There are many types of characters that have come to define the stories we find in cinema. Some are fun and lovable, while others are dark and menacing. One particular type of character that can fall into either one of these categories are the artificial lifeforms known as robots. Whatever type of robot they be, a toy, an android, or a cyborg, these characters have made an impact on the big screen, even going back to the earliest days of cinema. These characters have particularly been a favorite staple of science fiction. There’s nothing more futuristic in nature than the creation of artificial life, and robots have been central to that. Of course we have seen stories where a robot is treated more humanely and they develop personalities of their own which ignites debates about the nature of creation itself, when the very idea that an individual can be manufactured and have a will of it’s own thereafter. There are also just as many movies about the dangers of robotics, when artificial life turns against humanity and leads to it’s near extinction. Either type of story has it’s own place in cinema history, but what both have done together is create a vast number of memorable robotic characters over the years. These iconic character range from the friendly, to the menacing, to even that strange neutral ground in between. For this article I am putting together a list of the most memorable robotic characters that have appeared in the movies. There are some ground rules that I have to set for this list, just to be clear which types of robot characters count. One, these have to be self-reliant robots, meaning they can’t be piloted or puppeteered by another character; so the Jaegers from Pacific Rim (2013) won’t make the list because they are more human powered mechs than actual robots. Also, these have to be actual physical robots and not a AI program with it’s own sentience, unless it has also created a robotic body for itself. So, no HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Other than that, any type of robot qualifies. So with all that laid out, let’s take a look at my picks for the Top Ten Robots in Movies.
10.
THE TIN MAN from THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
Played by Jack Haley
Here we begin with one of the better examples of a friendly robot in movies. A character straight from L. Frank Baum’s original story, the Tin Man is very different from most typical robotic characters in movies. What sets him apart is that his creation is more magical than mechanical. He lives because the Land of Oz is a magical place, where scarecrows are also alive and lions can speak. Still, as he tells his story, he shares that he was built by a woodsman for the purpose of chopping wood, so by that account he still would a robot. There’s just one thing that the woodsman forgot; a heart. It’s an interesting character trait for the Tin Man; that desire to have a heart, which means that he desires to be more human. Of course, on his adventures with Dorothy, we know that an actual physical heart is not what’s key to being a human. The Tin Man shows he has a heart through his compassion and devotion to his friends. The portrayal of the Tin Man in this movie is particularly special, thanks to the performance of Jack Haley, an experienced song and dance man long before his role in The Wizard of Oz. His jerky, robotic movements, particularly in his introduction scene, really help to sell the idea that he’s made of nothing but metal. The creation of the costume is also quite a feat, particularly in the make-up, which they had to redo to make it less toxic as it sent the Tin Man’s original actor, Buddy Ebsen, to the emergency room due to a severe allergic reaction to the silver paint. Even after the changes, it probably still was uncomfortable for Jack Haley to play the character, but he does in the end shine through, much like his metallic skin after it has been polished. A lot of the other robots on this list are more creations out of realm of science, but the Tin Man stands out as a more magical entity, and one that definitely fits within the world of Oz. Much more than an empty kettle, he a man on his mettle, because he always had a heart.
9.
AVA from EX MACHINA (2015)
Played by Alicia Vikander
Now we move on to another type of robotic character; one with a darker side. This cautionary tale about rogue AI from writer/director Alex Garland is becoming more and more prescient by the day as we are going through an AI boom at the current moment. Oscar Isaac’s eccentric tech billionaire brings one of his young technicians, played by Domhnall Gleeson, to his secluded cabin in the woods to conduct a Turing Test with his new AI programed robot, played by Vikander, in this sci-fi thriller. The film is more about human hubris than anything else, showing that creating life is more than just a mechanical exercise. The film does a great job of creating this intriguing question about the nature of humanity. AVA is an interesting character because she displays all of the outward appearance of a human being, but underneath she is all metal shells and wiring. The Oscar-winning visual effects used to create AVA’s robotic body are pretty spectacular, making it appear that Alicia Vikander’s physical body is broken up into detachable parts. It’s eerie to see the clear shells with all the wiring link up seamlessly with the actress’ real face. The movie delivers it’s message in an effective way, with AVA nearly stripped down completely when you first meet her, making no mistake that she’s a robot, but as the movie keeps moving forward, she puts on more layers concealing that fact, like wearing more clothes and putting on extra layers of artificial skin, to the point where her robotic insides are completely obscured. And while she does this, she increasingly manipulates Gleeson’s technician, blurring the line further between his conception of her as being a robot. in the end, we learn that she’s been the one testing her human captors, and not the other way around. It’s a movie that definitely makes one wary about the implications of making AI too true to life, because there’s always the danger of it becoming too smart that it’ll end up out-smarting us. And even still, AVA is not as malicious an AI as you would expect. Over the course of the movie, we see that it has learned the very human trait of survival, and that’s why she manipulates the humans around her; to finally escape and be set free. Alex Garland leaves it open as to what AVA might end up doing out in the real world, but as the movie showed us, AI reflects back all the things that human beings have programmed into it, and unfortunately a lot of our own programming as humans is not without a few bugs.
