This article lists the many characters of ''
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
,'' an American
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
science fiction sitcom created by
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
and developed by Groening and
David X. Cohen for the
Fox Broadcasting Company
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations an ...
. The series follows the adventures of a late-20th-century New York City
pizza delivery
Pizza delivery is a service in which a pizzeria or pizza chain delivers a pizza to a customer. An order is typically made either by telephone, or over the internet, in which the customer can request pizza type and size, and other items to be ...
boy,
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, commonly known by his surname, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated series '' Futurama''. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25. He is a slacker delivery ...
, who, after being unwittingly
cryogenically
In physics, cryogenics is the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures.
The 13th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration (held in Washington DC in 1971) endorsed a universal definition of “cryogenics” and “cr ...
frozen for one thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the
retro-futuristic
Retrofuturism (adjective ''retrofuturistic'' or ''retrofuture'') is a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. If futurism is sometimes called a "science" bent on anticipatin ...
31st century.
Along with the employees of Planet Express, ''
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'' includes a large array of characters, which include co-workers, media personalities, business owners, extended relatives, townspeople, aliens, and
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
s. Many of these characters were created for one-time gags, background scenes, or other functions, but later gained expanded roles. Other characters started out as background characters, and have been used to personify new roles later on in the series.
The main characters are listed first; all other characters are listed in alphabetical order. Only main, supporting, and
recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...
s are listed, with brief descriptions of the main and supporting characters also given.
Overview
Characters
Primary characters
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, primarily known by his surname Fry, is the main protagonist of the series. He is a 20th-century pizza delivery boy in New York City who, after getting dumped by his girlfriend and being stuck in a dead-end job, is
cryogenically frozen
Cryo-preservation or cryo-conservation is a process where organisms, organelles, cells, tissues, extracellular matrix, organs, or any other biological constructs susceptible to damage caused by unregulated chemical kinetics are preserved by co ...
on December 31, 1999, waking up 1000 years later just before the year 3000. After meeting Bender and Leela, the trio find employment at the ''Planet Express'' delivery company, owned by Fry's distant descendant Professor Farnsworth. Ironically, Fry becomes the delivery boy for ''Planet Express'' after rejecting his predetermined job of being a delivery boy upon waking up in the future. Fry is a goofy, dim-witted, slovenly but well-meaning individual. The series follows his transition from the 20th century to the 31st century. Fry is voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
, who uses an impression of his own voice at age 25 to create Fry's voice.
Turanga Leela
Leela (full name Turanga Leela) is the female lead of the series. She is a one-eyed mutant who Fry meets after waking up 1000 years in the future. Originally working as a career assignment officer for cryo-preserved people waking up in the future, Leela quits her job after meeting Fry, joining him and Bender at ''Planet Express'' where she becomes the delivery ship's captain. She is one of the few characters in the cast to routinely display
competence and the ability to command, and routinely saves the rest of the cast from disaster, but suffers extreme
self-doubt
Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to be certain of any of them.
Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and disbelief. It may involve uncertainty, ...
because she has only one eye and grew up as a bullied
orphan
An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died.
In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...
. She first believes herself an
alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
but later is revealed to be a
mutant
In biology, and especially in genetics, a mutant is an organism or a new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is generally an alteration of the DNA sequence of the genome or chromosome of an organism. It ...
. Leela is also an environmentalist. The series also follows the relationship between Fry and Leela, as they start off as friends but later develop feelings for one another. Leela is voiced by
Katey Sagal
Catherine Louise "Katey" Sagal (; born January 19, 1954) is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing Peggy Bundy on '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997), Leela on ''Futurama'' (1999–2003, 2008–2013, 2023), Cate Henne ...
.
Bender Bending Rodríguez
Bender Bending Rodríguez (designated in-universe as ''Bending Unit 22'', unit number ''1,729'', serial number ''2716057''
[1,729 is the smallest number that can be represented as the sum of two cubes in two ways, 1³ + 12³ = 9³ + 10³, serial number 2716057 = (952³ – 951³]
Why is the number 1,729 hidden in Futurama episodes?, Simon Singh, BBC News, 15 October 2013
) is a humanoid industrial robot who rounds out the main trio of characters. He fulfills a comic,
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
-type role in ''Futurama'' and is described by fellow character
Leela as an "alcoholic,
whore
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
-mongering,
chain-smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finished cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not ne ...
gambler".
Fry meets Bender at a
suicide booth
A euthanasia device is a machine engineered to allow an individual to die quickly with minimal pain. The most common devices are those designed to help terminally ill people die by voluntary euthanasia or assisted suicide without prolonged pain. ...
(which Fry mistakes for a
telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box, telephone box or public call box is a tiny structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience; usually the user steps into the booth and closes the booth ...
) after exploring the city following his escape from the cryogenics facility he was frozen at. After Fry gives Bender a reason to keep living, the two are caught by Leela, who joins them in going to ''Planet Express''. Bender fulfills a variety of odd jobs at the company, including the head chef, and is also Fry's best friend and roommate. He is voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
.
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth is Fry's great (×30)
nephew
In the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a niece or nephew is a child of the subject's sibling or sibling-in-law. The converse relationship, the relationship from the niece or nephew's perspective, is that of an ...
''and'' great (×31) grandson because of
time reef paradox. A
mad scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...
and the proprietor of ''Planet Express'', he alternates between
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
and
amoral senility
Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affec ...
due to his greatly advanced age, stated to be at least 150 years old on multiple occasions (160 years old as of "
A Clone of My Own
"A Clone of My Own" is the tenth episode in the Futurama (season 2), second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on April 9, 2000. It ...
"). He demonstrates a mastery of any field of science necessary for the series' plots and is suggested to be one of the most brilliant inventors on Earth. However, he falls asleep constantly, and he is implied to have routinely sent his former crews on
suicide mission
A suicide mission is a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to include suicide attacks such as kamikaze and suicide bombings, whose perpetrators actively commit s ...
s. He wears very thick glasses and has a gift for creating doomsday devices and atomic supermen. He has put at least one
parallel universe in peril with his inventions and visited dozens more.
The Professor teaches at Mars University and has worked for Momcorp on several occasions but spends most of his time inventing ridiculous devices and sending the Planet Express delivery crew on
suicide mission
A suicide mission is a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to include suicide attacks such as kamikaze and suicide bombings, whose perpetrators actively commit s ...
s. What he is a professor ''of'' is never explicitly stated. In the episode "
Mars University
"Mars University" is episode eleven of the first season of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 3, 1999. This episode was written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Bret Haaland.
Plot
The Planet ...
", when asked what he is teaching, he responds: "The same thing I teach every semester, the mathematics of quantum neutrino fields. I made up the title so no student would dare take it"; however, this declaration has not precluded the professor from demonstrating mastery of whatever field of science is convenient for a given episode's plot, as shown in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'' when he proclaims, "I can wire anything directly into anything! I am the Professor!", proceeding to link Hermes' disembodied head to the ship's computer. Approximately 100 years before the series' timeline, he taught a young
(not yet Professor) Wernstrom, whom Farnsworth regarded as a prized student. After he returned a pop quiz to Wernstrom with a grade of A-minus (for poor
penmanship
Penmanship is the technique of writing with the hand using a writing instrument. Today, this is most commonly done with a pen, or pencil, but throughout history has included many different implements. The various generic and formal histor ...
), the two became bitter rivals (established in "
A Big Piece of Garbage
"A Big Piece of Garbage" is episode eight in season one of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on 11 May 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Susie Dietter. Ron Popeil guest stars in ...
").
Many episodes' major plot points are introduced by Farnsworth announcing, "Good news, everyone!" or some variation thereof, either to unveil his latest invention or describe the company's latest delivery assignment. On the very few occasions he has ''actual'' good news, he often opens with "Bad news, everyone!" After Fry resigns from his job in "
Law & Oracle", he states that he only says these phrases to make Fry "feel better about his pointless job." Another is his exclamation, "Sweet
zombie
A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...
Jesus!" He often says "Eh Wha?" when unaware of the situation, or when someone questions a statement he has just made. The Professor often makes mutually contradictory statements just moments apart; this happens especially often when briefing his employees, with the prevailing second statement canceling a much more reassuring first sentence.
The Professor rarely worries about the safety of the crew, viewing them as a means to an end, as evidenced in the first episode, where he is indifferent to what happened to his previous crew and only focuses on getting a new one. Farnsworth's employees later discover that their predecessors died while gathering honey from Space Bees ("
The Sting
''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw).''Variety'' film review; December 12, 1973, page ...
"). The Professor issues his new crew the previous crew's career chips from a manila envelope labeled "Contents Of Space Wasp's Stomach" ("
Space Pilot 3000
"Space Pilot 3000" is the pilot episode of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 28, 1999. The episode focuses on the cryogenic freezing of the series protagoni ...
").
It is established in the episode "
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
" that the Professor was once
Mom
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...
's lover and employee. However, they could not maintain their relationship due to Mom's lust for power, including when she decided to weaponize his "Q.T. McWhiskers" toy, prompting them to break up. When Mom takes control of all the world's robots to cause an uprising, her sons
List of recurring Futurama characters#Walt, Larry, and Igner, Walt, Larry, and Igner attempt to get the Professor to seduce Mom and retrieve the remote for the robots. They get back together briefly, but break up once more when Mom learns the Professor had been initially using her. It is revealed in ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' that the Professor is the biological father of Mom's youngest son Igner — the one whom Mom despises the most.
Many references to the pulp science fiction magazine ''
Weird Tales
''Weird Tales'' is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18. The first editor, Edwin Baird, prin ...
'' indicate the Professor may be named in honour of its editor
Farnsworth Wright
Farnsworth Wright (July 29, 1888 – June 12, 1940) was the editor of the pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' during the magazine's heyday, editing 179 issues from November 1924 to March 1940. Jack Williamson called Wright "the first great fantasy ...
. Another possibility is that he is named after the American inventor and television pioneer
Philo Farnsworth
Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 – March 11, 1971) was an American inventor and television pioneer. He made many crucial contributions to the early development of all-electronic television. He is best known for his 1927 invention of t ...
who appeared in the ''Futurama'' episode "
All the Presidents' Heads
"All the Presidents' Heads" is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama'', and originally aired July 28, 2011 on Comedy Central.
Plot
Fry goes to his night job at the Head Museum where he feeds the preserve ...
" as an ancestor of the Professor and Philip J. Fry.
As a relative of Fry, Professor Farnsworth is also voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
, using a combination of impressions of
Burgess Meredith
Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television.
Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" and "on ...
and
Frank Morgan
Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...
.
However, in the "Action Delivery Force" segment of "
Reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
", the Professor is voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
.
Hermes Conrad
Hermes Conrad is a workaholic bureaucrat and the accountant at the Planet Express from
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
with a heavy Jamaican accent, known for his 31st-century Jamaican exclamations. He manages the Planet Express delivery business with responsibilities that include paying bills, giving out legal waivers, and notifying next of kin. Hermes is very enthusiastic about the
Limbo
In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
and was once an Olympic limbo athlete.
However, an accident in the 2980 Olympic Games in which a fan broke his back trying to emulate Hermes left him traumatized, and he could not bring himself to limbo again until decades later when it was needed. The series also alludes to Hermes using
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
, though he is never seen actually using it, partially due to prime-time television censorship standards at the time of the original run for ''Futurama''
's original run.
Hermes frequently admonishes the staff for not working hard enough, and strongly dislikes Zoidberg, often treating him as a "thing" and not a person. Zoidberg is generally oblivious to this, considering Hermes his friend, but upon learning the truth in "
The Six Million Dollar Mon
"The Six Million Dollar Mon" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 25, 2012.
The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Peter Avanzino.
Plot ...
", he callously calls out Hermes for his treatment of him. Later episodes show them building an uneasy rapport, with Hermes slowly softening to Zoidberg. He is also known to dislike labor unions, once referring to Labor Day as created by "fat-cat union gangsters", though seconds later he exclaims "Hot damn, a day off!" upon learning that it was that very day ("
When Aliens Attack
"When Aliens Attack" is episode twelve in season one of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 1999. This episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Brian Sheesley. The episode features an attack by ali ...
"), and consulting Glurmo about firing the entire crew and replacing them with Grunka-Lunkas for half the pay ("
Fry and the Slurm Factory
"Fry and the Slurm Factory" is the thirteenth and final episode in the first season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1999. The episode was directed ...
"). It is also a recurring gag that Hermes wants to kill some or all of the members of the Planet Express crew; in "
The Farnsworth Parabox
"The Farnsworth Parabox" is the fifteenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on June 8, 2003. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and d ...
", he suggested that Leela shoot the rest of the crew and pondered ejecting the entire crew of both universes into the sun.
Despite his disdain and attitude towards most of his coworkers, he has more recently been portrayed as one of the most compassionate characters in the series, and seems to have a soft spot for
Bender. In the Season 6 episode "
Lethal Inspection
"Lethal Inspection" is the sixth episode in the sixth season of the American animated television series '' Futurama'', and the 94th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 22, 2010. In th ...
," it is revealed that Hermes used to work for at the robot factory in
as Inspector No. 5, checking robots for defects as they came off the production line. Bender was built here without a backup module, but Hermes' compassion for the baby robot led him to override Bender's "defective" assessment and give him a chance at life. He turned in his resignation immediately afterward, and later destroyed all evidence of his employment there to prevent Bender from learning the truth, almost being killed in the process. As the episode ends, he smiles quietly at his burning personnel file and nods, showing him to be proud of his choice. In the earlier episode "
How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back
"How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back" is the eleventh episode in the second season of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 2, 2000. The title references th ...
