"I will destroy you and everyone you love!"
- Rob's catchphrase
Rob, also known as Dr. Wrecker, is the main antagonist and a supporting character in Cartoon Network’s The Amazing World of Gumball.
Overview[]
He first appeared as a purposeless background character at Elmore Junior High before he was banished into the Void, a dimension that erases mistakes and anomalies from existence. He called out for help from Gumball and Darwin when they entered the dimension, but they didn't notice him, forcing him to escape perilously by clinging onto Mr. Small's van, which resulted in his glitchy and polygonal disfiguration. Upon escaping, he found a role to play in Elmore by becoming Gumball and Darwin's mortal enemy.
This culminates when he acquires a magic universal remote from a mysterious van that can control time, reality, and the universe at large. He uses it to tear apart Gumball's family and seal him in the Void, looking to lock him in isolation for eternity to usurp his place in the narrative after realizing the fictionality of their universe. However, this is eventually reversed with the remote by his own volition after a complicated series of events where he ultimately regrets his actions.
Eventually, Rob learns through the prophetic paintings of Banana Barbara that the future of Elmore is doomed to the Void, eventually leading him to try and save everyone by converting them into humans, something he claimed would allow them to escape into "the other place." However, his plan was thwarted, and he was the first to fall into the Void as it began destroying the world.
Appearance[]
Original[]
Initially, Rob was a blue cyclops with a lanky body, medium-length auburn hair, and a single large eye with a magenta iris. He had long, skinny limbs, pink hands with visible nails, and a large head. He wore red short shorts with two light orange stripes on the left side, a yellow crop-top T-shirt, dark orange shoes with blue laces, and a brown backpack.
Current[]
After escaping the Void, Rob's body became deconstructed and disfigured. His head turned grey and dodecahedral, floating without a neck and displaying static on the sides of his face. His eye changed to pale yellow with a black pupil, and his tongue and mouth became yellow and pink, respectively. His hair fragmented into polygons and turned dark brown.
His arms and legs transformed into static, with one shoe becoming a lime wireframe and the other a solid dark grey prism. One hand became geometric and dark grey, while the other remained pink and organic. His clothes turned polygonal, with his shirt gaining a rhombus-shaped hole and losing its sleeves. His backpack became a floating brown hexagon without straps. His midriff inconsistently shifts between pink and static.
Rob's new look randomly glitches, warps, and malfunctions.
Personality[]
At first, Rob was a relatively friendly and sociable individual, often seen conversing and partying with the other students. However, he got annoyed and argumentative when Gumball and Darwin forgot who he was after he greeted them on the sidewalk. Despite this, he was still willing to help Gumball and Darwin retrieve their CD which fell into the sewer, despite Darwin being the one who kicked him down into the sewer simply to get rid of him. This shows that Rob was a fairly normal, friendly, and forgiving kid, but was still prone to angry outbursts, confrontation, and entitlement.
This personality changed in "The Nobody." After being found in the Wattersons' basement and running away in fear, he later revealed he had no memory of his past life and thus felt like a nobody. He was polite and receptive to Gumball and Darwin who suggested he reinvent himself with a new identity, but was pitiful and lacked faith in his own sense of self. When Rob remembered that he was left in the Void, and he swore vengeance on Gumball and Darwin for leaving him behind, feeling a new sense of motivation in his new identity and became determined to make his mark on the world by enacting revenge.
Although he initially embraced his role as an antagonist out of anger and desperation, he later claimed he "never wanted to be the villain." He revealed his knowledge about his fictional status to Gumball, and asserted that the world of Elmore revolved around him as the protagonist. Because of this, Rob felt forced to become a villain in order to justify his existence. Ultimately, he tried sealing Gumball into the Void in order to redefine the universe and his role within it. However, out of remorse, he undid all the damage he caused in this episode.
As a villain, Rob became an extremely depressed and irritable individual who would snap at others and the universe for perceived slights. However, underneath all of this hate and anger is a very traumatized and insecure teenager who experiences existential crisis about the nature of the world he inhabits and his purpose within it, believing it to be a controlling and unjust environment. In addition, he does value the lives of others, as he tried to save everyone from the Void upon its destruction of the universe by transforming them into humans, presumably allowing them to escape into reality. However, his words went unheeded due to his confrontational attitude, cowardice, and poor reputation.
