Why Kenny is the MOST IMPORTANT Character in South Park

Рет қаралды 2,392,748

Күн бұрын

If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. Their fee is free unless they win. For more information go to www.forthepeople.com/Johnny2C...
For my money, no character in South Park has had a journey and evolution as satisfying as Kenny McCormick. The character started as a one-note punchline who was killed in every episode, to briefly being killed off permanently. And before ya knew it, with some smart writing and creative narrative maneuvering, Kenny became a genuinely complex and compelling character. He went from basically being too thin to use in any substantial way to having arguably the most nuanced and tragic backstory. A character with a great heart, and true pathos. So today, let’s look at the complete evolution of the immortal child, Kenny McCormick.
Edited by Joe Murphy @nazchoz798
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON!- / johnny2cellos
Follow me on Twitter: / johnny2cellos
Music:
Johnny 2 Cellos Theme Music - Norman Marston
@lofigeek
Video Used:
South Park (1996-2023)
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted.
"Fair Use" guidelines: www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

Пікірлер: 1 400

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

Hey y'all, I had to re-upload this video because of a weird KZfaq issue. If you've already seen it it would REALLY help if you let it run through again, so that it doesn't get throttled in the algorithm. I would really appreciate it 💜

@xBlueSlitherzZ Жыл бұрын

Wait what was the issue

@BlackKnight66600 Жыл бұрын

Tbh Johnny I always watch your videos 2-3 times as a type of podcast. No worries my dude.

@UATU. Жыл бұрын

I was planning to watch this several times anyway! Kenny is my favorite character, and you are my favorite SP analyst.

@danielsantiagourtado3430 Жыл бұрын

Happy to see it again bro! You rock!

@tims_adventures Жыл бұрын

Im very glad to 👍🏾

@bluebird1914 Жыл бұрын

Considering how kind they both are, it makes a lot of sense how in Post Covid, Butters is the only one that Kenny actually kept in touch with.

@anonymous5401 Жыл бұрын

im almost willing to bet one of the reasons Butters sells NFTs, kenny probably introduced him to NFTs, butters obvously got obsessed, BUT since they kept in touch, thats why they probably collabed to be scientists.

@GarbajeCan Жыл бұрын

@@anonymous5401 Butters says he found NFT's when he was locked in his room for 16 years since he had access to the internet

@tiablue9106 Жыл бұрын

He kept in touch w/ Cartman too

@spongeyspikes09 Жыл бұрын

And that's why, both of them share the same spot as my favorite south park characters of all time

@BloodyMaryLPS1112 Жыл бұрын

@spongeyspikes09 same, my top 3 south park characters are Kenny Butters and Tweek

@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123 Жыл бұрын

Kenny going "I'm tired guys, I'm going to go to sleep" before shooting himself in the head is peak Dark Humor imo. You laugh at the absurdity while also acknowledging the dark fact that this has become so normalized to him

@moonoftheblood Ай бұрын

I love that scene bro

@90sslasher54 Ай бұрын

same

@fredericksmith7942 22 күн бұрын

I mean, from his perspective that’s basically what he’s doing. He’ll be back in the morning lmao.

@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123 22 күн бұрын

@@fredericksmith7942 i mean it's still fucked up. Even if he knows he'll be fine tomorrow he still has the physical memory of shooting himself.

@RockySamson Жыл бұрын

I like to think that Kenny somehow knew his unborn sibling was going to be his reincarnation, even if he just had a feeling about it, and in a way, his attempts to prevent the birth was him trying to prevent his own inevitable death.

@KillbotSw Жыл бұрын

Nah that's a bad theory

@stove2157 Жыл бұрын

@@KillbotSw no theory is a bad theory in entertainment anything can be true and we only know if something is true once the makers tell us

@hailee1001 Жыл бұрын

@@KillbotSw it’s actually not lmao

@bosses9820 Жыл бұрын

@@hailee1001 right? 😂 it makes a little bit of sense. for a show that can have characters w asses for heads, this theory is sensible/plausible

@rubyquinn7702 Жыл бұрын

But he has a little sister. Wouldnt she be the immortal one then? Or does it mean that his sister isnt actually his sister by blood?

@VintageToilet Жыл бұрын

Yes, Princess Kenny is escapism, but more importantly “she” is a completely opposite position from Mysterion. For starters she’s a girl, which helps him detach himself more, but also Princesses are meant to be doted on and protected. Cared for, catered to, and so in a way being a Princess would be a form of relief for him because for once he isn’t sacrificing anything or having to shield anyone from harm. He’s just allowed to be the small one for once.

