No products in the cart.
Robots are some of the most beloved characters in Science Fiction. They have, at their very best, made us look at the human condition in profound and endearing ways. This isn’t an all-inclusive list, but here are some of our favorite robots.
R. Daneel Olivaw – One of the most well-known robots in Science Fiction is Isaac Asimov’s detective robot from the novel The Caves of Steel – from which we get the laws of robotics and one of the most fundamental concepts of what a robot could be.
R2-D2 – We could also mention C-3PO here as well, but R2-D2 is probably one of the most courageous characters in all of science fiction. Racing from crisis to crisis, the character is pivotal in the opening minutes of Star Wars and is the character that we latch on to in every part of the saga.
Optimus Prime – Right off the bat, we hit the childhood of many a kid in the 80s. Optimus Prime is a truck turned into a real-life superhero. Optimus is the reason why many people look at machines as cool.
The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger’s breakthrough role was the monster that tried to kill Sarah Conner. Our personal favorite is the terminator in T2: Judgment Day. Still a killer, the terminator is now protecting Sarah and John Conner. As a learning computer, it is fascinated with the idea of crying. The scene where it understood why, is one of the most human in all of science fiction.
Data – No list would be complete without Data. Data’s whole arc in Star Trek is to learn what it means to be human. In that process, Data explores the human condition in ways no robot has gone before, or ever since.
Bender – We could also have used Marvin in this slot, but Bender is one of the oddest Robots of all time. It, and to some extent Marvin, are two of the only robots in Science Fiction that suffer from depression. Bender personifies comedy at its best, as he really has no conscience, but he’s endearing because he’s Fry’s best friend and his depression and the darkness inside makes it compelling and human.
WALL-E – This might be the greatest love story between two robots, ever. WALL-E meets EVE and falls in love. Maybe the most human of all the characters listed here, WALL-E explores love from a machine’s point of view and is the unlikeliest of heroes in a world where humans have become all consuming.
Whether a companion, hero, villain, or foil, robots at their best tell us about ourselves. These here are some of our favorites, what are yours? Comment below.
Baymax – Baymax is a health system that also becomes a loyal friend and superhero. It forms a very special bond with Hiro Hamada. Baymax becomes a fully realized character in the movie Big Hero 6 and is probably one of the best examples of a loyal friend you can find in any form of science fiction.
Honorable Mention
Sancho – Sancho is the wise-cracking AI and perfect foil for Collier South, the last of the independent space-belt miners – who struggles to outwit and outrun the mega-mining consortiums before they take everything he has – from the novel Aftermath by Sean O’Brien.