It’s clear that SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the sweetest characters on television. That is the main reason why this legendary cartoon has been produced for more than 20 years. There’s also no end to it, as the franchise even spawned spin-offs from it. Although SpongeBob has undergone some major changes over the years as a character, his childlike personality and unwavering optimism never faltered. However, there are moments in the movie where he feels sad, which is understandable since he is also a sensitive soul.
However, since he’s a character that audiences will always support, it’s hard to see him dissatisfied. In fact, it could be argued that SpongeBob has had a lot of tough times in the series. These specific situations are what fans will remember most often, as they tend to put SpongeBob in very difficult situations.
No one wants to see the world’s most famous sponge cry and struggle, so it’s easy to empathize with him.
when gary ran away from him
When SpongeBob was so preoccupied with his new mermaid and oyster boy rowing suit, he ignored Gary. After days of not feeding it, Gary finally ran away, leaving behind a sad letter.
While it’s true that SpongeBob is responsible for Gary’s passing, it’s hard not to feel sympathy for him as he cries throughout the entire episode. The flashback moments between the two also add to the melancholy of the episode. Thankfully, SpongeBob took responsibility and eventually found him.
when the nematodes drink their house
When a swarm of roundworms wreaks havoc on bikini bottoms, SpongeBob may be the biggest victim of all roundworms. This is because they drank his house’s pineapple juice, which had completely disappeared.
As a result, SpongeBob is now homeless, meaning he has to temporarily live in Patrick’s house. However, after realizing that this life arrangement doesn’t work, he decides to move back in with his parents, much to his displeasure. Thankfully, his tears helped bring him home.
when the apartment bullies him
When Flats took Mrs. Puff’s rowing class, SpongeBob immediately introduced himself very affectionately and tried to be his friend. However, it turned out to be a bad decision on his part, as Flats later told him he was going to kick his ass.
After this happens, SpongeBob spends the entire episode in absolute horror, because Flatz is a pretty scary character. Mrs. Puff even used SpongeBob’s name to escalate the situation when dealing with it. However, when the Flats tried to hit him, fortunately SpongeBob didn’t feel anything because of his spongy body. Still, it was terrifying to watch SpongeBob’s colossal fear grow.
When Bubble Bass lied about kimchi
Bubble Bass is a very demanding client and SpongeBob has seen SpongeBob compete with him as his Krabby Patty. However, Bubble Bass gloated when SpongeBob forgot to add pickles. This caused so much stress for SpongeBob that he completely forgot how to make burgers.
SpongeBob has completely lost confidence in himself and doesn’t even go to work anymore. When he recalled the recipe, Bubble Bass tried to say that he forgot the kimchi again. However, SpongeBob discovered that he had hidden them under his tongue. Everyone was relieved to see SpongeBob regain his confidence, but it was hard not to feel sorry for SpongeBob before.
When covering goby crabs with poker
SpongeBob’s favorite thing is working for Krusty Krab. So when Boss Krab bet his contract on a poker game with Plankton and lost, his heart was broken. So SpongeBob now needs to work at the Bucket Chum and hate every second of it.
Especially sad when he sings “This Grill Is Not A Home” with Boss Krabs and then cries. This is just another example of SpongeBob feeling the negative effects of Krabs boss greed.
When Squidward pranked him on evil April Fools
SpongeBob loves April Fools’ Day and plays a bunch of little pranks with everyone in Krusty Krab. While SpongeBob was having fun and laughing, Squidward got mad at him and decided to play a game with him defiantly.
However, Squidward went too far and used a rope to tie up SpongeBob. This eventually grabbed him and put him in extreme danger as he hit the walls and ceiling multiple times. Squidward then grabs him with a trash can and calls him Sausage, which causes SpongeBob to run away and cry.
when he thinks he’s ugly
When SpongeBob ran out of ice cream, he decided to make cream puffs with ketchup, onions, and houseplants. This left him breathless and eventually terrified the townspeople in bikinis.
However, SpongeBob felt ugly and became very sad. He spends the entire episode crying over this false belief and it doesn’t help that it’s Patrick who proposed the theory. Thankfully, after Patrick also ate banh chung, he realized it was actually his breath, but it was terrifying to see his self-esteem at an all-time low.
when sand fired him
When SpongeBob and Sandy’s budding love of karate in Karate becomes what distracts SpongeBob at work, Boss Krabs tells him he needs to stop or he’ll be fired. However, the couple had a hard time suppressing their favorite hobby.
During the picnic, Sandy couldn’t take it anymore and slashed karate at SpongeBob SquarePants. This causes the two to fight again, but the crab boss sadly catches them. So this resulted in SpongeBob being fired. It’s hard for viewers not to feel sorry for him as he runs and cries.
when patrick became too smart to be his friend
Patrick lost the top of his head when he fell off a cliff while chasing a jellyfish. When SpongeBob put it back on, Patrick suddenly became a genius. However, this turned out to be a bad thing, as it drove Patrick away from SpongeBob.
The two best friends are no longer in contact, which leads Patrick to think that they’d better not be friends anymore. This broke SpongeBob’s heart. However, when they discovered that the top of his head was actually brain coral, Patrick immediately decided to replace it with an old one. In this way, the two became friends again.
when the ink is fired
When Boss Krabs started charging Squidward and SpongeBob ridiculous fees, such as breathing and standing, it led to Squidward convincing SpongeBob to strike with him.
SpongeBob doesn’t know what it means to attack, but he’s happy to join Squidward and spend more time with him. However, this resulted in SpongeBob being fired after telling Boss Krab about it. He then cries, which makes the audience feel sorry for him because he enjoys working for Krusty Krab.