Mr. Krabs is the father of Pearl…
Who’s a whale.
And while that may sound hard to believe…
You can tell that the crimson sea crab really loves his daughter.
But what about his wife?
There must be a Mrs. Krabs, right?
Well, it’s not that simple.
Continue reading to discover:
- What actually happened to Mr. Krabs’ wife.
- The real identity behind Pearl’s unknown mother.
- A disturbing conspiracy theory behind Mrs. Krabs’ disappearance.
- And so much more…
Who is Mr. Krabs’ wife?
Mr. Krabs’ wife is Mrs. Krabs. She is an unseen character in the series. A trivia book by David Fain in 2000 also reveals that she’s a whale. And despite fans’ wishes to learn the origin story, SpongeBob’s original creator Stephen Hillenburg prefers to keep the identity a mystery.
#1: Hillenburg’s wishes
One answer behind the secret of Mrs. Krabs can be chalked up to the writers.
And while it might sound like an easy way out…
There’s actually some truth to it.
When Stephen Hillenburg first created SpongeBob Squarepants…
Both Mr. Krabs and his daughter, Pearl Krabs, were part of the main cast.
And do you know the reason for the biological differences between them?
He simply wanted every character to be a different sea creature.
However, when SpongeBob became extremely popular after its premiere…
Fans started poking their noses at the Krabs family.
Almost everyone was curious to find out who Mr. Krabs’ wife actually was.
But Stephen Hillenburg was against the idea of revealing her identity.
For him, there wasn’t any need to dive deeper.
Simply having different kinds of animals was more than enough.
As a result, Mrs. Krabs’ character was kept a secret.
Normally, any series as long as SpongeBob would’ve explored her origin story by now.
Even so, nobody has the slightest clue about Pearl’s mother.
To do that would be going against Hillenburg’s wishes.
Hence, it might be better if it remains a mystery.
#2: A trivia book
I know it might come as a surprise.
But SpongeBob Squarepants has plenty of books for you to read.
And while some might say there’s nothing new to find out in them.
A simple publication is the first place we received a clue about Mr. Krabs’ wife.
Back in 2000, David Fain wrote the SpongeBob Squarepants Trivia Book.
It was 45 pages long and had something cool to say about everyone.
For example, SpongeBob shares how much he appreciates Mrs. Puff.
The sea sponge even exclaims that she’s the best boating teacher ever.
However, one particular page explores the Krabs family.
It was a cute little picture of Pearl preparing for cheerleading practice.
And the red sea crab says:
“She’s a whale y’see (takes after her mother that way).”
Now, for a lot of people, it might seem like nothing.
But if you read between the lines of the speech bubble…
It definitely confirms that Pearl’s mother is a whale too.
And despite going against every bit of science available…
Mr. Krabs is also the biological father.
Sadly, that’s all we know about her so far.
But I’m happy we got this neat little fact.
#3: At least we have Squidward
I know how it looks.
It seems like Pearl didn’t have a good childhood.
In fact, one research details just how difficult single-parenting can be.
Children raised apart from their mother or father are more likely to drop out of school.
However, this beautiful whale was never alone.
And other than having the crimson sea crab around to care for her…
Squidward always babysat Pearl Krabs.
She even calls him:
“Uncle Squiddy!”
Of course, she doesn’t need any babysitting anymore.
Pearl’s already 16 years old and can handle herself.
But Squidward will always be there for her.
Just like in the Whale Watching episode, Uncle Squiddy comes to her rescue:
What happened to Mr. Krabs’ wife?
Nothing happened to Mr. Krabs’ wife. The show hasn’t revealed or confirmed her whereabouts. Fans guess that she may have passed away or divorced Mr. Krabs. But all of these facts remain a mystery as the show appears to have no plans of exploring the origin story further.
A disturbing conspiracy theory
SpongeBob may be a kid’s show.
But looks can be deceiving.
And this Nicktoon’s no stranger to disturbing theories and gruesome facts.
Just look at the Chum Bucket for example.
It’s a restaurant that literally sells ground-up fish to the public (even if it doesn’t get any customers at all).
However, the reality of what happened to Mr. Krabs’ wife might be a faith worse than death.
His house and the war
We have to go back to season 3, in the Krusty Krab Training Video episode.
