How Did Mr. Krabs Die?

Mr. Krabs isn't actually dead but an internet rumor thanks to a class project and a deleted Spongebob episode had fans in a frenzy.

By Rick Gonzales | Published

Mr. Krabs

Wait a second, Mr. Krabs is dead? The same miserly and greedy Mr. Krabs who owns Bikini Bottom’s Krusty Krab? Right now, you may be scratching your question-filled head wondering just how did Mr. Krabs die (was it AI induced?) and when exactly did SpongeBob SquarePants’ boss meet his untimely demise?

Mr. Krabs has been delighting fans for nearly 24 years, or 13 seasons worth, as the Krusty Krab owner, who talks much like a pirate would and prefers to run his restaurant as if he were running a pirate ship.

He employs Squidward, SpongeBob’s neighbor, an arrogant and ill-tempered octopus, along with SpongeBob, whose job at the Krusty Krab is as its fry cook.

Right across the street is the rival restaurant, the Chum Bucket. This unsuccessful eatery is run by Mr. Krabs’ longtime enemy, Plankton, a small, one-eyed copepod. His one and only goal is to put Mr. Krabs out of business by stealing Mr. Krabs’ recipe for his very successful Krabby Patty burger.

Now that you know (or have been reminded) of some of the players in this tragedy, let’s see if we can figure out just when Mr. Krabs became a member of Davy Jones’ locker.

Mr. Krabs Is Dead, On The Internet

Mr. Krabs

Before we go any further, let’s put your mind at ease. Yes, it is true that Mr. Krabs did die and as you will soon see, it was in quite a horrific fashion. No, thankfully Mr. Krabs never actually died in an episode of SpongeBob Square Pants.

His death, such as it is, came back in 2021 when word began to spread on the internet like wildfire. Fans thought it was real but couldn’t recall an episode where he actually met his maker. They were confused and rightfully so.

The truth of the matter is what was making its rounds on the internet was the death of Mr. Krabs, but it was put together in an 11-page document that was part of a school classroom activity meant to teach students just how to craft arguments for a trial. The document held all the information they would need to support their case to help bring Mr. Krabs’ murderer to justice.

What made Mr. Krabs’ death seem even more real was the fact that Nickelodeon removed a SpongeBob Square Pants episode (Season 12, Episode 21) titled “Kwarantined Crab” around that same time. Fans believed that this was the episode that featured his death, but according to the network, they pulled the episode because of the many similarities it had to COVID-19.

The document that was circulating, at first, was a simple two-page piece whose origins were traced back to public school District 186, in Springfield, Illinois.

Shortly after that 2-page document made its rounds, the much longer (11 pages) document found its way to the internet, giving more detail on what Mr. Krabs’ death was all about.

Mr. Krabs Died As Part Of A Mock Trial

The document itself, which can be seen here in its entirety, is actually a well-thought-out (although morbid) detailing of his death and the circumstances surrounding the gruesome act. The title of the class project is The Trial of SpongeBob SquarePants.

The scenario is immediately set. Mr. Krabs’ lifeless body is found inside the Krusty Krab. Right when the underwater police arrive, they immediately suspect foul play as his body is found to have (per the coroner’s report) his throat cut by a metal spatula, which was found next to his body and there were also signs of blunt-force trauma on the back of his head. What a terrible way for Mr. Krabs to go.

The obvious suspect is Plankton, whom everyone knows has an immense dislike toward Mr. Krabs. But the police are unable to find any physical evidence that would support that logical theory. As they continued to delve deeper into the investigation, another suspect was coming into the picture – SpongeBob SquarePants!

Of course, SpongeBob claims his innocence. The authorities, though, do not believe him. Thankfully, SpongeBob has found himself a stellar defense team (some of those in the class), and using evidence that points to SpongeBob possibly telling the truth, the defense must put together a strong and convincing argument to present at the trial.

The instructions given in the 11-page document are crystal clear. The classroom is to be divided into teams of lawyers. Each team will be given a designation, prosecution (the ones who will be trying to prove SpongeBob is guilty), or the defense (the ones who will attempt to prove his innocence).

The document provides both teams ample evidence to do both. On the prosecution side, their job, as always and in real life, is that they have to prove without a shadow of a doubt, that SpongeBob is guilty of this heinous crime. The defense, though, only has to prove doubt in order to get him off.

The project then is to be presented by the individual groups. They offer their explanations, each member of the team taking turns explaining their reasoning with the evidence they found and what this evidence proves. Finally, at the end of it all, they are to give their closing statements. After each group takes their turn, with no time limit, the judge (the teacher) will decide which team was the most convincing by having used the evidence given in the most effective way.

In Sponge Bob, Mr. Krabs Is Still Alive

Yes, we can all breathe a big sigh of relief knowing that Mr. Krabs has not truly seen the end. We will have to admit, the project as laid out in the 11-page document looks to be a fun one. Proving the innocence or guilt of SpongeBob for the horrendous murder of Mr. Krabs would be a very interesting class project.

He Is A Long-Running Character On The Show

Well, we know who Mr. Krabs is in the animated series, but who, exactly, is the voice behind the red crab? Just as Tom Kenny has given life to SpongeBob since the animated series’ inception, character actor, Clancy Brown, has provided the voice for Mr. Krabs from the very start as well. If you do not know the name, Clancy Brown, you are sure to recognize the face.

Brown has been a part of numerous big feature films including Bad Boys, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Highlander, Pet Sematary, The Shawshank Redemption, and Starship Troopers. Most recently, Brown can be seen in the massive Keanu Reeves hit, John Wick 4 as The Harbinger.

Not only is Brown a fine character actor and provides the voice for Mr. Krabs, but he also has enjoyed voicing other roles. These include Lex Luthor in various DC animated series, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as video games such as the Crash Bandicoot franchise and Detroit: Become Human.