Super Robot Genre: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|''"So much for the laws of physics!"''|''[[Getter Robo]] Armageddon''}}

Super Robot shows are typically personified by "Love/Courage/Compassion/Friendship/Righteous-Anger/Insert-Positive-Emotion-Here Conquers All", and almost always have at least one character that is [[Hot-Blooded]], though there are certain notable exceptions... mostly those directed by [[Yoshiyuki Tomino|Yoshiyuki "Kill 'em All" Tomino]], to whom [[Anyone Can Die]] is less a possibility than a life philosophy (...or at least [[Overman King Gainer|it used to be]]). They also typically follow the [[Monster of the Week]] format, especially in older shows, though as always there are exceptions. Super Robots tend towards idealism on the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]].

 

 

A handy checklist to see if a mecha is a Super Robot as opposed to a Real Robot:

* It performs the function of a super hero.

* The robot is easily capable of [[Weird Science|breaking the laws of physics]].

** The robot can [[Telescoping Robot|grow in size and creates and dismisses weapons]] more or less at will.

* The robot is [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?|sentient.]]

** [[Eye Beams]]

** [[Chest Blaster]]

** A [[The Archer|Bow]]

** A [[Precision-Guided Boomerang|Boomerang]]

** Double points if the weapon is disguised as/transforms from a part of the robot (such as a detachable pair of wings which can be thrown as a boomerang) or another robot transforms into the weapon.

* Three or more separately piloted vehicles [[Combining Mecha|combine]] to form the robot.

* The pilot is [[Hot-Blooded]]. Bonus points if he directly affects the robot by being so. Triple points if he also sports [[Go Nagai Sideburns]].

** The pilot ''always'' screams [[Calling Your Attacks|the name of the attacks]].

* The robot is one-of-a-kind and/or is the only line of defense between the earth (or other place to be defended) and the invading hordes.

** If someone tries to copy the design of the unique robot, no matter how hard they try to improve on it, it will suck.

* The robot was designed and built by a scientist or lab independent of the government and military.

** The robot was created by the pilot's father, grandfather, or uncle.

** At least one robot in the series has a noble title as part of its name, such as "[[Gratuitous German|Kaiser]]", [[Gratuitous English|"King", "Emperor"]], or "Oh" (Japanese for lord/king).

* The robot features one or more of the following design elements:

** Improbable size, being either so large that it should [[Square-Cube Law|collapse under its own weight]], or so small that [[Hyperspace Arsenal|it could not possibly hold and/or power its weapons]]. Extreme examples include [[Powered Armor]] capable of destroying cities and humanoid mecha with enough interior space to transport entire civilisations.

** Winglike protrusions from the sides of its helmet.

* Ichirou Mizuki or [[JAM Project]] does the theme song. MEGA extra points if it's done by BOTH.

 

{{examples}}

== Anime and Manga ==

* On the other hand, [[Go Nagai]]'s ''[[Mazinger Z]]'' (and its sequels, ''[[Great Mazinger]]'' and ''[[UFO Robo Grendizer]]'', and the remake, ''Mazinkaiser'') was the one who ''[[Trope Codifier|defined]]'' the trope as we know it.

** The actual term originates from the ''[[Mazinger Z]]'' theme song, which states, in English, "Super robot... Mazinger Z!!!"

* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' is based on the mecha being like this [[Troperiffic|in as many ways as possible]]: Let's see... Sentient: check. [[Transformation Sequence]]: check. Creates weapons at will: check. [[Calling Your Attacks|High-volume attack screaming]]: check. [[Expressive Mask|Flexible face]]: check. [[Combining Mecha]]: check. One-of-a-kind: Kinda check; Lagann is one-of-a-kind, but Gurren is just a Ganmen that Kamina [[Gundamjack|jacked during a battle]]. Powered by [[Hot-Blooded|Hot Blood]]: Check. Drills: Oh, so very checked. {{spoiler|Becoming large enough to literally throw galaxies as projectiles: not in the list, but it ''should be'', and absolutely check.}}

** Don't forget the shades are a [[Precision-Guided Boomerang|Precision Guided]] ''splitting'' [[Precision-Guided Boomerang|Boomerang]], the (stolen) helmet and the red paint job.

