Top 10 'Spongebob' Episodes

TV & Film

Feb 4

Spongebob Squarepants has done something that few other cartoons can say they have done. It is a beloved memory for three different generations: Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. The long-running series first premiered in May 1999 and is still releasing new episodes and movies. The series has also spawned two spin-offs: Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show which both premiered in 2021. The series currently has 331 episodes with more on the way, and there is no denying the fact that all of these episodes are not created equally. Let’s dive into the show and look at ten of the best episodes!

10. Employee Of The Month (Season 1, Episode 12)

I feel like this episode is one that a lot of people forget about when thinking about the best Spongebob episodes. This is one of the only episodes where Spongebob and Squidward actually do something together without having to be forced into it. Watching them battle and torture each other to be named Employee of the Month is hysterical. I also love that Squidward is doing it out of pure spite.

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9. Nature Pants (Season 1, Episode 9)

This episode showed Spongebob being a little bit more complex than we typically see him, and it gave us crazy Patrick. Spongebob is typically obsessed with the Krusty Krab, but in this episode, he turns his back on his job and his friends to “live off the land” and be one of the jellyfish. I feel like every millennial can relate to wanting to just run away, so we get to do it vicariously through Spongebob.

8. Club Spongebob (Season 3, Episode 2)

ALL HAIL THE MAGIC CONCH!!! This is one of the most quotable episodes of Spongebob. There is no denying the fact that seeing Squidward annoyed and pushed to his limits is one of the best things about the show, and this episode delivers it over and over again. Spongebob rarely gets to be in charge of things, so I really enjoy the fact that this episode puts Squidward at his mercy.

7. Chocolate With Nuts (Season 3, Episode 12)

It feels wrong to put this classic at number seven, but it is the only spot where it fits. This episode is pure madness and does a great job of making fun of capitalism. None of us will ever forget the fear we felt when we watched this episode for the first time, and the fish kept popping up and screaming “CHOCOLATE!!!”

6. Texas (Season 1, Episode 18)

As a born and raised Texan this episode will always be a favorite. I remember watching it when I was 9 years old and thinking it was so funny that they didn’t know what barbecue or pecan pie was. As an adult, I love the fact that this episode is making fun of such a hateful state in a way that makes a good point but is also fun. This is definitely an episode everyone should watch. “What am I?” “Stupid.” “No, I’m Texas.” “What’s the difference?” Iconic!

5. Spongebob Meets The Strangler (Season 3, Episode 20)

It is no secret that Spongebob can be a bit of a handful, but this episode takes it to a new level. As a true crime fan, I love the fact that they brought in The Tattle-Tale Strangler who is hinted at being a serial killer. Spongebob essentially tortures the poor guy by simply being himself, and the criminal ends up begging to be put in prison and saved from Spongebob. This is one of the few later episodes that brought back the humor from seasons one and two.

4. Band Geeks (Season 2, Episode 15)

Squidward and Squilliam Fancyson’s feud was a genius move by the writers and guarantees that every episode where it is brought in is going to be amazing. This episode is easily the best of their feuding episodes, and it has amazing music! You would think that forming a marching band in Bikini Bottom would be easy, but poor Squidward learns that it is almost impossible. It also taught us the important life lesson that mayonnaise is NOT an instrument.

3. Sailor Mouth (Season 2, Episode 18)

Any cartoon where the main characters spend the entire time cursing and being bleeped out is going to be a classic. The best thing about this episode is that it doesn’t try to tell us that cursing is wrong, and instead leans into the fact that pretty much every adult has a curse word that they use when they get frustrated. I think what also makes it so funny is that Tom Kenny said that he and Bill Fagerbakke were actually cursing in the booth, and that unedited audio is buried somewhere in the Nickelodeon vault.

2. Pizza Delivery (Season 1, Episode 5)

It doesn’t matter if you like Spongebob or not, you have definitely seen this episode. The Krusty Krab pizza is one of the most iconic pieces of pop culture to come out in the last few decades. The best thing about this episode though is how Squidward defends Spongebob at the end of the episode. We never see him stand up for Spongebob, which is one of the reasons this episode is so special.

1. Graveyard Shift (Season 2, Episode 16)

There may be 330 other Spongebob episodes, but this one will always be the greatest. It is one of the simpler episodes since we spend almost the entire time with just Spongebob and Squidward inside the Krusty Krab, but we also get the legend of the Hash-Slinging Slasher. Spongebob does a great job of creating horror-esque episodes, but this one is honestly the best because while it is creepy it is also hysterical. We also get our first sight of Nosferatu in this episode which is why we get to see him pop up in future episodes. This episode is easily the best in the series, and I would honestly love to see the cast and crew take the energy of this episode and give us a feature-length Spongebob Squarepants horror film.

Honorable Mentions: The Holiday Episodes

Spongebob Squarepants currently has 23 holiday episodes that celebrate everything from Halloween and Christmas to Valentine’s Day and Earth Day. My husband and I make sure to watch the Halloween and Christmas specials each year, but they honestly aren’t as amazing as the other ten episodes on this list. It would be a crime though to not mention them at all.

Spongebob Squarepants, Kamp Koral, and The Patrick Star Show are available to stream on Paramount+.

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