", he risked his bureaucratic license to rescue Bender, sorting the entire Master IN pile in under four minutes to recover the disc containing Bender's downloaded brain.
Hermes is married to LaBarbara Conrad, with whom he has a son Dwight. However, LaBarbara was formerly married to Hermes' former Limbo rival
Barbados Slim, and got back with Barbados twice when Hermes was temporarily decapitated in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
''. Hermes is also overweight, caused by over three decades of overeating including LaBarbara's
goat curry
(''hseik-tha hnat'')
hi, Bakri curry id, kari kambing ms, kari kambing
, country = Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
, region = Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia) and the Caribbean (Tr ...
, which has made his skin too spicy and acidic for consumption by others.
He is voiced by
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include Jo ...
, who states that Hermes was originally named Dexter, did not have a Jamaican accent, and was more uptight. Series creator
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
walked up to LaMarr after an early table read and said "Hey Phil, can you do a Jamaican accent?" This resulted in making the character more workable and less bland, according to Groening.
Dr. Zoidberg
John A. Zoidberg, "M." D., commonly known by his surname Zoidberg, is the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite his poor understanding of human
physiology
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
and allusions to his questionable credentials. He is a Decapodian, a
crustacean
Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group ...
-like species of alien. His character parodies the supposed wealth and automatic respect of modern doctors—for example, his incompetence at human medicine makes him extremely poor despite his profession, and he is implied to be frequently
homeless
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
when not at work. The Decapod (named after the actual
Decapoda
The Decapoda or decapods (literally "ten-footed") are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp and prawns. Most decapods are scavengers. The order is esti ...
order of ten-footed crustaceans) are an extended parody on
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
culture—the bigger joke being that
shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
are not
kosher
(also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...
. The writing riffs on the marine theme in a playfully absurd way, with just about any marine
Arthropoda
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
or
Mollusca
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...
being implied to be akin to Zoidberg. Zoidberg is voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
, who performs the character with a
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
-inflected accent inspired by actors
George Jessel and
Lou Jacobi
Lou Jacobi (born Louis Harold Jacobovitch; December 28, 1913October 23, 2009) was a Canadian character actor.
Life and early career
Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Canada, to Joseph and Fay Jacobovitch.
Jacobi began acting ...
.
The crew are often disgusted by his foul habits, such as
squirting ink or eating from trash cans, though he is mostly oblivious to their true feelings about him, having referred to Hermes Conrad and
Bender as friends. Hermes seems to have the most intense dislike of Zoidberg, seeing him as even more expendable than the rest of the crew. However, when Fry reads Hermes' mind in ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'', it is revealed that Hermes sees him as "pathetic but lovable". In "
The Six Million Dollar Mon
"The Six Million Dollar Mon" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 25, 2012.
The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Peter Avanzino.
Plot ...
", after Hermes quits Planet Express and trades his own body parts for robot parts, a depressed Zoidberg recovers the discarded parts and sews them together to create a full-fledged ventriloquist dummy of Hermes, which he later uses to transplant Hermes' brain out of his robot body and back into his original body. After Hermes thanks him and admits that they had never been friends, Zoidberg callously calls out Hermes for his treatment of him, leaving Hermes impressed with this confrontation. Zoidberg briefly becomes a hero when he saves Earth from enslavement to his own kind in "
A Taste of Freedom
"A Taste of Freedom" is the fifth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 22, 2002. The episode was directed by James Purdum and writ ...
". Fry and
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
are usually the only ones to refer to Zoidberg as a friend, and in ''Bender's Big Score'', Zoidberg says of Fry, "He was the only one of you who never struck me!" during the latter's memorial. Zoidberg has ambitions to be a comedian, but he is entirely unsuccessful at this endeavor. In "
That's Lobstertainment!
"That's Lobstertainment!" is the eighth episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 25, 2001.
Plot
After a disastrous attempt at stand-up comedy, Dr. Zoidberg informs the crew ...
", his uncle, the
silent hologram star Harold Zoid (a parody of
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55.
One of the most influential film co ...
), advises him to give up on comedy and finance a film whose script Zoid is writing.
Zoidberg is named after an
Apple II
The Apple II (stylized as ) is an 8-bit home computer and one of the world's first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products. It was designed primarily by Steve Wozniak; Jerry Manock developed the design of Apple II's foam-m ...
game that series writer
David X. Cohen created in high school called ''Zoid'', similar to the game ''
Qix
is a 1981 puzzle video game developed by husband and wife team Randy and Sandy Pfeiffer and published in arcades by Taito America. ''Qix'' is one of a handful of games made by Taito's American division. At the start of each level, the playing f ...
''. The game was rejected by
Brøderbund
Broderbund Software, Inc. (stylized as Brøderbund) was an American maker of video games, educational software, and productivity tools. Broderbund is best known for the 8-bit video game hits ''Choplifter'', ''Lode Runner'', ''Karateka'', and '' ...
.
One of Cohen's inspirations for the character of Dr. Zoidberg was the fact that ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' character
Leonard McCoy
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anim ...
, the ship's doctor, frequently administered medical treatment to aliens such as
Spock
Spock is a Character (arts), fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterprise ...
, so Cohen wished human characters in ''Futurama'' to be in the uneasy situation of being treated by an alien doctor.
Amy Wong
Amy Wong works as an intern at Planet Express, supposedly kept around because she shares
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
's
blood type
A blood type (also known as a blood group) is a classification of blood, based on the presence and absence of antibodies and inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrate ...
and doesn't notice the Professor's tendency to send his crews on
suicide mission
A suicide mission is a task which is so dangerous for the people involved that they are not expected to survive. The term is sometimes extended to include suicide attacks such as kamikaze and suicide bombings, whose perpetrators actively commit s ...
s. Her cocktail party personality and general klutziness get her in and out of trouble. She is the ditzy, spoiled daughter of wealthy agriculturalist-industrialist
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive va ...
rancher parents who raise buggalo (a hybrid of "
buffalo" and "bug") on their property, the western hemisphere of the planet
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
. A graduate student for most of the series' run, in season six, she earns her PhD in
Applied physics
Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered to be a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering.
"Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination ...
from Mars University, earning her the title of
Doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
. By the end of the series, she is the "''Fonfon Ru''" – the rough equivalent of a
Common Law wife
Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, marriage, informal marriage, or marriage by habit and repute, is a legal framework where a couple may be considered married without having formally registered their relation as a civil ...
– of Kif Kroker, and the adoptive mother of his offspring. Amy's stereotypically Asian meddling parents frequently pressure her to get married and give them grandchildren, which she is not eager to do. They are often shown to be rather unkind to their daughter, including during an incident in which Amy's father repeatedly made fun of her for being fat as a child.
On the show, between her roles as expert technician and occasional theorist, Amy is known for being somewhat shallow, kind, and ditzy. When Doctor Zoidberg had lost his mind due to hormones and was forced to be tied up, she was fooled multiple times into untying him, despite the dangers. As she said herself, "Fool me seven times, shame on you, fool me eight or more times, shame on me." She uses Martian slang, which is simply American slang with altered consonants. Amy tends to wear rather provocative outfits. Her standard outfit is a
midriff
In fashion, the midriff is the human abdomen. The midriff is exposed when wearing a crop top or some forms of swimwear or underwear. Cholis worn by Indian women expose a section of midriff, usually .
Etymology
"Midriff" is a very old term in ...
baring pink sweatshirt, matching sweatpants, and brown boots, with other outfits consisting of anything that reveals her navel. She confesses to Fry that she dresses that way to rebel against her parents; in the movie ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'', she tells her father that she wears the sweatsuit because she knew he always wanted a son. When provoked, Amy can swear in poorly spoken
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...
, such as "Aiya, da sei nei", which roughly translates to "Oh my God, I'll beat you to death".
According to her, because of her supreme cuteness, Amy had cuteness reduction surgery on her cheek and nose when she was a teenager.
Amy has dated a few men, and she expresses a sexually adventurous attitude. In ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' she portrayed
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
characteristics. In "
Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" ("Proposition ∞") is the fourth episode of the Futurama (season 6), sixth season of the American animated television sitcom ''Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 8, 2010. In the ep ...
", she had a
robosexual relationship with
Bender; She also has a
thing
Thing or The Thing may refer to:
Philosophy
* An object
* Broadly, an entity
* Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant
* Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
for 'bad boys'. She dated
Fry for a time in "
Put Your Head on My Shoulders
"Put Your Head on My Shoulders" is the seventh episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 2000. The episode was written by K ...
", but the relationship was brief as Fry quickly got sick of her. However, during their relationship, he was involved in an accident, which caused her to have his head grafted onto her shoulder to save his life. She still carries a disfiguring scar from the incident. She has been dating
Kif Kroker
This article lists the many characters of '' Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
since 3001. Although she is not ready for total commitment, Amy is sure that one day she will be. In "
Kif Gets Knocked Up A Notch
"Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch" is the first episode in season four of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 12, 2003. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and d ...
", she became the "Smizmar" of Kif's children; that is, she inspired the feelings of love that caused Kif to be receptive to procreation. Although Leela is the biological mother because she grabbed Kif's ungloved hand to keep him from being sucked out of his spaceship, not knowing that, in his receptive state, this would impregnate him (some of the children even have only one eye like Leela), the Smizmar is considered to be the true mother in Kif's culture. Amy's love for Kif is undeniable, and she has been seen crying when Kif goes on dangerous missions, fearing for his well-being.
When creating Amy's character,
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
and
David X. Cohen decided that she would be something of a klutz. Groening was interested in exploring the idea of using
slapstick comedy
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
and physical humor with a female character since most of this humor was done by male characters in his previous work, ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''.
Amy's personality was initially different; her voice actress
Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress. Her roles include Lena St. Clair in '' The Joy Luck Club'', Julie in the NBC sitcom ''Friends'', Dot in the final season of ''Grace Under Fire'', and the voices for Amy Wong in ''Futurama'' ...
has stated that she was originally supposed to be "a car mechanic, really tough lesbian sort of character". She was changed to provide a better contrast between her and
Leela.
In the season four episode "
Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch
"Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch" is the first episode in season four of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 12, 2003. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and d ...
", in which Amy's boyfriend
Kif becomes pregnant, there was some disagreement among the writers as to whether Amy should be the real mother of his children. It was eventually decided that having Amy be the mother and reject the children would make her too unlikeable.
Secondary characters
Zapp Brannigan
Zapp Brannigan (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
) is a 25-Star general in the military of the Democratic Order Of Planets (D.O.O.P.), although his title varies. Brannigan was first seen in the episode "
Love's Labours Lost in Space
"Love's Labours Lost in Space" is the fourth episode in the first season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 13, 1999. The episode was written by Brian Kell ...
" as Captain of the starship ''Nimbus'', where he imprisons
Fry,
Leela and
Bender for violating "Brannigan's Law".
Zapp is generally incompetent, egotistical, boorish, vain, cowardly, sexist and short-sighted. He will often mispronounce words, such as champagne ("sham-PAGG-Enn") and
guacamole
Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisi ...
("GWACK-a-mole") in the episodes "Love's Labours Lost in Space" and "
The Problem with Popplers
"The Problem with Popplers" is the fifteenth episode in the second season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 2000. The title is a reference to the ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' episode "Th ...
" (respectively). Soon after first meeting him, Leela has sex with him out of pity. He mentions this encounter repeatedly in later episodes while remaining convinced that Leela lusts after him despite her opposition to the idea. He is known to make catastrophic mistakes (such as destroying D.O.O.P. headquarters in "
Brannigan, Begin Again
"Brannigan, Begin Again" is the second episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 28, 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton ...
"), yet, in the public eye, he is seen as an established and reputable leader of the Earth's army. Though viewed publicly as a respected hero for his numerous military victories, almost all of these victories are against comically weak opponents or achieved through tactics that wantonly disregard the safety of his own soldiers.
The character is based on the ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' captain
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...
, played by
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
. The show's executive producer
David X. Cohen has described Brannigan as "half Captain Kirk, half actual William Shatner". Zapp is voiced by Billy West, though he was originally intended to be voiced by
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, and his family moved to the United States w ...
.
Hartman insisted on auditioning for the role, and "of course, just nailed it" according to creator
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram Groening ( ; born February 15, 1954) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator. He is the creator of the comic strip ''Life in Hell'' (1977–2012) and the television series ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), ''Fut ...
. However, after Hartman was murdered on May 28, 1998, West was given the role. On a ''
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
'' DVD commentary, Groening reveals that Zapp's character and mannerisms were established in West's original audition for the character, and any similarity to Phil Hartman or his other well known cartoon characters (
Lionel Hutz
Lionel Hutz is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He was voiced by Phil Hartman, and his first appearance was in the season two episode " Bart Gets Hit by a Car". Hutz is a stereotypical shady ambulance cha ...
and
Troy McClure) is simply coincidence. On the other hand, in an interview for the website
TV Squad
Weblogs, Inc. was a blog network that published content on a variety of subjects, including tech news, video games, automobiles and pop culture. At one point, the network had as many as 90 blogs, although the vast majority of its traffic could be ...
, Billy West states that his Zapp Brannigan is an imitation of Hartman and also "modeled after a couple of big dumb announcers I knew."
