With South Park's 25th anniversary coming sooner than later, there's no better time to get into this laugh-out-loud animated series that thrives on controversy. The show has consistently delivered in terms of being funny, with its recent run being pretty great in its own right. The show's highs might've passed, but Trey Parker and Matt Stone still have many tricks up their sleeve to keep audiences hooked on the show for the past two-and-a-half decades.A big part of what makes South Park such a great series is its massive cast of characters. Stan Marsh is one such character who acts as a foil for the audience, reacting naturally to how things play out before delivering a profound speech at the end of most episodes. However, there are times when this character goes off the rails, leading to some really great South Park episodes. The best ones of the lot are mentioned below.
10 Guitar Queer-O
Guitar Hero is a popular music video game, and South Park takes a jab at this title as well. This time, it's in the form of Stan and Kyle becoming rockstars because of their skills in Guitar Hero.
However, Stan's superior skills cause a rift between the two, leading to a hilarious tale of a rockstar who goes down a dark path. The ending sees both friends reconcile and break a record on Guitar Hero... which ends up being way more underwhelming for them than they expected.
9 Asspen
The hilariously-titled Asspen takes a look at a ski trip that ends up avalanching into a cheap big-budget film plot. Stan gets shoehorned into these events out of nowhere, which is something the character will experience quite a lot.
After being roped into a competition with high stakes, Stan ends up participating in a skiing race where his amateur skills are enough to win the day, with some intervention as well. It's a fun episode, with a hilarious moment that has been memed quite a bit.
8 My Future Self 'n' Me
In this episode, Stan and Butters receive visits from their future selves, with the former smelling something fishy almost immediately. His investigations lead to the uncovering of a ruse set up by his parents.
Stan wastes no time in outing his parents, which leads to the funniest moment in the show. Any fan of South Park who has yet to check this episode should do so immediately!
7 Margaritaville
After the economy of South Park tanks, Stan is forced to return a Margaritaville machine that his father bought impulsively. His journey is undoubtedly the highlight of this episode.
Watching Stan deal with a bunch of eccentric individuals before giving up on this return is highly entertaining to watch. Of course, the rest of South Park's residents and the problems they face are also pretty hilarious in their own right.
6 Whale W*ores
This episode takes a look at the problems of Japanese whaling and how to combat the same. Stan heads this expedition, with his passion for marine life leading to him taking extreme measures to combat Japanese whaling.
It's a great episode with extremely funny moments and a hilarious ending of its own. Stan and the gang convince the Japanese that cows and chickens were responsible for a serious event, saving the whales from being hunted once and for all.
5 You're Getting Old & A*s Burgers
This two-part episode takes a look at Stan's life after developing a completely cynical side. This leads to him alienating his friends and spiraling deeper into this cynical train of thought.
In the second episode, Stan ends up trying to better himself and gets caught up in a ridiculous movement led by other cynical people. Thankfully, he becomes better by the end of this arc and reconciles with his friends.
4 Butterballs
Butterballs sees Stan spiral further into the wormhole of fame after being chosen to direct a bullying video. In a bid to attain as much glory as possible, Stan lets his creative vision run rampant over the entire project.
However, he eventually ends up losing his deal and is lambasted by the rest of his friends. It's a highly entertaining and unpredictable episode that fans of South Park's zany comedy absolutely adore.
3 The Biggest Douche In The Universe
An episode that pokes fun of psychic readings, The Biggest Douche in the Universe serves as the final part of a three-episode arc that sees Kenny's ghost possessing Cartman after he accidentally ingested his friend's remains. However, Stan has a pretty major role in this episode.
He calls out the psychic reader who appears in the show and ends up being wildly successful himself after trying to parody this 'supposed' expert. It's a fitting role for Stan, who's headstrong attitude adds to the comedic chops of this episode.
2 Woodland Critter Christmas
The idea of cute animals being Satan's servants is an idea only South Park can pull off. Their existence is uncovered after a disinterested Stan is coerced by these animals into doing what they want without proper knowledge of whom he's really helping.
After uncovering their sinister plans, Stan has to rush back and defeat them, while also saving his friend Kyle in the process. It's a hilarious episode that never lets up when it comes to the sheer volume of jokes.
1 Trapped In The Closet
One of South Park's most legendary episodes focuses on the farcical nature of a particular movement. The show absolutely rips into this belief system, with Stan serving as the outlet for all the frustrations people have with it.
This episode is notorious for serving as the catalyst that caused Chef's voice actor to resign from the show. It's a legendary episode in South Park's history that most people still watch to this day.