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He is a self-proclaimed evil genius who is solely responsible for the creation of the infamous Experiment 626; the latter of which is better known as the lovable but mischievous Stitch and 628 other unethical and twisted genetic experiments, which possibly involve biological specimens from other planets. However, through Pleakley's guidance and the Pelekai family's philosophy, he slowly starts to change his ways, even treating his experiments (except for Experiment 629, a.k.a. Leroy) as his own family.
In the original 2002 film and its three sequels, The Series and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, he was voiced by the late David Ogden Stiers, who also voiced John Ratcliffe in Pocahontas, Voltan in The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, one of Satan's human guises in Touched By An Angel, the Penguin in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, and Mr. Maellard in Regular Show.
From 2009 onwards, starting with Stitch! and Stitch & Ai, both of which are Asian-produced spin-offs of the franchise, he is currently voiced by Lilo & Stitch: The Series executive producer and screenwriter Jess Winfield.
In Disney Speedstorm in 2023, he was voiced by Piotr Michael, who also voiced Randall Boggs in the same game.
Initially, Jumba seemingly dedicated his life for destruction, hence all the experiments he made with Dr. Jacques von Hamsterviel. But he eventually has a change of heart. Even at his worst, he shows some standards when he claims he didn’t teach Stitch the phrase “Meega, nala kweesta!”
History[]
Lilo & Stitch (2002)[]
In his first appearance, Jumba found himself on trial for conducting illegal genetic experiments. While Jumba was confined, Stitch broke free from his spaceship, which was destined to cast him onto a barren asteroid for eternal banishment (with the hope that he would eventually succumb to starvation). The Grand Council subsequently commanded Jumba to scour the Hawaiian islands to locate and apprehend Stitch, equipping him with one of his warriors' plasma rifles in a bid to immobilize 626.
Jumba and his newly appointed companion Pleakley devised numerous schemes to capture Stitch, yet each attempt ended in failure, primarily due to their own ineptitude, Stitch's combative demeanor and ubercompetence, Pleakley's insistence on the guideline that Jumba should never bring chaos to anyone who crossed his path, or all three factors simultaneously. While Jumba and Pleakley camped under scrutiny, Jumba expressed his regret for never providing 626 with a greater sense of purpose and pondered what it must be like for 626 to lack any memories to reflect upon in the solitude of night. Once Jumba and Pleakley were fired and sentenced to jail time for not apprehending 626 promptly, Jumba resolved to operate by his own guidelines - which meant wreaking as much havoc as he pleased, much to Pleakley's dismay. At Lilo's residence, a confrontation erupted between Jumba and Stitch. Amidst the chaos, the blaster detonated, prompting Jumba and Pleakley to flee the premises.
While Jumba and Pleakley were absent, Stitch and Lilo were captured by Captain Gantu. Although Stitch managed to escape, he was subsequently shackled by Jumba. Lilo's sister Nani inquired if Jumba and Pleakley had any idea of Lilo's whereabouts, but the pair sadly informed that they only came for Stitch. After raising Nani's spirits, Stitch easily persuaded Jumba to assist in rescuing Lilo. Nani, Stitch, Pleakley and Jumba embarked on a mission to save Lilo. After everyone was rescued and Gantu was vanquished, Jumba helped reconstruct Lilo's home and became a part of Lilo's ohana along with Pleakley and Stitch.
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch[]
Jumba reemerges in this off-shoot sequel. Prior to their encounter with Lilo, Jumba was finalizing Stitch (then referred to as Experiment 626), but the 626 molecules required a charge before the Doctor could unleash him. As Experiment 626 was charging, intergalactic law enforcement burst into the lab and apprehended Jumba, leaving 626 incomplete.
Eventually, past events catch up with Stitch, and the repercussions begin to manifest. During a family gathering, Jumba notices that Stitch has developed a glitch causing him to lose control, and becomes worried for him as he realizes what was wrong with him. To save Stitch, she must construct a fusion chamber to recharge him before his molecules deplete or else he will die.
Due to a lack of technology, Jumba and Pleakley are compelled to utilize common household gadgets, and when they finally believed they had succeeded, it exploded, leaving Jumba despondent as he confessed to Pleakley that it was merely a catalog order. He doubts his ability to create the machine himself but finds inspiration to try again after Pleakley's encouragement. When he finally succeeds, he discovers that Stitch is missing and sets out with the others to locate him.
