10 Best Animated Movies With A Robot Protagonist

Summary

• Animated movies with robots often feature innovative character designs, showcasing human-like emotions and heroic actions.
• These films challenge the evil robot trope, portraying robots as wholesome allies in face of adversity, often finding genuine connections.
• The best animated movies with robots appeal to audiences with their unique mechanical heroes and heartwarming narratives, often winning prestigious awards.

Animated movies with robots have been a staple of family films for decades, especially since the cartoon format allows for more inventive and imaginative character designs. While many have robots simply as supporting characters, there are also plenty that feature a robot protagonist, either as a helping hand for the story’s hero, or even as the hero themselves. The first robot in a movie was in 1927’s Metropolis, which was live-action, but once the animated film industry got in full swing, hand-drawn (and later CGI) robots became a regular sight.

Animated movies tend to take the opposite view of artificial intelligence, too. Whereas most live-action movie robots are evil, their animated counterparts tend to be much more wholesome. From modern animated hits such as The Mitchells vs. The Machines to classics like The Iron Giant, there’s plenty of movies that suggest something other than evil can come from androids with artificial intelligence. While android enthusiasts might get a kick out of any mechanoid that appears on-screen, the 10 best animated movies with robots stand out for both their wide appeal and their own unique takes on the idea of a mechanical hero.

10 The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021)

A Pair Of Malfunctioning Robots Rebel Against Their Programming To Help Humanity

2021’s The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is an animated take on the classic trope of rogue AI going to war with humanity. The plot takes inspiration and almost satirizes movies like The Terminator and The Matrix franchise with its AI antagonist, PAL. However, this animated movie with robots from director Mike Rianda also features some incredibly memorable android heroes, too. In The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, Katie Mitchell finds herself on a family road trip, with her dad planning one last chance to bond with her before dropping her off at film school in California.

During their trip, a robot apocalypse breaks out led by PAL, who orders all robots to launch every human into space. Two hilarious malfunctioning robots called Eric and Debrahbot 5000 join forces with the Mitchells to defeat PAL after accidentally revealing there’s a kill code they can upload that will put a stop to the uprising. The robots become like family to the Mitchells, calling Linda their mom and even accompanying Katie to Washington D.C. where she accepts the Congressional Gold Medal after saving the world.

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines
is incredibly critically acclaimed, and even scooped up 8 Annie Awards, a highly prestigious accolade in the animation industry, during the year it released on Netflix.

9 Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021)

A Malfunctioning Robot Companion Becomes A Boy’s Best Friend

There are several movies where an AI companion is portrayed as the must-have accessory, but few put their own spin on the concept quite like 2021’s Ron’s Gone Wrong from director duo Sarah Smith and Phillipe Vine. Barney Pudowski is a socially awkward middle-schooler who has a hard time making friends. What’s more, due to his family’s financial situation, he can’t afford a B-bot — an artifical robot companion that functions more-or-less like a self-aware smartphone on wheels — like the other kids at school.

His dad and grandma buy him a slightly damaged B-bot illegally from a delivery driver in an alley as a chance for Barney to fit in, which Barney names Ron. However, it quickly comes to light that something about Ron is a little off, his code having not been programmed correctly. After Ron fights off a bully, Barney decides to teach the B-bot everything there is to know about friendship, learning valuable lessons along the way.Ron’s Gone Wrong brings one of the best non-Disney animated robots that becomes a hero in a heartwarming and funny film with the message that making friends is so much more than an algorithm.

8 Next Gen (2018)

The Charming Adaptation Of A Globally Popular Chinese Webcomic

Just like animated movies, robotic heroes have also been a staple of comic-books ever since the medium became popular. With this in mind, it’s little surprise that one of the best movies with a robot protagonist is an adaptation of a popular webcomic, namely Wang Nima’s 7723. Directors Kevin R. Adams and Joe Ksander adapted 7723 into the animated movie Next Gen, and in doing so introduced Netflix subscribers to the lovable walking weapon that is the robotic hero 7723.

