History Main / SkeleBot9000

If you're specifically looking for ''{{Franchise/Terminator}}'' [[{{Expy}} Expies]] then take a look at TerminatorImpersonator.

** The mid-80's version of [[Characters/SupermanBrainiac Brainiac]].

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* The Boomer androids from the original ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis'', as Terminator Expies, also have skull-like heads under their artificial skins (the rest of the body is much less skeletal).

* The Skullgunners from ''Anime/BlueCometSPTLayzner'' are AI controlled MechaMooks which communicate with each other through a HiveMind for ruthless efficiency.

* The "anorexic Cybermen" from the ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' comic story ''The Flood'' are another example of the subtle version, [[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VHmUFK5-L._SL500_AA240_.jpg as seen here.]]
* In the original ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', Rancor uploads her consciousness into a robot made of Wolverine's skeleton.
* The robot in "Spirou and the Robot Blueprints" (fr. orig. "Spirou et les plans du robot"), a ''[[ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio Spirou et Fantasio]]'' comic from 1948, is at least vaguely skeletal.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** The mid-80's version of ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}.
** In ''ComicBook/SupermanBrainiac'', all Brainiac androids that Franchise/{{Superman}} and ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} fight resemble metallic human skeletons.
* Some later versions of [[Characters/NewMutants Warlock]] from ''ComicBook/NewMutants'' have played with this trope, by having him look [[http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh60/Arkakoira/warlock_new_mutants.jpg very skeletal]] when in low energy, and much more fuller and human-like when in full power.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoMovie'' has the Skeletrons used by [[BigBad Lord Business]], which effectively are robots in a SecretPolice without uniforms and predictably a ShoutOut to the T-800.

* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'': The T-800, [[Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines T-850, T-X]], and [[Film/TerminatorDarkFate Rev-9]] endoskeletons. While the endoskeleton is designed for [[JustifiedTrope a reasonable purpose]] -- to be a framework on which to grow human flesh to better disguise the Terminators -- the real reason is the horrific image (no pun intended, one of them ''really'' illustrates the trope page) of implacable metal skeletons coming after you. The fact they are also terrifying has another in-universe reason: they're built for warfare and the psychological effect on the enemy would be rather potent (the Cracked article, while amusing, relies on the premise that Cyberdyne created the Terminators before Judgement Day, which they did not). Not for nothing did Creator/JamesCameron base them on an actual nightmare he had while filming ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning''.

*** The B-1 battle droids are skeletal, designed to be easily packed up and stored. According to ExpandedUniverse material, they are actually supposed to resemble the skeletons of Neimoidians (the people who designed them), which would be scary... [[NightmareRetardant if you're Neimoidian]]. The junior {{novelization}} has Jar Jar Binks compare them to Gungan skeletons when he first sees one.

** The unfinished version of C-3PO, with his "parts showing," in ''The Phantom Menace''.

* One of the failed ''Film/Robocop2'' prototypes removes his helmet to reveal a bloody human skull before screaming and collapsing.

* ''Literature/NewJediOrder'': One of the methods of fighting the Yuuzhan Vong is the YVH-1, an EliteMook [[MechaMooks battle droid]] that perfectly resembles the [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} T-800]] and is specifically designed to scan and identify hidden Yuuzhan Vong agents and battle the extremely technophobic race in full combat. {{Justified}} in that human and Yuuzhan Vong skeletons are fairly similar and their appearance is meant to be ''insulting'' rather than frightening, backed up by the pre-programmed BattleCry, "We are machines! We are greater than the Yuuzhan Vong!"

* Creator/CraigFerguson's "robot skeleton" sidekick Geoff Peterson on ''Series/TheLateLateShow.''

** In "The Hunt", the androids who are being hunted by the Nichols family have endoskeletons that are covered with artificial flesh.
** In "Simon Says", the robot Simon has a partially constructed skeletal frame.
* On ''Series/SesameStreet'', there was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Rhm7kp-tk a segment]] about mechanical toys, robots, and the ''Voyager'' satellites set to kind of creepy music, that featured an android that looked kind of like a skeleton, and even had a clear casing so the inside could be seen.

* The T-X from ''Pinball/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines''

** The Necrons are the result of an ancient alien race, the Necrotyr, uploading their consciousness into skeletal robotic bodies. Thematically the Necrons are intended to be a [[RecycledInSpace science fiction version]] [[DemBones of the Undead.]]

