Medarot

A Medarot (Japanese: メダロット), known in English as a Medabot, is a small sentient robot from the Medarot series. A Medarot's intelligence comes from the Medal placed in its back, hence the name - short for "Medal Robot".

Medarots come in a wide range of designs with fully swappable parts. The majority of Medarots stand between 75-100 cm tall, but larger models do exist. The most common use for Medarots is to have them compete in battles against other Medarots, known as Robottles. A person who commands a Medarot is known as a Medarotter.

Components

There are three necessary components that make up a Medarot:

Tinpet

The Tinpet is a metallic skeleton that serves as the inner frame of the Medarot. Tinpets come in "male" and "female" styles with different compatible parts.

Parts

"Parts" refer to the customizable pieces that completely cover the Tinpet, providing weapons, additional sensors, and armor. A complete Medarot requires a head part (which includes the torso), two arm parts, and a leg part. Leg part come in a variety of designs for different types of terrain.

Medal

The Medal is the "brain" of the Medarot, and what determines its skills and personality. The Medarot only becomes active when a Medal is placed in its back. The Medal will automatically eject if the parts become heavily damaged - a feature often used to determine the end of a Robottle. When not in use, the Medarot's Medal can be stored inside a specialized wrist watch called a Medarotch.

Serial number

Much like real-life product models, Medarots have their own serial numbers indicating their line and generation. Many of these serials have been reformulated several times in the franchise to better organize and update ideas that have become dated.

Initially, the serial consisted of three letters representing the line's motif, a hyphen, and the model number: [Model]-[Numbers].

For example, Arcbeetle is KBT-4, meaning it belongs to the Kabuto (KBT) line and is the fifth model manufactured (the line always starts with 0, so the real position of the model is its number plus 1). Dorcus is KWG-5, indicating it is part of the Kuwagata (KWG) line and is the sixth model manufactured.

The first change occurred between Medarot 1 and Medarot R. The initial Medarots in the first game started with 0; for example, Metal Beetle and Head Scissors were KBT-0 and KWG-0, respectively. However, new models in Medarot 2, Metabee and Rokusho, did not receive new numbers and continued as KBT-0 and KWG-0. This was because some models in the second game were considered upgrades of the original models, rather than entirely new models, so they retained the same serial numbers. This approach changed in subsequent games, which recognized the M1 and M2 models as separate Medarots. Consequently, Medarots like Metabee and Rokusho were reclassified as KBT-1 and KWG-1, respectively.

The first instance of special serials appeared in Medarot 3 with Blackbeetle and Blackstag, designated as KBT-35 and KWG-35, respectively. These numbers do not indicate that they are the thirty-fifth models in their lines. Instead, they are technically the sixth models, along with Saikachis and Dorcus, meaning they are both KBT-5 and KWG-5. However, to differentiate between male and female models, Saikachis and Dorcus are male, while Blackbeetle and Blackstag are female. To reflect this distinction, a "3" was added to the beginning of the serial numbers for the female models.

Games released after Medarot 4 introduced distinct styles of serials. For instance, Medarots from Medarot Navi reset the serial count but add "NF" at the end to differentiate from Medarots from M1-M4. Examples include Granbeetle and Sonic Stag, designated KBT-0NF and KWG-0NF, respectively. Some other Medarots end with "BF" and "BX" instead. Medarots from Medarot 5 also reset their serial count but end with "CH," such as Chrotojil and Shinzan, labeled KBT-0CH and KWG-0CH. The Medarots of Shingata Medarot act as if the game were a complete reboot due to its reinterpretation of the events of Medarot 1. Thus, Medarots like Beet and Cevo are classified simply as KBT-0 and KWG-0, identical to Metal Beetle and Head Scissors.

After a hiatus, the Medarot series returned with Medarot DS, 7, 8 and 9, which reformulated several concepts, including the Medarots' serial numbers. The new structure consists of three model letters followed by a two-digit number, without the hyphen. This is followed by a hyphen and the letter M or F to indicate the model's gender, or N if the parts are neutral. Finally, if the Medarot has Medachange, a "C" (for "Change") is added: [Model][Number]-[Gender]["C" if it has Medachange].

For example, Arcbeetle is now KBT04-M, indicating it is a Kabuto Model (KBT), the fifth model (04 plus 1), and male (M). Saikachis, which has Medachange, is now KBT05-MC. Thanks to the implementation of gender in the serial, Blackbeetle is now KBT05-FC.

This brought about new models that share the same serial number but differ in gender, such as Rouge Katze and Twintailcat, which are CAT04-F and CAT04-M, respectively.

Additionally, the reformulation standardized all past Medarots, meaning models introduced in Medarot Navi, Medarot 5, Medarot G, and Shingata were included in the original count. Consequently, Granbeetle and Sonic Stag are now KBT08-MC and KWG08-MC, respectively. However, this implementation came after Medarot DS. The serial numbers assigned to Gun-Nose (KBT10-M) and Sanjuro (KWG10-M) were too close to the latest Kabuto and Kuwagata models from the original count, leaving insufficient numerical space for all models introduced post-Medarot 4. As a result, many models gained letters instead of numbers in their serials. For example, Chrotojil is now KBT0C-M, and Beet is KBT0E-M.

Moreover, a Medarot originally introduced in Medarot 3, Maquette, was given the serial number KWGXX in Medarot 8. As a prototype not intended for commercial production, it was assigned "XX" instead of a number. Other special Medarots, such as G-Metabee and P-Rokusho, received serial numbers KBT50-M and KWG50-M, respectively. These numbers are not indicative of them being the fiftieth models created; rather, they are inversions of the Saikachis and Dorcus numbers, likely filling the "50" slot regardless.

The manga Medarotter Rintarou! initially assigned different serials to Kantaros and Mach Massive, namely KBT-2020 and KWG-2015, indicating the year of their creation instead of their generation. This type of serial was short-lived, as these models received standard serials in their game debuts.

In the dubbed version of the Medarot anime, the Medarot serials were changed, possibly to sound more "scientific." For instance, Metabee's serial changed to KBT-11220, and Rokusho's to KWG-11237. It is unclear if there is any pattern to this numbering, whether Metabee is the 11,220th in his line or the final product after 11,219 prototypes.

Social impact

Medarots have become a staple in everyday life for many people in the Medarot universe. Robottles are considered a major sport, with official referees, rankings, and international tournaments.

Not all Medarots are designed for battle, and some models are even geared towards specific purposes such construction work or law enforcement. Many people are given Medarot partners as children, which they keep with them for the rest of their lives.

The development of Medarots and Medarotches is mainly handled by the Medarot Company, although smaller producers also exist. Tinpets and parts are frequently stocked at department stores and convenience stores, and many stores will offer to buy back used parts.

Although Medarots are designed to avoid harming humans and use a variation on Asimov's three laws of robotics, they may still be used by criminals (such as the infamous RoboRobo Gang). Medarot-related crimes fall under the jurisdiction of the Select Defense Force.

Medarots without the limiter on their medals can become aggressive towards humans, ignoring the three laws. They also have the freedom to attack anyone who is not biologically human, even if they have a humanoid appearance.