When going down to South Park, one can be sure to have themselves a time. Famous for toilet humor and topical satire, it’s difficult to pigeonhole this game-changing animated series. Parking may be ample, but so too are irreverent jokes and absurd twists. The series has built a reputation for crossing every line. But Trey Parker and Matt Stone have not only crossed the line, they have also done horrible things to the line, and now the line is crying – and audiences are loving it!
With over 300 episodes, it takes a lot to stand out in the canon – only time will tell if the ongoing 26th season of South Park will be remembered alongside its highest points. The best South Park episodes blend the crude and the clever, holding space for satire and silliness to coexist. The original songs hit all the right comedic notes, and the characters are so flawed that irreverence is an expectation. So come on down to South Park, and meet some of the show’s top-rated episodes on IMDb.
South Park
- Release Date
- August 13, 1997
- Seasons
- 26
50 “Cartman’s Mom Is a Dirty Slut” (Season 1, Episode 13)
IMDb Score: 8.6/10
The final episode of South Park’s first season, “Cartman’s Mom Is a Dirty Slut” relishes the series’ trademark brand of offensive humor while still offering a surprisingly poignant story about belonging and abandonment. It focuses on Cartman’s efforts to identify his biological father, an endeavor that reveals his mother’s promiscuity and makes his goal that much more difficult to accomplish. All the while, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny gather footage of Cartman with a mind to submit it to ‘America’s Stupidest Home Videos’.
While it concluded with an announcement that the true identity of Cartman’s father would be revealed in the Season 2 premiere, fans were left frustrated when the mystery was never resolved. That being said, the Season 1 finale has still become a series classic as an excellent episode for the villainous Cartman that also celebrates many of the show’s secondary characters.
49 “Cartman’s Incredible Gift” (Season 8, Episode 13)
IMDb Score: 8.6/10
South Park‘s work of simple though hilarious parody that comes up trumps, “Cartman’s Incredible Gift” plays with mystery tropes and notions of psychic or gifted detectives in a twisted story focused squarely on Cartman’s maniacal ego. After Cartman sustains a head injury, he awakens in a hospital where he is able to convince a police officer that he has developed psychic abilities. With an active serial killer in the area, law enforcement brings Cartman to the crime scenes to solve the crimes.
A skewering of the phenomenon of psychics that also lampoons movies like Red Dragon and The Dead Zone, the episode is perfect for fans of murder mystery narratives. Despite being relatively basic in its focus and never straying too intently into the taboo or socially controversial (like many of South Park’s most famous episodes), “Cartman’s Incredible Gift” has become a fan favorite with its parody premise and Cartman’s manipulative cunning.
48 “The Passion of the Jew” (Season 8, Episode 3)
IMDb Score: 8.6/10
A scorching indictment on The Passion of the Christ released as fanfare and fallout of the Mel Gibson film was reaching its zenith, “The Passion of the Jew” is a perfect example of South Park’s creative immediacy being its greatest strength. In the episode, Cartman tries to use the provocative film to inspire antisemitism and see a group rise up against the Jews. Meanwhile, Stan and Kenny, having seen The Passion of the Christ and hating it, track down Mel Gibson to demand a refund.
Given The Passion of the Christ was a polarizing film upon release, the South Park episode brilliantly skewered the social phenomenon surrounding the film, addressing its provocative and intense violence and its antisemitic interpretation. It earned high praise from several critics and holds some interesting insights into how The Passion of the Christ vilified Jewish people and what the impact of that was.
47 “201” (Season 14, Episode 6)
IMDb Score: 8.7
Season 14 saw South Park celebrate a monumental milestone with its 200th episode, an event the series creators honored with two of the most controversial and dangerous episodes aired in the history of television. The second of them, “201,” continues the two-episode arc as celebrities and the Ginger Separatist Movement try to force the people of South Park to hand over the prophet Muhammad. All the while, a team of religious figures arrives to spare the town from the attack of Mecha-Streisand.
The episode has become infamous for its depiction of Muhammad, who is always seen behind a black bar marked “censored,” and the threats of violence surrounding the release that saw Comedy Central further censor the episode to Parker and Stone’s dismay. Despite being so highly rated, “201” is unavailable to stream and has not been shown in re-runs. However, it was nominated for a Primetime Emmy.
