- "...We've found a robot who is quite simply colossal! With evil flowing through his metal veins, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, meet the deadly Mr. Psycho"
- — Craig Charles introduces Mr. Psycho for the first time
Mr. Psycho was a House Robot who made his debut in the sixth series and was designed by Robin Englebright. Mr. Psycho was by far the heaviest of the House Robots in the original run, weighing in at 750kg, and the largest robot ever to appear in Robot Wars history. He was based on Bill Sykes, a character from the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, and his original working name during the design process was Psychsy. Mr. Psycho was also introduced with Growler, a robot which was a take on Bill Sykes' dog, Bullseye.
As the heaviest House Robot, Mr. Psycho could be seen as the leader of the House Robots across Series 6-7, directly replacing Sir Killalot - however, he did not return when Robot Wars was rebooted in 2016.
Design
Design sketches for Mr. Psycho, some of which featured two claws
Mr. Psycho was powered by 36 volt motors and 12 batteries and was armed with a 30kg heavy pneumatic hammer that travelled at 60 mph and a hydraulic claw capable of exerting pressures of up to 9 tonnes. Some of Mr. Psycho's early design sketches featured two hydraulic claws and no hammer, but this was rejected.
The size of Mr. Psycho, in comparison to the Robot Wars technical team and Judges.
His design was very similar to that of Sir Killalot, featuring caterpillar tracks and a powerful claw weapon. The design differed from Sir Killalot in that Mr. Psycho had a swinging hammer weapon instead of the lance that Sir Killalot wielded; the head of the hammer alone weighed 30kg and had a hydraulic accumulator and was powered by a 9 ton shoulder and elbow ram. His claw was powered by two 9 ton hydraulic rams running at 3000 psi (21 MPa). He ran on caterpillar tracks of the same type used for Sir Killalot. These tracks were powered by two Briggs and Stratton 5hp electric motors run at 48 volts, which were controlled by two 300 ampere speed controllers. The chassis was constructed from thick walled steel box section and the head was fabricated in fibreglass.
At 750kg, Mr. Psycho was the joint heaviest robot in the history of Robot Wars. Despite this, he was not invulnerable to being flipped, having been flipped by Firestorm 4 in Extreme Series 2 and toppling over while carrying Junkyard Queen in the German Series.
Robot History
Series 6
- "Oh, please, don't go there - don't go towards Mr. Psycho."
- — Jonathan Pearce gives Cyrax some key advice
Cyrax becomes Mr. Psycho's first victim
The Sixth Wars saw two new House Robots added to the fray, and both Mr. Psycho and Growler made their combat débuts together during Razer's Round 2 battle against Cyrax. After Razer pushed the unusually shaped robot into his CPZ, Mr. Psycho came in with two hits of his hammer, smashing the outer lens cap on the blue robot's blinking light and slamming down onto the armour of Cyrax.
Mr. Psycho slams the remains of Mega Hurts 2's monitor
Mr. Psycho's next three appearances also came alongside his pet pooch, all in second round battles, and he came down with another considerable hit onto the monitor of Mega Hurts 2 during its Heat B battle with X-Terminator.
Mr. Psycho worries S3
Mr. Psycho made two more second round appearances, this time with Sir Killalot, before finally appearing in a first round melee in Heat D - a battle where he made his presence well known, as he punished an already immobile Roobarb and caused trouble for S3 throughout the second half of the battle by pinning it into a CPZ and making a notable impact with his hammer, damaging a gearbox shaft.
Mr. Psycho bashes Major Tom
Mr. Psycho's slam down on Fluffy in Heat F was his last appearance for a few heats, as he sat out the action until appearing in the first round of the last heat of The Sixth Wars, Heat L, a battle in which Psycho had a tussle with Riptilion and completely buckling one of the roll-bars attached to Major Tom
Mr. Psycho lifts Spawn Again up into the air
- "Mr ugly, is Mr. Psycho of course. Mr gruesome, is Mr. Psycho. Mr merciless, is Mr. Psycho. Imagine him as your Uncle. Imagine him as your teacher. Imagine him as the boy next door."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Mr. Psycho pits Spawn Again
Psycho also helped finish off a battered Spawn Again during its battle against Terrorhurtz in the Semi-Finals,
Mr. Psycho prepares to slam down onto 259
as he picked it up and paraded it around, before dropping it and allowing Dead Metal to nudge it down the pit.
