Everyone in Bikini Bottom has a fun personality.
And most would assume that money-grubbing is Mr. Krabs’ comical routine.
But there’s actually so much more to it than meets the eye.
Some reasons that point to his past…
And other clues that take a darker turn.
Continue reading to discover:
- 7 real reasons why Mr. Krabs is so cheap.
- 3 moments the red crab went overboard with penny-pinching.
- 5 times the Krusty Krab owner hurt himself because of his greed.
- And so much more…
Why is Mr. Krabs so cheap? 7 reasons
#1:He grew up poor
People know the red sea crab for being the proud owner of the Krusty Krab.
And despite its massive success…
Mr. Krabs is overly-obsessed with dollar bills and shiny coins.
However, this wasn’t always the case.
The crimson sea crab didn’t come from a rich family.
In fact, he grew up very poor.
Back in season 5, Friend or Foe…
The episode reveals that Mr. Krabs’ household couldn’t afford much.
He even wore old rags stitched together.
Worse, everyone in his school turned him away…
Just because he wasn’t well-off like the others.
As a result, he partnered up with his now bitter-rival Plankton.
And they end up making the famous Krabby Patty everyone loves in the present day.
So if you take a look at Mr. Krabs’ past…
It makes sense why he values money so much.
He’s a business owner that doesn’t want to go back to the way things were before.
Also, a study on impostor syndrome might explain his extreme methods.
It’s when you doubt your abilities and think you don’t deserve your achievements.
Mr. Krabs is new money, someone who didn’t inherit wealth but put in the hard work themselves.
However, he might feel like he’s not worthy of it because he’s held back by his past.
As a result, he does everything in his power to gain more cash.
#2: It’s in his DNA
Look, I know it sounds silly.
To claim that being a cheapskate runs in the gene pool of sea crabs is crazy.
However, there are many references to Mr. Krabs’ ancestry that prove it.
For example, in season 3, the Ugh episode.
Patrick the starfish lifts up a rock looking for food.
But what does he find?
Plenty of prehistoric crabs repeating the words:
“Money, money, money, money!”
In fact, they look exactly like Mr. Krabs, just with bushier eyebrows.
Plus, who can forget Grandpappy the Pirate?
In Senior Discount, we are introduced to Redbeard Krabs.
Which is the cheapskate crab’s grandfather.
And what do they have in common?
It’s revealed Grandpa Redbeard loves money just as much as Mr. Krabs.
So much that the latter thinks he takes after the former.
As a result, it might actually be a genetic thing that runs in the crab family.
In fact, Pearl loves money just as much.
She’s always asking for extra allowance from Mr. Krabs.
Read next: Is Pearl Mr. Krabs’ Daughter? Is She Adopted?
#3: The sin of greed
Before you call me nuts…
I’ll admit that it sounds absurd to think that a kid’s show would parallel the capital vices.
It’s the exact opposite of SpongeBob’s can-do attitude and happiness.
But there’s a lot of proof to support the theory.
For example, the 7 deadly sins match up with a lot of characters.
First up, we have Sandy Cheeks. Bikini Bottom’s mad scientist and resident squirrel.
She is Pride because she thinks land creatures are better than everyone else.
Up next, Patrick the starfish is Sloth because he’s the laziest in Bikini Bottom.
In fact, he even wins a prize for doing nothing the longest.
Lastly, Plankton represents Envy because he’s jealous of Mr. Krabs.
And we see him try to steal the secret formula many times throughout the show.
So who do you think matches the sin of greed?
Nobody else but Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s penny-pinching boss.
Worse, the word overboard doesn’t begin to describe how evil he can be:
- He sells SpongeBob to the Flying Dutchman for 62 cents.
- Mr. Krabs tries to kill Squidward to get more from selling his art.
- The crimson sea crab bills his employees for breathing on the job.
#4: Mental health issues
Nobody expects kid’s shows to cut deep.
But if we’re talking about Mr. Krabs’ obsession with money…
There’s reason to believe that it might actually be due to his declining mental health.
A study shows financial difficulties lead to greater stress for students.
And looking back at the Friend or Foe episode…
Mr. Krabs might be holding in a lot more than he lets on.
As a result, his money-grubbing behavior could be the impact of his poor childhood.
And while it sounds hard to believe the loud crimson sea crab could be fighting inner struggles.
Being a cheapskate might be the only way he knows how to cope.
Of course, I won’t deny that this sounds a bit too sad for a Nicktoon.
But being a cartoon doesn’t mean it can’t tackle harder topics…
#5: One very clever joke
SpongeBob Squarepants loves making people laugh.
In fact, a lot of us enjoy the show’s running gags.
For example, hearing the screams of:
“My Leg!”
Continues to be a huge part of the Nicktoon.
And Mr. Krabs being super cheap might be the same thing.
For instance, there are many episodes that start off with his bad money decisions.
In the episode InSPONGEiac, Mr. Krabs gets mad at SpongeBob for using 1% more mustard on a Krabby Patty.
He even busts out the calculator and says:
“At this rate, I’ll be broke in 411 years!”
What’s more, he even hurts himself trying to save money:
- Freezing his face from stressing about cash.
- Dooming himself to Davy Jones’s locker for eternity.
- Losing both arms trying to rescue a dime from the sink.
- Getting hives from touching the Bikini Bottom labor regulations.
- Suffering from radiation poisoning just to get a free picture from the photo booth.
Plus, Mr. Krabs has claws.
And other than being his hands…
What else does this reference to?
He’s literally pinching pennies with them.
So while other theories make sense…
It could also be a clever visual gag from the cartoon’s creators.
#6: Part of crab culture
Bikini Bottom features a lot of people.
And while we mostly see fish…
There’s a thriving crab community that lives there too.
In fact, watching this video will prove just how vast the Krabs’ family tree can be:
So what does this have to do with Krusty Krabs’ owner being cheap?
Well, saving a lot of money might actually be part of crab culture.
For example, in season 3, the Clams episode.
Mr. Krabs says:
“Every Krab’s goal in life is to make a million dollars, and now I got mine.”
And if it’s that big of a deal for our money-hungry crustacean friend.
It would explain why he avoids spending cash like the plague.
What’s more, in season 7, the Kracked Krabs episode.
We see many other crabs gather in a convention to find out who’s the cheapest.
And who do you think won the award by a landslide?
None other than Eugene H. Krabs for trying to steal an entire room from the hotel.
Plus, as a silly little gag at the end.
The award is actually connected to a string and is taken away from him.
A throwback to season 3 when Mr. Krabs does the same to get free drinks from a vending machine.
And all things considered.
Being cheap might be core to the crabs of Bikini Bottom.
#7: A single father
Mr. Krabs is the head of a lone-parent family.
And I think it’s pretty cool of him to raise a beautiful whale by himself.
Fun fact: A trivia book back in 2000 revealed that Pearl is biologically related to Mr. Krabs. According to the book, she “takes after her mother.” Which explains why she’s more whale than crab in appearance. The author was the former episode writer David Fain.
However, despite Mr. Krab’s good intentions, it could be the reason for his cheap behavior.
Research shows that financial hardships are far more common among single parents.
In fact, these families make difficult compromises just to afford their food.
And if we look at season 7, in the Growth Spout episode.
Just imagine how many meals the crimson sea crab needs to provide for his daughter.
As a result, Mr. Krabs may be saving all his money to give Pearl the life he never had as a kid.
So, if that’s the case, it’s hard to stay mad at the Lrusty Krabs’ owner.
I can’t fault a father for taking care of his daughter.
The greedy guy might just want a better future for Pearl.