History Main / AmbiguousRobots

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound'':

*** The FinalBoss looks human on the outside despite a mechanical nature that he can turn on and off at will, and unlike the cyborg characters there's no clue or hint of where his body ends and where the cybernetics begin, or if there's even a distinction at all. Calling Doktor has him talk about theories regarding a centrally controlled "colony" of nanomachines molded into a human shape, but it's clear that's only speculation. This is even invoked to an extent, as said boss [[spoiler:is a senator running for president]] and thus couldn't have any manner of public augments; what he got instead had even Raiden's intel providers completely fooled until the [[SuperStrength mecha-wrecking fists]] start flying.

*** The FinalBoss looks human on the outside despite a mechanical nature that he can turn on and off at will, and unlike the cyborg characters there's no clue or hint of where his body ends and where the cybernetics begin, or if there's even a distinction at all. Calling Doktor has him talk about theories regarding a centrally controlled "colony" of nanomachines molded into a human shape, but it's clear that's only speculation.

* In ''Series/HisDarkMaterials'' we have the Spyflies. They resemble mechanical beetles that are programmed to hunt targets and sting them with sleeping venom. However, they are completely outside the realm of technology seen within the series, and act more like insects than mechanical drones. In the books they're what can only be described as ClockPunk MagiTek devices said to have bad spirits inside them.

* On ''Series/TheGoodPlace'', Janets are type of supernatural entity with robot-like traits -- such as a desire to serve, a limited emotional range, and AmbiguousGenderIdentity. Janets, and especially Good Place Janet, are quick to correct people that they are "not a robot," but they never get around to saying what exactly they *are*.

* The Shadows in ''Series/BabylonFive''. It's never clear if the insectoid monsters we see are the representatives of the species or some kind of service and attack drones, since the race's counterpart, Vorlons, are EnergyBeings, and it'd be strange if the (at least) equally advanced Shadows still clung to physical forms.
** The ''Passing of the Techno-mages'' novels establish that the Shadows have also achieved EnergyBeing status but prefer a more down-to-earth appearance.

* The Cylons in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' ended up like this: Various examples run the gamut from straight-up robots to bio-mechanical hybrids of various flavors to RidiculouslyHumanRobots.

* In ''Series/HisDarkMaterials'' we have the Spyflies. They resemble a mechanical beetles that are programmed to hunt targets. However, they are completely outside the realm of technology seen within the series, and act more like insects than mechanical drones. In the books they're what can only be described as ClockPunk MagiTek devices.

* Lisa Basil, the head of the programming company Blue Screens, Inc. in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney: Trials and Tribulations'' looks and acts like a RobotGirl and is described as [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial "most definitely not a robot"]] in the Court Record.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'' would of course blur things further for the Maximals and Predacons. Plus Botanica the robot PlantPerson.
* The Gems of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' look [[RubberForeheadAliens pretty human]] but were quickly revealed to be *[[TechnoBabble deep breath]]* pseudo-organic HardLight bodies projected by a pseudo-magic rock. Later, they were revealed to not only use [[HeartDrive cores]] based on the same principles as their technology, but to actually manufacture those bodies for specific purposes and have specific product lines, putting the gems somewhere between StarfishAliens and StarfishRobots, depending on how you define robot. The show's own creator, perhaps jokingly, [[https://www.cbr.com/rebecca-sugar-interview-on-the-end-of-steven-universe/ referred to them as]] "solar-powered robots".

** The younger Beaver Brother from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has robotic-looking eyes and spinning mechanical object on his belly and also has robotic-sounding VoiceGrunting.

** [[http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Praetorian Praetorian]] moves and looks like an insect, makes organic sounding noises, and obviously has organic parts (you can see several [[OurZombiesAreDifferent husks]] jammed into its body), but everything else is completely mechanical. Fitting, as it was made with Reaper technology.