*** Just in case you didn't catch that, that's a Super Robot [[Meta Mecha|being piloted by]] ''another'' Super Robot in a giant cockpit. And by the end of the series there's a Super Robot piloting a Super Robot, [[Serial Escalation|PILOTING YET ANOTHER SUPER ROBOT.]]

* ''[[Getter Robo]]'' The first [[Combining Mecha|combining]] Super Robot.

* ''[[Giant Robo]]''

* The "Romantic Trilogy": ''[[Combattler V]]'', ''[[Voltes V]]'', and ''[[Daimos]]'', who all featured more realistic combinations.

* ''[[Zambot 3]]''

* ''[[Daitarn 3]]''.

* ''[[Gaiking]]''

* ''[[Kotetsu Jeeg]]''

** ''GaoGaiGar'' is notable in that there's absolutely ''no'' weirdness in any of the transformations for the main characters - every single part and motion is accounted for, so all toys made for the franchise would be perfect (the toys and character models were made together). The villains (who didn't have many toy) on the other hand, routinely distort, shapeshift, dissolve and reform, etc. GaoGaiGar itself seems to obey at least SOME of the laws of physics, {{spoiler|1=when during the fight with Spine Primeval, GaoGaiGar attempts to fly into space, but can't due to the fact that StealthGao's jet engines have run out of air at such a high altitude. This limitation is, of course, fixed in the next episode.}} And despite [[Bragging Theme Tune|the theme song billing the titular mecha as invincible]], it gets pretty badly beat up on a regular basis, even sustaining damage from combination or using its own weaponry. In GaoGaiGar FINAL, {{spoiler|1=a copy of the original GaoGaiGar is destroyed by GaoFighGar, which is later in the series destroyed by Palparepa}}

* In an amusing reversal, ''Mobile Fighter [[G Gundam]]'', the first Gundam series not in the Universal Century timeline, is a notable super robot show (with designs that get really, ''really'' weird), despite ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'' essentially launching the real robot genre.

** There's usually a trend for antagonist suits to gain a technological edge on the titular Gundams sometime in the other series, which may or may not warrant a mid-season upgrade. The original [[Mobile Suit Gundam|RX-78-2]] was considered almost obsolete by the time the One Year War ended, had it not been for Amuro's incredible abilities.

*** Allelujah Haptism {{spoiler|regains his alternate personality, Hallelujah, through contact with concentrated [[Applied Phlebotinum|GN]] [[Green Rocks|Particles]].}}

*** Tieria Erde starts calling his attacks all over the place and firing what basically amounts to a GN Particle Bowling Bomb from his [[BFG]].

*** Last, but certainly not least, Setsuna F. Seiei {{spoiler|gains the ability to teleport himself ''and his Gundam'' through sheer hot-bloodedness and determination.}}

* The Mach 5 from ''[[Speed Racer]]'' definitely counts, as it's more of a [[Cool Car|car-shaped]] Super Robot.

* The Ideon from, well, ''[[Space Runaway Ideon]]'' fits the bill pretty well, at least when it feels like it. Since the mech is inhabited by the God-like energy known as the Ide, when the Ide doesn't feel like helping all it can do is punch and kick.

** They are real robots unless they are equipped with the Lambda Drive, and even then it's only when using it. Sousuke's robot seems to have a personality, but it's an AI that mostly exists to aid him (and tell the audience what they'd normally need to be able to read instruments to know).

*** Which doesn't stop [[The Comically Serious|Sousuke]] from playing the straight man ''[[Crowning Moment of Funny|to his own robot]]'' in the final episode of ''The Second Raid''.

