SpongeBob SquarePants Characters: Heights, Ages and Birthday Analysis

SpongeBob SquarePants has been running for 23 very successful years but has managed to maintain a steady cast of main characters.

Most of these characters have had their heights, ages and birthdays confirmed in various handbooks and creator interviews.

For those characters who have not had their personal details officially confirmed, there is enough information out there for fans to fill in the gaps. 

It is worth noting that most of the characters in SpongeBob SquarePants do not change or age physically.

The ages detailed below are based on the fan-made assumption that SpongeBob characters do age, even if they do not physically.

There are several indications in the show of the characters aging, such as when SpongeBob gets his driving license. 

Based on these events and other confirmations from the show’s creators, it is estimated that SpongeBob characters have aged every year since the show’s release in 1999.

As of the show’s 13th season in 2022, the characters would have aged 23 years. 

When the show begins, SpongeBob SquarePants is 13 years old, making him 36 years old when the show concludes. However, he stays 0’4.02″ (10.2 cm) in height all the way through the show. 

SpongeBob’s best friend, Patrick Star, is 2 years older than SpongeBob. He is 15 in season 1 and finishes the show at 38 years old. He never grows but is already taller than SpongeBob at 0’5.98″ (15.2 cm). 

Squidward Tentacles is much older than SpongeBob and Patrick at 22 years old at the start of the show and 45 when it ends. He is also considerably taller at 0’10” (25.4 cm). 

On the other hand, Mr Krabs is only a little taller than SpongeBob at 0’4.72″ (12 cm) but is one of the oldest main characters in SpongeBob. He is 57 years old in season 1 and 80 by the show’s end.

SpongeBob SquarePants is certainly a nostalgic show for anyone born in the early 2000’s. It is the most profitable of Nickelodeon’s cartoon shows for good reason!

The series follows SpongeBob SquarePants – a high-energy, fun-loving teen – and a highly varied cast of underwater (and above water) characters on wacky adventures.

SpongeBob SquarePants Characters Heights, Ages, and Birthday Chart

Listed below are the heights in feet and cm, ages, and birthdays of the SpongeBob SquarePants main characters at the start of their debut in the show (1999).

You can find the up-to-date ages and heights of any characters that change throughout the show in the text below this table.

Character	Height	Age	Birthday
SpongeBob SquarePants	0’4.02″ (10.2 cm)	13	July 14th
Patrick Star	0’5.98″ (15.2 cm)	15	July 19th
Squidward Tentacles	0’10” (25.4 cm)	22	October 9th
Mr Krabs	0’4.72″ (12 cm)	57	November 30th
Sandy Cheeks	0’4.33″ (12 cm)	14	November 17th
Plankton	0’0.39″ (1 cm)	57	November 30th
Karen Plankton	0’4.33″ (12 cm)	54	December 20th
Gary The Snail	0’3.15″ (8 cm)	10	November 27th
Pearl Krabs	0’5.12″ (13 cm)	9	May 12th
Mrs Puff	0’4.53″ (11.5 cm)	41	January 12th
Mermaid Man	0’4.53″ (11.5 cm)	82	January 24th
Barnacle Boy	0’4.84″ (12.3 cm)	68	June 1st
Flying Dutchman	N/a1	5000+	N/a1
Larry the Lobster	0’5.91″ (15 cm)	17	June 23rd
Squilliam Fancyson	0’10.5″ (26.67 cm)	19	July 7th
Harold SquarePants	0’5.51″ (14 cm)	40	June 17th
Margaret SquarePants	0’4.72″ (12 cm)	40	October 23rd
Perch Perkins	0’5″ (12.7 cm)	35	November 23rd
Betsy Krabs	0’4.3″ (11 cm)	70’s	N/a2
Bubble Bass	0’11.02″ (28 cm)	11 +	N/a2

N/a¹ – Unclear as he is a ghost
N/a² – Never specified

Read more: Spongebob Squarepants Season 14: Latest News and Release Date

SpongeBob SquarePants – July 14th

In the first season of SpongeBob SquarePants, the title character SpongeBob SquarePants is only 13 years old. By the end of the show, SpongeBob is 36 years old, though he doesn’t appear to have physically aged. He remains 0’4.02″ (10.2 cm) in height, making him one of the smallest characters in the show. 

Testament to his young age, SpongeBob can only be described as a cheerful, weird teen. SpongeBob is dedicated to his work at the Krusty Krab. He puts a lot of care into everything he does – from catching jellyfish to flipping patties.

SpongeBob’s greatest downfall is his clumsiness, partly due to his being scatterbrained and absent-minded most of the time. Though this makes him all that more fun. 

