Nickelodeon’s most popular cartoon, Play online free game Spongebob Squarepants, is filled with episodes that evoke an illogical, goofy sense of humor, not to mention some truly disturbing, scary Sponge Bob Episodes. Set in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom, it revolves around fry-cooking SpongeBob and his misadventures with his friends. However, beneath the simple wit, the show can get meta at times, with genius references, and even subtly mature jokes at times. For a kid’s show, some episodes can also get dark or disturbing. These can be unintentionally terrifying for a few children, while others also include intentional parodies of horror films.
SpongeBob SquarePants Great episodes made it one of the most popular and beloved animated shows ever, maintaining an impressive run since 1999. Although the series is known for being hilarious and often outlandish, it has delivered more than a few spooky episodes throughout its time. These aren’t the kind of installments that will legitimately terrify most viewers, but they work as the perfect episodes for fans to watch to get in the mood for the Halloween season. The scariest SpongeBob episodes are disturbing enough to make a viewer cringe after watching what was supposed to be a kid’s cartoon.
25
Frankendoddle
Season 2, Episode 34B
When it comes to scary Spongebob Squarepants episodes, “Frankendoodle” is among the most terrifying for its weirdness as much as its overall scare factor. In this season 2 episode, SpongeBob finds a magic pencil and uses it to draw “Doodlebob,” Which is a child-like drawing of himself. However, what happens next is what makes it scary as the drawing comes to life and begins to torment not only SpongeBob but everyone he knows.
While it was weird, seeing Doodlebob start to almost stalk and torture SpongeBob makes it go from funny to terrifying before the end finally comes around. What starts as small jokes in the episode soon turns to horror as Doodlebob grows out of control and starts creating his own weird sketches that come to life. The mixture of live-action, SpongeBob animation and crude Doodlebob drawings also makes this one of the most creative episodes of Spongebob Squarepants.
24
Blackjack
Season 5, Episode 93c
In the season 5 episode, “Blackjack,” SpongeBob SquarePants learns that his cousin Blackjack is out of prison. His cousin then calls SpongeBob and threatens him, sending him into a panic. When SpongeBob goes to his parent’s house to warn them, he is surrounded by police caution tape, and he assumes the worst. He then heads to his grandmother’s house and needs to find a way to survive his cousin’s impending attack and maybe save his parents.
The best thing about this scary Spongebob Squarepants Episode is that all the spooky moments are inside his mind, and what he imagines is always worse than what actually happens. There are also funny moments, such as when his uncle agrees to help with a Karate Kid Montage. When he finally ends up face to face with his cousin, who is ready to fight, viewers realize how small The danger is really compared to what SpongeBob was afraid of the whole episode.
23
SpongeBob meets the Strangler
Season 3, Episode 60a
One of the best scary Spongebob Squarepants Episodes to look out for came in season 3 with “SpongeBob Meets the Strangler.” What makes this episode hilarious is that SpongeBob is scared, but he has no idea what he’s supposed to be scared of. In this episode, a man lies in Bikini Bottom, so SpongeBob turns him into the police. After the man was arrested, Squidward tells SpongeBob that the man is the Tattletale StranglerA serial killer who kills people who target him for the police.
There are a lot of scary moments in this episode, but the comedy is that SpongeBob is oblivious to almost all of them.
The best part is that SpongeBob realizes that he is in danger when the Tattletale Strangler escapes from prison, but he does not remember what he looks like. He ends up hiring the killer as his bodyguard since he doesn’t know any better. The Strangler then spends the episode trying to kill SpongeBob but keeps getting interrupted. There are a lot of scary moments in this episode, but the comedy is that SpongeBob is oblivious to almost all of them.
22
Toy store of doom
Season 6, Episode 120b
The SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Toy Store of Doom” sees a new toy store open in Bikini Bottom, which has SpongeBob and Patrick very excited. They want new toys and find this an exciting new place to go and play all day. They had so much fun, they didn’t want to leave and hide in the store so they can continue playing after it closes. However, that’s when the real horrors begin because when the lights go out, things aren’t as fun as they might have hoped.
