List of fictional robots and androids

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Robots and androids have frequently been depicted or described in works of fiction. The word "robot" itself comes from a work of fiction, Karel Čapek's play, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) written in 1920 and first performed in 1921.

This list of fictional robots and androids is a chronological list, categorised by medium. It includes all depictions of robots, androids and gynoids in literature, television, and cinema; however, robots that have appeared in more than one form of media are not necessarily listed in each of those media. This list is intended for all fictional computers which are described as existing in a humanlike or mobile form. It shows how the concept has developed in the human imagination through history.

Static computers depicted in fiction are discussed in the separate list of fictional computers.

Contents

Theatre [edit]

See also mechanical automata produced for entertainment in the eighteenth century.
  • Coppélia, a life-size dancing doll in the ballet of the same name, choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Léo Delibes (1870).
  • The word "robot" comes from Karel Čapek's play, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) written in 1920 in the Czech language and first performed 1921. Performed in New York 1922 and an English edition published in 1923. In the play, the word refers to artificially created life forms.[1] Named robots in the play are: Marius; Sulla; Radius; Primus; Helena; and Damon. It introduced and popularized the term robot. Čapek's Robots are biological machines that are assembled, as opposed to grown or born.

Literature [edit]

See also: Robots in literature

19th century and earlier [edit]

Early 1900s [edit]

  • The "Metal Men" automata designed by a Thomas Edison-like scientist in Gustave Le Rouge's La Conspiration des Milliardaires (1899–1900).
  • Tik-Tok - Tik-Tok in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, premiering in Ozma of Oz (1907), and in the movie Return to Oz, largely based on Ozma of Oz.
  • A robot chess-player in Moxon’s Master by Ambrose Bierce (1909)
  • In Gaston Leroux's La Poupée Sanglante ("The Bloody Doll") and La Machine à Assassiner ("The Murdering Machine"), the lead character, Bénédict Masson, is wrongly accused of murder and guillotined. His brain is later attached to an automaton created by scientist Jacques Cotentin, and Masson goes on to track and punish those who caused his death.

1920s [edit]

1930s [edit]

1940s [edit]

1950s and 1960s [edit]

1970s [edit]

1980s [edit]

1990s [edit]

2000s [edit]

  • Cassandra Kresnov, in a series by Joel Shepherd (2001)
  • Moravecs are sentient descendants of probes sent by humans to the Jovian belt, in Dan Simmons' Ilium, (2003)
  • Nimue Alban/Merlin Athrawes in the Safehold series by David Weber, (2007)
  • Otis, the robot dog from Tanith Lee's Indigara (2007)
  • Freya in Charles Stross' Saturn's Children (Stross novel) (2008)
  • HCR-328 and Tom in 'Automatic Lover' and 'Automatic Lover – Ten Years On' by Ariadne Tampion (2008)
  • Boilerplate, a Victorian-era robot in the illustrated coffee-table book "Boilerplate: History's Mechanical Marvel," published by Abrams. (2009)
  • Little girl robot Molly in "Metal Molly" by Ariadne Tampion (2012)
  • R. Dorothy Wayneright from the animated series The Big O

Radio [edit]

Music [edit]

Film [edit]

1940s and earlier [edit]

1950s [edit]

1960s [edit]

1970s [edit]

1980s [edit]

1990s [edit]

2000s [edit]

2010 [edit]

2011 [edit]

  • Max, a robotic butler played by Lluís Homar, Gris, a free-thinking robotic cat, tiny robot horses and S.I,-9 in Eva.

Television films and series [edit]

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1960s and earlier [edit]