** The iconic [[HollywoodCyborg full-conversion cyborgs]] seen on many covers and interior art (actually mass-produced German [[MegaCorp Triax]] models) also have distinct skull-like faceplates; unsurprising since many of the designs were [[CaptainErsatz lifted straight from]] ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis'''s Boomers (including bulkier-than-usual-for-the-trope bodies).

* ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'' features the ''Atlas'', a [[HumongousMecha ten-story tall battlemech]] armed with [[{{BFG}} 30+ tons of weapons]] and [[SuperToughness enough armor to shrug off almost any attack]], and has a white skull shaped head for a cockpit. [[WeaponForIntimidation It was intentionally design to intimidate foes on first sight]]. There's a number of derivative designs such as the very rare ''Atlas II'' that adds GlowingMechanicalEyes, the slightly lighter ''Akuma'' that has a sinister grinning head, and the ultra high-tech ''Atlas III'', which looks more like it's wearing a hockey goalie's gear.

* After [[MadScientist Dr. Lugae]] loses his first go-round with the heroes in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', he transforms himself into a skeleton robot for the second battle. The implication is that he just tears his skin off. [[{{Bowlderize}} In the original Japanese, he did.]]
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'': [[spoiler: when Sovereign reanimates Saren's corpse, all the organic tissue burns away to reveal a metallic skeletal construct.]]
* [[spoiler:The Human Reaper larva]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', often called the [[spoiler:Reapernator]] by fans. To make it even scarier, it's ''huge'' (just one eye is bigger around than an adult human) and it's incomplete; basically just a skull, a spine, a ribcage and two handless arms. Nonetheless, it's capable of moving, attacking, and obliterating potential threats with lasers.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'' features Terminator-like robots. In fact, they looked so much like the Terminator that the localized release had to change their glowing eyes to green to avoid copyright infringement.

* The MMORPG ''VideoGame/ToontownOnline'' has Skelecogs in-game which you will most often find in cog factories, during HQ raids, and in high level buildings (but sometimes, also during district invasions). Not only do they look creepier than their regular cogs counterpart (which already hangs around the border of UncannyValley), but they're almost always more powerful as well.
* Dr Nefarious from ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank''. His AlternateSelf Emperor Nefarious in ''Videogame/RatchetAndClankRiftApart'' looks even more skeleton-like due to his white color scheme.

* The ''Videogame/MechWarrior'' series (based on ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'') often features the Atlas, a [[HumongousMecha 100 ton battlemech]] with a skull-shaped cockpit. ''Mech 4'' in particular emphasizes the skeleton nature, by making the Atlas the tallest and giving it a bone-white head and fists. ''Multiplayer Battletech 3025'' also gave it [[GlowingEyesOfDoom glowing]] [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]]
** The final boss for ''Videogame/MechAssault 2'' is essentially an incomplete HumongousMecha skelebot. The mech has a huge, articulated skull for a head (with moving jaws), and is missing its entire lower torso and legs. Both ''Mechassault'' games likewise feature Atlases similar to the ones in ''MPBT 3025''
* ''Videogame/ContraIIITheAlienWars'' features a giant one named Big Fuzz (or "[[FanNickname Robo-Corpse]]") as a bossfight. It breathes fire, fires homing eye beams and throws time bombs around the room. Eventually it will lose its grip on the doors it was holding open, [[OffWithHisHead cutting off its head.]] Big Fuzz reappears in ''Contra 4'' with the same fire breath attack and this time, you must close the doors on its neck to kill it in similar fashion.
* Boss villain Yaridovich from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' is technically an anthropomorphic spear, but his spindly limbs give him a skeletal look.

** Followed by [[spoiler:an Actual Endoskeleton Character (''Animatronic?'') in ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2''. He only appears in 2 rooms, doesn't attack the character, and is a complete mystery.]]
* The Broken Lords of ''Videogame/EndlessLegend'', a society forced to bind their souls to AnimatedArmor to survive the EndlessWinter, typically have simplistic mask-like heads/helmets, but Baron Joslyn Deyval and the Dust Bishops have a skull-shaped head (complete with GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath) and an enormous gaping mouth glowing with their inner [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum Dust]] light.
* In ''Videogame/{{Fallout 4}}'' the Generation 1 and Gen 2 synths used by The Institute are built with a skeletal frame. Gen [=2s=] have synthetic rubbery skin, while Gen [=1s=] are basically walking, talking, shooting metal skeletons. Since most synths have spend many years in the very unkind environment of the Commonwealth wasteland, the Gen [=2s=] rubber skin is usually flaking off. Generation 3 synths are, for all intents and purposes, [[ArtificialHuman artificial humans]] - completely indistinguishable from your standard organically-grown person unless you cut them open.

