Top 30 Darkest Moments in South Park History

Weve heard it in countless after school specials and Glee episodes. Inner beauty matters most. Just be yourself. You shouldnt change your exterior to win the approval of your peers. Theyre good lessons that are becoming borderline impossible to practice in an increasingly superficial world. As the other girls use Photoshop to boost their confidence, Wendy wages war against unrealistic beauty standards. Alas, even the self-righteous Wendy eventually admits defeat. Sitting at the computer, Wendy alters her image, attempting to hold back tears as her morals are laid out to pasture. While Wendy maintains a straight face, part of herself is dying on the inside. Its a downer ending, but also a brutally honest one where the lie is accepted as a universal truth.

While Shelly puts up a tough front, her relationship with a vegan boy named Larry brings out her softer side. She helps Larry stand up to his parents, who insist he always wear a useless life preserver. Turns out its not entirely useless. Fearful that his daughters Broadway date might go too far, Randy interrupts the performance under the guise of Spider-Man. Not only does Randy provide a literal show-stopper, but the damage he causes to the water vein drowns poor Larry. In addition to losing the one boy who liked her, a heartbroken Shelly feels responsible, having encouraged Larry to stop wearing his life preserver. Of course, this is really Randys fault, although he pins the blame on Spider-Man.

A routine tonsillectomy takes a grim turn when the doctors inform Cartman that they accidentally infected him with HIV. Astonishingly, thats not the episodes darkest moment. Although Kyle knows that HIV and AIDS are no laughing matter, he cant help but feel karma has come to bite Cartman. After all, Cartman has done countless terrible things, including making fun of people with AIDS in the past. Although Cartman can dish it out, he cant take it. Teaching him a lesson, Cartman gives a slumbering Kyle a taste of his blood. When Kyle realizes that hes contracted the disease, its clear who the culprit is. While Cartman makes everything right by finding a cure, he treats giving Kyle HIV like a harmless prank.

All of Kennys deaths are technically dark, although its happened so many times that were rarely shocked anymore. If anything, its more jarring when the characters actually care that Kenny is in the hospital with a terminal illness. Even Cartman cries for his best friend, vowing to find a cure by legalizing stem cell research. While Cartmans pleas to Congress are successful, Kenny still dies. Cartman pulls off a miracle, however, using the stem cells hes collected to make his own Shakeys Pizza. Cartman never cared that Kenny was dying. It was part of a ploy to duplicate a pizzeria. In an episode otherwise played with a straight face, this punchline is so heartless that we cant help but giggle.

The North American Marlon Brando Look-Alikes isnt real. However, we were horrified to learn that another organization with the same acronym does indeed exist. This makes it all the more unsettling when Cartman joins the group, under the impression that the older members just want to be friends. The predators convince the clueless Cartman to invite his classmates to their little club. By the time the boys realize whats going on, the stranger danger levels reach code red. Thankfully, the boys avoid any direct harm from the predators. Kennys dad isnt so lucky, however. Although the crime at the center of this episode remains widespread, the titular organization has shrunk in numbers. We cant help but wonder if this episode played a role in that.

With Garrison acting more inappropriately than usual, the boys tell their parents. Most of the adults assume theyre being intolerant of gay people, completely disregarding what happened to Lemmiwinks. The parents thus send the boys to a tolerance camp, which ironically looks like a different kind of camp. Its even shot in black and white like something out of Schindlers List. For the Broflovskis, enrolling Kyle here feels especially hypocritical and tone-deaf. Saying or painting the wrong thing spells certain death. Even when keeping their heads down, inmates run the risk of starvation. Honestly, wed rather be inside Mr. Slave with Lemmiwinks than be imprisoned in this camp. This episode was ahead of the curve, though, summing up how social media reacts to political incorrectness.

How can you not love Winnie the Pooh? Hes adorable, naively optimistic, and speaks to everyones inner child. Despite the characters universal appeal, Xi Jinping of the Chinese Communist Party isnt a fan. With people online claiming Xi resembles the silly old bear, China censored Pooh. In the South Park universe, Pooh stands between Mickey and the bottom line. To restore business ties between the U.S. and China, Randy concludes the bear must go. The episode authentically portrays Poohs gentle nature, with actor Brock Baker doing a soft-spoken impression of the character. This makes it even harder to watch as Randy strangles the life out of Pooh while Piglet helplessly watches. Forget Blood and Honey. This is what a Pooh horror movie looks like.

