Top 30 Times Kenny Was The Best Character On South Park

When given the choice between shop class and home economics, the other boys go with what they consider the more masculine course. Kenny has no issue being the only boy in home ec, however. Being the sole male in a classroom of girls has its perks, but you also get the sense that Kenny prefers baking and sewing over sawing wood. And you know what? Good for you, Kenny. Don’t let society dictate which activities are for boys and which are for girls. Unfortunately, Kenny doesn’t have the most progressive teacher, who insists he transfer to shop. Kenny is understandably horrified by this notion - and his fears are justified. We like to think Kenny’s death motivated more boys to be homemakers.

Tell us if this sounds familiar. You spend all day looking forward to a special dinner. Then when you finally sit down to eat, somebody else has already gobbled up a significant portion of the meal! The boys experience this first-hand when Stan’s mom brings home KFC. With their backs turned, Cartman scarfs down all the crispy skin, leaving only the worthless meat. As Stan and Kyle stare at their desecrated ​​banquet in disbelief, Kenny simply breaks down in tears. The audience doesn’t see his face, but the cries pouring from Kenny couldn’t sound more genuine. We empathize with Kenny so much here, as we’d likely have a similar reaction. Even for a character who dies all the time, this truly hurts.

Kenny is a character who can make us laugh even though most of his face is hidden under a winter coat. In this Season 3 Halloween episode, Kenny conceals his entire body in a fully functional ED-209 robot. Hilariously, everybody knows that it’s Kenny inside the mechanical getup. Nobody questions how elaborate the costume is or how Kenny could afford such a high-tech piece of machinery. Nevertheless, Kenny seems like a shoo-in to win the costume contest. Alas, Kenny is robbed with first prize going to Wendy for her Chewbacca costume in a callback to Season 1’s Halloween special. We’d say at least Kenny didn’t die in this episode, but a mid-credits scene preserves that running gag as “Star Wars” meets “RoboCop.”

When the boys are forced to sleep over at Kenny’s house, they realize just how poor his family is. They have ColecoVision instead of Nintendo, dinner consists of frozen waffles (which they have to share), and rats roam free. Despite barely keeping a roof over their heads, the McCormick family has one luxury. Before turning in for the night, Kenny claps his hands, turning the lights off. The Clapper might not be especially expensive, but considering that the McCormicks can’t even afford basic living necessities, we find it ironic that they invested in a sound-activated on/off switch. Seeing Kenny clap off the lights also cracks us up, demonstrating how sometimes the littlest things can get the biggest laughs. Kenny specializes on that front.

Learning about a new phenomenon called “cheesing,” Kenny is sent on a psychedelic trip right out of the 1981 cult classic, “Heavy Metal.” The only thing more surreal than this environment is seeing a “South Park” character riding alongside a realistically drawn woman. And when we say “realistic,” we mean popping with detailed features. Just when Kenny’s ultimate fantasy is about to reach its literal climax, Cartman slaps him out of it. It’s nice seeing Cartman concerned about Kenny’s well-being for a change, although he’s far from grateful. While we can’t endorse young people cheesing, it does make for one of the most memorable Kenny-centric episodes as he takes several more trips to his dream world. Can you blame him for wanting to escape reality?

It’s hard enough trying to understand what Kenny is saying with his hooded coat muffling everything. The idea of him becoming a singer - let alone an opera singer - seems unlikely. Even if we can’t comprehend the words emanating from his mouth, the audience can feel Kenny’s passion as he belts out “Con te partirò.” It’s also pretty funny. Kenny’s mother recognizes her son’s love of singing, taking him all the way to Romania. Not only are Kenny’s gifts embraced there, but the country’s poor status makes him one of the richest residents. Despite pleas from the Romanian public to let Kenny stay, the U.S. government orders him back, resulting in his death. Surely Kenny will be singing angelically in Heaven before his next resurrection.

