Stan is generally depicted as logical, brave, patient and sensitive. He is outspoken in expressing his distinct lack of esteem for adults and their influences, as adult South Park residents rarely make use of their critical faculties.

Being disliked by nearly almost everyone in town, Cartman is a fat, bigoted, racist, sexist, cowardly, foulmouthed, manipulative sociopath who constantly spreads hate and bullying wherever he goes. He also deceives others (especially Kyle and Butters) to achieve his goals.

Like Stan and Kenny and unlike Cartman, Kyle is kind, sweet, tender, and sensitive. Kyle's two main best friends are Stan and Kenny. Kyle often displays the highest moral standard of all the boys and is usually depicted as the most intelligent. When describing Kyle, Stone states that both he and the character are "reactionary", and susceptible to irritability and impatience.

His real name is Kenneth, but everyone in the show just called him Kenny including the adults. Kenny and Stan both have blue eyes and were both kind, tender, and sensitive. He is the smartest of the main four boys after Kyle, even knowing that he should go to Kyle for help in " The Coon ".