Bugs Bunny first appeared in his familiar form in the 1940 short A Wild Hare.

Britannica records that Bugs Bunny emerged as a recognizable character beginning with A Wild Hare in 1940, directed by Tex Avery. Before this, earlier rabbit characters appeared in cartoons like Porky's Hare Hunt (1938) and Hare-um Scare-um (1939), but it was A Wild Hare that established the personality, voice, and attitude audiences know today. The character's evolution was gradual, shaped by multiple animators across several years before settling into his iconic form.