Top 10 Saddest Robot Deaths in Movies and TV

Just because they’re not human doesn’t mean you won’t cry. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 saddest robot deaths in movies and TV.

For this list, we’re looking at any robot death, whether big or small screen, as long as it had us sobbing uncontrollably. We’re still counting them if they came back to life later on, or managed to reboot. Prepare your emotional chips people, and as you might expect, there are spoilers ahead so SPOILER ALERT!

He may’ve been a machine, but to the crew and fan base, Data was definitely more human than not – as was his daughter Lal, whose TV death was also heartbreaking. On the big screen, during the climax between Picard and his twisted clone Shinzon, Data arrives in the nick of time and teleports his Captain to safety. He then destroys the ship, and himself along with it. Sad as that may be, it’s hinted that Data successfully uploaded his memories into his older and less advanced brother prior to his death, so he’s not gone forever.

This particular episode of the enduring sci-fi series saw the 10th iteration of the Time Lord go undercover at a school to expose a suspected plot. While on the case, he’s reunited with his former companion Sarah-Jane Smith, and the ever-faithful robot hound K-9. While fleeing the bad-guy Krillitanes, the brave machine manages to ignite an alien oil that sends the school and himself up in flames, sacrificing himself for the good of his friends. Not to worry though, before parting with Sarah-Jane again, the Doctor manages to rebuild him, good as new.

If there was one transformer you could never get a read on, it was this turncoat warrior. Dinobot swapped sides so many times you weren’t sure he could ever be trusted. However, his one defining feature was his deep-rooted sense of honor. This ended up costing him his spark when he was forced to take a one-man stand against all of the Predacons to protect the future of mankind. In the end, he died a hero by using his warrior skills and resourcefulness to win the day, despite the great personal cost. Come on, y’know his final words make you tear up.

Out of all the robots that wished they could be human, this is the one that actually succeeded. Starting off as nothing more than a servant, Andrew Martin pursues the dream of becoming an independent and sentient being. Over the years he manages to become more and more human until he reaches the age of 200, and dies naturally of old age with his human wife beside him. It’s a death that’s both saddening and heartwarming at the same time.

It’s surprising that the antagonist of a film could also have the most emotional and saddest death scene. As the leader of a group of runaway replicants, Roy Batty does everything he can to try to prolong his short life, only to fail at every turn. After being hunted down and finally caught by Harrison Ford, Roy’s life draws to a close; but not before he’s able to deliver a chilling speech about how death claims everything.

He just wanted to be alive. A naïve and excitable robot, Number 5, also known as Johnny 5, is catapulted around New York in this sequel, and gets himself into all sorts of trouble. That includes getting violently beaten down by a group of nasty thieves. However, Johnny’s saddest moment comes near the end, when he expends almost all of his remaining energy to stop the bad guys and save his friends. Luckily, Johnny’s defibrillated before his battery-backed memory failed completely. Still won’t help the mental scarring though.

Everyone falls in love with WALL-E almost instantly. His innocent nature and desire to protect his robotic love interest Eve is a story you can get invested in. That’s what made it all the more mortifying when this happened. Of course, Pixar wasn’t done tugging at our heartstrings just yet: after Eve managed to repair him, WALL-E seemingly lost his individuality, becoming nothing more than a mindless drone – ironically the exact same fate Johnny 5 narrowly avoided! We’re pretty sure if he hadn’t come back from this, then there woulda been riots.

No one was prepared for this one, especially not a bunch of 10-year-old boys. After taking on Megatron in a final gunfight, the valiant leader of the Autobots is taken down, and for once he actually doesn’t make a heroic comeback. After passing on the Matrix of Leadership, Optimus says a final farewell to his comrades before rusting away. Kudos to the writers for having the guts to kill off the mascot of the franchise.

He said he’d be back, though judging by this scene, that looked doubtful. After saving Sarah and John Connor from the seemingly invincible T-1000, the T-800 decides to martyr itself so its components cannot be used to create the artificial intelligence system, Skynet. The last we see of Arnie’s iconic character is a thumbs up as he’s consumed by molten steel. We think Sarah Connor sums up his sacrifice best.

Before our favorite mechanical companion kicks the bucket, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Drone 3 / Louie
“Silent Running” (1972)
- The Robot
“Castle in the Sky” (1986)
- HAL 9000
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)

No other robot death managed to make us cry quite like this one. After crash-landing on earth, this massive sentient machine forgets his past as a tool of death and destruction and befriends a young boy who teaches him the value of friendship and choice. In the end, he ultimately chooses humanity over his programming, and sacrifices himself for his friend. Admit it; you still get teary eyed when you watch this.

Do you agree with our list? What robot death made you well up? With new videos published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com!