7 Coolest Movie Robots of All-Time (That Aren’t the Terminator or RoboCop)

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However, there are plenty of iconic movie robots outside of these two franchises. Coolness can come from many things, whether that be the robot’s design, its abilities, its story, or its impact on cinema history. We also define robots as having a physical component that allows them to roam freely, meaning that mere artificial intelligences like 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s HAL 9000 are excluded as well. With these criteria set, here is the list, from least cool to coolest.

7) Alita

While the rest of the robots on this list are iconic, it would be a shame to leave out the titular cyborg from 2019’s Alita: Battle Angel. This incredibly underrated movie features one of the coolest robot protagonists ever. Her design is incredible, and her combat abilities and powerful heart make her one of the strongest robot fighters in cinema history.

6) Optimus Prime

Obviously a coolest movie robot list wouldn’t be complete without the Transformers, and when it comes to this franchise, Optimus Prime is the best of the best. He can transform into a car. That’s enough. Peter Cullen’s voice performance definitely helps, though.

5) TARS

Just when we thought every possible robot design had been done, Christopher Nolan came up with something entirely new in 2014’s Interstellar. The robot looks and moves in an incredibly interesting way, with TARS managing to have an incredible amount of personality despite its appearance. It also plays a key role in the story, with it being arguably the most capable character in the film.

4) Bishop

Androids look human, and some of the most human-looking androids can be found in the Alien franchise. Tons of synthetics populate the world of Alien, but the coolest one is definitely the Hyperdyne Corporation model 341-B synthetic, Bishop. Bishop is one of the few characters to survive an Xenomorph attack, even if he was incredibly injured. The effects used to create the character and Lance Henriksen’s performance are incredible, making him a beloved robot character.

3) Sentinels

Robots can be heroes, friends, and companions, but as The Matrix points out, they can also be villains. The Sentinels are made cool by the fact that they are one of the scariest movie robots of all time. The highly-evolved Machines were key in overthrowing humanity, with them enslaving Earth and hunting down members of the Human Resistance.

Their design is also incredible. The squiddly warriors use their tentacles and glowing red eyes to strike fear into the hearts of viewers, with them being the most recognizable Machine from the franchise.

2) R2-D2

This list wouldn’t be complete without a Star Wars representative, and R2-D2 is the perfect candidate for that spot. R2-D2 has an iconic design, with it being incredibly cool that the franchise added so much personality to something that doesn’t look humanoid at all. R2 is cute and relatable despite being made of metal and having no human features. Tons of filmmakers feel as if they have to make machines look like us in order to make audiences care about them, but George Lucas knew that this wasn’t the case.

R2-D2’s various abilities also contribute to his cool factor. He can project holograms to convey messages, mount onto spaceships, interface with computers, use electric shocks, and more. Plus, he is also a main character is one of the best sci-fi sagas of all time.

1) The Iron Giant

Although every other entry on this list has come from a live-action film, the coolest robot in cinema history comes from animation: The Iron Giant. The Iron Giant’s intergalactic origins are incredibly mysterious, with him having more in common with an alien than a man-made machine. His connection with Superman is also a ton of fun, and his regenerative abilities and weaponry are a delight to see. His design is stunningly incredible, with him being instantly recognizable by viewers who haven’t even seen the movie.

However, none of that is what makes him so special. The titular machine in the 1999 film is one of the most emotional characters in movie history, and the fact that he is a robot is what makes this so interesting. It is cool that The Iron Giant has an immense arsenal of weaponry, yet he chooses peace. It is cool that The Iron Giant is gentle despite his massive stature. It is cool that The Iron Giant meets Earth’s hostile fear of him with a beautiful curiosity about Earth.

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