You ever sit back and wonder how a show about a yellow kitchen sponge living in a pineapple managed to stay on the air for over twenty-five years? Honestly, it’s not just the memes. It is the sheer volume of weird, specific, and surprisingly deep characters that populate Bikini Bottom.
When people ask for a list of all SpongeBob characters, they usually expect the big names like Patrick or Squidward. But if you really want to understand the ecosystem of this show, you have to look at the background players—the ones who scream "My leg!" or the superheroes who live in a retirement home.
Stephen Hillenburg, the show's creator, was a marine biologist. That’s why the character list feels so grounded in actual ocean science, even when they’re eating patties made of... well, whatever is in a Krabby Patty.
The Core Crew: Who Actually Drives the Show?
You’ve got the heavy hitters. These are the faces on the lunchboxes.
SpongeBob SquarePants is the heart of it all. Voiced by Tom Kenny, he’s an optimistic fry cook who is technically an adult but has the energy of a caffeinated toddler. He lives at 124 Conch Street. He’s a sea sponge, but Hillenburg designed him to look like a synthetic kitchen sponge to emphasize his "squareness" in a round world.
Then there’s Patrick Star. He lives under a rock. Literally. He’s SpongeBob’s best friend and, let’s be real, the source of 90% of the show’s most quotable lines. He’s a pink starfish who doesn’t have a nose (usually) and struggles with basic concepts like "the lid."
📖 Related: Why Guardians of the Galaxy Yondu Is Actually the MCU’s Best Written Character
Squidward Tentacles is the guy we all related to once we hit 25. He’s an octopus—not a squid, despite the name—who just wants to play his clarinet and paint self-portraits in peace. He’s the cashier at the Krusty Krab and is perpetually annoyed by his neighbors.
Mr. Krabs (Eugene H. Krabs) is the greedy red crab who owns the Krusty Krab. He lives in a giant hollowed-out anchor with his daughter, Pearl, who is a teenage sperm whale. How does a crab have a whale for a daughter? The show never fully explains it, though it’s been hinted at in various books and interviews that she was adopted after her mother was lost.
Sandy Cheeks is the outlier. She’s a squirrel from Texas. She lives in an air-locked treedome and wears a suit to survive underwater. She’s a scientist and a karate expert. Basically, she’s the smartest person in any room she’s in.
The Villains and the "In-Betweens"
It’s not just about the heroes. A huge part of any list of all SpongeBob characters has to include the residents of the Chum Bucket.
Plankton (Sheldon J. Plankton) is the main antagonist, but you kind of feel for the guy sometimes. He’s a tiny copepod with a huge ego. He’s spent decades trying to steal the Krabby Patty Secret Formula. His wife, Karen, is a Mark II Surplus Computer. She’s usually the one coming up with the actual plans while Plankton takes the credit.
Then you have Mrs. Puff. She’s a pufferfish who runs the local boating school. She has basically developed PTSD because of SpongeBob’s inability to pass his driving test. Every time he crashes, she "puffs" up.
Gary the Snail is SpongeBob’s pet. He meows like a cat but is actually more intelligent than almost everyone else in the city. He’s also, weirdly enough, Patrick’s first cousin. The show established this in the "Rule of Dumb" episode, where we see their family tree.
Supporting Players You Probably Forgot
The world expands way beyond the main street.
- Larry the Lobster: The buff lifeguard at Goo Lagoon. He’s all about living "living like Larry."
- Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy: Semi-retired superheroes who live in Shady Shoals Rest Home. They were voiced by legends Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway until their passing.
- The Flying Dutchman: A ghostly pirate who loves to scare people and collect souls. He’s not really "evil," just dedicated to his job.
- Patchy the Pirate: The live-action president of the SpongeBob Fan Club, also played by Tom Kenny. He usually appears in specials with his puppet parrot, Potty.
- Harold and Margaret SquarePants: SpongeBob’s parents. They’re round, sea-colored sponges, which makes SpongeBob’s square shape even more of an anomaly.
The Background Icons
You can't talk about a list of all SpongeBob characters without mentioning the people who make Bikini Bottom feel alive.
Take Fred. You might not know the name, but you know his voice. He’s the guy who yells "MY LEG!" every time there’s an explosion or a stampede. He’s become such a fan favorite that he eventually got his own episode.
There’s also Old Man Jenkins. This is a weird one because there are actually several different character designs all named Old Man Jenkins. Sometimes he’s a thin grey fish, sometimes he’s a grumpy green one. He’s the "everyman" for the elderly population of the sea.
Perch Perkins is the news reporter. Bubble Bass is the picky eater who once hid pickles under his tongue just to win an argument with SpongeBob. These characters don't appear in every episode, but when they do, you know things are about to get weird.
Why Does This List Keep Growing?
SpongeBob has expanded into spin-offs like The Patrick Star Show and Kamp Koral. This has introduced even more characters, like Cecil and Bunny Star (Patrick’s parents in the spin-off version) and Nobby and Narlene, two narwhals from the woods.
The beauty of the show is that it treats every character, no matter how small, like they have a whole life off-camera. When you look at a list of all SpongeBob characters, you're looking at a community. It’s a satire of small-town life, just... under the ocean.
Moving Forward with Your SpongeBob Knowledge
If you're trying to master the lore of Bikini Bottom, don't just stop at the names.
Check out the "The Intertidal Zone," the original comic book Stephen Hillenburg wrote before the show existed. You'll see early versions of these characters that look wildly different.
Also, pay attention to the voice acting. Tom Kenny doesn't just do SpongeBob; he does Gary, Patchy, and the French Narrator. Keeping track of how the cast overlaps is a great way to see how the show’s "DNA" stays consistent even as new writers and animators come on board.
Focus on the recurring gags for the minor characters next time you watch. You'll start to notice that the guy in the background isn't just a random fish—he's a character with a history that spans twenty years.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Identify the "multiple versions" of Old Man Jenkins in Season 1 vs Season 12.
- Research the biological counterparts of each character (e.g., how a real starfish eats vs Patrick).
- Watch the original 1999 pilot "Help Wanted" to see which characters were there from day one.