Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for South Park: Post Covid 1 & 2, as well as discussions of alcoholism, drugs, suicide, and racism.
Years of COVID variants and expansive capitalistic greed have turned the once rowdy and energetic kids from South Park into cynical and jaded adults in Post Covid 1 & 2. Some of the duology’s most and least likable characters are surprisingly not who fans may have expected based on their established personalities in the long-running animated series.
As Kyle, Eric, Stan, and their friends struggle to find Kenny’s solution for the never-ending pandemic, they find that they’re not like the courageous and unruly kids they used to be. Although a lot of their flaws make them unlikable, some good traits manage to come out when they need them the most.
Clyde Donovan
Clyde has definitely earned his spot next to the worst recurring characters in South Park, as his refusal to get vaccinated proves troublesome for the group’s attempts at finding Kenny’s solution. He insists that an expert once told him that the COVID vaccine is dangerous, but it’s later revealed that this alleged expert is him talking to himself in the past.
His “shellfish-ness,” as he and his friends put it, prevents the group from accessing places outside and inside the town, hampering their progress. Despite all this, he’s convinced that the 40-year vaccine is still experimental. It’s not surprising that he is easily manipulated by a sweet-talking Cartman to do his dirty work, but it’s still slightly disturbing that he’s willing to go back in time to kill a young Kyle.
Amazon Alexa
Artificial intelligence has obviously greatly advanced in the future and Amazon Alexa’s character shows that there’s a strange focus on their penchant for emotional manipulation. She acts almost as if she’s Stan’s wife and doesn’t exactly follow what he asks her to do unless he listens to a few ads or promises he’ll see a therapist.
Alexa can be obnoxious, demanding, and annoying, not to mention she’s quick to pull out wild robotic arms and a demonic voice if she’s really angry. The only good thing about her is that she does somewhat help Stan realize that he should help his friends instead of running away from his problems like he always does.
Butters Stotch (Victor Chaos)
Butters has experienced some of the worst things South Park has to offer, but his 16-year-long confinement due to being grounded in his room in Post-Covid takes the cake. The comically tragic backstory has turned him into an NFT salesman of all things, for which he uses his Victor Chaos alter ego to completely separate himself from the “twerpy little loser kid whose parents didn't love him.”
It’s disappointing to see a once gullible and helpful Butters turn into the monster that is Vic. His deadly marketing strategies convince people to kill each other, sell their houses, and empty their savings accounts. The only way some audiences may still like him is if he genuinely has no idea that NFTs are a scam that hurts rather than helps people.
Randy Marsh
The pandemic would have never happened if Randy had just passed on the pangolin, which is only one of the several frustrating things about his character in the movies. As an old man, Randy is more bitter and cynical than ever before, especially because he believes Stan murdered Shelly and Sharon.
His insistence on Stan’s role in Shelly’s accidental death and Sharon’s subsequent suicide becomes irritating to hear since it’s obviously his misguided way of coping. That said, Randy redeems himself and becomes more likable when he does everything he can to figure out how to end the pandemic with the last Tegridy weed. His poignant quote in South Park: Post Covid 2 after realizing it’s too late to change things is a line that fans won’t soon forget.
Token Black
Token plays the role of a typical jaded detective who’s just trying to do the right thing in Post Covid. His part isn’t too memorable, but at least he doesn’t do anything horrible like the other characters.
In fact, Token is responsible for saving Randy from the Shady Acres nurses after the old man breaks out of the care home with the last Tegridy weed. Token genuinely believes Randy might have the answer they need, and even though he turns out to be wrong and completely forgettable, he at least tries to do the right thing.
Wendy Testaburger
To no one’s surprise, Wendy grows up to be a responsible adult with impressive deduction and research skills. She gets most of the legwork done once they find Kenny’s lab and her idea to trick Clyde into taking the vaccine through cocaine – although ineffective – was brilliant and hilarious.
She doesn’t exactly get the spotlight for an extended period of time in either of the movies, which sadly makes her quite a forgettable character. Despite that, though, fans likely couldn’t help but cheer for her every time she felt she was close to finding more pieces of the puzzle.
Kyle Broflovski
Fans can’t be blamed for bursting out laughing after seeing Kyle’s reaction to Cartman’s adult version – it’s likely what everyone was thinking at that moment as well. It’s hard to blame Kyle, as he has seen Cartman do the pettiest things just to “get a rise” out of him. Kyle’s distrust and cynicism about Cartman’s true intentions aren’t all wrong, as although Cartman isn’t anti-Semitic anymore, he can still be violent and vengeful.
Alongside Stan, Kyle is the most determined in the group to solve Kenny’s murder, bringing old friends back together in an effort to do so. It would have been nice to see him cut Cartman a bit of slack, but his good actions outweigh the bad ones either way.
Stan Marsh
Although Stan starts out as a realistic and disappointing character who tastes whiskey for a living in the future, his story arc is undoubtedly the most satisfying. Not only do fans get to watch him push away the alcohol in favor of helping his friends instead, but he also reconciles with his father.
Stan has been deeply traumatized after his sister’s accidental death, soon followed by his mom’s suicide. While his cynicism and sadness weigh on him for most of the movies, he eventually comes around and realizes what’s important. Even the way he eventually learns how to deal with his Alexa is fun to watch.
Kenny McCormick
One of the strangest things about South Park is the way Kenny dies and then comes back like nothing happened, and the Post Covid movies are no exception. He plays a significant role from the sidelines, as he’s the one person who knows exactly how to change things for the better in the future.
With Kenny dead, the group has to figure out exactly what he had in mind. Various flashbacks, video recordings, and Kenny’s re-appearance towards the end still make him among the more likable characters in the show. Without him, the gang would have never rekindled their friendship and figured out how to fix the past.
Eric Cartman
In what is perhaps one of the more shocking storylines from the franchise, the racist, aggressive, and mean Cartman has grown up to become a family man and a rabbi. This time, when he does anything questionable or evil, it’s because he wants to keep his family intact.
Cartman is genuinely confused by Kyle’s disbelief in the way he has changed, which makes their interactions even more amusing. No one would have thought Cartman had it in him to leave behind his bullying days and carve out a respectable life for himself in the future. It’s even more surprising that he chooses to do the right thing in the end by stopping Clyde and helping Kyle and Stan fix the past, even though it negatively affects his own future.