South Park: Cartman's Best Episodes Of All Time

When it comes to the roster of "South Park" characters, few are as beloved as Eric Cartman. A foul-mouthed, self-centered kid who knows how to get under people's skin, Cartman has definitely left an indelible mark on pop culture since his debut in the late-90s. From t-shirts to appearances in other media to plush pillows, Cartman has been everywhere and on everything. Despite the fact that he is irritating and highly offensive, fans still seem to love him. This is understandable, as Cartman has been the focal point of some of the show's greatest ever episodes.

Whether he's the main focus of the story or the just the driving force behind the episode's B-plot, Cartman's shenanigans often lead to the biggest laughs. From the early episode that co-creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker say really defined the character to more modern classics, these are the very best Cartman episodes of "South Park."

If we're talking about Cartman's best episodes, then we need to go all the way back to the very beginning of "South Park." Looking back, pilot episode "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" is such a quaint little watch, especially compared to how the series feels over 25 years later. From the choppier animation to the rougher sounding voices, it's clear Matt Stone and Trey Parker were still getting their footing here.

Still, one thing the duo definitely had figured out from the jump was just how much of an annoying little turd Cartman can be. The episode begins with Cartman describing an alien encounter that he believes to be a dream, despite enough evidence to suggest that it actually happened. Even after Kenny is killed by said aliens, Cartman refuses to admit that his abduction actually happened, much to Stan and Kyle's frustration.

Eventually, Cartman is taken once again by the aliens. Upon returning, he claims that Scott Baio gave him pinkeye. It's admittedly very tame, but it still makes for a fun little episode and it serves as a nice intro to the four main boys. "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe" sets the tone for the rest of the series, with Cartman quickly established as a fan favorite.

There are many episodes of "South Park" that fans hold in high regard, and one of them is most definitely "Scott Tenorman Must Die." Released during the show's fifth season, this episode became an instant classic and is often ranked among the best episodes ever. "I know that the reason that a lot of the fans picked this episode was because it's such a Cartman-defining show," Trey Parker said. The episode sees Cartman seeking revenge on an older kid named Scott Tenorman for scamming him with a bag of fake pubic hair. As the episode goes on, we see Cartman go to greater and greater lengths to get payback on Scott, mostly just embarrassing himself in the process.

Things come to a head at a carnival that Cartman has organized, which Scott — as well as Stan and Kyle — plainly see as yet another revenge attempt. However, just as Scott is about to reveal he's put pubic hair in Cartman's chili, the sadistic fourth grader reveals that he knew about Scott's plan and unveils his end game. It seems Cartman set wheels in motion for Scott's parents to wind up shot by a local farmer and then claim their bodies before the coroner.

In a shocking (and very dark) twist, Cartman reveals that he's chopped up Scott's parents and has fed them to him in chili form. The episode ends with Scott reacting in horror as Cartman gleefully licks his hears. It's a major turning point for Cartman, as this is where he goes from just a heinous little kid to a legitimately evil person. "At the end of that show, you're like 'Okay, nothing is ever going to be the same with that character again,'" Matt Stone said.

Season 13's "The Coon" is an episode that's only gotten funnier with time, especially given the over-saturation of superhero media over the last decade or so. Cartman creates his own superhero persona in the form of The Coon, a raccoon-themed vigilante, though nobody takes him seriously. This isn't helped by his tendency to go after harmless civilians and bother the police with crackpot conspiracy theories. Things get complicated when another superhero comes to South Park in the form of an unknown kid known only as Mysterion.

Much to Cartman's frustration, Mysterion is actually a far more helpful hero and is welcomed by the people of South Park. Seeing no other option, Cartman teams up with Butters' supervillain persona, Professor Chaos, to take down his rival. There are an impressive amount of gags in this episode, especially when it comes to Cartman's ineffectual nature as a superhero. The Coon has remained a recurring gag in the series, even featuring in the video game "South Park: The Fractured but Whole."

Sometimes the best episodes are the ones with the simplest setups, and "Le Petit Tourette" is a prime example. While browsing a toy store, Cartman encounters a boy named Thomas, who has Tourette's syndrome. Seeing the condition as his "golden ticket" to swear out loud, Cartman fakes having the condition himself and is now able to spout off as many inappropriate things as his mind can conjure up. Naturally, Kyle sees through this ruse, but he is viewed as insensitive by those around him and forced to apologize. Unfortunately for Cartman, he actually gets the condition he's been faking for real, forcing him to blurt out embarrassing secrets about himself.

