The 20 most iconic episodes of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’

Widely considered the best SpongeBob episode of all time, "Band Geeks" showcases the series at its peak. When Squidward’s rival Squilliam brags about his marching band, Squidward lies that he also has his own band and, therefore, must create one. He recruits SpongeBob, Patrick, and more, but they’re all hopeless during rehearsal. However, when SpongeBob belts out an epic rendition of "Sweet Victory" during the band’s big performance, Squidward has his moment of glory.

The premise of "Chocolate With Nuts" is fairly straightforward: SpongeBob and Patrick go around selling chocolate bars to make some extra cash. However, the eccentric characters they run into and the chaos they create make this a classic episode. From the lies the pair tell to make a sale to crazy customers like the deranged-chocolate addict and the shriveled-up elderly fish, there are too many memorable moments to count. 

In this cautious tale inspired by Frankenstein, SpongeBob and Patrick discover a magical pencil from the surface, and everything they draw with it comes to life. SpongeBob draws a character who looks like him called DoodleBob, who he discovers has a sinister mind of his own. As the creature wreaks havoc and causes destruction wherever he goes, SpongeBob must stop him. DoodleBob’s evil gibberish is hilarious, and the magic pencil provides plenty of unique visual gags.

In the very first episode of SpongeBob, SpongeBob applies for his dream job of fry cook at the Krusty Krab. He must prove himself to Squidward and Mr. Krabs by feeding a stampede of ravenous anchovies. The pilot does a neat job of introducing the core characters, especially SpongeBob’s can-do attitude. The silent and ominous anchovies make for some great absurd humor, and the simplicity of the episode still holds up after all these years. 

In one of Plankton’s first episodes, the one-eyed green villain is met with another failed attempt at stealing the Krabby Patty formula. SpongeBob believes Plankton is only evil because he’s lonely, and the two strike up a friendship. SpongeBob tries to teach Plankton how to have fun, complete with the classic musical number "F.U.N." It’s quite amusing to see SpongeBob and Plankton engage in several bonding activities, despite knowing Plankton’s true intentions.

This episode of SpongeBob is presented as a corporate training video for Krusty Krab employees. With SpongeBob as the actor, the video covers everything you need to know to succeed as a restaurant employee, from hygiene to Krabby Patty assembling. It’s a simple idea with not much going on plot-wise, but it’s brilliantly executed. The highlight has to be the restaurant’s motto of ‘P.O.O.P,’ which stands for ‘people order our patties.’

When Mr. Krabs decides to keep the Krusty Krab open 24 hours, SpongeBob and Squidward are forced to work the night shift. Squidward squashes SpongeBob’s enthusiasm with an eerie tale of the Hash-Slinging Slasher. Elements of the story begin actually to occur, and Squidward becomes just as frightened as SpongeBob. The episode is a great example of the show’s creative humor, which includes an appearance from vampire horror icon Nosferatu.

"The Camping Episode" is another great example of the effective "less is more" approach that several SpongeBob episodes take. SpongeBob and Patrick decide to go camping in their backyard. At first, Squidward is annoyed, but he joins them to prove he can handle the outdoors. The episode features one of the show’s most iconic singalongs, appropriately titled "The Campfire Song," one angry sea bear, and plenty of other shenanigans.

When Squidward forces his way into SpongeBob and Patrick’s clubhouse, which is literally too small for him, it is propelled into the middle of the Kelp Forest. Without a way home, SpongeBob and Patrick turn to a Magic Conch for guidance, much like a Magic 8 Ball, which drives Squidward insane. There are many hilarious elements to this episode, including SpongeBob and Patrick’s submission to the conch, Squidward losing his mind, and the trio being stranded in the wilderness together. 

With one of the most meme-able frames in the entire SpongeBob series, "Idiot Box" is ridiculously delightful. SpongeBob and Patrick play with a large cardboard box and throw out the TV inside of it. The realistic noises coming from the box confuse and annoy Squidward, so SpongeBob tells him they are using their imagination (where the famous image of SpongeBob with a rainbow over his head originates) to create their own fun and scenarios. 

