There's No Way You Can You Name All These Futurama Characters
- by Ryan Carlquist
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Matt Groening was the mastermind behind the greatest (and most long-running) animated series of all time, but he does have another incredible cartoon under his belt. Matt Groening created the delightfully oddball sci-fi series, Futurama, following his monster animated hit. The show took off and gained a devoted following, and the whacky cast of characters helped to propel it to the top of the pop-culture obsessed TV charts. Futurama seems to be a bit more cult than Groening’s previous animation foray, but the show has its fair share of die-hard fans. The show contains Groening’s trademark wit, his knack for nailing interpersonal relationships, and there’s a warm heart to the show, hidden deep down below the surface (just like the lovable Bender).
The show has seen some new love recently with it streaming in-full on Netflix, and it seems that more and more people are starting to realize that Groening’s second hit is actually an under appreciated gem. The show begins (admittedly, like most) with a cast of characters that seem to want nothing to do with one another, but it quickly molds into a cast that feels like more of a meddling family, than a group of oddball strangers. See if you can name all these Futurama characters!
Who Is This Troublemaking Robot?
This is probably the most well-known and synonymous character in the show (and for good reason). This sentient, alcoholic robot is pretty much the synthesis of everything that makes this show so wonderful. He’s dry (not sober) and witty, and he puts on a tough and grand appearance, but below the surface rests a warm robotic heart that cares about his friends at the Planet Express Delivery service. Just don’t get in the way of this robot and a good time, or he just might tell you to bite his shiny metal a**.
Can You Name This Time-Traveling Delivery Boy?
This character is the heart and soul of Futurama, even if he tends to play second-fiddle to the ever-illustrious Bender. When this young lad is frozen-in-time for 1,000 years, he wakes up in a completely different futuristic society and (of course) he loses his mind. He always felt like an outcast in his present (the past in the show) and this new change of scenery might actually do him some good (of course, it does). He meets an amazing group of friends, and he gets a job doing the only thing he’s good at.
Who Is This One-Eyed Ass-Kicker?
Sometimes it can seem that women in animated media (and all media, for that matter) have to unjustly take a backseat to the male characters in the show. However, in Futurama, Groening made sure to make this character as well-rounded, complicated, and (actually) more intriguing than the rest of the cast. She takes a backseat to no man, and she leads the Planet Express Delivery crew to some exotic and dangerous locales, and somehow manages to get everyone out alive.
Who Is This Jamaican Bureaucrat?
This incredible character seemed to have been conceived simply to dispel stereotypes, and to add some diversity to an already diverse allotment of characters. This character is hardworking, determined, and a bit controlling when it comes to the daily activities around the office, but he’s always around to lend a hand (unlike most of his co-workers). He also just so happens to be pretty quick with a song, as evidenced by the bureaucrat-centric episode of the program, which proves to be one of the absolute best episodes.
Who Is This Practicing Crustacean?
This character just might be the most ridiculous one of the bunch (which is saying quite a bit). He never seems to be on top of anything, and he’s always looking for his next meal or a chance to blow off work. It’s also a running gag that despite his medical degree and practice, that he’s dirt poor and homeless, which seems strange considering that his delivery colleagues are able to afford housing and a seemingly comfortable life, which does get under his skin (shell).
Who Is This Spoiled Heiress?
This is certainly a character that is hard to love, she’s spoiled, abrupt, and condescending … and, of course, we love her to death. She never had to worry about money because of her parent’s enormous wealth, and she never hides that impressive fact. She’s also one of the few characters of the show that doesn’t ever seem to crowd the screen too much. The writing team knows how special she is, and they make sure to use her sparingly, and ultimately, perfectly.
Can You Name This Meddlesome Creature?
This meddlesome, but unbelievably adorable creature has cause its fair share of trouble with the Planet Express Delivery service, but it shows enough love to the crew, especially her caretaker Leela, that it’s well worth it. This creature seems to have a bottomless pit of a stomach, and it just so happens to convert all of the food that it eats into concentrated dark matter, which is used to fuel the ship. It’s hard to imagine the crew getting by without this little numbskull wrecking his way through everything in his path.
