Sentient Vehicle: Difference between revisions

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Subtrope of [[Animate Inanimate Object]]. Often overlaps with [[Automated Automobiles]] and [[Magic Bus]]. Supertrope of [[Sapient Ship]] and [[Living Ship]]. See also [[Sapient Steed]].
Subtrope of [[Animate Inanimate Object]]. Often overlaps with [[Automated Automobiles]] and [[Magic Bus]]. Supertrope of [[Sapient Ship]] and [[Living Ship]]. See also [[Sapient Steed]].

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{{examples}}
{{examples}}
== Automobiles (Cars, Buses, RVs, and Trucks, etc.) ==

=== [[Advertising]] ===
==== Automobiles (Cars, Buses, RVs, and Trucks, etc.) ====

== [[Advertising]] ==
* The Chevron Cars are Chevron Corporation's clay-animated stop-motion talking cars that feature in television commercials crafted by [[Aardman Animations]]. Modern commercials retain the art style set by Aardman, but do it in CGI.
* The Chevron Cars are Chevron Corporation's clay-animated stop-motion talking cars that feature in television commercials crafted by [[Aardman Animations]]. Modern commercials retain the art style set by Aardman, but do it in CGI.


== [[Anime]] and Manga ==
=== [[Anime]] and Manga ===
* The title character from ''[[Bumpety Boo]]''.
* The title character from ''[[Bumpety Boo]]''.


== [[Comic Books]] ==
=== [[Comic Books]] ===
* The [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|RapeVan]] from ''[[Hack Slash]]: Trailers 2''.
* The [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|RapeVan]] from ''[[Hack Slash]]: Trailers 2''.


== [[Film]] ==
=== [[Film]] ===
* The cars in [[Disney]]/[[Pixar]]'s ''[[Cars]]''
* The cars in [[Disney]]/[[Pixar]]'s ''[[Cars]]''
** There are also [[Stealth Pun|VW Beetle]] insects.
** There are also [[Stealth Pun|VW Beetle]] insects.
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* [[Video Brinquedo|''The Little Cars'']]
* [[Video Brinquedo|''The Little Cars'']]


== [[Literature]] ==
=== [[Literature]] ===
* In the first book in [[Diane Duane]]'s young adult ''[[Young Wizards]]'' series, ''So You Want To Be A Wizard'', the two protagonists enter an alternate Manhattan that is populated by sentient cars that spend most of their time trying to kill each other.
* In the first book in [[Diane Duane]]'s young adult ''[[Young Wizards]]'' series, ''So You Want To Be A Wizard'', the two protagonists enter an alternate Manhattan that is populated by sentient cars that spend most of their time trying to kill each other.
** Sentient almost everything, you mean. The [[Jerkass]] elevator and the killer helicopter come to mind.
** Sentient almost everything, you mean. The [[Jerkass]] elevator and the killer helicopter come to mind.
* ''[[Christine]]''
* ''[[Christine]]''


== [[Live Action TV]] ==
=== [[Live Action TV]] ===
* ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' TOS episode "[[wikipedia:You Drive|You Drive]]". After a man kills a boy in a hit and run accident, his car develops a mind of its own and forces him to confess to the crime.
* ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' TOS episode "[[wikipedia:You Drive|You Drive]]". After a man kills a boy in a hit and run accident, his car develops a mind of its own and forces him to confess to the crime.
** There's also the episode "A Thing About Machines", where a man is tormented by the machines in his home, among them a car which ends up chasing him into a swimming pool where he drowns.
** There's also the episode "A Thing About Machines", where a man is tormented by the machines in his home, among them a car which ends up chasing him into a swimming pool where he drowns.
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* The cast of the preschool series ''The Big Garage''.<ref>Which also features a talking gas pump.</ref>
* The cast of the preschool series ''The Big Garage''.<ref>Which also features a talking gas pump.</ref>


== [[Video Games]] ==
=== [[Video Games]] ===
* Some ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' games have Oboroguruma, which are ghost/demon cars that talk.
* Some ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' games have Oboroguruma, which are ghost/demon cars that talk.
* When ''[[Choro Q]]'' series steps into the RPG [[Wide Open Sandbox]] genre, every car in it is this.
* When ''[[Choro Q]]'' series steps into the RPG [[Wide Open Sandbox]] genre, every car in it is this.
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* ''[[Putt-Putt]]''
* ''[[Putt-Putt]]''


