| 1 | [[index]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | * [[Characters/RobotWarsChampionsAndGrandFinalists UK Grand Champions and other Grand Finalists]] |
| 4 | * [[Characters/RobotWarsSemiFinalists Semi-Finalists and Robot Rumble competitors]] |
| 5 | * [[Characters/RobotWarsHeatFinalists Heat Finalists]] |
| 6 | * [[Characters/RobotWarsOtherUKAndInternationalRobots Other UK and International Robots]] |
| 7 | |
| 8 | [[/index]] |
| 9 | |
| 10 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 11 | |
| 12 | !!The House Robots |
| 13 | |
| 14 | ''Series/BattleBots'' had numerous deadly hazards strewn across the Battlebox where robots fight. In ''Robot Wars'', they did something a little different: they made their own fighting robots and sent them in as rolling hazards. Typically there were two or three House Robots that would normally stay in what were called [=CPZs=], or Corner Patrol Zones[[note]]called [=PPZs=] or Perimeter Patrol Zones in Series 2[[/note]] during matches. If a robot was pushed or wandered into a CPZ, the House Robots could have their way with them until they got out. When one robot was counted out, however, the vanquished was fair game for the House Robots, mostly to keep things entertaining for the crowd. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | Occasionally competitors would get into exhibition battles against the House Robots themselves, and some even picked fights with them during normal matches, often ending in hilarious, embarrassing, or amazing results. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[folder:Tropes shared by multiple House Robots]] |
| 19 | * BullyingADragon: You're ''not'' supposed to take on the House Robots, given that they're bigger and heavier than the competitors are allowed to be and armed to the teeth to boot, but competitors sometimes go after them anyway. Sometimes the competitors come out on top, but it ends, more often than not, with them being reduced to scrap metal. |
| 20 | * FlippingHelpless: None of the House Robots are able to self-right. Many a robot with flipping weaponry has decided to capitalize on this over the series. |
| 21 | * KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Once a robot is defeated, the House Robots are allowed to come out of the [=CPZs=] and heap further abuse onto it. |
| 22 | * LegacyCharacter: The House Robots in the rebooted series are new machines sporting the names and likenesses of the originals, which are long retired. |
| 23 | * LighterAndSofter: The original House Robots were all designed as part of the conceit that the show was taking place in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world; Shunt was the result of two maintenance robots designed to work in an experimental Russian nuclear power plant fusing together and mutating, Matilda was a biomechanical creature and a surviving artifact of Atlantis, Dead Metal was a robot assassin that had travelled back in time, Sergeant Bash was a military drone from a totalitarian state designed to keep law and order, and Sir Killalot was an autonomous fighting unit from an alternative universe where the First World War began over 850 years early. The "post-apocalyptic" theme was slowly dropped from the show over fears it was patronising and stopped it from being taken seriously as an actual sport, so the House Robots introduced later lacked these backstories, with Cassius Chrome being downright cartoony. |
| 24 | * LordBritishPostulate: While clearly a degree or two more powerful, sturdy, and heavy than all competitor robots, it has been made ''very'' clear over the show's entire run that it would not stop ''some'' robots, the most famous of which being Razer, Firestorm, Recyclopse, and The Big Cheese, to not only willingly pit themselves against the House Robots, but [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable successfully take them down]] in the process, for no other reason than that ''[[RuleOfCool they can do it]]''. |
| 25 | * RoguesGallery: They're the recurring crew of robots with the job of tearing up any hapless competitor that gets in their way. |
| 26 | * SeriesMascot: The House Robots served as the face of the show, as they could be relied upon to appear regularly regardless of the competitors' status. |
| 27 | [[/folder]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Sir Killalot (Series 2 - Present)]] |
| 30 | |
| 31 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2016sirkillalot.jpg]] |
| 32 | [[caption-width-right:310:"Imagine finding ''him'' in your laundry basket!"]] |
| 33 | [[caption-width-right:310:[[labelnote:Click to see the classic series Sir Killalot]][[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-sir-killalot_4286.gif]][[/labelnote]]]] |
| 34 | |
| 35 | --> ''"Our master of disaster! Two hundred kilos of doom and gloom, the lance to chew, the hydraulic lance to cut through. A nip and tuck - and you're out of luck!"'' |
| 36 | |
| 37 | The largest and heaviest House Robot until Mr. Psycho came along, Sir Killalot was an unstoppable House Robot powered by a petrol-powered engine. Its armaments were a claw that was originally used for a fireman's Jaws Of Life tinkered with to grip and let go faster than a normal set, a hybrid lance-drill and its sheer weight, often coming in at five times as heavy or heavier than show contenders. While Killalot is one of the most recognizable House Robots, he was not one of the original four created for the very first series. |
| 38 | |
| 39 | Weapons: Rotating Drill/Lance & Crushing Claw, both mounted on moveable lifting arms |
| 40 | ---- |
| 41 | * BigBad: Competitors feared being in the arena with Killalot as a rolling hazard, and with good reason. Even after the bigger and deadlier Mr Psycho was added to the House Robot lineup, it was still Killalot who was the face of the show. |
| 42 | * BlackKnight: All that was missing was a coat of black paint. |
| 43 | * BloodKnight: His operators honored the spirit of the trope by having some spectacularly impressive moments in the arena whenever someone decided to fight him. If you outweighed your opponents by a factor of five and had the toughness to match, you would let them swing away for your amusement too. |
| 44 | * {{Bowdlerization}}: In ''Nickelodeon Robot Wars'', he was only referred to as Sir K. |
| 45 | * DeadpanSnarker: The Radio Times [[http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-07-24/an-interview-with-sir-killalot "interview"]] with Sir Killalot portrayed the House Robot with quite the dry wit, to say the least: |
| 46 | -->'''Interviewer''': Do you stay in touch with [[PutOnABus Mr Psycho and Sgt Bash?]] |
| 47 | -->'''Sir Killalot''': Would ''you'' stay in touch with someone called Mr Psycho? |
| 48 | * TheDreaded: Many roboteers have feared stepping into the ring with Sir Killalot on hand. It says a lot when he managed to keep the title even when [[TheBrute Mr. Psycho]] arrived. |
| 49 | * EverythingsDeaderWithZombies: Sir Killalot's redesign in the 2016 adds this side to him; breaking off the top of his old helmet to reveal [[NightmareFace a hollow-eyed, undead face]] underneath. |
| 50 | * HumiliationConga: Both the giver and taker of this trope, shared with the other House Robots. However, his massive size and reputation for being NighInvulnerable meant he was on the receiving end far less than most of the others. |
| 51 | ** HoistByHisOwnPetard: Sometimes, Killalot's biggest enemies were his own design and the drivers' miscalculations. Killalot's weight plus the length of his lance and arm meant picking up victims was a viable option, not to mention a great crowd-pleaser. Particularly large opponents which stuck out far enough, however, could sometimes tip Killalot forward, which meant moving forward and suddenly stopping or merely lifting the helpless 'bot too far meant [[FacePlant toppling over forwards,]] allowing opportunistic robots to speed up at the newly-immobilized Killalot to mess with him until he tipped back onto his treads. The 2016 version was specifically designed to avert this; not only being heavier (by about 200kg) to balance out the weight difference, but having a heavy Armox scoop on the front to stop him tipping forward when lifting a robot. |
| 52 | * IconicSequelCharacter: Introduced in the second series, and quickly became the most recognisable of all the house robots. |
| 53 | * JackOfAllStats: In his 2016 incarnation, Killalot retains his massive weight advantage and powerful weaponry, but also has extremely tough Armox plating and a top speed of 10mph, enough to boost him up from his previous MightyGlacier form to this. |
| 54 | * TheJuggernaut: With his large size and massive weight, there's not much that most competitors can do to stop Killalot in his tracks when he's after them. Even more so in the reboot, where he's not only faster and more heavily-armoured, but one of his tread pods ''alone'' weighs more than the 110kg competitor weight limit. |
| 55 | * JoustingLance: Used to pick up robots and drop them in the Pit. [[ThisIsADrill It spun and had a drill bit on the tip as well,]] which he could use to occasionally rip through armour or twist robots around like a rotisserie. |
| 56 | ** ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Generally happened to the lighter bots that were unfortunate enough to be caught. Actual impalement was very rare, however, it was more like "hooked through a wheel well/weapons recess/existing battle wound with extreme prejudice". [[PowerPincers The claw on his other arm]], [[IncrediblyLamePun on the other hand...]] |