Who Is This Womanizing Captain?
This is certainly a fan-favorite character on the show, and it’s not because of any innate charm or respectful nature. This character is modeled after William Shatner’s portrayal of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek television series, and he showcases all the things that made that character so great. This captain is constantly trying to get Leela to sleep with him (usually with no luck) but he’s just sweet enough to actually accomplish this goal from time to time. People love to get disgusted by this character.
Who Is This Elderly Coot Scientist?
This character is solely responsible for the success of the Planet Express Delivery service, and he’s also always almost the reason is goes under. His constant inventions usually put the crew of the delivery service in more danger than they’re worth, and rarely does he invent something that makes their job easier, or that brings in more money for the company. He also just so happens to be Fry’s great (x30) nephew, which is why he accepts his help, and makes him a permanent employee of the delivery service.
Who Is This Abused Alien?
This poor, poor character. It’s hard to imagine feeling worse for another character, because this poor alien has to spend his every waking hour waiting hand-and-foot on Zapp Brannigan, the absolute worst captain in the universe. He’s treated pretty awfully, but he puts up with it because he definitely has Stockholm-syndrome for his captor. He ends up falling for the selfish and often-dimwitted Amy, and she helps him to step out of his shell and stand up for himself (eventually).
Who Is This Quiet, Self-Contained Janitor?
This character, like Amy, is used very effectively throughout the program. The audience never sees too much of him, and they’re always left wondering just when he’ll pop up again. He also is a man of few words, as he basically only says his name and his profession whenever he enters the frame. The best interactions with his character is when the show truly goes off the rails, and you can see him in a different time, on a different planet, or just wandering around in the background.
Can You Name This Maniacal Elderly Tycoon?
This elderly woman is without-a-doubt the most evil character in the show. She runs her own empire, and she attempts to crush everyone that stands in her way. In one episode, it is revealed that anchovies will basically make or break her industry, and when Fry wins a lot of money, he buys the last can of anchovies in the galaxy (he wants to eat them). She then attempts to scheme her way into stealing the long-expired disgusting fish away from him, thinking he’ll steal her formula.
Who Is This Robotic Thespian?
This robot appears relatively frequently throughout the series, and he always brings his acting A-game. He is the most well known Soap opera actor in the galaxy, and at times he’s even Bender’s hero. Bender, at one point, tries to become an actor, and even scores a spot on this robot’s signature show, All My Circuits. This character is great because he never seems to break character, especially the character he presents to the world, himself. And he always manages to class up the place.
Can You Name This Insane Robot-Mafia Member?
This character is the most psychotic and abusive character in the whole show, and he uses his trademark hand-weapons for intimidating and threatening everyone around him. He uses his insanely dangerous hands to strike fear in his enemies, and he does this, usually, for the sake of the Donbot. The Donbot is a play on Don Corleone from The Godfather, and he acts exactly like him, save for his robotic innards. And this trusty servant of his is always the one he trusts the most.
Who Is This Evil Presidential Body Part?
This quiz question would look odd pertaining to anything but Futurama, but this character actually exists, and appears quite frequently. This real-life president, of course, was known for his ruthless behavior, and he’s even more ruthless in this futuristic show. He becomes the president for a second time in the show, but this time he’s actually president of the entire galaxy. He uses his power to attempt to become an evil dictator, before eventually being stopped and becoming a gloating floating head once again.
Can You Name This Not-So-Jolly Holiday Robot?
This is perhaps the best role-reversal character in the show (which is saying quite a bit because there are a lot of robots that fit that bill). Instead of the usual happy-go-lucky Christmas figure this character is based on, this character is quite murderous, a trait shared by many of the characters on this quiz. Every year, instead of giving gifts to the little boys and girls in the city, this character shows up and lays waste to public property, and attempts to kill everyone.
Who Is This Robotic Demon?