== [[Western Animation]] ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* ''[[Roary the Racing Car]]''
* ''[[Roary the Racing Car]]''
* Ricardo the racecar in ''[[Doc McStuffins]]''.
* Ricardo the racecar in ''[[Doc McStuffins]]''.
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* The cartoon version of ''[[Beetlejuice]]'' had the [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Dragster Of Doom]] (or "Doomie") for short. A sentient car created through mad science. Oh, and he's also a [[Our Werewolves Are Different|werecar]], transforming into a monsterous version of himself whenever he's in pain or to chase dogs.
* The cartoon version of ''[[Beetlejuice]]'' had the [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Dragster Of Doom]] (or "Doomie") for short. A sentient car created through mad science. Oh, and he's also a [[Our Werewolves Are Different|werecar]], transforming into a monsterous version of himself whenever he's in pain or to chase dogs.
* Tonka's ''Chuck and Friends''
* Tonka's ''Chuck and Friends''
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==== Spacecraft (Rockets, Spaceships, etc.) ====


== Spacecraft (Rockets, Spaceships, etc.) ==
== [[Literature]] ==
=== [[Literature]] ===
* In [[wikipedia:The Jesus Incident|The Jesus Incident]], Ship.
* In [[wikipedia:The Jesus Incident|The Jesus Incident]], Ship.
* In [[Fred Saberhagen]]'s ''[[Berserker (Literature)|Berserker]]'' series, the Berserker ships.
* In [[Fred Saberhagen]]'s ''[[Berserker (Literature)|Berserker]]'' series, the Berserker ships.
* Many spacecraft in [[Iain M Banks]]' ''[[The Culture]]'' series.
* Many spacecraft in [[Iain M Banks]]' ''[[The Culture]]'' series.


== [[Live Action TV]] ==
=== [[Live Action TV]] ===
* The titular ''[[Lexx]]''. Admittedly it's not ''especially'' intelligent, but it can blow up entire planets.
* The titular ''[[Lexx]]''. Admittedly it's not ''especially'' intelligent, but it can blow up entire planets.
* Moya from ''[[Farscape]]''
* Moya from ''[[Farscape]]''
* In ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', [http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Gomtuu Gomtuu]
* In ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', [http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Gomtuu Gomtuu]


== [[Western Animation]] ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* In the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "Love and Rocket," the Planet Express Ship gets a new AI, which quickly falls in love with Bender.
* In the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "Love and Rocket," the Planet Express Ship gets a new AI, which quickly falls in love with Bender.
* Captain Roger the space shuttle from the DVD-exclusive ''[[Pixar Shorts|Cars Toon]]'' "Moon Mater".
* Captain Roger the space shuttle from the DVD-exclusive ''[[Pixar Shorts|Cars Toon]]'' "Moon Mater".
* Rocket from ''[[Little Einsteins]]''
* Rocket from ''[[Little Einsteins]]''


== Trains, Monorails, Trolleys, Steetcars, and Train Cars ==
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==== Trains, Monorails, Trolleys, Steetcars, and Train Cars ====
=== [[Anime and Manga]] ===

== [[Anime and Manga]] ==
* * [[Digimon Frontier]] had the digital world populated by machine digimon called Trailmon, who were basically sentient trains who carried their passengers to certain locations. Many of the trailmon had different looks, voices, and personalities, some even resembling mechanized animals, a kettle, and even Frankenstein.
* * [[Digimon Frontier]] had the digital world populated by machine digimon called Trailmon, who were basically sentient trains who carried their passengers to certain locations. Many of the trailmon had different looks, voices, and personalities, some even resembling mechanized animals, a kettle, and even Frankenstein.


== [[Animated Films]] ==
=== [[Animated Films]] ===
* Casey Jr. in ''[[Dumbo]]'', as seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxeLR_To0lc#t=1m05s here].
* Casey Jr. in ''[[Dumbo]]'', as seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxeLR_To0lc#t=1m05s here].
{{quote|All aboard! Let's go! }}
{{quote|All aboard! Let's go! }}
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** Model trains acting like snakes.
** Model trains acting like snakes.


