The Best SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes!

#1 - "Band Geeks" (Season 2, Episode 15)

I love that stadiums and sports/concert arenas have begun attempting to recreate the SpongeBob anthem that rallied a generation. The Bubble Bowl is the SpongeBob equivalent of the Super Bowl, and honestly, Bikini Bottomites put on a better halftime show than the NFL. By a long shot.

#2 - "The Camping Episode" (Season 3, Episode 17)

Remember everyone: To prevent a Sea Bear attack, follow these rules, exactly.

1. Don't play the clarinet badly.

2. Never wave your flashlight back and forth really fast.

3. Don't stomp around, they take that as a challenge.

4. Don't ever eat cheese. Specifically, never eat cubed cheese, sliced is fine.

5. Never wear a sombrero in a goofy fashion, or clown shoes, or a hoop skirt.

6. And finally, never, ever, ever screech like a chimpanzee!

If you do encounter a Sea Bear, immediately draw a Sea Bear circle around you in the dirt. Not an oval, a circle. But beware: A Sea Bear circle will not prevent a Sea Rhinoceros attack!

#3 - "Just One Bite" (Season 3, Episode 3)

I have never wanted to try a Krabby Patty as badly as I did after seeing this episode of SpongeBob for the first time. Unfortunately, like Squidward, I know it would go straight to my thighs.

#4 - "Graveyard Shift" (Season 2, Episode 16)

I love Squidward and SpongeBob's love/hate relationship, it's so wholesome. Their dynamic has contributed heavily to the success of the whole series, honestly. So many episodes revolve around their complex relationship, with Patrick included here and there as well. This episode showcases the complexity and charm of that relationship beautifully, with lots of laughs thrown in. One of the best and most popular episodes, for good reason!

#5 - "Pizza Delivery" (Season 1, Episode 5)

We've probably all sung it at some point in our lives: The infamous pizza delivery song SpongeBob makes up as he and Squidward traverse the middle of nowhere, carrying the first ever Krusty Krab pizza. Such a fun, classic episode.

#6 - "Rock Bottom" (Season 1, Episode 17)

Terrifying, but again, hilarious. My friends and I joke with each other in Rock Bottom speak all the time, it's a rite of passage for true SpongeBob fans.

#7 - "Club SpongeBob" (Season 3, Episode 2)

I love all the camping-related episodes of SpongeBob. I always found it cool seeing the conversion of a land-based wilderness to an under-the-sea kelp forest. Squidward, SpongeBob and Patrick's differing survival strategies and attitudes about being lost are hilarious. And oh my goodness, the food always looked SO GOOD in this episode!

#8 - "Shanghaied" (Season 2, Episode 13)

One of the funniest episodes of SpongeBob (in my opinion). And I'd be remiss if I did not mention the tiny sense of dread it planted in me whenever I'd cross paths with the perfume department at the mall...

#9 - "The Fry Cook Games" (Season 2, Episode 19)

A family favorite with lots of one-liners, this one is a classic. The wrestling match at the end always gets me with SpongeBob and Patrick's comical heart to heart.

#10 - "Idiot Box" (Season 3, Episode 4)

Where my obsession with keeping huge boxes started. My siblings and I would build box forts and castles, trying to recreate the magic SpongeBob and Patrick find in their "Idiot Box."

***Honorable Mentions***

"Help Wanted" (Season 1, Episode 1)

The one that started it all... Not my favorite episode by any means, the anchovies actually used to freak me out with their antics and destruction of the Krusty Krab, but I love this episode all the same. It is always awesome to see SpongeBob prove himself—he's not just the main character, he is an exceptional fry cook through and through.

"Texas" (Season 1, Episode 18)

Such a soulful song sung by a homesick squirrel living under the sea. Loved this episode. It has lots of laughs and the usual SpongeBob silliness, but it also reminds us that all of our favorite Bikini Bottomites genuinely care about each other. SpongeBob and Patrick's friendship with Sandy is so sweet. Who would ever want to go back to dumb old Texas?

"Arrgh!" (Season 1, Episode 17)

This one made me afraid of Mr. Krabs. The obsession, the desperation, the greediness, all triggered by a board game. His character is absolutely bonkers sometimes, I love it.