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All right, listen. You're my children, and I love you. But you're all terrible at what you do here, and I feel like I should tell you I'd fire all of you if I could.
- Bob Belcher

Robert "Bob" Belcher, Jr. is a third-generation restaurateur[17] and the titular protagonist of the Fox animated series Bob's Burgers. Bob runs Bob's Burgers with the help of his wife, Linda Belcher, and their three kids, Tina, Gene, and Louise Belcher.

While poor with business management and cursed with an unlucky streak, his experience and skill in homemade cuisine have helped his restaurant stay afloat, in spite of seemingly constant financial uncertainty, providing for his family all the while.

He is voiced by H. Jon Benjamin.

Profile[]

Appearance[]

Bob has tan skin and black hair like the rest of the family, as well as brown eyes ("Moody Foodie") like his son ("The Gene & Courtney Show"). He has a paunch and is fairly tall. He has a great deal of body hair, which he seems to have inherited from his father and passed down to his eldest daughter ("Mother Daughter Laser Razor"). He has receding black thinning hair and a visible bald spot. He compensates for this with his signature mustache, which ultimately won the affection of his wife ("Sliding Bobs"). His ears are noticeably not visible despite his haircut not being sufficient to cover them.

He typically wears a white T-shirt, gray pants, and black clogs. While cooking and working at the restaurant, he wears a white apron, though he is oddly never seen with a hairnet. Alternatively, his nightwear consists of a white v-neck T-shirt, sky blue shorts, and brown slippers. He sometimes walks around in his boxers.

S4E17

Bob's fresh tattoo. ("The Equestranauts")

Bob has a tattoo of a caricature of his own nose and mustache on his lower back. He got it by force when Bronconius attempts to tattoo a design of Bob's face on a horse's butt, instead of the 'official' Equesticle tattoo Bob consented to ("The Equestranauts").

In his youth, Bob had a thick head of hair. Once after Louise was born and Tina was leaving toddlerhood, Bob's hair started balding and thinning.

Personality[]

S6e17 The Horse Rider-er Bob Linda Tina Gene Louise

Bob hugging his family. ("The Horse Rider-er")

Bob is overall a family man. He'll do anything for his kids, including working overtime as a cab driver for sex workers so his oldest daughter can have a good birthday party ("Sheesh! Cab, Bob?"). He's also very involved in their lives and tries to support their passions. For example, Bob participates in his children's mockumentary in "Fraud of the Dead: Zombie-docu-pocalypse" and lets them use the restaurant for their film.

Despite being so involved in his kid's lives, he understands their boundaries. Unlike Linda, he realizes when he should stop pressing on, like how he knew Louise would hate it if Linda used her room for a space in her short bed and breakfast venture ("Bed & Breakfast"). He's also aware of other people's personal space. In "Thanks-hoarding," he is the only one in his family who doesn't want to try to fix Teddy's hoarding problem and organize his items (although part of this is because he doesn't want to waste any more time at Teddy's apartment).

S1e1 Human Flesh Tina Gene Louise

"But you're all terrible at what you do here, and I feel like I should tell you I'd fire all of you if I could." - Bob Belcher to his children in "Human Flesh."

Despite wanting the best for his family, Bob can be selfish and only care about himself, like how he tried to keep his gardening plot in "Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise" if it meant having Logan Bush work at the restaurant (since his mother is the garden master), despite him being Louise's mortal enemy. Another example is how Bob and his family made a commercial for Bob's Burgers in "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial" but discarded most of the footage to add a celebrity endorsement from Sandy Frye. When he realizes how self-obsessed he's been, he'll apologize to his family for his mistakes and make it right. After he realizes how thoughtless he was to Louise in "Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise," he immediately fires Logan, and in "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial," he openly expresses his regret for cutting out his family from the commercial to all the customers at Jimmy Pesto's Pizzeria.

Something always stresses him, and one of the big reasons for his stress is the financial struggles he and his family suffer from. He barely gets to meet the due date for rent payments, and he has three children who don't quite seem to understand how poor their family is. Another reason is that he must think of new ingredients and a new name for the burger on his Burger of the Day board ("Sexy Dance Healing"). Friends, family, neighbors, and rivals also frequently test his patience. He tried to meditate in "Bridge Over Troubled Rudy," and how calm and relaxed he was after meditating disturbed many people, including his wife. He never appeared meditating after because "being relaxed is exhausting."

