Who Is K.A.R.R.? Knight Rider's Evil Older Brother To K.I.T.T. Explained

Anyone who grew up in the '80s remembers KITT, the artificially intelligent Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that helped Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) fight crime, from 1982's "Knight Rider." But before Knight Industries built their sleek vehicular hero, they first designed a dangerous prototype known as KARR. Short for Knight Automated Roving Robot, KARR was the original blueprint for justice on four wheels. However, the engineers noticed a major design flaw that forced them to terminate the project. One of the best TV cars of the '80s, KITT was programmed with a directive to protect human life at all costs, whereas his evil twin was hardwired to prioritize its own existence. 

Realizing the machine's survival instincts were too unpredictable and a possible threat to humanity, Knight Industries put KARR in a permanent storage. Obviously, that imprisonment didn't last, leading to a high-octane sibling rivalry. KARR — who was an identical 1982 Trans Am in his first appearance, albeit with a yellow scanner light — would serve as the primary antagonist for Michael and KITT in just two episodes of the nostalgic '80s TV show. He made his debut in Season 1's "Trust Doesn't Rust," appropriately voiced by Peter Cullen, the beloved voice actor best known as Optimus Prime in 1987's "Transformers" animated series.

After being accidentally activated by a pair of thieves, KARR is taken on a crime spree, forcing Michael and KITT into pursuit. The episode ends with a vehicular showdown between KITT and KATT. As Michael predicts, KARR switches into survival mode during a game of chicken, and careens over a cliff and into the ocean.

Even though he seemingly exploded before sinking into his watery grave, KARR was dug out of the sand by an unsuspecting couple in Season 3's "K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R.," this time voiced by Paul Frees ("The Last Unicorn") — and rocking a new, distinct black-and-silver paint job. Here, the mechanical menace definitively met his end when Michael activated KITT's turbo booster and the two cars collided in a spectacular mid-air collision. KITT survived with a few dents and scratches, but KARR shattered into pieces in the process. 

According to some "Knight Rider" fans on Reddit, KARR's front scanner sustained damage and became vulnerable, which is why KITT is able to crash into his evil twin and survive unscathed. Other viewers shrugged it off as silly writing. "I think the explanation is really simple, and clear from the context," said user ramspaceman. "KARR had been weakened when the laser got re-directed back to him. This is why Michael Knight said (paraphrasing) that KARR is (now) weak from the front, because that's where he was weakened from the laser hit."

Even though his surviving CPU was seen blinking amongst the wreckage, hinting at a possible return, KARR never appeared in another episode of the original "Knight Rider" again. However, an all-new version of the four-wheeled doppelgänger (voiced by a returning Cullen) made a comeback for a single episode of the 2008 "Knight Rider" reboot, this time as a 2008 Ford Shelby GT500KR.