During a live event, West stated that he partially modelled Brannigan's cadence after the radio persona of
Doug Tracht
Doug Tracht is an American radio, television, and movie personality. He is nicknamed "The Greaseman".
Personal
Tracht was born and grew up in the South Bronx with his younger sister, Diana, and parents, Alfred and Gertrude Tracht. His father was ...
, also known as "The Greaseman."
Kif Kroker
Lieutenant Kif Kroker (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is the long-suffering assistant to Captain Zapp Brannigan, and Fourth Lieutenant on the Democratic Order of Planets (DOOP) starship ''Nimbus''. Kif is a short and thin green-skinned alien from the planet Amphibios 9. His frustration with Brannigan's arrogance, general incompetence, and lack of personal boundaries in Season 1 leads him to be a disaffected, indifferent, sardonic lackey, although his personality develops through the course of the series, becoming more emotional, tender and sweet-natured later on. Zapp thinks Kif to be his best friend and loyal confidant, whereas Kif sees Brannigan as an incompetent and vain buffoon, going so far as to call him a jackass in "Love's Labours Lost in Space". Despite this, Kif seemingly has some loyalty to Brannigan, even continuing to associate with him after Brannigan caused him to be court-martialed along with him in "Brannigan, Begin Again". Kif is in a relationship with
Amy Wong
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
, and he compares his
body plan
A body plan, ( ), or ground plan is a set of morphological features common to many members of a phylum of animals. The vertebrates share one body plan, while invertebrates have many.
This term, usually applied to animals, envisages a "blueprin ...
to a
sea cucumber
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea (). They are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad. Sea cucumbers are found on the sea floor worldwide. The number of holothuria ...
.
Nibbler
Lord Nibbler (voiced by
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) masquerades as an innocent, cute and unintelligent pet during most of the series. In reality, he is a highly intelligent Nibblonian and capable of communication, but tries to avoid suspicion while he protects the Earth in general and Fry in particular from the Brainspawn. As with all Nibblonians, Nibbler's feces consist of
dark matter
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
, which can be used as starship fuel. It is an extremely dense material, "each pound of which weighs over ten thousand pounds," according to Professor Farnsworth in the season 1 episode, "
Love's Labours Lost in Space
"Love's Labours Lost in Space" is the fourth episode in the first season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 13, 1999. The episode was written by Brian Kell ...
." After he accidentally reveals to the Planet Express crew that he can speak in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', he forgets to wipe their memory of his intelligence, which it turns out does not affect them much, and from then on he speaks freely to the crew. In the
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, Nibbler's shadow can be seen as Fry falls into the cryogenic freezer, alluding to the reveal in the fourth season episode "
The Why of Fry
"The Why of Fry" is the tenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 6, 2003. The episode was written by David X. Cohen and direc ...
" that he helped send Fry to the future.
Calculon
Calculon (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is an acting robot renowned for his
melodrama
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...
tic roles and dramatic speaking style. His most famous role is as the lead character in the long-running robot soap opera ''All My Circuits''. It is claimed in "
The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings
"The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the eighteenth and final episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the finale of the original run. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United St ...
" that Calculon received his acting ability from the Robot Devil. Calculon is from the 21st century, having been created as a standard
industrial robot
An industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more axes.
Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, disassembly, pick a ...
called Calculon 1.0. He changes his name and appearance every few decades to conceal his true age, claiming that one of his disguises was
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, producer, director, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He is known for portraying FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002, 2016-2018) and as write ...
. It is revealed in "
Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV
"Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" (also known as "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television")
is the sixth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the Uni ...
" that throughout his entire time on ''All My Circuits'', he has only ever done one take for each scene; in "
Calculon 2.0
"Calculon 2.0" is the twentieth episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 24, 2013. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Stephen Sandoval. Calculon (who di ...
" Calculon professes to not know the meaning of a "second take".
In the episode "
The Honking
"The Honking" is the eighteenth episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 5, 2000. The title references the 1981 film ''The Howlin ...
", it is revealed that his first job was in 2019 as a motorised service arm building the most evil car in existence, Project Satan. Calculon was run over by Project Satan, and became a were-car (the robot equivalent of a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
). The curse is broken at the end of the episode, when Project Satan is destroyed.
In "
Bend Her
"Bend Her" is the thirteenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on July 20, 2003. In the episode, Bender changes into a female robot an ...
", Calculon begins a relationship with Bender while he is disguised as Coilette of Robonia; Bender undergoes temporary
gender reassignment
Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most cultures us ...
to participate in the fembot league of the 3004 Earth Olympics. He becomes smitten with Bender's alter ego, who is merely using him for material gain. Calculon proposes, and Coilette accepts and then decides that she cannot continue the deception, and subsequently fakes her death at their wedding. In the conclusion of the episode, Coilette undergoes surgery to become Bender again, and Calculon makes a film in tribute to Coilette.
In ''
The Beast With A Billion Backs
''Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's ...
'' Calculon is seen as the leader of the League of Robots, a robot supremacy society. Bender cheats in a duel with Calculon, resulting in the loss of one of Calculon's arms and the destruction of the league's headquarters. Calculon subsequently becomes outraged at Bender and resigns from the league, relinquishing the presidency to Bender. In ''
Into The Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'', it is said that his operating system is
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was the direct successor to Windows XP, which was released five years before, at the time being the longest time span between successive releases of ...
. In re-airings of the movie on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
, he says his operating system is
Windows 7
Windows 7 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and became generally available on October 22, 2009. It is the successor to Windows Vista, released nearly ...
.
Calculon dies in "
The Thief of Baghead
"The Thief of Baghead" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 4, 2012.
The episode was written by series co-producer Dan Vebber and directed by Edmund Fong. ...
" when he tries to defeat Langdon Cobb in the World Acting Championship after Leela and Bender advise him to do the ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' scene and give him water and food coloring. Unfortunately, food coloring is fatal to robots. Calculon decides the only way to win the award is to actually drink the food coloring and die. After he dies, Cobb wins the award instead of him, making his death pointless. Bender and Fry decide to revive Calculon after deciding that they do not care for his replacement on ''All My Circuits'', Vaxtron. They journey to Robot Hell and obtain Calculon's soul from the Robot Devil. The Professor has the crew perform a series of ritualistic "scientific" tasks to put the soul of Calculon back in his body. After Calculon is brought back to life he returns to acting. He first performs a one-man show. When the show receives poor reviews, Calculon determines that maybe he should not be acting and should have remained in hell. Leela, who opposed Calculon's return to acting, now wants to help him return to ''All My Circuits''. She explains that he should go to an audition in disguise to play Calculon for the show. When he lands the part, Calculon returns to his former ways. Leela then makes him feel bad by saying that he has no acting skills, and that the world had forgotten he had even been alive within the first month of his death. She then explains to Bender and Fry that it was a ploy to save his part in the show. The show crew is smitten by his down-to-earth acting skills, and he reveals himself as Calculon. As he takes a bow, once again thinking that his life is worth living, a massive lighting fixture falls, crushing him. His life as Calculon 2.0 is honored; he watches the ceremony in Robot Hell where his soul resides once more.
Morbo
Morbo the Annihilator (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is the
misanthropic
Misanthropy is the general hatred, dislike, distrust or contempt of the human species, human behavior or human nature. A misanthrope or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings. The word's origin is from the Greek words μῖσ ...
alien
anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ''ancora'', which itself comes from the Greek ἄγ ...
for '' News'', ''Entertainment and Earth Invasion Tonight'', ''Good Morning Earth'', and other shows on the Television Network. Morbo is an advance scout for an upcoming alien invasion and does not bother to be subtle about it, often expressing his contempt and extreme hatred for mankind during live news broadcasts and commenting frequently on his species' extremely violent invasion plans. He appears to be using his job to gather information about the human race to aid the planned invasion. He is good friends with President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
.
["]A Head in the Polls
"A Head in the Polls" is the third episode in the second season of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 12, 1999. The episode was written by J. Stewart Burn ...
" His co-host Linda van Schoonhoven seems blissfully dismissive of Morbo's hatred and usually responds with an empty-headed laugh to Morbo's contemptuous outbursts. He is married to Mrs. (Fawn) Morbo, a member of his species.
Linda van Schoonhoven
Linda van Schoonhoven (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is the co-anchor of '' News'' with Morbo. She is blissfully unaware of or indifferent to his hatred for humanity, often giggling absentmindedly when he calls for the death of humans. Linda joins Leela and her feministas in ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'' due to Morbo being treated better than her by the producers with higher pay and more air time. In "
Benderama
"Benderama" is the seventeenth episode of season six of the animated sitcom '' Futurama'', and originally aired June 23, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson. American comedian Pat ...
", it is revealed that she is a severe alcoholic, which may explain her cheerful and seemingly oblivious demeanor. It is also revealed that a contributing cause to her alcoholism is her relationship with her children. In
Simpsonorama, she is eaten alive by one of the rabbit-shaped creatures that breaks into the studio.
Scruffy
Scruffy (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is the Planet Express janitor and a recurring supporting character. He tells Hermes he is responsible for "Toilets and boilers, boilers and toilets, plus that one boiling toilet. Fire me if'n you dare." A character looking very much like Scruffy first appeared in "
A Fishful of Dollars
"A Fishful of Dollars" is episode six in the first season of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 27, 1999. The episode was written by Patric Verrone and directed by Ron Hughart and Gregg Vanzo. Pame ...
" as a
masseur
Massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In Eu ...
for
Bender, but he was later added to the cast as an infrequently-seen staffperson at Planet Express with the second-season episode "
Anthology of Interest I
"Anthology of Interest I" is episode sixteen in season two of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2000. This episode, as well as the later "Anthology of Interest II", serves to showcase three "imag ...
". Scruffy generally approaches both his job and the rest of his life with a high level of apparent apathy, as shown in "
Parasites Lost
"Parasites Lost" is the second episode in season three of ''Futurama''. Although the title is a play on John Milton's epic poem ''Paradise Lost'', the episode is a parody of the 1966 film ''Fantastic Voyage''. It originally aired on the Fox networ ...
", in which he ignores a broken boiler in the Planet Express headquarters to read a
pornographic magazine
Pornographic magazines or erotic magazines, sometimes known as adult, sex or top-shelf magazines, are magazines that contain content of an explicitly sexual nature. Publications of this kind may contain images of attractive naked subjects, as is ...
, and continues to read even after the boiler explodes, declaring, "Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived." In "
Future Stock
"Future Stock" is the 21st episode in the third season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 31, 2002.
Plot
Planet Express holds its stockholders' meeting, and the state of the business is not good. ...
", it is revealed that he is deeply fond of the company, and owns four times as much stock as the other employees. The first several times he is referred to or seen by his co-workers, they ask who he is, to which he replies, "I'm Scruffy. The janitor." A running gag in Scruffy's early appearances is that no one remembers having met Scruffy before, nor does he remember them, even after they have been seen interacting in multiple previous episodes. This gag is eventually dropped. He is shown several times to read porn magazines like ''National Pornographic'' and ''Zero G Juggs'' (parodies of actual magazines, ''
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'' and ''
Juggs
''Juggs'' is a softcore pornography adult magazine published in the United States that specializes in photographs of women with large breasts.
It has been described as "the magazine of choice for breast men" by Jerry Saltz, art critic for ''The ...
''). The Season 6 episode "
The Prisoner of Benda
"The Prisoner of Benda" is the 10th episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It aired on Comedy Central on August 19, 2010. In the episode, Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds s ...
" reveals that he is in love with his robotic wash bucket, but avoids entering into a relationship with it. He is murdered by Robot Santa in the non-canonical anthology episode "
The Futurama Holiday Spectacular
"The Futurama Holiday Spectacular", originally titled "Holiday Val-U-Pak", is the thirteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom ''Futurama'' and is the 101st episode of the series. It originally aired as a holiday special on Novemb ...
". In "
Law & Oracle", it is revealed that Scruffy died at some point and was
brought back to life
''Brought Back to Life'' is the third album by the Danish psychobilly band the Nekromantix, released in 1992 by Intermusic Records. It was the band's first album to include drummer Tim Kristensen (credited as Grim Tim Handsome) and only album to ...
as a
zombie
A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...
, remarking that "Life and death are a seamless continuum." Scruffy was seen in the 2014 ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
episode "
Simpsorama" with the rest of the Planet Express staff.
Planet Express crew relatives
Cubert Farnsworth
Cubert Farnsworth (voiced by
Kath Soucie Kath or KATH may refer to:
* Kath (city), the historical capital of Khwarezm
* Kath (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* KATH-TV, the NBC TV station in Juneau, Alaska
* KATH (AM)
KATH (910 kHz) is an ...
) is
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
's clone, which the Professor produced to serve as his heir and continue his scientific legacy. He is introduced in the episode "
A Clone of My Own
"A Clone of My Own" is the tenth episode in the Futurama (season 2), second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States on April 9, 2000. It ...
", in which he rejects Farnsworth and becomes hostile to the entire Planet Express crew. Professor Farnsworth reveals that he had been lying about his age, and is taken to the Near Death Star for retirement. The crew rescues the professor using Cubert's (and thus the Professor's) DNA to gain entry, and Cubert announces that he will continue the professor's science after all.
