Hermes Conrad

Lore & Background

Hermes is very enthusiastic about the Limbo and was once an Olympic limbo athlete. An accident in the 2980 Olympic Games in which a fan broke his back trying to emulate Hermes left him traumatized, and he could not bring himself to limbo again until decades later when it was needed. The series also alludes to Hermes using cannabis, though he is never seen using it, partially due to prime-time television censorship standards at the time of Futurama's original run. Hermes frequently admonishes the staff for not working hard enough, and strongly dislikes Zoidberg, often treating him as a "thing" and not a person. Zoidberg is generally oblivious to this, considering Hermes his friend, but upon learning the truth in "The Six Million Dollar Mon", he callously calls out Hermes for his treatment of him. Later episodes show them building an uneasy rapport, with Hermes slowly softening to Zoidberg. He is also known to dislike labor unions, once referring to Labor Day as created by "fat-cat union gangsters", though seconds later he exclaims "Hot damn, a day off!" upon learning that it was that very day, and consulting Glurmo about firing the entire crew and replacing them with Grunka-Lunkas for half the pay. It is a recurring gag that Hermes wants to kill some or all of the members of the Pl

In Their Own Story

The fluorescent lights of the Planet Express office hummed a low, steady tune that usually soothed Hermes. Today, however, the rhythm was broken by Fry's attempt to balance a stack of unpaid invoices on his head while eating a Popsicle. 'Fry!' Hermes barked, his voice cracking slightly with genuine distress as he adjusted his tie. 'That is a federal offense to treat tax documents as juggling props! Do you have any idea the audit trail we are creating?' He grabbed a red pen, ready to mark up the errors, but paused as LaBarbara's name appeared on a delivery manifest. For a brief second, the accountant vanished, replaced by a man worried about his family, before the spreadsheet glowed back into focus and he returned to his numbers.

Reader's Guide

Hermes Conrad first appears in the pilot episode of Futurama as the Planet Express accountant. As a human male, he is characterized by his intense love for bureaucracy, rules, and order, often acting as the show's straight man amidst chaos. His personality is defined by a rigid adherence to regulations, which frequently puts him at odds with Fry's carefree nature. He possesses a signature catchphrase regarding 'rules' and often expresses frustration through nervous tics or shouting when procedures are violated. His major character arc involves learning to loosen up and embrace the unpredictability of life while maintaining his core identity as a responsible provider. Throughout the series, Hermes navigates complex family dynamics with LaBarbara and their son, exploring themes of work-life balance. He occasionally faces moral dilemmas where his love for rules conflicts with doing what is right, often finding a middle ground that highlights his growth as a character.

Did You Know?

• Hermes was once an Olympic limbo athlete, but an accident in the 2980 Olympic Games in which a fan broke his back trying to emulate him left him traumatized.
• Hermes strongly dislikes Zoidberg, often treating him as a 'thing' and not a person, though Zoidberg is generally oblivious and considers Hermes his friend.
• In 'The Six Million Dollar Mon', Zoidberg learns the truth about Hermes' treatment of him and callously calls him out.
• Hermes once referred to Labor Day as created by 'fat-cat union gangsters', then immediately exclaimed 'Hot damn, a day off!' upon learning it was that very day.
• The series alludes to Hermes using cannabis, though he is never seen using it, partially due to prime-time television censorship standards at the time of Futurama's original run.