In the future, the world plunges into turmoil due to the fallout from COVID. Nevertheless, Cartman has turned his life around, finding purpose in Judaism and now having a loving family. Although Kyle is convinced this is a scam, Cartman has genuinely changed. When the others try to alter the past, Cartman initially resists out of fear of losing his family, but ultimately places his fate in Gods hands. God deals him a cruel hand. While almost everyones lives are improved, Cartman is left without a house, family, or life, spending his days drunkenly yelling at others from the streets. Some may argue this future is more fitting for Cartman, but did his children deserve to be erased from existence?

Believe it or not, Cartman faking his way into the Special Olympics isnt the most uncomfortable aspect of this episode. That distinction goes to Jimmys storyline, as he becomes reliant on steroids. While this is executed with a satirical edge, some scenes feel eerily realistic. Theres an especially rough confrontation between Jimmy and his girlfriend that makes us cringe no matter how many times we watch it. Its a harrowing reminder of how steroid use can render a person unrecognizable, not just physically, but mentally as well. Some dont realize how much a loved one has changed until they find themselves on the receiving end of a fist. Jimmy continues to spiral until Timmy finally makes him look in the mirror.

Even by South Park standards, Stanleys Cup is insanely mean-spirited. Stan coaches a pee-wee hockey team with one of the young players having cancer. His survival entirely hinges on whether or not Stan can lead his team to victory. Thats an absurd amount of pressure for anyone, let alone a nine-year-old like Stan. The big game comes down to Stans team and the Detroit Red Wings. The professionals dont go easy on the pee-wee players, wiping the ice rink with them. As the other team celebrates in Mighty Ducks fashion, Stan is denounced by one of his players. As for little Nelson in the hospital? His fate is largely why this episode is either loved or hated. Either way, everyone agrees its savage.

Season 9 of South Park begins with the boys teacher undergoing gender-affirming surgery. As its happening, were given explicit and overly precise details by the doctor as to what is taking place. Were also shown graphic stock footage so we can see exactly whats going on. Showing gender affirming surgery on TV in 2005 was forward-thinking and, in theory, progressive. But the way its presented here is undeniably dark and difficult to watch, because its unlikely anyone who tuned into this cartoon expected to be confronted with vivid, live-action surgical videos.

Best known for playing Superman, actor Christopher Reeve was an inspiration to many for the strength he demonstrated after enduring an accident that left him with paralysis. So, of course, South Park decided to spin that in the worst possible way. IRL, Reeve campaigned actively for an increase to the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. On South Park, this somehow translated to him being obsessed with draining fetuses and essentially turning into a power-hungry supervillain. To say this is a gross misunderstanding of the science on top of being offensive is an understatement, so it definitely left a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who had looked up to the actor.

Basically the entire premise of this episode is dark. It centers on Cartman and the boys taking advantage of innocents with drug issues. However, perhaps one of the darkest moments is when Kyle ultimately decides to join Cartmans scheme. Worse yet, he originally intended to help the victims after seeing an extremely sad commercial. Its tough to pick the absolutely darkest part though, whether its Kyles involvement, just witnessing whats happening at all, anytime the characters try to justify their actions take your pick.

This might be one of the most disturbing and shocking predicaments Kyle finds himself in during the entire series. And all because he didnt read a user agreement. Its not long before Kyle unwillingly takes in a dark experiment reminiscent of the one shown in the notorious film, The Human Centipede. The only thing perhaps more disturbing than the experiment itself is the fact that all Steve Jobs seems to be concerned about is whether the device can read or not. Oh, wait, no - well give that honor to Cartmans pure joy at using the configuration.

