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Watching Spongebob SquarePants was among my favorite things to do during the weekends. It’s definitely one of the best cartoons that graced Nickelodeon. Created by Stephen Hillenburg, a marine science professor and a talented animator, the show always has the perfect recipe for comic relief and interesting scientific anecdotes.
I grew up loving the show because of how fun and animated the characters are. While my favorite character would be Patrick Star, the animated series is just packed with fascinating personalities you’ve come to love (or hate). One of which is Pearl Krabs.
Are you interested to learn more about Pearl? She may not be a fan favorite, but Pearl represents a uniquely interesting take on Mr. Krabs’ relationship with his family. I like the dynamic relationship they have and how realistic it is. While Pearl constantly annoys me with her somewhat pushy and demanding attitude, I still enjoy seeing her on-screen.
If you’re interested in knowing more about Pearl, this blog is definitely for you. I will discuss everything you need to know about her background, abilities, relationships, and more. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
Bottom line Up Front
Pearl Krabs is the daughter of Mr. Krabs. She is also one of the main characters of the cartoon Spongebob SquarePants. As a teen whale, she’s a bit bratty, spoiled, and snobbish. However, she also is a happy, cheerful character who lives with her father in the Hollow Anchor.
While she wants to be a seasoned actress, Mr. Krabs hopes that she continues the family business and runs the Krusty Krab.
Information at a Glance
- Full name: Pearl Krabs
- Birthday: May 12, 1990
- Home Location: Hollow Anchor, Bikini Bottom, Pacific Ocean
- Nickname: Pearl, Pearly
- Family & Relatives: Eugene Krabs (father), Mrs. Krabs (mother), PlanKrab (half-brother), Victor Krabs (grandfather), Betsy Krabs (grandmother), Redbeard Krabs (great-grandfather)
- Occupation: High school student, Assistant at Grandma’s Apron, Future Krusty Krab owner
- Most Memorable Moment: Slumber Party and Bossy Boots
Who Is Pearl Krabs?
SpongeBob SquarePants features ten main characters; Pearl is one of them. She is a teen whale who lives with her father, Mr. Krabs. Naturally, Mr. Krabs wants her to continue the family business and run the Krusty Krab. On the other hand, Pearl simply wants to enjoy her youth. She can’t be bothered to join her dad in running the Krusty Krab even though she is intelligent and dependable.
Voiced by Lori Alan, Pearl was truly a unique character. Show creator Stephen Hillenburg was inspired to draw Pearl while working at the Ocean Institute as a supervisor for whale watching. She did not inherit her father’s physical features since she was animated as a sperm whale. While this is nonetheless anatomically impossible, Stephen wanted each member of the main cast to be a different animal.
However, this difference in species was never addressed in the animated series. It was only revealed in the Trivia book that her never-before-seen mother is also a whale. Stephen was extremely against revealing the identity of Pearl’s mom, which is one of the show’s best-kept secrets.
Background and History
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Krabs, Pearl was a relatively bigger baby. While it’s already apparent that her mom might have had her even before marrying Mr. Krabs, Mr. Krabs was extremely happy and delighted to have her as her child.
He even bought a celebration banner to rejoice in his daughter’s birth. However, he mistakenly purchased the wrong banner, which states “it’s a boy,” so Mr. Krabs just crossed out the word “boy” to write “girl.” Then on, I really appreciate how Mr. Krabs shows his deep admiration and love for his child.
While it’s unclear as to when Mrs. Krabs left, Pearl grew up in a loving home. Her father was sure to provide everything she needed, and she grew up to be a spoiled brat. Early in her childhood, Squidward cared for and babysat her. That’s why Pearl developed a close relationship with Squidward, even calling him “Uncle Squiddy.”
Mr. Krabs always spends a dime (in his own definition) on celebrating Pearl’s birthday. Well, he even goes as far as throwing a lavish party for her daughter. They love hanging out to celebrate such occasions by watching movies and musicals. It’s quite funny and remarkable how I can still remember an episode where Mr. Krabs was handing out paper clips as party favors—that was hysterically laughable.
