Jumba Jookiba



Dr. Jumba Jookiba is a former evil scientist and a major character from the Lilo and Stitch franchise. Jumba was originally a villain in the first film, but near the end of the film, he and Pleakley become allies to Stitch and Lilo. Jumba has appeared in later media such as the film's sequels, series, video games and more. He is voiced by David Ogden Stiers.

Background
Jumba was born on the planet Kweltikwan. There, he created a series of illegal genetic experiments, but was eventually banished as a result. He then bought his own laboratory, where he continued to create more experiments alongside his college friend Dr. Hämsterviel. Eventually, both Jumba and Hämsterviel would be arrested, following the creation of Jumba's latest experiment 626. However, this new experiment proved to help Jumba in more ways than one, having him released from prison and finding him a family that loves him and vice versa.

He is said to be divorced and has mentioned his ex-wife several times (usually in a negative way). However, he has a stronger respect for his mother.

Personality
Jumba is a comical character, despite his "evil" status. Prior to meeting Lilo, Jumba was somewhat insane and ruthless. However, once he witnessed the newfound nature of his experiment 626 (also known as Stitch), Jumba would give up his evil ways. Upon meeting Lilo, Jumba became rather humble and began to act as a grandfather-like figure towards Lilo. He is often paired with his friend Pleakley, who was forced to work alongside him to capture Stitch when he was still a menace. After those events, Jumba and Pleakley became the closest of friends.

Appearances
In his first appearance, Jumba was on trial for creating illegal genetic experiments. While Jumba was imprisoned, Stitch escaped his craft that would have sent him to a desert-like penal asteroid. The Grand Councilwoman then commanded Jumba to search the island of Hawaii to find and capture Stitch, granting him one of her warriors' plasma cannons in an attempt to stun 626. Jumba and his new sidekick Pleakley tried numerous plans to capture Stitch, but always failed. Once Jumba and Pleakley were fired and scheduled to a prison sentence, Jumba decided to play by his own rules. A battle between Jumba and Stitch occurred at Lilo's home. Due to the battle, a blaster exploded and Jumba and Pleakley fled from the home. While Jumba and Pleakley were away, Stitch and Lilo were kidnapped by Captain Gantu. Stitch managed to escape, but was chained up by Jumba. Lilo's sister Nani asked Jumba and Pleakley if they knew where Lilo was located, but the duo had no clue. Stitch convinced Jumba rather easily to help save Lilo. Nani, Stitch, Pleakley and Jumba set off to rescue Lilo. Once everyone was saved and Gantu was defeated, Jumba helped rebuild Lilo's house and becomes a part of Lilo's ohana along with Pleakley and Stitch.

Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch
Jumba reappears in this off-shoot sequel. Before either of them ever met Lilo, Jumba was putting the finishing touches on Stitch (then known as Experiment 626), but before the doctor could release him, 626's molecules had to be charged. While the little experiment was charging, intergalactic police officers intruded into the lab and arrested Jumba, leaving 626 incomplete. Finally, those past events catch up to Stitch and the consequences begin to unfold. In order to save his life, Jumba must build a fusion chamber to recharge him, but when it was finally "finished", it broke down, Jumba sheepishly revealing to Pleakley that it was just an order from a catalog. He believes he cannot actually make the machine on his own, but is given the will to try from a word from Pleakley. In the end, not only did the machine save Stitch, but Jumba also gained Lilo's gratitude and love.

Stitch! The Movie
Jumba reappears in the franchise's second film. In the film, Jumba is kidnapped by Gantu and Hamsterviel, Jumba's former lab partner who plots to take over the galaxy. Jumba is later rescued by Lilo and Stitch. It is revealed that Jumba created a far greater amount of experiments other than Stitch. They are accidentally set free, so Jumba and the others team up to capture them and turn them from bad to good.

Lilo and Stitch: The Series
Now residing with Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii, Jumba goes under the guise of Lilo's uncle and plays a major role in the series. With 624 experiments scattered around the island, Jumba provides information for each one that Lilo and Stitch discover and/or capture. In spite of becoming a humble hero, Jumba still strives to keep his evil reputation, but ultimately fails in favor of his ohana. When an experiment is captured, Lilo and Stitch will take it to Jumba first and foremost. Most of the experiments recognize Jumba and refer to him as their father. On many occasions, before an experiment's reformation, the former would go after Jumba to prevent him from revealing the key to their defeat before he can tell Lilo and Stitch.

