Summary

• Robby the Robot is an iconic figure in sci-fi history, known for his unique design and appearance in multiple movies and shows.
• His debut was in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet, where he was portrayed as a kind and humorous assistant to Dr. Morbius.
• Robby the Robot went on to be featured in various sci-fi properties, including The Twilight Zone and Lost in Space, becoming a recognizable and beloved character in pop culture.

Robby the Robot is one of the most interesting mechanical characters of all time, and here's who he is and why he appeared in 21 sci-fi movies and shows. The realm of sci-fi is a massive web of interweaving inspirations and references, with most sci-fi projects being full of Easter eggs to other iconic sci-fi projects. Franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and more have made their way into countless other projects via Easter eggs and references. However, an iconic character named Robby the Robot has pulled off this same achievement, but many don't know who he is.

While the history of sci-fi has been full of various robot designs, the design of Robby the Robot is one of the most iconic. Robby the Robot is a large gray machine, with his sci-fi aesthetic being similar to many other fictional robotic creations of the 1950s. Robby has a glass dome for a head, giving a view of the lightbulbs that fill his cranium. His legs and torso are made up of several spherical balls of metal, while his arms are always outstretched, giving the appearance of a mechanical zombie. So, here is where he's from.

Robby The Robot Was A Character In Forbidden Planet

Robby the Robot was a character created for MGM's 1956 sci-fi film Forbidden Planet, with this marking the first of Robby's many appearances throughout sci-fi history. Forbidden Planet follows a group of humans from Earth who land on a distant planet, discovering that another human named Dr. Morbius and his daughter already live there. Robby the Robot is the creation of Dr. Morbius, with Robby being a kind and humorous assistant who is tasked with taking care of the Earthlings during their time on the planet.

Although many modern viewers may not have seen Forbidden Planet, tons of people have seen the film's iconic poster, which features the fearsome robot carrying away Altaira. As it turns out, however, this poster is not a reflection of the film at all. Not only does this scene never occur in Forbidden Planet, but it also paints Robby the Robot as a villainous character. In reality, he is a kind figure who is specifically programmed not to harm humans in any way, with this poster's art being quite misleading.

Why Robby The Robot Appeared In So Many Movies & Shows

While Forbidden Planet was the debut of Robby the Robot, it was far from his final appearance, with the character going on to become an icon of sci-fi. Due to the intricacy of the robotic prop, MGM decided to reuse Robby prominently in the 1957 film The Invisible Boy. This further cemented Robby as a recognizable part of the pop culture ethos, with the prop continuing to be reused prominently throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

The Twilight Zone was especially influential when it came to Robby's iconic status, with the series reusing the prop for several different episodes that featured robots. Lost in Space, Mork & Mindy, and other sci-fi series continued using the character, with it slowly shifting from being a cost-saving measure to being a homage to the classic 1956 film. Robby the Robot even made it out of sci-fi properties, with him appearing in other genres like Columbo, The Addams Family, and The Big Bang Theory. Here is a complete list of all of Robby the Robot's TV and movie appearances:

Where Is Robby The Robot Now?

Although all kinds of Robby the Robot replicas have been made throughout the years, the original suit was retired in 1971, with any appearance past that point not using the prop from Forbidden Planet. In 1971, the Robby the Robot suit was sold and put on display at the Movie World/Cars of the Stars Museum in Buena Park, California. Once the museum closed in 1980, filmmaker William Malone became the owner of the original suit, restoring it back to its original condition.

Malone kept the original Robby the Robot suit for several decades, holding onto it until 2017. In 2017, Robby the Robot was sold at auction for a whopping $5.3 million, with Robby becoming the Forbidden Planet reboot movie.