  • In The Thin Man (1957–1959):
    • Robby (Robby the Robot), a robot accused of murder in the episode "Robot Client" (1958)
  • In The Twilight Zone (1961–1962):
  • Andromeda in A for Andromeda (1961)
  • In Supercar (1961–1962):
    • The Robot Servants of Professor Watkins in the episode "The Lost City" (1961)
  • Rosie the Maid, Max and UniBlab in The Jetsons (1962)
  • In Hazel (1961–1966):
  • In Fireball XL5 (1962–1963):
    • Robert, the transparent auto-pilot robot invented by Professor Matic
    • The Granatoid Robots in the episode The Granatoid Tanks (1963)
    • The Robots of Robotvia in the episode Trial By Robot (1963)
  • Various unnamed robots in Space Patrol (1963–1964) (US title: Planet Patrol)
  • In The Outer Limits (1963–64):
    • Trent, an android from the far future in the episode Demon with a Glass Hand (1964)
    • Adam Link, a robot accused of the murder of his creator in the episode I, Robot (1964)
  • In Doctor Who (Seasons One to Six) (1963–1969): (see also List of Doctor Who robots)
  • In Thunderbirds (1965–1966):
    • Braman, a robot invented by Brains seen in the episodes Sun Probe (1965), Edge of Impact (1965) and The Cham-Cham (1966)
    • The plutonium store Security Robots in the episode 30 Minutes After Noon (1965)
  • Astro Boy from Astro Boy the Japanese animated series (1963–1966)
  • Rhoda Miller (aka AF709) in My Living Doll (1964); a fembot played by Julie Newmar.
  • In The Avengers (1965–1969):
    • The Cybernauts in the episodes The Cybernauts (1965) and Return of the Cybernauts (1967)
  • Tobor the android in the Japanese anime series 8th Man (1965). Also, his older, stronger, but less sophisticated sister Samantha 7.
  • In Lost in Space (1965–1968):
    • Robot B-9 (aka The Robot)
    • The Robotoid (Robby the Robot) in the episode War of the Robots (1966)
    • Verda, a gynoid, in the episodes The Android Machine (1966) and Revolt of the Androids (1967)
    • Raddion, a male android, in the episode The Dream Monster (1966)
    • The IDAK Super Androids in the episode Revolt of the Androids (1967)
    • The Industro Mini Robots in the episode The Mechanical Men (1967)
    • The robot prison guard (Robby the Robot) in the episode Condemned of Space (1967)
    • The Xenian Androids in the episode "Kidnapped in Space" (1967)
    • The Female Robot and Mechanical Men in the episode "Deadliest of the Species" (1967)
    • The Junkman in the episode "Junkyard in Space" (1968)
  • In Get Smart (1964–1967):
    • Hymie the Robot, a robot originally created by KAOS an organization of evil, but turned to the side of good and niceness by CONTROL agent Maxwell Smart. First appeared in episode 19 "Back to the Old Drawing Board".
  • In Gilligan's Island:
    • The Government test robot (Robby the Robot) in the episode "Gilligan's Living Doll" (1966)
  • In The Addams Family (1964–1966):
    • Smiley the Robot (Robby the Robot) in the episode "Lurch's Little Helper" (1966)
  • In Star Trek (1966–1969):
    • Dr Roger Korby, Andrea, Dr Brown, Ruk and the Kirk android in the episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" (1966)
    • Nomad, a sentient robot probe in the episode The Changeling (1967)
    • The Norman, Alice, Herman, Barbara, Maizie, Annabelle and Trudy series androids and the Stella Mudd androids in the episode I, Mudd (1967)
    • Rayna Kapec in the episode Requiem for Methuselah (1969)
    • The android replicas of Mr Atoz in the episode All Our Yesterdays (1969)
  • Serendipity Dog, a robot dog who asked questions on the BBC children's science series Tom Tom (1966–1969)
  • In Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967–1968):
    • The Mysteron construction robots in the episode Crater 101 (1968)
  • Mildred the Maid (Robby the Robot) in The Banana Splits Adventure Hour (1968–1970)
  • In Joe 90 (1968–1969):
    • The Spider riot control robots in the episode The Professional (1969)
  • In Land of the Giants (1968–1970):
    • Professor Gorn's Super Giant Robot, a giant android, in the episode The Mechanical Man (1969)
  • Slim John, a rebel robot in the BBC series Slim John (1969)

1970s [edit]

