Lab Assistant

Lab Assistants were common enemies between Crash Bandicoot and Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage. The Lab Assistants work for Dr. Neo Cortex and had many jobs preventing Crash from getting past. In Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped under the Time Twister its revealed that they are androids, not humans.

Crash Bandicoot
The Lab Assistants were first seen in the introduction of Crash Bandicoot holding Tawna captive. They don't appear until Cortex's Island where two Lab Assistants were seen in the level Slippery Climb throwing potions at Crash.They are in the unused/hidden level stormy Ascent doing the same thing. They're later seen in the last level The Lab where a new kind of them were seen sparkling electricity, suspecting that they are not human but robotic.

Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
These guys returned in the sequel, this time covering a far more wider range of jobs, such as working in the sewer stages, handling bars made of steel crates or even using annoying (and deadly) shields against the hero while in Cortex's space station. They are seen in tubes in the Tiny Tiger boss fight.

They appear in the following levels: Sewer or Later, Bear Down, Un-Bearable, Hangin' Out, Diggin' It, Bee-Having, Piston It Away, Rock It, Pack Attack, Spaced Out and Totally Bear.

Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
This was the game showing the highest number of jobs for the Assistants, depending on the time they are located in. How they just all look the same is then explained as soon as the sixth world is unlocked and entered, as said above: the Warp Room in fact contains a real factory in which they, as the robots they actually are, are first built and then sent into a stage just in order to (at least) try to stop Crash Bandicoot, Coco Bandicoot, Pura, and Aku Aku once again. This production was probably stopped after Crash,Coco,Pura,and Aku Aku destroyed the time twister thus,ruining Cortex's plans.

Post-Naughty Dog era
After Naughty Dog, the robots seemed to have more and more appearances, such as various ones seen in The Wrath Of Cortex (with the "Afro Assistant" even being shown in the game's credits), as well as many ones appearing in the first two Vicarious Visions GBA titles.

Crash Nitro Kart(cameo)
Statues of Lab assistants are seen on the track Tiny Temple.

Crash Boom Bang!(cameo)
Lab assistants host some mini-games.

Jobs for assistants in Crash Bandicoot

 * Holding Tawna captive
 * Throwing potions at Crash
 * Standing in Crash's way

Jobs for assistants in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes back

 * Throwing potions at Crash
 * Blocking Crash's way
 * Attacking Crash
 * Whacking at Crash with mallets
 * Burning Crash with a blow torch.

Jobs for Lab assistants in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped

 * Dressing as a wizard
 * Dressing as a knight
 * Pulling Crash underwater
 * Race in cars against Crash.
 * Slicing up Crash's pants to reveal his boxers.
 * Hover around in an attempt to abduct Crash.

Jobs for Lab assistants in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

 * Blocking Crash's way dressed as a knight
 * Dressing up as a wizard
 * Dressing up as a royal servant while blocking Crash's way
 * Throwing potions at Crash
 * Spewing toxic acid at Crash
 * Shooting a harpoon gun at Crash
 * Blocking Crash's way in a diving suit
 * Dressing up as a ninja
 * Dressing as a wagon carrier intending to run into Coco
 * Drives a Car intendind to run over Coco
 * Shoots a laser at Crash
 * Dancing with Crash in Credits
 * Banging Gongs with beaters.Lab-asst-wizard.gif

Trivia

 * The fact that there are so many variants of Lab Assistants makes them similar to Nintendo's Shy Guys, which also have the most variants of Nintendo enemies.


 * There was supposed to be a "Prehistoric" Lab Assistant riding the Triceratops in Warped, but it was later scrapped.
 * In the animated series Super Duper Sumos, The character of Billy Swift resembles a dark version of the Assistants.
 * Although they were revealed to be androids in Warped, a hint was given out in the two levels of Crash Bandicoot 2, Rock It and Pack Attack, as there was a bit of the assistant's face replaced with metal.
 * The only time BS didn't resemble the Lab Assistants was when he does an evil laugh in the Super Duper Sumos episode That Was Zen, This is Tao".
 * In the wrath of cortex when they are spewing toxic acid at crash they wear suits but because they are androids they wouldnt need suits.
 * Lab Assistants cannot reproduce. This fan theory is further proven by the fact that all lab assistants are male.