Ewan

Lore & Background

Rodney Copperbottom is the son of Herb and Lydia Copperbottom from the city of Rivet Town. He idolizes Bigweld, a famous inventor and philanthropist whose company, Bigweld Industries, employs other inventors and provides poor robots with spare parts. Rodney develops a small cup-like robot with a propeller called Wonderbot to assist his father, who works as a dishwasher. When Wonderbot malfunctions and wreaks havoc in the kitchen, Rodney travels to Robot City to present his invention to Bigweld Industries. There, he is ejected by the new CEO, Phineas T. Ratchet, who has discontinued spare parts for outmoded robots in favor of expensive upgrades. Rodney befriends Fender Pinwheeler, a mischievous red blender-like robot, and joins a group of outmoded robots called the "Rusties." He eventually rallies them to stop Ratchet and his mother Madame Gasket, who runs the Chop Shop where outmoded robots are recycled into ingots for upgrades.

In Their Own Story

Rodney Copperbottom arrives in Robot City full of hope, carrying his invention Wonderbot. At the Bigweld Industries headquarters, he is immediately turned away by the new CEO, Phineas T. Ratchet. Undeterred, Rodney befriends Fender Pinwheeler, who introduces him to a community of outmoded robots. Together with the Rusties, Rodney helps fix outmodes throughout the neighborhood, but they are overwhelmed by the demand due to the spare part shortage. Rodney and Fender infiltrate the Bigweld Ball to seek Bigweld's help, but Ratchet announces Bigweld will not attend. After confronting Ratchet, Rodney is rescued by Cappy, an executive opposed to Ratchet. They fly to Bigweld's mansion, where the recluse reveals Ratchet's greed led to his resignation and refuses to help. A distraught Rodney calls his parents, and his father Herb inspires him to fight for his dreams. Rodney rallies the Rusties, and Bigweld, reinvigorated, joins them. In the final battle, Rodney upgrades the Rusties and leads them against Ratchet, Gasket, and their army. After Gasket is destroyed and Ratchet is stripped of his upgrades, Bigweld retakes control of the company and nominates Rodney as his new second-in-command and eventual successor.

Reader's Guide

Rodney Copperbottom is the heart of *Robots*, an idealistic inventor whose journey from Rivet Town to Robot City drives the entire plot. His defining trait is his unwavering belief in Bigweld's philosophy of helping all robots, regardless of their upgrades. Key moments include his creation of Wonderbot, his ejection from Bigweld Industries, his infiltration of the Bigweld Ball, and his rallying of the Rusties for the final confrontation. Rodney's relationship with his father Herb is a crucial emotional anchor, as Herb's encouragement inspires Rodney to continue fighting. In the climax, Rodney upgrades the Rusties and leads them in battle against Ratchet and Gasket. The film ends with Bigweld nominating Rodney as his second-in-command and eventual successor, and Rodney provides his father with new replacement parts and a flugelhorn-like instrument to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a musician.

Did You Know?

• Ewan McGregor voiced Rodney Copperbottom in the 2005 film *Robots*.
• Rodney's invention Wonderbot is a small cup-like robot with a propeller.
• Rodney's father Herb works as a dishwasher at Gunk's Greasy Spoon.
• Rodney travels from Rivet Town to Robot City to seek employment at Bigweld Industries.
• At the end of the film, Bigweld nominates Rodney as his new second-in-command and eventual successor.