Episodes[]
Season 1[]
- "The Party:" He is seen partying with Tobias and the other students at the Wilsons' house.
- "The Genius:" He is pictured on a pop-up on a computer screen in the library, showing his social media page.
- "The Fight:" He admits to being bullied by Tina and celebrates Anais' call to action in condemning Tina's bullying, but later anticipates the fight between Tina and Gumball anyway before running away when she arrives.
Season 2[]
- "The Pony:" His first speaking role. He excitedly greets Gumball and Darwin on the sidewalk, but argues with them after they forget who he is, eventually being kicked down a manhole by Darwin. He later catches the DVD they needed as it fell into the sewer, but through it away in anger after they forgot his name a second time.
- "The Internet:" His social media is again pictured on a computer screen.
- "The Finale:" He joins the raid of the Wattersons' house because they kicked him down a manhole.
Season 3[]
- "The Void:" He appears by a prototype design of the Wattersons' house within the Void, indicating his fate as a "mistake."
- "The Nobody:" His first major role. He has begun to live in the Wattersons' basement upon escaping the Void and losing his identity and form, after which he is discovered by the Watterson brothers and interrogated. In helping him find his identity, the two brothers prompt his recollection, and he becomes Gumball and Darwin's arch-nemesis for revenge over his abandonment and for a purpose in the world.
Season 4[]
- "The Nemesis:" His second major role. He attempts to become Gumball and Darwin's nemesis, but is incompetent at it. They help him come up with the villainous "Dr. Wrecker" alter-ego, fit with its own costume and evil voice, and he later attempts to destroy a non-existent Elmore dam.
- "The Uploads:" He declares revenge in an online video.
- "The Love:" He participates in the "What is Love?" song.
- "The Bus:" His third major role. He manipulates a group of adults into ransoming $1,000,000 from the police for him and attempts to blow up the school bus with all the students on board, but mistakenly grabs the bomb instead of the money which launches him back to the crime scene.
- "The Disaster:" His fourth major role. He steals a universal remote from "The Awesome Store" which allows him to control reality, later using it to tear apart Gumball's family bond and seal him in the Void in order to reclaim his place in the universe.
Season 5[]
- "The Rerun:" His fifth major role. In a repeat of "The Disaster," Gumball tries to prevent his villainous scheme, but it inadvertently results in the death of his family members before he eventually sends Rob into the Void. However, he later rescues him, prompting Rob to rewind time, fix everything and destroy the remote.
- "The Ex:" His sixth major role. He finds a new arch-nemesis in Banana Joe, but his hatred for Gumball is reignited by the end due to Gumball's antics.
Season 6[]
- "The Spinoffs:" His seventh major role. He hijacks the broadcast of "The Amazing World of Gumball" to showcase spinoff ideas with various side characters.
- "The Future:" His eight major role. He kidnaps Banana Barbara and brings her to a warehouse to understand her foreboding paintings which a grim future, leading to a confrontation with Gumball, Darwin, and Banana Joe where he is erased from existence but later restored
- "The Revolt:" He appears in a video thumbnail on the computer screen.
- "The Inquisition:" His ninth major role. He disguises himself as "Superintendent Evil," attempting to turn everyone into humans so they can escape into reality before the Void destroys their world.
Enemies[]
Gumball Watterson[]
Gumball is Rob's arch-nemesis and by far Rob's most significant relationship. The two were originally acquaintances back in Elmore Junior High, but after an incident involving Rob being left in the Void, Rob and Gumball became sworn enemies. Rob primarily blames Gumball for his plight, as he not only harbors resentment after being left in the Void, but also because he was not considered worthy enough to star in Gumball's "amazing world" unless he fulfilled the role of the villain. This, along with Gumball's general callousness, fuels his anger towards him, culminating when he tears apart his entire family dynamic and tries to seal Gumball in the Void for good. Despite this, Rob experiences moments of regret and redemption regarding the way he treats Gumball, such as rewinding the damage he caused with the universal remote.
