History Main / CranialProcessingUnit

** In the live-action ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'', fatal damage to the head is consistently fatal. In ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'', for example, Demolishor and Grindor all perish due to fatal attacks to the head: Demolisher is executed with a shot between the eyes by Optimus Prime and Grindor has his head pulled in half by the Autobot leader. In ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' Ironhide, [[BigBadDuumvirate Sentinel Prime and Megatron]] are all killed by shots to the head while Starscream's head is blown up by a grenade and Soundwave's shot off by Bumblebee. It's actually a running gag among Transformers fans that Movie Optimus is a MemeticPsychopath because ''always'' goes for the head.

* Usually averted in ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''. It varies by continuity whether or not the head even has anything related to thought or memory in it, but they almost always have their most important part, [[OurSoulsAreDifferent their Sparks]], near where the heart would be on a human or the dead center of their chest. Still, a surefire way to get a Transformer to stay down is to tear the head off. Megatron exploited this in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', nearly killing the original Optimus Prime on the Ark. Only removing his spark for safekeeping allowed Optimus to be repaired effectively.
** Played straight in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' however, where the heads are shown to contain the transformer's mind. Something that allows Megatron to survive and that the Headmaster exploits. This despite the fact that, as noted above, the Transformers still clearly keep their sparks in their chests.
*** Starscream plays this straight after Megatron extinguished his Spark. A fragment of the Allspark lodged itself in Starscream's head and acted as a substitute for his absent Spark. [[spoiler:Getting it pulled out in the finale killed him off for real.]]
** Waspinator in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' played this straight, since his Spark chamber was located in his head for some reason. This is why he was able to survive being blown up so many times throughout the series since his head always remained intact.
** Played with in the case of Ravage; the only recognisable part of him left from his original G1 form was his head. Surprisingly, after kissing his own nuke, all that was left of him was his head. It's either averted or played straight depending on which you consider canon; apparently he was repaired in the comic books but was considered dead in the animated series.

* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'', since the Terminators all keep their brains/chips in their head.
** Averted with the T-1000 series (and similar) Terminators, though, since, their "head" is no more (or less) important than any other same-mass portion of their "body", being all composed of exactly the same material, and seemingly equally capable of sensory input and distributed processing as any other equivalent mass of the same material. When the "head" is damaged, or simply when convenient, any other mass can be dynamically reconfigured to serve as the head; and even that is not strictly necessary for it to continue functioning (except for the fact that it is programmed to try to appear as human as possible at all times).

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Anevka thinks her real body is connected to her Clank body via the cables connected to her pod. [[TomatoInTheMirror As Tarvek reveals to her]], [[DeadAllAlong the real Anevka died a long time ago]], and [[GrewBeyondTheirProgramming her Clank body developed independence while still believing she was the real Anevka]]. Tarvek tells her all of this before shutting her down and removing her head, before replacing it with a new head containing a copy of [[BigBad Lucrezia]].

* Averted by most incarnations of ''Manga/AstroBoy'', whose CPU is body-centered, contained in a heart-shaped casing inside his chest, making him perfectly capable of functioning with his head knocked off. A little too well, in fact, as Tezuka never did explain how he's able to find his way around without eyes or ears. Maybe one of those wires that's always sticking out of his neck contains a fiberscope?

* ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'':
** Androids are intentionally designed to look, act, and function like humans as much as possible. The first episode starts off with Section 9 infiltrating a geisha resort to rescue hostages who've been physically restrained by malfunctioning android geishas. Motoko orders the team to aim for the head in order to disable them. One geisha has a guest restrained in a full nelson head lock. When Motoko shoots one bullet in its head, it malfunctions and starts to grip even harder. Motoko has no choice but to fully blow away the upper skull of the robot just to expose its circuitry and manually hack it to release the hostage.
** Surgery and electronics have advanced to the point that someone's brain can be removed from their body and put in a different one or carried around in a suitcase as necessary. With many characters being {{Full Conversion Cyborg}}s blurring the line between human and robot.
* Android 16 in ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' had its head ripped from its body, but was still able to give Gohan the pep talk he needed to unleash the power required to stop Cell. It's unknown if the head could have kept going long term as Cell crushed it shortly after.