46 “200” (Season 14, Episode 5)
IMDb Score: 8.7/10
The predecessor to “201” and, of course, the 200th episode of the series, “200” was a significant event for the series as it brought back many of the celebrities the series had mocked over its first 199 episodes. Led by Tom Cruise, a litany of Hollywood stars descend upon South Park to file a class action lawsuit against the town, however, they state that they will drop the suit if the people of South Park can facilitate a meeting between Cruise and the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Like “201,” the episode earned a Primetime Emmy nomination but has been withheld from all streaming services and hasn’t been featured in re-runs of the series. Loaded with references and gags targeting movie stars and religious icons, while also featuring a surprisingly intricate narrative, “200” is South Park at its most daringly hilarious and controversial.
45 “You Have 0 Friends” (Season 14, Episode 4)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Brilliantly using Tron as a thematic and visual inspiration, “You Have 0 Friends” is a scorching criticism of the dangerous allure of social media that boasts a strong point without losing any of South Park’s trademark controversial irreverence. It follows Stan as he reluctantly joins Facebook only to find himself being literally sucked into the website. Meanwhile, Kyle struggles with a dilemma between preserving his own social status and showing kindness to a third-grader who has no friends.
Inspired by Trey Parker’s own experiences with Facebook, the episode is a hilarious, inventive, and even sometimes poignant analysis of the selfish and numerical priorities people have on social media platforms. It’s a brilliant critique of tech culture that, while brutal, does pay some mind to the isolated victims it creates. Sadly, its cautionary tale hasn’t been heeded by much of modern society.
44 “Medicinal Fried Chicken” (Season 14, Episode 3)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Given that Cartman and Randy are two fan-favorite characters, it is no surprise that “Medicinal Fried Chicken” ranks so highly on IMDb as it features both characters at their hilarious best throughout. Cartman, appalled to learn that the town’s KFC has been replaced by a medicinal marijuana dispensary, becomes involved in an illegal food trade. Meanwhile, Randy gives himself testicular cancer so he can make use of the dispensary, a ploy that sees his testicles grow exponentially.
Satirizing social issues of medicinal and legalized drug use and fast-food concerns while also relentlessly skewering the Catholic Church and parodying Scarface through Cartman’s arc, “Medicinal Fried Chicken” fires on all cylinders as an appropriately absurd yet contemplative exploration of modern social issues. It even received an official response from KFC that, while not being glowing, was far from critical of the episode and praised its inclusion of the chain’s hometown in Corbin, Kentucky.
43 “Breast Cancer Show Ever” (Season 12, Episode 9)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Across South Park’s 26 seasons (and counting), some episodes have proven to be more timeless than others. One of the most enduring is “Breast Cancer Show Ever,” which sees Cartman getting his just deserts in an immensely satisfying fashion. While running with a hilarious, Cartman-focused storyline, it also contains references to such films as Snatch and There Will Be Blood.
It transpires as Wendy Testaburger tries to raise awareness of breast cancer at school, only to be berated by Cartman every step of the way. When she’s finally had enough, she challenges Cartman to a fistfight that captures the interest of the students and leads Cartman desperate to find a way to back out of it. Granted, it isn’t South Park’s most ambitious or shocking outing, but the simple premise is handled incredibly well to be a rewarding story of comeuppance that fans have come to love.
42 “Major Boobage” (Season 12, Episode 3)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Parker and Stone are no strangers to absurdist hilarity, but Season 12’s “Major Boobage” is something of a series highlight in their endeavor to be completely insane. A new craze develops among the kids of South Park linked to sniffing the urine of cats in order to experience a high. While Cartman tries to protect the neighborhood cats by hiding them in his attic, Kenny becomes addicted to the hallucinogenic effect the urine has as he experiences a world with a recurring motif of women’s breasts realized in the style of the 1981 film Heavy Metal.
The episode lovingly parodies the cult-classic animated sci-fi movie while still containing many hilarious and shocking jokes, and an excellently delivered story that includes Cartman’s Mr. Kitty experiencing an Anne Frank‘s Diary-style experience. The episode took eight weeks to make given the creators’ insistence on getting the animated homage of Heavy Metal right, and the end result proved that it was the right decision.
41 “Night of the Living Homeless” (Season 11, Episode 7)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
A gem of South Park’s knack for pointed parody, “Night of the Living Homeless,” as the name would suggest, satirizes the issue of homelessness with a story inspired by zombie movies. The Season 11 episode sees South Park overrun by hordes of homeless people. As they mindlessly roam, a group of adults hides out on the roof of the community center. Meanwhile, the boys embark on a trek to learn more about the horde and how it can be stopped.
