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R. Dorothy Wayneright, approximate age 18. The "R" in her name could possibly stand for "Robot," a nod to science fiction author Issac Asimov. She was born on Heaven's Day. Her secret? No one really knows...

Origins

Dorothy in animeThe setting is Paradigm City, a city where technology is a mystery to the common people, yet the wealthy live in complete decadence. A huge accident occurred forty years ago that stripped the city of its memories, setting it back to primitive times where all of the modern technologies must be relearned. Keeping the peace in Paradigm City is ex-cop Roger Smith, currently making a good living as a Negotiator. One day, Roger is called in to take care of a routine hostage situation, only the hostage isn't at all ordinary. The hostage is R. Dorothy Wayneright and she is an android. So, the question that begs asking is why does this robot exist when she shouldn't? Is she the key to Paradigm City's lost past?

Dorothy is supposed to resemble human beings only in appearance, but unlike the androids we're used to seeing on TV, she is a lot more sophisticated than that. For that matter, she is a lot more sophisticated than the average human girl. It's fitting that even her worst qualities are not so different from the typical teenage girls'... Dorothy is moody, monotonous, and sarcastic. She will take almost every given opportunity to taunt Roger, such as remarking that his taste in clothing is "repulsive", or bluntly proclaiming him to be "a louse." At worst extreme, she can appear to be unfeeling and cold (her response to Miguel Soldano's claim that she is his real daughter is that they are the "deranged rantings of a dying man"). She was programmed to mimic human behavior; that includes singing, eating, and playing music. These traits irritate Roger deeply at first. As the series progresses and Dorothy regains her "memories," her humanity becomes more and more apparent.

Music holds something very special for Dorothy, who was programmed to sing for her father at the Nightingale Club. Dorothy's love of music is shown again and again and seems to grow with every episode, particularly in "Legacy of Amadeus" where she actually pleads with Roger to protect the robot, Instro, who is to teach her how to play a particular melody. Completely enthralled with her lessons, she insists that Instro continue to teach her even after he cuts off his own hands. Dorothy also recollects a song from seemingly nowhere as she sings to the little grey kitten she finds in "Lost Cat." Dorothy wonders where the song came from... who did she sing this song for?

Though both Dorothy and Roger both insist that she isn't supposed to have any real feelings, Dorothy's persistent actions would suggest otherwise. Is Dorothy capable of romantic love? It's certainly hinted at, such as when she tore up Casey Jenkins' business card in "Electric City." Of course, there is the incident in the episode "Beck Comes Back" when Dorothy tells Roger that she loves him... while under Beck's control. At the end of this particular episode, Dorothy asks Roger a most puzzling question... would they have fallen in love if they had lost their memories? Roger seems to be very ruffled by this question. Are they really in love with each other, or is it an innocent yet awkward question asked by a girl who is really just the shadow of a dead girl?

Whether it's pleading for the lives of a kitten or a robot, whether she is innocently asking Roger if they could possibly fall in love, R. Dorothy Wayneright is both different and the same as the efficient, sullen girl we first met in "Roger the Negotiator."

Dorothy was created by a scientist named Dr. Timothy Wayneright, who lost his daughter in "the incident" that occurred 40 years ago. When he regained his memories, he was so distraught with grief that he tried to resurrect his late daughter by creating a robot that he referred to as his "nightingale," after the legend of the emperor who loved to hear the song of a mechanical bird. Miguel Soldarno also plays a rather large role in the creation of both Dorothies. He refers to Dorothy-1 and R. Dorothy as his daughters, though he calls R. Dorothy his "real daughter." Dorothy tells Roger that Soldarno funded her creation in an exchange with Dr. Wayneright: if Wayneright would develop the megadeus Dorothy-1 for him, he would pay for the construction of the android Dorothy. Soldarno also calls Dorothy "nightingale" as he lays dying.

Though her initial reaction to him was rather chilly, it would seem that Dorothy still respects him enough as a professional to ask him for his protection. However, her respect doesn't stop her from calling Roger names, making fun of his personal habits and otherwise putting him and other "mere human beings" down whenever she gets the chance. Norman takes a shine to Dorothy from the start, letting her enter the Smith home without Roger's approval and frequently coming to her defense in a Roger/Dorothy exchange of barbs. He fits her with the trademark black dress she is seen wearing through most of the series.

North American voice actress - Lia Sargent. Also the voice of Milly Thompson in Trigun, Judy in Cowboy Bebop, Nanami in El Hazard, Chun Li in Street Fighter II. Also worked on dub scripts for 6/13 episodes of The Big O.

Japanese voice actress - Akiko Yajima. Also the voice of Anna in Battle Athletes, Boushin in Fushigi Yuugi, Relena in Gundam Wing.