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

This is a really great analysis! Maybe I owe Princess Kenny her own video

@mercuryenthusiast Жыл бұрын

AHH thats such a good analysis i love princess kenny

@johnsmith-rp5bg Жыл бұрын

Sometimes, he just wants to be a bottom

@ghettolicerx2 Жыл бұрын

@bobrbw 11 ай бұрын

Man you know it’s a good comment when he makes a complete new video just based on this

@SlamDunkPyro Жыл бұрын

I love that Cripple Fight having Timmy try to kill Jimmy by giving Jimmy an orange parka and it nearly working. It is still a great moment. Poor Kenny

@ferrm1992 Жыл бұрын

And many years later in the Mysterion Rises episodes they explained Kenny’s immortality and attached it to the parka. Solid gold

@lyramusica4485 Жыл бұрын

Well it has been established that Timmy has Charles Xavier-like abilities so we shouldn't be surprised that he knows about Kenny's many deaths 😂

@Kevin_L_ Жыл бұрын

Literally

@ytmm1 Жыл бұрын

@@lyramusica4485 lmao what, Which episode i must see

@Jen7867 Жыл бұрын

@@ytmm1 Season 5, episode 2. 👍 It's title is "Cripple Fight".

@randytyson Жыл бұрын

Can we also agree kennys design is the most iconic of all the characters. Its simple adorable and can be recognized by anyone thats barely seen southpark

@SlamDunkPyro Жыл бұрын

Homie looks like a hair dryer on any side angle and I love it

@theoverseer1775 Жыл бұрын

I'd argue Cartman is more iconic but Kenny definitely takes the 2nd spot

@hotdog8109 Жыл бұрын

@@theoverseer1775 Cartman is more iconic, Kenny is more recognizable by people who don’t watch the show

@theoverseer1775 Жыл бұрын

@@hotdog8109 100% agree, but the original comment called Kenny the most *iconic,* which is why I said Cartman is the more iconic one.

@loljan Жыл бұрын

bruh thats so stupid “adorable” got the whole squad laughing 😂😭😝💀

@eliscore Жыл бұрын

I feel like Kenny is arguably the main character of its universe considering that hes the only one who has memories of every time that he died and all their goofy shenanigans that are even ignored when everything is reset

@tylertheaker8011 Жыл бұрын

Maybe back in day but now it’s somehow Randy

@johnsmith-rp5bg Жыл бұрын

Cartman has knowledge too. I don't know if it was before he ate the ashes or not but cartman screams Kenny dies all the time in an episode

@virtualghost.mp4 9 ай бұрын

@@johnsmith-rp5bgi'm pretty sure it's the cartmanland episode

@tubbolard6514 Ай бұрын

I think I saw this on another channel but someone pointed out that the other characters do seem to acknowledge that kenny dies repeatedly, they just don't remember because kenny isn't that important to them

@Harmonica821 Жыл бұрын

I love how knowing he's immortal in a way shapes him so perfectly in duality. In one way, Kenny doesn't care in doing dangerous and evil stuff because even if he dies, he'll be back by tomorrow morning. At the same time, he has no fear in doing the right thing or saying what he means because he knows anything that happens to him doesn't really matter.

@stereo-soulsoundsystem5070 Ай бұрын

well things matter positively. if he doesn't take action everything goes to shit. He's the Dies Ex Machina of the show

@stoffystofstofberg Жыл бұрын

Growing up, Kenny was my favorite character because his deaths were funny and his voice was funny. As an adult, Kenny is my favorite character because he's one of the few genuinely compassionate, sweet and good character in all of South Park. Love the lil guy.

@mjaned0528 Жыл бұрын

*what he said in the intros have left the chat*

@Sethilliano Жыл бұрын

@@mjaned0528 😨

@floopusdoopus Жыл бұрын

@@mjaned0528 it just makes him more relatable

@jasperjazzie Жыл бұрын

except for when it comes to whales, then he doesn't give a fuck lol

@whoreburguer Жыл бұрын

@@mjaned0528 What he says?

@TheFangirlOtaku Жыл бұрын

Coming from a low-income family myself, I can understand Kenny’s concern about having another sibling. I have siblings and I love them, but one is dead, another had to be adopted by a family member, and the other has disabilities. (Actually, so does my other sister that my great aunt adopted) They suffered because of my mom's poor choices both before and during pregnancy. Kenny’s parents are not just poor, but drunks and addicts. It's very possible that he is just very passionate about them not bringing another child into this world because he knows it won't be good for them or it. A lot of people talk about Cartman being insensitive in the episode when he talks about how "poor people are always having too many kids." But he actually has a point, I've seen it again and again. Parents bring new life into this world when they're already struggling and are in no position to take care of a brand new person. It's a big responsibility, and not every parent is responsible enough

@rossemarie7 Жыл бұрын

This! I think just the same as you. Very observant and wise comment.