** It goes beyond that. This editor, seeing that clip in an AMV, originally assumed it to be from a Yuusha series, and it only clicked with him some time later that he'd seen it in an episode of ''[[Gun X Sword]]''.

** Of course, the rest of the mecha are also Super Robots (in the Evangelion sense of Super Robot).

* ''[[Dancougar]]'' and ''[[Dancouga Nova]]''.

** They're arguably [[Real Robots]] given how slow they are and {{spoiler|showm they were used in a war in the past and have land, air and sea variants}} also their treatment as godlike in universe is because the world is [[After the End]] well, maybe, [[Mind Screw]] and all

* All three entries in the Eldran series qualify, with [[Nekketsu Saikyo Gosaurer|the last series]] probably being the only show to ever exist where the mecha was literally ''made out of a school building''.

* The Near Future chapter of ''[[Live a Live]]'' has the [[Lawyer-Friendly Cameo|Most-definately-not]] [[Gigantor]] Buriki Daioh (Great Tin King), which is powered by Psychic energy.

* The Deus Machina from the ''[[Demonbane]]'' franchise, which are notable in particular for being ''[[Magitech]]'' super robots. The strongest form of the titular mech is also the largest super robot in the genre, dwarfing even the much more famous ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' ''by an order of magnitude.'' It gets so big it pops the universe it's in.

* ''[[God Mars|Six God Combination Godmars]]''

* ''[[Brigadoon Marin and Melan|Brigadoon: Marin And Melan]]'' has the three Gun-Swordsmen; Melan Blue, Pyon Silver, and Erin Garnet. They're partly organic, though, and none of them have pilots, though Melan regularly carries his human companion Marin with him into battle.

* Reideen, Combattler, and ''Danguard Ace'' had a brief existence in the [[Marvel Universe]], thanks to the ''Shogun Warriors'' comic; one adventure actually had the [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic 4]] filling in as Combattler pilots.

* ''[[Iron Man]]'' is arguably a Super Robot (despite being [[Powered Armor]] rather than a [[Humongous Mecha]]), though the version in ''[[House of M]]'' is more of a Real Robot.

 

== Film ==

 

** Mechagodzilla.

*** Heck, Kiryu (AKA The [[We Can Rebuild Him|cyborg version]] of the 1954 [[Godzilla]]) was the only version of Mechagodzilla to defeat his flesh-n-blood counterpart. That, and he was intelligent enough to be able to communicate with humans.

 

== Live Action TV ==

** ''[[Denshi Sentai Denziman]]'''s Daidenjin was probably one of the more outstanding examples. Not only did it have all the moves of a Super Robot, it acted extremely sentient at times, often showing up when the Denjimen are in danger without being summoned. Plus, the backstory of the Daidenjin is quite long-winding. It's a combination of [[Lost Technology]] and Space tech from the Denji aliens.

*** The inclusion of these into the franchise was inspired by the [[Japanese Spider-Man|Japanese live-action version of Spider-Man]], which had its own Super Robot called Leopardon.

 

== New Media ==

** Omega, from the same setting, is a Super Robot from the future whose goal is to wipe out all superhumans on Earth. He's a combination [[Expy]] of both Ultron and the Sentinels from [[Marvel Comics]].

 

 

== Video Games ==

 

** In addition to a plethora of Super Robots from other series. Mazingers and Getter Robo are perennial favorites.

** One of the Banpresto originals (the Alt Eisen) is a [[Real Robot Genre|Real Robot]] that thinks it's a Super Robot. The Valhawk, from ''W'', is a Real Robot that [[Combining Mecha|combines]] with [[The Battlestar]], the Valstork, to make a Super Robot.

* In one of ''[[Disgaea]]'s'' [["On the Next..."]] segments, Etna claims that the Prinnies are capable of combining into the Super Robot "Pringer X", which actually appears in the [[Animated Adaptation]]. Also, when {{spoiler|Jennifer is kidnapped}}, a vague hint causes several characters to imagine her being transformed into a [[Humongous Mecha]].

