10 Best ‘South Park’ Running Gags Ranked

South Park has some of the funniest running gags on television. What more to expect from what’s widely considered one of the best adult animated sitcoms of all time? With more than 20 seasons, over 300+ episodes, and an Oscar-nominated movie, many hilarious bits and jokes from his monster hit TV show have stood out over the years for being the most reoccurring and hilarious.

The following ten entries are some of the best running gags in South Park. They are instantly recognizable and iconic, containing hilarious lines and jokes that have become staples of the show and are cherished by fans. These gags represent the best qualities of creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone‘s work and continue to be beloved and referenced by audiences. No matter how frequent the jokes are, the following South Park gags are spectacular and surely leave viewers in stitches.

10 Visitors

First appearing in Season 1, Episode 1, “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe”

Debuting in the show’s first episode, “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe,” The visitors are an extraterrestrial species who’ve secretly invaded Earth to spy on unsuspecting humans. First appearing as antagonists after they probe Cartman (Parker) as one of their test subjects, after leaving, they’ve become a long-running gag throughout the series, popping up now and again, usually in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it background cameos.

The visitors are neat, little Easter eggs scattered throughout South Park. They’ve made brief appearances across multiple episodes, seasons, and video game adaptations. For fans, it’s fun to point out at every single moment they spot the visitors in the background of a scene, almost like it’s a “Where’s Waldo?” game. There’s even a sign in the South Park Elementary’s school cafeteria with a picture of a visitor’s face and the caption reading, “Have you seen me?”

9 Butters Gets Grounded

First appearing in Season 5, Episode 10, “How to Eat with Your Butt”

Poor Butters Stoche (Stone) gets grounded more than any other kid in South Park. Despite being far sweeter and more innocent than Cartman or Kenny (Stone), Butters always gets punished, mainly because of his incredibly strict and disciplinary father, Stephen (Stone), who grounds his son for the most bizarre reasons.

Butters getting grounded is one of the more constant running gags in recent years. It always happens whenever he interacts with his father, no matter how small or big the crime is. Often, Stephen would ground his son for absolutely no reason other than because he didn’t know how to interact with him. It’s hard not to feel sympathy with Butters, but at the same time, this gag only gets more hilarious with every appearance, and it seems it’ll only get more funny as the seasons go on.

8 “M’kay”

First Appeared in Season 1, Episode 9, “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo”

Co-creator Trey Parker has voiced more than half the characters in South Park. Some are more iconic than others, but he always makes them engaging and fun. One such character is Mr. Mackey, a clueless, naive school guidance counselor, who more often than not, lets Cartman and the other boys get away with whatever ridiculous scheme they’re up to. However, Mackey’s most defining aspect isn’t so much what he does but what he says; he constantly needs to say “M’Kay” at the end of every sentence.

Mackey’s “M’Kay” catchphrase has been a constant running gag ever since his debut in Season 1’s “Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo.” He can’t help but utter the phrase every time he speaks. It’s even gotten to the point where other characters mock him by mimicking his voice and saying the word along with him. It’s a joke that’s remained consistent throughout the years and will continue to be a part of the show as Mackey continues to be a popular character.

7 ManBearPig

First appearing in Season 10, Episode 6, “ManBearPig”

The terrifying half-man, half-bear, and half-pig menace of South Park has become one of the show’s most memorable villains, ever since ex-vice President Al Gore (Parker) warned everyone about him in Season 10’s “ManBearPig.” This hybrid beast is a force of nature as it causes all sorts of chaos and environmental destruction, especially since he’s Parker and Stone’s metaphor for the ongoing Climate Change crisis.

Though originally thought to be made up by Gore to get attention for himself, the “Imaginationland” saga proved ManBearPig’s physical existence. Since then, he’s made several appearances now and again, usually as an antagonist or a henchman for other sinister characters. As the climate change discussion continues to be a pressing issue, it seems almost certain that ManBearPig will continue to be a recurring character.

6 Randy’s High Jinks

First appearing in Season 9, Episode 5, “The Losing Edge”

It’s no secret that as the seasons went on, Stan’s dad Randy Marsh became one of the show’s brightest stars. Always a one for theatrics and clown foolery, Randy’s bizarre antics have become a series highlight in recent years, resulting in many hilarious storylines that have even taken up entire seasons.

