History Main / UnnecessarilyCreepyRobot

** [[http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Santa_Claus_Robot Robot Santa Claus]]. Sure, he's evil '''now''', but as originally designed, he shouldn't be that scary. Granted, he didn't ''start'' that way exactly. He has a "nice" look (eyes curves side down, tilted outward, no teeth, no spikes on the hat, seen when he gives Zoidberg his pogo stick) and a "naughty" look (seen every ''other'' time he's on screen). The "naughty" look is ''very'' over-the-top however[[note]]having him look slightly annoyed by naughty children, sure, but downright evil?[[/note]], and the massive size seems rather unnecessary.

* Mechagodzilla from ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' is easily the most disturbing-looking version of Mechagodzilla to date, with a skull-like face, glowing red eyes, square-shaped dorsal spines and gangly, skeletal-looking arms ending in pincer-like claws. Despite being created to supplant Godzilla and restore mankind to its former glory, it's designed in such a horrifying way that it's almost like its creators ''wanted'' it to turn evil. [[spoiler: And it does, after its controlling system is possessed by the still-living consciousness of the severed head of Godzilla's long-deveated ancient nemesis--[[HijackedByGanon King Ghidorah]].]]

* Mechagodzilla from ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'' is easily the most disturbing-looking version of Mechagodzilla to date, with a skull-like face, glowing red eyes, square-shaped dorsal spines and gangly, skeletal-looking arms ending in pincer-like claws. Despite being created to supplant Godzilla and restore mankind to its former glory, it's designed in such a horrifying was that it's almost like its creators ''wanted'' it to turn evil. [[spoiler: And it does, after its controlling system is possessed by the still-living consciousness of the severed head of Godzilla's long-deveated ancient nemesis--[[HijackedByGanon King Ghidorah]].]]

* ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager''. After Voyager is abducted by aliens, Captain Janeway wakes up naked, floating in mid-air surrounded by members of her crew impaled on tubes and needles, while a [[GiantSpider giant metal spider]] with [[ExtraEyes eight]] [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] scuttles across the ceiling towards her. Janeway's only reaction is a petulant demand to be released from Sickbay, as it's just the ship's {{Autodoc}}.

* ''Film/Saturn3'': Hector is perhaps the quintessential example of an Unnecessarily Creepy Robot. Hector is seven feet tall and humanoid in form, although instead of a recognizable head it has a telescoping metal tentacle with a pair of eye stalks on it. Its body is a network of metal tubes and plates that resemble human musculature, giving it the overall appearance of a skinned, decapitated corpse. Its CPU is a mass of culture-grown human brain tissue. Hector's intended purpose? To replace one of the human workers on a farming colony.
* In ''Franchise/TheMatrix'', Sentinels are alien, organic-looking robots with multiple eyes and metallic tentacles, that almost resemble deep-sea creatures. There isn't really a reason they need to look this way, other than to be truly menacing when they swarm on the Nebuchadnezzar. Indeed, most of the Machine tech is characterized by being unnecessarily creepy. The "human farms" in particular look like something out of a Hieronymous Bosch painting. Later works in the franchise imply that this was a conscious choice on the part of the Machines. "The Second Renaissance" shows that the first Machines were simple humanoid androids. As relations between Human and Machine soured, the Machines [[MechanicalEvolution became more and more alien]], developing into creepy insectoid things. And it was most likely deliberate: both to distinguish themselves as apart from both humanity and humanity's control, and as a means to intimidate the Humans.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The universe has an interesting example. On many backwater outposts like Mos Eisley, droids are often put together or repaired with parts salvaged from other droids. This not only results in droids that sometimes look rather unsettling, but also causes many of them to develop bizarre personalities and mental defects.
** The ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' continuity had the [=C2-R4=] Multipurpose Unit ([[https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/9/9a/C2-R4.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20091222201214 a hideous thing]] resembling an R2 unit designed by a ''Mad Max'' villain), which was built from scrap by overenthusiastic aliens and flopped horribly, and the [=J9=] Worker Drone, whose insectoid looks and misleading name meant that it didn't sell well and the people who did buy it ignored its protocol training and sentenced it to move boxes forever.