* The ''Franchise/MegaMan {{MUSH}}'', unlike the games it's based on, generally averts this trope (except for old bots and, well, depends on the creator), as, for robots in general, their neural nets are, as a rule of thumb, in the chest. The head is just one big sensor node.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** In Episode 2, ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', C-3PO's and a battle droid get their heads switched. They both remain quite functional. There may be some secondary processing going on in the body though, as C-3PO doesn't seem to be in control of the body's actions and even seems to temporarily take on aspects of a military droid -- for instance, shooting at people while apologizing profusely, or screaming things like "Die, Jedi!" then wondering why he would say such a thing.
** The prequel movies had legions of Battle Droids with brainy heads, although they can sometimes walk around a bit after their heads have been cut off, for [[RuleOfFunny comedic effect]]. [=MagnaGuards=], however, are an example of a droid that can battle on without a head -- something not common in the movies. It certainly surprises Obi-Wan when it first happens. [[AllThereInTheManual They have backup processors and photoreceptors in their chest]].
** R2-D2's brain (an "Intellex IV computer", according to the Expanded Universe) is in his head, but his torso is so full of gadgets, gizmos, and dwarf actors that there's nowhere else for it to go.
* This is one of the few things the movie of ''Film/IRobot'' had in common with the book. Sonny had a second one, symbolic of a heart, in his chest, but it was implied to augment the one in his head, with no evidence that it could function on its own.

* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'', since the Terminators all keep their brains/chips in their head.
** Averted with the T-1000 series (and similar) Terminators, though, since, their "head" is no more (or less) important than any other same-mass portion of their "body", being all composed of exactly the same material, and seemingly equally capable of sensory input and distributed processing as any other equivalent mass of the same material. When the "head" is damaged, or simply when convenient, any other mass can be dynamically reconfigured to serve as the head; and even that is not strictly necessary for it to continue functioning (except for the fact that it is programmed to try to appear as human as possible at all times).

* In ''Film/{{Elysium}}'', main character Max rips the head off a bodyguard droid, and said droid shuts down immediately.
* Most of the Jaegers shown in ''Film/{{Pacific Rim}}'' have their cockpits mounted in this fashion. This proves fatal for the crew of [[spoiler:Crimson Typhoon]] when [[spoiler:Otachi]] rips it off and nonchalantly crushes it during battle, effectively killing the entire mech. Averted by Cherno Alpha, whose cockpit is chest-mounted. The giant cylindrical "head" is a giant fuel storage container for the incinerator turbines above its shoulders (and makes a handy decoy for any Kaiju trying to kill the Jaeger via decapitation). One justification for putting the cockpit in the head is to allow for an EscapePod for the pilots. Cherno Alpha is the only one without that functionality, as Russians expect their Jaeger pilots to fight to the last.
* Zigzagged in ''Film/TheWolverine''. Wolverine cuts the head off the Silver Samurai robot, and it falls over. [[spoiler:Then it gets back up again and ''then'' it's revealed that the Samurai isn't a robot, it's a suit of Powered Armor with a man inside. If Wolverine had just cut a little lower...]]

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's robot stories. If the position of their positronic brains in their bodies is mentioned, it's usually in their heads. For example, in ''Literature/TheCavesOfSteel'' R. Sammy is found with an alpha sprayer pressed against his head: the radiation from it fried his brain.
** Averted in his story ''Literature/CChute'' when an alien's head-stalk is crushed, but this only blinds it. The protagonist gets a nasty shock when the NotQuiteDead alien rises to its feet and starts stumbling after him.

* Towards the beginning of a ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' / ''ComicBook/IronMan'' crossover novel (just go with it), Iron Man faces off against an incredibly tough attack robot, and with great effort manages to rip its head off. Then he realizes its processors are actually in its chest, which is much more heavily armored. OhCrap.

* The ''Literature/WildCards'' series has the Ly'bahr, a race of [[BrainInAJar brains in jars]] who can plug themselves into all manner of different cyborg bodies. When they wear humanoid bodies they carefully avert this trope, burying the fragile meaty brains inside the torso, behind the heaviest armor possible.

* At least most of the androids in Rick Griffin's ''Literature/{{Argo}}'' seem to have their processors in the head.

* Lampshaded in one of Creator/StanislawLem's stories. A first, prototypical {{Ridiculously Human Robot|s}} has its brain put in the head -- "We're the first to do it." The protagonist corrects them -- well, Mother Nature did it first.
* In the ''Literature/MyNameIsLegion'' story "Home Is the Hangman", the protagonist targets an android's abdomen with an explosive in an attempt to subdue it, the abdomen being the location of the robot's "brain".
* Zigzagged in ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries''. Murderbot points out the biological components in its head (and presumably all [=SecUnits=]) are vital; but pure (humanoid) bots have their central processing units located in their (much better shielded) abdomens. Murderbot references the trope several times in ''Rogue Protocol'' where Murderbot makes the tactical decision to shoot a combat bot in the head, knowing that its weapon isn't enough to pierce the bot's abdominal shielding but ''is'' enough to scramble all its head-mounted sensors for a crucial moment so Murderbot can GrenadeTag it. [[spoiler:Later [[BodyguardBetrayal Wilken]], caught in a GunStruggle with [[RobotBuddy Miki]], tries to deploy her ArmCannon to shoot Miki in the head which will effectively blind the robot. And in the final battle a combat bot effectively 'kills' Miki by crushing its midsection.]]
* In Creator/JackChalker's ''Rings of the Master'' it is stated that, when fighting their robotic enemies, there is no point for the heroes to shoot their head -- aiming for where the human has a navel is the proper way.

