Season 12

If you were looking for the article about the DVD, then see The Complete Twelfth Season.

The twelfth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, was announced on May 5, 2017.

A total of 26 half-hour episodes were produced for this season.

Season 12 premiered on November 11, 2018 with "FarmerBob" and ended on April 29, 2022 with "Kwarantined Krab."

The season was released on DVD on January 12, 2021, albeit without the episode "Kwarantined Krab" due to the plot being unintentionally similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season was later released on Paramount+ on May 31, 2023, one year and one month after it had completed its broadcast on television.

Production

On June 21, 2017, Lori Alan confirmed on Instagram that voice-recording of season 12 had started, and shared a photo showing three words from an untitled season 12 episode script.

On July 23, 2017, Kaz reported that he was beginning work on this episode's outline, referring to it as his first of season 12. A cut-off bit from the episode's title ("-hum") on notes written down during discussion of the episode can be seen on the far-left side of the image that he posted.

On August 18, 2017, Vincent Waller confirmed on Twitter that the first script of season 12 had been finished, and shared a photo of the script, revealing a writer of the episode, Kaz. The title is replaced with Xs. It later turned out to be "Plankton's Old Chum."

Gary's Got Legs was the first episode that Ian Vazquez, who would later become one of three supervising directors on the show, worked on Season 13. It was storyboarded in April 2018.

On December 2018, Clint Bond (who worked on Dave Cunningham's team) left the show after 13 years of working on it and moved to the Fox animated series Duncanville at the studio Bento Box Entertainment. His final episode is "SpongeBob's Bad Habit".

The last few episodes of the season, from "Lighthouse Louie" to "Dream Hoppers," had Joann Chang work as their production assistant from April 2019 to July 2020.

Production images

• File:Spongebob-squarepants-pearl-krabs-the-whale-s12.jpg
• File:DHiGCbnVwAEo7Iy.jpg
• Promotional art by Vincent Waller[1]
  Promotional art by Vincent Waller
• File:TrabbicS12Board.png

