SpongeBob Squarepants is probably one of the most widely-recognised cartoons in the world, whether you've ever watched an episode of the Nickelodeon series or not.
Loved by children and adults alike, the cartoon burger-shop employee created by Stephen Hillenburg is high-energy, chatty and easily distracted, much to the annoyance of his sullen colleague Squidward.
All of the characters have different quirks and personalities, but one person on social media has figured out what these could potentially represent - and it's a lot deeper than you might think.
TikToker @asheleyspam is a self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist who reckons she knows exactly why each of the SpongeBob characters were created in their specific ways.
She claims that each of them represent a different disorder, including ADHD and depression.
Ashley made a short video captioned: "It took me 10 years to realise that SpongeBob characters represent disorders."
She explained that SpongeBob was ADHD, Squidward was depression, and Mr Krabs was narcissistic personality disorder. And in her opinion, Plankton represented bipolar disorder.
Below the video, she added: "How did we not notice these things sooner?"
The video has been viewed a whopping 29.4 million times, with many people in the comments equally as shocked at her revelation and offering alternative explanations.
One wrote: "I thought they represent the seven deadly sins."
Someone else commented: "Just like the characters from Winnie The Pooh."
Although not all were convinced, with one writing: "I think there’s a chance you’re overthinking this."
It's never officially been confirmed what each of the characters were inspired by, but the seven deadly sins theory has previously run rampant on fan sites.
Entertainment website Screen Rant states: "The outrageous characters in SpongeBob SquarePants have spawned numerous fan theories, and one of the most intriguing (and eerily plausible) is the SpongeBob seven Deadly Sins theory.
"As the name suggests, some viewers have found similarities between the SpongeBob characters and the seven sins outlined in the Bible (Sloth, Gluttony, Pride, Lust, Greed, Envy, and Wrath)."
Later, it states which character represents which sin.
"The ever-angry Squidward is Wrath…which involves an uncontrollable hatred towards everything. Squidward hates almost everyone and everything in Bikini Bottom, except for himself and his clarinet.
"Last but not least is SpongeBob himself, who according to the theory represents Lust. This term is usually understood as an excessive sexual desire, but others define it as an excessive love for others."
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