The Professor created Cubert with the intention that he would continue his work after discovering that his life was wasted with nothing but failed or worthless inventions. Hubert is delighted until he discovers that Cubert's intentions are not as he planned. Cubert wants to do something 'better' with his life and does not accept the responsibility Hubert gives to him. He believes that most things happen to be "Impossible" contrary to the Professor's belief that nothing is impossible. Cubert has an epiphany after getting hit on the head, realizing how the starship engines Hubert invented work, allowing them to be repaired while Hubert is incapacitated. After this, he decides he wants to follow in his "father's" footsteps after all. Cubert became friends with Dwight Conrad, the son of Planet Express's resident bureaucrat Hermes Conrad.
Dwight Conrad
Dwight Conrad (voiced by
Bumper Robinson
Larry C. "Bumper" Robinson II is an American film, television and voice actor. He is known for his roles as Bumblebee and Blitzwing on '' Transformers: Animated'', Falcon on '' Avengers Assemble'' and Cyborg in '' Justice League: Doom''.
Career
R ...
in the TV series,
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include Jo ...
in the films) is the son of
Hermes Conrad
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American Cartoon series, animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the a ...
and LaBarbara Conrad. He is a close friend and ''
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
'' player with Cubert Farnsworth, and takes after his father in the ways of accounting and
bureaucracy
The term bureaucracy () refers to a body of non-elected governing officials as well as to an administrative policy-making group. Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments staffed with non-elected offi ...
.
LaBarbara Conrad
LaBarbara Conrad (voiced by
Dawnn Lewis
Dawnn Jewel Lewis (born August 13, 1961) is an American actress. Lewis is best known for her role as Jaleesa Vinson–Taylor on the NBC television sitcom ''A Different World'' from the series beginning in 1987 until the end of its fifth season in ...
) is the statuesque and much more attractive wife of
Hermes Conrad
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American Cartoon series, animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the a ...
and mother of Dwight Conrad. Her number two is her ex-husband Barbados Slim, the rival of Hermes, who she refers to as "a human
Adonis
In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite.
One day, Adonis was gored by ...
" and "a mahogany god." Hermes is insecure when Barbados is around, and LaBarbara leaves Hermes occasionally, such as in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', to be with Barbados Slim after Hermes loses his body. She often wears clothes that reveal her
belly button
The navel (clinically known as the umbilicus, commonly known as the belly button or tummy button) is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord. All placental mammals have a navel, although ...
(like
Amy Wong
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
), and she scolds Hermes for his off-screen
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
use.
Leo and Inez Wong
Leonardo "Leo" Wong (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
) and Inez Wong (voiced by
Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress. Her roles include Lena St. Clair in '' The Joy Luck Club'', Julie in the NBC sitcom ''Friends'', Dot in the final season of ''Grace Under Fire'', and the voices for Amy Wong in ''Futurama'' ...
) are the very wealthy parents of
Amy Wong
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
. They are human
Martian
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. It became the most popular celestial object in fiction in the late 1800s as the Moon was evidently lifeless. At the time, the pred ...
s of Chinese descent who own the entire
western hemisphere of Mars and a
buggalo ranch. They often pester Amy about their lack of grandchildren and meddle in her love life, trying to find a man to father their grandchild. When Amy and Kif Kroker begin dating, they decide Kif is not man enough for her. They do seem happy when
he and Amy have children. Leo is one of the primary villains in ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'', and they disrespect the indigenous
Martians
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, has appeared as a setting in works of fiction since at least the mid-1600s. It became the most popular celestial object in fiction in the late 1800s as the Moon was evidently lifeless. At the time, the pred ...
.
Morris and Munda
Turanga Morris (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) and Turanga Munda (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) are Leela's father and mother and later on Fry's parents-in-law. They are sewer mutants who love Leela deeply and try to give her as normal a life as possible by passing her off as an alien and leaving her to be raised in an orphanage. They participate in her life as much as possible from the sewers until Leela finally learns the truth and attempts to form a real relationship. They each have one eye, Morris has a vertically oriented mouth, ten toes on each foot, and the ability to shed his skin, while Munda has a lion tail and octopus tentacles in place of arms. Their original appearance in "
I Second That Emotion
"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 song written by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland. First charting as a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the Tamla/Motown label in 1967, "I Second That Emotion" was later a hit single for the group du ...
" shows them as plain cyclopes like Leela. The plot of "
Leela's Homeworld
"Leela's Homeworld" is the second episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2002. "Leela's Homeworld" was written by Kristin G ...
" required the addition of extra mutations to fit with the idea that Leela is able to live a normal life, while they cannot.
In the same episode it is also revealed that Munda has a PhD in "exo-linguistics", which allows her to speak alien languages and write in "
Alienese".
Yancy Fry and Mrs. Fry
Yancy Fry (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) and Sherri Fry, also known as Mrs. Fry (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) are Fry's father and mother and later on Leela's parents-in-law. They are humans in the 20th century who tended to be absorbed in their own interests. Fry's ex-girlfriend Michelle later informs Fry that the police wanted to look for him, but his parents felt it was a waste of taxpayers' money. However, it is revealed over the course of the series that they did indeed miss Fry and searched for him to no avail. Yancy is a traditional family name going back to the
Revolutionary War, so it is unknown if Yancy is properly referred to as "Yancy Sr.". ("
Luck of the Fryrish
"The Luck of the Fryrish" is the fourth episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 11, 2001.
Plot
The episode opens in the mid-1970s, where a young Yancy Fry is jealous of his ne ...
")
As a result of Philip's time travel, Yancy Sr. is the result of an incestuous one-night stand between Philip and his grandmother, therefore the son of his own son. ("
Roswell That Ends Well
"Roswell That Ends Well" is the 19th episode in the third season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 2001. The plot centers on an accidental time tra ...
")
Yancy Fry Jr.
Yancy Fry Jr. (voiced by
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...
) is Fry's older brother in the 20th and 21st centuries. Yancy Jr. is mostly rude and competitive with Philip as seen in "
The Luck of the Fryrish." His jealousy of his brother dates back to Philip's birth, when Yancy wanted to have that name, but is informed that his name, Yancy, is a family tradition dating to the
Revolutionary War. (It is unknown if he is formally named Yancy Jr.) After Fry disappears, Yancy becomes so devastated that he eventually names his son Philip J. Fry in his honor. Yancy is also an ancestor of Professor Farnsworth.
Antagonists
Mom
Carol "Mom" Miller (voiced by Tress MacNeille) is an aggressive, threatening and
Machiavellian
Machiavellianism or Machiavellian may refer to:
Politics
*Machiavellianism (politics), the supposed political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli
*Political realism
Psychology
*Machiavellianism (psychology), a personality trait centered on cold an ...
bully, reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West. She manages and owns 99.7% of MomCorp, a large, multibillion-dollar industrial complex with numerous subsidiaries and a monopoly on robot production, as well as being the company that created Bender. Publicly, she retains the corporate image of a sweet, bustling old woman who often slips into the stereotype of a Deep South grandmother; behind the scenes, she removes her fat suit and emerges as a skeleton-thin, malevolent, and foul-mouthed old crone. She has three sons, Walt, Larry and Igner, whom she terrorizes and often employs to do her dirty work. Mom has a romantic history with
Hubert J. Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
, who worked at MomCorp when he was younger, and she was previously married to Dr. Ogden Wernstrom.
Her given name is revealed to be Carol in "
The Tip of the Zoidberg
"The Tip of the Zoidberg" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It aired on Comedy Central in the United States on August 18, 2011. A pivotal episode, it reveals Dr. Zoidberg's backstory. This episo ...
".
In the episode "
Leela and the Genestalk
"Leela and the Genestalk" is the twenty-second episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on August 7, 2013. The episode was written by Eric Horsted and directed by Lance Kramer. Leel ...
", Mom works out of "Momsanto", a floating castle that hosts a genetic engineering facility. Its name is a reference to
Monsanto
The Monsanto Company () was an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation founded in 1901 and headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Monsanto's best known product is Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide, developed in th ...
, an American agricultural company known for
genetic engineering of plants.
Walt, Larry, and Igner
Walt (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
), Larry (
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) and Igner (
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) are Mom's three sons, who are often on the receiving end of her verbal and physical abuse. It is revealed in ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' that Professor Farnsworth is Igner's father, and other scenes imply he fathered all of them.
Omicronians
The Omicronians are an alien race from the planet
Omicron Persei
Omicron Persei (ο Persei, abbreviated Omicron Per, ο Per) is a triple star system in the constellation of Perseus. From parallax measurements taken during the Hipparcos mission it is approximately 1,100 light-years (330 parsecs) from t ...
8.
* Lrrr (, voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8, and always introduces himself as such.
He aims to project a strong ruthless demeanor of a conqueror but often ends up showing a sensitive side. He is currently married to Ndnd, his second wife, with whom he has one son, Jrrr (, voiced by
Lauren Tom
Lauren Tom (born August 4, 1961) is an American actress. Her roles include Lena St. Clair in '' The Joy Luck Club'', Julie in the NBC sitcom ''Friends'', Dot in the final season of ''Grace Under Fire'', and the voices for Amy Wong in ''Futurama'' ...
). His first major appearance is in the episode "
When Aliens Attack
"When Aliens Attack" is episode twelve in season one of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 1999. This episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Brian Sheesley. The episode features an attack by ali ...
".
In "
Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences
"Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, '' Futurama'' and is the 99th episode overall. It aired on Comedy Central on August 26, 2010. In the episode, the ruler of the planet Omicron Per ...
", he claims to have murdered his father for his cape.
* Ndnd (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
, pronounced /
ʌnd'ʌndʌ/), is Lrrr's second wife. She is overbearing and bossy, often nagging Lrrr to eat more healthily and fulfill his duties as supreme ruler of Omicron Persei 8. In "
Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences
"Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, '' Futurama'' and is the 99th episode overall. It aired on Comedy Central on August 26, 2010. In the episode, the ruler of the planet Omicron Per ...
" she seems entirely unconcerned by Lrrr's infidelity with another Omicronian woman but is deeply upset by him listening to
Leela's nagging over her own. Their marital problems also feature heavily in "
Spanish Fry
"Spanish Fry" is the seventeenth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on July 13, 2003. Set in a retro-futuristic 31st century, the s ...
".
Robot Mafia
The Robot Mafia is a small crime syndicate operating out of "Fronty's Meat Market" and "Small Bill's Laundry", who periodically dine at Elzar's, hijack shipments of Zuban cigars, arrange "accidents" for robots who act against them, as well as other unspecified Mafia-related illegal activities. They are made up of:
* The Donbot (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) – The leader of the Robot Mafia. He is often depicted to be oblivious to various plots against him, particularly repeated infractions by Bender, including having sex with the Donbot's wife, having sex with his daughter, stealing from the Donbot, and stealing the Donbot's own foot.
* Clamps (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) – A goonbot with an angry, aggressive disposition obsessed with using the clamps that act as his hands. In the Season 6 episode "
The Silence of the Clamps
"The Silence of the Clamps" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom ''Futurama'', and originally aired July 14, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Eric Rogers and directed by Frank Marino. In the epi ...
", his name is revealed to be Francis X. Clampazzo.
* Joey Mousepad (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) – A burly goonbot wearing a computer-mouse necklace. He is somewhat dim-witted, as noted by his occasional
malapropisms
A malapropism (also called a malaprop, acyrologia, or Dogberryism) is the mistaken use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance. An example is the statement attributed to ...
. In one instance, Joey offered to dub Bender (who later chose "Blotto") with the nickname "Clamps," which infuriated Clamps.
* Fanny (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
), wife to the Donbot, is a female robot with a propeller built into her rear end. She has an affair with Bender during ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'', leading the Donbot to have both of them shot and buried as a warning. They survive and Fanny returns to her husband. The couple have at least two daughters, including Bella, with whom Bender has a brief relationship during "The Silence of the Clamps". Her body contains a
church bell
A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and t ...
that rings loudly whenever she moves.
Dr. Ogden Wernstrom
Dr. Ogden Wernstrom (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a former student and now rival of
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
, in the field of science. He resents an "A−" grade given for sloppy penmanship by Farnsworth in 2900, and worked for over one hundred years to obtain revenge. Farnsworth usually greets him with an angry shaking fist and a long, drawn-out "Weeeerrnnn-strom!" He often competes against Farnsworth in various competitions, such as the Annual Inventors' Symposium. Despite this, their rivalry appears to have softened over the years, and they have even managed to collaborate with one another every once in a while. Wernstrom also appears to respect some of Farnsworth's decisions if he himself believes them to be right as well, as showed in ''
The Beast with a Billion Backs
''Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's ...
''. In ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' it is revealed that he was once previously married to
Mom
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...
, and may be the father of Mom's two eldest sons Walt and Larry. The Season 6 episode "
Cold Warriors
"Cold Warriors" is the twenty-fourth episode in the Futurama (season 6), sixth List of Futurama episodes, season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 112th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on August ...
" reveals that Wernstrom has been appointed Surgeon General of Earth.
Richard Nixon
The
former president (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
) is kept alive as a
head in a jar like many other celebrities. He originally resides in the Hall of presidents in the head museum, but he eventually leaves and becomes the
President of Earth
In both science fiction and utopia/dystopian fiction, authors have made frequent use of the age-old idea of a global state and, accordingly, of world government.
Overview
In tune with Immanuel Kant's vision of a world state based on the voluntar ...
, winning by a single vote.
Nixon's administration is marked by a violent and aggressive
foreign policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
, frequently entering into wars which serve little or no purpose. Nixon's head is sometimes accompanied by
Spiro Agnew's headless body.
