Why Is 'Handsome Squidward' Still A Meme After All These Years? The Classic SpongeBob SquarePants Scene And It's Origin Explained

Despite appearing onscreen for less than one minute, one of the most iconic characters in the history of SpongeBob SquarePants is an entity known as Handsome Squidward, a version of the iconic Squidward Tentacles made to look like an Adonis.

For nearly two decades, Handsome Squidward has been an icon for meme makers, as his face has been etched in all sorts of image macros, immortalized in fan art, and been the subject of dozens of video remixes. Here's the history of Handsome Squidward and why he endures as one of SpongeBob's classic memes.

Where Does Handsome Squidward Come From?

Handsome Squidward appeared for one minute in the Season 5 episode of SpongeBob, "The Two Faces of Squidward." In the episode, SpongeBob accidentally hits Squidward in the face with a door, resulting in him becoming unexpectedly handsome (though still not the Handsome Squidward we know and love).

At first, it's a blessing, as Bikini Bottom swoons over him, but their love of the new-look Squidward soon becomes a burden, causing him to beg SpongeBob to reverse the look by the same method. SpongeBob whacks him many more times with a door, but as a result, Squidward only becomes even more handsome, leading to the Handsome Squidward of memedom.

With the Bikini Bottom citizens now whipped into a frenzy, SpongeBob attempts to push Squidward out of the way of a falling shoe. Squidward dramatically spirals towards a column in the Krusty Krab, which gives him his old face back.

How Is Handsome Squidward Memed?

Handsome Squidward quickly became an iconic SpongeBob meme, as his face inspired many an edit on social media.

There are three distinct categories of Handsome Squidward memes. The first is image macros. These will often be used in comparison memes where Handsome Squidward represents the best option, while a worse-looking version of Squidward is a lesser choice.

The second is using Handsome Squidward as an exploitable. These involve redrawing characters from other media IPs with Handsome Squidward's features.

Lastly, there are video edits. These usually involve remixing the slow-motion moment when Handsome Squidward careens toward the Krusty Krab pole that resets him to normal. Often, the edits will involve setting the scene to different music.

While the meme's heyday was in the early-to-mid-2010s, the character hasn't quite outstayed its welcome like other SpongeBob memes. In 2024, you're much more likely to see Handsome Squidward than, say, Mocking SpongeBob. Perhaps the face is simply too iconic, and like the citizens of Bikini Bottom, memers are too obsessed with it to leave it alone.

For more information, check out Handsome Squidward on Know Your Meme.