Bikini Bottom is one of the most colorful settings in animation history, and that's mostly because the place is filled to the brim with lively residents. SpongeBob SquarePants' first three seasons are extremely rewatchable, and a large proportion of its humor is character-driven. The inhabitants of this nautical neighborhood are so wonderfully conceived that it's difficult to imagine this legendary show without any of them, even the minor ones. It feels pretty silly to try and rank them, as they're so lovable to people of all ages for so many reasons that it feels like comparing apples to oranges, bananas, strawberries, etc.
Nevertheless, Stephen Hillenburg's brilliant brainchild produced such iconic personalities that it warrants an examination of what makes some of the greatest ones age so well 25 years after their debut. Ranking them is not just a matter of versatility, as even background characters like Fred the Fish are used in a variety of ways. It's also not just a matter of hilarity, as calling the eponymous sponge funnier than his next-door neighbors is a matter of taste and context. Maybe the best way to put it is that the 10 best characters in this incredible sitcom complement its wild, wacky, intelligent, and surreal environment in the most significant (and/or unique) ways.
SpongeBob SquarePants
TV-Y7
Animation
Comedy
Children's/Family
Where to Watch
*Availability in US
- Release Date
- July 17, 1999
- Creator
- Stephen Hillenburg
- Seasons
- 14
- Cast
- Tom Kenny , Bill fa*gerbakke , Rodger Bumpass , Clancy Brown , Carolyn Lawrence
- Main Genre
- Animation
10 Mrs. Puff
Voiced by Mary Jo Catlett
One of the most underrated characters on the show, Mrs. Puff (Mary Jo Catlett) probably has the least coveted relationship with SpongeBob. Not only does she have to keep teaching him in boating school year after year (because he never passes), but she also has to conduct consistently dangerous boating exams that put her in harm's way. This often leads to her puffing up ("Oh, SpongeBob. WHYYY?") and going to the hospital for the injuries sustained during the inevitable crash.
This understandably makes this patient pufferfish go a little crazy, like when she gives SpongeBob a ridiculous amount of extra credit just to get rid of him, or when she simply hallucinates an entire episode. When she gets relieved of her instructing duties for not being able to teach the unteachable sponge, she immediately becomes the other kind of relieved: "Free at last!" Mrs. Puff shows just how hard it is to be a teacher, functioning as one of the most hilariously relatable characters on the program.
9 Karen
Voiced by Jill Talley
If artificial intelligence does wind up taking over the world, then hopefully it will resemble Plankton's computer-wife, Karen (Jill Talley). Her nasally, mid-western accent somehow fits perfectly with the high-tech wasteland of The Chum Bucket, subverting the viewer's expectations of what an evil character can sound like. Whether she puts on a normal facial expression or just displays a zigzag on the screen, her extremely logical way of explaining a villainous plan makes Plankton's best episodes all the more original.
Plankton created her, and yet it seems she's a lot better at being a villain than he is. Without her, many installments in the series wouldn't even happen. For instance, Karen tells Plankton he should "befriend the SpongeBob" to get the Krabby Patty formula in "F.U.N." She also launches the plot for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie by giving her husband a simple alphabet lesson. It's also a gift to see her softer side, though, like when she tells Plankton that talking through his emotions will make him feel better. Karen may be made of metal, but this side character is pure gold.
8 Mermaid Man
Voiced by Ernest Borgnine
Apparently, it's not all fish under the sea. Prime example: Mermaid Man (Ernest Borgnine) is apparently just a human who can somehow breathe underwater. He and his sidekick Barnacle Boy have a long history of fighting crime, and yet SpongeBob first meets them at Shady Shoals retirement home. Mermaid Man's mind clearly isn't as sharp as it used to be, making almost every word he says comedic brilliance. Along with his show that has no business airing new episodes, Mermaid Man can pop up on SpongeBob's television and make the viewer laugh at any given moment.
His powers aren't what they used to be either, yet he still walks through a cafeteria line with the enthusiasm of a superhero on patrol. It's also fantastic that he still thinks of Barnacle Boy as his young ward, even though they appear the same age. The best thing about this character, however, is that he screams "EVIL!" whenever the word is uttered. Rest in peace, Ernest Borgnine, for giving the world such a lovable character (merely one of his many accomplishments).
7 Sandy Cheeks
Voiced by Carolyn Lawrence
With Plankton's genius and SpongeBob's playfulness, Sandy's outgoing personality has made her a welcome part of the cast ever since her first episode. She's tough enough to wrestle a giant clam, get into the Salty Spitoon, and win a weightlifting competition. It's no surprise, then, that one of her favorite hobbies is karate-sparring with SpongeBob. This gifted squirrel built a treedome underwater, a special suit that helps her survive the ocean's conditions, and a rocket ship. Will she solve world hunger next?
Sandy is funniest once someone gets on her nerves, though. When Patrick kicks her in the leg in one of the best episodes of SpongeBob's Golden Era, she goes completely berserk. Then there's the time when SpongeBob and Patrick make fun of Texas and wind up running for their lives. Sandy is proud of her roots, and she will compete in a series of dangerous underwater trials to prove land-creatures' worth. She certainly proves her worth to the show.
