SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated comedy series displayed on Nickelodeon.
It follows the daily life adventures and misadventures of the title character and his underwater marine friends.
The cartoon shows a wide range of personalities of different characters.
Some people argue that these wide ranges of extreme personalities represent various mental illnesses.
Let's dig deeper into every character's personality.
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob is a fun, extrovert, and jolly character.
It is said that he possibly suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) due to his very short attention span.
ADHD is a disorder where a person finds it difficult to be attentive to a particular thing and is unable to concentrate.
He is unable to get his boating license even after trying for so many years due to his inability to focus.
Some may also argue that he has Bipolar disorder due to his extreme emotions.
Squidward Tentacles
Squidward, a co-worker of SpongeBob, possibly suffers from depression.
He doesn't like social interaction and is uninterested in the majority of the things that others do.
There have been many instances of him showing hopeless behavior.
He is detached from most things and likes to live in isolation. He barely enjoys any social activities.
His mood is shown to be very gloomy which confirms his depression. However, he is shown to enjoy his alone time whenever he is at home.
He shows hypersomnia staying away from everything and enjoying his life. Maybe, he only has Antisocial Personality Disorder.
That's why he finds happiness all being with himself and he becomes grumpy while interacting with others.
Patrick Star
Patrick is the best friend of SpongeBob.
He is evidently shown as a less intelligent character with underdeveloped social skills and impaired cognitive skills.
He is shown to be living under a rock, which gave the phrase "living under a rock" a literal meaning: being stupid or not knowing things.
He does not display openness and is unorganized and lazy.
He sometimes shows smartness but then counteracts it afterward.
He is unable to perform even very simple tasks. He is a possible representation of Dementia, which is related to cognitive impairment.
Sandy Cheeks
Sandy is another best friend of SpongeBob. She has constant mood swings.
One moment she is cool and calm, and another moment she is anxious. She has a very impulsive nature.
She is said to be a classic representation of Bipolar disorder, (mania and depression).
Also, she constantly longs to visit her hometown which shows her Separation anxiety.
Due to her willingness to visit her hometown, she made her house look like Texas, the place where she is from.
Mr. Krabs
Mr. Krabs is the boss of SpongeBob.
He has Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD), a disorder where a person obsesses over a thing and behaves compulsively if the thing is not kept in the desired way.
Mr. Krabs obsesses over earning money and saving it.
His obsession affects his everyday life too as he keeps on counting and guarding the money continuously.
In the episode Friend or Foe, Mr. Krabs is shown wearing rags and being made fun of.
The episode ends with Mr. Krabs running off with the secret recipe that is later named Krabby Patty secret recipe.
This could be the beginning of his OCD. He is very neurotic when it comes to his money.
He doesn't trust anyone and is nice only if his selfish needs are being fulfilled.
Pearl Krabs
The daughter of Mr. Krabs possibly has Body Dysmorphia as she is obsessed with how she looks.
She often craves attention. She often bullies others and is said to be a narcissist too.
Her personality is said to be the result of her father's neglecting behavior too.
In one episode, her father brought a cardboard cake for her birthday.
She often makes fun of people who don't belong to the higher class.
Plankton
Plankton is said to be a representation of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder, who only looks for his own satisfaction.
He is anti-social and is the occasional villain of the series. He is a very jealous and controlling character. He envies Mr. Krabs a lot.
He is willing to steal the secret recipe of Krabby Patty and puts in a constant effort to do that.
He dislikes everyone, thinks of them as a problem, and does not like social interaction much.
Mrs. Puff
Mrs. Puff probably has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
It is a disorder that involves stressful conditions stemming from something that has happened in the past.
Mrs. Puff is always scared that her car is prone to crash due to the person behind the wheel.
This fear of Mrs. Puff has been shown in many episodes.
In the episode Krusty Love, when SpongeBob approaches Mrs. Puff, she freaks out.
It takes SpongeBob to snap on her face to stop her.
Due to its huge popularity, there are many different interesting theories about this show.
All of these are the views of the fans of the series but it is a very interesting concept.
Although it's just a show, mental health is a very serious issue.
So this theory can be considered reductive by some people.
Shruti
