10 Best South Park Characters Besides the Main 4 Kids, Ranked

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When South Park first started, the show mainly focused on the four main kids – Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny – along with their teacher and the school chef. Parents and siblings would pop up now and then. Over its 28 seasons, that’s changed quite a bit. More kids have become regular characters, and some are now as central to the storylines as the original four. Plus, several supporting characters have become just as popular and recognizable, making their appearances highly anticipated. While the show is full of funny characters like Kyle’s mom, PC Principal, and Timmy, a few have truly become standouts, even overshadowing many others in the series.

Here is a look at the 10 best South Park characters who aren’t the main four kids.

10) Tolkien Black

For years, many fans jokingly believed the character’s name was “Token Black,” playing on the fact that he was the only Black child in South Park. But an episode revealed four years ago that his name is actually “Tolkien Black,” a tribute to author J.R.R. Tolkien. Even the character Stan initially thought his name was just “Token.” What truly makes him a compelling character, though, is that he allows the show’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, to address issues of racism and prejudice in America. The episode where his name was clarified effectively highlighted how pervasive racism can be, even for those unaware of it.

9) Satan

It might sound odd, but Satan is actually a surprisingly well-written character on South Park. He played a major role in the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut, and the show consistently portrays him as less villainous than other characters. For example, he famously had a relationship with Saddam Hussein, and now he’s in a relationship with the current U.S. President, who is depicted as the worse of the two. This clever approach by the show’s creators, Stone and Parker, uses Satan to highlight just how awful some of the other characters really are by making him seem relatively sympathetic.

8) Terrance and Phillip

Terrance and Phillip are central to the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut, and their appearance revitalized the characters. On the TV show, they’re Canadian comedians whose show is a favorite among the four main kids. But because of the show’s crude humor, Kyle’s mom wants them taken off the air, which sparks a conflict between the United States and Canada. They function as a show-within-a-show, even more exaggerated than South Park itself, allowing creators Parker and Stone to satirize their own critics.

7) Wendy Testaburger

Wendy Testaburger is often considered one of the most annoying characters on South Park, but that’s actually what makes her one of the best. A lot of the show’s fans are boys and men who enjoy watching the four main characters get into trouble, and Wendy frequently tries to stop them. This makes her seem like the villain to viewers who relate to the boys’ mischievous behavior. However, Wendy is really the voice of reason in a town filled with foolishness and a lack of awareness. She’s usually the most sensible character, and her strong personality highlights just how ridiculous everyone else around her is – from her friends to the adults in town.

6) Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo

While Wendy often points out the absurdity of everything in South Park, Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo represents the town’s biggest flaws. He’s a magical, talking piece of… well, you know, who brings holiday cheer to all the kids, regardless of what they celebrate. But he’s more than just a one-time joke. When he returned with a family and revealed personal struggles like alcoholism and a troubled marriage, he became a truly memorable character. The town’s rejection of him only deepened his appeal, making him one of the show’s best non-human characters – even better than Towelie.

5) Jimmy

Timmy was a groundbreaking character when he appeared in Season 4’s “The Tooth Fairy’s Tats 2000” as the first child with a disability on the show. He used a wheelchair and only ever said his name in a drawn-out way, which unfortunately limited his role. His most memorable moment came in Season 5’s “Crile Fight,” a cleverly done fight scene that paid tribute to a famous brawl in the movie They Live. After that episode, Jimmy, another child with disabilities, became the more developed character. Jimmy is known for holding grudges and actively planning revenge, even over small things, giving him a much more complex personality.

4) Chef

Even after 18 seasons, people still fondly remember Chef, highlighting what a fantastic character he was on South Park. Voiced by singer Isaac Hayes, Chef was the school cafeteria chef who always had the best advice and treats – like his famous chocolate salty balls – for Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny. For many seasons, no one on South Park could match Chef’s combination of wisdom, smooth voice, and playful humor. Unfortunately, both Chef and Isaac Hayes left the show following a disagreement over South Park’s portrayal of Scientology. Isaac Hayes passed away in 2008, two years after Chef’s last appearance.

3) Randy Marsh

For a long time, the parents of the four main South Park characters were mostly just used for quick jokes. Kyle’s mom was the most developed of the parents, known for constantly complaining and being disliked by the other kids. But things changed in later seasons when Stan’s dad, Randy Marsh, became a major character. After marijuana became legal in Colorado, he started his own farm, Tegridy Farms. While some fans felt these storylines strayed too far from the main kids, they were popular enough to make Randy the most prominent and well-liked of all the parents.

2) Butters

The creators of South Park initially tried introducing a disliked character named Pip. After that didn’t work, they created Butters – a nervous, twitchy kid with parents who didn’t seem to notice. Unlike Pip, Butters quickly became incredibly popular with fans. He’s become so central to the show that many consider him a main character alongside Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny. He often has his own storylines and is frequently more important to those plots than even Kenny. Some fans even believe Butters is the best character on the show, better than all four of the original kids.

1) Mr. Garrison

Mr. Garrison has been a consistently unpredictable character throughout South Park’s run. Initially, he was the kids’ teacher, known for using a puppet to express inappropriate and often shocking thoughts. This quickly made him a fan favorite. Over time, his character evolved dramatically, including a gender transition to become Mrs. Garrison and then back to Mr. Garrison. He even ran for President, famously painting his face orange and railing against Canadian immigrants. Essentially, Mr. Garrison served as a vehicle for creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker to satirize whatever they disliked at the moment.

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2026-02-15 20:16