  • Zed, the rebel robot in The Ed and Zed Show (c1970)
  • In Doctor Who (Seasons Seven to Seventeen) (1970–1980):
    • The IMC Mining Robot in the serial Colony in Space (1971)
    • The Sontaran Knight Robot in the serial The Time Warrior (1973–1974)
    • The K1 Robot invented by Professor Kettlewell in the serial Robot (1974–1975)
    • The Sontaran Surveillance Robot in the serial The Sontaran Experiment (1975)
    • The Osirian Service Robots, mummy-like robot servants of Sutekh in the serial Pyramids of Mars (1975)
    • The Kraal Androids, including android duplicates of the Doctor, Harry Sullivan and RSM Benton, in the serial The Android Invasion (1975)
    • Dum, Voc and Supervoc robots in the serial The Robots of Death (1977)
    • K-9, the Doctor's robot dog companion, created by Professor Marius and introduced in the serial The Invisible Enemy (1977)
    • The Seers of the Oracle in the serial Underworld (1978)
    • K9 MkII, the second version of the Doctor's robot dog companion, introduced in the serial The Ribos Operation (1978)
    • The Polyphase Avatron, the Captain's robot parrot in the serial The Pirate Planet (1978)
    • The Taran Androids, including an android duplicate of Romana, in the serial The Androids of Tara (1978)
    • The Movellans, android enemies of the Daleks, in the serial Destiny of the Daleks (1979)
  • Numerous android characters in the Japanese superhero series Kikaider (1972), including the title character.
  • S.A.M., Super Automated Machine (the 'perfect machine') robot in Sesame Street (1969–present), introduced in episode 0406 (1972)
  • In Here Come the Double Deckers! (1971):
    • Robbie, a dancing robot invented by Brains in the episode Robbie the Robot (1971)
  • In Columbo (1971–1993):
  • In Robbi, Tobbi und das Fliewatüüt, a German television series for children. (1972):
    • Robbi aka ROB 344–66/IIIa, Co-Pilot of the Fliewatüüt and student of a third class at robot school. (1972)
  • In Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1972–1975):
    • Mr. R.I.N.G., Robomatic Internalized Nerve Ganglia, a top secret military robot in the episode Mr. R.I.N.G. (1975)
  • In The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–1978):
    • A robot double of Major Fred Sloane in the episode Day of the Robot (1974)
    • A robot double of Oscar Goldman in the episode Return of the Robot Maker (1975)
    • Sasquatch, the robot watchdog of marooned aliens in the episodes The Secret of Bigfoot – Part 1 (1976), The Secret of Bigfoot – Part 2 (1976), The Return of Bigfoot – Part 1 (1976) and Bigfoot V (1977)
    • The Fembots and a robot double of Oscar Goldman in the episode Kill Oscar – Part II (1976)
    • Death Probe, a Soviet Venusian robot probe in the episodes Death Probe – Part 1 (1977), Death Probe – Part 2 (1977), Return of the Death Probe – Part 1 (1978) and Return of the Death Probe – Part 2 (1978)
  • Questor in The Questor Tapes (1974)
  • In Space: 1999 (1975–1977):
    • The Servant of the Guardian in the episode Guardian of Piri (1975)
    • Gwent, a sentient spaceship in the episode The Infernal Machine (1976)
    • Zarl, Zamara and the other Vegan androids in the episode One Moment of Humanity (1976)
    • Brian the Brain in the episode Brian the Brain (1976)
    • A robot double of Maya in the episode The Taybor (1976)
    • The Cloud Creature in the episode The Beta Cloud (1976)
  • Fi and Fum, the time-travelling androids from the children's series The Lost Saucer (1975–1976)
  • In The New Avengers (1976–1977):
    • A Cybernaut in the episode The Last of the Cybernauts...?? (1976)
  • In Ark II (1976):
  • In The Bionic Woman (1976–1978):
    • Sasquatch, the robot watchdog of marooned aliens in the episode The Return of Bigfoot – Part 2 (1976)
    • The Fembots in the episodes Kill Oscar (1976), Kill Oscar – Part III (1976), Fembots in Las Vegas – Part 1 (1977) and Fembots in Las Vegas – Part 2 (1977)
  • Yo-Yo, aka Geogory Yoyonovitch, Holmes & Yo-Yo (1976)
  • Officer Haven in Future Cop (1976–77)
  • In The Fantastic Journey (1977):
    • Cyrus, Rachel, Daniel, Michael and the other android members of Jonathan Willoway's community in the episode Beyond the Mountain (1977)
  • In Logan's Run (1977–78):
    • REM, a male android who joins Logan and Jessica in their search for Sanctuary
    • Draco, a male android, and Siri, a gynoid, in the pilot TV movie (1977)
    • Friend and Nanny, Lisa'a robot companions in the episode The Innocent (1977)
    • Ariana, a gynoid, in the episode Futurepast (1978)
  • The Clinkers in Shields and Yarnell (1977–78)
  • Peepo, the robot in the children's series Space Academy (1977–1979)
  • In Space Sentinels (1977):
    • MO, Maintenance Operator, Sentinel One's maintenance robot
  • Haro in Mobile Suit Gundam (1977)
  • Voltes V in the Japanese animated series (1977)
  • P.O.P.S. (Robot B-9 modified) in Mystery Island (1977–78)
  • 7-Zark-7 and 1-Rover-1 in the animated series Battle of the Planets (1978)
  • In Battlestar Galactica (1978–1979):
    • The Cylons, mechanical men created by a race of reptile-like creatures
    • Muffit Two, a robot daggit who becomes Boxey's pet
    • Lucifer, an IL series Cylon, the robot assistant to Count Baltar introduced in Saga of a Star World – Part III (1978)
    • Specter, an I-L series Cylon, the garrison commander on Antilla in the episode The Young Lords (1978)
    • Hector and Vector in the episode Greetings from Earth (1979)
  • IQ-9 in Star Blazers (1978–1984), originally called Analyzer in Space Battleship Yamato (1974–1980)
  • H.E.R.B.I.E. in the 1978 Fantastic Four animated series
  • Blake's 7 (1978–81) featured several robots and androids
  • In The New Adventures of Wonder Woman (1977–1979):
    • Dr Solano's swordmaster robot in the pilot movie The Return of Wonder Woman (1977)
    • Orlick Hoffman's android duplicates of Dr Tobias, Dr Prescott, Dr Lazaar and Wonder Woman in the episode The Deadly Toys (1977)
    • Rover, the IADC's robot dog, Cori, William Havitol's robot secretary, and Havitol's evil duplicate of Rover in the episode IRAC is Missing (1978)
  • In Quark (1977–1978):
    • Andy the Robot, a cowardly robot built by Adam Quark from spare parts
  • In Mork & Mindy (1978–1982):
  • In Salvage 1 (1979):
    • Mermadon, a junked Government-constructed android in the episode Mermadon (1979)
  • In Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (First Season) (1979–1980):
    • Twiki, Buck's ambuquad robot who wears Dr. Theopolis, a brilliant talking computer, around his neck.
    • Tina, a golden ambuquad that Twiki falls in love with in the episode Cruise Ship to the Stars.
    • Humanoid robot security guards in the episode Unchained Woman.
  • W1k1 (or Wiki), the pocket-sized robot in the children's series Jason of Star Command (1979–1981)

