Best South Park Episodes Ranked

April 19, 2022

Introduction – Best South Park Episodes

Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s hit show has been on air since 1997 and with the show wrapping up its 25th series (with at least other 5 series and 2 animated films still to come), why not rank the 10 best South Park episodes? For those of you who haven’t seen the show before, it can get very messed up very quickly. Before I properly get into the list, here is some history about this TV show.

History – Best South Park Episodes

South Park first aired back in 1997 and, as mentioned, above has just wrapped up its 25th series. So, the show follows 4 ten-year-old boys: Cartman, Kenny, Stan and Kyle in the small, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado. When I say South Park is messed up, I mostly mean Cartman who, despite only being 10, could probably have a Netflix true-crime series based on him. Besides Cartman’s psychopathic tendencies at times, South Park’s other defining features include its animation style and satire, as this list will demonstrate. So, without further ado, here are the 10 best episodes of South Park ranked!

Best South Park Episodes – Top Ten

10. A Song Of Ass And Fire (S17, E8)

Kicking off the list of best South Park episodes is A Song Of Ass And Fire. Fun fact, this episode is a sequel to a later episode on this list. I wonder which episode that could be? Anyway, this episode sees the continuation of the internet’s favourite debate: Xbox One vs PS4. What starts out as a simple debate turns into an all-out brawl outside the town shopping centre when the discount over the consoles on Black Friday gets bigger. Also, props for the Game of Thrones pun title….

9. Cartman Sucks (S11, E2)

Now for the Cartman insanity to properly begin… How to describe the events of Cartman Sucks to a non-South Park fan? Well, Cartman often has sleepovers with another character, Butters, and takes degrading pictures of him while he sleeps. However, Cartman then takes a picture of Butters doing something specific to imply he is homosexual. Thankfully, Cartman gets his comeuppance, but not before his actions get Butters sent to a conversion therapy camp for ‘confused’ boys. A strange yet memorable entry for our list of the best episodes of South Park.

8. Cartmanland (S5, E6)

Somehow Cartman gets more mad, as he receives $1 million from his deceased grandmother and buys his own theme park. And if you were in any doubt as to how self-centred Cartman is, he names the theme park Cartmanland. This enrages Kyle so much that he begins to lose his faith in God to the point where he suffers from an inflamed haemorrhoid. Damn. By the end of the episode, Kyle’s haemorrhoid is somehow sentient and he survives death because of seeing Cartman suffering. Yeah, I don’t know either, but it does make our list of the best South Park episodes.

7. It Hits The Fan (S5, E1)

When discussing this episode, it is important to keep a certain phrase in mind: when “shit” hits the fan. Why? Well, because a TV show aired the uncensored utterance of the word shit. And suddenly everyone is using the word. Just how many times does shit hit the fan in this episode? Well, it turns out it is a curse that leads to the resurgence of the Black Death. Cue Kyle slaying a dragon and the word shit being said 162 times (not counting it being written which takes it up to 200). Utterly chaotic and compelling nonsense.

6. Up The Down Steroid (S8, E2)

Well, Cartman’s insanity was always bound to resurface on this list of the best South Park episodes. In this episode, he pretends to be disabled to enter the ‘Special Olympics’. Why is he doing this? For his own selfish monetary gains, to win $1,000. But thankfully the plan backfires horribly in his face when the other fitter competitors beat him in every event. But not before Cartman tries to frame Stan and Kyle to save his own skin. There’s the Cartman we all know and hate.

Best South Park Episodes – Top Five

5. Black Friday (S17, E7)

At the halfway point of the best South Park episodes is Black Friday aka the prequel episode to A Song of Ass and Fire. This episode sees a massive Black Friday sale down at South Park’s local shopping centre. Seems harmless enough right? Well, it is until the fierce console debate springs up: Xbox One or PS4? Well, Cartman and Kyle head up the Xbox faction whereas Stan joins the PS4 faction. In the midst of all this, Randy takes a job as security to get an advantage in the sale. Yet more compelling nonsense from Matt Stone and Trey Parker here.

4. Cartman Joins NAMBLA (S4, E6)

Well, look who’s back? So, what is Cartman up to this time? Well, he decides he is too mature for Stan, Kyle and Kenny. This leads him to look for male friendship in an online chatroom. To the surprise of only Cartman, these men turn out to be online predators. In the midst of all this, Cartman joins NAMBLA (not the Marlon Brando one) and becomes their poster boy. The subplot follows Kenny trying to stop his parents from having another baby. Charming as ever for the show, and this comfortably makes the best episodes of South Park.

Best South Park Episodes – Top Three

3. The Simpsons Already Did It (S6, E7)

Kicking off the top three best South Park episodes is The Simpsons Already Did It. So what did the Simpsons do exactly? Well, this episode sees the continuation of Butter’s alter ego, Professor Chaos, plan to take over the world. But the problem is he realises that all of his plans have been done on the Simpsons already. Yep, even the one about blocking out the sun. Meanwhile, Cartman, Stan and Kyle end up creating a race of sea people in somehow a less ridiculous plot than some South Park episodes.

2. Make Love, Not Warcraft (S10, E8)

Narrowly missing out on the top spot in the best South Park Episodes ranking is Make Love, Not Warcraft. So, this episode starts off simply enough with Cartman and co trying to take down a high-ranking Warcraft player. This doesn’t sound too bad until it’s revealed that this is a rogue player who could bring the game down. This is where that image of the archetypal media nerd comes from. So many random things in one episode. But it doesn’t top our rankings of the best episodes of South Park.

Top Ranking – Best South Park Episodes

1. Scott Tenorman Must Die (S5, E4)

And the best South Park episode is… Scott Tenorman Must Die! I mean what else could it possibly be? Somehow the closest Cartman has ever become to being an actual psychopath on the show. So, what does he do? Well, after being sold Scott Tenorman’s pubic hair, Cartman starts dreaming up more and more absurd schemes to get him back.

All this culminates in a chilli cook-off which ends up with him serving Scott chilli made out of his dead parents and his own pubic hair. One, that is beyond messed up. Two, how has Cartman not been psychologically investigated yet? Nevertheless, this simply has to top our list of the best South Park episodes.

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So, those are our thoughts on the best South Park episodes of all time! But what do you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

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