== [[Literature]] ==
=== [[Literature]] ===
* ''[[wikipedia:The Little Engine That Could|The Little Engine That Could]]''
* ''[[wikipedia:The Little Engine That Could|The Little Engine That Could]]''
* Blain the Mono from [[The Dark Tower]].
* Blain the Mono from ''[[The Dark Tower]]''.
* The .007 from the [[Ruyard Kipling]] short story of the same name.
* The .007 from the [[Ruyard Kipling]] short story of the same name.
* [[Thomas the Tank Engine]] is actually an [[Adaptation Displacement|adaptation]] of a series of books called "The Railway Series" by the Rev. W. Audry.<ref>Further, Thomas wasn't originally the main character. He didn't even appear in the first book</ref>
* [[Thomas the Tank Engine]] is actually an [[Adaptation Displacement|adaptation]] of a series of books called "The Railway Series" by the Rev. W. Audry.<ref>Further, Thomas wasn't originally the main character. He didn't even appear in the first book</ref>


== [[Live Action TV]] ==
=== [[Live Action TV]] ===
* ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]'' had a model trolley that seemed to be able to converse with Mr. Rogers, as well as with the inhabitants of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
* ''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]'' had a model trolley that seemed to be able to converse with Mr. Rogers, as well as with the inhabitants of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.


== [[Theater]] ==
=== [[Theater]] ===
* ''[[Starlight Express]]'', a very loose adaptation of ''The Little Engine That Could''
* ''[[Starlight Express]]'' features several dozen sentient locomotives and train cars. And their steam-powered God.


== [[Western Animation]] ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]'' and friends
* ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]'' and friends
* [[Chuggington]]
* [[Chuggington]]
* [[Color Classics|''PLAY SAFE! PLAY SAFE!'']] featured a rather demonic-looking steam locomotive that actually [[Nightmare Fuel|scared the lives out of children that have watched this short.]]
* [[Color Classics|''PLAY SAFE! PLAY SAFE!'']] featured a rather demonic-looking steam locomotive that actually [[Nightmare Fuel|scared the lives out of children that have watched this short.]]


== Airplanes, Helicopters, and Other Aircraft ==
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=== [[Animated Films]] ===
==== Airplanes, Helicopters, and Other Aircraft ====

== [[Animated Films]] ==
* Pedro the airplane from ''[[Saludos Amigos]]''
* Pedro the airplane from ''[[Saludos Amigos]]''
* Rotor Turbosky, Kathy Copter and Ron Hover the helicopters, Al Oft the blimp, and Barney Stormin the biplane and the four fighter jets from ''[[Cars]]''.
* Rotor Turbosky, Kathy Copter and Ron Hover the helicopters, Al Oft the blimp, and Barney Stormin the biplane and the four fighter jets from ''[[Cars]]''.
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** There are also remote control airplanes that act like birds.
** There are also remote control airplanes that act like birds.


== [[Video Games]] ==
=== [[Video Games]] ===
* Windy Plane, the first boss of ''[[Ninja Baseball Bat Man]]''. It's an anthropomorphic prop plane that stands on its tail and punches the player with its front wheels, no less.
* Windy Plane, the first boss of ''[[Ninja Baseball Bat Man]]''. It's an anthropomorphic prop plane that stands on its tail and punches the player with its front wheels, no less.


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* "Little Johnny Jet," an early 50s Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon by [[Tex Avery]].
* "Little Johnny Jet," an early 50s Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon by [[Tex Avery]].
* ''[[Budgie The Little Helicopter]]'' (also adapted from a book series)
* ''[[Budgie The Little Helicopter]]'' (also adapted from a book series)
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==== Boats, Ships, Submarines and other Seacraft ====


== Boats, Ships, Submarines and other Seacraft ==
== [[Animated Films]] ==
=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===
* ''[[Arpeggio of Blue Steel]]'' is about the Fleet of Fog, a massive collection of alien [[AI]]s that have taken the forms of [[World War II]] naval vessels and have essentially besieged the nations of Earth.

=== [[Animated Films]] ===
* Little Toot in ''[[Melody Time]]''.
* Little Toot in ''[[Melody Time]]''.


== [[Western Animation]] ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* ''[[Dive Olly Dive]]''
* ''[[Dive Olly Dive]]''
* Captain and Bulstrode from ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]''.
* Captain and Bulstrode from ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]''.
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* Bucky on ''[[Jake and the Never Land Pirates]]'' seems to have limited sentience, in that he will obey commands and sometimes act independently. He can't talk, though, and is mostly just used as a way to get from place to place.
* Bucky on ''[[Jake and the Never Land Pirates]]'' seems to have limited sentience, in that he will obey commands and sometimes act independently. He can't talk, though, and is mostly just used as a way to get from place to place.


