Dead Eye Plankton is the western ancestor of Plankton introduced in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode Pest of the West, which first aired in 2008. Set in the old town of Bikini Gulch, the story pits SpongeBuck SquarePants against Dead Eye's scheming outlaw persona. Short clips from the episode later spread through meme edits and soundboards because the western voices, costumes and music contrast sharply with the normal series. It circulates alongside spongebob sad song clips in SpongeBob sound collections, and remains a niche pick for fans referencing Plankton's most theatrical villain role.