@CEO_of_kenillie 10 ай бұрын

i also come from a low income family. (i live off of somebody’s hotspot because we don’t have internet for gods sake.) i can confirm that we do have a lot of kids. it’s me and my two siblings :)

@zadock6370 10 ай бұрын

agreed.

@Df-sl4he 10 ай бұрын

Yeah, you hit it on the nose. IDFK what this guy going on about by calling it selfish, when in reality, it's his way (while somewhat ridiculous) of trying to care for his family above all else.

@choosecarefully408 6 ай бұрын

"Not _EVERY_ parent is responsible enough?" Dude, after the Canadian government _FINALLY_ recalled the jabs *because* they had caused hundreds of deaths from fatal blood clots, the rest of Canada wedged their heads further up their beliefs that _politicians_ care for them deeply & lined up to get more potentially lethal injections. *_With_* their children!

@miadruckrey8629 Жыл бұрын

I feel like Kenny is the heart, Kyle is the mind, Stan is the soul, and cartman is the body of the main four

@sapphluv Жыл бұрын

ofc cartman is the body

@seiccuxz Жыл бұрын

he the body bc he the fattest🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@zj3bson 11 ай бұрын

@@sapphluv HELP

@geckopecko 11 ай бұрын

i really love everything about this comment

@TuffyMouseRBLX 11 ай бұрын

Cartman has ALOT of body

@MathGPT Жыл бұрын

Ive always said that Kenny is the Jesus figure of the show. He literally dies for everyone's sins in every ep (well almost). Hes also a metaphor for how callous we are towards the poor. Everyone freaks out for two seconds but quickly forgets

@alexvaughan1013 11 ай бұрын

Yet when Kenny dies as a famous scientist, he's all over the news.

@rachelpogue66 Жыл бұрын

To this day, the Kenny dies episode is one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen

@aarrin5058 Жыл бұрын

"all he said was, 'where's stan?'" 😭

@rachelpogue66 Жыл бұрын

@@aarrin5058 that was so brutal, it makes me cry pretty much every time

@bmriverrat11 Жыл бұрын

@@rachelpogue66 me to that's a Rough one

@tylertheaker8011 Жыл бұрын

When they tell Eric it’s the first time he’s ever shown emotion

@ImBeaminAllTheWay Жыл бұрын

“It was the heat of the moment”

@smashers6971 Жыл бұрын

I think my favorite moment for Kenny that you didn’t mention is his second ultimate in Fractured but Whole, where his soul ascends to heaven (After he previously literally blows himself up to deal some massive damage) where he’s greeted by a group of naked women but he takes one glance back at earth, then steeling his resolve, he heads back and is resurrected while helping his Allie’s. If anything I think it’s a pretty good summary of his character, Kenny will do anything for the sake of his friends and his sister because he knows things will get worse without him in their life even if it prevents him from finally resting and being at peace for a long time.

@MadeMeExist 11 ай бұрын

It is very bittersweet

@nickrustyson8124 3 ай бұрын

Granted the games aren't canon but that is a good point

@jeromejor5395 2 ай бұрын

@@nickrustyson8124 lead to game developer Jason Schroeder summarizing South Park Canon by claiming "It doesn't matter. If Matt and Trey need it for the plot, that space exists.

@hambone.fakenamington Жыл бұрын

I genuinely think that Princess Kenny is Matt and Trey acknowledging and poking fun on how popular and instantly recognizable Kenny is. He is easily the one of the most popular character among the South Park fangirls and in the toy market (off hand note but ever since i was little SP characters have been incredibly popular as, like, carnival game type prizes, I have seen so many badly made LARGE stuffed Kennys in my life, shoutout.). He just has the design with the most international appeal, just a cute lil orange guy, and is definitely the character Japan would find the most kawaii.

@Light-ro5bp Жыл бұрын

You are right on that last part, a little Kenny figure appears in an episode of FLCL, honestly a little surprised at how many japanese SP fans i’ve seen, the boys really make for some cute figurines.

