15 Best Cartman Episodes From 'South Park,' Ranked

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Updated Feb 5, 2026, 8:36 AM EST

Andrea M. Ciriaco is a long-time script reader and former entertainment editor who specializes in classic movies and Hollywood history. She was a student film critic at Kent State University for three years and worked at Warner Bros Studio in Burbank and The Safran Company for several years. Based on her vast taste and range of knowledge, many consider Andrea to be a walking IMDb who knows dozens of underrated movies and is a vital assesst to any trivia night. While movies are her expertise, Andrea is also a diehard fan of iconic shows including The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, Will & Grace and South Park. Some of her favorite filmmakers are Walt Disney,John Huston, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Mel Brooks, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Howard Hawks.

South Park is one of the longest-running animated series created back in 1997 by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. With 300-plus episodes under their belt, the show remains a favorite among audiences who continue to follow the antics of the small town in Colorado and its colorful characters, including Randy Marsh, Butters Stotch, and one of the series' most iconic characters, Eric Cartman.

Cartman is a spoiled little boy who quickly became one of the show's most popular characters with catchphrases like, "respect my authoritah!" and episodes including "Casa Bonita" and "The Coon." Throughout the series, there has been a collection of the funniest Cartman episodes, but out of the numerous seasons of South Park, there are some best Eric Cartman episodes that truly stand out.

15 "Fishsticks"

Season 13, Episode 5 (2009)

Jimmy sitting at a desk writing while Cartman is lying on a couch behind him in South Park episode Fishsticks

In "Fishsticks," Jimmy creates a joke that eventually takes on a life of its own, earning him worldwide recognition and prompting Cartman to claim credit for it, saying he and Jimmy came up with it together. While everyone else seems to understand the joke, Kanye West doesn't, and his frustrations about being called a gay fish cause him to take drastic and deadly measures that make both Jimmy and Cartman rethink their claims to fame.

"Fishsticks" embodies everything that makes Cartman an icon of the show — ego, cruelty, stupidity, and accidental brilliance — into one perfectly structured episode that ranks as one of the character's all-time best. Despite not having any involvement in creating the joke, Cartman's claims still get him fame, praise, and attention, which, as usual, is all built on a lie that he’s too dumb to fully understand (or acknowledge), which is classic Cartman mentality at its finest.

14 "Cartmanland"

Season 5, Episode 6 (2001)

Eric Cartman standing out front of Cartmanland next to a security guard in South Park in Cartmanland

When Cartman inherits millions of dollars from his deceased grandma, he decides to buy his own amusement park, Cartmanland, and refuses to let anyone else in. Cartman's new private park and his success lead Kyle to develop a hemorrhoid, wondering how someone as evil as Cartman could be living every kid's dream while he's stuck suffering in the hospital, but when Cartman learns how much it costs to run and operate the park, his dream begins to unravel.

"Cartmanland" is a morality play where Cartman gets everything he’s ever wanted and then is slowly destroyed by it in the best way possible. Viewers share in Kyle's frustration as Cartman lives every kid's dream, but the moment he starts letting people in to keep the park lights on, everything begins to collapse in a delightful dose of karma. While the overall episode is comedy gold, the ending, where Cartman screams and throws a fit, as Kyle calmly explains why bad things happen to bad people, is one of the most satisfying payoffs in the entire series.

13 "The Cissy"

Season 18, Episode 3 (2014)

Cartman wearing a bow on his head and yelling at Stan in front of the lockers in South Park episode The Cissy

In "The Cissy," Cartman becomes annoyed about not having enough stalls in the boys' bathroom at school, and instead of trying to find a reasonable solution, he decides that he's transgender and is allowed to use the girls' bathroom. Even though everyone knows that Cartman is lying, the school staff knows that if they take action against him, he will turn the situation into an overblown scandal, but Wendy refuses to stand by and decides to play Cartman at his own game.

Only Cartman would take advantage of a loophole that lets him do whatever he wants and dares anyone to challenge him, which makes him scarier (and funnier) than his usual loud, obnoxious self. The moment Cartman realizes that claiming to be transgender gives him power and special treatment, he becomes fully committed to his "cause," proving that he doesn’t need brute force to feel superior but just the right words at the right time. Overall, "The Cissy" in some way updates Cartman and his evil ways for a new era, making him less of a cartoon villain and more of a real-world menace who understands how to use rules, optics, and outrage to get what he wants.

12 "Ginger Kids"

Season 9, Episode 11 (2005)

Eric Cartman in South Park episode Ginger Kids

When Cartman delivers an offensive presentation about people with red hair, his friends decide to give him a taste of his own medicine and sneak into his room at night, where they dye his hair and give him freckles. The next morning, Cartman wakes up horrified at what he sees in the mirror, and believes he's suffering from "gingervitis." When Cartman grows tired of being bullied for his new appearance, he rallies all the red-haired kids together to fight and become the master race of the world.