While Kenny’s relationship with Tammy has icky aspects, it’s also kind of sweet. Emphasis on the kind of, but hear us out. Kenny likes the fifth-grade girl even before he learns about her reputation. When he hears about her exploits, Kenny doesn’t shame Tammy like everyone else. He embraces her, although he naturally wants in on the action. After Tammy asks him to wear a purity ring, Kenny doesn’t dump her. He puts the ring on, proving himself to be a patient, understanding boyfriend. Granted, he’s not thrilled about the ring, but it shows that Kenny wants to be with Tammy for reasons beyond sex. That said, when Tammy finally takes Kenny to TJI Fridays, we’re reminded why these two are too young for this.

Following his tear-jerking fate in Season 5, Kenny made a semi-comeback in Season 6 when Cartman drank his remains. Kenny’s soul thus becomes trapped in his body. The next couple of episodes treat this as a running gag. The issue is finally tackled head-on when Chef learns of the possession, taking the Cartmans and Kenny to his parents in Scotland for help. The good news is that they exorcise Kenny from Cartman. The bad news is that his spirit flies into a pot roast. The worse news is that Rob Schneider eats the roast. Whether inside Cartman, a beef dish, or the star of “The Stapler,” it’s great having Kenny back in any form - even if his true comeback was still a few episodes away.

With nothing better to do, Kenny accompanies Kyle to Jewbilee. On this special night, the camp welcomes the one and only Moses, who can see that Kenny isn’t Jewish. Poor Kenny is turned away, although the true “impurity” in their midst is an elder who seeks to trap Moses in a conch shell and summon Haman. Despite being denied carrot cake, Kenny comes to the rescue when all goes to hell. Retrieving the shell, Kenny breaks it open with his skull. He frees Moses and saves the Jewish people, but Kenny sacrifices his life - or at least one of them - in the process. He might not have been Jewish, but Moses recognizes Kenny as a hero who will be commemorated through arts and crafts.

For the first five seasons, rarely did we get through an episode without a Kenny death. Even Kenny came to expect his demise, although he couldn’t always predict how it would happen. The Season One Christmas special was the first episode to break with tradition, despite providing plenty of opportunities to kill Kenny. First, he’s told to unplug an overloaded electrical outlet by a dripping faucet. Then Kenny has to climb a ladder next to a shark tank. Kenny is as surprised as anybody that he’s still standing as the episode winds down. It isn’t until the words, “The End,” form across the screen that Kenny can let out a cheer of relief. Kenny deserves a merry, death-free Christmas, but don’t get used to it.

Peruvian flute bands have taken the town of South Park by storm; they can practically be seen on every corner of the street. Initially, the boys don’t give it much thought, that is until they quite literally cannot escape the music. The sole exception however, being Kenny. Not once, but twice, we see Kenny get down and show off his dance moves as the music plays. Viewers can’t help but feel both amused and entertained at how Kenny expresses his appreciation for the music genre. Leave it to the “South Park” creators to have such subtle, brief yet funny moments during scenes.

Kyle gets sick, so, naturally, his best friend Stan is feeling down about it. He laments the possibility of losing his friend for good and feels powerless. This is understandable, but it ends up being in bad taste considering he’s doing this in front of Kenny, who, as we all know, has passed on multiple occasions without anyone even going so far as to bat an eyelash. Furious, Kenny gets up and exclaims one of the most iconic catchphrases of the series belonging to Cartman. It’s muffled, but it’s another moment showcasing how iconic Kenny can be.

Chinpokomon is the talk of the town for the children in South Park, and everyone wants a piece. When Cartman enters the town’s toy store, he eventually sets his sights on buying the chinpokomon toy named Pengin. He soon sees that there are none left and the last one has been taken by Kenny. Cartman attempts to take it from him, but Kenny doesn’t let up. What ensues is a hilarious tug of war between both boys. We give credit to Kenny for standing his ground and not letting Cartman have his way.

On a trip to Costa Rica, Kenny meets and develops a crush on a girl named Kelly. The relationship is up and down to say the least, but it’s fortunate that Kenny got acquainted with her. Near the end of the episode, he gets struck by lightning. Initially, we expect this to be another typical gruesome end for our favorite orange parka wearing fourth grader. But not so fast. In an unexpected twist, Kelly comes to the rescue and saves his life. Alright, so while he doesn’t exactly do anything here, we’re just grateful and glad he survives and is able to remain alive the entire episode.