8.
THE MACHINE HUMAN from METROPOLIS (1927)
Played by Brigette Helm
A lot of AVA from Ex Machina and many other robotic characters from cinema in general owe a lot to this pioneering depiction of a robot in the silent Fritz Lang masterpiece Metropolis. This nearly century old classic takes place in an imagined city of the future, where among other technological advancements a mechanical human being has been constructed. Inspired a bit by the creation of Frankenstein’s monster, this Machine Human is the work of a deranged mad scientist who’s choosing to play God. But at the same time, the Machine Human’s creation is meant to be the first in a string of robotic workers who will replace the human drones working in the underworld of the city. This movie is becoming even more prophetic every day, as tech billionaires are using AI to create more automation in society, which is driving out more and more of the human workforce. And Fritz Lang saw this coming a century ago, making this movie well ahead of it’s time. The Mechanical Human itself is very iconic, working it’s way into so much of the science fiction that we’ve seen over the years. It’s design particularly had a major influence on the creation of C-3PO in the Star Wars movies for example. Another interesting aspect of the Mechanical Human is that it is given a human disguise, showing how it’s purpose is to blur the line between human kind and artificiality, and through that make it easier to manipulate those who are unable to tell the difference. In the movie, it takes the disguise of a woman named Maria, who has been leading the working class humans in resistance against the upper class in the city above. This function of manipulating the human mind through an artificial imposter is very much in the same vein of what we saw with AVA in Ex Machina. It’s also something we see playing out in our own real world with bots manipulating discourse online through social media. Though in terms of personality, the Mechanical Human is very limited, mainly just being the robotic arbitor that it was programmed to be and nothing more. But even still, it is an iconic depiction of a robotic being that in the nearly 100 years since it’s creation now seems even more realistic than how it was first imagined; a sad reality about how we as a society have used robotics and AI in very bad ways.
7.
ROBOCOP from ROBOCOP (1987)
Played by Peter Weller
Moving away from both the positive and negative depictions of robotic characters in movies, here we find one of the best examples of that gray area in the middle. In Paul Verhoeven’s dark ultraviolent satire of capitalism run amok, we see a story where Peter Weller’s human cop is transformed into the ultimate weapon of justice. But, as we see, the more mechanical he becomes, the less forgiving he is to the average criminal. The movie explores the idea of humanity being further consumed by a technological world, where things like law enforcement no longer serves in the public interest but rather becomes a tool for keeping things in order, mainly in the interest of corporate elites. A true human police force is subjected to things like personal judgment and ethical review. Replace that with a fully mechanized form of law enforcement and yes you have a system that doesn’t discriminate but it’s also one that doesn’t empathize either. It’s a system that carries it’s own biases that purely exists to follow the law and doesn’t take into account the nuances of circumstance that leads to crime. Verehoeven plays around with this concept in a very broad sense in the movie, leading to some very shockingly violent imagery for it’s time (which at one point earned the film an NC-17 rating). Peter Weller’s portrayal of the titular Robocop is pretty iconic as well. The shiny metallic armor he wears is something that everyone remembers about the film, but Weller also perfectly captures that struggle between his character’s rigid programming and whatever is left of his humanity. Whether he’s good or bad depends on who’s in the driver’s seat at the time, but eventually Robocop does come around to fighting against the corporate machine that made him who he is, and ultimately chooses his humanity in the end. As police forces become more militarized and law enforcement becomes more about protecting moneyed interests rather that protecting and serving the community at large, a story like Robocop becomes a more potent satire of how the balance between man and machine being thrown out of balance creates a far worse world overall.