Once the lights go out, SpongeBob and Patrick believe that the toys are not only come to life, but are out to kill them. Once again, this is scary Spongebob Squarepants Episode based more on what the duo imagine is happening than on any actual danger around them at any given time. With that said, the episode plays it straight with the horror elements, and when the two escape, it ends up being a very scary path for the friends to travel to escape their former playground.
21
Don’t look now
Season 9, Episode 187a
The season 9 episode “Don’t Look Now” shows what happens when people who aren’t mentally prepared for the ending watch a movie they really shouldn’t have been watching. SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Starfish decide that they want to see a horror movie called Fisherman 4: Attack of the Hook. Squidward, the adult that he often is, warns them that they won’t be able to handle it, but the two are confident in themselves and go to the movie anyway.
Things get worse when Squidward decides to torture his friend and dress up as the fisherman.
What results is that SpongeBob and Patrick are scared senseless at the movies, and they go home, where they are unable to sleep and are scared of everything in the shadows. Things get worse when Squidward decides to torture his neighbor and dresses up as the fisherman from the movie, only to have SpongeBob and Patrick fight back for their own survival. When they put Squidward into a coma, things go from very scary to very funny.
20
earworm
Season 7, Episode 20
The scariest episodes of Spongebob Squarepants Take influence from a variety of different horror movies and tropes, though not always. sometimes, Sponge Bob Managed to take something mundane and make it absolutely terrifying, such as in the season 7 episode “Earworm.” In “Earworm”, SpongeBob hears a song called “Musical Doodle” on the radio and can’t get it out of his head, as is often the case in real life, when a catchy but annoying song is stuck in someone’s head, it’s impossible to get it out.
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However, in this Sponge Bob episode, events take a Lovecraftian turn when the song sends SpongeBob to the brink of insanity. This is scary Sponge Bob Episode even included an actual personification of an earworm, refusing to stop playing the song until it had nearly destroyed SpongeBob’s entire life in the process. This then leads to a grim storyline where Mr. Krabs and Sandy realize that this is a form of addiction, and it could damage Spongebob irreparably if he can’t get the earworm out of his mind.
19
SpongeBob Vs. The patty gadget
Season 5, Episode 10
On the surface, the scary Sponge Bob Episode “SpongeBob vs. The Patty Gadget” from season 5 seems like a silly idea that fits with the rest of the episodes of the show. However, this particular installment gets incredibly dark towards the end when it turns out that the plot is an allegory for a world where, eventually, industrialization would push out the real workers and replace them with automation.
In this, it was the “Patty Gadget,” and SpongeBob found himself fighting for not only his job but the entire future of his profession against what was a very real and scary phenomenon. This is perhaps one of the most cerebrally scary Spongebob Squarepants episodes, because it doesn’t rely on any supernatural beings or common horror tropes to be terrifying – the fear, while incredibly real, comes from the concept of automation.
18
Shanghaied
Season 2, Episode 13
When it comes to horror-themed Spongebob Squarepants episodes, one character who will immediately come to the minds of many viewers is the Flying Dutchman – a green and ghoulish pirate ghost. There was more than one episode with the Flying Dutchman, but his first appearance in season 2 “Shanghaied” was one of the scariest. Sponge Bob Episodes.
“Shanghaied” got even scarier when Squidward fell into the Flight of Despair, a dimensional rift with some incredibly disturbing visuals
In “Shanghaied”, SpongeBob, Squidward and Patrick were going about their work one day and then accidentally boarded the Flying Dutchman’s ship, and were kidnapped and enslaved. “Shanghaied” ends scarier when Squidward fell into the Flight of Despair, a dimensional rift with some incredibly disturbing visuals, and both Patrick and SpongeBob turned into fruits that the Dutchman then chased and tried to eat. The combination of the Dutch themselves, along with the flight of desperation, make this an absolutely terrifying Sponge Bob episode, especially for younger viewers.