At his Halloween party, Satan confronts someone for wearing a Steve Irwin costume, since its making some of the other guests uncomfortable. But the man reveals himself to actually be Steve Irwin. Of course, that means hes not wearing a costume at all, so Satan promptly kicks him out. This brief exchange was seen as problematic for many reasons, from the way the character is depicted to the fact that hes in hell at all to the fact that it aired less than two months after the Crocodile Hunter was killed. The most ironic thing about this joke is that, apparently, there is a line that you shouldnt cross - even for Satan and the denizens of Hell. But there are no lines for South Park.

At the park county fair, the boys con a vendor and get themselves some weapons to play ninja. What could possibly go wrong? Well, this. Butters essentially loses his eye and the boys are left to figure out how to deal with it. And naturally, they dont fare too well. Poor Butters, whos barely even conscious, is forced to pretend that hes a dog. But the people of South Park dont seem to be concerned with that either, instead focusing on Cartmans wardrobe malfunction...if you can even call it that.

For whatever reason, Cartman loved The Passion of the Christ. How much did he love the film, you might ask? So much that he created a Mel Gibson fan club. Ohkay, thats a choice. Oh, but it gets worse: wait until you see what hes wearing and get a good sense of what his intentions with this club truly are. Worst of all, the clueless members who join the group are oblivious to what he is trying to do and simply follow along. And if that wasnt bad enough, they never actually realize what theyre doing, as they only decide to leave the club after seeing how bonkers Mel Gibson is in person.

In "World Wide Recorder Concert," Garrison is shown to have a complicated relationship with Garrison Senior. Based on how Garrison behaves, viewers are led to believe Garrison Senior did some pretty messed up things to psychologically scar the teacher as a child. But that is not at all the case. In fact, its actually quite the opposite. In a shocking twist, the issue with Garrisons father stems from the fact that he never actually did anything to Garrison in the first place, and this results in Garrison believing that Garrison Senior had no love for his child. Thus, the episode sees Garrison pressuring Garrison Senior into assault to prove his love. We can only gasp at this strange twist of reverse psychology.

When Stan and Kyle mention that one of their friends was assaulted, audiences knew that South Park was about to cross the line like never before. Of course, nobody couldve predicted that the friend in question was Indiana Jones, who was forced to suffer at the hands of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas on multiple occasions throughout the episode - with each instance being more graphic than the last. While there is some pretty clever satire here, this incredibly dark imagery had a lot of people feeling grossed out, disturbed, and uncertain if they should be laughing or in shock. Was Kingdom of the Crystal Skull really that bad?

South Park used to have a recurring joke that Cartman did not know who his father was or that he simply didnt have one. The show even had a two-parter that teased the idea of revealing who this person really was, only to just not do it (much to the anger of South Park fans). However, the idea of discovering who that person is was revisited in the episodes 200 and 201. But, much to his dismay, Cartman learns from his former rival, Scott Tenorman, that they are half-brothers and share the same father. Longtime fans know what this means but just when you think things couldnt get any more dark, they do - when you see Cartmans reaction afterwards.

Leave it to Trey Parker and Matt Stone to create a depressingly realistic portrayal of divorce and then fill the screen with literal crap. "You're Getting Old" is all about the inevitability of change, primarily expressed through Stan's parents admitting that they are unhappy and filing for divorce. Sound-tracked by Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," the final montage sees Stan solemnly going through the motions while trying to come to terms with Sharon and Randy's separation. Also, the boy turns to alcohol to deal with the situation. In its own slightly juvenile way, "South Park" cuts through the nonsense and captures the raw emotion of such a situation.

On the surface, a grotesque monster fond of murdering people is already rather gruesome; however, the real-life context behind ManBearPig's rampage is the real kicker. An obvious stand-in for climate change, ManBearPig is originally introduced as a figment of Al Gore's imagination. Jump forward more than a decade and climate change can no longer be dismissed as the ravings of a mad man. Basically, serving as an apology, "South Park" sets the real ManBearPig loose on the unprepared public, who prefer to play "Red Dead Redemption 2" while passing the monster-shaped buck on to the next generation.

