Since 1997, South Park has been entertaining and offending both audiences and haters worldwide. The series follows the antics of four best friends named Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny within the titular Colorado town. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the show has become infamous for its dark humor and disregard of censorship, sparking controversial episodes such as With Apologies to Jesse Jackson and Cartoon Wars. This American animated sitcom steers far from the path of conformity, and evidently, it is this trait that has kept people hooked for so many years.
With over 25 seasons of South Park, different eras of fans have fallen in love with different episodes. but they all love the same hilarious antics and topical humor that has made South Park such a success. The Emmy award-winning show has no signs of slowing down and will undoubtedly produce many more episodes that cause jaws to drop, further adding to the already stellar collection of best South Park episodes of the series so far.
Updated on July 31st, 2023 by Sean Shuman: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
20 Make Love, Not Warcraft
Season 10, Episode 8
South Park's take on Blizzard Entertainment's legendary MMO, World of Warcraft has become a fan-favorite episode over the years. "Make Love, Not Warcraft" sees the boys enjoying themselves in the eponymous game before their characters are brutally killed off by another highly skilled player. Desperate to have fun again, the boys sacrifice their time and health in order to finally defeat him, with some assistance from Randy and the employees at Blizzard itself.
"Make Love, Not Warcraft" would secure an Emmy win for South Park in 2007, along with featuring animation segments made inside World of Warcraft. It remains one of the most visually striking episodes the series has put out, equally paying tribute to and poking fun at one of the biggest gaming phenomenons of the past few decades.
19 My Future Self 'n' Me
Season 6, Episode 16
The early 2000s were particularly good for South Park, with "My Future Self 'n' Me" being a notable highlight. Shortly after the boys come into contact with a discarded joint, a man claiming to be an older version of Stan takes refuge in the Marsh residence. Sooner or later, it's revealed that Butters is also dealing with his "future self," with Stan becoming all the more suspicious of their true intentions.
As a mockery of anti-drug messaging, "My Future Self 'n' Me" delivers in spades. It's a fascinating time capsule when compared to how recreational drug use is viewed today. It also helps that it has great jokes at the boys' expense, with the episode's Cartman-centric ending hilariously capping off a poignant message.
18 Good Times with Weapons
Season 8, Episode 1
"Good Times With Weapons" officially marked South Park's transition to HD when it aired in 2004. The boys are at the Park County Fair when they discover something truly special; martial arts weaponry. Swords, nunchucks, tonfa, sai, and more spark the imaginations of the boys, transforming them into anime-inspired versions of themselves. But when you play with weapons, someone's bound to get hurt. During a game of pretend, Butters ends up taking a shuriken to the eye, leaving the boys in quite a pickle.
Both a send-up of and parody of anime, "Good Times With Weapons" also features the brilliant song "Let's Fighting Love" which was featured at South Park's 25th-anniversary concert. This episode also had the luxury of kicking off season eight, an absolute powerhouse of a season that featured episodes like "Awesom-O," "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes," and "Quest for Ratings."
17 Casa Bonita
Season 7, Episode 11
Now that series creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker own and operate the eponymous Colorado restaurant, "Casa Bonita" works as both a hilarious episode and a 22-minute-long commercial. In this episode, Cartman is desperate to go to Casa Bonita. When an opportunity to go there presents itself with Kyle's birthday party, Kyle instead invites Butters to the occasion. Naturally, Cartman convinces Butters to remove himself from society in order to take his place, with Cartman's ruse becoming increasingly more complicated as the episode continues.
"Casa Bonita" is beloved by both the show's creators and fans alike. Aside from renewing interest in the real-life restaurant, Cartman's escalating series of lies — and Butters' hilarious naivety — make for an episode that never really lets up.
16 The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers
Season 6, Episode 13
Cited by Matt Stone and Trey Parker as one of the best episodes they've ever produced, "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers" came out towards the end of South Park's sixth season. Set during the pop-culture mania surrounding The Lord of the Rings films, the boys dress up as their favorite characters in a lighthearted quest. All they have to do is return a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring to a video rental store. However, they don't realize that their copy of the film is actually a pornographic movie.
