Top 10 Most Savage Comebacks on Nickelodeon Shows

“Hey Arnold!” (1996-2004)


Arnold has been trying to help Oskar with his new newspaper carrier job. The problem is that Oskar uses every excuse in the book to get out of work, forcing Arnold to cover for him. At last, Arnold reaches his breaking point and tells Oskar what we’re all thinking. Considering his reputation as the most helpful and patient kid in the neighborhood, you know you’ve messed up when Arnold of all people calls you out. Oskar knows this too as the next day, he finally shapes up and does his job all by himself. We don’t expect Oskar to fully change his ways, but hopefully, he now knows better than to take advantage of Arnold.

“Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide” (2004-07)
It’s a new semester at James K. Polk Middle School, and a new Lisa Zemo[c] has captured Cookie’s attention. He asks Gordy for his opinion on Lisa’s new look, and Gordy gives the most blunt, real answer he can possibly give. We're not sure what Cookie was expecting when asking a grown adult his opinion on a middle-schooler's attractiveness, but we have to give Gordy major props. He may be the laziest janitor in the universe, but he knows better than to go down that rabbit hole. The blunt tone in his response makes it even funnier and hopefully teaches Cookie not to ask loaded questions.

“Rugrats” (1991-2004)


After a heated argument, the Pickles and DeVille parents are at each other’s throats. Even their kids aren’t allowed to see each other. This feud comes to a boil when they cross paths at the park and they accuse each other of stealing their respective property. Howard states that the accusations against him and Betty are an absurd proposition. So, Stu shouts the most ground-breaking, epic insult in animation history… or maybe the most childish. The fact that he didn’t even hesitate to roast Howard in such a way is nothing short of brutal. Thankfully, the two families make amends in the end, but the audience will never forget the comeback heard around the world.

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2012-17)


Out of the Ninja Turtles, there’s no doubt that Raphael is the most brutal. The only thing more vicious than his fighting prowess is his snarky clapbacks and insults. While on their space adventure, the Turtles meet the insidious insect criminal, Lord Dregg. He gives a long-winded introduction boasting how much of a threat he is, but Raph is having none of it. He starts expressing how much he cares what Dregg has to say, but Donnie cuts him off before he can finish his thought. No one can say that Raph isn’t a great diplomat, but we’re not sure Dregg would’ve survived if he was allowed to complete his sentence.

“Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus” (2019)


In the 2019 reunion special, Zim has inadvertently opened a Florpus portal that threatens to obliterate the earth, and the only hope to protect it is Minimoose. Dib chases Zim, ordering him to hand over the moose. Zim comments that Dib is ugly when he lies, Dib notes that he’s not lying... and Zim delivers a brutal punchline with a simple question. Even in the face of certain doom, Zim can’t resist insulting his arch-enemy. The fact that he delivered it so naturally without skipping a beat left us choking with laughter. Even after the original show’s ending, this duo’s back-and-forth still remains a highlight of the franchise.

“iCarly” (2007-12)


In a very special broadcast, Carly, Sam, and Freddie help a fan propose to his girlfriend on the web show. As a way of saying thank you, the fan invites Carly and Sam to be bridesmaids and Freddie to be his best man. As usual, Sam wastes no time putting Freddie down –this time by using clever wordplay to say why Freddie’s unfit to be the best man. That's a nasty third-degree burn Freddie gets, but considering all the usual ways Sam mistreats him, it could’ve been worse. She could’ve pulverized him with the butter sock.

“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17)


While helping his dad clean out the attic, Timmy discovers Mr. Turner’s tiny box of dreams. Timmy accidentally knocks it over and breaks it, but Dad doesn’t mind. He claims his dreams were shattered years ago. Timmy asks how many years ago. Mr. Turner simply asks, “How old are you?” Ouch! He could’ve just said nothing, but he decided to imply the one thing that no parent should ever say about their kid. It really doesn’t help with his infamous reputation to the audience. Timmy doesn’t seem that affected, but we’re definitely shaken up by this response. No wonder he needed Cosmo and Wanda for so long.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” (2005-08)


If one monster topples another, does that make the first one not as bad? We ponder this question as Long Feng, the treacherous adviser of Ba Sing Se confronts the merciless fire princess, Azula. He had been scheming alongside her to take the kingdom’s throne, but she beat him to the punch. With her victory assured, she breaks him down little by little using only her words until he admits defeat. Of course, even after he yields, Azula can’t resist throwing one last putdown, just to ensure that Long Feng never shows his face again. No firebending was used. Yet, Azula still managed to roast the biggest snake in the Earth Kingdom, and it was surprisingly cathartic.

“Victorious” (2010-13)


It’s no surprise that Jade West has some of the most vicious insults in Hollywood Arts. What’s shocking is that arguably her nastiest comeback wasn’t aimed at Tori for once. During rehearsals, Sinjin accidentally turns on the disco lights – much to Jade’s outrage. Sinjin quickly apologizes for hitting the wrong thing, only for Jade to say that 15 years ago, his mother gave birth to the wrong thing. We admit that Sinjin can be creepy at times, but did he really deserve to be charcoaled by Jade? At least her words didn’t kill his love for disco, as he later brings down the lights on purpose at least twice.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sam Creatively Dissects Paulina’s Personality

The Other Turtles’ Reaction Says It All

Does This Count as SpongeBob Roasting Himself?

Cosmo Meant It as a Compliment, But It Didn’t Quite Land

Phil Basically Says What the Other Babies Are Thinking

“SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999-)


Plankton takes the Chum Bucket on the road and is looking for customers. He happens upon a little boy but quickly loses patience with him. The child’s family arrives and each one gives Plankton an earful. But Plankton isn’t having any of it. One by one, he insults each member of the family – each burn getting worse than the last. In the end, he saves the harshest, most scorching clapback for the grandmother. We always get a kick out of Plankton’s anger, but we didn’t expect him to verbally destroy an entire family without pulling any punches. While Plankton won the battle with his words, the family won the war as the townsfolk helped them teach him some manners.


What clapback shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments.

[b]GOR-dee
[c]LEE-suh ZEE-moh
[d]uh-ZOO-luh
[e]BAH SING SAY
[f]SIN-jin