Although Kenny McCormick doesn't say much, he is one of the most iconic South Park characters in the entire series. The orange parka-wearing fourth grader has become a staple of the series and he is known for his muffled voice along with his constant encounters with death. Kenny's many deaths give the series a unique quirk, albeit a gruesome one at that.
Stan, Kyle, and Cartman have definitely been guilty of mistreating Kenny, and here are the worst things that they have ever done to our favorite immortal cartoon character.
CARTMAN USES KENNY'S ASHES AS CHOCOLATE MILK MIX
South Park is known for its controversy and it is never afraid to "go there". One of the crudest (and most hilarious) moments of the entire series was when the boys discovered Kenny's ashes in an urn when trying to contact him after one of his many deaths. They were met with his ashes, and Cartman used Kenny's cremated remains as chocolate milk mix.
Although Cartman didn't know what he was doing because he genuinely thought it was chocolate milk mix he was consuming, it's still one of the worst things done to Kenny, all thanks to his so-called "friends".
THE BOYS BEAT KENNY UP BECAUSE HE HAS LICE
In the episode titled "Lice Capades", Cartman, Kyle, and Stan are determined to find out who in the school has lice. Cartman is quick to blame Kenny as the culprit with "head cooties" as he calls it, simply because Kenny is poor. According to Cartman, it's easier for poor people to get lice.
At the end of the episode, the kids are about to beat up Kenny because they assume he is the one who has lice. Kyle interferes and says he can't let Kenny take the blame because he is actually the one with lice. Then Stan admits to having lice, followed by Cartman and the rest of the boys. Mr. Garrison informs the kids that they all have lice because it spreads fast.
Even though they all have lice, they still decide to beat Kenny up because that's South Park for you. Poor Kenny!
THEY NEVER CARE ABOUT HIS DEATHS
It has become one of the most popularized running gags in the series to have Kenny McCormick constantly die a gruesome death. Yet as apparent as his death scenes are, Stan and Kyle's reactions to his frequent chain of demises is minimal. Famously, the boys react with little to no emotion. Sure, they might be angry at their friend's unfair death for all of two seconds, but then they move on as though nothing just happened. It's all part of the joke and we still find it hilarious after all these years, but still, we feel pretty bad for Kenny.
THE BOYS SACRIFICE KENNY TO SAVE BLANKET
In the South Park episode titled "The Jeffersons", Kyle, Cartman, Stan, and Kenny stumble across Michael Jackson's new house after the famous singer moves into their town. Kyle and Stan realize how Jackson neglects his son, Blanket, so the boys decide to put matters into their own hands in order to save Michael Jackson's son.
They try to distract the famous pop singer in an effort to bring Blanket to a safer place, by disguising Kenny as his son. Jackson ends up killing Kenny, and it's all because of the boys set their friend up for the task.
THEY DON'T NOTICE HIS ABSENCE IN SEASON 6
Season 5 of South Park ends with a surprisingly tragic episode called "Kenny Dies". In the episode, the character of Kenny McCormick supposedly dies "for real" this time, and the boys respond appropriately to the tragedy for once. Season 6 has an entire plotline where the gang auditions some of the other kids to replace Kenny as their new friend, so it seems like Kenny is out of the picture for good.
Then, out of nowhere, Kenny comes back to the series as if he was never absent, and the kids act as though they never left because they don't seem to care when he reappears. When they ask him where he's been, he just says "over there", and it's pretty hilarious, yet who forgets about their best friend like that?
CARTMAN WRITES A SONG ABOUT HOW MUCH HE HATES KENNY
Although the modern-day version of South Park has Kyle as Cartman's main target/nemesis, long ago in the late 1990s, it used to be Kenny who Cartman had it out for. In the episode titled "Jakovasaurs", Eric sings an entire blues song featuring a harmonica where he belts how much he hates his friends (especially Kenny, he claims, who he hates the most). Sadly, none of Kenny's friends defend him.
THEY CONSTANTLY INSULT KENNY'S HOME
Cartman isn't the only one to blame for this, but he is most certainly the rudest when it comes to his blatant thoughts on Kenny's home whenever he enters it. Whenever Cartman, Kyle, and Stan are invited over to their friend Kenny's house, they constantly comment on how gross and unfortunate it is. They pinch their noses at the smell and verbally insult the place he grew up in. Cartman usually uses these moments as the perfect opportunity to throw "poor people jokes" his way.
STAN CARES MORE ABOUT KYLE DYING THAN KENNY
In the episode titled "Cherokee Hair Tampons", Kyle is dying in the hospital. During one of the scenes, Stan and Kenny are hanging out in town and Stan bursts into tears, devastated over the fact that his best friend is going to pass away. He is a crying mess, and this truly offends Kenny because whenever he dies, no one seems to care in the slightest bit. In fact, Kenny is so ticked off at Stan's reaction to Kyle's sickness that he says "Screw you guys, I'm going home", a line which is usually reserved for Cartman.
THE GANG WON'T LET HIM GO TRICK OR TREATING WITH THEM
In the episode titled "The Scoots", it's Halloween and the boys want to go trick or treating on their scooters. Since Kenny can't afford a scooter or a phone to access the vehicle, they tell him that he can't go trick or treating with them because he would slow them down. If he slowed them down, they wouldn't be able to get to all of the good candy so they tell Kenny it would be best if he found another group of kids to go trick or treating with.
THEY REFUSE TO BELIEVE KENNY WHEN HE INSISTS HE KEEPS DYING
In the Mysterion episodes of South Park, we get a refreshing peek into the strange life of Kenny McCormick, a boy who is somehow immortal. Mysterion (aka Kenny) admits to his friends how hard it is to constantly be struck with death, especially considering the fact that his friends never seem to believe him whenever he tells them that he's died. This kid just can't seem to catch a break!