South Park is famous for its comedy and cultural commentary, but it’s also no stranger to creepy and unsettling themes. Its Halloween specials are especially successful at merging dark humor with more lighthearted laughs, and with only a few days left until the holiday, we decided to try our hand at ranking them.

Compiling this list wasn’t easy, since certain episodes like “Pandemic” first aired around Halloween while other episodes like “Dead Celebrities” have a spooky theme. To make things easier, we’ve chosen the episodes that either take place on Halloween, explicitly reference it, or otherwise make the holiday part of its story. We’ve then listed them from worst to best based on humor, horror, and originality.

9 “Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers”

Season 17, Episode 4

“Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers” begins with goth kid Henrietta being sent to a camp for troubled children. Here, she’s placed in a white room with an ominous plant, and two weeks later, she returns to South Park as an emo (which is totally different from goths, per se). Soon, fellow goth kid Michael is sent to the camp, at which point Pete and Firkle team up with the vampire kids to save him and defeat the evil, body-snatching plants. After summoning Edgar Allan Poe, being captured, and discovering that Firkle is a traitor, the goth kids wait for the plants to turn them emo, too — only to realize that they’re on a game show and that the plants were never actually dangerous.

Fun Buildup, Poor Payoff

The episode has so much going in its favor, from its updated, gothy intro to the return of the vamp kids. However, the joke at the center of the episode — that there isn’t a difference between goths, emos, and vampire kids — quickly runs stale. This is only accentuated by the twist at the end when the goths realize that Henrietta became emo all on her own. All in all, this isn’t a bad episode, but the others are just a bit more special.

8 “Tegridy Farms Halloween Special”

Season 23, Episode 5

This Halloween special centers Randy as he attempts to distribute a special blend of weed for Halloween. Unfortunately, due to his daughter Shelly’s “marijuana problem” (i.e., she has a problem with marijuana), the weed is seemingly destroyed. At the same time, Butters unleashes a mummy’s curse, which leads to him forming a very toxic relationship. By the episode’s end, Shelly saves her dad from a weed-induced spiral, the mummy breaks up with Butters, and Randy enjoys his Halloween special — which can’t be said for all viewers.

The Highs and Lows of Randy

Randy is one of the most controversial characters in South Park, and episodes centered around him tend to be among the most beloved and hated simultaneously. During the episode, Randy tells Towelie that “there’s something wrong with the special,” as if knowing some audience members will find fault with it. Certainly, the episode has some fun callbacks, like Farmer Fred and the dead Winnie the Pooh, but the jokes at the center of this episode — Shelly’s marijuana problem and Butters being gaslit by the mummy — are only ok.

There are certainly funnier Butters episodes, as well as funnier Randy ones.

7 “Sons a Witches”

Season 21, Episode 6

“Sons a Witches” follows Randy during his “Jack and Crack Witch Week,” an annual pre-Halloween celebration where he parties and casts spells with a group of other men. Unfortunately, one of the men (Chip) casts a real spell that turns him into a “bad witch,” and he goes around killing people and abducting children. Toward the end of the episode, the other men confront Chip, whose actions are badly reflecting on them as well. President Garrison then shoots Chip with a satellite, killing him and releasing the children.

The episode’s B-plot focuses on Cartman’s attempts to get rid of his girlfriend, Heidi, whose lack of time management skills caused him to miss out on the pumpkin patch. After successfully managing to get Heidi abducted by Chip, she’s returned with the other children, much to Cartman’s disappointment.

The Scariest Part of the Episode

Cartman has done some awful things before, and trying to get his girlfriend abducted and killed is certainly up there. Arguably, the parts of the episode featuring Cartman are funnier and scarier than the Randy sections. Regardless, the focus on Randy and the other men is something that, once again, won’t land for every viewer.

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6 “Korn’s Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery”

Season 3, Episode 10

Tired of the 5th graders pulling pranks, the boys dig up Kyle’s dead grandma in an attempt to scare them, only to lose track of her body. At the same time, KORN arrives in town for a show, which Father Maxi opposes, viewing KORN and Halloween as evil. When a group of ghost pirates (or pirate ghosts) appear, KORN must work with the boys to solve the mystery. In the end, it’s revealed that Father Maxi created the ghosts in order to scare people away from the Halloween party, which is now able to go on as planned.

Only Kind of Groovy

South Park’s creators have listed Season’s 1-3 as their least favorite, and with good reason. While the episode is certainly funny, it isn’t quite as memorable as others on this list. Certainly, the visual gags work, such as the tombstone for the still-living Kenny, as do many of the jokes, like the ease in which Father Maxi faked the ghosts. However, between the Scooby-Doo antics, disappearing grandma, and Antonio Banderas blow-up doll, there’s a lot to focus on. Maybe too much.

5 “Pinkeye”

Season 1, Episode 7

After a space station lands on Kenny and kills him, he’s taken to a morgue where embalming fluid is accidentally mixed with Worcestershire sauce. This causes Kenny to come back to life as a zombie, and the virus quickly spreads, though the town doctor believes it’s pinkeye. Chef, watching the events transpire, realizes what’s actually going on and works with the boys to stop it. After learning they can end the pandemic by killing the original zombie, Kyle kills Kenny, and the town is restored.

