Heckler, also known as Experiment 322, is an illegal genetic experiment created by Jumba Jookiba and a character in the Lilo & Stitch franchise. He is designed to undermine enemy morale with verbal abuse. His one true place is in a dunk tank, provoking people to try and dunk him.
Background
Personality
Although Heckler acts like a jerk most of the time, he really just seems to insult out of impulse. He cannot help but make fun of others, but has been proven to be willing to help people, especially when it comes to insult comedy. Most of the time, he does not entirely intend to offend others, but it is in his programming, and he cannot help but throw around a few insults. If not, he breaks down into a fit of self-pity, as he has never had any other purpose. He proved to be so annoying that even Hämsterviel, who usually wanted all of Jumba's experiments, didn't want him.
Heckler has the ability to be kind-hearted, but just has a very strange way of showing it. He loves his job being in the dunk tank and encouraging people to try to dunk him for charity, smiling good-naturedly right before Mertle dunked him. When he insults someone, it can be hard to tell if it is out of reflex, just teasing, or actually trying to be hurtful.
Physical appearance
Heckler is an orange experiment that resembles a cross between 625 and 627, with short pointed ears, small beady eyes, an oval nose, a wide mouth with large fangs, and a shirt and bow tie imprint on his body. His head also has markings that resemble a balding head, with hair on the sides, much like Don Rickles' hair as he got older.
Powers and abilities
Heckler is, as his name suggests, a master heckler who can use his verbal insults towards others to even defend himself against enemies. He can speak fluently and is capable of making jokes about people's appearance and/or personality.
Appearances
Lilo & Stitch: The Series
Experiment 322 was the 322nd genetic experiment created by Jumba with Hämsterviel's funding. He was designed to crush his victims' pride and self-confidence with verbal insults. 322 and the other first 624 experiments were deactivated and smuggled to Earth by Jumba during his mission to capture Experiment 626.
All of the experiment pods were released and scattered across the island of Kauai.
Experiment 322 was activated off-screen at the Birds of Paradise Hotel, where he managed to impress a crowd of tourists by insulting the tour guide's hair and shirt, earning 322 a round of applause from the crowd.
322 was later chased around town by Gantu, but the former was able to stay ahead by repeatedly insulting Gantu until 322 was soon rescued by Lilo and Stitch. When 322 antagonized Stitch, the latter attempted to beat him up, only to be stopped by Lilo, who considered 322 to be somewhat useful.
Lilo then brought 322, whom she named Heckler, to Mertle's house as revenge, where Heckler insulted Mertle's hair and glasses, much to Lilo and Stitch's humor.
Lilo and Stitch shortly after took Heckler back to their house, where he insulted their dwelling and later both Nani and Jumba. When Jumba tried to silence Heckler by stuffing Stitch into his mouth, the latter spat Stitch out and insulted how he tasted, which led to them tussling on the floor. Nani rejected Heckler's presence and requested Lilo to keep him out of sight until after the charity event that Nani was hosting.
Later, Lilo and Stitch looked to Heckler for guidance for Pleakley's stand-up comedy at Nani's charity event, and Heckler convinced them to give the audience rotten tomatoes to throw at Pleakley's rotten jokes. Although uncertain, Lilo and Stitch took Heckler's advice (unaware that he was leading them astray).
At Nani's charity event, Heckler's insults towards the staff caused all of them to quit. When Nani then demanded Lilo to get rid of Heckler, the latter insulted Lilo's voice and nose before attempting to escape. Gantu then barged in for Heckler, but since Nani, Lilo, and Stitch were sick of Heckler's verbal abuse, they gladly handed him over.
Gantu took Heckler back to his ship, where he prepared to transport the latter to Hämsterviel. However, Heckler's insults towards Hämsterviel ultimately prompted him to order Gantu to release Heckler.
Thus, Heckler returned to Nani's charity event, where he was soon chased by Stitch. While being pursued, Heckler caused massive chaos at the dining tables by kicking and throwing food at people, including Nani.
Heckler then threw a rotten tomato at one of Pleakley's bad jokes and went onstage to insult him in front of everyone. At that moment, however, Pleakley and Lilo (as well as the entire audience) accepted that Heckler's insults towards them were true, leaving him defeated and sobbing on the stage.
After Lilo managed to console Heckler, she found his one true place in a dunk tank, where he provoked people to try and dunk him, especially a vengeful Mertle.
Leroy & Stitch
The first 624 experiments, including Heckler, were rounded up by Leroy and taken to a stadium to be destroyed. However, Lilo, Stitch, Jumba, Pleakley, Reuben, and Gantu arrived before the experiments could be destroyed.
Heckler participated in the following battle between the experiments and the Leroy clones, but it is unknown what he did.
The Leroys soon gained the upper hand in the battle, but were defeated when Lilo, Stitch, Reuben, and several other experiments performed the song "Aloha ʻOe", which caused the Leroy army to shut down due to the original Leroy's fail-safe.
Gallery
Trivia
- Heckler was possibly inspired by Don Rickles, a comedian who was known for insulting people for humorous effect.
- According to Jumba, Heckler was programmed "to destroy enemy's confidence by mercilessly taunting and humiliating him," and is one of the best ideas he ever had.
- Heckler was activated off-screen.
- Heckler is one of the few known experiments that can speak fluently.
- The Experiment Pod Container describes Heckler as: "Experiment 322. Primary function: Undermine enemy morale with verbal abuse."
- Oddly, when Heckler's image is reflected off of Stitch's eyes in The Origin of Stitch, he is gagged and handcuffed for some reason.
- Heckler is one of the few experiments to not appear in the group photo at the end of Leroy & Stitch.