Billy West has commented that he is not impersonating Richard Nixon for the role; he is impersonating
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
in ''
Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
'' (with "a little bit of werewolf", his Nixon has a tendency to inject a sound similar to "aroo" into his sentences), and that he, instead of trying to cultivate a good impersonation, cultivates the flaws in his impersonation. Matt Groening also frequently expresses his pleasure that he can continue to poke fun at Nixon 30 or 40 years after he was in office. Nixon's head was included in
TV Squad
Weblogs, Inc. was a blog network that published content on a variety of subjects, including tech news, video games, automobiles and pop culture. At one point, the network had as many as 90 blogs, although the vast majority of its traffic could be ...
's list of the five best television appearances by presidents in animated or puppet form. The character was considered to be particularly interesting because he could be "pure evil" but also command respect and also because "Nixon's head trapped in glass is just really funny."
Roberto
Roberto (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a criminally insane,
psychotic
Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior ...
robot who often carries a knife with which he is prone to stabbing. He is often depicted as a patient receiving treatment for criminal insanity. In his first appearance in "
Insane in the Mainframe
"Insane in the Mainframe" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 8, 2001. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and direc ...
", he is committed to an insane asylum after he targets the same bank for robbery three times in a row, and is seen killing other robots when escaping that hospital. In ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' he states that his creators were trying to make an insane robot, but "failed". This violent nature is enhanced by a body that David X. Cohen and Matt Groening say is based on the shape of a tombstone. Roberto appears in ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' as a patient in the same asylum. He later appears in the
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is t ...
spoof scenes of that film as a role equivalent to that of
Denethor
Denethor II, son of Ecthelion II, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He was the 26th ruling Steward of Gondor, committing suicide in the besieged city of Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor ...
. He briefly becomes sane after he is hit on the head during a battle, but reverts to insanity after he is immediately hit a second time. He appears in "
Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" ("Proposition ∞") is the fourth episode of the Futurama (season 6), sixth season of the American animated television sitcom ''Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 8, 2010. In the ep ...
" in the same asylum, this time with a sock instead of his usual knife. He says to Bender, "You ever kill a man with a sock? It ain't so hard."
In the season 7 episode "
The Six Million Dollar Mon
"The Six Million Dollar Mon" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 25, 2012.
The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Peter Avanzino.
Plot ...
", Roberto is arrested when he tries to rob
Hermes Conrad
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American Cartoon series, animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the a ...
and his wife LaBarbara of their skin. He is executed for this crime, but Bender later digs him up and steals his brain circuitry so that Hermes can have it installed in his own head to complete his transformation into a robot. When the robot tries to steal the skin from the real Hermes (reassembled by
Doctor Zoidberg
Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to only by his last name, is a fictional character from the animated series '' Futurama''. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite h ...
from the discarded body parts), it melts down due to the accumulated residue of heavy spices from LaBarbara's cooking. Roberto appears again in the series' penultimate episode "
Stench and Stenchibility
"Stench and Stenchibility" is the twenty-fifth episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom ''Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on August 28, 2013. The episode was written by Eric Horsted and directed by Crystal Chesney-Th ...
".
Robot Devil
Beelzebot, more commonly referred to as The Robot Devil (voiced by
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...
in regular appearances,
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
in "
A Tale of Two Santas
"A Tale of Two Santas" is the third episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 23, 2001.
Plot
It is Xmas again, and everyone is locking down for the arrival of Robot Santa. T ...
") serves as the leader of
Robot Hell
The animated science fiction television program ''Futurama'' makes a number of satirical and humorous references to religion, including inventing several fictional religions which are explored in certain episodes of the series.
Fictional religion ...
, which is hidden beneath the "Inferno" ride at the amusement park "Reckless Ted's Funland" in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. His function is to torment robots who have committed various sins under the practice of Robotology. If a deal is made with the Robot Devil, he appears to have unlimited power and can grant almost any request. The voice acting of the Robot Devil by Dan Castellaneta has been described as a "
bravura
In classical music a bravura is a style of both music and its performance intended to show off the skill of a performer. John Alexander Fuller-Maitland, ''A dictionary of music and musicians (A.D. 1450-1889)'p. 271-272/ref> Commonly, it is a virt ...
performance" on his part.
The Robot Devil is available as a build-a-figure from the first three series of ''Futurama''
action figure
An action figure is a poseable character (arts), character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game or television program; fictional or historical. These figures are ...
s by
Toynami.
He first appears in "
Hell Is Other Robots", kidnapping Bender and tormenting him until Fry and Leela manage to save Bender. He plays another major role in "
The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings
"The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the eighteenth and final episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the finale of the original run. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United St ...
", in which Fry makes a
deal with the Devil
A deal with the Devil (also called a Faustian bargain or Mephistophelian bargain) is a cultural motif exemplified by the legend of Faust and the figure of Mephistopheles, as well as being elemental to many Christian traditions. According to t ...
to improve his holophonor skills. Fry wins the Robot Devil's hands and uses them to write an opera about his and Leela's life all the way up until he makes his deal with the Robot Devil. The Robot Devil manages to reverse the trade after setting up a complicated scheme to force Fry into relinquishing his hands as a condition for Leela not to marry him under contractual obligation. The character also makes brief cameos in "
A Tale of Two Santas
"A Tale of Two Santas" is the third episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 23, 2001.
Plot
It is Xmas again, and everyone is locking down for the arrival of Robot Santa. T ...
" and "
Crimes of the Hot
"Crimes of the Hot" is the eighth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 2002. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and d ...
". In the episode "
The Silence of the Clamps
"The Silence of the Clamps" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom ''Futurama'', and originally aired July 14, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Eric Rogers and directed by Frank Marino. In the epi ...
" he is shown as one of the wedding guests. He plays a key role in the Season 6 episode "
Ghost in the Machines
"Ghost in the Machines" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama'', and originally aired June 30, 2011, on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. America ...
", offering to reunite Bender's body and spirit if Bender scares Fry to death. This same episode reveals that he keeps several spare bodies in his office and can transfer his spirit to one of these if his body is destroyed.
The Robot Devil appears in the film series on several occasions, most notably ''
The Beast with a Billion Backs
''Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's ...
'', where Bender makes a deal with the Robot Devil exchanging his first-born son for the Armies of Hell. Bender more than happily locates his son and kicks the child into a vat of lava, causing the Robot Devil to comment, "That was pretty brutal, even by my standards." Bender simply replies, "No backsies!" In ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', he conducts the band at Lars and Leela's wedding.
In the commentary for "
The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings
"The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" is the eighteenth and final episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the finale of the original run. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United St ...
", Castellaneta says the voice is based on a "bad impression of
Hans Conried
Hans Georg Conried Jr. (April 15, 1917 – January 5, 1982) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for providing the voices of George Darling and Captain Hook in Walt Disney's ''Peter Pan'' (1953), Snidely Whiplash in Jay Ward's ''Dudle ...
".
Robot Santa
Robot Santa (voiced by
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, an ...
in the
first appearance
In American comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictional character. These issues are often highly valued by collectors due to their rarity and iconic status.
Reader intere ...
,
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
in later appearances)
is a robot created in 2801 by The Friendly Robot Company to judge beings as naughty or nice and distribute presents or punishments accordingly. Due to a programming error, his standards are too high and he judges everyone to be naughty (with the one-time exception of
Dr. Zoidberg
Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to only by his last name, is a fictional character from the animated series ''Futurama''. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite hi ...
, who got a Pogo-Stick as a present). This leads him to go on destructive rampages across Earth every
Xmas
Xmas (also X-mas) is a common abbreviation of the word ''Christmas''. It is sometimes pronounced , but ''Xmas'', and variants such as ''Xtemass'', originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation . The "X" comes from the Gre ...
using Christmas-themed weapons, such as grenades shaped like Christmas ornaments, bicycle guns, and
T.O.W. missile launchers to punish "naughty" beings. He resides in a death fortress on
Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 times ...
along with a number of Neptunians that act as slave labor for the toy factory.
In ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', he assisted Earth's population in reclaiming their planet after it was purchased by the devious Scammers, forcing his Neptunian elves to build weapons for an assault and participating personally in the ensuing battle. He is part of an alliance called The Trinity, a trio of holiday-themed madmen comprising himself, Kwanzaabot, and the Chanukah Zombie.
Barbados Slim
Barbados Slim (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is Hermes' arch-rival. He not only defeated Hermes at the 3004 Olympics to win the
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
in
limbo
In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...
, but is also the only person ever to win gold medals in both limbo and sex. He was formerly married to LaBarbara Conrad, who still refers to him as a "mahogany god". In ''
Futurama: Bender's Big Score'', after Hermes was decapitated in a limboing accident, LaBarbara left him and got back together with Barbados, even going so far as to take his last name, even though they never remarried and Dwight was never adopted. After Hermes uses his bureaucratic prowess to save Earth from the scammers and wins back LaBarbara (and gets a new body), Slim vows "You have not seen the last of Barbados Slim!" before adding "Now goodbye forever!" As he prepares to leave the bridge, the sliding door malfunctions and goes down halfway. Slim then tries to limbo beneath only for the door to fall and crush his chest.
Other recurring characters
Abner Doubledeal
Doubledeal (voiced by
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...
) is a businessman usually depicted organizing or owning various sporting events, to which he would recruit various season regulars. He first appeared in "
Raging Bender
"Raging Bender" is the eighth episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and direc ...
" as the owner of the Ultimate Robot Fighting League, and later in "
A Leela of Her Own
"A Leela of Her Own" is the sixteenth episode in the Futurama (season 3), third season of the animated series ''Futurama''. The episode is an homage to ''A League of Their Own''. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in ...
" as owner of the New New York Mets blernsball team. He was a television producer in "
Yo Leela Leela", at the end of which he adopted all of the orphans from Cookieville Minimum-Security Orphanarium to help him produce Leela's show ''Rumbledy-hump''; and by the time of the events of "
The Butterjunk Effect
"The Butterjunk Effect" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central on July 18, 2012.
The episode was written by Michael Rowe and directed by Crystal Chesney-Thompson.
...
" episode Doubledeal was in charge of the Butterfly Derby. The character's name is a reference to
Abner Doubleday
Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a pi ...
, a US Civil War general who was alleged to have invented the game of baseball.
Amazonians
The Amazonians first appear in "
Brannigan, Begin Again
"Brannigan, Begin Again" is the second episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 28, 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton ...
" but first feature in "
Amazon Women in the Mood
"Amazon Women in the Mood" is the first episode in season three of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 2001.
Plot
Amy has been receiving phone calls for a year, where the caller stammers and t ...
" when Zapp, Leela, Amy and Kif are stranded on their planet. The Amazonians are primitives who live in huts, and they are ruled by a female computer called "Femputer" (voiced by
Bea Arthur
Beatrice Arthur (born Bernice Frankel; May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress and comedian. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, Arthur began her career on stage in 1947, attracting critical acclaim before achieving ...
). The Femputer is revealed to be a fembot operating the giant computer facade from a small control room. Their legal system permits a capital punishment ritual called "Death by Snu-Snu." All Amazonians are voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
.
Celebrity heads
Various celebrities and historical figures are kept alive as heads in jars of liquids. The technology is crucial to ''Futurama''s connection with 20th- and 21st-century culture since it allows significant figures from the past to make appearances in the series. This also allows for contemporary celebrities to make guest appearances as themselves.
The technology was invented by
Ron Popeil
Ronald Martin Popeil (; May 3, 1935 – July 28, 2021), was an American inventor and marketing personality, and founder of the direct response marketing company Ronco. He made appearances in infomercials for the Showtime Rotisserie and coined th ...
, himself a head.
["]A Big Piece of Garbage
"A Big Piece of Garbage" is episode eight in season one of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on 11 May 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Susie Dietter. Ron Popeil guest stars in ...
" People seem to be able to be resurrected using this technology, as every U.S. president is found in the "Head Museum"; the most prominent head is that of
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
who becomes the President of Earth. In "
All the Presidents' Heads
"All the Presidents' Heads" is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama'', and originally aired July 28, 2011 on Comedy Central.
Plot
Fry goes to his night job at the Head Museum where he feeds the preserve ...
" it is revealed the water they are kept in when drunk can send a person back to the year when they were the most famous.
The Hyper-Chicken Lawyer
The Hyper-Chicken Lawyer (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is a large blue/green
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
-like chicken with southern mannerisms and a
pince-nez
Pince-nez ( or , plural form same as singular; ) is a style of glasses, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, that are supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge of the nose. The name comes from French ''pincer'', "to pinch ...
perched on his beak. He is an alien originally from what he describes as a "backwoods asteroid." The show never reveals the Hyper-Chicken Lawyer's name (or the non-existence thereof); in "
Brannigan Begin Again
"Brannigan, Begin Again" is the second episode in the second season of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 28, 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton ...
", it is revealed that the Hyper-Chicken Lawyer's species is "hyper-chicken". In the commentary of "
A Tale of Two Santas
"A Tale of Two Santas" is the third episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 23, 2001.
Plot
It is Xmas again, and everyone is locking down for the arrival of Robot Santa. T ...