"South Park" rarely hesitates to tackle sensitive topics in the name of comedy. "The Poor Kid" episode launches with Kenny's parents being hauled off to jail for selling meth and the kids being shipped off to an awful foster home. To make matters worse but also funnier, the whole ordeal is filmed for a reality show called "White Trash in Trouble," so Kenny's misfortune becomes a source of entertainment. Besides making a few timely and risky references to the Penn State Scandal, "The Poor Kid" also has Cartman going to the absolute limits to try and avoid the stigma of being labeled as "poor."

Christmas is the season of rejoicing, reflection, stockings, and in the case of "South Park" - satanic rituals intended to summon the Anti-Christ and any food eaten over the last 24 hours. Stan is bamboozled into assisting a group of woodland creatures who are preparing for the coming of the animal kingdom's supposed savior, a process involving sacrificing and eating a rabbit. While nothing screams "happy holidays" like cute animals gorging on even cuter animals, "South Park" goes the extra mile by throwing in a blood feast. We imagine the woodland custom falls on the thirteenth day of Christmas.

"South Park" is not afraid to put religious institutions to the sword and few jabs are as direct as the Catholic Clean-up Crew. After Butters and Father Maxi disappear, a group of priests is sent to expunge all evidence of any wrongdoing by the church's representative. In order to catch the seemingly criminal rogue Father Maxi, the Clean-up Crew set a trap by kidnapping a few victims to use as bait. "South Park" effectively satirizes such a dark and hushed subject by presenting the priests as gangsters and utterly eliminating any subtlety.

With people like Randy Marsh, Garrison, and Eric Cartman on the show, the innocent Butters presents a welcome break from all the rampant cynicism. Or, that used to be the case, before Season 5's finale decided to focus exclusively on Butters' tragic home life. Along with refusing to believe Butters could ever be picked on, Stephen and Linda Stotch welcome any reason to punish or mistreat the naive boy. The torment extends beyond Butters' parents, as the kid's grandmother is also the worst. Choosing just one dark moment is near impossible, but that time Linda tries to drown Butters has to rank quite high. There is no room for innocence in "South Park."

Gee, who could have predicted an episode called "Dead Kids" would contain a dark moment or two? When South Park Elementary becomes the scene of multiple incidents of violence, the town's adults, teachers, and students treat the problem as a minor inconvenience rather than anything meriting a proper discussion. As the only one truly troubled by whats happened, Stan's mother Sharon is ostracized, mocked, and eventually broken by the town. Any premise involving this kind of violence is destined to be dark, but "Dead Kids" is totally devoid of any optimism that a solution may be found in the future.

Considering "South Park" frequently injects religious figures into episodes, it is safe to assume celebrities are unlikely to be handled with kid gloves. The cartoon outing Bono as a sentient piece of feces is all in good fun (we guess), but a disturbed Britney Spears pulling the trigger of a gun is considerably darker. Despite being short half a skull, Britney continues to fulfill her duty as the Pop Princess. Released just two months following Britney's heavily publicized breakdown, "South Park's" episode presents the press as vultures feasting off the celebrity's fragile mental state.

Driven by anger and grief, "The Return of Chef" was "South Park's" response to Isaac Hayes Scientology entourage reportedly making a statement on his behalf requesting he be released from the show after the cartoon openly mocked Scientology. In this episode, Chef joins the Super Adventure Club, an organization of traveling criminals who utilize brainwashing techniques to convince new members to fall in line. The boys try in vain to save Chef, but the club's conditioning is too deeply ingrained to break. With all hope lost, "South Park" violently kills Chef in a scene that feels defeatist rather than cathartic. Without context, this moment features a beloved character being vividly killed. With that context, "The Return of Chef" is heartbreaking.

Frankly, Cartman could easily have dominated this entire list. That being said, Eric's crowning acts of evilness puts to shame all of the character's other vile acts. After being played and humiliated by Scott Tenorman, Cartman decides revenge is a dish best served with a side of cannibalism. During a cook-off between the two, Cartman serves Scott a bowl of chili made out of the unsuspecting boy's own parents. This is not some mean-spirited joke: Cartman genuinely resorts to murder and cannibalism as revenge for being conned out of less than $20. Eric is an unapologetic psychotic monster who - somehow - is rarely not hilarious.

Which South Park episode made you say, Too much, man! Let us know in the comments.