Spandy

Spandy is the het ship between SpongeBob and Sandy from the SpongeBob SquarePants fandom.

Canon
SpongeBob and Sandy have been consistently portrayed as close friends across the franchise, with Sandy often being described as one of his best friends. The only exception so far has been an alternate universe exclusively seen in the comics, where these alternate versions of themselves are mentioned to be enemies. There have been two different origins for their first meeting in the two timelines shown to exist within the series. Though the two origins do contradict each other, neither of these origins have been referenced again following their initial depiction.

Even though SpongeBob and Sandy are not a couple, the idea that SpongeBob may have a crush on Sandy had been periodically alluded to in side material. Example:
 * In an advice column written by SpongeBob in-character, titled How To Survive A Secret Crush, he accidentally implies he may have a crush on Sandy when describing how he is able to maintain his composure when he visits the Treedome.
 * In the PC game SpongeBob SquarePants: Employee of the Month, SpongeBob has a poster of Sandy in his locker. When clicking on the poster, SpongeBob will sigh dreamily and comment that “just looking at her makes me smile.”
 * In “Flowers for Sandy”, SpongeBob gives Sandy flowers with a note reading “To the Smartest, Prettiest Squirrel in the sea. Signed A. Friend.”
 * And when SpongeBob dies in the Sponge on the Run mobile game, one of the phrases he says is “Tell Sandy... I love her.”

This may be a result of the SpongeBob pitch bible, where Sandy is referred to as being the apple of his eye and that he "finds himself agreeing to the most ridiculous and impossible physical challenges just to be next to her." The pitch bible also describes the two as going on dates, which indicated the probability the two may have originally been intended to be a couple. Current show-runner Vincent Waller confirmed that although Sandy was originally created and introduced as a potential love interest for SpongeBob, the conclusion was that the two being a couple didn't fit. It's not clear whether this is referring to the series as a whole, or just the individual characters.

Whether these allusions are canon to the series or not is debatable, as it is not something that has been explicitly mentioned in the cartoon itself but it hasn't been contradicted either. Since Tea at the Treedome and Ripped Pants are episodes that were conceptualized around the idea of Sandy as a potential love interest, they can be read as being about his potential crush as a result. However this is not something that would be explicitly brought up as Vincent Waller has stated that exploring romance in depth with SpongeBob was not something that Stephen Hillenberg approved of. Regardless of whether or not SpongeBob has a crush on Sandy, there are not many indications she may reciprocate any romantic feelings he could have.

SpongeBob SquarePants
In the original series the two meet in Tea at the Treedome, where SpongeBob comes across Sandy as she is battling a large clam. Curious about her and worried about her safety, SpongeBob intervenes only to find that she is more than capable of holding her own. The two both find that they both love karate, and bond over their mutual fondness for the martial art. When SpongeBob is invited to her home, he actively goes out of his way to make a good impression much to his own detriment and initially refuses to ask for water even as he dehydrates. Eventually Sandy catches on to what was happening and arranges a helmet for him to remain hydrated while in the Treedome. The two have been shown to be close ever since.

Later in Ripped Pants, SpongeBob is shown trying to impress Sandy again while spending the day at the beach. He continuously tries to make her laugh in whatever way he can, until Larry comes by to ask if they want to want to lift weights with him. SpongeBob quickly becomes jealous and frustrated as he fails to keep up with the two. Despite feeling like a third wheel, he continuously participates in weightlifting to the best of his abilities. When this culminates in ripping his pants and everyone finds it hilarious, he attempts to milk the gag for all its worth in an attempt to keep as much attention on himself as possible.

This soon backfires when he plays dead as a set-up for a ripped pants joke. Not finding this funny, Sandy becomes upset with him for playing with her emotions like that. Realizing that he'd hurt her and that he didn't need to act out to get her attention, he begins to sing a song that conveys how remorseful he is. When this escalates into a huge performance with other beach-goers, Sandy and Larry both observe the performance of SpongeBob's song. Sandy forgives him when she hears how sorry he is in his song, and tells him that he didn't need to impress her to be her friend because she likes him for who he is.

Following those episodes, which focus on establishing their relationship, the two are shown to bond over many activities. Among which is karate, which both are said to be skilled at, and the two can often seen sparring with each other in many episodes. Though the two can both seen enjoying participating in other physical activities such as a variety of sports, at times SpongeBob may not always be as enthusiastic or physically capable as Sandy may be. Examples can be seen in the previously mentioned Ripped Pants and MuscleBob BuffPants where SpongeBob is shown to be ill-equipped for weightlifting and is intimidated by the challenge. Another example is Prehibernation Week, where SpongeBob finds himself becoming stressed out by all of Sandy's extreme stunts. Another activity that both have been involved in together is science, though SpongeBob mostly does work as an assistant or test subject since he does not know as much about the field.

SpongeBob and Sandy care for each other greatly, and will often go to great lengths for each other. An example on SpongeBob's part is in the (aptly named) episode Texas. When Sandy had become homesick and wanted to return to Texas, SpongeBob throws her a party at the Krusty Krab. This was done both as an effort to keep her from leaving Bikini Bottom, but also to show her the way she is loved and appreciated by the town. Later in Appointment TV, SpongeBob is devastated that he missed the airing of a special episode of Mermaid Man after having spent the day running errands for all of his friends. Sandy is the first to realize that they had done SpongeBob wrong, and immediately decides they must make it up to him. In order to make amends, Sandy organizes the rest of SpongeBob's friends to act out a special and exclusive episode just for him.

