Plankton is perhaps the evilest character in all of Bikini Bottom. This makes a lot of sense, as he constantly causes chaos for the Krusty Krab and its employees. In fact, when it comes to the first movie, he takes over the entire city by putting mind control devices on them. Naturally, this makes him a character from the show that fans do not often cheer for. He is certainly humorous and provides the series with many excellent moments, but it is impossible to want him to retrieve the Krabby Patty formula.
However, even with this being the case, there are moments in the series where it is hard not to feel empathy for him. He is a character who is prone to feeling sad quite often, as he never succeeds in completing his primary goal. Also, at times it does seem that he wishes to have close connections with others around him, but his evil tendencies eventually overcome him.
When Mr. Krabs Ruins His Gift Shop
After years of failing to obtain the Krabby Patty secret formula, Plankton decides to change the Chum Bucket into a gift shop. Mr. Krabs becomes immediately suspicious of this, as he believes Plankton is up to no good again.
When inspecting his new store, Mr. Krabs ends up breaking everything inside it, which leads to Plankton crying and screaming at him to leave. Although, in the end, it does turn out to be a scam, it is hard not to feel bad for Plankton in this moment, as he seems genuine.
When He Tells SpongeBob Friendship Is All He Ever Wanted
As a way to get his hands on a Krabby Patty, Plankton decides to befriend SpongeBob. Mr. Krabs warns him that Plankton is using him, but he does not listen, and the pair actually do bond quite well.
While at the movies, though, Mr. Krabs tells everyone to take items from the person's pocket next to them. This is where SpongeBob sees Plankton has a Krabby Patty. However, Plankton cries and says that all he ever wanted is friendship after having such a great time with SpongeBob. It is touching and the audience feels bad for him—but only for a second, as he tries to run off after.
When Mr. Krabs Dresses Up As Pearl To Scare Him
When Mr. Krabs finds out that Plankton is afraid of whales, he decides to torture him by dressing up as Pearl. He goes into the Chum Bucket at night and chases him around, threatening to eat him.
This leads to immense stress and overall trauma for Plankton as he continues to have nightmares about Pearl as a result of this. Although Plankton has done a lot to Mr. Krabs, this behavior from him is entirely unjustifiable.
When He Switches Lives With Mr. Krabs
After failing to obtain the Krabby Patty formula once again, Plankton returns home and is eating holographic meatloaf. This makes him immensely jealous of Mr. Krabs, and he decides to use his new invention to switch lives with him.
However, it is clear that it is immensely hard for Plankton to handle. He does not have an easy time handling the antics of SpongeBob, Squidward, and Pearl, which leads to him becoming very stressed. Thankfully, it does work out in the end though, as he learns to appreciate his own life situation far more.
When Karen Kicks Him Out
Karen is trying to show Plankton her brand new screensaver, but the latter is too focused on his new invention. She continues to try to grab his attention, but Plankton ends up yelling at her and even insults her. This leads to her kicking him out of their home.
Although Plankton is entirely in the wrong for this situation, it is hard not to feel bad for him when he starts to cry at SpongeBob's. It also shows that he has a genuine love for Karen, and, thankfully, things end up resolving later in the episode.
When Mr. Krabs Beats Him In Arm Wrestling
Mr. Krabs participates in a late-night secret arm wrestling club at Larry's Gym. There are some rather strong individuals there, but Mr. Krabs is truly dominant because of his strong claws. Plankton decides to take him on still, as he has been hitting the weights and is now stronger than ever.
It seems as though that Plankton is going to win, as Mr. Krabs appears to be struggling. However, it turns out to be an act, as Mr. Krabs then slams Plankton's entire body onto the table. The amount of pain Plankton feels after this is clear by his mangled body.
When Mama Krabs Rejects His Proposal
Plankton ends up falling in love with Mama Krabs, much to the dismay of Mr. Krabs. This seems like another attempt for the Krabby Patty formula, so Mr. Krabs is understandably trying to stop it.
However, things take a bit of a turn when Plankton decides to propose to Mama Krabs. Although it turns out to be because of the fact that he wants the formula, the audience does feel bad for him when the show reveals that she has an interest in the robot, instead.
When SpongeBob Is A Horrible Employee To Him
After Mr. Krabs bets SpongeBob's contract in a game of poker, Plankton ends up with a brand new worker. This seems like an awesome thing for Plankton personally, as he now has control over the fry cook who makes Krabby Patties.
However, SpongeBob takes advantage of Plankton's hospitality by making him move the grill and decorate the entire kitchen to look like the Krusty Krab. After all of this, SpongeBob refuses to make Plankton a Krabby Patty, which eventually irritates Plankton to the point where he puts his brain in the robot.
When Spot Runs Away
When Plankton gets his new pet, Spot, things become very hectic. This is due to the fact that Spot has a lot of energy, which in turn can create a lot of chaos for him.
After being yelled at, Spot runs away from the Chum Bucket, which makes Plankton extremely sad. This shows that Plankton actually cares about his dog-like creature while simultaneously displaying that he has a heart. Thankfully, Plankton ends up finding him later on in the episode.
When He Calls Himself A Failure
In the series, Plankton never succeeds when trying to obtain the Krabby Patty secret formula. One specific attempt really stands out though, as Mr. Krabs humiliates him by flushing him down the toilet.
When returning home, Plankton looks dead into the camera and screams that he is a failure while crying. Even though Plankton is the major antagonist of this series, he does have the ability to make the audience feel bad for him in this scene. Every person on the planet can relate to Plankton when he calls himself this.