South Park Theory: Randy Is Actually A Clone

While "South Park" initially focused on the four central boys — Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny — there's been a shift as of late. Many episodes now place Stan's father, Randy, at the center of attention, becoming a fan-favorite character in the process. He has plenty of hilarious bits, likely due to Trey Parker enjoying voicing him so much, but it's a far cry from when he first started. Looking back at earlier seasons of "South Park," Randy's just another dad. He gets a funny line or two here and there, but there's nothing all that special about him. So what changed over the course of the series?

ROAM Theory on YouTube proposed an intriguing idea that the Randy March viewers know now is actually a clone. The first season introduces Dr. Mephesto, a geneticist who's seen some success with cloning, having created an altered version of Stan who wreaks havoc on the town. This clone Stan is killed, but what if Dr. Mephesto continued his research? What if he set his sights on someone whom the townspeople would respect a bit more? What if he replaced the real Randy with a cloned version?

There are several subtle signs to indicate this is the case. For starters, Randy's design has changed significantly more than most over the years. In the first season, he doesn't have eyebrows or a dimpled chin, but that changes later on. And unlike most cartoon characters, his wardrobe changed recently when he took over Tegridy Farms. These changes could be a result of the cloning process continually altering his physical structure, but there's more to lend credence to this fan theory.

Randy Marsh started "South Park" as a simple geologist. He'd hold this position for many years before seemingly pursuing every other creative endeavor. From becoming a world-renowned chef to singing sensation Lorde, Randy has influenced the world in more ways than one. And this influence extends to his role in the town of South Park itself. Randy is there whenever there's a crisis or people looking for leadership. 

In "Make Love, Not Warcraft," Randy plays an integral role in getting the sword to Stan so that they can defeat the troll. In "Red Man's Greed," Randy urges his son to find a cure for SARS. In "Night of the Living Homeless," he leads the other townspeople to get all of the unhoused out of their city. People listen and respect Randy and will seemingly follow him to the end of the Earth. Is this merely because he's a charismatic leader people can rally behind? Or is there someone else pulling the strings, winding up greater machinations for something more sinister?

After all, Randy has been used as a pawn to advance other agendas. In "Mexican Joker," Randy's part of a plot to blow up other home-grown marijuana farms so that he can corner the market. And Randy was responsible for taking out Winnie the Pooh in "Band in China." No matter what political happenings are going on, there's Randy nearby. Maybe there are even multiple Randy clones who can be in several places at once, allowing them to extend the higher power's reach. It's a pretty dark theory, and ultimately, Randy having so many jobs is similar to Homer Simpson getting a new job every week. But it's enough to make you wonder if Dr. Mephesto didn't give up his cloning research so quickly after all.