List of South Park characters
Main characters
|
Prior to season four, the main characters of the show were four third grade students (often called "the boys" when as a group for easier reference). |
|
Often the "straight man" of the group. Generally, Stan is good-natured, clear-thinking and a bit over-sensitive at times, but usually tries to come up with logical solutions to their outrageous situations. Designed as the alter-ego for co-creator Trey Parker, Stan often attempts to summarize the message or moral of the episode, though sometimes without success. His best friend is Kyle and their relationship is central to several episodes, such as when he saves Kyle's life in Cherokee Hair Tampons, Cartmanland and Super Best Friends |
|
Easy-going, Jewish (but not particularly religious), skeptical and intelligent. He hates Cartman because Cartman constantly ridicules his ethnicity. Kyle is effectively the alter-ego of co-creator Matt Stone. Along with Stan, Kyle often provides a reasonable perspective on the whiny, selfish and crazy behavior of the adult world around them. Kyle is often depicted as the most moral member of the four. |
|
Cartman commonly acts against the other boys. Cartman frequently derides Kyle for being Jewish; Stan for being "a pussy"; and Kenny for being poor. His rude attitude often causes conflict with the other boys. At times, he proves himself a remarkably capable businessman and leader. Cartman sometimes serves as a mouthpiece for some of Parker and Stone's more extreme social commentary (three times he has dressed as Adolf Hitler). He loathes hippies above all else (Die Hippie, Die depicted his career as a 'hippie exterminator' ). Cartman is often referred to as a "fatass" by his friends, especially Kyle. In the earlier episodes, Cartman would respond by saying, "I'm not fat! I'm big-boned!", "Don't call me fat, god damn it!", or, " Don't call me fat, you fucking Jew!" Cartman's erratic and devisive behavior is perhaps explained by his unorthodox upbringing: he lacks a father-figure, and his mother (Liane Cartman) is an intersexual and an acknowledged "crack whore". Liane spoils her only child with gifts and food, always conceding into his many irrational demands; she is the one of the only people with whom Eric shares a mutually affectionate and loving relationship. |
|
Kenny comes from a poverty-stricken family and is the most cosmopolitan of the four boys, who often turn to him when encountering an unfamiliar sexual term. The parka hood closed around his face renders his speech nearly incomprehensible, but all of his lines are real dialog and Stan, Kyle and Cartman can understand him. In some episodes Kenny's dialog is accompanied by subtitles. Two of his lines in The Jeffersons and the phrase "Goodbye, you guys" from the South Park movie are not muffled because his hood is removed. During the first five seasons Kenny played the eternal victim, routinely killed in a plethora of shockingly grotesque ways each episode only to inexplicably reappear in the next. The show's oldest gimmick (a carryover from the initial cardboard concept video) was Stan's cry of "Oh my God, they killed Kenny!" in response to his death, with Kyle adding, "You bastards!" whenever Kenny is killed. This is sometimes parodied, being applied to other characters (such as Chef in "The Return of Chef") or by a variation on the theme. At the end of the fifth season, Kenny died again and remained dead for the entire sixth season, ultimately returning at the end of the season's last episode, Red Sleigh Down (the other boys ask him where he's been, to which he replies in his muffled tone, "I've just been hanging out"). Parker and Stone explained this was due to their feeling creatively boxed-in by the requirement to kill Kenny in each episode.[citation needed] In Season 6, he was replaced by Butters, and later Tweek as the boys' "fourth friend". He did appear in one episode when his soul became trapped in Cartman's body after Cartman drank Kenny's ashes (believing them to be chocolate milk mix); Kenny returned permanently in the seventh season and his deaths have since been much more rare. |
|
Butters appeared in early episodes, but only became a regular character upon Kenny's departure in season 6. He has since been used as often as the main four boys. Butters is nervous, naïve, easily manipulated, paranoid, and repressed, while at the same time remaining surprisingly optimistic and occasionally insightful. He is often punished by his overbearing parents, and exploited by his associates. Epitomizing the tragedy of his character, his birthday is September 11. |
Other characters
Family members
South Park has a number of different families, who are a recurring theme of many episodes. There are six main families, who are distinguished from the rest of the townsfolk: the Marshes, the Broflovskis, the Tweeks, the Cartmans, the McCormicks, and the Stotches.
School staff
South Park Elementary is a main location in the show. The boys' teacher, Mr. Garrison, is the most frequently-seen member of the staff. Originally known for speaking and expressing himself (most notably his repressed sexual orientation) through his hand puppet, Mr. Hat, Mr. Garrison eventually gave up on Mr. Hat and came out of the closet. Soon after this he found a new teaching partner, the flamboyant Mr. Slave. He had a sex change in the episode "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina", and he now goes by Mrs. Janet Garrison. During the episode "D-Yikes!", Mrs. Garrison again discovers she is a gay, although this time a lesbian. The boys' school counselor is Mr. Mackey, who has a habit of saying "M'kay?" at the end of his sentences. The school's principal is Principal Victoria. Several past characters who worked at the school were killed off, including Ms. Choksondik (the kids' teacher during Mr. Garrison's brief hiatus) and Ms. Crabtree (the school bus driver). The school's cafeteria cook, Chef, was also killed off, though he was brought back as a Darth Vader-like being at the end of that episode. The episode was intended to parody the fact that the real life voice of Chef, Isaac Hayes, left the show due to one episode in which his religion, Scientology, was mocked, although Chef was placed in a Darth Vader like suit, bringing the possibility he may come back.
Students
Most characters are the children at South Park due to the fact that the main characters are children. They range in ages from kindergarteners to 6th Graders.
Recurring characters
There are numerous recurring characters who have appeared in about three episodes each. They range from Big Gay Al to Towelie, a talking towel who enjoys smoking pot. There are also many religious characters who are occasional characters such as Jesus and Satan.
Minor characters
Minor characters are ones that have appeared in at least one episode. Minor characters range from God to the temporary substitute teacher from the fourth season, Mr. Wyland.
One-off characters
One-off characters are featured characters who have appeared in only one episode. They include such characters as Mr. Jefferson and most of Cartman's family members (other than his mother).
| Characters |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production | |||||
| Films | |||||
| Seasons | |||||
| Specials | |||||
| Music |
| ||||
| Video games | |||||
| Inspired works |
| ||||
| See also | |||||
