Top 10 Saddest SpongeBob SquarePants Moments

SpongeBob loves visiting his grandma, but when the townsfolk start teasing him for being a “baby,” he decides to grow up with no more baby stuff. Unfortunately, adult life isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and SpongeBob throws a hysterical crying fit wanting to be a baby again. The rant is kind of hilarious to watch at first, but it gets progressively more upsetting because SpongeBob’s convinced that he’s too old for grandma’s kisses, and it’s especially sad to those who’re under the mindset that you’re too old to enjoy the things you loved as a child. Fortunately, Grandma SquarePants is there to remind us all that being an adult doesn’t mean you have to grow up completely.

Squidward gets a chance to have his marching band perform at the Bubble Bowl… except he doesn’t have a band. He rallies the townsfolk and tries to turn them into a band… and fails miserably. With all hope seemingly lost, Squidward just gives up – telling them all not to bother showing up for the big day, and just tearfully says, “thanks for nothing.” It’s already been established that Squidward is the show’s punching bag, but seeing his one chance at happiness crushed is just heartbreaking. However, it makes his triumph at the end all the more deserved when the gang finally comes together to make him proud and perform “Sweet Victory” – which itself could draw a few happy tears.

It’s April Fool’s Day in Bikini Bottom, and Squidward’s had enough of SpongeBob’s practical jokes. He decides to show the little fry cook a “real” prank via a spring-loaded trap that sends him flying all over the Krusty Krab before landing in a garbage can. Feeling battered and humiliated, SpongeBob runs home with tears in his eyes, and naturally, everyone is disgusted with Squidward’s prank – and we can’t say we blame them. All SpongeBob was doing was playing silly, harmless pranks just for fun, but a certain cephalopod decided to escalate things and make the little square dude cry. Fortunately, Squidward’s conscience forces him to apologize… right before SpongeBob gets a little taste of revenge.

SpongeBob has been daydreaming about living among the jellyfish and decides to prove that he can last more than one day in the wild. His friends all scoff at his decision, except for Patrick who feels utterly betrayed that his best friend basically abandons him – he spends over half the episode in tears, begging his buddy to come home. Meanwhile, SpongeBob learns the hard way that being a jellyfish isn’t that great – while it’s nice to make a change of scenery sometimes, he had a wonderful life and friends, but he gave it all up just to end up being miserable. Fortunately, he comes to his senses and returns to the modern world, and his friends happily welcome him back – even Squidward… somewhat.

SpongeBob has been trying – and failing – to find Squidward his happiest memory, but all his attempts only cause more grief for the unhappy cephalopod. Before long, Squidward falls into a heavy depression – he’s stopped taking care of himself and his house, he doesn’t go outside anymore, and he wallows in his own misery. This hits uncomfortably close to home for those affected by clinical depression – it doesn’t help that Squidward’s the show’s martyr, and the fake-out suicide imagery only makes it more unsettling to sit through. He eventually finds happiness again… After mauling several papier-mâché SpongeBob replicas to death in a psychotic rampage – so SpongeBob DID help in some sense.

SpongeBob and Patrick have been best friends forever, they’ve even joined the Best Friends Forever Club. However, when Patrick becomes intelligent thanks to some brain coral, their friendship is on the rocks. Patrick believes that they’ve just grown apart and has them go their separate ways – which naturally breaks poor SpongeBob’s heart. The idea of the dynamic duo splitting up is just too much to bear – even Patrick regrets his decision as he tearfully looks back at the glory days before his newfound intellect. Thankfully, Patrick quickly learns that knowledge can’t replace friendship, and happily gives up his new brainpower just to keep his little buddy.

Being a squirrel out of water –or UNDER water in this case - Sandy starts to feel homesick for Texas. She misses her old home so much that she pulls out her guitar and strums out a melancholic country tune – a song so powerful that anyone who hears it is brought to tears. She almost considers leaving Bikini Bottom until SpongeBob convinces her to stay with a surprise party and her own little slice of Texas. Anyone who’s been plagued with homesickness can relate to Sandy here, but it’s important to find a way to make your current residence feel like home; and if Sandy ever had to leave this underwater paradise and all her friends, it’d probably crush her all over again.

During Mr. Krabs and Plankton’s card game, Krabs foolishly bets SpongeBob’s Krusty Krab contract and loses. After one last tearful embrace, Krabs is forced to watch his best fry cook get dragged away to work for his arch nemesis at the Chum Bucket –almost like a father and son being separated. Before long, the two engage in singing a somber duet about how much they miss each other – SpongeBob wanting to return to the grill he loves, and Krabs wanting his most loyal employee back – he even says he’d trade it all for him. In the end, SpongeBob’s rebellion proves too much for Plankton, and he’s happily brought back to the Krusty Krab where he belongs.

SpongeBob and Patrick are on their most perilous journey to date – to retrieve King Neptune’s crown and save Mr. Krabs’ life. Unfortunately, along the way, a diver abducts them and takes them to his gift shop up on dry land. He then sticks them under a heat lamp that slowly dries them out – basically killing them at a snail’s pace. Lying together side-by-side, the two goofballs shrivel up and dehydrate knowing how close they came to finishing their mission. Watching our favorite underwater buddies die in their theatrical debut was just unbearable for longtime fans and movie-goers, but it’s nothing the tears of friendship can’t do to bring our goofy goobers back to life to save all that they love.

Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few distressing honorable mentions.

SpongeBob Has to Move
"Home Sweet Pineapple"

Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy Reunite
"Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V"

Santa Doesn’t Come
"Christmas Who?"

Squidward Loses Everything
"Can You Spare a Dime?"

Fired?
"Karate Choppers"

SpongeBob has been so preoccupied with a paddle-ball challenge that he forgets to feed his snail, Gary. Feeling neglected, Gary runs away, leaving his poor owner feeling guilty, alone, and inconsolable. SpongeBob barely held it together when Gary supposedly dumped him for Patrick, but knowing that he unintentionally drove his pet away just crushes him. To make matters worse, our eyes are left watering during the “Gary Come Home” montage as SpongeBob desperately searches for his beloved snail - mixed with flashes of him lamenting during the saddest song of the series. Thankfully, like most of the entries on this list, there IS a happy ending, but any pet owner will agree that driving away your animal companion is the worst feeling ever.