== Other ==
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==== Other ====
=== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ===

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Elea in ''[[Blassreiter]]''. Joseph's jet bike with chatty and [[Fairy Sexy|all-around shapely]] little [[Projected Man|holographic avatar]].
* Elea in ''[[Blassreiter]]''. Joseph's jet bike with chatty and [[Fairy Sexy|all-around shapely]] little [[Projected Man|holographic avatar]].


== [[Animated Films]] ==
=== [[Animated Films]] ===
* In ''[[Cars]]'', there are tractors that act like cows and a combine that acts lke a bull named Frank.
* In ''[[Cars]]'', there are tractors that act like cows and a combine named Frank that acts like a bull.
** In one of the ''Maters Tall Tales'' shorts, there were bulldozers that acted like bulls.
** In one of the ''Maters Tall Tales'' shorts, there were bulldozers that acted like bulls.
** A tie-in storybook based on this series called ''Mater Saves Christmas'' showed [[Santa Claus|Santa Car]] (a vehicle resembling a Dusenberg) being pulled by snowmobiles that acted like reindeer.
** A tie-in storybook based on this series called ''Mater Saves Christmas'' showed [[Santa Claus|Santa Car]] (a vehicle resembling a Dusenberg) being pulled by snowmobiles that acted like reindeer.
** Bessie, on the other hand, despite also being a bulldozer herself, [[Furry Confusion|is for some reason, not anthropomorphosized.]]
** Bessie, on the other hand, despite also being a bulldozer herself, [[Furry Confusion|is for some reason, not anthropomorphized.]]
** The sequel featured a giant dump truck near the beginning that presumably acted like a bison.
** The sequel featured a giant dump truck near the beginning that presumably acted like a bison.


== [[Western Animation]] ==
=== [[Western Animation]] ===
* The main vehicle characters in ''[[Bob the Builder]]'' are construction vehicles.
* The main vehicle characters in ''[[Bob the Builder]]'' are construction vehicles.
* Terence, Trevor, George, and the Pack from ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]''.
* Terence, Trevor, George, and the Pack from ''[[Thomas the Tank Engine]]''.

Revision as of 21:53, 2 October 2015

In some works, there are sentient and sapient cars, buses, trucks, RVs (motorhomes), ATVs, trains (steam-powered, diesel-powered, or light rail), train cars, airplanes, helicopters, boats, ships, spaceships, etc. Some of them maintain a Masquerade, some do not, and some live in a world of their own without humans.

This trope does not cover vehicles that happen to have AIs when those AIs are treated as separate entities that are not integrated into the vehicle itself. Also, with the exception of Living Ships, they have to be inorganic (in other words, not a "living" being).

Things under the heading Other include farm vehicles, contruction vehicles, motorcycles, ATVs, and golf carts.

Subtrope of Animate Inanimate Object. Often overlaps with Automated Automobiles and Magic Bus. Supertrope of Sapient Ship and Living Ship. See also Sapient Steed.


Examples of Sentient Vehicle include:

Automobiles (Cars, Buses, RVs, and Trucks, etc.)

Advertising

  • The Chevron Cars are Chevron Corporation's clay-animated stop-motion talking cars that feature in television commercials crafted by Aardman Animations. Modern commercials retain the art style set by Aardman, but do it in CGI.

Anime and Manga

Comic Books

Film

Literature

  • In the first book in Diane Duane's young adult Young Wizards series, So You Want To Be A Wizard, the two protagonists enter an alternate Manhattan that is populated by sentient cars that spend most of their time trying to kill each other.
    • Sentient almost everything, you mean. The Jerkass elevator and the killer helicopter come to mind.
  • Christine

