South Park

10 Best Episodes of South Park - Season 1

South Park is an iconic adult animated sitcom that has been airing on Comedy Central since 1997. It follows the misadventures of four grade-schoolers in South Park, Colorado. Its absurd humor and social commentary has earned it a cult following and critical praise. With 27 seasons, there are many great episodes to choose from. Here are our top picks for the best South Park episodes, ranked!

From classic episodes like "Scott Tenorman Must Die" and "Make Love, Not Warcraft" to more recent gems like "Band in China" and "Time to Get Cereal," South Park has offered up a wide variety of hilarious and thought-provoking stories over the years. With its blend of satire, parody, and wit, it's no wonder South Park is still going strong after 27 seasons.

Whether you're a die-hard fan or just getting into the show, these are the best South Park episodes you need to check out. From classic favorites to more recent standouts, there's something for everyone in this list of the best South Park episodes, ranked!

Written by Sophie and last updated on apr 24, 2024.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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South Park - S1E12

#13 - Mecha-Streisand (Season 1 - Episode 12)

The boys meet up with Barbara Streisand who wants to take over the world with Kyle's discovery at an archaeological dig. Leonard Maltin, Sydney Potier, and Robert Smith come to the rescue to defeat Babs and her terrible destruction.

The episode was rated 7.28 from 779 votes.

South Park - S1E5

#12 - An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig (Season 1 - Episode 5)

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Stan notices a new addition in their bus stop crew, an elephant standing alongside Kyle. At school, class lessons for the day involve genetic engineering (conveniently enough). Kyle questions the possibility of a genetically engineered elephant made smaller by design. The boys have to beat the rough kids in their genetics experiment, and will try anything to do it.

The episode was rated 7.37 from 959 votes.

South Park - S1E2

#11 - Volcano (Season 1 - Episode 2)

The boys get together with Stan's Uncle Jimbo and Jimbo's war-buddy Ned for a hunting trip in the nearby mountains. After Cartman's mom makes sure her "little" boy is safe and sound (much to Cartman's dismay) the group heads off for adventure. As they drive away from the town, Jimbo explains the "finer" points of hunting.

The episode was rated 7.43 from 1377 votes.

South Park - S1E4

#10 - Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride (Season 1 - Episode 4)

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Stan's got a new dog named Sparky. Stan proclaims his pet to be the toughest dog on the mountain. Though while Stan thinks his dog is ready for fighting, Sparky proceeds to hump Sylvester like a little bitch. The other boys taunt Stan about his gay dog and Sparky runs away to find someone who will love him for who he is.

The episode was rated 7.44 from 1073 votes.

South Park - S1E3

#9 - Weight Gain 4000 (Season 1 - Episode 3)

Mr. Garrison starts the day off with a special announcement; one of South Park's own has won a national essay contest. Everyone is shocked to learn that the winner is Cartman, who doesn't even remember what he wrote about.

The episode was rated 7.47 from 1140 votes.

South Park - S1E10

#8 - Damien (Season 1 - Episode 10)

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Eric is handing out invitations to his birthday party at school. Mr. Garrison informs them all that there is a new student joining the class. Announcing to all that he is Damien, the son of Satan. Even as Damien demonstrates his demonic powers the children are more loathsome than impressed.

The episode was rated 7.54 from 832 votes.

South Park - S1E1

#7 - Cartman Gets an Anal Probe (Season 1 - Episode 1)

While the boys are waiting for the school bus, Cartman explains the odd nightmare he had the previous night involving alien visitors abducting him from his bed. Meanwhile Kyle and Stan try to convince Cartman that the dream was in fact a reality.

The episode was rated 7.56 from 1815 votes.

South Park - S1E9

#6 - Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo (Season 1 - Episode 9)

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South Park Elementary is on stage rehearsing for the schools play. Kyle begins to sing a song about Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo. Of course, no one has any idea what the heck he's singing about. Kyle explains that Mr. Hankey comes every year to all the good boys and girls who have a lot of fiber in their diet. Everyone thinks he's insane and he gets sent to a mental institute.

The episode was rated 7.58 from 888 votes.

South Park - S1E8

#5 - Starvin' Marvin (Season 1 - Episode 8)

The four boys are at Cartman's house watching the "Terrance & Philip Thanksgiving Special" on television. During a break from the show, a Sally Struthers commercial convinces the boys that the prospect of a free "Taiko" sport watch with a five-dollar donation is irresistible. Typical greedy American youth. So Stan dials in, using his mother's credit card number and makes their donation.

The episode was rated 7.65 from 880 votes.

South Park - S1E6

#4 - Death (Season 1 - Episode 6)

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"Happy Birthday" to Stan's Grandpa Marsh who just turned 102. How does the wizened Mr. Marsh feel about his birthday? He sums it up in five words; "I wish I were dead" and proceeds trying to end his life enlisting Stan to do it for him. However, Stan is aware of a very important thing if he kills his grandfather, he'd be in trouble, and if he's in trouble he can't watch Terrance and Phillip.

The episode was rated 7.66 from 956 votes.

South Park - S1E11

#3 - Tom's Rhinoplasty (Season 1 - Episode 11)

Mr. Garrison deserts the class for a visit to Tom's Rhinoplasty. All the boys compete for the attention of their beautiful substitute teacher Ms. Ellen.

The episode was rated 7.68 from 797 votes.

South Park - S1E7

#2 - Pinkeye (Season 1 - Episode 7)

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The first Halloween episode starts off with the failure of the Mir Space Station, which crashes right on Kenny. An ambulance comes and takes his body off to the morgue. The boys start to brag about their Halloween costumes. At the morgue, a freak accident involving a bottle of Worcestershire sauce occurs, and next thing you know Kenny is a member of the undead. Kenny breaks free and wanders off into the night.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 955 votes.

South Park - S1E13

#1 - Cartman's Mom is a Dirty Slut (Season 1 - Episode 13)

Cartman needs to find out who his father is but his mom is no help. Learning that his father could be one of the many people that his mom had "relations" with during an annual party called "The Drunken Barn Dance", he finds that there's more to his mother than he thought.

The episode was rated 7.87 from 836 votes.

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