Every South Park Season Ranked

What hasn't "South Park" done over its incredible run? The show started as a scrappy little program in the late 1990s, and it wasn't long before it became a vital cultural Rorschach test for multiple generations. It's chock-full of memorable songs, hilarious gross-out gags, outrageous humor, and a lot to say about the world around us. It also boasts some of the most ridiculous and beloved characters found anywhere in the world. "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker have been making the show since its inception, and they are still on board for many more years to come after striking a jaw-dropping deal with MTV Entertainment Studios for additional seasons along with 14 streaming movies, all in the "South Park" universe.

There isn't really such a thing as a bad season of "South Park," it must be said. Even the "worst" seasons of the series have plenty to offer. Every single season has at least one great episode, while quite a few seasons have nothing but excellence from beginning to end. It's time to go on down to "South Park" and have ourselves a time. Without further ado, here is every season of "South Park," ranked worst to best.

Look, if you had told me that Gerald Broflovski would make a better principal character than the iconic Randy Marsh, I'd have shown you the door. However, season 20 makes an extremely compelling case for Gerald. The season focuses on the United States 2020 presidential election campaign, and the world of online trolling.

When "South Park" looks at the world of online trolls, the season shines the brightest. Turning Gerald into a troll is a brilliant move as it adds some serious nuance to the conversation of the type of person that would become an internet troll. In fact, it gives us the best moment of the entire season: After someone comments on how the troll has no life and that he must wallow in his own misery, the scene cuts to Gerald, the troll, walking around town with an unrelenting joy to Len's "Steal My Sunshine."

Parker and Stone have admitted that they didn't anticipate a Trump victory which forced them to immediately course correct and rethink this season, and as such, it can't quite stick the landing with the underwhelming season finale, "The End of Serialization as We Know It" (even the title is a knowing wink that serialization may not be around forever in the series). Still, season 20 delivers an underappreciated and clever parody of both the 2020 election and internet trolling. Audiences may not have appreciated watching something so close to home at the time, but it's a season that gets better the further away from 2020 we get.

Season 24 is the least traditional season of "South Park" as it's comprised of two hour-long specials made during the quarantine era of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Pandemic Special" opens with a fantastic Cartman song, "I Love You, Social Distancing," all about how he's never been happier to be social distancing since it's allowed him to be lazier than ever before. He even walks around his house with a six-foot stick, in order to keep his own mother away from him. The special is a fascinating look at how kids have been affected by the pandemic and isolation; while kids like Cartman thrive, others, like Butters, have experienced a far greater impact on their growing brains. As many are struggling, Randy is also thriving since his Tegridy Farms is doing better than ever — until he discovers that he is the very reason the pandemic started, partially thanks to the influence of Mickey Mouse. The special concludes in a tearful speech from Stan, reminiscent of the, "You know, I've learned something today" speeches that ended many classic "South Park" episodes.

While "The Pandemic Special" offers insight into the various ways COVID has affected us all (delivering plenty of laughs along the way), "South ParQ Vaccination Special" is a lot weaker. It shifts focus onto the actual vaccine and the various new militant groups that appear to stop vaccinations. It has enough laughs and the hour goes quickly, but it can't compare to the potency of "The Pandemic Special."

While season 23 was hyper-focused on Tegridy Farms, season 21 goes here, there, and everywhere. It doesn't have the same linear focus as season 20, but there are overarching themes throughout, including the chaos of President Garrison and the increasingly toxic relationship between Eric Cartman and Heidi Turner. The season straddles the line between being serialized and episodic, and it struggles to have any real coherency as a result. Even characters who normally get great episodes when they're featured, such as Jimmy and Timmy, get "Moss Piglets," a disappointing episode about the school's science fair.

What saves season 21 is the Emmy-nominated episode "Put It Down," a truly great installment that reckons with the dangers of a madman president tweeting, particularly focusing on student Tweek and the conflict with North Korea. It's got some great songs as well — something "South Park" can always deliver — culminating with the fantastic titular song, begging the President of the United States to stop tweeting. What also works in the season's favor is Cartman's romantic relationship, which gives the show a great opportunity to explore toxic masculinity. When you think about it, who better to explore toxicity than Cartman? Sadly, the rest of the season feels a little disjointed at times, but the episode "Hummels & Heroin" feels like an old school return to the "South Park" style of absurdity that helps balance out some of the weaker stories.

