Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Videos
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
    • G+RLS Podcast
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Your movies and TV digest from the team at GamesRadar+

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

The 25 greatest movie robot battles

Features
By Gem Seddon
Published 2 September 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

6. Real Steel (2011)

The Robots: Hodge-podge old-school 'bot Atom, led by his trainer Max, built to sustain a lot of blows without succumbing to them, and the all-powerful Zeus, a slick, powerful 'bot that holds the title of world champion.

The Battle: The two take to the ring and pummel seven shades out of each other in the robo-boxing showdown of the year. Atom the underdog dishes out more punishment as usual, but when his controls are damaged he resorts to shadowing the moves of his coach, Charlie (Hugh Jackman).

The Victor: Technically, Zeus wins the fight - declared the victor due to his total number of blows inflicted. However, his near-defeat brings shame upon his team and Atom is crowned the Peoples Champion.

Latest Videos FromGamesRadar+
Watch full video here:

5. Blade Runner (1982)

The Robots: Retired police officer and Nexus-6 bio-robotic replicant (according to director Ridley Scott), Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and blonde-haired, blue-eyed replicant, Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer).

The Battle: Moments after murdering his maker and realising his replicant body is breaking down, Roy pursues Deckard onto a rooftop, where the cop leaps and misses. Deckard dangles precariously at the mercy of one of the 'droids he was sent to butcher.

You may like
  • The best Marvel movies: Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Star-Lord, Black Widow and Iron Man. Best Marvel movies: Every MCU film, ranked from worst to best
  • Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
  • Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil Resident Evil movie review: "The best Resi movie by a distance and the best video game movie full stop"

The Victor: Turns out Roy wasn't quite so batty after all, as he grabs Deckard and pulls him to safety. Then dies. Who knows who won that scuffle?

4. Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)

The Robots: The T-850 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) - one of Cyberdynes upgraded (from the T-800) terminators - hosts a metal endoskeleton beneath its flesh and blood exterior, which looks kinda old school compared to the TX (Kristanna Loken). Equality reigns in the post-apocalyptic HR department at Skynet, as the T-850's foe is The Terminatrix, a composite of the T-800 and the T-1000. Meaning, it has a metal endoskeleton covered with liquid metal.

Your movies and TV digest from the team at GamesRadar+

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The Battle: At the Air Force base moments after Skynet has gone live, the two 'bots duke it out. Standard gunfire is included of course, but the standout comes when they wind up in a bathroom. The T-850 grabs the T-X and drags her through a row of toilet cubicles, before slamming her head into the porcelain bowl.

The Victor: It's a draw. The T-800 still has to protect John Connor and Katherine Brewster, and the TX still has to kill them.

3. Iron Man (2008)

The Robots: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in one of the first iterations of his Iron Man suit, and bad guy-turned-bad bot Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), also known as the Iron Monger.

You may like
  • The best Marvel movies: Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Star-Lord, Black Widow and Iron Man. Best Marvel movies: Every MCU film, ranked from worst to best
  • Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
  • Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil Resident Evil movie review: "The best Resi movie by a distance and the best video game movie full stop"

The Battle: After Stane's henchmen realise they cannot duplicate Stark's new high-powered arc reactor, he breaks into Tony's home and steals it. Stark dons his suit and battles Stane, in his reverse-engineered suit complete with the stolen reactor. After a few rounds of suit-to-suit combat, Tony lures Obadiah atop the Stark Industries tower while his assistant Pepper overloads the huge arc reactor.

The Victor: Iron Man wins, as Stane falls into the reactor and dies.

2. Terminator Salvation (2009)

The Robots: A prototype infiltration cyborg, Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) and the first official one of its kind: the flesh-coated endoskeleton T-800 model 101.

The Battle: The T-800 chucks Marcus around a fair bit, until Marcus lobs him into a wall and proceeds to smack him with a steel rod and a massive brick... before getting sucker punched right in his tender, human heart. Meanwhile John Connor takes over battling the Terminator, who drives the steel rod right through his chest.

The Victor: With Marcus revived, he yanks the rod from Johns chest, wraps it around the Terminator's neck and spins until its head flies off.

1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The Robots: The Cyberdyne Systems Series 800 Model 101; commonly referred to as the T-101, T-800 or simply The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a metal endoskeleton surrounded by living tissue with a fondness for biker garb. A newer, shinier Cyberdyne creation, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick) is a mimetic poly-alloy, meaning its capable of shapeshifting due to its liquid metal component.

