"Good Times with Weapons" is fantastic for many reasons, but it's best remembered for its Japanese/English song "Let's Fighting Love," and rendering the boys as anime-style ninjas. In addition to featuring a hilarious subplot involving Butters pretending to be a dog with a shuriken in his eye, this episode includes brilliant satire of America's outrage of sex over violence. In this case, Cartman streaking at an outdoor auction apparently trumps Butters' near-mortal wound.
"This is even bigger than the final battle in the Lord of the Rings movie!"
This Kenny-centric episode is easily one of his most memorable, if only because Kenny literally orchestrates the most epic battle of all time. (I mean, we don't actually get to see the battle, but still.) Aside from depicting an all-out war between Heaven and Hell, this episode is notable for its brilliant nonpartisan commentary on euthanasia -- that is, "If I should ever be in a vegetative state and kept on life support, please... for the love of God, don't ever show me in that condition on national television."
"My God... We're famous!"
South Park's Season 7 premiere is a master class in meta storytelling. Using the pilot as a jumping-off point, the episode goes from being a weird case of deja vu to an wacky space adventure, as the boys discover that Earth -- all of Earth -- is actually an intergalactic reality TV show made for the entertainment of aliens. Not only that, but they convince a supreme alien being to take the form of a taco that poops ice cream.
"More sopapillas, please!"
"Casa Bonita" is, perhaps, the best Cartman/Butters episode to date. "AWESOM-O" and "Super Fun Time" are also great, but "Casa Bonita" is especially noteworthy for Cartman's elaborate execution of tricking Butters into thinking he's the sole survivor of a meteoric holocaust. The sheer lengths to which Cartman goes to get invited to Kyle's Casa Bonita birthday party are truly staggering -- and entertaining.
"Kill the Wise One!"
Using Buck Rogers as a vehicle for exploring militant atheism, "Go God Go" and its direct followup "Go God Go XII" chronicle the most ridiculous journey to a video game console release the world has ever known. While the story is primarily driven by Cartman's unending search for a Nintendo Wii, it's really the episodes' examinations of war, religion, politics and prank phone calls that make this one a winner -- and that's not to mention K-10, bark bark.
Continue on for South Park’s five best episodes.
"You wanna get high?"
You're the worst character ever, Towelie, but we love you anyway. It's uncertain what exactly inspired the idea of a walking, talking, weed-smoking towel, but Towelie's impact on South Park has been monumental nonetheless. That's mostly thanks to the character's titular first appearance, in which the boys get dragged into a government/towel conspiracy that keeps them from playing their beloved Okama Gamesphere. With equal parts apathy and irritation propelling the boys through the story, "Towelie" is definitely a classic among the show's "core four" storylines.
"BELIEVE IN SANTA! RIGHT NOW!"
Imagine every single character ever thought up by humankind, and put them all in one place. That, in essence, is what South Park's Imaginationland is all about. For Matt and Trey, these three episodes are among the most visually complex they've ever created, and also really funny. "Episode III" is especially great, thanks to the final battle (which rivals some live-action fights in scope) and climactic resolution.
"Backdoor Sluts 9 makes Crotch Capers 3 look like Naughty Nurses 2!"
South Park's Lord of the Rings-themed episode stems from a simple misunderstanding, but what transpires is a riotous quest of Tolkien-like proportions, garnering the participation of every young lad in town. But even with its fantasy bent, this episode offers a quintessential look at homestyle South Park, sans bells and whistles; it's just kids being kids, and adults... well, having to explain a lot, to put it mildly.
"Gentlemen, this could very well lead to the end of the World... of Warcraft."
There's something about "Make Love, Not Warcraft" that really hits the mark on all comedic levels. While South Park is no stranger to poking fun at pop culture phenomenons, the show is arguably at its best tackling World of Warcraft. However, what really sets this episode apart is its use of gameplay footage and terminology, making the experience feel real and meaningful for the boys, while simultaneously pointing out how absurd WoW-speak is. This is also one of Randy's best episodes, in which his lowly "n00b" character is entrusted with Blizzard's Sword of a Thousand Truths. (♫ Oaah-aaaaah! ♫)
"Dude, I think it might be best for us to never piss Cartman off again."
"Scott Tenorman Must Die" is a revenge story for the ages. There's no gimmick or underlying theme here -- just pure, unbridled vengeance. For most fans, this is the Eric Cartman episode, the one that sealed his fate as a master manipulator and overall terrible person. Throughout this episode, you get little hints of what's at play -- including several well-placed misdirects -- but it isn't until the final moments that the full extent of Cartman's genius is revealed. For that reason, "Scott Tenorman Must Die" lays claim to our number one spot on IGN's Top 10 South Park Episodes list.
For more South Park, here's a look at the series' most topical episodes! Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.