List of fictional robots and androids


This list of fictional robots and androids is chronological, and 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.
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.

Theatre

Coppélia, a life-size dancing doll in the ballet of the same name, choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Léo Delibes
  • The word robot comes from Karel Čapek's play, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), written in 1920 in Czech and first performed in 1921. Performed in New York 1922 and an English edition published in 1923. In the play, the word refers to artificially created life forms. Named robots in the play are Marius, Sulla, Radius, Primus, Helena, and Damon. The play introduced and popularized the term "robot". Čapek's robots are biological machines that are assembled, as opposed to grown or born.Oliver and Claire, retired humanoid helper-bots, the main characters in the musical Maybe Happy Ending.

Literature

18th century and earlier

  • The woman forged out of gold in Finnish myth The Kalevala
  • From 600 BC onward, legends of talking bronze and clay statues coming to life have been a regular occurrence in the works of classical authors such as Homer, Plato, Pindar, Tacitus, and Pliny. In Book 18 of the Iliad, Hephaestus the god of all mechanical arts, was assisted by two moving female statues made from gold – "living young damsels, filled with minds and wisdoms". Another legend has Hephaestus being commanded by Zeus to create the first woman, Pandora, out of clay. The myth of Pygmalion, king of Cyprus, tells of a lonely man who sculpted his ideal woman, Galatea, from ivory, and promptly fell in love with her after the goddess Aphrodite brought her to life.
  • The 5th-century BCE Chinese text, the Liezi, contains a description of a humanoid machine which can sing and dance like a human. The automaton is presented to King Mu of Zhou by its inventor, but it offends the king by winking at court ladies and trying to flirt with them, so the inventor disassembles it to show the court that it is a machine. The king sees that it has artificial analogues of human organs, which are made of leather, wood, glue, and paint, and each fulfill necessary functions for its operation.Talos, bronze giant Talos in Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica, 3rd century BC.Brazen heads, attributed to numerous scholars involved in the introduction of Arabian science to medieval Europe, particularly Roger Bacon.Talus in The Faerie Queene, a 1590 poem by Edmund Spenser, wherein an "iron man" mechanically helps Arthegall dispense justice.Golem – The legend of the Golem, an animated man of clay, is mentioned in the Talmud..

