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."

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.

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.

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."

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.

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."

"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.