"The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers" is South Park at its best. Hearkening back to earlier seasons of the show, it's an episode that focuses solely on the boys and their misadventures. To top it off, the episode arguably has one of the best comedic payoffs in the entire series.
15 The Losing Edge
Season 9, Episode 5
"The Losing Edge" is responsible for spawning not one, but two separate memes, all because of a stunning side plot. When the boys are tired of playing Little League baseball, they're hit with a shocking revelation. They'll have to play the post-season games, meaning their whole summer may be ruined. Because of this, they pull out all the stops in an attempt to lose their next game. Meanwhile, Randy's drunken freakouts at each and every match lay the foundation for a hilarious Rocky parody.
It's one of the few times in South Park's history where the side plot tremendously overshadows the main plot. While Kyle's cousin Schwartz makes a humorous comeback in the boys' baseball journey, Randy's journey to take down Bat Dad in all his idiotic glory is the true highlight.
14 Tweek x Craig
Season 19, Episode 6
From presidents to reality stars, South Park never holds back when it comes to ridicule. Even the fans weren't safe from the show’s mockery. In a jibe at the slash fiction genre of Yaoi art, beloved characters Tweek and Craig were outed as gay when the Asian girls draw sensually styled pictures of them. Despite their confusion and clear lack of feelings for one another, the pair soon find themselves to be the center of attention throughout the town.
South Park fans had romanticized (or "shipped") Tweek and Craig together for years since their fight episode, Tweek vs Craig. However, this was the first time creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone brought any fan fiction to the screen. Through the town’s obsession with the couple (especially Cartman’s), the show parodied their fans’ fixation on a relationship between Tweek and Craig that did not exist. Nevertheless, it seems that Parker and Stone were won over, as, by the end of the episode, the boys decide to continue their relationship for the sake of keeping the town happy.
13 Member Berries
Season 20, Episode 1
Ya 'member this one? 'Member? While fans have generally been split about the often less episodic nature of recent seasons, there is much to be said for the narrative innovations South Park has made with overarching, season-long storylines. Season 20 perhaps attempted this more than any other and impressively succeeded.
The first episode, Member Berries, introduced fans to the essential theme of the season — the danger of nostalgia and how that yearning for "the good old days" and the entertainment of our childhoods helped solidify Donald Trump as president. The "Member Berries" themselves are hilarious, cute, and evil, kicking this season off in wonderful fashion.
12 Black Friday
Season 17, Episode 7
Kicking off an amazing trilogy of episodes (followed by A Song of Ass and Fire and Titties and Dragons), Black Friday adopts the themes and aesthetic of the successful HBO show Game of Thrones. In the episode, Randy Marsh joins the terrified security guards at the South Park mall as they prepare for big Black Friday sales, while the kids divide into factions over which game system to support — Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
The three episodes are often laugh-out-loud funny, with less acidic social commentary than usual, and just a whole bunch of fun. Kenny becomes Lady McCormack, Bill Gates makes a few hilarious appearances, and George R.R. Martin can't stop talking about penises.
11 You’re Getting Old
Season 15, Episode 7
With the occasional exception of Kyle, the boys of South Park are hilariously ruthless, never considering their actions or the consequences they might have. However, things start to feel different when Stan stops caring about… everything. In the Season 15 finale, Stan develops a cynical attitude after celebrating his tenth birthday. As a result, the boy starts to view anything around him as literal poop. Through the sudden depression of this usually enthusiastic character, this episode highlights the challenges of coming of age and dealing with change.
Stan is accustomed to the bubble of fun he once existed in and when it bursts, he struggles to find a balance between the good and bad. Consequently, he begins to lose his loved ones as well as himself, spiraling into a state of pessimism, nihilism, and confusion. Parker and Stone formed the idea of Stan’s existential crisis as a likeness to their own aging, as well as the shows. The abrupt, inconclusive ending of the episode (with a painfully unironic use of the song Landslide) brought an emotionally devastating turn not usually seen in this comedic show.