A Strong Start to the Specials

“Pinkeye” does a good job of establishing the tone of specials to come. It’s funny, a little scary, and entirely steeped in that special South Park quality that makes a viewer keep watching. It’s not only a decent Wendy and Stan episode but also a great Chef one. Add to that Kyle using his trademarked line against himself and Chef’s thriller dance, this episode, while not at the top of our list, is certainly a classic.

4 “The Scoots”

Seasons 22, Episode 5

E-scooters have invaded the town, much to the disappointment of Kenny and Mr. Mackey. The other boys plan to use these scooters to go trick or treating, which means that Kenny, who doesn’t have a phone to operate one, can’t join them. It also means that houses will soon be overrun with trick or treaters, much to Mr. Mackey’s horror.

Together, the unexpected duo team up to take down the cell towers and end the scooters’ reign. The episode ends with Mr. Mackey offering counseling to the town while Kenny merrily joins in trick or treating with his (decidedly less merry) friends.

A Sweet Story and an Ominous Voice-Over

Mr. Mackey is an underrated character, and his team-up with Kenny pays off well. It’s always nice to see fan favorite Kenny getting rewarded instead of being gruesomely killed off. In fact, a good chunk of the episode is either sad or sweet as opposed to funny, but that’s to the episode’s benefit: it becomes something more than “just a Halloween special.”

On that note, throughout the episode, a voice-over details Kenny’s journey. According to the voice-over, “It was the last Halloween that still felt like Halloween.” What this means for future Halloween specials remains unknown, but it’s notable that no other specials have premiered since.

3 “Spookyfish”

Season 2, Episode 15

Stan’s Aunt Flo is in town and has gifted him a pet fish. Unfortunately, the fish soon reveals itself to be homicidal, killing multiple people (including Aunt Flo) who Stan’s mom Sharon quickly buries in the backyard. At the same time, a new, kind version of Cartman appears, and the boys realize that both Cartman and the fish are from a parallel, evil dimension. Toward the episode’s end, they return the fish before having to decide whether to keep their old Cartman or have him trade places with the new one (spoiler: old Cartman tricks them, gets new Cartman transported back, and to the boys’ annoyance, gets to stay).

Hella Spooky Episode (in a Good Way)

Maybe the only really negative thing in this episode, as the boys point out, is Cartman’s use of “Hella.” That, and viewers will either enjoy or be confused by “Spookyfish’s” use of Spookyvision. These two comments aside, the episode has so many highs, including a meta Terrance and Phillip Halloween special and Sharon’s decent into madness over Stan. Unlike other episodes on this list, “Spookyfish” has some genuine moments of dark humor and outright horror, which makes it essential viewing for any South Park fan.

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2 “Hell on Earth 2006”

Season 10, Episode 09

“Hell on Earth 2006” starts with Satan getting ready for his Super Sweet 16 Halloween party. He’s warned that he’s becoming a diva, but his actions continue, leading to him throwing fits over his costume, party attendees, and cake. At the end of the episode, Satan realizes that Halloween is supposed to be for everyone, and he lets the people waiting outside join his party.

The episode has two side stories, one involving the boys summoning Biggie Smalls and the other involving a group of murderers trying to pick up Satan’s birthday cake. Like the main plot, both stories are hilarious, with just the right amount of slapstick humor and gory scenes to go around.

A Super Sweet Episode

The episode was controversial at the time for featuring a dead Steve Irwin shortly after he’d died in real life. In hindsight, its jokes about Diddy are also unfortunate, and the priests with naked boys might be too dark for some viewers. However, the actual premise is hilarious, and the lesson at the end is legitimately candy-sweet. In short, Satan’s Super Sweet 16 makes for a super sweet episode, delivering exactly what viewers crave this holiday.

1 “A Nightmare on Face Time”

Season 16, Episode 12

Randy is the new owner of Blockbuster Video, and he and his family quickly get to work trying to bring in customers. Unfortunately, “Blockbuster’s so out of date, it’s ancient,” and no customers arrive — until Randy starts seeing ghosts. Much like Stephen King’s The Shining, these ghosts bring out the worst in Randy and suggest that his family is to blame for his lack of business. Fortunately, after trying to kill them, everything works out ok when the store burns down.

In the episode’s B-plot, the boys want to go trick or treating, but Stan isn’t allowed to join. To get around this, Kyle lets Stan use his iPad in order to Facetime at the houses. But when the boys are caught by the Red Box Killers, Stan has to go undercover to get them arrested. Although the iPad loses battery, Stan winds up successful, and the other boys enjoy a happy Halloween.

The Real Blockbuster

This episode somehow manages to feel like a movie contained in just 20-odd minutes. Its references are funny without being overdone, and the boys’ costumes and desire to catch the criminals are a fun addition. Simple yet interesting, the plot and the nostalgia of scary movies at Blockbuster is exactly what the season is for.

Calling something a blockbuster used to be a good thing, and here, that’s how we mean it.