Futurama/Characters

A list of characters from Matt Groening's popular animated sci-fi comedy Futurama.

Philip J. Fry
"Voiced by: Billy West"

The main character. Fry is a decent, honest and fun-loving guy, but he's also immature, lazy, and not very bright. Once a pizza boy from the 20th century, he accidentally cryogenically freezes himself during a delivery run on New Years' Eve, 1999 and wakes up on New Years' Eve 2999. After some wacky hijinks he gets a job at Planet Express as a cargo delivery boy, working for his closest living relative, Professor Farnsworth.

Tropes associated with Fry:
"Mr. Fry: So, what should we name him?
 * Abusive Parents: To a comical level. Both largely ignored him - his father by being a Conspiracy Theorist, his mother by being a reverse Sports Widow - but it eventually becomes clear that they really did love him.

Mrs. Fry: Uh, you pick. I picked dinner last night.

Mr. Fry: Well, I was thinking of Philip. After those screwdrivers?"

"Fry: Guess I better head over to my night job.
 * Adorkable
 * Anti Hero: Type I, most of the time.
 * Ascended Fanboy: When saving the cast of Star Trek.
 * Attractive Bent Gender: In 'Neutopia' ("Now when I say stupid things guys all laugh and buy me stuff.") Not that he wasn't good-looking.
 * Badass
 * Badass Adorable: His (admittedly gross) naivete keeps him from being too much of a hardened Badass (and lets him be likeable as just a regular guy) but he has a lot of really heroic and outstanding moments through the show.
 * Brooklyn Rage: Grew up in Midwood, Brooklyn. Generally not a 'rage' type of guy, though.
 * Buffy Speak: "Like a balloon... and something bad happens!"
 * Butt Monkey: Not as bad of a case as Zoidberg or Kif, though.
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass: He's actually quite competent when the chips are down.
 * In "Law and Oracle", he joined the police force and actually made Detective...but got fired because he warned Bender that he was suspected of a future crime.
 * Depending On the Writer: Fry is often accused of Flanderization, but his intelligence actually fluctuates depending on the episode, with the second episode already making him act like an idiot.
 * Disability Immunity: His "superior, yet inferior, mind" (resulting from his past-nastying) enables him to thwart the Brain Spawn on two separate occasions.
 * Disney Death: He has way too many to count. Arguably the first is when he was frozen in the year 2000, and his family assumed him to be dead.
 * The Ditz: At times verging on The Ditz.
 * Here's an example from "All the Presidents' Heads":
 * The Ditz: At times verging on The Ditz.
 * Here's an example from "All the Presidents' Heads":

Leela: You have a night job?

Fry: Yup. It's exhausting, but I need the extra money to buy coffee so I can stay awake for my night job.

Leela: But--

Fry: Gotta go!"

"Fry: TURANGA?
 * Dogged Nice Guy
 * Fish Out of Temporal Water: 'Cryogenic Woman' makes light of the fact that he adjusted very quickly and well to the future, and that he fits in better there than the present.
 * Friend to All Living Things : Has been shown to inspire an amazing loyalty and connection with all of his pets, ranging from his old dog, Seymour, who waited for him to get back for 12 years, to his Hamster that was still loyal to him after he put it through astronaut training, to a narwhal that he taught to eat and live again, to...
 * Fluffy Tamer: A bone vampire with acidic spit and urine, razor sharp talons, enormous strength and an insatiable lust for bones, that loved him to bits and acted like a puppy around him.
 * Fool for Love
 * Genre Savvy: Best exemplified when the Lur and his planet attack Earth.
 * Heroic Sacrifice: A lot, every one to protect Leela
 * Human Popsicle Spent 1000 years as one,
 * Idiot Hero: "No I'm...doesn't!". He shows some awareness of this, and tends to move forward in spite of it.
 * I Just Want to Be Special: Before finding out he was to be the savior of the universe. (Funny - he has a dead end job, sorta, but he still managed to rack up a list of one-of-a-kind adventures.)
 * I Know Mortal Kombat: Somewhat useful even outside the What If episode where they're being invaded by Nintendians. (That one time he blew up a Space Pirate ship with an arcade console-style targeting mechanism, for example, in 'Godfellas'.)
 * Incest Is Relative Incest twice. First with his grandmother in the past, conceiving his own father in the process, making him his own grandson. Then later (in the 6th season episode "The Prisoner of Benda") when his mind was in Zoidberg's body he had sex with Leela while she was in in Farnsworth's body. Though Farnsworth is a very distant descendant of Fry, the two have acknowledged each other as family since the beginning of the series. It was the first time Fry had sex with some-body he knew at the time was related to him. Neither Zoidberg nor the professor experienced this because their minds were in other characters' bodies too. It was a body/mind-swapping episode.
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Many, but especially.
 * When you stack it up, that example becomes Fry wanting Leela to be happy It's super-confusing when you work it out.
 * Jumped At the Call
 * Just Friends: With Leela to the point where people are getting tired of the Will They or Won't They It has been shown/implied that they do get together in the end.
 * The Kirk: He will freak out when presented with a life-threatening situation, though.
 * Last Name Basis: From everyone, including his own great-great-[...]-great-grand-nephew.
 * Lampshaded in one episode, when the TV mentions "Turanga Leela":

Amy: That's her name, Phillip!

Bender: PHILLIP?"

