Top 10 Robots From Robot Wars

A relative newcomer to the Wars, Apollo quickly made a name for itself with an incredibly powerful flipper, very low ground clearance and enthusiastic team members. Capable of flipping more than a tonne, this monochrome machine has launched many rivals out of the arena completely, and it has overturned the House Robots Matilda, Shunt and Dead Metal. Debuting in the series eight reboot, Apollo defeated the deadly Carbide in that year’s final to become the 2016 champion.

To one of the most successful robots in the show’s history, and a seemingly simple design. Tornado defeated its adversaries by sheer brute force. Capable of pulling a Land Rover and able to function either side up, it proved to be a formidable foe for even the most battle-hardened robots, defeating other fan favourites including Chaos 2, Hypno-Disc and Pussycat - to eventually be crowned champion in series six. Boasting interchangeable weapon options, Tornado also went on to win international tournaments - including the European Championship.

To one of the most destructive robots in the show’s history. Despite an unassuming appearance, Carbide utilises a 25Kg bar spinner that rotates at 23,000RPM. According to the Robot Wars website, when this weapon hits maximum speed, it’s impact generates ‘60 times more energy than a sniper bullet’. Able to operate when upside down, Carbide proved to be an extremely deadly opponent, reaching the Grand Final in series 8, 9 and 10, winning the ninth series against future champion Eruption.

She’s one of two house robots to feature today, and a series regular since the show’s inception. Robot Wars commentator Jonathan Pearce describes Matilda as the “Matriarch of Mayhem” - and that name definitely fits. Starting the show with pneumatic tusks and rear chainsaw, Matilda’s weaponry was substantially upgraded in series five, with a more powerful lifting mechanism and a formidable 27kg flywheel. The flywheel has since proven extremely dangerous, seriously damaging any robot foolish enough to enter her Corner Patrol Zone.

An upgrade to this team’s previous robot, Big Brother, Bigger Brother was a fan favourite thanks largely to the team behind it - Ian and his kids, Joe and Ellie. Although they never won a tournament, they did end Chaos 2’s championship streak in the series five semi-final, and they defeated the dominant Hypno-Disc in the Grand Final, before eventually losing to Razer. With a wide, powerful, pneumatic flipper, Bigger Brother frequently flipped opponents out of the arena, with four of its battles ranked in the top 30 quickest in the show’s history.

Debuting in series two, Panic Attack was always dangerous, mainly thanks to the exceptional driving from team captain Kim Davies. Using tactics over strength, the robot’s signature move was to use low ground clearance and lifting spikes to get underneath an opponent, lift them up, hit the pit release button and lower them to their doom. And this menacing machine’s record speaks for itself. It won the second series and reached the semi-finals in series three, four and five. It was a ruthless regular during the show’s original run.

As arguably the most recognisable House Robot, Sir Killalot made his debut in the Second Wars and has been antagonising plucky combatants ever since. Almost impossible to damage, today’s Killalot model weighs in at a whopping 750kg, and is able to easily lift other machines with his hydraulic crushing claws to either roast them over the fire, or cast them into the pit of oblivion. Killalot currently holds the record for most robots sent out of the arena, and is the only House Robot never to have been flipped by a contender.

A pioneering robot as it was the first to use a spinner, Hypno-Disc immediately stood out from the crowd when it debuted in series three. It annihilated unprepared opponents with a unique design causing massive devastation and, while it did have some flaws, the complete carnage Hypno-Disc caused made it an instant fan favourite. A consistent runner-up, Hypno-Disc never actually won a championship, but it was the very best of all the rest.

The only robot to win back-to-back championships, Chaos 2 had 18 consecutive wins before finally suffering defeat in series five. A pioneer of CO2 powered pneumatics, it proved to be a tenacious trendsetter which inspired future robots (including the likes of Bigger Brother) with its high-grade weaponry. Chaos 2 was also the very first robot to flip an opponent out of the arena, as well as the first to defeat Hypno-Disc. All in all, it broke records, raised the bar, and became one of the most difficult machines to beat.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Behemoth

Firestorm

Cassius

Topping today’s list is the most successful robot in “Robot Wars” history, with 41 victories. Instantly recognisable thanks to its huge hydraulic crushing claw and sleek, silver design, nothing was safe from its 9 tonnes of crushing power, not even the House Robots. Razer was eventually crowned champion in series five and, following success in the main series, it won a host of international tournaments, too - confirming this brutal creation as the greatest all-round robot competitor of all time.