List of episodes

Title card	#	Title	U.S. airdate	U.S. viewers (millions)
File:FarmerBob title card.jpg	242a	"FarmerBob" (tr • ga)	November 11, 2018	1.40
	SpongeBob and Patrick work a day on Old Man Jenkins' farm.
File:Gary & Spot title card.jpg	242b	"Gary & Spot" (tr • ga)	July 27, 2019	1.21
	Sandy narrates the nocturnal adventures of Gary and his secret pal - Spot.
File:The Nitwitting title card.png	243a	"The Nitwitting" (tr • ga)	January 13, 2019	1.05
	Patrick inducts SpongeBob into his prestigious society of dullards and doofuses.
File:The Ballad of Filthy Muck title card.png	243b	"The Ballad of Filthy Muck" (tr • ga)	January 20, 2019	0.95
	Patrick takes his grime to a new extreme, playing around in so much trash that he becomes unrecognizable.
File:The Krusty Slammer title card.jpg	244a	"The Krusty Slammer" (tr • ga)	January 27, 2019	1.24
	Mr. Krabs turns the Krusty Krab into a jailhouse after Plankton breaks the law, but crime only pays for so long.
File:Pineapple RV title card.jpg	244b	"Pineapple RV" (tr • ga)	July 17, 2020	0.73
	SpongeBob and Patrick turn the pineapple into a mobile home to take Squidward on the road trip he deserves.
File:Gary's Got Legs title card.jpg	245a	"Gary's Got Legs" (tr • ga)	July 27, 2019	1.21
	Gary is given a set of limbs to keep up with SpongeBob, but soon makes his owner look sluggish by comparison.
File:King Plankton title card.png	245b	"King Plankton" (tr • ga)	June 22, 2019	0.97
	Plankton practices ruling the world by shrinking himself down and declaring himself king of SpongeBob's aquarium.
File:Plankton's Old Chum title card.jpg	246a	"Plankton's Old Chum" (tr • ga)	November 30, 2019	1.10
	When Plankton's usual spot to dump his rotten chum is too full, he tricks SpongeBob into hiding it around the city.
File:Stormy Weather title card.png	246b	"Stormy Weather" (tr • ga)	June 22, 2019	0.97
	SpongeBob befriends a small storm cloud, but has to protect it from a crazed weather man.
File:Swamp Mates title card.jpg	247a	"Swamp Mates" (tr • ga)	April 11, 2020	0.89
	SpongeBob tells a story where Bubble Bass finds himself stranded with Patrick in a mysterious swamp, looking for a lost action figure.
File:One Trick Sponge title card.jpg	247b	"One Trick Sponge" (tr • ga)	April 11, 2020	0.89
	SpongeBob learns a new trick but can't find an audience to show it to.
File:The Krusty Bucket title card.jpg	248a	"The Krusty Bucket" (tr • ga)	August 10, 2019	1.09
	Plankton creates a hybrid clone of himself and Mr. Krabs, but neither restaurant is safe from the newcomer.
File:Squid's on a Bus title card.jpg	248b	"Squid's on a Bus" (tr • ga)	September 28, 2019	1.28
	Squidward gleefully switches jobs with a bus driver for an easy ride... until SpongeBob and Patrick climb aboard.
File:Sandy's Nutty Nieces title card.jpg	249a	"Sandy's Nutty Nieces" (tr • ga)	June 29, 2019	0.94
	SpongeBob gets in over his head when he volunteers to babysit Sandy's three nieces.
File:Insecurity Guards title card.jpg	249b	"Insecurity Guards" (tr • ga)	June 29, 2019	0.94
	SpongeBob and Patrick volunteer as security guards at the museum, while Squidward attempts to hang his painting unnoticed.
File:Broken Alarm title card.jpg	250a	"Broken Alarm" (tr • ga)	July 6, 2019	1.36
	SpongeBob breaks his precious alarm clock, and nothing else is loud enough to wake him up on time.
File:Karen's Baby title card.jpg	250b	"Karen's Baby" (tr • ga)	August 10, 2019	1.09
	Karen quickly learns that kids grow up too fast after her new child arrives in the mail.
File:Shell Games title card.jpg	251a	"Shell Games" (tr • ga)	March 7, 2020	0.80
	Patrick discovers that the rock he lives under is actually the shell of a sea turtle who overslept.
File:Senior Discount title card.jpg	251b	"Senior Discount" (tr • ga)	July 6, 2019	1.36
	Old Man Jenkins disrupts business as usual at the Krusty Krab, but Mr. Krabs can't find a way to kick him out.
File:Mind the Gap title card.jpg	252a	"Mind the Gap" (tr • ga)	September 14, 2019	1.14
	Squidward closes the gap between SpongeBob's teeth, which causes a dramatic and unexpected change in his demeanor.
File:Dirty Bubble Returns title card.jpg	252b	"Dirty Bubble Returns" (tr • ga)	November 23, 2019	1.07
	The newly reformed "Clean Bubble" takes a dishwashing job at the Krusty Krab, where he is tempted by the grime.
File:Jolly Lodgers title card.jpg	253a	"Jolly Lodgers" (tr • ga)	March 7, 2020	0.80
	Squidward packs his bags as his house becomes infested with sea urchins, but a different kind of pest awaits him at the hotel.
File:Biddy Sitting title card.jpg	253b	"Biddy Sitting" (tr • ga)	February 8, 2020	0.94
	SpongeBob and Patrick are victims of a hoax and end up babysitting a grumpy old lady who tries to escape by all means.
File:SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout title card.jpg	254-255	"SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" (tr • ga)	July 12, 2019	1.83 2.24 (simulcast) 1.06 (cut) 0.81 (bonus edition)
	SpongeBob and Patrick tour the surface world, while the rest of Bikini Bottom prepares a surprise party for SpongeBob.
File:SpongeBob in RandomLand title card.png	256a	"SpongeBob in RandomLand" (tr • ga)	September 21, 2019	1.43
	SpongeBob and Squidward take a delivery to a dreaded town where the laws of logic no longer apply.
File:SpongeBob's Bad Habit title card.png	256b	"SpongeBob's Bad Habit" (tr • ga)	September 21, 2019	1.43
	SpongeBob can't stop biting his nails, but he also can't figure out why.
File:Handemonium title card.jpg	257a	"Handemonium" (tr • ga)	November 23, 2019	1.07
	Plankton's giant Chum Bucket glove runs wild in town, but SpongeBob has a handy friend to help them out.
File:Breakin' title card.jpg	257b	"Breakin'" (tr • ga)	September 14, 2019	1.14
	SpongeBob takes his first break ever at work.
File:Boss for a Day title card.jpg	258a	"Boss for a Day" (tr • ga)	July 17, 2020	0.73
	Mr. Krabs has an accident and leaves SpongeBob in charge of the Krusty Krab.
File:The Goofy Newbie title card.png	258b	"The Goofy Newbie" (tr • ga)	September 28, 2019	1.28
	Patrick takes a job at the Goofy Goober when he finds out the employees get free ice cream.
File:The Ghost of Plankton title card.jpg	259a	"The Ghost of Plankton" (tr • ga)	October 12, 2019	1.00
	Plankton becomes a ghost to steal the secret formula, but requires a few lessons from the Flying Dutchman.
File:My Two Krabses title card.jpg	259b	"My Two Krabses" (tr • ga)	January 18, 2021	0.68
	Mr. Krabs gets ready for a hot date, but SpongeBob and Patrick give him a little more help than he needs.
File:Knock Knock, Who's There? title card.jpg	260a	"Knock Knock, Who's There?" (tr • ga)	April 23, 2021	0.34
	SpongeBob watches Mr. Krabs' house while he is away and goes to extreme measures to prevent burglary.
File:Pat Hearts Squid title card.png	260b	"Pat Hearts Squid" (tr • ga)	July 9, 2021	0.56
	Squidward is forced to live at Patrick's house, but his dominant demeanor rubs off on Patrick more than desired.
File:Lighthouse Louie title card.jpg	261a	"Lighthouse Louie" (tr • ga)	January 18, 2021	0.68
	SpongeBob cleans up the boating school's lighthouse, where he finds a cute but uncomfortable companion.
File:Hiccup Plague title card.jpg	261b	"Hiccup Plague" (tr • ga)	April 22, 2022	0.44
	No one in Bikini Bottom is safe from a case of contagious hiccups.
File:A Cabin in the Kelp title card.jpg	262a	"A Cabin in the Kelp" (tr • ga)	October 12, 2019	1.00
	The Gal Pals take Pearl to a cabin in the woods for a weekend of silly pranks.
File:The Hankering title card.jpg	262b	"The Hankering" (tr • ga)	November 30, 2019	1.10
	Mr. Krabs has a secret taste for something... surprising.
File:Who R Zoo? title card.png	263a	"Who R Zoo?" (tr • ga)	February 8, 2020	0.94
	SpongeBob and Patrick create their own zoo made entirely of bubbles.
File:Kwarantined Krab title card.jpg	263b	"Kwarantined Krab" (tr • ga)	April 29, 2022	0.40
	The Krusty Krab goes under emergency quarantine, but no one knows who carries the mysterious illness...
File:Plankton's Intern title card.png	264a	"Plankton's Intern" (tr • ga)	April 30, 2021	0.54
	Plankton needs help to steal the secret formula, so he hires an intern who knows more about Mr. Krabs than anyone else.
File:Patrick's Tantrum title card.jpg	264b	"Patrick's Tantrum" (tr • ga)	February 25, 2022	0.42
	Patrick goes into a destructive fit whenever he hears a bell, so his friends help him in their own ways.
File:Bubble Bass's Tab title card.jpg	265a	"Bubble Bass's Tab" (tr • ga)	April 9, 2021	0.48
	Bubble Bass avoids paying his bill at the Krusty Krab, so SpongeBob and Squidward are sent to collect the cash.
File:Kooky Cooks title card.jpg	265b	"Kooky Cooks" (tr • ga)	April 9, 2021	0.48
	Mr. Krabs makes SpongeBob and Squidward cook a fancy meal for Mrs. Puff, but every dish becomes a dispute.
File:Escape from Beneath Glove World title card.jpg	266	"Escape from Beneath Glove World" (tr • ga)	January 18, 2020	1.25
	SpongeBob and Patrick are sent to jail in the underground tunnels of Glove World!, leading to a daring escape.
File:Krusty Koncessionaires title card.jpg	267a	"Krusty Koncessionaires" (tr • ga)	November 7, 2020	0.66
	The Krusty Krab crew goes to a big concert to sell Krabby Patties in the stands.
File:Dream Hoppers title card.jpg	267b	"Dream Hoppers" (tr • ga)	November 7, 2020	0.66
	SpongeBob explores the melodious dreamscapes of his sleeping neighbors.