In the end, after the fusion chamber fails to rejuvenate Stitch, Jumba is clearly heartbroken by his “death”, cradling him closely in his arms. However, Lilo miraculously revives Stitch as she enfolds him in her embrace, weeping deeply for her love for Stitch as a cherished member of her family; Jumba earns Lilo's appreciation and affection by demonstrating a profound, caring interest in Stitch. His efforts to recharge Stitch seem to have ultimately succeeded.
The Origin of Stitch[]
While Stitch plays soccer, his ball lands inside Jumba's spacecraft where he discovers the vessel's laboratory and the ship’s computer scans and identifies him as Experiment 626. After displaying a list of experiments and the components used to create Stitch, Jumba enters the lab and offers Stitch a choice between milk and cookies. Upon learning that Stitch is intrigued about his beginnings, Jumba reveals that he hunted some of the fiercest and most terrifying creatures to forge the ultimate monster he has ever created. Jumba then explains that Stitch's creation did not unfold exactly as intended because Stitch found a family in Lilo, Nani, David, Jumba, and Pleakley when he landed in Kauai. Jumba concludes that of all the experiments he ever conducted, Stitch stands as his greatest accomplishment, and he feels immense pride for him.
Stitch! The Movie[]
Jumba makes a comeback in the second film of the franchise. In this installment, Jumba is captured by Gantu and Jacques von Hämsterviel, who happens to be Jumba's old lab associate and is intent on galactic domination; initially presumed to be dead by the film's events. It is revealed that Jumba has developed a significantly larger collection of experiments than Stitch.
Prior to his abduction, Jumba successfully concealed his experiments from Pleakley, which only led Hämsterviel to take the scientist hostage and threaten to eliminate him if the experiments were not surrendered; however, Jumba's assertive and fearless attitude thwarted the villains' attempts to genuinely intimidate him. Pleakley, Nani, and ex-CIA agent Cobra Bubbles established a negotiation area amid their defeat. Nevertheless, Lilo and Stitch manage to rescue both Jumba and the experiments, though they are inadvertently released. As a result, Jumba and his comrades are enlisted by the Grand Councilor (who was also informed about the circumstances surrounding Hämsterviel and Jumba) to traverse the island and locate all the experiments to rehabilitate them from evil to good.
Lilo & Stitch: The Series[]
Now residing with Lilo and Stitch in Hawaii, Jumba adopts the disguise of Lilo's uncle and plays a significant role in the series. With 623 experiments dispersed across the island, Jumba provides intel for every experiment that Lilo and Stitch encounter and/or capture. Despite transforming into a humble hero, Jumba continues to strive to keep up his notorious reputation, but ultimately, this falls short for the sake of his family. When an experiment is captured, Lilo and Stitch primarily bring it to Jumba. Most experiments recognize Jumba and refer to him as their father. Frequently, before the reformation of the experiment, they would approach Jumba to prevent him from disclosing the secret to defeating them before he could inform Lilo and Stitch.
In the episode "Ace", it’s revealed that Jumba is a part of the Evil Genius Organization (E.G.O.), a group comprising various villainous scientists from across the galaxy. At the episode's conclusion, due to his seemingly reformed nature, Jumba is dismissed from the organization.
The episode "The Asteroid" disclosed that Jumba experiences homesickness and would be willing to leave the endangered Earth if it meant returning to his native planet. However, his perspective shifted when he recognized his wish to remain with Lilo and Stitch.
In the episode "Snafu", Jumba possesses experiment 120 (Snafu) pod within his shoebox. However, he retrieved the pod while showing 120's design to thwart the enemy's plan by any means, which is the most dangerous experiment to activate during complex rescue missions. Pleakley brought the hose and unintentionally activated 120.
Additionally, in the series, Jumba and Pleakley even encountered other Disney characters like Penny Proud and Kim Possible throughout their adventures. Jumba even mistook Rufus for one of his missing experiments, Experiment 607.
Leroy & Stitch[]
Three years after Jumba's experiments were scattered throughout Kauai, Hawaii, Lilo and Stitch successfully collected and reformed all 624 experiments. Jumba was granted the chance to return to his old laboratory by the Grand Council. Initially, he hesitated to hurt Lilo's feelings by leaving, but she consented to his departure and gifted him an Elvis record to remember her by.
Nonetheless, Hämsterviel escaped from incarceration with the aid of former Captain Gantu. Hämsterviel attempted to convince Jumba to collaborate with him once more, but Jumba rejected his proposition due to Hämsterviel's mistreatment over the preceding 25 years, including betraying him to the Galactic Federation. Consequently, Hämsterviel imprisoned Jumba in his own lab, coercing him to create a new experiment, ultimately named Leroy.
