I’ve talked about Stan Marsh the Animal Lover before and how much I enjoy that side of his character. I love that even after You’re Getting Old and Ass Burgers, where he is in a depressive, careless state, he still finds it in himself to love and take care of animals. These screenshots from The Fractured but Whole really heal something in me:
Look at how happy he is with the kitty, his little hand around the animal and his big, toothy grin. He looks genuinely happy here.
Also this screenshot of him protesting animal testing:
He looks so sad and hurt at the prospect of these animals getting hurt. His frown, his eyes, his hand reaching out. Reminder that Stan is canonically an animal rights activist and eco terrorist, he’s not just talk when it comes to this.
It’s lovely to see this side of him alive and well, especially because I do believe that deep down Stan still cares and values things despite saying he doesn’t, that’s why he’s still close to Wendy and Kyle. These are two characters who are so passionate and angry and have such a moralistic side to them it’s crazy, they care so much about so many things and Stan being close to both of them shows that he does still care and appreciates people who care. He wants these people around him, to ground him and remind him of what’s important even when things seem dire.