Mr. Psycho also appeared in the UK vs Germany Special, and caused notable damage to the side of a beaten 259 machine during its battle with Fluffy. Psycho also helped loosen Sergeant Bash's grip on Delldog in its fight against Das Gepäck, reigning down blows on the immobile robot.
Extreme 2
Mr. Psycho holds Chaos 2 in his grip
- "That just gives you some sense of Mr. Psycho's size out there. He is immense! It's [Chaos 2] just a mere bauble, a toy, in the grip of Psycho!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as Mr. Psycho carries Chaos 2 to the pit
In the All-Stars tournament, Mr. Psycho featured in the battle between Chaos 2, Razer and 13 Black, and after Chaos 2 was counted out, he pushed the former champion on the floor flipper where it was thrown, before plucking it from the ground, parading it around the arena and pushing Chaos 2 into the pit - carrying out his first pitting of a competitor robot in the process.
Mr. Psycho destroys Major Tom
Mr. Psycho and Matilda carried out a merciless assault on Major Tom during the Annihilator, with Psycho using his claw and hammer to carry out major bodywork damage.
- "Killer Carrot are in trouble, major trouble here. Mr. Psycho has them in his sights. Turning, trundling, climbing up."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Mr. Psycho closes in on Killer Carrot 2
Mr. Psycho overpowers Killer Carrot 2
After losing a wheel which Psycho picked up with his claw, a struggling Killer Carrot 2 tried in vain to fend off Mr. Psycho during its Minor Meltdown battle against Lambsy. It overbalanced itself by trying to flip Mr. Psycho who proceeded to hammer Killer Carrot 2 and ride up the front of it.
Mr. Psycho knocks Barbaric Response's back panel loose and bends its weapon
Mr. Psycho appeared in the final of the Tag Team Terror, a battle in which he wrecked havoc on the beaten pair, as he roasted Hydra over the flame pit and pitted it, before striking Barbaric Response with a significant hit of his hammer, as he knocked a whole panel off and buckled the top part of its weapon.
Maximus is damaged by Mr. Psycho
Mr. Psycho played a very active role in the New Blood Championship, and continued to cause notable bodywork damage in Heat A, warping Maximus' spikes and buckling its flipper.
- "Doesn't look very happy - he's after you!"
- — Jonathan Pearce warns Edge Hog of Mr. Psycho's wrath
Mr. Psycho drives Edge Hog across the arena floor
He then enjoyed a very busy Heat B, as he consigned Night Raider to multiple damaging hits from his hammer before placing it onto the floor flipper where it was thrown. He also consistently hammered and slammed robots into the arena wall, with RT81, Chip and Edge Hog taking the brunt of the punishment.
ICU is hammered by Mr. Psycho
Doctor Fist is roasted and hammered
Mr. Psycho subjected ICU to multiple blows and placed it on the floor flipper after it was immobilised in the Heat Final of Heat C, before he took Doctor Fist apart in the first round of Heat D, as he burnt it on the flame pit, hammered it, and completely removed one of its wheels. Mr. Psycho appeared twice in the New Blood Grand Final, and played a role in adding to the confusion in the battle between Mute and Cedric Slammer, as he picked Cedric Slammer up and carried it around the arena as time ticked down.
Mr. Psycho presses Dantomkia up against the arena wall
Psycho played an active role in a first round melee involving Dantomkia, S.M.I.D.S.Y., Sir Chromalot and Hypno-Disc in the Challenge Belt as he rammed Dantomkia against the arena wall, before grappling S.M.I.D.S.Y. and nearly throwing it out of the arena.
Riptilion is slammed into submission
Riptilion was involved in another encounter with Mr. Psycho in the Iron Maidens, as the House Robot pushed it into the pit before giving it another taste of his hammer.
- "Can they do it? Look at Mr. Psycho, that is a huge weight! Mr. Psycho saved by the cease? NO! Timber! That's a first! Who on Earth is gonna to raise Mr. Psycho up onto his feet? It'll take an army!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as Firestorm 4 flips Mr. Psycho over
Firestorm flips Mr. Psycho
During the Commonwealth Carnage semi-final, Firestorm 4 managed to topple Mr. Psycho over when he reversed away from the pit, becoming one of only two robots to do so. Before this, Firestorm flipped over Sergeant Bash, and with Panic Attack already immobilised, Refbot was the only robot still mobile at the end of the battle bar Firestorm.
Mr Psycho carries Zeus
Snake Bite suffers damage from the hammer of Mr. Psycho
Mr. Psycho also appeared in the final episode of Extreme 2, and finished off the series with a strong showing, as he dropped the beaten Zeus into the pit and slammed a significant dent into the back armour of Snake Bite after it had been pitted.
