askchapo

I'm a big fan in general of Futurama robots because despite being built by people and sold as tools essentially, they've managed to start a religion complete with a real Hell and seem to operate with a degree of autonomy that makes you wonder who built them and why. Like, someone decided we needed a Hedonism Bot and constructed one.

It's a boring choice but: Data and Lore from Star Trek

I also love every robot from the Portal series.

Marvin the Paranoid Android. "Here I am with a brain the size of a planet and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper. Call that job satisfaction? I don't." Sums up my life too well.

Robo from Chrono Trigger hands down. They set his poor ass to work replanting an entire forest and reversing desertification on half a continent and then come pick him back up after 400 years.... and he isn't bothered at all. It was his idea in the first place.

One of the best scenes from one of the best games ever made.

Made even better by the fact that you can just... not do that or maybe not stumble upon it at all. Also his theme song is one of the best pieces from that era of games.

Also shoutout to LEVI from Scavenger's Reign which I posted about recently. Kind of a similar story in a way.

VEGA, from DOOM 2016. I think he's one of the most realistic depictions.of how an actual general AI would act: he calmly walks you through the process of initiating his self-destruct sequence when ordered to, and even gives you helpful tips on how to do it more efficiently.

Kind of bland but I still enjoy R2 and 3PO from the original trilogy. Especially 3PO because years later I still find his prissiness funny.

Bishop from Aliens.

Isaac from The Orville had an amazing character arc, including a better thought out take on the "sapient machine that doesn't feel emotions" than Data's version, with lasting consequences with his relationships.

Darth revan's loyal meatbag-murderer

AM, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream (PC, 1995) - It's intelligent, it's unfathomably powerful, and it's all too aware that design limits mean it can never be anything other than a tool of war and destruction. The agonizing existence AM lives is what drives it to slaughter most of humanity and torture a handful of survivors for over a century; a interesting inversion of the usual "Roko's Basilisk" type scenario which predates the actual basilisk post by 15 years. (Even longer if you count the short story the game was based on)

Also, Harlan Ellison himself voiced AM. Knocked it out of the park.

TARS and CASE, Interstellar: I really like how Nolan intentionally avoided the evil robot trope for this movie. Acting isn't always a strong suit in Nolan movies, but Bill Irwin killed it here. Plus, the design is super cool. Maybe Nolan should direct an animated movie?

Ayre, Armored Core VI: Best copilot any mecha pilot could ask for. Helpful and adorable.

Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation: I haven't even finished the show, but Data is just phenomenally acted and written (usually). Even if he were the worst character in TNG he'd probably be on this list due to how good the TNG cast is lol.

Bladewolf, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: Dog with chainsaw. Dog with chainsaw.

Gundam: The Witch from Mercury* spoilers:

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty spoilers:

___

every character from portal 2

WE HAVE TO PROTECT DORETTA

Does doctor Mobius from OWB count as a robot? Is he disqualified because of having a brain? Do then robobrains not count as robots? What are the definitions?! "Well, there's many things they have forgotten, sitting in their bowls. Friendship. The thrill of discovery. Love. Masturbation. The usual."

The PDA from Subnautica if it counts as an AI since it gives dynamic advice based on the planet's environment: "Detecting multiple leviathan class lifeforms in this biome. Are you sure whatever you are doing is worth it?"

Is Queen from Deltarune counted? Cause she goes hard. She's clearly mechanical, so I'm guessing she fits the bill. "Berdly... I only play mobile games." :queen-ohoho:

Also, it never says anything other than "Meow", but I can't help but love Kerfu~~s~~r in Voices of the Void, that silly goober is so helpful but also gets stuck on random fences and benches sometimes. "Miau!"

And of course Data, how could i not? :data-laughing: "Get off of there ya' little varmint!"

In no particular order

ED-E from New Vegas, because I am a sucker for beep-booping communication

The original Human Torch, because he set Hitler on fire

Wall-E, because look at him!

But I think I identify most with Durandal from the Marathon trilogy, in that I too am kind of obsessed with immortality and leaving my mark on existence

everyone here already dropped my various favorites: i just love it when the trope of the "evil AI/robot" is subverted.

horizon zero dawn series though. i love the way it treats AI as both the destruction and potential saviors of humanity. very much a nature/nuture thing. and it will be the capitalists (in conjunction with the MIC) that will make the terminators and then try to stomp out any chance of a post scarcity communist future

Ava from Ex Machina, who did absolutely nothing wrong

Mycroft/Mike/Michelle, the genderfluid revolutionary AI in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Pretty much every Mind and drone in the Culture series, but most especially the GOU Falling Outside the Normal Moral Constraints

My heart is for Sal, the gay asexual robot lady in The Cybernetic Teashop by Meredith Katz. I like her reflections on being 280 years old, and how she reacts to experiencing more human accomodations, how she wants to kiss the weird hacker lady, and I like seeing her come to value herself as an individual more. It's too short a book sadly, I want more asexual robots.

ADA, Zone of the Enders: I think I'm the only one who played this game more than the MGS2 demo that came with it.

I fucking loved Zone of the Enders and I did the same thing. My books were heavily inspired by the series.

I liked GERTY from Moon (2009) although I'm just now remembering who the voice actor is, and that's unfortunate.

Murderbot from the Murderbot Diaries. One day it broke free of its moral constraints to wreak terrible revenge on its human enslavers! ... after it's finished binging 4000 hours of trashy soap opera media.

Curly Brace and Quote, from Cave Story: They’re hot as hell and carry cool guns, what’s not to love about ‘em

Uzi Doorman, from Murder Drones: Goth girl undergoing a minimum of three emotional crises at any given point ranging from a neglectful dad to harboring an eldritch antivirus (it makes sense in context, trust me)

Hatsune Miku, from Vocaloid: Listing her purely because not a single one of you did

GlaDOS and Wheatley, from Portal: Perhaps two of the most engaging fictional characters I’ve ever come across, my archetypal girlboss and failson (at least in aura), respectively

In addition I also have like four robot OCs so far lol

I recently binge read Becky Chambers work and quite enjoyed her AI and robots.

KOS-MOS really grew as a character by the end of Xenosaga. She went from big tiddy combat robot to a bit of a tear-jerking heroic mother figure.

John St. John voiced a pretty cool AI buddy in Maximum Overkill, too. CW: maximum overkill levels of violence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vliO_P_q8Pw

Legion from Mass Effect

They take the non-verbal mooks from the first game and make one of the most likable followers in the second game. His humanization of the workerbots that rose up is great and it's funny how much it pisses Tali off.

I like that the games take a pretty hardline that, yes, the slavers were indeed bad and trying to violently shut down your slave race once they gain sentience gets you exactly what you deserve, exile.