Controversial, iconoclastic, and absolutely hilarious: South Park is one of the greatest animated comedies of all time, and can be considered one of the best shows in history, period.
The satirical series is known for not holding back when it comes to skewering, well, anything, whether that be gay fish Kanye West, the global economy, or even Matt and Trey’s own misguided former beliefs. And with nearly 30 seasons to choose from, picking a list of the top ten episodes of all time is the sort of topic that will end friendships and cause bust ups.
Thankfully, we’re willing to face the backlash of angry fans for not putting their most quoted episode in. Check out below for our list of the 10 best South Park episodes, ranked!
10. “The Death of Eric Cartman”
While all of the main quartet are special in their own ways, nothing hits quite like a Cartman episode. Everyone’s favorite little narcissist is at his blistering best in “The Death of Eric Cartman,” in which the titular character believes he has died after eating too much KFC. This has so many components that usually make for a classic episode, from Cartman bullying Butters, to the former’s mother getting her freak on. And, who can forget a totally naked Cartman freaking out some hardened criminals?
9. “Woodland Critter Christmas”
South Park has never been a show to shy away from controversial topics, nor to show too much reverence to beloved traditions. Episodes like “Super Best Friends” and “201” even led to death threats as Trey and Matt showed a depiction of the prophet Muhammed. While episodes like those and “Damien” (which showed Jesus boxing the devil) are shocking and funny, none quite reach the level of depravity and brilliance of “Woodland Critter Christmas.”
The episode follows Stan as he discovers some magical talking animals in the woods who are awaiting the birth of their savior. However, things quickly take a dark and bloody turn in the most hilarious fashion possible. This episode is a perfect distilation of what makes the show so great.
8. “Creme Fraiche”
There’s nothing like a Randy episode, and this is one of his finest. However, it also has a great Sharon B-plot that meshes perfectly with the main story, giving us a classic absurdist South Park ending that also manages to skewer a pop culture fad (in this case, the famously overtly sexual exercise tool that was briefly a media sensation in the U.S). Add in Cartman as Gordon Ramsay and the highly quotable title, and you have one of the best episodes of South Park.
7. “Margaritaville”
Written and aired in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis (for which basically nobody was punished), this episode perfectly encapsulates the ridiculousness of the financial world, and how the economy is as mystifying and often nonsensical as religion. Despite the fact that Matt and Trey were unhappy with this episode, it is by far one of the most quotable in the whole show (what South Park loving group of friends hasn’t jokingly talked about how finger pointing gets us nowhere). That, plus a great execution of a difficult concept, is why it makes the list of best South Park episodes.
6. “Medicinal Fried Chicken”
This list might seem Randy, Cartman, and…KFC heavy, but maybe that’s just because an episode with those three components is bound to be excellent. That’s certainly the case in “Medicinal Fried Chicken,” a tale about the issues with prohibition which was inspired by Detroit considering prohibiting fast food while also looking at loosening their marijuana laws. In it, Randy gives himself testicular cancer so he can have easy access to weed, while Cartman becomes a hub of fried chicken in a brilliant Scarface parody. And then there’s the sexy gigantic testicles.
5. “Cartman joins NAMBLA”
An old but gold episode, this season 4 classic begins when Cartman decides he’s “too mature” to hang out with his friends and seeks some new pals online. He soon finds himself as the poster boy for the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA, who were a very real, very gross organization). A ridiculous crescendo to the episode involves Cartman trying to use Butters as a sacrificial lamb, a group of Marlon Brando lookalikes beating up paedophiles, and Kenny once again being killed.
4. “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers”
Is there a better Lord of the Rings parody than this brilliant episode? In it, the boys set off on a quest to return what they think is a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring to the video store, but what they don’t know is that they actually have a copy of the notorious hardcore pornography video Backdoor Sluts 9. Every Tolkein parallel is a treat, but few are as howlingly funny as Butters turning into Gollum after watching the video. One of the best South Park episodes because it’s hilarious, but also as it involves so many great characters, and the main boys at their finest.
3. “Casa Bonita”
The Cartman/Butters dynamic is one of the cruelest and most hilarious in the show, and its full force is shown here. Cartman, angry that he doesn’t have a spot at Kyle’s birthday at the iconic Casa Bonita restaurant, convinces Butters to go into hiding so he can take his place, with his plan escalating until the entire town is looking for the young Scotch.
The show was based on various writers’ memories of going to Casa Bonita as kids, and the restaurant even gave South Park permission to use it in the show. In 2022 Matt and Trey ended up buying the venue, coming full circle from their happy childhood memories.
2. “Scott Tenorman Must Die”
We always knew Cartman was a little psychopath, but this brilliant season 5 episode confirmed it in the most visceral way. It’s at number 2 on this list but many consider it to be the best South Park episode of all time, and we wouldn’t argue too hard against that belief if it came down to it.
In the episode, Cartman is tricked by 9th grader Scott into buying the latter’s pubes. He spends the rest of the episode trying to get him back and eventually does so in a terrifying manner, feeding Scott’s own parents to him via a chilli. Cartman licking the “tears of unfathomable sadness” from Scott’s face is about as iconic as it gets when it comes to South Park moments.
1. “Make Love, Not Warcraft”
We’re not the only people to adore “Make Love Not Warcraft,” with the episode winning an Emmy. Heck, even Blizzard (the makers of the titular game) were on board with producing the episode, which shows just how great it is. In it, the boys become frustrated with an overpowered player in World of Warcraft and vow to defeat him, in the process becoming every negative parody of an unhealthy gamer. Add in a brilliant plotline with Stan as the chosen one, and it’s not hard to see why we think this is the best episode of South Park of all time.