This article is about the video game character. For other uses, see Orbot (disambiguation).

Orbot (オーボット, Ōbotto^?) is a character that appears in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a robot built by Dr. Eggman. One of Eggman's aide robots,^[3] Orbot mainly assists the doctor in his schemes for world domination and makes sure his plans are carried out correctly, with his partner Cubot working alongside him to perform various duties.^[4]

Serious and intelligent, Orbot is loyal to Eggman. However, he does not like him very much, and his spiteful sarcasm sometimes provokes the anger of his creator.^[3][4]

Appearance[]

Orbot is a diminutive robot with a round head composed of a semi-spherical cap with a smaller black semi-sphere under it for a lower face. His lower face can separate to reveal a cover, representing his mouth, and he has two gray-framed and pupil-less eyes. He has also a ball joint for a chest and red gloves for hands. His arms and back consist each of two thin bars that are joined by a ball joint. His lower body is a small semi-sphere with a gray inside and a ball joint connecting it to his back.

Orbot has a red head cap and light blue eyes and mouth, while the rest of him is black and gray with a few red joints.

History[]

Past[]

Created by Dr. Eggman just to kill some time,^[5] Orbot was later given the purpose of aiding his creator with his various schemes and waiting on him hand and foot.^[3][4]

Sonic Colors[]

In the Wii version of Sonic Colors, Orbot and his partner Cubot assisted Dr. Eggman in his scheme to enslave the world with a mind control cannon by capturing the Wisps from their planets in Egg Planet Park and harvesting their Hyper-go-on. Before the opening day of the amusement, Orbot and Cubot were out trying to capture Yacker and a Cyan Wisp, until Sonic saved the Wisps.

Later, Orbot and Cubot presented the Wisps they had caught to Eggman and were just sent out to get more when Sonic had arrived. Orbot would then follow Eggman when the doctor unleashed the Rotatatron. After Sonic destroyed the Rotatatron, Orbot and Cubot were sent to clean up the robot's remains. Though they could not find Rotatatron's arm, Orbot was not concerned, unaware that it had gotten stuck in the mind-control cannon. Back at Eggman's headquarters, Orbot was ordered by Eggman to give Cubot a new voice chip to get rid of his cowboy accent. However, Orbot got the wrong chip and gave Cubot a pirate accent, resulting in him hurrying out on Eggman's orders to fix it.

When the mind control cannon was ready, Orbot watched Eggman activate it, only for it to backfire due to the Rotatatron's arm being stuck in it. As Orbot then slapped Cubot's back in praise for being more "attentive" when Cubot noted Eggman's constant failures, he gave Cubot his old voice back. When Eggman then faced Sonic in his Nega-Wisp Armor and was defeated, Orbot was pulled with Eggman and Cubot into a temporary black hole created by the mind-control cannon. Now stranded in outer space, Orbot and Cubot began helping Eggman get back to civilization by pushing him in his trashed Egg Mobile through space.

Sonic Generations[]

In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, a short while after the Wisp incident, Orbot and Cubot were still pushing Dr. Eggman in his damaged Egg Mobile through outer space when they encountered the primordial form of the Time Eater. As Eggman decided to harness the creature's powers for his own needs, he had Orbot and Cubot push him into the Time Eater, leaving the robot duo behind in space.

Shadow Generations[]

In Shadow Generations, it is revealed that Orbot and Cubot were also transported to the White Space after being left behind by Dr. Eggman and the Time Eater. Here, they found what looked to be an unfinished rocket and planned on completing it to escape. Soon after, they are found by Shadow, who the two request to help find the missing parts to complete the rocket. However, once Shadow does find all the missing parts and the two finish the rocket, it turned out that it was actually a rocket-shaped cuckoo clock the whole time, dismaying the two.

Sonic Lost World[]

In the Wii U version and PC version of Sonic Lost World, Orbot and Cubot were working for Dr. Eggman with his newest scheme to conquer the world with the help of the Deadly Six, whom Eggman had forced into serving him with the Cacophonic Conch. After kidnapping a capsule full of Animals for Badniks, Orbot was flying through the sky with Eggman and Cubot in the Egg Mobile, where they were pursued by Sonic and Tails in the Tornado until Eggman shot the Tornado down.

Returning to Eggman's factory on the Lost Hex, Orbot worked with Cubot on making Badniks. Later on, when Eggman tested his Extractor, Orbot operated the controls on the device but was ordered to shut it down before it could destroy the earth. Later in Desert Ruins, Orbot and Cubot were with Eggman as he punished the Deadly Six with the Cacophonic Conch when Sonic arrived and knocked the conch away. As the Deadly Six then rebelled against and attacked everyone present with the Badniks, Orbot caught Cubot's detached head, before escaping with Sonic, Tails, and Eggman.