This character rules the land of the underworld, and he’s based off a real fallen-angel from the bible that rules in hell. This is going to be a pretty obvious quiz answer, but it’s hard to talk about this character without giving anything away. At one point during the series, Fry ends up challenging this character for the souls of Bender, and himself, and he ends up winning this character’s hands in the process. The hands help him play beautiful music that impresses Leela, but he ends up giving up the hands to attempt to impress her by himself.
Can You Name Fry’s Ex-Girlfriend?
Fry was seeing a girl for a while right before he was frozen in the past, and she hurt him pretty bad and broke his heart. This character doesn’t pop up too many times throughout the show, but she always seems to bring pain into Fry’s life. Even though he’s in the future, he ends up ruminating about their relationship, and even encountering her when he goes back in time, but it doesn’t help Fry reconcile his problems with his ex.
Can You Name Nixon’s Headless Helper?
Richard Nixon’s real-life Vice President is presented in the show, and fittingly, he has no head. Groening can be pretty sneaky with his references and humor, but sometimes his most on-the-nose writing proves to be the most hilarious. Agnew didn’t do much in life to stop Nixon’s tyrannical power moves in office, and so Groening decided to put him in his animated show, and make him a tool for Nixon to use time and time again (not super witty, but laugh-out-loud hilarious, nonetheless).
Can You Name This Domineering Robot?
This robot just so happens to be the daughter of a farmer that lives on the moon (yes, equally ridiculous and hilarious). While the group is attempting to find safety while traveling across the moon, they find short refuge in a farm nestled on the moon’s surface. The only rule that the farmer has is that they respect his property, and stay away from his family. Of course Bender ends up sleeping with the farmer’s daughter, and he ends up chasing them towards the dark side of the moon.
Who Is This Incredible Alien Chef?
This alien chef is based on a variety of real-life chef personalities, as he’s theatrical, self-empowered, and a pretty incredible and successful chef. He even owns his own restaurant that the group frequents on special occasions, and one of his biggest fans, Bender, is always trying to get him to acknowledge him in one way or another. There are few characters as successful or bigoted as this particular celebrity chef, and he’s as talented with his words as he is in the kitchen.
Can You Name The Professors Clone?
When the Professor announces that he’s going to be naming an heir to his laboratory, his delivery service, and his fortune, Fry naturally assumes that it’s going to be him, seeing as he’s one of the Professor’s ancestors. The Professor shocks everyone when he realizes that it would be better to create a clone of himself, that would stick true to his values and keep everything he loves in-tact. He ends up being a little more than the Professor bargained for, as he’s deceitful, annoying, and hurtful to the people around him.
Who Is Bender’s Doppelganger?
When it is revealed that there is a character that looks exactly like Bender, and things start to mysteriously go missing, Fry naturally assumed that this character is responsible. Of course everyone but Fry, including the audience, knows that Bender is actually the evil thief, and that this character is clearly just there to take the fall. This character’s only noticeable difference from Bender is that he has a goatee, which also helps to support the theory that he’s evil.
Who Is This Self-Indulgent Robot?
This character is based off an entire school-of-thought, and his only thoughts are pleasing himself, at whatever cost. This character is only concerns with his own pursuits, and that generally means eating endless amounts of grapes, and attempting to coax everyone around him into having an orgy. He represents a pretty outdated concept, something more popular in Ancient times, and frankly something that deserved to die a millennium ago. He is also his own couch, meaning that he’s always laying down, and in the throws of the lap of luxury.
Can You Name This Mind-Controlling Amphibian?
This character is pretty synonymous with this show, and he’s a pretty popular meme on the internet. This character shows up in several ads and commercials that play throughout the show, and his crazy moving eyes help to coax the viewer to buy or concern themselves with whatever he’s representing. This creature is always associated with a loud humming noise, which he uses to gather and influence animals and humans. This is just another one of the strange but iconic characters introduced in the show.
Who Are These Parasitic Slugs?
These slugs attach themselves to the heads of their victims, essentially controlling them, and making them fully commit to the needs and wants of the slugs. These slugs pop up time and time again, and they attempt to control the main group of characters, as well as the ancillary supporting characters in the show. Generally they pop up in pretty obvious ways, but they still manage to tempt and control the characters regardless, especially Fry. One day, they may even take over the planet.