Mai is an angry teenage girl who gets dragged along by her robot-obsessed mother to a launch for the new Gen 6 Q-Bots, where she stumbles upon a secret project created by Dr. Rice called Project 77, the product of which is the robot 7723. Next Gen is a heartfelt story of relationships as Mai and 7723 go on many misadventures together, destroying other robots and confronting Mai’s bullies, learning to let go of bad memories, and creating better ones.

When Mai’s mother is kidnapped by Justin Pin, they band together to save her, and 7723 sacrifices his memory to reboot his weapon system and the ultimate battle between good versus evil ensues, saving Mai’s mother and all of humanity in the process.

7 Big Hero 6 (2014)

Disney’s Very Own Robot Superhero

Disney may own the MCU and, by extension, have the greatest success of any studio with superhero movies, but Marvel Comics aren’t the only time they’ve had a success in the genre. 20014’s Big Hero 6 became a beloved animated superhero movie from the moment it was released, winning over audiences with its refreshing story and unique aesthetic blend of western and eastern architecture in the city of San Fransokyo. However, the main reason for the success of Big Hero 6 is, of course, the lovable robot hero Baymax.

After Tadashi dies a tragic death in an explosion, Hiro finds himself left with Baymax, a huggable healthcare robot invented by his older brother. When an evil man in a kabuki mask is revealed to have stolen Hiro’s microbots, Hiro programs Baymax to learn martial arts moves and builds him an outer armor, set on discovering who’s behind the mask.

Baymax makes the ultimate sacrifice at the end when he detects human life in a giant teleporter, and bids farewell to Hiro to save Professor Callaghan’s daughter. Big Hero 6 is a notable superhero movie filled with unlikely heroes who choose to bring justice without harming anyone and is brimming with powerful emotions at every turn.

6 Astro Boy (2009)

The Classic Robot Hero From A Timeless Manga Explodes Onto The Big Screen

One of the best movies with a robot hero focuses on a character that’s been one of the most popular Manga characters in Japan since his debut in 1952 – writer and illustrator Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy. 2009’s Astro Boy movie comes from director David Bowers, and captures all the charm of the on-page. Astro Boy takes place in the 22nd century, where Metro City is suspended above Earth using advanced technology, and humans rely on robots to do everything for them.

Astro Boy has a dark background story, the robotic child being invented by Dr. Tenma after his son dies in a horrible accident, using a strand of his dead child’s hair as well as his memories combined with blue energy to bring him back to life. The reunion is short-lived when Dr. Tenma can’t face what he’s done, asking an associate to disable him, but instead, Astro Boy is set free to the surface below. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human with the help of his newfound friends and returns to Metro City to save everyone from the evil created by President Stone.

5 Wall-E (2008)

Pixar’s Robotic Hero That’s Brimming With Heartwarming Charm

If there’s any animated movie studio known for creating emotional and heartwarming films, it’s Pixar, and in 2008 they proved that their unique charm could even work when the hero of the movie is a robot with minimal speaking lines. 2008’s Wall-E is considered by many to be among the best Pixar movies of the 2000s, and it’s entirely down to the titular mechanical hero. Wall-E is an adorable, trash-compacting robot whose only friend is a cockroach; the humans having abandoned the planet after rendering it unlivable.

He’s overjoyed when he meets Eve, a robot sent to Earth to detect if anything habitable remains, and shows her all the special treasures he’s collected over the years. Eve goes into hibernation mode after Wall-E brings her a plant he found, and he makes it his duty to shield her from the tumultuous weather that occurs. Wall-E is a film that is sure to capture hearts everywhere, rooting for the little robot to find a place in the world, while also showing the importance of doing better as a society.

Wall-E
received a slew of awards when it released, including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay the same year, a huge achievement for an animated movie.