- "Oh, that's unfair!"
- — Andrew Marchant when Mr. Psycho attacks Snake Bite
Series 7
- "Oh dear! Poor Rip! It's like, just crumpling up a sweet packet."
- — Jonathan Pearce as Mr. Psycho picks up Rip
Mr. Psycho crumples Rip with his claw
Mr. Psycho's first notable involvement in Robot Wars: The Seventh Wars came in the Featherweight Championship in Heat B, as he joined Sir Killalot and Growler in the arena. The House Robots were given a significant amount of freedom to do as they pleased throughout the battle, and Mr. Psycho took advantage of this as he grabbed and buckled Rip with his claw before slamming down onto Cygnus.
Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit is swept into the pit by Mr. Psycho
Psycho was involved in another special event in Heat C, as he inadvertently swept Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit into the pit during the Battle of the Spinners. He also dropped Barber-Ous 2'n a Bit into the pit after its loss in the first round of Heat E.
Mr. Psycho drops Hassocks Hog 2 out of the arena
Mr. Psycho achieved his only Out of the Arena after dropping Hassocks Hog 2 out of the arena in Heat C. He originally dropped Hassocks Hog on the Drop Zone, but it was unintentionally knocked away by the competitors before an item could drop. Similarly, in Heat P, Mr. Psycho placed Zorro on the Drop Zone after it had been counted out, but Zorro landed on its wheels and drove away. Psycho eventually caught it, and dropped it into the pit.
- "Pinser, wakey-wakey, you too. Okay, look, now, you've beaten Cobra, but that thing there - see it? Little thing there? It's Mr. Psycho - get out of the way!"
- — Jonathan Pearce tries to warn Pinser of Mr. Psycho's presence
Mr. Psycho attacks Mean Streak
Mr. Psycho brings his hammer down on Behemoth
Mean Streak was hammered, picked up and place on the floor flipper by Mr. Psycho in Heat G, before he carried out a similar punishment to the conjoined Pinser and Cobra in Heat J. Psycho also hammered the likes of Kronic the Wedgehog, T-Wrecks and Behemoth in Heat J, Heat K and Heat L respectively, while he carried out floor flipper, drop zone and pitting duties on beaten robots including Hard, UFO, Spin Doctor, Mega Morg and NEATer Machine in Heat K, Heat L, Heat M and Heat N.
- "Mr. Psycho has lost... what little brains he had."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Mr. Psycho loses his head
During an eliminator in the Heat N, a strike from Mr. Psycho's hammer on Topbot caused his already wobbling head to fall off. Mr. Psycho went berserk for a while, hammering The Executioner into submission with his hammer, before dropping it into the pit shortly before cease was called.
Mr. Psycho flattens Gravity
Along with Growler, Cassius Chrome and Refbot, Mr. Psycho appeared in the Series 7 House Robot Rebellion as the House Robots faced off against Gravity and Behemoth. After Growler and Cassius Chrome were put out of action - until Refbot righted Cassius Chrome - Psycho took revenge on Gravity, immobilising it by battering its top with his hammer. Behemoth tried to fight back, but was slammed into the arena wall by Psycho and had its axe snapped off as it was trying to damage the House Robot. Behemoth then tried to use Gravity as a shield against Psycho, but to no avail. However, Psycho brokedown near the end of the battle, and Behemoth and Gravity were given the victory via a decision from the audience.
Mr. Psycho punishes Pussycat
Mr. Psycho appeared alongside Cassius Chrome in the All-Stars final, a battle in which both House Robots fought back against the winner, Pussycat, after it decided to attack them, and both Dantomkia and Pussycat ended up in the pit thanks to a nudge from Mr. Psycho.
The first defeat of Mr. Psycho.
Other
Mr. Psycho also appeared in the second series of Dutch Robot Wars as well as German Robot Wars. The most memorable moment occurred in the Grand Final of the German Wars, when Mr. Psycho picked up Junkyard Queen during its battle against Not Perfect. Mr. Psycho paraded Junkyard Queen around the arena until he took a corner too quickly and toppled over.
Appearances in Merchandise
Trivia
- Robin Englebright, the man who designed Mr. Psycho, entered his own competitor robot, and also designed Growler and Cassius Chrome
- For a French member of the Robot Wars crew's birthday, Francois, during a break in filming, Mr. Psycho was driven into the arena wearing a beret, a blue-and-white striped shirt, a moustache and a cloth on his claw, on which was the birthday cake.
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