Speaking of living, you knew we had to go with his return to the show for this list. In season 5, the creators decided to kill off the character for good after growing tired of having to find new ways to get rid of him. Fortunately, they missed his presence and decided to casually and nonchalantly bring him back at the end of season 6’s “Red Sleigh Down.” He was dearly missed, so his reappearance was a sight to behold, in turn making viewers cherish and appreciate him all the more. We just love how it was made to seem like nothing had ever happened in the first place.

After his parents tell him that they are interested in having another child, Kenny is displeased to say the least. Unable to bear what may come if this were to happen, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He does whatever he can so that his parents do not conceive, and takes drastic measures to do so. His schemes are childish but hilarious to say the least, but we can’t help but love Kenny’s determination and be thoroughly entertained. Unfortunately, it’s his father who is on the painful receiving end of his son’s efforts. In the end, he doesn’t technically get another sibling, so we suppose that means he came out on top?

E-Scooters have caused chaos during Halloween trick-or-treating in South park, and it’s up to Kenny and Mr. Mackey to save the day. Since the scooters are activated via telephone, they head by a cell tower in an effort to turn off everyone’s cell phones. They manage to bring the tower down and the scooters cease to function. This pairing was the one we least expected yet never knew we really needed. However, what truly has us in all the feels is seeing Kenny’s joy at being able to trick-or-treat with his friends.

As previously mentioned, Kenny is no stranger to death. However, season 2’s “City on the Edge of Forever” sees him quite literally fight back and take matters in his own hands. In a reimagined memory, boys look back on the time they were pursued by the Grim Reaper. While Kenny in reality met his demise during the encounter, his recollection however shows him confronting the figure head-on and beating him up. We love the idea of Kenny changing the course of his fate and doing so in such badass fashion. It doesn’t matter who you are; don’t mess with Kenny.

The “South Park: Post Covid” specials take us 40 years into the future. Viewers get a glimpse at older versions of the boys and see how they’re doing in life. The only thing that comes close to being as shocking as Cartman converting to Judaism is Kenny becoming a world-renowned scientist. While most often mentioned in passing (due to, of course, not being alive in the future timeline) during the specials, fans can’t help but get a kick at seeing how far Kenny has come in life. Oh yeah, and not to mention the fact that he was the primary force behind finding a cure for COVID and discovering time travel. What a guy.

While attempting to help Chef, the boys are captured by the Super Adventure Club, the group which the former joined after leaving South Park. Learning of the club’s true intentions, the club’s leader calls security to get them off the premises. But before being escorted out, the boys retaliate and decide to rescue their friend. How do they dispose of the Super Adventure Club member guarding Chef might you ask? Like this. This totally came from left field and we didn’t even know Kenny was capable of such a maneuver.

For some strange reason, Cartman believes that being incompetent and impoverished means you have the talent of becoming the best NASCAR driver. Being the superfan that he is, Kenny takes great offense to this and refuses to let Cartman get away with his insulting beliefs while potentially succeeding as a NASCAR driver. And so, Kenny takes it upon himself to sabotage his friend’s races, going so far as to try and bring a sniper rifle with him and even leaping onto the track mid-race. Though his attempts are unsuccessful, Cartman’s career does crash and burn in the most humiliating way possible.

Just like with any other school, there’s always one kid who has to pull something ridiculous for Picture Day, and Kenny had the best idea. For his photos, Kenny has put his clothes on in such a way that his butt ends up where his face should be. Hilarious? Oh, a hundred percent! But the joke stops being funny to Cartman once a couple mistakes Kenny’s photo for their missing son. And yes, these grieving parents also have rear ends for faces. Honestly, our biggest question was “how come none of the other adults noticed Kenny was pulling a prank on them?”