At first, it might look like a meta-joke about old company tapes for new hires.
In fact, I’ve had my fair share of these funny collections.
However, one small detail stands out in this episode.
According to the narrator, Mr. Krabs falls into a deep depression after the war.
But who exactly is he even fighting?
Well, in season 4, the Shell of a Man episode.
We learn that the crimson sea crab was part of the navy.
He even earns the nickname Armor Abs Krabs.
So it’s clear that he was out in the ocean (despite already being underwater).
And if we reference the Wet Painters episode from season 3…
We can also find a lot of his equipment down in the basement.
But there are two things that should concern you the most.
There’s a giant harpoon and a picture of their boat fighting a whale.
And if you put the two together…
Did Mr. Krabs kill Pearl’s mother?
While it may sound like a stretch…
It explains why Mrs. Krabs is nowhere to be found.
And also how a sea crab manages to have a whale for a daughter.
So after her mother dies and Mr. Krabs finds a baby whale.
He may have adopted her out of guilt.
Not to mention, taking care of her every need as she grows up.
Which could be his way of atoning for the death of her mother.
Sure, I won’t deny that it sounds crazy.
And expecting a kid’s show to become dark may be absurd to others.
But we can always trust SpongeBob to exceed our expectations.
To be precise, that’s not yet the most disturbing part of the theory.
The real Krabby Patty’s secret ingredient?
We never see Mr. Krabs restock for food supplies.
It’s almost as if he has an unlimited amount hiding somewhere.
So what gives?
According to the National History Museum of the UK, dead whales can feed an ecosystem for years.
All the bones, blubber, and muscles act as food.
And who else might have access to a dead whale in Bikini Bottom?
None other than Mr. Krabs.
So if everything in theory holds true…
Then SpongeBob’s boss is feeding the underwater city burgers made from Mrs. Krabs’ corpse.
How old is Mr. Krabs’ wife?
Mr. Krabs’ wife’s age is unknown. But if we reference Mr. Krabs’ age, the leading theory suggests she’s around her late 70s or early 80s. Even so, we can’t confirm or deny her real age as the Nicktoon doesn’t have any episodes that explore Mrs. Krabs’ story.
Fun fact: Most crabs have an average lifespan of 3 to 5 years. And some of the more resilient ones can reach over 30 years.
So, in Mr. Krabs’ case, he’s definitely an evolved species since he’s already 79. Plus, he’s not showing any signs of kicking the bucket either.
Is Mr. Krabs divorced?
Mr. Krabs is not divorced. It is only a popular theory made by fans. No one knows what happened to Mr. Krabs’ wife because we never see her in the series. Her whereabouts remain unclear because she’s only mentioned in passing.
A pretty bad husband
I don’t expect sea crabs to follow marriage traditions.
In fact, wearing a tuxedo and running a restaurant also sound crazy.
But divorce doesn’t sound far-fetched.
Especially when you consider that it starts with Eugene’s greed.
For example, in season 3, the Born Again Krabs episode.
Who can forget that he sold SpongeBob for a meager 62 cents?
Nobody in their right mind would do that to their loyal employee.
Also, in season 12, the Farmerbob episode.
The crimson sea crab leaves SpongeBob at a farm to avoid paying bills.
And if we can expect the same behavior throughout the series…
He may have had fights about money with Mrs. Krabs.
In fact, a study shows financial problems are predictors of divorce.
It mentions that people have strong attitudes regarding the use of money.
So if the couple had many disagreements…
I don’t think it’s impossible for Mrs. Krabs to file for a divorce and leave.
#Bonus: Mr. Krabs’ dating life
Normally, a marriage breakup would leave a person feeling numb.
But in the case of Mr. Krabs, he sure knows how to rebound.
In fact, he’s got a very active dating life.
And his on-again, off-again relationship with Mrs. Puff is a running gag.
It all started in season 2, the Krusty Love episode.
And for some time, it felt like they were meant for each other.
Plus, in season 10, the Whirly Brains episode.
The couple reveals they’ve been dating for over 16 years now.
Sadly, the Feral Friends episode had something else in mind.
It turns out that pufferfish and scavenger crabs are natural enemies.
So, it’s no surprise why the relationship seems messy.