After A Decade, South Park Reveals Kenny’s Face Again After He And Cartman Open New Restaurant

South Park is not only one of the longest running cartoons ever, it’s also one of the longest running TV shows period. The beloved show is raunchy, controversial, timely, and intelligent, which probably explains its knack for longevity. For those unfamiliar, it’s led by four kids, each of whom tend to attract trouble far beyond their years. The clash of their distinct personalities is what also makes their friendship work.

South Park’s creators just might hold a record for longest running gag when it comes to Kenny, one of the four young leads. His shtick is pretty straightforward — you never see his face, you can’t hear his words, and for some reason he dies every episode. Of course, you have to return every episode in order to die each time. Immortality aside, Kenny has been one of the fan favorites since South Park first aired in 1997.

Curiosity over how Kenny actually looked soon became a hot topic surrounding the show. In all the time South Park has aired, Kenny’s face has only been shown in 12 episodes. In South Park season 26, episode 5, “DiKimble’s Hot Dogs,” Kenny’s face is finally revealed during a montage that revolves around him and Cartman opening a restaurant together hilariously called “DikinBaus Hot Dogs.” The last time his face had been shown was in 2012’s season 16. 

Ten years is a helluva long time. It makes sense why it’s such a big deal every time Kenny steps from behind that orange snow coat. I wonder if there’s a countdown clock at the South Park offices that alerts the writers when its time for a new reveal?