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Others, however, haven’t been quite so lucky. Some South Parkcharacters, particularly those from the first several seasons, were eventually cut from the show altogether. Whether they were quietly written off or killed in some dramatic fashion, these once-popular characters are no longer featured on the series in any meaningful way.
Updated October 2, 2021 by Erik Petrovich: Over time, South Park has changed a lot. While it has always made fun of current events, changing times give way to a changing cast on the show. In fact, almost every non-main character from the early seasons of the show is hardly ever seen anymore – when’s the last time Dr. Mephesto and Kevin made an appearance, for example? The show still features many characters from days past, but not in speaking roles. Big Gay Al has only been seen in the background, and Ned Garblanski hasn’t had a line in the show for almost a decade now. Some characters are written off for justifiable reasons, but others disappeared without much of a warning.
14 Kenny (Specifically, You Killed Kenny Jokes)
In recent seasons of South Park Kenny has matured from being the target of murderous jokes to being a main, talking character in several episodes. While he still appears in the show, he almost never gets killed in recent seasons, despite that being his main character trait when South Park started.
He can always be counted on to be one of the several dead South Park characters by the end of almost any episode in early seasons. As of late, Kenny is more of a normal kid, or at least as normal as a South Park character can be.
13 Big Gay Al
Big Gay Al holds a strange place in South Park history. He hasn’t had any major appearances in an episode for the last decade or so, but he was featured in several episodes solely about him before this time. Additionally, he’s one of the more controversial characters in the series’ history, despite being given relatively better treatment than many LGBT characters on the show.
Perhaps this is why viewers only see Big Gay Al in the background in recent seasons, as the creators don’t know how to use the character without being outright offensive – which can be funny, when done right, but there are only so many gay jokes one can make before it just gets boring.
12 Tweek
Tweek hasn’t been seen in a South Park episode since the Donald Trump as Mr. Garrison arc, and is now only seen in the backgrounds of some recent episodes along with other students who have been sidelined. He’s one of the few South Park retired characters who still shows up in the background consistently, but hasn’t had any major voice lines in a while.
It might be partly to do with the backlash against the show for its portrayal of people with disabilities – in this case, anxiety, and twitchy movements. It is similar to how Jimmy and Timmy haven’t made a major appearance (except in the background) for a long time either.
11 Jimbo Kern And Ned Gerblanski
Jimbo Kern and Ned Gerblanski were regular main characters throughout the first few seasons of South Park, always shown as gun lovers, hunting aficionados, and always remembering the Vietnam War. While Ned has had practically no speaking roles since the middle of South Park’s lifetime, Jimbo has been a bit more prominently featured.
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South Park is no stranger to criticism and pushing the envelope, but the depiction of Ned as an electrolarynx-using Vietnam War Vet might have ruffled a few feathers. Jimbo, on the other hand, had a few minor lines in the 2016 election season. While neither are South Park characters that disappeared, their roles in the show have been diminished in recent years.
10 Principal Victoria
A recurring character from the very first season, Principal Victoria used to run the local grade school. As an authority figure, she would often come into conflict with the four main cast members and their daily schemes. Cartman, in particular, would bear the brunt of her discipline.
By Season 19, Victoria’s prominence in the show was overshadowed by the introduction of PC Principal. The latter has replaced her as head of South Park Elementary. Since then, she has only made sporadic appearances in very minor roles.
9 Satan
The Prince of Darkness himself was a fairly prominent character for several years. Typical plot points involving Satan usually revolved around his plans for world domination as well as his tumultuous love life with Saddam Hussein. Both story elements were depicted most famously in the feature film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.
In 2018, Satan’s tenure on the show was cut short. In the episode “Nobody Got Cereal?,” he gets killed after a confrontation with ManBearPig. He subsequently ascends to Heaven after reforming his evil ways.
8 Pip
A character heavily influenced by the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, Pip was one of the mainstays of the early seasons. Like other unpopular boys, Pip was often the butt of jokes for the way he dressed and talked. His prominence in the show gradually waned with the introduction of new characters, such as Butters.
