When it comes to Halloween, some of us might say “I’m ready!” only to cower at the first sign of anything too spooky. That’s where friendlier Halloween-themed content comes in handy, and cartoons like SpongeBob SquarePants have a surprising amount to offer in this department.
The Best Halloween Episodes of SpongeBob, Ranked
Everyone’s favorite overenthusiastic fry cook is best known for living in a pineapple under the sea. He’s also kind of a secret Halloween icon. The Halloween specials are some of the best older episodes of the series, and the newer Halloween specials aren’t half bad either. There have been many great spooky episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants throughout the years. Here are our top picks for the ones you can’t miss this year.
10. The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom
Old-school SpongeBob fans will swear by the first three seasons, but there are plenty of newer Halloween episodes to enjoy. The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom is a bonafide Halloween special, so we have to include it. This stop-motion special brings back The Flying Dutchman for another round of Halloween fun.
This episode features plenty of discourse on what scary really means, how to celebrate Halloween, and of course, The Flying Dutchman. Despite it only entering the SpongeBob canon in 2017, it has a place in the hearts of old and new fans alike.
9. SpongeBob Meets the Strangler
Settling on this 9th spot wasn’t easy. There are many later, somewhat spooky episodes of SpongeBob that could go here, but we have to hand it to SpongeBob Meets the Strangler. In this episode, SpongeBob accidentally snitches on a criminal and lands him in jail. The Strangler vows to get his revenge, with all the suspense and fear that entails.
While not strictly Halloween-y, this episode is a favorite for fans around spooky season. It’s also paired with the Pranks a Lot episode, in which SpongeBob and Patrick pretend to be ghosts, for a spooky double feature.
8. Fear of a Krabby Patty
In 2005, season 4 of SpongeBob Squarepants kicked off with our fry cook developing a fear of the very thing he loves most: Krabby Patties. Similar to the Graveyard Shift episode, 24-hour openings for the Krusty Krab are central to the plot here. While less iconic than Nosferatu flipping the lights, something about the overnight shift lends a delightfully Halloween-y vibe to SpongeBob.
While not one of the spookiest episodes of Spongebob, Fear of a Krabby Patty did become part of a creepypasta about the show. The rumor that this episode was switched out with the truly horrifying “Squidward’s Suicide” lost episode adds another layer of scary for fans in the know.
7. Ghost Host
When I think of Halloween and Spongebob, it’s hard not to immediately remember the Ghost of the Flying Dutchman. In this episode from Season 4, a shipwreck leads the Flying Dutchman to stay with Spongebob while his ghostly ship is repaired.
He spends a good bit of time scaring his host before winding up in an existential crisis of his own, making this a perfectly spooky entry in the SpongeBob Squarepants pantheon.
6. I Was A Teenage Gary
In this second half of the show’s very first Halloween special, Squidward does a poor job of petsitting Gary, causing the snail to get sick. SpongeBob accidentally takes some of Gary’s medicine and transforms into a snail!
This disturbing transformation is Halloween-worthy in and of itself. And personally, I make my husband turn off any episode where Gary is in danger, so perhaps this is the scariest of them all.
5. Nasty Patty
In Nasty Patty, SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs believe they’ve killed a health inspector. They serve him a gross patty when they suspect he’s faking his position to get free food, only to learn he’s both a real health inspector and apparently dead thanks to their hideous concoction.
Accidental murder and really gross food make the Nasty Patty episode a contentious contender for top Halloween episodes. Is it scary? Yes. Can every fan stomach the truly disturbing nasty patty that Spongebob and Mr. Krabs cook up? No.
4. Shanghaied
Another classic SpongeBob episode featuring The Flying Dutchman, Shanghaied is a fan-favorite. This time around, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward become trapped as crewmembers aboard the ghost pirate’s ship. Eventually, the Dutchman threatens to eat his annoying crew, and they steal his socks to retaliate.
This episode has all the components of a great Halloween experience. Terrifying fates, characters who don’t understand them, and the pressure of choosing your three genie wishes.
3. Scaredy Pants
The other part of the first-ever Spongebob Squarepants Halloween Special, this episode is a classic must-watch for spooky season. SpongeBob is determined to scare people this year instead of being scared. He comes up with a ghost costume that draws the unwanted attention of the truly terrifying actual ghost, The Flying Dutchman. In fact, this episode is the first appearance of the recurring ghostly character The Flying Dutchman.
2. Rock Bottom
I won’t lie to you — this episode genuinely scared me in my younger and more vulnerable years. In this classic from Season 1, Spongebob accidentally gets off the bus in the strange area of Rock Bottom. He winds up trapped there waiting for the next bus.
Sure, the dark emptiness of Rock Bottom is scary, but it’s really the sense of isolation and hopelessness that’ll get you. This episode also has some spot-on humor to go with the spooks, making it a strong contender for the top slot.
1. Graveyard Shift
However, this episode, which first aired in 2002, takes the crown for fan-favorite Halloween episode. It finds Spongebob and Squidward working an overnight shift at the Krabby Patty. Squidward decides to have a little fun trying to scare Spongebob with a story about the Hash Slinging Slasher. Eventually, strange events convince both of them that this killer is real — and after them!
The introduction of the iconic Hash Slinging Slasher and all-around spooky vibes make it a great fit for Halloween viewing. Bonus points for the random Nosferatu reference, which is a great bit of Halloween comedy.
Published: Oct 20, 2024 10:00 am