* In the film ''Film/{{Transcendence}}'', the helpful singularity known as Will Caster attempts to help disabled people by using nanotechnology to restore their limbs, eyes, and other deficiencies. He also, for some reason, felt the need to add brain implants to all of his patients that could turn them into creepy borg-like drones which he could take control of and speak through. The only thing this accomplishes is freaking people out and causes the authorities to turn against him.
* ''Film/TheTerminator'' universe has the T-600's, the models preceding the iconic T-800. The metallic skeleton design has a purpose, since it's supposed to be intimidating for humans, but the [=600s=] were the first attempts at creating Terminators capable of blending in with the resistance. Unfortunately, this was before Skynet had created realistic synthetic skin, so the [=600s=] ended up looking like freakish, murderous mannequins that would pass only a very cursory inspection.

* Depending on how you define "robot" (ie - artificial life form, construct, etc.), FrankensteinsMonster. The Monster is a grotesque abomination with a humanoid form, a crude imitation of human life whose creator abandoned him almost immediately after his "birth". The story unfolds as it does for this very reason: the Monster's initial kindness giving way to violent misanthropy stems from his [[UncannyValley hideousness]] causing everyone he interacts with to reject him. The book does note that the creepiness only starts after bringing Adam to life, and Frankenstein was aiming for beauty.

* The classic ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}'' episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" features androids that are superficially identical to humans... and then there's Ruk, the monstrous giant android portrayed by [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Ted "Lurch" Cassidy]]. He was an older "model" android, and so perhaps not as elegantly designed as newer ones, but still, he's much more intimidating than he needs to be.

* The classic {{Series/Doctor Who}} serial ''Robot'' introduced the K1, a robot designed to do dangerous work in place of humans, like mining and handling radioactive materials. Considering its purpose was for heavy labor, it being big and bulky is understandable, and even the pincer hands could be a practical choice. But why the [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/tardis/images/a/a5/Robot_big.jpg eyeless face that's always glaring]], and the voice that [[NoIndoorVoice can only speak in an aggressive bellow]]?

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' the Phyrexians are a race of evil, magical, assimilatory undead cyborgs that seek perfection in horrific blends of metal and flesh. While they supposedly prioritize efficiency over all else, most if not all of their designs seem to focused in being as horrific as possible rather than efficient.

* Chortlebot in ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt'' Seriously, it was presumably designed to be some sort of entertainment robot, like an automated clown for a circus. What they actually came up with was a MonsterClown flying head that looks like it came from the ninth circle of hell, complete with EvilLaugh, built in [[KillItWithFire flamethrower]] and a nose that acts like a circular saw. There's pretty much no role on the planet that this thing could do that wouldn't have anyone in the nearby vicinity running for an exit.

* Many of the robots from the ''VideoGame/{{Descent}}'' series of games fall into this category. They hit all of the tropes - glowing eyes, sharp, deadly claws, scary humanoid faces, spider-like limbs, ridiculously freaky sounds... many a kid in the 90s had nightmares after playing these games.

* ''VideoGame/AlienIsolation'' gives us the Working Joes. The androids of Weyland Yutani, as seen starting with ''Film/{{Alien}}'' are extremely humanlike, except when cut and bleeding milky white fluid. The Working Joe androids of Seegson, on the other hand side, start in the UncannyValley and are programmed to dig it into an Uncanny Mariana Trench with their waxy appearance and bad AI that can barely deviate from its standard functions (but will still merrily try to strangle you while asking you to remain calm). It's fully acknowledged in-universe: The Seegson marketing department tries to spin their faults as features, claiming [[ParanoiaFuel no-one would want an android]] that [[TheyLookLikeUsNow you can't tell from a human.]] Considering that, for quite some time, the Working Joe was the face of the [[NightmareFuel/AlienIsolation Alien: Isolation Nightmare Fuel page]] rather than the titular creature, it may come as little surprise that Seegson is in the process of going belly-up.

