In addition to the ten main characters, SpongeBob SquarePants has a large amount of background characters. They are identified by the artists and animators with individual model numbers. These model numbers correspond to when the characters were designed in production. The following is a list of background characters, sorted by their model numbers.
"Squeaky Boots," the second episode made for season 1 in production order (code #102), was the first produced episode to feature incidental characters. As a result, the first row of incidentals (incidentals 1-11) were all first designed for "Squeaky Boots." Despite this, Incidental 18 appears in that episode as well.
Some characters have been removed from the model sheets, mainly between the second and fourth seasons. Like most animated series, many SpongeBob episodes are worked on at the same time, leading to several incidentals with later numbers appearing in episodes before others with earlier numbers.
List
| Number | Image | Debut (production order) |
|---|---|---|
| Incidental 1 (Fred) | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 2 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 3 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 4 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 5 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 6 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 7 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 8 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 9 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 10 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 11 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 12 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 13 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 14 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 15 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 16 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 17 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 18 | 
| "Squeaky Boots" (episode 102) |
| Incidental 19 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 20 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 21 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 22 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 23 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 24 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 25 | 
| "Boating School" (episode 104) |
| Incidental 26 | 
| "Boating School" (episode 104) |
| Incidental 27 | 
| "Boating School" (episode 104) |
| Incidental 28 | 
| "Hall Monitor" (episode 108) |
| Incidental 29 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 30 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 30A | 
| "I'm Your Biggest Fanatic" |
| Incidental 31 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 32 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 33 | 
| "Sandy's Rocket" (episode 110) |
| Incidental 34 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 35 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 36 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 37A | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 37B | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 38 (Scooter) | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 39 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 40 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 41 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 42 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidentals 43-44 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 45 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 46 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 47 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 48 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 49 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 49A | 
| "Opposite Day" (episode 112) |
| Incidentals 050-059 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 60 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 61 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 62 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 63 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 64 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 65 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 66 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 67 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 68 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 69 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 70 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 71 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 72 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 73 | 
| "Pickles" (episode 111) |
| Incidentals 74-079 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 80 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 111) |
| Incidental 81 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 82 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 83 (Old Man Walker) | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 84 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 85 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 86 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 87 (Mary) | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 088 or 089 (Orange senior) | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 088 or 089 (Elderly shark) | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 90 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 91 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 92 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 93 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidental 94 | 
| "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" (episode 119) |
| Incidentals 95-101 |
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 102 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 103 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 104 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 105 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 106 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 107 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidental 108 | 
| "Valentine's Day" (episode 128) |
| Incidentals 109-113 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 114 | 
| "Something Smells" |
| Incidental 115 | 
| "F.U.N." (episode 121) |
| Incidental 116 (Dr. Gill Gilliam) | 
| "I Was a Teenage Gary" (episode 117) |
| 117 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 118 | 
| "Hall Monitor" (episode 108) |
| Incidental 119 | 
| "SB-129" (episode 129) |
| Incidentals 120-149 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 150 | 
| "Bossy Boots" |
| Incidental 151 | 
| "I'm Your Biggest Fanatic" |
| Incidental 152 | 
| "Patty Hype" |
| Incidental 153 | 
| "The Smoking Peanut" |
| Incidental 154 | 
| "Something Smells" |
| Incidental 155 | 
| "Ripped Pants" (episode 106) |
| Incidental 156 (Sandals) | 
| "Patty Hype" |
| Incidental 157 | 
| "F.U.N." (episode 121) |
| Incidental 158 | 
| "Prehibernation Week" (episode 151) |
| Incidental 159 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 160 | 
| "The Incredible Shrinking Sponge" |
| Incidental 161 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 162 | 
| "The Incredible Shrinking Sponge" |
| Incidentals 163-168 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 169 | 
| "Pat the Horse" |
| Incidental 170 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 171 | 
| "The Grill is Gone" |
| Incidentals 172-185 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 186 | 
| "Treats!" |
| Incidentals 187-199 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 200 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 201 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 202 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 203 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 204 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 205 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 206 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidentals 207-210 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 211 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 212 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 213 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 214 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidentals 215-219 | Unknown | |
| Incidental 220 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 221 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
| Incidental 222 | 
| "Rock Bottom" (episode 138) |
Notes
- Most background characters have two models: one for their daytime color palette and another for their nighttime color palette. For example, Fred's palettes are labeled "001-DAY" and "001-NIGHT."
- According to Jay Lender, several of the original incidental characters were removed from the model sheets during the second season after their models were lost in the shuffle during revisions.[1] As a result, many episodes featuring them in storyboards (such as "Christmas Who?" and "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III") had them replaced with different character models. Despite this, number 62 reappeared in season three's "New Student Starfish."
- The numbers for these characters are known from storyboards. Specifically, numbers 33, 35, 61, 62, 70, and 71 are known from the storyboards of "Christmas Who?."
- Fred, Scooter, Old Man Walker, Mary and Sandals are currently the only incidental characters with official confirmed names by the SpongeBob crew. Other characters have been given various names throughout the show, but these are limited to single instances and do not carry over to other episodes.
- The models for Incidentals 30 and 30A are redraws of the anchovies from "Help Wanted." Unlike the anchovies in "Help Wanted," these incidentals are solid blue and brown, and the brown anchovies have blue shirts instead of white ones.
- Incidentals 11 (squid), 32 (orca whale), and 61 (crab) are the only background characters who are not fish.
- In many episodes, duplicate background character fish can be seen in crowds.
Gallery
These incidental model sheets were uploaded by Vincent Waller to his Twitter on February 8, 2018.
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