Gumrob

Gumrob is the slash ship between Gumball and Rob from The Amazing World of Gumball fandom.

Canon
Prior to the events of "The Nobody", Gumball and Rob seldom ever interacted. Their first major interaction was in "The Pony", where is revealed that due to their little time on screen together, Gumball doesn't even know his name. Rob would later disappear from the series, being cast into the Void where he would end up being forgotten about by everyone.

However, during the events of "The Void" and as revealed in "The Nobody", Rob managed to escape by clinging to the back of Mr. Small's van. In the process, he ended up losing his memories and his appearance became distorted. Once his memories returned, he recalled that Gumball was the person who could have saved him from the Void and yet he didn't, and thus he vowed to become his arch nemesis and to destroy him.

Unfortunately, Rob would turn out to be a rather incompetent villain, requiring the assistance of Gumball to become the nemesis he deserves in "The Nemesis". In doing so, Gumball turns Rob into 'Dr. Wrecker.' This, however, does not make Rob any better as a villain as he proceeded to fail again in "The Bus".

Rob would finally prove himself as Gumball's enemy in "The Disaster", where upon purchasing a universe-altering remote control, he proceeds to ruin Gumball's life by separating him from all of his loved ones. Gumball and Rob would end up having a fight, one that Gumball ultimately ends up losing and is cast into the Void by Rob. Fortunately, Gumball manages to rewind time to the start of the episode via the remote control, allowing him to change the events in "The Rerun". Though this ends up making things worse for Gumball, the role of being cast into the Void is reversed with Rob being sent back by Gumball. Realising what he did, Gumball decides to go into the Void and rescue Rob. Upon doing so, Rob and Gumball have a short-lived friendship before Rob rewinds time to the start of the episode again, where he proceeds to destroy the remote.

Gumball and Rob's relationship undergoes the most development in "The Ex", an episode which was likely the origin of Gumrob as a slash ship. In this episode, Gumball finds out that Rob has decided to 'neme-see' someone Banana Joe instead, following previous events where Gumball ended up saving Rob's life. Gumball frequently tries various methods of getting Rob back as his nemesis, most of which parody break-up romantic comedies - such as serenading him with a song he used to hate. Eventually, Gumball decides to befriend Rob instead, but in doing so causes Rob's attempts to destroy Banana Joe useless. In response, Rob declares Gumball the most insufferable, annoying and selfish person he had ever met, and that he really REALLY hates him - much to Gumball's delight.

Despite the events of this episode, Rob continues to no longer be Gumball's enemy. However, the two would clash again in future episodes, such as "The Future" and "The Inquisition." In these instances, Rob is actively trying to save Elmore from a greater threat that is yet to be seen. Gumball, unaware of what is going on, impedes the cyclops each time and undermines his plan.

Fanon
Gumrob is one of the most popular slash ships in The Amazing World of Gumball fandom, and the most popular for either character. Popularity spiked in 2017 following the release of “The Ex” and sustained well into 2019 after the series finale, “The Inquisition.”

Gumball's behavior towards Rob in “The Ex” gives the impression that he is obliviously masochistic. This results in a lot of fanwork surrounding the tension between the two of them. The episode also implies that a love triangle has formed between Rob, Gumball, and Gumball’s canonical girlfriend Penny.

As a result, fans of both Penball and Gumrob may opt for a polyamorous pairing of the three of them. Others opt for an open relationship, in which Penny gives Gumball permission to pursue Rob. Fanwork aiming to replicate the lightheartedness of the episode is common.

Gumrob is also appreciated for its high stakes and angst. Rob being the only one with memories of “The Disaster” and “The Rerun” generates fanwork with themes of guilt and existentialism. Fix-it Fics including Gumrob or hints of Gumrob are popular, as the series finale reveals that Rob intended to save Gumball and the world from getting sucked into the Void.

Fandom
FAN FICTION