South Park is one of the most popular and beloved series of all time. The long-running comedy series hasn't shied away from tackling more controversial topics and has amassed a sizable reputation as a result of this bold nature. The show's peak might have passed a while back, but South Park has still consistently delivered genuinely funny material over the course of its run, which is a testament to Trey Parker and Matt Stone's natural talent and commitment to this legendary series.
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With the 25th anniversary season of this series coming sooner rather than later, there's no better time to look at the history of this series and get familiar with its legendary characters once again. Cartman is especially notable in this regard since he's a fan favorite who is consistently entertaining when he takes over the plot. Here are some of the best episodes in the show featuring this character.
Updated on March 24, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: The fact that South Park is still going strong is a testament to how popular and beloved the show really is. A huge part of why this adult animated sitcom is still enjoying this time in the spotlight is because of a strong cast of characters who haven't really lost their edge over the span of decades. One such character, who is arguably the best part of the show, is Eric Cartman, who has several highlights over the course of the series. The best of the bunch are mentioned below.
20 Christian Rock Hard
A hilarious episode that parodies the music industry's outcry against illegal downloads, Christian Rock Hard is a classic South Park episode that fans love. In this episode, the gang tries to form a Christian rock band, only to face several creative differences.
This leads to Cartman leaving the group following a hissy fit and forming "Faith + 1," with the claim that he would get a Platinum record in no time at all. It doesn't take long for Cartman's dreams to be dashed, prompting an explicit rant that makes him lose all his fans.
19 Go God Go
In a bid to get the Wii quickly, Cartman decides to freeze himself and wait until the console is out. This backfires and leads to Cartman awakening in 2546, where the world has adopted atheism.
This episode is a scathing piece of commentary on the hypocrisy and belittling nature of atheists, making for a great watch. It helps that Cartman's humor is at its A-game, making the episode all the more memorable.
18 Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000
Just before a major race in a sledding competition, Cartman ends up throwing a rock at Token for calling him a fatass, prompting a massive media outcry. The resulting fallout is that Cartman ends up in a juvenile penitentiary and has to escape at all costs.
This episode is a riot, with Cartman's escape and the struggle of the boys to win the sledding race being hilarious. By the end of the episode, Token forgives Cartman (after some insistence from the rest of the gang) and he manages to enter the race at the final moment, winning it in resounding fashion.
17 Cartmanland
After getting a ton of money, Cartman decides to use it all up to buy an amusement park instead of investing it like he was supposed to. This leads to Kyle becoming jealous of Cartman's success, losing his faith in God for giving this gift of endless funds to such a horrible person.
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However, it turns out that Cartman doesn't really know how to manage an amusement park and ends up losing all his money in no time. Seeing his nemesis loaded with debt and misery causes Kyle to become normal again, making for a classic South Park episode.
16 Cartman Sucks
Cartman loves to torture Butters, and he crosses another line by harassing his friend while he's asleep to spread false rumors. However, this backfires on Cartman, as it tends to do.
In a bid to hide this picture, Cartman goes to great lengths and even reveals the secret so that Kyle and his other friends wouldn't be able to blackmail him. This doesn't work out at all, and Cartman ends up humiliating himself at the very end of the episode.
15 Ginger Kids
In this episode, both Stan and Kyle play a prank on Cartman and turn him into a ginger. It's a hilarious joke that turns into something massive after Cartman gets fed up with the constant discrimination he faces from contracting 'gingivitis'.
As a result, he rounds up the gingers of the world and implores them to fight against discrimination. This leads to a hilarious chain of events that ends with Cartman finding out about the truth of his 'condition'.
14 Medicinal Fried Chicken
Cartman's fried chicken is his bread and butter. So, when his favorite KFC outlet is replaced by a medical marijuana dispenser, he is understandably displeased.
He decides to do everything in his power to satisfy this addiction, which leads to some hilarious moments. The idea of treating friend chicken like an illegal commodity is a hilarious notion that never ceases to be funny.
13 The Coon
With superhero movies becoming all the rage in modern times, it was only a matter of time before South Park would have their own unique take on this concept. This leads to several main characters taking on the role of powerful heroes, with Cartman becoming The Coon.