* 790, the disembodied robotic head in ''{{Series/Lexx}}''.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'' - Kryten even has spare heads which have their own personalities.
** One of the Red Dwarf novels suggests that the circular display on Kryten's abdomen also houses his memory core. If Kryten routinely swaps heads (implied in the TV series to be "once a month") then it makes sense for his body to house a central memory so each head can keep track of what Kryten's current activities have been, even if each head maintains a subtly different personality and its own memory. This may also explain the changes to his personality when he was rebuilt between series two and three - he has the same central memory core but was otherwise extensively reworked.

* Averted with Adam in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. While he clearly has eyes on his head and we don't know for certain where his memory and whatnot are located, at least his power core is located in his chest.
* Played with in ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' - the shapeshifters have two brains, one in their head and one in their abdomen. However, they will still die if shot in the head.
* The ''Series/BlakesSeven'' episode "[[Recap/BlakesSevenS4E6Headhunter Headhunter]]" is about a killer android who keeps coming after our heroes even after a RoboticReveal involving his head getting knocked off. Turns out the head was [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters that of its creator]], and the android's real head was a RestrainingBolt so it wouldn't KillAllHumans.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The robots in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E5TheRobotsOfDeath The Robots of Death]]" have their 'brains' in their heads, as one is 'killed' by having a laser probe plunged into brain through its head. This makes sense given what we know of the society that created them: with the robots having being made in human form for aesthetic reasons.
* ''Series/DarkMatter2015'': The crew of the ''Raza'' activate a {{Sexbot}} they find in storage, only to discover it's been programmed by an enemy to sabotage the ''Raza'' by locking the controls and [[HurlItIntoTheSun flying them into a sun]]. Four manages to decapitate the android, then they take its head to the bridge and plug into it to find the password used to lock down the controls. A couple of other crewmembers go to throw the body out the airlock, only to have the head remotely activate it and attack them, using the ship's internal sensors to see where they are.

* 'Mech cockpits in ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' are in the head 99% of the time. But seeing as most of the torso space is taken up by a large fusion reactor, there's not a lot of room to stick a cockpit in there.
** This trope is played straight on the damage sheets, but averted quite frequently in the artwork and models. Many 'Mechs have torso mounted cockpits - They're just called 'heads' for simplicity.
** A 'Mech can under suitably advanced rules be built with a literal torso-mounted cockpit -- that is, one that's actually located ''inside'' its mechanical guts and unlike the "cosmetic" option above doesn't even have windows. This averts the trope, puts the pilot behind thicker armor than usual, and makes headshots somewhat less dangerous...but also makes the 'Mech more difficult to pilot and can become a death trap in its own right because this kind of cockpit does ''not'' allow the pilot to eject.
* Averted in ''Cyborg Commando'': the cyborg's brain is in the chest, while the head houses various sensors. (And a large amount of empty space, for some reason.)