Bob and Linda being optimistic about saving the restaurant. (The Bob's Burgers Movie)

Bob can't seem to live without tension, and the stress sometimes even makes him happy. While Jairo calls his burgers of the day "stress makers," his wife calls them "happy makers." Making unique burgers with special ingredients is why Bob wanted to own a restaurant in the first place ("Father of the Bob"), and he loves it when people try out his innovative stuff. Bob also is less frugal with money than he thinks he is. He is glad to spend a lot of money on his family if it makes them happy, like how he used the money he would have used to fix the restaurant's deep fryer to afford horse camp for Tina ("The Horse Rider-er"). Despite being pessimistic all of the time because of thinking the restaurant will go down under, Bob can become really upbeat and hopeful when someone gets him going, particularly his wife, who has unwavering support for his dreams and their family.

S5e10 Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise Bob

Bob tickling his beans. ("Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise")

Bob frequently anthropomorphizes things around him, which began when he was a child due to his unsatisfying relationships and busy work schedule ("Bob Fires the Kids"). One example is in "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal," where he dubs a turkey "Lance" and develops a relationship with Lance after becoming intoxicated since he spent Thanksgiving alone in Mr. Fischoeder's kitchen. Bob was also upset when Gene accidentally 'killed' Mr. Doglavich, the feeble lump of soap he carved into a dog as a kid ("Bob Fires the Kids").

His desire to talk to objects instead of people shows his introversion. He only talks to a few people outside his family and the customers who visit his restaurant. Compared to "Talky Teddy" ("Crawl Space"), Bob often gives one-word or short responses or just grunts to show that he's listening. He claims his best friend was Walter Russo, but he hasn't talked to him since "like, six years ago." As he states in "Driving Big Dummy," he is never interested in people and doesn't enjoy people that much. The people Bob only likes to hang out with are really his wife and kids ("The Spider House Rules").

Bob making his customers hate him. ("Aquaticism")

While he doesn't want to make new friends most of the time, the times he actually attempts to blow up in his face usually. An example is in "Uncle Teddy," when Bob talks about how excited he was to meet other members of the North Atlantic Burger Lovers forum at the Indefinite Stay hotel but realizes that the people he spoke to on the online chat despise him and have a deep hatred for him. They thought he was making fun of them or belittling them with his posts, and although he states he was joking, it shows how poor Bob is at communicating with people. Bob also isn't great at socializing with the people who eat at his restaurant. When he tried to joke around with a patron by "giving [him] the business," the customer and his friends were highly offended and forced Bob to leave to have Linda wait on them ("Aquaticism"). A customer also thought he was flirting with him in "Romancing the Beef." Bob is also bad at communicating with the people he's familiar with, and Bob can't show he cares about his friends well, like how he tries telling Teddy in "Sea Me Now" that he cares about him by violently shaking him.

Bob upset after not seeing any monkeys being friends with lions. ("Just the Trip")

Bob is highly accepting and tolerant of other people around him, even if he doesn't like talking to them. He is typically only uncivil towards those who go out of their way to demean or harass him, namely his neighbor, rival, and fellow restaurateur Jimmy Pesto, owner of nearby Jimmy Pesto's Pizzeria. Bob turns into a completely different person when someone upsets him enough, and the restaurateur even imagines himself killing his rival at one point by stuffing a zucchini down his throat ("Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial"). The other person Bob regularly shows contempt for is Hugo Habercore the health inspector, mainly because he frequently tries to shut down the restaurant and attempts to court Linda, even though she is happily married to Bob. Despite his violent side, he'll always have a touch of humanity with him. An example is how he vouched for Jimmy to the Glencrest Yacht Club president in "Yachty or Nice" so he would accept him as a club member. He also has shown that while he doesn't like Hugo, he nevertheless understands and respects the importance of his job and acknowledges that he does it well ("Are You There Bob? It's Me, Birthday"). Some people are under the impression that Bob doesn't like them, such as Linda's sister Gayle. While Bob has admitted that she makes him uncomfortable and annoyed at times, he still cares about her and will help her out when she needs it.

Story[]

S3e3 Bob Fires the Kids Bob

Kid Bob and his lump of soap, Mr. Doglovich. ("Bob Fires the Kids")

Robert "Bob" Belcher Jr. is the only child of Big Bob and Lily Belcher. His passion for cooking stems from his childhood when he cooked with his father in his restaurant, Big Bob's Diner ("Father of the Bob"). However, Bob didn't have a good childhood—although he thought he did ("Bob Fires the Kids"). Bob's mother passed when Bob was young, and his father forced him to work in the restaurant every day. Bob still loved cooking but couldn't stand working under his father. He wanted to open his own restaurant where he could freely express himself with his unique burgers (The Bob's Burgers Movie). When Big Bob offered to let Bob co-own his diner with him and change the name to "Bob and Son's," Bob harshly rejected his offer and deserted his father, believing he could never truly work or be partners with him ("Father of the Bob").

