The 25 Best South Park Episodes, Ranked

• Season 5, Episode 8
• Air Date: 2001

Simply titled ‘Towelie’, this episode gave us one of the most iconic South Park characters to ever grace the screen and even made our list of "Best Stoner TV and Movie Characters".

After Stan gets an Okama Gamesphere, the kids are addicted to playing the video game console. That is until they get entangled in a government conspiracy with everyone’s favorite pot smoking towel, Towelie. Although this episode was supposed to be a gag on TV shows adding characters midseason, because of how iconic Towelie has become this is undoubtedly one of the best South Park episodes.

• Season 11, Episode 10
• Air Date: 2007

Imaginationland is one of South Park's most ambitious projects. When watched in all three parts, it can basically be considered a movie. The plot revolves around the government's attempt to contain the breach between the real world and Imaginationland. After a terrorist attack on the imaginary realm, our favorite South Park characters remain trapped there. 

• Season 9, Episode 9
• Air Date: 2005

In this episode, South Park takes their own twist on the classic ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ story with Eric Cartman at the forefront. After upsetting his friends, they decide to ignore him, but Cartman comes to the conclusion that he must be a ghost and that’s why nobody will take to him. That is of course except Butters, who isn’t in on the plan. What follows is Butters getting into increasingly more trouble and Cartman being played like a fool once again.

• Season 3, Episode 17
• Air Date: 2000

Season 3, Episode 17 of South Park gives us ‘World Wide Recorder Concert’ where the boys are sent to Oklahoma City alongside millions of other kids to record a televised world wide Recorder concert. The real mission of the episode is for the boys to discover the infamous ‘Brown Note’, a musical note that will make everyone shit their britches. 

• Season 11, Episode 8
• Air Date: 2007

In ‘Le Petit Tourette’ Cartman discovers what Tourettes is and decides to fake that he has it so he can blurt out any phrase he wants. After securing a spot on Dateline NBC with Chris Hansen, Carmans Tourettes turns very real and he can’t stop blurting out true statements. This is one of the best South Park episodes simply for the Chris Hansen parody.

• Season 7, Episode 9
• Air Date: 2003

In this episode, the boys form a Christian rock band called "Faith + 1" in an attempt to win a contest and get a platinum record, only to find out religious music isn't eligible for a platinum record.

"Christian Rock Hard" is known for its humorous take on the music business, the popularity of Christian rock, and the ways in which artists sometimes exploit religious themes for commercial success.

• Season 9, Episode 12
• Air Date: 2005

In the episode, Stan Marsh is identified as the reincarnation of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, leading to various Scientology celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, wanting Stan to help them with their church. A highlight of this episode is the town begging Tom Cruise to physically come out of the closet.

• Season 15, Episode 7
• Air Date: 2011

As Stan becomes increasingly cynical, he starts to hear everything as "shit" and struggles to enjoy the things he used to love. The episode is notable for its departure from the typical South Park format and its more somber tone, giving viewers a genuine look at how depression can effect peoples lives.

• Season 12, Episode 1
• Air Date: 2008

In the episode, Cartman is thrilled about having his tonsils removed, but due to a mix-up at the hospital, he ends up with HIV-infected tonsils. After being made fun of by Kyle, Cartman proceeds to infect him in his sleep and the boys must go on a quest to discover the cure for AIDS.

• Season 5, Episode 13
• Air Date: 2001

In the episode, the boys learn about stem cell research and its potential for curing Kenny's illness. However, the ethical implications surrounding the issue are also explored, adding a satirical touch to the controversial topic. The boys become involved in the political and moral debates surrounding stem cell research as they try to determine whether it's the right course of action to save Kenny.

• Season 6, Episode 13
• Air Date: 2002

In the episode, the boys accidentally obtain a pornographic videotape and mistake it for the actual film "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." When the parents discover the mix-up, chaos ensues, and the boys embark on a quest to return the videotape to Butters' parents without knowing the actual contents of the tape.

• Season 10, Episode 7
• Air Date: 2006

The title "Tsst" is derived from the sound that Cesar Millan makes to correct misbehaving dogs. In the episode, Cesar applies his techniques to Cartman, who proves to be a more challenging and difficult case than any dog he has encountered. This parody of a real celebrity is one of the most accurate we've ever seen on South Park.

• Season 19, Episode 6
• Air Date: 2015

In "Tweek x Craig," Tweek and Craig become the subject of yaoi (a genre of Japanese art and literature depicting romantic and sexual relationships between fictional characters, typically male) fan art that becomes popular on the internet. The boys' reaction to the fan art and the town's response to their perceived romantic relationship make this one of the best South Park episodes to date.

