History Main / RoboFamily

* Madeline Ashby's ''Machine Dynasty'' series has [[VonNeumannMachine von Neumann]] androids who eat plastics, metals, and e-waste to grow and give birth to robot babies. Some of them marry humans and raise children together.

* Skyquake and his PaletteSwap twin, Dreadwing, from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', are the closest to what can be considered robot relatives. Brothers in this case, as they share a split spark.
** ''Twin'' brothers, in fact, with a form of TwinTelepathy. Dreadwing felt it when Skyquke died. [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge He didn't take it well.]]

* In most versions, the ComicBook/MetalMen are simply a small group of robots all built by the same guy, so they have become TrueCompanions. Generally speaking, they don't consider Doc to be their "father" -- after all, Platinum is ''in love'' with him.
* Ultron, the premier KillerRobot of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, has created a whole bunch of other robots and cyborgs (The Vision, Jocasta, Alkhema, Antigone, Victor Mancha) whom he explicitly refers to as a family. Most of them have ended up betraying him. Ultron's family also includes his creator Hank Pym and the various people whose brain patterns he's copied into his creations. Things get extra-complicated when you throw in Vision's children with Scarlet Witch -- his non-robot, human children, who are still related to their parents even though they were reincarnated and born to different families... yeah. The end result is a robot being the grandfather of two organic individuals. Taken one step further in ''ComicBook/TheVision2015'' series, in which he creates a robotic wife, son, daughter, and eventually even a dog.
* ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'': The Nuclear Family are a group of robotic villains designed to resemble a fifties family of dad, mom, son, daughter, baby, and dog. Whether they actually regard each other as a family, or are even self-aware enough to do so, varies by the continuity.
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'' takes the usual mess of Transformers who consider themselves brothers etc. and aggravates it further because in [=IDW1=], Transformers are typically born from a ''[[BizarreAlienReproduction big flat area of ground]]'', so why only some of them consider themselves siblings and don't extend that to others from the same hot spot is anyone's guess. Some of them even have common family appearances (the House of Ambus [[RobotHair moustache]], for example, or the knight-styled visors on Tracks and Needlenose); Arcee and Galvatron were near-identical twins until Arcee transitioned. As for parenting, the Scavengers end up adopting an organic kid with an implanted spark and Anode at one point suggests to her wife Lug that they should settle down and raise some "kids".
* ''ComicBook/Transformers2019'' provides comparative relief for the franchise in that both of the main family structures get explanations: Cliffjumper is Bumblebee's "brother" because the two were born from the same spark event (with CJ showing up considerably later), and since newborn Transformers are always assigned to someone else to mentor, that basically means they end up having at least one adoptive parent, like Cryak was for Starscream (Gauge, having been assigned to Arcee, got a second adoptive mother in Greenlight as a freebie).

* Rattrap from ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' made a throwaway reference to his [[ShoutOut "Great Aunt Arcee"]].

** The Aligned Continuity implies that Orion Pax (the future Optimus Prime) is a descendent of Prima, one of the thirteen Primes, the original Cybertronians created by Primus himself. [[spoiler:Except not. ''Covenant of Primus'' reveals that Orion Pax was the reincarnation of the last of the Thirteen to be created: Optimus Prime. This doesn't make Optimus Prima's descendent -- it makes him, for all intents and purposes, Prima's ''brother'']].

* [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Original Transformers]] Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are twin brothers, who have a "family resemblance" in their shared [[TransformingMecha vehicle mode]]. Optimus Prime considers Alpha Trion his "father", as he rebuilt him from his previous civilian form, Orion Pax, into his current state after Megatron nearly killed him. (Alpha Trion did the same thing for his girlfriend Ariel, who was turned into Elita One. Note that this doesn't make Optimus and Elita related; they already existed individually and were in a relationship before being repaired.)

* [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Original Transformers]] Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are considered brothers, who have a "family resemblance" in their shared [[TransformingMecha vehicle mode]]. Also, Optimus Prime and Elita One (who [[BrotherSisterIncest are apparently romantically involved]]) consider Alpha Trion their father, as he rebuilt them from their previous civilian forms into their current states when they were damaged.

* ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'': The next most famous example, Mega Man/Rockman, Roll, and Proto Man/Blues are all considered siblings, as it wasn't obvious from the ThemeNaming. Doctor Light is usually considered to be a father to all of them.