"He was the only one of you who never struck me!"
 * Leitmotif For some reason, Katrina and the Waves' "Walkin' on Sunshine". Even played at his funeral. On bagpipes.
 * Unfortunately, Fry seems to be unable to remember the whole song (and he's also off-key).
 * If he ever does, Twentieth Century Fox will probably get sued.
 * Limited Wardrobe: Almost always wears his combination of red jacket, T-Shirt and jeans which is a tribute to James Dean. It's a bit out of style in the 31st century.
 * More impressive is the fact that his outfit has been destroyed or otherwise unrecoverable at the ends of some episodes, so he might be getting replacements somewhere.
 * Made of Iron: His incredible list of injuries aside, he also mentioned having had three heart attacks by the time he was in high school.
 * Man Child: Although he mans up pretty quick in a crisis.
 * Masculine Girl Feminine Boy: Feminine Boy to Leela's Masculine Girl.
 * Meaningful Name: After Phil Hartman (the original intended voice of Zapp) was murdered, production gave Fry his first name in his honor.
 * Must Have Caffeine: Generally doesn't try to chug down 300 cups a day, except for that one time, but he does like his coffee.
 * He is also constanly drinking Slurm Soda and in high school, used to drink a hundred cans of Cola a week.
 * Must Make Amends: Fry finds his old dog from the 20th century fossilized in a construction site. Feeling bad for abandoning it (despite not meaning to) he arranges for the professor to actually revive it. With Science!
 * Nakama: If his friends are in trouble, he'll stop at nothing to save them.
 * Naive Newcomer: Usually catches up quick, though.
 * Nice Guy: Probably the nicest character on the series and the only one to treat Zoidberg decently, according to him.
 * Nice Guy: Probably the nicest character on the series and the only one to treat Zoidberg decently, according to him.


 * Nice Job Breaking It Hero: Single-handedly ruined Heaven for EVERYONE.
 * I think Bender helped.
 * Bender only helped insomuch as fulfilling Yivo's warning about communicating with the other dimension. Fry's letter to him was what started the whole affair in the first place, despite Yivo's mandate of not reaching back across the gap.
 * Non Action Guy: Usually, right up until the chips are down.
 * Only Sane Man: His idiocy aside, he is a lot more normal than most in the show.
 * Really Gets Around: Not nearly as much as Amy, but there's a pretty good-sized list of wom- er, females he's gotten with. Some of them were even human!
 * Like the radiator girl from the Radiator Planet... which turned out to just be a radiator.
 * Redheaded Hero
 * Ridiculously Average Guy: He's surrounded by aliens, mad scientists and robots. And he's just a working-class guy from Brooklyn.
 * Rip Van Winkle or Cold Sleep Cold Future, either one.
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Sensitive Guy to Bender's Manly Man.
 * Stable Time Loop: His immediate family tree.
 * Too Dumb to Live: Partly because he's a Fish Out of Temporal Water and partly because of that whole Delta Brainwave thing. In either case, he always seems to be a little slow on the draw.
 * Somewhat inverted-the lack of Delta Brainwave, while making him The Ditz, also makes it impossible to read or control his mind. Very useful when one is dealing with the Brainspawn.
 * Unfazed Everyman: Moreso before he was Flanderized into the Idiot Hero.
 * Unlucky Everydude
 * The Watson: Fry is generally the one to ask questions, ranging from Techno Babble to questions about someone's Backstory
 * Whole Costume Reference: He is dressed like Jim Stark from Rebel Without a Cause.
 * Which puts him in the same company as Terry Bogard...

Turanga Leela


"Voiced by: Katey Sagal"

Leela is everything Fry isn't. Smart, strong, level-headed,, and a woman. So it's no surprise she ends up being the girl of his dreams. Leela was abandoned as a baby and grew up in an orphanage orphanarium. For the longest time she believed she was an alien from an unknown planet, She is the conscience of the group, and is often prone to nagging them and expressing her outrage at their various immoral actions (though Rule of Funny dictates that she is in many way as bad as Fry and Bender).

Tropes associated with Leela:
"Leela: I'm so angry. I mean, I'm so sad. But I'm still pretty angry. But also sad. (to Hermes) Can I be both?
 * Action Girl: And how!
 * Adam and Eve Plot: Leela was suckered into one by Alcazar who tricked her into believing they were the last of her supposed alien species, and again by Zapp Brannigan who managed to convince her that they were the last two humans alive, on a literal Garden of Eden like planet,.
 * Animal Nemesis: In "Möbius Dick".
 * Anti Hero: Type II, pretty consistently.
 * Badass: Yep!
 * Bad Boss: A mild case - as captain of the Planet Express ship, she often puts pride or personal grudges over the safety of her crew.
 * Boobs of Steel: Leela is probably the toughest person in the series. She's also among the bustiest.
 * Cyclops: Her single eye doesn't seem to be much better than a normal one, though, and she usually wears contacts.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Mainly when dealing with Zapp.
 * Depending On the Writer: A lot of episodes (mostly the earlier ones) established her as a calm, sensible, unimpulsive woman who could defend herself in a pinch. Some episodes and the movies make her into a reckless, angry girl who would use violence as much as possible.
 * Both make sense for her, really. She tries to conduct herself professionally for the sake of being the ship's captain but deep down, she harbors a lot of personal issues stemming from her origins and her life growing up. She has a lot of control but can be pushed easily as well.
 * Door Stop Baby: Complete with bracelet and undecipherable Alienese note.
 * Friend to All Children: Being a former orphan herself, she's very kind to current kids at the orphanage.
 * Granola Girl
 * Hey Its That Voice: Voiced by Peg Bundy. An entire episode's plot alludes to this.
 * Incidentally, it's kinda hard to not expect ass-kickings from Peg after seeing Leela in action.
 * Horrible Judge of Character: When it comes to certain animals, such as space bees or bloodsucking leeches.
 * Hot Amazon: Actually referenced in an episode where Bender Cosplays as her, and says he's "Every nerd's fantasy".
 * Informed Attractiveness: She has men falling for her pretty often, but this is shown to be subverted as often as it's played straight. It depends largely on the episode.
 * Rubber Forehead Aliens:
 * Just Friends: With Fry to the point where people are getting tired of the Will They or Won't They It has been shown/implied that they do get together in the end.
 * The end of "Overclockwise" pretty much confirms that Leela and Fry ultimately have a happy ending.
 * Masculine Girl Feminine Boy: Masculine Girl to Fry's Feminine Boy.
 * Mood Swinger: When she thought Fry stood her up and died in an explosion in "The Late Philip J. Fry":

Hermes: It's what he'd want.