This all coincides with an appearance on NBC's "Dateline," hosted by Chris Hansen, wherein Cartman will have all his secrets exposed. Kyle and Thomas look to ruin his TV debut by inviting a succession of online predators to the venue, which results in a gruesome moment: All the pedophiles immediately shoot themselves upon seeing Chris Hansen. This saves Cartman from embarrassment, much to the confusion of Kyle and Thomas, who are left thoroughly frustrated. "Le Petit Tourette" is an endlessly quotable episode with a grand finale that serves to make Cartman all the more heinous.

In the two-part episode "Cartoon Wars," all of South Park is in a panic over an impending episode of "Family Guy" which is set to portray Muhammad, the profit of the Islamic faith. As depictions of the profit are considered an insult to Muslims, Fox fears a backlash and opts to censor the episode. All seems well until Fox announces that the episode will air again, but this time with Mohammad's image uncensored. The move upsets Cartman of all people, who seems to actually care about "Family Guy" offending Muslims. Kyle, legitimately taken in by Cartman's sudden urge to do good, opts to travel with him to Fox HQ to get the episode pulled.

Kyle soon changes his mind when he realizes that Cartman isn't doing this for noble reasons but simply because he hates "Family Guy" and wants it canceled. So now the race is on for Kyle to stop Cartman before the episode's air date, all while the rest of South Park literally bury their heads in sand. This one definitely benefits from its double length, as it's able to squeeze in a tidal wave of different jokes and some stellar social commentary, too. It's another prime example of Cartman's self-serving machinations providing the basis for a great "South Park" story.

Many of Cartman's best moments come as a result of his interactions with Butters, the frequent butt of the joke among the other South Park Elementary students. Butters is a thoroughly hilarious character in his own right with much of the comedy stemming from his toxic family and his endearing naivety. This often makes him an easy mark for Cartman, who frequently manipulates Butters.

For example, in "Awesom-O," Cartman dons a cardboard robot costume in order to get close to Butters and learn his embarrassing secrets. However, Butters reveals to Awesom-O that he knows one of Cartman's secrets — that he dresses up like Brittney Spears and dances with a cardboard cutout of Justin Timberlake. The flustered Cartman must maintain his ruse in order to recover the tape of him dancing dressed as Britney.

The real joy of this episode is seeing just how far Cartman is willing to maintain this ruse, frequently being forced into degrading situations. This includes Cartman being the target of Hollywood producers and the United States Army, who are fully convinced he's a real robot. If you enjoy seeing Cartman get what's coming to him, then "Awesom-O" will serve as some superb wish fulfillment. "Cartman puts himself in a terrible situation," Matt Stone said of the episode, adding that watching him squirm is "always really satisfying with a character like Cartman."

Sticking with episodes where Cartman is made the butt of the joke, next up is "Tsst." In this Season 10 episode, Ms. Cartman can no longer handle her son's abuses and looks to recruit a TV nanny to sort him out. This proves to be difficult as Cartman succeeds at driving one nanny away and even sends another one crazy enough that she requires institutionalization. However, help does arrive in the form of the Dog Whisperer himself Cesar Milan. Slowly but surely, Cesar's methods begin to take their toll and Cartman begins behaving himself, much to his own horror.

This episode serves as a hilarious and twisted look into Cartman's deranged psyche, especially during the conclusion. Cartman plans to kill his mom while she sleeps, but his mind begins splitting in two: There's his toxic side, and his newfound good side. The good side seems to win out and all is well — that is, until Cesar departs, leaving Cartman and his mother alone. It turns out that Mrs. Cartman's life is fairly empty when she isn't enabling her son's bad behavior. The episode concludes with a music cue similar to 1976's "The Omen," indicating that Cartman's evil side is far from gone.

In "Cartman's Incredible Gift," the little nightmare injures his head attempting to fly off his roof with a crude set of cardboard wings. After waking up, Cartman is soon led to believe that he's developed psychic abilities, which he starts using for his own selfish gain in record time. The South Park police then start using Cartman to hunt down a severed hand-collecting serial killer who is running rampant in the town.

Unsurprisingly, Cartman leads the police to arrest the wrong people, all while the real killer is comically standing in plain sight. Despite this, Cartman happily makes bank from his new status — until the real serial killer shows up and kidnaps him. The gags come flying fast and frequently in this episode, with Cartman's fake psychic abilities serving as the focal point. From his rooftop fall and the incompetence of the South Park police to the serial killer's "Red Dragon" inspired slideshow, there are too many great moments to count.