4 Meet The Robinsons (2007)

A Robot Childminder Shines As The Movie’s Most Memorable Character

While Wall-E and Big Hero 6 are well-known titles from the House of Mouse, they’re not the only times Disney has manged with win hearts with a robot in their animated movies. 2007’s Meet The Robinsons may not have been a huge hit for the studios, but it does feature one of their most memorable mechanical characters. Carl the robot may not be the main character in Meet The Robinsons, but he provides many laughs at his panicky behavior upon realizing Wilbur brought Lewis into the future after sneaking away from the robot’s watch.

Carl’s duty is to keep an eye on Wilbur and prevent him from getting into trouble, and that backfires when Bowler Hat Guy threatens everyone with his diabolical plans to destroy the world. The robot is the first character viewers meet when the two boys travel to the Robinson’s home, and he warns Wilbur of the trouble they’d be in if they were caught. Though he aids Wilbur in rescuing Lewis and the memory scanner, he is impaled shortly thereafter, which prompts him to ask Lewis to consider building him with muscles in the future.

3 Robots (2005)

The Cult-Classic Animated Movie Where Every Character Is A Robot, Hero Or Not

Robots is an underrated animated film about the importance of chasing your dreams and never giving up, no matter what. As its title suggests too, the 2005 animated movie from director Chris Wedge is full of memorable robot heroes, villains, and everything in-between, since every character in the film is one. Rodney Copperbottom has big dreams of being somebody in the world as an aspiring inventor and decides to take the leap of faith and travel to Robot City to meet his childhood hero Bigweld.

When Ratchet takes over for Bigweld and threatens the existence of every robot not able to afford fancy new parts, Rodney and the rest of the misfits band together to prevent them from becoming scrap metal at the chop shop. With an incredible cast including Ewan Mcgregor, Mel Brooks, Halle Berry, Amanda Bynes, and even the late Robin Williams in his hilarious role as Fender, there’s much to love about this robot flick.

2 Treasure Planet (2002)

Stream On Disney+

The early 2000s were a strange time for Disney and Western animation. With CGI going into full swing, traditionally hand-drawn animation was taking a backseat. However, before Disney and their competitors fully embraced CGI there were a handful of beautifully stylistic animated movies — one of which was the 2002 cult hit Treasure Planet, which also included what is perhaps Disney’s best animated robot, B.E.N. B.E.N. was once the navigator of the space pirate ship until Captain Flint stole his memory and left him stranded on Treasure Planet where Jim Hawkins comes upon him.

The eccentric robot then aids Jim to uncover Flint’s treasure that he remembers is buried deep in the center of the mechanism of the ship. B.E.N. provides many humorous moments in the film, as he is able to deactivate the cannons on the ship through trial and error and the two new friends work together to save the entire crew. The beloved robot then returns with Jim and works at the Benbow Inn helping his mother take care of the hotel.

1 Iron Giant (1999)

A Warmachine From Mars Becomes A Boy’s Best Friend

When discussing animated robot heroes in movies, many would cite The Iron Giant as the pinnacle of stories where one takes the center stage. The 1999 cult-classic is beloved by its fanbase, and is loosely based on the 1968 Ted Hughes novel The Iron Man. In The Iron Giant, Hogarth befriends a giant robot that falls from the sky and teaches him that you are who you choose to be in. However, Hogarth soon learns he has to hide his mechanical companion from the adults in his small town, especially when the paranoid FBI agent Kent Mansley shows up to investigate the strange goings-on.

Kent believes the robot was sent to America as a dangerous weapon and becomes adamant that it must be destroyed, sending word to the military base about its location and threatening the entire population in the small town. The ending is tear-inducing when the giant robot bids farewell and soars into the sky to prevent a missile from killing everyone, smiling at the thought of being like Superman. The ending has a hint of the iron giant putting himself back together and not being permanently destroyed, and there are high hopes for a sequel among many Iron Giant fans.