The Best South Park Characters

There's been a lot of winners on South Park during its over-20 season run, but these are our picks for the best South Park characters.

best south park characters lead
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Image via YouTube/Comedy Central

best south park characters lead

For more than 20 seasons, South Park has captivated Comedy Central’s audiences with its surreal humor and commentary on current events. Since the show’s inception in 1997, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have pushed the envelope to create undoubtedly one of the most successful TV comedies in existence. 

We've seen Parker and Stone make fun of religious and public figures, as well as celebrities, all centered around the insanity of the tiny, titular Colorado town. How crazy do things get in South Park? The witty cartoon has parodied a gyrating Justin Bieber and smashed his head, like The Mountain did to Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. The show has poked fun at Occupy Wall Street and the extreme lengths gamers go to for some extra XP in an episode based on World of Warcraft. They’ve taken on Scientology, Lorde, Saddam Hussein, and Kanye West.

But, perhaps the most brilliant part of Parker and Stone’s hit comedy is how they parody multiple current events into one episode. For instance, the HumancentiPad episode in season 15 satirizes the abhorrent Human Centipede film, while also pointing out the ridiculously long agreement terms that people seemingly automatically agree to online without reading. In 2016, South Park even wove together storylines that mocked the presidential election, Internet trolls, and the outcry over Colin Kaepernick kneeling for the national anthem all at once.

The show has changed comedy, animated television, and even the mere idea of viral content. But at the end of the day, what really makes South Park great is its expansive cast of characters. There are favorites like Towelie, Captain Hindsight, and Mr. Hankey who pop up from time to time. Then, there are characters who are central to the series that appear in nearly every episode like the main quartet of Cartman, Kenny, Kyle, and Stan. They all play important roles in bringing the show to life and creating a ridiculous, entertaining viewing experience. So, let’s take a look at the best South Park characters. After all, without them in all their crass glory, the show could probably air on Nickelodeon.

Captain Hindsight

best south park characters captain hindsight

Terrance & Philip

best south park characters terrance philip

Randy Marsh

best south park characters randy marsh

Mrs. Crabtree

best south park characters mrs crabtree

Mr. Slave

best south park characters mr slave

Gerald Broflovski

best south park characters sheila broflovski

Sheila Broflovski

best south park characters gerald broflovski

Mr. Mackey

best south park characters mr mackey

Jimmy Valmer

best south park characters jimmy valer

Tuong Lu Kim

best south park characters tuong lu kim

Ike Broflovski

best south park characters ike

Towelie

best south park characters towelie

Mr. Hankey

best south park characters mr hanky

Mr. Garrison

best south park characters mr garrison

Butters Stotch

best south park characters butters stotch

Stan Marsh

best south park characters stan

Kyle Broflovski

best south park characters kyle

Kenny McCormick

best south park characters kenny

Chef

best south park characters chef

Cartman

best south park characters cartman

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