Nickelodeon's crowning accomplishment is not Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, or even The Fairly OddParents. While all these shows are spectacular in their own way, the single most iconic Nick program happens to be SpongeBob SquarePants, an underwater cartoon about a bunch of eccentric characters who jive together in a uniquely cartoonish way. It's just not realistic, but that was never the point.
Nevertheless, this show took the world by storm when it released in 1999, winning a host of critical awards as well as taking a place in our hearts. If you've ever wondered about the direction in which these characters' moral compasses point, read the list given below, it classifies 9 of the major roles according to the moral alignment system used in Dungeons & Dragons.
Mrs. Puff: Lawful Good (Crusader)
Mrs. Puff behaves in an erratic manner, expressing irrational suspicions about the most innocent things. However, at her core, she is extremely amicable, displaying her enduring perseverance at doing her job. Even with SpongeBob, Mrs. Puff is a Crusader, as she strongly believes that all students can learn, and tries her best to teach SpongeBob how to boat, implying that getting SpongeBob his boater's license is her dream as much as his.
The fact that this never happens is simply her testament to her patience. Mrs. Puff is constructive in her criticisms, irrespective of how often he fails, or how many injuries she sustains in the course of her instruction.
Pearl Krabs: Neutral Good (Benefactor)
Pearl is Mr. Krabs daughter, but, being a Sperm whale, her heritage is often a running gag on the show. Pearl is a teenage girl with mostly teen interests, but, as she has an enormous body, she finds it hard to fit in with her tiny fish friends. Nevertheless, Pearl embodies the Benefactor, a person whose aim in life is to help others without expecting anything back.
We see this in one episode in which Pearl wakes up early to make breakfast for her father, whose cranky mood does not put her off her task. This is because Mr. Krabs was told to eat healthily or risk dying early, and Pearl loves him too dearly to let this happen.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Chaotic Good (Rebel)
Rebels are identified by their independence, even in the face of contrary opinions. SpongeBob exemplifies this alignment type, considering his eternally cheerful persona, regardless of how dire the situation is. While he can be blatantly naive, he loves his friends and always makes time to spend with them.
As a Rebel, SpongeBob is known for his spontaneity, such as going "jellyfishing" with his best friend, Patrick, or getting himself into misadventures with Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. His determination to include Squidward in his activities may have friendly intentions, although it tends to be extremely annoying to the latter.
Sandy Cheeks: Lawful Neutral (Judge)
Sandy is a squirrel from Texas, and she is bursting at the seams with "Southern Charm." She is very supportive of SpongeBob, tending to his emotions almost like a mother whenever he's down. Sandy is a Judge in the sense that she rarely takes sides between friends, even if the fight is between SpongeBob and Patrick.
Another important Judge characteristic she exhibits is her knowledge and interest in science. In fact, it is revealed that she originally came to Bikini Bottom in order to study the marine beings that live there. Sandy also happens to be a prolific inventor, building devices like spaceships, microscopic submarines, and teleportation devices.
Gary the Snail: True Neutral (Undecided)
Gary is the definition of True Neutral, even in the case of his identity; is he a cat, or is he a snail? Like most cats—or snails, whichever you prefer—Gary doesn't really give a hoot about what happens to the other characters. For instance, when SpongeBob returns from one of his exhausting adventures, Gary immediately demands to be fed before anything else.
As Undecided as he is usually, Gary does take a stance when absolutely required, such as when he organizes a protest with other Bikini Bottom pets against being made to wear collars and displayed like trophies.
Patrick Star: Chaotic Neutral (Free Spirit)
As a Free Spirit, Patrick is not obliged to follow the basic conventions set by society, although, in most cases, his outlook on life can lead to chaos and destruction for all of Bikini Bottom. He is generally innocent, often involving himself in patently frivolous endeavors.
Patrick's friendliness notwithstanding, his tendency of acting according to his whims constantly lead to disagreeable outcomes, and a prime example of this is when he hits SpongeBob for calling him "tubby"—a name he hates—or when he dreams about spiders attacking him and reacts by flattening SpongeBob with a boulder and going right back to sleep.
Squidward: Lawful Evil (Dominator)
As Dominators go, Squidward fits almost all the required criteria: his hatred of other people, his insufferable pretentiousness, and the overwhelming aura of negativity that surrounds his entire being. SpongeBob and Patrick seem to care for him, often inviting him to join them in their exploits, but Squidward coldly dismisses anything they suggest as beneath him.
He rigidly follows his own codes, which are nothing but reiterations of societal norms, believing himself to be a path breaker in every form of art he attempts. In fact, even when it is obvious that SpongeBob displays a far higher level of creative talent than he does, Squidward arrogantly demands that SpongeBob "show his method," refusing to accept that anyone, especially SpongeBob, can be better than he.
Mr. Krabs: Neutral Evil (Malefactor)
Mr. Krabs only cares about one thing: money. As long as he can save his cash, he has no qualms in hurting other people while doing so, even the ones he loves. In one episode, he offers Pearl ketchup and crackers instead of the pizza she had requested, uncaring of the fact that it was a slumber party for her friends.
It is also revealed that he had thrown Pearl terrible birthday parties for fifteen years so he wouldn't have to spend his precious money. As a Malefactor, Mr. Krabs is out for himself, placing his desire for wealth over empathy. He has been shown to pay his employees with counterfeit notes and has also robbed innocent people who were unable to return their debts to him.
Plankton: Chaotic Evil (Destroyer)
Plankton is the ideal Destroyer. Between his theatrical announcements of "world domination" and his unwavering dedication to stealing the Krabby Patty formula, he causes the most carnage in Bikini Bottom. He is a genius, creating gigantic death robots, mind control buckets, and even a robot wife, Karen, who helps him commit his evil deeds.
Plankton is incredibly untrustworthy; he has, on multiple occasions, pretended to be apologetic to Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob, only to spring a new trap for them. In one episode, SpongeBob sings him the F.U.N. song, which Plankton then mutilates into his own horrible version. F is for Fire that burns down the whole town, U is for Uranium bombs, N is for No survivors.