| 57 | * KillItWithFire: Killalot himself has no flame-based weaponry, but he does have a claw that can lift opponents off the ground, letting him roast them like marshmallows over a flame pit. His original design concepts ''did'' include a flamethrower in the lance instead of the drill, however. |
| 58 | * KnightInShiningArmor: Despite being one of the most efficient yet bloodthirsty House Robots, Killalot is known to defend or avenge other House Robots when faced with indignity. |
| 59 | * ManOnFire: One of Killalot's most memorable moments in ''Extreme'' was being set on fire after being ruptured by Pussycat's blade; which was easier than it sounded due to the hydraulics on his claw being petrol-powered. [[EpicFail When Refbot tried putting him out using his fire extinguisher, the flames died down... and then flared back up again after he'd blasted most of his CO2]]. The fire was eventually put out when the driver thought to park Killalot over one of the floor [=CO2=] jets. |
| 60 | ** Whilst that was the most memorable example, Killalot did get set on fire by accident -- although nowhere near as dramatically -- on one or two other occasions when he accidentally strayed too close to the flame pit or Sergeant Bash mistimed a burst of fire. |
| 61 | ** Averted in the new series however, where he's entirely powered by heavy Sealed Lead Acid batteries that don't catch fire so easily. |
| 62 | * MightyGlacier: In the original series. Killalot was the biggest and heaviest house robot until Mr Psycho came along, weighing in at ''520 kilos''. With a top speed of a mere 5 miles per hour, he was also the slowest by quite a considerable margin -- as a small mercy to the competitors -- and, until Matilda was fitted with her new flywheel, had the most deadly weaponry. |
| 63 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Sir ''Killalot''. Need we say more? |
| 64 | * NightmareFace: The knight helmet with [[RedEyesTakeWarning glowing red eyes]] on his old design was bad enough, but the 2016 redesign breaks away the top of said helmet to reveal a hollow-eyed, mechanical zombie face underneath. |
| 65 | * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: A cyborg tank-treaded knight, with elements of undead added in his new design. |
| 66 | * PinnedToTheWall: At one point in Heat C of the 2016 series, Killalot managed to get his lance stuck in the wall and was pinned there for the entire fight. Oops. |
| 67 | * PowerPincers: His left-hand claw. It's the Jaws of Life - the hydraulic cutter firemen use to cut apart broken cars after accidents, and it's appropriately damaging against robot armor even before taking into account Killalot's ability to lift victims off the ground entirely. |
| 68 | * RedBaron: The Undisputed Titan of Mechanized Warfare and the Knight of the Realm. |
| 69 | * RedEyesTakeWarning: His original design has flickering evil red eyes, except during his debut in Series 2 when they were white. Averted in the redesign, where he instead has [[BlackEyesOfCrazy hollow black eye sockets]]. |
| 70 | * RingOut: Sir Killalot's size meant he could easily pick up a competitor, lift them right over the arena wall, and dump them out of the arena. While he never ended a fight this way -- as it would've been ''very'' unfair if he could -- defeated robots were fair game, as were certain ones he had grabbed (most notably Stinger) at the end of the fight, when it wouldn't matter either way. |
| 71 | * SignatureMove: Killalot's trademark method of dealing with a defeated robot was to lift it off the ground with his pincers, [[SpectacularSpinning spin on the spot]], and then let go, sending his victim flying across the arena. This didn't properly catch on until Series 4, once the arena was fully-enclosed - when he tried doing it with Pitbull in Series 3, the producers frantically called "Cease" because they feared Pitbull might go flying off into the crowd. |
| 72 | * SirVerbALot: The prime example in Robot Wars. |
| 73 | * TankGoodness: One of two House Robots to move on treads rather than wheels, outweighed competitors by a ''huge'' margin, and had some of the most potent weaponry as well. Bonus points in the reboot, where his armor was upgraded to ARMOX steel (i.e. actual tank armor) and fully enclosed the treads. |
| 74 | * TinTyrant: "Leader" of the House Robots, resembling a medieval knight on tracks. |
| 75 | * TookALevelInBadass: Killalot's upgraded form for the reboot made him ''even more'' powerful than before. His weight went up to 750kg -- equalling Mr Psycho -- the claws were large enough to trap even the biggest competitors and could lift 300kg, the armour was upgraded to all-over Armox plating to [[RemovedAchillesHeel fully enclose the treads and prevent him tipping forward anymore,]] and most terrifyingly of all, his speed was doubled to 10mph. |
| 76 | [[/folder]] |
| 77 | |
| 78 | [[folder:Dead Metal (All Series)]] |
| 79 | |
| 80 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2016deadmetal.jpg]] |
| 81 | [[caption-width-right:310:"It's like watching a surgeon at work, [[{{Dissimile}} only with less blood, more sparks, and absolutely no medical qualifications!]]"]] |
| 82 | [[caption-width-right:310:[[labelnote:Click to see the classic series Dead Metal]][[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-dead-metal_9861.gif]][[/labelnote]]]] |
| 83 | |
| 84 | --> ''"Dead metal is what you'll become: torn, twisted robo-remnants if you get caught by the pneumatic pincers or trapped by the 3000RPM circular saw!"'' |
| 85 | |
| 86 | [[LongRunner One of the House Robots featured on the show since its very first episodes,]] Dead Metal resembles a lobster/scorpion hybrid. He is designed to use two weapons in conjunction with one another: a large horizontal claw that can grab a robot and keep it from driving off, and a compact circular saw that was on an extending arm that could be pushed in and grind down an opponent. Because of these unique characteristics, Dead Metal got far more hazardous whenever other House Robots or competitors got involved with whatever it was attacking. |
| 87 | |
| 88 | Weapons: Circular Saw & Pincers |
| 89 | ---- |
| 90 | * AmbiguousGender: While Dead Metal was consistently referred to as male during the original series, it was occasionally referred to as female during the reboot. |
| 91 | * AwesomeButImpractical: The saw was originally on a ferocious-looking swinging arm, but didn't actually work. In Series 3 it was revamped so it did work, and the saw mechanism was now far more compact. |
| 92 | * FrankensteinsMonster: Chris Reynolds, who built the original House Robots, suggested Dead Metal was created when a bunch of junk parts came to life and fused together. |
| 93 | * GiantScrapRobot: As mentioned above, Dead Metal was designed with this sort of aesthetic in mind, hence its unpainted, exposed spaceframe chassis, in comparison to the sculpted body panels of the other house robots. |
| 94 | * GlowingEyesOfDoom: Gained a set of [[RedEyesTakeWarning red LED eyes]] for the reboot. |
| 95 | * NoSell: Unlike the other three of the original four House Robots, Dead Metal was ''not'' easy to flip- where Shunt, Matilda and Bash had basically cylindrical shapes that allowed them to be rolled from the side (and even Killalot would occasionally topple over when he overbalanced while picking up a robot, due to being top-heavy), Dead Metal had an extremely broad profile, an awkward shape and a low centre of gravity that made flipping him almost impossible, even by Chaos 2 or Bigger Brother. [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable But in the 7th Wars came a little robot called Gravity...]] |
| 96 | * NotSoAboveItAll: The house robot most likely to be decorated with Diotoir's fur, such as during Razer's Pinball run in Series 3. |
| 97 | * OverlyNarrowSuperlative: Described by Jonathan in Heat 5 of Series 10 as "the angriest [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot robot scorpion hedgehog]] in [[ViolentGlaswegian Glasgow]]". |
| 98 | * PersonalSpaceInvader: Dead Metal's method of attack is to grip robots in its pincers and then hold them in place for as long as it pleases while sinking its saw into them, leaving them completely helpless until it lets go. |
| 99 | * SwordSparks: Saw sparks, more accurately- especially against titanium. |
| 100 | * ScaryScorpions: Was modelled on a scorpion, especially in its early days when its saw was mounted on a swinging arm, rather than the "head" it later had added in Series 3 and stuck with for the rest of the series. |
| 101 | * SpikesOfVillainy: He's covered in jutting pieces of metal. |
| 102 | * TookALevelInBadass: Dead Metal's upgraded version for the reboot boasted a larger, faster circular saw, pincers that can clamp even the biggest opponents, and much tougher, spikier armour. It's also over twice as heavy as before. |
| 103 | [[/folder]] |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[folder:Shunt (All Series)]] |
| 106 | |
| 107 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2016shunt_9.jpg]] |
| 108 | [[caption-width-right:310:"If he were a car, he'd be a tank!"]] |
