South Parkbrought in Butters to replace Kenny after his death, but when Kenny eventually came back to the boys’ main group, Butters became an even better character. In the first fewseasons ofSouth Park, it became a beloved running gag that Kenny would be killed in every episode, then come back in the next episode without any explanation for his resurrection. But in season 5, episode 13, “Kenny Dies,” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone decided to kill off Kenny for good.
Kenny eventually came back in season 6, episode 17, “Red Sleigh Down.” Despite being absent for the entire season,South Parkmaintained its policy of never explaining Kenny’s resurrections and just went on as normal (although the series would later provide a lore reason for Kenny’s immortality in season 14).During Kenny’s absence, Parker and Stone elevated Butters to the main castand made him the new fourth member of Stan, Kyle, and Cartman’s group. He got kicked out shortly thereafter, but it set him on the path to becoming one ofSouth Park’s best characters.
South Park Replaced Kenny With Butters, But Butters Only Became Awesome After Kenny Returned
Butters Is Up There With Randy & Cartman As A Fan-Favorite South Park Character
Replacing Kenny with Butters, and giving Butters more of a well-rounded personality, ended up turning him intoa fan-favorite character on par with Randy and Cartman. Butters’ transformation into one ofSouth Park’s greatest characters began before he’d even replaced Kenny. After Kenny died,Parker and Stone gave Butters the spotlight in the season 5 finale— season 5, episode 14, “Butters’ Very Own Episode” — to prepare him to join the main cast in season 6. The episode parodies ‘50s sitcoms with a very dark spin,juxtaposing Butters’ sweet naivety with the unspeakable horror of his dysfunctional home life.
South Park: 10 Episodes Where Butters Stole The Show
Sometimes Butters steals the show with a line, and other times he wins the equal screentime he shares with stalwart characters like Eric Cartman.
This twisted dynamic was perfect forSouth Park’s sensibility andpresented endless comedic opportunities for Butters’ character. Even after Kenny came back, Butters went on to headline some ofSouth Park’s best episodes. Season 7, episode 11, “Casa Bonita,” sees Cartman putting Butters through hell just to go to a Mexican restaurant. Season 8, episode 1, “Good Times with Weapons,” sees Butters taking a ninja star to the eye — and his day only gets worse from there. Butters became one ofSouth Park’s most beloved characters, and he owes it all to Kenny’s death.
Why Butters Didn’t Work As South Park’s Direct Replacement For Kenny
Kenny Brings A Unique Energy To The Dynamic
As lovable as Butters is, he didn’t quite work as a permanent replacement for Kenny, because he’s nothing like Kenny. Kenny is the coolest and most laid-back member of the group. By replacing him with the dorkiest and most anxious character in the show,South Parkintroduced the complete opposite kind of energy to the dynamic. It was an interesting change of pace for a while, but it wouldn’t have worked if Kenny had stayed dead and Butters had stayed in the main cast.
South Park
Cast
South Park follows the irreverent misadventures of four grade-schoolers—Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny—that take place in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado. The animated series explores various social and political issues through its characters' humorous and often absurd escapades.