Leela: Then that's what I am! (angrily kicks the television and sadly cries)"

"Farnsworth: I can't believe it. He won by a single vote.
 * Not So Above It All: On occasion. For instance, in episode, rather than pay a nominal parking fee for a Hollywood premiere she flies around for hours before landing on the La Brea Tar Pits... which is exactly the sort of thing she usually scolds Fry and Bender for.
 * In "A Head in the Polls", after she spends the whole episode encouraging Fry to take an interest in politics and the electoral process:

Bender: Well it ain't my fault. I'm a non-voting felon, thank you.

Fry: Well it's not my fault either 'cause I forgot to vote.

Leela: Oh, crud! I knew there was something I meant to do today!"

"Leela: Mr. Voggle, remember me?
 * She calls Fry a baby for whining about how the career chip hurt when inserted. Two seconds later, she does the same thing.
 * Only Sane Man
 * Women Are Wiser: She's generally the one to talk Fry and Bender down from some crazy scheme.
 * This is sometimes averted though, as Leela is generally more stubborn and short tempered than Fry, while Fry is typically the more moral and laid back one.
 * Orphanage of Fear / Orphanage of Love: The "Orphanarium" where she grew up seems to be an odd mixture of both--it was (and still is) dirt-poor and she was picked on constantly, but the Warden seems like a nice guy... sort of.

Mr. Voggle: Leela. You're worthless and no one will ever love you!

(both laugh and hug)

Leela: You used to say that all the time!

Mr. Voggle: Those were happier days."


 * Soapbox Sadie: Occasionally, and in the sense that it forms an episode's A-plot.
 * The Spock
 * Straight Man
 * Super Wrist Gadget: "This thing I wear on my wrist".
 * Team Mom: So much that she follows Fry and Bender into the army so they won't get hurt.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tomboy to Amy's Girly Girl.
 * Tomboyish Ponytail
 * Woman Scorned: Let's just say you don't want to be on her bad side
 * You Gotta Have Purple Hair

Bender Bending Rodriguez


"Voiced by: John Dimaggio"

A loudmouthed, kleptomaniacal, misanthropic robot who also happens to be Fry's best friend. Despite his abrasive personality, has been known to Pet the Dog on occasion. Bender drinks constantly, because his fuel cells are powered by alcohol. He also smokes constantly because he thinks it makes him look cool.

Tropes associated with Bender:
"Bender: I love stealing, I love taking things~"
 * Anti Hero: Type V. It's either this, or...
 * Villain Protagonist: According to the Robot Devil, they looked around and couldn't find a robot worse than him. And yet he's one of the Protagonists...
 * Ascended to A Higher Plane of Existence: in "Overclockwise"
 * Attention Whore: He'll act out (to varying degrees of violence) if he feels his friends are neglecting him.
 * Attractive Bent Gender: In 'Bend Her', if you're into it.
 * The Big Guy: He's well aware that he's this, but usually goes out of his way to avoid getting pigeonholed (or, less tactfully, he's too lazy to do typical Big Guy stuff).
 * "Blackmail Is Such an Ugly Word. I prefer extortion. The 'X' makes it sound cool."
 * Blue and Orange Morality: When it comes to interacting with humans, he seems to only have a very basic understanding of their limits while missing the fact that approaching those limits is painful. Thus, he's served up a dish of capers and salt (think mashed potatoes except... not), but makes sure that the amount of salt is slightly below a lethal amount.
 * Breakout Character: In the same way Stewie was for Family Guy.
 * Catch Phrase: "Bite my shiny metal ass!" among many others
 * Deaf Composer: Bender loves to cook, but can't taste his food. Which is terrible.
 * Dirty Coward: Though not always.
 * Do Anything Robot: Quite literally, but only when he feels like it. Seems Robots in the year 3000 are built for one purpose, but can adapt pretty well to others; Bender himself is Planet Express' resident cook.
 * Bender sees it differently: everything he does is simply a different form of bending, which enables him to bend an entire brick wall (not on the list of approved bendables, apparently).
 * Drama Queen: Confesses to be one.
 * Even Evil Has Loved Ones: "All those times I said, "Kill all humans," I'd always whisper "Except one." [sobbing] Fry was that one, and I never told him so!"
 * Except that scene  so it's possible this isn't true.
 * It's still plausible and in-character for him. In a later episode, he told Hermes that the latter was on his "don't kill"-list.
 * Regardless, Bender has shown times where he genuinely connects with Fry (and other humans too) and doesn't want to see any ill happen to them.
 * Even Evil Has Standards: In the Comic.
 * The cartoon as well. He's evil, but usually not as evil than the current antagonist.
 * Exotic Eye Designs: Looks like typical Cartoony Eyes, until you look closer and realize that he has square pupils. One gag had him playing back a recording, during which his pupils switched to the 'play' symbol.
 * Faux Affably Evil: Sometimes.
 * Affably Jackass: Has a surprising charm for a Jerkass.
 * Flanderization: His original character has been displaced by a jokey persona.
 * Could be justified as Character Development, as he's a far rounder character now.
 * The Hedonist: To an extent. It could be considered a form of Getting Crap Past the Radar, since the networks wouldn't take kindly to him drink, smoke and read smut so much if he were human
 * Heroic Comedic Sociopath: On a good day.
 * Comedic Sociopath: On a normal day.
 * He's Back: "I'm back, baby!"
 * Hidden Depths: Has an interest in folk music, art (he has an odd argument with Planet Express Ship early in 'Love And Rocket'), cooking, and others that really seem out-of-place in a bending unit, much less a sociopathic whore-mongering criminal like Bender.
 * If Its You Its Okay:
 * Informed Attribute: Played for laughs. He constantly brags about his lack of emotions but is probably the most emotional person in the series.
 * Its All About Me: He loves to be the center of attention.
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Towards Anglelyne in "Bendless Love".
 * Jerkass
 * Jerkass Facade: Shows emotions often, even being moved to tears on more than one occasion.
 * Jerk With A CPU Of Gold: He has his moments, but let's be completely honest here. If Bender actually had a CPU made out of gold, he would rip it out, sell it on the black market, and use the money to buy booze, cigars, and hookers. (Then realize that he needs truly needs it and, with the help of friends, recover it.)
 * Jerk With A CPU Of Jerk: As well.
 * Kleptomaniac Hero Well, a hero who is also a kleptomaniac, although hero might not be the right term

"Leela: Bender, we didn't mind your drinking, or your kleptomania, or your pornography ring.
 * The Lancer
 * Large Ham
 * Laughably Evil
 * Lethal Chef: Being a robot, he lacks the sense of taste.
 * Living Forever Is Awesome: As revealed in "Lethal Inspection", robots(ones made by Mom, at least) can simply Body Surf into a new body(he acted like they didn't because he's a drama queen), and jokes at humans being capable of(easily) dying. As it turns out, he doesn't have a backup chip, prompting him to be scared of his newfound mortality, Which is, at most, a billion years.
 * Lovable Rogue: To the Planet Express crew, anyway.