", David X. Cohen explains that the script simply used the designation "hyper-chicken" to refer to the character. He is a lawyer who has appeared both as a defense attorney and as a prosecutor. He is a terrible lawyer but despite his incompetence he sometimes manages to win his cases, and if he doesn't he usually tells his clients to plead insanity. The Hyper-Chicken Lawyer is a parodic cross between "folksy"
country lawyer
In the United States, a country lawyer or county-seat lawyer is an attorney at law living and practicing primarily in a rural area or town, or an attorney pursuing a rural or small-town legal practice. In such areas, the county seat is an importan ...
s such as
Ben Matlock
Benjamin Leighton Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, '' Matlock'', played by Andy Griffith. Matlock is a renowned, folksy yet cantankerous defense attorney who is worth every penny of his $100,000 fee. Known for visiting ...
and
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch is a fictional character in Harper Lee's Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel of 1960, ''To Kill a Mockingbird''. A preliminary version of the character also appears in the novel '' Go Set a Watchman'', written in the mid-1950s but not pub ...
with ''
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. '' character
Foghorn Leghorn
Foghorn Leghorn is a cartoon rooster who appears in ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons and films from Warner Bros. Animation. He was created by Robert McKimson, and starred in 29 cartoons from 1946 to 1964 in the golden age of A ...
. In a deleted scene from ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'', he is named Matcluck.
Elzar
Elzar (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is a famous four-armed
Neptunian
Neptune was discovered in 1846 and has only made occasional appearances in fiction since then. The first time it was mentioned, then called "Urbain Le Verrier, Leverrier's planet", was in the 1848 novel ''The Triumphs of Woman'' by Charles Rowcrof ...
chef with his own New New York restaurant, "Elzar's Fine Cuisine", and television show. Elzar is rude, crass, and unpleasant, and has a very high opinion of himself. He never passes up an opportunity to milk money from his customers and fans. He has also been known to steal from his own
cash register
A cash register, sometimes called a till or automated money handling system, is a mechanical or electronic device for registering and calculating transactions at a point of sale. It is usually attached to a drawer for storing cash and other v ...
on occasion. Elzar's favorite cooking implement is his Spice Weasel, a
mustelid
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in ...
-like creature which propels a cloud of spices from its snout upon having its body squeezed. Elzar often uses the phrases "Bam!", "knock it up a notch", and "no question". The character of Elzar is an allusion to
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril John Lagassé III ( ; born October 15, 1959) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author, and National Best Recipe award winner for his "Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili" recipe in 2003. He is a regio ...
.
The Globetrotters
The
Globetrotters are a race of basketball playing humans who reside on Globetrotter Planet. Aside from showboating basketball shenanigans, the Globetrotters are all known for their math, logic, and physics prowess and have aided in saving both Earth and the Universe.
The Globetrotters are commanded by Ethan 'Bubblegum' Tate. Other known core members include 'Sweet' Clyde Dixon, 'Curly' Joe, and 'Goosh', although there are several other unidentified members of the team seen throughout the series.
Ethan 'Bubblegum' Tate
Ethan 'Bubblegum' Tate (voiced by
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include Jo ...
) is a renowned
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
and the leader of the Globetrotters, who once randomly challenged Earth to defend its honor by playing a game of basketball for no reason. (A parody of the film ''
Space Jam
''Space Jam'' is a 1996 American live-action/animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka, with animation sequences directed by Bruce W. Smith and Tony Cervone, and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel We ...
'', and also a reference to the ''
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of i ...
'' cartoon series.) Tate is one of "the finest scientific minds in the universe", according to Professor Farnsworth. He is also a senior lecturer in physics at Globetrotter University. He has appeared in many episodes with the rest of the team, but also made a solo appearance in several episodes.
'Sweet' Clyde Dixon
'Sweet' Clyde Dixon (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a core member of the Globetrotters, who excels at calculus and is another one of the "finest scientific minds in the universe". In "The Prisoner of Benda", he becomes a
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
.
Hattie McDoogal
Hattie McDoogal (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is an old woman who lives alone with her cats and often uses nonsense words and phrases, such as "kajigger" and "whatchacallit". She briefly serves as the landlady of Fry and Bender, and holds a single
share of Planet Express, allowing her the decisive vote for its CEO. She has been married twice, surviving both of them, and often dates. She once hired
Kif Kroker
This article lists the many characters of '' Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
as a male escort. MacNeille also voices the
Crazy Cat Lady
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
on ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
''.
Hedonismbot
Hedonismbot (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is a golden robot built in a lounging position that displays the typical characteristics of
hedonism
Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decr ...
and
decadence
The word decadence, which at first meant simply "decline" in an abstract sense, is now most often used to refer to a perceived decay in standards, morals, dignity, religious faith, honor, discipline, or skill at governing among the members of ...
, such as constantly eating from a bowl of grapes on his stomach. He was first seen in "
Crimes of the Hot
"Crimes of the Hot" is the eighth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 2002. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and d ...
" at the Galapagos Island Robot Party. He has a human servant named Djambi and he has stated that "I too have known unconventional love" with references to doomsday devices. He enjoys having a bath of chocolate, having his nipples rubbed with industrial sandpaper (and a power sander), and seeing how long he can remain entertained during an opera.
Hypnotoad
The Hypnotoad is a large toad-like alien with pulsating, multicolored eyes, which emits a loud, ominous buzzing noise. It has the power to
hypnotize almost any living thing at will, even mass numbers of creatures. The Hypnotoad first appeared in "
The Day the Earth Stood Stupid
"The Day the Earth Stood Stupid" is the seventh episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 18, 2001. The title of this episode is a play on the title of the 1951 science fiction ...
", in which it hypnotized a flock of sheep to herd themselves into a pen and close the door behind them, the panel of judges to win the pet show, and then the audience of the pet show to force their approval of that victory. In "
Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV
"Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" (also known as "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television")
is the sixth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the Uni ...
", it was shown to have a television show, ''Everybody Loves Hypnotoad'', in which it hypnotizes the audience (except for Fry, due to his lack of a Delta brain wave and the fact that he feels the show has been going downhill since its third season). The ''
Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' DVD includes a full 22-minute episode.
Martians
The alien natives of
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
are a direct and open parody of modern
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States ( Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United State ...
, including their dress, manners, and accents. Dispossessed of their ancestral lands, they take menial jobs as ranch hands and
casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
employees.
Mayor C. Randall Poopenmeyer
Mayor C. Randall Poopenmeyer (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is the mayor of New New York. He is often depicted as a corrupt and incompetent politician. He first appeared in the season 1 episode "
A Big Piece of Garbage
"A Big Piece of Garbage" is episode eight in season one of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on 11 May 1999. The episode was written by Lewis Morton and directed by Susie Dietter. Ron Popeil guest stars in ...
". Throughout the later seasons, he is seen having a rather open affair with the Queen of Yonkers.
Officer Smitty
Officer Smith, better known as Smitty (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
) is a policeman partnered with
URL
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL), colloquially termed as a web address, is a reference to a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it. A URL is a specific type of Uniform Resource Identifie ...
in New New York. He is sometimes seen with a
lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
-like
nightstick
Nightstick or night stick may refer to:
* Club (weapon), a short staff or stick wielded as a weapon
** Baton (law enforcement), a compliance tool and defensive weapon used by law-enforcement officers
* Nightstick (band)
Nightstick is an American ...
. The two often use excessive force in non-violent circumstances. In "
Bender Gets Made
"Bender Gets Made" is the thirteenth episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 30, 2000.
Plot
The Planet Express crew attends a ta ...
", he claimed that he became a cop because his father owned a restaurant, and frequent dine-and-dashers kept it from going regional. Smitty retires in "
Law and Oracle
"Law and Oracle" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, '' Futurama'', originally broadcast on July 7, 2011, on Comedy Central. In the episode, Fry leaves his job as a delivery boy at Planet Express and applies for ...
" but returns a few episodes later in "
Cold Warriors
"Cold Warriors" is the twenty-fourth episode in the Futurama (season 6), sixth List of Futurama episodes, season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 112th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on August ...
".
Officer URL
Officer URL (pronounced Earl) (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is a
robot police officer paired with Smitty. The two often use excessive force in peaceful situations, and make use of various features built into URL, such as a siren, megaphone and violations printer. He also appears in the parody of ''
Cops'', called ''Cop Department''. His catchphrase is "Aww, yeah." In "
Law and Oracle
"Law and Oracle" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom, '' Futurama'', originally broadcast on July 7, 2011, on Comedy Central. In the episode, Fry leaves his job as a delivery boy at Planet Express and applies for ...
", URL becomes Fry's partner after he joins the police force.
Petunia
Petunia (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is an elderly woman who wears a revealing pink dress and uses a lot of make-up. She is a chain-smoker and a keen gambler. In the episode "
Put Your Head on My Shoulders
"Put Your Head on My Shoulders" is the seventh episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 2000. The episode was written by K ...
", Bender sets her up on a
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
date with Fry after setting up a dating agency. She rejects Fry after learning he does not have a body and is merely a head attached to Amy. Petunia states she can do better than a slot-player when Fry reveals he controls only one arm. Petunia later joins the Feministas in ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
''. She has children and used to live in a house with wheels.
Sal
Sal (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is a
surly,
overweight
Being overweight or fat is having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is especially common where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary.
, excess weight reached epidemic proportions globally, with mo ...
,
blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
with a thick
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
accent. His first appearance is as a janitor on the
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
in "
The Series Has Landed
"The Series Has Landed", also known as "Episode Two: The Series Has Landed", is the second episode of the first season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 4, 1999. The episode was written by Ken Kee ...
", servicing the machines in the
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
. He has appeared many times since, always employed in a tedious job that he does not perform well. He is also seen to have a painting tattooed on his stomach (in "
The Cryonic Woman
"The Cryonic Woman" is the nineteenth and final episode of the second season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 2000. The plot incorporates a cryonics theme. Sarah Silverman does the voice o ...
") and comments that he is "on loan from the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
". His trademark is to add an "s" to many words that do not need it: "He's busteds. Gets hims outta heres!" At one point in "
The Lost Adventure", it is implied that it is intentional, when he says "I gots an idea. I means, I gots an ideas." David X. Cohen said in a commentary that the writers debate whether Sal frequently changes jobs or has been cloned many times. He was also featured in ''
Bender's Game
''Futurama: Bender's Game'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science fantasy comedy film and the third of the four '' Futurama'' films that make up the show's fifth season. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 4, 2008.
...
'' as the five-time winner of a
demolition derby
Demolition derby is a non-racing motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehic ...
. After losing the derby, he promises to "changes" his life.
Tinny Tim
Tinny Tim (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is an ill-fated orphan-bot with a crutch for an arm and one shortened leg, a reference to
Tiny Tim in
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' ''
A Christmas Carol
''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...
''. He speaks with an
English accent
Spoken English shows great variation across regions where it is the predominant language. For example, the United Kingdom has the largest variation of accents of any country in the world, and therefore no single "British accent" exists. This ar ...
and is programmed to beg, sell oil-ade, and write in cute backwards letters on signs. He is shown with the Planet Express crew on both Xmases, and appears to be friends with Dwight and Cubert. In the subtitles of "
Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV
"Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" (also known as "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television")
is the sixth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the Uni ...
", he is called "Tiny Tim-Bot".
Guest characters
Al Gore
The
former vice-president (voiced by himself) appears as a
head in a jar during most of his appearances and also appears with his body during scenes involving Fry's time period. He is First Emperor of the Moon and has "ridden the mighty moon worm".
He lives in an elaborate jar; the base is colored silver-white, and possesses several hologram projectors, two small rockets for mobility, a pair of lasers, and is backed with the top of a cape. He plays a role in ''
Futurama: Bender's Big Score'', where he appears in multiple scenes that take place in the past and during the space battle in the future. During one of these scenes, Gore was shown to have won the
2000 Presidential Election, but Bender accidentally destroys the ballots in favor of Gore when hunting for Fry. During the Clinton presidency he is shown to have led the Vice Presidential Action Rangers, a group tasked by the US Constitution to preserve the space-time continuum.
The real-life Gore has said that ''Futurama'' is his favorite show. His daughter,
Kristin Gore
Kristin Carlson Gore (born June 5, 1977) is an American author and screenwriter. She is the second daughter of former U.S. vice president Al Gore and advocate Tipper Gore (née Aitcheson).
Early life
Gore was born in Carthage, Tennessee. She ...
, was a writer for the show in its later seasons.
Gore has also voiced the cartoon version of himself in "A Terrifying Message from Al Gore", the promotional video for ''
An Inconvenient Truth
''An Inconvenient Truth'' is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. The film features a slide show that, by Gore's own e ...
'' along with
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
, the voice of
Bender, and
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
, the narrator.
Boxy
Boxy is a crude robot only able to communicate by
beeping. He is frequently seen in the company of
Calculon
This article lists the many characters of '' Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
, and played the role of Calculon's
half-brother
A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the subject. A male sibling is a brother and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child.
While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised separat ...
in the ''All My Circuits'' soap opera where his objections sound like he's backing up. His noise is made by a synthesizer.
Brain Slugs
Brain Slugs are small, one-eyed, vaguely sluglike aliens which attach themselves to the heads of sentient beings to control them. Brain slugs apparently use this as a method of trapping more "prey", since those beings under brain slug control are driven by the desire to place brain slugs on other beings. It is hinted that the host under the brain slug's control retains awareness of their condition, which Hermes referred to as a "nightmare". The brain slug can be seen in numerous episodes, normally attached to
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...
. For a short time,
Fry had one attached, but according to the professor, it "starved to death" due to Fry's low intelligence.