| 109 | [[caption-width-right:310:[[labelnote:Click to see the classic series Shunt]][[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-shunt_8147.gif]][[/labelnote]]]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | --> ''"Shunt is the lightest of our House Robots at a hundred and five kilos, but quick and maneuverable! It can bulldoze, or with the fearsome axe, Shunt will blunt the brightest of hopes!"'' |
| 112 | |
| 113 | Another House Robot present since the first series, resembling a miniature construction vehicle, Shunt was something approaching the closest match to competing robots as the years went by since it was so similar in weight. This also meant Shunt was also a popular target for competitors to attack during matches, [[BadassDecay culminating in it getting most of the flak in Series 7.]] |
| 114 | |
| 115 | Weapons: Axe, Lifting Scoop & Snowplough |
| 116 | ---- |
| 117 | * AchillesHeel: The original Shunt was ''incredibly'' vulnerable to flippers, due to its lack of a SRIMECH, low weight, and narrow wheelbase. Needless to say, this was gleefully exploited by everyone from Chaos 2 to Firestorm to Bigger Brother when they ran up against him in the future. The redesign averts this, however, by giving Shunt a much heavier design to make him harder to flip. |
| 118 | * BadassBack: Taken to ''ridiculous'' extremes. The V-shaped plough was actually Shunt's ''front'' end: the scoop and axe were at the back, initially added as an afterthought before gradually becoming Shunt's main weaponry. This meant that Shunt was forced to drive around backwards ''for the entirety of the show's original run''. When Shunt was rebuilt for the 2016 series, they sensibly decided to avert this and put the axe and scoop at the front. |
| 119 | * BerserkButton: He doesn't seem to like robots with model heads. He has a habit of ''[[OffWithHisHead beheading]]'' them (see: Major Tom, Banshee, Atlas). |
| 120 | * BoringButPractical: Shunt was the closest to a normal competitor robot in design and ability, but was one of the most dangerous house robots- because while his axe wasn't terribly flashy, it was one of ''the'' most dangerous axes ever seen on the show ([[TookALevelInBadass from Series 3 on anyway]]), with more armor-penetrating power than almost any other. |
| 121 | ** While most of the house robots would do mainly cosmetic damage, Shunt could potentially outright disable a competitor with a single hit in the right place- which it ended up most notably doing to [[TheBerserker Hypno-Disc]] in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qMftXZ-_N4 Series 4 Grand Final]], stopping the disc and immobilising it with one blow. |
| 122 | * TheBrute: Shunt was the original brute of the House Robots, courtesy of his impressive pushing power. This was slightly downplayed when the weight limit rose to 100kg, as this did a good job at countering his shoving, though his axe's increase in power made up for this somewhat. Following Series 6, Shunt ended up sharing the role with Mr Psycho. |
| 123 | * ButtMonkey: |
| 124 | ** The original Shunt was the lightest of the House Robots, had a narrow wheelbase, and it was literally spelled out on-screen that he had no srimech. Predictably, it ended up on the business end of more flippers than any other House Robot. |
| 125 | ** Shunt was designed specifically for the Sumo Trial, an event that involved robots pushing each other out of the ring without their weapons. He lost two out of three matches in his first Sumo Trial, [[EpicFail drove off the platform during Series 2 Heat F]], and generally put on a poor showing in the early days of his intended specialty. |
| 126 | ** Hasn't quite stopped in the rebooted series either; Carbide took a bite out of Shunt's wheelguard in Series 8 and scoop in Series 10, and [=PP3D=] took a chunk out of its scoop in Series 9 (but suffered catastrophic internal damage in the process). |
| 127 | *** In spite of being immobile, Hobgoblin amputated Shunt's axe,[[note]]Shunt's driver was dumb enough to directly strike Hobgoblin on its "eggbeater" spinner weapon while it was spinning at full speed[[/note]] and didn't suffer any real external damage itself. Shunt also broke its axe on Eruption's armor during the World Series. |
| 128 | * ConstructionVehicleRampage: Was modeled on a cross between a bulldozer and a diesel locomotive. |
| 129 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: When the unpopular Mortis won against Ming in Series 3, Shunt and other house robots attacked ''Mortis'' in retaliation for getting a favourable outcome in some shady ExecutiveMeddling the previous year. |
| 130 | * FusionDance: According to his original backstory, he was the result of two maintenance bots in a nuclear power plant fusing together and taking on a life of their own. Like the rest of the House Robots' origin stories, this was quietly faded into the background as the show shed its original "Post-apocalyptic robots battling each other" conceit and focused more on the sport side of robotic combat. |
| 131 | * LightningBruiser: At first. When the weight limit was increased to 100kgs, Shunt lost a lot of his pushing power. They fixed this by amping the power of his axe up to eleven. [[FragileSpeedster He still had a great deal of power for his size, despite being the smallest house robot]]. |
| 132 | * MundaneUtility: Shunt's pushing power and relative reliability meant he was often used to clear defeated robots from the arena. |
| 133 | * NoSell: |
| 134 | ** In Series 9, [=PP3D=]'s immense flywheel was capable of sending another robot ''through the arena sidewall.'' What happened when it got too close to Shunt? Shunt pinned [=PP3D=] against the wall until it ''set itself on fire from the shock reflecting back into it.'' And Shunt didn't even budge. |
| 135 | ** According to ''Robot Wars: Build Your Own Robot'', the reboot Shunt is intended to be this to spinner-bots, using the broad (and very tough) scoop and plough to deflect blows from spinning weapons before dealing damage with his axe or pushing them up against walls. As [=PP3D=] can attest, Shunt does this ''damn'' well. |
| 136 | * PowerfulPick: Originally had one of these before it was replaced with his signature axe (which proved considerably more damaging than the pick). |
| 137 | * RammingAlwaysWorks: Shunt's defining characteristic was living up to his name; plowing things out of the way with his shovels. Given his weight and horsepower, it worked for him more often than not. There was even a "Sumo" event in Series 1, 2 and 4, where contestants could face up to him in a shoving match. |
| 138 | * ShipTease: Jonathan Pearce implied that Shunt and Matilda might have been intimate. |
| 139 | * SwordSparks: In the reboot, Shunt's axe fires quickly enough to often cause sparks on impact. |
| 140 | * TookALevelInBadass: Shunt is the first House Robot we've gotten to see in his upgraded form for the 2016 reboot, front and center of [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ce6H-3kXEAApiPG.jpg:large this publicity shot of the new arena]]. And he looks ''fierce.'' |
| 141 | ** [[https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13434913_10154339623097094_630723822369184236_n.jpg?oh=3968114461dae77a041731d505da838b&oe=57C2DCAF This picture shows off the new Shunt in all his glory]], and he's ''much'' larger than before, with a bulky design that should make him much harder to flip, and has much more pushing power than before. He's even slightly faster than the old model. |
| 142 | [[/folder]] |
| 143 | |
| 144 | [[folder:Matilda (All Series)]] |
| 145 | |
| 146 | [[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2016matilda.jpg]] |
| 147 | [[caption-width-right:310:"If her front doesn't get you, then her rear end will!"]] |
| 148 | [[caption-width-right:310:[[labelnote:Click to see the classic series Matilda]][[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-matilda_2655.gif]][[/labelnote]]]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | --> ''"This is no Waltzing Matilda, but if Matilda dances with you, it's a dance of death! Her tusks can rip and pneumatically flip, it's a breeze for Tildy! Her spinning rear flywheel is twenty-seven kilos in weight, the Matriarch of Mayhem, the Mistress of Mischief, Matilda!"'' |
| 151 | |
| 152 | A two-wheeled sort of hybrid between a triceratops and an armadillo, Matilda was the third of the original four House Robots. Like many of the other House Robots, Matilda became notably tougher in later series to keep up with the higher-level competitors fighting for titles. Good thing too, because Matilda was also often attacked by contenders, more so than any other House Robot. |
| 153 | |
| 154 | Weapons: Lifting Tusks & Chainsaw (Series 1-4) / Vertical Flywheel (Series 5-8) |
| 155 | ---- |
| 156 | * BackFromTheDead: After being utterly destroyed by Razer in the Southern Annihilator, a placard was shown for Matilda, saying R.I.P. (Rust in Pieces), marking her as having been "Destroyed in Action". Then it cut to a heavily-bandaged Matilda back in the arena, with the promise that she would be back. And when she ''did'' come back, she'd been [[CameBackStrong extensively upgraded]], including the addition of her powerful 27kg flywheel. Apparently, this trope was ''invoked'': the producers allowed Razer to destroy Matilda because they'd been planning to rebuild her anyway. |
| 157 | * BadassBack: Matilda's flywheel is one of the most powerful weapons on any house robot, and in the rebooted series it's capable of throwing contestant robots straight out of the arena. |