Zoidberg: In fact, that's why we loved you."

""What does it take to kill me?""
 * He even considers himself "the loveable rascal."
 * The McCoy
 * Meaningful Name: Bender, which not only denotes his function, but the fact that he's on a constant drinking bender.
 * Metaphor Is My Middle Name: How his full name was established in the show.
 * Must Make Amends: In the same episode as the Fry example, Bender, in a fit of jealousy, kicked said dog's fossil into hot lava. After realizing what he did, he dove into the lava to save it - successfully, though his eyes melted afterwards.
 * Nigh Invulnerable: Of both the Made of Iron and Spare Body Parts varieties.

"Bender: I need plenty of wholesome, nutritious alcohol. The chemical energy keeps my fuel cells charged.
 * Specifically not quite as invulnerable as he might have been, however.
 * Pet the Dog: Sometimes; the majority occurs in the comics.
 * Required Secondary Powers: Bender's super strength and invulnerability are all side-effects of his ability to bend. He can also do anything as long as it's an extension of bending (like pumping, unlike turning).
 * Really 700 Years Old: And then some. It's subtle but post-Bender's Big Score he has actually existed for eons due to various time travel incidents where he goes into the past then waits until the present day (from where he came) arrives again.
 * Ridiculously Human Robot: In personality, with the caveat that robots are a separate race.
 * Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Manly Man to Fry's Sensitive Guy.
 * Super Powered Robot Meter Maids He was designed for bending struts, yet...
 * Smoking Is Cool: Invoked.

Fry: What are the cigars for?

Bender: They make me look cool."


 * Smug Snake
 * Team Chef: Officially Planet Express' cook.
 * Cordon Bleugh Chef: He can cook just fine, and in fact the other characters have been eager to eat his cooking in the past, but he really shouldn't be allowed to experiment.
 * The Team Wannabe: Wanted to join the Harlem Globetrotters in "Time Keeps On Slipping".
 * Time Abyss: Due to hundreds of repeated one-way time travel, Bender would clock in at the thousands of millennia.
 * The What If Christmas episode seems to indicate he can last 500 million years.
 * Tin Can Robot: Looks like a robot out of the 1950s, since he's supposed to be a industrial girder-bending robot. This has the added advantage of making him durable and fairly easy to repair, to the point that he has (or can easily acquire) replacement arms and legs.
 * Token Evil Teammate
 * Treasure Chest Cavity
 * Villain Protagonist: Sometimes.

Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth


"Voiced by: Billy West"

Fry's great-to-the-umpteenth-power nephew. An inventor whose brilliance is hindered by his old age. Owns Planet Express, and manages to get ample screentime despite never accompanying the heroes on their missions.

Tropes associated with Farnsworth:

 * Absent Minded Professor
 * Anti Hero: Type IV or Type V. Doomsday devices anyone? Also, stem cell research.
 * Bad Boss: He cheerfully sends the crew to very dangerous missions. And they're not his first crew.
 * Even Bad Bosses have Standards: He demands they not go after Space Bee honey, considering what happened to his last crew.
 * Boomerang Bigot: Towards robosexuality.
 * Brilliant but Lazy: "I really should do something... but I am already in my pajamas". It's more a lack of motivation than outright laziness, though.
 * Bungling Inventor
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: He's undeniably crazy and unstable but also one of the best minds in the World and possibly universe.
 * Catch Phrase: "Good news, everyone!"
 * "Wah?" also counts. "But I am already in My pyjamas" was nearly one but was discarded pretty soon.
 * Cloudcuckoolander Thanks to his senility.
 * Confusing Multiple Negatives: In "Roswell That Ends Well", he tells Fry that in the event that he was supposed to do anything that affects anything while in the past, "for the love of God, don't not do it!"
 * Ditzy Genius: Probably the greatest scientist in the universe, but incredibly senile.
 * Eccentric Mentor: The very few times he has a good idea, he is this.
 * I Called Myself Mad. But I showed me!
 * Oh My Gods: "Buddha! Zeus! God! One of you guys do something! Help! Satan! You owe me!"
 * Mad Scientist
 * Nerd Glasses
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: On the surface, Farnsworth appears 80 or 90 years old but is actually in his 170s. Understandable, considering that this is the distant future.
 * We saw a flashback of him in his 90s. He look middle-aged
 * Senior Sleep Cycle
 * Sitcom Arch Nemesis: Ogden Wernstrom WEEEEEEERRRRRRNSTRRROOOM!!
 * The Spock: He has absolutely no problem sending his crew on missions to almost certain death. Unlike other examples though, this is simply due to his being insane.

Doctor John A. Zoidberg


"Voiced by: Billy West"

A lobster-like alien who serves as the doctor at Planet Express, and lives in Professor Farnsworth's walrus tank (and sometimes in a dumpster out back). He's not very good at his job, and has secret ambitions to be a comedian. Unfortunately, he's not very good at comedy either. In fact, he's not very good at anything except annoying the fellow crew members. Coasts by on freeloading off others, being pitied for his naivety and occasionally being the hero.

