Now that it’s been renewed for a tenth season, there’s no question that Bob’s Burgers is a comedy powerhouse, delivering big laughs (and fun musical numbers) on a regular basis. Like the animated series that came before it (and inspired it), Bob’s Burgers is as much about its supporting cast as it is about the Belcher family.
Obviously, the Belchers carry the show, but it’s the colorful cast of supporting characters that really allow the stories to blossom and turn into full-fledged adventures. It’s good to know that there will be another whole season to spend with all of these great folks in a seaside town. These are the 10 best Bob’s Burgers supporting characters, ranked.
Tammy
Of all the supporting characters on Bob’s Burgers, Tammy might just be the most irritating. Not only is she a mean girl, but she is also incredibly childish. Any time she is on screen, it’s just a matter of time before she starts freaking out about something or trying to cut down Tina in some way.
Tammy does have moments that are very funny, and her nasally, whiny voice (provided by the very funny Jenny Slate) is absolutely perfect for the character. However, she doesn’t bring much to the proceedings besides being just plain awful. At least all of the other characters know this.
Mort
Mort hasn’t exactly been featured on the show as much lately as he did in earlier seasons, but that might not be such a bad thing. Even though he was played with the perfect amount of nebbishness by comedian Andy Kindler, Mort never really got all that much to do besides being kind of lame.
That’s not to say that Mort doesn’t have his moments. In the episode “The Deepening,” Mort is trying his hand at being a stand-up comedian. However, he is just absolutely terrible at it. This is a great meta-joke, considering that Andy Kindler is a successful comedian, and was even a judge on Last Comic Standing.
Jimmy Pesto
A hero is only as good as their villain, and Bob’s biggest antagonist, Jimmy Pesto, is essentially the exact opposite of bob in every way. Pesto (voiced by Mr. Show and Sarah Silverman Program alum Jay Johnston) is an arrogant braggart who cares less about the quality of his food than the number of people he gets in the door with stupid gimmicks.
While he and Bob have their differences, which put them at odds with each other, they actually have much more in common. Bob is constantly being pulled into dumb competitions against Pesto because, deep down, he is almost just as petty as the man whose real name is Jimmy Poplopovich (who also has a weird thing about pretending to be a baby).
Zeke
Originally planned as being the bully character, Zeke quickly became one of the gang, and his irascible attitude and southern accent made him more than welcome. Voiced by Bobby Tisdale, Zeke is the kind of kid who seems like he just always wants to wrestle, but deep down, he is very emotional.
He clearly has a thing for Tina and has said several times that they are going to end up together. He is also not afraid to let his emotions out or show that he can be a great friend. He and Jimmy Pesto, Jr. are as close as brothers, even though Zeke is constantly wrestling with Jimmy against his will.
Jimmy Pesto Jr.
The only thing Jimmy Pesto, Jr. wants to do in this crazy world is dance. So much so, that it seems to distract him from everything else, including Tina’s neverending and almost-always-unrequited crush on him. One of the first times we see Jimmy Pesto, Jr., he is slow dancing with himself. It’s very strange.
Voiced with the perfect amount of adolescent cluelessness by H. Jon Benjamin, Jimmy Pesto, Jr. might just be the perfect encapsulation of pre-teen angst. He doesn’t care about taking over his dad’s business, he is more concerned with his dance moves than anything else, and he doesn’t quite the quirks of the more interesting kids (like Tina).
Mr. Frond
Everyone has had that guidance counselor who tried just a little too hard to be cool but was actually just so hopelessly, devastatingly square that it was almost sad. Mr. Frond is the perfect representation of that character, and try as he might, there’s just no way that he is ever going to get through to the students.
With the perfectly uncool voice provided by Dave Herman (a voice-acting veteran and also Michael Bolton from Office Space!), Mr. Frond is made to be the perfect enemy for someone like Louise, a kid hose boundless imagination and tendency to cause trouble. Don’t get him too mad, though, or he might just pinch you in the eye.
Gayle
There might not be two siblings more mismatched than Linda and Gayle. Where Linda is confident, loud, and a relatively stable person, Gayle is doubtful, lonely, and has a bevy of emotional problems that make her more than a complete mess. She’s the kind of person who would mistake a waiter doing his job for flirting.
Voiced magnificently and hilariously by Megan Mullally, Gayle is the kind of weird aunt that even the kids realize has a lot of problems. She lives on her own in a depressing apartment with a bunch of cats, one of which she seemingly stole off of someone’s porch. However, despite all her problems, she can still take charge, like when she dragged Bob on a sled through a blizzard.
Hugo
Jimmy Pesto might get on Bob’s nerves, but Hugo is the bane of his existence, in ways both personal and professional. The diminutive health inspector was once engaged to Linda, but she left him and married Bob. Hugo now has a vendetta against Bob, which he takes out on him through his many, many health inspections.
Hugo (voiced by Sam Seder) is the perfect foil to Bob because he has authority over him (technically), and he exercises it in the pettiest way possible. It’s strange that Ron, Hugo’s partner, can even stand to work with him when Hugo is just so worked up all the time. Though it was fun to see his and Bob’s roles reversed in Tina’s imagined scenario during the episode, “Sliding Bobs.”
Mr. Fischoeder
How crazy is it, really, that Kevin Kline, an Oscar-winning actor, would be so good at playing a larger-than-life animated landlord? Of all the characters on the show, Calvin Fischoeder might just be the most cartoonish. With his white suit and matching eyepatch, there’s no denying that Mr. Fischoeder is one of the most instantly recognizable characters on Bob’s Burgers.
Kline provides just the right amount of smarmy attitude to Mr. Fischoeder, who is no longer surprised that bob is unable to pay his rent on time. Mr. Fischoeder is the richest man in town, and he does nothing to hide that fact or make himself appear more relatable. He’s the perfect antithesis to the humble working man who runs a burger restaurant.
Teddy
Teddy might not exactly be a supporting character, considering how much time he spends with the Belchers, but we’re putting him at the top anyway. Teddy is just the kind of big-hearted but clueless handyman that you want in your life but also find far too intrusive.
Larry Murphy provides Teddy’s voice, and he gives him just the right amount of distinct character, while also making him sound like he could be a real guy who came to fix your sink. Teddy knows what he is doing around the house, but when it comes to social interaction, he is entirely clueless, often blowing his chances at love or making the grave error of trying to show off a new boat to his ex-wife. Still, Teddy’s kindness and willingness to do anything for Bob is so endearing, you can’t help but love the guy.