Whether buying “Tegridy Farm” or starting his own cooking show, Randy’s hilarious high jinks have become a staple of South Park and one of its more famous running gags. His adventures couldn’t fail to get a laugh or two from the audience as he constantly finds himself in increasingly absurd and darkly hilarious situations. With newer seasons on the way, fans can only wait and wonder what other bizarre shenanigans Randy will get himself into next.

5 Satan and Hell

First appearing in Season 1, Episode 10, “Damien”

Satirizing many real-world religions made South Park one of the most controversial sitcoms on television. One that always gets brought up a lot is the concept of Hell and especially the Devil. Starting with Season 1’s “Damien,” Satan was one of the first major antagonists of the show, appearing as a conqueror who conducts many bizarre schemes, and even tries to take over the surface but always fails to succeed.

Satan and his underworld appeared many times in the show’s earlier seasons, even appearing as the primary antagonists of South Park: Bigger, Louder, and Uncut. However, in recent seasons, he became a sort of anti-hero when he took on and sacrificed himself during his epic fight with ManBearPig in the Season 22 episode “Nobody Got Cereal?” Though he hasn’t made another appearance after his death, Satan and Hell are still one of the most iconic running gags of the show.

4 Cartman’s “Authoritah!”

First appearing in Season 2, Episode 3, “Chickenlover”

No one is safe whenever Eric Cartman is in charge. Despite appearing as a normal, innocent 5th grader, this foul-mouthed bully is the biggest tyrant in South Park. Whenever he lies or manipulates his way into a position of power, it instantly goes to his head, causing him to assert his dominance and constantly tell people to respect his “Authoritah!”

First appearing in the iconic Season 2 episode “Chickenlover,” Cartman utters his classic “Authoritah!” catchphrase whenever someone questions or defies his power. The line has become synonymous with Cartman’s unpredictable and mean-spirited nature, a phrase that he frequently likes to use. Throughout multiple seasons, Cartman has committed some truly awful and despicable things, and it always seems to happen whenever he needs to use this iconic phrase when speaking to people.

3 “Screw you guys, I’m going home!”

First appearing in Season 1, Episode 1, “Cartman gets an Anal Probe”

One of Eric Cartman’s many iconic catchphrases, “Screw you guys, I’m going home,” has become a staple of the show and one of its many classic running gags. Said mostly by Cartman, usually whenever he wants to give up on a situation, this hilarious line has since taken on a life of its own and is even uttered by other characters.

This classic gag appears many times throughout the series, even hilariously referenced at the end of the South Park: The Stick of Truth video game. The phrase always gets more amusing with every utterance, especially when it’s said by Cartman, who’s made the line iconic thanks to his high-pitched voice and memorable hand gestures. It’s one of the most cherished gags in the show and, although not as frequent as it was in the earlier seasons, still appears now and again as a joke that’ll never get old.

2 “They took our jobs!”

First appearing in Season 8, Episode 7, “Goobacks”

Debuting in the popular South Park Season 8 episode “Goobacks,” the line “They took our jobs!” is uttered by a group of disgruntled characters after immigrants from the future started appearing in the past to find work. Since its first appearance, this iconic catchphrase has become a cherished running gag throughout the seasons, often repeated by the same group whenever there’s an economic downturn.

Anyone who’s ever been a fan of South Park has faked a Southern accent and said this hilarious line at least once. “They took our jobs!” has become one of the most beloved phrases of the show, and its popularity sees no signs of slowing down. The best part of this whole joke is how butchered the phrase gets whenever the group keeps saying it.

1 “Oh my God, they killed Kenny!”

First appearing in Season 1, Episode 1, “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe”

It’s no surprise, really. Kenny McCormick’s multiple deaths throughout the show is undoubtedly South Park‘s greatest running gag. Since the first episode, poor Kenny has experienced death numerous times, always at random and occurring only to him specifically. Whether it’s being shocked, stabbed, vaporized, or devoured, there’s some absurd way he’ll be killed off in one episode, only to miraculously reappear totally fine in the next.

Occurring primarily in the early seasons, Kenny has died a total of 127 times, each more ridiculous and darkly comedic than the last. This iconic running gag is the most noticeable of the series, even taking up entire storylines, including one of the plots to the famous “Coon” trilogy, which explains how he was gifted with immortal powers. Though, unfortunately, it has been used too often in the modern season, Kenny’s recurring deaths will always be one of the most defining moments of South Park and certainly its most beloved running joke.

NEXT: The Best ‘South Park’ Episodes From the Last 10 Years, Ranked