When it comes to cartoon chaos, the Tasmanian Devil—Taz for short—is a one-man wrecking crew with the appetite of a black hole and the temperament of a volcano. Introduced in the 1950s, this grunting, spinning, tornado of destruction quickly became one of Looney Tunes’ most iconic and beloved oddballs. With his wild eyes, slathering tongue, and explosive temper, Taz doesn’t speak much, but he doesn’t need to—his actions scream louder than any catchphrase. He chews through trees, digs up the earth with his tornado spins, and demolishes anything that gets in his path. But beneath the slobber and carnage is a character who’s endlessly entertaining, surprisingly clever (in his own weird way), and unforgettable. Let’s dive into the ten biggest tantrums that proved no one throws a fit quite like Taz.
#10: Taz Meets Bugs (“Devil May Hare”)
Taz’s debut in the 1954 cartoon Devil May Hare is an absolute masterclass in animated lunacy. The moment Taz first appears from the brush, snarling and growling, the entire vibe of the cartoon shifts. Up until then, Bugs Bunny had faced wacky predators, yes—but never anything quite like this. Taz isn’t just a threat—he’s a natural disaster with a bottomless stomach. As Bugs tries to outwit him using his signature tricks, Taz’s tantrums escalate. He barrels through forests, chomps on everything from logs to signs, and spins himself into a tornado so powerful it uproots trees. The sheer scale of his destruction is hilarious, but even funnier is how confused he gets when Bugs hands him dynamite wrapped like a sandwich. He eats it, of course. Then explodes. But not before we get to see one of the earliest and greatest examples of Looney Tunes’ masterful physical comedy. This tantrum introduced Taz as a force of chaos, and it set the gold standard for all his future meltdowns. Fun fact: Taz was so intense that the studio briefly shelved him, thinking he was too wild for kids—until fans demanded his return.
#9: The Cook-Off Catastrophe (“Bedevilled Rabbit”)
In 1957’s Bedevilled Rabbit, Taz’s hunger is on full display—and so is his total lack of patience. Bugs, always the master of disguise, pretends to be a chef and offers to cook Taz a proper meal. What follows is a rollercoaster of trickery, with Bugs offering increasingly ridiculous dishes to distract Taz, including one that’s basically a pile of dynamite dressed as meatballs. Every time Taz realizes he’s being fooled; he absolutely loses it. He spins into pots, flies through the air with steam coming out of his ears and even tries to eat an entire kitchen. His tantrums in this episode are made even better by the setting—a jungle clearing turned outdoor bistro—which Taz completely obliterates. There’s also a visual gag where he eats a napkin and starts choking on it like it’s the worst gourmet dish ever. What’s brilliant here is that his tantrums are tied to his primal need to eat—he doesn’t throw fits out of malice, but pure, ravenous frustration. And it’s somehow relatable. Hangry Taz is dangerous Taz.
#8: Taz vs. the Jungle (“Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare”)
By the time Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare rolled around, the formula of Bugs vs. Taz was perfected—and this short is one of the most delightfully over-the-top examples of it. Bugs plays a jungle doctor who claims he can cure Taz’s anger issues. Naturally, every treatment he applies just makes Taz angrier. When Bugs attempts psychoanalysis, Taz ends up chewing the couch. When he tries reflex testing, Taz breaks the mallet with his teeth. One of the funniest moments comes when Taz swallows a stethoscope, which continues to make heartbeat sounds inside him. His tantrums here are unpredictable and creatively animated—from explosive spinning to head-smashing slapstick. The way the episode plays with medical tropes while letting Taz be his unhinged self is pure Looney Tunes magic. And the finale? Bugs tells Taz he’s “cured”—and Taz explodes in a tantrum so large it wipes out the jungle. Classic Taz: unfixable, uncontainable, and proud of it.
#7: Taz in Suburbia (“Devil Dog” – The Looney Tunes Show)
In The Looney Tunes Show reboot, Taz was reimagined as more of a misunderstood pet than a feral predator, but don’t let that fool you—his tantrums are still top-tier. In the episode Devil Dog, Daffy Duck adopts Taz thinking he’s just a weird-looking dog. The moment Taz enters Daffy and Bugs’ house, all bets are off. He wrecks furniture, eats an entire ottoman, and spins his way through the drywall like a living wrecking ball. One tantrum involves him mistaking a blender for food—he eats it, of course. But what’s genius about this episode is how it plays Taz’s destruction against the backdrop of quiet suburbia. It’s like Godzilla crashing through a quiet cul-de-sac. Watching Daffy try to discipline Taz using dog treats is comedy gold, especially when Taz gets so excited he spins through the ceiling. His tantrum here isn’t just physical—it’s emotional. Taz gets “sad mad,” turning even more feral when ignored or mistreated. It’s a reminder that behind every whirlwind is a sensitive (if still slightly insane) creature.
#6: Taz vs. Yosemite Sam (“Ducking the Devil”)
In the 1957 short Ducking the Devil, Taz is on the loose again—but this time, there’s a bounty on his head. Enter Yosemite Sam, determined to collect the reward and tame the tornado. Sam actually manages to shackle and leash Taz—briefly—but it’s not long before the Devil explodes in fury. Taz’s tantrum aboard a moving train is one for the history books. The moment he breaks free, he spins through train cars like a living cannonball, reducing the entire locomotive to scrap metal. He knocks out conductors, eats luggage, and sends Sam flying into a water tower. What makes this tantrum unique is the escalation. Taz isn’t just destroying things—he’s adapting. At one point, he uses the train whistle to mimic Sam and lure him in. Yes, Taz gets clever when he’s mad. This episode also highlights a hilarious personality contrast: Yosemite Sam is loud, proud, and full of bluster—just like Taz. But where Sam is all bark, Taz is pure bite. Their clash becomes a symphony of yelling, spinning, and slapstick mayhem that’s so over-the-top, it almost breaks the cartoon physics barrier. You get the sense that Taz isn’t just reacting—he’s enjoying the madness. That infectious energy makes the tantrum so satisfying.
