P r o m e t h e u s
Robo's real name is Prometheus. I might be way off, but I believe Squaresoft or the Mother Brain gave him his name after the Greek mythological titan, Prometheus. According to ancient Greeks, Prometheus stole the fire of the Gods and brought it to the human mortals as a gift for survival behind the back of Zeus, the king of Gods. When Zeus discovered this betrayal, he punished Prometheus by eternal torture. Everyday, Zeus's eagle would come for the imprisoned Prometheus to eat Prometheus's liver, and every night, Prometheus's body will heal to wait for the eagle's return. This role of Prometheus in this Greek myth has many similarities with the role of Robo in Chrono Trigger.
Because the Crono, Marle, and Lucca are from the Present, Robo is their guide when the trio arrives in the Future. Launching the electricity in the factory, Robo gives them "fire" to return to their own time. Unknowingly, he has betrayed his fellow R series by cooperating with his human company and is punished by mercilessly beatings for his actions. Then, during his side-quest, Robo discovers that his creator, the Mother Brain, queen of all the R series, has created a factory to destroy the last humans in the Future. Aided by his human friends, Robo stops her, and in doing so, betrays his fellow humaniods.
Therefore, in his many missions, Robo represents the role of the emancipator or help giver for humans during their time of need, resembling the Prometheus, the fire giver. He betrays the Chrono Trigger's Zeus, the Mother Brain. He was punished by Mother Brain's servant, the R series, whom represent the eagle. He saved countless times the human mortals, or in Chrono Trigger's case, Crono and Co. However, unlike Prometheus, Robo overruled his creator and became more a human mortal than a robot.