19th century and later

FormatYearNameAuthorAppears InNotes
Short Story1814OlimpiaE. T. A. HoffmannDer SandmannAutomaton who captivates the hero Nathanael so much he wishes to marry her.
Novel1818UnnamedMary ShelleyFrankenstein; or, The Modern PrometheusArtificial human-like being created by Victor Frankenstein
Novel1868UnnamedEdward S. EllisThe Steam Man of the PrairiesMechanical man powered by steam.
Novel1880HadalyAuguste Villiers de l'Isle-AdamThe Future EveHadaly, a mechanical woman run by electricity. The novel is credited with popularizing the word "android"
Opera1881OlympiaJacques OffenbachThe Tales of HoffmannAppears in Act I. Based on the Hoffmann story.
Novel1883AtmophytesDidier de ChousyIgnisIgnis is one of the first works of fiction to talk about the revolt of the machines
Novel1885UnnamedLuis SenarensFrank Reade and his Electric ManA mechanical man run by electricity.
Short Story1891UnnamedWilliam Douglas O'Connor.The Brazen AndroidFirst appeared in The Atlantic Monthly/
Short Story1893UnnamedJerome K. JeromeThe Dancing PartnerJerome noted for Three Men in a Boat.
Novel1897Unnamed Martian robotsH. G. WellsThe War of the WorldsMecha-like tripods that the Martians use to conquer the Earth.
Novel1899UnnamedErnest Edward KelletThe New FrankensteinAn inventor creates an "anti-phonograph" that according to the narrator "can give the appropriate answer to every question I put", and installs in it a robotic female body that "will guide herself, answer questions, talk and eat like a rational being, in fact, perform the part of a society lady." The android proves convincing enough to fool two suitors who wish to marry her.
Short Story1899UnnamedAmbrose BierceMoxon's MasterA robot chess-player. First published in the San Francisco Examiner on 16 Aug. 1899.
Novels1899-1903Metal menGustave Le RougeLa Conspiration des Milliardaires ''+ 2 sequels.''Automata designed by a Thomas Edison-like scientist.
Novel1900The Cast-Iron ManL. Frank BaumThe Magical Monarch of Mo
Novel1901Mr. SplitL. Frank BaumDot and Tot of Merryland
Novel1907Tik-Tok and The Iron GiantL. Frank BaumOzma of OzThe movie Return to Oz was largely based on this book.
Play1921Sulla, Marius, Radius, Damon, Helena, PrimusKarel ČapekR.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)Credited with coining the term "robot". In its original Czech, "robota" means forced labour, and is derived from "rab", meaning "slave." R.U.R. depicts the first elaborate depiction of a machine take-over. Čapek's robots can also be seen as the first androids: they are in fact organic.
Novel1923Bénédict MassonGaston LerouxLa_Machine_à_Assassinealso known as La Poupée Sanglante appeared first as a serial in the newspaper Le Matin. 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. Technically he is a cyborg. In 1976 it was turned into a 6 episode French language TV miniseries.
Novel1925UnnamedMaurice Renard and Albert JeanLe Singe Imagines the creation of artificial lifeforms through the process of "radiogenesis", a sort of human electrocopying or cloning process.
Short story1926Metal giantsEdmond HamiltonThe Metal GiantsA computer brain that runs on atomic power creates an army of 300-foot-tall robots.
Novel1925Maria Thea von HarbouMetropolisAdapted by Fritz Lang on film, featuring character Maria and her robot double.
Short Story1928David H. KellerRevolt of the Pedestrians
Short story1929UnnamedS. Fowler WrightAutomataAbout machines doing the humans' jobs before wiping them out.
Short Stories1931-1958ZoromesNeil R. JonesThe Planet of the Double Sun, The Sunless World, Space War, Twin Worlds and Doomsday on Ajiat.Featured human and alien minds preserved in robot bodies. It was reprinted in five Ace paperbacks in the late 1960s.
Short Story1932ZatJohn WyndhamThe Lost MachineMartian robot protagonist.
Short Story1934RexHarl VincentRexRobot surgeon.
Short Story1934Helen O'LoyLester del ReyHelen O'Loy
Short Story1938UnnamedRobert Moore WilliamsThe Robots ReturmRobots discover their "roots".
Short Story1939-1942Adam LinkEando BinderI, Robot
Short Story1940UnnamedF. Orlin TremaineTrue ConfessionRobot as a murder witness.
Novelette1940GnutHarry BatesFarewell to the MasterLater made into the classic 1951 science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still
Short Stories1940-1950Robbie, Speedy, Cutie, and othersIsaac AsimovI, RobotA series of stories written between 1940-1950. Developed the Three laws of robotics.
Short Story1941Jay Score,Eric Frank RussellEmergency pilot of the Earth-to-Venus freighter Upskadaska City,, an atomic-powered robot of 100,000 horsepower built to resemble a little boy, most specifically Tobio, the deceased son of Dr. Tenma. When not in school, Astro Boy spent his time dealing with robots and aliens.
Short Story Collection1952VariousLewis Padgett and, sentient test dummies,
Short Stores1965L-76, Z-1, Z-2, Z-3, Emma-2, Brackenridge, Tony, Lenny, Ez-27 and othersIsaac AsimovThe Rest of the Robots
Short Story1966Frost, the Beta-Machine, Mordel, and the Ancient Ore CrusherRoger ZelaznyFor a Breath I Tarry