Trivia

• This is both the last season to air in the 2010s and the first one to air in the 2020s.
  • The final aired episode in the 2010s was ”The Hankering” on November 30, 2019 at 11:45am.
  • While the first episode to air in the 2020s was ”Escape from Beneath Glove World” on January 18, 2020 at 11am.
• This is the last season to involve series creator Stephen Hillenburg, as he passed away on November 26, 2018.
  • The last episode that he oversaw full completion of was "Pineapple RV."
  • However, according to Doug Lawrence, the last episode Stephen got to work on was "The Ghost of Plankton", as he proposed the idea of Plankton being a ghost.
• This is the first season to have multiple extended episodes (longer than 11 minutes, but shorter than 22 minutes).
  • Those episodes are "Swamp Mates," "Handemonium," and "Krusty Koncessionaires."
• The episode "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" serves as the main 20th anniversary special episode. The episodes "Karen's Baby," "Mind the Gap," and "Boss for a Day" were also referenced as a part of the Best Year Ever campaign.
• Following season 9, this is the second-longest season in SpongeBob SquarePants, with it taking 3 years and 5 months to complete broadcast on television.
• "Patrick's Tantrum," "Hiccup Plague," and "Kwarantined Krab" are the only episodes to premiere in 2022. However in other regions like Latin America, Germany, Greece, Austria and others, these episodes premiered either accidentally or digitally between 2020 and 2021.
• The supervising producer credit is replaced with the co-executive producer credit in this season. The storyboard director credit is also used again.
• This is the last season to have any of its episodes receive more than 1 million viewers.
• "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" is the only episode from this season to be written and storyboarded by more than one person.
  • Additionally, only one episode this season was storyboard-driven, which was "Dream Hoppers," compared to season 11 which had three.
  • This is also the last season to finish its broadcast during Nickelodeon's 2017-2023 era.

File:ThisGuyHasASwimmingPoolInsideOfHisSwimmingPool.PNG

Amazon Prime Video screenshot showcasing an overpriced season 12.

• For a while on Amazon Prime Video, the season was listed for sale at $74.25 USD, which is unusual, and the only season to be priced this way. Seasons on Amazon Prime Video average around $20.00 to $30.00 USD. It now costs $27.99 for the whole season.
• This is the first season since season 1 to have a missing episode from the complete season on DVD. In this case, "Kwarantined Krab."
  • This was due to the episode's plot being unintentionally similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was occurring around the time this DVD was released.
• This is the third season to be released on DVD before finishing its broadcast, after seasons 4 and 5. However, unlike those seasons, this season was not fully released on DVD due to "Kwarantined Krab" being excluded.
• This season is severely out of order on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video. Instead, most of the episodes are arranged in airing order instead of packaging order.
• This is the most out-of-order season in terms of airing order, with many episodes premiering years after their completion.
• This is so far the only season to not bring a new writer.

Video

File:SpongeBob's Best of Season 12 & 13 Marathon for 50 MINUTES! - Nicktoons