* ''VideoGame/Fallout76'' gives us [[https://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/MODUS MODUS]], the Enclave supercomputer, who, due to some damage to its systems has all the personality of a sociopath incapable of reading social cues. even when trying to be helpful it comes across as FauxAffablyEvil at the best of times.
* The ''Videogame/{{Fallout}}'' setting in general has the Mr Handy robots, which resemble three-legged octopi moving about by means of an exposed jet engine; each leg is topped with a modular tool, with a flamethrower and a circular saw being standards. It's designed to do general household tasks, not be an ambulatory safety hazard.

* ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' has [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2334 Gordon]], a friendly robot who helps with the questionnaires that pair humans with companion androids. He's also designed like a dog-sized purple spider who sits on people's heads to collect biometric readings, and doesn't have a clue why Marten's heart rate is so high in his presence.
* The artificial Treasure Monster from ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' looks like a hideous jewel-encrusted {{Oni}} mask mounted on semi-amorphous clawed body made of black slime. It really just wants to be helpful and eventually gets a job as a waiter.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "Soos and the Real Girl", Stan shows off Goldie, a nickel-operated animatronic gold prospector that's supposed to give a "gold nugget" to customers. It already suffered from UncannyValley, but its age and poor maintenance causes it to leak oil (especially from it's mouth and eyes), fall apart, and shriek when used.

* ''Colossus of New York'' tells the story of a brain surgeon whose humanitarian son gets into a fatal accident, so he transfers his son's brain [[EmergencyTransformation into a robot body]]. The robot looks like [[https://horrorpediadotcom.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/c7.jpg this]]. Unsurprisingly, he goes on a rampage.

* ''The Phantom Creeps'': in this classic 1939 FilmSerial, MadScientist Doctor Zorka has a giant robot with sharp claws, glaring eyes, and a monstrous, fang-filled mouth. The robot doesn't actually do anything significant over the course of the serial: it opens the door to Zorka's secret lair, stands guard, and occasionally moves heavy objects around the lab. There's really no reason for it to look that scary, except to establish that its creator is villainous.

See CuteMachines for the opposite of this Trope. Super trope of SkeleBot9000.

[[folder:Comics]]

* ''Film/{{Saturn 3}}'': Hector is perhaps the quintessential example of an Unnecessarily Creepy Robot. Hector is seven feet tall and humanoid in form, although instead of a recognizable head it has a telescoping metal tentacle with a pair of eye stalks on it. Its body is a network of metal tubes and plates that resemble human musculature, giving it the overall appearance of a skinned, decapitated corpse. Its CPU is a mass of culture-grown human brain tissue. Hector's intended purpose? To replace one of the human workers on a farming colony.

* The ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe has an interesting example. On many backwater outposts like Mos Eisley, droids are often put together or repaired with parts salvaged from other droids. This not only results in droids that sometimes look rather unsettling, but also causes many of them to develop bizarre personalities and mental defects.

* ''Film/IRobot'' edges into this territory. Normally the robots are non-threatening, if a bit coldly impersonal -- a shining example of EverythingIsAnIpodInTheFuture. When dialling home for a software update, however, they stand in a corner, stare at their owners, and glow a baleful red.

* ''Film/TheTerminator'' universe has the T-600's, the models preceding the iconic T-800. The metallic skeleton design has a purpose, since its supposed to be intimidating for humans, but the 600's were the first attempts at creating Terminators capable of blending in with the resistance. Unfortunately, this was before Skynet had created realistic synthetic skin, so the [=600s=] ended up looking like freakish, murderous mannequins that would pass only a very cursory inspection.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':

** Robots built from Necron tech that are not full Necrons are also designed to be creepy, with most designs being based around [[BigCreepyCrawlies arthropods]] - Tomb Spyders and Scarabs being the most notorious. This overrides function. For example, a Tomb Spyder is a floating machine designed to look after Necron tombs, and Necron tech is some of the most reliable stuff ever, meaning it's not entirely clear why it had to have so many legs when it only rarely touches the ground.

