In 2005, a student intern working at Nickelodeon's animation studio had an unsettling experience with a mysterious episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. This story, which originated as an insider's account, has left an indelible mark on the internet as one of the creepiest urban legends surrounding a children's television show.
The intern, who shared this story anonymously, was assigned to review an early cut of a SpongeBob episode titled Krabby Patty Phobia. Since it wasn't the final version, the episode had placeholder titles and edits, a common practice. However, when the tape arrived, its label bore an unusual title: Squidward's Suicide. Assuming it was a joke by the editing team, the intern laughed it off and sat down to review it alongside the supervisor and a few other team members.
The episode started normally, with SpongeBob's upbeat theme song playing as usual. The familiar underwater world of Bikini Bottom came to life, and the plot began with Squidward practicing his clarinet. His playing was as dreadful as ever, interrupted by SpongeBob's signature laughter from outside. Squidward yelled at SpongeBob to keep quiet, as he was preparing for an important performance later that evening. SpongeBob apologized and headed off with Patrick, leaving Squidward alone.
The scene transitioned, as expected, with the typical bubble screen effect, leading to Squidward's concert. This is where the episode took a disturbing turn. As Squidward played his clarinet on stage, the animation became choppy, with certain frames repeating awkwardly. The sound didn't sync with the visuals, creating a jarring experience for the viewers in the editing room.
When Squidward finished his performance, the audience began booing—a reaction not uncommon in SpongeBob episodes. However, this time, the booing was unusually hostile. The sound wasn't the usual comedic jeers but seemed filled with genuine anger and malice. The camera cut to the audience, where SpongeBob and Patrick were seen joining in, jeering at Squidward—an out-of-character moment for both characters.
But what truly unnerved the viewers in the editing room were the audience's eyes. Each character's eyes were hyper-realistic, detailed far beyond the show's usual animation style. They appeared bloodshot, with vivid red pupils that seemed to stare directly through the screen. The animators in the room exchanged uneasy glances, confused about this bizarre stylistic choice.
The scene then shifted to Squidward sitting alone in his dimly lit bedroom, his head hung low in despair. Outside the window, it was still night, implying the concert had ended not long ago. For nearly a full minute, Squidward sat motionless, his face etched with sadness. The sound design during this segment was eerily silent—no ambient noise, no music, nothing but the faint sound of static. The silence was oppressive, making the room full of animators feel uncomfortable.
After a long pause, Squidward began to sob softly, burying his face in his hands. His cries grew louder and more anguished as the camera zoomed in on his face. The sobs were unnervingly realistic, as if they were recorded from a real person in pain rather than being animated. Mixed into the soundscape were faint, almost imperceptible noises—what sounded like whispers or distant laughter.
Then the screen glitched briefly, showing distorted imagery that flashed for only a frame or two before returning to Squidward. The whispers grew louder, morphing into a deep, guttural laugh that seemed to come from everywhere at once. As the laugh intensified, the screen flashed again, showing a horrifying still image of a mutilated child's corpse. The image was grotesque: the child's face was unrecognizable, and its body had been brutally disfigured. The photo was grainy, but the details were sickeningly clear.
The editing team froze in horror. The supervisor immediately paused the tape and rewound it, examining the frame by frame. Sure enough, the disturbing image was there, spliced into the animation. Confused and horrified, they debated whether it was a sick prank or something far worse.
The episode continued. Squidward's sobs became louder, more pained, and unnatural, as if his cries were being played backward. Black liquid, resembling ink or tar, began to leak from his eyes, flowing down his face in unnerving detail. The animation quality remained unnaturally high for these sequences, far exceeding what was typical for the show.
Then came another disturbing image, this time of a little girl lying face down in a pool of blood. Her hair was matted, and a single barrette lay beside her. The angle of the photo resembled that of a crime scene shot. The team was horrified but too transfixed to stop the tape. One of the interns, unable to take it anymore, ran out of the room in tears.
As the episode neared its conclusion, Squidward stopped crying. He lifted his head, revealing those same hyper-realistic, bloodshot eyes. He stared directly into the camera for several seconds, unblinking, before uttering two words in a low, guttural voice: "Do it."
The screen cut to Squidward holding a shotgun. He placed the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger. The final shot lingered on Squidward's lifeless body, the blood pooling beneath him, for a horrifyingly long five seconds before fading to black. The room fell silent.
The team immediately reported the tape to their superiors, who launched an internal investigation. The tape was analyzed extensively, but no one could determine how the disturbing footage had been inserted. Forensic analysis revealed that the tape had not been tampered with post-production, suggesting that whoever added the horrifying elements had access to the original animation files.
The incident was reported to law enforcement, but the investigation yielded no leads. The gruesome photos of the children were not linked to any known crimes, and the origin of the images remained a mystery. To this day, no one knows who created the tape or why.
The production of SpongeBob SquarePants was deeply affected by this incident, and several animators reportedly left the studio soon after. The episode, of course, never aired, and Nickelodeon has never publicly acknowledged its existence. Yet, whispers of Squidward's Suicide persist, circulating on the internet as one of the darkest and most chilling legends in animation history.