Jedi Bob is an iconic Star Wars figure. After all, he started life as just an anonymous Minifigure and then fans gave him a name and a legacy. Now, Jedi Bob will finally get a real story of his own in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. Bobby Moynihan, who voices Jedi Bob, sat down with Nerdist to dive deep into the beloved character. Among other things, Moynihan spoke of the adventure of fleshing out Jedi Bob, Jedi Bob’s relationship with Sig Greebling, and the character’s ambitions to start Star Wars‘ version of WWE.
You can check out our full LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy conversation below.
Nerdist: You’ve voiced several animated Star Wars roles before, but your LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy role feels like the biggest one yet. What was it like returning to the galaxy far, far away as a main character? And what’s your favorite part about dipping your toes in the Star Wars world?
Bobby Moynihan: That’s it. I think that’s so funny you say that. I just saw the trailer again this week because it’s coming up, and I watched the trailer again, and there’s a line where I say “Punch it!” And I really went like, man, I’m in fully in Star Wars. I’ve been in them before, but this one’s nuts. It’s the best. It’s not lost on me. It’s super fun. And to get to create a character that’s already beloved in both universes is such an insane gift that I will cherish forever.
My next thought was actually about Jedi Bob, who found life because Star Wars fans rallied around him and gave this LEGO minifigure a name and a life, and he’s a legend now. How much lore did you know about Jedi Bob before you got started?
Moynihan: I was pretty familiar with Jedi Bob. I knew the story, I am a collector of things, and I enjoyed that story about how he was just a generic Jedi. And then I had a Jedi Bob Minifigure before I got cast. Yeah, I knew all about it. Then, I met Dan [Hernandez] and Benji [Samit] through writing something else for Star Wars, some jokes for a different Star Wars project. And they thought of me for this, and I have thanked them… I’ve sent them praises every day. I sent them LEGO lightsabers recently. I am very thankful to them for this.
And what do you think the best thing is that LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy adds to Jedi Bob to build his lore?
Moynihan: Oh gosh. I mean everything. He was just this nameless figure with a smile. Now we know all about him, and hopefully, we’ll know more. Yeah, that was kind of the funnest part, was taking this thing that just had a face and giving it a whole backstory and an attitude and a reason to be around now. Although, his original reason was pretty great, it was just to be a Jedi. That’s it. He never wanted to be famous; he just wanted to be part of it.
I think you can kind of feel that energy in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy as well. So I think it’s a beautiful honoring of that character and his legacy. The relationship between Jedi Bob and Sig Greebling is really beautiful in this series. Can you talk about its importance to Jedi Bob and what it means for the character?
Moynihan: I think for Jedi Bob, his relationship with Sig is something he’s not used to, which is someone looking up to him and someone counting on him and expecting him to be a good Jedi, which is a lot like being a father. And I’m going through that, that part of it was interesting. I realized that through recording; I was like, “Oh, I’m not playing the kid who looks up to somebody like I normally do. I’m playing the mentor this time.” But also getting to do it in this universe and being funny was absolutely amazing. But yeah, the relationship between him and Sig is something in Star Wars that we don’t see often, a a good relationship, a good father figure. Not many good dads in Star Wars.
Were there any other Star Wars Jedi or characters that you looked at or thought about when you were building the sound and energy of Jedi Bob?
Moynihan: Yeah, I mean, I like to think that Jedi Bob, he wants to be like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Qui-Gon. He wants to be one of those… He just wants to be British. No, he wants to be like a Jedi. Like, you’re supposed to be a high-falutin Jedi, but he’s kind of just a mess, just like everybody else. And he’s working real hard to pretend.
It’s true. The high-falutin Jedi are kind of a mess, too, though, so it’s all good.
Moynihan: Very much so. Very much so.
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy ends in a way that invites more adventures for Jedi Bob and Company. Where would you really like to see him go next?
Moynihan: Jedi Bob, I mean Jedi Bob Variety Show. Maybe he’s hosting a variety show. Maybe he’s like the Vince. Also, I keep pitching this to Lucasfilm. I really want to do it, so I’ll bring it up here. I think Jedi Bob is going to be like the leader of the WWE in the Star Wars universe. It’s Punta Night Slam. It’s just what they watch in the Cantina at night. It’s their version of professional wrestling. I think that’s what he does.
I think Star Wars is missing its professional wrestling arm. So Jedi Bob… call him!
Moynihan: Jedi Bob started it all.
What was your personal favorite Star Wars inversion that popped up in the show this time around?
Moynihan: I have to see it again. There are so many good ones, and I was so blown away by listening to myself in Star Wars that I didn’t pay attention more…
Darth Nubs. I really enjoyed his little cameo in there. There are so many fun little things. I keep saying this in every interview.
Darth Maul, in this universe, who is wearing young Lando’s shirt kills me. I love that. It’s just like in this world, Darth Maul is like a clothes hound, and that just makes me laugh. It’s very funny to me, all of it. But that’s the best part is getting it all mixed up.
You know what I’ll say, since I’ve already given you five answers, I’ll say Jedi Darth Vader this time.
And is there any character that you like in Star Wars that didn’t appear in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy this time around that you would be gungho to see a version of?
Moynihan: Yeah, I mean, I love all of the obscure characters. I’m like, who didn’t appear in this one though?
Who would I like to see? Man, you know what I want to see? I want to see R2-D2 in a giant mech outfit. Like the Hulk Buster, but R2-D2 in there. I always see designs of R2-2D getting some sort of insane transformer suit. Let’s see that. Let’s get that for a little while, and let’s get some of the weirder characters like Jaxxon the rabbit and stuff in there. That’s what I want to see.
All four parts of LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy are streaming now on Disney+.