Top 10 Funniest South Park Episodes

Towelie was largely created to poke fun at the fact that “South Park” had become a merchandising giant. His debut episode includes a fake commercial, which is made even funnier when you consider that Towelie would inspire similar real-world products, including T-shirts and beach towels. One of the reasons why Towelie made such a first impression during this episode is because of how outrageous the episode is. In addition to the episode’s focus being on a talking towel, the insane plot involves conspiracies, the military (who actually turns out not to be the military), and aliens. However, all that the boys really care about is retrieving their beloved Okama Gamesphere. Much of the episode’s humor also stems from the boys’ indifference towards these dilemmas. Of course, the biggest laughs come from Towelie himself, who’s catchphrases remain highly quotable. As for the episode’s lesson: Don’t forget to bring a towel.

“South Park” is known for churning out entire episodes on a weekly basis, but “Woodland Critter Christmas” nearly broke the writers. After two days of fruitless brainstorming, the creatively burnt-out staff finally decided to satirize an obscure Christmas special starring John Denver and the Muppets. From there, everything slowly fell into place with satanic woodland critters, rhyming dialogue, and a mystery narrator, whose surprise reveal provides perhaps the biggest laugh. This twisted holiday fable constantly keeps the audience guessing where it’s going and there’s always an ingenious payoff. The jokes and story are so well-crafted that you’d swear this episode was conceived way in advance. The notion that this all came together in a few days, however, is truly a Christmas miracle.

#8: “Black Friday” trilogy

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From the Dreamcast, to the PSP, to the Wii, “South Park” always finds a creative way to tie the latest gaming console into a story. “Black Friday” took matters to new levels as a literal console war breaks out between the boys, who are divided over whether to purchase a PS4 or Xbox One on Black Friday. The trilogy isn’t just a love letter to gamers, but also a sharp “Game of Thrones” parody, with Cartman serving as a calculating strategist, Kenny rising up as a princess, and George R. R. Martin ranting about something we’ve seen from time to time on the acclaimed HBO series. Above all else, it’s a clever send-up of consumerism with Black Friday bringing out the absolute worst in humanity, leaving a shopping mall looking worse than the Red Wedding.

“Imaginationland” might’ve been “South Park’s” most epic endeavor since the 1999 theatrical film. When we say “epic,” we mean both in terms of storytelling and comedy. With a grander scale, this three-part story arc is essentially the “South Park” equivalent to “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings.” You could also compare it to “Who Framed Roger Roger,” which similarly balanced out an ambitious concept with a ton of laughs and rich attention to detail. Part of the fun here is simply trying to spot all the familiar faces in the background, from Jason Voorhees to Snarf. Just as imagination is limitless, this trilogy never runs out of inventive scenarios or comedic opportunities. It’s packed to the brim with laughs and, of course, imagination.

While illegal immigration was a hot button topic in 2004, it’d only gained more relevance over a decade later. In that sense, “Goobacks” has not only aged well, but it may be even funnier than we initially thought. The plot revolves around time travelers from the future who arrive on earth, and are able to work for next to nothing, in turn sparking an unemployment rise in the present. How do the laid-off workers respond? By becoming gay and getting naked in a pile of course. The whole situation can basically be summed up in four words: [“They took our jobs!”] This catchphrase is repeated throughout the episode, which you’d think would get old after a while. The line never loses its impact, however, due to its increasingly over-the-top delivery and its social relevance.

When you really think about it, a majority of disaster movies are pretty silly and redundant. The characters are often cookie-cutter archetypes, such as the hero who warns everybody of impending disaster, the evil politician who won’t listen, and the loving wife who’s just there to die tragically. This episode emphasizes just how ridiculous these cliches are by replacing humans with lice that occupy Clyde’s head. Think “A Bug’s Life” or “Antz” if they were directed by Roland Emmerich. The B story is also humorous as the boys try to uncover who has lice with Cartman taking a page from “The Thing.” The highlight, however, is the main plot, which hysterically contrasts its serious tone and dramatic moments with high-pitched voices and self-aware one-liners.

#4: “Good Times with Weapons”

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From its humble beginnings, “South Park” has prided itself on having a simplistic, if not crude, animation style. So, it’s always amusing and jarring whenever the creators experiment with a different look. This episode is equal parts parody and homage to Japanese animation, giving the cast an anime makeover. Part of what makes the episode so funny is how seriously the boys take playing ninja, which is accented by the elaborate animation. What’s especially hilarious is whenever reality sinks in, the animation reverts back the show’s traditional style. The best example is when Kenny throws his ninja star and Butters learns the hard way that weapons aren’t toys. It all builds to a timely jab at Jacket Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, encouraging people to get their priorities straight.

Even if you had heard of Scientology before, chances are you didn’t know a ton about this religion until “South Park” clued mainstream audiences in. When the church believes that Stan is the reincarnation of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, he’s told all about Scientology’s origins, which involves an evil alien ruler named Xenu, DC-8-like spaceships, and giant soul catchers. Just to clarify that Matt Stone and Trey Parker didn’t make this all up, the backstory comes complete with the caption: “This Is What Scientologists Actually Believe.” The episode proved that there are moments when facts are funnier than fiction. Of course, “Trapped in the Closet” is also remembered for its portrayal of Tom Cruise, which may seem childish, but we’d be lying if we said it didn’t make us laugh every time.

#2: “Make Love, Not Warcraft”

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Like “Good Times with Weapons,” “Make Love, Not Warcraft” is another brilliant experiment in different animation styles. In this case, the South Park creators collaborated with Blizzard Entertainment to bring South Park to the World of Warcraft. Hearing Cartman’s voice come out of a CG dwarf is already a priceless visual, but there’s more to this episode than clever visual gags. It’s masterfully written, which in turns allows it to satirize the subject matter at hand. Any diehard RPG fan knows what it’s like to get immersed into a virtual world, becoming more and more oblivious to reality. This episode not only lampoons those who are addicted to this acclaimed RPG game, but also celebrates the noble warriors of Azeroth in hilarious fashion. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo” “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers” “Casa Bonita” “Tsst” “Night of the Living Homeless”

#1: “Scott Tenorman Must Die”

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Where most episodes are biting satires, “Scott Tenorman Must Die” boils down to a Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon with Cartman trying to get back at Scott Tenorman, his 8th-grade rival. Around every corner, however, Cartman is bested by Scott. Considering all the horrible things Cartman has done over the years, it is somewhat satisfying and humorous watching him be continually humiliated. Since Scott isn’t the most pleasant person either, though, we do eventually root for Cartman to get his revenge. By the end of the episode, just when it looks like Scott is going to get the last laugh, it’s Cartman who comes out on top. The final act is as mean-spirited as it is unexpected, but the writers brought us this hysterically grim ending with strong buildup and a killer payoff.