6.
GORT from THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)
Played by Lock Martin
Klaatu barada nikto. These three words are the keys to the most powerful weapon the Earth has ever known. This Cold War era Sci-Fi classic creates a powerful story about mankind’s first encounter with life from another world. A flying saucer lands in Washington D.C. and the human like alien being that has travelled inside of it seeks to make peace with us primitive Earthlings. However, trigger happy military personnel end up wounding Klaatu, the alien ambassador, and this awakens the Guardian sentinel that traveled with him; a massive robot named Gort. Gort is without a doubt one of the most iconic robots in all of cinema, and an icon of this particular era of science fiction. He’s limited in personality, more machine than anything else, but he still leaves a chilling impression whenever he’s onscreen. With a laser blast from his cycloptic facial lens, he’s able to disintegrate anything that gets in it’s way, including unfortunate human beings. But, he’s not a malicious mechanical being either. His primary function is to protect Klaatu and the ship at all costs. But, he also must obey anyone who uses the password I shared at the beginning. The Day the Earth Stood Still was made at a particularly precarious time in human history, as nuclear proliferation and the tensions between the United States and the Soviet bloc were heating up. Also the paranoia of the Red Scare was spreading across the country as well. Gort is viewed by many as an allegory for nuclear deterrents; a weapon of immense power that proves to be so destructive that it fighting against it would mean one’s own destruction. As the movie portrays him, he serves as a warning against the misuse of such weaponry. The look of Gort is distinctively mid-century sci-fi. He was played by 7’5″ tall actor Lock Martin, whose immense stature really helps to make Gort feel big on screen. But his design is also sleek and simple, very much reinforcing his other-worldly nature. When we think of mid-century science fiction, Gort will most likely be one of the first things people remember. He may not stand out as a defining character of the era, but as a symbol there is no doubt that he stood out as an icon.
5.
ROY BATTY from BLADE RUNNER (1982)
Played by Rutger Hauer
Set in what was supposed to be Los Angeles in the far off year of 2019, this Sci-Fi neo-noir features a story about rogue androids known as replicants that are hiding in plain sight among us humans. The replicants in Blade Runner are so human like that they require a complex exam called the Voight-Kampff test to identify them as the androids they are. And the leader of these rebel replicants is a menacing and powerful replicant called Roy Batty, played memorably by Rutger Hauer. The famed Dutch actor brings powerful gravitas to the role, creating a villain that really feels more soulful than a lot of other robotic characters that we’ve seen in the movies. His portrayal strongly reinforces the idea put forth by the movie, which is the idea about artificial life being capable of having a soul to them. As we learn in the movie, the replicants themselves are evolving and becoming more human like as a result; to the point where the Voight-Kampff can’t even detect all the clues, and this becomes a problematic dilemma for a society that has used replicants for purposes like hard labor and raises a profound question: Are replicants due rights for themselves, just like any other being. As sympathetic as the replicants may be, there’s still no doubt that Roy Batty is a pretty bad guy as well. He leaves a lot of bodies in his wake as he tries to infiltrate the Tyrell Corporation to meet his maker. But, his time is also limited due to a built in flaw that makes the replicants live short lives as a necessity to allow for control over them. Batty goes out in a harrowing final confrontation with Harrison Ford’s heroic Deckard, the titular blade runner tasked with hunting Batty down and terminating him. Batty’s dying scene is one of cinema’s most iconic moments, as he shares his favorite “memories” to Deckard while his life slips away, all in a beautifully staged rooftop scene in pouring down rain. Hauer often cited this scene as one of his proudest moments as an actor, and he has good reason to be proud. In this moment, he does prove to us that even an artificial mind is capable of human emotion, and thus able to carry a soul, which sadly due to the flaw of his body will be lost “like tears in rain.”
4.