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The character became nearly insignificant for several years until his reappearance in Season 14. In the episode “201,” Pip is crushed to death by Mecha-Streisand. Pip’s death in that episode marked his final appearance in the series, and made him one of the few officially confirmed dead South Park characters.
7 Dr. Alphonse Mephesto
Dr. Mephesto is a mad scientist living in South Park and an obvious homage to Marlon Brando’s character in The Island of Dr. Moreau. Mephesto even admits that he’s a member of NAMBLA (The National Association of Marlon Brando Impersonators). His genetic experiments usually involve adding additional rear-ends to various animals.
As time went on his character was featured less and less. He sometimes makes cameo appearances in the video games and as part of the background in the show. Any substantial role Mephesto had in the series has now been quietly dropped.
6 Mr. Hankey
Known as the “Christmas Poo,” Mr. Hankey’s debut occurred in the show’s very first season. His initial reception had been quite popular. He is still an instantly recognizable character despite his continued obsolescence over the years. The signature “Howdy Ho” greeting is surely ingrained in the minds of fans, both former and current alike.
Outside of holiday episodes, Mr. Hankey’s prominence in the show would ebb. He continues to make guest appearances every now and then, but they are relatively rare occurrences. The character can be considered retired even if that status isn’t necessarily permanent.
5 Saddam Hussein
Real-life characters have always been depicted on South Park and very rarely in a flattering light. One person who received this treatment was Saddam Hussein. His portrayal in the show was that of a controlling megalomaniac. Storylines involving him usually revolved around his rocky relationship with Satan.
After the real Saddam was executed in 2006, the character was kept around for a bit longer. As years passed, Saddam ceased to be relevant in current events and in the minds of fans. His tenure on the show had run its course.
4 Ms. Crabtree
A parody of school bus drivers, Ms. Crabtree was originally just another background character, albeit one with a bird nesting on her head. Her main gimmick consisted of always yelling at the kids on the bus to either sit down or keep quiet. Sometimes, she was featured more prominently in certain episodes, like when she was forced to rescue the children after their bus crashed.
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Ms. Crabtree’s death came in Season 8 and was ultimately played for comedy, making her one of the few South Park killed off characters alongside others like Pip. Although never a particularly important character, fans of the series in the early days will most likely remember Ms. Crabtree.
3 Officer Barbrady
Like most adults living in South Park, Officer Barbrady is a pretty dimwitted sort. He is a buffoon-type character that struggles to solve even simple problems and is wholly unqualified for his job. One early episode revealed that he never even learned to read.
Officer Barbrady was steadily phased out as time passed. More recently, the character of Harrison Yates has taken on the role of the town’s top policeman. For all intents and purposes, Barbrady has been put on the shelf, at least for the time being.
2 Ms. Choksondik
For this cast member, the joke is in the name itself. Pronouncing it brought no shortage of laughter from the students that she taught. In addition, her appearance pretty much speaks for itself. One of her more memorable storylines involved a rather humorous romance scene with Mr. Mackey in which their pent-up desire for each other boils over.
Ms. Choksondik’s death in Season 6 is very anticlimactic, which is part of the joke. The show had been teasing a cliffhanger where the viewer didn’t know which character was going to die, supposedly to heighten the tension. In about a second, it’s offhandedly remarked that Ms. Choksondik had died. No explanation has ever been given as to the cause.
1 Chef
Chef was once considered one of the main cast members alongside Kyle, Stan, Cartman, and Kenny. He often acted as the voice of reason for the town and tried to provide a moral compass for the boys. Voiced by Isaac Hayes, Chef would typically break out in song in order to communicate the lesson he was trying to teach.
Hayes’ collaboration with the show ended controversially in 2006 after disagreements over the depiction of certain religions. Chef was killed shortly afterward as part of a storyline before being rebuilt as a Darth Vader lookalike. Chef is one of the few retired South Park characters who was removed from the show thanks to real-life issues between the creators and voice actors.
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