* ''[[VideoGame/ExtrapowerStarResistance EXTRAPOWER Star Resistance]]'': The Shakun Star central computer is a [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever massive robot]] with [[SculptedPhysique the muscles of a body builder]]. Despite its immense size and plates of armour all over its rock solid body, the head is what needs to be targeted and destroyed layer by layer to finally disable it.
* Justified in ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'', as Clockwerk was originally organic, replacing his organs one at a time.
* The ''Franchise/MegaMan'' series (''[[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Classic]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX X]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'', ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]'') ''loves'' this trope. If the enemy is immune to damage in the body and doesn't have a weak core, it's best you shoot them in the head in order to destroy them. ''X3'' takes this to an extreme, where the absolutely massive final boss can only be damaged by hitting his extremely tiny head.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/AliensVsPredator2010'', which is oddly enough in the same universe as the ''Film/{{Alien}}'' example. The combat androids can have their heads completely shot off, and continue to not only function, but attack as well. Presumably, they have sensory devices that are also not on their head.
* The best way to take down the humaniform robots and the "robot dogs" in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' is a headshot. The larger robots require a bit more effort, though.
** In ''Mass Effect 2'', most robots are humanoid. Headshots don't really affect geth, but they do severely damage FENRIR, LOKI and YMIR robots, causing an explosion if the robot was killed with it. If [[HumongousMecha YMIR]] has his head blown off, he explodes like a Cain's shot.
** At higher difficulties, YMIR mechs can take over a ''dozen'' headshots with a sniper rifle to take down. And that's still easier than shooting them anywhere else.
* Most robots in the ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' series play this straight, but the soldier robots on Damosel in the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando second game]] can function with only legs.
* Robots in the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series take more damage when they are shot in the head. Except for the military Sentry bot in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'', who actually takes more damage if shot in the chest. Head shots are still a good idea, though, because all the targeting systems are there and it's armed to the teeth. This only applies to robots that ''have'' recognizable separate heads, of course -- the Mister Handy/Gutsy/Orderly series might have its processing unit in the 'head', but that's because there isn't a torso to put it in. This is implicitly averted by the Assaultron combat droids, whose heads have a nuclear powered laser and, similar to the Sentry bot, take less damage from headshots. One presumes the control unit resides in the chest, since the laser would comprise the vast majority of the head structure.
* Possibly the Mechawfuls from ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''. Those things definitely have whatever controls them inside their heads, to the point the head specifically has to be destroyed separately to stop it regenerating the body. Or just keep hammering them, [[CurbStompBattle figuratively]] and literally. Destroying them via CounterAttack will also defeat the robot without the head detatching.
* The Wood Golem in ''VideoGame/PopfulMail'' is similar to the above example in that destroying the body will merely cause the head to bounce around until the body regenerates; killing the head is the only way to end the fight. Averted in the case of Nuts Cracker, who is either a robot, an animate puppet or something in that vein: his favorite method of distracting his opponents is ''cutting off his own head'' while his body makes a getaway. (The head then taunts the unfortunate bounty hunter and then ''explodes''.)
* In ''VideoGame/TimeSplitters'' you can headshot all robots except for Sentrybot, who has no head to speak of.
* KAOS in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble''. You have to either jump on its head (first battle) or throw barrels at its head (second battle) to hurt/defeat it. It even changes the design of its head, with its first helmet becoming a flying laser-shooting thing and its final head shooting grenades.
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarZero'' both follows this trope and subverts it a bit: Casts play it straight in most every way, but they also have "sub-memory" which is in their bodies and not their heads. It doesn't seem to be enough to back up their personality, however, even though it can hold such high-priority data as an ''accent''.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Vanquish}}'', headshots kill the robotic enemies much faster.
* In the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series, this usually justified by the fact that the robots are manned and have their cockpits on top. With the unmanned models (Gekko and the Arsenal [=RAY=]s), this is played straight. Gekko explicitly have their weak point mounted on the top of their hulls, whereas the [=RAYs=]' only real weak point (or at least, the only weak point which actually reduces their HP if attacked) is their face.
* ''VideoGame/MetalArmsGlitchInTheSystem'' averts this somewhat with robots that can function with only legs remaining. However, they can't attack.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': Clearly, since Gray Mann based his squad of robot invaders on the mercenaries his idiot brothers hired for their endless feud, he also thoughtfully made the heads of said robots be vital processing centers so any opposing Sniper has a convenient target to hit. Amusingly, the robot sniper ''don't'' ever shoot humans in the head with standard sniper rifles, though they make up for this by coming in squads. Huntsman robots still get critical headshots.

* In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', this is the case with the giant boss Earthwake. Indeed, its head seemingly contains everything important for the thing's function, since it's what initially flies into the air and summons the rest of the body from the background. And everything's presumably held together by some sort of magnetism, FloatingLimbs style. Which is why you end up defeating it by driving it into the water and repeatedly pummelling said head with a hammer.
* Lavos from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' isn't a robot, but does subvert this trope in a way to trick the player. [[spoiler: Lavos' final form consists of a large humanoid figure and two pods floating beside it. While you'd think the humanoid figure is the real Lavos (especially since the left pod heals it regularly,) the real Lavos is actually the right pod, which can't be defeated until the left pod and humanoid figure are defeated.]]

* The Automatons of ''Videogame/EndlessSpace'' have their CPU inside their head. One of their best [[TerraForm terraformers]] had his head bitten off by one of his [[ManEatingPlant carnivorous plants]]; luckily, he had a wireless receiver in his body. He now carries his head around in his hands as a sign of humility.
* The ''Videogame/MechWarrior'' continues ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech's'' tradition of mounting the cockpit on the top of humanoid [[HumongousMecha BattleMechs]]. The {{Walking Tank}}s on the other hand, usually have the cockpit mounted ahead of the torso. The ''Cyclops'' in ''Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries'''s re-release is a notable exception to the rule, as it's a humanoid mech with a distinctive head - which is instead a [[EyeBeams mounting point for heavy laser weapons]]; the actual cockpit is in the torso and only identifiable through a tiny slit of a window.
* In ''Videogame/{{Destiny}}'', the Vex have big, prominent heads that you can shoot off. [[SchmuckBait Doing so makes the Vex in question even more violent and aggressive, causing it to charge at you with guns blazing and try to beat you down in close quarters]]. Their actual weak points are the glowing white "juiceboxes" that make up their midsections, filled with the radiolarian fluid that lets them think.
* [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] in ''Videogame/{{Portal}}'' with the personality cores, [[spoiler:including [=GLaDOS=]]]. After all, they are nothing but spheres with an eye on them, but the body [[spoiler:used by [=GLaDOS=] and later Wheatley]] clearly has some influence over them.

