South Park: Best Randy Episodes, Ranked

South Park is one of the most popular comedy shows of all time. The show never shies away from controversy and, instead, revels in it, with some of the best episodes being the most controversial. South Park has always worn its unique brand of humor on its sleeve, making for unforgettable moments where the main characters shine their brightest. One particular character that was relegated to the sidelines before becoming one of the funniest parts of the show is Randy Marsh.

Stan’s dad might not be the most logical person around, but his hilarious antics are a joy to witness in a show that is already full of amazing characters. Some of the best Randy Marsh episodes where he takes center stage in South Park are legendary for obvious reasons. He started off as a background character, but it only took a few episodes of Randy’s eccentric personality to make him a fan-favorite character, to the point where both Trey Parker and Matt Stone placed a lot of importance on this character and featured him in a wealth of hilarious episodes.

Updated February 18, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Even though many people feel like South Park is well past its prime, the quality of the series’ humor hasn’t dipped nearly as much as other adult animated shows. The zany premises of South Park, coupled with how it satirizes current events makes it an excellent series that fans can’t get enough of. Its memorable characters are another reason for its popularity. One such character who deserves all the love in the world is Randy Marsh, Stan’s dad, whose wacky personality is one of South Park‘s highlights. The sheer number of ludicrous situations this man finds himself in is infinite, and the end result is almost always hilarious.

25 Sarcastaball

IMBd Rating: 7.5/10

Sarcasm is something that a lot of people don’t get. This is actively pointed out in “Sarcastaball,” where Randy’s sarcastic comments end up being taken seriously to such an extent that an entire sport is devised from them.

Randy’s arc is especially hilarious, with the man being incapable of being sarcastic after a point. This leads to permanent brain damage, causing Randy to try and stop Sarcastaball from becoming huge due to its emphasis on dangerous sarcasm.

24 Holiday Special

IMBd Rating: 7.6/10

After Columbus Day is officially axed as a holiday by Randy, his son brings up the hypocrisy of dressing up as Columbus for the longest time. This leads Randy to try and prove that he was one of the marginalized communities that were destroyed by Columbus and his troops.

He does this in the most hilarious manner — by taking an oral DNA test after making out with an indigenous man. It’s a hilarious episode where Randy’s crazy antics harken back to the classic days of South Park.

23 Tegridy Farms

IMBd Rating: 7.8/10

The later seasons of South Park aren’t exactly beloved by the masses. However, they do have some interesting angles, and “Tegridy Farms” puts Randy front and center in a bizarre yet fitting storyline for him.

In this episode, Randy decides to start a marijuana farm, moving his entire family in the process. With the government cracking down on him, his fears and paranoia lead him to do some hilarious things that are very much in line with his eccentric character.

22 Pinewood Derby

IMBd Rating: 7.8/10

An over-the-top episode that encapsulates everything great about the show, “Pinewood Derby” focuses on this annual racing event and how obsessed Randy is with helping the boys win this year’s race. He takes things too far like always, stealing a superconducting magnet from the Large Hadron Collider to achieve this victory.

In classic South Park fashion, this episode becomes wilder and wilder, to the point where aliens enter the fray and decide to test Earth to see if they’re worthy of joining an intergalactic committee. Suffice it to say, greed triumphs and Randy ends up manipulating the world leaders to keep a bunch of space cash for themselves, causing everyone to fail this test in spectacular fashion.

21 Broadway Bro Down

IMBd Rating: 7.8/10

One of the funniest episodes in South Park sees Randy become obsessed with Broadway musicals because of the emphasis they have on third base. After taking Sharon to see these musicals one too many times, he decides to create a play of his without any subtleties.

This attracted the attention of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Stephen Sondheim, and Stephen Schwartz, who decided to convey just how important it is to keep the secret of musicals under wraps. After some hilarity, Randy eventually reveals the truth of these musicals to Sharon and apologizes…albeit in his unique way.

20 Bloody Mary

IMBd Rating: 7.9/10

“Bloody Mary” is one of the most disgusting episodes on the show, yet it still manages to be hilarious as well. The show takes a look at an alcoholic, Randy, who can’t stop himself from drinking and seeks out the blood of the Virgin Mary to cure himself.

This blood comes from the statue of this divine figure, who is apparently bleeding out of an orifice. It’s a ridiculous episode that aligns perfectly with the comedic brand of South Park.

19 Spontaneous Combustion

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

One of the oldest episodes on this list shows Randy Marsh at his very best. “Spontaneous Combustion” has a truly ridiculous plot in which people start combusting randomly for no apparent reason.

After Randy is put on the case, he deduces that the combustions are happening because people are constantly stifling their farts when with their partners. It’s a ridiculous twist, yet it makes sense, given how odd South Park can get.

18 More Crap

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

Toilet humor is something that South Park never shies away from. In this regard, the episode “More Crap” is one of the most notable.

Along with a hilarious look at Bono, More Crap also takes a look at Randy’s obsession with letting out the biggest piece of crap the world has ever known. The manner in which he accomplishes this by the end of the episode is a laugh-out-loud moment that’s a blast to witness.

17 Fantastic Easter Special

IMBd Rating: 8.1/10

“Fantastic Easter Special” is a great episode in which Randy plays a minor role, but a memorable one regardless. After his explanation for Easter doesn’t satisfy Stan, he decides to reveal the truth — he and a bunch of other people are part of a group called “The Hare Club for Men.”

