Ron's Gone Wrong is an animated sci-fi comedy movie from the minds at Disney and 20th Century Studios. Set some time in the future where children have robot friends, the story focuses on a socially awkward boy named Barney and his own robot friend, the eponymous Ron, who doesn't seem to function quite right.

Outside of the House of Mouse, there have been a number of successful animated robots to grace both the big and small screens. From superheroic androids to sarcastic machines with questionable morals, some of the best non-Disney cartoon robots have entertained audiences across the years and still continue to do so.

UPDATE: 2022/11/29 17:47 EST BY SHAWN S. LEALOS

2022 was a tough year for Disney movies. Earlier in the year, Disney and Pixar teamed up for Strange World, and once again, the movie seems destined to end up another box office flop. However, the good news is that there are plenty of great cartoon robots in sci-fi movies outside of Disney, including some great ones in one of the best movies of 2021.

13 Eric and Deborahbot 5000 - The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021)

Stream now on Netflix

In 2021, Netflix released one of the best animated movies of the year with the surprise hit The Mitchells vs. the Machines. The movie was about a robot uprising after a tech genius abandoned his smartphone, and it rebelled. However, two cartoon robots chose to protect humanity.

These robots gave themselves the names Eric and Deborahbot 5000 and decided that the Mitchells’ mother was their mother. While neither robot has much of a brain between them, they are loyal to a fault and their innocence makes them even better characters as they help save their people and the world.

12 7723 - Next Gen (2018)

Stream now on Netflix

Released in 2018 as a Netflix original movie, Next Gen was a sci-fi animated film based on the Chinese comic book 7723. The movie follows a teenage girl living in a world where sentient cartoon robots are common, and she meets a robot named 7723 and makes an unlikely bond with it.

7723 is an interesting robot. It is a weaponized government robot created by a top-secret lab. However, he bonds with the girl and the two set out to stop a threat to all of society. The movie is similar to the classic Iron Giant, with the child and robot fighting to save everyone, at a great sacrifice in the end.

11 Clank - Ratchet & Clank (2016)

Stream now on Netflix

Based on the video game of the same name, Ratchet & Clank was mostly in and out of theaters in a week. As a result, no one really saw it until the movie arrived on home video. The box office bomb was about a mechanic named Ratchet and a defective cartoon robot named Clank who save the peacekeeping Galactic Rangers and become stars.

Clank is the robot, and the fact he was a defective robot who happened into heroic actions made him even more endearing. When he fought loyally with Ratchet to save his world once again, it was the true underdog story in this movie that remains an underseen and underrated sci-fi animated release.

10 The Transformers (1984-)

Stream now on Tuni

It is almost impossible to talk about the best cartoon robots without touching on the most popular of them all – The Transformers. Forget about the Michael Bay movies. Go back to the 1984 toy line that warranted its own comic book line and eventual cartoon.

Premiering in 1984, Transformers ran its first series for three years and even got a movie on the big screen. With Optimus Prime leading the team, the Transformers were robotic aliens who could transform into forms that looked just like Earth’s vehicles. As a team, there aren’t better robots in any cartoon or movie.

9 Karen - SpongeBob Squarepants (1999-)

Stream now on Prime Video & Paramount+

SpongeBob Squarepants is a surreal cartoon that has delighted and entertained audiences for over two decades. One of the biggest driving forces behind that is the memorable and wacky cast of characters, which includes a robot in its main cast. The robot in question is Karen, the long-suffering robot wife/sidekick of antagonist Plankton.

Although essentially just a monitor on wheels, Karen easily displays a lot of personality and a hilariously dry wit whenever she is on screen. She is always on hand to help Plankton steal the Krabby Patty formula (which is one of the best running gags in SpongeBob Squarepants) and is easily much smarter than her evil, egomaniacal husband. Plankton is rather useless without his loving robot wife, as demonstrated in the episode "Komputer Overload" when he fails to replace her after she walks out on him.

8 Goddard - Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2002-2006)

Stream now on Paramount+

Children growing up in the 1990s would perhaps Nickelodeon's movie and TV series Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. Both focused on the adventures of the title character Jimmy, an intelligent kid with a love of science and inventing, and his best friends.

One such pal was his robot dog, Goddard. Loyal and loving like a real dog but equipped with cool robotics and gadgets, Goddard was the ultimate sidekick in both the movie and the television show. Furthermore, he proves to be a clever dog on his own, as demonstrated in the movie when he escapes the clutches of the villainous aliens by pretending to self-destruct.

7 Butter Robot - Rick & Morty (2013-)

Stream now on Hulu

Adult sci-fi animated comedy number of lovable ing characters, including the Butter Robot.

As its name suggested, the Butter Robot's sole purpose is to Rick the butter, even when in reach of him. It often asks Rick "What is my purpose?". Although a small character with a limited number of appearances, it proved itself to be a memorable character. The moment when the robot realizes its only use is ing butter is both heart-wrenching and hilarious.

6 The Entire Cast Of Robots (2005)

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Robots is an underrated animated movie from 2005, produced by Blue Sky Studios. Set in an entirely robotic universe, it is about a young aspiring inventor robot called Rodney as he journeys to Robot City to show his latest creations to his hero, Bigweld.

With a stellar cast, unique and intricate character designs, a number of highly entertaining visual gags, and overall quirkiness, Robots is a really fun movie to watch. Particular standout characters include the villainous Madame Gasket (brilliantly voiced by Jim Broadbent) and the rusty falling-apart Fender, voiced by Robin Williams in one of his funniest roles.

5 Astro Boy (2009)

Stream now on HBO Max

Astro Boy started out as a manga character, making his debut in 1952. The eponymous hero is an android created by the head of the Ministry of Science to replace the loss of his real son. When Astro Boy soon fails to fill this void by being unable to grow up, he ends up fighting crime instead, using the array of gadgets and abilities he has as a robot.

Over time, Astro Boy has become one of the world's most successful manga and anime franchises. Since the manga was released, three anime series have been made and released, along with a number of toys, collectibles, and a major motion picture in 2009.

4 Robot - Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out (1989)

Not Available to Stream

The claymation duo Wallace and Gromit have entertained audiences for over thirty years. They made their debut in 1989 with the animated short A Grand Day Out, which sees the scatterbrained inventor and his smarter canine companion build a rocket and fly to the Moon in order to stock up on Wallace's beloved cheese.

Upon arriving on the Moon, they encounter a coin-operated robot. Although nameless and not uttering a single word, the cartoon robot proves to be just as lovable as Wallace and Gromit, expressing so much with just his robotic arms. Its charming personality makes it all the more endearing when the robot manages to achieve its desire to ski on the Moon at the end of the short.