Live Action TV

  • The Twilight Zone TOS episode "You Drive". After a man kills a boy in a hit and run accident, his car develops a mind of its own and forces him to confess to the crime.
    • There's also the episode "A Thing About Machines", where a man is tormented by the machines in his home, among them a car which ends up chasing him into a swimming pool where he drowns.
  • Sabrina the Teenage Witch had an episode that dealt with this trope: Sabrina purchased a car from the Other Realm and it turned out to have a mind of its own. Hilarity ensued as the car pestered Sabrina about the way she treated it.
  • Wizards of Waverly Place basically imitated the Sabrina example (as it so often does) with a cab that Alex reanimated.
  • Somewhat subverted in My Mother the Car, as it's Mother's spirit that animates the old Porter, but from her speech she might as well really be the car.
  • K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider.
  • Carranger / Power Rangers Turbo had a pair of sentient flying cars from outer space.
  • The cast of the preschool series The Big Garage.[1]

Video Games

  • Some Shin Megami Tensei games have Oboroguruma, which are ghost/demon cars that talk.
  • When Choro Q series steps into the RPG Wide Open Sandbox genre, every car in it is this.
    • Seek and Destroy features sentient tanks!
      • What makes it funny is the fact that, despite being, well, tanks, the still manage to use a number of human mannerisms, for example, one tank, upon discovering his mooks failed to stop the main character, literally jumps up and down in anger. There's also the appearance of tank priests. It brings to question what sort of religion they follow....
      • Oh, and then there's the final boss, the Tank Emperor, with his Three forms ranging from a massive land cruiser, a bulbous spider tank, and finally, a blob of gears, wires, and pure energy.
  • Putt-Putt

Western Animation

Spacecraft (Rockets, Spaceships, etc.)

Literature

Live Action TV

Western Animation

  • In the Futurama episode "Love and Rocket," the Planet Express Ship gets a new AI, which quickly falls in love with Bender.
  • Captain Roger the space shuttle from the DVD-exclusive Cars Toon "Moon Mater".
  • Rocket from Little Einsteins

Trains, Monorails, Trolleys, Steetcars, and Train Cars

Anime and Manga

  • * Digimon Frontier had the digital world populated by machine digimon called Trailmon, who were basically sentient trains who carried their passengers to certain locations. Many of the trailmon had different looks, voices, and personalities, some even resembling mechanized animals, a kettle, and even Frankenstein.

Animated Films

All aboard! Let's go!

  • The train that showed up very briefly in Cars.
    • The sequel also has Stephenson the British spy train.
    • Model trains acting like snakes.

Literature

Live Action TV

  • Mister Rogers' Neighborhood had a model trolley that seemed to be able to converse with Mr. Rogers, as well as with the inhabitants of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Theater

  • Starlight Express features several dozen sentient locomotives and train cars. And their steam-powered God.

Western Animation

Airplanes, Helicopters, and Other Aircraft

Animated Films

  • Pedro the airplane from Saludos Amigos
  • Rotor Turbosky, Kathy Copter and Ron Hover the helicopters, Al Oft the blimp, and Barney Stormin the biplane and the four fighter jets from Cars.
    • Also, Siddeley the fighter jet from the sequel.
    • And Props McGee, Captain Munier, the Falcon Hawks, and Judge Davis from the Cars Toons.
    • Plus the entire Spin-Off film Planes.
    • There are also remote control airplanes that act like birds.

Video Games

  • Windy Plane, the first boss of Ninja Baseball Bat Man. It's an anthropomorphic prop plane that stands on its tail and punches the player with its front wheels, no less.

Western Animation

Boats, Ships, Submarines and other Seacraft

Anime and Manga

  • Arpeggio of Blue Steel is about the Fleet of Fog, a massive collection of alien AIs that have taken the forms of World War II naval vessels and have essentially besieged the nations of Earth.

Animated Films

Western Animation

Other

Anime and Manga

Animated Films

  • In Cars, there are tractors that act like cows and a combine named Frank that acts like a bull.
    • In one of the Maters Tall Tales shorts, there were bulldozers that acted like bulls.
    • A tie-in storybook based on this series called Mater Saves Christmas showed Santa Car (a vehicle resembling a Dusenberg) being pulled by snowmobiles that acted like reindeer.
    • Bessie, on the other hand, despite also being a bulldozer herself, is for some reason, not anthropomorphized.
    • The sequel featured a giant dump truck near the beginning that presumably acted like a bison.

Western Animation

  1. Which also features a talking gas pump.
  2. And even though "K.A.R.R." was the name of an evil clone of K.I.T.T. from the actual series.
  3. Further, Thomas wasn't originally the main character. He didn't even appear in the first book