Top 20 Funniest Sheldon Cooper Moments

Following the success of his and Amy’s experiment, Sheldon decides it’s time to take the next step: make a baby. Amy’s not quite there yet, so he spends the remainder of the episode trying to seduce her. This makes for some very entertaining moments that, to Amy, might seem sexy but, to us, are just plain hilarious. Candlelight, brandy, smooth jazz, and, er, deer musk, Sheldon pulls out all the stops to impress his lady. But when that all fails, he pulls out the really big guns. Watching Sheldon dance flamenco is truly a sight to behold and one that we'd happily watch repeatedly.

If there's one thing for sure, it’s that change is not welcome when Sheldon is around. When Leonard turns down the thermostat, Sheldon imagines himself as the Flash racing to the Grand Canyon to vent his anger. This is not the only time we see the Flash as Sheldon's alter ego, as in a Season 2 episode a coffee-filled Sheldon zooms around the living room in the bright red costume. But what makes this particular scene so funny is how his nonchalant response to Leonard completely contradicts the melodrama in his head.

When most people smile, we feel warm and comforted. When Sheldon Cooper smiles, we wonder what evil scheme the Joker has up his sleeve. The guys learn this, too, when they ask Sheldon to show Raj support simply by smiling and get this nightmarish grin in return. Poor Sheldon, he really does try, but some things simply don’t come naturally to him. His expression says less, “I’m happy for you, Raj,” and more, “I’m holding onto a dark secret, and you should be very afraid.” We’re not sure who was more relieved when he could finally drop the act, us or him.

In Season 10, we learn the sad origin story behind this running gag. However, before then and even after, it provides countless amusing moments. In fact, the writers were able to keep this recurring joke fresh by spicing it up and switching things around every now and again. While everyone will have their favorite iteration, there’s no denying that some of the funniest ones occur when Penny’s standing on the other side of the door. Indeed, watching her and Bernadette mess with Sheldon will always be funny. Who knew something as simple as knocking on a door could provide such hilarity?

We couldn’t possibly talk about hilariously memorable guest spots without mentioning Sheldon’s encounter with Stan Lee. However, his wild adventure with the voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones, is absolutely priceless. Jones effortlessly matches Sheldon’s enthusiasm and even takes it up several notches. He’s not even put off by Sheldon’s endless questions! The duo share a Ferris wheel ride, a trip to the sauna, and even engage in a bit of karaoke. If anything, watching Sheldon become more subdued as Jones pushes him further and further out of his comfort zone is absolutely hysterical. Although nothing’s funnier than when they pull ding, dong, ditch on Carrie Fisher.

Sheldon lives his life by a strict schedule. And everyone knows every detail of it, from when he visits the bathroom to which day of the week he’s ordering Chinese takeout. So when Howard realizes there’s an unaccounted for twenty-minute window in this rigid daily routine, he and Raj obsessively try to get to the bottom of it. They even set up a secret camera to spy on their friend, and what they discover leaves them pretty shaken. The final touch to this epic prank is simple but brilliant. We guess that’s what you get when you try and pull one over on Sheldon Cooper.

We first meet the “Star Trek” alum in Season 3, when Sheldon and Raj go up against him and Stuart in a “Mystic Warlords of Ka’a” tournament. Sheldon has a childhood vendetta against the actor and is seeking revenge. Only Wil bests him by exploiting his love for his Meemaw. This intensifies their rivalry, leaving Sheldon more determined than ever to crush the Wesley actor. Eventually, the pair make amends and become friends. Only that’s challenged once again when Wil and Amy clash over creative differences while filming “Fun with Flags.” Watching a drunk Shelly challenge Wil to a fistfight will never stop being hilarious.

While there have been many fights and rivalries throughout the show’s run, fewer were funnier than this one. Penny’s accidental blunder ignites a feud with Sheldon that begins with her banishment and escalates wildly, much to our amusement. Things reach a heated climax when Penny messes with laundry night, and Sheldon retaliates in a big way. We guess that’s the problem with picking fights with physicists; you end up “playing with forces beyond your Ken.” Who knows what else might have happened had Leonard not intervened with the ultimate secret weapon: Sheldon’s mother! Their reconciliation is just as entertaining as their fight.

It’s not unusual for Sheldon to butt heads with his friends when making plans, and he almost always gets his way. The audience first learns about Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock when it’s used to settle a disagreement between Raj and Sheldon over what to watch on TV. Sheldon says the game, originally invented by Sam Kass and Karen Bryla, is meant to lower the odds of a draw; however, when your friends are all big “Star Trek” fans, it may not have the right effect...

In a case of life imitating art, the guys become obsessed when they discover an actual “Lord of the Rings” ring in their possession. Sheldon goes especially hard in trying to claim ownership of the prop. He even attempts to pry it off of a sleeping Penny, and well, we all remember how well that goes. After Leonard bows out, the others continue their fight, which gets pretty vicious. Eventually, Sheldon’s the only one left holding the ring, or at least he dreams he is, leading to this comically terrifying sequence. Of course, this isn’t the only time movie memorabilia fuels one of Sheldon’s nightmares.

We’ve seen Sheldon as the prankster, but isn’t it so much funnier when he’s the prank-ee? Especially when he insists his friends don’t possess the skills to surprise him. Sheldon carefully plots his revenge, but his friends are always just one step ahead. Howard’s brutal stunt is a particular highlight, especially as it leads to Sheldon accidentally shocking himself. At least one of his practical jokes pans out by the episode’s conclusion, even if the timing is bad. This isn’t his only memorable Halloween payback prank, either. The sight of Sheldon in tight pants and a bowl haircut will live in our minds rent-free forever.