Short Story Collection1967Trurl and KlapauciusStanisław LemThe CyberiadRobot geniuses. Translated by Michael Kandel 1974. Humorous collection of short stories about the exploits of Trurl and Klapaucius, "constructors" among robots
Novel1967Mech EaglesWilliam F. Nolan & George Clayton JohnsonLogan's RunRobotic eagles designed to track and kill people who refuse to die at age 21.
Novel1968The Iron ManTed HughesThe Iron Man: A Children's Story in Five NightsIllustrated by Andrew Davidson. Later changed to The Iron Giant to avoid confusion with its predecessor, the Marvel comic superhero of the same name.
Novel1968Roy Batty, Pris, Rachael and several other Nexus-6 model androidsPhilip K. DickDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"Androids, fully organic in nature – the products of genetic engineering – and so human-like that they can only be distinguished by psychological tests; some of them don't even know that they're not human."
Novel1968Richard DanielClifford D. SimakAn intensely loyal, old, un-remodeled robot, belonging to one family for generations. When the last of his entire extended family of owners died, after 200 years, he is required by law to be disassembled; humans who made the law are still threatened by robots who are superior to them in functionality. He is sentient enough to take exception to that policy.
Short Story1969The Electric GrandmotherRay BradburyThe Electric GrandmotherFrom I Sing the Body Electric by Ray Bradbury, basis for a 1962 Twilight Zone episode of the same name.
Novel1972Ira LevinThe Stepford Wives"The masculine plot to replace women with perfect looking, obedient robot replicas."
Short Stories1973Setaur, Aniel and TerminusStanisław Lem
Novella1975The HangmanRoger Zelazny[My Name Is Characters of the Mass Effect universe|Legion (Zelazny stories)|Home Is the Hangman]1975 winner Nebula Award for Best Novella.
Novellette1976Andrew MartinIsaac AsimovThe Bicentennial ManLater made into a 1990 film.
Novels1976droidsStar Wars franchise novelsSince 1977 for the main canon, 1976 for the Expanded Universe.
Novels1979Marvin the Paranoid AndroidDouglas AdamsThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyAnd subsequent novels based on the original radio series.
Novel1980SpofforthWalter TevisMockingbirdThe dean of New York University.
Novel1980RoderickJohn SladekRoderickAn example of robot morality, one who is perfectly innocent.
Novels1980-1982SheenPiers AnthonyApprentice Adept ''seriesA female android mysteriously programmed to guard and love Stile, a serf on the planet Proton.
Novels1982-2000BoppersRudy RuckerWare TetralogyA race of Moon-based robots that achieve independence from humanity.
Novel1983Tik TokJohn SladekTik-Tok (novel)An example of robot morality, one who is perfectly evil.
Novel1983R. Giskard ReventlovIsaac AsimovThe Robots of DawnAnd in subsequent novels/
Children's novels1983-1997NorbyJanet AsimovNorby, the Mixed-Up Robot and others.With editorial assistance from her husband Isaac Asimov
Novels1985-1986CHIPSeth McEvoyNot Quite Human seriesThe robot teenage
Children's Novel1987ElioDiana Wynne JonesA Tale of Time City
Children's Novel1987MandersAlison PrinceThe Type One Super Robot
Novel1989SoloRobert Mason'WeaponBasis for the 1996 film titled Solo.
Novel1991YodMarge PiercyHe, She and It
Novel1991The One Who WaitsCharles SheffieldDivergence
Novel1992Andrew MartinIsaac Asimov and Robert SilverbergThe Positronic Man
Novel1993Solo and NimrodRobert MasonSolo
Novels1993-1996CalibanRoger MacBride AllenIsaac Asimov's Caliban Isaac Asimov's Inferno Isaac Asimov's Utopia Set in the robots universe of Isaac Asimov
Novel1996Jay-Dub and Dee ModelKen MacLeodThe Stone Canal
Novel1997Dorfl, and other Discworld golemsTerry PratchettFeet of ClayDeliberately described in terms reminiscent of an Asimovian robot. Also appears in later Discworld novels.
Novels2001-2015Casandra KresnovJoel ShepherdCrossover +other novels
Novel2003MoravecsDan SimmonsIliumSentient descendants of probes sent by humans to the Jovian belt.
Novel series2004ClunkSimon Haynes
Novel Series2007Nimue Alban/Merlin AthrawesDavid WeberSafehold series
Novel2007OtisTanith LeeIndigaraRobot dog.
Novel series2008-2012EngimalsOisin McGannWildenstern Saga seriesA race of animal-like robots.
Novel2008FreyaCharles StrossSaturn's Children
Novel2008HCR-328 and TomAriadne TampionAutomatic Lover and Automatic Lover – Ten Years On
Novel 2009BoilerplatePaul GuinanBoilerplateA Victorian-era robot in an illustrated coffee-table book published by Abrams.
Novel2014AutomatonThe AutomationTitular character made by the Greco-Roman god Vulcan.
Novel2019AdamIan McEwanMachines Like MeOne of the first commercially available androids.
Novella2019CalculatorsPaul LevinsonRobinson CalculatorAn ancient, ongoing family of androids.
Novel2021Artificial FriendKazuo IshiguroKlara and the Sun"Artificial Friend" and book's narrator.
Novel2023NeotniaMichael GrothausBeautiful Shining PeopleCo-protagonist
Novel2023CrimsonThe Mystery at Crimson Mansion''A robot butler hunting the main characters and is the main antagonist.