Tropes associated with Zoidberg:

 * Amusing Alien
 * Berserk Button: Zoidberg does the cutting, and you better not forget it!
 * Beware the Nice Ones: 'Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?' shows us that accidentally stealing his girlfriend is a bad idea.
 * Bizarre Alien Biology: He has redundant organs, ink glands, a mating crest and went through close to a dozen stages of growth in the episode "Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles". He's also got three hearts(originally four, but one was removed) and two different kinds of stomachs.
 * Borscht Belt: As part of his role as Space Jew, he's also a classic Borscht Belt-style comedy character.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: The professor finds it strange that he wears sandals but doesn't seem put off by the fact that he's an enormous crab.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Catch Phrase: WOOP WOOP WOOP!
 * The Chew Toy
 * Crippling Overspecialization: When it comes to medicine and surgery, Zoidberg is actually brilliant... as long as he's operating on aliens or dealing with alien diseases. Unfortunately, since he's on Earth and surrounded by humans, all that knowledge is nearly useless and thus he often does more harm than good.
 * In "The Duh-Vinci Code", he gets to use his doctorate for once. However, that doctorate is in art history...
 * It's also implied he suffered some brain damage when he was younger ; prior to that, his comments were completely rational, and afterwards he forgets what he said and is less coherent.
 * Crouching Moron Hidden Badass: When he's sufficiently angered, he is capable of kicking serious ass. Isn't that right Clamps.
 * First Name Basis: Nowadays everyone calls him on his last name, but he was quite popular with the first Planet Express crew who called him on his first name.
 * Flanderization: He was originally written as a parody of Dr. McCoy from Star Trek (whilst McCoy was an expert on operating on aliens, Zoidberg couldn't operate on a human to save anybody's life), before becoming generally incompetent.
 * Honor Before Reason: As shown in the episode "The Tip of the Zoidberg", Zoidberg was a remarkably successful doctor working for Mom and could have lived a life of comfort had he stayed on her payroll. Instead, in return for the Professor saving his life from a yeti, Zoidberg decided to stay with him, making him the poverty-stricken man he is today.
 * I Just Want to Have Friends
 * Last Name Basis
 * Mate or Die: Yes and No. When Decapodians mate, they will die soon after, like many real-life crustacean species. However, they can mate with Yivo, and, apparently,, without dying.
 * The Millstone
 * My Friends and Zoidberg: Trope Namer
 * Not That Kind of Doctor: In The Duh-Vinci Code, it turns out that Zoidberg's doctorate is in art history... Though it was later established he's one of the best doctors when it comes to alien anatomy around.
 * Older Than They Look: Though it would hard to guess how old he looks(He is a crab like alien after all) he's known the professor since 2927, putting him somewhere in his late 80's.
 * Secret Keeper:
 * Space Jews: Played for laughs. Oy vey!
 * This is also why his species are crustaceans -- they're not kosher.
 * Neither are humans.
 * Took a Level In Badass/Let's Get Dangerous: Kicks Clamps' ass in Silence of the Clamps after he threatens his job at Planet Express and is about to clamp Bender.

Hermes Conrad


"Voiced by: Phil La Marr"

A Jamaican bureaucrat who helps Farnsworth run Planet Express. Enjoys bureaucracy and unnecessary forms.

Tropes associated with Hermes:
"Hermes: I think I'm coming down with circusitis. (sneezes -- he ends up looking like a clown)
 * Adult Child:

Leela: I thought circusitis only affected children.

Hermes: Children of all ages."

""Sweet something of... someplace.""
 * Always Someone Better: Barbados Slim. "He is the only person to have won Olympic medals in both Limboing and sex."
 * Anti Hero: Type IV.
 * Ascended Extra: In the first season, Hermes was more of a Satellite Character. Later seasons rectified this.
 * Badass Bureaucrat: In one episode he convinces a forced labor camp to let him go by organizing them so efficiently all the work can be done by one Australian man. Then he organizes a massive pile of tube cylinders. To a beat.
 * Catch Phrase / Mad Libs Catchphrase: "My Manwich!" And his son's inherited it.
 * "Sweet (animal) of (location)!"
 * Lampshaded one on occasion, where Hermes was too cold to bother filling in the blanks.

""I'm feeling lower than a green snake under a sugar cane truck.""
 * "(X subject) (Y verb/adjective) (Z simile about green snakes and sugar cane).


 * Lampshade Hanging: "Didn't we used to be a delivery company?"
 * From the comics in particular: "'Good news, everyone!' is a registered trademark of Planet Express. The management guarantees no actual good news."
 * Happily Married: To the beautiful La Barbara. She always goes over to her ex-husband Barbados Slim however if Hermes is not available for whatever reason (like having his head chopped off.)
 * Henpecked Husband: La Barbara also scolds Dwight, their son, often.
 * Jerk With a Heart of Gold:
 * I Was Quite a Looker: He has very much gotten out of shape since his limboing days (apparently due to "the munchines"), although he's still a champion limbo master.
 * Obstructive Bureaucrat: And he's incredibly proud of it.
 * Ugly Guy Hot Wife: Hermes isn't much to look at, but his wife La Barbara is quite stunning.

Dr. Amy Wong, PHD.


"Voiced by: Lauren Tom"

An "intern" working at Planet Express, though seemingly as permanent as everyone else there. Is extremely rich and spoiled. Her parents own half of Mars, which they use for buggalo ranching and a gambling paradise called "Mars Vegas".

Tropes associated with Amy:

