Zapp Brannigan

Captain Zapp Brannigan is a 25 star General of the Democratic Order of Planets -- the DOOP in the television series Futurama. Kif Kroker is his beleaguered assistant.

Table of contents

1 Character 2 Origins 3 Production

Character

Zapp is an arrogant, idiotic, ineffectual space captain and a political officer of no small consequence. His tactics in matters of battle are always daring and almost always unnecessary. He wastes no time sentencing his men to death in ridiculous, easily avoidable altercations. He never purposely puts himself at equal risk, though his stupidity often lands him in life-threatening situations.

Brannigan managed to sleep with Turanga Leela in the fourth episode, "Love's Labour's Lost in Space," a fact he will not let her forget. He is consistently attracted to Leela, like Fry, but is a womanizer and pursues just about everything that moves.

Origins

Zapp Brannigan could be based on the character Zaphod Beeblebrox in Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Besides the similar name and identical initials, the two share in common:

• Very similar, if not the same, military and political positions.
  • Zapp is a very important general in the DOOP
  • Zaphod is a very important captain and does become President of the Galaxy
• Both have been romantic with the main female characters of their respective stories
  • Zapp managed to sleep with Leela, though she now hates him
  • Zaphod seduces and retains Trillian (fictional character). Trillian and Leela play similar roles in their respective stories.
• Both are powerful imbeciles, completely undeserving of their positions.

Zapp was probably the character created for Phil Hartman, who was given a permanent role on Futurama before his untimely death. It can be seen through his voice, which sounds like Hartman's, and his manneurisms, which are similar to Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure (who looks and acts like Brannigan) from Matt Groening's other show, "The Simpsons."

Production

Zapp Brannigan is voiced by Billy West, who also voices Professor Hubert Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg and Philip J. Fry.