Sandbox / Robotic Psychopath Wick Check

The concern: It was brought up in the "Is this tropeworthy/Chairs?" that the definition of a "psychopath" in Robotic Psychopath isn't clear, especially since the description only defines it as "a psychopath who's also a robot," which sounds non-tropeworthy/like chairs.

This wick check will examine how the trope is used and see if there's redundancy between Killer Robot.

Wicks checked: 50/50.

• Quick results:
  • 10/50 are chairs-y examples of robots who happen to be Axe-Crazy, or 20%.
  • 8/50 are examples of mentally ill robots who resemble a human sociopath, or 16%.
  • 6/50 are examples redundant with Killer Robot, or 12%.
  • 26/50 are ZCEs, vague potholes, and other unsortable examples, or 52%.

• Detailed analysis: Surprisingly, the trope suffers from ZCEs, contextless potholes, or vague examples, perhaps due to having a title that makes tropers think it's enough of a context on its own. About 6 examples are redundant with Killer Robot, and 10 examples are chairs-y "a robot who happens to be bloodthirsty/Axe-Crazy," which can be replaced with any non-human entity and add no significance as to why being an Axe-Crazy robot is special. Lastly, several examples use the trope for robots who are mentally ill/sociopathic.
  
  
• Solutions:
  • Retool into "robots who somehow function as sociopaths or are mentally ill just like a human can be." However, there are only 7 examples and there needs to be a hunt for more examples.
    • If there aren't enough examples, yard the trope or send it to TLP.
  • Cut the trope and move examples that fit Killer Robot there.
  • Disambiguate between Axe-Crazy, Killer Robot, Murderous Malfunctioning Machine, The Sociopath, and possibly other related tropes.

---

"An Axe Crazy/bloodthirsty robot" examples (10/50)

1. Become a Real Boy: Rio Ranger in Your Turn to Die was a Robotic Psychopath who was programmed to have human emotion, but only the negative ones as his "father" thought it would make him more genuine. As a result, Ranger was a Green-Eyed Monster who despised humans for having what he lacked and took great pleasure in his role as a Killer Game Master. After he's disassembled for breaking the rules, his co-creator grants him the full range of emotion he lacked and a proper name in his final moments, but he dies too tortured with regret over his evil actions to appreciate it. Sara has the option to praise her for granting his wish, or condemn her for causing him such unneeded pain. — Seems to be a bloodthirsty robot because it's not elaborated on how they're a psychopath but no mention of illness
2. Characters.Invader Zim Zim And Allies: GIR is one of the few cases where A.I. Is a Crapshoot is a good thing. In just the ditzy sense, he is always this, but in the Ax-Crazy sense he's this in duty mode. Zim learnt this the hard way when he locked him into duty mode...
3. Characters.Karakuridouji Ultimo Good Doji Club: (Ultimo), He shows no remorse towards those he beats up. — Downplayed?
4. Characters.Piano Lessons Can Be Murder: Dr. Shreek is deliberately designed as an android Serial Killer to provide his creator with new test subjects. Seems to fit here
5. Characters.Shrapnel: (Cecilia the Murder Machine) Robot? Check. Kills people for fun or when she just feels like it with absolutely no remorse? Check. Seems to fit here.
6. Star Wars Legends:
   • Knights of the Old Republic: Robot Buddy HK-47 [[RoboticPsychopath cheerfully asks to kill every living thing he sees]]; he only has his master's metaphorical leash stopping him from becoming a literal non-stop killing machine. — Sounds like a bloodthirsty robot
7. Monster.Fan Works Crossovers: Super Mario Bros. Z (Sonic the Hedgehog & Super Mario Bros.): Turbo Mecha Sonic is a power-hungry lover of destruction who seeks the seven Chaos Emeralds to become a god. Created when Metal Sonic merged with Dr. Eggman's other Sonic robots, Mecha Sonic instantly attempted to murder his creator before crashing the Death Egg into Mobius. Realizing his taste for annihilation, Mecha Sonic wiped out nearly all life on Mobius and brutally murdered all of Sonic and Shadow's friends, including the young Tails and Cream. Travelling to the Mushroom Kingdom to seek the Chaos Emeralds, he killed an innocent Goomba and thrashed Yoshi to obtain his first two Emeralds. After butchering the Axem Rangers, Mecha Sonic blew up Yoshi's Island out of spite, nearly wiping out the Yoshi tribe and killing the Koopa Bros. in the process. Obsessed with both ultimate power and destroying everything in his path, Turbo Mecha Sonic horrifies anyone who crosses paths with him that lives to tell the tale. Robot who craves power and bloodshed.
8. Recap.Star Trek Voyager S 4 E 21 Living Witness: Mad Doctor: In the simulation, the Doctor is an evil android who tortures prisoners and develops biogenic weapons. — Pothole refers to what seems to be a bloodthirsty robot.
9. VideoGame.Sonic The Hedgehog CD: Metal Sonic enjoys torturing and killing animals. He was designed that way. Designed to be a robot who enjoys torture and killing.
10. YMMV.Young Justice S 2 E 14 Runaways: (Complete Monster) Red Volcano is the ultimate creation of T.O. Morrow and "brother" of Red Tornado. Immediately turning on his creator upon being activated, Volcano continues his plan to erupt the super-volcano under Yellowstone and blanket the world under a cloud of ash, fully aware this will kill billions. When the Team discover Morrow's lair, Volcano sends his brother to prove himself a "loyal Red" by killing the team, and personally tries to murder the "meatbags" when Tornado disobeys. Returning after his apparent destruction to attack Star Labs in search of the AMAZO android, Volcano threatens to murder the teenage Runaways when Blue Beetle gets in his way. — As written, pothole refers to a bloodthirsty robot.

