The “I call Patrick Subaru” meme originates from a bizarre 2021 comment left on a SpongeBob SquarePants wiki, in which a user inexplicably referred to Patrick Star as “Subaru.” Four years later, the comment resurfaced on X, leading to a flood of TikTok videos using the nickname in random contexts. As the trend spread, AI-generated clips, explainers, and even a real-life Patrick Subaru dealership got involved—just the latest example of TikTok‘s ability to turn the internet’s most obscure jokes into a viral trend.
Meme basics:
- Meme Creator: @walt.jr.official
- Meme Type: Video
- First Appearance: March 3, 2025
- Origin Source: Encyclopedia SpongeBobia comment
- Used to Convey: Randomness
- Peak Popularity: Early March 2025
What is the ‘I Call Patrick Subaru’ meme?
On TikTok, users primarily rely on moments from the series SpongeBob SquarePants for reasons to call the character Patrick Star “Subaru.” Videos take clips or screenshots from the show and add captions that comment on what he’s doing while using the nickname.
“Bro what is Subaru doing,” asks user @nevergooner in a video showing Patrick putting a water cooler jug over his head.
This eight-second clip gained over 1.4 million views and more than 187,000 likes. They and other users have tagged their videos as “brain rot,” referring to a type of TikTok meme with little to no cognitive value to the viewer, the insinuation being it could theoretically degrade one’s mental faculties over time.
AI videos creating new Patrick moments in which to call him Subaru have also spread, as well as skits and explainers.
Meme origins and spread
The phrase “I Call Him Subaru” first appeared on the Encyclopedia SpongeBobia wiki entry for the SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Gone” from season 6. In the episode, SpongeBob wakes to find that everyone in Bikini Bottom has disappeared. Following various escapades, he learns that it’s National No SpongeBob Day.
On March 5, 2021, wiki user Kmh1481 commented on the episode using the strange nickname.
“I hate that even Subaru took part in no Spongebob day what kind of best friend is he,” they said.
When another user asked who Subaru was supposed to be, they replied that “I call Patrick Subaru.”
Nearly four years later, on Feb. 16, 2025, X user @punishedvia posted a screenshot of this interaction without comment. The tweet gained 1.7 million views and over 101,000 likes.
It reached meme status on March 3, 2025, when TikTok user @walt.jr.official put out a video showing the screenshot followed by the popular gif of a man showing another guy something on a laptop and the latter having an “oh, duh” moment. That earned the TikToker over nine million views and 1.1 million likes so far.
@walt.jr.official Should’ve known || #subaru #patrick #spongebob #spongebobsquarepants ♬ Dry Hands – C418
Videos that call Patrick Subaru as though that’s his given nickname soon followed, including a slideshow by @bstcopperplayer1 posted on the same day that earned 2.8 million views and 522,000 likes.
TikTok user claims credit for the ‘I Call Patrick Subaru’ meme
On March 4, 2025, TikTok user @shuguru51, who calls herself Kylie, claimed credit for the wiki account and the origins of the meme. She says in her video that she can provide proof of this upon request, and the Daily Dot reached out to her for this evidence but has yet to hear back.
@shuguru51 #icallpatricksubaru #spongebobsquarepants #patrickstar #subaru #imtheone ♬ original sound – shuguru51
A commenter requested that Kylie post a follow-up video explaining why she decided to call Patrick Subaru, but so far the only hint she’s provided is a slideshow showing a tweet from Sept. 27, 2019 that says “Subaru is just a compliment that means you’re really cute.” It’s unclear if this is the origin of the nickname, but it’s the best explanation provided so far.
They call SpongeBob Pagani
In the spirit of the “I Call Patrick Subaru” meme, some TikTok users have taken to referring to SpongeBob by the name “Pagani.” This is likely in reference to the Italian sports car manufacturer Pagani Automobili S.p.A., which is responsible for vehicles like the Pagani Zonda and the Pagani Huayra.
On March 5, 2025, user @gehegwoj1ga posted a clip of Patrick hitting his hand with a hammer over and over instead of the target nail. The caption calls Patrick Subaru and uses “Pagani” to refer to SpongeBob.
“Pagani just trying to do his j*b and Subaru just be geeking,” it reads.
The video gained over 817,000 views and 60,000 likes.
The Patrick Subaru dealership
Less than two days after the meme took off on TikTok, someone discovered there is a Subaru dealership in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts called Patrick Subaru. People started driving to this location to film the building with its name in giant letters to get in on the trend, and also flooded the business with calls about the meme.
It became such an issue that the dealership made a meme video for their Instagram page on March 5. The post uses audio from an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants in which Patrick is working at the Krusty Krab and customers keep calling to ask if they’ve reached the business, but he keeps answering with “No, this is Patrick.”
Under the caption “our dealership all day today,” a worker repeatedly answers the phone to hear the caller say “I call Patrick Subaru.” She answers, “No this is actually Patrick Subaru.”
The video has only gained 137 likes in the past five days, but once TikTok finds out about it, it’s sure to blow up.
Meme examples
The Daily Dot has reached out to @shuguru51 for comment via TikTok.
More SpongeBob memes:
- In the darkest of days, the Moaning Plankton Face meme unites the internet
- The SpongeBob Side Eye meme and its many variations
- ‘No This Is Patrick’ meme history
- The Squidward Window meme is the visual representation of FOMO
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