• Season 7, Episode 12
• Air Date: 2003

The episode satirizes and explores various aspects of Mormonism, including the story of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and some of the distinctive beliefs and practices of the religion. Throughout the episode, the character Gary explains his faith to the boys. This episode would help the creators of South Park branch out into the musical world, creating a Tony winning play.

• Season 9, Episode 11
• Air Date: 2005

In "Ginger Kids," Cartman delivers a presentation in which he expresses his disdain for "gingers" and claims that they are a separate and inferior race. As the episode progresses, Cartman's plan backfires when he is genuinely turned into a "ginger" in his sleep by Kyle. This episode is notable because of a viral YouTube video that came out after the episode.

• Season 14, Episode 3
• Air Date: 2010

This episode is one of my personal favorites of South Park because of the hilarious cover of Buffalo Soldier that Randy Marsh gives us. After discovering that medical marijuana is legal, Randy does everything in his power to give himself a disease that qualifies for a med-card. KFC also becomes banned and Cartman has to go to Scarface levels to get his fix.

• Season 22, Episode 1
• Air Date: 2018

The episode tackles the serious and sensitive topic of school shootings, exploring the fear and uncertainty that such incidents bring to communities. It satirizes various responses to the issue, including the media's coverage, the portrayal of video games as a potential influence, and the political debates surrounding gun control.

• Season 13, Episode 5
• Air Date: 2009

‘The Season 13 episode ‘Fishsticks’ is one of the most well known South Park episodes to date. After Jimmy comes up with the joke of the century, Cartman continually takes more and more credit for writing the joke, when in reality he did nothing. The episode gives us insight into how Cartman is truly a sociopath and his fate ultimately ends up in the hands of Kanye West. Notably, Bill Hader was a writer on this episode and has talked about its conception in multiple interviews.

• Season 14, Episode 2
• Air Date: 2010

The episode satirizes societal attitudes toward offensive and provocative content, exploring the idea that people often misinterpret and project their own beliefs onto controversial works of art. The boys initially set out to create the most offensive book ever, but they are surprised when readers interpret their work in ways they didn't intend. Of course they get no credit for the book as they claimed Butters wrote it initially so they wouldn't get in trouble.

• Season 14, Episode 14
• Air Date: 2010

One thing that makes South Park one of the greatest shows ever is the ability to parody any and everything. In this episode, Stan's dad Randy becomes addicted to the Food Network channel and in turn tries to become a chef. This notably gets points as the best South Park episode because of a hilarious B plot that includes a parody of the Shake-Weight. 

• Season 8, Episode 1
• Air Date: 2004

"Good Times with Weapons" is a satire of both the fascination with Japanese anime and the dangers of unsupervised play with weapons. The humor arises from the contrast between the boys' fantasies and the real-world consequences of their actions.

• Season 10, Episode 8
• Air Date: 2006

In "Make Love, Not Warcraft," the boys become deeply immersed in playing the popular online multiplayer game World of Warcraft. They encounter a player who consistently kills them in the game, prompting them to embark on a mission to defeat him. To do so, they spend an excessive amount of time leveling up their characters, neglecting their real-world responsibilities.

• Season 8, Episode 5
• Air Date: 2004

In this episode, Cartman disguises himself as a robot named AWESOM-O to learn Butters' deepest secrets and use them against him. However, the situation takes an unexpected turn when Butters' father mistakenly believes AWESOM-O is a real robot and decides to keep him, bringing him along on a family vacation.

• Season 7, Episode 11
• Air Date: 2003

Casa Bonita is a staple in the South Park universe. In this episode, Kyle gets to bring three friends for his birthday dinner at the iconic ‘Casa Bonita’ restaurant and doesn’t include Cartman but instead invites Stan, Kenny, and Butters. Cartman proceeds to hatch one of his most sinister plans to ensure he goes to Casa Bonita instead of Butters. In more recent developments, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have actually bought the real Casa Bonita in Colorado and plan on reopening it in the future.

• Season 5, Episode 4
• Air Date: 2001

In this episode, Eric Cartman seeks revenge against an older boy named Scott Tenorman, who had tricked Cartman into buying his pubic hair and humiliated him on multiple occasions. The episode is particularly famous for its shocking and unexpected twist at the end, where Cartman's revenge is revealed to be incredibly elaborate and cruel, showing just how much of a psychopath Eric Carman is.