As a child, everyone considered Squidward the grouchy neighbor of SpongeBob to be the jerk of the show. But from the perspective of an adult revisiting SpongeBob SquarePants, Squidward becomes the more relatable and funnier character of the series.
This ultimately means that the episodes starring Squidward Tentacles are some of the funniest and most beloved episodes of all time. In which episodes did Squidward shine the brightest? When was Squidward in a starring role, or when was the story told mainly from his perspective?
Krusty Towers
In later seasons, fans often critique that Squidward is treated way too poorly, especially in episodes where he does nothing wrong to anyone. "Krusty Towers" is one of the few episodes where Squidward gets payback, and rightfully so.
Mr. Krabs turns the Krusty Krab into a hotel where the motto is, "We shall never deny a guest, even the most ridiculous request." When Patrick checks in, Squidward is treated horribly by both him and Krabs, leading to him quitting and becoming a guest himself in order to make Mr. Krabs' job miserable. The hijinks that ensue are not only funny, but rather satisfying.
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Trying to avoid SpongeBob and Patrick, Squidward hides in the Krusty Krab freezer but ends up being frozen for 2000 years. Upon waking up in the distant future, Squidward sets off on a journey through time and space in a time-traveling box similar to the TARDIS from Doctor Who.
The concept alone is fun, but it becomes even funnier because Squidward can't go between the present, distant future, and the prehistoric age without encountering a SpongeBob and Patrick variant.
Squilliam Returns
Squidward's old rival Squilliam Fancyson makes his return and Squidward lets his pride get the better of him, claiming to own a 5-star restaurant. Of course, this is a lie, so Squidward works with Krabs and SpongeBob to transform the Krusty Krab into a high-class eating establishment.
From Mr. Krabs being a terrible cook to SpongeBob having an identity crisis, everything that can go wrong does go wrong for Squidward. This episode generated several memes with famous lines like, "Oh no! He's hot!" and Mr. Krabs playing the actual world's smallest violin that perfectly showcases that SpongeBob SquarePants is a cartoon aimed at kids and adults alike.
The Camping Episode
Some of the funniest episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants are the ones that feel like the writers just tossed random jokes to the wall and see what stuck. "The Camping Episode" is a prime episode of that with unexpected jokes popping up throughout.
Squidward discovers SpongeBob and Patrick camping out in the front yard and quickly caves into peer pressure. Upon joining them outside for the night, all kinds of shenanigans happen that make no sense but still end up being enough to make anyone's side hurt from laughter; these include a famous musical number and an encounter with a Sea Bear.
Graveyard Shift
To make more money, Mr. Krabs decides to make the Krusty Krab open 24/7 and thus SpongeBob and Squidward are forced to work the night shift. To have fun, Squidward makes up the story about a ghostly fry cook known as the Hash Slinging Slasher that haunts the Krusty Krab. Suddenly, it seems like Squidward's story becomes real.
Fans of horror movies will likely enjoy this, one of many scary SpongeBob episodes, because it tributes to and parodies every supernatural slasher villain with the Hash Slinging Slasher. Anyone who has actually worked a night shift will get some extra chuckles, knowing how slow it can be, but also ominous due to the lack of people.
Club SpongeBob
After Squidward tries to join SpongeBob and Patrick's club out of spite, the trio ends up stranded in the middle of a kelp forest with no way out. SpongeBob and Patrick rely on a toy shell for their survival, resulting in hilarity as Squidward slowly devolves over time.
This episode even ends with a twist that anybody should see for themselves. "Club SpongeBob" is a parody of survival movies in the same vein as The Grey or Cast Away. Where Squidward is constantly struggling to survive, SpongeBob and Patrick are always given everything they need through some miracle.
Dying For Pie
From the very start, Squidward is dishing out hilarious remarks and comments fitting for any blue-collar worker at a minimum wage job. However, SpongeBob makes him a gift that Squidward must repay, so he lazily buys a pie off some pirates; the said pie turns out to be a bomb. Squidward and Mr. Krabs discover this too late and so he decides to give SpongeBob the happiest day before the bomb goes off.
The concept is both morbid but also endearing, showcasing that Squidward may be grouchy to SpongeBob but they truly are friends. Of course, SpongeBob puts Squidward through many demeaning and hilarious activities, but Squidward proves to be a good friend in the end. This episode is another which ends with a humorous twist.
Pizza Delivery
Squidward and SpongeBob are forced to deliver the Krusty Krab's first-ever pizza to a customer. After a mishap with their boat, the two must trek for miles to get back to Bikini Bottom and deliver the pizza. Like any road trip comedy, things go wrong in humorous ways. "Pizza Delivery" is another source of several memes seen across the internet.
The humor is nothing but golden with SpongeBob and Squidward bouncing off each other perfectly. However, the best part is towards the end when the customer is rude to SpongeBob, leading to Squidward shoving the pizza into the customer's face. It's another touching example of Squidward's real friendship with SpongeBob.
Just One Bite
It turns out that Squidward not only hates Krabby Patties, but has never tried one. So, SpongeBob harassed Squidward until he takes just one bite. He convinced SpongeBob he still hates them but the moment SpongeBob is away, Squidward madly becomes obsessed with the sandwich.
Much like in "Club SpongeBob," Squidward becomes more and more frantic as he tries to get more Krabby Patties without telling SpongeBob the truth. The animators go all out in creating twisted and warped faces for Squidward and the things he goes through. Even SpongeBob makes a face that is one of the most famous memes inspired by the show.
Band Geeks
Squilliam's debut features him challenging Squidward and his non-existent marching band to perform for the Bubble Bowl. So Squidward gets the many quirky characters in Bikini Bottom together to form the band and learn to perform before the day of the Bubble Bowl which leads to disaster.
It is without a doubt a funny episode, with many classic jokes including Patrick asking if mayonnaise is an instrument. Where "Band Geeks" shines is its climax where the band performs the song "Sweet Victory" and helping Squidward finally beat Squilliam. The song has become a defining moment of the series, and Squidward's victory is definitely sweet.