SpongeBob’s happy but immature demeanor often annoys those around him. Both those who are older and those his same age. This happens almost in every episode when SpongeBob tries to help or wants to impress someone. However, he doesn’t realize he is being a nuisance and putting those he cares about in danger. 

Patrick Star – July 19th

Patrick Star is a few years older than SpongeBob at 15 years old, but they have been best friends since they were babies. Because he is a different species from SpongeBob (a starfish), Patrick is noticeably taller at 0’5.98″ (15.2 cm). When the show ends, Patrick is 38 years old.

If SpongeBob is childish and clueless, then Patrick is downright stupid. However, this is why SpongeBob and Patrick are such good friends in the first place. Patrick lacks the same determination and responsibility as SpongeBob, meaning that he usually gets the pair into the most trouble.  

Patrick’s immaturity also makes him easily jealous. He reacts to emotional or complicated situations as a child would: with a tantrum. Patrick’s simple thinking makes it hard for him to see past himself, causing him to be selfish and narrow-minded. During these times, he relies on SpongeBob to set him straight again. 

Squidward Tentacles – October 9th

Squidward Tentacles has the temperament of a cranky older man, but he is only 22 years old when SpongeBob begins. Despite his name, Squidward is an octopus and not a squid. This subtly can be seen in Squidward’s 0’10” (25.4 cm) height, as octopuses are generally much bigger than squids. When the show ends, Squidward is 45 years old.

Squidward is SpongeBob’s long-term neighbor. He is often the target of many of SpongeBob and Patrick’s shenanigans, which he barely tolerates.

Just the sight of SpongeBob’s cheerful face makes Squidward instantly cynical. This is unfortunate as they work together and live next to each other. Because of his feelings towards SpongeBob, Squidward is often depicted as a grumpy snob. 

There is plenty of proof in the show that Squidward is as moody as he is because he has to put up with SpongeBob and Patrick nearly 24/7. There are times when SpongeBob leaves Squidward alone, and he appears very nearly cheerful. 

Mr Krabs – November 30th

Mr Krabs (aka Eugene H. Krabs) is already 57 years old when he debuts in SpongeBob and is only a little taller than SpongeBob at 0’4.72″ (12 cm). When the show concludes, Mr Krabs is well into retirement age at 80 years old. But he is still happily working to earn as much money as possible. 

Since inventing his secret formula for the ultimate burger – the Krabby Patty – Mr Krabs has spent his life building his monetary fortune.

Pretty much everything that Mr Krabs does is motivated by greed. This extends to how he treats Squidward and SpongeBob as employees at his Krusty Krab restaurant. He pays them the bare minimum and works them hard so he can spend as little as possible. 

That being said, Mr Krabs is not all bad. He does have a soft spot for his daughter Pearl and his Krusty Krab employees. So much so that he spends his precious cash to cheer them up on the rare occasion. 

Sandy Cheeks – November 17th

Sandy Cheeks is actually a 14 year old (upon debut) American squirrel who chose to live underwater. She has to wear a diving suit when outside of the oxygen biome that she built herself. Sandy’s suit makes her a little taller than SpongeBob at 0’4.33″ (12 cm).

Although Sandy and SpongeBob could not be more different, they are close enough in age to be good friends. They even get married at some point in the show. Their main difference is their personalities.

Sandy is very competitive and acts like a crazy scientist in the early seasons of SpongeBob. Since SpongeBob is easily influenced, he often goes along with Sandy’s games, coming out worse for wear. 

Sandy is one of the few characters in SpongeBob who matures and undergoes an obvious character development. She mellows out and becomes a lot more caring in the show’s later seasons.

Plankton – November 30th 

As his name would suggest, Plankton (aka Sheldon J. Plankton) is a planktonic copepod that is extremely small in real life. Plankton is the smallest character in SpongeBob at only 0’0.39″ (1 cm). He has the exact same birthday as Mr Krabs, making him 57 years old in SpongeBob season 1. 

Plankton and Mr Krabs were once good friends. They were both the school outcasts who teamed up to create a business from a dumpster. But then Mr Krabs developed his own formula for the Krabby Patty and left Plankton in the dust.

Since then, Plankton has been obsessed with stealing the Krabby Patty formula and is willing to go to ridiculous lengths to get it. Lucky for him, Plankton is an evil genius. He is constantly inventing advanced technology to help compensate for his tiny size in his big schemes. 

Karen Plankton – December 20th 

Though she is a computer, Karen Plankton is a character in her own right. She was built by Plankton when he was 3 or so years old. This makes her roughly 54 years old when she is introduced to SpongeBob. Karen is a mobile computer built to be significantly taller than Plankton at 0’4.33″ (12 cm). 