17
Doing time
Season 3, Episode 5
Which made the “do time” of season 3 one of the scariest Sponge Bob episodes was not a supernatural character like the Flying Dutchman, or an invasive presence like the titular earworm in “Earworm”. Instead, the episode is scary simply because of how SpongeBob manages to push his driving instructor, Mrs. Puff, until she goes more or less insane. The series has always treated the teacher terribly, and she always seems to end up tortured by SpongeBob with no chance of getting any peace.
However, “Doing Time” pushes things to the next level as Mrs. Puff ends up mistakenly put in jail because of SpongeBob and Patrick. What really makes the plot of “Doing Time” so terrible is that she wanted to stay in prison to stay away from SpongeBob, but he showed up to save her and her hallucinations ended up driving her into a state of despair unlike any other. SpongeBob put her through earlier.
16
Nasty patty
Season 3, Episode 4
Season 3’s “Nasty Patty” is one of the scary ones Spongebob Squarepants Episodes that will clearly be incredibly dark from the premise. SpongeBob often does things that are horrible, without meaning any harm. However, in “Nasty Patty,” his troubles get worse when he and Mr. Krabs appear to have killed a man. Krabs heard that there is a customer who pretended to the health inspector that he should get free food, and he shamed him with a “dirty potty”.
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However, when the prank goes wrong, and they realize that they may have killed the health inspector. Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob then set out to hide the dead body while running from the police. Krabs makes SpongeBob do some disturbing things to eliminate the body, and things only get scarier from there. While most Spongebob Squarepants Episodes are relatively tame (even the scary ones), the plot of “Nasty Patty” is so particularly bleak that it is somewhat surprising that it was to air, because the target audience of the show is younger viewers.
15
A pal for Gary
Season 7, Episode 5
While episodes like “Nasty Patty” are terrifying because of the circumstances SpongeBob finds himself in, others, like season 7’s “A Pal For Gary,” are simply scary because they contain disturbing-looking sea monsters. SpongeBob can’t bring his pet snail, Gary, to work. Worried about his loneliness, he gets him another snail friend called Puffy Fluffy. Puffy turns out to be quite the bully, harassing Gary every moment they are alone. SpongeBob still believes that Gary is the troublemaker and not Puffy.
Although the appearance of Puffy is scary enough, there is also something incredibly tense when it comes to Gary’s reaction to SpongeBob never believing him.
Puffy ends up turning into a large reptilian monster of sorts and even attempts to eat Gary at one point. SpongeBob finds his house in a mess and still feels that all this could be Gary’s undoing out of jealousy of Puffy. The slack-like appearance of Puffy’s final version along with his pointed teeth and Sarlacc-like tongue may be scary for younger viewers. However, although the appearance of Puffy is scary enough, there is also something incredibly tense when it comes to Gary’s reaction to SpongeBob never believing him.
14
Squidward in Clarinetland
Season 7, Episode 7
in the Spongebob Squarepants In the Season 7 episode “Squidward in Clarinetland”, Squidward, eager to protect his clarinet from the unruly Krusty Krab clientele before a recital, opts to store it in a locker begging provided by Mr. Krabs. Unfortunately, SpongeBob takes it upon himself to renovate the locker, turning it into a twisted, unreal maze that seems to have no end. This is another scary one Sponge Bob Episode that takes some clear inspiration from the works of HP Lovecraft, and there is also a touch of liminal horror.
To retrieve his instrument, Squidward treks through a clarinet forest, gets swallowed by a giant eagle, and chases SpongeBob through the outer reaches of space before eventually reaching his recital, from which SpongeBob’s antics immediately scare him away. It’s just the kind of wild humor that’s right in line with the show’s story, but that doesn’t make the surreal visuals any less unsettling.
