History Main / EatingMachine

[[caption-width-right:349:At least save some for us, Gir.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gir_pizza.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:At least save some for us, Gir.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gir-eating-junk-food_1084.jpg]]]]

This is very common for a {{Ridiculously Human Robot|s}} who may need to eat food to maintain TheMasquerade, but it's certainly not limited to that trope. Some robots consume food as a power source ([[TruthInTelevision Calories powering machines is something that exists in the real world, though in very early stages]]) either for convenience or rarely for horror. Other robots may [[EatingOptional eat food they have no way of processing and no logical need for]] as pure RuleOfFunny hedonism and to anthropomorphize otherwise non-human machines. Despite being unable to digest food, don't be surprised if caffeine, sugar, or alcohol still somehow affects a robot's behavior.

* Guy from ''Anime/GaoGaiGar'' is a cyborg (90%, below the head). His favorite food is niku-don, and he's shown eating some in one episode - half a dozen bowls and then some, when we see it. [[AllThereInTheManual Side materials]] indicate that it's for his own mental health, as the food simply gets burned inside him and provides no nutrients. He is the only non-human character shown eating in the show (excluding Mamoru and Kaido) - the Yuusha Corps like drinking oil though, while J and Lune aren't shown to eat.
* Justified in ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' with special food for full-body prosthetic cyborgs like The Major or heavily cyberized people like Bato. It does't taste that good to regular people like Togusa. It's noted that being able to eat like a normal person is considered important for averting CyberneticsEatYourSoul.
* Reg in ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'' can recharge his power either by eating or by connecting to electricity. Since the Abyss is short on anything electric, he's mostly seen eating instead.

* Aaron Stack, a.k.a. ComicBook/MachineMan from ''ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}''. "My robot brain needs beer!" In ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies 3'', however, he stated "I have no stomach, but I must barf."

* In ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'', a proposed ship crewed by geth is designed to consume organic matter as fuel. [[spoiler:Specifically, dead Flood biomass which is burned down to carbon and subjected to fusion.]]

* In ''Fanfic/TheAFRUniverse'' story "Agent Hanamura", [[VideoGame/Persona4 Yosuke]] is invited to a dinner interview with [[VideoGame/Persona3 Mitsuru]] and [[VideoGame/Persona4Arena Labrys]]. Yosuke comments on [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Labrys]] eating. She claims that she's powering herself with an experimental nuclear reactor that burns the food as fuel, before admitting it was a joke. She actually has a refrigerated storage container in her body so she can pretend to eat while undercover as a human and then dump the waste later. She plans to give the steak she just "ate" to [[TeamPet Koromaru]] later.
* Penny in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/43735507/chapters/122757502 The Heroic Age]]'' eats to maintain TheMasquerade that she's human, but she's not very good at it. She eats a breadstick by sliding it down her throat whole, much to the shock of her new friends. [[SureLetsGoWithThat Penny quickly jumps on Pyrrha's belief she's a sword swallower]].

* [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots David]] in ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'' is shown eating a few times while waiting for the crew to wake up. Whether he actually needs the food to refuel or is simply doing it to feel more human is unclear.

* ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'' has a line about the Chee (doglike androids that project holograms to look human) incinerating the food they eat, without mentioning whether this is their only source of power or if it's just used to pass for human.

* In ''Literature/ThePositronicMan'' (based on the short story ''Literature/BicentennialMan''), a robot eventually upgrades himself with a device that converts food to energy.

* Data in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' can consume food and drink to appear more human and put others at ease. He also appears to have taste buds; when he gets his emotion chip in ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', he realises he "hates" a certain drink.
* The 'Bots on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' are like this, especially [[ExtremeOmnivore Gypsy]].

* In an episode of ''Series/SmallWonder'', Ted modified Vicki to extract energy from food and use beverages as coolants.

* The synths in ''{{Series/Humans}}'' are capable of consuming food, which is stored in a bag in their torso for later regurgitation and disposal. This feature was presumably designed to make them more realistic companions since they were never supposed to become sentient.

* Warforged in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' don't need to eat but they can still ingest and benefit from {{Magic Potion}}s and enchanted food. In ''Literature/TheDreamingDark'' novels the party is given a magic feast by a fae noble that looks like their favorite foods, the warforged member is a bit disappointed that all he gets is a tasteless bowl of gruel.
* The Cryx Kraken Colossal from ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms WarMachine]]'' has a special rule called "Meat Fuelled" - allowing it to gain Focus Points when it kills a Living enemy Model. Essentially, it's a giant robot that eats people.
* In ''TabletopGame/HcSvntDracones'' Cogs can eat but it costs more energy for them to metabolize then they can obtain from it. They do need to drink water for lubrication and other things.
* Both Androids and Sentient Robotic Organisms (otherwise known as [=SROs=]) are playable races in ''{{TabletopGame/Starfinder}}'', and both are capable of eating and drinking (though [=SROs=] don't have to).

* The Glitch from ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'' require food and have a hunger bar like the organic races. This is justified in the codex, where it states that their internal engine burns down food to provide energy.
* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Ortho Shroud]] can eat, but needs his body specifically modified to do so.