10 Le Petit Tourette
Season 11, Episode 8
If there is any opportunity for Eric Cartman to be awful, he would take it. After witnessing a boy named Thomas with Tourette's syndrome, Cartman starts faking his own symptoms. He uses it as an excuse to say whatever he wants without consequences. Through Cartman’s behavior, Kyle’s denial of it, and Craig’s obsession with Thomas’ syndrome, the show calls out people who do not have an educated understanding of the condition.
It also makes light of human ignorance, with comedic moments such as Kyle’s experience in the Tourette support group and Cartman’s eventual blurting out of his deepest secrets. Despite the offense of this episode, mainly due to lack of censorship, it was praised by the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA), which believed it was “surprisingly well-researched” and “served as a clever device” to provide accurate information about Tourette’s to the public.
9 Kenny Dies
Season 5, Episode 13
The killing of Kenny is a long-standing running gag in South Park, one usually only acknowledged with “Oh My God! They Killed Kenny!” before the show resets for the next episode. However, in “Kenny Dies,” the boy’s apparent immortality runs out as he is struck with a terminal illness. Along with the bizarre side plot of Cartman’s possession of 33 aborted fetuses, the episode deals with the heartbreak as the three remaining boys come to terms with losing their best friend.
Stan took it the hardest, which made it difficult to find the courage to visit Kenny in the hospital. When he finally did visit, Kenny had already passed after his final words, “Where’s Stan?” In a surprisingly tragic turn, South Park abandoned its usual satire and mourned the death of a long-time friend and character. Parker and Stone decided on this twist as they were running out of original ways to kill Kenny, and rather than the character reappearing in the next episode, he does not show up again in the series until the end of Season 6.
8 Put It Down
Season 21, Episode 2
This episode sees multiple subplots, with Tweek’s freakout over a threat from North Korea, distracted driving, social media, and Cartman’s attention-seeking suicide prevention rants all merging into one. Two years after their initial coupling, South Park finally gave fans hope of a real relationship between Tweek and Craig, with pet names in private and dates to the theme park. However, the real test of their strange and delightful romance came when Craig learned to just listen during Tweek’s anxiety attacks instead of trying to help.
This resulted in a performance of Put It Down, a song mocking Donald Trump’s social media posts by urging individuals to put down their phones if they ever became president. While Cartman’s intentions were selfish, his interruption of the song with a rap about suicide awareness added to the catchy tune and made it no surprise that this episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
7 The Big Fix
Season 25, Episode 2
In one of the greatest twists of South Park history, the show revealed the name of long-time character Token Black to actually be Tolkien after Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien. Through Stan, the show exposed the error and even broke the fourth wall to condemn “anyone else” who also mistook the name. This episode not only discounted what audiences have believed for years, but it also called everyone out, including themselves, for highlighting the acts of tokenism.
Randy Marsh’s inclusion of Steve Black in his Tegridy Farm business merely due to the color of his skin depicted the ignorance people can have. On the other hand, Stan unintentionally alienated Tolkien with assemblies and presentations to prove he’s not racist, despite the two being close friends before with no issue. While it's clear that Tolkien's name has recently been changed, South Park has certainly given their viewers plenty to think about.
6 The List
Season 11, Episode 14
While South Park is definitely not a children’s show, episodes like “The List” remind us of how young the characters really are. The fourth-grade girls create a secret list that rates every boy’s looks from cutest to ugliest, and when the boys finally get their hands on it, the results are hard to deal with. Although previously mocking the ridiculousness of the list, Kyle becomes depressed after being rated last, while Clyde develops a cocky attitude after scoring at the top.
This episode takes audiences back to their younger days, sarcastically portraying how looks and popularity felt more important than anything as a kid. However, it also took a sinister turn when it is discovered that the girls rigged the list in order to get what they wanted, like shoes from Clyde’s father’s store. In the end, the real list is not released, as apparently, not knowing you are good-looking is better than becoming a pretentious fool.