As much as the spoof episode takes aim at the homeless, it also mocks those from the middle and upper classes who are completely incapable of understanding the issue or empathizing with the people it impacts. It’s a South Park episode that punches both ways while delivering a hilarious parody of zombie movie tropes to the tune of “chaaaaaaaaange,” making it a cult favorite for series fans who also love horror cinema.
40 “Cartoon Wars: Part 1” (Season 10, Episode 3)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
One of the most infamous and worryingly controversial episodes of South Park ever, “Cartoon Wars: Part I” contains plenty of referential fun, but is notorious for its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad. The Season 10 episode takes place as it is announced that Family Guy will feature Muhammad as a character in an upcoming episode. As the residents of South Park fear what the fallout will be, Cartman embarks on a journey to Hollywood to try to get the episode pulled off-air.
It is quite understandable why the episode ranks highly in the eyes of South Park fans, as it flaunts a socially polarizing satire that series diehards have come to love. The episode was intended to be the Season 10 premiere, but disagreements between Comedy Central and Parker and Stone led to it being delayed. While it has come to be loved for its more trivial plot beats and its skewering of Family Guy, both “Cartoon Wars” episodes are two of five episodes of South Park that have been made unavailable on Max and Paramount+ due to their content.
39 “A Ladder to Heaven” (Season 6, Episode 12)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
One of the better episodes in what was a stupendous sixth season, “A Ladder to Heaven” follows the boys as they build a ladder to Heaven in order to retrieve a ticket from their dead friend Kenny that will grant them an all-you-can-grab candy prize. While the media mistakes the boys’ work to be an act of childish innocence, a political race to reach Heaven begins, with George Bush believing Saddam Hussein is building weapons of mass destruction from beyond the grave.
Most notably, the episode is a merciless skewering of Bush’s actions when in office, lampooning both the WMD hysteria and his general demeanor and presentation. It also takes aim at the nature of media circuses and how easily true intentions can be misrepresented in the news. Above all else though, the episode may ultimately be remembered due to Cartman mistaking Kenny’s cremated remains to be chocolate milk powder and drinking them, leading to his eventual tie to Kenny’s soul.
38 “Die Hippie, Die” (Season 9, Episode 2)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Another excellent parody episode, “Die Hippie, Die” mocks disaster films like The Core as South Park becomes overrun by a horde of hippies congregating for a music festival. Cartman, who has been working as a pest control expert specializing in the removal of hippies, stands as the town’s last chance for survival and begins working with political figures to enact a plan to rid the town of the anti-corporate invaders.
While it isn’t the most thematically pointed episode of the series, it still contains intriguing ideas about society’s attitudes towards hippies, and the questionable level of conviction many hippy-types have in their own espoused beliefs. It is a typically bold episode in this social commentary, but it is more famous for its disaster movie parody and its violent ending that included Slayer’s “Raining Blood.” The episode also stands as the last to contain new voice dialogue from Isaac Hayes.
37 “The Wacky Molestation Adventure” (Season 4, Episode 16)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Viewed by many fans to be the best episode of Season 4, “The Wacky Molestation Adventure,” as the name may indicate, presents South Park at its shockingly hilarious best. Inspired by and parodying Children of the Corn, the episode sees the boys inform the police that their parents are molesting them. Other kids in town follow suit, and soon the only residents left in South Park are the children, but society begins to collapse as Cartman takes charge, with anarchy soon following.
The episode is rife with South Park’s trademark crude irreverence, but also with its insightful satire as it uses the children’s political struggles to analyze the nature and volatility of power. The fact that the whole thing started because Kyle’s parents wouldn’t allow him to go to a concert just makes the episode all the more hysterical. Additional influences for the narrative of the episode came in the form of Logan’s Run and the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Miri.”
36 “The Death Camp of Tolerance” (Season 6, Episode 14)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
While offensive absurdity and controversy are something of a specialty of South Park, the Season 6 episode “The Death Camp of Tolerance” stood out even by the show’s standards as it revolved around Mr. Garrison’s attempts to capitalize on discrimination lawsuits. His efforts to be fired for being gay lead the teacher to insert the class gerbil, Lemmiwinks, up his boyfriend’s rectum in class. With the children’s outrage being mistaken for homophobia, they are sent to a “toleration camp” while Lemmiwinks ventures through Mr. Slaves’ body.
With the boys’ rigorous camp mimicking the Holocaust while Lemmiwinks’ journey parodied the songs from 1977’s animated The Hobbit movie; the episode was a masterstroke of referential comedy. “The Death Camp of Tolerance” also functioned as a pulverizing criticism of blind tolerance and people’s desperation to appear as accepting without properly understanding the nuances of the issues they are judging.