 * Asian Airhead (until )
 * All Girls Want Bad Boys: Until she hooks up with Kif.
 * Bare Your Midriff: Her standard outfit.
 * Big Eater: She was like this when she was younger. During an incident that made everybody younger, her teenage self was revealed to be chubby, and she cried when she saw herself in that state. Later, during a Freaky Friday Flip, she used the opportunity to go back to her big eater ways, and spent the episode constantly eating until she witnessed Fry and Leela.
 * Brainless Beauty: At times.
 * The Chick
 * Cute Clumsy Girl
 * The Cutie: For example,she was once caught in a fire that burnt off most of Amy's hair. Her reaction? "Look! My hair got singed into an even cuter 'do!"
 * She had cuteness reduction surgery in two places.
 * Embarrassing Old Photo: Her 2997 employee of the year photo. Not only was she fat in that photo, it makes her hungry just looking at it.
 * Expository Hairstyle Change: Played with -- when she's first seen during the Intro Dump at the very beginning of Bender's Big Score, she had grown her hair longer, but Bender almost immediately burps fire, burning her hair to its more familiar length.
 * Formerly Fat
 * Genius Ditz: When given the chance, she's shown to be a surprisingly good engineer.
 * Even more so, now that
 * Gratuitous Foreign Language: Amy often speaks Cantonese, especially when angry.
 * If Its You Its Okay:
 * Interspecies Romance: With Kif.
 * Limited Wardrobe: Despite having boatloads of cash from her parents to purchase any outfit she could want, Amy almost always wears the same pink tracksuit (except for formal events). When Fry points this out, she says it's because she's rebelling against her parents.
 * Pink Means Feminine
 * Slapstick Knows No Gender: The whole reason she was created was to see if audiences would accept a female victim of slapstick. They did.
 * Spoiled Sweet: Her parents own a hemisphere of Mars, but despite this, she's actually pretty nice (if a little inconsiderate and selfish at times).
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Leela's Tomboy.
 * Totally Radical: A 30th century version.
 * Valley Girl: Although a milder case than most.
 * Well Done Son Guy: Sort of. In "Into the Wild Green Yonder", she reveals that she has been trying to fill the void of her father wanting a son by acting more masculine (her choice of clothing, as opposed to something more feminine, for instance).
 * Wrench Wench: An engineering intern. Not that she actually does anything...

Twenty-Five-Star General Zapp Brannigan


"Voiced by: Billy West"

The only military leader we ever see, Brannigan has many medals and a high post despite a strange fixation on killing everybody who he sends into battle, whether helpful or not, whether needed or not. People serving under him tend to die. He's selfish, arrogant, fat, lazy, immature and an idiot. And those are his good qualities...

Tropes associated with Zapp:
""I surrender and volunteer for treason!""
 * Anti Hero: Type V at best, Villain Protagonist at worst.
 * Captain Ersatz: His appearance, attitude, position, and mannerisms are very similar to those of James T. Kirk. In fact, he was originally pitched as "What if William Shatner was captain of the Enterprise?"
 * Captain Space Defender of Earth
 * Casanova Wannabe: Despite his attitude, he once admitted that Leela is the only woman who's ever loved him - physically. He did get some action with the Amazonians, but that doesn't count.
 * Dirty Coward

"Zapp: Brave-o! En-core!"
 * Fake Ultimate Hero
 * General Failure
 * General Ripper: Has started tons of unnecessary wars, including against a race of sentinent balls on Spheron 1 (which resulted in them being forced off their home planet), the Spiderians, the Neutral Planet, the Retiree People of the Assisted Living Nebula, and the dreaded Pacifists of the Ghandi Nebula.
 * President Nixon advocates just about everything Brannigan does, which is why he's able to be such a free wheeler. The Democratic Order Of Planets doesn't seem to really care (the only way he was able to get on their bad side was to destroy their brand new headquarters, otherwise they seem to ignore his attitude towards combat).
 * Handsome Lech - To some extent. He'd be played straight if he got rid of the gut.
 * Jerkass
 * Large Ham: Imagine William Shatner playing William Shatner playing William Shatner... as Kirk.
 * Lawful Stupid: Played for laughs. Zapp Brannigan will always enforce "Brannigan's Law" wherever he goes, despite the fact that he has no idea what that law even is. Other than that, he is generally a selfish Dirty Coward who would happily sell out his friends and sacrifice hundreds of people to save himself.
 * Laughably Evil: He'd be a Complete Monster if he were not Played for Laughs.
 * Malaproper


 * Manipulative Bastard: In "In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela".
 * Acting bereaved over Kif's death to bed Amy in "The Beast With a Billion Backs" was probably a new low for him.
 * Miles Gloriosus
 * Narcissist
 * The Neidermeyer
 * The Obi Wannabe
 * Of Corsets Funny: "C'mon girdle... Hooolddd..."
 * Pants Free/Going Commando: Not only does he not wear pants, he doesn't wear underwear. It's only by virtue of the length of his uniform top that he's not always exposed. But don't follow behind him while climbing a ladder. It seems he extended it to the soldiers under his command, and possibly the entire Earth military considering his high position in it.
 * Pet the Dog: Subverted hard twice.
 * He does have one (yes, only one) genuine moment, which is providing assistance during Kif's pregnancy. But even then, he didn't really care about the situation so much as he was just going along with what everyone else was doing.
 * Pyrrhic Victory: Pretty much his only battle strategy.
 * Shout Out: Between the many William Shatner shout outs, one stands out as he dramatically recites the lyrics to "Lola", imitating Shatner's infamous rendition of "Rocket Man".
 * Small Name Big Ego
 * Smug Snake
 * Villain With Good Publicity: The only possible reason for how he retains a job.
 * We Have Reserves: His method for dealing with a bunch of insane killbots? Send wave after wave of his own men to saturate their kill limit.
 * What Could Have Been: Zapp was originally going to be voiced by Phil Hartman, before the latter's untimely death.

(Lieutenant) Kif Kroker


"Voiced by: Maurice La Marche"

Brannigan's long-suffering personal assistant, Kif just can't seem to get away from the guy. Eventually evolved from merely a Satellite Character for Brannigan to also having a relationship with Amy.

Tropes associated with Kif:

 * Beleaguered Assistant: To Zapp. Might as well be the trope image, if that's not currently the case.
 * Bizarre Alien Biology: His digits can stick to walls and ceilings, he has no muscles or bones (his body is supported by bags of fluid instead), and we've also seen him inflate his head (to scare off predators on his home world) - and only his head, get your mind out of the gutter. His race is otherwise amphibian.
 * In Proposition Infinity, Kif says that he would be the closest related to the Sea Cucumber out of all of Earth's aquatic animals.
 * Butt Monkey
 * Deadpan Snarker: Especially early on, before he hooked up with Amy.
 * Green Skinned Space Hunk: In-universe. Females in at least two cultures of humanoids find him attractive.
 * Hypercompetent Sidekick: Hypercompetent might be pushing it a bit, but he's got a good head on his shoulders and is usually standing near Zapp.
 * Hypocritical Humor: In "War is the H-Word", Fry is demoted to Kiff's assistant and Kiff proves to be an even worse boss than Zapp, being openly hostile towards and constantly yelling at Fry.
 * I Just Want to Be Badass: A couple of times. He does pretty well, considering.
 * Interspecies Romance: With Amy.
 * Mister Seahorse
 * Nice Guy
 * Only Sane Man
 * Punny Name: "Kroker" as in "croaker" as in "frog"

Mom/


"Voiced by: Tress MacNeille"

Head of Mom Co and richest woman on earth, she is the overall villain of Futurama. It was also revealed that she was in a relationship with Professor Farnsworth in the past, but he left when he found out how evil she was. This happened several times, as he kept forgetting.