However, Jumba cleverly utilized the board gifted by Lilo to program a power switch for Leroy: upon hearing the song "Aloha ʻOe", Leroy stutters and powers down (though he doesn't perish like Stitch would, as showcased at the conclusion of Stitch Has a Glitch). When asked what he desired as a reward, he chooses to forgo his lab and return to Earth to reunite with Lilo's family.
Stitch! Anime[]
In the anime series, Jumba was assigned by the Grand Council to oversee Stitch when he recently went on a destructive frenzy after Lilo matured, attended college, and began dating. Jumba ultimately lost track of Stitch but was swiftly reunited with him on a small isle known as Izayoi. Upon his arrival, he encountered Stitch's new girlfriend, Yuna, and learned about Stitch's latest objective of performing good deeds and acquiring ultimate power. Jumba agrees to assist Stitch and remain on the island.
Stitch & Ai[]
Not long after his capture by the Federation forces just prior to the first movie, the computers in Jumbo's laboratory were infiltrated by space bandits aiming to duplicate Experiment 626. After these endeavors failed, they opted to abduct Stitch. While pursuing the bandits, yet unaware of Stitch's escape, Jumba and Pleakley are summoned before the Grand Councilor, who clarifies the circumstances and once again commands them to retrieve Stitch and keep him safe from the grasp of the space pirates. Once he discovers that Stitch has formed a new family in China, Jumba resolves to remain and assist in combating the pirates.
During the film's initial stages, Stitch was imagined as an interstellar thug accompanied by a trio of accomplices instead of an artificially-created genetic abomination. In this preliminary concept, Jumba was portrayed as a former fourth member of Stitch's crew who was abandoned during a bank robbery and had languished in prison for years. When Stitch broke free, the Grand Councilwoman would agree to release Jumba if he would travel to Earth to recapture his former leader. This depiction as a cosmic crime boss would eventually be adapted for Hämsterviel, who is frequently shown incarcerated during most of the animated series (although the reasons for his capture differ).
In a deleted scene, Jumba exhibits a wild side when he attacks Stitch at Lilo's home.
To be specific, the scene where Jumba attacks Stitch, resulting in the Pelekai house inadvertently getting torched, was initially going to include more intense sequences like Stitch wielding a chainsaw against Jumba, and Stitch igniting the house by gnawing through a gas line and tricking Jumba into firing at it with his blaster. The final edit of this scene excised all the violent elements and instead opted for a more humorous tone (Jumba crashing the ceiling with dishes rather than laser fire, Jumba's 'shuriken' made of hairbrushes and toothpaste tubes instead of blades and a pizza cutter, with the chainsaw sequence abbreviated), adding in more comedic moments (the exploding Scrump, Stitch catching Jumba's laser, Stitch shouting, 'Blue Punch Buggy! No punch back!' when hitting Jumba with Nani's VW, and the Elvis Presley track 'Hound Dog' playing in the background), and the house's destruction occurring as Stitch plugs Jumba's blaster with a carrot, leading them both to engage in a 'hot potato' game with it until the blaster overloads and detonates.
A similar approach was taken in the climax, where Jumba, Pleakley, Stitch, and Nani soar through the sky to chase Gantu after he unintentionally snags Lilo as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Initially, Stitch was going to commandeer a 747 airliner to pursue Gantu's spacecraft over Honolulu; however, following the attack, the climax was modified with the aircraft being replaced by Jumba's spacecraft and shifted to take place in the mountains.
In "The Asteroid", we discover that Jumba was exiled from his home world for conducting his nefarious genius experiments. However, in "Sinker", he alludes to having sent gifts to his wickedly brilliant family back home, suggesting he might hail from a famliy of evil geniuses. This indicates that while he is unable to return to his planet, he is allowed to send presents there.
Jumba was David Ogden Stiers' last character in the Disney Animated Canon, a full 16 years prior to his passing in 2018.
He's noticeably less evil than his new 2025 live-action counterpart, since he's more comedic, he had more redeeming qualities like having a genuine friendship with Pleakley, and most importantly, he redeems himself.
Video games Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626 (2002): Dr. Habbitrale | Chopsuey Disney's Lilo & Stitch (GBA; 2002): Dr. Pestus Disney Infinity 2.0 Edition (Wii U, PC, Xbox One, PS4, PS3; 2014): Collection Robots
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