History Main / RobotClown

SisterTrope to RobotAthlete and RobotMaid as well as a {{Subtrope}} of NinjaPirateZombieRobot. See also HostileAnimatronics, if the character is evil. For more clowns with extraordinary abilities, see MagicalClown.

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** The Marionette is a mime-like animatronic who is controlled by a music box. It plays with this trope, however, because it seems very different from the other animatronics. Some speculate that it isn't a robot at all, but none know for sure what it really is.
** Funtime Foxy is a LighterAndSofter (InUniverse, at least) version of recurring animatronic Foxy whose bright colors make [[AmbiguousGender him or her]] resemble a clown. It was set up as an attraction for kids to play with. However, [[KidsAreCruel the kids ultimately tore it apart]], turning it into a mechanical monstrosity known as Mangle.

** ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'' has the machine life forms in the Amusement Park, who are dressed as clowns and jesters.

* The very first issue of the very first ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' series offers an extremely weird example of this trope, with ComicBook/TheHulk disguising himself as a robot in clown makeup.

Then, in 1921, the idea of sentient, human-like robots became well-loved thanks to the release of ''Theater/RossumsUniversalRobots'', and continued to increase in popularity thanks to the works of sci-fi writers such as Creator/IsaacAsimov. These works fueled a fear of robots dominating humans, leading to the prominence of tropes like AIIsACrapshoot and KillerRobot. However, clowns were still well-received... until the late 1900's, when {{Monster Clown}}s became more popular, and the traditional NonIronicClown all but faded away in the eyes of the public. But it's somewhat understandable, considering that both robots and clowns have a bad tendency to fall into the UncannyValley.

* In the video for Music/PoetsOfTheFall's "[[https://youtu.be/MKk1u5RMTn4?list=PLjACqN5i5sDWIIpg-5EB4WcitMMqnXhFP Carnival of Rust]]," Zoltar the Fortuneteller is an automaton clown trapped in a glass case, albeit an exceptionally {{sad|Clown}}, decrepit one, with monochrome, flaking makeup and faded, tatty clothes. Playing the role of a [[CommediaDellArte Pierrot]] gone to seed, he attempts to free himself from the [[CircusOfFear Carnival]] by futilely begging for his latest customer's love via an ObsessionSong.

* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud2'': The RepulsiveRingmaster Flotsam rides around on a huge, clown-faced SpiderTank called Halloween. Later on, [[spoiler:Flotsam himself is [[WeCanRebuildHim given a cyborg body after his near-death]], but still retains his clownish facepaint and colorful suit.]]

SisterTrope to RobotAthlete and RobotMaid as well as a {{Subtrope}} of NinjaPirateZombieRobot. See also HostileAnimatronics, if the character is evil.

* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud2'': The RepulsiveRingmaster Flotsam rides around on a huge, clown-faced SpiderTank called Halloween. Later on,
[[spoiler:Flotsam himself is [[WeCanRebuildHim given a cyborg body after his near-death]], but still retains his clownish facepaint and colorful suit.]]

Clowns and robots. While they may seem vastly different at first glance, a little look at their histories reveals that [[NotSoDifferent they're more similar than they seem]] - Both started out loved by many, but as the years went by, evil portrayals of the two became more popular. Because of their similarities, many creators find it fitting to combine the two, creating a Robot Clown.

Subtrope of NinjaPirateZombieRobot. See also HostileAnimatronics, if the character is evil.

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'' involved the babies fighting an army of malfunctioning clown robots.

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[[quoteright:187:[[VideoGame/MegaMan8 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_11clownman.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:187:This robo may be a bozo, but he's no dodo!]]

* ''VideoGame/LEGOBatman 2: DC Super Heroes'': One of the many thinks that ComicBook/TheJoker and ComicBook/LexLuthor do during their VillainTeamUp is attack Gotham City with [[spoiler:a giant mech]] designed to look like the Joker.

* In the video for Music/PoetsOfTheFall "[[https://youtu.be/MKk1u5RMTn4?list=PLjACqN5i5sDWIIpg-5EB4WcitMMqnXhFP Carnival of Rust]]," Zoltar the Fortuneteller is an automaton clown trapped in a glass case, albeit an exceptionally {{sad|Clown}}, decrepit one, with monochrome, flaking makeup and faded, tatty clothes. Playing the role of a [[CommediaDellArte Pierrot]] gone to seed, he attempts to free himself from the [[CircusOfFear Carnival]] by futilely begging for his latest customer's love via an ObsessionSong.

While clowns and robots as we know them were not introduced until much later, early concepts for the 2 date back as far as Ancient Greece, making them OlderThanFeudalism. Back then, there were "rustic fool" performers - predecessors to clowns - and stories about artificial life, such as the bronze man Talos. Both clowns and robots, however, ''really'' started to become popular in the 1800's, when performer Joseph Grimaldi served as the TropeCodifier for most things we associate with clowns nowadays, such as wearing facepaint and frilly clothing. Also at that time, remote-controlled machines were becoming more common.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'': In one episode, the Joker introduces a new minion called [[spoiler:Captain Clown]]. Batman is visibly confused by this new minion's superhuman strength, until he breaks the minion's face, [[RoboticReveal revealing that he is actually a robot]]. This gives Batman the realization that killing the minion [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman will not]] break his strict ThouShaltNotKill rule, and so the minion meets his doom in a trash compactor.