Karen Plankton is just one example of Plankton’s advanced smarts. She is not only a highly intelligent, independently developing computer, but she is also waterproof (hence why she can live underwater).

She is Plankton’s only real companion in business and life. Like all computers, Karen doesn’t have a heart. But because she has been ‘growing’ with Plankton for the 54 years since her invention, she has developed a human-like love and care for Plankton. 

Gary The Snail – November 27th 

Gary The Snail is SpongeBob’s pet sea snail that he got when he was 3 years old, making Gary 10 in season 1 of SpongeBob. At 0’3.15″ (8 cm), Gary is noticeably smaller than SpongeBob but is quite large for a pet in Bikini Bottom. 

There are several recurring pet characters in SpongeBob, but Gary appears the most often and has captured the heart of so many fans.

To begin with, Gary seems to be a dumb sea snail with no actual worth. Then as the series progresses, Gary’s intelligence provides plenty of plot points.

Of course, like any SpongeBob character, Gary is not the typical sea snail and can teleport and play several musical instruments. This mostly happens when SpongeBob isn’t looking.  

Pearl Krabs – May 12th

Though she is a sperm whale, Pearl Krabs is not the largest character in SpongeBob. She is tall at 0’5.12″ (13 cm) but has been scaled down to match the rest of the main cast. However, her smaller size could also be because she is one of the youngest characters in SpongeBob, at only 9 years old when the series begins.

Pearl is more mature than SpongeBob despite being younger. She has significantly higher intelligence than most characters – just like real sperm whales. But that is where Pearl’s connection to being a sperm whale stops.

She is generally very caring and happy, unlike sperm whales which are deadly predators. But Pearl is still a child and often throws tantrums when a situation is too overwhelming.

As different as Mr Krabs and Pearl appear physically, they have a strong relationship, and Mr Krabs can easily calm Pearl down. 

Mrs Puff – January 12th  

Mrs Puff remains 0’4.53″ (11.5 cm) throughout SpongeBob. But as she is a pufferfish, there are times when she inflates, which temporarily affects her height. She also remains SpongeBob’s teacher for the whole series, starting the show at 41 years old. 

Mrs Puff is a passionate teacher and driving instructor despite her mysterious past. She has a lot of patience for her students, especially SpongeBob, who is constantly pushing the boundaries of that patience with his terrible driving.

She has been teaching long enough to have a secure authority in Bikini Bottom, but she still hates a lot of the responsibilities that come with her position. E.g., filling out paperwork and general work stress. 

Mermaid Man – January 24th 

Mermaid Man was the title character in an old fictional show within SpongeBob. By the time he is introduced to SpongeBob in season 1, Mermaid Man is 82 years old. He has a permanent slouch making him seem shorter at 0’4.53″ (11.5 cm), but he stood a lot taller in his youth.

The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy is a show within the SpongeBob universe, but Mermaid Man is also a real superhero in Bikini Bottom.

Though he is old, Mermaid Man comes out of retirement to be a superhero again to appease SpongeBob and Patrick. However, his age has made him very moody and has affected his sight, meaning that he lacks the same superhero abilities he once had. 

Barnacle Boy – June 1st

In season 2 of SpongeBob, Barnacle Boy is revealed to be 68 years old, making him 67 when the show began. Barnacle Boy stands taller than Mermaid Man at 0’4.84″ (12.3 cm) as he doesn’t have the same slouch. 

Barnacle Boy was Mermaid Man’s sidekick in The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy and in SpongeBob’s real world.

He has many of the same powers as Mermaid Man but is treated as a child, even when they are both older.

Barnacle Boy is just as stubborn and grumpy as Mermaid Man, so it isn’t until later in SpongeBob that Barnacle Boy earns Mermaid Man’s respect. From that point on, Mermaid Man still treats Barnacle Boy like a child, but in a less degrading way.  

Flying Dutchman 

Because the Flying Dutchman is a ghost, who can shapeshift and float, exactly how tall he is is unclear. The Flying Dutchman has no need for shoes, which he says he hasn’t worn for 5000 years. This implies that Flying Dutchman is 5000 + years old. 

Though he is not necessarily a villain, the Flying Dutchman is not a nice guy. He is a proud sea demon who has surrounded himself with countless ghost friends, but he remains the most powerful, able to teleport and change his shape.

5000 years of un-dead life doesn’t seem to have taken much toll on the Flying Dutchman, who delights in scaring people and causing mayhem. However, he is not bad for the sake of being evil. He is a just soul and has a clean-cut view of good and evil, rewarding those who do good. 