Leroy and Stitch
Three years after Jumba's experiments were scattered across Kauai, Hawaii, Lilo and Stitch had rounded up and reformed 624 experiments. Jumba was given the opportunity to return to his old laboratory by the Grand Councilwoman. At first, he did not want to hurt Lilo's feelings by leaving, but she agreed to let him go, giving him an Elvis record to remember her by. However, Hämsterviel escaped from prison with the help of the former Captain Gantu, who had been retired from his position forcibly by the Grand Councilwoman three years prior to these events and held Jumba hostage in his own lab, forcing him to create a new experiment, which ends up being named Leroy. However, Jumba used the record Lilo gave him to program a shut-off switch for Leroy: if he hears the song "Aloha `Oe", he will glitch and switch off (but will not die like Stitch would have as shown at the end of Stitch Has a Glitch). When asked what he would like as a reward, he decides to give up his laboratory and return to Earth to become part of Lilo's family once again.

Stitch!
In the anime series, Jumba was given a mission by the Grand Councilwoman to watch over Stitch as he recently began a destructive rampage after Lilo grew up, went off to college, and found a boyfriend. Jumba eventually lost Stitch, but quickly reunited with him in a small island known as Izayoi. When he arrived, he met Stitch's newest friend Yuna and learns about Stitch's latest goal to do good deeds and obtain ultimate power. Jumba agrees to assist Stitch and stays on the island.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
While serving time for illegal genetic experimentation in a cell within the Turo Prison Block, Jumba witnesses Terra fight off several Unversed. He persuades the Keyblade wielder to release him so that the two may rescue a "constructive" creature of his own creation called "Experiment 626." Terra agrees and the two set off to find 626 together. When they finally find the small extraterrestrial encased in a pod within the Confinement Room, Jumba sets him free and reveals that he is meant to be an evil and malevolent creature whose only instinct is to destroy everything he touches. 626 then rushes at Terra and steals his Wayfinder, the Keyblade wielder ordering him to return it because his "friend" gave it to him. Jumba later laughs off the idea that 626 could understand the concept of friendship, but he is greatly surprised when his creation drops the Wayfinder and scuttles off. Jumba finds Terra's theory that 626 isn't evil at all and merely craves friends impossible, and he gives him another demonstration of his "evil geniusness" by activating Experiment 221 for the Keyblade wielder to battle. Terra is victorious and he and Jumba notice 626's return to the Confinement Room after 221 returns to pod form. Jumba watches Terra try to explain friendship to 626, but he angrily interferes with Terra's discussion, as things such as friendship would corrupt his creation's original purpose. He tells 626 that he needs to be fixed, but alarms begin to sound and an announcement is made that 626 and two prisoners have escaped. Terra flees Deep Space, leaving Jumba and 626 behind.

Aqua is the next to visit Deep Space, where she is taken by Captain Gantu before the Grand Councilwoman after destroying several Unversed. The Grand Councilwoman tells Aqua that the Unversed are getting in the way of the apprehension of Jumba and Experiment 626, and she asks the Keyblade wielder to destroy them and also make an attempt to capture Jumba and his experiment intact. Aqua agrees to do the task as asked and departs, much to Gantu's displeasure now that his duties have been assigned to a stranger. The Keyblade Master eventually finds the fugitives on the Launch Deck, where Jumba is attempting to recapture 626 so that he may fix him. Aqua stops Jumba and 626 and announces that she has been authorized to arrest them. When 626 charges at her to reclaim the Wayfinder he had previously made and left behind in the Turo Prison Block, Jumba explains to Aqua that the reason his creation is familiar with the shape of the Wayfinder and its purpose is of his previous encounter with Terra. Jumba then goes on to complain to Aqua about the negative impact Terra has had on 626, but Gantu soon appears and attempts to put an end to both Jumba and his supposedly evil creation. Aqua teams up with 626 to battle Gantu and, upon their victory, the Grand Councilwoman arrives to apprehend the two fugitives.