** And because not taking everything creepy UpToEleven is an act of heresy in Impereium, there're also Cherubs - ''baby''-shaped servitors whose small frames and angelic wings fit oh so perfectly with crude cybernetics.

* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' takes place in a SuckECheeses where the animatronics are not only really creepy looking, but roam around the restaurant at night - and, due to [[AIIsACrapshoot shoddy programming]], see anybody they find as a robot out of costume and try to jam them into a suit filled with wires and electronics. The managers are evidently too cheap to get any of these things fixed. The truth is even more disturbing: [[spoiler: the animatronics are HauntedTechnology possessed by the vengeful ghosts of murdered children.]]

--> ''These monstrous machines were created in the image of one of the most horrific species in the universe, and the resemblance is uncanny.''

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Website/{{Cracked}} has posted several articles on this subject. See [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-7-creepiest-robots-to-see-in-action here]], and [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16462_the-7-creepiest-real-life-robots.html here]].
** There's also "[[http://www.cracked.com/blog/a-series-of-emails-from-cyberdynes-tech-guy/ A Series of Emails from Cyberdyne's New Tech Guy]]," about the FridgeLogic that should have averted [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} a certain]] RobotWar. "I'm not a design guy or anything, but I can't see any either peformance or aesthetic benefits in designing the robots with [[SkeleBot9000 cold skeleton heads]], [[GlowingEyesOfDoom piercing red eyes]], or giant metal teeth." (However, the article seems to believe it was Cyberdyne that built the Terminators, which it did not.)

* Inverted in the case of the "Cloaca Machines," a series of works designed by Belgian industrial artist [[https://www.wimdelvoye.be/ Wim Delvoye]]. They aren't all that creepy to look at, actually. As to what they do, [[NauseaFuel however...]][[labelnote: What's a "cloaca"?]]A cavity similar to the anus for the release of excretion and genital products.[[/labelnote]]

* Robotics developers [[https://www.bostondynamics.com Boston Dynamics]] have been half-jokingly accused of deliberately leaning into this trope. Many of their designs are meant to BE proofs of concepts, testing things like object detection and avoidance, and reaction to changing terrains or conditions. As such, they look conspicuously "incomplete" as they are tested in the lab and the outside world, moving in disturbingly-naturalistic ways while clearly missing parts that would make organic beings more at ease. A few standout models include "Spot," which can climb stairs, open doors, and run up to 45 mph; "Big Dog," which is basically a headless hydraulic mule; and their first humanoid model, which they rather ominously chose to name "Atlas."

** The current page image is that of a robot nanny who not only ''looks'' frightening, but speaks in a loud, angry voice and claims to have replaced the baby's mother before feeding it with a bottle from its toothy maw. Leela thought it was cute. Notably, the baby doesn't seem to mind either.

* The Watchbird drones from the MastersOfScienceFiction episode "Watchbird" were originally designed for military use in the middle east, and like any other military drone, moves too fast and too high up for the target to be able to see them clearly for them to have any psychological effect. Despite this, they were designed to look like creepy metallic eagles.

* ''Rocketship Voyager''. After Voyager is abducted by aliens, Captain Janeway wakes up naked, floating in mid-air surrounded by members of her crew impaled on tubes and needles, while a [[GiantSpider giant metal spider]] with [[ExtraEyes eight]] [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] scuttles across the ceiling towards her. Janeway's only reaction is a petulant demand to be released from Sickbay, as it's just the ship's {{Autodoc}}.

