In this article:
- Spongebob Squarepants is undoubtedly one of the most influential cartoons of all time. And, for kids that grew up in the 2000s, it’s basically gospel.
- Over the more than 20 years that the show has aired, there have been so many amazing plot lines and even more amazing Spongebob Squarepants characters.
- For this article, we’re going to go outside of the main cast and rank the top 10 obscure characters that have ever appeared in the series.
Officially premiering in 1999, Spongebob Squarepants has now aired over 250 episodes and has been around for over 20 years, making it the fifth-longest-running American animated series of all time. And, ever since the show came out on Nickelodeon, people all over the world have obsessed over Spongebob and his eclectic cast of Bikini Bottom characters.
This cartoon has incorporated so many different plots that have plucked at the heartstrings of its audience, so many amazingly relatable moments, and so many iconic characters that SpongeBob fans still quote incessantly.
So, in this article, I’m going to set out to do the impossible: rank the top 10 obscure SpongeBob SquarePants characters. Obscure only. No Spongebob. No Patrick. No Squidward. These off-the-beaten-track characters will be ranked by their memorability, likability, general goofiness, and eccentricities.
Obviously, everyone has their own subjective favorite. However, I’m going to attempt to compose this list in the most objective manner possible. Buckle up, goofy goobers.
The Lesser Known but Iconic Spongebob Squarepants Characters You Need To Remember
1. Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen
This was a lay-up. Honestly, it would be a sin not to put Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen as number one on this list. He was number one. And, in case you needed another reason to love him, he also had a soda-drinking hat that was cool enough to drive Mr. Krabs to desecrate a grave.
After watching the “One Krabs Trash” episode (the episode in which Smitty appears), I always walked away wondering what he would have been like if he were still alive. Probably the coolest guy ever.
2. DoodleBob
DoodleBob appeared in just one episode titled “Frankendoodle” in Season 2. Well, actually, he reappeared in a tasteless callback in Season 11, but we’re not going to talk about that. However, from his very first appearance, DoodleBob both delighted and terrified fans. A homicidal living doodle created by a magical pencil that can draw things into reality? That’s pure genius.
One of the best parts of DoodleBob’s character is that he only speaks in gibberish. Walk out into the street now and scream out, “Me-hoy-minoy!” I would bet that at least 50% of people will instantly recognize it.
3. Karen
The epic failures of Plankton’s evil schemes are hilarious enough to stand on their own; however, to add insult to injury, the SpongeBob writers decided to give Plankton a pessimistic robot wife that constantly reminds him of his failures.
It seems as if Karen is actually intelligent enough to be capable of some serious evil. She is a computer after all. But, luckily for all of Bikini Bottom, she seems to revel more in constantly negging Plankton than helping him carry out his plans. And that’s why we love her.
4. Dirty Bubble
First appearing in the “Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II” episode, Dirty Bubble is a member of Every Villain Is Lemons (otherwise known as E.V.I.L.), a malicious coalition of villains hellbent on destroying Bikini Bottom and all of its residents.
While Dirty Bubble and his associates have terrifying intentions, Dirty Bubble himself is anything but fear-inspiring. First of all, he has a lisp. Second of all, he’s a bubble. What’s Dirty Bubble’s Kryptonite? Sharp objects, of course. How is anyone supposed to take a villain seriously if he can be defeated by a pair of scissors?
5. Squilliam Fancyson
The successful and elitist counterpart to Squidward, Squilliam Fancyson first appears in the “Band Geeks” episode and makes a few other appearances throughout SpongeBob’s many seasons. He’s everything that Squidward wishes he could be: a successful musician, an aristocrat, a squid that doesn’t have to put up with annoying neighbors.
Of course, we can’t mention Squilliam Fancyson without mentioning his iconic unibrow. In fact, in the “House Fancy” episode from Season 6, it’s revealed that Squilliam even owns a replica of his own unibrow made entirely from gilded doorknobs.
6. Old Man Jenkins
Every good comedic series needs a curmudgeonly old man and SpongeBob is no exception. Old Man Jenkins was first used in the series as a generic old guy that resided in Shady Shoals Rest Home; however, in the “The Sponge Who Could Fly” episode, he started to really take shape.
Like many old men, he’s inherently distrustful of technological progress. And he’s not thrilled when Spongbob and Patrick crash into his barn with their flying machine. He also appears in the “Senior Discount” episode in which he refuses to leave the Krusty Krab after being asked several times by Mr. Krabs.
7. Kevin C. Cucumber
Kevin C. Cucumber is the head honcho of the Jellyspotters, the elite jellyfishing club that Spongebob desperately wants to join in the “I’m Your Biggest Fanatic” episode from Season 2. He runs the Jellyspotters like a Big Ten college fraternity. And, like most frat douches, he turns out to be a big softy.
Yes, after subjecting Spongebob to a series of hazing-style tests (all of which backfire and end with Kevin himself getting stung by jellyfish), it turns out that Kevin is a massive fraud and only joined the Jellyspotters for fashion. All of those pins on his suspenders were pretty fashionable, to be fair.
8. Bubble Bass
Anyone who’s ever worked in the food service industry has known and hated a Bubble Bass. That person who tries to send back everything that they order even though they’ve already eaten. Yeah, that’s Bubble Bass.
Bubble Bass is an obese, entitled, and rude fish that appears in the “Pickles” episode. In case you don’t remember, Bubble Bass eats a burger and complains that there are no pickles on it. This sends Spongebob into a downward spiral where he questions his worth as a fry cook and nearly quits the Krusty Krab.
Toward the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Bubble Bass has been hiding the pickles under his tongue the entire time and he’s sent running with his tailfin between his legs. As much as we hate him, “Still no pickles!” is definitely one of the most iconic quotes in all of SpongeBob.
9. The Hash-Slinging Slasher
The sash-ringing, the trash-singing, the mash-flinging… The Hash-Slinging Slasher is really more of an idea than he is an actual character. However, very few Spongebob Squarepants characters have as much mental real estate. The Hash-Slinging Slasher makes his way into the “Graveyard Shift” episode when Squidward makes up a ghost story to scare the wits out of Spongebob.
According to the tale, The Hash-Slinging Slasher was once a fry cook at the Krusty Krab who accidentally cut off one of his hands and then replaced it with a rusty spatula. Later that evening, The Hash-Slinging Slasher walked out of the Krusty Krab and was fatally run over by a bus. His ghost now haunts the Krusty Krab, but only on Tuesdays.
10. Flats the Flounder
Making his major appearance in the “The Bully” episode, Flats the Flounder is your stereotypical bully. He repeatedly tries to intimidate Spongebob at boating school, telling him that he’s going to kick his butt. He even goes so far as to shave the words “I MEAN IT” into his chest hair to show that he’s serious.
Eventually, Flats is finally able to corner Spongebob in his house and “kick his butt” (even after slipping on a banana peel and getting hit by a truck). Unfortunately for Flats the Flounder, Spongebob is a sponge and all of his punches just bounce right off.
