Tribal Bob is the chief of the Manji Tribe, the indigenous tribal warriors that dwell within the realm of "JUMANJI". Bob appears frequently in the animated series whenever the Manjis are the focus, as well as having a major role in the LCD game.
Tribal Bob is the ostensible leader of the Manjis. He is shorter than the others; practically the same height as Peter. Perhaps this explains why he has a sort of brotherly bond with Peter, sometimes it is Tribal Bob who will swing in to save the day when the trio are up the proverbial creek without a proverbial paddle.
Biography[]
Despite being the smallest of the Manjis, Bob is very respected by his Tribe and just as skilled a hunter gatherer as the rest of his people. His name was presumably given to him in lieu of his presumably otherwise unpronounceable name. Dedicated to the Manji culture and customs, Tribal Bob is very strict with their laws and will not hesitate to hunt, cook or burn infidels that upset him, even if they were previously considered friends. Like the other Manjis, Tribal Bob does not tolerate screamers, thieves, bullies or home wreckers, but he is known to show admiration for honesty, such as when Peter handed the Monkey Crystal back to Bob against Alan's objections, as it was rightfully the Manji Tribe's property. Again, like the other Manjis, Tribal Bob does not get on with the "psychopath" Van Pelt, and often came to blows with the great white hunter. Bob has also revealed himself to be a very understanding and even sympathetic fellow such as patting a grieving Peter and feeling bad for burning him alive after their whole village was destroyed unintentionally when a giant Peter tried to save the tribe from a giant Lizard.
Abilities[]
Bob leads the Manjis.
- Tracking: As Manjis are hunter gatherers, Tribal Bob is an expert tracker as shown when Tribal Bob could follow the trail of Alan Parrish by sniffing food he had eaten.
- Spears: The hunting Spears are symbolic weapons and talismans of the Manji culture. These Spears can be thrown.
- Manji Language: The language of the Manjis is unique to their tribe, but they can reason with any outsiders who speak it, such as Alan Parrish and Peter Shepherd. Since Tribal Bob only speaks the Manji language, communication with him can leave anyone unfamiliar with the Manji talk like Judy Shepherd at a disadvantage.
- Command: Tribal Bob is the tribe chief, therefore, Manjis are inclined to follow his every word without delay. Bob is also able add new members to the tribe by inviting game players to participate in a ritual that endows them with a mask of their own.
Roles[]
In "The Price", Van Pelt captured the trio to retrieve the Monkey Crystal, based on a lie from Alan that they gave it to the Manjis, with the intention of trading it for the trio's lives. At night. Alan cautioned the kids about the stalking Manjis in the bushes, biding their time for an attack when Van Pelt fended off a Minotaur. In the commotion, Tribal Bob entered the camp to untie the trio, evading being battered by Van Pelt's Rifle thanks to Peter's Monkey tail. Contrary to the entire Manji Tribe surrounding the trio with pointed spears, Tribal Bob gratefully thanked Peter for saving him from being beaten by the "psychopath" and demanded the return of the Monkey Puzzle Crystal. Bob also approved of Peter's "rare" honesty and was able to solve the puzzle, solving the kid's clue and sending them home.
In "Masked Identity", after Alan unsuccessfully tried to bargain for the sacred Manji Key to the backdoor out of "Jumanji", he proceeded to break into the temple to "borrow" the key, but subsequently became pursued by the tribe. When Judy & Peter entered "Jumanji", they found Alan's treehouse in a bad state and were soon met by Tribal Bob and the Manjis, offering to help the kids find Alan. Tribal Bob started to enjoy having Peter's companionship, especially after Peter saved Bob from a charging Rhinoceros, and as Peter was previously desiring a good circle of friends in Brantford, he started to become more and more entranced by Manji culture, quickly invited by Tribal Bob to join the tribe, gladly entering a rite of passage and accepting a mask of his own. Once the tribe found Alan's satchel and began spearing it, Judy eventually realised that the Manjis were not merely searching for Alan, but hunting him, turning on Judy when she tired to intervene with Peter.
In "El Pollo Jumanji", when Rock insulted "Jumanji", the Manjis appeared on the scene, deciding to capture, cook and eat Rock when Tribal Bob asked Peter if he was a friend, in regards to Peter respond with "not really". Despite Alan and Peter's displeasure, the group later bargained for Rock's freedom with a Giant Chicken. Tribal Bob was so delighted with the trade, he gave Rock up with a warning about eating him without caution.
In "The Gift", Peter decided to ask Tribal Bob for help when Alan was dying from a toxic Centipede bite, but went to the Manji village alone so that Judy could watch over Alan, all the more reason because she didn't speak their language. At the village, Tribal Bob wasn't very helpful to Peter as they were being watched by the stalking Van Pelt, Trader Slick and Professor Ibsen. Bob did however give Peter a clue by planting a Mosquito carving in his hair in the middle of patting his hair sympathetically. Once Peter left, Van Pelt shoved "Bobby" in the mud for complying with telling him nothing helpful, making Tribal Bob storm off angrily. Later on, the dastardly trio cornered the kids as part of their mission to dispose of the trio given to them by the Stalker, until the entire Manji tribe united to take their revenge on the three men, with Tribal Bob overseeing their just deserts and giving Peter an "A'OK".
LCD game[]
Tribal Bob appears in the 1997 LCD Hasbro handheld game, as one of five possible dangers in the game. With his huge war mask, Bob is very scary indeed. He can be defeated by a spare or a rifle. If the players decides to roll the dice against him, the dice must match anything from a 1 up to a 7.