* An early boss in ''VideoGame/{{Galerians}}'', [[spoiler:Dr. Lem.]] He seems like a relatively mundane MadDoctor type until an unexpected RoboticReveal mid-boss fight where it turns out he has a Terminator-esque endoskeleton.
* The Henchman 800 mooks from ''VideoGame/Rayman2TheGreatEscape'', who have skull-shaped heads and very thin limbs, and are pirates like the above Scurvo and Dreadfuse.
* [[spoiler:Olympia]] from ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey III'' is a rare RobotGirl version of this trope. [[spoiler:She conceals it with a cloak most of the time as her head is able to convincingly pass as human]]. The normal female Yggdroid's are a partial example as they conceal some of it with a plate at the abdomen though [[https://imgur.com/UwEjZ6Y official art reveals that there is nothing else behind that to conceal it]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Roofus the Robot's [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/143/ unfinished appearance]] in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' His finished form is actually [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/144/ fairly hefty.]]

** As a CallForward, a few episodes of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' featured training robots that looked ''exactly'' like Zeta, only with [[http://dcau.wikia.com/wiki/Z-8 different heads.]]
* The "ghost robot" Scared-Stiff in ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters''. However, he might be a subversion, as he's described in fan circles as "a wimpy [[Franchise/StarWars C-3PO]]".
* Transmutate from WesternAnimation/BeastWars.
* Krang in [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 the 2012 version of]] ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', as opposed to his [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 original]] [[FatBastard version]].

* One of these is the auto-pilot of a damaged plane in the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon "WesternAnimation/HareLift". (Even its ''head'' is just a tiny blinking light-bulb.) Upon being activated and seeing the severity of the plane's condition, it immediately straps on a parachute [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere and jumps]].

* After [[MadScientist Dr. Lugae]] loses his first go-round with the heroes in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', he transforms himself into a skeleton robot for the second battle. The implication is that he just tears his skin off.

* ''Film/TheArkOfTruth'': The replicators take over a human and the results is one of these after the flesh is burned off. This is a clear ShoutOut to ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'', especially the similar music in that scene.

* Roofus the Robot's [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/143/ unfinished appearance]] in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.'' His finished form is actually [[https://bobadventures.thecomicseries.com/comics/144/ fairly hefty.]]

* Roofus the Robot's [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070512.html unfinished appearance]] in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob.'' His finished form is actually [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20070515.html fairly hefty.]]

* ''VideoGame/TimeSplitters2'' has the Chassisbot, which has one of the smallest frames in the game, making it hard to hit. Fans speculate that is just the chassis of a sentrybot with some additional equipment, which might also explain its sub-par stats.

* Dr Nefarious from ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank''.

* Some later versions of ComicBook/{{Warlock}} from ''ComicBook/NewMutants'' have played with this trope, by having him look [[http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh60/Arkakoira/warlock_new_mutants.jpg very skeletal]] when in low energy, and much more fuller and human-like when in full power.

* The hostile golems in ''VideoGame/{{Phoenotopia}}''.

Such robots can be very obvious, with sinister, grinning skull-faces, ''a la'' T-800 from ''{{Franchise/Terminator}}'' films. Others are more subtle, often with fairly realistic faces. Some, such as the T-800s, are designed to be covered with "something", so they literally are robot skeletons once you remove the coverings.

This trope also makes quite a bit of sense from a pure engineering standpoint: the bipedal human skeleton is a rather efficient infrastructure. Placing processing power and sensors in a compact, heavily armored box at the top of the body minimizes lag and provides the best vantage point possible, the ribcage centralizes and protects important components, and an upright bipedal stance allows both great strength and dexterity in the upper limbs[[note]]By placing the arms directly over the feet, the upright stance ensures that the weight of any object being held by the arms is as close to being directly over the base of support as possible. This greatly increases balance when holding heavy objects, allowing for greater feats of strength and precision.[[[/note]] while also making us one of the few animals that can survive prolonged high-speed travel. [[note]]Two legs are always more efficient than four, provided you have the brainpower and coordination to use them. For instance, an average horse would either lose an ultramarathon to an average human or die winning.[[/note]] Eliminating excess weight by replacing muscle with systems of cables or servo motors and organs with compact power supplies would let you strip the body down to, well, the bare bones essentials.

