Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants has been through a whirlwind since premiering in the late ’90s. From movies to renewals to merchandise — SpongeBob has generated billions of dollars in revenue. Who knew the life of a Krabby Patty-making sponge would connect with kids so much?
After kicking off its 12th season last year, SpongeBob was renewed for its 13th season this past summer and has a movie (It’s a Wonderful Sponge) premiering in May 2020. As you can see, we may have grown up with SpongeBob SquarePants but Bikini Bottom isn’t going away anytime soon.
No matter how many times we watch SpongeBob and scratch out heads at the silly things he and his Bikini Bottom friends do, we still come back for more. Over the years, however, fans started coming up with their own theories as to why some of the characters act the way they do. Are Krabby Patties really made out of crabs? Were Squidward and his nemesis actually lovers? Let’s find out below!
VEGAN KRABBY PATTIES?!
The Krusty Krab is a popular eating establishment in Bikini Bottom, thanks to their homemade Krabby Patties. The evil Plankton has been after the Krabby Patty recipe for years, hoping to make the Chum Bucket good enough to compete.
One fan, however, told Reddit they believe the Krabby Patties are as good as they are because they don’t actually have crab in them! The recipe calls for “imitation crab meat,” but this Redditor believes the “imitation” part could be fake meat. They also think Krabby Patties taste well because fish can feel good knowing they’re not eating other animals or marine life.
THERE COULD BE ANOTHER REASON WHY SPONGEBOB AND PATRICK ACT LIKE CHILDREN
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to notice that SpongeBob and Patrick get along so well because they both act like toddlers. Everything they do is funny to them or can be made in to an adventure. Well, one Redditor breaks down a few episodes to prove SpongeBob and Patrick don’t just act like children, they are children.
Their theory is that sponges “reproduce by building buds” and have the ability to clone themselves. Do this as a child would make SpongeBob the same age he was when he cloned himself. Likewise, Patrick has also cloned himself in the past by chopping off one of his arms. In short, every time SpongeBob or Patrick get older, they panic and clone themselves so that they can stay young forever.
MERMAID MAN & BARNACLE BOY ARE NAVY DIVERS WHO WERE CAUGHT IN A BAD PROJECT
Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are heroes in the eyes of those in Bikini Bottom — even in their old age. But something always seemed a little off about these two; why were they the only human beings in Bikini Bottom?
One theory suggests when the Bikini Atoll tests took place in the ’40s and ’50s, Mermaid Man was a Navy Diver who was apart of a mission gone wrong, leaving him undersea. Likewise, Barnacle Boy is younger than Mermaid Man and was put in a similar position in the ’50s, leaving both of them shrunken and irritated. This also could explain why they have all that Navy equipment, too
…AND SPONGEBOB IS AN EX-SOLDIER WITH PTSD
If Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were ex-Navy divers who found themselves in a compromising position, why is it far fetch thinking SpongeBob was a former Army officer with PTSD? According to one theory, SpongeBob was too sick mentally go back to the Army so he headed back to Bikini Bottom where he tried to live a normal life with a minimal job.
This is why he wears combat boots, wakes up at the same time every morning, and has a verbal tick like “I’m ready!” that he can’t seem to stop. He also responds to authority with great respect; just look at how he responds to Mr. Krabs. “Ay, Ay captain!”
THERE ISN’T AN ACTUAL SECRET INGREDIENT TO KRABBY PATTIES
Now, this fan theory isn’t two pages long with bullet points of evidence backing it up bu that’s what makes it good. One SpongeBob fan heard that there really wasn’t a secret ingredient in SpongeBob’s Krabby Patties — he was just a really good cook!
How simple would it be if there was never anything special the Krusty Krab added to their menu, it’s just that SpongeBob was that good in the kitchen!
SPONGEBOB’S CHARACTERS ARE BASED ON DIFFERENT SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS
This theory is a little out there but their reasoning isn’t too far out there. The Redditor believes that each character in SpongeBob SquarePants actually represents a sexual orientation. SpongeBob is gay (their examples are the fact that SpongeBob has no interest in women at all, holds hands with Patrick, and follows general “gay” stereotypes); Patrick is bisexual (has a crush on Mindy and is best friends with SpongeBob); Squidward is asexual (shows zero interest in any gender); Sandy Cheeks is a lesbian (the complete opposite of SpongeBob in every way, tomboyish, and fits other stereotypes); and Mr. Krabs is heterosexual (he has a daughter and showed romantic interest in Mrs. Puffs).
Let’s remember these are adorable characters and these are theories.
IS SPONGEBOB A STORY ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING?
Another interesting theory we need to sink our teeth into is the fact that SpongeBob SquarePants could be a childhood tale of global warming. Unlike other sponges shown in the show, SpongeBob appears to be a kitchen sponge; could this be a sign of human pollution? Or could SpongeBob act like a human, working for a larger company (Mr. Krabs)?
Furthering on this point, this theory suggests Patrick represents America, a chubby and lazy starfish who lives under a rock. All the while, Squidward acts as a liberal — loving the arts and has no interested following large corporations.
SPONGEBOB HAS BRAIN DAMAGE FROM A BOATING ACCIDENT
As crazy and silly as SpongeBob is, no one wants to outright call SpongeBob brain dead. However, one theory suggests he has permanent brain damage after a boating accident. Once SpongeBob recovered from his accident, he immediately enrolled in boating school and began working at the Krusty Krab because no one else would hire him.
Perhaps the pressure from Mrs. Puff is too much for him to take and that’s why he keeps failing his boating exam?
WERE SQUIDWARD AND SQUILLIAM EX-LOVERS?
In one of the most interesting theories, one SpongeBob fan thinks Squidward’s beef with his high school rival, Squillium, is because they were former lovers. Instead of acting pretentious and snooty as he usually does, whenever Squillium is around Squidward become frantic and studders.
Squillium also seems to know Squidward on a deeper level than most frienemies would. In one episode, Squidward even screams “I can’t let him see me in my Krusty Krab uniform!” when Squillium strolls into the Krusty Krab. Not many people care about what others think of their work unless there used to be some sort of emotion there.
SPONGEBOB, SQUIDWARD, AND A TIKI BAR
According to one theory over on Mental Floss, Squidward, Patrick, and SpongeBob made their homes out of remnants from a sunken ship.
From the coconut, the tiki head, and the pineapple — it appears there was some sort of tiki party aboard a ship and when that ship crashed at sea, its tiki bar sunk to the bottom, giving out favorite characters a place to call home.