13
The split
Season 6, Episode 5
Season 6 “The Splinter” is one of those rare ones Spongebob Squarepants Episodes that are scary because it turns into body horror – a risky gamble because it is a subgenre that is often associated with gore and gross visuals. While “The Splinter” manages to tell a convincing body horror story that’s still suitable for kids (just), it’s still an incredibly unsettling watch. in the Spongebob Squarepants Season 6 episode, a splinter gets stuck in SpongeBob’s thumb during labor and the usually squeamish SpongeBob refuses to take it out, leading to further infection.
For most of “The Splinter”, viewers get to see the disgusting image of the butter-filled wound that only increases in size. Patrick pretends to be a doctor to cure the injury by adding a dumpster’s toxic waste. Finally, Mr. Krabs removes the splinter as the swelling bursts with liquid pus. It’s an episode that puts humor and extremely disgusting images on top, and it’s an uncomfortable watch from start to finish.
12
Squid’s visit
Season 6, Episode 29
Season 6’s “Squid’s Visit” is hard to sum up when it comes to what makes it a scary episode of spongebob squarepants, But it essentially boils down to SpongeBob’s antics coming across as dangerous and borderline-psychotic instead of simply childish and irritating. SpongeBob can be quite the trouble for his neighbor Squidward, who considers himself to be intellectually superior to any other Bikini Bottom resident.
It may not be a scary episode overall, but SpongeBob’s obsessive behavior seems to cross the line between funny and creepy.
It is for this reason that Squidward is proud of his taste in art and his modernist home design. SpongeBob desperately tries to invite him to his own pineapple house, an invitation that Squidward continuously rejects. Hellbent on inviting Squidward, SpongeBob ends up stealing his vacuum. The theft ignites a wild series of events that are often a little darker than the show is used to, including a house fire. It may not be a scary episode overall, but SpongeBob’s obsessive behavior seems to cross the line between funny and creepy.
11
Ink lemonade
Season 11, Episode 16
Spongebob Squarepants has changed a lot over the years, and the more recent seasons have noticeably leaned into the more surreal aspects of the show’s visuals and humor. While this managed to keep the show fresh, it also meant that there were some incredibly disturbing and scary moments Spongebob Squarepants Episodes in recent years, such as “Ink Lemonade”. This season 11 episode epitomized the weirdly offputting quality that many of the last few seasons had.
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Even the premise of “Ink Lemonade” is somewhat unnerving, as SpongeBob and Patrick discover that Squidward’s ink actually doubles as a tasty drink, though he can only produce it when he’s scared. Various attempts to scare Squidward follow, with Patrick going so far as to peel the flesh from his body, exposing his organs in a grotesque act that is certainly not suitable for younger audiences.
10
Planet of the Jellyfish
Season 8, Episode 17
Season 8 “Planet of the Jellyfish” is a scary one Sponge Bob episode both because of the plot, and because of the visuals that accompany it. In “Planet of the Jellyfish,” SpongeBob and Sandy engage in combat with villainous jellyfish known as “Jelliens” who clone the inhabitants of Bikini Bottom. The premise is clearly a reference to invasion of the body snatchers, While the title can be a reference to Planet of the Apes Or Planet of the Vampires.
The creepy part is the creation of the jellions; A jellyfish-like alien with black eyes that eats a jellyfish and spits out a pink goo that turns into a hybrid of the monster and its previous jellyfish form. The mutated jellyfish then becomes a parasite, infecting every other creature in its vicinity in black-eyed jellies. The look of the Jellian-infected characters bears an eerie resemblance to the button-eyed Other Mother in Caroline, And it’s certainly not an episode of Spongebob Squarepants Which easily-frightened viewers will enjoy.