After escaping the Deadly Six, Orbot left Sonic and Tails with Cubot and Eggman. When they learned the Deadly Six were using the Extractor to destroy the earth, however, Cubot, Eggman, and Orbot came back and teamed up with Sonic and Tails to stop the Deadly Six before they could destroy the world. Along the group's travels, Orbot served as the carrier for Cubot's head. After Tails got captured by the Deadly Six, Orbot asked Sonic if he could become his sidekick (much to the annoyance of Eggman, who stated that he is standing right next to Orbot), but was declined. Later, Orbot was forced to have Cubot's head attached to his body by Eggman.

At Lava Mountain, the group was attacked by Zazz and Zomom, who made Orbot and Cubot fall into a lava pit. However, they were saved by Eggman, who faked his death by falling into the same lava pit and then flew them to safety with a jetpack. After Eggman then shut down the Extractor and charged his mech, Orbot and Cubot joined Eggman in his mech as the doctor faced Sonic and Tails but was defeated. After that, Orbot and Cubot followed Eggman to earth when he fell from the Lost Hex and found him in a hole, though with half of his mustache gone. Orbot convinced Cubot to wait to tell Eggman about his mustache until he separated them, but Eggman overheard them, angrily questioning about his mustache, scaring Orbot and Cubot away.

Sonic Forces[]

In Sonic Forces, Orbot reported the presence of mysterious energy readings just outside Eggman's hideout, which Eggman discovered was the Phantom Ruby. While studying it, Orbot also aided in the naming of the gem (or, rather, he shot down Cubot's name suggestions).^[6] Later on, when Eggman's base was attacked by Omega, Orbot proceeded to inform the evil scientist himself. However, Eggman angrily snapped at Orbot as he already knew and set out to deal with the problem.^[7]

Months later, Orbot was hard at work in Eggman's base. While Eggman was ranting about his hatred for Sonic and how his latest weapon would not only defeat Sonic but also ensure his conquest of the world, Orbot admitted that Eggman actually meant it this time. Orbot's hunch soon proved to be correct, as Eggman soon after conquered over 99% of the world.

Six months later, Orbot witnessed the destruction of the Death Egg alongside Cubot, Eggman, and Infinite, and attempted to flee with Eggman when the latter suggested they do a "tactical retreat" to cut down on their losses.

Back in Metropolis, Orbot left the scene when Infinite opened a portal into Null Space, which sucked Sonic and the Avatar into it. After Sonic and the Avatar escaped Null Space, however, Orbot was the first to notice Sonic's return and attempted to warn Eggman, with Eggman realizing Sonic's escape when turning to face Orbot. Orbot soon after fled again with his master, although not before smacking Cubot, who was lagging behind.

Team Sonic Racing[]

In Team Sonic Racing, Orbot and Cubot were stationed at Dr. Eggman's home base, the Final Fortress, while the doctor took part in the Grand Prix organized by Dodon Pa with his Eggpawns. There, Orbot and Cubot would perform their list of duties while staying in contact with Eggman via radio.

When Eggman lost one of the races and Sonic asked how many times the doctor had lost by now, Orbot tried to give the exact number until he was silenced by Eggman. When Eggman later complained about his car, Orbot mocked Eggman by stating that it was typical that the creators blamed their creations for everything, prompting an annoyed Eggman to tell Orbot to zip it. Orbot later proved to have learned his lesson when he remained silent when Eggman asked him a rhetorical question that also doubled as a threat. Later, when Cubot asked Orbot if it was weird that he felt jealous of seeing Eggman with other robots, Orbot snarked by replying it was very weird since Eggman cannot stand him. When Eggman later bragged about his plan, Orbot revealed he had prepared a list of ways for Eggman's plan to fail, prompting Eggman to chide him. When Cubot later made a snide comment at Eggman over the radio, Orbot frustratingly asked him why he kept holding the mic button down, to which Cubot explained that he liked buttons.

After Dr. Eggman, Zavok and Metal Sonic brought a kidnapped Dodona Pa onboard the Final Fortress, the villains forced Sonic and his allies to race them so that Dodon Pa could capture the teams' Ultimate Team Energy and use it to finish his Ultimate Energy Engine. After Eggman personally took part in one of the races and remarked that he made a fool of himself out on the track, Orbot tried to comfort him by saying that he also made a fool of himself in his own base. After Dodon Pa finished the engine and Eggman stole it, Orbot remarked that Eggman's cooperation with Dodon Pa did not last very long. Later, Orbot warned Eggman that his Death Egg had gone crazy and was heading straight for the energy core. Orbot, Eggman, and Cubot thus evacuated from the Final Fortress before the fortress crashed due to the destruction of the energy core.

