The fifth season of South Park premiered on June 20, 2001, and is often regarded as one of the show's strongest and most influential seasons. By this point, South Park had fully hit its stride, delivering some of the most outrageous, shocking, and legendary episodes in its history. Season 5 wastes no time pushing boundaries, kicking off with It Hits the Fan, an episode that satirizes TV censorship by saying the word "shit" 162 times. Another all-time classic, Scott Tenorman Must Die, features Cartman at his most evil, orchestrating a brutal act of revenge that solidified him as one of TV’s most diabolical characters. Other unforgettable episodes include Super Best Friends, which unites religious figures like Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed as superheroes (later causing controversy), Cripple Fight, which introduces Jimmy and features an epic brawl between Timmy and Jimmy, and Towelie, which gave the world the infamous weed-smoking towel who just wants to get high. The season also delivers one of the most emotional moments in the show’s history with Kenny Dies, where Kenny is permanently (well, temporarily) killed off in a more serious and heartfelt storyline. The season finale, Butters' Very Own Episode, shifts focus to Butters, setting him up for a bigger role in future seasons. With its mix of sharp satire, unforgettable moments, and boundary-pushing humor, Season 5 is often considered a turning point for South Park, proving that it was more than just shock humor—it was a cultural force.