Top 10 Times Sheldon Was a Savage on The Big Bang Theory

Upon realizing he’s the only of his friends who’s completely single, Leonard starts feeling a little blue. Unfortunately, he lives with one of the least sympathetic people on earth. When Sheldon finds Leonard sprawled across the sofa, he tries to deduce what’s got him so down. And in true Sheldon style, he does it while delivering an unintentionally vicious jibe. In all fairness, he tries to show a smidge of compassion, but it’s just to get Leonard’s feet out of his spot. It doesn’t help that he then throws jabs at his friend, targeting his attractiveness and so-called manliness. He probably didn’t mean to be so insensitive, but as Bernadette once wisely said. Still, it was pretty brutal.

When Penny goes back to college, she refuses to let Leonard read her history report knowing he wouldn't be able to resist taking over. He checks it out behind her back anyway and deems that her writing is as subpar as her cooking. However, he soon feels guilty and tries to exonerate himself by confessing to Sheldon. The pair has been living together so long you’d think he’d know better. Indeed, Sheldon's caught up in his own problems and makes it perfectly clear that unless Leonard's drama somehow involves him, he can keep it to himself. Eventually, the friends use a chess clock to work out their issues, although we're not convinced Leonard gets much out of it.

As any “Big Bang” fan knows, writing contracts is one of Sheldon’s favorite activities. And arguably, there’s no contract more sacred to this kooky genius than The Roommate Agreement. So, he becomes increasingly annoyed when Leonard’s girlfriend Priya scrutinizes it and points out its flaws. He becomes even more flustered when his friends use her brilliant lawyerly mind just to mess with him. However, it’s Sheldon who gets the last laugh. Following Amy’s drunken advice, he decides to invoke “Star Trek” to exact his revenge. Sheldon uses Priya’s family against her to force Leonard into signing a new agreement. Amy told him to play dirty, but this is downright diabolical. Sheldon Cooper always gets his way.

Despite their blossoming friendship, Sheldon rarely misses an opportunity to pass judgment or throw shade at Penny’s life choices. He’s never short on snarky remarks over her chosen career path and often scoffs at her educational background. In fact, whenever Penny schools Sheldon on life, he likes to remind her of what he perceives to be her limited qualifications. Sheldon’s also no stranger to pointing out Penny’s extensive dating history and apparent promiscuity. In “The Benefactor Factor,” he brashly urges her to teach Leonard how to trade a specific kind of favor “for material gain.” If looks could kill, Penny most certainly would have taken Sheldon out then and there. And who could blame her? It was incredibly harsh.

In season one, Penny learns why everyone avoids Sheldon when he's sick— and no, it's not just because of the germs. However, he really amps up the savagery in this season nine episode, insulting everyone who comes to his aid. He's mean to Penny and super rude to both Emily and Bernadette when they offer their healthcare expertise. Leonard brings him hot soup but gets burned by Sheldon's fiery backtalk. Meanwhile, Amy extends her trip out of town to avoid dealing with him, as she lovingly tries to explain. The worst part is that Sheldon believes his ill-health excuses his behavior. Even with the offer of a free customized t-shirt, not everyone is willing to forgive and forget.

It’s love at first sight for Leonard when he first spots their new neighbor across the hall. After an awkward introduction, he’s already envisioning a future where the girl next door is his wife, and they have attractive and intelligent children. However, Sheldon’s very quick to burst his bubble. Years later, Leonard reflects on one of his past ideas while the guys discuss a cool new invention. He wonders why he never followed through. Luckily, Sheldon’s eidetic memory has the answer. Unluckily for Leonard, the response is accompanied by a cutting remark. Still, even Sheldon had to admit he was wrong about this one.

In the season eight finale, Amy heartbreakingly called for a pause on her relationship with Sheldon. Our sympathy for the latter quickly fades when he spends much of the season nine premiere relentlessly pestering and pressuring her to make a choice. He even brings the argument to Howard and Bernadette’s, where everyone’s gathered to watch Penny and Leonard’s Vegas wedding live stream. In one particularly cruel moment, he shockingly reminds Amy that her fertile days are numbered. It’s such an awful thing to say. Not only is he incredibly hurtful to her, but he also shows a complete disregard for his best friends’ wedding. No wonder she chooses to dump him! That’s bad Sheldon, very bad.

When Sheldon discovers a long-overdue DVD they once rented on his account, he makes Leonard a deal in exchange for his silence on the matter. The latter character must wear an itchy garment until the issue is resolved. At first, this seems like a reasonable enough agreement and a great way for Leonard to “walk a mile in [Sheldon's] metaphorical shoes.” However, his physical and emotional well-being pay the price when he spends longer in the itchy sweater than anticipated. Adding insult to injury, Sheldon eventually reveals that he'd already taken care of the late DVD years ago. This leaves Leonard in need of another ice pack for his bruised ego. Hey, Sheldon, that wasn't a "teachable moment," that was just cruel.

He might not have a Ph.D. like his friends, but Howard Wolowitz is still exceptionally smart. Only one person would rebuke this fact, and that’s Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Throughout the show’s run we’ve seen Sheldon dismiss Howard’s intelligence, belittle his education and ridicule his profession. Let’s not forget that Howard’s an MIT graduate, who’s been to space, no less. When Sheldon wants to ensure his work can be understood by the layman, he calls on Howard. When Amy says she’s looking for an engineer, he quips that Howard might know one. And when Wolowitz considers getting his Ph.D, Sheldon deliberately tries to trip him up. He can’t even pay Howard a compliment without ending with a biting remark.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A Zinger About Raj’s Fear of Bugs & Women, “The Jiminy Conjecture”
We Doubt Sheldon’s Joke Left Raj Catatonic, but It Probably Stung

Sucking on So Many Levels, “The Pancake Batter Anomaly”
Sheldon Isn’t the Most Gracious Winner

Sheldon Gets Himself Fired, “The Luminous Fish Effect”
Talk About Getting off on the Wrong Foot!

Insulting Penny’s Cooking, “The Spaghetti Catalyst”
Most People Would Just Say Thank You

Sheldon Makes a Dig at His Bro, “The Colonization Application”
Does Penicillin Also Cure Savage Burns?

When Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard team up to work on the gyroscopic project, Sheldon surprises us all by showing he can be a team player and a good friend. However, it doesn’t last long, and he soon returns to his cold, caustic and self-serving ways. Leonard discovers that Sheldon took credit for their collaboration and has secretly continued working with the military. Understandably, he and Howard are furious, but Sheldon doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong. If anything, he pins it on his mother for making him socialize. The trio engages in a heated argument and some scathing science-based name-calling. This is no way to treat your friends, Sheldon! You sure sound like an Edison to us!