Radio

Marvin the Paranoid Android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy BBC radio series Tidy, George, Fagor, Surgeon General Kraken and miscellaneous other androids from James Follett's Earthsearch BBC radio series Fetchers, accident prone and apologetic gopher robots from the BBC radio series ''Nineteen Ninety-Four''

Music

Olympia, mechanical doll in Act I of Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, based on the Hoffmann story "Max Mainspring, the Mechanical Man", a former grandfather clock brought to life in a 1950 children's record by Ray Bolger."Robot Man", subject of a 1960 single by Connie Francis"Automatic Lover", robot featured in a 1978 disco track and music video by Dee D. Jackson, covered later that year by Sylvia.

Comics

Comic books/graphic novels

American

Albert & Elsie-Dee : A pair of androids who are allies to Wolverine.Amazo : A power-replicating android created by Professor Ivo.Awesome Android : A power-replicating robot created by the Mad Thinker. Traditionally depicted as non-sentient, the Awesome Android gains sentience in Dan Slott's She-Hulk series and becomes a legal assistant working in the same office as She-Hulk.Brainiac : A Coluan, a robotic alien originating from the planet Colu. In some depictions, Brainiac is an artificial intelligence originating from Krypton.Brainiac 5 : Brainiac's 31st-century descendant and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.Cerebro's X-Men Computo : An artificial intelligence created by Brainiac 5 who went rogue and became an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes.Danger : A sentient robot formed from the Danger Room and upgraded with Shi'ar technology. She initially was an antagonist to the X-Men, but later joined their cause.Doombots : A group of robots who resemble Doctor Doom and often act in his stead.Dreadnought : A combat robot created by Hydra.Fugitoid : An alien scientist whose consciousness was transferred into a robotic body.G.I. Robot : The name of several robots who served as members of the US Army and Creature Commandos.H.E.R.B.I.E. : The Fantastic Four's robot sidekick. He was created for the 1970s animated series The New Fantastic Four and later integrated into the comics continuity.Hourman : An android from the 853rd century created by Tyler Chemorobotics who wields the Worlogog, an artifact containing a map of space and time.Human Torch : The first character known as Human Torch, he is an android who possesses pyrokinetic abilities.Jocasta : An android who was created by Ultron to serve as his wife, but rebelled against him, becoming an ally of the Avengers.Kelex : A robot who was originally Jor-El's assistant on Krypton. Following Krypton's destruction, Kelex is transported to Earth and becomes Superman's assistant in the Fortress of Solitude.L-Ron : Manga Khan's robot assistant, who joins the Justice League after being traded into their possession and possessing Despero's body.Little Helper : A small robot with a lightbulb-like head who serves Gyro Gearloose.Living Brain : A problem-solving robot who battled Spider-Man after malfunctioning. In "The Superior Spider-Man" storyline, Otto Octavius reprograms the Living Brain to become his assistant during his time in Spider-Man's body, with it continuing to work for Spider-Man after Octavius returns to his body.Manmachine, from the Manmachine epicMachine Man : A robot created by the government who gained sentience and rebelled against his creators and the government.Machine Teen from Marvel ComicsManhunters : A robotic peacekeeping force created by the Guardians of the Universe who gained sentience and rebelled against their creators, becoming an enemy of the Green Lantern Corps.Metal Men : A group of robots created by Will Magnus and named after elements of the periodic table.

British

Other European

Otomox, the self-proclaimed "Robot Master" by André Mavimus and Roger Roux RanXerox, a mechanical creature made from Xerox photocopier parts, by Italian artists Stefano Tamburini and Tanino Liberatore; first appeared in 1978, in Italian, in the magazine ''Cannibale''

South American

Tonto and Lothar from ''The Metabarons''

Manga (Japanese comics)

Giant Robo in the manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama Doraemon in the manga of the same name by Fujiko Fujio Arale Norimaki, the main character of Dr. Slump; also Obotchaman Sergeant Metallic, Android 8, Android 16, Android 17, Android 18, and Android 19, all created by Dr. Gero from Dragon Ball Banpei and Sigel in Oh My Goddess! by Kōsuke Fujishima Project 2501 in Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell, a Japanese manga that describes an espionage AI that achieves sentience Chi and other Persocoms from the manga Chobits Chachamaru Karakuri, plus other robots in the manga Negima by Ken Akamatsu Pacifista, models PX-0, Bartholomew Kuma, PX-1 to PX-Z from ''One Piece''

Comic strips

Robotman 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.

Web comics

Web-based media

Stella 4D, a.k.a. Manager 45, on GO Moonbase; first appears in episode 26

Animated shorts/series

The Robot, a contestant in the Strongest Man in the World Contest, from Homestar Runner.

Machinima

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 existed only as ghosts. Both characters were killed 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.

Podcasts

Little Button Puss, character from Episode #310 of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, played by John Gemberling. Little Button Puss, a.k.a. HPDP69-B, is a promotional robot built by Hewlett-Packard and is the first ever robot created with a fully sentient artificial intelligence, personality, and speaking function. It was designed by HP engineers for the express purpose of sexually pleasing humans. Comedy Bang! Bang! host Scott Aukerman was sent Little Button Puss as part of a promotional advertising campaign for the line of sex-robots. Little Button Puss looks like a metal dog, and has small flesh patches where its genitals are. Elsewhere, it is described as having the appearance of "nickel blue, gun metal". In a brief look into its past, Little Button Puss recounts an old romantic relationship with its long lost love, United Flight 93, who "died in the September 11th attacks".

Computer and video games