Sponge Bob a Hero's Journey

“Applying Joseph Campbell’s steps of a hero to the Sponge Bob Square Pants Movie”

Heroes can be great and small. The unlikely heroes are the ones that bring the greatest since of relief when they reach their goal, but the rode is much the same as that of the mightiest of warriors. Joseph Campbell laid out steps of similarities that heroes must go through in order to save the day. They are as follows:
Structure Step #1: "All happy except hero."

Structure Step #2: "Hero, called to adventure -- doubts, changes mind."

Structure Step #3: "Hero meeting Ally."
Structure Step # 4: "Hero, on a strange places edge."
Structure Step # 5: Hero's beginning adventure."
Structure Step # 6: "Trial by Antagonist (Hero winning)."
Structure Step # 7: "More trails by Antagonist"
Structure Step # 8: "Failure of hero -- near death."
Structure Step # 9: "'Escape' of Hero."
Structure Step # 10: "Battle between Hero and Antagonist."
Structure Step # 11: "Hero's defeat of Antagonist."
Structure Step # 12: "Hero's triumphal return home."
Although there are only twelve basic steps, many sub similarities pop up in different heroes. Some of the more popular stories and movies that the steps of a hero are often applied are: Star Wars Luke Skywalker journeys from farm boy to Jedi. Lord of The Rings Frodo journeys to
destroy the ring. The Matrix Neo journeys into the real world. There are many, many stories that parallel each other and also parallel the Bible. I will get more into this later; now let’s get into the first step.
1. All happy except the hero. Sponge Bob’s Boss Mr. Crabs, the owner of The Crusty Crab has chosen to make Squidward the new manager of the crusty Crab 2. When Sponge Bob learns that he didn’t get the job, he is told that he isn’t mature enough. Mr. Crabs tells him that he is just a kid, therefore he can’t be the manager, otherwise they would call it kid-ager. This is like Luke’s Uncle Owen telling Luke that he can’t apply to the academy, because he needs help with the harvest. The rest of the underwater world goes about there day, as Sponge Bob drowns his sorrows at the Goofy Goober ice cream parlor. At this time we meet the antagonist, Plankton who is bent on getting his hands on the recipe to the Crabby Pattie, and ruling the world. Plankton uses Plan Z from his files to steal King Neptune’s crown and pin the theft on Mr. Crabs, by leaving a note that says that Mr. Crabs stole the crown. King Neptune confronts Mr. Crabs only to find out that his crown has been sold to someone in a dangerous, far away place called Shell City. King Neptune decides to kill Mr. Cabs.
2. Call to adventure. Sponge Bob says that he will travel to Shell City to get the crown back and save Mr. Crabs life. King Neptune encases Mr. Crabs in ice, ala Han Solo in carbonate, until his crown is returned.
3. Hero meeting ally. King Neptune gives Sponge Bob ten days to complete his mission, when Patrick bursts in and says that Sponge Bob can do it in nine days. Neptune banters back and forth with Patrick, reducing the number of days to complete the mission until he is tackled by Sponge Bob. Patrick agrees to help Sponge Bob get to Shell City. Pat and Sponge Bob climb in to the
Conkle 3
Patty Wagon, their means of travel. Like the Millennium Falcon. Pat and Sponge Bob end up at a bar in the middle of nowhere full of undesireable characters. Like Mos Eisly Cantina.
4. Hero, on a strange places edge. Pat and Sponge Bob are chased by a huge sea creature, (that resembles the one that chases Qui Gon and Obi Wan) the Patty Wagon barrels off a cliff and the sea creature follows it over the edge. Pat and Sponge Bob find themselves on the edge of a great chasm. They decide that the trench is too great to cross, and resign to go home. That is until Princess Mindy shows up to tell them that Plankton has enslaved the minds of the people of Bikini Bottom, and forces them to build a monument to him. Like the Pharaoh from the Bible. Pat and Sponge Bob are the only ones left that can save the people of Bikini Bottom. Sort of like “Help me Obi Wan Kenobi you’re my only hope.” Mindy convinces them that she has mermaid magic, and can turn them into men. She sticks seaweed to their faces and they think that they have moustaches.
5. Hero's beginning adventure. With newly acquired facial hair they jump into the trench, sing a song about being men and the adventure begins.
6. Trial by Antagonist (Hero winning). They cross the trench unharmed only to find Dennis a thug hired by Plankton to take care of them. Dennis prepares to step on them when a big human boot squashes Dennis. This refers to when Qui Gon say that there’s always a bigger fish.
7. More trails by Antagonist. The human that squashed Dennis looks like a Cyclops since he is wearing an old diver’s suit and helmet. This parallels the Odyssey and a battle with a Cyclops. They are captured and put into a fish bowl; this is sort of like being down in a trash compactor or the belly of a whale. This is where the hero confronts his greatest fears. They look around and see other fish with them. They realize that the fish around them are dead. This is the resemblance of hell.

8. Failure of hero -- near death. The Cyclops removes them from the fish bowl and places them on a desk beneath a drying lamp in order to make them into smelly knick-Knacks. Sponge Bob tells Patrick that they have failed and this looks like the end for them. And they never even made it to Shell City. Then they realize that they are in Shell City (the Death Star) and King Neptune’s Crown is within their reach, but it is too late the lamp is drying them out and they are dieing.
9. Escape' of Hero. Pat and Sponge Bob both let out one last tear before drying out to death. That tear trickles down the lamps power chord and shorts it out and a plume of smoke rises to the ceiling sprinklers and sets them off. The water from the sprinklers springs the heroes back to life and they go after the crown.
10. Battle between Hero and Antagonist. Just as they grab a hold of the crown the Cyclops attacks them. The water from the sprinklers sprays all of the other dried sea creatures in the room, they spring back to life and subdue the Cyclops enabling Pat and Sponge Bob to escape. As the heroes escape they must ride the Hasslehoff. The only creature fast enough to get them there in time.
11. Hero's defeat of Antagonist. Pat and Sponge Bob return in time with the crown, but Plankton enslaves King Neptune and all hope seems lost until Sponge Bob realizes that he is a Goofy Goober, The equivalent of being a Jedi, and with his magical, rock powered, laser shooting, guitar he frees the enslaved citizens of Bikini Bottom there by defeating Plankton.
12. Hero's triumphal return home. In the end Sponge Bob is made into the manager of the Crusty Crab 2, and peace is restored to the galaxy.