| 158 | * ChainsawGood: In the first two wars, that is. Afterwards, with more robots gaining thicker armor, Matilda's chainsaw became generally useless. It was replaced in Extreme 1 with a 27kg vertical flywheel that was ''much'' more destructive. |
| 159 | * TheChewToy: Matilda was the first house robot to be flipped (by Recyclopse in Series 1), may have been flipped or otherwise attacked by competitors more than any other house robot, and on one spectacular occasion literally ended up as a chew toy for Razer. This was less the case after the chainsaw was replaced with the flywheel, which was so destructive and difficult to avoid that very few, if any, competitor robots were prepared to risk deliberately attacking her. |
| 160 | * GlowingEyesOfDoom: Had a pair of white "eyes" in the original, which became {{red|EyesTakeWarning}} in the reboot. |
| 161 | * HornAttack: Her front weapon was a set of lifting forks designed to resemble tusks or horns. |
| 162 | * InSeriesNickname: "Tildy", often used by Jonathan Pearce. |
| 163 | * LegacyCharacter: Although the original is presumed lost, duplicates of Matilda have been made by [[http://roamingrobots.wikia.com/wiki/Matilda Roaming Robots]][[note]]The first copy created by Alan Gribble of Pussycat fame[[/note]] and she's still fighting today. |
| 164 | * LightningBruiser: In her 2016 incarnation she's now the fastest House Robot, at 14mph, and with an even deadlier flywheel. |
| 165 | * MeaningfulName: Its name [[TomTheDarkLord isn't as intimidating]] as some of the other House Robots, but it comes from the Old German words "maht", meaning "might" or "strength", and "hild", meaning "battle", pretty fitting for a tough combat robot! |
| 166 | * OutOfFocus: Matilda appeared noticeably less in the Seventh Wars, which has been put down to how enormously damaging and dangerous the flywheel was by that point meaning she had to be used in moderation. |
| 167 | * RedBaron: The Mistress of Michief, The Matriarch of Mayhem, The Sister of Slice & Dice, The Grandmother of Grinding Metal. |
| 168 | * SpectacularSpinning: From Extreme 1-onwards, her chainsaw was replaced with her signature flywheel, and a very powerful one at that. It was so powerful that it could potentially throw robots out of the arena (and has done so on more than one occasion). |
| 169 | * TemperCeratops: Matilda's design heavily evokes the appearance of a ceratopsian dinosaur, and getting in her way was usually not good a good thing for competitors. |
| 170 | * TheseusShipParadox: During the House Robots DVD, which was filmed after Series 5, it was stated that Matilda had been upgraded so much since Series 1 that there was barely anything left of the original version at all. When the presenter joked that the only remaining original part was the strap holding the back of her shell on, her supervisor admitted that even ''that'' wasn't there originally; it had been added for Series 4 to stop the shell falling off every time she was flipped. |
| 171 | * TookALevelInBadass: The aforementioned flywheel. And it was a ''damn'' powerful weapon, arguably the most powerful one equipped on any House Robot (with the possible exception of Killalot's cutting claw, which was always used in moderation, something you ''cannot'' do with a 27kg flywheel)[[note]]in the reboot, the House Roboteers deliberately ran Matilda's flywheel at less than its maximum speed, but given that it's been upped to 35kg and hits 1500 RPM, that's not saying much[[/note]]. It could literally hurl a robot through the air, hurled one clean out of the arena at least once, and one time tore Panic Attack's entire top plate off with one blow! |
| 172 | ** The upgraded 2016 version of Matilda [[https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13512219_10154339623157094_8296071820030069616_n.jpg?oh=88c15705ed58a6ccc3fae49d24df8b21&oe=57C3880D as unveiled here]] is considerably larger and heavier, as well as more stable and [[SpikesOfVillainy spikier]]. The disc is faster and heavier, her armour is ''much'' tougher, the tusks are now powerful enough to throw robots out of the arena, and at 14mph she's now the fastest of the House Robots. |
| 173 | [[/folder]] |
| 174 | |
| 175 | [[folder:Sgt. Bash (Series 1-7 & Extreme 1-2)]] |
| 176 | |
| 177 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-sgt-bash_6881.gif]] |
| 178 | [[caption-width-right:200:"Certain to leave all opponents... hot under the collar!"]] |
| 179 | |
| 180 | --> ''"Sergeant Bash is on parade, with the long-range flamethrower and the punishing pair of pincers! A machine of war, it obeys no law!"'' |
| 181 | |
| 182 | The fourth and final of the original House Robots, Sergeant Bash unsurprisingly resembles a military machine of some sort. It carried multiple weapons over its career, the most memorable combination being a crushing claw up front and its turret-mounted flamethrower. Any robots noted for their flammability would often find themselves in the ring with Bash as one of the house robots - Diotoir was a repeat victim of Bash, if not the arena hazards. |
| 183 | |
| 184 | Weapons: Flamethrower, Circular Saw (Series 1-2), Battering Ram (Series 1-2) & Pincer (Series 3-7) |
| 185 | ---- |
| 186 | * TheAllegedCar: Easily the house robot that spent the most time broken down. Mostly the flamethrower refusing to work. Coupled with the relatively AwesomeButImpractical nature of the bot, this is probably the reason it wasn't brought back for 2016. |
| 187 | * AwesomeButImpractical: |
| 188 | ** The flamethrower was impressive, but unless a robot was made of explicitly flammable material (like Diotoir) it wouldn't usually do significant damage; the arena flamethrowers were a threat to robot electronics because they emanated from ''beneath'' the robots, allowing the flames to get inside their casings as they rose, but Bash's flamethrower struggled to do more than singe the paintjobs. |
| 189 | ** Bash's circular saw did little damage and was so prone to breaking down or shattering that after Series 2 they just got rid of it. |
| 190 | * BoringButPractical: While Bash's flamethrower is his most distinctive weapon, the much less notable pincers on his front did all the actual damage, capable of crushing through a robot's armor and dragging it around the arena while dishing out some internal damage in the process. |
| 191 | * TheDragon: In a sense at least, as he sported a turret-mounted flamethrower and had a reputation as one of the harder-hitting House Robots as well as one of the oldest. |
| 192 | * EpicFail: Bash starts misbehaving, so Refbot decides to use his extinguisher to put out Bash's flamethrower. |
| 193 | * FireBreathingWeapon: His trademark propane gas flamethrower. |
| 194 | * IncendiaryExponent: Whenever a robot enters the arena clad in fur, cloth, or any other flammable material, expect Bash to be there just waiting for an excuse to light it up. |
| 195 | * KillItWithFire: His trademark, the only working robot-mounted flamethrower in Robot Wars. |
| 196 | * MechaMook: Interestingly, this was the direction Chris Reynolds appeared to go in with Bash's design inspiration, as apparently he was designed to look like a futuristic combat robot tasked with keeping the locals of colony planets in line, suggesting he was one of many. |
| 197 | * MilitaryMashupMachine: A flame tank/unmanned ground vehicle with what looks like the jaws of life up front. |
| 198 | * PutOnABus: Sgt. Bash was not chosen to return for the 2016 reboot. The company contracted to build the new House Robots only had to make four, and for whatever reason (most likely being AwesomeButImpractical), Bash drew the short straw. |
| 199 | ** That being said, his existence was acknowledged in the World Series -- thanks to Dutch entrant THE BASH, which was made as a tribute to him -- and Team Robo Challenge (the group behind the new House Robot designs) did have some interesting ideas for a new version of Sgt Bash intended before the show was cancelled. These included having him [[TankGoodness being more tank-like]]; heavier, lower to the ground and running on armoured tracks instead of wheels, with stronger crushing jaws and replacing the rear saw with a set of weighted spinning flails based off of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_flail minesweeping vehicles]] in the military. |
| 200 | * ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: Contestant robots were banned from using flamethrowers, but the house robots were above the rules. Indeed, Bash's most famous victims, Team Nemesis, only clad their robot in fur to start with because they'd read in the rule book that flamethrowers weren't allowed [[TemptingFate and so figured it wasn't going to get set on fire]]. The producers had other plans. |
| 201 | * SergeantRock: Well, if the name is any indicator, this was Bash's visual and combat shtick. |
| 202 | [[/folder]] |
| 203 | |
| 204 | [[folder:Mr. Psycho (Series 6-7 & Extreme 2)]] |
| 205 | |
| 206 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-mr_psycho_2725.gif]] |
| 207 | [[caption-width-right:200:"Six foot two, eyes of blue, Mr. Psycho's after you..."[[note]]Mr. Psycho was closer to 5 feet and had yellow eyes[[/note]]]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | One of the new House Robots introduced in Series Six, Mr. Psycho was the largest House Robot ever seen in the show's entire run. Very similar to Sir Killalot in that Mr. Psycho was a super-heavy House Robot with a vaguely-humanoid appearance, with a head, torso and two arms, one being a crushing claw. Unlike Killalot, Mr. Psycho was armed with a 30-kg hammer and powered by electric motors rather than a petrol engine. |
| 210 | |
| 211 | Weapons: Grabbing Claw & Hammer |
| 212 | ---- |
| 213 | * AxCrazy: Name aside, Mr Psycho could easily match Sir Killalot for sheer brutality in the ring, as his utter massacre of Major Tom may attest. |
| 214 | * TheBrute: Filled this role on the House Robot team- Mr. Psycho was by FAR the biggest and most powerful, but Sir Killalot was still seen as the BigBad. |
| 215 | * DavidVsGoliath: Firestorm (99kg) attempting to flip Mr Psycho (750kg). Firestorm succeeded. |
| 216 | * DeathGlare: He sports a perpetual menacing glare, presumably to play up his brutal appearance. |
| 217 | * {{Expy}}: Meant to be an Expy of Bill Sykes from ''Literature/OliverTwist''. |
| 218 | * TheHeavy: A literal example -- Mr Psycho was the biggest House Robot in the series, and packed an incredibly heavy punch that made him a huge threat to other bots in the arena. The Robot Wars team actually had to restrict the power of his mallet because it kept damaging the arena floor! |
| 219 | * LanternJawOfJustice: A villainous example; his fiberglass head has a jutting square jaw to reflect his size, power, and brutishness. |
| 220 | * LegacyCharacter: Mr Psycho was clearly the inspiration for the Roaming Robots League's own superheavyweight House Robot [[http://roamingrobots.wikia.com/wiki/Major_Damage Major Damage]], who uses the same claw and hammer weapons setup. |
| 221 | * LightningBruiser: Was more than ''200 kilograms'' heavier than Killalot, with incredible offensive capability- while his 30kg hammer didn't do all that much ''visible'' damage, it played merry hell with internals and would sometimes warp a robot's frame. Surprisingly, Psycho's large engine meant he was actually faster than Killalot- at 8 miles per hour he moved at the same speed as Sgt Bash. |
| 222 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Mister Psycho. Doesn't exactly sound like the most friendly guy in the neighbourhood, now does he? |
| 223 | * OffWithHisHead: In one seventh season battle, Psycho goes into combat with his fibreglass head obviously not attached properly. Eventually it falls off, and HilarityEnsues. |
| 224 | * PutOnABus: Mr. Psycho did not return for the three reboot series. |
| 225 | [[/folder]] |
| 226 | |
| 227 | [[folder:Growler (Series 6-7 & Extreme 2)]] |
| 228 | |
| 229 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-growler_1913.gif]] |
| 230 | [[caption-width-right:200:"Growler will attack anything!"]] |
| 231 | |
| 232 | Introduced in Series Six alongside Mr. Psycho as his CanineCompanion, Growler is a robotic attack dog, and an extremely fast robot weighing in at over 300 kg armed with a hydraulic jaw made from industrial digger steel. Functionally Growler was similar to Shunt, albeit more than three times as heavy and without the pneumatic axe. |
| 233 | |
| 234 | Weapons: Hydraulic Jaws |
| 235 | ---- |
| 236 | * AngryGuardDog: Growler has a distinct bulldog look, complete with a large snout and jaws. He's also one of the more aggressive and ruthless House Robots. |
| 237 | * BullyBulldog: The stubby "snout" and wide jaw gave Growler a distinctly bulldog-esque profile, and he's one of the House Robots, whose job is to make life as tough as possible for the competitors. |
| 238 | * CanineCompanion: To Mr. Psycho, who he was introduced with and often fought beside. |
| 239 | * {{Expy}}: Of Bill Sykes' dog [[Literature/OliverTwist Bullseye]]. |
| 240 | * {{Fartillery}}: Growler was supposed to have the second flamethrower in Robot Wars, a rear-mounted flame jet, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but it suffered from reliability issues and was eventually omitted entirely]]. |
| 241 | * LightningBruiser: One of the heaviest (375kg) and fastest (17mph) house robots. The combination meant that his sheer ramming power was ''beyond'' awesome, perhaps best illustrated in the Lightweight final of Extreme 2 when he smashed Ellie's Little Pink Bot against the arena wall, ''obliterating'' it. 50% heavier than Cassius Chrome and more than ''twice'' as fast as Psycho, Growler was potentially the ''most'' dangerous of all the House Robots, but the House Roboteers were mostly very restrained in using his full potential. Having Growler after you was like being chased by a hungry car. |
| 242 | * PutOnABus: Like his owner, Growler did not come back for the reboot. |
| 243 | * RammingAlwaysWorks: Courtesy of his LightningBruiser capabilities above, Growler could easily turn himself into a horribly powerful battering ram. Suffice to say, Ellie's Little Pink Bot [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEZ7wXQr4fk&t=159s found this out the hard way]]. |
| 244 | * RightHandAttackDog: He's this to Mr. Psycho, often fighting alongside him. |
| 245 | * RoarBeforeBeating: Growler's jaws were designed to actually emit a distinctive growl when opened and closed, hence the name. |
| 246 | * TeamPet: Well, by way of being the only one themed after a dog, perhaps. |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[folder: Cassius Chrome (Series 7)]] |
| 250 | |
| 251 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/200px-cassius-chrome_1423.gif]] |
| 252 | |
| 253 | The last House Robot introduced in the series prior to its cancellation, debuting in the seventh season. Designed to resemble a cartoony, robotic boxer, Cassius did not have much time to shine, but showed off his pneumatic, fast-moving fists when he could. |
| 254 | |
| 255 | Weapons: Rapid-fire fists/spikes |
| 256 | ---- |
| 257 | * TheDitz: Cassius wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, driving himself into the pit during the Series 7 Robot Rebellion barely half a minute into the battle. Johnathan Pearce even lampshaded this, commenting that Cassius "isn't the brightest." |
| 258 | * DrunkenBoxing: His movements and rapid punches make it look like he is trying out this trope. |
| 259 | * GoodOldFisticuffs: Cassius' shtick was two pneumatic "fists" on either side of his chassis [[RapidFireFisticuffs that moved back and forth like jackhammers]]. They weren't the most effective weapon in Robot Wars, but on something that heavy and fast they added to Chrome's abilities as a full-body battering ram. |
| 260 | * LightningBruiser: In fact, Cassius was the fastest House Robot ever made. The "Brusier" part was zigzagged, though; while the fists weren't the most impressive, his sheer speed made him an impressive battering ram. |
| 261 | * NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: His name was a ShoutOut to the birth name of UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli, Cassius Clay. Unfortunately, he didn't have ''nearly'' the same punch. |
| 262 | * PutOnABus: Just like Mr. Psycho and Growler, Cassius Chrome did not rejoin the "classic" House Robots in the reboot. Unlike the other two, most fans think this was a ''good'' thing. |
| 263 | * SpinAttack: Another of Cassius' trademark moves was to spin around in a circle, building up momentum so that any attacking bot would be hit hard and thrown back. |
| 264 | [[/folder]] |
| 265 | |
| 266 | [[folder:Refbot (Series 4-7 & Extreme 1-2)]] |
| 267 | |
| 268 | [[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/180px-refbot_3249.gif]] |
| 269 | |
| 270 | Refbot's history started with a previous robot, Shove. Shove was a backstage House Robot used to push incapacitated or destroyed robots out of the arena and back to their owners. When Refbot was introduced in Series 4, he was also used in this role, although Refbot also acted as an in-arena referee and something of a rolling safety device: it was also equipped with a fire extinguisher to control blazes before they spread to the whole arena (a role previously filled by human safety crew), and in later series was also used to declare immobilised robots officially 'out' and stop the house robots from unfairly interfering with a card system. |
| 271 | ---- |
| 272 | * CombatReferee: Responsible for overseeing fights, counting out defeated contestants, and keeping the House Robots in check. |
| 273 | * ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: He's the arena's robot referee. |
| 274 | * GlassJawReferee: Unlike the other House Robots, the Refbot was only ever intended as an in-arena referee and is not equipped for combat, although competitors tended to overlook him in favor of taking on House Robots that can fight back. The one time Refbot was shown retaliating was against a misbehaving Sergeant Bash. |
| 275 | * PokeThePoodle: Like all the other House Robots, the Refbot was liable to being attacked if a battle went OffTheRails, and any such assaults on him fell under this as he had no offensive capabilities at all. (Ripper only attacked him after it had tried and miserably failed to take on Shunt and Killalot.) |
| 276 | * PutOnABus: While the "new" combat House Robots Mr. Psycho, Growler and Cassius Chrome being omitted from the reboot makes sense, the absence of Refbot is actually rather mystifying, since he came to serve a vital non-combat role (namely formally counting-out an immobilised robot to make it 100% clear when they were officially eliminated and could be served to the other House Robots, but also separating robots that got caught on each other without damaging them). The Refbot's roles were split in the reboot: the judges now oversee the battle directly and can declare robots immobile, while the House Robots can come in to separate stuck robots and dispose of potentially dangerous ones by dumping them down the pit. |
| 277 | * TagTeamTwins: Since Refbot was required to be in ''every'' battle after his introduction, it's a little-known fact that there were actually ''two'' identical Refbots made, so that one could be used if there was mechanical problems with the other. Their [[IdenticalTwinIDTag only distinguishing features]] were a small '1' and '2' printed on their back sides. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder: The Sentinel (Series 2)]] |
| 281 | |
| 282 | A short-lived element of the show added midway through Series 2, the Sentinel was a modified JCB arm which is regarded as an "unofficial" house robot, its primary purpose being an additional hazard in the Gauntlet (although it also appeared in the corner of the Perimeter Patrol Zone in the Series 2 Grand Final and the Grudge Matches special). |
| 283 | |
| 284 | * ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: When the Gauntlet was abolished for Series 3, the Sentinel went with it. This makes Sentinel the shortest-lived House Robot, as well as the only one to be retired during the show's original run. |
| 285 | * SixthRanger: Added halfway through the second series, and placed in the arena proper in the final two episodes. |
| 286 | * SpikesOfDoom: Its main weapon was an enormous spike attached to the end of the arm. |
| 287 | * StationaryBoss: The Sentinel was fixed in place, although its long reach more than made up for it. |
| 288 | |
| 289 | [[/folder]] |
| 290 | |
| 291 | !!Presenters, Judges and Show Staff |
| 292 | |
| 293 | [[folder:Jeremy Clarkson (Series 1 Presenter)]] |
| 294 | |
| 295 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/clarkson.PNG]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | * EightiesHair: Had a massive afro while hosting. He [[Series/TopGear later]] straightened it. |
| 298 | * DeadpanSnarker: Made some downright mean comments to the roboteers whenever he saw a poor performing robot. |
| 299 | * {{Jerkass}}: "How long did that take to build? I reckon it took 2 months to go 2 yards." And his infamous: "That is the worst robot I've ever seen in my life. And it crossed the finish line twice." |
| 300 | ** JerkassHasAPoint: The robot he was referring to was thrown together by the team in five hours, and had wooden armour, exposed wheels and initially looked like [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/robotwars/images/a/aa/Prince_of_Darkness_Former.png/revision/latest?cb=20130225011132 this]]. |
| 301 | * ThePeteBest: Clarkson's replacement with Craig Charles heralded the show really hitting its stride. |
| 302 | * {{Unperson}}: He isn't mentioned in any tie-in media, and all footage of him was removed from "The First Great War", a VHS release of highlights from the first series. Just as well, really. He didn't exactly hold the show in high regard. |
| 303 | [[/folder]] |
| 304 | |
| 305 | [[folder:Craig Charles (Series 2-7 & Extreme 1-2 Presenter)]] |
| 306 | |
| 307 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/craig.PNG]] |
| 308 | [[caption-width-right:200:The Master of Mayhem himself.]] |
| 309 | |
| 310 | * ActorAllusion: The robot Scutter's Revenge was a reference to his role on ''Series/RedDwarf''. Also, this: |
| 311 | --> '''Craig:''' So, why did you call your robot Inquisitor? |
| 312 | --> '''Inquisitor team:''' ''Red Dwarf''. |
| 313 | --> '''Craig:''' Never heard of it! |
| 314 | * BlatantLies: The ActorAllusion above. |
| 315 | ** After Hypno-Disc won its "[[CurbStompBattle fight]]" against Splinter: |
| 316 | --> '''Craig''': Well, well, well. It's a very close fight, we'll have to go to the judges for that one. Only joking. |
| 317 | * BloodKnight: Craig fully embraced his role as host of the most popular robot combat show on TV, revelling in the carnage caused. |
| 318 | * CatchPhrase: "LET THE WARS BEGIN!" |
| 319 | ** Ending every episode with a four-line poem ending in "on Robot Wars". In later series he'd often tailor these to the events of the episode (e.g. referring to engaged teammates Graham Bone and Hazel Heslop, "They seem such a lovely couple, but no-one ignores, the damage they cause, on ''Robot Wars''!") |
| 320 | ** "[Robot] GOES MARCHING ON!" |
| 321 | ** "Let's get stuck in!" |
| 322 | ** "The judges have made their decision. They're marking on style, control, damage and aggression." (Occasionally in later series he'd acknowledge that everybody knew the four criteria by now, although he would only ''very'' rarely skip them entirely.) |
| 323 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: In the Series 4 Heat P final, Craig insisted that the Hypno-Disc team not [[WillfullyWeak pull their punches]] in the Semi-Finals. Their first battle at that stage was against [[MeaningfulName Splinter]], who was the victim of one of the most notorious {{No Holds Barred Beatdown}}s in the entire series. |
| 324 | * FriendToAllChildren: Craig had to deal with a lot of young kids on the show (sometimes as young as six), usually having to console them when their robot lost, and he always handled them well. He was particularly fond of "Little" Joe and Ellie Watts of Bigger Brother, as well as Amy Franklin of Team 101 who read out a poem she'd written about him at the end of 101's 3rd Wars run. |
| 325 | * HellBentForLeather: Occasionally wears leather pants. [[https://www.facebook.com/150242251668386/photos/a.517223974970210.141406.150242251668386/517224078303533/?type=1&theater It's very noticable.]] |
| 326 | * LargeHam: Not so much in his first seasons, but later on, it really shows. |
| 327 | --> "LET THE WAAAAARS BEGIN!" |
| 328 | * TheTell: In any instance of a judges' decision where Craig had both the teams standing with him so he could raise the hand of the winner, you could tell which team was going to win it before he announced the decision if you noticed one little detail- [[spoiler:he'd always hold his microphone in the hand he wasn't going to raise, i.e on the loser's side]]. (This way of announcing the results in the judges' decision was only used in Series 4, and may even have been changed because of this.) |
| 329 | [[/folder]] |
| 330 | |
| 331 | [[folder: Dara Ó Briain (Series 8-10 Presenter)]] |
| 332 | |
| 333 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dara.PNG]] |
| 334 | [[caption-width-right:300:The new Master.]] |
| 335 | |
| 336 | * DeadpanSnarker: Being a comedian by trade, this is to be expected, although he's much more good-natured about it than Jeremy Clarkson was. |
| 337 | -->'''Dara''': [''to the Nuts team, whose robot has just been ripped apart by Carbide''] Do you like jigsaw puzzles? |
| 338 | -->'''Dara''': [''on Overdozer, a wooden robot with a rear propeller-like spinning blade''] You've made a boat. |
| 339 | * RedOniBlueOni: The more down-to-earth and subdued blue to Angela's red. |
| 340 | * ScienceHero: As the first presenter with any real grasp of the matter (he's previously filled this role as a presenter on ''Dara O Briain's Science Club'' and ''Stargazing Live'', also for BBC Two). |
| 341 | * TheSmartGuy: Has studied mathematics and theoretical physics. It's pretty safe to say he's the most knowledgeable any of the presenters have ever been on the actual mechanics of the robots. |
| 342 | * ToneShift: The revived series will feature a greater focus on the science behind the robots, and the change of presenter from Craig to Dara (already the BBC's go-to guy for science programmes) is the biggest pre-broadcast indication of that. |
| 343 | [[/folder]] |
| 344 | |
| 345 | [[folder:Mick Foley (Extreme Warriors Series 1-2 Presenter)]] |
| 346 | |
| 347 | [[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mick_foley.jpg]] |
| 348 | [[caption-width-right:200:"Have a nice day!"]] |
| 349 | |
| 350 | * BorrowedCatchPhrase: Although it wasn't something he said regularly, he once opened an episode with Craig's line "Let the wars begin!" |
| 351 | * BrutalHonesty: Mick was quite blunt to the teams he didn't like, although since he's ''Wrestling/MickFoley'' it was impossible for anyone to take offence (especially since it was usually the goofier teams like Conquering Clown and Falcon Mk. II). |
| 352 | -->'''Mick:''' ''(after Conquering Clown is defeated by Destructive Criticism)'' So I've got a startling confession to make: I never really liked you guys. |
| 353 | * CatchPhrase: "Let's hear it for all the roboteers". |
| 354 | ** He would usually close episodes with "Fight on!" |
| 355 | * DamnedByFaintPraise: He once took a gentle dig at the Dragbot team after their loss to Brawler. |
| 356 | -->'''Mick Foley:''' Guys, I've seen a lot of matches here at ''Robot Wars'' but yours [[TriviallyObvious was the most recent]]. |
| 357 | * HotBlooded: His fiery pre-battle pep talks were driven by years of experience cutting wrestling promos. |
| 358 | * LargeHam: It's ''Mick freakin' Foley'' presenting ''robot battles!'' |
| 359 | * RunningGag: ''Every'' time he did a post-battle interview with the Rocky Bot-Boa team he did an exchange with them where he'd say that [[YouRemindMeOfX they remind him of himself in his prime]] and the captain of the team (doing an over-the-top Franchise/{{Rocky}} impression) would reply that at least he had a prime. It was practically a greeting between them. |
| 360 | * SelfDeprecation: |
| 361 | -->'''Mick Foley:''' Whew, it's going to get ugly and Carol, I know ugly when I see it because I own a mirror. |
| 362 | * {{Troll}}: During the Series 2 Tag Team Terror Tournmament the battle of the team of Rocky Bot-Boa and Black Widow versus Joker and Falcon Mk. II went to a judges' decision. Mick announced the Falcon/Joker team as the winners, but just as the [[SmallNameBigEgo mouthy and arrogant Falcon team]] were [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating taunting their opponents with calls of "In your face!"]] he revealed that he was just joking and it was the Black Widow/Rocky Bot-Boa team that had won instead, leading to an immediate and satisfying reversal of the gloating (Mick was quite open about his dislike for the Falcon team because of their attitude). |
| 363 | * [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Why Did It Have To Be Clowns]]: Foley is a self-confessed [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulrophobia coulrophobe]]. Well, at least he ''said'' he was; it may have just been {{Kayfabe}} to put him at odds with the Conquering Clown team. |
| 364 | -->'''Mick Foley:''' I want the clown to go down! |
| 365 | [[/folder]] |
| 366 | |
| 367 | [[folder:Rob Kamphues (Dutch Series 1-2 Presenter)]] |
| 368 | |
| 369 | [[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rob_kamphues.jpg]] |
| 370 | |
| 371 | * LargeHam: Possibly an even larger one than Craig. |
| 372 | * MilkingTheGiantCow: Loved to wave his hands around when doing the introduction at the start of each episode. |
| 373 | [[/folder]] |
| 374 | |
| 375 | [[folder:Dave Aizer (Nickelodeon Series Presenter)]] |
| 376 | |
| 377 | [[quoteright:263:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daveaizer.jpg]] |
| 378 | * FriendToAllChildren: Seeing as the Nickelodeon series was specifically aimed at children, Dave had a much gentler approach to presenting, encouraging both winner and loser and asking the audience to cheer for both teams. He would always talk to the children on the teams rather than the adults. |
| 379 | * TheGenericGuy: He did a servicable job, but didn't really make much of an impression. It didn't help that the Nickelodeon series in general was such a footnote in the history of the show that he didn't even get a mention on this page for years. |
| 380 | [[/folder]] |
| 381 | |
| 382 | [[folder:Philippa Forrester (Series 1-3, 5-6 & Extreme II Pit Reporter)]] |
| 383 | |
| 384 | [[quoteright:161:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/philippa.PNG]] |
| 385 | |
| 386 | * CallBack: Philippa welcomes the Berserk 2 team (who are deaf) in sign language in Series 3, which she learned from their team translator during the Series 2 Grudge Matches episode. |
| 387 | * CutenessProximity: In the earlier series where there were more decorative {{Joke Character}}s, she tended to gush about adorable robots, and on occasion, adorable roboteers. She would often ask opposing roboteers if they would also fall to the charms of the cute robots as well. |
| 388 | * DemotedToExtra: In most episodes in Series 5, she would only ever be seen during the competitors' brief introduction videos rather than interviewing them before and after fights as usual. Fortunately, her role was expanded back to normal much later that series, then Series 6 and Extreme II. |
| 389 | * FriendToAllChildren: Like Craig, she had to deal with a lot of young children, and was clearly very fond of both Amy Franklin and the Watts children. |
| 390 | * TheGadfly: While friendly and genial, Phillipa wasn't above good-naturedly teasing certain teams about their machines, like the Revolution team's ridiculously excessive weapon or that one time Corkscrew drove down the pit. |
| 391 | * GenkiGirl: Philippa brought a great deal of spark and energy to the pits, as well as her easygoing charm. |
| 392 | * MsFanservice: Especially in Series 5 where she wore a tight, [[ImpossiblyLowNeckline shoulder-baring]] bustier in the pits. |
| 393 | * PitGirls |
| 394 | * PutOnABus: On the first occasion she left, in Series 4, she got a brief handover scene with Julia Reed in the first episode. In Series 7 she didn't even get that. |
| 395 | [[/folder]] |
| 396 | |
| 397 | [[folder:Julia Reed (Series 4 & Extreme Pit Reporter)]] |
| 398 | |
| 399 | [[quoteright:157:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/julia.PNG]] |
| 400 | |
| 401 | * TheGenericGuy: Julia was generally well-received as a presenter, but was only ever intended as a TemporarySubstitute for the popular Philippa and hence didn't make much of an impact, especially when they were both followed by a markedly less popular presenter who only appeared in the [[FranchiseKiller Franchise Killing]] series. |
| 402 | * PitGirls |
| 403 | * PutOnABus: When Philippa returned, Julia wasn't afforded any kind of departure scene. |
| 404 | * SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: For Philippa Forrester, when the latter was on maternity leave. |
| 405 | * TemporarySubstitute: Philippa returned at the earliest opportunity; in terms of recording the two briefly shared the role as Series 5 and Extreme were filmed at the same time. |
| 406 | [[/folder]] |
| 407 | |
| 408 | [[folder:Jayne Middlemiss (Series 7 Pit Reporter)]] |
| 409 | |
| 410 | [[quoteright:152:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jayne_2.PNG]] |
| 411 | |
| 412 | * BrainlessBeauty: Was not highly regarded among the fanbase for her complete technical cluelessness. Admittedly Philippa and Julia were hardly engineering geniuses either, but Jayne came across as even worse. |
| 413 | * CaptainObvious: [[InvertedTrope She forced the roboteers to become this.]] As mentioned above, Jayne came across as a BrainlessBeauty because of her tendency to go up to a robot with, say, an enormous bladed flywheel or a huge flipping ramp on the front and ask the team [[AskAStupidQuestion "So what does it do?"]] |
| 414 | * LargeHam / NoIndoorVoice: Was prone to random bouts of this (such as randomly declaring at the top of an interview a team were "eager to get out there and fight"). |
| 415 | * MsFanservice: She was a former model. |
| 416 | * PitGirls |
| 417 | [[/folder]] |
| 418 | |
| 419 | [[folder:Angela Scanlon (Series 8-10 Co-Presenter)]] |
| 420 | |
| 421 | [[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/angela_scanlon_1.jpg]] |
| 422 | [[caption-width-right:175:The Mistress of Mayhem.]] |
| 423 | |
| 424 | * BloodKnight: Unlike Craig, Dara and Angela would be present in the arena to watch the battles unfold. How well does Angela fit in? She ''adores'' destruction. When a robot lands a massive hit, expect Angela to be cheering it on. The only time she ''isn't'' cheering on the wanton destruction is usually when something ends up flying at her face. |
| 425 | * FieryRedhead: Downplayed, but she has bright red hair and clearly enjoys the destruction and mayhem as much as Dara does. |
| 426 | * MsFanservice: Admittedly, not to the same extent as Philippa or Jayne, but she's still quite the looker. |
| 427 | * PitGirls: Actually ''subverted''. Unlike her predecessors, she's on a more equal footing with Dara, and the two share the presenting and pit-reporting duties. |
| 428 | * RedOniBlueOni: The energetic, excitable red to Dara's blue. |
| 429 | * StarMakingRole: Was a virtual unknown prior to appearing in the show, and is now a household name in the UK, including stints presenting ''The One Show''. |
| 430 | * WrenchWench: In a first for the series, in Series 10 episode 4 Angela herself joined a host of roboteers who were lending a hand to the Androne 4000 team to help them get their warped crusher arm straightened out. |
| 431 | [[/folder]] |
| 432 | |
| 433 | [[folder:Bridget Maasland (Dutch Series 1-2 Pit Reporter)]] |
| 434 | |
| 435 | [[quoteright:180:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bridget_maasland_pits.JPG]] |
| 436 | |
| 437 | * BoyishShortHair: In the first series. |
| 438 | * GenkiGirl: Much like Philippa. |
| 439 | * MsFanservice: Another former model. |
| 440 | [[/folder]] |
| 441 | |
| 442 | [[folder:Jonathan Pearce (All UK Series Commentator)]] |
| 443 | |
| 444 | [[quoteright:122:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jonno.PNG]] |
| 445 | [[caption-width-right:122:The voice of war.]] |
| 446 | |
| 447 | * BigFun: He thoroughly enjoys his Robot Wars commentary, and it shows. |
| 448 | * CargoShip: He would periodically make joking comments suggesting he was attracted to the house robot Matilda |
| 449 | * CatchPhrase: He didn't have any formal catch phrases like Craig did, but he was ''especially'' fond of using the expression "bent and buckled" (or "buckled and bent") to describe damage done to a robot. Also fond of talking about how much everyone enjoyed seeing robots being destroyed with the phrase "We love i~it!" |
| 450 | * DeadpanSnarker: When he ''wasn't'' being a LargeHam, he was often this instead, especially from Series 3 onward. |
| 451 | -->'''Jonathan''': ''[mocking a defeated contestant's name]'' "Indefatigable"? Haha... yeah. "Invincible"? Yeah. Invisible, more like. [''as Bash starts to roast it''] Inflammable? Hardly. |
| 452 | * TheHyena: He was well-known for his occasional laughing fits during matches. Memorable examples include during Hypno-Disc's first-ever bout, when Diotoir caught fire (again) after beating The Steel Avenger, and when Firestorm became the first robot to be thrown out of the arena. |
| 453 | * LargeHamAnnouncer: Oh, ''yeah''. |