The Battle: The robot finale to end them all, the two terminators come head to head at a steel mill. After much sparring, shooting and shattering into thousands of pieces, the T-1000 gains the upper hand and shuts down the T-800's CPU. Seconds away from turning Sarah and John into knife racks, The T-800 locates an alternate power source and surprises the T-1000 with a grenade that gets him all bent out of shape (tee-hee). The shapeshifting son-of-a-gun falls to his termination in a vat of molten steel.

The Victor: The T-800 wins outright, but it's a bit of a tie, as the Terminator has ensured Judgment Day never happens by also meeting the same molten fate as his enemy. Which is incredibly sad.

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Current page: Page 3

Prev Page Page 2
TOPICS
Movies & TV
Gem Seddon
Gem Seddon
Social Links Navigation
Freelance Writer

Gem Seddon is a freelance writer working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.

Read more
The best Marvel movies: Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Star-Lord, Black Widow and Iron Man.
Superhero Movies Best Marvel movies: Every MCU film, ranked from worst to best
 
 
Cillian Murphy as Tommy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch right now
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies Resident Evil movie review: "The best Resi movie by a distance and the best video game movie full stop"
 
 
Best X-Men movies ranked: pictures of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Sophie Turner as Jean Grey and Deadpool next to each other.
Marvel Movies The best X-Men movies: All 14 movies ranked
 
 
The Super Mario Movie
Movies 10 Best video game movies of all time, ranked
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies Resident Evil movie: the biggest similarities and differences from the games
 
 
Latest in Movies
Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame
Marvel Movies Avengers: Endgame may be the only Marvel movie you need to rewatch before Doomsday, and here's why
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies It turns out the Resident Evil movie's most terrifying zombie monster was performed practically
 
 
Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen / Clayface
DC Movies The Clayface popcorn bucket may have leaked, and it's suitably gross
 
 
Godzilla in Godzilla Minus Zero
Sci-Fi Movies Godzilla Minus Zero review: "Easily one of the best films of the year"
 
 
Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday
Marvel Movies Avengers: Doomsday director says it's important to "surprise audiences" by making changes to beloved characters
 
 
Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Marvel Movies Marvel fans have a theory that Doctor Doom has already kidnapped Spider-Man
 
 
Latest in Features
Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame
Marvel Movies Avengers: Endgame may be the only Marvel movie you need to rewatch before Doomsday, and here's why
 
 
The Blood of Dawnwalker main character Coen looking up after just feeding, with his mouth full of blood and sharp teeth
RPGs I'm too stubborn to wait for The Blood of Dawnwalker devs to fix a gamebreaking bug
 
 
Painted key art by Alex Horley for World of Warcraft, cropped for a header image, depicting the Alliance faction looking out across forests and mountains
World of Warcraft World of Warcraft: Forever gives old school fans nearly everything they could want
 
 
Austin Abrams as Bryan in Resident Evil
Horror Movies Resident Evil is the most successful video game movie yet, and should be the template for game adaptations going forward
 
 
The Blood of Dawnwalker main character Coen looking up after just feeding, with his mouth full of blood and sharp teeth
Action RPGs I fumbled my Blood of Dawnwalker playthrough by losing one ally and accidentally sending another to hell
 
 
A crop of Simon looking at his CRTV among protest signs in St Amelia in Silent Hill Townfall
Silent Hill Horror game hiding is my nightmare, but Silent Hill Townfall's CRTV vision gives me the confidence to fight back
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Godzilla in Godzilla Minus Zero
    1
    Godzilla Minus Zero review: "Easily one of the best films of the year"
  2. 2
    For Nier Automata, Yoko Taro just made the RPG he wanted to and "tried to stay hidden from Square Enix as much as possible"
  3. 3
    Rockstar reportedly reminded GTA 6's voice cast they're still under NDA after actor Stephen Root let slip he's in the game
  4. 4
    Final Fantasy 7 Revelation lead says the original 1997 RPG "is very much enshrined within the story," but newcomers can still jump in with the Remake trilogy
  5. 5
    Manor Lords publisher isn't worried about launching a game on GTA 6's release date - PC players "looking to steal cars" might check out its new management sim instead

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...