** Pringer '''Z'' actually shows up in other games by the same team, most notably in Phantom Brave as the ultimate secret [[Bonus Boss]]. He's normal Prinny sized, but uses Super Robot weapons (including a towering column of flame that reaches {{smallcaps|SPACE}}). However, in this series, a towering column of flame that reaches {{smallcaps| SPACE}} isn't all that impressive.

** Then you have [[Game Breaker|Erde Kaiser]].

* The Playstation 2 game ''[[Robot Alchemic Drive]]'' is built around this trope, putting the player in command of robots that can perform rocket punches, flying kicks, throw giant boomerangs, transform into various vehicles, and even teleport in an instant.

* ''[[Ganbare Goemon]]'' has quite possibly the weirdest example by far, in the form of Goemon Impact. It's a giant clockwork robot that resembles Goemon himself, built by the Wise Man ([[Multiple Choice Past|or hailing from a planet inhabited by people resembling it]]), that must be summoned using a conch shell, can fire beams out of its mouth ''and '''nose''''', and happens to be entirely sentient.

 

 

* [[Adrastus]] is an alien robot hidden by the main character's family. It has rocket punches, beams, and an amazing mohawk.

 

== Web Original ==

 

* The eponymous ''[[Ilivais X]]'' and its fellow prototypes definitely fall in here. The GEKICOM units have implausible [[Elemental Powers]], the STRUQ units are a massive [[Combining Mecha]] pastiche, and the Phonos Weapons are as a whole incredibly powerful and dangerous. X itself is more of a [[Deconstruction]] though. It's sentient and has its own agenda of sorts, has an unlimited source of energy that by it's very nature is just ''off'', there's all sorts of parallels between it and Lucifer, and so on.

 

== Western Animation ==

 

* Parody: ''[[Megas XLR]]''. Not only is it controlled through the use of ''90's videogame controllers'', it also has an endless supply of aptly named doomsday buttons, is set with a victory pose that mimics that of its driver, can only be driven by [[I Know Mortal Kombat|a fat, lazy, slow-headed video game geek and gearhead]], and contains almost every [[Wave Motion Gun]] in anime history (Including, [[Uchuu Senkan Yamato|THE Wave Motion Gun]], along with half of the ship). Did we mention it only cost its owner two bucks, which he never paid?

* ''[[Mighty Orbots|The Mighty Orbots]]'' from 1980's Saturday morning TV.

** "[[Transformers Cybertron|Optimus Prime, Super Mode!"]]

** [[Transformers Energon|"Optimus Prime, Super Mode! Powerlink!]] [[Transformation Sequence|Fire One, combine! Copter Two, combine! Digger Three, combine! Submarine Four!]] <ref>For whatever reason, he almost never says "combine!" with Submarine Four.</ref> [[Transformation Name Announcement|Optimus Prime Super Mode, Powerlink complete!"]]

** Speaking of weapons, weapons as part of the 'bot are almost standard. Sometimes they remain attached, sometimes they detach to become handheld weapons. Some have guns that don't store on them, and seem to come from hammerspace as needed. (The Japanese series, however, explicitly show them being summoned in a flash of light, based on the three instances of such in the [[Transformers Generation 1]] series.)

** Most Transformers series fit with the Super Robot genre to various degrees, including the Western series and the Live-Action movie. However, Japan-made Transformers are full-fledged Super Robots.

*** Then throw in [[Combining Mecha|combination]]. in ''[[Transformers Energon]],'' the drone vehicles he has and can combine with, and some of the attacks done with them (such as having them fly around him in a circle and amplify his attack to make a serious [[Beam Spam]] finisher - so awesome he naturally does it ''only once ever.'') ''really'' scream "title robot of a [[Super Robot]] anime."

** While no pilots, the TFs themselves [[Calling Your Attacks|call their attacks]] in the Japan-original series. Attack calls were even added in the Japanese dub of ''[[Transformers Animated]].''

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Mecha Tropes]]

[[Category:Vehicle Tropes]]