Again, I have to point out that outside the very first scene that proto-Orbot appears in (I think he was named SA-55 back then? Or was that a fanon name?), there aren't many scenes in the games where that actually happens.
Edit: Oh, correction - I just realized you're likely referring specifically to the "like it's his job or something" gag in Colors. So... two jokes, among all the characters' appearances. I dunno if I'd call that "what the characters exist to do."
Even that joke is in the larger purpose of that scene of the two of them playing The Watson to Eggman's plan. It doesn't just exist in a vacuum or anything.
Edited by KnownUnknown on Mar 13th 2023 at 4:17:05 AM
Such as?
The only thing I can think of in Lost World is the scene where Orbot is badmouthing Eggman by comparing how he treats them to how Sonic treats Tails, but he's not badmouthing Eggman's competence (again, Sonic and Tails are mostly the characters who do that), he's badmouthing how much of an asshole Eggman is. Basically, the joke there is that Eggman's so mean and evil his henchman like Sonic better, which I don't see anything wrong with.
Otherwise, nothing I can think of.
The comic don't particularly matter to how the games characterize these characters, and aren't made by the people who write the games (until very recently), so I haven't been thinking about them. Same reason I haven't been mentioning Boom. Licensed third party adaptations and all that.
Edited by KnownUnknown on Mar 13th 2023 at 4:34:20 AM
Aosth Robotnik could still be a threat, with bombs on transports, his Super Robotnik form which gave him Superman powers, he obtained the four Chaos Emeralds to become Supreme High Robotnik with the powers of Invisibility, Invincibility, Immortality and Life. He then sent Sonic to the Big Bang to die. He also hit Sonic with a spanner.
Edited by neoamon on Mar 13th 2023 at 11:22:11 AM
"May your heart be your guiding key"Even Stone is a character who makes mistakes and who he's comedically a dick to, it's just that Eggman still respects him and values his presence.
Stone's basically everything Orbot + Cubot and SAGE do for Eggman's character rolled up into a single sidekick. He's a really fun addition.
Edited by KnownUnknown on Mar 13th 2023 at 4:27:55 AM
There's no reason he can't just have multiple minions who engage him in different ways. That's what he has now.
If they want to do a serious scene with Eggman, they can use SAGE as his foil. If they want to do a fun scene with Eggman, they can use Orbot and Cubot as his foil.
In fact, thinking about it more, that might actually be a better way to do it:
It means they don't have to have to undercut SAGE in order to have fun with the Eggman Empire scenes. Note how Stone is an over the top sycophant who is comically overlooked by his boss, a angle that allows them to have fun with how nasty Eggman is, but stuff like that wouldn't work with SAGE the way it can with Orbot + Cubot.
On another level, since SAGE is showing off Eggman's softer side, there's also the fact that she can't really be the one Eggman expresses his nastier impulses to.
This was fine in Frontiers because Eggman wasn't really the villain of that game. He was a supporting character and his whole arc was about getting the point where he'd agree to work with Sonic. But eventually there's going to be another plot where he's big bad again, he can't really do that consistently with the heroes (at least not all the time) because the heroes will typically get the better of him in most exchanges.
That's why Eggman having evil soundboards and Watsons is such an important thing if he's going to be carrying scenes. He needs characters he can rant to, characters he can gloat to, characters he can kick around successfully and show off his evil to.
Those Watsons also being funny isn't really a problem to me, imo, nor is them backtalking every once in a while. Sometimes a game directed at kids wants to be funny.
Edited by KnownUnknown on Mar 13th 2023 at 4:51:05 AM
In Fleetway Sonic The Comic Robotnik has a habit of assaulting his assistant Grimer, two Robot Trooper Badniks gave him bad news and he destroyed them, he turns the citizens of Mobius into living batteries that are aware of how long they have been trapped in a Badnik so no pleasant dreams like in the matrix, ordered Badniks powered by people to jump into molten metal which killed the person inside when the Badnik melted, a shapeshifter failed him, so he had her turned into another Badnik.