Ever had a breakdown after starting an anti-bullying campaign that leads to you, well, exposing yourself on the streets of San Diego? Almost certainly not, but it's something that happens to Stan Marsh not once, but twice in season 16 of "South Park." The primary incident occurs in "Butterballs," where Butters gets relentlessly bullied by his grandma, causing Stan to start a campaign against bullying with the irony-laden song, "Make Bullying Kill Itself." Then there's "Cash For Gold," an unexpected yet fascinating and cutting look at the world of TV shopping channels, featuring Stan's righteous anger that's made for many a classic episode.

The real reason season 16 places low on the list is the considerable inconsistency across the episodes. The season feels like the show was reaching its breaking point, with episodes that run out of steam. The best example of this is "I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining." The first half is hilarious, skewering the ziplining fad and brilliantly poking fun at group activities. It's a story that can't sustain itself for an entire episode, however, leading to a dull second half and an agonizing live-action sequence that feels infinitely longer than it actually is. It's so, so close to being brilliant, but never quite gets there. There are plenty of good moments in season 16, but episodes like "Ziplining," "Faith Hilling," and "Going Native" certainly suggest that the show would be better off with fewer episodes in a season — something that changed with season 17, the first to have only 10 episodes.

It's actually pretty shocking to rewatch the very first season of "South Park." Though the look is largely the same (it's certainly rougher, in a very charming way), it feels like a completely different show. While the series is regularly celebrated (and criticized) for its cultural commentary and irrepressible glee over its efforts to insult anyone and everyone, practically none of that is present in the first season. When the show premiered in 1997, it caused quite a stir with its foul language and potty humor, but it's stunningly tame in comparison to the seasons that followed. The very first episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe," is a great start that introduces our key characters. The season standout, "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo," brings a singing turd into the limelight.

Overall, season 1 of "South Park" is a show very much in the process of finding itself. While it was likely impossible to imagine at the time that the show would still be on the air, and a big part of the cultural conversation, it's fun to see how it all began. Plus, it's where Kenny McCormick dying in every episode started, giving us, "Oh my God, you killed Kenny!" It even takes a note from "The Simpsons," ending the first season on a major cliffhanger, just like "Who Shot Mr. Burns," promising to reveal the identity of Cartman's father in the second season premiere. And yet, this is the season that sparked an international obsession with the series, and for that, we must show our appreciation.

The cream of the crop of season 15 is "You're Getting Old," which stands as one of the best episodes in the entire series. It features Stan turning 10, and as a result, all the things he once loved start to sound, and look, like (literal) crap. One of the great images of the episode is a duck, acting as the President of the United States, violently crapping out of its mouth. It's the kind of vile absurdity that only "South Park" can somehow give credence to. The episode also signaled the future of a serialized show, and Stan turning 10 is a truly major moment in the series' history. It's one of those brilliant episodes that immediately curbs the vitriol of any naysayers who believe the show is morally bankrupt. 

There are some other great episodes, too, but season 15 suffers from some serious inconsistency. "Funnybot" and "A History Channel Thanksgiving" aren't up to snuff compared to some of the others, and while "Bass to Mouth" is an honest attempt at surrealism, it quickly wears out its welcome. Fortunately, there's also the stupendous "Broadway Bro Down," which sees Parker and Stone calling out the clique-like nature of Broadway in the wake of "The Book of Mormon" being released (and later winning nine Tonys!) There's also a delicious bonus: the season 15 finale, "The Poor Kid," finally mocks Cartman's absurd pronunciations. Kyle telling him, "My name, is not, Kyeel," and his new foster mother saying, "My name, is not, Myeem," are all-time classic lines.

