The Most Beautiful and Sexy Robots in TV History

The sexiest cyborgs and most attractive automatons on the tube.

By Tom Woodley

Science fiction has always fed scientific progress, and current projects to develop humanoid robots are no exception.

Ever since the automaton in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis took her first steps on screen, with her sleek metallic curves yet uncanny human movements, attractive androids have been a staple in how we imagine the future. Robot characters stretch and test the boundaries of desire; they make us wonder what it means to be human.

With real life sexbots just around the corner, we thought we’d look at the fictional robots fuelling the robot revolution. Following up on our look at the hottest robot characters on the big screen, here’s our pick for the sexiest and most beautiful robots and cyborgs on TV.

Seven of Nine, Star Trek: Voyager

If this is what it means to be assimilated, sign us up. A former Borg drone liberated from the collective, Seven of Nine provided the “outsider” perspective on the USS Voyager, filling a similar role to Spock and Data. But while wearing a skin-tight jumpsuit that hugged very human curves.

As a cyborg, Seven of Nine could be cold, calculating, and aloof—but this made her brief moments of humanity all the more compelling. Her obvious sex appeal won her many fans in the LGBT community, who petitioned for the character to come out as a lesbian.

Teddy Flood, Westworld

Teddy Flood is the archetypical hero of classic Westerns. Tall, dark, and handsome, he’s a crack shot, a natural in the saddle, and head-over-heels with Westworld’s female lead Dolores. Actor James Marsden’s blue eyes and chiseled cheeks don’t hurt his romantic charm.

Of course, the gunslinger later shows a dark side, thanks to new programming from park creator Robert Ford. But whether fanning the hammer of his revolver or riding over the prairies to rescue the love of his life, Teddy is the ultimate cowboy robot.

Number Eight, Battlestar Galactica

Grace Park’s cyborg character was much more than just a number. A passionate lover, a fierce fighter, and a skilled pilot, Number Eight is her own kind of triple-threat.

As a Cylon, a species of advanced cybernetic beings, she existed as multiple “versions” of herself, notably Sharon “Boomer” Valerii and Sharon “Athena” Agethon. This made her many things to many people: lover, sleeper agent, turncoat, and friend. In all her incarnations, however, she showed an affection and determination that won human hearts and minds.

Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Is it his intelligence? His candid and charming naïveté? Or is there just something about an android in uniform? Like Spock before him, Data became a popular sex symbol for many Trekkies. The actor who portrayed him, Brent Spiner, put this down to the character’s unavailability and innate kindness.

Whatever the case, Data is anatomically correct and “fully functional,” as he assures security chief Tasha Yar in “The Naked Now.” His powerful positronic brain is programmed to provide a broad variety of pleasures. An integral part of the Enterprise’s crew, even as he struggles to understand humanity, he’s also particularly loyal, resisting even the seductive overtures of the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact.

Cameron, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

It turns out Terminators come in all sizes. Petite Summer Glau portrayed this rehabilitated killer robot sent from the future to protect young John Connor and mother Sarah. She’s enigmatic, beautiful, and can kill you in a heartbeat. No wonder John felt a strange attraction.

An advanced model of cyborg, with living tissue grafted to her endoskeleton, Cameron is able to mimic human social behaviors, but sometimes seems to exhibit more soulful characteristics, such as performing an intricate ballet dance, or overriding her innate imperative to terminate her ward John.

Samuel T. Anders, Battlestar Galactica

Here’s another Cylon whose digital molecular structure had a rather human appeal. A natural leader, Samuel T. Anders took charge of the resistance against Cylon occupation, fooled by false memories into believing he was human. Actor Michael Trucco lent the character good looks and carefully messed up hair that could endure the thickest of battles.

He’s the romantic go-to in Battlestar Galactica for those who favor athletes (he’s a star player at the fictional sport Pyramid) and older men (he’s 2,000 years old). But watch out: he’s also married.

Buffybot, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffybot is a robot that looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar. That’s enough to put her on the list right there. With striking green eyes and a stunning smile, Buffybot raises the bar for beautiful androids.

Originally Buffybot was built as a sexbot for the Buffy-besotted vampire Spike. As such, the character demonstrates the potentially disturbing nature of sex robots, when made to look like real people. But after suffering damage, she’s salvaged by the Scooby Gang and reprogrammed to be a Slayer. In this role, Badass Buffybot struck fear into the hearts of evil-doers and exerted a strong attraction on viewers.

Hector Escaton, Westworld

There’s something about rebels, even mechanical ones. If Teddy Flood is the archetypal hero of Westworld, bad-boy bandit Hector Escaton, played by Rodrigo Santoro, is the classic villain, cynical and nonchalant in his patterned black hat and leather jacket.

Although cold-blooded, Hector is intelligent and resourceful, even getting out of one tight spot using an exploding cigar (not a euphemism). In season one, he’s the object of desire for many characters, showing that what’s “most wanted” about him is much more than just a bounty. An outlaw in a mad world, Hector is humorous where Teddy is brooding; dark where he’s dashing—a robot who breaks all the rules.

Angela, Westworld

Played by English actress Talulah Riley, Angela is an android with many faces. In her first appearance, she’s a host who greets guests before they enter the futuristic theme park Westworld. In this role, she’s programmed to please humans, in any way possible. As she offers herself to first-time guest William, she seems to represent all the seductive, intoxicating temptations of the park.

But there’s a dark side to this appeal, which like everything in Westworld also provokes disturbing questions. Is she free? If not, is she acting against her will? Angela later appears again—but as a spirit of vengeance, subverting the common trope of the subservient female robot.

Dorian, Almost Human

With a crooked smile and dry sense of wit, Dorian, played by Michael Ealy, stole the show in Fox’s science-fiction buddy cop series Almost Human. Sadly, the series was canceled after just one season, but Dorian left a lasting impression on many viewers.

Despite being an outdated model of android, Dorian, or more accurately DRN-0167, comes installed with intuition, emotions, and X-ray vision. Like Data, he’s also complete in other ways . . . When police partner John Kennex asks about his anatomy, Dorian obligingly unzips, prompting Kennex’s shocked response: “Is that all for one person?!”

Mia/Anita, Humans

As cordial robot assistant “Anita,” Mia is colorless and flat. But the artificial persona hides a conscious, sentient being beneath, struggling to break through. Her vivid emerald eyes hide surprising depths that make her compelling and relatable.

British actress Gemma Chan brings Mia to life by clothing her in an eerie stillness, her movements unnervingly simple and exact. The former fashion model is certainly easy on the eye, but it’s Mia’s increasing self-awareness, determination, and compassion that make her so likable.

Do these robot characters light up your diodes or grind your gears? Tell us in the comments.

Image sources: Wangdangle, Giphy, Giphy, kmgsquidoo, Giphy