Brain Spawn
The Brain spawn (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) are a race of flying
telepathic
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
brains that wish to collect all of the data in the universe and kill all other intelligent beings, because the mere act of them thinking causes them great pain. They are able to use "stupefaction fields" to render all intelligent beings on a planet too stupid to resist them. This allows them to collect all knowledge on the planet and destroy it. Their main enemies are the Nibblonians, who send Nibbler on a mission to find
Fry, the only being resistant to the Brain spawn. Fry lacks the
delta brainwave, due to himself being his own grandfather, so he is able to repel the Brain spawn when they attack Earth. Fry later sends the Brain spawn and their space station, the Infosphere, into another dimension with a bomb given to him by the Nibblonians.
Cookieville Minimum-Security Orphanarium
The Cookieville Minimum-Security Orphanarium houses a large number of orphans, including
Leela during her childhood. The orphans often suffer harsh conditions and various disappointing setbacks. It is run by Mr. Vogel, voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
, who takes care of the orphans and keeps all records; he is apparently a bureaucrat grade 135 who has not been promoted since about the time Leela was born. Three orphans, Albert, Nina, and Sally, are featured most often. Albert and Nina are voiced by
Kath Soucie Kath or KATH may refer to:
* Kath (city), the historical capital of Khwarezm
* Kath (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* KATH-TV, the NBC TV station in Juneau, Alaska
* KATH (AM)
KATH (910 kHz) is an ...
and Sally is voiced by Nicole St. John. Sally has a third ear on her forehead which she is teased about by the other orphans. She also claims to have a
tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, r ...
. Twelve of the orphans were briefly adopted and later returned by Bender—who adopted them only for the government fund checks—in "
The Cyber House Rules
"The Cyber House Rules" is the ninth episode in season three of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 1, 2001. The title comes from the John Irving novel ''The ...
".
Crushinator
The Crushinator (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is the robot daughter of a farmer on the moon. She is stereotyped as a southern belle and represents Earth's moon in the Ms. Universe Pageant. She first appears in "
The Series Has Landed
"The Series Has Landed", also known as "Episode Two: The Series Has Landed", is the second episode of the first season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 4, 1999. The episode was written by Ken Kee ...
" and also appears in the episodes "
Lesser of Two Evils
The lesser of two evils principle, also referred to as the lesser evil principle and lesser-evilism, is the principle that when faced with selecting from two immoral options, the least immoral one should be chosen. The principle is sometimes rec ...
", "
Crimes Of The Hot
"Crimes of the Hot" is the eighth episode in the fourth season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 2002. The episode was written by Aaron Ehasz and d ...
", "
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
", and "
The Silence of the Clamps
"The Silence of the Clamps" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom ''Futurama'', and originally aired July 14, 2011 on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Eric Rogers and directed by Frank Marino. In the epi ...
". She briefly appears in the background in ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
''. Unlike her sisters, the Crushinator is more machine-like and has a masculine voice. She also has two orange metallic
pigtails
A woman with long pigtails and braids.
In the context of hairstyles, the usage of the term pigtail (or twin tail or twintail) shows considerable variation. The term may refer to a single braid, but is more frequently used in the plural ("p ...
sticking out from her head and can transform into a car.
Father Changstein-El-Gamal
Father Changstein-El-Gamal (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a priest in the First Amalgamated Church, a mixture of many 20th-century religions. He wears a
bindi on his forehead (
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
), wears a
mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
and
clerical collar
A clerical collar, clergy collar, or, informally, dog collar, is an item of Christian clerical clothing. The clerical collar is almost always white and was originally made of cotton or linen but is now frequently made of plastic. There are vario ...
(
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
) with a
taijitu
In Chinese philosophy, a ''taijitu'' () is a symbol or diagram () representing Taiji () in both its monist ('' wuji'') and its dualist (yin and yang) aspects. Such a diagram was first introduced by Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhou Dunyi (; 1017 ...
(or
yin-yang
Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...
) symbol on the peak (
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
),
payot
''Pe'ot'', anglicized as payot ( he, פֵּאוֹת, pēʾōt, "corners") or payes (), is the Hebrew term for sidelocks or sideburns. Payot are worn by some men and boys in the Orthodox Jewish community based on an interpretation of the Tanakh's ...
(Judaism), an orange wrap (
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
) with a shoulder scarf adorned with stars and moons (
spiritism
Spiritism (French: ''spiritisme''; Portuguese: ''espiritismo'') is a spiritualist, religious, and philosophical doctrine established in France in the 1850s by the French teacher, educational writer, and translator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Riva ...
). In ''Bender's Big Score'', he uses the phrases "dearly liked" instead of "dearly beloved" and "We are gathered here today before one or more gods, or fewer..." when officiating a wedding.
Flexo
Flexo (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is a bending robot who looks and sounds almost exactly like
Bender with the exception of having a small triangular metal
goatee
A goatee is a style of facial hair incorporating hair on one's chin but not the cheeks. The exact nature of the style has varied according to time and culture.
Description
Until the late 20th century, the term ''goatee'' was used to refer solel ...
, a reference to the ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
''
mirror universe
The Mirror Universe is the setting of several narratives in the '' Star Trek'' science fiction franchise, a parallel universe existing alongside, but separate from, the fictional universe that is the main setting of ''Star Trek''. It resembles ...
. Flexo first meets and befriends Bender in "
Lesser of Two Evils
The lesser of two evils principle, also referred to as the lesser evil principle and lesser-evilism, is the principle that when faced with selecting from two immoral options, the least immoral one should be chosen. The principle is sometimes rec ...
". Fry believes Flexo to be an "evil twin" of Bender, though it turns out that Flexo attempts to stop Bender from stealing the expensive crown from the Miss Universe pageant. Flexo is mistaken for Bender and is arrested for that crime. Critics have called Flexo's appearance in this episode one of the "Great Moments" in ''Futurama''.
He returns in "
Bendless Love" in which Bender briefly dates Flexo's ex-wife, Anglelyne, and impersonates Flexo. Flexo is targeted by the Robot Mafia because of this. Eventually, he reunites with Anglelyne. He makes a cameo appearance in ''
Into The Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
'' along with Anglelyne as members of the audience seeing the Encyclopod being "born".
He makes another brief appearance in "
Attack of the Killer App
"Attack of the Killer App" is the third episode of the Futurama (season 6), sixth season of the American animated sitcom ''Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 1, 2010. The episode focuses on the release of ...
" in a garbage bin, where he is found by Bender and tells him that bending robots are now obsolete, though he is ignored. His signature character trait is the way he says something, usually a mild insult, and then immediately retracts it, laughing and saying some variation of "Naw, I'm just kidding... you're all right!" This, apparently, is also reversed when referring to situations or actions that cause him frustration or anger, such as Bender shoving him in one episode, with Flexo responding by saying, "Thanks! I appreciated that... Naw I'm kidding. That was quite annoying."
Grand Midwife
The Grand Midwife (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is an Amphibosian who first appears in the fourth-season episode "
Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch
"Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch" is the first episode in season four of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 12, 2003. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and d ...
". She is also known as the Grand Priestess, the Grand Lunch Lady, the Grand Funeral Director, and the Grand Butterfly Curator, as she holds these various titles and positions. She appears as an aged and wizened member of the Amphibosian race, appearing at and overseeing key functions throughout Amphibios 9, including Kif's birthing ceremony, Kif and Amy's wedding and Kif's funeral. She is often direct and inflexible in her ways and acts in a melodramatic fashion.
Guenter
Guenter (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
with the vocal effects provided by
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) is an intelligent monkey experiment made by
Professor Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, commonly referred to in-show as either Professor Farnsworth or simply Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series '' Futurama''. The mad scientist proprietor of the Planet Expres ...
. His intelligence comes from his small hat which uses sunspots to create cognitive radiation. If he is not wearing the hat, he acts like a normal monkey. His first appearance was in the episode "
Mars University
"Mars University" is episode eleven of the first season of '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 3, 1999. This episode was written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Bret Haaland.
Plot
The Planet ...
" in which the Professor enrolls him at the university where he becomes
Fry's roommate. Guenter later appears in the episode, "Fry and Leela's Big Fling", where he shows
Amy Wong
This article lists the many characters of ''Futurama,'' an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a ...
,
Bender and
Zoidberg
Dr. John A. Zoidberg, often referred to only by his last name, is a fictional character from the animated series ''Futurama''. He is a Decapodian, a crustacean-like species of alien, who works as the staff doctor for ''Planet Express'', despite hi ...
around the planet Simian 7. Guenter is seen in other episodes in the background, and crowds.
Gypsy-Bot
The Gypsy-Bot (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is a carnival
fortune-telling robot. In "
Godfellas
"Godfellas" is the 20th episode in the third season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 2002. The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Su ...
" the gypsy-bot hints that she does not actually have psychic powers; after
Fry asks her a question, she replies, "What am I, psychic?". The gypsy-bot appears earlier in "
The Honking
"The Honking" is the eighteenth episode in the second season of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 5, 2000. The title references the 1981 film ''The Howlin ...
", telling
Bender he is a werecar; and in "
Ghost in the Machines
"Ghost in the Machines" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama'', and originally aired June 30, 2011, on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. America ...
", performing a
séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spe ...
in which Bender's ghost possesses her and causes her head to explode.
Headless Body of Agnew
The headless body of
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...
is Nixon's vice-president of Earth. Though he is headless, Agnew can still make growling noises. In "
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
" Agnew is accidentally killed by the "eco-feministas" – which Leela has joined – when a golf cart runs over him. However, he is cloned, which leads Nixon to call him the "Headless Clone of Agnew".
H.G. Blob
Horrible Gelatinous "H.G." Blob (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is a three-eyed, green, translucent, ill-tempered alien. He first appeared in the season one episode "
The Series Has Landed
"The Series Has Landed", also known as "Episode Two: The Series Has Landed", is the second episode of the first season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 4, 1999. The episode was written by Ken Kee ...
" in a commercial the Professor made for Planet Express. He contemptuously refers to humanoids as "solids" and ridicules their one-way digestive system. In "
The Route of All Evil
"The Route of All Evil" is the twelfth episode of the third production season of the American animated television series ''Futurama'', and the 44th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on Decem ...
", the Horrible Gelatinous Blob has a son named Brett Blob, who regularly bullies Cubert and Dwight. In ''
Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' he, or someone of his species, appears on the twenty dollar bill. In "Proposition Infinity", he, or someone of his species, was shown to be in an "interplanetary" relationship with a human woman.
Judge Ron Whitey
Judge Ron Whitey (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
) is a judge and a member of the upperclass of Earth's elite. He was responsible for overcrowding in human mental asylums after ruling that poverty was a mental illness.
Kwanzaabot and Chanukah Zombie
Kwanzaabot (voiced by
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known professionally as Coolio, was an American rapper. First rising to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle, Coolio achieved mainstream success as a solo ...
) and Chanukah
Zombie
A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...
(voiced by
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...
) are Robot Santa's
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called ''Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest ...
and
Hanukkah
or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem)
, nickname =
, observedby = Jews
, begins = 25 Kislev
, ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet
, celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...
analogues. Precisely what role they play on their respective holidays is unknown. In the episode "
A Tale of Two Santas
"A Tale of Two Santas" is the third episode in season three of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 23, 2001.
Plot
It is Xmas again, and everyone is locking down for the arrival of Robot Santa. T ...
", Kwanzaabot mentions he has been distributing books titled "What the Hell is Kwanzaa?" for 647 years, with little effect. Kwanzaabot and Chanukah Zombie are evidently friendly with Robot Santa, as he calls them for support in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', and Kwanzaabot invites Bender to join him and the Chanukah Zombie at the B'nai B'rith in "A Tale of Two Santas".
From his first appearance, Kwanzaabot has been voiced by rapper Coolio. Although Chanukah Zombie had been mentioned, he did not appear onscreen until ''Bender's Big Score'', in which he is voiced by Mark Hamill and in a reference to Hamill's famous role in ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'', pilots a Jewish themed
TIE Fighter
The Twin Ion Engine (TIE) fighter is a series of fictional starfighters featured in the '' Star Wars'' universe. TIE fighters are depicted as fast, agile, yet fragile starfighters produced by Sienar Fleet Systems for the Galactic Empire and b ...
decorated with Stars of David on its solar arrays with a Menorah standing on its core.
Malfunctioning Eddie
Malfunctioning Eddie (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a robot that runs a hovercar dealership. His character refers to the real life electronics chain
Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie was a consumer electronics chain in the Northeastern United States. The chain was started in 1971 in Brooklyn, New York, by businessmen Eddie and Sam M. Antar, and was previously named ERS Electronics (ERS stood for Eddie, Rose and ...
, and its mascot of the same name. It turned out that Malfunctioning Eddie's prices were so low that he really was insane. He had an exploding-problem associated with surprise in "
Insane in the Mainframe
"Insane in the Mainframe" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American animated sitcom '' Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 8, 2001. The episode was written by Bill Odenkirk and direc ...
".
Michelle
Michelle (voiced by
Kath Soucie Kath or KATH may refer to:
* Kath (city), the historical capital of Khwarezm
* Kath (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* KATH-TV, the NBC TV station in Juneau, Alaska
* KATH (AM)
KATH (910 kHz) is an ...
in "
Space Pilot 3000
"Space Pilot 3000" is the pilot episode of the American animated television series ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 28, 1999. The episode focuses on the cryogenic freezing of the series protagoni ...
" and
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American comedian, actress, and writer.