Darwin Watterson[]
Having been incidentally involved in Rob's abandonment in the Void, Rob also harbors indignation towards Darwin. He bullies Darwin by destroying the cookies he made after Darwin helped Rob become a better nemesis, and even revels in his suffocation to death after a time paradox caused by the universal remote. Despite this, Rob's primary enemy is Gumball, and Darwin is mostly caught up in Rob's schemes by his proximity to Gumball.
Anais Watterson[]
After Nicole and Richard were rewound into babies, Anais realized that this meant the existence of the Watterson siblings was a temporal paradox. She insisted they retrieve the remote from Rob before disappearing completely. Anais requested to be thrown at Rob and bit down hard on his arm, but later disappeared from existence. She is also a target of Rob due to her adjacency to Gumball.
Nicole and Richard Watterson[]
Nicole and Richard were initially targeted by Rob due to their proximity to Gumball and his declaration to take away everyone he loves. However, Rob does not have any personal connection towards them. He involved Richard in his scheme to steal $1,000,000 from the police, and later rewound Nicole and Richard into infants using the universal remote.
Penny Fitzgerald[]
Penny was also a target of Rob's due to her importance to Gumball. Using the universal remote, he caused Gumball to push her off the mall balcony twice, but in separate timelines. Despite this, he harbors no personal animosity towards her, and the two were shown to be on neutral terms in subsequent interactions.
Banana Joe[]
After Rob and Gumball seemingly reconciled following the events of "The Re-run," Rob found Banana Joe to be a suitable new nemesis because he was "easier to hate." He tries to kill him by dropping a pile of bricks on him, feeding him an exploding burger, and later running him over with oil drums. Despite Rob's nemesis relationship with Gumball being rekindled by the end of the relevant episode, Banana Joe remained one of Rob's more significant enemies, as his kidnapping of Banana Joe's mother resulted in animosity and an intense fight.
Banana Barbara[]
Banana Barbara is one of Rob's victims and an attempted pawn. After Rob kidnapped Banana Barbara and forced her to paint the future instead of pictures that only depicted static, he became increasingly agitated with her cryptic language and incompetence considering the stakes at hand. He strangled her, threatened to eat her, and almost crushed her with a metal bar before stopping himself.
Tina Rex[]
Before Rob was sent to the Void, he claimed to have been bullied by Tina at school. When Rob later tried to explain why he attempted to turn everyone into humans, Tina smashed him into the ground and eventually knocked him unconscious.
"The Awesome Store" Van Shopkeeper[]
After exiting the van with the universal remote, Rob declared his intention to use it for revenge. In response, the van shopkeeper tried to take it back, insisting that the powerful device must not be used for evil. Rob fought him over the remote and accidentally used it to cause the van to haphazardly drive around the mall parking lot before eventually tipping it over, revealing its true power. When the shopkeeper sarcastically demanded that Rob pay $12.99 for the remote, Rob deleted him from existence.
Quotes[]
"Did you just call me Rich like it was a question?"
- Rob after Gumball called him "Rich."
"Rob! My name is Rob!"
- Rob when Gumball and Darwin couldn't remember his name.
"They kicked me down a manhole!"
- Rob while the citizens of Elmore were breaking into the Watterson's house.
"I was one of the world's mistakes, but you only cared about Molly. You saved her and left me there to rot. But I clung to life! And I came back... but at a cost. You left me disfigured, a nobody! But now you've given me a part to play in the world. I will be your worst nightmare. I will destroy everything you care about! I will take away everyone you love! I will be your nemesis! "
- Rob declaring vengeance during his flashback.
"I've tried, man, I've tried to be your enemy!"
- Rob after failing to destroy Gumball.
"You just got wrecked."
- Rob's catchphrase as Dr. Wrecker.
"Darn auto-correct... stupid thing never works."
- Rob messaging.
"(Gumball: Thanks man, fighting on the wing of a plane is way more fun than math class!) This isn't supposed to be fun! (Gumball: Wait, what? The- then why are you doing this?) Because I'm a villain! What choice do I have? All I've got on my résumé is laughing maniacally, monologuing about evil plans, and a major in Canadian History, I can't exactly go into catering! [Pushes Gumball off the plane with the briefcase.] And now, Gumball Watterson! Prepared to be wrecked!"