T-800 from THE TERMINATOR (1984) AND TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991)
Played by Arnold Schwarzenegger
We’ve talked about friendly robots in movies, as well as malicious and menacing robots in movies. But here we have in the Terminator franchise an example of one character that has been both. The original Terminator has the T-800 model be the film’s main antagonist, sent from the future to hunt down the mother of a man who will some day lead human kind in a resistance against a world conquering AI program known as Skynet. In the sequel, director James Cameron made a very interesting creative choice by having the T-800 return, except this time he’s here to protect young John Conner. Schwarzenegger’s film career was made by his role in this franchise, and he’s honestly perfectly suited for playing this character. His robotic monotone helps to hide his true Austrian accent, and he is without a doubt a strong physical presence as well. But that all works in the favor of the character. The T-800 is a formidable cyborg with an unstoppable drive to complete his mission. The purpose of his character in the first film was to be mostly intimidating and scary, which Arnold pulls of well. But it’s in the sequel, where we see the T-800 turned into a guardian instead of an assassin, that more character nuances are revealed. He’s not just a machine with mission, but also one that is capable of learning as well. One of the best moments of Terminator 2 is when we see teenage John Conner (played by Edward Furlong) try to teach the T-800 phrases to make him more personable and human, like saying “Hasta La Vista, Baby.” It’s a great transformation between movies that helps to define the T-800 as more than just a cold, soulless robot. When he makes the ultimate sacrifice at the end of the movie, we are at that point just as heartbroken as John Conner to see him go, which is a testament to just how well Schwarzenegger and Cameron made us warm up to his character. He started as a very simple villainous force in the first movie; nothing more than a scary monster to hunt down our heroes. But by the end of Terminator 2, he’s grown into more than just a machine; he’s a friend to be missed. And Schwarzenegger absolutely made him look all along the way. He’ll be back.
3.
R2-D2 from THE STAR WARS SAGA
Played by Kenny Baker
There are so many types of characters that have gone on to define the magnificent ensemble that is the cast of the Star Wars universe. But one of the most iconic types of these characters are the droids. Often represented in these movies as practically built, on set robots, they have become some of the most popular characters in the entire series; not to mention also the most lucrative in the merchandising department. A lot of droids have populated Star Wars media over the years, but there is no doubt who the most famous ones are. They are the only characters to appear in all 9 of the mainline movies of the Skywalker Saga; the droids C-3PO and R2-D2. While C-3PO is a great character in his own right, R2-D2 emerges as a much more important droid in the overall storyline. He’s the one who carries Leia’s message safely to Obi-Wan Kenobi, as well as the one droid that accompanies Luke Skywalker on his mission to blow up the Death Star. And he’s able to stand out as a memorable character even though he can only communicate through beeps and boops. Legendary little person actor Kenny Baker was often called upon to play R2-D2 in limited moments where he had to move back and forth on screen in a way that a remote controlled robot couldn’t do on set. Otherwise, that’s as much real acting that could be put into a character like him. The rest is all accomplished via puppeteering. While the filmmakers were limited by what they could do with a faceless and voices robot in their cast, it’s remarkable how much personality they are able to get across with R2. And like with his frequent companion C-3PO, he set the standard for all the droids that we’ve come to know in the Star Wars universe ever since. To this very day, nearly 50 years later, R2-D2 is still a fan favorite, and an icon of the franchise as a whole that remains central to it’s identity. That’s a pretty incredible legacy to have for such a simple little robot that looks like a trash can on wheels.
2.
THE IRON GIANT from THE IRON GIANT (1999)
Voiced by Vin Diesel
If there was ever a cinematic robot that warmed the hearts of audiences, it’s the titular giant robot from this animated masterpiece. The Iron Giant comes to Earth with no memory of it’s purpose, and as a result he’s able to forge his own purpose, which ends up involving a young kid named Hogarth. Hogarth and the Giant form a bond, and that bond helps the Giant overcome the instinctual programming that he was sent to Earth with, which was to destroy. One of the sweetest aspects of the story is that he learns to see himself in a different way thanks to his friendships with the humans. After reading comics, the Giant sees himself identifying with Superman, which becomes a major plot point when he must save Hogarth’s home from destruction. The movie ends with the Giant sacrificing himself in a dramatic encounter with a nuclear warhead, and in his final moments he think’s back to Hogarth’s words of wisdom telling him that he can choose who he wants to be. In his last words, he says “Superman” and embraces his fate with the warhead. It’s a profound moment that brought audiences to tears and endeared him as one of the greatest robots in cinema history. A lot of credit should go to the surprisingly nuanced vocal performance given to him by Vin Diesel. The Fast and the Furious actor managed to deliver so much soulfulness and personality into the Giant with very few spoken words, something that he would also put to great use as the voice of Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. And Diesel’s gravely voice sounds so perfectly matched for the character as well, even with the metallic filter put on it. The animation of him in the film is also incredible. He’s a CGI animated character that blends very well in the 2D animated style of the movie, and has a cool design that is very evocative of the 50’s era sci-fi style that fits with the period setting of the movie. Though big and imposing, we quickly learn that this cinematic robot is one gentle giant overall, and one of the most lovable to ever star on the silver screen.
