Matt Groening's Futurama is one of the most beloved animated comedies of all time thanks largely to its lovable and hilarious characters. The series followed the adventures of a delivery man who was accidentally frozen and brought back to life in the year 3000. The fun concept is further elevated by the cast of zany characters that occupy this new futuristic existence.
Though the show might not be as iconic as some of its other animated peer shows, it has managed to create several characters who will remain popular for years to come. Even though not every character is a total hit, the truly great ones make up for that. Here are the best and worst Futurama characters, ranked.
Worst: Zoidberg
Dr. Zoidberg is a lobster-like alien creature who works as the staff physician at Planet Express. Due to his obnoxious behavior and often disgusting nature, Zoidberg is generally disliked by everyone he encounters. And, while he is a fun character, it's easy to see why he doesn't have many friends.
Despite being a doctor, he seems to have no knowledge of human anatomy, leading to some hilariously bad medical advice. He is emotionally needy but drives everyone due to his gross eating habits and the fact that he lives in a dumpster. Usually, he seems oblivious to everyone's contempt, which makes him an entertaining character to hate.
Best: Professor Farnsworth
Professor Farnsworth is Phillip J. Fry's distant nephew and the owner of Planet Express which he founded as a way of funding his scientific work. The Professor, while brilliant, is something of a mad scientist, creating all sorts of unusual experiments. Some of them are successful, most of them are not.
The Professor is one of the show's funniest characters thanks to his extreme age and frequent fits of rage. He loses his temper at the smallest provocation, leading to hilarious rants. He seems to have little regard for his own crew, often sending them on dangerous missions with a strange sense of glee. He is one of the highlights of the show for sure.
Worst: Kif
Kif is the long-suffering and soft-spoken personal assistant to Zapp Brannigan. Rarely shown to have any personal agency, Kif spends most of his time getting ordered around by Brannigan, trying to talk Brannigan out of his latest terrible idea, or getting seriously hurt due to Brannigan's incompetence.
The whole point of Kif's character is that he is meant to be a walking punching bag, and that can be good and bad for the character. His interactions with Brannigan are often funny, but it's hard to like a character who is such a push-over.
Best: Fry
Usually, when the lead character of a show is not the show's best character, it can mean trouble. In the case of Futurama, the fact that Fry is overshadowed at times is just a testament to how many great characters are on the show. Frey is certainly a key part of the series and one of its most likable characters.
Thanks to his laidback approach to everything, the fact that he is now living in a new millennium doesn't phase Fry too much. He is not the smartest guy around, but he is generally nice and cares about his friends. His stupidity leads to some of the show's funniest moments, while his constant love for Leela makes for many surprisingly tender moments from the show.
Worst: Amy
Amy Wong is the Planet Express intern. When first introduced to the show, Amy is little more than a dim-witted and accident-prone girl who seems very spoiled. However, the character was given more to do as the show went on, making her a lot more interesting.
It is revealed that she is the daughter of extremely wealthy ranchers on Mars and has a hard time relating to her parents. She also begins a relationship with Kif later in the season which helps further develop both these supporting characters. Amy's easy-going and kind attitude make her a very likable character on the show if not a stand-out.
Best: Leela
Leela is without a doubt the most badass character on Futurama. She operates as Planet Express' pilot, fearlessly flying into any dangerous situation with great expertise. She is constantly saving the lives of her incompetent and terrified crew, using her superior fighting skills to face-off with many deadly enemies.
Though she is a brave and fearsome person, Leela also has a very complex soft side to her. Abandoned as a baby, she lived a lonely life and was an outcast due to her appearance. Leela is not always the funniest character on the show, but she is certainly its most complex.
Worst: Hermes
Hermes is one of the more professional members of the Planet Express team and, as a result, he is much less fun than his other coworkers. Hermes is introduced as a grade 36 Bureaucrat and delights in making everyone follow his strict standard of rules and regulations. It's not hard to see why he can sometimes be a bit of a bore.
The Jamaican native has been given some character moments over the series to help make him more interesting but none of them are ever very successful. He seems like a character the show doesn't know what to do with and that makes him rather forgettable.
Best: Bender
Bender is probably the most iconic character to come out of Futurama. A vulgar, beer-drinking and cigar-smoking robot, Bender is Fry's best friend and one of the show's most entertaining characters. The unique characterization is helped introduce a very different science-fiction world than what audiences' are used to.
Bender is blunt, rude, and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. He's also the troublemaker of the group with a problem with authority. He is usually the one getting the Planet Express team into their latest bad situation. Bender is like a combination of both Homer and Bat Simpson.
Worst: Mom
Few characters on Futurama are as evil as Mom. She is the ruthless owner of MomCorps and a frequent enemy of the Planet Express team. Though she presents herself to the public as a kind and caring elderly Southern lady, behind the scenes she is a pure monster.
Her vulgar personality and cruel tactics do not only extend to her adversaries. She is also constantly berating—both verbally and physically—her three adult sons who follow her with blind loyalty. If all her evil deeds weren't enough, Mom also has an affair with Professor Farnsworth that is utterly nauseating.
Best: Zapp Brannigan
Zapp Brannigan is not one of the main characters on Futurama, but every time he makes an appearance on the show, he steals the whole episode. Brannigan is the arrogant-yet-completely-incompetent starship captain who has several run-ins with the Planet Express crew.
Brannigan is an incredibly self-centered man whose pompous attempts to save the day often result in an even bigger problem. He thinks of himself as a brave and cool ladies man but has constantly proven he's quite the opposite. We could definitely watch an entire show surrounding his space misadventures.