* ''VideoGame/{{Headlander}}'' is based on this trope entirely, to the extent he main character ''is'' a head, severed from the body but kept alive by a special rocket-equipped helmet. All robots in the game - including pets, mobile maps, stationary emplacements and ''chess pieces'' - have their main processor in their heads; once that is removed the rest of the body remains limply in place, free for commandeering by plopping one's head-in-a-helmet on top.
* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': A rather disturbing aversion in the Fortuna expansion. The Solaris are cyborgs who (among other things) have had their heads replaced with robotic upgrades. Destroying their robotic heads is little more than an annoyance, [[spoiler:as their biological heads are still in control, stored in their armored cybernetic torsos]].

* Androids in ''VideoGame/DetroitBecomeHuman'' appear to keep their main processors in their heads. Certain androids, if DrivenToSuicide during the game, do so by self-inflicted headshot, indicating that this is lethal to them. (This isn't the only vital "organ" for an android, however - they also have a centralized pump for thorium, their "blood", in their [[HeartDrive chest]], which shuts them down if disabled.)
* Contrast the source material (see above) ''VideoGame/GundamEvolution'' simply has every mobile suit take the same amount of extra damage from shots to the head, varying solely dependent on the weapon.

* ''WebAnimation/GenLock'': Averted but discussed. The [[BrainUploading cyberbrain]] is the most vulnerable part of the [[HumongousMecha Holon technology]]. There are no back-ups for a pilot's mind, so if the cyberbrain is damaged, the pilot is doomed. The brain unit is not stored in a Holon's head, but inside a module that's placed inside the heavily-armoured chest. The Union initially appears to believe that the head is where that brain is located, but it quickly becomes clear they know exactly where the chest module is located. The fact they have somehow obtained this knowledge concerns both [[TheLeader Chase]] and [[FatherlyScientist Weller]]. [[spoiler:When the [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver Nemesis mech]] first makes its appearance, it goes straight for [[TheBabyOfTheBunch Cammie's]] head, ripping it from her shoulders. It then pins the body to the ground and goes straight for the chest module. If it hadn't wasted time blinding Cammie by beheading her before going for the chest module, Chase would never have arrived in time to save Cammie's life. As it is, Nemesis still manages to rip open the entry panel before Chase arrives.]]

* Averted in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', where it's even commented on how it would be foolish. Unless you count Ennesby who's essentially a head on a stick (AntiGravity generator).
** Also, one organic alien survives a headshot, as his "head" is just a big eye and his brain is actually in his pelvis. (he is promptly advised to play possum, lest the enemy sniper figure it out and go for another shot.)

* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' this [[http://www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=706 does the trick]]. At least, if you slam poor tin can hard enough to rip out whatever was connected to its head by cables.
* In ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'' a robot was saved due to his designer placing all vital parts in the head and then removing it.
** Said robot was an X-Box system; the only vital components in the head were the hard drives containing saved games (and personality).
* ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'': Averted with Helix (and possibly other robots). As seen in [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff200/fv00159.htm this strip]] and the next few following it, removing his head has no effect on his ability to think[[note]]so to speak, given his displayed lack of intelligence[[/note]] and communicate.
** Taken to its logical extreme with Benny, who has a humanoid body and an airplane body, both controlled by a brain in a briefcase-shaped portable container.
* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', an android's head can function independently if hooked up to a power source, as demonstrated with [[spoiler: Nin Wah's android clone]] [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2012/04/07/all-in-her-head/ here.]] Taken a bit more literally [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2012/10/07/dressed-for-success/ later,]] where Fortiscue seems to be using [[spoiler: Zenith's head]] as a backup computer in an effort to get the generators back online. [[spoiler:Later, it's all that remains of her body, but she's perfectly able to continue functioning once she has it plugged into a larger system.]]

* A non-robotic [[AvertedTrope aversion]] occurs in ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'' with [[spoiler: Mehlata]] who is undead. The only way for undead to die (again) is [[RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain by destroying their brain]], however [[spoiler: Mehlata]] took the precaution of relocating her brain from her skull to her torso which saves her (un)life when [[spoiler: Kira Soulstealer]] vaporizes her head.