* ''Fanfic/TheBridgeMLP'' gives us a {{Cyborg}} variant of the trope with Gigan and Megalon. By merit of having the same creators, the M Nebulans, who made them; both organics and mechanical parts included. The latter vocally and eagerly considers the former his big brother. The [[AloofBigBrother more reserved Gigan]] might be a bit less chatty about it, but he does acknowledge the younger kaiju as relation despite their biological parts being completely different species. The bond was strong enough that Gigan unwittingly managed to channel Equestrian magic based on the PowerOfFriendship and PowerOfLove during a moment of BigBrotherInstinct when Megalon was in danger.

* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'' gives us a {{Cyborg}} variant of the trope with Gigan and Megalon. By merit of having the same creators, the M Nebulans, who made them; both organics and mechanical parts included. The latter vocally and eagerly considers the former his big brother. The [[AloofBigBrother more reserved Gigan]] might be a bit less chatty about it, but he does acknowledge the younger kaiju as relation despite their biological parts being completely different species. The bond was strong enough that Gigan unwittingly managed to channel Equestrian magic based on the PowerOfFriendship and PowerOfLove during a moment of BigBrotherInstinct when Megalon was in danger.

* The Franchise/DCUniverse has Dr. Magnus' ComicBook/MetalMen, who are all people who were accidentally transferred into robotic bodies. [[AlternateContinuity Sometimes]].
** In most versions, they're simply a small group of robots all built by the same guy, so they have become TrueCompanions. Generally speaking they don't consider Doc to be their "father" -- after all, Platinum is ''in love'' with him.
* ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, the premier KillerRobot of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, has created a whole bunch of other robots and cyborgs (The Vision, Jocasta, Alkhema, Antigone, Victor Mancha) whom he explicitly refers to as a family. Most of them have ended up betraying him. Ultron's family also includes his creator Hank Pym and the various people whose brain patterns he's copied into his creations. Things get extra-complicated when you throw in Vision's children with Scarlet Witch - his non-robot, human children, who are still related to their parents even though they were reincarnated and born to different families...yeah. The end result is a robot being the grandfather of two organic individuals.
** Taken one step further in the 2015 ''[[ComicBook/TheVision2015 Vision]]'' series, in which he creates a robotic wife, son, daughter, and eventually even a dog.
* The Nuclear Family are a group of robotic DC villains designed to resemble a fifties family of dad, mom, son, daughter, baby, and dog. Whether they actually regard each other as a family, or are even self-aware enough to do so, varies by the continuity.

* ComicBook/{{Ultron}}, the premier KillerRobot of the MarvelUniverse, has created a whole bunch of other robots and cyborgs (The Vision, Jocasta, Alkhema, Antigone, Victor Mancha) whom he explicitly refers to as a family. Most of them have ended up betraying him. Ultron's family also includes his creator Hank Pym and the various people whose brain patterns he's copied into his creations. Things get extra-complicated when you throw in Vision's children with Scarlet Witch - his non-robot, human children, who are still related to their parents even though they were reincarnated and born to different families...yeah. The end result is a robot being the grandfather of two organic individuals.

* In ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'' Clade Faber usually form "reprogroups" that cooperate to construct new vecs and program them with partial copies of their personalities.

* '''Replacements, clones or copies:''' When a robot is [[BetaTestBaddie replaced]] with a better model, [[MechaMooks mass produced]], or [[CloningBlues copied]] by another party, this technically makes the two robots 'brothers' even though they're essentially the same person in terms of design. One of the robots is usually an [[ShadowArchetype evil]] version of the other, especially if they're angry of the existence of their 'sibling'.

* ''ComicBook/Transformers2019'' provides comparative relief for the franchise in that both of the main family structures get explanations: Cliffjumper is Bumblebee's "brother" because the two were born from the same spark event (with CJ showing up considerably later), and since newborn Transformers are always assigned to someone else to mentor, that basically means they end up having at least one adoptive parent, like Cryak was for Starscream (Gauge, having been assigned to Arcee, got [[HasTwoMommies a second adoptive mother in Greenlight]] as a freebie).

** In ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'', Professor Gaudile is a recluse scientist who built the Force Metal Generator and Cinnamon, to whom he is an OverprotectiveDad, sheltering Cinnamon for most of her early life.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Data and Lore were "brothers" on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and both acknowledged their creator Dr. Soong as their father. And later Data made an android of his own named Lal, who was his "daughter." Dr. Soong's wife Julianna Tainer is treated as Data's mother when she visits ''Enterprise'' to share embarrassing stories about his early days. [[spoiler: She's actually an android duplicate of the original Dr. Tainer, who was fatally injured by the Crystalline Entity.]]
* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Real Life", the EMH (a holographic doctor with ArtificialIntelligence) creates his own family on the holodeck. Unfortunately, they're so [[SickeninglySweet nauseatingly perfect]] that B'Elanna Torres reprograms them to give him some family angst.

* ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' / ''Franchise/PowerRangers''
** The villains of ''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhranger'' / ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'' are an evil robot royal family.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': In the final scene of "Glitch", [[spoiler: the androids Tom and Wendy Seymour have built a daughter for themselves.]]
* Horobi and Jin from ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne''. Horobi is a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot Humagear]] programmed to act as a surrogate father, and Jin is the Humagear he built and raised. The two often refer to each other as father and son, and the family relationship between them constitutes a major emotional arc of the show.

*** The head of Earth's major robot company calls herself "Mom" and treats all robots as her "babies" ([[NiceCharacterMeanActor in her public persona]], anyway). [[HundredPercentAdorationRating The robots love her right back]], to sickening degrees.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'' takes the usual mess of Transformers who consider themselves brothers etc. and aggravates it further because in [=IDW1=], Transformers are typically born from a ''[[BizarreAlienReproduction big flat area of ground]]'', so why only some of them consider themselves siblings and don't extend that to others from the same hot spot is anyone's guess. Some of them even have common family appearances (the House of Ambus [[RobotHair moustache]], for example, or the knight-styled visors on Tracks and Needlenose); Arcee and Galvatron were near-identical twins [[{{Transgender}} until Arcee transitioned]]. As for parenting, the Scavengers end up adopting an organic kid with an implanted spark and Anode at one point suggests to her wife Lug that they should settle down and raise some "kids".

* The WALL-E forum role play actually has a detailed analysis of what constitutes a robot family, detailed [[http://walleforum.com/index.php?topic=8369.msg506384#msg506384 here.]]

This trope is the most [[IncrediblyLamePun 'family friendly']] kind of relationship that can happen between creators and fellow robots. Other kinds would be [[ThankTheMaker their creators being gods]], an empty technical term because the robots are [[SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence barely sentient]], or the robot [[AIIsACrapshoot considers itself above]] such petty 'relations'.

* Comicbook/{{Ultron}}, the premier KillerRobot of the MarvelUniverse, has created a whole bunch of other robots and cyborgs (The Vision, Jocasta, Alkhema, Antigone, Victor Mancha) whom he explicitly refers to as a family. Most of them have ended up betraying him. Ultron's family also includes his creator Hank Pym and the various people whose brain patterns he's copied into his creations. Things get extra-complicated when you throw in Vision's children with Scarlet Witch - his non-robot, human children, who are still related to their parents even though they were reincarnated and born to different families...yeah. The end result is a robot being the grandfather of two organic individuals.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', Aigis and [[spoiler:Metis]] are said to be sisters...

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'', [[MadScientist T. O. Morrow]] considers his four element-controlling robots (Red Tornado, Red Inferno, Red Torpedo, and Red Volcano) to be his children, and they refer to him as "father", even though Tornado is no longer remotely loyal to him and [[spoiler: Red Volcano kills him and hijacks his world-domination plan]]. They also refer to each other as siblings. In a rather heartwarming moment, Red Tornado [[spoiler:locates the real Morrow, a bed-ridden old man on life support, and promises to take care of him just like any other loving son would do for his father.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/MegaMan'': While Proto Man was finished by Wily instead of Light in this continuity, he still considers himself the brother of Rock and Roll due to being built from the same plans.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Real Life", the EMH (a holographic doctor with ArtificialIntelligence) creates his own family on the holodeck. Unfortunately they're so [[TastesLikeDiabetes nauseatingly perfect]] that B'Elanna Torres reprograms them to give him some family angst.

* [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Original Transformers]] Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are considered brothers. Also, Optimus Prime and Elita One (who [[BrotherSisterIncest are apparently romantically involved]]) consider Alpha Trion their father, as he rebuilt them from their previous civilian forms into their current states when they were damaged.

** Popular {{Fanon}} states that Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp are brothers, due to their being [[PaletteSwap identical but for coloration]].

* [[WesternAnimation/TransformersGenerationOne Original Transformers]] Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are considered brothers. Also, Optimus Prime and Elita One (who [[BrotherSisterIncest are apparently romantically involved]]) consider Alpha Trion their father, as he rebuilt them from their previous civilian forms into their current states when they were damaged.