The Greatest Video Game Robots

All hail our new mechanical rulers (Robots). There will come a day when AI eclipses our own and the singularity will usher in a new age of cybernetic overlords.

Image via Complex Original

There will come a day when artificial intelligence eclipses our own and the singularity will usher in a new age of cybernetic overlords.

With the introduction of commercial drones and the increasing dependence on a mechanized military, we are just around the corner from a full on robot uprising. Luckily, for all of humanity, those of us with years of experience battling robots will be on the front lines.

Using our extensive knowledge of robot weakness (water, love, and plasma blasts; in that order) humanity may still have a fighting chance. Not all robots are of the 'murder the humans' variety. We have our allies as well.

Here are the good and the bad: The Greatest Video Game Robots.

There will come a day when artificial intelligence eclipses our own and the singularity will usher in a new age of cybernetic overlords.

Here are the good and the bad: The Greatest Video Game Robots.

10. Cyber Akuma

First Appearance: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter

Sure Akuma is everyone's favorite silent tough guy/demon from Street Fighter canon, but did you know that he also moonlights as one of Apocalypse's Horsemen? True story. The completely robotic version of Akuma was enhanced by En Sabah Nur to act as his horseman, Death. The final boss in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Cyber Akuma shows up in subsequent MvC titles all the way up to Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.

Turns out he's still sort of a dick even when he's a robot.

8. D0g

First Appearance: Half-Life 2

D0g is every kid's dream. A pet robot designed to protect you at any cost. Introduced in the second Half-Life, D0g was designed to protect Alyx Vance by her brilliant father. Loyal, deadly, and able to bench press a tractor trailer, D0g is the definition of a faithful companion.

4. Cyrax

First Appearance: Mortal Kombat 3

Originally appearing in 95's MK3 as a palette swapped fighter to bolster the cast of playable fighters, many thought Cyrax was a robot version of Scorpion. Thankfully this was not the case. Cyrax was a robotic ninja employed by the Lin Kuei clan to hunt down and capture Sub-Zero. He was later reprogrammed by Sub Zero and became a formidable ally in the fight against Shao Kahn.

7. Clank

First Appearance: Ratchet & Clank

An escaped sentry robot who is your best friend and partner throughout the entire Ratchet & Clank series, Clank is the shared face of the series. A jetpack, the ability to operate in the vacuum of space, and, if need be, upgrade his size to take on enemies much larger than himself. Ironic that the strongest emotional resonance in the series comes from the smallest of sentry bots.

5. Legion

First Appearance: Mass Effect 2

“Organics fear us. We wish to understand, not incite.”

That's exactly what you hear right before your face is melted off by Legion's sniper fire. According to the Mass Effect Wiki: "Legion is the name taken by the gestalt consciousness formed by 1,183 geth programs inhabiting a unique geth mobile platform."

We could have just said multi-conciousness, sentient, space killing machine, but the above works too. He's a badass.

1. Guilty Spark 343

First Appearance: Halo: Combat Evolved

The floating bastard made our lives a living hell at the end of the first Halo title. As the artificial intelligence Monitor of the Halo Rings, and jailer of the flood, his job was the containment of a Flood outbreak. He was a smarmy prick and we hated him.

3. HK-47

First Appearance: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Quite possibly our favorite character from KOTOR. If we're being honest, he's probably your favorite as well.

Introducing the always endearing insult of 'meat bag' the assassin droid had some of the best quips in the whole series. This gem for example,

"Recitation: Yes, as I said, I am an assassin droid. It is my primary function to burn holes through meatbags that you wish removed from the galaxy… Master. Oh, how I hate that term."

6. Mega Man

First Appearance: Mega Man

Easily the most recognizable entry on this list. We could quibble about the differences between androids and robots, but there is fresh air and the pursuit of meaningful sex to be had. Let's just call him a robot and be done with it. With a lengthy and storied legacy, the Blue Bomber has certainly had his wins and loses. What Mega Man really needs is a new solo title akin to the classic platformers of the past. Get on it, Nintendo. The Wii U could use the help.

2. Claptrap

First Appearance: Borderlands

Pandora's most self centered and salty general purpose robot, the Claptraps are commonly found littered all over the surface of the planet. The Fyrestone Claptrap is your NPC planetary attaché and has no problem cracking a ceaseless torrent of jokes at your expense. Easily one of the most memorable robots to appear in video games in recent memory. Foul mouthed and dying to go Hollywood, Claptrap was even the star of his own DLC.

9. GLaDOS

First Appearance: Portal

Everyone's favorite murderous operating system will always hold a special place in our hearts. GLaDOS is narcissistic, passive-aggressive, and snarky. She wages war on players both physically and psychologically and is the most realistic interpretation of a malignant artificial intelligence. If humanity is going to be wiped off the planet by a robotic AI, it's going to taste a lot like GLaDOS.