Updated September 23, 2021 5.2K votes 968 voters 28.9K views
Voting Rules
Vote up the fan theories that make a lot of sense to you.
Patrick Star certainly isn't the smartest starfish under the sea. However, as the best friend of SpongeBob SquarePants, he's always around to buddy up and take on any adventure that comes their way. The show portrays him as being just as innocent as he is ignorant, but some fans suspect there's a dark side to Patrick Star.
As one of Nickelodeon's most iconic kid's cartoons, SpongeBob SquarePants has sparked tons of fan theories. Many fans believe Patrick Star is harboring a secret identity under his soft, pink exterior. Patrick Star fan theories suggest there's much more to this goofy sea-creature than his dim wit and dumb demeanor. From secret identities to full-fledged brain swapping, these theories are a lot of fun for cartoon buffs. Decide for yourself which - if any - make the most sense.
In the episode "I'm With Stupid," Janet and Marty come over to Patrick Star's house and pose as his parents. While they get along fantastically, none of them realize they're not related until the very end. A former Redditor gives their theory as to what happened in this strange situation.
Since Patrick isn't the smartest - and Janet and Marty seem to be in the same boat - the fan speculates they're actually extended family, but they're just too dumb to recognize each other.
Some fans point to a bizarre case of head-swapping to explain Patrick's dim-wittedness. In the episode "Patrick SmartPants," Patrick loses his entire head. Some fans speculate that Patrick never got his proper head back and instead lives on with the brain of a child.
396 votes
3
395 VOTES
Patrick's Secret Box Contains A Photo From An Earlier Episode
Some fans believe the photo Patrick Star stashes away in his secret box is a photo taken during an earlier episode, "The Donut of Shame." In this particular episode, Patrick wakes up at SpongeBob's house after a long night of partying.
According to this theory, Patrick's secret box has a scandalous photo of SpongeBob from that night.
While some believe Patrick Star was born a jerk, others try to figure out what made him this way. They think his family and friends emotionally hurt him, and this causes him to act out in erratic ways. We witness the poor treatment he receives throughout the series.
His biological parents are verbally cruel to him in "I'm With Stupid." In "The Bully," Patrick's college friend comes to visit and ends up taking an unhealthy interest in SpongeBob.
Patrick Star isn't just a lazy and self-indulgent starfish, he's a full-blown representation of one of the seven capital sins. Embodying the sin of sloth, Patrick Star is a pro at idling around Bikini Bottom.
317 votes
6
288 VOTES
Patrick Suffers From Dissociative Identity Disorder
Patrick's moods are known for changing in an instant - from sappy to happy or loving to raging mad in the blink of an eye. Redditor /u/podteod thinks this is because Patrick Star has an extreme form of dissociative identity disorder.