* ''Rocketship Voyager''. After Voyager is abducted by aliens, Captain Janeway wakes up naked, floating in mid-air surrounded by members of her crew impaled on tubes and needles, while a [[GiantSpider giant metal spider]] with baleful [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] scuttles across the ceiling towards her. Janeway's only reaction is a petulant demand to be released from Sickbay, as it's just the ship's {{Autodoc}}.

** In the sequel ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys2'', some of the new animatronics are even more creepy than the originals. The Mangle was supposed to be a newer, child-friendly version of Foxy before being broken, but even were it repaired, it still has unnecessarily massive teeth. The Marionette is a skinny puppet with a creepy clown-like mask. The old mascots are left to rot, and are in a state of disrepair. Bonnie for one doesn't even have a face.

* The Salvage Animatronics from ''VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimulator'' really make you wonder why your boss thinks they can be used for entertainment. Molten Freddy is a tangle of metal cables with a battered Freddy mask ([[spoiler: being what remains of Ennard from the last game]]), Scraptrap is Springtrap in ''even worse'' disrepair, Scrap Baby has what looks like a saw of some sort for a hand, and Lefty- the best-looking one of the bunch- is still missing his left eye. [[spoiler: Of course, your boss ''isn't'' planning to use them for the pizzeria; he's using the pizzeria to trap ''them'' in one location so he can destroy them all in one fell swoop.]]

* The Salvage Animatronics from ''VideoGame/FreddyFazbearsPizzeriaSimmulator'' really make you wonder why your boss thinks they can be used for entertainment. Molten Freddy is a tangle of metal cables with a battered Freddy mask ([[spoiler: being what remains of Ennard from the last game]]), Scraptrap is Springtrap in ''even worse'' disrepair, Scrap Baby has what looks like a saw of some sort for a hand, and Lefty- the best-looking one of the bunch- is still missing his left eye. [[spoiler: Of course, your boss ''isn't'' planning to use them for the pizzeria; he's using the pizzeria to trap ''them'' in one location so he can destroy them all in one fell swoop.]]

** ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' has all the animatronics being able to separate their faces, revealing their robotic parts underneath.

* Robotics developers [[https://www.bostondynamics.com Boston Dynamics]] have been half-jokingly accused of deliberately leaning into this trope. Many of their designs are meant to proofs of concepts, testing things like object detection and avoidance, and reaction to changing terrains or conditions. As such they look conspicuously "incomplete" as they are tested in the lab and the outside world, moving in disturbingly-naturalistic ways while clearly missing parts that would make organic beings more at-ease. A few standout models include "Spot," which can climb stairs, open doors, and run up to 45 mph; "Big Dog," which is basically a headless hydraulic mule; and their first humanoid model, which they rather ominously chose to name "Atlas."

** ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3'' only has one animatronic: Springtrap, which is a decrepit version of Bonnie, which was found in a sealed-off room. [[spoiler:It also has the corpse of a child SerialKiller trapped inside it.]]

* Robotics developers [[https://www.bostondynamics.com Boston Dynamics]] have been half-jokingly accused of deliberately leaning into this trope. Many of their designs are meant to proofs of concepts, testing things like object detection and avoidance, and reaction to changing terrains or conditions. As such they look conspicuously "incomplete" as they are tested in the lab and the outside world, moving in disturbingly-naturalistic ways while clearly missing parts that would make organic beings more at-ease. A few standout models include "Spot," which can climb stairs, open doors, and run up to 45 mph; "BigDog," which is basically a headless hydraulic mule; and their first humanoid model, which they rather ominously chose to name "Atlas."

* As mentioned above, the current trend in robotics is a move toward designs based on insects. Focus is shifting away from complex machines capable of complex tasks, and more toward smaller, simpler units programmed with a simple set of commands. The insectoid design definitely is more efficient for certain tasks, like moving over uncertain terrain, and some have theorized that future space exploration will be done by means of insect-like autonomous drones. So they are, in a sense, ''Necessarily'' Creepy Robots...

Drama.