Four new SpongeBob SquarePants POP figures are arriving in November 2026, and they all have one thing in common that French product listings barely mention: all four characters are sculpted as if they are melting. SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs, literally dripping away.
An entire wave in “Melting” form
Funko’s official catalogue is crystal clear about all four releases: Pop! SpongeBob SquarePants (Melting), Pop! Patrick Star (Melting), Pop! Squidward (Melting) and Pop! Mr. Krabs (Melting).
So this is not an isolated variant or a one-off visual gimmick on a single figure. It is a complete themed wave, with the show’s central quartet all receiving the same treatment.
One revealing detail: the four figures are not the same height. Patrick reaches 11.7 cm, Mr. Krabs 10.7 cm, Squidward 10.2 cm, while SpongeBob drops to just 8.9 cm. In a standard wave, all of these figures would be around 10 cm tall. Here, each one collapses in its own way, and the main character has melted the most.
The four figures in detail
- SpongeBob SquarePants – POP #2556: 8.9 cm, the most collapsed figure in the wave. Starting at €14.99.
- Patrick Star – POP #2557: 11.7 cm, the tallest of the four. The starfish apparently holds his shape better than his neighbor.
- Squidward Tentacles – POP #2558: 10.2 cm. It is difficult to imagine a character who would react to the news with less enthusiasm.
- Mr. Krabs – POP #2559: 10.7 cm. The owner of the Krusty Krab is melting along with his money.
All four are listed between €14.99 and €15.99 by the first French retailers, in the standard range, with no exclusive status and no Chase variants.
A concept tailor-made for this particular license
Funko could have applied this treatment to almost any franchise. Choosing SpongeBob SquarePants is no coincidence.
For twenty-five years, the series has been one of the internet’s biggest sources of reaction images and memes. Distorted close-ups, twisted facial expressions and freeze-frames from single episodes have become a visual language of their own on social media, often used by people who have not watched the show since elementary school. A melting figure fits perfectly into that culture of visual distortion.
That is what separates this wave from yet another version of the same four characters: it does not simply represent the characters themselves, it represents the way the internet sees them.
A license boosted by the movie
The broader context helps. The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants was released in theaters on December 24, 2025, directed by Derek Drymon for Paramount, and attracted just over 620,000 admissions in France. The film arrived on streaming and VOD on April 22, 2026.
The license is therefore operating at full speed, and Funko has clearly noticed: the four Melting figures are arriving alongside an already ongoing 25th-anniversary range featuring releases such as Doodlebob, Caveman SpongeBob and Ripped Pants SpongeBob.
A wave to take literally
Four figures, one unified concept, no exclusivity complications and a standard price point. This is the kind of wave that makes more sense as a complete set than as individual purchases, because the effect really works best when all four are lined up together on a shelf.
There is currently no indication that the Melting range will be extended to other Bikini Bottom characters, but Sandy and Plankton would be obvious candidates if Funko decides to continue the concept. Pre-orders are open, with release scheduled for November 2026.
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