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As a kid, I never understood why Mr. Krabs wanted to have tons of money. However, it was amusing and hilarious to see his eyes turn into dollar signs whenever he saw a money-making opportunity. I remember thinking that maybe crabs are among those animals that want to collect gems or gold because of Mr. Krabs.
Now, as an adult, I could absolutely relate to Mr. Krabs; he has an incredibly interesting personality—somehow, his greed for money earned him a less than stellar reputation. While he may be downright cheap and amoral, he is still capable of being a decent person.
Are you interested to know more about Mr. Krabs? He is definitely a fascinating character; much like Plankton, Mr. Krabs’ selfish and questionable actions might be one of the reasons why I have a solid love-hate feeling about him. I like how he has an open and dynamic relationship with his daughter, Pearl. However, as a boss, I wouldn’t dare work for him. Would you?
Read on to learn everything about Mr. Krabs, from his personality, little quirks, relationships, and more! Let’s get to know the man behind the famous Spongebob line, “Money, money, money!”
Bottom Line Up Front
Eugene Harold Krabs, commonly known as Mr. Krabs, is one of the main characters in the show SpongeBob SquarePants. He’s quite stingy in spending money, but he’s willing to spend thousands of dollars when it comes to his daughter, Pearl.
While Mr. Krabs is thrifty at best, he still tries to be a good boss to his employees in The Krusty Krab. I still believe he is heaps better than Plankton, whose only goal is to dim his light.
Information at a Glance
- Fullname: Eugene Harold Krabs
- Birthday: November 30, 1940
- Home Location: Hollow Anchor, Bikini Bottom, Pacific Ocean
- Family & Relatives: Pearl Krabs (daughter), Victor Krabs (father), Betsy Krabs (mother), Redbeard Krabs (grandfather)
- Occupation: Krusty Krab owner
- Most Memorable Moment: Penny Foolish and Born Again Krabs
Who Is Mr. Krabs?
Born on November 30, 1942, Mr. Krabs is one of the oldest main characters in the show. He lives together with his daughter, Pearl. It’s a little bit refreshing to see their dynamic relationship being portrayed on screen. I love how Mr. Krabs cares for her daughter, but there are also moments where he isn’t particularly the best dad.
As the owner and founder of the Krusty Krab restaurant, he manages the whole operations and oversees his employees, SpongeBob and Squidward. He isn’t the best boss either, given that he has violated dozens of workers’ rights, including banning employees from taking breaks, overworking them past the allowed 8-hour working shift, and worse, making his employees pay to go to work.
He is probably the most villainous main character in the series. I’ve always wondered why he is personified into a crab and realized that the show’s creator, Stephen Hillenburg, only wanted to have different animals for the main cast and nothing more. However, it’s extremely witty how he chose a shellfish to portray a selfish character; crabs are also famous for a crabby mentality—a trait Mr. Krabs clearly possess.
Krabs: Appearance, Personality, Quotes, and More
Appearance: Not Your Typical Crab
Mr. Krabs’ physical features are quite different from a crab’s actual anatomy. His eyes are long and vertical, unlike the small black eyeballs you’d see on a crab. He also has a thin physique, which probably means that he hasn’t been eating anything nutritious—at one point, he mentions that he lives off eating food scraps and Krabby patties, nothing else. His hands or pincers are quite functional and can practically hold most everyday items. He also loves to put them on his waist.
Just like all the characters in the show, Mr. Krabs wears some fashionable clothes. I like his monochromatic look with the blue shirt, denim shorts, and black belt. The whole outfit gives him a dated yet classy look.
Stephen Hillenburg’s original sketches of Mr. Krabs were rather similar to his debut appearance. Surprisingly, the noticeable difference in the design was Mr. Krabs’ height; the prototype looked stout and fatter than his current character design. Mr. Krabs was almost given matching yellow and orange color themes with his daughter; however, this was scrapped during pre-production.
Krabs’ Personality: He’s All About Money, Money, Money!
Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, you’ve probably seen how greedy, money-hungry, power-tripper Mr. Krabs is. His main interest has always been to make more money. Because of this personality, he often makes stupid decisions and mistakes. I find it extremely weird that he dehumanizes people as “walking dollars.” You’ll hear him say, “That’s me money walking out the door!” or “The money is always right.”—when he’s referring to a customer. Aside from that, he also cuts the salaries of his employees, saying things such as “This is coming out of your paycheck.”
Everybody around him notices how his frugality and “obsession” with wealth is destroying his relationships with others, especially his daughter.
Biography: Why the Obsession with Money?
While Plankton and Mr. Krabs are considered rivals today, they were best friends growing up. In fact, they even shared a birthday! He was raised by his paternal grandfather, Redbeard Krabs. Because his grandfather was a pirate, he learned how to be a pirate during this time.