- Rob fighting with Gumball on top of the plane before attempting to defeat him.
"(Donut Cop: Well there's only one thing left to say. You are--) I know, I know, I'm wrecked. (Donut Cop: I was gonna say you're under arrest.) Oh yes, that makes more sense."
- Rob upon defeat.
"No, no, no, my name isn't- MY NAME IS ROB, GOSH DARN IT!"
- Rob when Gumball calls him "Roy."
"For the last time, my name is Ro–! Wait, you got it right."
- Rob after Gumball remembers his name.
"Why? This is where my story ends! I belong here with the rest of the universe's mistakes, like socks and sandals, the helicopter ejector seat, ...and whatever that thing is."
- Rob after being sent into the Void.
"Yeah, I should have let you know. The thing is... I'm neme-seeing someone else now."
- Rob telling Gumball he isn't his nemesis anymore.
"I've rigged Banana Joe's front door handle so that when he opens the door to take out the trash, it unhooks a latch on the back of the truck down the street, releasing the oil drums which will roll down the sidewalk towards him, so just as he lifts the lid... he is obliterated."
- Rob explaining how he'll kill Banana Joe.
"THAT'S NOT EVEN A MAN'S NAME!"
- Rob when Gumball called him Rose.
"Ugh! Why did they stop me?! Transformation is the only chance they have of escaping to the other place when this world...
[The ground begins to shake. Rob looks around nervously, and loses his balance. The floor suddenly opens up beneath him, collapsing into the Void. Rob grasps the edge of the floor and struggles to hold on before losing his grip and hanging on by only one hand]
Oh no, it started..."
- Rob's last words and the current final words of the show.
Trivia[]
- Rob made a cameo on the computer in "The Genius," showing that his friends were (in order) Teri, Alan, Leslie, and Carmen. Also, it shows him wearing a mustang mask in the desert on Fessebook. This same page reappears on "The Internet."
- Originally, for Season 1, Rob was animated with CGI. In Season 2, he was changed to a 2D animated character. Starting with "The Nobody," he is again animated in CGI.
- In "The Nobody," it is revealed that Rob never had parents or any siblings.
- He is the second character to have a permanent physical change in the show, the first being Penny.
- Fittingly, they both have a unique relationship with Gumball and have the most major roles out of any non-Watterson character.
- Rob is aware of the fact that the world he lives in is fictional.
- In "The Uploads," Rob is shown to have an internet channel called Dr. Wr., his only video titled W.R.E.C.K.T.R.E, a parody to S.P.E.C.T.R.E in OO7.
- Rob's static changes depending on his emotions. When he experiences malevolence, his static turns dark navy, but when he's angry or freaking out, his static glows white.
- Currently, Nicole is the only one of the five Wattersons who hasn't encountered Rob or interacted with him.
- Rob's name was first revealed after people were asking James Lamont who the blue cyclops from "The Party" was. At first he jokingly responded with "We do not speak of him," but after more asking, he gave in and revealed his name.
- Rob is Jacob Hopkins' favorite character from the series.
- He is the only character who remembers the events that happened during "The Rerun," which sets the events of the episode "The Ex."
- Rob spoke in a British accent when he was voiced by David Warner. His British accent was made in "The Nemesis" when Gumball changed Rob's voice. He kept the accent in "The Uploads," "The Bus," "The Love," and "The Disaster;" after that, he reset his voice with the universal remote.
- A running gag exists where Gumball forgets his name, calling him similar one-syllable names that begin with "r." However, in "The Bus," "The Rerun," "The Ex," "The Future," and "The Inquisition," Gumball correctly says his name.
- In "The Future," Rob claims he has bad depth perception due to only having one eye.
- Rob stars in the Villainous episode "The Lost Cases of Elmore."
- He is the very last character to appear and speak in the main series, as he had the last line in "The Inquisition."
- Rob is the only character who consistently remembers the Void, as the other characters have had their memories wiped or their timelines rewinded.