Larry the Lobster – June 23rd

Despite being one of the younger characters at the beginning of SpongeBob at 17 years old, Larry The Lobster is the strongest and most muscular. At 0’5.91″ (15 cm), Larry’s appearance would be intimidating if it were not for his juxtaposing personality. 

Larry is Bikini Bottom’s resident bodybuilder, making him very popular. Larry is often shown to be surrounded by his adoring fans, but he is not as big-headed about his success as most would expect.

He is a lifeguard who cares deeply about his job and the safety of those around him. Larry does tend to break his generally polite personality, ignoring people to admire himself or putting his looks above others. But he is so polite that people don’t seem to mind much. 

Squilliam Fancyson – July 7th

Compared to Squidward, Squilliam Fancyson is a slightly taller octopus at an estimated 0’10.5″ (26.67 cm). Squilliam and Squidward shared a band class in high school, but Squilliam is 3 years younger than Squidward, making him 19 years old when the show began. 

Compared to Squilliam, Squidward seems like a very nice guy. Squilliam is a much richer, far more arrogant octopus who constantly holds his musical success over Squidward.

Squilliam views himself as superior to everyone around him, especially Squidward, who has been his long-term rival since high school. A lot of the interactions on screen between Squilliam and Squidward are about Squidward trying to prove himself to Squilliam, who is far more successful in every way. 

Harold SquarePants – June 17th

Compared to his son, Harold SquarePants is reasonably tall at roughly 0’5.51″ (14 cm). He is only 40 years old when he debuts in season 1 of SpongeBob, but his grey mustache makes him seem older. 

Harold is a typical middle-aged dad with lots of love for his wife (Margaret) and son (SpongeBob). He is more laidback than SpongeBob, who is constantly hyperactive, though Harold is not less content or happy than SpongeBob.

There are times when Harold compares SpongeBob to others, such as when SpongeBob fails to get his driving license, but he does not do it to upset SpongeBob. 

Margaret SquarePants – October 23rd

Margaret SquarePants is the same age as her husband in season 1 (40 years old) but is a few months younger. She is also shorter than Harold but taller than SpongeBob at an estimated 0’4.72″ (12 cm) – the perfect middle ground between the two. 

It is rare for Margaret to be seen without Harold on screen, playing the role of a loving mother and wife. She seems sterner with SpongeBob than Harold tends to be, telling him to own up to his mistakes and make amends when SpongeBob has done wrong. However, she seems generally as content and cheerful as Harold. 

Perch Perkins – November 23rd

Though Perch Perkins doesn’t have a consistent appearance, swapping between an orange and purple color in the show, he does remain the same height at 0’5″ (12.7 cm). He is first seen in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie but later appears in SpongeBob season 4 when he is 35 years old.

Perch is a pretty average fish in Bikini Bottom, only set apart by his job as a news reporter. Even his appearance is not too much different from the everyday fish aside from his sleek suit jacket.

This makes him seem normal and relatable, making others want to share their stories with him. It also helps that Perch is particularly charismatic. But as the series progresses, Perch does go on a downward spiral, becoming stressed, anxious, and arrogant. 

Betsy Krabs 

Betsy Krabs is Mr Krabs’ mother, who is estimated to be in her 70s when she first debuts in season 1. Based on Mr Krabs’ height, Betsy appears to be just a little shorter than him at 0’4.3″ (11 cm) but still has an authoritative hold over Mr Krabs as his mother. 

Mr Krabs may be money-obsessed and single-minded, but Betsy Krabs is a caring, protective mother and grandmother. She is rarely angry. Yet when Mr Krabs crosses a line, she is quick to punish him despite him being an adult.

Betsy will quickly lose her temper when made to look like a fool. Otherwise, she is a stereotypical, loving old lady. 

Bubble Bass

Bubble Bass is one of SpongeBob’s tallest and largest recurring characters at 0’11.02″ (28 cm). It is not until season 12 that it is revealed that Bubble Bass is older than 23, making him 11 + years old when he is first introduced in season 1 of SpongeBob. 

Bubble may not be manically evil in the same way that Plankton is, but he is a typical bully. His biggest talent is lying, not bothering to try and work for the things he wants but cheating and manipulating those around him instead.

SpongeBob often falls victim to Bubble’s deceit and loses his usual upbeat confidence when Bubble lies about SpongeBob not doing his job right. SpongeBob doesn’t dislike many people. Still, with how unnecessarily mean Bubble is, SpongeBob can not help but hate him.  

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