Don't get me wrong, i like kenny, he's among my favorite characters, but he really blurs the line between being a main character and being a completely ancillary background character. i like when he's there and doing something but i don't think he's fundamental to the show's "soul" in the way that cartman, stan, and kyle, but mostly cartman are. i think butters would have added more to seasons 1 and 2 more than the physical kenny would have added to season 6. and keep in mind that plot wise, kenny is absolutely there in season 6, with the whole ladder to heaven and chocolate milk mix fiasco, and in being the standard that butters and tweak have to live up to. that's more than can be said for chef after his death.