However, he grew up in an extremely poor household. When he attended school, he was even bullied by other kids for being penniless. That’s why his only close friend was Plankton. They were inseparable, and Plankton even helped Mr. Krabs seek revenge.
He wore clothes made of rags or a cardboard box just to get by. Suddenly, he found a penny on the ground and thought it was the most beautiful thing. I think during this episode, Mr. Krabs was still not that obsessed with money. He was struggling to get by without any desire to make more money.
What really sparked his obsession for money was when he met the owner of Stinky Burgers, Stinky. Who could ever imagine that flipping burgers would give you loads of money and even a limousine? This ignited the fire within Mr. Krabs said that he wanted to start his own restaurant with Plankton. However, he was extremely worried about hitting the ground running, considering he had absolutely zero skill in cooking patties.
Plankton and Mr. Krabs teamed up to create a deliciously deadly burger. The very first customer who took a bite of their creation eventually died. This caused a rift in his friendship with Plankton—eventually, the two separated.
In the early days of Krusty Krab, he was not successful because he was doing everything on his own. Then, he hired his first employee, Jim. The restaurant was getting more customers thanks to Jim’s spectacular cooking.
Because of Mr. Krabs’ extremely low and unlivable wages, Jim tried to ask for a raise. Of course, money-hungry Mr. Krabs wouldn’t budge, so Jim quit. He hired someone else who also quit shortly after. SpongeBob applied for the job, but Mr. Krabs was quite hesitant to hire him; he thought that SpongeBob wasn’t cut out for the job. In the end, he hired SpongeBob for his grit and tenacity—unlike the former cooks, SpongeBob doesn’t complain about the low salary.
So, why is Mr. Krabs extremely obsessed with money? Maybe it’s because he grew up extremely poor. He wanted to ensure that he wouldn’t have to deal with the bullies. Unfortunately, his obsessive traits toward wealth have created a monster too. He became a money slave and a bully to his employees.
Here’s a rundown of some episodes where he clearly shows his obsession with money:
- Penny Foolish
- Imitation Krabs
- Graveyard Shift
- The Cent of Money
- Krabs a la Mode
- Whale of a Birthday
- Money Talks
- Married to Money
Quotes
Mr. Krabs might be a stingy, money-obsessed character, but I find his lines and vibe extremely relatable. Whether you like it or not, you might have been like Mr. Krabs once in your life, trying so hard to save a couple of bucks.
His funny anecdotes and quotes are certainly easy to remember. How could you forget his most famous line, “Money, money, money!”? Here’s a list of the most relatable quote from Eugene H. Krabs.
“Sure you are! Or I’ll fill your life with misery and woe. Even if you quit.”
If we’re talking about bad bosses, Mr. Krabs is probably included in the top 10. He says this quote in passing as if it’s normal. Squidward declined a request from the Bubble Buddy, and Mr. Krabs wasn’t too pleased about it.
It’s possible that you might have experienced this with a previous “terror boss.” Lucky for me, I haven’t come across such an unreasonable person.
“Unhand that penny, or the arm comes off!”
You don’t need to watch all the SpongeBob SquarePants episodes to know Mr. Krabs is thrifty and would do anything for money—even if it’s entirely illegal. In this scene, he strongly clasps the arm of his customer to the point of ripping it off for a PENNY!
Have you ever tried to wage war against someone for loose change? I once did when I was a kid. I’d jokingly tell my sister to leave the coins on the ground because they’re already dirty. Then, I would secretly pick them up and stash them in my piggy bank.
“The children? I don’t care about the children, I just care about their parents’ money. Ah, the fact that their feeble minds are easily distracted by cheap playgrounds and talentless clowns is no skin off my nose! Survival of the fittest, SpongeBob. Survival of the fittest. Heh heh.”
Mr. Krabs is probably the most amoral person in the whole franchise. Sometimes, he’s even worse than Plankton. This is among the infamous quotes that would make you hate him. His obsession with money knows no bounds; he’s even willing to deceive children to achieve his own desires.
It’s quite uncanny to hear these words from him, but in true Mr. Krabs fashion, it’s not surprising what kinds of lengths he will do for the money.
As a go-getter, I can completely understand why Mr. Krabs expressed such distasteful sentiments. But, of course, bad behavior is inexcusable. Mr. Krabs is not the person you should idolize in the show.
Check out a few more quotes that would certainly paint a clearer picture of his personality, motivations, and deepest desires:
- “What do I do?! I can’t let Plankton have so much as one single customer!”
- “Where is my formula, Plankton? WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU, YOU LYING LIAR?!”
