South Park has become one of the most beloved cartoon TV shows of all time. This is due to its consistency in parodying current events in scathing and outrageous ways. Despite much controversy over the years, it has endured for nearly 30 seasons. While not every episode holds up to the high standards that fans have come to expect, there are plenty of them that are amazing. Here we will be ranking the 12 best South Park episodes according to their IMDb popularity:
Related: 5 Best Big Bang Theory Episodes of All Time
12. Cartman Joins NAMBLA
To seek out some more mature friends, Cartman decides to join NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association). Without fully knowing the nature of this organization, Cartman jeopardizes all of the young boys of South Park. Outside of this, Kenny is attempting to prevent his mother and father from having another baby. Hilariously tackling the sensitive subjects of paedophilia and abortion, this is one of the most cutting edge episodes of South Park.
IMDb Rating: 9.0
11. Christian Rock Hard
When Cartman, Butters and Token form a Christian Rock band called Moop, they find themselves soaring to the top of the charts. After the boys kick Cartman out of the band, he forms his own Christian Rock group called Faith + 1. Satirizing musical artists, copyright infringement and Christian music, this is a razor sharp episode that is wildly entertaining.
IMDb Rating: 9.0
10. Grounded Vindaloop
Ridiculing virtual reality headsets, this mind-bending episode sees Cartman tricking Butters into believing he is using an Oculus Rift. This results in Butters going on a destructive rampage and ultimately leads to the boys questioning what is real and what isn’t. This episode is clever, interesting and at times, confusing.
IMDb Rating: 9.1
9. The Death of Eric Cartman
After the other boys decide to ignore Cartman, he comes to the conclusion that he is a ghost. Deciding that he needs to get into heaven, he starts carrying out good deeds to ensure his ascendance. The ignorant Butters is the only one that is not ignoring Cartman, leading him to assume that Cartman’s ghost is haunting him. He helps Cartman resolve his past sins.
IMDb Rating: 9.1
8. Trapped in the Closet
Seeking out an experience that is freeing, Stan joins the church of Scientology. The Scientologists tell Stan that he has extremely high ‘thetan levels’ and they believe he is the reincarnation of the religion’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard. This controversial episode also features exaggerated depictions of R. Kelly and Tom Cruise. A brilliant take on one of the world’s most intriguing groups, this episode goes down as one of the greats.
IMDb Rating: 9.1
7. Casa Bonita
When Kyle decides to celebrate his birthday at the restaurant Casa Bonita, Cartman discovers that only Stan, Kenny and Butters have been invited. In an effort to get an invite, Cartman makes Butters go missing by locking him inside a bomb shelter and telling him that an asteroid has struck the town. Based on a real life restaurant that the creators ate at as kids, this episode is one of Trey Parker’s favorites.
IMDb Rating: 9.1
6. Woodland Critter Christmas
The best Christmas themed episode of South Park, “Woodland Critter Christmas,” also happens to be one of the overall best episodes of the show. After Stan helps a group of cute woodland creatures kill a mountain lion, he realizes that he actually fulfilled part of a dark ritual to give birth to the antichrist.
IMDb Rating: 9.1
5. Good Times With Weapons
After the boys lie to get ninja weapons from the fair, they are transformed into Japanese warriors in a classic episode that parodies anime. Battling against a villain called Professor Chaos, the gang must decide whether to tell their parents after Butters is injured by a throwing star.
IMDb Rating: 9.1
4. AWESOM-O
In another extremely memorable episode, Cartman is pretending to be a robot named AWESOM-O to gain Butters’ trust. His motivation for this is to extract all of Butters’ secrets so that he can embarrass him. Hilarity ensues when Hollywood catches wind of AWESOM-O and gets him to come up with ideas for movies while the US military suspects that he is a secret weapon.
IMDb Rating: 9.2
3. The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers
In a spoof of The Lord of the Rings, this episode sees the boys dressing up as characters from the popular film series. They come up with a quest to return a copy of the film to their local video store, without knowing that the tape has been replaced by the adults with a pornographic film.
IMDb Rating: 9.3
2. Make Love, Not Warcraft
As a genius parody of online gaming, this episode follows the boys as they become addicted to World of Warcraft. Their fun is ruined when a high level player is killing other players in the game, leaving the boys determined to stop him. With some extremely memorable moments, this is one of the most critically acclaimed episodes of all time.
IMDb Rating: 9.5
1. Scott Tenorman Must Die
The highest rated episode of South Park is “Scott Tenorman Must Die.” An older student convinces Cartman that if he purchases pubic hair from him, Cartman will reach puberty. When Eric realizes that he has been tricked, he begins to plot his revenge. Putting in place much of Cartman’s character, this episode will go down in history as one of the greatest episodes of television ever made.
IMDb Rating: 9.6
Related: What to Stream This Weekend? 7 Amazing Shows Worth Watching
Whether you love South Park and have been watching since day one, or you are looking to give it a try for the first time, this list provides incredibly high-rated episodes. IMDb’s ratings go up to 10, so with “Scott Tenorman Must Die” ranking at 9.6, you know you’re in for some funny and probably controversial TV. You can stream our best South Park episodes on HBO Max, fuboTV, and Comedy Central.