South Park has a lot of great characters that have made fans laugh over the years. Although plenty of them have been likable since the series first started back in 1997, it has taken a while for a number ofSouth Parklocals to come into their own.

Even some of the most beloved characters today weren't as popular years ago as they are now. South Parkhas changed a lot with time, its cast notwithstanding. While that doesn't mean that audiences didn't like certain characters right away, it does show how muchSouth Park's cast improved over the years.

Butters repopulates the Earth

Butters was first introduced as a background character in the same class as Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny. Back then, audiences didn't know much about him. Ater Kenny died for a significant amount of time at the end of the fifth season, the other three main characters tried to find a friend to replace him and Butters became a prime candidate for the role.

Fans like Butters for his innocence, as one of the few kids who actually acts his age. He has also had some incredibly funny interactions with Cartman over the years, with episodes like "AWESOM-O" and "The Death of Eric Cartman," adding depth to his charm. Fans enjoy his super villain alter ego, Professor Chaos, as well. As a villain, Butters thinks that he's doing evil things, when in reality, nothing that he does has any impact on anyone. Even at his worst, he has a charming innocence that's hard not to like.

5 Randy Went From Being A Normal Parent To A Crazy Hemp Farmer

Randy from South Park farting into a microphone.

Randy was very similar to the other parents early into South Park's run. He didn't have that much of a significant role and his plots usually revolved around his family, for better or worse. Over time however, Randy has become much more popular than the other parents.

There are a plenty of funny episodes where Randy is the main character, such as "Bloody Mary," "Sarcastaball," and "Over Logging," that show just how hilarious he is. Fans also began to like him more when he decided to uproot and move his family to Tegridy Farms and become a hemp farmer. This has only served to provide a more substantial role for the character, especially in season 24 and the Post Covid films.

4 Timmy Became More Likable When He Became Jimmy's Best Friend

South Park Timmy

Though fans took a liking to him right away, Timmy didn't become incredibly popular until he befriended Jimmy and was given more depth as a character. The two of them were originally rivals, but have since put their differences aside and are now one of the series' most iconic duos. Some ofSouth Park's funniest episodes revolve around the duo, like when they were able to establish a truce between the Crips and the Bloods. Few characters can convey so much in as few words as Timmy.

3 Ike Became More Likable When He Was Away From Kyle

South Park Ike

Despite having a minor role in the series as Kyle's younger brother, Ike has become more popular over the years. He has been around since the series' first episode, "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe." In it, Ike is captured by some aliens and Kyle does everything he can to get him back. Despite some altruistic impulses, Kyle has also been very cruel to his brother, kicking him around for fun and temporarily not caring about him when he learned that he was adopted.

Since Ike was mostly just part of Kyle's plot in the first few seasons, he didn't have much of a chance to become popular until episodes like "Trapper Keeper," where he ran for class president, and another episode where he develops an intimate relationship with his teacher. However, with audiences seeing more and more of Kyle's kid brother, Ike has become more likable.

2 Mr. Garrison Has Changed A Lot Over The Years, Entertaining Audiences Along The Way

South Park Mr. Garrison

Mr. Garrison has one of the craziest arcs in South Park. He was first introduced as the third graders' teacher, never seen without Mr. Hat, his hand puppet. For the first few seasons, Mr. Garrison was a shallow character whose repression caused great internal strike. Finally, in "Fourth Grade," he accepted himself. But his development didn't stop there.

Mr. Garrison became a Donald Trump-like character until losing the 2020 election. He has had numerous identity shifts that have each brought new depth and dimension to his character. All of these changes have slowly made Garrison one of the most dynamic South Parkcharacters over the years, with plenty of humor thrown in. Fans always look forward to Mr. Garrison's next, possibly impulsive move.

1 Kenny Went From A Joke To A Hero

South Park Kenny as Mysterion

Though Kenny has been one of the main characters since the beginning of the series, he was mainly just used as a joke in which he was killed off in every episode. During the fifth season, he was gone for a longer duration than normal, allowing other characters to replace his presence in the series. However, Kenny would gain his popularity back once he returned, and he is now more likable than ever.

After becoming a superhero named Mysterion, fans were also able to learn more about him – with episodes revolving around his efforts to stop crime, and to no lesser an extent, protect his family. The audience even got to hear straight from Kenny how he feels about dying all the time, adding to his growing reputation as a likable, complex, fan-favorite.

NEXT: South Park: 7 Characters Whose Popularity Has Declined