Spooky season may still be a couple of months away, but the dedicated spooky store Spirit Halloween has already started revealing its new collection for 2026. One of the most popular additions we’ve seen so far at IGN is a nod to none other than SpongeBob SquarePants. Well, his neighbor, to be more accurate.
IGN Finds maestro Seth Macy first discovered Squidward’s Tombstone in the list of new arrivals, and it quickly became a hit across our social media platforms. While I’ll admit it’s a little early for the Halloween planning, I’m honestly interested in the gravestone as a quirky decoration for any time of year.
Squidward Tombstone – SpongeBob SquarePants
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Measures 21″ H x 14″ W x 3″ D
On that note, my guess is the gravestone’s popularity stems from being more than a Halloween decoration. It’s not a massive life-sized animatronic you have to find somewhere to stow away, or even particularly ‘Halloween-themed.’ The ‘spooky’ connection simply comes from it being a gravestone, and, depending on how much you identify with Squidward, the possible associations with existential dread.
Otherwise, it’s honestly just a pretty cool decoration that references one of the best cartoons of all time. The gravestone appears in the Season 3 episode “One Krab’s Trash,” during what I’d consider the real glory days of the animated series.
Mr. Krabs is on a quest to find the grave of Smitty Werbenjägermanjensen when he encounters Squidward approaching a gravestone with an uncharacteristic sadness in his eyes. Curious, of course, Mr. Krabs approaches the gravestone once Squidward leaves, only to discover that instead of a loved one, the gravestone simply reads ‘Here Lies Squidward’s Hopes and Dreams.’
The Krusty Krab owner has only one response to this discovery: “What a Baby.” This line, perhaps unsurprisingly, is what has now filled the comment section of our original Instagram post. Not a whole lot of sympathy for Squidward, it seems. While full episodes of SpongeBob stream on Paramount+, you can check out this scene in particular on YouTube.
Spirit Halloween’s officially-licensed replica of the tombstone measures 21″ H x 14″ W x 3″ D and is currently retailing for $49.99, which gets you the gravestone itself as well as two ground stakes to set it up in your lawn, if you so desire. The gravestone includes the “Here Lies” etching as well as an image of the flowers Squidward leaves when he pays his respects.
SpongeBob Is Still Getting New Episodes – And LEGO Sets
LEGO Icons – SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom
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In case you weren’t already aware, Paramount is still producing new episodes of SpongeBob, which is in the middle of its 17th season. LEGO also just announced two new sets based on the iconic cartoon, including a pretty massive build of Bikini Bottom.
Blythe (she/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.