The episodes focusing on his so-called 'heroics' are pretty hilarious. Butters also plays a pivotal role in these scenes as Professor Chaos and shows once again with his partnership with Cartman is so perfect.
12 Cartman Finds Love
This episode plays on Cartman's tendency to display casual racism at a moment's notice. After a black girl joins South Park Elementary, Cartman decides to play cupid and pair her up with the only other black boy in school, Token.
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This leads to some hilarious moments, with Cartman manifesting a cupid version of himself too! The episode ends with Cartman getting screwed over, which is the perfect icing on top of a hilarious cake.
11 Awesom-O
Another episode that features the partnership of Butters and Cartman, Awesome-O is one of the better episodes in the series. It also seems Cartman getting his just desserts for playing a horrible prank, which is always satisfying.
In a bid to mess with Butters, Cartman decides to dress up like a robot to figure out his deepest and darkest secrets. However, this backfires, with Cartman having to pretend to be a robot for an extended period of time and being unable to perform all the actions that a human needs to perform.
10 HUMANCENTiPAD
In an episode that parodies the popularity of Apple products and how manic people get over them, it was clear that Cartman would be the best part of this episode. After all, his needy and overbearing nature makes him the perfect candidate to show the spoiled nature of users with Apple products.
The fact that the episode took such a dark and disgusting turn is still hilarious to this day. Cartman's total apathy to the situation makes things even more hilarious!
9 World War Zimmerman
Given how dismissive Cartman is when it comes to minorities, this episode becomes even funnier. After getting worried that Token would try to kill him, Cartman goes full World War Z and kills a bunch of people in his misguided quest to survive.
The show takes a scathing look at the racism hidden beneath America's foundations that is still prevalent to this day. Of course, comedy is still the first priority of South Park and that is quite prevalent in this amazing episode.
8 T.M.I.
Cartman's insecurities are on full display in this episode, where he unwittingly lets everyone know about the size of his small penis. This leads to his frustrations culminating in an all-out riot along with other citizens with the same problems.
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The ending of this episode is particularly hilarious, with everyone but Cartman being satisfied with the conclusion. It's a typical way for South Park to end its proceedings and a rather hilarious one at that.
7 Le Petit Tourette
South Park's humor always tries to push a line, with Le Petit Tourette being a great example of the same. It's a hilarious episode that further shows just how despicable Cartman really is.
He uses the excuse of Tourettes to abuse whoever he wants without a care in the world. Of course, this backfires on him over the course of the episode, leading to a rather hilarious conclusion.
6 The Death Of Eric Cartman
Cartman's inflated ego is here for everyone to see in The Death of Eric Cartman. After committing a particularly egregious act, Cartman is ignored by his entire class. This leads him to believe that he's actually dead, instead of repenting for his actions.
He ropes Butters into this notion, convincing the child that he's a ghost. The series of events that follows is truly hilarious, with Butters facing dire consequences for associating with Cartman.
5 Fat Butt And Pancake Head
To this day, Cartman pulling off a Jennifer Lopez impersonation is still one of the most hilarious things to happen in the show. The fact that everyone buys it — barring the usual suspects — makes for a great time.
The ending of this episode is especially clever, with Cartman's responses feeling almost surreal. Fat Butt and Pancake Head is a great episode that any fan of South Park needs to check out.
4 Casa Bonita
The spoiled nature of Cartman takes center stage once again in the episode Casa Bonita. He tries to force his way into Kyle's birthday plans to visit Casa Bonita, taking some extreme measures in the process.
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He pretty much forces Butters to live underground and hide away so that he can take his place instead for the birthday party. It's a hilarious turn of events that backfires in Cartman's face when his ruse is revealed.
3 Tsst
Cartman has always been a problem child, although his mother is partly to blame for the child being the way he is. However, even she has her limits, and these are ultimately crossed when Cartman becomes too much to handle.
A series of reality show treatments ensue, which are all pretty hilarious in their own right. Ultimately, it takes the efforts of a dog trainer to calm Cartman down, although he goes back to normal by the end of the episode anyway.
