Our new favorite ‘Beetlejuice’ character has a seriously tragic backstory

Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice gives us the chance to catch up with familiar faces like Lydia and Delia Deetz nearly 36 years after their debuts, but it also introduces some new fan-favorites to the mix—including none other than Bob. So what happens to our best boy after the events of the film?

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is still going strong in its second week at the box office thanks to its all-star cast (Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega, to name a few), nostalgia factor, and more importantly, the Bob of it all.

You see, Bob, who works at Betelgeuse’s (Michael Keaton) office in the afterlife, is the leader of a group called the Shrinkers and plays a pivotal role in the story despite having limited screen time. But in those five or so odd minutes he’s onscreen, Bob captures our hearts—even if he’s a bit of a “diva,’ according to his co-stars.

Now, fans have some interesting theories as to how he ended up in the afterlife—and with a shrunken head to boot.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

Technically, Bob dies twice in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice; once during his initial, earthly death, and again after he gets his soul sucked out by Delores (Monica Bellucci). Although the movie doesn’t give too much of an explanation for Delores’ powers, it’s safe to assume that Bob is dead for good this time, and probably won’t be reprising his role for the yet-to-be-announced Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

But how did Betelgeuse’s right-hand man meet his demise in the first place, and why does he look like that? Well, if we use the logic of the 1988 original, Bob must have ended up in the afterlife waiting room and had his head shrunk by the Witch Doctor (à la the original film’s Harry the Hunter) shortly after.

Presumably, the Shrinkers are all humans who ended up with their irregular appearances thanks to the same magical shenanigans, but their origin remains foggy at best. Was Bob just some poor, unsuspecting mortal who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or did he do something to deserve such an awful fate? Either way, #JusticeForBob.

So … Bob spinoff movie, when?! Your move, Tim Burton and Warner Bros.