Never get between Cartman and his Kentucky Fried Chicken. In the Season 14 episode "Medicinal Fried Chicken," medical marijuana has come to South Park, much to the delight of Randy Marsh. Cartman is not happy about this new development, as the town's dispensary has replaced the KFC. Cartman soon learns that, due to a new state law, KFC is now illegal in the state of Colorado. As Randy looks to qualify for medicinal weed by getting testicular cancer, Cartman begins going through KFC withdrawals, much like a drug addict would.

While Randy's testicles are the episode's main focus, Cartman's quest is just as entertaining. After bumbling into a black market KFC operation running out of South Park, Cartman quickly usurps the leader and takes over. The funniest Cartman bits in this episode are most definitely his interactions with a fictitious Colonel Sanders. This version of Sanders is portrayed like a vicious drug lord, which makes for some truly hilarious dialogue between him and Cartman. "Medicinal Fried Chicken" is a reminder that Cartman's gluttony will often lead to hilarity.

Season 9's "The Death of Eric Cartman" is another example of just how hysterical the interactions between Butters and Cartman can be. In this episode, Cartman ticks off Stan, Kyle, and Kenny by eating the skin off their KFC before they can get to it. Following this, they finally decide to simply ignore Cartman and no longer feed into any of his nonsense. However, being Cartman, he actually believes that they can't see him and that must mean he's a ghost. Soon the other boys in their class jump on board with this strategy, further convincing Cartman of his demise.

Butters wasn't let in on the joke and as such he continues to "see" Cartman, but he still believes that Cartman is a ghost. The crux of the episode is that Butters must help Cartman amend his wicked ways in order for him to be accepted into heaven. Sadly, this results in Butters being institutionalized by his parents, who think he's actually crazy. With a score of 9.1 on IMDb, "The Death of Eric Cartman" remains a fan favorite. "This must be the best episode ever," user prashant-stha78 said. "Cartman and Butters are the best duo."

If their recent purchase of it wasn't a big enough indicator, Trey Parker and Matt Stone really love Casa Bonita. Early evidence of this came in the episode "Casa Bonita," in which Cartman reveals his love for the novelty restaurant. Kyle is having his birthday party there, but, quite understandably given his behavior, Cartman is not invited. Not one to be denied, Cartman soon hatches a plan to oust Butters from the guestlist and get back in Kyle's good graces. He does this by convincing Butters that the world is ending and then locking him in a fallout shelter until Kyle's party is over.

Cartman emotionally manipulates Kyle with bogus apologies, so he eventually relents and says that if Butters can't make it, the spot is Cartman's to take. Cartman's plan seems close to fruition, but it all goes wrong when Butters realizes the world has not ended and returns home. His scheme is revealed just as they arrive at Casa Bonita, leading Cartman to make a break for it. With the police closing in on him, Cartman hits all his favorite spots in the restaurant before jumping off a cliff into the pool. The episode ends on the priceless image of a very satisfied Cartman, even though he's in a world of trouble.

"South Park" has made it abundantly clear over the course of its run that it will make fun of everything and everyone. The Season 9 episode "Ginger Kids" sees Cartman, ever the repugnant fear monger, give a class presentation in which he discusses the dangers of ginger kids, comparing them to vampires. Kyle, cited as an example of a "daywalker" for his red hair, sees through this, though sadly his classmates are far more susceptible. With abuse of ginger kids on the rise, the boys decide to teach Cartman a lesson by turning him ginger in his sleep.

Cartman quickly learns what it's like to be bullied for the color of your hair. He is ostracized by his classmates and forced to be with his own kind. However, always one to double down when it benefits him, Cartman soon rallies swarms of ginger kids with cries of "Red Power" and "Better Red Than Dead!" This leads to an amazing sequence where Cartman has all the non-ginger kids in South Park kidnapped by his minions. The episode is endlessly quotable and serves as yet another prime example of Cartman getting a taste of his own medicine.

In Season 12's "The China Probrem," Cartman becomes convinced that a Chinese takeover is imminent after seeing the impressive opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Cartman can only convince Butters of this, as everyone else is still reeling from the horrors of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." As part of his plan to thwart what he thinks is an imminent Chinese invasion, Cartman takes Butters undercover at P. F. Chang's China Bistro. The culturally ignorant duo wear ridiculously offensive disguises as part of their plot, which quickly spirals out of control.

When they learn nothing about the supposed invasion, Cartman and Butters take the restaurant hostage at gunpoint, with the latter holding the gun. This leads to Butters continuingly shooting people in the genitals by accident, much to Cartman's frustration — even he knows that this isn't cool. It's another hysterical episode involving Cartman and Butters, who get caught up in one of their more chaotic scenarios yet. The episode is also remembered as one of the most controversial, though that's largely due to the Indiana Jones-themed B-plot, which goes to some pretty dark places, even for "South Park."