As previously stated, Sheldon’s not a fan of change. So, when he can’t get his usual haircut from his regular barber, he starts questioning everything. Most of us might start by finding a new establishment or taking our friends up on their offer to do it. But not Sheldon. Eventually, Leonard and Penny persuade him to “embrace the chaos,” but they didn’t know the chaos would be so loud. We don’t know what’s funnier, hearing Sheldon narrate everything while drumming away or his bongo solo. Either way, this whole scene leaves us in stitches every time we watch it. It also teaches us a valuable lesson in bongo safety.

Sheldon doesn’t drive, nor does he own a car. Yet he’s furious to learn that his parking spot at the university has been reassigned to Howard. After his very Sheldon-esque logic fails to win him the argument, the pair embark on an escalating feud, with each shot fired funnier than the last. At one point, Sheldon even comes home to find a nude Howard sitting in his spot. Ultimately, Sheldon relocates his office to the parking spot but loses in the battle between vehicle and wheelie chair. But it’s okay because he quickly finds another way to exact his revenge. We can’t imagine where he got that idea…

Penny feels a little insecure when Bernadette bonds with Leonard over his work, so she turns to Sheldon for help. We soon discover that their definitions of “a little physics” differ vastly, and it all begins in ancient Greece. Sheldon turns out to be just the kind of teacher you’d expect, bossy, arrogant, condescending, and not the least bit encouraging. It doesn’t take long for both parties to get frustrated. When Penny bursts into tears, Sheldon tries comforting her in his own way, which is hilariously savage. Like Penny, we don’t learn very much, but we’ll never forget that warm summer evening where we were looking up at the night sky.

Sheldon has many wishes for his future. Unfortunately, many of them are unlikely to be feasible within his lifetime. After several failed attempts to alter his lifestyle and extend his lifespan, he opts for an approach that’s a little more in his lane. Look, we all knew Sheldon had robotic tendencies, but becoming an actual robot, or “Shelbot,” is certainly taking things up a level. That’s not to say that Robot life doesn’t come with challenges. And Leonard would probably have better luck switching off the actual Sheldon. His virtual reality comes to a swift end when he spots Steve Wozniak at the Cheesecake Factory. Well, until it becomes a necessity again.

They say don’t meet your heroes, but when Howard tells Sheldon that he will be working with Stephen Hawking, Sheldon will do anything to meet his idol. Howard takes advantage of Sheldon’s desperation and thinks up a bunch of humiliating tasks to give to his friend, but the most embarrassing moment for Sheldon is when he finally meets Professor Hawking and presents him with a paper he wrote. Sheldon is quickly brought down to earth when the famous physicist points out an arithmetic error; in fact, he literally hits the ground as he faints from humiliation.

Getting up in front of a crowd isn’t easy for most people, and even Dr. Sheldon Cooper gets stage fright. When Sheldon is expected to give a speech while accepting an award, his friends try to help him overcome his fear, but when that fails, Penny turns to alcohol to ease his nerves. This is not the first time the friends have slipped Sheldon a little something, so we know that the results will be hilarious. But even though it’s memorable for the audience, it’s not so memorable for Sheldon, as it takes a YouTube video the following morning to remind him of the night’s “performance.”

Getting sick is never fun, but at least we can always sing “Soft Kitty” to make it better. In this episode, a drugged-up Penny convinces Sheldon to sing the song to her after she dislocates her shoulder. Penny tries to jazz it up by demanding they sing it in as a round. After a little bit of reluctance, Sheldon goes along with it, but it’s his face of confusion and shock that makes this version of the song so memorable. It seems to work though, as Penny looks positively delighted at the end of the song. All together now…

Sheldon and Penny’s special bond never fails to provide us with laughs. Much to Sheldon’s annoyance, Penny has bought him a Christmas present, so he devises a plan to ensure that whatever he gets her is of equal value. However, Sheldon gets more than he bargained for when he unwraps a napkin signed and used by Leonard Nimoy. Totally overwhelmed, Sheldon gives Penny all the gift baskets he can carry, but also shows his gratitude with a hug, despite his well-known aversion for human contact. It’s a Saturnalia Miracle.

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

Sheldon Befriends a Bird, “The Ornithophobia Diffusion”
Sheldon’s Willing to Take His New Buddy Under His Wing, but...

Sheldon Gets Sick, “The Pancake Batter Anomaly”
To Quote Sheldon’s Former Roommate, “Run Fast, Run Far”

The Doppler Effect Costume, “The Middle-earth Paradigm”
This Moment Is Always Funny No Matter in What Frequency We’ve Heard It

Sheldon Sings “Fiddler on the Roof”, “The Grasshopper Experiment”
We’ll Always Say “L’Ha Ha Chaim” to This Moment

Drunk Dialing Stephen Hawking, “The Relationship Diremption”
Hey, We’ve All Been There

Sheldon is stressed, sleep deprived and stumped by science. In a desperate attempt at a breakthrough, he breaks into a ball pit, and security calls Leonard to help remove Sheldon from the premises. Leonard tries to coax his roommate out, but when Sheldon refuses, he is forced to dive in. Leonard’s attempt to dig his way through the ball pit is funny, but Sheldon’s childlike stubbornness will have you in stitches. In fact, an extended scene at the end of the episode shows that even Jim Parsons struggled to keep a straight face. Bazinga!