I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward — SpongeBob telling a strained Squidward he is adding another demon core to his confinement until he calms down

I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward

2023image macrosemi-active

Published August 15, 2026

"I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward" is an absurdist SpongeBob image macro from January 2023 in which SpongeBob keeps a wrinkled, eyeless Squidward captive in a basement and adds another demon core to his confinement. The joke went viral through voiceover video edits on Twitter and YouTube in spring 2023 before reposts hit TikTok and iFunny.

spongebob absurdist humor memes image macro memes cursed content memes dialogue edit memes

Overview

"I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward" is an absurdist SpongeBob image macro showing SpongeBob at the top of a basement staircase, addressing a wrinkled, eyeless Squidward who is surrounded by demon cores1. A "Day 93" caption frames the scene as an ongoing captivity, with SpongeBob calmly announcing that another demon core will be added to keep his neighbor from calming down1.

The format is a variant of SpongeBob shitposting, pairing deadpan cartoon dialogue with unsettling body horror imagery1. The exact speech bubble wording, "I am adding another demon core to your confinement until you calm down," became the template line that later video edits looped over eerie voiceovers, driving most of the meme's later reach2.

Origin & Background

Platform
Instagram / YouTube (viral spread)
Creator
@absolutenutcase162
Date
2023

Instagram user @absolutenutcase162 posted the original two-panel "I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward" image on January 12, 20231. The same account was behind related SpongeBob absurdist posts including "We Have Come For Your Nectar" and "Hi Squidward"4. Over roughly four months, the post picked up around 6,500 likes before video adaptations moved the joke onto video-first platforms1.

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Instagram

How It Spread

Twitter user SNick (@SNick_WT) posted an early voiceover edit on March 7, 2023, ending the clip with Squidward screaming, and the tweet passed 5,430 likes and 1,150 retweets within four months2. Four days later, YouTuber Mr. Mysterious reposted a version that reached about 224,100 views and 17,000 likes in two months4. SNick later uploaded a copy of the video to YouTube on May 19, 20233.

Alternate voiceovers piled up through spring 2023. YouTuber Memetastic's April 11 dub pulled roughly 88,300 views in one month, while YouTuber PrivateChen swapped the demon cores for uranium on April 28 in a variant with about 16,000 views4. YouTuber Añarao's May 2 iteration styled the clip after analog horror and gained around 157,500 views in two weeks4. Reposts hit TikTok and iFunny through May 20233.

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How to Use This Meme

Video edits typically start on the still image at the top of the staircase, then cut to the wrinkled Squidward as the "another demon core" line is read in a slow, uneasy voice2. Common iterations swap the demon cores for other radioactive objects like uranium, or restyle the visuals as analog horror while keeping the "Day 93" captivity framing intact3.

Frequently Asked Questions