Other game appearances[]

Sonic Runners[]

In Sonic Runners, Orbot assisted Dr. Eggman during various operations as Eggman concocted one plot after another to achieve world domination. Orbot would also as a commander of Eggman's Badnik hordes during their hunts for Animals to use as power sources. Whenever encountering Team Sonic however, Orbot was met with failure, leaving him to be scolded by Eggman.

During Eggman's endgame, Orbot set up a trap to stop Team Sonic when they inevitably arrived. However, thanks to Cubot, the team got past Orbot's defenses. Admitting defeat, Orbot retreated from Team Sonic when they arrived.

Mario & Sonic series[]

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[]

In the Wii version and Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Orbot appears as a non-playable character.

In the Wii version of the game, Orbot serves as the referee in a number of different events. He also appears in London Party where he serves various roles. One of these roles includes him appearing as a "?" mark effect with Cubot to copy one of the player's stickers onto another empty space on their sheet. He and Cubot also appear to provide dialogue for Metal Sonic when the player meets him on the streets of London in London Party since Metal Sonic cannot speak himself. In addition, Orbot and Cubot play a role in the "Orbot & Cubot Tag!" Bonus Game in London Party, where they will chase after the players and try to catch them in cages.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Orbot appears in the Long Jump and Triple Jump events as the referee. In these events, he will measure the distance achieved if the player performs a successful jump. He also makes an appearance in the game's story mode. During the events of the story, Orbot came to London with Dr. Eggman, Cubot, and Metal Sonic. When Eggman beat Metal Sonic during one of their training sessions, Orbot and Cubot suggested that Eggman could have programmed Metal Sonic to lose to him. Eggman then suggested that Orbot and Cubot tested out Metal Sonic themselves, much to their horror until Eggman told them that he was joking and needed a better idea. Spotting Waluigi on the monitors, the group headed out to get him to test Metal Sonic out. Orbot and Cubot tried to convince Waluigi to face Metal Sonic, but Waluigi refused. Before Waluigi could leave though, Eggman showed up and scolded Orbot and Cubot before convincing Waluigi to challenge Metal Sonic. After Metal Sonic won, the group left to further improve Metal Sonic. Later, Orbot and Cubot tried convincing Wario to challenge Metal Sonic. Orbot tried to convince Wario the same way Eggman convinced Waluigi, but it failed to have an impact on Wario. Instead, Wario offers to take Metal Sonic on if Orbot and Cubot would come and work for him if he won. Eggman immediately showed up afterward and accepted Wario's terms, though he had to give him something if he lost. Fortunately, Orbot and Cubot got to stay with Eggman after Metal Sonic won, and Eggman received the Fog urn from Wario as his reward. Returning to their base, Orbot and Cubot saw Eggman open the Fog urn a bit, causing it to release some fog. Orbot and Cubot then noticed Sonic emerge from the fog. After Eggman defeated Sonic, he explained to Orbot and Cubot that this Sonic was a imposter made of fog. He also explained to them the history of the Fog urn, which contained the magical Phantasmal Fog that Eggman planned to use later but had to shelf for now in favor of focusing on the Olympics. When Orbot and Cubot accused Eggman of not training for the games though, Eggman threatened to change their voice chips, prompting the two robots to run from Eggman as he began chasing them.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, a badge of Orbot can also be obtained from the badge machine.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games[]

In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Orbot appears as a non-playable character once more. In this game, he serves as one of the hosts for the Action & Answer Tour quiz, alongside Cubot.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games[]

In the Wii U version, Nintendo 3DS version, and arcade version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Orbot makes an appearance as a non-playable character.

In the Wii U version of the game, Orbot appears as the referee for certain events. He also serves as the host of the game's single-player Single Matches. For this purpose, the player can talk to him at Maracanã Stadium on Copacabana Beach. By talking to Orbot, he will show the player the games available in single-player. The player can then choose to play a single match by themselves.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of the game, Orbot serves as the referee in different events. He also makes an appearance during the Road to Rio story mode at the bus stops. There, he allows the player to travel between different areas of Rio.

In the arcade version of the game, Orbot makes a simple cameo as a non-playable character.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020[]

In the Nintendo Switch version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Orbot makes an appearance as a non-playable referee in different 3D events.