* Implied in ''VideoGame/{{Machinarium}}'', where even though all the characters and wildlife are robots, there's a kitchen in the game and one of the characters gets kidnapped to do cooking for the villains.
* In ''VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations'' the Yor are powered by food, so that when they conquer planets from other races or vice-versa they can use the same farms.

* In ''VideoGame/HorizonZeroDawn'', the machines created by [[spoiler:[[FriendToAllLivingThings GAIA]]]] consume grass and other organic materials in order to fuel their [[MookMaker Cauldrons]] and themselves. PlayedForDrama, as [[spoiler:in the past, the [[StarfishRobots machines]] created by [[MegaCorp Faro industries]] nearly a millennium ago quite [[ApocalypseHow literally ate everything to extinction, right down to the microscopic level]] and turned Earth into a barren rock much like Mars.]]
* ''VideoGame/DontStarve'': WX-78 needs to eat just like the rest of the characters. However, they can digest spoiled food with no penalties, unlike other characters.

* ''Videogame/TooHuman'': One of the early bosses - GRNDL-1 a reference to ''{{Literature/Beowulf}}'' - first made itself known by leaving shredded corpses on the outskirts of human settlements and during the opening cutscene eats several people during the attack on the mead hall. Disturbingly, it is unknown if it needs to do this to sustain itself or if this is just a terror tactic.
* In ''Videogame/{{Destiny}}'', the Exos are machines with [[BrainUploading human minds]] that can do [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots many things humans do, such as feel human emotions like anger, fear, love, and frustration]]. They can also eat, with Cayde-6 making a point of drinking alcohol, commenting that after he kills the BigBad he'll get a sandwich, and complaining that [[SpaceRomans the Cabal]] blew up his favorite spicy ramen shop.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'', Dr. Kahl's [[AndroidsArePeopleToo robot]] is seen chewing bubblegum in his intro, blowing a bubble before the match starts.
* In the ''VideoGame/{{MegamanLegends}}'' series the servbots both eat curry and rice and drink coffee despite being robots built by Tron Bonne herself and not being a RidiculouslyHumanRobot.
* ''VideoGame/TerraTech'' has Big Pete, a quest [=NPC=] who asks the player to bring him resource chunks. Whether or not he is a robot is [[AmbiguousRobots ambiguous]], but he/his bulky mechanical exoskeleton definitely has a mouth.
* In ''VideoGame/GirlsFrontline'', [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots T-Dolls]] can receive energy through food. [[PrivateMilitaryContractors Griffon & Kryuger's]] standard [=MREs=] are the most efficient in this regard but are said to be unpleasant.
** Many Dolls prefer certain foods (FNC has a SweetTooth and especially loves chocolate, [=NS2000=] is a curry aficionado, AA-12 is never seen without at least one lollipop and WA-2000 secretly likes chocolate ice cream), and some, such as SAT-8, [=F2000=] and SPAS-12, have [[BigEater bigger appetites than others]]. Seriously, the latter talks about food all the time.
* In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction'', The space pirate robots regularly drink grog, a form of alcohol which they are very fond of. It even makes them drunk especially Captain Slag and Rusty Pete. They also eat oyster chili, and comment on the [[ToiletHumor aftereffects]].
* Used as foreshadowing in ''Videogame/DetroitBecomeHuman'', where [[spoiler:Alice]] is never shown eating despite being served food multiple times.

* Glamrock Chica in ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSecurityBreach'' is obsessed with pizza, to the point that she goes rooting through the garbage trying to eat any that gets thrown out. On account of her being a robot--a very lifelike robot, but still a robot--all this really does is damage her insides.
* ''VideoGame/{{Inscryption}}'': According to creator Daniel Mullins in a livestream, TVHeadRobot P03 loves Doritos, Cheetos, and canned yerba mate.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'': Pintsize loves to pig out on cakes despite having no stomach or really even containing space for the food, leaving Marten to have to power him off and clean him out more than once.
** Pintsize and the other [=AnthroPC=]'s have a rather ambiguous attitude towards eating stuff. Early on in the comic, Pintsize claim to be able to eat and taste food, thanks to an onboard spectrometer - he stores it in a compartment of his chest, then evacuates it later. It's somewhat gross. Later, however, he gets a new chassis, which apparently lacks this function, but that doesn't stop him from eating - just makes it a bad idea. As he is heard saying once, "That was SO worth the massive motherboard damage..."
** In another strip Millefeuille (who is already drunk due to downloading a drunkenness simulator) drinks ouzo, and when asked where it goes says "We'll all find out together!" A few strips later, she ''cries'' it out.
* Some of the robots of ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'' subvert this trope. Megaman eats ice cream by the gallon daily, at first seeming like this trope. As it turns out Dr. Light built him to convert ice cream into fuel.
** Which the good doctor lived to regret, apparently; when he built Mega Man X, he designed him to ''hate'' ice cream, so he wouldn't "turn out like the rest of those lazy, gluttonous slobs".