** For the first few years, it seemed that most of the characters were MechanicalLifeforms, but they were later revealed to have some organic components such as muscle and lung tissue (meaning they're technically cyborgs).Just to highlight this trope, there's another setting where the ratio is reversed: characters are mostly organic with some cybernetic enhancements. Yet, thanks in part to [[TwentyFourHourArmor always wearing heavy armor]], the mostly-organic characters don't look much different from the mostly-robotic ones.
*** The stories and novels imply this might not be the case in-universe: when a Bara-Magna native (mostly organic) sees the matoran for the first time, he initially mistakes them for robots, except that they're movements are too smooth for them to be purely mechanical. By contrast, when the Toa first encounter Gresh, they mistake him for some kind of monster created by Makuta. This despite the fact that the only noticable difference between their ''sets'' is their heads. In another story, Gelu, another Bara-Magnan, comments on the fact that the Toa's eyes are essentially just machines (yet still capable of reflecting emotion), suggesting that organic being have more "normal" eyes than what their figures and visual mediums would've suggested.

** For the first few years, it seemed that most of the characters were MechanicalLifeforms, but they were later revealed to have some organic components such as muscle and lung tissue (meaning they're technically cyborgs).Just to highlight this trope, there's another setting where the ratio is reversed: characters are mostly organic with some cybernetic enhancements. Yet, thanks in part to [[24HourArmor always wearing heavy armor]], the mostly-organic characters don't look much different from the mostly-robotic ones.

** For the first few years, it seemed that most of the characters were MechanicalLifeforms, but they were later revealed to have some organic components such as muscle and lung tissue (meaning they're technically cyborgs). An outsider commented that they move too fluidly to be pure robots. Just to highlight this trope, there's another setting where the ratio is reversed: characters are mostly organic with some cybernetic enhancements. Yet, thanks in part to wearing heavy armor, the mostly-organic characters don't look much different from the mostly-robotic ones.

-->'''Mordin''': No glands, replaced by tech. No digestive system, replaced by tech. No ''soul'', [[CyberneticsEatYourSoul replaced by tech!]]

** It's revealed in the quest ''The Sacrifice'' that [[spoiler:Warframes are humans infested with a strain of Technocyte called "Helminth," which renders a body unrecognizable and devoid of will, though not personality. The Warframe is then built onto this mutant body, which the Tenno takes control of and channels void abilities though Transference. The [[MatterReplicator Foundry]] can synthesize a Warframe on the molecular level, recreating it in precise detail, down to the memories and thoughts it had at the time of scanning.]]

** It's revealed in the quest ''The Sacrifice'' that [[spoiler:Warframes are humans infested with a strain of Technocyte called "Helminth," which renders a body unrecognizable and devoid of will, though not personality. The Warframe is then built onto this mutant body, which the Tenno takes control of and channels void abilities though Transference. The MatterReplicator foundry can recreate Warframes on a molecular level, recreating them in precise detail, down to the memories and thoughts it had at the time of scanning.]]

%%* DependingOnTheWriter and the continuity, ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' can sometimes fall under this trope.

* The Music/{{Vocaloid}}; It does NOT help how there is no canon at all.

* In ''Series/HisDarkMaterials'' we have the Spyflies. They resemble a mechanical beetles that are programmed to hunt targets. However, they are completely outside the realm of technology seen within the series, and act more like insects than mechanical drones.

* The mirror monsters in ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' all have a mechanical appearance, yet they display {{ImAHumanitarian an instinctual compulsion to prey upon humans}} and dissapate into energy when killed.

* The mirror monsters in ''series/KamenRiderRyuki'' all have a mechanical appearance, yet they display ((ImAHumanitarian an instinctual compulsion to prey upon humans)) and dissapate into energy when killed.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':
** Necrons look like [[SkeleBot9000 skeletal robots]], but are apparently more HauntedTechnology or metal {{golem}}s, or whatever. At least, until their Fifth Edition codex, which seems to favor the BrainUploading theory.
** Eldar Wraith-warriors are made of psycho-sensitive wraithbone, which is as hard as adamantium, but isn't constructed, but rather "grown" through the use of a bonesinger, who literally sings to the material with a psychic song, causing it to be shaped into whatever is needed. Wraithbone itself is said to be solidified psychic energy, so it's all up in the air about exactly what Wraithlords and Wraithguards are technically.
** Chaos Daemon Engines straddle the line between being a metallic daemon and a daemon possessing a mechanical body. Either way, they're capable of shrugging off damage that would cripple a regular machine, and are even capable of repairing themselves.

* Cyrax, Sektor, and Cyborg Smoke from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat''.