# I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward
"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.
## 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 cores[1]. 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 down[1].
The format is a variant of SpongeBob shitposting, pairing deadpan cartoon dialogue with unsettling body horror imagery[1]. 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 reach[2].
## 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 months[2]. Four days later, YouTuber Mr. Mysterious reposted a version that reached about 224,100 views and 17,000 likes in two months[4]. SNick later uploaded a copy of the video to YouTube on May 19, 2023[3].
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 views[4]. YouTuber Añarao's May 2 iteration styled the clip after analog horror and gained around 157,500 views in two weeks[4]. Reposts hit TikTok and iFunny through May 2023[3].
## How to Use
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 voice[2]. 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 intact[3].
## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward?
It is an absurdist SpongeBob image macro from January 2023 showing SpongeBob at the top of a basement staircase telling a wrinkled Squidward that he is adding another demon core to his confinement[1].
### Where did I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward come from?
Instagram user @absolutenutcase162 posted the original two-panel image on January 12, 2023, on an account known for SpongeBob absurdist posts[1].
### What does I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward mean?
The joke is not literal; it pairs SpongeBob's calm voice with disturbing body horror imagery as SpongeBob shitposting humor built around a fictional "Day 93" captivity scene[1].
### How do you use I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward?
Video edits typically read the demon core line in an eerie voiceover over the original panels, often swapping the demon cores for other radioactive objects[2].
### Is I Cannot Let You Escape Squidward still popular?
The meme peaked in spring and summer 2023 when YouTube voiceover edits pulled hundreds of thousands of views combined before reposts moved to TikTok and iFunny[3].
## References
1. [https://www.instagram.com/absolutenutcase162/]()
2. [https://twitter.com/SNick_WT]()
3. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmmShyevqno]()
4. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-cannot-let-you-escape-squidward]()
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Source: https://meme.com/memes/i-cannot-let-you-escape-squidward
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