1980s [edit]

  • Robot 67 Bright 2 – A robot who appears in two episodes of a week in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in 1983.
  • Metal Mickey, the Wilberforces' household robot in Metal Mickey (1980–1983)
  • In Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Second Season) (1981):
    • Twiki, Buck's ambuquad robot, and Crichton, a robot created by Dr Goodfellow
  • In Doctor Who (Seasons Eighteen to Twenty-Six) (1980–1989):
  • In Knight Rider (1982–1985):
    • KITT, Knight Industries Two Thousand, a talking Trans AM car
    • KARR, Knight Automated Roving Robot, an early prototype of KITT in the episodes Trust Doesn't Rust (1982) and K.I.T.T. vs K.A.R.R. (1984)
  • In Terrahawks (1983–1986):
    • Zelda, Yung-Star, Cy-Star and It-Star, evil androids from the planet Guk
    • Sergeant Major Zero, Space Sergeant 101, Dix-Huit and many other Zeroids, spherical battle robots
    • Dr Kiljoy, Zeroid robot doctor in the episodes The Ugliest Monster of All (1983), Zero's Finest Hour (1984) and Operation Zero (1986)
  • Roboz, the orange robot invented by Murray 'Boz' Bozinsky in Riptide (1984–1986)
  • The B.A.T.s (Battle Android Trooper) of the evil Cobra Organization in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series, first appeared in 1986.
  • The Transformers of various Transformers television series (1984–present)
  • Go-bots were featured in a Cartoon series also named Go-Bots around the same time as the Transformers series.
  • Voltron Defender of the Universe (1984–1986)
  • Roboto from Masters of the Universe (1984)
  • The Orbots—Tor, Bort, Bo, Boo, Crunch, & Oh-No, from Mighty Orbots (1986)
  • Tobor, the Shadow-double of Mighty Orbots, from the episode, Devil's Asteroid. (1986)
  • Robo Story, this French cartoon had various robots in its main cast.
  • An enemy Bioroid pilot was described by a scientist in the Masters story (1985) of the Robotech science fiction series as a very advanced android with some sort of bio-electric device "as an artificial soul." Robotech adapted this story from Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross Japanese animated series (1984), in which these pilots are humans with mechanical implants instead of androids with artificial souls.
  • T-Bob, a droid developed and owned by Scott Trakker, from the animated television series M.A.S.K., closely resembling R2-D2, and perhaps even a direct successor as an adapted Tx-series Industrial Automaton astromech droid, as inferred by the show's storyline.
  • In Bionic Six (1987–1989)
    • F.L.U.F.F.I., the Bionic Six's pet/family-member gorilla-bot and Dr. Scarab's Cyphrons
  • Material for the Robotech II: The Sentinels (1987) and Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles (2007) sequels described a character named Janice Em as a "sexy robot" with an "android body." JANICE is an acronym (according to the voice actress Chase Masterson in the video: The Face behind the Voice mini-documentary) which means: Junctioned Artificial Neuro-Integrated Cybernetic Entity.
  • There were many robots featured in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, including the Foot Soldier ninjas; Metalhead the robotic turtle; MACC the cowboy robot from the future; the Turtle Terminator; REX-1 the robot cop; Chrome Dome; the Pretendicon; and more.
  • Vicki (Voice Input Child Indenticant) the little girl robot in Small Wonder (1985)
  • Vanessa from Small Wonder
  • Conky 2000, robot who gives out the secret word in Pee-wee's Playhouse, 1986 until 1991.
  • Data, Lore, Lal (Data's daughter) and Juliana Tainer in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994, plus four movies)
  • The synthoids from several episodes of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series (1985).
  • Chip Carson from the Not Quite Human series (1987, 1989, 1992).
  • Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, Gypsy and Cambot, created by and friends to Joel Hodgson and later Mike Nelson from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)
  • The Skutters, Kryten, the Simulants and many others from Red Dwarf (1988)
  • Blitz, a robotic dog from the cartoon C.O.P.S., 1988 and 1989.
  • Roberta from Not Quite Human II (1989)
  • No-No, from the animated children's series Ulysses 31
  • Blinky, from the animated children's series Bucky O'Hare
  • ASTAR, a golden robot promoting safe play to children
  • Jinx from the 1986 film SpaceCamp.
  • Simon, a humanoid robot with the mind scanned from a dead little boy with AI technology. He was built by the boy's sister to preserve the life of her brother. Appeared in Simon Says (The Outer Limits)
  • Robin, a small robot made by the clown Bassie in the children's series Bassie en Adriaan
  • Arale Norimaki, the main character of the Japanese animated series Dr. Slump. As well as another character named Obotchaman.
  • Android 8 and Major Metallitron from Dragon Ball.
  • Yulgis from Dirty Pair: Affair on Nolandia.
  • Kevin, a robot created by Screech Powers on Saved By The Bell. (1989-1993).

