The characters in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants were created by artist, animator, and former marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg. The series chronicles the adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Most characters are anthropomorphic sea creatures based on real-life species. Many of the characters’ designs originated in an educational comic book titled The Intertidal Zone, which Hillenburg created in the 1980s.

Main Character Names

• SpongeBob Squarepants: A yellow sea sponge who is the main protagonist of the show, who works at the Krusty Krab; voiced by Tom Kenny
• Patrick Star: A pink starfish who is the best friend of SpongeBob, usually without an occupation, voiced by Bill Fagerbakke
• Squidward Tentacles: A turquoise octopus who is the sarcastic, irritated co-worker and next-door neighbor of SpongeBob, voiced by Rodger Bumpass
• Mr. Krabs (aka Eugene Krabs): A red crab who loves money and is the owner of the Krusty Krab, making him SpongeBob and Squidward’s boss, voiced by Clancy Brown
• Gary (full name Gary Wilson Jr.): A sea snail who vocalizes like a cat, whom only SpongeBob and other snails can understand, and is the pet of SpongeBob, voiced by Tom Kenny
• Sandy Cheeks: A brown, Texan squirrel and amazing scientist who is the friend of SpongeBob and lives in a treedome, voiced by Carolyn Lawrence
• Mrs. Puff: A pufferfish who is SpongeBob’s boating instructor and is frequently arrested due to SpongeBob’s antics, voiced by Mary Jo Catlett
• Pearl Krabs: A grey sperm whale who is the adopted teenage daughter of Mr. Krabs, voiced by Lori Alan
• Sheldon J. Plankton (aka simply Plankton): A small, green copepod who is very interested in science and is Mr. Krabs’ archnemesis, who owns the Chum Bucket across the Krusty Krab, voiced by Mr. Lawrence
• Karen: Plankton’s computer “WIFE” (standing for Wired Integrated Female Electroencephalograph); she is based on the Mark II Surplus UNIVAC and loves science as much as her husband, voiced by Jill Talley

Side Character Names

List of Supporting Characters

• Patchy the Pirate: Host of the occasional “Special Episodes”; usually a live-action character, voiced and portrayed by Tom Kenny
• Potty the Parrot: Patchy’s obnoxious, green parrot depicted as a puppet, voiced by Stephen Hillenburg in seasons 2-3, Paul Tibbitt in 4-8, and Mr Lawrence in 10-present
• French Narrator: Oceanographer who films SpongeBob and narrates most episodes, rarely seen in person, voiced by Tom Kenny, portrayed by Dan Southworth
• Mermaid Man: A semi-retired elderly superhero who lives in Shady Shoals and is stereotypically senile, yelling the iconic “Evil!” every so often, voiced by Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway in Mermaid Man’s elder and younger years, respectively
• Barnacle Boy: Mermaid Man’s sidekick, who is pretty much Mermaid Man except he’s more sensible, irritable, and isn’t senile, voiced by Tim Conway and Burt Ward in Barnacle Boy’s elder and younger years, respectively
• The Flying Dutchman: A mischievous green glowing pirate ghost named after his ghost ship of the same name; he collects undersea souls similar to the Grim Reaper, voiced by Brian Doyle-Murray in TV, and Mark Hamill in The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
• King Neptune: A powerful, arrogant, selfish trident-wielding merman god who is the ruler of the sea, living in a palace in Atlantis with his wife Amphitrite and son Triton, voiced by John O’Hurley in TV, and Paul Tibbitt in “SpongeBob vs. The Patty Gadget”
• Larry the Lobster: A strong lifeguarding lobster who enjoys heavy lifting, voiced by Mr. Lawrence, but was once voiced by Bill Fagerbakke in “MuscleBob BuffPants” and “House Hunting” for brief lines
• Harold SquarePants: SpongeBob’s father, who is a dark brown sea sponge with glasses and a moustache, voiced by Tom Kenny
• Margaret SquarePants: SpongeBob’s mother, who is a dark orange sea sponge, voiced by Sirena Irwin