| “ | Ugh! Why did they stop me?! Transformation is the only chance they have of escaping to the other place when this world... Oh no, it started. | „ |
| ~ Rob's final words in "The Inquisition" before falling into the all-consuming Void. |
Rob, also known as Dr. Wrecker, is the main antagonist of the animated series The Amazing World of Gumball.
He's initially a minor, nondescript character in the series (and a student at Elmore Jr. High). As a result, he is exiled into the Void, a TV static dimension that erases anything it deems a "mistake" from reality. Upon escaping, he is physically disfigured into a glitching, broken form, and becomes Gumball Watterson's arch-nemesis for revenge and to play a part in the world.
Rob later learns through the prophetic paintings of Banana Barbara that the universe is destined to be obliterated by the Void. In an effort to save the main cast, he transforms them into humans to facilitate their escape into "the other place" (likely reality). His warnings go unheeded after his defeat, and he is the first among all to fall into the Void as the destruction begins.
He is voiced by Charles Philipp. As Dr. Wrecker, he was voiced by the late David Warner. His Superintendent Evil disguise was portrayed by Garrick Hagon.
What Makes Him A Seinen Hero?[]
- Heroic/Anti-Heroic: Rob undoes all of his harmful actions in "The Rerun" to save Gumball's life and revive his family members and girlfriend. In "The Future" and "The Inquisition," Rob learns that Elmore is going to be destroyed by the Void, and he tries to save the main cast by turning them into humans and transporting them into the real world.
- Cynical: Rob is stuck believing that Gumball is the root of his misery by virtue of being the main character, stuck playing the role of a villain in his presence and never finding a way out.
- Insightful: Rob is among the most intelligent characters in the series due to knowing that their entire universe is fictional and being the only character consistently aware of the Void's existence. Despite his insights being invaluable, even for the characters' survival, his old peers do not heed his concerns.
- Pessimistic: Rob traps himself in a cycle of revenge against Gumball due to his inability to foresee any true positivity or other option, and is paranoid/fatalistic after learning the bleak truth that the Void will end the world.
- Realistic: Rob knows that nothing really matters because "none of this is real," rejecting the obliviousness (and what he sees as emptiness) of Gumball, who just revels in his silly misadventures and the fictitiousness of his world.
- Strong Sense of Willpower: Despite being one of the series' biggest scapegoats, he rarely ever steps down from trying to make his mark, both positively and negatively. Rob was erased from existence in "The Future" by Gumball, Darwin, and Banana Joe when he was trying to learn the future, yet after he was restored, he still fought to try and save everyone in spite of the major setback. He also displays this trait as a villain, as he was initially super incompetent until he developed into an actual threat in "The Disaster" due to regaining his confidence.
- Nihilistic: Rob is rather depressed, believing that everything in the Gumball universe is artificially structured to create a narrative rather than having some sort of inherent meaning, truth, or moral.
- Pragmatic: When stakes are high, and even with good intentions, Rob has no problem acting unethically or playing dirty (following only practical considerations) as to not waste time, assuming it can help him achieve his goals. Rob kidnaps Banana Barbara and begins trying to kill Gumball, Darwin, and Banana Joe in "The Future" so that he can see the future, and later forcibly transforms everyone into humans without consent or due explanation.
- Morally Ambiguous: Rob has performed many heinous and evil acts as a villain, though they are done in part because he is a sympathetic character who doesn't know how to find meaning otherwise, and he has undone his worst deeds out of regret. While he does try and save everyone from the Void, he is again ruthlessly pragmatic and morally grey due to his paranoia and need to control the situation.
- Has Anger Issues: Rob is highly irritable, especially when Gumball gets his name wrong. He also has a classic villainous breakdown in "The Ex," where his eye glows red, lighting up in flames as he strangles Gumball, simply because his petty trap against Banana Joe was foiled.
- Has Killer Instinct: Rob has no hesitation trying to kill Gumball, Darwin and Joe in "The Future" when they try to rescue Barbara, even with completely callous methods like launching a bazooka at them and painting a shark into existence.
- Has Bloodlust: Rob is almost always seen grinning sadistically as he attacks his enemies, quenching his thirst for violence.
- Reckless: Rob repeatedly puts himself in danger. He caused his own disfiguration by escaping the Void precariously in "The Nobody," accidentally detonated his own bomb in his hands in "The Bus," got himself erased from existence by Gumball, Darwin and Joe in "The Future," and ultimately fell into the Void as the world's end began.
- Tragic Past: Rob was too forgettable and "useless" as a character in the early seasons, so he was imprisoned into the Void, a limbo-like dimension of TV static and nothingness, and was deemed a "mistake" by the world itself through no fault of his own. When he escaped (after being ignored yet again by those he thought were friends, no less), his body was physically disfigured and his memory was wiped. He lived in the Wattersons' basement for months, and when they found him and suggested he become a villain, he remembered his past, becoming consumed with getting revenge on Gumball - he ultimately felt trapped to play this role as a villain in order to justify his existence as an important character, even though he said he he is unhappy doing so. He has plenty of insecurities as well, feeling as though he is "nobody" without purpose and unwanted.
- Has Trust Issues: Rob has no consistent allies throughout the entire series, basically distrusting everyone while trying to accomplish everything by himself. Prior to his initial escape from the Void, he could not even trust in Gumball and Darwin to save him as he called out for help.
- Vengeful: A defining character trait, Rob spends most of the series attempting to enact revenge on Gumball for leaving him to languish within the Void.
- Has an Outfit with Black/Red/Blue: Rob wears red shorts.
- Is an Edgelord: Rob is often a card-carrying villain, and in "The Nobody," he tries to theatrically and solemnly claim that he is (titularly) a "nobody" and "nothing" with "no reason to exist." His declaration of revenge is also quite over-the-top and dramatic, and he is even seen disappointed for comedic effect when Gumball walks away from it, casually saying "glad we could help" in contrast to the intended intensity/flair. In "The Disaster," he literally changes the format of the screen and color saturation of the show with the Universal Remote to fit his monologue, aiming to make it more sappy and emotional.
External Links[]
- Rob on the Shonen Villains Wiki
- Rob on the Shojo Villains Wiki
- Rob on the Villains Wiki
- Rob on the Villainous Benchmark Wiki
- Rob on the Inconsistently Admirable Wiki
- Rob on the Entertainingly Detestable Wiki
- Rob on the The Amazing World of Gumball Wiki