9
I was a teenage Gary
Season 1, Episode 13
Much like “The Splinter”, the season 1 episode “I Was a Teenage Gary” is one of the scary ones. Sponge Bob Episodes that lean heavily into body horror, with incredibly impressive (and disturbing) results. After Squidward accidentally injects him with snail plasma, SpongeBob slowly begins morphing into a snail-sponge hybrid in a clear homage to the 80s Cronenberg body horror classic The flight. The new hybrid SpongeSnail’s body functions slow down, and he loses the ability to speak. The only line he can say is, “Something’s wrong with Meooooo!”
Unlike other scary sponge bOn episodes, the story ends on an unresolved cliffhanger, like Gary and the snail versions of Squidward and SpongeBob meowing under the moon.
Squidward becomes frantic after seeing his neighbor’s grotesque transformation. Frightened by SpongeBob’s pleas for help, the tentacled neighbor starts running around in his house. Amidst the commotion, the plasma jet accidentally pierces his nose, turning him into a snail as well. Unlike other scary sponge bOn episodes, the story ends on an unresolved cliffhanger, like Gary and the snail versions of Squidward and SpongeBob meowing under the moon.
8
sponge hanger
Season 5, Episode 19
Although not exactly creepy or outright scary, the Spongebob Squarepants Season 5 episode “Spongehenge” definitely has an eerie and off-kilter feel to it. Harsh winds cause SpongeBob’s pores to whistle a tune that attracts jellyfish, and he becomes a social outcast as a result. Forced to take refuge in a cave, he constructs giant stone monuments of himself in an effort to draw the jellyfish’s attention away from him.
His plan eventually succeeds, however, in a hilarious parody of Planet of the ApesSpongeBob returns to discover that he is now in the distant future and the Krusty Krab has been destroyed. It’s one of the scary ones Sponge Bob Episodes that don’t evoke fear from any one specific moment, but instead are simply unsettling due to the premise itself. Due to the nature of the show as well, SpongeBob’s fate is left unresolved, implying that there is a version of him somewhere out there, possibly in an alternate universe, who is alone in a deserted and empty bikini bottom.
7
Graveyard shift
Season 2, Episode 16
Season 2’s “Besumer Shift” is one of the earliest examples of a scare Sponge Bob episode, and also one that relies more heavily on classic horror tropes instead of being uncomfortably weird. In “Graveyard Shift”, the crew at the Krusty Krab are forced to work overtime one night. Bored with the night shift and with the restaurant empty, Squidward conjures up a spooky tale to creep out SpongeBob. His story is beautifully detailed when he talks about the “hash-slinging slasher”, a former fry cook whose clumsiness lost him a hand, which was later replaced with a spatula.
The hash-slinging slasher was later run over by a bus and was “faced from his job” at his funeral. The atmospheric horror builds as a figure eerily similar to the slasher makes his appearance, immediately scaring Squidward and SpongeBob. While the ending is anti-climactic, it’s one of the show’s best creepy episodes, even with an appearance from Count Orlok from Nosferatu.
6
Gul fools
Season 8, Episode 10
Season 8’s “Gool Fools” brings back the ghostly Flying Dutchman with his nemesis, Lord Poltergeist, and as always when it comes to the spooky pirate, it makes for an incredibly scary episode of Spongebob Squarepants. Mr. Poltergeist scares SpongeBob and Patrick with imagery and jump scares that may be a little too edgy for the casual tone of the series. There are brains with eyeballs served in balls, snakes slithering inside SpongeBob, screaming doorknobs, and the like.
Even by the standards of the scary Sponge Bob episodes, the ending of “Gull Fools” is unusually morbid for the typically happy-go-lucky Nickelodeon show.
The ending is surreal and unsettling too, as the Flying Dutchman turns into a nuclear bomb of sorts and explodes over Lord Poltergeist, while a mushroom cloud forms. The rest of Bikini Bottom is then shown to exist in some form of the afterlife, as all the characters sport green outlines around them like the titular gulls. Even by the standards of the scary Sponge Bob episodes, the ending of “Gull Fools” is unusually morbid for the typically happy-go-lucky Nickelodeon show.