Orbot
From Sonic Retro
Template:CharacterSheet Orbot, commonly known as SA-55 or "Ergo" to fans, is a small robotic assistant of Dr. Eggman, appearing in cutscenes during Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colours.
The robot was not actually given a name until Sonic Colours, going through Unleashed merely as a nameless droid. Fans called him "Ergo" on account of his propensity to use the word frequently while dissecting Eggman's plans. SA-55 was the name used in the script of Sonic Unleashed, as revealed on the BumbleKing forums by Ian Flynn (head writer of the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic).
Sonic Unleashed
The diminutive droid is a fixture of Eggman's control consoles for most of the game, relaying information to the Doctor and making sure the processes of his plans are carried out correctly. When inactive, he folds up into a sphere, and pops back up whenever Eggman needs someone to yell orders at. Although he is always obeys the Doctor's commands, Orbot is utterly, comicly tactless in criticizing his master when Eggman's plans go awry, and even laughs openly when the scientist takes a rock to the skull in Mazuri. Orbot's cynical opprobrium frequently proves annoying to the Doctor, prompting him to make flustered defences about how "That was... err... all part of my plan! Part of the big picture! Where's the fun in having my plans succeed without any challenge?!". In the final cutscene beside the wrecked Egg-O-Matic, as the robot lists all the ways in which the scientist's plans have once again failed miserably, Eggman finally snaps and chases Orbot off into the sunrise.
Sonic Colours
Orbot's official name, and news of his impending inclusion in Sonic Colours, first came in a Sega blog post by ArchangelUK. In this game, Orbot's upper hemisphere has been recoloured from white to red, matching his gloves, his personality is more refined and less sarcastic, and he is joined by Cubot, a bumbling, annoying, cubic foil.
Sonic Generations
Orbot and Cubot make a short appearance in Sonic Generations. In a flashback narrated by the modern Dr. Eggman, it is explained that after being sent into deep space at the end of Sonic Colors, Dr. Eggman and his hench-bots encountered a primordial form of what eventually became the Time Eater. Detecting its unique abilities to erase time and space, Eggman immediately schemes to exploit it for his own benefit. Orbot and Cubot are last seen pushing Eggman's crippled mobile into the anomaly before it disappears with their creator.
Trivia
- SA-55 is l33t-speak for "sass", an accurate description of the robot's personality.
- According to an interview with Mike Pollock, in Unleashed Orbot is voiced by Chris Collet, the game's voice director, who also voices some humans in the cutscenes. In Sonic Colours, Orbot is voiced by Kirk Thornton.