Mordecai (Regular Show)

Mordecai
File:Mordecai (Regular Show).webp
First appearance	2 in The AM PM (2006)
Last appearance	A Regular Epic Final Battle : The Power (2017)
Created by	J. G. Quintel
Voiced by	J. G. Quintel
In-universe information
Species	Blue jay
Gender	Male
Occupation	Park Groundskeeper (formerly) Artist (currently)
Affiliation	Park Workers Mordecai and the Rigbys Dome Subjects
Family	William (Father) Hillary (Mother) Steve (Uncle) Maxine (Aunt)
Spouse	Stef (Wife)
Significant other	Various unnamed ex-girlfriends Margaret Smith (ex-girlfriend) CJ (ex-girlfriend)
Children	Two unnamed sons and one unnamed daughter

Mordecai is one of the main characters in the American animated television series Regular Show. He is voiced by the show's creator J. G. Quintel.

The show revolves around Mordecai (an anthropomorphic blue jay) and his childhood best friend Rigby, who work as groundskeepers at a park. They often try to avoid work and entertain themselves by any means much to the chagrin of their boss.

Conception and further development

A blue jay resembling Mordecai first appeared in 2 in the AM PM, a 2006 short film written and directed by Quintel. Alongside Mordecai was a gumball machine resembling Benson. This and Quintel's other short film - The Naive Man from Lolliland - went on to serve as his inspiration for Regular Show.

Mordecai's wife was not given a name in the show. Head writer Matt Price, on Reddit, gave her the name Stef when asked about it, and writer Owen Dennis stated on Tumblr that there had not been previous plans to give a name to the character.

Character storylines

Mordecai (voiced by J. G. Quintel) is a 23-year-old anthropomorphic blue jay who works as a groundskeeper at The Park. He has been best friends with Rigby ever since childhood. Mordecai is more conscientious, intelligent, responsible, and mature about his actions than Rigby is, which sometimes leads to him opposing Rigby when he is the cause of some kind of chaotic problem. While Mordecai dislikes his job, he's often willing to put up with it begrudgingly as opposed to Rigby, who is more prone to avoid work as much as possible. However, Mordecai usually sides with his friend, occasionally going along with Rigby's attempts to get out of work much to the chagrin of their boss, Benson. While Benson is often fed up with Mordecai and Rigby's antics, repeatedly threatening to fire them throughout most of the series, though he does eventually grow to see Mordecai and the rest of the park workers as his friends. Mordecai loves to play video games and is a better player than Rigby, he also demonstrates decent strength, such as carrying large boulders, fighting the death bear, never getting hurt by Rigby's punches, and able to punch Rigby across an entire room with ease. He can sometimes become caught up in his emotions, often letting them get the better of him. However, he is usually quick to apologize to others if he has hurt them and occasionally takes the lead in fixing a situation.

In the episode "Camping Can Be Cool", it is revealed that he attended art school before being employed at The Park; however, he did not finish school due to his bad portrait skills, which were revealed in the episode "Bad Portrait". He is shown to have an outgoing mom, who embarrasses him around his girlfriends and also made a highlight reel of Mordecai's most embarrassing moments, as seen in "Maxin' and Relaxin'".

Mordecai's romantic life (or lack thereof) is the subject of several episodes. Particularly his crush on Margaret Smith, a cardinal who worked as a waitress at a coffee shop him and Rigby would frequent. Mordecai would often hang out with her, along with Rigby, and her coworker Eileen Roberts. Mordecai tried and failed to ask her out many times due to either his own nerves or Margaret having a boyfriend at the time. In "Yes Dude, Yes" Mordecai (believing Margaret to be engaged) tries to get over her and signs up for a dating site. He meets CJ, a sentient storm cloud, and the two quickly hit it off. However, once he learns Margaret wasn't engaged, he asks her to a movie, forgetting he had already asked CJ to go with him earlier that day. CJ blows up at him and they part ways. Mordecai and Margaret eventually start dating in the season 4 episode "Meteor Moves". This relationship is short-lived, as Margaret breaks up with him in "Steak Me Amadeus" after she gets accepted into her dream college. This causes Mordecai to fall into a deep depression, worsened when he finds a sweater Margaret accidentally left at his house.

Mordecai and CJ reconnect after bumping into each other at a New Year's Eve party and eventually begin to date in "I Like You Hi". In "Merry Christmas Mordecai" Margaret returns (now living with Eileen) and Mordecai ends up kissing her when the two were reminiscing on their relationship. CJ catches them and leaves, distraught. While he convinces CJ to give him another chance, their relationship becomes incredibly strained once Margaret reveals she still has feelings for him. The two break up in "Dumped at the Altar". Mordecai and Margaret decide to just stay friends, though the idea of them getting back together is still teased afterwards.

Following Rigby's graduation, Mordecai gets stuck in the dome with the rest of the park workers and Eileen, getting launched into space. In A Regular Epic Final Battle, Pops and Anti-Pops colliding causes time to reset, sending Mordecai and Rigby back to the first episode. The two use The Power to go back and help Pops. Realizing fighting Anti-Pops will only lead to a stalemate, Pops grabs him and flies into the sun, telepathically comforting Mordecai and Rigby. Upon returning to Earth, the park workers are reunited with their friends and family, and they tearfully erect a statue of Pops in his honor.

In the epilogue to "A Regular Epic Final Battle", Mordecai quits The Park, parts ways with Rigby, moves to New York City, and returns to making art. He opens a successful exhibition and meets a bat woman whom he eventually marries and starts a family. At the park's 25-year anniversary party, now-54-year-old Mordecai and Rigby reminisce on Pops' sacrifice and how none of them would have been able to lead such beautiful lives without him. They decide to play some old arcade games in the shed before saying their catchphrases and laughing about how immature they used to be.

See also

• List of Regular Show characters