5 Scott Tenorman Must Die
Season 5, Episode 4
While current audiences know Cartman as a merciless maniac, Scott Tenorman Must Die was a turning point that marked the beginning of the character’s true dark antics. After eighth grader Scott Tenorman tricked Cartman into believing that eating pubic hair will help him start puberty, Cartman instantly started plotting his revenge. Following a back-and-forth of vengeful acts between the two that resulted in a cook-off, Cartman made Tenorman unknowingly eat a chili made with the dead bodies of his parents, before drinking his tears.
The horrifying realization causes the older boy to suffer a mental breakdown, and everyone around agreed not to anger Cartman ever again. The disturbing nature of Cartman’s deed is what caused this episode to be so unsettling, especially after Scott discovered his mother’s finger in the bowl. With this shockingly brilliant moment, the show proved it would really go as far as it wanted to, and there was no predicting how far that would be. It is no surprise that this is one of the most acclaimed episodes of South Park.
4 Butters’ Bottom B*tch
Season 13, Episode 9
Hoping to end his friend's teasing and to get his first kiss, Butters starts The Kissing Company and inadvertently becomes a notorious pimp. Eventually, the boy’s company expands from peers to adults, and soon, he is being pursued by Sergeant Yates as an undercover prostitute, although the policeman enjoys the sting operation a little too much. In spite of Butters’s new lifestyle, there is satisfaction in seeing this usually timid and naive character with power, money, and influence.
The threats he makes to his friends even seem excusable, especially towards Cartman who thrived on pushing Butters around. Although he ultimately decided to give up his new profession, Butters’s change of character caused the episode to receive a lot of attention. While many praised the episode as funny, most were relieved to see this beloved character return to normal.
3 Woodland Critter Christmas
Season 8, Episode 14
"Woodland Critter Christmas" is an adorably horrible Christmas episode where Stan wanders into the woods only to find a bunch of cute woodland critters in despair over a mountain lion. Stan listens as they tell him how the mountain lion wants to kill their lord and savior once he is born. They beg Stan to kill the mountain lion and bring them her body. Once the mountain lion is dead, Stan realizes that the mountain lion was a mama with two babies. The orphans are devastated over the death of their mama and tell Stan that the critters are the ones who are actually evil.
The dark turn of the Woodland Critters became one of the most horrifying Christmas specials ever seen on TV. It was one of the first South Park episodes to leave the fans speechless with its unbelievably terrible scenes. This is one of those episodes that nobody can ever unsee, even if the entire thing was just fabricated by Cartman in an attempt to make fun of Kyle for being Jewish.
2 The Death Camp of Tolerance
Season 6, Episode 14
There is something endearing yet troubling about the Death Camp for Tolerance episode. It is an absolute classic for many reasons, as fans were first introduced to Lemmiwinks, a brave and kind gerbil. Mr. Garrison is allowed to teach fourth grade again and is praised for being openly gay. This makes him furious since he is doing everything in his power to be so gay and so explicit that he can sue the school for firing him.
This all results in Lemmiwinks being sent on a difficult journey in Mr. Slave's butt. Lemmiwinks meets the ghosts of the other noble animals that have been sent on the same conquest, only to die in their attempt to find freedom. There's also an amazing Lemmiwinks song that really is the sprinkles on the cupcake.
1 Fishsticks
Season 13, Episode 5
Fishsticks is another iconic and amazingly inappropriate South Park episode. The song alone is one of the most memorable South Park songs to date. In this episode, Kanye West gets outrageously upset over being called a gay fish because he likes fish dicks. All of this confusion is because Jimmy told Cartman a joke about fish sticks and ended with him saying, "What are you, a gay fish?"
Since the joke becomes a national sensation that everyone gets and thinks is hilarious, it makes Kanye look like an idiot when he doesn't understand the joke. Everything gets more and more ridiculous as the show goes on because, once again, the entire thing is based on Cartman's ego and theft of the joke's origins from Jimmy, in which he tries to anchor the sensationalism to himself. What made this episode extra hilarious is that it really did make Kanye West mad.