Rob (Gumball)

Rob
Species	Cyclops (glitched)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Gumball Watterson Darwin Watterson
Occupation	Student Villain
Goals	Escape the Void Exact revenge on Gumball and his loved ones Find a part to play in the world Save the cast from the Void
First appearance	AWOG: "The Party" (2011)
Played by	Charles Philipps (2008) David Warner
Season 1 design (left).
Season 2 design.

Rob is a tall cyclops, the archenemy of Gumball Watterson, and the main antagonist of The Amazing World of Gumball animated television series. His voice is primarily provided by Charles Philipps.

Rob lives in the American city of Elmore. He was originally a minor, nondescript character in the show. Because of this, he is exiled into the Void as one of the world's "mistakes"; upon escaping disfigured, he vows revenge on Gumball to reclaim his place in the world.

Character description

Rob was friendly and sociable in his early appearances. When he cheerfully approached Gumball and Darwin, he believed they were friends. However, their awkward response - including using the wrong name and making empty promises to spend time together - revealed that he could easily become confrontational and bitter. Rob, feeling entitled and insecure about being forgettable, expressed his frustration at their apparent negligence and inconsideration while obstructing their path. Still, he later showed forgiveness by helping them retrieve their DVD from the sewer with good humor, only to discard it in disappointment when they again misnamed him.

Following his escape from the Void, Rob experienced temporary amnesia, falling into anxiety, confusion, and depression, not even knowing his own identity. Upon being discovered in Gumball and Darwin's basement, he fled in panic, and when later confronted, he described himself as lacking purpose and a sense of self, claiming to be "nobody" without "reason to exist." In this state, he was meek and timid, though courteous, as he accepted their suggestions about creating a new identity in Elmore. However, when they suggested he become the town's villain - apparently the only missing role - his memories returned. He remembered pleading for their help in the Void, which they hadn't noticed. This became the catalyst for his transformation into a villain, as he dramatically swore to exact revenge for their abandonment, finding "a part to play in the world" through his vendetta.

Though he initially presented a bold front, his villainous attempts started out notably incompetent - such as destroying a vending machine while thinking it was the Elmore Dam's control room (which didn't even exist). He even considered abandoning his role due to lack of confidence but eventually developed into a more capable and dangerous adversary.

Rob later blamed Gumball for his fate, revealing that he "never wanted to be the villain," instead expressing his desire to be "the cute sidekick who gets his own plush toy" and "spin-off show." He is existentially aware about being a fictional character in a fake universe, and he argued that he was forced into villainy to justify his existence. He attempted to permanently trap Gumball in the Void, believing that replacing the protagonist would allow him to "be whoever [he wants]." Despite his claimed aversion to villainy, he exhibited sadistic behavior and seemed to enjoy tormenting Gumball's family and wreaking havoc in town.

Yet "The Rerun" revealed his better nature. After Gumball attempted to rescue him from the Void, Rob sacrificed both a potential reconciliation and universal control through the magic Universal Remote to undo his destructive actions by rewinding time (though his hatred resurged later). He realized that removing Gumball would not give him the fulfillment he wanted, and he would be lost without his only purpose. Later, he attempted to prevent an approaching catastrophe where the Void would destroy Elmore. While his intentions to save everyone were sincere, his poor communication skills, extreme methods (secretly transforming everyone into humans while disguised as a superintendent), and arrogant attitude - blaming students for opposing him while ignoring his problematic approach - led to his failure, as no one trusted or heeded his warnings.

Appearances

TV series

• The Amazing World of Gumball
• Villainous (no lines)

Video games

• Multiverse Mayhem
• The Princi-Pals
• Wrecker's Revenge

Biography

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