* In ''Webcomic/QuentynQuinnSpaceRanger'', the main character's robot helper orders a banana sundae. It explains that it has the capacity to enjoy the sundae- as a work of art, not as nourishment.
* Difficulty to say in [[BigBad Zenith's]] case in ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty''. She's certainly seen [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2010/09/12/table-for-blue/ at a restaurant,]] claims to have [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2010/12/12/nothing-to-see-here/ no room for desert,]] and her "perfectly reasonable demands" for a travel service includes [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2011/01/02/out-of-his-shell-and-off-his-rocker/ cashews]] and [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2011/01/19/a-perfect-plan/#comments un-shelled pistachios.]] On the other hand, she's never ''seen'' eating, and it wouldn't be the only time [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2011/07/12/well-theres-yer-problem she was wrong about her own functionality.]]
* In ''Webcomic/QuantumVibe'' [[http://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=418 Artifolk]] can extract minerals from food and convert sugars into ethanol, which some of their systems use.
* Exploited in [[http://neilaglet.tumblr.com/post/166781937856/d3fic8r this comic,]] where a scientist tells his eating robot to [[ToiletHumor poop on another scientist]] who thinks building an eating robots is ridiculous.
* Webcomic/BobTheAngryFlower designed a robot that consumed organic material as fuel. [[ImAHumanitarian Bad idea]].

* Franchise/{{Transformers}}:

[[folder:Other]]
* Played with in ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}''. The Matoran were shown fishing and there was mention of food in the first few years of the story, but the characters were never seen eating the food. Since Matoran must wear their masks at all times and wouldn't be able to put food into their mouths, this resulted in a large dose of FridgeLogic... until it was revealed that they consume food by [[EnergyAbsorption absorbing it]] through ''[[BizarreAlienBiology the palms of their hands]]''. Their Bara Magna counterparts also need to eat but are established to be mostly organic, so they probably do it the usual way.
** [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily The Skakdi]] are able to (and often do) chew and swallow their food to regain energy, which the Matoran find repulsive and animalistic.
[[/folder]]

* Both Androids and Sentient Robotic Organisms (otherwise known as [=SROs=]) are playable races in {{TabletopGame/Starfinder}}, and both are capable of eating and drinking (though [=SROs=] don't have to).

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Cell is an artificially created organism who has to feed to survive, except that his favorite meal is humans, who he absorbs by almost literally sucking up their bodies as he would suck liquid through a straw. Unlike some of Dr. Gero's other creations, Cell is completely organinc.

* ''Videogame/TooHuman'': One of the early bosses - GRNDL-1 a reference to [[Literature/Beowulf Grendel]] - first made itself known by leaving shredded corpses on the outskirts of human settlements and during the opening cutscene eats several people during the attack on the mead hall. Disturbingly, it is unknown if it needs to do this to sustain itself or if this is just a terror tactic.

-->-- ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'', [[Recap/DragonBallZAbridgedM9 "Super Android 13"]]

* Genos from ''Manga/OnePunchMan'' is able to eat and taste food despite most of his body being replaced with cybernetics. Saitama notes that the guy who designed and built Genos' body must be a NiceGuy since he made sure that Genos could still enjoy the mortal pleasures of eating and drinking.

* Used as a heartwarming moment in an episode of Anime/SpaceDandy. It opens with the narrator explaining what circumstances would lead [[TheSmartGuy QT]] to drink a cup of coffee. He spends the episode seeking the affection of a coffee machine he [[LoveAtFirstSight fell in]] [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove love with]], [[spoiler:with tragic results]]. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that drinking it only blows out some of his fuses, but he just wanted to do it as a symbol of respect.

* ''Anime/{{Pecola}}'': In "Pecola's Penguin Special", Robo-Pecola, who helps Pecola to run Cori's cafe while she's taking a break to watch a movie, eats all of Mayor Papazoni's spaghetti for him when he points out he didn't eat spaghetti with motor oil on it.

* The ''Film/InspectorGadget'' fanfic "Euro Gadget" states that Gadget ''can'' eat like regular humans can, and implies that this was one of many features which drove Bradford Robotics to bankruptcy. Brenda cautions Gadget to be careful around greasy foodstuffs, which will clog up his machinery.

[[folder:Film]]

* Subverted in the obscure B-movie sequel, ''Film/ClassOf1999IITheSubstitute.'' It is believed that the huge substitute teacher is an android and he's a BigEater, he even says "My body turns food into fuel quite quickly," but it turns out he's just a man who ''thinks'' he's an android.

* The cars in ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' not only consume fuel (they drink it from a straw rather than taking it in through their gas valves) but also other metal objects like nuts and bolts, as with "human" food including fruits and vegetables, and ''meat''. Except nobody knows where their meat products come from considering the fact that the animals in their world are also vehicles like them, with their cattle being portrayed as either farm or construction equipment.
** Cars kill farm and construction equipment for food? Who wants tractorburgers? Come and get 'em! Only $2.50!
** In ''WesternAnimation/Cars2'', Mater ate wasabi, mistaking it for ice cream. FireBreathingDiner ensues.