‘South Park’s’ 10 Most Divisive Characters, Ranked
Over greater than 300 episodes, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have launched all kinds of characters. Some would begin as background gamers and develop into fan favorites, like Butters (voiced by Stone), whereas others would get a a lot icier viewers response, like bus driver Ms. Crabtree (voiced by Mary Kay Bergman.)
Ultimately, there’s no proper or flawed reply to which character to love. Comedy is within the eye of the beholder, and if the beholder is a bit of feces with a Santa hat on it, there’s going to be completely different opinions. So love ’em or hate ’em, these are the South Park residents that divide the fan base.
- Release Date
- August 13, 1997
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 26
- Studio
- Comedy Central
10 Pip
Voiced by Matt Stone
Polite, punchable Pip introduced a world attraction to Colorado when he appeared alongside the opposite South Park boys. Primarily used within the early seasons of South Park, Pip was hated by all the kids (and employees) in school, and by extension, everybody watching at dwelling. No matter what anybody stated or did to Pip, he responded with a sort and cheery disposition, absorbing aggression like a sponge. The emergence of Butters as a powerful and humorous character rendered Pip out of date, and it wouldn’t be for much longer till he was killed off the present.
Pip is much less divisive and extra brazenly despised, however the dislike appears barely unfounded, because the character was designed to be hated. A Pip season 4 episode, “Pip,” is extensively thought of some of the hated episodes of the collection, and a big tipping level to why Pip would later be crushed and completely killed by Mecha-Streisand. The episode of “Pip” is a unfastened retelling of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, so perhaps followers simply hate Dickens and Pip obtained caught within the crossfire. (They in all probability hate each)
9 Linda & Stephen Stotch (Butters’ Parents)
Voiced by Mona Marshall and Trey Parker
Linda and Stephen Stotch, in any other case generally known as Butters’ dad and mom, have been needlessly grounding their son for years. Mean, abusive, and presumably murderous, Butters’ dad and mom set a brand new low for parental competency – no straightforward feat in South Park. Miraculously, Butters wasn’t completely scarred for all times when his mom tried to kill him, however these remedy payments will probably be hefty and plentiful. Linda and Stephen are completely used as a pitch-black satire of the quintessential suburban household, as will be seen within the hilariously darkish, “Butters’ Very Own Episode.”
Characters don’t must be good in South Park, nor do they must be good to Butters, however there’s one thing within the therapy of Butters’ dad and mom in the direction of their son that feels extreme. In a present with not many clear-cut heroes, Butters’ is an underdog straightforward to root for, which is why Linda and Stephen are likely to get beneath the fan’s pores and skin. Their overly harsh punishments are an honest operating joke, however the reputation of Butters stands to even additional villainize the characters who trigger the little man stress.
8 Shelly Marsh
Voiced by April Stewart
Always able to beat up Stan (voiced by Parker) or scowl at her dad, Shelly Marsh has been round since season one in all South Park. Initially used as an aggressor in the direction of Stan, later episodes would see her forge short-term alliances with the South Park boys because the scenario referred to as for it. Shelly’s in all probability not making anybody’s primary on their record of favourite South Park characters, however episodes, like “Broadway Bro Down,” the place her new boyfriend is killed because of her dad, would make Stan’s older sister just a little extra sympathetic.
For some followers, Shelly’s consistently bitter disposition is endlessly humorous, whereas others see her appearances as missing objective. Shelly’s arguably gone by means of the least quantity of character development all through the present’s run, however when used in opposition to the correct particular person, similar to her dad, she will work nicely as an unlikely voice of motive. Playing the intense particular person subsequent to extra fascinating characters may not be a glamorous position, however it’s essential – and entertaining – when Shelly’s anger is decreased to exasperated frustration.
7 The Goth Kids
Voiced by Jessica Makinson, Matt Stone, Trey Parker, & Tyrone Jenkins
Clad in black and filled with despair, the goth children are going to be mixed as one entry as a result of what they provide South Park is a package deal deal. Individually, Henrietta, Michael, Pete, and Firkle would more than likely be unrecognizable with out their counterparts close by. Together, they’re sturdy sufficient background characters that add extra taste to the South Park schoolyard. On paper, the goth children have the potential to be extremely entertaining characters, particularly the youngest, Firkle, however they by no means broke out into something greater than minor gamers.
The episode “Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers” options the gloomy youngsters as the primary focus of the story, and it resulted in a below-average outing. It’s not that the Goth children can’t be humorous — they’ve moments the place a line lands. The core drawback is, there doesn’t seem like distinctly completely different traits between the group’s members, they usually all share the identical lack of motivation. Longtime followers will respect seeing the quartet pop up sometimes, however something greater than that might trigger the viewers to get depressed as nicely.
6 Terrance & Phillip
Voiced by Matt Stone & Trey Parker
The comedy idols of the South Park boys, Terrance and Phillip, are mainstays of South Park, farting their manner into a number of episodes. The Canadian comedy staff has performed giant roles in South Park, each as characters for the boys to look as much as, but in addition as commentary on the present itself. Their roles have been so integral to the present, that the film, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, facilities round an argument stemming from Terrance and Phillip.
