South Park's resident bigoted pottymouth has a knack for being both irritatingly cruel and lovably silly. In a way, Cartman is emblematic of the show itself, with his mix of juvenile toilet humor, button-pushing edginess, and comedic wit.
So not surprisingly, episodes centered around this character make for some of the funniest and most interesting in this expansive series. His trash-talking and insane antics often set the stage for some truly memorable romps — but which of these romps truly stand out from the rest?
Updated on July 21st, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: South Park has gone through 25 seasons and 317 episodes, along with some movies that are now appearing on the Paramount+ streaming service. As one of the longest-running animated shows in the United States, Matt Stone and Trey Parker have done a lot to keep it interesting, funny, and always cutting edge with up-to-date news stories and pop culture playing into the episodes almost in real-time. However, when the two are just playing it for fun, nothing is better than the best Cartman episodes, which often see the young child doing things that would send an adult to jail, yet somehow always coming out okay in the end.
Cartman Finds Love (S16 E7)
While the episode's title, "Cartman Finds Love" makes it seem that he gets a girlfriend, that is not what happened. Instead, a new Black girl named Nichole moves to South Park and Cartman sets out to hook her and Token up since he feels that she should only date Black people. However, the problem is that she liked Kyle.
The entire episode showed how far Cartman would go to get his way, and he had his own Cupid helping him out. He pretended he and Kyle were a gay couple and then started sending gifts to Nichole and Token to help them hook up. Of course, as with the best Cartman episodes, he ends up getting it in the end as well.
Medicinal Fried Chicken (S14 E3)
The season 14 episode "Medicinal Fried Chicken" had two storylines and both were great. In one storyline, Randy willingly contracted testicular cancer just so he could get medicinal weed. This was part of the long-running story where Randy wanted weed at all costs, and the side effects in this episode were grotesque.
However, this was also one of the best Cartman episodes, with him becoming a crimelord similar to Scarface. His goal was to sell illegal KFC and he had his minions and operation set up to perfection.
HUMANCENTiPAD (S15 E1)
The first episode of Season 15 was a disgusting homage to the body horror movie The Human Centipede. However, South Park took the title and used its sound to also parody Apple and their iPad by renaming it "HUMANCENTiPAD." In this, Apple chose to create their latest phone by creating a Human Centipede.
This is a Cartman episode with him demanding to own an iPad and setting out to get one at all costs. Meanwhile, Kyle signed the iTunes and conditions, not knowing he was willingly submitting himself to the Human Centipede for the company, and Cartman was told he would own this first version.
World War Zimmerman (S17 E3)
The season 17 episode, "World War Zimmerman," somehow managed to combine the movie World War Z and George Zimmerman killing Trayvon Martin. The episode highlights the racism that Cartman exhibits and has him suffering from nightmares of a zombie apocalypse that is all rioters after the George Zimmerman trial.
Cartman then decides Token is a "ticking time bomb" and he has to kill him to save the world. Instead, he goes to kill Zimmerman himself, but when Zimmerman shoots Cartman in self-defense, he is arrested and executed for shooting a white person. The episode showed that even when he is wrong, Cartman somehow manages to come out okay in the end.
Tsst (S10 E7)
If there is one thing that is true about the best Cartman episodes, it is that he is a very bad boy and he almost never gets what is coming to him no matter who he hurts. In "Tsst," his mother decides she needs to get him some help so she hires Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer.
Cesar then uses dog training techniques and it amazingly works to get Cartman under control. However, deep down inside Cartman is trying to break out and finally gets that when Cesar refuses to date Liane, and she offers Cartman anything he wants to spend time with her again. The episode ended with Cartman showing a frightening smile and proving the worst might still be yet to come.
Cartman Gets An Anal Probe (S1 E1)
The series launched in the summer of 1997 with "Cartman Gets An Anal Probe" which saw the town of South Park visited by aliens who repeatedly abduct Cartman at night and install an anal probe that begins to oddly affect his behavior.
When Kyle's brother Ike is abducted, they are forced to use Cartman's anal probe which made a few hilarious fart-filled appearances throughout the episode to the aliens. The episode laid the foundation for the series' humor and hadn't quite hit the series' usual tone, but remains a memorable Cartman episode regardless. It was one of the best Cartman episodes of the first season.
Cartman's Incredible Gift (S8 E13)
The eighth season episode "Cartman's Incredible Gift" featured a comically-injured Cartman who believes his accident gave him psychic powers following a series of lucky guesses and coincidences tied to a serial killer prowling the streets of South Park.
His "psychic" exploits and the serial killers' continued murders draw in a group of psychic detectives who want Cartman to pay to their organization. The episode is filled with gut-splitting mental battles and a cringe-inducing crime story that is not to be missed. This was one of the best Cartman episodes in what might be South Park's best season ever.
Ginger Kids (S9 E11)
Cartman has never kept his distaste for redheaded "gingers" like Kyle Broflovski a secret, though in the ninth season's "Ginger Kids" he shares his hate-filled theories with the school during an assembly to warn them against the dangers of "gingervitis." When Stan and Kyle prank Cartman by bleaching his skin and dying his hair, he is led to believe he has contracted gingervitis himself.
After taking ridicule from his friends and the school based on his new look, he decides to organize the other ginger kids together and spurred them into violence against the non-ginger kids of South Park because "the only way to fight hate… is with MORE hate!" One of the best Cartman episodes, this showed just how far he is willing to go and how dangerous Cartman can be when he is motivated.
Fat Butt And Pancake Head (S7 E5)
One of the most ridiculous but insanely hilarious episodes focused on Cartman was the seventh season's "Fat Butt And Pancake Head" which featured a cultural diversity event with presentations from the students. Cartman's entry involved the creation of a Jennifer Lopez hand puppet that wowed the judges despite his offensive and racist impression.
Cartman's use of the puppet annoys Kyle so Cartman decides to record a song as Jennifer Lopez which becomes a hit and soon attracts the attention of Ben Affleck, who enters into a relationship with Cartman's hand Jennifer Lopez. It was one of the weirdest Cartman episodes in the series.
The Coon (S13 E2)
Cartman decided to become a costumed crimefighter using a raccoon theme with a problematic nickname for his alter ego, which was also the title of the thirteenth season episode "The Coon" and the beginning of a multi-episode storyline that would also inspire 2017's South Park: The Fractured But Whole video game.
While the town of South Park doesn't seem to acknowledge Cartman's crimefighting, he soon finds a nemesis in Mysterion, whose identity reveal was drawn out for a couple of episodes as new costumed characters followed in Cartman's footsteps.