35 “Chinpokomon” (Season 3, Episode 11)
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
Taking aim at Japanese anime, “Chinpokomon” parodied the popular Pokémon brand, with the children of South Park growing obsessed with the new fad ‘Chinpokomon’, an animated series with a range of related products. However, what seems a harmless trend is soon revealed to be a ploy by the Japanese to brainwash American kids to become soldiers and launch an attack on Pearl Harbor. The children only lose interest when their parents use reverse psychology and pretend to enjoy Chinpokomon themselves.
A critique on the overbearing commercialization of children’s fads was front-and-center of the Season 3 South Park episode. Using Kyle, who struggles to see the appeal of Chinpokomon, as the central character enabled the episode to explore both children’s obsession with such concepts and parental confusion over what makes them so alluring. The episode hasn’t lost any of its punch since releasing in 1999 either, with its commentary on anime and children’s fads arguably even more applicable today.
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
The first in a three-episode stretch to conclude South Park’s 19th season, “Sponsored Content” saw the series shine at its satirical best. Jimmy’s decisions as editor of the school newspaper clash with the ideology of PC Principal who insists on change, something which leads Jimmy to meet with a group rallying against the advancement of online ads. Meanwhile, Mr. Garrison participates in a political debate against Hilary Clinton.
It was a deftly balanced episode, one which matched South Park’s trademark, pop-culture-skewering comedy with surprisingly high-concept ideas linked to modern advertising. It has experienced enduring success with its addressing of invasive internet ads resonating with many, while its unexpected twist involving Jimmy’s friend Leslie was handled in a manner that brilliantly mimicked science-fiction intensity. While it’s a little short on the series’ central characters, “Sponsored Content” excelled as a scathing commentary on modern-day politics, ideologies, and online marketing.
33 “Titties and Dragons” (Season 17, Episode 9)
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
The culmination of a three-episode arc inspired by the hit series Game of Thrones, “Titties and Dragons” earned critical acclaim with its focus on Black Friday mania and gaming console rivalries. With the kids of South Park split into two warring factions over whether they should buy PlayStation 4s or Xbox Ones when they are on sale, the episode marked the point at which they would need to reach a conclusion.
Complete with backstabbing, scheming, and even a ‘Red Robin Wedding’, it was a razor-sharp GoT parody that still had its own satirical focus on America’s ridiculous obsession with Black Friday, with Randy Marsh hilariously having to deal with shopper violence. While it saw Xbox One emerge victorious as Bill Gates killed the head of Sony, the episode actually came to a surprisingly uplifting conclusion as Cartman realized he’d had more fun improvising Game of Thrones with his friends than he could have playing Xbox 24/7.
32 “A Song of Ass and Fire” (Season 17, Episode 8)
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
The preceding episode to “Titties and Dragons”, “A Song of Ass and Fire” was the middle entry in season 17’s Game of Thrones/Black Friday trilogy. With the boys split into different factions concerning Xbox or PlayStation, the episode saw Cartman hatch a scheme for the Xbox crew, Butters and Scott Malkinson visit the home of George R. R. Martin, and Randy is promoted to be the captain of security at the South Park Mall.
Parker and Stone faced difficulties concerning the narrative of the episode and what direction they should steer the parody in. The end result, however, is one of the most acclaimed episodes in South Park’s history and an ingenious middle entry to the three-episode arc. Moments like Butters’ torment as George R. R. Martin speaks ceaselessly about “wieners” and Cartman’s interaction with Bill Gates are some of the best in South Park’s run.
31 “Butters’ Bottom B***h” (Season 13, Episode 9)
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
When the boys of South Park learn that Butters has never kissed a girl, the ensuing bullying drives the hilarious character to make a drastic decision – he pays a girl $5 to give him his first kiss. This inspires Butters to capitalize on this idea, creating his own “kissing company” and essentially becoming a pimp in the gut-busting South Park episode “Butters Bottom B***h.”
There’s no shortage of comedy gold in the Season 13 episode, which sees Butters fully embrace his pimp persona, becoming increasingly aggressive towards “his” girls. He also attends a “pimp convention” at one point to learn more about the industry, unsurprisingly sticking out like a sore thumb in the process. It’s funny to see the usually naive and adorable Butters attempt to be a ruthless pimp, mocking stereotypes about that questionable line of work in the process.