- “Enough with the niceties, Plankton! This is the last time I’m gonna ask ya: WHERE IS ME FORMULAR?! Wrong answer! [Nearly steps on Plankton].”
- “Yeah, I guess that’s a short way of saying it. STOP THAT BUBBLE!”
- “Jackpot! Money money money money! Come to papa! Oh boy.”
- “That’s it, boys! Keep that gelatinous gold mine flowing!”
- “Am I really going to defile this grave for money? Of course I am!”
Krabs Family and Relationships
Krabs Family
Daughter – Pearl Krabs
Next to money, Pearl is the only thing Mr. Krabs cares about. He tries his best to impress his daughter to the point of allowing her to spend his hard-earned money on lavish items. As a single father, he tries to overcompensate. However, he still struggles to let go of his obsession with wealth. That’s why he cuts corners on raising Pearl.
Mother – Betsy Krabs
While Mr. Krabs’ mother isn’t part of the main characters, Betsy appeared in several episodes of the series. I love how she has a very close and dynamic relationship with his son. It’s quite heart-warming to see Mr. Krabs and Betsy in one scene.
I find it cute that even though Mr. Krabs is already an old man, he still calls her “Mommy.” Though he might love and care for his mother, he is still stingy with her, as with everybody else. Worse, he even tells his mom not to spend anything because he might get a lesser inheritance.
Father – Victor Krabs
I think one of the main reasons why Mr. Krabs isn’t also the best father to Pearl is because of his absent father, Victor. His father rarely appeared in the series, but they seem to have an okay relationship. Victor was kind enough to give him a dollar when he was young.
Grandpa Redbeard
Since Mr. Krabs basically grew up in the tutelage of his grandfather, he probably learned his ways. They share a very similar attitude towards life and money. As a pirate, he taught Mr. Krabs a lot of valuable lessons during his life.
Despite shying away from being a pirate, Grandpa Redbeard is extremely proud of Mr. Krabs for building his own business and earning a buck. He’s the only person who stole money from him, which he didn’t get hysterical about.
Krusty Krab Employees
Working for Mr. Krabs is probably the worst work environment ever. He treats his employees poorly and pays them low salaries. I still wonder why Squidward and SpongeBob still work for him when he constantly abuses and overworks them for absurd reasons.
When his employees retaliate against his wishes, he somehow tries to acknowledge his mistakes since they bring him a lot of cash.
Jim
He is the first cook Mr. Krabs hired. In the episode “The Original Fry Cook,” it was interesting to see the working relationship between Jim and Mr. Krabs. He was definitely the reason why many people patronized The Krusty Krab. His cooking skills were impeccable and helped turn the restaurant into a profitable business.
Despite that, Mr. Krabs continued to pay him with dirt-cheap wages. That’s why he rebelled against him and quit his job to pursue his career as a chef.
Squidward
After Jim, Mr. Krabs hired Squidward, a cashier, to tend the till. He isn’t exactly as enthusiastic and strong-willed as Jim in leaving his job for a better career. However, he also despises Mr. Krabs. That’s why he works poorly and hates his job.
Yet even after many years, he still works at The Krusty Krab. Why so? He still believes that he can kick start his career as a musician while juggling his work at the restaurant. Since he is incredibly lazy, Mr. Krabs often jokes about firing him. Well, I do think that Squidward could only care less whenever this happens.
SpongeBob
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Mr. Krabs was not really sure about hiring SpongeBob. His goofy personality seems to cloud his judgment. However, he was the last person Mr. Krabs hired to join the The Krusty Krab’s list of employees.
Good to a fault, Spongebob was frequently the subject of Mr. Krabs’ labor abuses. He thinks of Mr. Krabs as his father figure, and he’d even be willing to risk his life just to save Mr. Krabs. At the end of the day, Mr. Krabs genuinely cares for SpongeBob, considering that he is the best employee in The Krusty Krab.
Friends (or Enemies) Outside Work
Plankton
While Plankton is currently the arch-nemesis of Mr. Krabs, he was his first friend. They were particularly close during their teenage years as they both struggled to fit in. Mr. Krabs was extremely poor, but Plankton can’t be bothered about this. He stuck with Mr. Krabs until they parted ways when they started to build their businesses.
Plankton opened up Chum Bucket, a direct competition of Mr. Krabs’ “Krusty Krab.” Since then, the two began to compete with each other, wanting to beat the other. Plankton always tries to still Mr. Krabs’ secret formula but will always fail. His restaurant food is subpar against Krusty Krab’s Krabby Patties.
Puff – Love Interest
Who would have thought that Mr. Krabs would find love in Mrs. Puff? He was an extremely thoughtful partner to her. While I still think that Mr. Krabs is just a walking red flag, he proved me wrong with this pure geriatric love.
