Top 10 Saddest SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes

Have You Seen This Snail?

This was a sad and emotional episode. Gary runs away from home (thanks to SpongeBob) and moves to a different town. Gary Come Home was in this episode. What makes this episode so sad is that it reminds people how they would feel if they lost one of their own pets. It was probably the saddest thing in SpongeBob history. It makes me cry every time, and it makes me emotional and sad every time I think about it. This is one of the series' best specials and episodes. I recommend you watch it if you haven't.

People say SpongeBob cries too much in new episodes. He cries a lot in this episode, but no one complains about that. Why? Because he had every reason to. Gary left home due to a mistake SpongeBob made. Of course, he'd cry a lot in this episode. Not only had his pet run away, but it was his fault. I still don't think this episode is as sad as Nature Pants, but it's definitely up there.

Dumped

Hands down the worst pre-movie episode. I found out my friend left me for college, and when I saw this episode, it just hit me out of nowhere. There's a difference between emotional and depressing. Yes, Have You Seen This Snail? is the saddest SpongeBob episode, but it's more emotional than depressing. It's pretty depressing because of SpongeBob's constant mourning over Gary, but there are very charming moments as well.
Dumped, on the other hand, is 1000000% DEPRESSING! SpongeBob crying while holding the soap was so sad I teared up until the ending. This is the most depressing episode of the show and one of the worst episodes in television history!

Welcome to the Chum Bucket

This should be #1. Not only is it sad in general, but it also shows that Mr. Krabs doesn't just care about money. This Grill is Not a Home is also my favorite sad SpongeBob song.

It hurts as is, with the split between SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs, who we all know were very tight-knit at the time. But it just resonates too well if you have separation anxiety.

This is literally the most thought-of one, so duh.

Nature Pants

It's pretty disturbing to see Patrick have a mental breakdown and try to hurt SpongeBob. It's made even more disturbing by the music box theme in the background. It's a side of Patrick we rarely see.

This episode shows how much SpongeBob's friendship means to Patrick. Without it, Patrick is lost, and his sadness causes him to go insane. This shows SpongeBob means the world to him.

Gosh, this episode is so sad. Let's review...
1. SpongeBob leaves to go live with the jellyfish.
2. Patrick is a mess throughout this episode. First, he breaks down crying when SpongeBob announces his decision and gives him Ol' Reliable (SpongeBob's favorite jellyfishing net). Then, he has to be DRAGGED AWAY by Sandy when their plan to get SpongeBob back fails. Finally, he has a mental breakdown and almost hurts SpongeBob trying to get him back. When this fails, he cries and just gives up. This really shows how much SpongeBob means to Patrick. Without him, Patrick is just broken. Poor thing...
3. SpongeBob walks through Bikini Bottom, realizing how wrong he was, feeling very remorseful and sad.
Put this at number one while I go grab another box of tissues.

Dying for Pie

The sadder undertones of this episode become more evident as you grow older. As someone who has loved SpongeBob since I was a toddler, I now realize how depressing this episode truly can be.
SpongeBob knits Squidward a sweater made of tears and does all these friendly things for his squid neighbor. Unfortunately, Squidward unknowingly gives him a pie made in a bomb factory. When they watch the sunset, Squidward builds a wall between them and later regrets it, thinking SpongeBob is dead.

This episode shows that despite the annoyance SpongeBob causes Squidward, Squidward truly cared about SpongeBob. The part where the sun was going down as Squidward was crying, not wanting him to die, is truly heartbreaking. This episode needs to be at the top.
There are other times that Squidward really did care about SpongeBob, such as when he stood up for him in the pizza delivery and when he dressed up as Santa to make him happy.

Grandma's Kisses

This episode shows that growing up sucks. SpongeBob is convinced that he's too old to love the things he loved as a kid. But the lesson is you don't have to grow up completely.

It's sad because this hits on a personal level. Growing up is painful, and so is losing your childhood.

Growing up is the worst. Need I say more?

My Pretty Seahorse

Stuck in the Wringer

Stuck in the Wringer is the second segment of the second episode of Season 7 of SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode follows SpongeBob as he gets stuck in his wringer after taking a shower. His efforts to carry on with his day while trapped lead to a series of comedic mishaps.

All That Glitters

Sure, people find this episode annoying because SpongeBob cries most of the time, but I wasn't bothered by it at all. I don't dislike any SpongeBob episode. Is that a sin? People can have different opinions.

This episode very effectively gave emotional weight to the spatula.

Are You Happy Now?

Those Squidward Torture episodes were bound to amount to something eventually, and this was it. Take care of yourself, Squidward, because this was absolutely saddening to watch.

"I can't seem to get happy... Maybe this will help."
The writers intended this to be a joke. How? Just... How is this funny? HOW!?

Squidward literally tried to kill himself. This should be higher on the list.

?

Model Sponge

?

Restraining SpongeBob

New Leaf

Christmas Who?

Squidward making fun of SpongeBob for his belief in Santa is pretty sad. But other than that, this is generally a funny and lighthearted episode.

Texas

Sandy's song will tug at your heartstrings (until the ending, where it's kinda funny).

One Coarse Meal

WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?
1. Mr. Krabs terrifies Plankton, making Plankton so deeply depressed.
2. Karen (Plankton's WIFE) couldn't care less about all of this.
3. Plankton gets driven to suicide... and Mr. Krabs is happy about this. May I remind you that he and Plankton used to be FRIENDS?
4. SpongeBob, the only person who sympathizes with Plankton, stabs him in the back.
5. And Mr. Krabs gets away with all of this.
Seeing Plankton so broken, scared, and abused to the point where he tries to kill himself is heartbreaking, especially for someone whose favorite character is Plankton (like me). Heck, even people who don't like Plankton have to feel at least a little sorry for him. Poor Plankton... I just wanted someone, ANYONE, to give him a hug and tell him it's going to be okay in this episode.

SpongeBob You're Fired

Fools in April

This episode... where do I begin? Okay, it starts off lighthearted, with SpongeBob playing mundane yet quite funny pranks. Squidward gets tired of it pretty quickly and devises a prank of his own that would inflict much harm on SpongeBob.
After Squidward's prank, SpongeBob falls into a depression, refusing contact with anyone. The people of Bikini Bottom are irrefutably upset at Squidward and leave the Krusty Krab. Squidward ends up regretting it after seeing the pandemonium he caused and all the painful consequences. He then tries to apologize to SpongeBob, only to find out in the end that SpongeBob had been staging his depression the whole time, waiting for Squidward to finally apologize.

The Original Fry Cook

Home Sweet Pineapple

It goes from funny to painful, then back to funny, and then painful again. It loops until the end, which makes it a bit of a hard episode to endure.

SpongeBob having to move is heartbreaking, especially seeing SpongeBob's and Patrick's reactions to it.

I have no idea how this isn't ranked higher.

Band Geeks

Patrick SmartPants

Mimic Madness

Mid-Life Crustacean

It hurts how real everything in this episode is.

This episode is so sad because of how real it feels in real life.

Help Wanted

You know that Mr. Krabs could have actually died due to the literal tsunami of customers.

I like nostalgia, but it is very powerful, especially in this case.