All in all Fleetway Robotnik is a terrible boss to work for.
"May your heart be your guiding key"A lot of this is going to come down to just plain disagreements about the potential/necessity of certain characters and specifically what their role should consistently be in the series. For the Sonic games in general (in contrast to other Sonic media, I play more to be outright entertained than necessarily engaged by the characters all the time so unless someone is strongly hampering the experience via their gameplay or being really stupid in the narrative I'm not really inclined to be bothered if they're just there for silly comedy and not much else (though of course it helps if the humor actually lands).
Edited by BorneAgain on Mar 13th 2023 at 7:48:10 AM
Hm. I can absolutely see Orbot and Cubot playing into a sibling dynamic with Sage, but it would be interesting to see if Metal does. He kind of shrugged off Orbot's attempts.
If the Deadly Six came back, I could definitely see them hijacking Orbot and Cubot, and Eggman resenting that and fighting to get his lackeys back.
If we get more 2D platformers not set in the Classic era, I could definitely see Orbot and/or Cubot (or even Stone if he somehow made it to game canon) piloting the zone bosses, saving Eggman for the final boss. Mania used the Hard Boiled Heavies in a similar role.
I think that happened once, with a bot (same voice) implied to be Orbot piloting a boss in Unleashed.
Though someone mentioned a couple pages ago that it'd be neat if they introduced, like, a Worf lieutenant robot who could pilots most of the other mecha in the first half of the game, then Eggman comes in to pilot the really nasty stuff towards the end, and I love that idea too.
It'd be cool if the boss progression went "minor robot bosses and lieutenant, then penultimate boss is SAGE and final boss is Eggman controlling " from now on. Kind of like how Crash Bandicoot usually has N. Gin followed by Cortex.
Having Orbot and Cubot actually engaging with Sonic would alleviate a lot of my issues with them and make them feel a lot less superfluous.
Like I don't think I'm asking for a lot here by wanting them to matter a bit more outside the realm of comedic relief and to justify their presence a bit more
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.Engage with Sonic as in fighting?
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.I would dig that. Like, a mecha with two halves that comes together, and Orbot pilots one while Cubot pilots the other.
Come to think, has Eggman ever dipped his toes into the wonderful world of Combining Mecha?
And it lets Metal Sonic breathe a bit since he doesn't have to be the only who fights and loses to Sonic. You have Orbot and Cubot be the ineffectual ones who at least try.
And that let's Metal Sonic feel like a much bigger deal by being a more climactic fight.
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.I think you could also put Orbot and Cubot in a Knuckles esque role circa Sonic 3 as the ones dropping Sonic into traps and what not. Could still play up the comedy or elements occasionally backfiring, but its the kind of tasks they could reasonably succeed at even if Sonic & Tails eventually escape from the dangers.
That works for the games...
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.Tikal helps Knuckles lay down the law:
I won't say anymore. If you wanna know why she's laughing, watch.
For anyone who doesn't know, it's a Breaking Bad reference.
Orbot and Cubot really don't work in the games, specifically because they always get the one ups over Dr. Eggman.
They're HIS creations, HE should get the upper hand over his own minions, HE should get the last word in. Having his own creations bully him just snipes away his legitimacy as a threat.
This is why they work in Boom, and why they work in Forces, as little as they appear (one example is when Eggman is angry that Sonic escaped from Null Space, and just keeps slapping Orbot about, before the glass shield of his Eggmobile knocks Orbot off entirely, and the doctor doesn't even look at the robot he mistreated).
I also don't like Sage because her whole dynamic with Eggman feels forced and unearned and that's pretty much the entire point of her character so...

Personally when two characters only exist to highlight the flaws and deficiencies in another character and point out how many times they lost, I don't think its Eggman any favors but I digress.
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.