Personality[]

Orbot is a highly intelligent, serious, and level-headed robot.^[3] From the start, he has shown an eye for efficiency, taking close notice of Eggman's flaws or awry plans. He is as well rather sassy and shows a sense of spiteful sarcasm,^[3] voicing facts and opinions as he sees fit, whether it is offering unsolicited, withering assessments of his master or asking a mourning Sonic if he could become the hedgehog's sidekick. As such, he comes off as straightforward, insensitive, and brash. However, he does not mean anything by it, and behaves mainly as such to give constructive criticism and approach subjects matter-of-factly.^[8]

Orbot's personality is, in comparison to his supposed prototype, jaded and refined, giving him a wide spectrum of emotions and a polished demeanor, which goes along with his smooth surface. As such, while sassy and sarcastic like his predecessor, he is more legal in his approaches and goes about them in a more diplomatic way. He, therefore, speaks calmly and formally, yet without a filter, and is more honest to a fault than outright rude.

Orbot is a devoted follower, although not necessarily out of personal preference.^[3][4] Also, while he takes his job seriously,^[3] he tends to slack off when possible and cut corners when working. When slacking off, Orbot has a habit of resting on his side and holding his head up with one arm.

IDW Publishing[]

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs published by IDW Publishing, Orbot acts similar to how he does in the games. Unlike many of Eggman's robots, he is not a mindless drone and possesses both a personality and emotions of his own. Orbot is one who looks at the bright side of things, especially for the sake of his boss when he is in a foul mood.^[9] He is also shown to be lazy.^[10][11]

Orbot possesses a sense of spiteful sarcasm, and likes to rebuke Eggman about his previous failures, having once asked Eggman if he wanted to review "a list of eldritch creatures [he'd] like to resurrect and then lose control over", which is a clear reference to the doctor's past failures in this field.^[12]

By his own admission, Orbot appears to suffer from anxiety. As such, he needs to take some time off for reassuring activities, such as arranging cables in alphabetical order.^[13] He is also smarter and more perceptive than Cubot, whom he has to explain some things to.

Powers and abilities[]

Orbot has the ability to retract his body into a travel-sized sphere. While in this state, he is fully capable of movements.

Orbot is able to levitate and can move freely through midair. However, he is not able to levitate any higher than a few meters above the ground and he requires a solid surface below him to float, meaning he will fall down if the footing below him is removed.^[14] He also has special skills in data analysis and cleaning.^[3]

IDW Publishing[]

Orbot has the ability to retract his body into a travel-sized sphere. While in this state, he is fully capable of movements. He is also able to levitate and can move freely through midair.^[12]

Relationships[]

Dr. Eggman[]

Orbot is the aide robot and number one flunky of his creator/boss, Dr. Eggman.^[15] Although Orbot obeys Eggman faithfully and shows concerns about his well-being, he really does not like him very much.^[4] While Orbot generally assists Eggman's with his more delicate operations, he often makes spiteful sarcastic remarks for pointing out general flaws in Eggman's plans which sometimes angers the doctor,^[3] prompting a quick smack in return.

Orbot is constantly bothered by Eggman's attitude and receives worse treatment from him than from enemies like Sonic and Tails.^[16] As such, he agrees that Eggman is a "total bonehead". However, he is still capable of acknowledging Eggman; during the Infinite incident, he noted that his master meant business after hearing him gloat about his impending success in conquering the world and defeating Sonic.

Orbot will occasionally laugh at Eggman's misfortune and would early on insult him openly with sarcastic remarks. Additionally, he considers working for Sonic a better alternative than working for Eggman. Regardless of his dislike of Eggman, Orbot is very much afraid of his master's wrath and will try to not overstep his boundaries.

As one of his aide robots, Orbot obediently follows Eggman's every order, although he does so more out of fear of Eggman's wrath.^[17] In addition, while Orbot is loyal towards Dr. Eggman and waits on him hand and foot, he does not like him very much, especially when the doctor preys upon his emotions and verbally abuses him with threats of dismantling him.^[18] Orbot also serves Eggman as one of his head assistants on some of his projects, although he mainly cooks, cleans and make coffee for him.^[17][19][20] Orbot also sometimes likes to spite Eggman with sarcasm about his past failures.^[18]

Suring the time Eggman suffered from amnesia and became a reformed handyman, Orbot was surprised by Eggman's kindness and compassion, and was unsure if he wanted the real Dr. Eggman back. He likewise expressed disappointment when Eggman got back to normal.^[18]

Cubot[]

Cubot is Orbot's partner in the service of Dr. Eggman and the two are an inseparable pair. By comparison, Orbot is the straight man to Cubot's comic relief.^[3]

In general, Orbot is not fond of Cubot's idiocy and considers him a dimwit, having expressed what a "nightmare" it was for him having Cubot's head attached to him. When they work together, Orbot usually lets Cubot do all the work while he slacks off. Also, while having to carry around Cubot's head in Sonic Lost World, he would mostly fumble around with it for his amusement. Despite all this, however, Orbot has a good relationship with Cubot and he considers him a close friend of his. Whenever Cubot regains his normal voice, Orbot will be very happy about his recovery, and when he once believed Cubot to be destroyed, Orbot showed genuine sadness over it.

