You know, I've always found Dr. Eggman's obsession with minions weirdly fascinating. Like, sure, he's got the brains to build death robots and orbital lasers, but he still needs someone to fetch his coffee? Maybe it's about ego—having an assistant makes him feel like a proper supervillain, not just some guy in a lab coat yelling at machines. Or maybe it's practical—even geniuses forget to backup files or misplace the blueprints for their latest doom weapon.
Honestly, I think it's also about companionship. Eggman's got this whole 'lonely mad scientist' vibe going on. Sure, he's got his robots, but they're just yes-machines. An assistant (even a bumbling one like Orbot) adds a human(ish) element to his schemes. Plus, who else is gonna laugh at his terrible puns after he 'accidentally' traps Sonic in another overly elaborate death trap?