Butters Stotch is South Park, Colorado's resident innocent, a character whose presence has grown substantially since appearing as a background character in the pilot episode of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's landmark Comedy Central series.

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Although South Park has always been, at its core, about Stan, Eric, Kyle, and Kenny Menny but over the years two characters, in particular, have seen their stars rise considerably: Randy Marsh and Butters Stotch. The former has received the spotlight for an increasingly erratic personality, while the latter has risen to prominence for more or less staying the same. Butters is the sweetest and most compassionate kid from South Park Elementary School outside of perhaps Wendy Testaburger, and when he's placed in the middle of heinous and bizarre situations it's hysterical.

Asspen (Season 6, Episode 2)

Ike, Kyle, Butters, and Cartman in Asspen

Cartman is at his best when he's messing with Butters. Fans have to look no further than "Asspen," which starts with Cartman telling Stan, Kyle, and Kenny that there's a trick where, if someone's hand is placed in water while sleeping, they urinate themselves. However, Cartman doesn't quite get it, putting Butters' hand in the glass of water before urinating on the sleeping child himself.

Butters works as the butt of every joke because 9.9 times out of 10 he doesn't know his role in the ribbing. "Asspen" was the episode to introduce the power of Butters and Cartman teaming up: their roles in life are such diametric opposites that it's impossible not to laugh, especially because the viewer knows Cartman will get his comeuppance. Season 6 is one of Reddit's favorites because it removed Butters from the sidelines and made him part of the gang, which proved to be far more than a one-season experiment in the wake of Kenny's death in season 5.

Freak Strike (Season 6, Episode 3)

Butters

The primary focus of Season 6 ended up being how the boys adjust to losing Kenny. As it turns out, they mostly just come up with schemes, all utilizing the reluctant participation of Butters.

Season 6's third episode, "Freak Strike," is one of the better examples. To get on the television show, Maury, the boys glue a fake pair of testicles on Butters' chin. Soon, other guests on the show tell Butters of "lobster boy," a charlatan who was boiled alive, because he was actually just a lobster. The episode has plenty of great jokes about Butters trying to avoid a similar fate.

Professor Chaos / Simpsons Already Did It (Season 6, Episodes 6 & 7)

Butters beside Simpsonized South Park characters

Earlier in its run, South Park tended to avoid two-parters (with the big exception of the "Cartman's Mom is a Dirty S—" bridge between Season 1 and Season 2). Butters wasn't the only focus of "Professor Chaos" and "Simpsons Already Did It," but he definitely owned the episodes.

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"Professor Chaos" was, naturally, more Butters-centric, as it's his alter ego, but "Simpsons Already Did It" engaged in something it wouldn't do until the two Family Guy skewering episodes in Season 10: emulating the style of another show, and the interesting diversion was all thanks to Butters' imagination.

Raisins (Season 7, Episode 14)

Butters in the Raisins episode of South Park

In "Raisins," Butters provides South Park with one of its more philosophical moments.

The vast majority of "Raisins" narrative is devoted to Stan and his reeling from heartbreak. But Butters also gets a fair amount of screentime and experiences the exact same thing. However, his handling of it is incredibly mature: Butters tells Stan that the sadness he's feeling in the moment is worth it because it indicates there was once the opposite, making it "a beautiful sadness."

Good Times With Weapons (Season 8, Episode 1)

Butters with a Ninja star in his eye in South Park

Arguably South Park's best year, Season 8, featured all of the boys getting ninja weapons to "play" with. But, playing with legitimate toys of death is dangerous, and Butters learns that the hard way, despite being basically the only boy who didn't purchase one.

Once again donning his Professor Chaos costume, the poor child gets a ninja star thrown in his eye, and his peers don't even have the decency to take him to a real doctor, instead opting for a veterinarian.

Stupid Spoiled Wh*** Video Playset (Season 8, Episode 12)

Butters in a bear costume in Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset

The Paris Hilton episode of South Park, "Stupid Spoiled Wh*** Video Playset," is one of several classics from the show's phenomenal eighth year.

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Outside of Hilton, Butters manages to be the episode's primary focus, though there's also a hysterical bit about Cartman trying to get invited to the girls' party along with every other boy from the school, to no avail. But Butters shares the screen with Hilton, and she usually has him dressed up in a bear costume and looking at photo albums of her now-dead former pets.

The Death Of Eric Cartman (Season 9, Episode 6)

Cartman angrily pointing at Butters who is hiding under his blanket in South Park.

"The Death of Eric Cartman" focuses mostly on the episode's title character, but it wouldn't work nearly as well as it does were Cartman not to enlist the help of Butters, the one boy not in on the joke.

The boys have decided to start ignoring Cartman, hoping his horrid behavior will subside for once, but Cartman just takes it to mean he's a ghost. Naturally, Cartman begins threatening to haunt Butters unless he helps him clean his soul and move on to the afterlife.

Marjorine (Season 9, Episode 9)

South Park Butters as Marjorine

Faking his death in front of the boy's own parents certainly ranks among the worst things the gang did to Butters, but "Marjorine" is still hilarious.

Butters again proves he's a character capable of leading an episode in "Marjorine," but in a way different from any of the other boys. Each of them has their sympathetic moments, even Cartman, but none are as tearjerking as "Marjorine" crying in the bathroom as the fellow slumber-party girls listen in, especially because it's obvious that when Butters yells "You don't know how hard it is being me!" he's not all the way in character as his Cartman-assigned female persona.

Cartman Sucks (Season 11, Episode 2)

Cartman in front of the projector in Cartman Sucks

There's no doubt that Cartman has done some terrible things to Butters, but there's never been a bigger violation than in "Cartman Sucks," the 11th season's second episode.

Like many of South Park's best episodes, "Cartman Sucks" finds the titular character doing something stupid that he thinks is funny that almost immediately blows up in his face. In the case of this Season 11 episode, he takes a picture while putting a part of Butters' body in his mouth. Butters has the B plot, which is less funny but more poignant.

Butters' Bottom Bi*** (Season 13, Episode 9)

Butters Bottom B episode of South Park

Butters' nature rarely leads him astray from an ethical position. However, in Season 13's "Butters' Bottom B—," he embraces a criminal lifestyle by enlisting female classmates to give boys kisses for $5. But he comes at it "honestly," without even really understanding what he was doing at first.

Butters' innocence while effectively serving as a pimp is a funny juxtaposition, not unlike in Season 8's "You Got F'd in the A," where his tap-dancing leads to the deaths of dozens.

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