The 1990s were a time of innovation, expansion, and new technology for cartoons in several ways, per TVTropes. Programming was trying to move past simply advertising products, but this decade also gave viewers a plethora of new memorable characters and reincarnated established IPs. As the industry grew, cartoons were taken more seriously, embracing diversity, and branching out beyond Saturday mornings (via Ranker). This meant that fewer studios were trying to make gender-specific shows, but programming the whole family could enjoy instead. A wonderful side effect of all of these factors was the inclusion of more female characters, many of which were positioned as anti-heroes or even villains.
Disney’s domination and the end of the classic age for animated programs set a specific tone for the ’90s — all of the new kids in town wanted to show they were different but just as good, if not better. This created some spectacular dynamics and exposed audiences to a new breed of female villains. Not everyone was traditionally evil; motivations and relationships were more thoroughly explored, and the mold of the previous era’s enemies had been broken.
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Stephen Wilds 