Can You Name Hermes’ Son?
Hermes son is all the troublemaking know-it-all that Farnsworth clone is, and the two are best friends. At one point in the show, the two of them even take control of Planet Express, eventually running it into the ground when they realize they don’t quite possess the know-how to run a successful, intergalactic business (but in all fairness, who does?). The two of them are usually shown pranking and generally being a nuisance to the Planet Express Delivery crew, and they’re always getting grief from their elders.
Who Is Hermes’ Wife?
This character isn’t shown too much in the show, but she’s an important character nonetheless. She is Hermes’ better half, and she always sticks by him. Her former flame, Barbados Slim is always popping up and trying to best Hermes in feats of strength and mobility (specifically limbo) but this character always manages to stand up for her man and support his bureaucratic endeavors. She also seems to be the dominant member of the pairing, and is always seen as a control-taking character.
Who Is This Southern Lawyer?
This character actually manages to grace the screen a multitude of times throughout the show, and he’s always seen causing trouble for the delivery crew whenever they get into a bind with the law. He’s usually either prosecuting the crew or defending someone they’ve wronged, and he always manages to sway the jury for a bit, due to his southern drawl and his steadfast logic (not really). He also just so happens to be a chicken, and the show plays this out pretty well.
Who Is The Ruler Of Omicron Persei 8?
This ruler always manages to tell the world of his illustrious title. He is the ruler of a far off world that has a sort of affinity for network cable television, especially soap operas, from Earth. Seeing as it takes so long for the television frequency to reach the aliens, they actually are seeing shows that were taken off the air years prior. When their favorite television show ends abruptly, they go to Earth to seek out why it ended. The people of Earth then have to continue the show, in hopes of … well … living.
Who Is This Aggressive News Anchor
This character is seen in nearly every episode, and he’s always just about ready to destroy the human race, but he of course has to make a living, and he does this by performing on-air. He reads the news every day, and his on-screen co-host is always assuming that he’s joking when he talks about the violent acts he wishes to commit upon the human race. And even though he’s generally always enraged, he does manage to keep it somewhat cool in his job.
Can You Name This Pizza Restaurant Owner?
This character was Fry’s boss before he was frozen, and he treated him like any pizza delivery boy, with contempt. Of course he does give Fry a job, and he supplies him with pizza every now and again, and even though the pizza doesn’t look particularly appetizing, it is a nice gesture. This character is revisited multiple times throughout the show, and his pizza place is even recreated by Mom and her children to attempt to trick Fry into revealing his bank password, in order to keep him from stealing her formula.
Who Is Farnsworth’s Gargoyle Savior?
This gargoyle used to belong to Hubert Farnsworth, and Farnsworth even paid to put him through college. The gargoyle has a French accent, and he believes that he owes his life to Farnsworth, and is always in his debt, until he saves his life. He ends up saving the professor at the end of the episode in which he escapes, and he states that the two of them are “equal.” Afterwards, he saves the professor for a second time, and he demands that the Professor help him out in the future.
Who Is This Globetrotting Physicist?
This character is yet another seemingly real-life individual that’s presented in an absurdly hilarious way. This fake Globetrotter is, of course, still a renowned and beloved basketball player whose finesse and skill earns him adoration the world over. But he also just so happens to be one of the smartest creatures alive, who hails from an off-world known as the Globetrotter home world. That explains why the Globetrotters never seem to lose any of their games, they actually aren’t human, they’re genius aliens.
Who Is This Beloved, Frail Robot?
This character is based off a beloved character from a Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol. He is based on Tiny Tim, an ill-fated character that doesn’t have the use of his legs. He is also extremely poor in the story, but by the end, Scrooge ends up making things right and helping Tim and his family through desperate times. This character doesn’t receive the same luck, and is generally seen as a punching bag for the group, representing an even darker and more perverted version of Christmas than Futurama originally presented (which is saying a bit).