When SpongeBob and Patrick are told not to do something, they will, of course, do the opposite. When Sandy hibernates in her tree dome during the winter, the two sneak in to play in the snow. They are met with an enormous, overtired, and angry version of their friend and become trapped in the dome for the entire winter. It’s one of the many times SpongeBob and Patrick are responsible for their own peril, and it’s quite something to see the usually cheery Sandy in this monstrous state. 

When Mr. Krabs tries to come up with a new marketing gimmick for the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob comes up with a proposition for colored Krabby Patties. Mr. Krabs ridicules the idea, but a hurt SpongeBob thinks it has real potential and tries to sell them on his own, with very successful results. It’s one of the rare times we see SpongeBob stand up to Mr. Krabs, and Mr. Krabs indeed learns his lesson in the end when he steals the idea, only to find the hype is over.

Of Plankton’s many attempts to infiltrate the Krusty Krab and steal the Krabby Patty formula, disguising himself as Mr. Krabs in a robot suit may be one of his greatest yet. However, he has one big obstacle in his way, and that’s SpongeBob. The back and forth between SpongeBob and the robot is hilarious, and SpongeBob getting contradicting orders from both the fake and real Mr. Krabs creates much chaos. Without even trying, he makes Planton’s task far more difficult. 

We’ve all wanted to taste a Krabby Patty, except for Squidward. When SpongeBob learns he’s never tried one of the famous patties, he forces his co-worker to do so. Squidward secretly loves it but doesn’t want to give SpongeBob the satisfaction, so he pretends to hate it. He craves another bite and is driven to raid a vault of Krabby Patties, only to be caught in the act by SpongeBob. The sly look on SpongeBob’s face is priceless as he learns the truth.

We all know that SpongeBob is beyond help when it comes to driving, but nevertheless, this episode sees Mrs. Puff fired due to her student’s inability to pass his boating test. She is replaced by the tough Sergeant Rodrick, who puts SpongeBob through unconventional training. When SpongeBob fails his test again, it becomes clear that he is "unteachable." Mrs. Puff is rehired, set to fail SpongeBob again and again for all of eternity.

The long-running rivalry between Squidward and the rich and arrogant Squilliam continues in "Squilliam Returns." Squilliam makes fun of Squidward’s failed life, so he lies and says he owns a five-star restaurant. When Squilliam invites himself to eat there, the gang is tasked with turning the Krusty Krab into a fine dining institution. SpongeBob is Squidward’s secret weapon and goes full waiter mode, getting so into character that he even forgets his own name.

Move over, Avengers; there’s a new superhero team in town. Fan favorites Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy return in this episode, and Barnacle Boy is tired of being treated like a kid. As a result, he turns to the dark side and joins the supervillains, so Mermaid Man enlists the help of none other than SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy. Who needs the Justice League when you have The Quickster, Elastic Waistband, Captain Magma, and Miss Appear? 

Jellyfishing is one of SpongeBob and Patrick’s favorite recreational activities. Early in the series, they take Squidward with them to cheer him up when they discover he is recovering from a cycling accident. However, the outing only puts Squidward in more danger, leaving him with more injuries, thanks to the vicious jellyfish. It’s one of the show's many episodes that ham it up with comedic violence, leaving Squidward with more burns and brain damage than one can count. 

In "Rock-a-Bye Bivalve," SpongeBob and Patrick become stay-at-home parents, and it’s just as ridiculous and brilliant as it sounds. When they decide to take care of an abandoned baby clam, SpongeBob takes on the role of housewife while Patrick goes to "work," which means going to his house to watch TV with a briefcase of donuts. As Patrick spends less time at home and the stress of motherhood takes a toll on SpongeBob, their "marriage" starts to fall apart as they argue more and more. 

"Wet Painters" certainly goes down as one of the show’s most anxiety-inducing episodes. In one of his more questionable decisions, Mr. Krabs enlists SpongeBob and Patrick to paint his house. He tells them the paint is permanent, and they fear he’ll hang their butts over his mantle if they get it on anything. The tension increases with every drop that almost spills, and SpongeBob and Patrick think they’re in the clear until they find a speck on Mr. Krabs' framed first dollar bill.