BB wedding

Bob and Linda's wedding photo. ("Slumber Party")

He meets Linda Genarro at a bar after she accidentally strikes him in his mustache ("Sliding Bobs"). She falls in love with his mustache and his dream to make all these clever burgers with different ingredients (The Bob's Burgers Movie). After Linda becomes pregnant (The Bob's Burgers Movie), they buy an open space on Ocean Avenue to establish Bob's vision, Bob's Burgers. Sometime before or between these events, they marry on September 3rd ("Human Flesh"), and Linda takes up Bob's family name. Linda delivers Tina months later. Linda later gives birth to their son Gene and their youngest daughter Louise. Bob's family works in the restaurant with him to support his dream.

S13e1 To Bob, or Not to Bob Bob Linda Tina Gene Louise

Bob and his family for Bob's Burgers grand re-re-re-re-opening. ("To Bob, or Not to Bob")

Bob's Burgers[]

Bob's Burgers is Bob's eponymous restaurant, which he owns and runs with his family. The restaurant appears to be in a perpetual state of "almost failing," making enough money to stay in business (albeit barely) but never enough to provide financial stability to the Belchers. However, Bob would choose the short end of the stick instead of serving terrible food to his customers. He makes his food with good, quality ingredients that he tastes before serving ("They Serve Horses, Don't They?"). Despite his loyalty to the kitchen, Bob's lack of talent in promotion, his family's wackiness that causes his plans to fail (failing to pass out promotional items, annoying customers, being distracted at work), and bad spending habits (though usually done for the good of his family, such as using money to send his horse-obsessed daughter to a horse camp instead of using the money to fix the restaurant's deep fryer ("The Horse Rider-er")), are the reasons why they never seem to 'make it' and why they continue to have financial struggles.

Relationships[]

Family[]

Movie Bob Linda

Bob and Linda before launching Bob's Burgers. (The Bob's Burgers Movie)

Linda Belcher[]

Oh, Bobby! Now you listen to me. I would rather be married to a suspected cannibal with a dream, like you, than a soft-lipped guy who never had a dream in the first place.

Linda is the wife of Bob. They first interact when they go to the same bar, and as Bob's walking by Linda's table, she accidentally gets the diamond ring Hugo Habercore betrothed her with stuck in Bob's mustache ("Sliding Bobs"). Linda falls in love with Bob and his "Tom Selleck-ian mustache," and after meeting him face-to-mustache, Linda dumps Hugo for Bob. On her second date with Bob, she realizes he is "the one" ("Something Old, Something New, Something Bob Caters for You"). She fell in love with Bob's passion for burgers and his idea to make "cuckoo crazy burgers with wild ingredients" (The Bob's Burgers Movie).

As Bob's wife, Linda is naturally the person Bob is closest to. Linda's the person who always gets Bob out of his 'stumps' and reminds him of the dream Bob told her when they first met. Sometimes, Bob doesn't believe he deserves her (The Bob's Burgers Movie) because of how much she puts up with the stuff Bob unloads on her, but Linda's also dependent on Bob. Like how Linda will ease Bob's mind about the fears he tells her privately, Bob will support his wife with anything she's going through, even rashy, hairy armpits ("The Itty Bitty Ditty Committee"). While Bob often acts as Linda's voice of reason, he rarely, if ever, intervenes in her shenanigans, recognizing that doing so is pointless and Linda will do what she wants. However, he will always tell her when he thinks she is making a wrong decision and warn her of the impending consequences of her actions.

Bob and Linda at Louise's science fair, competing with "Spiceps" and "Spiceracks." ("Topsy")

Like their children, Linda also works in the restaurant. She co-owns Bob's Burgers and runs the restaurant any time Bob can't or isn't available. Without her, Bob can't run the restaurant, and she's the reason why working's fun for him ("Lindapendent Woman"). They like holding competitions between themselves while working, like how they played a napkin version of H-O-R-S-E when Tina, Gene, and Louise weren't around ("Stand by Gene"). They especially enjoy holding competitions for their children, such as betting on whether Gene or Louise could cook the best burger for the Burger of the Day board ("Tappy Tappy Tappy Tap Tap Tap") or keeping in mind who parented their kids the best in the week ("Li'l Hard Dad").

Bob remembering he's in love with Linda. ("Stand by Gene")

Their competitions can quickly turn from fun and friendly to aggressive, like when they played napkin-H-O-R-S-E in "Stand by Gene," Bob changed the game rules and almost purposefully sabotaged Linda so she couldn't win (even though Bob decided to support his wife in the end and she still won).

Competitions are just one of the ways they show love to each other, but some of the different ways may also translate poorly. An example is how badly Bob used to kiss Linda, and she disliked how he kissed her ("Human Flesh"), or how Linda was going to plan a surprise birthday for her husband, even though Bob hates surprises and birthdays ("Are You There Bob? It's Me, Birthday"). However, they fix something immediately when they realize something isn't working. In "Human Flesh," Bob learns how to kiss better online enough that Linda notices, and in "Are You There Bob? It's Me, Birthday," Linda decides to tone down and change her thing for Bob into something he'd enjoy.

To this day, they're still discovering new things about each other. Linda loves listening to Bob speak about his "sad stories," like how he told her about how he got two-timed at his prom ("Two for Tina"). Bob discovers Linda's secret life outside of their marriage and the restaurant with their children in "Eat, Spray, Linda." Bob is glad to learn about these "little surprises" ("Eat, Spray, Linda").

Bob being there for Tina's first horse love. ("Wharf Horse").

Tina Belcher[]

It's okay, Dad, even if I sit at the adults' table, I'll still be your little girl. Just because I've got the hang of pooping and peeing in the potty doesn't mean I don't need your help with other things, like homework or faxing.

Tina is Bob and Linda's oldest child. Bob believes that Tina is awkward ("Sheesh! Cab, Bob?"), namely because of the amount of crushes she has and the "erotic friend fiction" she writes (introduced in "Bad Tina"). However, so does everyone else in the family, and he still accepts and encourages his older daughter. He'll do anything to keep her happy, like how he put aside fixing the restaurant's deep fryer to get Tina to horse camp because he knows how much his daughter loves horses ("The Horse Rider-er").

Since she's the oldest, Bob worries about Tina growing up and leaving him. This concern first appears in "Sexy Dance Fighting," when Bob wouldn't allow and forbids Tina from taking capoeira lessons from Jairo since it jeopardized the future he wanted where Tina's cooking at the grill with him for the rest of their life. In "Motor, She Boat," he felt like Tina no longer needed him after she wouldn't let him help her make the boat for the Thundergirls' father-daughter cardboard race. However, Tina always regrets treating her father terribly or making him feel bad, and as Tina tells Bob in "Turkey in a Can," just because she knows how to poop and pee (Bob potty-trained Tina) doesn't mean she doesn't need her father's help with other things.

S11e22 Vampire Disco Death Dance Bob Tina

Bob helping Tina with her makeup before they go and watch Vampire Disco Death Dance together. ("Vampire Disco Death Dance")

As his oldest child, Tina is also the most mature and responsible—or at least the closest to his age. Bob likes putting Tina through rituals he went through, like how they went to the theaters to watch an old movie Bob used to love watching when he was younger ("Vampire Disco Death Dance"). Another example is how Bob's father let him drive in empty parking lots when he was about Tina's age, so Bob gave his daughter the same luxury ("Tinarannosaurus Wrecks"). But sometimes, Tina is more responsible than Bob, and she's the one teaching him lessons. Right after Bob lets Tina drive the car, she crashes it, and while Bob wants to lie and take the blame so their insurance won't go up more than it already will, Tina wants to tell the truth and convinces her father to as well.

In terms of work, Bob usually prefers to have Tina around since he knows she'll do her job if asked, whether it be cleaning menus, sweeping the floor or helping him run the grill. The usual exception is talking directly to the customers since Tina often makes the interaction uncomfortable and awkward, albeit unintentionally ("Human Flesh" & "Moody Foodie"). Bob also recognizes that if Tina is distracted or not doing her job very well, then she's likely upset or concerned about something, usually at school or involving a boy she likes. Instead of scolding her, he often likes to check in and see how he can help resolve her issue.

A big thing about Tina is how much she worries about the future and how others perceive her. Since he is more grounded (and more conscious about the law), Tina seeks Bob's help more than her mom's. He'll listen to his oldest daughter talk about her problems and help and reassure her afterward. An example is how Tina is worried about how she'll never find her 'real' peer group who'll like her for who she truly is in "Vampire Disco Death Dance," so he promises her she will and tells her he'd want to be her friend is he wasn't her dad.

S2e9 Beefsquatch Bob Gene Chuck Pam

Bob fighting his son on live television. ("Beefsquatch")

Gene Belcher[]

Let me look at your little, beautiful face!

Gene is Bob and Linda's second child and only son. Bob seems to misunderstand him the most out of any of his children. Gene constantly makes inappropriate comments that Bob has to scold him for (although Bob also scolds Tina and Louise for this), and his son's passion for music, particularly his megaphone and keyboard, often interrupts Bob's peace. They also don't have much in common and sometimes struggle to bond. Many episodes of the show focus on the differences between Bob and his son. As Linda mentions plainly in "Spaghetti Western and Meatballs," the two struggle to bond over "father-son stuff." They finally started connecting after watching Bob's favorite TV show, Banjo ("Spaghetti Western and Meatballs").

With Bob misunderstanding and scolding Gene and not having many common interests with his son, it might sound like he dislikes him. However, that isn't true. While Bob can get annoyed with his son, he has a close and loving relationship with Gene, like the rest of his children. Like how he is with Tina, Bob is learning how to support his son's eccentric or unconventional quirks and interests. In "A-Sprout a Boy," Bob confiscates his son's game because it distracts him from his school microgreens project, not understanding why Gene cares more about it than a project that could "help feed the world." But after seeing how much the game means for his son, the father realizes it's okay for his children to have different interests than him.

Gene singing a song about his dad's Thanksgiving dinner. ("Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid")

The two also connect for their passion for food. Bob has a burger restaurant, and Gene loves eating. As Bob reveals in "Diarrhea of a Poopy Kid," he was like Gene was he was younger. Bob loves to feed his son because Gene's the only one excited about trying the new dishes he made for Thanksgiving, and Bob loves Thanksgiving. In "Boys Just Wanna Have Fungus," the father-son pair also went foraging for mushrooms on their own, even doing 'extensive' research online beforehand (it was "a solid minutes' worth").

They don't always have to find a middle ground to spend time with each other. Despite their many diametric differences, Bob and Gene love each other very much and often learn from each other in unexpected ways. In "The Laser-inth," his son went with him to a Zentipede light show for his 45th birthday, and although Gene was horrified by the loud lights and music, Bob helped Gene feel safe enough to face a tough challenge and watch the rest of the show with him. Another example is how life forced them to take a couple's trapeze lesson together in a Valentine's Day gone wrong in "V for Valentine-detta." Although they were both terrified and even peed in their unitards, they both didn't regret it and learned to trust each other above all else.

S6e19 Glued, Where's My Bob? Bob Louise

Louise and her dad in Louise's fantasy. ("Glued, Where's My Bob?")

Louise Belcher[]

For what it's worth, every other day of the year, you're a pretty great dad.

Louise is Bob and Linda's youngest child. She likes to joke about her dad's restaurant and start rumors, often getting him and the rest of her family into trouble. The most prominent example of this is in the very first episode, in "Human Flesh," when his daughter sabotages the business they could've had on Bob's Burgers' grand re-re-re-opening by bringing one of her dad's burgers into school for show-and-tell and claims that it comes from human flesh.

Despite her seeming lack of care for her family's business, she secretly wants to take over Bob's Burgers when she's older ("Carpe Museum"). She's also interested in the business, shown in "Tappy Tappy Tappy Tap Tap Tap," where she competes with Gene over who could make the best burger for the Burger of the Day board (although both of their burgers were so horrible that it made Bob and Linda secretly disappointed in them). Another example is how Louise wanted her father to let her sharpen the knives despite being so young, so she had Tina teach her privately behind his back ("To Bob, or Not to Bob"). She also apologizes to Bob in "Human Flesh" for potentially shutting their family business down with her rumor.

Louise not wanting to admit she loves her dad. ("Carpe Museum")

In addition to her devotion to the restaurant, Louise shares many of Bob's other interests and personality traits. They're both in love with the Hawk and Chick franchise and envision themselves being the father-daughter protagonists in the film series ("Hawk & Chick"), and his daughter seems to have acquired his quirk of talking to inanimate objects ("Spaghetti Western & Meatballs," "Weekend at Mort's," & "The Kids Rob a Train"). They also both used to fear going to the bathroom in public spaces, and they believed that no one else had that problem, which is what they bonded over ("Poops!… I Didn't Do It Again")

Louise might have more things in common with Bob than anyone else—even her mom. Despite hating when people call her a baby (The Bob's Burgers Movie), his daughter secretly fears losing touch with him when she grows up and doesn't ever want to grow apart from him ("Hawk & Chick"). In "Spaghetti Western and Meatballs," Louise kept messing with her brother after he started watching Banjo with him at night when it was taking up the time the father-daughter pair watched TV together as their "Burn Unit," when they insult anything on. She also became more upset at Bob than Tina or Gene when their father started paying more attention to his garden (or, as he called it, "Bob's Beauties") than her ("Late Afternoon in the Garden of Bob and Louise"). But as his youngest child, it's natural for her to feel this way, and he's quick to reassure her or tell her he won't stop caring about her.

H. Jon Benjamin, Bob's voice actor, claims that he believes Louise is Bob's favorite child.[18]

Big Bob kicking his son out. ("Father of the Bob")

Big Bob[]

I can be... not great to work with. It was tough without your mom around. You did great on your own. She'd be very proud.

Big Bob is Bob's father. They have a complicated, strained relationship. Bob thought his father was highly controlling, critical, and unsupportive of him, and he even thought Big Bob hated him, and he stated that repeatedly ("Uncle Teddy"). When he was young, his dad constantly forced him to work in his restaurant, Big Bob's Diner. Bob missed out on his childhood and wasn't even allowed to have one in some respects, having to make his toys out of things lying around the restaurant as he was not allowed (although Bob initially remembered it as a positive experience) ("Bob Fires the Kids"). Most importantly, Bob held onto the time his father threw away his "Baby You Can Chive My Car Burger" he made for a regular thirty years ago after Big Bob was out and let Bob run the diner while he was away ("Father of the Bob"). Not only did Big Bob trust his son less after this, but Bob didn't protest when his father did this.

He kept quiet after all the future times his father scolded him until a boiling point ten years later when his father offered to let his son co-own the diner with him. Bob unleashed everything on him, telling his father he could never be partners with him, as he's impossible to work with. After that, Big Bob kicked Bob out for embarrassing him in front of his customers, and since then, Bob has made a rule that he can only be around his father for fifteen minutes before losing it ("Father of the Bob").

Bob talking to his father through the Clamstradamus. ("Wharf, Me Worry?")

Their relationship starts to heal in "Father of the Bob" when Bob discovers his father kept the first review of Bob's Burgers, showing that Big Bob does love and supports his son in his way. Bob Sr. admits that he can that he is a difficult person to deal with and understands why Bob left.

After this, he started allowing his father to see his family more often, although they still have their spats. When Big Bob takes his grandchildren to Wonder Wharf in "Wharf, Me Worry?" Bob tags along later to ensure Big Bob won't get "apocalyptic" on them, worrying his father's pessimism will get to his kids. However, when talking to Big Bob (through an omnipotent clam), Big Bob admits he's pessimistic, but he's optimistic his grandchildren will fix the future they'll live in. After this confrontation, Bob states it was the best conversation he had with his father and decides to trust his father more by letting him enjoy the rest of the day at the park with his grandchildren.

The Bob's Burgers Movie Bob Lily

A young Bob and his mother walking together in the park. (The Bob's Burgers Movie)

Lily Belcher[]

You remind me of my mom, Louise. And with the hat, it's kinda like you two have met. I keep forgetting that you never did.
— Bob Belcher about Lily Belcher, The Bob's Burgers Movie

Lily Belcher was Bob's mom. She passed away when he was younger, and they were likely very close as he speaks of her fondly. Bob mentions how they always made gingerbread houses together for Christmas in "The Last Gingerbread House on the Left." They also used to take walks in the park alone (The Bob's Burgers Movie).

Bob and his family visiting his mom. ("Show Mama from the Grave")

There's little information about her, and Bob doesn't know much about her either. His father didn't like talking about Bob's mom because it made him sad, and he worried it would make Bob the same ("Interview with a Pop-pop-pire"). His mother appears to be a touchy subject for Bob as well. But after visiting her grave for the first time in years with his family in "Show Mama from the Grave," Bob starts talking about his mom more often, like in "Radio No You Didn't," when Bob tells his family about Lily's mom and his grandmother, Alice Lombard.

Something about Louise reminds her of him, and like how Lily always used to wear a pink beanie, Bob and his wife decided to honor his mother by giving Louise a hat like her grandmother's (The Bob's Burgers Movie).

Gloria Genarro[]

I don't hate them. Just Grandma. Or- I don't hate her, just the sounds she makes. And her voice. And the things she says.

Gloria is Bob's mother-in-law. Bob dislikes her and becomes angry when he finds that she's going to visit. He talks badly about her and tries to avoid seeing her if possible ("Crawl Space"). In particular, he dislikes her voice and the noises she makes. In "Crawl Space," he hides in a wall for 3 days to avoid her.

Bob has said that he dislikes Gloria in particular because of the way she treats Linda, often speaking ill of her daughter in the way she raises her children and lives her life and taking advantage of her hospitality ("The Terminalator II: Terminals of Endearment").

Al Genarro[]

While Bob doesn't dislike his father-in-law as much as he dislikes Gloria, he nevertheless tries to spend as little time with him as possible.

Gayle Genarro[]

Gayle is Bob's sister-in-law.

2ASA07 Sq13 Sh12-0013

Gayle flashing Bob, thinking they are having an affair. ("Dr. Yap")

Bob isn't fond of Linda's sister, Gayle, either. He mentions how he dislikes many of her choices, such as hanging up her animal anus paintings in the restaurant. ("Art Crawl") In "Dr. Yap." Bob hallucinates from the medicine and accidentally kisses Gayle, mistaking her for his wife, Linda. As a result, Gayle falls for Bob as he tries to clear the accident.

While Bob is easily annoyed and frustrated with Gayle, he does care about her and will help her out when necessary since he recognizes that she's important to Linda.

Ernest Lombard[]

Ernest was Bob's uncle and his mom's brother. He ran 'Lombard's' department store before the mall opened and put it out of business ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins").

Vanessa[]

In "Uncle Teddy," Bob mentions his cousin Vanessa who is in a cult, although it's not clear whether she is a niece of his mother or his father.

Other love interests[]

Bob is also attracted to men. The series hints at this several times (like when Tom Selleck cuddles him in "Synchronized Swimming") and confirms it in "Turkey in a Can," where he tells another man that he's "mostly straight" before saying the man is out of his league, then telling him he'd call him while walking away). In "Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street," when Teddy calls out another handyman as handsome, and Bob questions it, Teddy asks, "You don't?" to which Bob replies, "I don't know, I didn't... I mean he's not really my type. He's got a good body, though." He also thinks The Rock has a "great body" ("All That Gene") and Hot Cousin Dave, Jen's cousin, is "pretty hot" ("The Pickleorette").

Friends[]

S7e9 Bob Actually Bob Teddy

Bob and Teddy hip-hop dancing together for Linda. ("Bob Actually")

Teddy[]

I can't live if living is without you!

Teddy is Bob's best friend, or "technically" is ("Friends with Burger-fits"). He's incredibly devoted to Bob and his family, and he's there for his kids, calling himself their "fun uncle" ("Uncle Teddy"). Teddy has also babysat them when Bob and Linda couldn't find an available babysitter. Not to mention, Teddy comes to the restaurant almost every day for a burger or two. He even worked at Bob's Burgers ("Thelma & Louise Except Thelma is Linda"), and when it was struggling because of the sinkhole, he assembled a food cart for "Bob Burgers" so the business could continue (The Bob's Burgers Movie). Teddy's also incredibly enthusiastic about the Burger of the Day board, and he's a reason why Bob continues to do them every day ("Sexy Dance Healing").

Their relationship isn't one-sided, and Bob will also help Teddy when he needs him, like how he and his family helped Teddy with his Thanksgiving in "Thanks-hoarding" with his family by coming to his apartment to clean it up, set the table, and prepare the dinner. Another example is in "Nightmare on Ocean Avenue Street," when Bob allows Teddy to decorate Bob's Burgers to show up the handyman working on the store next door.

Teddy crying that he betrayed Bob by eating someone else's burger. ("Sit Me Baby One More Time")

Despite almost being another family member, Bob initially didn't even see Teddy as his friend, but rather, his "best customer" ("Friends with Burger-fits"). Linda is generally the one who's more friendly to Teddy. Bob thought Teddy was a lonely person who only talked to Bob because of how lonely he was. Still, after taking a "boy ride" with Teddy, Bob realizes Teddy has multiple friends and learns that Teddy talks to him so much because he thinks he's interesting ("Driving Big Dummy").

If Teddy was just Bob's "best customer," Bob still cares immensely about Teddy. In "Friends with Burger-fits," he becomes guilty for providing Teddy with all his burgers, thinking he's why the handyman is so unhealthy, and Bob even has a nightmare of him exploding Teddy's heart with the burgers he feeds him. Another example is in "Housetrap," when he wanted to match Teddy with Helen despite her potentially being a murderer, stating that Teddy should "date anyone that likes him."

Although rare, Bob can sometimes get jealous of Teddy for choosing someone else over him, like how he yells at Jimmy Pesto in "Drumforgiven" (this time because of Teddy), telling Jimmy he'll "never have" what he and Teddy have: a real friendship. Bob tells his wife everything he said was "all for show" to satisfy Teddy. On the other hand, Linda believes what Bob said was genuine, and he loves Teddy and is "gonna have all of his babies." Another case is how Bob gets upset in "Mission Impossi-Bob" when Teddy (regrettably) reveals how he called Mort to rescue him before calling him.

Calvin Fischoeder[]

Ah, roller coasters come and go, but Bobs are once in a lifetime.

Acquaintances[]

Hugo Habercore[]

Hugo Habercore is the health inspector who tries to put Bob's Burgers out of business in "Human Flesh" and subsequently targets the restaurant several times. While the initial time was because of a legitimate rumor, Hugo frequently attempts to shut down Bob's restaurant out of jealousy, as Hugo used to be engaged to Linda. As such, Hugo is often hostile and takes great delight in looking for excuses to close down the restaurant or making Bob miserable, usually becoming angry when Bob passes his surprise inspections.

Bob also doesn't like Hugo, but the dislike is primarily out of annoyance rather than anger. While Bob did attempt to strangle Hugo during their first encounter, their relationship consists mainly of Bob dryly commenting on Hugo's overzealous or outrageous methods when targeting the restaurant. Bob admits that while he doesn't like Hugo, he respects and understands the importance of his job and knows Hugo takes it seriously most of the time ("Are You There Bob? It's Me, Birthday").

Enemies[]

Jimmy Pesto[]

Jimmy Pesto is the owner of Jimmy Pesto's Pizzeria and is Bob's primary business rival. Jimmy often picks on Bob for not having a very successful restaurant like he, which annoys Bob. Rarely though, they will collaborate to accomplish to stop something that has been bothering them ("The Oeder Games") and ("A Few 'Gurt Men").

References[]

  1. s5e6 "Father of the Bob" A flashback goes back 30 years, and Bob states he was 14 at the time.
  2. s7e18 "The Laser-inth" Bob celebrates his 45th birthday.
  3. s8e16 "Are You There Bob? It's Me, Birthday" Linda forgot that Bob's birthday was a day ago and tries celebrating it.
  4. s3e22 "Carpe Museum" Bob chaperones the field trip to the Museum of Natural History.
  5. s13e6 "Apple Gore-chard! (But Not Gory)" Bob chaperones the field trip to the Celtic Farms Historical Apple Orchard.
  6. s3e17 "Two for Tina" Bob talks about his prom experience at Buchanan Middle School.
  7. s5e6 "Father of the Bob" Multiple flashbacks show Bob working at his father's restaurant. However, Big Bob fired him/he quit twenty years ago.
  8. s5e6 "Father of the Bob" Linda forces Bob to help his father at his diner.
  9. s1e6 "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" Bob works a night job as a cab driver to earn enough money for Tina's 13th birthday party.
  10. s3e4 "Mutiny on the Windbreaker" Captain Flarty hires Bob to work for the Windbreaker, his cruise ship, insisting he'll only work for one night and the ship won't leave shore. However, the ship does leave shore, and Flarty tries to shanghais Bob to work on his ship permanently. However, his plan fails.
  11. s4e4 "My Big Fat Greek Bob" Bob substitutes for Pepe and cooks for the fraternity his friend worked for.
  12. s4e7 "Bob and Deliver" Mr. Frond hires Bob to be the home economics substitute teacher in replacement of Mrs. Woods. However, the president of Caf-Co fires him for taking money away from Caf-Co by selling lunch to students.
  13. s4e14 "Uncle Teddy" Bob goes to a convention for members of the North Atlantic Burger Lovers. However, he might no longer be a member after discovering that everyone else hates him.
  14. s8e12 "The Hurt Soccer" Walter Rubens forces Bob to coach for the Gold Dragons since the normal coach wasn't available, and Bob and Louise have never showed up for the soccer games until then.
  15. s9e16 "Roamin' Bob-iday" Bob sees that Patricia, the owner of Patricia's 77 Sandwiches, is under press with all the customers she has, so he offers to help her.
  16. s14e3 "The Pickleorette" Bob drives Nat Kinkle's limousine, pretending to be a limousine driver for the bachelorette party of Gretchen's sister, Jestain.
  17. https://www.fox.com/bobs-burgers/#:~:text=Bob%20Belcher%20is%20a%20third%2Dgeneration%20restaurateur
  18. https://ew.com/article/2012/08/17/bobs-burgers-interview-bouchard-benjamin/

External links[]

Navigation[]

Character Navigation vte
Main Characters Bob BelcherLinda BelcherTina BelcherGene BelcherLouise BelcherTeddy
Belcher Family Big BobLily BelcherAl GenarroGloria GenarroGayle Genarroetc.
Fischoeder Family Calvin FischoederFelix FischoederGrover Fischoederetc.
Pesto Family Jimmy PestoJimmy Pesto, Jr.Andy and Ollie Pestoetc.
Larsen Family Tammy LarsenMr. LarsenMrs. Larsenetc.
Wheeler Family Courtney WheelerDoug WheelerMrs. Wheeler
Stieblitz Family Regular Sized RudySylvester StieblitzHollyetc.
Wagstaff Faculty Phillip FrondMs. LaBonzMs. TwitchellMs. JacobsonCoach BlevinsMr. BrancaMr. GrantMs. SchnurMr. AmbroseMs. SelboMatilda MerkinNurse LizJackieetc.
Wagstaff Students JocelynZekeLarge TommyJulieNormal Sized JennyMichael CarlishPeter PescaderoDarrylMillie FrockRupaLenny DeStefanoJeremyHenry HaberAbby HaddingtonHarleyJodiJessicaToddWayneChloe BarbashSusmitaArnold EvansMeganKaylee MorgansternChelseaWilletc.
Secondary Characters Hugo HabercoreRonMortMarshmallowGretchenEdith CranwinkleHarold CranwinkleDr. YapJenMickeyMike WobblesSergeant Bosco
Characters by debut Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 4Season 5Season 6Season 7Season 8Season 9Season 10Season 11Season 12Season 13Season 14The Bob's Burgers Movieetc.
See also: Characters
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