then ended up falling in love and feeling bad about his whole plan, which made him endearing. He had a strong jaw too."

Aladdin - Princess Jasmine

Another easy choice on the list, Jasmine was so attractive that even people who have never seen the movie fell in love with her. Don't believe me? Read this testimonial:

"I definitely remember having a crush on Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, which is strange because I didn't own that movie and I don't think I've ever seen the whole thing. I was actually able to meet 'Jasmine' on a family trip to Disney World, but of course I was so embarrassed I just hid behind my parents the entire time. I still have her autograph though."

X-Men - Gambit

X-Men had a pretty massive cast of characters for everyone to pick from, but for plenty of people, the card-throwing Cajun was pretty much the go-to, especially thanks to his relationship with Rogue. It's easy to explain:

"Between his abs, his overly confident yet soft on the inside personality, and his shameless affection for Rogue, it was pretty much no contest."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - April O'Neil

A fearsome news reporter who would do anything to get her story, April won our hearts through her dedication to her job and her kindness towards the Turtles. As one staff member put it:

"She's so cool. She's a total independent badass who also manages to be a complete babe. Also, how did she rock that yellow jumpsuit?!"

The Little Mermaid - Prince Eric

Given how much of the movie Ariel spends lusting after Eric by looks alone, it's not exactly surprising that more than a few people would have a crush. Not only that, but as one person explained:

"He always wanted to be more than a prince, and followed his heart to his true passion."

Aladdin - Iago

We're pretty sure this was given as a joke response, but one staff member decided to share their affection for the Gilbert Gottfried bird everyone loves to hate. As they informed us:

"Iago from Aladdin. His wise-crackin nature and sly looks, coupled with his legs in that flamingo disguise stirred something in me at a young age that I will never forget."

What cartoon character did you have a crush on as a kid?