The 20 Funniest SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes, Ranked

SpongeBob SquarePants has been making kids and adults laugh for years, thanks to its offbeat, slapstick humor and slick writing, and the funniest SpongeBob episodes both stand the test of time and demonstrate why it's among the most successful Nickelodeon cartoons so far. It's hard to find an episode that doesn't bring the laughs, but certain ones stand above the rest, and it remains to be seen if future seasons can top them. The episodes that stood the test of time are some of the wackiest and most outrageous in the entire series. The long-running animated series has enough funny episodes to keep audiences going, and there's no shortage of laughs. Many of the funniest SpongeBob episodes were in the first two seasons, though later entries certainly never dropped the ball — as evidenced by the show's longevity. The show continues to churn out laugh-out-loud moments in the decades since its debut. If it weren't for the enormous bursts of unhinged creativity from the minds of the writers, SpongeBob may never have solidified himself as a children's pop culture icon. 20 "Bubblestand" Season 1, Episode 2 The first season wasn't expected to have as many true classics as others, and that is because the show was still trying to find its feet at the time. However, there are big moments, and one of those is the very second episode ever. The big shining moment here was the section titled "Bubblestand." This starts off as one of the best things that happens in almost every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. Whether he means to or not, this is SpongeBob driving Squidward nuts by doing something dumb. In this case, it is the Bubblestand that SpongeBob sets up for fun. He then shows how great he is at blowing bubbles, which then seemingly drives Squidward into a massive rage, as he wants to blow the biggest bubble ever. With that said, there is no beating SpongeBob at something this silly, and no matter how hard Squidward tried, he could only fail. And that only makes him madder, and the hilarity grows from there as SpongeBob innocently keeps driving the point home. 19 "SB-129" Season 1, Episode 14 In the first season's 14th episode, SpongeBob SquarePants turns into one of the most ambitious and creative animated cartoons of its generation, and it is nothing like what many fans have gotten used to over the years. It all starts off innocently, with SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Starfish trying to get Squidward to go jellyfishing with them. However, that then turns into something very weird as Squidward hides in the Krusty Krab freezer and accidentally locks himself in. In something that makes no sense at all when one thinks about it, no one unlocked or opened the freezer for 2,000 years. That means that Squidward ended up frozen for all those years and then woke up in the future. Squidward then somehow begins traveling through time and even travels to the primitive era, where he accidentally invents jelly fishing (meaning he created the one thing he tried to avoid initially). He also ends up in another dimension and experiences complete loneliness. It was bizarre and hilarious. 18 "Sailor Mouth" Season 2, Episode 38 A classic episode from SpongeBob SquarePants sesaon 2, "Sailor Mouth" sees SpongeBob find a mysterious word on a dumpster behind the Krusty Krab. Using it as a "sentence enhancer", SpongeBob begins using the word and shares it with Patrick, thinking it makes the two of them sound more sophisticated when they speak. Using the word constantly, which is bleeped by dolphin sounds, SpongeBob and Patrick are found out by a shocked Mr. Krabs, who informs them that the word is one even sailors aren't meant to use. The episode constantly pushing the boundaries of what SpongeBob could do, "Sailor Mouth" is clever in the way it bakes in an obvious curse word without ever saying it aloud. With each character getting to a point where they're saying the word, the stake are constantly rising, making this one of the funniest episodes of the series. 17 "Dying For Pie " Season 2, Episode 24 In the SpongeBob SquarePants episode, "Dying for Pie," SpongeBob does something nice for Squidward. SpongeBob gives his co-worker and neighbor a present that he made — a handmade sweater using his own eyelashes. This is something that SpongeBob worked very hard on, even though it sounds like a very gross and disturbing present. Of course, Squidward sees what it is and decides to give SpongeBob a present in return. However, believing the sweater was a gag gift, Squidward's present to SpongeBob is a bomb that looks like a pie, in revenge. This backfires on Squidward because SpongeBob loves the present and eats the bomb. Knowing that he just inadvertently killed SpongeBob, Squidward goes overboard, being as nice as possible to SpongeBob before he dies when the bomb explodes. It is deep, but the entire situation is played for laughs. 