Top 10: Fictional robots

Everyone loves robots. Such a list was always going to be exceedingly controversial with over thirty being featured in the long list. Such discrepancies include the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, C-3PO and The Terminator himself. After much consideration and pub-based discussion here is the Top 10.

10. Tom Servo – Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)
True, he may look like a chicken formed from an old gumball machine (and in all truth he is), but with his biting sarcasm, comical skits and his memorable song entitled ‘Creepy Girl’ Tom Servo pulls off a rare thing; a robot with a sense of humour.

9. The Iron Giant – The Iron Giant (1968)
The film depiction of the original Ted Hughes story became a quick cult classic, warranting much parody in recent media. The Iron Giant himself is a masterful reworking of the ‘gentle giant’ stock character that becomes so closely wrapped around your heart that any sadness that befalls them becomes devastating.

8. Robby The Robot – Forbidden Planet (1956)
This name will likely draw a few blanks. However, Robby The Robot became an unlikely icon after role in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet (starring Leslie Nielsen of Naked Gun fame no less).

7. WALL•E – WALL•E (2008)
Seriously, who doesn’t have a soft spot for WALL•E ? He may be a glorified garbage disposal, but he has a penchant for Hello, Dolly, and the beautiful CGI-rendering of both him and his love-interest EVE is truly moving.

6. GIR – Invader Zim (2001)
The only insight into the way this robot thinks includes a scene of dancing wieners with top hats. GIR stands as the ultimate malfunctioning robot that puts bacon in the soap and has an unusual obsession with taquitos.

5. R2-D2 – Star Wars (1977)
Somehow using only bleeps and chirps we know exactly what R2-D2 is thinking, and he has possibly some of the best lines in the original Star Wars trilogy. He was always the better half of his pairing with effeminate robot C-3PO and as such appears high on this list, whist C-3PO does not.

4. Marvin – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1978)
There are some robots who you just want to hug, and although he may not openly appreciate it you know inside he’ll be smiling. Despite the poor curvy adaptation in the 2005 movie (thanks a lot Disney!) the original paranoid robot from the book, radio and TV series in all his boxy glory still remains one of the greats

3. Bender – Futurama (1999)
Foul-mouthed, beer swilling, whore-loving robots are not exactly the norm (neither are those whose secret longing to be a folk singer is only unleashed when near refrigerator magnets). As robots go, Bender is certainly one of a kind, and likely to still be in lists like this for years to come.

2. Data – Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
Data was so close to nabbing the top spot but was edged out after a discussion in McQ's. Brent Spiner’s performance ensured that Data became the breakout character and fan favourite from Star Trek: The Next Generation due to his Pinocchio-style complex and his general social ineptitude.

1. Maria – Metropolis (1927)
The grandmother of all of them. This may in some ways be a cop-out, but as robots go Maria really was where they all began, with her acting as the first real technological icon. The source material may be silent and in black-and-white (and later inexplicably made into a musical) but it remains no less compelling than many of the film characters that we know and love today.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.