19 "SpongeBob SquarePants" Episodes That Remind Us Why It's The Best

Are ya ready, kids?

Now that SpongeBob is Nickelodeon's longest-running cartoon, we figured it was about time to collect some of the greatest episodes the iconic show has ever put out.

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19. "Patty Hype" (Season 2, Episode 5)

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When Mr. Krabs doesn't like SpongeBob's idea for a new type of Krabby Patty, he has to compete with the Krusty Krab. 

Usually, SpongeBob does absolutely anything Mr. Krabs tells the guy to do, but this episode puts them at odds. We get to see that SpongeBob would be a pretty decent businessman. Well, he would be if he found out how to avoid staining tongues with his Pretty Patties.

"I can't see my forehead. Why are you mad?" —Patrick

18. "Welcome to the Chum Bucket" (Season 2, Episode 14)

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Mr. Krabs loses SpongeBob in a card game with Plankton, and he has to go work for Plankton.

We all know the one thing Mr. Krabs loves more than anything else (it's money), and only get to see his soft spot for SpongeBob every once in a while. And sure, the cynics will say that Mr. Krabs only misses SpongeBob because he can't cook and will lose a bunch of money. But can you really watch "This Grill Is Not a Home" and not tell me Mr. Krabs isn't the father figure SpongeBob needs?

"What is he doing? Those tears? And the show tunes? Why isn't he making the patties? Forget it! I'm going with Plan B. I'm putting his brain on the robot chef." —Plankton 

17. "Jellyfish Hunter" (Season 2, Episode 19)

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After SpongeBob reveals a tasty new way to eat a Krabby Patty, Mr. Krabs harvests jellyfish for their sweet jelly.

In "Welcome to the Chum Bucket," we saw how close Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob can be at times. But mostly, Mr. Krabs is chasing money at all costs. This is especially true in this episode, with Krabs committing several animal rights violations. Did anyone else want to try a hamburger with jelly after this episode?

"What smells like big business?" —SpongeBob

16. "SB-129" (Season 1, Episode 14)

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Squidward travels to the future.

Episodes that focus on Squidward tend to be pretty great. There's "Squidville" and "Just One Bite," but "SB-129" was his first solo adventure. This was back when SpongeBob SquarePants was relatively experimental, so we got the legendary (and slightly scary) void scene.

"Fuuuture!" —Squidward

15. "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V" (Season 3, Episode 12)

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When Barnacle Boy joins the dark side, Mermaid Man enlists SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy to help him fight evil.

After Barnacle Boy joins E.V.I.L. (Every Villain Is Lemons), all hope seems lost. But then the original Avengers assemble. Barnacle Man, Man Ray, and the Dirty Bubble don't stand a chance against Miss Appear, Quickster, the Elastic Waistband, and Captain Magma!

"I'm tired of playing second banana to a man who wears a bra!" —Barnacle Boy

14. "Imitation Krabs" (Season 2, Episode 4)

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Plankton attempts to steal the Krabby Patty formula by impersonating Mr. Krabs in a robot suit.

Sheldon J. Plankton has come up with some pretty ingenious ways to steal the secret formula, but he's no match for SpongeBob. Trying as hard as he can in a suit that looks exactly like Mr. Krabs, right down to the wheels, SpongeBob thwarts him at every turn.

"Ravioli ravioli, give me the formuoli." —Plankton as Robot Krabs

13. "Survival of the Idiots" (Season 2, Episode 9)

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SpongeBob and Patrick discover snow while Sandy spends the winter hibernating. 

When SpongeBob and Patrick are just hanging out, that's when the show is at its best. Once the two warm up with some of Sandy's fur, they play in the snow while trying not to wake her up. And for my money? SpongeBob is the real Dirty Dan.

"Who you callin' a Pinhead?" —Patrick

12. "Just One Bite" (Season 3, Episode 3)

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SpongeBob discovers Squidward has never eaten a Krabby Patty.

We've all wanted to try a Krabby Patty, but that urge has never been stronger than in "Just One Bite." Sure, this episode raises some questions. Why don't we ever see Squidward eating another one of the burgers?  Where did that Krabby Patty vault go? These questions don't matter. All that matters is that the Krabby Patty is truly the holy grail of burgers.

"SpongeBob, if I were trapped in the bottom of a well for three years, and had nothing to eat but that Krabby Patty, I'd eat my own legs first. And not just the extra ones." —Squidward

11. "Rock Bottom" (Season 1, Episode 17)

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SpongeBob winds up in Rock Bottom and thinks the local folk are out to get him, but he soon learns that people with different accents aren't so scary! 

I can remember watching this episode after school and throwing my hands up in frustration for SpongeBob during the vending machine scene. Why won't the bus just wait?! And what a weird bus schedule!

"Where is 'Leaving Bikini Bottom?'" —Patrick

10. "Club SpongeBob" (Season 3, Episode 2)

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Squidward tries to get into SpongeBob and Patrick's secret club.

Squidward may be too civilized to hang out with SpongeBob and Patrick on most days, but he also loves exclusivity. Since we usually see Squidward coming up with schemes to get away from SpongeBob and Patrick, this episode was a nice change of pace. The mighty conch just has a way of shaking things up like that.

"Why must every 11 minutes of my life be filled with misery?" —Squidward

9. "The Camping Episode" (Season 3, Episode 17)

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Squidward goes camping with Patrick and SpongeBob to prove he can handle the outdoors.