Tropes associated with Mom:
"Mom: Nobody rips my kids off but me!"
 * Abusive Parents: She doesn't have them - she IS one.
 * She's pushing 150, why would she even have them?!
 * Big Bad: She is the closest thing the series has to a main villain. Although the movies have their respective baddies, she returns in the third as the primary antagonist.
 * Birthday Hater
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She presents herself to the public as a matronly grandmother, but in reality she's an incredibly evil and abusive old woman.
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive
 * Dating Catwoman
 * Evil Matriarch
 * Fat Suit
 * I Was Quite a Looker
 * Intentionally Awkward Name: As big a jerk as Mom is, just try not to say anything bad about her when your own mother happens to be in earshot. The results wouldn't be pretty.
 * Turns out her real name is actually
 * Jerkass
 * Love Makes You Evil: It's suggested that she became so bitter because Farnsworth broke off with her 70 or so years ago.
 * Mama Bear: Sort of...


 * Nice Character Mean Actor: In-universe. See Bitch in Sheep's Clothing.
 * Pet the Dog: Zoidberg is the only person she treats well, and subsequently, is one of the only people that treats Zoidberg well.
 * Take Over the World: "GO CONQUER EARTH, YOU BASTARDS!"
 * Ungrateful Bastard: She receives hundreds of thousands of heartfelt cards from her robotic 'children' every Mother's Day, but she uses them as material for her products without even reading them. (Not before checking them for money, of course.)
 * Villain With Good Publicity

Walt, Larry, and Igner
"Voiced by: Maurice La Marche, David Herman and John Dimaggio"

Mom's three sycophantic sons/henchmen in order of importance. Walt is the oldest and supposedly most intelligent - but even that isn't saying much. Larry is a snivelling yes-man to everything his mother says with an inferiority complex the size of New New York. And Igner is mentally retarded.

Tropes associated with Walt, Larry, and Igner:

 * Characterization Marches On: In their debut episode, Walt was virtually the same, but Larry seemed to be at the bottom rung while Igner was silent, but normal (barring a few hints of crossdressing). Larry now seems to be the Only Sane Man while Igner is a full-on The Ditz.
 * Comic Trio: Walt is the schemer, Larry is powerless, and Igner is stupid.
 * The Dragon: Theoretically, Walt to Mom - although he doesn't actually have any say in any of Mom's plans, he does have the authority to slap his brothers around.
 * Luke You Are My Father
 * Obfuscating Stupidity: Igner of all people did this in Bender's Big Score to his brothers, which raises some questions about his usual behaviour...
 * Oedipus Complex: Walt once voiced the desire to marry a woman just like his mother. The worrying part was that the looks his brothers gave him didn't display them seeing a problem with this - and possibly even agreeing.
 * Only Sane Man: It's hard to tell, thanks to Walt's crazy and idiotic plans, but other than those he does seem to be the only sane man in the trio.
 * Punch Clock Villain: The brothers have had occasional appearances outside of Mom's schemes, and it seems that when Mom isn't around, the three of them lead almost normal lives (Larry in particular was once seen queuing up to use Bender's dating service).
 * Terrible Trio
 * The Three Stooges: Their antics often mirror those of Larry, Curly, and Moe.
 * When Mom slaps them, it's dubbed with either the original Stooges multi-person slap sound or a very close match.

Calculon
"Voiced by: Maurice La Marche"

Robotic star of the hit tv show All My Circuits and Bender's hero.

Tropes associated with Calculon:
"Calculon: "Funny story. The script called for me to say 'Yes', but I gave it a little twist.""
 * Big No


 * Brotherhood of Funny Hats:
 * Chewing the Scenery
 * Deal With the Devil: Deal with the Robot Devil: To gain his "unholy ACTING TALENT"!
 * Large Ham
 * Really 700 Years Old: Used to be an automatronic arm in the 21st century.
 * Oscar Bait: The reason he starred in Harold Zoid's The Magnificent Three is because he was promised an Oscar, so he could get out of that "festering rat's nest called 'television' once and for all."

The Robot Devil
"Voiced by: Dan Castellaneta (1999, 2003, 2008); Maurice La Marche (2001)"

Tropes associated with the Robot Devil:

 * Affably Evil: He might be the robot version of Satan, but he's actually a rather polite guy under most circumstances.
 * Chain of Deals: Actually manages to use one in "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" as part of a Batman Gambit to reclaim his hands from Fry...and it works!
 * Deal With the Devil: He does this. A lot.
 * The Devil Is a Loser: The guy is outsmarted by Fry and in one episode is seen in jail.
 * Well he technically wasn't outsmarted by Fry, so much as he didn't think his name would ever come up on the wheel.
 * He was, however, outsmarted by Bender in "Ghost in the Machine". Bender needs to take over a machine to save Fry, but they're on the Amish Homeworld, where machines are prohibited. The Robot Devil, who's standing right next to him mocks him for this, until Bender realizes there is one machine there...the Robot Devil. Cue Bender possessing HIS body and saving Fry
 * Even Evil Has Standards: The depths to which Bender can stoop shock even him.
 * Large Ham
 * Not So Harmless: Proves at the end of "The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings" that despite The Devil Is a Loser being in effect, he's still able to pull of an effective Batman Gambit. He  All things considered, he's pretty clever when he wants to be.
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Given that there is a "Fairness in Hell Act" dating back to the 23rd century, he's probably this.
 * Satan: Well not really...
 * Screams Like a Little Girl
 * Sissy Villain
 * That Makes Me Feel Angry: Was his line, and is the Trope Namer
 * Villain Song



Scruffy "The Janitor" Scruffington
"Voiced by David Herman (2000)"

Originally a recurring background character in the series, Scruffy was randomly tossed about the series who held multiple jobs much like The Simpsons Wiseguy. However, during the episode "Anthology Of Interest," the writers ran out of characters to kill and decided to feature his character as another victim as a result. Ever since then, he became an Ascended Extra and his job was cemented into the full time janitor at Planet Express.