* Averted with the robotic Richard Simmons in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
* XR in ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' is only vaguely even humanoid, but still has this. Actually kind of justified: XR is specifically designed to be easy to reassemble if damaged, and his head is the part of him with the mouth to tell people he ''needs'' reassembling. His head also a fairly sturdy-looking cylinder with facial features that seems difficult to damage anyway.
* A non-robot example would be Sarah G. Lato from ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'', who is an anthropomorphic ice cream cone. The ice cream part of her can be knocked off the cone and she retains consciousness and her body can move autonomously.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', robotic assassin Scaramouche is reduced to a head hopping ineffectually on the stump of his neck after fighting Jack.

* ''Film/TheLastStarfighter''. When the Beta unit (robot) impersonating Alex takes off its head, the head can continue to talk normally.
** However, since the body is also fully functional and repairing the head, it's not really clear which part is controlling the other.

* ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'' mentioned this recently with reference to how strange it is that [=C3PO=] still works when his head is grafted onto a battledroid.

* Possibly the Mechawfuls from ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''. Those things definitely have whatever controls them inside their heads, to the point the head specifically has to be destroyed separately to stop it regenerating the body.
** Or just keep hammering them, [[CurbStompBattle figuratively]] and [[DropTheHammer literally]].
** Destroying them via CounterAttack will also defeat the robot without the head detatching.

** Deliberately invoked in the logic behind a mobile suit variation in ''Gundam 00''. The Neo-Head is an advanced prototype [[{{Cephalothorax}} that is compromised solely of arms, legs and a torso]], with all cameras, sensors, and processing units distributed throughout the body or within the centre of the torso. The reasons behind it was that in virtually all cases, a mobile suit having its head destroyed meant that it was combat inoperable, regardless of the rest of its operational status.

** Special attention should be given to the Headmasters, a subgroup of Transformers whose heads transform into separate characters. In the Japanese continuity (e.g. ''Anime/TheHeadmasters'', ''Anime/TransformersSuperGodMasterforce'') the larger Transformer bodies are actually lifeless controlled by the heads meaning head wounds would actually be fatal, whereas on at least one occasion in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'' a Headmaster survives decapitation because both the Transformer and his head partner went comatose from the shock rather than outright perish. In one famous instance, in the ''Ladybird'' books the Headmasters Chromedome and Hardhead transform into robot mode while their partners Stylor and Duros are elsewhere, and are described in the narration as using their other sensors to look around while discussing the situation amongst themselves. The accompanying illustration shows them in robot mode sans heads.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/DeathsHead https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathshead-ironman2020_7513.jpg]]]]

* Played straight with ComicBook/DeathsHead, who can continue to control his body even after being decapitated. In ''Death's Head II'' issue #1, he gets "assimilated" by being stabbed in the head.

** In both ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeed'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny,'' a mobile suit was disabled if its head was destroyed. This is only relevant because only Kira Yamato aims for the head; he's a [[TechnicalPacifist pacifist]] so he only aims to disable, not kill. When a suit shows up that does not have a head that Kira can detach, he simply just shoots out all the other limbs. Though he's usually thorough enough to also shoot the weapons carried by mobile suits, so that they have no means of even ''attempting'' to fight blind.

* In one of Stanislaw Lem's stories a first, prototypical RidiculouslyHumanRobot has its brain put in the head - however, it's lampshaded - "We're the first to do it." The protagonist corrects them - well, Mother Nature did it first.
* In Creator/RogerZelazny's "Literature/HomeIsTheHangman", the protagonist targets an android's abdomen with an explosive in an attempt to subdue it, the abdomen being the location of the robot's "brain."

* Referenced several times in ''[[Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries Rogue Protocol]]''. Murderbot makes the tactical decision to shoot a combat bot in the head, knowing that its weapon isn't enough to pierce the bot's abdominal shielding but ''is'' enough to scramble all its head-mounted sensors for a crucial moment so Murderbot can GrenadeTag it. [[spoiler:[[BodyguardBetrayal Wilken]], caught in a GunStruggle with [[RobotBuddy Miki]], tries to deploy her ArmCannon to shoot Miki in the head which will effectively blind the robot. And in the final battle a combat bot effectively 'kills' Miki by crushing its midsection.]]

* ''Literature/TheMurderbotDiaries'': Referenced twice by Murderbot's narration, although robot processing units are located in their (much better shielded) abdomens. [[spoiler:[[BodyguardBetrayal Wilken]]]] makes the rookie mistake of trying to shoot [[spoiler:Miki]]'s head off, which would only have inconvenienced it. Murderbot makes the tactical decision to shoot a combat bot in the head, knowing that its weapon isn't enough to pierce the bot's abdominal shielding but ''is'' enough to scramble all its head-mounted sensors for a crucial moment.