"A mentally ill robot who resembles a human psychopath/sociopath" examples (8/50)

1. Morality Dial: In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data's predecessor/older-brother, Lore, has some bad programming that overrode his ethics in favor of indulging his emotional whims, making him a Robotic Psychopath. In the two-part episode "Descent", Lore finds a way to feed Data his own negative emotions (mostly just anger) while disabling Data's ethical subroutines, in order to sway his younger brother to join him in a quest to Kill All Humans.
2. Villains: A machine that consciously knows it's doing evil things, and may enjoy it too. — The closest thing to a sociopath
3. Characters.Drawtectives: (Animatronic), Only to the extent of lacking empathy, though our heroes still worry that he will eventually end up leaving a trail of bodies behind. — Downplayed/subtle but it's there
4. Characters.The Air Ride Series: Mettaton doesn't care for people around him, he just wants views and money.
5. Literature.A Fox Tail: The Sociopath: Dr. Henrenson initially thinks Vulpie is a psychopath, though his relationship with Polar would suggest otherwise. Evil Vulpie is a full-on Robotic Psychopath save for one scene. I guess? Given that it's under The Sociopath?
6. StargateSG1.Tropes M To R: Many human-form Replicators have a Lack of Empathy and delight in torturing humans. Fifth is the only exception, since he was created with emotions. He only becomes a Psychopathic Manchild after the heroes betray him. Though the stand-out example is the copy that Fifth created of Samantha Carter, who manipulated both the heroes and Fifth before killing him and then invading the Milky Way in a genocidal war of conquest.
7. Theatre.RUR: What the scientists presumed "Robot Tick" was, especially as displayed by Radius. Averted, as while Radius himself is prone to violence, he's not actually devoid of empathy. He spares Alquist because he sees him as one of them, a manual laborer.
8. VideoGame.Read Only Memories: Dekker, whose only human part is their brain. The sensory interface of their robotic body was imperfect, leading to Sense Loss Sadness that drove them insane until they became a Psycho for Hire just out of desperation to feel anything. They even mention that they did everything possible to hide the sociopathic tendencies so they could fight in war.

Redundant with Killer Robot (6/50)

1. BadassBookworm.The DCU: Smallville: Brainiac. He's a skinny guy who masquerades as a History Prof. He's also a Robotic Psychopath out to [[KillAllHumans wipe out the human race]] and can go mano-a-mano with Superman. — Fits Killer Robot more than Robotic Psychopath
2. Characters.Banjo Kazooie: (Mingy), An evil robotic clone of Mumbo Jumbo, whose primary objective is to exterminate the starring duo. — Seems like a downplayed Killer Robot; doesn't mention how psychotic the character is
3. Characters.Captain Britain Enemies: (The Fury), The Fury does exactly what it was programmed to do: Kill all Superhumans. With the exception of the Mad Jim Jaspers of its home reality, that is. — That's a killer robot
4. Characters.Future Card Buddyfight Chaos Control Company: The first thing it does after "awakening" to full sapience is declare its intent to "cast all living beings on this world into eternal darkness." The delivery even comes with an Evil Laugh. — Killer Robot overlap.
5. Memes.Bio Ware: Ironic Statement: Look alive, meatbags! [[labelnote:Explanation]]A combination of the phrase assassin droid HK-47 uses to describe humans and his distinctive phrasing. — Seems to be a killer robot based on context.
6. RestrainingBolt.Video Games: HK-47 from Knights of the Old Republic has a literal one, prior to your buying him. He can only subtly hint at what he's really about while still on the shelf. In addition, HK-47's programming states that his memory is erased when he is sent out on a mission and restored when he returns to his master. HK-47's original master is Darth Revan, so when he finds out that the player is Darth Revan (shortly after the player discovers this), his memory is restored. — Seems to be a Killer Robot.