| 454 | * LongRunner: Has been present in every episode of ''Robot Wars'', from the very first episode in 1997 to the rebooted series in 2016. |
| 455 | * {{Malaproper}}: He would ''constantly'' use the word "armament"[[note]]that's ''weapons''[[/note]] when he meant to say "armour". Ironically, he would most often make this mistake when complaining about the "weak armament" of [[GlassCannon robots that sacrificed protection in order to fit on an extra-powerful weapon]]. Not only is he still doing it in 2016, he once referred to Foxic's "lithium-polymer armament", which is even ''more'' wrong[[note]]Foxic has lithium-polymer ''batteries'', which are nothing to do with armour ''or'' weaponry[[/note]]. |
| 456 | * MotorMouth: Sometimes, especially his commentary [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4tVToQRuHk here]]. |
| 457 | * MrExposition: Would describe every contestant robot when they first appeared in the arena, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, stats such as armour thickness and top speed, and miscellaneous facts like where the bits used to make the robot came from. He would also introduce new arena features such as the pit release button, the floor flipper, and the [[ScrappyMechanic Disc of Doom]]. |
| 458 | ** In Series 5, after Hypno-Disc knocked out Bulldog Breed's safety link, he proceeded to give a very expository description of what the component was for: |
| 459 | --->'''Jonathan''': Oh, I see what they've done! That's a removable link, that every robot has, so they can be disabled in the pits for safety reasons. Pull that out, and [[OneHitKill the robot will stop]]. It's like removing a core fuse, if you will. |
| 460 | * OhCrap: Whenever a competitor robot took on the house robots and won, for example in the Series 7 House Robot Rebellion: |
| 461 | -->'''Jonathan''': So you think you're tough enough to withstand Growler? Gravity seems to think he can take on-- [''Gravity effortlessly flips Growler over''] -- Oh! He can! Erm, this is not going according to plan... |
| 462 | * PungeonMaster: And some of the earlier entries, such as Robopig, gave him ''plenty'' of opportunity. |
| 463 | -->'''Jonathan''': [''as Sir Killalot holds Robopig over the flame pit''] And I think we can have-- we do! '''''[[LargeHam SMOKY BACOOOOOON!!!]]''''' |
| 464 | * ShareTheMalePain: Every time Sir Killalot picks a defeated robot up by its axe, spike, or some other protrusion, Jonathan will audibly grimace in the spirit of this trope. ''Every. Single. Time.'' |
| 465 | * ShownTheirWork: He's often the one to note interesting facts about competing robots that Philippa and Craig fail to mention. One glaring example is him noting that Series 5 competitor S3 is the '''third''' robot from the team, after failures Sting and Sting 2, who lost its only match to Diotoir. Both Philippa and Craig act as if the team are completely new to the series. |
| 466 | * TemptingFate: Most famously during the iconic [[CurbStompBattle "fight"]] between Hypno-Disc and Splinter, when it seemed initially like Splinter might pull off an upset: |
| 467 | -->'''Jonathan''': Could this be one of the greatest shocks ''ever'' in Robot Wars? If they keep attacking on a frontal collision with that blade, they'll protect their more vulnerable sides, of course, Splinter! And maybe, who knows-- [''Hypno-Disc [[OhCrap rips Splinter's scoop clean off]]''] '''''OH NO THEY WON'T!!!''''' |
| 468 | ** In the Series 3, Heat I eliminators, Jonathan mentioned that it would be funny seeing Matilda (whose CPZ was located next to the pit) accidentally drive forward and fall in. Later that same episode, [[Funny/RobotWars Dead Metal does exactly that]]. |
| 469 | * TrrrillingRrrs: In some of his more [[LargeHam hammy]] moments. This moment in Series 8, for instance: |
| 470 | -->"[Overdozer] were rubbish! And they will be consigned to the ''rrrrrrrrrubbish'' pit, I should think!" |
| 471 | |
| 472 | [[/folder]] |
| 473 | |
| 474 | [[folder:Stefan Frank (US Commentator)]] |
| 475 | * LargeHamAnnouncer: Just like his UK counterpart he can get very enthusiastic commentating fights. |
| 476 | [[/folder]] |
| 477 | |
| 478 | [[folder:Eric Corton (Dutch Series 1-2 Commentator)]] |
| 479 | * GratuitousEnglish: Every now and then. |
| 480 | * LargeHamAnnouncer: Every bit the ham Jonathan Pearce was, only in Dutch. |
| 481 | ** LargeHamRadio: He's also a radio DJ. |
| 482 | * {{Malaproper}}: Perhaps not as noticeably as Jonathan, but he did constantly refer to Dead Metal as "DeathMetal". |
| 483 | * PrecisionFStrike: God knows how he got away with it, but the apparent good sportsmanship on display before the fight between Shapeshifter and Philipper 2 annoyed him enough [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xafgOfNXTC8#t=10m10s to randomly throw a "Fuck you!" into his pre-battle spiel.]] |
| 484 | ** He did it again during the [[https://youtu.be/XQ0z00ObfHw?list=PLB394EEC0A0F4E7D8&t=115 heat final battle between Gravity and Scrap-2-Saur]] after Scrap-2-Saur flipped Gravity, describing it as a "technical fuckin' knock-out". Apparently Dutch TV doesn't much care what you say as long as it's in a different language.[[note]]Essentially true; Paul Stoddart's [[ClusterFBomb F-laden rant]] on Dutch TV during the controversy filled 2005 US Grand Prix can attest their pretty relaxed attitude to swearing on TV.[[/note]] |
| 485 | [[/folder]] |
| 486 | |
| 487 | [[folder:The Judges]] |
| 488 | Professor Noel Sharkey - All Series. Eric Dickinson - Series 1-2. Adam Harper - Series 1-3. Martin Smith - Series 3-7. Dr Myra Wilson - Series 4-5. Mat Irvine - Series 5-7. Professor Sethu Vijayakumar - Series 8-10. Dr Lucy Rogers - Series 8-10. |
| 489 | |
| 490 | [[quoteright:160:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/judges.PNG]] |
| 491 | [[caption-width-right:160:The show's two longest-serving judges, Noel Sharkey and Martin Smith]] |
| 492 | |
| 493 | * AscendedExtra: Get a ''lot'' more screentime in the reboot, with at least one judge per episode getting an interview with Dara about some technology or software being used somewhere in the world. They also occasionally drop in to see robots that have particularly impressed them. |
| 494 | * CoolOldGuy: Noel Sharkey in spades, particularly for being the ''only'' constant of the show other than Jonathan Pearce. He's been here since the beginning and it's pretty much a given that he'll be here until the end. |
| 495 | * EinsteinHair: Professor Noel Sharkey definitely qualifies. |
| 496 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: Despite being TheVoiceless, Mat Irvine let slip to Jonathan before the Extreme 2 Challenge Belt final that while he personally supported Tornado using its anti-crusher frame (since it is still legal within the rules), whether it'll be allowed in the future will be another matter. The following year, Tornado was banned from using it. |
| 497 | * LongRunner: Noel Sharkey was a judge on every episode; even though he rarely spoke (see TheVoiceless below) and didn't always appear, he is one of the few people to be involved in every single series of ''Robot Wars'', including the 2016 reboot. |
| 498 | * PromotedFanboy: Martin Smith was the driver of Cruella in Series 1 & 2. |
| 499 | * TheVoiceless: The judges would very rarely speak, with their decisions being relayed by Craig Charles; occasionally the show would call on them when they had to go into more detail on a particularly controversial decision. |
| 500 | [[/folder]] |
| 501 | |
| 502 | [[folder:Stuart [=McDonald=] (Announcer, Director)]] |
| 503 | * CatchPhrase: As the announcer, he had several in every bout: |
| 504 | ** "Roboteers, stand by." |
| 505 | ** "3... 2... 1... Activate!" |
| 506 | ** "Cease!" |
| 507 | * FakeAmerican: [=McDonald=] was the announcer for ''every'' series, including the international ones[[note]]which were filmed in the same UK studio arena as the main series[[/note]]. For ''Extreme Warriors'' he affected a broad (and actually rather convincing) American accent. |
| 508 | * HammyHerald: Not especially ''hammy'' as such, but it was his booming voice that introduced every robot that entered the arena, as well as introducing the host at the start of the show (with a unique, often comical, introduction every episode for the first 4 series until he settled on "the Master of Mayhem"). |
| 509 | -->"And now, please welcome the man [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant who thought]] [[UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini Mussolini]] [[IsItSomethingYouEat was a kind of Lasagna]]: Creator/CraigCharles. |
| 510 | * LongRunner: The only individual other than Noel Sharkey who appeared ([[TheVoice metaphorically speaking of course]]) on ''every'' incarnation of the show, even the international series. Recordings of his three announcements (see CatchPhrase above) taken from the TV show continue to be used at live events to this day. However, unlike Sharkey, he did not return for the reboot. |
| 511 | * MissionControl: As the show's Director, he was responsible for directing the cameras as well as giving directions to the audience, and it was theorised he also gave orders to the House Roboteers about when and how they were allowed to attack. |
| 512 | * TheVoice: As the show's Director, [=McDonald=] never appeared on camera, but his voice was heard in every single episode of the show. |
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