Toby

Toby (also known as Tobio and Astor) is the nine-year-old son of Dr. Tenma. After being killed in a tragic accident, Dr. Tenma invented a robot to replace him. This robot is known as Astro.

One day Astor was enjoying a drive around town in his father's car. While doing this he crashes his car into a semi truck and dies. Dr. Boynton later comes and carries Astor's body away from the scene of the accident. Astor later appears in the episode Mystery of the Metal Men after Astro ends up in a alternate dimension.

One night Skunk came to Toby's house in order to try to trick Dr. Tenma into putting Omega Factor into one of his robots. After Dr. Tenma forced Skunk to leave, Toby suggested that his father should make a boy robot. Inspired, Dr. Tenma changes the plans for robot #5 to fit Toby's suggestion. Toby then calls his father to remind him that he had promised Toby he would take him to an amusement park. Dr. Tenma then tells Toby to go home, causing Toby to attempt to run away. During this time he crashed his car into a semi truck. Later in the Tokyo Hospital he asks his dad to name the robot after him and to love it instead of him as well. He then dies. In this version Toby has a loyal dog named Jump who later became Astro's.

Tobio first appeared during a flashback Astro had while running a three-legged race. He was then seen in a flashback Astro had when he was unconscious. The flashback showed how Tobio felt about his father neglecting him. He then appeared in a vision walking sadly in the rain in front of Astro, and led Astro to what was Tobio's former house. While exploring Astro had another vision of Tobio talking with Dr. Tenma. Dr. O'Shay then came and explained to Astro what happened to Tobio. Tobio made many other appearances in flashbacks, but it wasn't until the final episode that the complete story was revealed. Dr. Tenma had taken Tobio to his work for the first time. He showed Tobio an area in the Ministry where they recycled old robots. Dr. Tenma then told Tobio of his plans to replace NORA, Tobio's nannybot. Upset by this, Tobio told his father that NORA was his best friend and that all he wanted was his father. He then ran off and got on the new air bike his father gave him and rode off just to be hit by a semi truck and killed.

In the 2009 movie, Toby is first seen at his high school. After acing a pop quiz, Toby leaves and gets in his car. Then after he has a discussion with his dad, which at the time he learns about the unveiling of the Peacekeeper, Toby hacks his robot butler, Orrin, and goes off to the Ministry of Science. Toby then gets caught and is allowed to tag along until he upsets President Stone. While being thrown and locked into a closet by and escorting guard, he steals the guard's pass card and runs off to watch the Peacekeeper unveiling. At this time he goes farther in to get a closer look, and when Dr. Tenma closes the shield in order so the Peacekeeper, who is now trying to attack them, can't hurt them. However, Toby got stuck on the other side of the shield and, since the shield was having an error, couldn't get to safety. As a result, when the Peacekeeper tried to destroy the shield, Toby was vaporized instead.