Editing Stan Marsh (section)

==Role in ''South Park''==
Prior to season 22, Stan lives in South Park with his parents [[Randy and Sharon Marsh]] and his sister Shelly. From season 22 onward, the family lives at a farm on the outskirts of town, where Randy raises [[marijuana]] and forces his reluctant family to assist him. Stan's family includes his 13-year-old sister Shelly, who bullies and beats him, and his [[centenarian]] grandfather. Stan attends South Park Elementary as part of [[Mr. Garrison]]'s fourth-grade class. During the show's first 58 episodes (1997 through the [[South Park (season 4)|season 4]] episode "[[4th Grade (South Park)|4th Grade]]" in 2000), Stan and the other main child characters were in the third grade. Stan is frequently embarrassed and annoyed by his father's antics and frequent acts of [[Public intoxication|public drunkenness]].<ref name="abc3">{{cite web| author=Jake Trapper and Dan Morris| title=Secrets of 'South Park'| publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]| date=September 22, 2006| url=https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Entertainment/Story?id=2479197&page=3| access-date=April 18, 2009| archive-date=May 11, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511114130/http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Entertainment/Story?id=2479197&page=3| url-status=live}}</ref> Stan's relationship to his uncle Jimbo received moderate attention in the show's first two seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gazette.com/arts-entertainment/celebrate-22-years-of-south-park-with-its-22-most-memorable-characters/article_d71a52e4-c2a6-11e9-8569-e7eb7f8ae4d2.html|title=Celebrate 22 years of 'South Park' with its 22 most memorable characters|first=LESLIE JAMES|last=leslie.james@gazette.com|website=Colorado Springs Gazette|date=August 26, 2019|access-date=March 10, 2022|archive-date=April 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405225829/https://gazette.com/arts-entertainment/celebrate-22-years-of-south-park-with-its-22-most-memorable-characters/article_d71a52e4-c2a6-11e9-8569-e7eb7f8ae4d2.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Stan was originally the [[everyman]], described as "a normal, average, American, mixed-up kid".<ref>{{cite web|title=Stan Marsh|url=https://www.southparkstudios.com/wiki/Stan_Marsh|publisher=South Park Studios|access-date=January 13, 2009}}</ref> Stan would also occasionally provide a "[[Moral|moral of the story]]" lesson at the end of certain episodes. In season fifteen, the show shifted to more complex characterization and Stan became cynical and depressed due to his dysfunctional family.<ref name = AVclub1>{{cite news| url = https://www.avclub.com/south-park-youre-getting-old-1798168501| title=South Park: "You're Getting Old"| author = O'Neal, Sean|publisher =[[The A.V. Club]]| date = June 8, 2011|access-date=March 12, 2022}}</ref>

Stan is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled after Stone. Stan and Kyle are best friends, and their relationship, intended to reflect the real-life friendship between Parker and Stone,<ref name="time">{{cite magazine | author = Jeffrey Ressner and James Collins| title = Gross And Grosser | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date = March 23, 1998 | url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988028,00.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090821033347/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988028,00.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = August 21, 2009 | access-date = April 28, 2009}}</ref> is a common topic throughout the series. Stan is frequently at odds with his friend Cartman, resenting Cartman's behavior and openly mocking his weight.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.southparkstudios.com/w/index.php/Cartman|title=Eric Cartman – Characters – South Park Studios|publisher=www.southparkstudios.com|access-date=July 23, 2009}}</ref> Stan shares a close friendship with Kenny<ref>{{cite episode |title=[[Best Friends Forever (South Park)|Best Friends Forever]] |series=South Park |credits=Trey Parker and Matt Stone |network=Comedy Central |air-date=March 30, 2005 |season=9 |number=904}}</ref> and can understand Kenny's muffled voice. Stan also typically exclaims the catchphrase "Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" following one of Kenny's trademark deaths.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,49748,00.html|title=FOXNews.com – South Park Won't Kill Kenny Anymore – Celebrity Gossip &#124; Entertainment News|date=April 8, 2002|publisher=[[Fox News]]|access-date=July 23, 2009|last=Kaplan|first=Don|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512074744/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,49748,00.html|archive-date=May 12, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

Stan is the only character in the group to have had a steady girlfriend, [[Wendy Testaburger]], and their relationship was a recurring topic in the show's earlier seasons. Despite reconciling and declaring to be a couple again in [[South Park (season 11)|season 11]], their relationship seems to have been less formally defined as a couple.<ref name="fortune">{{cite news| author = Devin Leonard| title = 'South Park' creators haven't lost their edge| publisher = CNN| date = October 27, 2006| url = https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391792/index.htm| access-date = May 3, 2009| archive-date = November 7, 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131107220939/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391792/index.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>