@aarrin5058 Жыл бұрын

i love kenny because of how much of a kid he truly is. he's the most kiddish character because his first instinct is to be kind and get along w people and obsess over girls twice his age, flinging himself into relationships. such a basic boy thing i adore. the way he puts up with shit like it's nothing, not fully aware of how fucked it all is and treats life like a big game to enjoy is crazy and entertaining as hell 😭

@buttscarlton1490 Жыл бұрын

I have always seen Kenny as the real bleeding heart of the 4 main boys. Yeah; Kyle was usually the one closing out epidodes with the "what did we learn" speech but as you've masterfully pointed out: Kenny is the character with the most motivation and earnestness, he's the best. Long live Kenny

@lemax6865 2 ай бұрын

Wouldn't call him a "bleeding heart", personnally. That term evokes more the kind of person who performs as kind and good, rather than acts that way; the average hacktivist who spends their entire time preaching about whatever bad thing is holding their attention this week, without actually doing anything meaningful about it (especially if doing something would involve personal sacrifice). Kenny as depicted here is a genuine good person, who tries to help at cost to himself without constantly seeking recognition. Usually, at least.

@professorkittyhawk Жыл бұрын

As mentioned in your previous Kenny video, he is my favorite South Park character for many and more of the reasons you touch on in this video. I feel like he gets some of the sweetest, heartfelt/wrenching moments in the series. He's like an edgier Butters and I love that.

@zericle1 Жыл бұрын

I wanna see another episode where Kenny and Butters take the spotlight, that'd be sweet. They're my favorite 2 characters. Mackey is my 3rd favorite.

@3kojimbles895 Жыл бұрын

how many vehicles do you have matty?

@G0RILLAH00LIGAN Жыл бұрын

Kenny being "selfish" about his parents having another kid may have been more about self preservation. They're already incredibly poor. His parents having another baby and him already being a middle child would be a death sentence for him (aside from how they'll kill him anyway).

@joels5150 Жыл бұрын

The Mysterion Reveal to Captain Hindsight was one of the most brilliant lore-dumps/retcons in history. Making a running gag from the first 4-5 seasons into a massive bit of not only character development, but tying it into about 90% of the series events almost in passing was an absolute stroke of genius. Futurama did some pretty great series spanning jokes, but SP was able to do something this significant, essentially after the fact, and have it actually enrich the lore and make rewatching old episodes hold up to scrutiny in retrospect.

@liquidsnakeliker Жыл бұрын

As a kid, I’ve always thought of Kyle being the nice one out of the four boys, but as an adult, I’ve realize that it’s actually Kenny. He was always my favorite, but seeing him show empathy and real kindness to others made me like him even more.

@basillemmie4595 Жыл бұрын

To be honest Kenny taking on a superhero persona through Mysterion makes a lot of sense. He finds a way to justify his selfless nature through this, really great video!

@Chara_Dreemurr1 Ай бұрын

Mysterion. Race: Shadow (i forgor) Main superpower: immortality and the ability to control the shadows.

@GeoGamerArtistVlogger Жыл бұрын

This feels like a love-letter to the character and I am absolutely *_here_* for it

@lyramusica4485 Жыл бұрын

I still love how despite his abusive upbringing and everything he has been through, Kenny, along with Butters, remains the kindest, most selfless character in all of South Park. It still blows my mind how Matt and Trey were able to completely change EVERYTHING about how we see Kenny as a character in the span of just two episodes. To this day, The Coon episodes still continue to be some of my favourites in the whole series.

@skylarxw5142 7 ай бұрын

They were the best and most iconic episodes of South Park fr

@MVangelmx 5 ай бұрын

The two can relate cuz they come from abusive families

@ripcactusify Жыл бұрын

Kenny is essentially forced to grow up faster which is very common in children who live in similar situations, except for the immortality part but I imagine that would also contribute a ton lol Also I wholefardedly believe that Kenny's soul came from some creature in the sunken city. He even mentions how it's very familiar to him once he's there. It kinda sounds like he had a changeling-type thing happen to him (if you know about changing lore, basically they're human babys that had their souls traded out by fairies for another soul from something that wasn't human) except with cult practices instead of fairies ig.

@danieldeclue1466 Жыл бұрын

The reason I loved the Cthulhu episode so much was not only because it was a fantastic in-universe explanation for Kenny being Immortal, but it serves as a metaphor for Kenny's character journey and progression throughout the series. I can see how people might have been a little like what was the point when you find out that it's mint berry crunch Cthulhu is afraid of, but the story intentionally gives you blue balls so to speak, by providing a perfect in-universe explanation for Kenny's immortality, only to at the very end leave the question unanswered and Kenny unsatisfied, which is why he says screw it and kills himself at the end of the episode because at that point it's just another day for Kenny McCormick in South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are actually extremely clever underneath all the potty humor

@meepmoop9078 Жыл бұрын

Honestly, I think that Kenny constantly trying to get his parents to not have another kid was him beung selfish for a selfless reason. They are already poor, Carol and Stuart can barely feed the 3 McCormick kids as is... and baby formula, clothes, toys, etc will be extremely expensive which they cannot afford. Meaning either the baby will be neglected, or the other three kids will be neglected even more. We see how much Kenny cares for Karen (and obviously Kevin even if they don't show it), and he'd probably rather die again than see her put through even more struggle.