Pearl: Appearance, Personality, Quotes, and More
Appearance
Pearl’s most notable physical feature is definitely her size. She is extremely tall and huge compared to the rest of the characters in Bikini Bottom. Interestingly, I love how her character design closely resembles her personality. Pearl sports a pale gray skin just like a sperm whale. She wears her hair in a blonde ponytail with a pink scrunchie.
You might also notice the red heart shape on her snout; this might be because she’s wearing red lipstick on her lips. Her solid blue, oval-shaped eyes only have six eyelashes on each eye. I love how his eyes sparkle whenever she makes a particular expression. For most of the show, Pearl’s appearance features her side profile—a fascinating fact is how she has monocular vision, having one eye on each side of her head.
When it comes to outfits, Pearl has got style. She wears a pink cheerleader shirt with a monogram of the letter “P” and a dark magenta skirt. To top off the outfit, she pairs it with barnacle-crafted white go-go boots. Pearl has one of the best outfits in the show.
Aside from her go-to clothes, she donned a pink prom dress and a pink tiara in “The Chaperone” episode. She is seen wearing this dress multiple times on her birthdays and other special events. In the “Slumber Party” episode, she also wears a pink and purple nightgown.
The original sketches of Pearl in Stephen Hillenburg’s bible were quite different from her appearance. Interestingly, Pearl’s first character design has a visible tail and pigtails instead of her classic blonde ponytail. Both Mr. Krabs and Pearl were also given matching yellow and orange color themes but were later scrapped in pre-production.
Personality
Pearl is definitely one of the smartest characters in SpongeBob SquarePants. True to its inspiration, she has the biggest brain size of all residents in Bikini Bottom. She is skillful in math—the main reason why Mr. Krabs wants her to become Krusty Krab’s bookkeeper.
While she is quite smart, her immaturity and young age get the better of her. She likes spending large sums of cash through shopping or eating out at the mall. As a naive and high-spirited young girl, she simply wants to fit in and enjoy the company of her peers. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult for her to “fit in” since she is the biggest teenage girl in Bikini Bottom.
I like how Pearl is so relatable despite her unique physical features. Interestingly, she also loves the adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, two of my favorite characters in the show. Most of her friends don’t know her interests because she is too shy and a bit cowardly to reveal her true personality. Teenage girls tend to judge her, so she keeps a friendly face without sharing too much information to expose her.
Unfortunately, her relationship with her friends isn’t the best. You can see a certain disconnect between their interactions. They are also quite disloyal, laughing at her mistakes or abandoning her too. Pearl has become close to SpongeBob and Squidward despite her shallow friends.
Another thing that Pearl is known for is her over-dramatic and extremely emotional tantrums. I find it quite funny when she has these tantrums; she’ll literally “cry a river” to get anyone’s attention or sympathy. If she cries for too long, it often results in flooding. The Hollow Anchor even has drain plugs to counter this situation.
Talents and Abilities
Pearl is not just an overly dramatic, spoiled girl who is good at math. She is also talented. In fact, she knows quite a few skills, such as:
Knitting
Pearl likes fashion and clothes, so it’s no surprise that she might be good at knitting too. She has a hand in making knitted mittens and scarves. Her knitting skills were also highlighted in a titular web series, Pearl’s World.
Cooking Krabby Patties
There’s no denying that SpongeBob is the best at making Krabby Patties. However, Pearl also has a knack for cooking a good Krabby Patty. Well, I can only think that she knows the secret ingredient.
Playing Sports
Pearl might be a clumsy, cute girl, but she’s also good at playing sports. Because of her size, she definitely has a physical advantage against her opponents. When playing soccer, she was an effective goalie. Her massive head effectively blocks the entire goal net, which prevents the ball from entering.
Aside from playing soccer, she knows how to play basketball. In the episode “The Chaperone,” she shoots a ball-resembling Spongebob into the hoop. She managed to do this so easily because of her height.
Playing Musical Instruments
Pearl can play the tuba and piano, but I doubt that she’s really good at it. She can play decent tunes, as seen in the episode “Barnacle Face,” where SpongeBob comforts Pearl and tells her about her talent in playing the piano.