Mr. Krabs and Mrs. Puff have been dating for 16 years, and they started their relationship in the episode “Krusty Love.” Mr. Krabs isn’t shy about his affection for Mrs. Puff and showers him with tokens of affection and gifts. I think that wooing Mrs. Puff didn’t involve any ulterior motive, rather than love and companionship. I grew fond of their relationship as Mr. Krabs sometimes acts completely different around her.
Sandy Cheeks
Mr. Krabs isn’t exactly close to Sandy. In the few interactions they had, they seemed to get along just fine. They’re also polar opposites when it comes to spending money; Sandy isn’t that thrifty and would easily buy anything she likes without a second thought.
Because Sandy is good at karate, Mr. Krabs once hired her to chop food for the restaurant. However, he has also commented that Sandy smells “funky” because she’s a mammal.
Patrick Star
Being best friends with SpongeBob, Patrick frequently goes to Krusty Krab. He is a regular customer of the restaurant, and sometimes, you can even see him working and busing tables. However, Mr. Krabs and Patrick are not that close; in fact, they rarely interact with each other.
Patrick’s ignorance and stupidity always get in the way of building a fruitful relationship with him. Mr. Krabs is annoyed with Patrick and acts mean even when he does absolutely nothing except breathe.
Interesting Trivia About Mr. Krabs
He Once Was a Humble Dreamer
Before he became the evil boss—an embodiment of toxic workplace culture, Mr. Krabs was once a lowly dreamer who worked twice as hard as everyone else. He tried out different blue-collar jobs just to earn a penny. This, somehow, makes Mr. Krabs a little bit deserving of respect. He wasn’t handed out a fortune, but this still wouldn’t excuse his bad behavior.
Mr. Krabs Can Also Be a Good, Decent Person
Undoubtedly, Mr. Krabs lives for the money, yet he also tries his best to support SpongeBob. In the episode “Pickles,” he helped SpongeBob regain his confidence when the Bubble Bass deceived him. Well, maybe he did it for the wrong reason—he was afraid to lose money—but it was still a sign that he could be a good and decent boss when need be. He was the only person who believed in SpongeBob’s skills and was willing to defend him no matter what happened.
He Sold SpongeBob’s Soul for Loose Change
How much do you think your soul is worth? Well, I think it’s more than a couple of cents, right? Mr. Krabs was willing to sell SpongeBob’s soul just for 62 cents. What’s interesting is that SpongeBob bet against this sale.
In the episode “Born Again Krabs,” SpongeBob negotiated for Mr. Krabs’ release. He tried to convince the Flying Dutchman that Krabs wasn’t as money-hungry. He then waged a bet that Mr. Krabs wouldn’t sell his soul for all the money in the Dutchman’s pocket. To SpongeBob’s surprise, Mr. Krabs merrily accepted the deal.
Krabs Is a Taurus
When I learned about Mr. Krabs’ horoscope, I somewhat understood why he acts the way he is. People under this star sign tend to be extremely determined to a fault. They also have a tendency to be strong-willed and independent. They usually like bougie things and enjoy the finer things in life. That’s extremely true for Mr. Krabs’ materialistic yet thrifty personality.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mr. Krabs
Answer: Mr. Krabs was formerly married to a whale, Pearl’s mother. He mentioned that Pearl is his biological daughter. However, she takes after her mother. This was only revealed in the official trivia book, written by former episode writer David Fain.
According to show creator Stephen Hillenburg, he only made Pearl a whale rather than a crab because he wanted to have different animals for the main cast. This is the more plausible reason why Krabs’ daughter is a whale.
Answer: Mr. Krabs experienced poverty growing up. He used to wear knitted rags made by his mother. Perhaps, his earthly desire for money was a result of having a penniless childhood. He also genuinely loved the look of a coin that he vowed to love for eternity; this was shown in an episode, “Friend or Foe.”
Answer: It’s no secret that Mr. Krabs and Mrs. Puff are dating, but are they married? Well, the answer is no (or not yet). Mr. Krabs is divorced from his former whale wife, while Mrs. Puff was married to another pufferfish in the past. Her husband was captured by humans and turned into novelty lamps.
Bottom Line: Is Mr. Krabs a Friend or Foe?
Whether you’re really a big fan of the show or just a casual viewer, you’d come to develop a love-hate relationship with Mr. Krabs—and this character guide shows all that and more. As you read and watch the series, you get to understand the motivation, desires, and dreams of this thrifty fella.
Mr. Krabs might be mean, discourteous, and cheap, but he can be a charming, caring, and thoughtful person when need be. I find his character development fascinating. His character is definitely a walking paradox and a RED flag (just like his color), but it’s still fun to see more episodes with him in it as well!
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