Silverman was a writer and performer on ''Saturday Night Live'', and she starred in and produced ''The Sarah Silverman Program'', which ran from 2007 to ...
in all other appearances) is Fry's on and off girlfriend from the 20th century. She dumps Fry shortly before he is frozen on New Year's Eve for a man named Constantine (called Charles in "
The Cryonic Woman
"The Cryonic Woman" is the nineteenth and final episode of the second season of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 2000. The plot incorporates a cryonics theme. Sarah Silverman does the voice o ...
", whom she later marries). They eventually split up, and she decides to freeze herself to try again in the distant future. She wakes up in 3002, meets Fry again, and restarts her relationship with him. She fails to fit into the 31st-century life to which Fry has become so accustomed, and so asks him to freeze himself with her for another thousand years. After learning that the post-apocalyptic world that they awoke in is not New New York in the 4002, but rather Los Angeles in 3002, his plan fails, as does the rekindled relationship, so Fry leaves her. She later is shown in a limousine with the recently unfrozen
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery Shore (born February 1, 1968) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his roles in 1990s comedy films. Shore began as a stand-up comedian at the age of 17, before becoming an MTV VJ in 1989. This led to a sta ...
and later seen holding his hand in "
Proposition Infinity
"Proposition Infinity" ("Proposition ∞") is the fourth episode of the Futurama (season 6), sixth season of the American animated television sitcom ''Futurama''. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 8, 2010. In the ep ...
".
In ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', it is revealed that Michelle had been frozen roughly 736 years longer than she had actually intended, a result of Fry using her
cryotube to return to the future and be with Leela. This, along with the fact that Fry had accidentally broken off part of Michelle's hair while climbing into her cryotube, was not mentioned or shown in Michelle's previous appearances. She was one of the many people seen on the date with Yivo in ''The Beast With a Billion Backs''.
Nibblonians
The Nibblonians are an ancient race that came into existence 17 years before the Big Bang. They have extremely long life spans and incredibly large appetites, and excrete extremely dense and potent
dark matter
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
. Despite their nature, other beings find their small stature to be extremely adorable. Their arch-enemy is the Brainspawn, and believe Fry is the only one capable of stopping them due to his lack of the Delta
brainwave
Neural oscillations, or brainwaves, are rhythmic or repetitive patterns of neural activity in the central nervous system. Neural tissue can generate oscillation, oscillatory activity in many ways, driven either by mechanisms within individual ne ...
. The main Nibblonians in the series are Nibbler, Ken, voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
, and Fiona, voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
.
Nine
A man who wears a white gown with a large number 9 on it. He is both a conspiracy theorist and a conspirator. He is voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
and is a cameo character appearing in the first and second production seasons of ''Futurama''. He reappeared in ''Bender's Big Score'' and ''Into the Wild Green Yonder'', where it was revealed he was the Grand Curator of the Legion of Mad Fellows. When Nine became grand curator is unknown, but the audio commentary track for ''Into the Wild Green Yonder'' hints that he was in the Legion prior to the year 3000. As grand curator (which is essentially a knowledgeable leader) of the Legion, he becomes the story teller for Philip J. Fry's mission to possibly end the epic long battle between two ancient races, as they by 3009 have noticed that the Chi have been re-emerging. It is later revealed in "Murder On the Planet Express" that he operates a discount spy store called For Your Eyes Mainly. He wears aluminum foil on his head to avoid other peoples' brain waves affecting him.
Mr. Panucci
Mr. Panucci (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is the surly Italian-American owner of Panucci's Pizza where Fry worked before getting frozen. Although in the first episode it appears that he does not like Fry that much, it is shown in later episodes that he had a strong friendship with and acted as a
father figure
A father figure is usually an older man, normally one with power, authority, or strength, with whom one can identify on a deeply psychological level and who generates emotions generally felt towards one's father. Despite the literal term "father ...
to Fry. It is revealed in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'' that he likes Fry because Fry's life is so horrible it helps Panucci feel better about himself. Panucci is noticeably upset when Fry goes missing and he takes responsibility for Fry's pet dog Seymour.
In ''Bender's Big Score'', Fry creates a time paradox by going back in time and living out his old life and thus continues working at Panucci's Pizza. Shortly after he arrives, Fry asks Panucci if he can live in Panucci's upstairs storeroom, which Panucci allows.
Pazuzu
Pazuzu
In ancient Mesopotamian religion, Pazuzu ( akk, , translit=pà.zu.zu; also called Fazuzu or Pazuza) was a personification of the southwestern wind, and held kingship over the lilu wind demons.
As an apotropaic entity, he was considered as bo ...
(voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a
gargoyle
In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...
who Professor Farnsworth owned and put through college. He has a French accent and a son. He initially appears in "
Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles
"Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles" is the ninth episode in the fourth production season of the American animated television series '' Futurama''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 30, 2003. The episode was directed by ...
", where he escapes from the Professor. He returns at the end of the episode to rescue the Professor and "earn
isfreedom." He later appears in ''
Beast With a Billion Backs
''Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's ...
'', rescuing the Professor and Wernstrom from prison and informing the Professor that he has one wish left.
Randy Munchnik
Randy Munchnik (voiced by
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio (; born September 4, 1968) is an American actor. His various voice roles include Bender on ''Futurama'', Jake the Dog on ''Adventure Time'', Marcus Fenix in the '' Gears of War'' series, Dr. Drakken on '' Kim Possible'', ...
) is a stereotypically
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
man dressed in pink, who speaks in an effeminate voice. Originally, he is depicted with blond hair, but sometimes appears with brown hair. John DiMaggio says he is his favorite character to voice. The original design for Randy was very different. He was originally an old man in a mob, with his name in the script for "I, Roommate" literally "Man in Mob". DiMaggio changed the voice and therefore the character.
Reverend Lionel Preacherbot
Reverend Lionel Preacherbot (voiced by
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include Jo ...
) is a preacher at the Temple of
Robotology. He presides over weddings and funerals of robots and humans. His speech patterns, accent, and mannerisms are modeled on those of stereotypical African-American
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
preachers (specifically,
black church
The black church (sometimes termed Black Christianity or African American Christianity) is the faith and body of Christian congregations and denominations in the United States that minister predominantly to African Americans, as well as their ...
es).
In the episode "
Hell is Other Robots" (S01E09), Preacherbot encourages Bender to give up his addiction to recreational electricity in favour of the Church of Robotology, to which Bender replies; "Do I preach to you while you're laying stoned in the gutter?". During the Season 6 episode "
Ghost in the Machines
"Ghost in the Machines" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom '' Futurama'', and originally aired June 30, 2011, on Comedy Central. The episode was written by Patric M. Verrone and directed by Ray Claffey. America ...
", Preacherbot performs an
exorcism
Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...
on the Planet Express headquarters to drive off Bender's ghost, which has begun to possess various machinery in an attempt to kill Fry.
Sewer mutants
Sewer mutants are humans mutated by years of pollution and radioactive waste poured into the sewers under New New York. Because they are considered genetically
inferior they were
forbidden by law to travel to the surface without special permission (until the events of "
The Mutants Are Revolting
"The Mutants Are Revolting" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of the American animated sitcom '' Futurama'' and is the 100th episode of the series. It aired on Comedy Central on September 2, 2010, as a mid-season finale, with remaining e ...
"), so they reside in a community made out of objects flushed down toilets. Among the more prominent mutants in the series are Dwayne, Raoul and Vyolet. Dwayne (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
) is a mutant with two noses and a large forehead. Raoul (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is the "Supreme Mutant", the democratically elected leader of the sewer mutants. His most notable mutation is a third arm, which in his first appearance had grown in place of his right ear but above it in later appearances. Vyolet (voiced by
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...
) is a chain-smoking mutant with gills and a pig nose; she seems to be romantically involved with Raoul.
Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking (voiced by himself) made a guest appearance in the episode "
Anthology of Interest I
"Anthology of Interest I" is episode sixteen in season two of ''Futurama''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2000. This episode, as well as the later "Anthology of Interest II", serves to showcase three "imag ...
" as a member of the Vice Presidential Action Rangers (VPAR), who guard the
space-time continuum
In physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines the three dimensions of space and one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional manifold. Spacetime diagrams can be used to visualize relativistic effects, such as why differ ...
. Along with Hawking at the end of the twentieth century they include
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
,
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols (, born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in ''Star Trek'' and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was gr ...
,
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson.
In the 1960s, Gygax created an ...
and their summer intern
Deep Blue
Deep Blue may refer to:
Film
* ''Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads'', a 1992 documentary film about Mississippi Delta blues music
* Deep Blue (2001 film), ''Deep Blue'' (2001 film), a film by Dwight H. Little
* Deep Blue (2003 ...
. He first appears as a customer at the pizzeria where Fry mistakenly believes him to have invented gravity for which Hawking accepts credit ("Yeah, sure. Why not?"). After learning of Fry's inter-dimensional experience, he arranges for him to be kidnapped by the VPAR.
Hawking also appears in ''The Beast with a Billion Backs'' as his own head in a flying jar, leading a scientific convention organized to study and discuss a tear in the universe. He says that despite writing a book about it, he has no idea what it is, although he has already cashed the check he got for writing it. Apparently he has the ability to shoot lasers that stun people from his eyes; he himself is surprised, remarking, "I didn't know I could do that" after stunning Professor Farnsworth and Professor Wernstrom. He also makes a brief appearance during the "Future Challenge 3000" segment in "
Reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
".
Due to a debilitating, long-term illness, Hawking was unable to speak with his own larynx, but his computer-assisted speech device was a trademark voice in popular culture.
Films' characters
Lars Fillmore
Lars Fillmore (voiced by
Billy West
William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of '' Doug'' ...
) is a technician at the Head Museum in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'', where he met Leela and briefly dated her. He was about to marry Leela, until he discovered that a paradox can not be in the normal time line, and decided to cancel the wedding, because he was really a paradox-duplicate of Fry created when the original Fry who had travelled back to 2000 went back a second time to eat a pizza, the original Fry who went back for the pizza freezing himself after a close call with a brainwashed Bender while the one who never did that moved into an apartment above the pizzeria where he worked. He lived there for twelve years, during which he spent time with his family and befriended the narwhal Leelu, until an assassination attempt by another brainwashed Bender burned away his hair and damaged his larynx. After the war with the scammers was over, Nudar tried to force Lars to reveal his version of the time-travel code, but Lars sacrificed himself to release another frozen Bender set to self-destruct, killing himself and Nudar.
Nudist Alien Scammers
The Nudist Alien Scammers are the main antagonist of ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
''. They are a group formed by the leader, Nudar (voiced by
David Herman
David Herman (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor and comedian. He was an original cast member on ''MADtv'' from 1995 to 1997, and played Michael Bolton in ''Office Space''.
He has done voice-over work in hundreds of episodes of ''B ...
), and his brothers, Fleb (voiced by
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
) and Schlump (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
). They seek to seize the Earth by obtaining as much information as possible from humans, in addition to seizing all the valuable objects of the planet thanks to the time travel code. After they took over Earth, their fleet of solid gold Death Stars was destroyed by Earth's remaining ships in an assault led by Leela and coordinated by Hermes. Nudar escaped the destruction, but he was killed by the sacrifice of Lars Filmore, a temporal paradox duplicate of Fry.
Leelu
Leelu (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is a narwhal that Fry befriended in ''
Bender's Big Score
''Futurama: Bender's Big Score'' (or ''Bender's Big Score'') is a 2007 American adult animated science fiction comedy-adventure film based on the animated series ''Futurama''. It was released in the United States on November 27, 2007. It was the ...
'' during the years he spent in the past. Throughout the years, their relationship blossomed, and they became best of friends. Fry was heartbroken when he learned that Leelu was being released into the wild.
Yivo
Yivo (voiced by
David Cross
David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom ...
) is a sentient extraterrestrial being from another universe who appears in ''
The Beast with a Billion Backs
''Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's ...
''. He communicated with universe "gamma" through the space-time hole, using his tentacles, which he used initially to mate with humans. He begins a "romantic relationship" with the inhabitants of the other universe, but even after the universe agreed to move in with Yivo, Yivo 'broke up' with the universe when Fry sent a letter back through the rift to Bender, as the electromatter that it was made from was used to produce weapon against him.
Colleen O'Hallahan
Colleen O'Hallahan (voiced by
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...
) is the chief of police and Fry's girlfriend in ''
The Beast with a Billion Backs
''Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'' is a 2008 American direct-to-video adult animated science-fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the second of four straight-to-DVD films that make up the show's ...
''. A
polyamorist, she lived with four other men which Fry was unable to cope with, causing him to break up with her. However, after Yivo evicts the universe's inhabitants for Fry's contact with Bender, Colleen continues a relationship with Yivo, remaining in the alternate universe after seals the dimensional rift.
The Dark One
The Dark One (voiced by
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series ''Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include Jo ...
) is the main antagonist of ''
Into the Wild Green Yonder
''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' is a 2009 American direct-to-video adult animated science fiction comedy- adventure film based on the animated series '' Futurama'', and the fourth and final of the direct-to-DVD films that make up the show' ...
''. He is a creature with the intention of ending the universe, and the last of his species. Towards the end of the film it is discovered that he is really the desert muck leech that lived on Mars, and that Leela welcomed as a pet to prevent his death. He is ultimately defeated and eaten by Zoidberg.
Family tree
, -
, style="text-align: left;", Notes:
See also
*
List of ''The Simpsons'' characters
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Futurama Characters, List Of
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
Lists of animated science fiction television characters
Futurama
''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of the professional slacker Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1000 years a ...
Characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
*