John A. Zoidberg

From Futurama Wiki

Dr. John A. Zoidberg (voiced by Billy West) was born on the planet Decapod 10 and moved to Earth to practice medicine after giving up his dream of becoming a comedian. He has limited knowledge of human anatomy, once confusing Fry and Bender, even though he is a self-proclaimed expert on humans. He speaks, as all Decapodians do, with a heavy Yiddish accent. He is the nephew of famed eccentric movie celebrity Harold Zoid. On a number of occasions, Zoidberg has made mention of Bender being his best friend ("How Hermes Requisitioned His Groove Back"), and referring to Bender as a "robit".

Zoidberg is actually the alien discovered in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. ("Roswell That Ends Well") He lives in Professor Farnsworth's Alien Cross-Species Genetic Analyzer. He is technically homeless, and very poor, being a very unsuccessful "internal medicine doctor". In fact, it is implied that Zoidberg does not actually have a medical degree. ("A Clone of My Own") Despite his professional incompetence, he has been drafted into the DOOP army as a MEAT surgeon. ("War Is the H-Word")

He is extremely poor and has stated several times he has no home. He usually eats from the trash or a dumpster and is envious of even the smallest amounts of money. He is excitable about his friends and is very trusting with the crew. The crew, meanwhile, shows signs of hating Zoidberg for no reason, though they all seem upset when they believe he has died in the fountain of aging ("Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles").

He was tried and convicted of treason for eating the Earthican Flag in the 4th season episode. He was pardoned by Richard Nixon's Head after saving the Earthican people from slavery at the hands of his own Decapodians. ("A Taste of Freedom")

Zoidberg has often been known to spray Fry, along with many others, with ink which he produces. It seems he also has the ability to produce pearls ("Bendin' in the Wind"), which indicates he may be related or similar to the Invertebrate Phlyum Mollusca, from the Anamalia Kingdom. He also has a gland that produces a foul odour, used as an aid in attracting females in the traditional mating rituals of his species. ("Why Must I Be a Crustacean in Love?", "Bender's Big Score")

Zoidberg reverted through several of the early "larval" life cycle stages of his species after being exposed to a youth tar. He seems to have started off as a small immobile creature from which asexually fragmented "brothers" could separate (each with a distinct personality). A later stage was a parasitic lamprey, followed by a large clam inside which his head was visible. The next oldest form resembled a trilobyte. Other stages included a spiky ball and a flat fish-like organism. ("Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles")

[edit] Appearances

All episodes except "Space Pilot 3000" and "Mars University"