Top 10 Guest Stars of SpongeBob Squarepants

This sponge has made himself some pretty impressive friends. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down the top 10 guest stars who have appeared on SpongeBob SquarePants.

For this list, we’re looking at any amazing celebrities who have provided voice performances on this beloved Nickelodeon show.

When SpongeBob gets scared from reading a spooky book, he convinces Patrick to go on a ridiculous rampage wherein they fill every possible dark spot in his pineapple with light. Naturally, this attracts the attention of Mermaid Man and Barnacleboy, but also their malicious rival, The Moth. Though he’s a formidable opponent, made even more sinister by the legendary Hamill’s impressive voice work, he proves no match for the sponge. Although, The Moth does manage to get away with his pineapple in the end. I guess he doesn’t have to worry about getting all those night lights anymore?

#9: Kristen Wiig as Madame Hagfish “The Curse of the Hex”

Nickelodeon appears to have made a habit of casting SNL legends in SpongeBob, as Kristen Wiig will not be the last one on this list. She’s unrecognizable as a rather unsavory old witch for whom only SpongeBob shows sympathy. When Squidward and Mr. Krabs’ stinginess causes her to curse the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs are tasked with receiving a doubloon from a giant mythical eel. It’s at this point we realize the hagfish isn’t quite as powerful as we thought, as the “curse” was simply a “closed” sign outside the restaurant. Thanks to Wiig’s brilliant guest spot, this is one of the rarer later episodes that reminds us of the older seasons.

Betty White plays a much kinder elderly fish than Kristen Wiig did, when Pearl gets a job at her shop, Grandma’s Apron. Some of Pearl’s friends, including Nocturna, in another wonderful guest appearance by Aubrey Plaza, bully her for the job. Thankfully, Beatrice is on hand to teach her a valuable lesson about being oneself and enjoying youth while she can. She also uses her…Granny Power to give those bullies what they deserve. It’s a little out of left field, but a character voiced by Betty White having the ultimate power of a grandma just feels right.

#7: Andy Samberg as Colonel Carper “Hello, Bikini Bottom”

Colonel Carper is a band manager with a southern twang who takes an interest in SpongeBob and Squidward’s musical talents as a duo. Of course, after hearing that money is involved, Mr. Krabs steps in and demands to be their manager instead. As usual, Mr. Krabs commits a series of crimes, drawing the ire of Colonel Carper, who demands that he be compensated for the misdeeds. SpongeBob and Squidward ultimately throw a successful concert, which Mr. Krabs mooches off of, but once again Colonel Carper shows up to get what he is owed. Samberg’s memorable villain is an episode highlight, and he is indeed yet another SNL vet to make his way to Bikini Bottom.

Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons guest stars in this parody of Whiplash as Maestro Mackerel, a band director whom Squidward hopes to impress with his audition. Unfortunately, Squidward can’t wake up, so SpongeBob and Patrick literally jump down his throat to create a body horror monstrosity so that he won’t miss his audition. The Maestro is actually impressed with Spongebob/Patrick/Squidward’s performance, but when Squidward regains control…well, this is the man who played J. Jonah Jameson we’re talking about, so you shouldn’t be surprised exactly where Squidward’s clarinet ends up. There’s also a monster Squidward who is better at the clarinet than the real one. Yeah, it’s a weird episode.

#5: Amy Poehler as Granny “Have You Seen This Snail?”

And here we have one more SNL star, giving an unrecognizable performance as an elderly villainess! When Gary runs away due to SpongeBob’s neglect, he takes comfort in the arms of Granny, a kind-looking old fish who’s happy to feed Gary anything she can reach. Though, just as Gary discovers that SpongeBob misses him deeply, a dark twist reveals that Grandma has a habit of overfeeding her snails to death, and we finally understand how Poehler’s performance manages to be sweet, yet somehow sinister. Moving as swiftly as we’ve ever seen a snail move, Gary returns to his remorseful owner, though it looks like Grandma’s days of overfeeding snails aren’t over.

John Goodman is always a wonderful choice to play Santa, and this time he brought Saint Nick to Bikini Bottom. In this supremely charming stop-motion holiday special, Plankton has infected the entire town with Jerktonium, so that he’ll be the only one on his nice list. SpongeBob and Sandy are able to fix this with a song, but Santa still arrives to announce everyone’s naughtiness. In the nick of time, SpongeBob defeats Plankton’s robot SpongeBob and exposes his scheme, making everything right under the sea once again. Of course, it wouldn’t be a SpongeBob Christmas special without some fun at Patchy’s expense.

#3: Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway as Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy—Various Episodes

This entry is a bit different, since Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy were much more recurring characters than the others on this list. Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway played these retired superheroes from the show’s very first season up until Ernest Borgnine’s passing in 2012. These two lovable old geezers were the stars of SpongeBob and Patrick’s favorite show, and if you need any indication of who inspired them, take a gander at Adam West and Burt Ward guest-starring as their younger selves. They’re kooky, always good for a laugh, and an important part of understanding what makes SpongeBob the fun-loving optimist he is.

For a tenth anniversary special, Nickelodeon recruited live action appearances from *deep breath* Rosario Dawson, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, LeBron James, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell (we weren’t lying about the SNL presence on this list), Eddie Deezen, Craig Ferguson, the late Robin Williams, and Pink, who all appear in live-action moments. And that goes without mentioning Ricky Gervais, who served as narrator, and Cee-Lo Green, who provided the theme song. Sure, it might be a shameless way to trot out guest stars to prove how much street cred SpongeBob has received over his years, but it’s a lot of fun to see all these celebrities pay tribute to pop culture’s number one sponge.

Which guest star could top this all-star special? We’ll let you know after a few honourable mentions.

• Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed as Sea Monster and Mother “20,000 Patties Under the Sea”
• Henry Winkler as Sharkface “Sharks vs. Pods”
• Johnny Depp as Jack Kahuna Laguna “SpongeBob SquarePants vs. the Big One”

#1: David Bowie as Lord Royal Highness “SpongeBob’s Atlantis SquarePantis”

We’re gonna be entirely honest here: this was not the best SpongeBob episode. But we got David Bowie aka Ziggy Stardust aka Aladdin Sane aka so many other characters playing a role with SpongeBob, so what more could you ask for? The late musical legend played the appropriately majestic Lord Royal Highness of Atlantis, who shows SpongeBob and his friends through the lost city of Atlantis. With Plankton in tow, things go predictably south and the group is more or less forced out of the city. Bowie is one of the world’s most beloved and missed musicians, so this guest appearance has to take our top spot.