6 Sheldon J. Plankton
Voiced by Doug Lawrence
Plankton is one of those characters who's obsessed with one thing, and yet his character approaches his goal in such creative ways that it never gets old. Meanwhile, he's so tiny that even SpongeBob is liable to step on him by accident, which makes it difficult to take him seriously. Despite all the advanced gadgets he has built with his vastly superior intellect, including a sentient computer, Plankton can't cook to save his life. His single purpose, therefore, is to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula so that he can be as successful as his fast-food rival.
He also isn't good at speaking to the ordinary people. Case in point: he enters a bar to wrangle up some guys to help him get the formula, but the first words out of his mouth are "Felicitations, malefactors!" Watching Mr. Krabs repeatedly flick him out of the Krusty Krab is always a treat, and Plankton is especially entertaining when he's really mad (like when he forces SpongeBob to work for him). Plankton doesn't deserve to get his stubby hands on the formula, but he does deserve applause.
5 Mr. Krabs
Voiced by Clancy Brown
Eugene Krabs (Clancy Brown) is SpongeBob's comically frugal boss at The Krusty Krab. He likes money so much that he's willing to shove his entire claw into a sink for a dime, detaching his arm in the process of pulling it out. He'll eat a visibly spoiled Krabby Patty so it doesn't go to waste. He has his first dollar earned framed on his wall, which he has SpongeBob paint for free. He'd rather get chomped by a giant clam than lose his millionth dollar.
An unapologetic capitalist and former chef at the S.S. Diarrhea, Mr. Krabs' rough voice and vocabulary (like "Arrgh") makes him sound half-sailor, half-pirate. He certainly seems more like the latter when he steals others' stuff. Whether he's on Squidward's side or not, his presence is integral to his iconic fast-food establishment. His rivalry with Plankton and tendency to embarrass his daughter add hilarious layers to a crab whose stubborn head is as hard as his shell.
4 Gary
Voiced by Tom Kenny
He looks like a snail, he moves like a snail, but he sounds like a cat. He goes by Gary (Tom Kenny), and he is SpongeBob's beloved pet sea snail. Other than giving cat-people comfort in knowing that SpongeBob is one of them, Gary serves several important roles. He usually comes across as a less apathetic Squidward, though, largely indifferent to SpongeBob's situations and providing sound advice when asked. The variations in how he says "Meow" demonstrate many different emotions this impressive snail has.
Indeed, it appears that Gary is much smarter than his owner. This is especially fundamental to his success as a main character in episodes like "The Great Snail Race" and "Dumped." With those big, staring eyes, Gary is one of those characters who shows that the inability to speak only adds to their personality (or prrr-sonality). In fact, Gary is probably better than any other character at making the viewer laugh with nothing more than a silent, blank stare.
3 Patrick Star
Voiced by Bill fa*gerbakke
SpongeBob is so comically naïve that it takes an astoundingly dumb character to make him look savvy by comparison. This title, of course, belongs to Patrick Star (Bill fa*gerbakke). Patrick is a perpetually unemployed starfish who lives under a rock (literally and figuratively) and has inexplicable thoughts about a milk carton spilling over on a table. Patrick's contribution to this show's absurdity is summed up by the Orb of Confusion, which he doesn't recover from even after it's switched off.
Among other things, Patrick tries to open a frozen door with magic, can't tell the difference between musical instruments and food products, and takes a hysterically long time to open a jar. There is probably no more satisfying scream of terror than Patrick's, like when SpongeBob's excessive cooking makes him fly out the door in the show's masterful pilot. One doesn't even need to watch Patrick's best episodes to realize that, of all the icons who fit into the heavy idiot archetype, he's one of the funniest.
2 Squidward Tentacles
Voiced by Rodger Bumpass
Some say that a show is only as good as its straight man. Enter Squidward: the quintessential character of contrast. He hates SpongeBob so much that he says so explicitly on more than one occasion. In one episode, he even places the signs "No" and "Yes" on his front door, anticipating correctly that his next-door neighbor will ask him to play and then ask if he's sure. It goes to show that Squidward doesn't even need to physically appear to provide top-tier responses. Just as essentially, this makes his occasional demonstrations of kindness all the more heartwarming.
Squidward's understandable exasperation is perfect no matter what or whom he's responding to, but he's much more than the local grump. He is a passionate artist, and his superiority complex contrasts with his meager skills. He's not a great painter, clarinet player, or anything else, yet his aspirations to become famous make him a compelling and surprisingly sympathetic character. He is the best cashier above or below sea level, tentacles down.
1 SpongeBob SquarePants
Voiced by Tom Kenny
He can drive a rock, a sandwich, an invisible boat-mobile, and even a normal boat with a blindfold on, but give him a normal vehicle and the ability to see, and he will crash. His name is SpongeBob SquarePants, fry cook extraordinaire. His infectious laugh, charming optimism, and hilarious naïveté come together to form a character who can make you crack up in so many ways that he's no less than one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time for his comedic chops alone.
He is also a sensitive sponge, though. The audience is always on his side whenever his feelings get hurt, yet he can still be funny while he's crying, like when he tells Squidward he made a sweater with his tears. The viewer can't help but find his extreme sensitivity and copious kindness endlessly amusing, and his hobbies (including karate and jellyfishing) add more to the sponge's charm. Of course, cheerful and sad are merely two of his many emotions. Every side of this yellow sponge is a joy to behold, really, but it would take another list to describe them all. Devoted fans of the show understand that, despite his shape, Mr. SquarePants is exceptionally well-rounded.
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