SpongeBob SquarePants: Who Pearl's Mom Is (Explained By Canon)

Summary

• Pearl, Mr. Krabs' whale daughter, is a different species because the creator wanted each main character to be a different animal.
• Pearl's mother is named Mrs. Krabs and is also a whale, but her whereabouts and relationship with Mr. Krabs are unknown.
• The identity of Pearl's biological father and what happened to her mother remain a mystery, adding intrigue to the series.

SpongeBob SquarePants is full of colorful creatures, but few raise more questions than Pearl, Mr. Krabs’ daughter, and the reason why is simple — Mr. Krabs is a crab, and Pearl is a whale, and nobody in Bikini Bottom points out just how ridiculous this is. Created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants debuted on Nickelodeon in 1999 and has since become the most successful Nicktoon to date, as well as one of the longest-running American animated series.

Over the course of more than 10 seasons, viewers have met all types of characters from the underwater city of Bikini Bottom and beyond, among them SpongeBob’s boss Mr. Krabs and his teenage whale daughter Pearl. It's regularly hinted in SpongeBob SquarePants that the money-hungry Mr. Krabs has shady origins, and the fact that his daughter is a whale rather than a crab only adds to his crooked mystique. The Krabs family has made way for a lot of theories, but SpongeBob SquarePants has already answered why Pearl is a whale — though not in the series itself.

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Why Pearl Is A Whale In SpongeBob SquarePants Explained

SpongeBob Creator Stephen Hillenburg Wanted A Diverse Range Of Sea Animals

Pearl Krabs is Mr. Krabs’ teenage whale daughter, who lives off her father’s money and isn’t interested in the Krusty Krab business — though she was in charge of it once and gave it a full makeover. Pearl was the second main character Hillenburg created, and his answer to why Pearl is a whale and her father a crab is because he wanted each member of the main cast to be a different animal.

As for why a whale specifically, no official explanation has ever been given, though it's likely because the idea of a crab having a whale for a daughter is funny. An in-universe reason hasn’t been revealed in the series, but the official SpongeBob SquarePants Trivia Book did share some light on the matter.

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Did Mr. Krabs Adopt Pearl?

Mr. Krabs Was Married To Pearl's Mom

Pearl in SpongeBob SquarePants

Given that they're different species, an easy assumption is that Mr. Krabs adopted Pearl the whale. However, one of the many canon SpongeBob SquarePants products has already revealed who Pearl’s mother is, though her story still has more gaps that need to be filled. What is known is that Mr. Krabs wasn't always a single parent, and he didn't adopt Pearl from an orphanage. The SpongeBob SquarePants Trivia Book named Pearl’s mother is Mrs. Krabs, clarifying that Mr. Krabs' wife is also a whale. However, it's unclear why she isn't around in the show.

Mr. Krabs is clearly Pearl's legal guardian, and she identifies him as her father, so it's safe to assume that he met Mrs. Krabs shortly after Pearl was born. Once Mrs. Krabs was no longer around, Mr. Krabs then continued to raise Pearl. Their relationship suggests that Pearl doesn't remember any other father figure, suggesting that Mr. Krabs has been in her life for a long time.

The identity of the whale that is Pearl's biological father still has yet to be revealed. However, given the bombastic nature of SpongeBob SquarePants, there's always an outside chance that the already-incredibly-strange Mr. Krabs actually is Pearl's biological father, and she simply didn't inherit any of his crab features.

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What Happened To Pearl’s Mother In SpongeBob SquarePants?

Pearl's Mom Will Probably Never Be Revealed

However, it’s unknown if she died or if she and Mr. Krabs are divorced, as she hasn’t been mentioned in the series — and the reason for that is that Hillenburg was strongly against revealing the identity of Pearl’s mom, and so it remains a secret in the series.

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Though SpongeBob SquarePants has already gone against some of Hillenburg’s demands, such as having guest stars, Pearl’s mom doesn’t seem like one that won’t be respected, as it adds a lot of mystery not only to the series but to Mr. Krabs and Pearl, and will keep viewers wondering about what Mrs. Krabs looks like and what happened to her.

SpongeBob SquarePants

Comedy Family Animation 9/10 24 8.3/10 Release Date May 1, 1999 Network Nickelodeon Cast Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Carlos Alazraqui, Paul Tibbitt, Dee Bradley Baker, Jill Talley, Tim Conway, Sara Paxton, Mark Fite, Mary Jo Catlett, Tom Wilson, Sirena Irwin, Lori Alan, Ernest Borgnine, Mr. Lawrence, Carolyn Lawrence Writers Tim Hill, Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, Nick Jennings Genres Comedy, Family, Animation Seasons 16 Powered by

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