Squidward Tentacles is one of the main characters in the ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ series. Despite his name, Squidward is an octopus.
Squidward is a grumpy, selfish, and unhelpful octopus in Bikini Bottom. However, he has also shown to be caring and helpful on occasion.
In this article
- An Overview of the Animation SpongeBob Squarepants
- How Squidward Tentacles Was Created
- The Voice of Squidward
- The Best of Squidward Tentacles
- Best Moments
- Squidward Time Travels
- The Return of Squilliam
- Squidward Gives SpongeBob Pie
- Best Lines
Surprisingly, Squidward might not be as bad of a character as he seems and is fun to follow along with on the show!
In this post, we will look at Squidward Tentacles and what makes him so well-known in ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’.
An Overview of the Animation SpongeBob Squarepants
‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ is an American animated series created by marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon.
The series chronicles the adventures and misadventures of the character ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’, a sea sponge who lives in the undersea city of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob’s friends include Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward Tentacles.
The show has spawned numerous merchandising products, a Broadway musical, theme park attractions, and a feature-length film. And with nearly 250 episodes produced throughout 13 seasons, it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or just getting introduced, there’s no denying that ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ is one of the most popular cartoons on TV today.
How Squidward Tentacles Was Created
The idea for Squidward Tentacles was inspired by real-life octopi. Creator Stephen Hillenburg was a marine biology teacher and amused by the size of this species’ head.
By this time, ‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ was created, but Hillenburg wanted him to have a grumpy neighbor.
Mr. Tentacles lives in a moai head in between SpongeBob’s pineapple and Patrick’s rock.
The original design of Squidward Tentacles was a bit tricky, leading to one of the reasons why Squidward only has six legs rather than eight legs. Squidward’s body is also awkwardly shaped, making animation more challenging.
Hillenburg also liked to entertain the ironic notion that Squidward has a big head, therefore, must have a big brain. Mr. Tentacles believes he is a creature of great intellect and enjoys the finer things in life.
In the beginning, Hillenburg wanted Squidward to emit ink as a joke, but this did not make the official cut. Hillenburg claimed it looked too weird, like animal waste rather than ink.
Overall, Squidward Tentacles underwent several design and personality ideas before reaching the beloved octopus we know today.
The Voice of Squidward
The voice of Squidward Tentacles on ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ is none other than Rodger Bumpass!
Bumpass has been voicing Squidward since the animation’s debut in 1999 and his performance has been widely praised by fans and critics alike.
In addition to his work on SpongeBob, Bumpass has been a voice-over talent for several other tv shows and movies.
- Shrek (2001)
- A Bugs Life (1998)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Monsters Inc. (2001)
- Teen Titans (2003-06)
- Invader Zim (2001-06)
Not only does Bumpass voice Squidward, but he also helped build his personality and characteristics. For instance, besides the clarinet, Squidward is known to ride a recumbent bicycle. This idea came from Bumpass, as he enjoys riding this type of bicycle around his home in California.
Whether he’s playing a lovable goofball or a grumpy neighbor, Bumpass is always able to bring life to his characters and make them truly memorable.
The Best of Squidward Tentacles
Squidward Tentacles is one of the most relatable characters from ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ and many fans hold a soft spot for him in their heart.
Best Moments
He’s the grumpy next-door neighbor who is always trying to one-up SpongeBob. Squidward is a talented musician and artist, but he’s also pretty lazy. He even has a show called “The Squidward Show“.
While he may not be the nicest guy in town, there are moments when Squidward shows his softer side.
Here are some of the best moments of Squidward Tentacles:
Squidward Time Travels
If you know Squidward, then you know he does his best to avoid SpongeBob and Patrick daily.
One day, Squidward decided to hide in the freezer of the Krusty Krab. Unfortunately, he hid there for two thousand years too long and upon waking up, Squidward realized he was in the future. Squidward then proceeds to go on a journey through time and space to find his way back to the present.
This takes a couple of tries and by the end of his journey, Squidward learns some woeful information: SpongeBob and Patrick have always existed.
The Return of Squilliam
Squilliam is Squidward’s arch nemesis and makes an appearance every so often throughout the series. Squilliam allows the audience to see another side of Squidward because he teases and bullies him, whereas the audience is more accustomed to seeing Squidward being the one to bully someone else.
In one episode, these enemies run into each other, and to save his pride and dignity, Squidward lies about working at a fine dining five-star restaurant instead of the Krusty Krab. Squidward then transforms the Krusty Krab into a high-class fancy establishment to impress Squilliam. Just to Squidward’s luck, everything goes wrong.
Squidward’s authentic and sensitive side shines through when Squilliam is around, otherwise not usually portrayed throughout this series.
Squidward Gives SpongeBob Pie
This is another one of those unique moments when Squidward’s sensitive and caring sideshows.
SpongeBob had given Squidward a gift, and Squidward felt the need to repay him. Without much thought or care, he ends up buying a pie from some pirates because that was the easiest thing to do.
It turns out, that this pie had a bomb in it and before he could take it back, SpongeBob had already eaten it. Squidward and Mr. Krabs then proceed to keep this secret from SpongeBob and instead give him his best last day ever.
Best Lines
Mr. Tentacles is one of the most relatable characters on this show due to his realness and blunt personality. Here are some of his most favored lines:
- “Here, please hit me as hard as you can.”
- “I have no soul.”
- “What are those neanderthals doing? Can’t they see I’m spoiling myself?”
- “I order the food, You cook the food. The customer gets the good. We do that for 40 years, and then we die.”
- “I hate all of you.”
- “Please come again. When I’m not working.”
- “Is it time already for you to ruin my day?”
- “Public life ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Squidward Tentacles is a very entertaining character to watch. From his anger blowouts to his comedic bad luck, watching Squidwards progress throughout life is sure to make you chuckle.
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