Tropes associated with Scruffy:
"Because he believes in this company ::sniffle::"
 * Almighty Janitor: He does own more than four times the rest of the employee's stock in Planet Express.

"Scruffy: "Scruffy's gonna die the way he lived." (licks finger, turns page of magazine)"
 * Ascended Extra: The epitome of this trope
 * Catch Phrase: "I'm Scruffy. The Janitor."
 * Lovable Sex Maniac: He's rarely seen without his Zero-G Juggs and National Pornographic magazine.


 * Repetitive Name: According to the 2008 Futurama wall calander, his full name is "Scruffy Scruffington".
 * Running Gag: No one ever remembers that Scruffy works there.
 * Star Crossed Lovers: With his robotic wash bucket.
 * Third Person Person: Scruffy almost always speaks in the third person.
 * Third Person Person: Scruffy almost always speaks in the third person.

Lrrr and Ndnd (of the planet Omicron Persei 8!)


"Voiced by Maurice La Marche and Tress MacNeille"

The rulers of the planet Omicron Persei 8, Lrrr and Ndnd (pronounced "Lerrr" and "Nen-DEN-duh") are typically presented as working towards conquering other planets to expand their empire. When not conquering other planets, they act like a remarkably stereotypical couple that have been married for years, watching television, having petty arguments and the like. Their race, the Omicronians, are capable of producing several millions of (delicious) children, an asset which allows them to conquer many planets, as mentioned above.

Tropes associated with Lrrr and Ndnd:
"Lrrr: (in sunglasses and a baseball cap) Do you have any... human horn?
 * Aliens Speaking English: They seem to have their own language (like when Ndnd was counting to the little Omicronian in "The Problem With Poplers") but for the convenience of us (and probably the writers), they always speak English.
 * Could be easily justified by how much Earthican (English-language) TV they watch - especially since they first invaded Earth entirely because of one program.
 * Badass Cape: Lrrr, and pretty much standard attire for Omicronian men in positions of power.
 * Big Bad: Apart from Mom, the Omicronians are another selection of characters often played as villains.
 * Black Comedy Rape: A human woman does this to him in "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences", considering him Fetish Fuel.
 * Catch Phrase: "I am Lrrr, ruler of the planet Omicron Persei 8!" Said even to people already very familiar with him. And when he's trying to hide his identity.
 * Compensating for Something: Lrrr helpfully informs a plastic surgeon that his horns are a sign of virility... and that they house his testicles. He's promptly recommended to get horn extensions.
 * Domestic Abuse: Played for Laughs, of course.
 * Henpecked Husband: Oh, God, is he ever. In "Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences", his wife is mad at finding that Leela is more successful at nagging and forcing him to do stuff than she is (and Leela was trying to help him with his marriage).
 * Is This Thing Still On: Lrrr sets about scratching his crotch once he thinks the camera has stopped rolling on his announcement to eat a human in compensation for all the children consumed by humans.
 * Its Pronounced Tropay: In the first few episodes featuring her, she's "nen-DEN-duh". In the later half, she's "Nn-duh-NN-duh".
 * Just Eat Him / Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him: Lrrr's prefered methods of dealing with conflict.
 * Large Ham: This concept of ham-style acting confuses and INFURIATES LRRR!
 * No Indoor Voice: Omicronians in general, but Lrrr is the best example.
 * Paper Thin Disguise: Lrrr tries to use one when buying an aphrodesiac in "Spanish Fly".

Porno-Dealing Alien: You're not a cop, are you?

Lrrr: No, I'm just... some guy... who's... RULER OF THE PLANET OMICRON PERSEI 8!"


 * Villains Out Shopping: They're even introduced to Futurama as demanding to be shown the final episode of a long-lost Earth television show, Single Female Lawyer.
 * Well Done Son Guy: Lrrr's father.

President Nixon('s head)


"Voiced by: Billy West"

The head of former U.S. President Richard Nixon. He first appeared when he won an election (due to the large number of robot votes he got) and became president of earth. He has since become a recurring character, and most often plays the President Evil role.

Tropes associated with Nixon:
"I'll sell all of our children's organs for meat! Then I'll break into peoples houses at night and wreck up the place! Muhahahaha!"
 * Ascended Extra: Once a one-time character, Nixon's head is now the recurring president of Earth.
 * Catch Phrase "Aroooooo!"
 * Chekhov's Gunman
 * Comedic Sociopath


 * Eagle Land: Type II
 * Jerkass
 * Large Ham
 * Evil Is Hammy
 * President Evil
 * Really A Millennium Old: Goes without saying.
 * Take That: Serves as one against Nixon for the writers
 * Voodoo Shark: An in-universe example: In "Into The Wild Green Yonder", Fry finds out that Nixon staged the moon landing -

Nibbler
"Voiced by: Frank Welker"

The Ridiculously Cute Critter that the Planet Express crew encountered while saving two of every animal from a planet about to implode. He proved to have a voracious appetite, but thankfully, he's Solid Gold Poop incarnate -- his species produces dark matter, which could be used as starship fuel.

Tropes associated with Nibbler:

 * Big Eater: And how!
 * Chekhov's Gunman: Present since the series premiere, in fact.
 * Cute Little Fangs
 * De Power:
 * The Fake Cutie:
 * Older Than They Look
 * Solid Gold Poop: His waste is dark matter, which powers starships.
 * Translator Microbes:
 * Solid Gold Poop: His waste is dark matter, which powers starships.
 * Translator Microbes: