10 Best ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Supporting Characters, Ranked
With its humor and heart, Fox’s Emmy-winning animated sitcom Bob’s Burgers has solidified itself as one of the best animated sitcoms for adults on the air. It follows restaurant owner Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin), who runs the titular burger restaurant in a small seaside town with the help of his wife, Linda (John Roberts), and their three kids, Tina (Dan Mintz), Gene (Eugene Mirman), and Louise (Kristen Schaal). The show premiered in 2011. Fifteen seasons have aired so far, with over 300 episodes and a movie, and it has been renewed through Season 19, ensuring it will be on the air through 2029. Its success and the running joke of the pun-filled Burger of the Day also led to an official cookbook.
Of course, Bob’s Burgers has many interesting and hilarious characters outside the Belcher family, from other family and friends to regular customers and even rivals, each more interesting and funnier than the last. It’s hard to imagine the series without its best supporting characters—each brings something different to the show, and they’re all hilarious in their own ways.
10
Regular Sized Rudy
Voiced by Brian Huskey
Regular Sized Rudy (Brian Huskey) first appeared at the end of Season 3 as one of Louise’s fourth-grade classmates. He’s become one of her closest friends and often gets roped into her schemes. He has asthma and is often seen with his inhaler. His parents are divorced and share custody, meaning Rudy is with each parent every other week. His nickname is due to the fact that there’s another kid at school named Rudy, nicknamed Pocket Sized Rudy.
One of Rudy’s best traits is his dry and somewhat strange sense of humor, making him a fan-favorite character. He tends to be awkward and anxious, traits he shares with his father, but is also intelligent. His difficult family dynamics provide a contrast to the Belchers—while his parents are divorced and have begun dating other people, Bob and Linda remain happily married, and the kids have a stable home life.
9
Mort
Voiced by Andy Kindler
Mort (Andy Kindler) is a funeral director and the owner of It’s Your Funeral Home & Crematorium, the funeral home next to Bob’s Burgers, and lives in the apartment above it. He’s a friend of Bob’s and has been part of the series from the beginning. Early in the series, he is often seen spending time at the restaurant with Bob and Teddy. Like some of the other single men of the series, he struggles with his love life.
Mort hasn’t been seen as frequently in more recent episodes of Bob’s Burgers, which is a shame as the episodes featuring him are among the funniest in the series, thanks in part to his dry humor. His name is a fun play on the word “mortician,” a reference to his occupation. And despite this occupation, he has a very light-hearted demeanor, and he’s always willing to lend a hand when Bob needs help.
8
Mr. Frond
Voiced by David Herman
Mr. Frond (David Herman) works as the guidance counselor at Wagstaff School. He’s passionate and dedicated to his job and helping students—he has a number of therapeutic tools he uses, from dolls to video games, all of which have questionable efficacy and value. Despite his flaws, he’s among the more competent and involved faculty members at the school, although they don’t really respect him. Neither do some of the children, especially Louise.
Mr. Frond is often overly enthusiastic about the projects he takes on at school and goes beyond his role as guidance counselor. Although this can make him annoying, it’s only because he genuinely cares about the kids, which is more than can be said for some of the other school faculty. The show has also found some creative ways to get him caught up with the Belcher family, and to great effect.
7
Jimmy Pesto Jr.
Voiced by H. Jon Benjamin
Jimmy Pesto Jr. has been part of Bob’s Burgers since Season 1 and is in Tina’s eighth-grade class at Wagstaff School. He’s the oldest son of Bob’s rival, Jimmy Pesto, the owner of the pizzeria across the street from Bob’s Burgers. Jimmy Jr. is also the older brother of twins Andy and Ollio, and he’s Zeke’s best friend. Jimmy Jr. has a passion for dance, which his father doesn’t support, and is known to break into dance at random.
Despite the tension between their parents, Tina has a well-established crush on Jimmy Jr., although his feelings for her are more complicated and not as easy to interpret—he has a jealous streak, despite sometimes rejecting her outright. His jealous side suggests that he’s more interested in competition and winning Tina than he is Tina herself. He’s also very different from his father, as demonstrated in part by his different interests.
6
Mickey
Voiced by Bill Hader
Season 2 introduced Mickey, a man with an extensive criminal past—he robbed a bank in his first appearance, then was released from prison after just one year due to a technicality, and from that point he headed to Bob’s Burgers to ask for a job. He has since become a friend of the Belchers and currently works as a carnie at Wonder Wharf, known for employing criminals, and has also worked as a pedicab driver.
Mickey has grown as a character over the years, leaving behind his life of crime in favor of a more honest path, and despite his past, he’s kind and mild-mannered. No matter what he’s up to, he’s been funny and interesting. He often means well, especially when it comes to the Belchers, which helps to make him a likable character, despite his checkered past and still-questionable morals—he’s never lost his love of robbing banks.
5
Marshmallow
Voiced by Jari Jones
Marshmallow first appeared in Season 1 and is a transgender sex worker who met Bob when he was working as a cab driver and has since become a friend of the Belcher family. She’s been shown to be a talented musician and is also known for making some bold fashion choices. Although she was originally voiced by white cisgender actor David Herman, she is currently voiced by Black transgender actor Jari Jones, better reflecting Marshmallow’s identity.
Marshmallow is best described by Bob: “she comes and goes as she pleases, she answers to no one, and she is truly free,” something we can all aspire to. She’s a fan-favorite character, and for good reason. She has a mellow (mallow?) personality but also loves a good party. She’s always a delight to see when she shows up in an episode, whether she gets a few brief moments or significant screentime.
4
Zeke
Voiced by Bobby Tisdale
Zeke (Bobby Tisdale) first appeared in Season 2—at the time, his parents were shown together, but it’s since been established that they’re divorced and the family has moved around a lot. He is part of Wagstaff School’s eighth-grade class and is Jimmy Jr.’s best friend. He speaks with a Southern accent and is known for being a bit of a class clown. He’s also on the wrestling team.
Zeke is a stereotypical boy—he loves to wrestle and rough-house and often does so with his friends, but despite his rough exterior, he’s a pretty endearing character. Based on his interactions with Tina, it’s pretty clear that he has a crush on her, but Tina sometimes gets frustrated with him for drawing Jimmy Jr.’s attention away from her. Zeke can also be protective of Tina’s younger siblings.
3
Mr. Fischoeder
Voiced by Kevin Kline
Mr. Calvin Fischoeder (Kevin Kline) is Bob’s eccentric and wealthy landlord—he’s the richest man in Seymour’s Bay—known for dressing in a white suit and wearing an eye patch and described by Louise as being “one white cat away from being a super villain.” He always addresses Linda and the kids in a number of creative ways other than using their actual names. He also owns a number of other businesses in town.
Mr. Fischoeder’s eccentricities and quick wit make him a hilarious character who’s always fun to watch. Although he’s often depicted as a stereotypical evil landlord, he tends to come off as more clueless than cruel. He also has a bit of a softer side to him, shown in his interactions with the Belcher family and his sympathy for other characters throughout the series. His requests may be strange, but they’re also generally harmless.
2
Jocelyn
Voiced by John Roberts
Jocelyn is an eighth-grader in Tina’s class at Wagstaff School. She’s part of Tina’s friend group, but her best friend is Tammy—the two are almost always together, although they’re often bickering. Jocelyn is known for speaking with an exaggerated “Valley Girl” voice. She isn’t the most intelligent member of the group and tends to follow the crowd. She is voiced by John Roberts, who also provides the voice of Linda.
Jocelyn is a hilarious character, and you never know what she’ll say next. Thanks in part to her intelligence, she’s responsible for some of the funniest lines in the show, complete with perfect delivery packed with the attitude befitting of a teenage girl. Her desire for popularity and inability to think for herself mean she often does whatever Tammy tells her. Tragically, she has yet to have an episode centered around her.
1
Gayle Genarro
Voiced by Megan Mullally
Gayle (Megan Mullally) is Linda’s younger sister with a tendency for dramatics. Her love life is among her many struggles—she’s often shown to be lonely and has a long-running obsession with Bob. She’s had a number of different jobs and struggles to hold one down. She’s also often the cause of her own problems and is shown to have some sort of mental illness. She’s in touch with her creative side and both writes poetry and paints. Perhaps most notably, she’s a cat lover.
Of all the eccentric characters to appear in Bob’s Burgers, Gayle is perhaps the most eccentric, and that’s saying something. She has a bleak outlook on life, and she’s a bit of a mess—although she means well, her behavior tends to make things harder for the people around her, especially Linda. But all of this is also what makes her so funny. That and her poetry about her cats.