@overanimated626 Жыл бұрын

High key agreed Kenny was either possessed by something from or is from another dimension! I've always loved that explanation as the reason behind his hair color vs all of his siblings' and parents' hair color. A tiny thing, but a fun one nonetheless!

@OrinSorinson Жыл бұрын

Kenny and Butters are my two most favorite characters from amongst the kids. They make so much of what South Park is.

@ZebraOnYourNose Жыл бұрын

11:46 I think it's further demonstration of how much he's willing to do for his family. Sure, he'd be leaving his family, but Kenny isn't stupid. Not only is this a dream com true for him, he's definitely aware of how much money he's going to be making. He'd be stupid not to! Kenny could simply send back some of his earnings to his family. Same thing with his parents wanting to have another kid. Kenny isn't stupid, he knows his family can't afford to have one. And he definitely knows he can't trust his parents to not have one, even if he tried to convince them. That's why Kenny becomes so caring and loving towards his little sister after she's born. What's done is done, and it isn't her fault the family is poor.

@RIAHBIRDY Жыл бұрын

the ending quote of this video made me stand up and start applauding because it feels so joyous for Kenny, a character who was taken for granted for the longest time, be given the roses he’d deserved for the longest time. What an amazing video

@HandledURmom 11 ай бұрын

I know man he truly has a Deep love for this show and is beyond a die hard fan, he's in his own category that few few are...

@ray_is_a_menace Жыл бұрын

For Kenny trying to get rid of a new child, I can sort of see him as not wanting to put anyone else into his situation. Also, in regards to the ritual, Kenny said that he recognized the sunken city and felt like he had been there before. I think that he got his powers in the ritual from something being summoned and the power was transmitted to baby Kenny, though he also has vague recollections from the being who left him with the immortality. It's possible that the reason Kenny always comes back as a baby is because the ritual happened shortly after he was born and therefore he is restored to the form he gained his powers in but then returns to his most recent one.

@jorgerosado2087 Жыл бұрын

Glad to watch it again. It was fun the first time. Also I’m gonna plug my potential concept for a special: What if Kenny was able to undo the curse? What if he was able to live life without a care, only for death to hit back twice as hard (literally)? Sort of like a Final Destination film. Maybe add a subplot of someone knowing about his curse. Someone who has seen him die repeatedly and remembers them all. Maybe they can tie it back to the creator thing they did with Mr. Garrison a while back in the Trump years. Idk, it has some potential.

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

I would love if they explored that more!

@noname-do5wo Жыл бұрын

You know that give me a thought, what if the reason Kenny is so prone to death is because he cheats it, death keeps trying to claim his soul but he comes back every time

@noaha6185 Жыл бұрын

Johnny still seems like the kind of friend who would be really talented at calming you down from a bad trip.

@thatrandomspfan 9 ай бұрын

Kenny deserves the world, we need more episodes of him, he's the best written character with so much lore its crazy they don't do much with him :(

@ilcapitano648 Жыл бұрын

The fact that Kenny has grown into being arguably THE hero of the show makes it all the stranger to me that the Stick of Truth made him into the final boss fight. I know it plays into the Daenerys-style character he was playing and he’s back to normal in the post-game, but still an odd choice to me.

@silvercrystlz Жыл бұрын

(Had to retype my comment due to the reupload) I really like how at the almost ending of the video your speech and the scene used from the movie was timed perfectly!! This gotta be one of my most favorite Kenny dedicated videos out there, Keep it up!!

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

Thank you, and thank you for commenting again :)

@Pleebus Жыл бұрын

This video makes me really wish the writers did more with Kenny sometimes, it sucks cuz whenever he's used it's usually really great but a lot of the time he kinda fades into the background considering if you don't count all the specials and his sort of prominence in DikinBaus Hot Dogs his last full spotlight would've been all the way back in Season 22. Really great video here though Johnny, I'd call it your best South Park coverage!

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

THANK YOU I think I agree I'm really proud of this one

@cherie..cherry 11 ай бұрын

Agreed! And the fact that they even acknowledge “oh nobody talks to Kenny” or the fact that everyone forgets him 😭 the Kenny (and also butters) centric episodes are easily my fav each season.

@Pistachiothecreature Жыл бұрын

*Not me crying, because I watched the whole **36:13** minute long video and heard about all of Kenny's trauma, his goal, and how far he's willing to go to achieve his goal of helping people, no matter what happens to him.*

@dudebladeX Жыл бұрын

In a world of Erics… We need more Kennys.

@kenny_.E 11 ай бұрын

and butters

@daelen.cclark 5 ай бұрын

@@kenny_.E Definitely more Kenny’s and Butters’.

@degocraft9525 Жыл бұрын

If i was on South Park, i would hug really hard Kenny, and maybe Butters

@daelen.cclark Жыл бұрын

I’d hug both.

@TheDuckyDino Жыл бұрын

Just make sure not to hug him *too* hard

@briefgamerup Жыл бұрын

Oh my gosh they killed the first upload!

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

bastards :(

@stevenchristopher4772 10 ай бұрын

Kenny tried to stop his sibling from being born to save them from a horrid life, a true saint

@kre4ture218 Жыл бұрын

I wouldn’t put Kenny basically trying to stop his parents from getting a child down to him being selfish, rather he doesn’t want another human being to suffer the same as he did, so you might argue that it’s also kind of an act of compassion… I guess…

@NobodyC13 Жыл бұрын

While stating "Best Friends Forever" served as an allegory for Kenny's role in the show, it was also a satire for the media circus that was the "Terry Schiavo Case." Terry Schiavo, a woman in a persistive vegetative state, is caught in the middle of a legal and media battle between her husband (who wants her die as a mercy but is suspected to have an agenda over it) and her parents (who want her to live) and who gets authority and say over death and life rights etc. Matt and Trey used Kenny as a stand-in for Terry during this whole farce, and while they have no definitive answer to the whole situation ("Cartman's side is right [the right to die] for the wrong reasons, but we're wrong [the right to life] for the right reasons"). They did expose the egos happening on both sides in that the debate no longer became what was right right for Kenny/Terry, but what was right for them. Afterall, Kenny begging his friends "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON"T EVER SHOW ME IN THAT CONDITION ON NATIONAL TELEVISION!" has some truth to it as Terry was believed to be terribly shy and would be horrified to that kind of objectification.

@jamesm3471 Жыл бұрын

Hey! Well said.

@KremBotop Жыл бұрын

Kenny's classic running gag helped the show a lot in bulding up notoriety and popularity within the adult animation crowd. Sure, this was at the cost of recurring plot agency, dialogue and arcs compared to the rest, but at least he kept having a lot of meaningful and iconic stories (with enitre overarching plots centering around something he did, which happened as recently as the time skip specials) and it's amazing how the show gave so much depth and lore to what it seemed to be a simple gag character. And this wasn't the only time this has happened as Jimmy arguably had a similar glowup. Lastly, Kenny's hoodie is just so iconic. There's something about orange characters man. So yeah, he deserves all the love.

@bluefirekid Жыл бұрын

The day Matt and Trey get to thoroughly exploring the origins of Kenny's powers; like they mentioned they would one day in their commentary for the Coon trilogy, I think Kenny's character will essentially be complete. It feels like the main missing piece of his story that's left; and only the surface of that was scraped.

@Mmtastysound Жыл бұрын

love these analysis vids! I would be really interested to hear your thoughts on how the parents of South Park affect their children. Especially when it comes to the 4 main boys and Butters, even Tweek and Craig, the parents' actions and personalities are so thoughtfully connected to the kids' actions and personalities. It's very clear why they are who they are, based on how they were raised. Food for thought!

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

I love this idea, will add it to my list!

@vcjsjzjjs7404 Жыл бұрын

I'd love to see that too! Take Stan for example, in the future he becomes an alcoholic completely resenting his wife, just like his father (to some extent). The deeper analysis on that topic would be very interesting if done well

@kennyrdskynyrd1101 Жыл бұрын

I've been rewatching South Park recently and Kenny was always my favorite. Now I realize he's actually a lot further ahead of everyone than I remember. Every position he plays and every line he says is just the best out of all the kids he's actually my goat

@Mdawg514 Жыл бұрын

in the earlier seasons the joke is that the boys pretty much all hate each other but ive noticed especially in more recent seasons, the show has become a lot more positive and just shining a better light on male friendships

@melkubrick 7 ай бұрын

It might be because it's my favorite episode but I still think what Kenny does in "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" is incredibly funny. I love when his muffled voice yells out "THAT DOES IT!" before he starts chasing his mother around with a plunger.