2 Ginger Cow
After a prophecy related to Cartman's lies that finally lead to peace in the Middle East is uncovered, Kyle goes to great lengths to prevent Cartman from destroying this sense of peace. This gives Cartman a great amount of control over Kyle.
This leads to some rather disgusting scenes as Cartman essentially forces Kyle to "eat his farts" and become his slave. Ultimately, all of this blows up in Kyle's face when he ends up inadvertently ruining this newfound peace after misinterpreting the prophecy.
1 Scott Tenorman Must Die
One of the most legendary South Park episodes of all time features Cartman at his very best. Scott Tenorman might be a despicable bully, but that still doesn't make what happened to him justifiable in the slightest.
After Cartman is duped by Tenorman time and time again, he concocts a revenge plan where he ends up feeding his parents to him as chili. It's one of the most over-the-top punishments in any show ever and a masterful episode where Cartman shines the brightest.
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FAQs
South Park: 15 Best Cartman Episodes, Ranked? ›
The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. In the episode, Aunt Flo comes to stay, but her goldfish she bought for Stan Marsh turns out to be evil. Also "Cartman" grows a beard and starts acting strangely nice and agreeable.
Is there an episode where Cartman is nice? ›The episode was written and directed by series co-creator Trey Parker. In the episode, Aunt Flo comes to stay, but her goldfish she bought for Stan Marsh turns out to be evil. Also "Cartman" grows a beard and starts acting strangely nice and agreeable.
What's the funniest episode in South Park? ›1. “Casa Bonita” (Season 7, Episode 11) “Casa Bonita” isn't the most unique episode of “South Park,” or the most topical, or the most controversial, or the most significant. Instead, it's number one because it's maybe the single funniest in the show's history.
What episode does Cartman get $1 million dollars? ›"Scott Tenorman Must Die" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 69th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 11, 2001.
Has Cartman ever kissed anyone? ›Answer: Well, the answer to this one might actually surprise you… and that answer is YES. He's kissed Wendy. This happens way back in Season 4's “Chef Goes Nanners“… after Wendy and Cartman are forced to work together on the “Change the Flag” debate team.
What was the episode when Cartman says the F word? ›"The F Word" is the twelfth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 193rd overall episode of the series, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 4, 2009.
Who does Cartman have a crush on? ›Patty Nelson is a girl that appears in "Le Petit Tourette", where Eric Cartman blurts out that he has a crush on her, and fantasizes about kissing, much to her disgust.
What episode does Cartman get breast? ›| "Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society" | |
|---|---|
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 10 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Production code | 610 |
- South Park (TV Series 1997) The saddest "South Park" moments are counted down.
- "South Park" Kenny Dies (TV Episode 2001) Kenny's Death for Real is #1.
- "South Park" Butters' Very Own Episode (TV Episode 2001) ...
- "South Park" Raisins (TV Episode 2003) ...
- "South Park" Woodland Critter Christmas (TV Episode 2004)
Why is butters called butters? ›
His name is a play on the confection butterscotch. Butters debuted as an unnamed background character when South Park first premiered on Comedy Central on August 13, 1997.
What is the longest South Park episode? ›"Margaritaville" is a satire and commentary on the global recession affecting much of the industrialized world at the time of the episode's broadcast on March 25, 2009.
Is South Park appropriate for 10 year olds? ›Parents need to know that South Park is a satirical animated series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that isn't meant for young kids. It's jam packed with mature themes, swearing (including "f--k," "s--t," and more), over-the-top cartoon violence, potty humor, and innuendo.
What episode is Cartman racist to token? ›...
The Big Fix (South Park)
| "The Big Fix" | |
|---|---|
| South Park episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 25 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
Cartman was the first one of the boys to be shown without his hat, as seen in "Merry Christmas Charlie Manson!". He also weighs 90 pounds, as revealed in "Weight Gain 4000".
Does Cartman ever win? ›Even though Cartman was unconscious at the end being pulled around by Butters, in episode 1207 Super Fun Time, he (Cartman) won in the sense that he got to leave Frontier Village, go to Super Phun Thyme, not be held hostage by the burger king bandits, and Mr. Garrison never knew that Cartman ditched out for the day.
