Summary
South Parkis one of the most popular and beloved series of all time. Thelong-running comedy serieshasn’t shied away from tackling more controversial topics and has amassed a sizable reputation as a result of this bold nature. The show’s peak might have passed a while back, butSouth Parkhas still consistently delivered genuinely funny material throughout its run, which is a testament to Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s natural talent and commitment to this legendary series.
With the 25th anniversary season of this series coming sooner rather than later, there’s no better time to look at the history of this series and get familiar with its legendary characters once again. Cartman is especially notable in this regard since he’s a fan favorite who is consistently entertaining when he takes over the plot. Here are some of the best episodes in the show featuring this character.
Updated June 06, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Cartman is one of the most legendary characters in South Park history. Fans can’t get enough of his brash and spoiled attitude, causing a ton of hilarious problems for friends and family alike.
He may be one of the most despicable characters ever featured in an animated sitcom, but fans don’t mind as long as they laugh at his temper tantrums and hilarious hijinks. Thebest Cartman episodes in South Parkencompass everything that makes this character so legendary for fans of the series.
21Christian Rock Hard
Cartman Starts Making Religious Music After Being Kicked Out Of His Band
A hilarious episode that parodies the music industry’s outcry against illegal downloads, Christian Rock Hard is a classicSouth Parkepisode that fans love. In this episode, the gang tries to form a Christian rock band, only to face several creative differences.
This leads to Cartman leaving the group following a hissy fit and forming “Faith + 1,” with the claim that he would get a Platinum record in no time at all. It doesn’t take long for Cartman’s dreams to be dashed, prompting an explicit rant that makes him lose all his fans.
20Go God Go
Cartman Becomes Obsessed With The Idea Of Owning A Nintendo Wii
In a bid to get the Wii quickly,Cartman decides to freeze himself and wait until the console is out. This backfires and leads to Cartman awakening in 2546, where the world has adopted atheism.
This episode is a scathing piece of commentary on the hypocrisy and belittling nature of atheists, making for a great watch. It helps that Cartman’s humor is at its A-game, making the episode all the more memorable.
19Cartman’s Silly Hate Crime 2000
Cartman Is Sent To Juvenile Jail For His Hate Crimes
Just before a major race in a sledding competition, Cartman ends up throwing a rock at Token for calling him a fatass, prompting a massive media outcry. The resulting fallout is that Cartman ends up in a juvenile penitentiary and has to escape at all costs.
This episode is a riot, with Cartman’s escape andthe struggle of the boys to win the sledding racebeing hilarious. By the end of the episode, Token forgives Cartman (after some insistence from the rest of the gang) and he manages to enter the race at the final moment, winning it in resounding fashion.
18Cartman Gets An Anal Probe
The First South Park Episode With A Focus On Eric Cartman
The firstSouth Parkepisode may be a bit rough around the edges but is still a great pilot that shows just how edgy and controversial the humor in this series is. It helps that the plot is bizarre and involves Cartman being abducted by aliens, who probe him and implant a device that doesn’t reveal itself until the very end.
The dynamic between the group of friends and the collective hatred they share for Cartman is clear as day, with everyone fat-shaming and ridiculing him whenever they get the chance. It doesn’t help that Cartman himself isn’t all that friendly, with his confrontational and overbearing personality making him an instant hit with fans.
17Cartmanland
Cartman Uses His Inherited Money To Construct An Amusement Park
After getting a ton of money, Cartman decides to use it all up to buy an amusement park instead of investing it like he was supposed to. This leads to Kyle becoming jealous of Cartman’s success, losing his faith in God for giving this gift of endless funds to such a horrible person.
However, it turns out that Cartman doesn’t really know how to manage an amusement park and ends up losing all his money in no time. Seeing his nemesis loaded with debt and misery causes Kyle to become normal again, making for a classicSouth Parkepisode.
16Cartman Sucks
Cartman’s Plan To Humiliate Butters Backfires
Cartman loves to torture Butters, and he crosses another line by harassing his friend while he’s asleep to spread false rumors. However, this backfires on Cartman, as it tends to do.
In a bid to hide this picture, Cartman goes to great lengths and even reveals the secret so that Kyle and his other friends won’t be able to blackmail him. This doesn’t work out at all, and Cartman ends up humiliating himself at the very end of the episode.
15Ginger Kids
A Silly Prank Turns Into Something More For Cartman
In this episode, both Stan and Kyle play a prank on Cartman and turn him into a ginger. It’s a hilarious joke that turns into something massive after Cartman gets fed up with the constant discrimination he faces from contracting “gingivitis.”
As a result, he rounds up the gingers of the world and implores them to fight against discrimination. This leads to a hilarious chain of events that ends with Cartman finding out about the truth of his “condition.”
14Medicinal Fried Chicken
Cartman Is Enraged After KFC Shuts Down For A Store That Sells Medical Marijuana
Cartman’s fried chicken is his bread and butter. So, when his favorite KFC outlet is replaced by a medical marijuana dispenser, he is understandably displeased.
He decides to do everything in his power to satisfy this addiction, which leads to some hilarious moments. The idea of treating friend chicken like an illegal commodity is a hilarious notion that never ceases to be funny.
13The Coon
Cartman Takes On The Role Of A Vigilante
With superhero movies becoming all the rage in modern times, it was only a matter of time beforeSouth Parkwould have their unique take on this concept. This leads to several main characters taking on the role of powerful heroes, with Cartman becoming The Coon.
The episodes focusing on his so-called “heroics” are pretty hilarious. Butters also plays a pivotal role in these scenes as Professor Chaos and shows once again that his partnership with Cartman is so perfect.
12Cartman Finds Love
An Episode Where Cartman’s Romantic Side Is Explored
This episode plays on Cartman’s tendency to display casual racism at a moment’s notice. After a black girl joins South Park Elementary, Cartman decides to play Cupid and pair her up with the only other black boy in school, Token.
This leads to some hilarious moments, withCartman manifesting a cupid version of himself too! The episode ends with Cartman getting screwed over, which is the perfect icing on top of a hilarious cake.
