Sergeant RL-3

 is a robotic soldier created before the Great War and a possible companion in 2277.

Background
This metal patriot can be purchased from Tinker Joe outside the RobCo Facility for 1000 bottle caps. If the player's barter skill is high enough, the player may purchase him for only 500 bottlecaps. Sergeant RL-3 has an experimental soldier personality making him "unstable," meaning that the player character can only buy Sergeant RL-3 if their karma is neutral. Otherwise Tinker Joe will just say Sergeant RL-3 "...doesn't like the look of you." Sergeant RL-3 won't leave if the player's karma later moves away from neutral, but if separated from the player either through firing or through story events, he cannot be re-hired until karma is again neutral. In these circumstances, Sergeant RL-3 will be waiting in Canterbury Commons after a few days, where he can be re-hired for free.

Effects of player actions

 * If Tinker Joe is dead and you did not get the robot already there is no way of getting this character.
 * RL-3 will return to Canterbury Commons if the player leaves for The Pitt, Point Lookout, or Mothership Zeta Note that for Mothership Zeta RL-3 might wait next to where you are abducted from.

Stats
* Robots are considered creatures rather than NPCs and thus has an additional list of stats present for creatures.

Notable quotes

 * "You're making me angry, you won't like me when I'm angry!"
 * "Do that again and I'll put my boot so far up your ass you'll cough up boot polish!"
 * "Old war-bots never die; they just rust away."
 * "There's nothing I love more than making some other poor bastard die for his country."
 * "When I find you, I'm going to kill you as a personal favor to Uncle Sam."
 * "Another glorious day in this man's army!"
 * "It is a soldier's duty to soldier, not to play hero!"

Appearances
Sergeant RL-3 only appears in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes

 * Reading the 3 as an 'E', the robot's name would be 'Sergeant R L-E' - most likely a reference to actor and former Marine R. Lee Ermey, best known as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from the movie Full Metal Jacket. R. Lee Ermey also was the voice of General Simon Barnaky in Fallout: Tactics.
 * The line, "You're making me angry, you won't like me when I'm angry!" is a line from the 1970s TV show The Incredible Hulk.
 * The line, "Old war-bots never die; they just rust away." is a reference to an old Army ballad line, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away," made famous by General Douglas MacArthur's farewell speech.
 * The line, "There's nothing I love more than making some other poor bastard die for his country." is based on the quote from American General Patton, "I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country."

Bugs

 * With Broken Steel installed, RL-3 possesses a staggering amount of health at higher levels. At level 20 he has fully several thousand HP, more so than even a Super Mutant Behemoth.  This is due to a badly adjusted setting concerning RL-3's leveling, which grants him 350 HP per level gained.  Dogmeat and Fawkes are similarly affected. This only occurs if Broken Steel is installed prior to meeting RL-3, otherwise RL-3's level does not scale and his health is fixed at 350.
 * If in sneak mode, having the Robotics Expert perk produces the usual dialogue box with RL-3. However, selecting "Talk" does nothing.
 * RL-3's plasma projector may use the laser rifle's firing sound, not the usual Mister Gutsy sound effect.
 * When traversing over mountains, RL-3 may get stuck on, or in, a rock.
 * The triggering of some unknown event (most likely the death of any member of Tinker Joe's party, whether caused by the player or wandering Wasteland fauna) causes RL-3 to become hostile towards the player, causing him to immediately attack the player if he is ever dismissed from the party.