1990s [edit]

2000s [edit]

2010s [edit]

Comics [edit]

Comic Books/Graphic novels [edit]

American [edit]

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Australian [edit]

British [edit]

Franco-Belgian [edit]

Other European [edit]

  • Robbie, a recurring robot constructed by inventor Knox in German series Fix und Foxi, first drawn by Massimo Fecchi (1976)
  • Robots from planet Des from Polish series "Bogowie z kosmosu" ("Gods from The Space"), written by Arnold Mostowicz and Alfred Górny and illustrated by Bogusław Polch (1978)
  • Uèr, an "electro-chemical" android capable of human feelings, in Italian comic book Milady 3000 by Magnus (1980)

South American [edit]

Manga (Japanese comics) [edit]

Comic strips [edit]

  • Beetle Bot from the comic strip Beetle Bailey.
  • Kollege Blech from the comic strips of East German caricaturist Erich Schmitt (1965)
  • Robotman (1985) in the comic strip of the same name, which eventually became "Monty". Robotman left the strip and found happiness with his girlfriend Robota on another planet.
  • a heroic female robot called Mimi, an evil robot doppelganger of Mickey Mouse, and a robot army led by Peg-Leg Pete in the newspaper strip "The World of Tomorrow" (1944) by Floyd Gottfredson and Bill Walsh

Web comics [edit]

Web based media [edit]

Animated shorts/series [edit]

Flash [edit]

  • Rya Botkins and June Crane of Matt Wilson's Bonus Stage (though Crane's status is disputed, as she has claimed to be human)
  • The Grape-Nuts Robot, Created by Bubs to imitate Strong Bad from Homestar Runner Appears here[4]
  • Schniz, Fulker, CPDoom, and various background characters from Andrew Kauervane's My God, Robots!

Machinima [edit]

  • Lopez, Church, and Tex – characters from the Rooster Teeth machinima Red vs. Blue. Only Lopez is a true artificial life-form, as both Church and Tex exist only as ghosts ( later in the series though solid proof showed that they both are A.I. programs like O'Malley the whole time ). Both characters where blown up during the course of the series, existing from that point onward in robot bodies other than their originals. They possess mechanical bodies similar to Lopez in design.

Computer and video games [edit]

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Clanker in the The Learning Company's Star Flyer Series.

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) - Karel Capek, 1920
  2. ^ Otomox at www.coolfrenchcomics.com
  3. ^ [1][dead link]
  4. ^ Compy 386! at www.homestarrunner.com

See also [edit]

Portal icon Robotics portal

External links [edit]

 
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