Why is episode 200 and 201 banned? ›The depiction of Buddha snorting cocaine in "200" and "201" prompted the government of Sri Lanka to ban the entire series outright.
When did they start cursing on South Park? ›But it was South Park that really turned obscenity into art (which is, basically, the thesis statement for the show). In the show's 2001 season 5 opener (the aptly titled “It Hits the Fan”), Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and their gang of hooligan second graders unleashed “s—” 162 times. Britain's beloved C-word, No.
How tall is Eric Cartman? ›Cartman: 5ft 5.
Does Cartman has a crush on Kyle? ›A popular theory of their relationship is that Cartman treats Kyle in such a hostile way because he has a crush on Kyle that he does not know how to deal with or process. Another popular theory is that Cartman's feelings aren't necessarily romantic, but instead an obsession, possibly sexual.
What season does Cartman have Tourette's? ›
Season 11 E 8. 10/03/2007. Cartman discovers the joys of having Tourette's syndrome. Drunk with the power of saying whatever he wants without getting in trouble for it, he lines up national TV coverage to take advantage of his new life with no filters.
What season is Kenny's goodbye? ›Kenny the Shark - Season 2 Episode 5: Kenny the Movie / Goodbye Ol' Chum - Metacritic.
What episode does Cartman cuss in class? ›Garrison is trying to teach the class but keeps getting interrupted by Cartman's profanities.
Who was the cutest boy in South Park? ›Plot. The boys discover that the girls in their class have made a list of them, ordered by cuteness. The boys, after two attempts, eventually succeed in stealing the list and discover it ranks Clyde as the cutest, and Kyle as the ugliest, with Cartman just above him.
Did Wendy have a crush on Cartman? ›During the debate, Wendy is distracted because she is attracted to Cartman and cannot deliver her opening remarks. She walks over and kisses him in front of the whole town, breaking the built-up tension and leaving Stan shocked.
What gender is Eric Cartman? ›...
| Eric Cartman | |
|---|---|
| Alias | The Coon |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Student Rabbi (original timeline) Homeless (revised timeline) |
...
Fat Camp (South Park)
| "Fat Camp" | |
|---|---|
| Original air date | December 6, 2000 |
| Episode chronology | |
| List of episodes | |
Terrorists attack Imaginationland, in an attempt to take over peoples' imagination; Kyle refuses to follow through with his promise to suck Cartman's balls.
What episode does Cartman get a girl? ›"Cartman Finds Love" is the seventh episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated sitcom South Park, and the 230th episode of the series overall.
What episode of South Park was banned? ›Following the response of fundamentalist Muslims to the release of episodes 200 and 201, which included death threats to the series creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Comedy Central stopped airing the above episodes, and they are unavailable on streaming platform Paramount+.
Who is the most evil character in South Park? ›
Gerald Broflovski, Kyle and Ike's father and a major recurring character (recently seen when the parents supported their kids in an Airsoft battle), is a genuinely worse person than anyone else in South Park.
Why does Kenny wear a hood? ›Almost all of the time, Kenny wears a hood that muffles his speech. Kenny being muffled is how he gets away with inappropriate and vulgar speech without having to be bleeped out or censored.
Should a 13 year old watch South Park? ›In the United States, South Park is mainly rated TV-MA: This program is specifically made to be viewed by adults only. Therefore it may be unsuitable for children under 17 and may contain one or more of the following: crude indecent language (L), strong sexual content (S), or graphic violence (V).
Why did China ban South Park? ›Chinese ban
In response to the episode's criticism of the Chinese government, South Park was entirely banned in China, including on its streaming services and social media platforms.
...
| South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut | |
|---|---|
| Starring | Trey Parker Matt Stone Mary Kay Bergman Isaac Hayes |
| Edited by | John Venzon |
| Music by | Marc Shaiman |
Butters then transforms into Professor Chaos and has a "ninja fight" with the gang. This ends when Kenny accidentally throws a shuriken into Butters' eye, which causes him extreme pain, shocking the other boys.