1.
WALL-E from WALL-E (2008)
Voiced by Ben Burtt
While there have been many great cinematic robots over the years of all types, none have perhaps displayed as endearing a personality as WALL-E from the Pixar classic film of the same name. Like a robotic Charlie Chaplain, WALL-E is a lovable little goof that communicates so much through so many little gestures and quirks of character. His design of course is perfectly constructed to make him instantly likable, with those binocular like eyes and stout box shaped body. What is even more interesting about him is the setting that they chose to set his story within. WALL-E has lived a solitary life on Earth after human beings abandoned it hundreds of years ago and all the other sanitation bots left to clean up the mess left behind have all shut down. Somehow, WALL-E has managed to survive all this time and remains the last one left, dutifully repeating his directive every single day without end. But over the centuries by himself, he has developed something unique. He’s a collector, salvaging things from the planet wide junk yard that he finds interesting and adding them to his collection. He also has developed a love for musicals, in particular 1969’s Hello, Dolly, which he likes to imitate the dance sequences of. One of the remarkable things that the movie does is that it places us distinctly in WALL-E’s point of view from the beginning of the story, and because he is just a robot, the film tells most of it’s story early on without dialogue. The first act is mostly wordless, making it more crucial to define WALL-E purely through pantomime. That’s where the influences of great silent film comedians like Charlie Chaplain and Buster Keaton come in. But even when the movie extends beyond it’s earthbound parts, the incredible portrayal of WALL-E still shines through. The inclusion of a sleek, female coded robot named EVE also shows how the formation of WALL-E’s personality has made him a bit of a romantic as well; another trait you don’t see in most movie robots. Legendary sound engineer Ben Burtt (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) was largely responsible for designing WALL-E’s unique electronic voice, and even in the very few words that he’s able to say, it still fits the overall simple charm of the character. Without a doubt, the most well rounded robotic character that we’ve ever seen brought to life on film.
There’s a tendency to view all robots in movies as limited in character. For a long time, robotics were more science fiction than science fact, and for a lot of movies that featured a robot as a part of it’s story either had to make their creations limited based on what was capable within the scientific standards of the time, or have them be completely the creation of fantasy. For a lot of films, robotics have been a part of many cautionary tales. In the cases of Metropolis and Robocop, the idea of robots taking over our jobs comes across as a serious threat to humanity. In the Terminator movies, we see the fruition of that fear, with mankind hanging on by a thread due to our foolish naivete in allowing artificial intelligence to take over every function of society, including our weapons systems. But, there are many films that also show that robots can have a softer side, like with the Iron Giant and WALL-E. And then you have the cyborg characters, who become almost human and wish to be regarded as equal in that sense despite being born artificially rather than organically, which is central to the story of Blade Runner (1982). We are currently in a time period where AI is advancing at a rapid place, and some of the scenarios that seemed far off in movies from decades ago no seem to be a lot more relevant. The worry is that AI will reflect back all of the bad aspects of humanity, and probably end up causing chaos as a result. One hopes that the ones who are developing this new tech are not doing so recklessly, but then again, we’ve seen the worst case scenario play out in some of these movies. Overall, there have many really interesting characters in the movies that are robotic in nature. And many of them are not things to be feared, but rather a force for good in the end. Good or bad, many of them definitely stand out as interesting and cool looking in their designs. And their influence on science fiction cinema is particularly immense. Whether those gears on the inside are turning or not, and the mind is thinking in ones and zeroes or something more complex, they make for some interesting characters in some of our favorite stories, and the hope is that many more in the future will stand out as well, even as robotics and AI evolve further over time.