Known for its social commentary, over-the-top characters, and hilarious story lines, the TV show is very different from any actual town in Colorado. At the same time, many of the characters are more grounded in reality than viewers might expect, drawing inspiration from the show's creators, their family, and various other people they've met throughout the years.

August 13, 1997

Comedy Central

Adrien Beard

David A. Goodman, Nancy M. Pimental, Kenny Hotz, Philip Stark, Dave Weasel, Dan Sterling, Susan Hurwitz Arneson, Trisha Nixon, David R. Goodman, Tim Talbott, Pam Brady, Robert Lopez, Dani Michaeli, Kyle McCulloch, Karey Dornetto, Jonathan Kimmel, Jane Bussmann

Karri Turner

Liane Cartman / Wendy Testaburger / Mrs. Crabtree (voice)

Kyle Broflovski / Kenny McCormick (voice)

While many actors have appeared as themselves (or others) in the show, we're not including them on this list. Instead, we've focused on the re-occuring South Park characters who are based on real people from Matt and Trey's own lives.

In spite of how often he's grounded, Butters Stotch is one of the most good-natured and innocent characters in South Park. A background character until Kenny's more-permanent-but-still-not-really-permanent death in Season 5, Butters quickly won over viewers with his optimistic outlook and hilarious episodes. Whether he's dressing up as Marjorine, playing with Awesom-O, or trying to take over the world as Professor Chaos, it's hard not to root for the kid—or to wonder about the inspiration behind him.