This trope also makes quite a bit of sense from a pure engineering standpoint: the bipedal human skeleton is a rather efficient infrastructure. Placing processing power and sensors in a compact, heavily armored box at the top of the body minimizes lag and provides the best vantage point possible, the ribcage centralizes and protects important components, and a bipedal stance allows both great strength and dexterity in the upper limbs while also making us one of the few animals that can survive prolonged high-speed travel. [[note]]For instance, an average horse would either lose an ultramarathon to an average human or die winning.[[/note]] Eliminating excess weight by replacing muscle with systems of cables or servo motors and organs with compact power supplies would let you strip the body down to, well, the bare bones essentials.

* The Henchman 800 mooks from ''VideoGame/Rayman2'', who have skull-shaped heads and very thin limbs, and are pirates like the above Scurvo and Dreadfuse.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' {{exploit|edTrope}}s this with the shadesteel golem: a floating construct of dead-black metal, crafted to look like a humanoid skeleton. It becomes faster and stronger if exposed to anti-undead ReviveKillsZombie effects, so its appearance is a dangerous misdirection.

* Warmachine in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Mask}}'' is a similar but different example, as a high tech robot warrior, Warmachine has a gray metal surface and his whole body is made of steel.This muscular robot's shoulders and chest are several times the size of his waist, it makes him look more like a [[https://the-mask.fandom.com/wiki/Warmachine Bodybuilder.]] instead a [=SkeletonBot=].

* Warmachine in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Mask}}'' is a similar but different example, as a high tech robot warrior, Warmachine has a gray metal surface and his whole body is made of steel. This muscular robot's shoulders and chest are several times the size of his waist, it makes him look more like a[[https://the-mask.fandom.com/wiki/Warmachine Bodybuilder.]] instead a [=SkeletonBot=]

* Warmachine in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Mask}}'', as a sophisticated robot warrior, Warmachine can be seen from the appearance that it was made of steel, and every part is full of robotic muscles, making him a chiseled and husky robot. His shoulders, chest and buttocks is wide and his abdomen is relatively thin, so he looks like a [[https://the-mask.fandom.com/wiki/Warmachine SkeleBots.]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/war_machine_20.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:some robot has perfect body scale: wide sholder and slender haunch.]]

* Warmachine in [[WesternAnimation/The Mask]], as a sophisticated robot warrior, Warmachine can be seen from the appearance that it was made of steel, and every part is full of robotic muscles, making him a chiseled and husky robot. His shoulders, chest and buttocks is wide and his abdomen is relatively thin, so he looks like a SkeleBots.[[https://the-mask.fandom.com/wiki/Warmachine]]

This trope also makes quite a bit of sense from a pure engineering standpoint: the bipedal human skeleton is a rather efficient infrastructure. Placing processing power and sensors in a compact, heavily armored box at the top of the body minimizes lag and provides the best vantage point possible, the ribcage centralizes and protects important components, and a bipedal stance allows both great strength and dexterity in the upper limbs while also making us one of the few animals that can survive prolonged high-speed travel. [[note]]For instance, an average horse would either lose an ultramarathon to an average human or die winning.[[/note]] Eliminating excess weight by replacing muscle with systems of cables or servo motors and organs with compact power supplies would let you strip the body down to, well, [[IncrediblyLamePun the bare bones]] essentials.

* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'': The T-800, [[Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines T-850, T-X]], and [[Film/TerminatorDarkFate Rev-9]] endoskeletons. While the endoskeleton is designed for [[JustifiedTrope a reasonable purpose]] -- to be a framework on which to grow human flesh to better disguise the Terminators -- the real reason is the [[NightmareFuel horrific image]] (no pun intended, one of them ''really'' illustrates the trope page) of implacable metal skeletons coming after you. The fact they are also terrifying has another in-universe reason: they're built for warfare and the psychological effect on the enemy would be rather potent (the Cracked article, while amusing, relies on the premise that Cyberdyne created the Terminators before Judgement Day, which they did not). Not for nothing did Creator/JamesCameron base them on an actual nightmare he had while filming ''Film/PiranhaPartTwoTheSpawning''.