His child and their friends get into a series of events where they have to protect one hare from the various threats that come around. Randy’s goofy mysteriousness is what makes this episode great, even if he may not be at his very best.

16 Creme Fraiche

IMBd Rating: 8.2/10

Gourmet food shows have become quite popular, and South Park couldn’t resist making fun of that too. Creme Fraiche is a great episode that takes a look at the married lives of Randy and Sharon Marsh.

After Randy starts fetishizing cooking, Sharon takes on a bold new approach to rekindle their marriage. It’s a great and fun episode and makes it clear that the adults of South Park need their screen time once in a while.

15 Insecurity

IMBd Rating: 8.3/10

The idea of someone cheating with the delivery man is a notion that is pretty common in modern times. This is the plot that drives at the heart of “Insecurity,” which is a pretty great South Park episode.

The idea of men being insecure about what their wives are doing is presented comically, with the security system in this show literally named ‘Insecurity’! As was to be expected, this mob of angry men was led by none other than Randy Marsh himself.

14 Cock Magic

IMBd Rating: 8.3/10

“Cock Magic” is one of the funniest episodes in South Park, with Randy playing a muted but hilarious role here. After mishearing about the boys’ obsession with cock fighting, Randy talks about his literal cock magic, with things taking a turn for the bizarre.

Watching Randy actually use his penis for magical purposes is incredibly funny, and words can’t explain just how stupidly hilarious his brief moments of cock magic are. That being said, watching roosters play Magic the Gathering to “fight” is also a highlight.

13 A Nightmare On FaceTime

IMBd Rating: 8.3/10

This notable Halloween episode of South Park parodies The Shining, with the location of the abandoned hotel being replaced by an outdated Blockbuster shop instead. Randy’s obsession with making this chain great again is a futile endeavor that leads to the man delving further into madness.

It’s a great episode that proves once again why Randy is one of the greatest characters on the show. The kids might be featured prominently as well, but Randy steals the show once again.

12 Two Days Before the Day After Tomorrow

IMBd Rating: 8.5/10

After a beaver dam breaks and causes mass hysteria, Randy and his friends decide to take matters into their own hands. Despite not being the focal point of the show, he still becomes a part of the funniest instance in the episode when he dresses up for an Ice Age despite the weather being mild at best.

As a result, he collapses because of extreme heat and dehydration. Still, the man won’t be deterred from what he believes to be the right cause, attributing his state of extreme fatigue to the last stages of hypothermia in a moment that will make fans guffaw with laughter.

11 The Cissy

IMBd Rating: 8.5/10

This is an episode where both Cartman and Randy get to shine. Since most people consider both these characters to be the best parts of South Park, it’s no surprise why “The Cissy” is one of the show’s more hilarious episodes.

Watching Randy confess about the events that led to him becoming Lorde is simply gold. It’s one of the best parts of the show and cements Randy’s character as one of the very best in South Park once again.

10 You’re Getting Old

IMBd Rating: 8.5/10

The major plot point of You’re Getting Old is how Stan is becoming older and hating everything, being a bit too negative and hurting his relationships as a result. Randy takes on more of a side role here… but, as one would expect, he still shines bright in this role as one of the funniest parts of the show.

After listening to one of the Tween Wave songs, Randy decides to pursue his dreams of being a rockstar, which doesn’t sit well with Sharon. After performing some rather steamy acts, the episode ends on a somber note with Randy and Sharon admitting their lack of feelings for each other before breaking up in a montage at the end of the episode.

9 Margaritaville

IMBd Rating: 8.5/10

South Park‘s take on the recession is hilarious, spouting many iconic one-liners that the series is famous for. The fact that this episode parallels the story of Jesus as well makes “Margaritaville” one of the most ambitious episodes in the show.

Randy takes on the role of a villain here, promoting frugal spending, while Kyle talks about how people should spend and help the economy come back. This leads to a humorous faceoff and makes “Margaritaville” an all-time South Park classic.

8 Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes

IMBd Rating: 8.6/10

The parodies of South Park make for some of their greatest content, and the fact that an episode featuring Randy in a side role ends up being one of his best episodes is a testament to how strong the writing is here. This episode focuses on the people of South Park growing crazy over a Wall-Mart that opened in the town, forcing small businesses to close their shops.

The boys decide to take things into their own hands and destroy the Wall-Mart, which becomes a hilarious adventure in its own right. Randy is at the heart of things too, and a damaging bout of over-shopping is what compels the kids to try and destroy the store in the first place!

7 Over Logging

IMBd Rating: 8.6/10

“Over Logging” makes fun of humanity’s addiction to the internet, and there’s no other person better enough to depict this farcical addiction than Randy Marsh himself. It’s one of the most memorable episodes, in no small part due to Randy’s obsession with watching some weird adult content.

The show has one of the most iconic scenes in South Park, one that is better witnessed for oneself than described here. The fact that the internet is restored by just turning it on and off again is also a great joke in its own right.

6 Medicinal Fried Chicken

IMBd Rating: 8.7/10

In Medicinal Fried Chicken, the local KFC gets replaced with a medical marijuana dispensary. This causes Cartman to go into a rage, while Randy is elated at the idea of legal marijuana. In a bid to be eligible to get this marijuana, he gives himself testicular cancer on purpose. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and the episode weaves a surprisingly engaging narrative around this gross theme.