11: Token Black
Token is an important character in South Park. His family are, notably, the only black family in South Park and the fact that they are perhaps the richest family in the town as well shows South Park’s willingness to defy all types of racial stereotypes.
Token’s role in the show allows the series to explore racism in modern-day America, often incredibly effectively. He is also one of the most underrated comedians in the show, and his exchanges with Cartman are always a treat. He will always have a place in my heart for his hilarious role in ‘Faith +1’.
10: Wendy Testaburger
Starting the show off simply as Stan’s girlfriend, Wendy has developed over the years into one of the most thoughtful and politically motivated children in South Park.
Her early appearances are mostly forgettable and basically just involve Stan throwing up on her, but her clashes in later episodes with Eric Cartman are one of the main reasons she is so high on this list. The episode ‘Breast-Cancer Show Ever’ which sees her call Cartman out for a fight still remains one of the show’s funniest of all time, and the scene at the end where she finally gets a chance to fight Eric is one of her finest moments.
9: Jimmy Valmer
The inventor of the world’s funniest joke, Jimmy Valmer has, especially in recent years, surpassed Timmy as the show’s most lovable handi-capable character. What makes Jimmy such an excellent character is that the show doesn’t just rely on his disability for visual gags, in fact, his funniest attribute is his terrible comic timing and his unbelievably positive attitude about everything.
Episodes based around Jimmy are few and far between, but ones that have been, like Up the Down Steroid and Cripple Fight are often season highlights.
8: Chef
The treatment of Issac Hayes at the hands of Trey Parker and Matt Stone still remains a sour point in the history of South Park, especially considering what an excellent character he provided them with Chef.
Chef, during his time in the show, often acted as the voice of wisdom for the boys, offering them advice on how to deal with all the crazy situations they got themselves in. He was also a hilariously smooth talker when it came to the ladies and had one hell of a singing voice to boot. Chef was an integral part of the show during the first decade of its run and his presence is still missed today.
7: Mr Garrison
From Ms Garrison to President of the United States, Mr Garrison has had one hell of a crazy ride during the first 21 years of South Park.
The class’s main teacher, in the early seasons, at least, Mr Garrison is never far away from some sort of controversy. His lessons in the first few seasons were often funny little side gags but his character’s development, from a man who talks to his hand puppet, to a man who was convinced he was supposed to be a woman and finally to the President of the United States has been a joy to watch. He is the show’s chameleon, a character who has adapted to survive over the years and is arguably funnier than he has ever been right now.
6: Kenny
The first of the four main characters to appear on this list, Kenny is the quietest member of the group, with his voice being muffled by his iconic orange hoody. Aside from his hoody, Kenny is perhaps most famous for his ability to die and be resurrected again, with seemingly nobody remembering his deaths.
The show did stop killing Kenny fairly early in its run, but it revived the storyline for the Mysterion trilogy a few years ago, giving us a storyline reason for his abilities. Kenny is definitely the most sexually awakened of the young boys, and his obsession with boobs and sex has made for some great comedy moments in the later seasons.
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