ZCE / vague pothole / other / unsortable (26/50)

1. Amnesiac Hero: Zero at the beginning of the Mega Man Zero series. This ends up having farther-reaching consequences, such as the little fact that his own body isn't even his original anymore, and said original body is now a Robotic Psychopath. Contextless pothole.
2. Do Androids Dream?: If it lacks human emotions but feigns them convincingly, it may be a Robotic Psychopath, at least in the literal psychological sense. — Uses both usage of (1) and (2) but I'm not too sure, what does "in the literal psychological sense" mean here exactly
3. Evil Teacher: In Smallville, [[RoboticPsychopath Brainiac]] mixes this with Badass Bookworm, Evil Mentor, and Omnicidal Maniac. No, he's not your average History Prof. — 'Vague pothole
4. Morality Chip: A Futurama comic revealed that [[RoboticPsychopath Bender]]'s seldom-used "factory-issued morality program" is on an oversized floppy disc gathering dust in a box. The program is old enough to still be in basic and when it finally loads, he discovers that he used the disc to burn a bootleg video game. — 'Vague pothole
5. Oh, the Humanity!: Subverted in Star Wars: Doctor Aphra. — Low-context pothole.
   Triple-Zero: Oh, the humanity! The dying humanity! How wonderful! How delightful!
6. Robotic Torture Device: At least, we hope it's cold and unfeeling, because otherwise it could [[RoboticPsychopath get]] much, much worse. — 'Vague sinkhole
7. Characters.Anpanman: When he's controlled by Baikinman.
8. Characters.Big Hero 6 Obakes Team: (Trina), While she wasn't innocent in Season 1, she's much more active and dangerous in Season 2. Her goal is to create a robotic revolution and make her father's dream of having the city destroyed come true. It goes without saying that Obake's death didn't help her morality at all. — Honestly, IDK where to put it, sounds just like "evil/dangerous robot than psychotic?
9. Characters.Girl Genius Mechanicsburg: (Heterodyne), That murderousness isn't a bug, it's a feature.
10. Characters.Kamen Rider Gaim Crossovers And Movies: (Hakaider) Ryoma mixed with Hakaider programming could only create this. ZCE.
11. Characters.Meet The Robinsons: (Doris), She is a robot and a sociopathic one on top of that. — Well, how?
12. Characters.Mortal Kombat Desperation: (Triborg in Seido's folder), Has picked up Sektor's bad habits.
13. Characters.Pastamonsters Enderman And His Allies: (Eyeless Jack) Full stop. Jack's folder also has a Killer Robot ZCE, but this wick will be placed here due to being a ZCE.
14. Characters.Project Arashi: I can't figure out how to sort either of these. The first one may be Killer Robot, but it's not very clear.
    • A bit of a subversion of the Robotic Psychopath and A.I. Is a Crapshoot tropes, Itsuki is unquestionably violent to the extreme and categorizes as 'evil' pretty easily, but shows no interest in killing humans, only the enemies he is directed at by Chao, and unfailingly follows her orders.
    • Like his spiritual ancestor, Itsuki disdainfully refers to all organic lifeforms, with the notable exception of his creator, Chao, as meatbags.
15. Characters.Sunset Overdrive: His basic personality is a mix of Bender and HK-47, with a voice similar to Claptrap. Especially noticeable in the final boss battle, in which he revels in the chance to destroy the city. — This is meaningless
16. ComicBook.Deathlok: Inverted with Deathlok. The AI recognizes the value of human life, but when it's time for a bit of the old hyperviolence, he switches control of the body back to it's original human host. — I can't tell what concept it's trying to "invert".
17. Film.The Inquest Of Pilot Pirx: Calder. — ZCE.
18. Music.Ghoul: Killbot, of course. — 'Might be Killer Robot but there's not enough context
19. NightmareFuel.Archer: Funbeak's introduction in "Happy Borthday". A screeching Robotic Psychopath spitting lightning from its wings? Even Archer looks like he's about to shit his pants.
20. Recap.Futurama S 1 E 3 I Roommate: "I was having the most wonderful dream! I think you were in it." No context quote pothole
21. Roleplay.Campus Life: The author controlling the Starmen outright admits to channeling HK-47. Commented-out ZCE.
22. TearJerker.Big Hero 6 The Series: Despite everything he's done, you can't help but feel bad for Chief Cruz when Megan gets taken away by Trina. He falls to his knees, and fears for his daughter's life, who rests within the hands of a Robotic Psychopath. — Contextless pothole.
23. TheDragon.Live Action TV: General Zod has Brainiac, the Season's Big Bad, as his Dragon-in-Chief.
24. VideoGame.The Nameless Mod: Alpha 2 Abomination the Second, son of the great protector of Lamar.
25. WebVideo.Artificial: Robo Family: Sophie considers her predecessor to be her sister. Her predecessor does not. — Contextless pothole.
26. WesternAnimation.Batman The Brave And The Bold: (Bond One-Liner) The Red Hood has a good one after he puts an end to Silver Cyclone. Contextless pothole.
    Red Hood: Who's broken now, Cyclone?

---