Another extension to the care they have for each other is how the two have shown themselves to be very protective of each other. In “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm,” SpongeBob tried to stop Sandy from fighting the Alaskan Bull Worm when she arrogantly believed she could easily overpower it. However, he was not above threatening to trip her as they are being chased by the worm if she didn't admit that she was wrong to dismiss SpongeBob's concerns. Despite his newfound arrogance after being referred to as the "King of Karate," Sandy stepped up to save SpongeBob when he was swept up in a scam as seen in “Karate Island.” And in “Squirrel Record,” SpongeBob worried that Sandy would be killed while trying to break every record in a record book, especially after suffering multiple injuries himself.

Despite the strength of their friendship, the two may sometimes be at odds. Sandy can still be annoyed by SpongeBob’s antics, like in “Survival of the Idiots”, and “Squirrel Jokes”. And sometimes, SpongeBob can be annoyed by Sandy’s over-competitive spirit and daredevil attitude, such as in “Prehibernation Week” and “Squirrel Jelly”. Neither of them are above threatening each other to get what they want and they may scold or punish each other when they feel the other's done wrong. However, at the end of the day, they are still friends and care about each other deeply. And even when the two come into conflict, they will typically work things out and make it up to each other.

The closest there's ever been to explicit confirmation that SpongeBob has crush on Sandy is the way he talks about the play in Truth or Square. SpongeBob asks the rest of the Krusty Krew if they remember the day he married Sandy with a dreamy tone of voice, though it is revealed that this was just a play. That this could be hinting at a crush he may have on her is more apparent in a cut storyboard where after the Wedding Officiant says that he didn't know it was a play, SpongeBob responds that "it doesn't have to be." This indicates that he would have liked to truly be married to Sandy. However Sandy slaps SpongeBob after he makes the suggestion that the two could be married for real, which suggests that she doesn't feel the same way.

SpongeBob Comics issue #6
Issue #6 of the comic series introduces Bikini Bottom 2, an alternate universe where many characters have swapped roles with each other. Among these is Super SpongeBob SquarePants, a version of Spongebob who has swapped places with Mermaid Man, being a superhero. Also introduced in this story is an evil version of Sandy Cheeks, also known as Sandy Evil-Cheeks, who is a super-villain. It is not clear which super-villain she has swapped roles with, however it is briefly mentioned that usually her nefarious plans are stopped by Super SpongeBob SquarePants. Aside from this mention, the two never directly interact and Super SpongeBob SquarePants is only seen trying to put a stop to a different villain in the story.

Kamp Koral
Taking place a year after the flashbacks to Camp Coral in Sponge on the Run, Sandy and SpongeBob's first meeting in this timeline is shown to be different from the one seen in the original series. When the Sandy of the original series makes contact with a younger version of herself, she convinces her to attend Camp Coral where she meets SpongeBob for the first time. Following their meeting at camp, SpongeBob seems to encourage Sandy to follow her dreams of becoming a scientist when she grows up despite being a squirrel. This moment is a major milestone in their friendship in this timeline, and the two become best friends because of it. In the spin-off series proper, SpongeBob and Sandy are shown to be both friends and cabin mates. Much like the original series they are shown to enjoy many activities together, such as tag and jellyfishing. Sandy generally tends to take charge when with SpongeBob and Patrick, as she is the smartest of the three.

Fanon
Even though the idea of the relationship being a romance has never been a central focus of the series beyond hints here and there, Spandy had been one of the most popular SpongeBob ships since Sandy's first appearance in the series. And regardless of any disapproval the late Stephen Hillenburg may have had towards exploring a potential romance between the two, many fans of the series have continued to support the ship. Though it's popularity has waned over the years as the popularity of other ships have risen.



Some Spandy shippers interpret believe that the ending of the infamous wedding scene in “Truth or Square” indicates SpongeBob and Sandy really are married. This is based on a technicality, as the priest was real and he was unaware that this was part of a play. Whether this would be legally binding as the two presumably would not have signed any wedding certificates is highly dependent on the law in Bikini Bottom. Ultimately however, the scene was intentionally meant to be a fake-out joke towards the fan-base. On the other hand, there are those who find Sandy's reaction in the cut storyboard suggests that she would have likely gotten an annulment if the marriage were legitimate.

Though Spandy is one of the most popular SpongeBob ships, it was at the peak of it's popularity on deviantart and youtube in the early 2000s. Still one of the most common relationships to be discussed by casual viewers and regular fans alike, the number of active participants in this section of the fanbase is not as numerous as it once was. However there are likely many who still reside on either platforms and actively engage with the fanbase. For example, one particular YouTuber, ML482, is a huge fan of the ship, and has many AMV videos dedicated to it. Phantomstrider also enjoys the ship to an extent.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

FAN ART

WIKIS
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Trivia

 * Also in “Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm”, the squirrel says that she has saved SpongeBob’s “yellow backside from certain destruction on a regular basis”, even claiming one of his square pants as her property.
 * In the “Sandy’s Vacation in Ruins” short, Sandy invites Spongebob to her vacation.
 * In “Dunces and Dragons”, SpongeBob meets the Dark Knight, Sandy’s ancestor in the Middle Ages, eventually defeating her in battle and subsequently befriending her.

Variations

 * Spandrick — the polyship between SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick Star