@nickrustyson8124 3 ай бұрын

Also my favorite part of the reveal that Dr. Mephesto meant the North American Marlon Brando Look-Alikes

@sidnew2739 Ай бұрын

I almost died of laughing watching this. The intercuts with the NAMBLA members chasing the boys, the weird song playing- it was perfect.

@AngelPerez-tu1nk Жыл бұрын

Kenny really is my favorite character ub South Park when I think about it. Definitely agree with Butters, Kenny really deserves the respect. (Was worried for a second but glad to know you were able to sort things out)

@leonardotorquato1891 Жыл бұрын

kenny and butters have always been my favorites in the show. just two precious little guys

@haileybalmer9722 Жыл бұрын

I agree. I really love how kind Kenny is. I think his character provides some much needed sincerity to South Park.

@danielsantiagourtado3430 Жыл бұрын

Great to see that this amzing video is ok! The work you put in deserves to be acknowlodged

@Miss__Mystic Жыл бұрын

I have been watching South Park since 1998 (when I was 7 yrs old) and Kenny has been my favorite character ever since. I'm a little sad that he hasn't been used as much in the later seasons.

@Girth_ 11 ай бұрын

Kenny's creation and development reminds me of one of my favorite characters I ever developed. He was created solely as an antagonist story arch for another character i was working on. But i got so invested in this villain that i wound up putting the most effort into his development and have his entire life pretty much mapped out.

@mysterionz Жыл бұрын

Kenny is truly underrated

@a_ninja2376 Жыл бұрын

Love the video and Kenny! Really put my own feelings into words about him

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

thank you!

@Jimmy-bz3cw Жыл бұрын

He's kind, caring, badass, has a great sense of humor, a pervert, and straight up kewl, easily a three way tie for my #1 favorite character with alongside Butters and Randy

@michaelmallia6462 Жыл бұрын

Love the breakdown! Kenny is my favorite character and I feel like he's way underappreciated. I've been waiting for this episode for a while. It's always been funny to me that Kenny is one of the more complex and nuanced characters among all the boys, considering he's generally the quietest and one of the least utilized. He's sort of the South Park equivalent of Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama. Both are very poor and constantly made fun of for it, but they're also by far the kindest person in the room and are always willing to do what's right - even to their own detriment.

@shadowchaos5831 7 ай бұрын

“Oh my god we killed kenny” “We are bastards…”

@xhacorerdx Жыл бұрын

I love your indepth analysis on character evolutions. Please do either Kyle (namely how he changed drastically after they didn't kill him off in S5) or Wendy

@frohawkmaster Жыл бұрын

Kenny is, as you suggest, a soul from the lost city inhabitting a human body. You can tell from his character class in Fractured. He's a netherborn.

@krismover Жыл бұрын

Easily the best character in the show, in my eyes. The angel child of South Park.

@daelen.cclark Жыл бұрын

“He was so brilliant that most of the time, we couldn’t understand what he was saying.”

@Joseph_Biten Жыл бұрын

As someone who grew up in poverty, I put a lot of value in my friends but I did drop my old life like a bad habit when I was offered a better life so I completely understand the dichotomy of Kenny's sacrifice while also being so ready to abandon his old life. It's not confusing, poverty sucks, it's as simple as that.

@ZenIsAWeirdoo 11 ай бұрын

This video just makes it make more sense that kenny has always been my favorite character in south park.

@tanglelover Жыл бұрын

Kenny is my favourite character in South Park and I'm so sad they don't use him more. He has the most interesting character and development of the boys and they just *don't* use him which is a shame.

@zeke7200 Жыл бұрын

It's ironic that Cartman is the only person who is even aware that Kenny dies all the time! I mean come on in Cartmanland stated it "What Kenny he dies all the time!"

@KanaHyoshi 10 ай бұрын

In late middle school and yhroughout high school, a group of griends and I wrote tons of fanfics together. One of those fanfics was Southpark 10 years later. It became a full series for us with all of us having fun trying to wrote the now adult boys getting into trouble and even dealing with the trouble that comes with college stereotypes. Kenny slowly became our main character and two of us somehow turned a girlfriend who was gonna die as a joke into a longer staying character that Kenny rnded ip marrying. So when the actual episode about the boys as adults came out, we all got pretty excited to watch it. It almost felt like a reunion just because this character was our favourite in our own self contained canon.

@SackVegasAnime 4 ай бұрын

Trying to stop his parents from having another kid they couldn’t afford was for the family. It wasn’t selfish, it was responsible. He was saving his parents from their own terrible decision making.