[[caption-width-right:350:"Losing my head doesn't stop me from kicking your ass, yes?"]]

** ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'': Beheading didn't seem to affect Transformers very much in the series proper, with examples such as Powerglide's head falling clean off his shoulders in "Desertion Of The Dinobots" (he was able to catch his own head in his hands and complained about it), while Optimus Prime was once disassembled by the Decepticons (in the episode "City of Steel"). While comatose, when his head was reactivated he was able to communicate with his troops and even remotely control his separated body parts, most notably when he remotely commanded his arm (which was holding his blaster) to fire on Devastator at a key point of the climax.
** ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'': Zigzagged. Some Transformers were killed when they were beheaded, the most famous example being Cyclonus in the UK-exclusive stories when his head was pulled off his shoulders by Megatron. The Autobot Pretender Cloudburst likewise lost his head when a jilted alien queen beheaded him with a swipe of her sword, but his comrade Landmine reattached it and Cloudburst recovered no worse for wear. When a fan wrote a letter asking about the discrepancy, Dreadwing (answering the letters page at the time) explained that virtually all Transformers could safely remove their heads, but this involved several mental commands to properly disconnect various functions otherwise the shock might kill them. He further clarified that even then decapitation might not be fatal provided the head was reattached quickly enough: while Cloudburst was lucky enough to have Landmine nearby to reattach his head, Cyclonus wasn't so fortunate.
** ''Creator/IDWPublishing'': The IDW comics introduced a trinity of organs to which damage would be fatal: the brain module, the spark chamber and the transformation cog. It was implied that so long as the brain module remained intact, severe damage to the head wasn't necessarily fatal. One particularly noteworthy example comes from IDW's ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', where Autobot psychologist Rung has his [[IJustShotMarvinInTheFace accidentally head blown off]] by [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy Swerve]] and survives, although his brain module is damaged enough that he is left in a catatonic state for several issues. Another example was in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'', where the Cyberjet Snare is shot in the head and half his head blown off, revealing his brain module. Impactor offers to take him to safety before the arrival of [[BigBad Overlord]], but Snare instead requests a MercyKill that Impactor grants by crushing his brain module.

** Special attention should be given to the Headmasters, a subgroup of Transformers whose heads transform into separate characters. In the Japanese continuity (e.g. ''Anime/TheHeadmasters'', ''Anime/TransformersSuperGodMasterforce'') the larger Transformer bodies are actually lifeless controlled by the heads meaning head wounds would actually be fatal, whereas on at least one occasion in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'' a Headmaster survived decapitation because both the Transformer and his head partner went comatose from the shock rather than outright perish. In one famous instance, in the ''Ladybird'' books the Headmasters Chromedome and Hardhead transform into robot mode while their partners Stylor and Duros are elsewhere, and are described in the narration as using their other sensors to look around while discussing the situation amongst themselves. The accompanying illustration shows them in robot mode sans heads.

* Remarkably consistent for ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}''. While there have been a few notable instances of Transformers surviving decapitation (or being slain by the same--it seems to vary depending on who's losing their head that day), Transformers killed via having their heads crushed or shot have died on a fairly reliable basis. This may have something to do with the brain module, a concept referenced in earlier issues of the Marvel comic, but seen and invoked in a more gruesome fashion in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers''.
** Although it is worth noting that some Transformers have survived greivous head wounds in some comics. One particularly noteworthy example comes from IDW's ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', where [[spoiler: Autobot psychologist Rung has his [[IJustShotMarvinInTheFace accidentally head blown off]] by [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy Swerve]] and survives, although his brain module is damaged enough that he is left in a catatonic state for several issues.]]
** This trope is further PlayedWith in IDW's Transformers comics in regards to Cybertronians with [[AnimalMecha beast modes]]. Since a Transformer's brain module tends to be located in their robot mode head, a beast-former can survive the destruction of their beast mode's head if their robot head is located somewhere else. This is {{Lampshaded}} in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'' when the Dinobot Sludge has his brontosaurus head destroyed, only for him to immediately transform into robot mode none the worse for wear. When Ironhide questions this, Sludge points out that his "real" head is located under his dino mode's head.

* ''Series/DarkMatter''. The crew of the ''Raza'' activate a SexBot they find in storage, only to discover it's been programmed by an enemy to sabotage the ''Raza'' by locking the controls and [[HurlItIntoTheSun flying them into a sun.]] Four manages to decapitate the android, then they take its head to the bridge and plug into it to find the password used to lock down the controls. A couple of other crewmembers go to throw the body out the airlock, only to have the head remotely activate it and attack them, using the ship's internal sensors to see where they are.