#5: Taz the Romantic (“Taz-Mania”)
Taz-Mania, the early ‘90s spin-off, gave our favorite devil a little more personality—and even a beating heart. In one episode, Taz falls head-over-heels for a beautiful she-devil, and things spiral quickly. At first, it’s adorable. Taz tries to woo her with flowers, chocolates, and even a love song made entirely of growls. But when things don’t go according to plan, heartbreak triggers havoc. His romantic frustration turns into an epic tantrum that levels half the jungle. He stomps through the rainforest, spins up a whirlwind so intense it lifts animals into the air, and even causes a minor earthquake. What makes this episode standout is the emotional motivation behind the tantrum. For once, Taz isn’t angry because he’s hungry—he’s lovesick. And that twist gives his fit more layers. We also see hints of jealousy and bashfulness, which only make his eventual explosion more hilarious. There’s a moment where he tries to write a poem and ends up eating the paper in rage. Classic Taz. It’s chaotic, it’s emotional, and it shows that even a whirlwind of teeth has feelings too.
#4: Taz the Babysitter (“Baby Looney Tunes”)
Yes, even the softer, more toddler-friendly Baby Looney Tunes couldn’t contain Taz’s fury. In an episode where the baby Looney Tunes have to care for a younger child, Taz finds himself in charge of keeping the baby entertained. At first, he’s surprisingly gentle rocking the cradle and cooing. But when the baby refuses to nap and starts throwing things at him, Taz’s patience wears thin. The tantrum that follows is adorable chaos: baby Taz spins through the toy chest, launches building blocks like cannonballs, and eats half the rug in frustration. The crib collapses, the room looks like it’s been hit by a tornado (because it has), and yet somehow, the baby laughs through it all. The tantrum is scaled down for younger audiences but still delivers peak Taz behavior. What’s great here is the contrast—baby Taz has the same instincts as his adult self, but he hasn’t yet mastered them. It’s like watching a small storm learn how to become a hurricane. And honestly, who hasn’t had a babysitting moment where you just wanted to scream and spin in circles?
#3: Taz vs. Elmer Fudd (“Duck Dodgers”)
In Duck Dodgers, the sci-fi spoof series, Taz is given a new coat of chaos as a genetically mutated space monster. When he escapes containment aboard a moon base, it’s up to Elmer Fudd—recast as a galactic bounty hunter—to wrangle him. Of course, it goes horribly wrong. Taz’s tantrum here is next-level, fueled by alien tech and zero-gravity madness. He rips through control panels, eats space helmets, and uses laser guns like chew toys. At one point, he swallows a plasma cannon and accidentally begins shooting blasts from his mouth—pure cartoon brilliance. What’s hilarious is Elmer’s slow realization that he’s hopelessly outmatched. Every attempt to subdue Taz ends with Elmer bouncing off walls or spinning through the air. The tantrum reaches its crescendo when Taz tears open the ship’s hull, nearly sucking everyone into space—before casually plugging the hole with Elmer. This one earns its spot because it pushes the limits of what a tantrum can look like in a sci-fi setting and lets Taz go full monster. It’s creative, outrageous, and very, very loud.
#2: Taz the Tornado Tourist (“Space Jam”)
Though he’s a supporting character in Space Jam, Taz steals every scene he’s in—especially during the game against the Monsters. His most memorable tantrum comes when the referee makes a bad call. Taz loses it. He spins through the hardwood court, carving out the Looney Tunes logo like a human drill. He lifts opponents with one arm and hurls them into the air while rotating like a blender gone rogue. What’s amazing is how much they pack into his limited screen time—he’s the ultimate wild card. The animators even used real-world sound layering, combining bear growls, blenders, and tornado wind effects to create his sound design in the movie. That technical artistry only enhances the visual comedy. And let’s not forget when he “cleans” the court by spinning around with a mop and bucket—his own twisted version of being helpful. It’s Taz at his wildest, funniest, and weirdest. He may not have had many lines, but he didn’t need them. That tantrum in the middle of a high-stakes basketball game showed us that Taz, even on a team, is always in a league of his own.
#1: Taz Goes Full Monster (“Taz-Mania” Finale)
The most epic tantrum of all time takes place in the grand finale of Taz-Mania, when Taz’s craving for a triple-decker meatball sandwich spirals into a city-wide catastrophe. Denied his favorite food, Taz descends into a meltdown so intense it shakes the very foundations of the show’s universe. He spins into town, accidentally levels city hall, topples a radio tower, and fries the entire electric grid. At one point, his tantrum causes the weather to change—a literal storm rolls in because even nature’s scared of him. What makes this meltdown unforgettable is the build-up. It starts with small annoyances—bad customer service, a closed deli, a missing meatball—and each one pushes Taz closer to the edge. By the time he explodes, you can’t help but root for him. And the animation? Off the charts. Dust clouds, rubble, and sparks fill the screen. It’s destruction on a scale rarely seen in TV cartoons, and it’s all over a sandwich. That’s the magic of Taz. His tantrums are absurd, yes—but they’re also deeply relatable. We’ve all had days like that. Taz just expresses it in the most… energetic way possible.
Taz’s tantrums are more than just moments of comic destruction—they’re expressions of pure, unfiltered emotion wrapped in animated brilliance. Whether he’s up against Bugs, babysitting, or wrecking a moon base, Taz proves again and again that being misunderstood doesn’t mean being boring. In fact, it often means being unforgettable. His chaos has heart, and that’s why we keep coming back for more.