Physical Strength
Pearl is strong for her age. As a young girl, she can easily take advantage of her enormous weight and height. Interestingly, her strength is not used in the most practical ways. You can clearly see how strong she is when going on tantrums—she can make mini seaquakes, destroy different pieces of furniture, or cause severe flooding.
Relationships
SpongeBob SquarePants
Spongebob is a very personable character; he is almost friends with anyone. Naturally, he is also a good friend to Pearl. Despite their closeness, the origin of how they met seems to be unclear.
“The Chaperone” episode is the first time they got to interact with each other, yet they have already known each other for a long time. In this episode, SpongeBob willingly becomes Pearl’s date after she is stood up by her boyfriend at their school dance.
Mr. Eugene H. Krabs
I believe that Mr. Krabs is the second character closest to Pearl, next to Spongebob. Despite being her father, Mr. Krabs has an awkward relationship with Pearl. Though, they share an extremely close bond. You’d usually hear Mr. Krabs say, “Anything for me little angel, Pearl.”
While Pearl seems to be a spoiled daughter, she cares for her dad too. She makes his breakfast for him every morning and even hand-feeds Mr. Krabs his supplements. It’s quite refreshing to see these moments and how Pearl and Mr. Krabs’s relationship develop over time.
Their loving relationship can quickly turn sour every time Mr. Krabs values his money over her daughter. He tends to spend less even for his daughter, celebrating cheap parties almost every year. On her sixteenth birthday, Pearl even had the most horrible celebration because of his dad’s frugality. At the end of the day, Mr. Krabs really loves Pearl and wants nothing but the best for her.
Squidward Tentacles
Squidward is definitely one of the very first characters Pearl has ever known. He was even tagged as Pearl’s “honorary uncle.” Their relationship started when she was just a child when Squidward would babysit her.
Whenever they meet, Pearl usually greets her and says, “Hey, Uncle Squiddy!”. Both shared common interests and showed a somewhat love-hate relationship with each other. During Pearl’s birthday, Squidward took time to give her a thoughtful present—a sculpture of Pearl out of Krabby Patties. She also deeply cares about Squidward and cheers him up the best way she can.
Patrick Star
Patrick and Pearl don’t interact very often, but that doesn’t mean they’re not friends. Usually, Pearl and Patrick’s interaction involves SpongeBob. In most episodes, like the “Tunnel of Glove,” you can see how limited their interaction is. Pearl talks to Spongebob rather than Patrick. However, Pearl and Patrick’s dynamic relationship can also be categorized as an innocent want.
I particularly like the episode where Patrick professed his love for Pearl because of Mrs. Puff’s special flower. The interaction is hilarious and interesting since it shows that Pearl and Patrick’s awkward interaction is not out of Pearl’s animosity toward Patrick. In fact, it highlights how she also likes Patrick as a good friend.
Sheldon J. Plankton
Pearl and Plankton’s relationship is strangely weird. They interacted in a couple of episodes throughout the series. Their first encounter was in the episode “The Algae’s Always Greener,” where Plankton switches lives with Mr. Krabs in an alternate universe. Because of this, she had to raise an alternate Pearl called “Pearl Plankton.”
After this episode, they shared a couple of major scenes in “Dunces and Dragons,” “One Coarse Meal,” “Married to Money,” “Patnocchio,” “Plankton’s Paranoia,” and “Plankton’s Intern.” Perhaps, my favorite episode is “One Coarse Meal,” where Mr. Krabs pranks Plankton by wearing a Pearl-like costume to chase and scare him. Plankton has always been afraid of Pearl, knowing that some whales eat planktonic species.
Sandy Cheeks
Sandy and Pearl are the only mammals in Bikini Bottom. That’s why they share a mutual friendship. Pearl truly believes that as mammals, they have to stick together and support each other no matter what happens. They shared a couple of scenes in some episodes, including “Mr. Krabs Takes a Vacation,” Texas,” “Feral Friends,” “A Cabin in the Kelp,” and “Bubbles Troubles.”