"Trapped in the Closet" is a standout episode from season 9 that sees Stan take on Scientology — and also Tom Cruise, who won't come out of his closet. "South Park" has developed a tremendous ability to take on the foundations of an entire religion in one 22-minute block. Compellingly, "South Park" uses Scientology against itself, simply showcasing the beliefs of the religion while flashing, "This is what Scientologists actually believe," on screen. Predictably, the episode managed to cause quite the stir, and Tom Cruise allegedly threatened a lawsuit.

The seventh season ranges from the shocking and obscene ("Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina") to the hilarious ("The Losing Edge," "Ginger Kids"). It also features some good old-fashioned childhood innocence in the surprisingly sweet "Free Willzyx." The boys are tricked into believing that a whale in the local aquarium is actually an alien, so they set off on a mission to send the whale home. There's also a brilliant Kenny-focused episode in the Emmy-winning "Best Friends Forever," which tackled the Terri Schiavo case. Let's not forget the great Butters episode "Marjorine," where he goes undercover as a girl to try and recover a powerful future-telling device. Perhaps the best episode of the entire season is "The Death of Eric Cartman," in which Cartman believes he has died, so he tries to right his past wrongs so he can move on to the afterlife.

Still a show in its infancy, season 3 of "South Park" finds itself slowly morphing into the sharp commentary the animated series is now known for. There's hardly a bad episode out of the 17 episodes — except for the nearly unbearable "Jakovasaurs," which is as annoying as its titular character. The rest of the episodes are generally good, and the animation takes a big step forward. Highlights include "Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub," a clever look at sexual experimentation amongst heterosexual men, and "Sexual Harassment Panda," which pokes fun at America's litigation-happy society. Then, there's the fabulous "Chinpokomon," which takes aim at the obsession with Pokémon, delivering one of the best episodes in the entire series.

There's also plenty of low-brow humor that "South Park" arguably does better than anyone else. The season finale, "World Wide Recorder Concert," is a delight as it focuses on the genuine childlike innocence of our beloved Kenny, Cartman, Stan, and Kyle. The gang hears about a mythical brown note that you can play on a recorder that will make someone defecate, which leads to ridiculous and undeniably hilarious consequences. While the boys have become considerably more jaded over time, the early seasons are a wonderful opportunity to see kids being ... well, kids.

Wendy Testaburger has always been one of, if not the most, emotionally intelligent kids in "South Park," and she's the true moral compass of the entire series. Season 12's "Breast Cancer Show Ever" provides a fantastic opportunity for her to finally get back at Cartman, who has relentlessly mocked her. It's a classic episode of the show that sees Wendy and Cartman go head-to-head, and few moments are as satisfying as watching Wendy beat the absolute brakes off of him.

There are so many other gems in season 12, including the giddy "The Grapes of Wrath" parody "Over Logging," which has one of the show's most disgusting and hilarious images; though, according to Randy, it was merely ectoplasm. We got another great Canada-centric episode in "Canada on Strike" (seriously, it's time to give Canada more money!), and one of the most visually adventurous episodes in "Major Boobage," a Kenny-focused episode that pays tribute to the animated classic, "Heavy Metal."

Honestly, the only things preventing season 12 from being higher on the list are the two-part "Pandemic" episodes (about Peruvian flute bands, not COVID-19), which are a bit of dead weight. Not to mention the fact that there are just so many fantastic seasons of this unhinged show.

There isn't really a bad episode in this season, which is a pretty incredible feat. While the season doesn't quite match the magnificence of season 5 before it, season 6 is full of plenty of classic episodes. In the silly "Asspen," Stan finds himself dueling with an arrogant skier like the movie "Better Off Dead," which gives us the quotable classic, "Stan Darsh." Butters really gets to shine in place of Kenny (he's dead ... for now), who's especially great in "Professor Chaos," not to mention the sharp satire of "The Simpsons Already Did It."

The underrated highlight of Season 6 is "Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society." The girls of "South Park" rarely get their due in the early seasons, but Bebe starts to go through puberty, which leads to the fourth-grade boys collectively losing their minds, delivering plenty of crass and witty humor. The boys regularly devolve into apes as they fight for Bebe, who has no particular interest in any of them.

