Prior to making his first major appearance in the season 3 episode "Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub", crew members referred to the character as "Puff Puff" and "Swanson", the latter name which he was identified as in the season 2 episode "Conjoined Fetus Lady", and would continue to be addressed by the two names in storyboards and scripts until it was finalized as "Butters" in the aforementioned "Two Guys Naked in a Hot Tub". Butters gradually became one of Parker and Stone's favorite characters, and for the show's season five finale they created the episode