This is the episode that gave us the "Campfire Song Song." Anytime we get the three neighbors together for a whole episode, it's bound to be top tier. Just like with "Club SpongeBob," in this episode we see Squidward actually choosing to hang out with SpongeBob and Patrick. When will he learn life is more fun with them around?

Unfortunately, experts still have not disproven the existence of Sea Bears.

"He's right, Squidward, Sea Bears are all too real. Why, once I met this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy who knew this guy's cousin—" —Spongebob

8. "Krusty Krab Training Video" (Season 3, Episode 10)

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A training video for incoming employees at the Krusty Krab.

How they even came up with this episode, I'll never know. The entire episode highlights what everyone already knew: just how talented everyone working on SpongeBob SquarePants really was. With essentially one voice actor (the narrator does most of the talking), the writing and the animation carry the entire episode. Even without SpongeBob, Patrick, or anyone else talking much throughout the episode, it's still one of the best!

"But what does POOP mean? It's actually a carefully organized code. Watch closely: People Order Our Patties." —Narrator

7. "Frankendoodle" (Season 2, Episode 14)

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SpongeBob uses a magic pencil to draw a character that comes to life and wreaks havoc on Bikini Bottom.

"Me hoy minoy!" With those words, Doodle Bob came to life. SpongeBob is a show that's great at a lot of things, but it's downright incredible at being goofy.  "Frankendoodle" is as goofy as they come, and I dare anyone — no matter the age — to keep a straight face when Patrick screams, "FINLAND!"

"He's hideous! He makes me sick just looking at him. Those big, bulgy eyes, that square body, those two buck teeth, and that stupid tie!" —Patrick

6. "Squidville" (Season 2, Episode 6)

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Squidward finally gets fed up with SpongeBob and moves to Squidville.

We may have saw this episode as kids, but it taught a valuable life lesson for adulthood: Sometimes you get what you want only to find out you didn't know what you wanted. Squidward thought he just wanted peace and routine, but it turns out that he craves a little chaos in his life.

"Squidward, you're steaming. You're like a steamed vegetable, only smarter." —SpongeBob

5. "Graveyard Shift" (Season 2, Episode 16)

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Squidward tells SpongeBob a scary story that might just turn out to be true.

If you knew who Nosferatu was at the age of 10, you were either a huge film nerd or watched SpongeBob. That final "Nosferatu!" scarred the bejeezus out of me when I was a kid, but I'll never forget him! I'll also never forget the hash bringing, the trash slinging...wait.

"The sash wringing...the trash thinging...mash flinging...the flash springing, bringing the crash thinging." —SpongeBob

4. "Band Geeks" (Season 2, Episode 15)

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When Squidward convinces Squidward he has a band, he must train the residents of Bikini Bottom to play for the Bubble Bowl.

Alright, the top 4 SpongeBob episodes are where things get dicey. Can we just have all of these tied for number one? No, if "Band Geeks" taught me anything, there must be sweet victory for one episode. 

As we all know, "Sweet Victory" at the end of this episode is the greatest musical ending of all time, bar none. It was (almost) even recreated at an actual Super Bowl Halftime Show, but it was more of a tease. Luckily, a fan edited together an alternate version.

"Is mayonnaise an instrument?" —Patrick

3. "Chocolate With Nuts" (Season 3, Episode 12)

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SpongeBob and Patrick decide to sell chocolate to make money.

In I Love Lucy-style shenanigans, Patrick and SpongeBob become door-to-door chocolate salesmen. They encounter some people we don't see often in later episodes, which only adds to their memorable lines. Lines like, "Every morning I break my legs, and every afternoon I break my arms, and "CHOCOLATE!" and "WHAT?"

"Ahh, chocolate. I remember when they first invented chocolate. Sweet, sweet chocolate... I always hated it!" —Old Lady Fish

2. "Pizza Delivery" (Season 1, Episode 5)

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SpongeBob and Squidward get stuck on a pizza delivery together.

SpongeBob SquarePants wasted no time in sticking the plucky, upbeat guy with the no-nonsense grump. In one of the earliest episodes of the series, almost the entire 11 minutes is Tom Kenny and Rodger Bumpass (the voice actors of SpongeBob and Squidward) talking to each other. Their chemistry (or lack of it) makes it a delight to watch. 

Even after 30 years of evolution, SpongeBob SquarePants has always had a strong identity. And when Squidward stands up for SpongeBob at the end of the episode, we see why Squidward has never moved away from his pesky neighbor.

"It's not just a boulder. It's a rock." —SpongeBob

1. "The Fry Cook Games" (Season 2, Episode 19)

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When Patrick starts working for the Chum Bucket, he and SpongeBob must compete in the Fry Cook Games.

There are a few things that define SpongeBob. Plankton trying to steal the Krabby Patty formula. Squidward getting annoyed by SpongeBob. That one guy shouting, "My leg!" But the core of SpongeBob SquarePants is SpongeBob and his best friend, Patrick Star. After all, that's why The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie focused on their friendship. 

With "The Fry Cook Games," we see the pals going head to head. When their trunks drop and we see Patrick is wearing yellow underwear and SpongeBob has on pink underwear, that's all it takes for the two to remember they shouldn't be fighting. 

A classic SpongeBob episode with the two best friends at its center? That's SpongeBob SquarePants at its best.

"My name's not Rick!" —Patrick

What would you put as your #1 SpongeBob episode? Let me know in the comments!