What is Tweeks real name? ›Gavin Dempsey (born April 11, 1998), also known as Tweek, is an American professional Super Smash Bros.
Who had a crush on Butters? ›Lisa Has A Crush On Butters! To boost her confidence, the cheerleaders encourage Lisa Berger to ask Butters on a date.
What is the shortest South Park episode? ›| "T.M.I." | |
|---|---|
| Episode no. | Season 15 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Production code | 1504 |
The twenty-fourth season of the American animated sitcom South Park is the shortest season of the series, consisting of two extended-length episodes: "The Pandemic Special" and "South ParQ Vaccination Special".
What season did South Park get good? ›
Season 10 is considered by many to be the best season of South Park, and it is hard to argue with that sentiment.
Is South Park over 18? ›For instance, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of the show) create characters like Eric Cartman to show audiences what not to be. This show is not meant for young children, but it can be shown to a mature 12+ year old audience as long as there are conversations about the content they just watched.
Is South Park censored on HBO Max? ›After the original broadcast, both episodes were then banned from television broadcast and HBO Max, however the DVD release, South Park: The Complete Fourteenth Season, featured only the censored version of the episodes.
Is South Park rated NC 17? ›South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut intentionally went up to using 399 swear words because the MPAA would have given the film an NC-17 rating if at least 400 swear words were used in the film. Tweek was the only series regular not to appear in this film at all.
What episode is Cartman nice to Kyle? ›| "Cartman's Incredible Gift" | |
|---|---|
| Episode no. | Season 8 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
| Production code | 813 |
During the first 58 episodes, he and his classmates were in the third grade, before transitioning to the fourth grade during the fourth season. He is the only child of Liane Cartman, a promiscuous single mother.
Did Cartman have a crush on Kyle? ›A popular theory of their relationship is that Cartman treats Kyle in such a hostile way because he has a crush on Kyle that he does not know how to deal with or process. Another popular theory is that Cartman's feelings aren't necessarily romantic, but instead an obsession, possibly sexual.
Who does Eric Cartman have a crush on? ›Patty Nelson is a girl that appears in "Le Petit Tourette", where Eric Cartman blurts out that he has a crush on her, and fantasizes about kissing, much to her disgust.
Who does Cartman love? ›| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Mother | Nancy Turner |
| Father | Mr. Turner |
| Boyfriend | Eric Cartman |
Inception. In the beginning of South Park, Craig was said to be the most violent and strongest student in the third-grade class (excluding Cartman). Cartman once claimed that Craig was the "biggest troublemaker in [their] class", and parents of his classmates have cited him as a "bad influence".
How heavy is Cartman? ›
Cartman was the first one of the boys to be shown without his hat, as seen in "Merry Christmas Charlie Manson!". He also weighs 90 pounds, as revealed in "Weight Gain 4000".
What is Butters's full name? ›Leopold "Butters" Stotch is a fictional character in the adult animated television series South Park.
Is South Park ok for 13? ›What Parents Need to Know. Parents need to know that South Park is a satirical animated series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone that isn't meant for young kids. It's jam packed with mature themes, swearing (including "f--k," "s--t," and more), over-the-top cartoon violence, potty humor, and innuendo.
Is the F word censored in South Park? ›The F word (f**k) is used frequently, but it is bleeped when it airs on TV, (not on HBO Max usually) and it is uncensored on DVD and online. In the Season 5 episode "It Hits the Fan", the S word is said 162 times.
What is the dirtiest episode of South Park? ›...
The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs.
| "The Tale of Scrotie McBoogerballs" | |
|---|---|
| South Park episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 14 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Trey Parker |
| Written by | Trey Parker |
During the debate, Wendy is distracted because she is attracted to Cartman and cannot deliver her opening remarks. She walks over and kisses him in front of the whole town, breaking the built-up tension and leaving Stan shocked.
What episode does Cartman fall in love? ›"Cartman Finds Love" is the seventh episode of Season Sixteen, and the 230th overall episode of South Park. It aired on April 25, 2012.