Terrance and Phillip are paper-thin characters by design, however once they obtain a bigger quantity of display time, their presence brings with it a grating high quality. A portion of the viewers nonetheless has a nasty style of their mouth from the Terrance and Phillip starring April Fool’s Day episode “Not Without My Anus,” an entry missing any of the recurring characters followers anticipated to see. At the time, viewers tuning in for a decision to the season one cliffhanger of the identification of Cartman’s (voiced by Parker) father have been as an alternative served a narrative about how the Canadian duo fought and killed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
5 PC Principal
Voiced by Trey Parker
When PC Principal was launched within the season 19 opener, “Stunning and Brave,” he was a intelligent piece of commentary on the altering sensibility of a brand new technology of younger adults. PC Principal’s intolerance of… intolerance, would manifest violently, as Cartman would discover when the brand new faculty principal beat him mindless over using the phrase spokesman as an alternative of spokesperson. PC Principal was a phrase police joke informed loud and aggressively, whereas additionally giving Cartman an enemy to worry.
Unfortunately for some, PC Principal didn’t transfer to a brand new city on the finish of the episode. There was an expectation that the character could be a one-and-done, however then the Oakley-wearing voice of the unvoiced made South Park his everlasting dwelling. PC Principal added welcome battle to South Park, however the one-dimensional presentation proved to be tedious for followers who obtained the joke however nonetheless didn’t need to hear the message. However, his relationship with Strong Woman and the addition of his PC Babies went a great distance in the direction of softening the character with followers on the fence.
4 Towelie
Voiced by Vernon Chatman
Genetically engineered to be probably the most adaptable absorbent towel, Towelie has loved sudden reputation since his debut within the season 5 episode, “Towelie.” Always prepared to supply towel knowledge earlier than uttering his catchphrase, “You wanna get high?” Towelie has seen additional display time with the introduction of “Tegridy Farms.” Although Towelie was particularly designed to be the worst character Parker and Stone might create, the speaking towel exceeded expectations after which some.
Based on merchandising alone, the quantity of Towelie shirts, backpacks, and unlicensed weed paraphernalia, Towelie is barely second behind Cartman in reputation. The 420-friendly crowd undoubtedly loves the blue man, however these with a decrease tolerance for weed jokes discover the joke to have grown stale. Ultimately, the absurdity of Towelie is the allure, and so long as he doesn’t turn into the fifth member of the group, he has a welcome place in South Park.
3 Mr. Hankey
Voiced by Trey Parker
There was a time when Mr. Hankey, the singing piece of Christmas poo, was some of the fashionable facet characters in South Park. He was featured of their video games, the Christmas album, and prominently on merchandise. Mr. Hankey nonetheless lands within the prime half of many greatest character lists, however there appeared to be diminishing returns to his appearances. The final time the Merry Manure visited South Park was a farewell to the character within the episode, “The Problem with a Poo.” The season 22 episode would see Mr. Hankey canceled over insensitive tweets and was despatched to dwell in Springfield with The Simpsons.
As with the case of many divisive South Park characters, Mr. Hankey represents a joke that was initially well-received however dragged on for too lengthy. The try and flesh out the Christmas poo by introducing a household full with spouse and youngsters completed its objective, giving Mr. Hankey extra to do than sing about Christmas, nevertheless it might need been too little, too late. While the Festive Feces grates on a portion of the fan base, there are nonetheless lots that maintain heat recollections of the character’s first look when the present was nonetheless in its infancy and think about Mr. Hanky an necessary a part of South Park’s historical past.
2 Mr. Garrison (Trump Era)
Voiced by Trey Parker
Mr. Garrison could have been launched as a faculty trainer, however within the season 19 episode “Where My Country Gone?” the character of Garrison started to share the politics and mannerisms of Donald Trump. The story of Mr. Garrison operating for president carried into the subsequent season, and viewers watched the varsity trainer tackle the looks of Trump, totally inhabiting the parody in the course of the build-up to the 2016 presidential election. While the commentary on the election and its nominee was spot on, all the storyline started to hit too near dwelling for parts of the South Park viewers.
Mr. Garrison’s standing as a fan favourite is indeniable, and the irritable faculty trainer has been the middle level of numerous legendary storylines. There appears to be a normal feeling from followers, no matter political affiliation, that South Park works higher when it features as an escape from the true world, or no less than when the true world is election season. Parker and Stone agree as nicely, discovering commentary on Trump to lack the enjoyable of earlier social satire, and selecting to not concentrate on the 2024 election.
1 Randy Marsh (Tegridy Farms Era)
Voiced by Trey Parker
Randy Marsh had an extended journey in South Park, going from being simply Stan’s dad to a personality viewers needed to see extra of every passing week. This led to the season 22 episode “Tegridy Farms,” an episode the place Randy sells the household dwelling to dwell and work on a marijuana farm named “Tegridy Farms.”South Park loyalists have been wanting to see how Randy would fare as a marijuana farmer. After all, lots of Randy’s concepts fell aside by the tip of the episode by which they have been launched, and this might be no completely different. How flawed everybody was…
When followers have been launched to Tegridy Farms, they in all probability didn’t suppose they’d be spending a lot time there. The plotline of Randy pursuing the lifetime of a weed farmer delivered a good variety of memorable moments, however a big portion of South Park regulars agree the story has overstayed its welcome. Fans have been accustomed to seeing Randy go on a number of adventures in a really Homer Simpson-like vogue, so perhaps the detrimental response is just a want to see their favourite character put down the pipe and unfold his wings into new ventures.