@NyxLikesCats Жыл бұрын

in the Tweek VS Craig episode we see that Kenny was in home ec instead of shop class and when the teacher tried to transfer him he had a PTSD flashback to all his deaths

@David-lq6de Жыл бұрын

I still love that kenny goes out at night to fight crime and put fear into his parents to actually be more stable for his siblings

@RanterInShades Жыл бұрын

South Park always finds ways to tell us not to take Kenny for granted.

@nathanfreeman6192 4 ай бұрын

I always thought that the reason Kenny prevented his parents from making another kid is because he knows how bad his parents are, and how shitty his and his sibling's lives are, and he couldn't bear the thought of another child going through what he and his siblings go through

@FiendishName Жыл бұрын

No lie, this is some of my favorite content I've seen on KZfaq since I joined this site over a decade ago. Johnny, this is awesome. I'm so glad you went into the detail of Kenny. He was and is my favorite thing about South Park.

@emilynelson9174 Жыл бұрын

Forgot to mention in the psp ep when the lawyer first reads the will; "in the incredibly likely event of my death" or whatever is said. 😂

@mzrsespiritguard469 Жыл бұрын

(Commenting again b/c KZfaq) Ur theory about Kenny being at the center of a Cthulhu ritual has some serious merit - after the gang gets sent to R'lyeh, he explicitly says "It feels like I've been here before"... Implying he was either sent there, or came from there somehow.

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

SUCH A GOOD DETAIL, I actually threw together a short about this and used that clip thanks to your comment. It's on TikTok for now but will go up on YT within a couple days probably

@tjjordan4207 2 ай бұрын

I love stories that have that hidden mystery that is left unexplained but yet the hints and clues are there for us to connect the dots almost easily. All that's left is the confirmation that is never given.

@theguywholikesturtlez4207 11 ай бұрын

Kenny is so fucking selfless it's unbelievable sometimes and I never thought about it until this video holy sbit

@kaylee1772 Жыл бұрын

I was excited to see it again on my front page haha. Thank you for making a video about best boy Kenny. I'll watch it twice

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

Thank you I really appreciate it :)

@theanimeunderworld8338 Жыл бұрын

The next specials better focus on Kenny

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

The dream

@theanimeunderworld8338 Жыл бұрын

@@Johnny2Cellos I mean Kenny is a rich and successful scientist in the future yet I have never seen Kenny take interest in science before There can be a whole special on like Kenny making a special alt source for gasoline or because of big tp, a way to clean butts and save trees

@KirbyBandicoot Жыл бұрын

Great vid! (real quick tho, at 16:40 Kenny's line is actually "Eh, I've just been hangin out")

@Johnny2Cellos Жыл бұрын

Lol thank you that's funnier

@gregoriogutierrez3756 Жыл бұрын

I think it's kind of cool and funny that the writers/ creators accidentally threw up a bunch of ideas and when those ideas stopped working they looked and recontextualize those issues instead of not making it cannon they went back and made things cannon made them lore instead of a stupid joke

@curethedarkness Жыл бұрын

I would love it if following the last episode aired Kenny made a fortune on the sale of their business and we see him use his wealth to improve life for his siblings and those around him, showing us that in this new timeline Kenny is still dedtined to be a brilliant wealthy scientist dedicated to making life better for everyone.

@alexandrucuciuc2384 Жыл бұрын

Kenny is such a good character that nobody can miss him. He must be the best character in the whole show! Even if he dies he does it for somebody or because of a accident. He has the warmest heart in the series. Great job Johnny on this amazing summary of kenny! Have a good day.

@JdeeGeekyGao Жыл бұрын

My first south park tee was the angel Kenny shirt released a few months here after the ep aired. I still have it in my drawer I freaken still love that shirt. Also, I nabbed a thing from work after the 1st game came out of Princess Kenny. Bro has been my favorite since the 1st season.

@the-nina-beans88 Жыл бұрын

Imagine in the post Covid special 80 something year old Carol randomly giving birth to baby Kenny after he died.

@ozharms Жыл бұрын

Oh my god, KZfaq killed “Why Kenny is the MOST IMPORTANT Character in South Park”! Those bastards!

@sir_captainmorgan Жыл бұрын

Great video, Kenny is my favorite South Park character

@SirTowerOfZaid Жыл бұрын

Man no way I was just thinking this days about how much I was waiting for this video and it just dropped out yesterday, amazing

@christophermorris6576 4 ай бұрын

Theres this one part in cartmanland where they address Kenny's consistent deaths when cartman is sued for kenny's death on the roller coaster to which he replies- "Kenny? but he dies all the time!"