For Kenny McCormick, life is hard. His parents have alcohol use disorder, and there never seems to be enough money for proper meals and a decent childhood. And so, he takes it upon himself to get a job at City Wok. How Mr. Kim managed to get away with child labor is beyond us. Luckily, he does pay Kenny, and we soon find out why Kenny took the job to begin with. With what little cash he managed to earn from Mr. Kim, Kenny buys a doll for his sister. What a sweet big brother!

On account of Butters being angry with everyone but him, Kenny somehow ends up having to go to Hawaii for Butters’ Hapa Noa. Unfortunately, a series of events leads the Hawaiians to believe that Kenny might bring an end to them, forcing him to prove himself as a Hawaiian. Though he disappoints with his surfing skills, Kenny manages to turn things around with a little bit of help from Elvis Presley…and a large supply of beverages. With the Hawaiians having more ingredients for chi-chis, Kenny successfully saves the islands.

If you’ve ever played “Magic: The Gathering”, you’ll know how complex of a game it can become, what with several decades worth of cards made since 1993. However, we didn’t anticipate Kenny to be the MTG Master between the boys. Throughout the episode, Kenny obliterates his opponents with all of the powerful cards in his deck, and he does so with great confidence. Doesn’t matter if you have been playing for years or if you are only a chicken, Kenny makes it clear that he has the perfect deck assembled, and he is prepared to wipe the floor with you.

All Kenny wants to do is play his brand new PSP and conquer the new game, “Heaven vs. Hell”. He’s so enthralled with his game that he practically shuts out the entire world, which gets himself hit by an ice cream truck. Surprisingly, his PSP skills will be put to the test as the real Heaven is about to be invaded by Hell’s army. And so, God appoints him as the commander of Heaven’s forces. As expected, Kenny does not disappoint and manages to fend off Satan and his minions…though it did come with some casualties.

As we saw in the episode where Kenny works at City Wok, he is one of the best brothers we’ve seen on television, an absolute role model. This side of Kenny is shown once more in the episode, “The Poor Kid”, where he dons his Mysterion persona. Karen is having trouble fitting into her new school and is about to get beat up by Jessica Pinkerton. Luckily, Kenny comes in to save the day. He not only gives the meanie a taste of her own medicine, but he also grabs Karen to bring her to safety. Big Brother of the Century, folks!

For some reason, Kenny does not desire to be a barbarian, a ranger, or even a cleric. No, when the boys are playing “Game of Thrones”, Kenny wants to be a princess. Sounds absurd, yes, but it isn’t until much later when we understand why he had this ambition. To aid Kenny and his army in the console war, tech company Sony gives Kenny what he needs to become a true princess. With Sony’s medallion, Kenny possesses the powers of a true magical anime princess and proceeds to stop entire shipments of Xbox consoles. We have a feeling this was all just to give Cartman the bird.

When it comes to playing superheroes, Kenny is much, much different than the rest of the kids. See, the kids don their superhero personas because they’re simply pretending to be superheroes. Kenny, on the other hand, DOES possess a superpower - being unable to truly die. Under the guise of Mysterion, he actually uses this as a means to legitimately fight crime, acting as the Dark Knight to South Park’s Gotham. From exposing his foster parents’ mistreatment to bringing down a cult to aiding in Cthulhu’s defeat, Kenny is absolutely the hero we don’t deserve, but the hero South Park needs.

Satan is trapped in a toxic relationship with former dictator Saddam Hussein. Whereas the Dark Lord wants something serious, Hussein wants only one thing. Things take a turn for the worse when Terrance and Philip are executed, fulfilling a prophecy that will allow Satan and his army to invade Earth. However, Kenny gets some one-on-one with Satan a few times, telling him to ditch Hussein so he may live a better life. At the film’s climax, Satan finally reaches his breaking point and hurls Hussein off a cliff. As thanks for building his confidence, Satan lets Kenny make one request, no stipulations. Kenny, being the kind soul he is, simply wishes for everything to return to normal, thus saving South Park and the world.


What’s your favorite Kenny moment? Let us know in the comments.