Kyle Broflovski is one of South Park's four main characters, along with Stan, Cartman, and Kenny. He's loosely based on co-creator Matt Stone, while Stan is a stand-in for Trey Parker. Kyle is the smartest of the gang and a member of the town's only Jewish family. His defining visual characteristic is his ever-present green hat.

Kyle has an outsider perspective and generally has the highest moral standards of the four friends. He's cynical and easily irritated, but there's supposedly also an underlying sweetness to his personality. While Cartman tends to get the most memorable lines, some of the show's best storylines center on Kyle.

10 "Free Willzyx"

Season 9, Episode 13 (2005)

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In this episode, Kyle tries to help an intelligent talking killer whale escape from captivity at a marine park. Unbeknownst to Kyle, the killer whale, named Willzyx, is actually being voiced by two employees at the park. Believing that Willzyx dreams of going to space, the boys start contacting space programs around the world for assistance. In the meantime, they break Willzyx out of the park and keep him in Kyle's bedroom.

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The episode is goofy and hilarious but also packs a sharp commentary on animal rights and the mistreatment of marine creatures in captivity. The ending is ridiculous yet poignant, as the boys realize that they have unintentionally caused Willzyx's death on the moon and must confront the consequences of their actions.

9 "The Entity"

Season 5, Episode 11 (2001)

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Kyle's cousin, also named Kyle, comes to visit. Kyle is annoyed by his cousin, believing him to represent Jewish stereotypes. Even worse, Kyle's family blatantly favors the cousin. The boys try several times to get rid of the unwanted visitor, like tricking him into boarding a plane. However, he always finds his way back to South Park.

The episode is interesting in how it explores Kyle's relationship with his own Jewish faith, both his pride in his religion and his insecurity from being one of the few Jewish kids in the town. This is a recurring theme for Kyle throughout the show, as South Park tackles controversial themes like religion all the time.

8 "Guitar Queer-O"

Season 11, Episode 13 (2007)

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Kyle and Stan become obsessed with Guitar Hero and embark on a quest to become the greatest virtual rock stars of all time. They achieve great success and soon become hooked on the hedonistic rock 'n roll lifestyle. However, their newfound fame also places strain on their friendship, in a parody of real-life bands that broke up after making it big.

The episode is a satire of the gaming industry and the culture of celebrity worship. As always, there's irreverent humor aplenty, like the fictional game Heroin Hero, and it culminates in a spectacularly absurd and over-the-top finale.

7 "The List"

Season 11, Episode 14 (2007)

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In this episode, Kyle and co. discover that the fourth-grade girls have made a list ranking all the boys by cuteness. Clyde is at the very top, while Kyle is rated as the ugliest - even below Cartman. Kyle becomes depressed, and starts hanging out only with the other ugly kids. Bent on revenge, he dreams of burning down the school.

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There's an especially great scene where Abraham Lincoln's ghost visits Kyle, reassures him that ugly people can still achieve great things, and warns him about the dangers of an inflated ego. The plot escalates from there, and it is revealed that the list was in fact rigged in Clyde's favor.

6 "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo"

Season 1, Episode 9 (1997)

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"He's everywhere, he's on your shoe..." South Park is getting ready to celebrate Christmas on the show, and Kyle feels excluded. He finds somebody to confide in in the form of Mr. Hankey, a talking piece of poo that only speaks to Kyle. The other characters, unable to communicate with Hankey, believe Kyle has gone mad and they soon try to have him sent to a mental institution.

Eventually, the people of South Park start to believe in Mr. Hankey, til he eventually reveals himself and shows them the true meaning of Christmas. The episode is simple and crude, but that's also its charm. Not for nothing, Mr. Hankey has since become one of the show's iconic characters.

5 "Chinpokomon"

Season 3, Episode 11 (1999)

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Once again, this episode plays on Kyle's desire to fit in. After the kids become obsessed with a new Japanese toy sensation called Chinpokomon, Kyle tries to keep up, but cannot afford the expensive new items. However, it turns out that the Chinpokomon phenomenon is part of a larger and more insidious plot by the Japanese to brainwash American children and turn them into obedient soldiers.

The episode is a great parody of Pokemon and the first time that South Park skewered a fad, something which they would later do several times. Future targets of their ire would include World of Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering, Game of Thrones, and LARPing.

4 "Le Petit Tourette"

Season 11, Episode 8 (2007)

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In this episode (a play on the film Le Petit Soldat), Cartman learns about Tourette's Syndrome and decides to use it to get away with saying outrageous and offensive things. Kyle sees through Cartman's deception, but when he complains about it to the principal, the school misunderstands him to be claiming that all people with Tourette's are faking.

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As punishment, the school sends Kyle to a support group for kids with TS to learn the error of his ways. It's one of the show's most profane episodes, with Cartman unleashing a torrent of uncensored curse words. Only the f-word was censored, at Comedy Central's behest.

3 "Imaginationland"

Season 11, Episode 10 (2007)

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"Imaginationland" is a three-part episode that won an Emmy in 2008. The boys are transported to a magical realm where every fantastical creature humans have imagined exists. However, their adventure takes a dark turn when the evil forces of Imaginationland launch an attack. The kids must band together with their heroes to save the world from destruction.

The story expands to include leprechauns, terrorists, and M. Night Shyamalan. There's also a gross but funny subplot about a bet between the iconic animation duo, Cartman and Kyle. Kyle initially doesn't believe Imaginationland actually exists, so they make a bet that if, if the leprechaun turns out to be real, Kyle will suck Cartman's balls. Naturally, they end up fighting over the bet in court.

2 "The Tooth Fairy's Tats 2000"

Season 4, Episode 1 (2000)

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After Cartman gets $2 from the Tooth Fairy, he comes up with a scheme: if the boys combine all their lost teeth, they'll get enough money from the Tooth Fairy to buy a Sega Dreamcast. However, they soon discover that there are actually several people in the Tooth Fairy business - most of them evil.

After finding out the Tooth Fairy isn't real, Kyle begins questioning everything and studying philosophy. This leads to a zany subplot where he doubts his own existence. He vanishes, causing a rift in the space-time continuum, and returns with the power to reshape reality, even morphing into a half-chicken half-squirrel monster.

1 "Toilet Paper"

Season 7, Episode 3 (2003)

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After the art teacher gives the boys detention, they take revenge by covering her house with toilet paper. Afterward, Kyle is wracked by guilt and has terrible nightmares. He feels a strong urge to confess, much to Cartman's dismay. Fearing Kyle will expose the truth, Cartman plots to kill him.

The episode is a great parody of several movies, including Platoon, Scarface, and The Godfather Part II. The character of Josh is also a spoof of Hannibal Lecter. Beneath the jokes though, it's also a smart commentary on telling the truth and abiding by one's conscience.

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