** In one episode, Data used his body to disrupt an electrical arc, damaging it in the process. Afterward, Riker removed his still functioning head and continued on.
** And then averted in the TimeTravelEpisode "Time's Arrow," in which Data's head (which was [[TheSlowPath left behind in 1893]]) isn't functional until re-united with his body. Though in this case it was an involuntary (and accidental) separation, and the head's reactivation was further impeded by a metal filing left inside interfering with some of the contacts, [[spoiler: which itself was a clue that Picard in the past had [[MessageInABottle left an important message]] in Data's head]].

* Franchise/{{Gundam}} can't always make up its mind on how functionally important its HumongousMecha's heads are. For the vast majority of Mobile Suits, the cockpit is actually located in the torso (because it's much easier to heavily armor and protect), but the head usually contains the main sensor. A {{Mook}} or RedShirt who's mecha is decapitated is usually at the very least treated like it's disabled, if not destroyed, but one piloted by a main character or MauveShirt is often only slightly inconvenienced.

* Most of the Jaegers shown in ''Film/{{Pacific Rim}}'' have their cockpits mounted in this fashion. This proves fatal for the crew of [[spoiler:Crimson Typhoon]] when [[spoiler:Otachi]] rips it off and nonchalantly crushes it during battle, effectively killing the entire mech. Averted by Cherno Alpha, whose cockpit is chest-mounted. The giant cylindrical "head" is a giant fuel storage container for the incinerator turbines above its shoulders (and makes a handy decoy for any Kaiju trying to kill the Jaeger via decapitation).

* In Creator/JackChalker's ''Rings of the Master'' it is stated that when fighting their robotic enemies, there is no point for the heroes to shoot their head - aiming for where the human has a navel is the proper way.

* Strangely zig-zagged in ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' with the Motorized Patriot, one of the few actually robotic enemies in the game. Shooting the Motorized Patriot in the head still does extra damage, a lot more than shooting it in the chest. But even if you destroy the head it continues, implying it has other sensors elsewhere, but none that you can see.
* In VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam, this is the case with the giant boss Earthwake. Indeed, its head seemingly contains everything important for the thing's function, since it's what initially flies into the air and summons the rest of the body from the background. And everything's presumably held together by some sort of magnetism, FloatingLimbs style. Which is why you end up defeating it by driving it into the water and repeatedly pummelling said head with a hammer.

* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' is pretty clever about this, as their robots don't usually have recognizable heads--they're basically all torso, legs, and weapons. They have a slight protrusion from the middle of their chests that appears to be where it keeps the CPU, but this portion is exceedingly well armored and takes the most damage to destroy. Only the [[ActionBomb EXP Loader]] has a recognizable 'head,' which pops up on the torso when it's right next to a target, but that isn't the CPU--it's an explosive reactor core, which naturally blows up like no one's business.

* Clearly, since [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 Gray Mann of Team Fortress 2]] based his squad of robot invaders on the mercenaries his idiot brothers hired for their endless feud, he also thoughtfully made the heads of said robots be vital processing centers so any opposing Sniper has a convenient target to hit. Amusingly, the robot sniper ''don't'' ever shoot humans in the head with standard sniper rifles, though they make up for this by coming in squads. Huntsman robots still get critical headshots.

* Franchise/{{Gundam}} can't always make up its mind on whether or not this applies to its HumongousMecha. For the vast majority of Mobile Suits, the cockpit is actually located in the torso (because it's much easier to heavily armor and protect), but the head usually contains the main sensor. A {{Mook}} or RedShirt who's mecha is decapitated is usually at the very least treated like it's disabled, if not destroyed, but one piloted by a main character or MauveShirt is often only slightly inconvenienced.
** How important ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':

** Deliberately invoked in the logic behind a mobile suit variation in ''Gundam 00''. The Neo-Head is an advanced prototype that is compromised solely of arms, legs and a torso, with all cameras, sensors, and processing units distributed throughout the body or within the centre of the torso. The reasons behind it was that in virtually all cases, a mobile suit having its head destroyed meant that it was combat inoperable, regardless of the rest of its operational status.

** The climax of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' simultaneously averted and invoked this trope with the Gundam and the Zeong, respectively. Amuro kept going in the Gundam without its head, while Char ditched the body of the Zeong to continue attacking using its head.
*** Amuro's dismissal of this trope ("All you destroyed was the main camera!") has gone on to become one of his iconic quotes.
** ''[[Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam Zeta Gundam]]'''s Rick Dias and the Sazabi from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack'' both featured cockpits in the head unit. And like the Zeong above, Char piloted both models.