There are plenty of classic misunderstandings in season 6 that allows for some truly memorable episodes. In "A Ladder to Heaven," the boys attempt to build a ladder to heaven so they can get something from Kenny, but the townsfolk assume it's because they're heartbroken and miss their friend. Then, there's the absolute masterwork of "The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers," the hysterical "The Lord of the Rings" parody centered around the boys taking the wrong movie to the video store and Butters slowly turning into a Gollum after seeing pornography for the first time.

"Dum dum dum dum dum," goes the backing track in "All About Mormons," the episode that lampoons the entire Mormon faith. It's unforgettable, and likely laid the foundations for show creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker to make the massive Broadway sensation, "The Book of Mormon." Then there's "Casa Bonita," a classic Cartman and Butters episode, and one of the motivating factors behind Parker and Stone's purchase and renovation of the real-life Colorado restaurant. It's always astonishing to see the lengths Cartman will go to get what he wants, even if it's something as trivial as a trip to a themed restaurant. Wouldn't every fourth grader convince their friend it's the end of the world and cast them away in a massive junkyard so they can take their place at dinner? No? Okay, moving along. 

One of the most gut-busting laughs of the entire series comes in "Raisins," where Jimmy attempts to tell Wendy that she's a "continuing source of inspiration" to Stan, but Jimmy's stutter makes the lovely comment sound like a vicious insult. Stan gets dumped by Wendy and becomes a goth, while Butters falls in love with a waitress thinking she loves him, when in reality she's just flirting for tips. Season 7 is chock-full of controversy, taking aim at celebrities like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, while mocking gang wars, metrosexuality, Christian rock, and just about everything else it can make fun of over its 15 great episodes.

When thinking of season 10, your mind almost certainly goes to one place: "Make Love, Not Warcraft," which makes a compelling case for being the one of the all-time best episodes of "South Park." It's an ingenious and hilarious episode that lampoons the world of online gaming and geek culture, specifically the MMORPG "World of Warcraft." It also features plenty of footage from the actual video game, which makes for a refreshing change in animation style. Perhaps the biggest highlight of the magnificent episode is the training montage set to Paul Stanley's "Live to Win," in which the boys get increasingly overweight and pimply, as they face their toughest enemy: carpal tunnel. 

There are some arguably less-popular areas in this season (mostly because of "A Million Little Fibers," a legitimately terrible episode that features Towelie and Oprah almost exclusively, a combination nobody asked for), and the weirdly bleak and depressing "Stanley's Cup," which ends the season on a dour, "Mighty Ducks" depression parody note. Still, season 10 is generally fantastic, with "Tsst," "Cartoon Wars," "Smug Alert!" and "Go God Go," amongst others, all being hugely memorable installments of the series. This season helped revitalize the series after 10 years on air, and laid the groundwork for more creative ventures to come. 

Is there a bad episode in Season 8? Is there even just a good episode? The answer to both these questions is a resounding "no," as the legendary season 8 features 14 truly great episodes. It's hard enough for a show to have a satisfying season, but season 8 really knocks it out of the park. There's the brilliant "Good Times With Weapons," and a fantastic Jimmy episode in "Up the Down Steroid."

The most thoughtful episode of the season is "The Passion of the Jew," which finds Kyle grappling with his identity as a Jewish boy in the wake of "The Passion of the Christ." The show gets political in "Goobacks" which blessed the world with the rallying cry, "They took our jobs!" and "Douche and Turd," which glowingly mocks the dire American political landscape. We cannot forget "AWESOM-O," a brilliant episode where Butters actually has the upper hand over Cartman, even if he doesn't realize it. It also features the wondrous imagery of Cartman eating toothpaste due to extreme hunger. There's some traditional celebrity roasting, like that of Paris Hilton in "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset," which showcases Mr. Slave's best moment.

It all comes to a perfect end in "Woodland Critter Christmas," one of the funniest episodes of "South Park" that features the funniest plot twist I've ever had the privilege of witnessing. Season 8 of "South Park" never misses, and is truly "South Park" at its very best.