Orbot is not above beating up Cubot for any failures, as shortly before retreating with Eggman from Metropolis during the War to Take Back the Planet, he was seen approaching Cubot and smacking him upside the head when he fell behind.

Due to Cubot being the less bright member of this pair, Orbot often has to explain certain things to him or keep him from revealing sensitive information to their enemies.^[21]

Sonic the Hedgehog[]

Though they are supposed to be enemies, Orbot does not really hold any personal hostility towards Sonic the Hedgehog besides his obligation to stop him. In fact, Orbot admires Sonic for his devotion to his friends, which makes him wish to work for him;^[8] after Tails was captured by the Deadly Six, Orbot asked Sonic if he could become his sidekick in the case he could not save Tails as he considered working for him a better alternative than Eggman.^[8]

Friends/allies[]

• Eggman Empire
  • Badniks
  • Cubot (best friend)
  • Dr. Eggman
  • Eggman Doll
  • Infinite
  • Metal Sonic
  • Sage

Neutral[]

• Dr. Starline
• Eggman Nega
• Time Eater

Enemies[]

• Amy Rose
• Avatar
• Babylon Rogues
  • Jet the Hawk
  • Storm the Albatross
  • Wave the Swallow
• Barry the Quokka
• Big the Cat
• Blaze the Cat
• Cream the Rabbit
• Cheese
• Conductor
• Conductor's wife
• Deadly Six
  • Master Zik
  • Zavok
  • Zazz
  • Zeena
  • Zomom
  • Zor
• Dodon Pa
• E-123 Omega
• Froggy
• Gemerl
• Jewel the Beetle
• Knuckles the Echidna
• Miles "Tails" Prower
• Marine the Raccoon
• Restoration
  • Belle the Tinkerer
• Rouge the Bat
• Rough the Skunk
• Shadow the Hedgehog
• Silver the Hedgehog
• Sonic Fan Club
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sticks the Badger
• Surge the Tenrec
• Tangle the Lemur
• Team Chaotix
  • Charmy Bee
  • Espio the Chameleon
  • Vector the Crocodile
• Tumble the Skunk
• Whisper the Wolf
• Wisp
  • Jade
  • Rebel Wisps
  • Yacker

In other media[]

Comics[]

Archie Comics[]

Main articles: Orbot (Archie) and Orbot (Pre-Super Genesis Wave)

In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series and its spin-offs, Orbot was one of Dr. Eggman's emergency lackeys and personal attendants, along with Cubot. When Snively betrayed Eggman and tried to seize control of the Eggman Empire, Orbot and Cubot were activated to help Eggman capture Snively. After the mission was completed, Orbot and Cubot were permanently instated as Eggman's foremost assistants.

After the Super Genesis Wave re-wrote history, Orbot and his history became nearly indistinguishable from his game counterpart.

IDW Publishing[]

Main article: Orbot/History and appearances (IDW)

Animation[]

Sonic Boom[]

Main article: Orbot (Sonic Boom)

In the Sonic Boom franchise, Orbot is one of the secondary antagonists and Dr. Eggman's service robots, much like in the games. He works alongside Cubot and assists the doctor in his endeavors to conquer the world and destroy Team Sonic. In this media, he is the final model in the Orbot Series.

Sonic Prime[]

In Sonic Prime, Orbot is one of Dr. Eggman's service robots, working alongside Cubot.

Quotes[]

Trivia[]

• Orbot's name is a portmanteau of the words "orb" and "robot."
  • It is also an anagram for "robot".
• A possible prototype robot of Orbot, named SA-55, appeared in the Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 version of Sonic Unleashed, albeit with a different voice and color scheme.^[22]
• In Vectorman, a Sega Mega Drive game included in Sonic Gems Collection, the titular protagonist was a type of robot also referred to as an Orbot.
• Orbot and Cubot share a similar role to that of several Sonic-related television shows, where Eggman (or rather, Robotnik) has two rather incompetent henchmen in their own right and abuses them, such as Scratch and Grounder in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sleet and Dingo in Sonic Underground, and Decoe and Bocoe in Sonic X.

References[]