"Ginger Kids" is an interesting Cartman episode that is both hilarious and insightful about how easily someone can turn ignorance, fear, and fake science into a full-blown hate movement. While the episode touches on valid points about social behavior and mob-like mentality, the reversal of Cartman embracing his new identity to discovering the truth is one of the cleanest karmic gut-punches the show has ever delivered. Unlike the majority of other Cartman episodes, "Ginger Kids" gives Cartman a fitting punishment as he's forced to experience the same dehumanization he created, which is far more satisfying than the simple slap on the wrist he's used to getting.

11 "Tonsil Trouble"

Season 12, Episode 1 (2008)

Kyle looking angry at Cartman standing next to him in South Park episode Tonsil Trouble

In "Tonsil Trouble," Cartman undergoes surgery to have his tonsils removed, but the operation takes a terrible turn when the doctor tells Cartman that the blood he received during a transfusion came from someone with HIV. Unlike the majority of everyone else, Kyle finds Cartman's unfortunate diagnosis to be amusing, which leads to Cartman sneaking into his room at night and injecting him with his blood, ultimately giving Kyle HIV.

"Tonsil Trouble" is one of the best Cartman episodes because it pushes the character into a rare corner of vulnerability and then immediately shows how he turns even that into a scenario of manipulation, denial, and cruelty. An HIV diagnosis is serious, but Cartman’s reaction of panic, bargaining, and instant scapegoating proves that even in crisis, Cartman is still unmistakably Cartman. In the end, Cartman survives without learning anything, while Kyle carries the emotional weight. It’s unfair, messy, and exactly how a great Cartman episode and a wild South Park arc should land.

10 "Chickenlover"

Season 2, Episode 14 (1998)

Eric Cartman dressed as a police officer on a big wheel in South Park

When Officer Barbrady starts investigating someone who has been harassing the town's chickens, he's forced to admit that he doesn't know how to read. Ashamed of his illiteracy, he resigns from the police force to go back to school. Barbrady enlists the boys to help patrol the town while he's at school, but Cartman takes his new responsibilities to the extreme.

"Chickenlover" was the first episode to feature one of Cartman's famous catchphrases, "respect my authoritah!" making it instantly iconic. Cartman masquerading as a police officer was the start of the character being depicted in an array of costumes as part of some grand scheme, including dressing up as an elderly woman or an out-of-control teenage girl in an attempt to get on the fictional show, "Maury."

9 "Cartman's Incredible Gift"

Season 8, Episode 13 (2004)

Eric Cartman standing in the grass looking shocked in South Park

After suffering a near-fatal fall, Cartman's taken to the hospital, where he meets the victim of a serial killer who cuts off the left hand of each of his victims. The local police are baffled by the killer, and after Cartman makes a few lucky correct guesses, detectives start to think that he's developed psychic abilities as a result of the fall.

"Cartman's Incredible Gift" is a slight parody of the 1983 adaptation of Stephen King's novel, Dead Zone starring Christopher Walken. The episode's a continuation of a series of episodes that focus on psychics and parodies other popular films, including Red Dragon and The Gift, but "Cartman's Incredible Gift" stands out as a solid episode in season 8 as well as a vital Cartman episode.

8 "Cartoon Wars"

Season 10, Episodes 3 & 4 (2006)

Cartman racing Kyle on big wheels in South Park

The animated series, Family Guy, is planning to air an episode that depicts Muhammad leading people to be concerned about potential backlash. Cartman, who hates Family Guy, sees this as an opportunity to have the show canceled and races to Hollywood.

"Cartoon Wars" is a two-part episode where Kyle tries to stop Cartman and his plan to use others' emotions for his own petty gain. The characters are known to clash quite often, "Cartoon Wars" is one of the rare occasions where Kyle ends up agreeing with Cartman. In 2008, the episode was released on DVD in a compilation of the best Cartman episodes called "The Cult of Cartman."

7 "Mysterion Rises"

Season 14, Episode 12 (2010)

Eric Cartman standing on a bridge looking at Chtulu in South Park-2

When an oil company drills into the ocean, they unknowingly open a gate to another dimension and unleash the mythical creature, Cthulhu. Cartman, disguised as The Coon travels to Cthulhu's location, where he manages to convince the monster to help him seek his revenge against Mysterion and his friends for kicking him out of Coon and Friends.

"Mysterion Rises" is the second episode in a three-part story inspired by dark comic book movies like The Dark Knight and Watchmen. The episode's title is a direct reference to Christopher Nolan's final installment in the Dark Knight trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. "Mysterion Rises" isn't exactly a Cartman solo performance, but its clever references to My Neighbor Totoro and Looney Tunes' Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot as Cartman befriends Cthulhu make the episode an essential one.

6 "Tsst"

Season 10, Episode 7 (2006)

Caesar Milan training Eric Cartman and Eric's mom watching while eating chicken in South Park

When Cartman gets in trouble at school, his mom realizes that she can't control him and turns to others for help, including Supernanny star Jo Frost, but each is unsuccessful. With no other options, Cartman's mom resorts to calling famous dog trainer Cesar Milan, whose methods prove to be highly effective.

It's no secret that Cartman's a troublemaker who lacks serious discipline, but in "Tsst," he gets a pretty hilarious lesson that makes it a top Cartman episode. When asked about his depiction in the show, Milan had a positive reaction and thought the entire episode was "fantastic."

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