 The Hesses set the series towards the end of the Napoleon Dynamite film ; Scully said they transferred the characters and premise , but not the events of the film . In the film , set in the small town of Preston , Idaho , Napoleon ( Jon Heder ) is an awkward 16 @-@ year @-@ old who loves practicing ninja moves , soul dancing and drawing pictures of the liger , an animal he says is bred for its skills in magic . He makes up stories about himself about hunting wolverines in Alaska and a gang wanting him to join because of his skill with a bo staff . His brother Kip ( Aaron <unk> ) is an unemployed 32 @-@ year @-@ old ; flimsy and gawky , he is the target of Napoleon 's <unk> , although he often brags of his wrestling abilities and overall coolness ; he spends his days in an internet chat room talking to a woman named <unk> . The two live with their grandmother , <unk> ( Sandy Martin ) , who enjoys riding all @-@ terrain vehicles . Deborah " Deb " Bradshaw ( Tina Majorino ) is shy outcast who is infatuated with Napoleon . Napoleon 's uncle Rico ( Jon Gries ) is a middle @-@ aged man who lives in a camper van and is obsessed with his failed football career and with attempts at get rich quick schemes . Rex Kwon Do ( Diedrich Bader ) is a self @-@ declared martial @-@ arts master who runs a dojo . 