16 "Boating School" Season 1, Episode 4 It is easy to feel sorry for Mrs. Puff, and the very first time she ever appears, viewers get an idea what her life is like thanks to SpongeBob SquarePants. She is, of course, his boating instructor at school, and he is the worst student in her class. He is also the most obnoxious, annoying, and overly attentive (without ever really learning anything) student as well. In this first appearance of Mrs. Puff, things get worse than she could ever imagine when Patrick decides to help SpongeBob pass his driving exam. The idea of Patrick helping anyone pass any kind of exam is ludicrous at best, but, in this case, it just makes Mrs. Puff's job harder than she ever could have imagined. When Patrick decides to help SpongeBob pass by cheating by putting a microphone in his hat and giving him instructions, SpongeBob confesses out of guilt, and when Mrs. Puff tries to stop him from confessing just so she can get rid of him, it shows how much she wants him out of her life. 15 "Help Wanted" Season 1, Episode 1 The first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants still ranks as one of the funniest SpongeBob episodes ever, and it deserves special mention for getting the ball rolling between the classic SpongeBob/Mr. Krabs duo. SpongeBob heads into the Krusty Krab to ask for a job as a fry cook, but Squidward and Mr. Krabs send him on an impossible errand to try and throw him off course. This doesn't matter at all because SpongeBob won't be deterred. Not only does SpongeBob complete the task, but he also sets about impressing Mr. Krabs and scoring his now-famous position as Krabby Patty cook. This set up countless adventures for SpongeBob SquarePants and Mr. Krabs for the future thanks to this new role of employment for the little annoying sponge. Audiences who grew up with Ren & Stimpy felt right at home with the madcap comedy, but for newcomers and kids alike, this was a whole new level of fun. 14 "The Camping Episode" Season 3, Episode 57 One of the silliest and funniest SpongeBob episodes is undoubtedly this season 3 episode, focusing on SpongeBob and Patrick camping out. Squidward decides to join in on the fun but becomes annoyed when he discovers that the duo is camping out only a few feet from SpongeBob's house. Nevertheless, they continue through the night in a series of madcap goofs around the campfire, until a menacing Sea Bear shows up. Squidward expresses vehemently throughout the episode that Sea Bears aren't real, but the humor picks up when a creature with a fish's body and a bear's head attacks him multiple times. After some quick thinking, the trio quells the threat, which in turn leaves Squidward staring down the nose of a Sea Rhinoceros, for absolutely no good reason other than confused laughter. 13 "Pizza Delivery" Season 1, Episode 5 A routine pizza delivery turns into a hilarious nightmare scenario when Mr. Krabs tasks SpongeBob and Squidward to bring the Krusty Krab's new dish to the front doors of Bikini Bottom in one of the funniest SpongeBob episodes. It's one of the first examples of the zaniness that takes place when SpongeBob is allowed to get behind the wheel of a car, which would later become a recurring gag on the show. When SpongeBob begins using the ways of the pioneers to locate the way back to town, he ends up dancing like a fool while a hungry Squidward makes a go for the pizza. It's one blunder after another until the two finally make their way to their delivery destination. Unfortunately, the customer accuses the pair of forgetting his Diet Dr. Kelp and slams the door in their face, resulting in one of the most relatable Squidward moments as he throws the pizza in the customer's face. 12 "Graveyard Shift" Season 2, Episode 36 Greedy as ever, Mr. Krabs decides to keep the Krusty Krab open to take advantage of late-night business in "Graveyard Shift." SpongeBob is overjoyed at the thought of working forever, while Squidward is less than enthused. To put a damper on SpongeBob's excitement, Squidward takes advantage of his fear of the dark in some creative ways. He tells SpongeBob a story of a fry cook who once severed his hand and replaced it with a rusty spatula named the Hash Slinging Slasher. It's a great plan until both SpongeBob and Squidward start to think the infamous killer might be real. This is one of the funniest SpongeBob episodes for several reasons, including the end shot showing Count Orlok from the classic vampire film Nosferatu flicking the lights on and off, who the Krusty Krab employees probably should've been scared of all along. 11 "Survival Of The Idiots" Season 2, Episode 29 The creation of "Pinhead" and "Dirty Dan" occurs in one of the funniest SpongeBob episodes from season 2, "Survival of the Idiots." SpongeBob and Patrick end up angering the laws of nature itself when they rouse Sandy from her winter hibernation. This ends up creating one of the most hilarious moments between SpongeBob and Sandy, showing a side of her that audiences had never seen up to that point. After their loud antics cause Sandy to wake up in a rage, Patrick crafts a crude pair of earmuffs for her, made out of his belly button lint. The madness doesn't stop as SpongeBob and Patrick frolic in this new winter wonderland, at least until a series of unfortunate events forces them to pull all of Sandy's fur off to stay warm. The idea of the snow at the bottom of the sea is strange in and of itself, but the fun and adventures of SpongeBob and Patrick make it worth the watch.