Bubbles Troubles is among the best episodes that highlight Sandy and Pearl’s friendship. It might be an alarming episode showing Sandy’s difficulty breathing, but at its core, it shows what kind of friend Pearl is. She is willing to help those who are dear to her, no matter the inconvenience.
Mrs. Puff
Mrs. Puff and Pearl are not really close, but they’re on good terms. Pearl might not attend Mrs. Puff’s Boating School, but she could drive a boat mobile—though not proficiently. His dad, Mr. Krabs, and Mrs. Puff have developed a romantic relationship, and Pearl doesn’t seem bothered by it. She is just happy that her father found love and probably won’t put all his attention on her.
Interesting Trivia Facts about Pearl Krabs
Pearl Krabs is already an amusing character. Who would have thought that a crab would have a biological daughter that is a sperm whale? Well, such nautical nonsense is only possible in this show. I like how Pearl’s character development progresses throughout the different seasons. While she’s still a whiny teenage girl, she seems to be more mature now than in the earlier seasons. Want to know some fun facts about her? Check out the list below:
- Pearl has the fewest number of appearances throughout the series among the ten main characters.
- The appearance of Pearl’s mother remains a mystery for all the fans. However, it was already confirmed that her mother is also a sperm whale.
- Pearl’s known boyfriend is Octavius Rex, an anchovy.
- She made a debut appearance on Season 1, Episode 8b entitled “Squeaky Boots.”
- “That is so coral!” is the favorite line of Lori Alan, the voice actress of Pearl.
- Pearl did not age and stayed a teenager throughout the entire series. However, the showrunners mentioned this was not an intentional detail. But honestly, this totally makes sense since sperm whales have a longer lifespan than other sea creatures.
- She lives with her father in the Hollow Anchor and still sleeps in the very same bed her father bought for her when she was a baby.
- Pearl also tried to work to earn money; she worked as an assistant at Grandma’s Apron, located on the bottom floor of the Bikini Bottom Mall.
- Despite being one of the main characters, Pearl managed not to have any physical appearance in all the episodes for Season 5. Her only appearance was in the episode “Le Big Switch,” where you can hear her voice while Mr. Krabs was on the phone with her.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pearl Krabs
Answer: Yes! While it might sound anatomically possible, Mr. Krabs is indeed Pearl’s biological dad. Mr. Krabs was once married to a whale, which is never before seen in the entire show. However, it was confirmed by a former SpongeBob writer David Fain that Pearl’s appearance is similar to her mother’s.
Answer: No. They might have been paired and teased romantically throughout the entire show, but the two are just really good friends. Pearl has also mentioned that she doesn’t see SpongeBob “that way.”
Answer: Pearl is one of the youngest characters in the show. It’s quite obvious in how she speaks and acts around other people. She is only sixteen-year-old, way younger than SpongeBob and the other main characters.
Answer: Pearl is the tallest character in the show. Some fans speculate that her height sits at ten inches. This is quite large for the characters in Bikini Bottom. However, sperm whales are realistically taller, with a length of 16 meters.
Answer: Pearl is flirtatious to a couple of guys. It’s confirmed that she’s been in several relationships, one with Octavius Rex, an anchovy who stood her up at their prom. The second is Dylan; he is a narwhal who has a long blue nose and arms. Dylan has quite a peculiar style, wearing a green shirt paired with brown shorts, plus flip-flops. It’s safe to assume that Pearl has a weird taste in men.
Conclusion: Pearl’s a Gem!
Being the daughter of Mr. Krabs, Pearl has had a wonderful childhood. Her dad extremely loves and supports her despite being a cheapskate. That’s probably the main reason why she grew up to be a spoiled brat. Though Pearl might not be a perfect daughter, she tries her hardest and makes sure to take good care of her father.
She is also incredibly smart and talented, yet she’s still just a young child. In fact, she’s quite immature to figure out what she really wants—whether it’s managing the Krusty Krab or doing something else.
Personally, I find her a fascinating character. It’s exciting to see what’s in store for her considering she has the fewest appearances among all the other main characters in the series. Aren’t you excited to see more of her? I hope this guide has helped you out in learning fun facts and information about Pearl Krabs.
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