Davies briefly reprised his role as Robert for one episode, airing on 10 February 2009, when he returned for the funeral of his father and Emmerdale's longest running character, Jack Sugden (Clive Hornby).

During his first stint, Robert has embarked on a longstanding feud with his adoptive brother Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) after discovering he started the fire that killed their mother Sarah (Alyson Spiro).

During this time, Robert's storyline with Andy and the Whites concluded with him and Andy making amends after the pair nearly killed each other in a car-game of chicken; Robert clearing Andy's name after Chrissie framed the latter for shooting her father Lawrence (John Bowe), with the culprit being her son Lachlan (Thomas Atkinson); his one-night stand with Rebecca that results in her getting pregnant and giving birth to her son Sebastian; his scheme to con the Whites in a revenge plot; kidnapping Sebastian when he found out that Rebecca and her family were planning to emigrate with Sebastian without his knowledge, which led to the events of Lachlan causing the deaths of Chrissie and Lawrence in a road collision; being held hostage by Lachlan after he and his girlfriend, Cain's half-sister Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper), discover that Lachlan had killed their friend Gerry Roberts (Shaun Thomas) and allegedly murdered his false uncle Paul Tozer (Daniel Casey) for discovering that he caused the deaths of his mother and grandmother; helping Rebecca from her trauma of being kidnapped by Lachlan for months and later allowing her to leave the village with Sebastian to start anew with Ross, her new boyfriend (also Seb's potential father as no paternity test was ever taken); and supporting his sister Victoria (Isabel Hodgins) after learning that she had been raped by car salesman Lee Posner (Kris Mochrie).

After Pat's death, Robert stays with his father who brings him up alone for the next two years but gets a new mother figure in Sarah Connolly (Madeleine Howard), whom Jack starts dating in 1988 and later marries in May 1994.

In 1996, Robert befriends Andy Hopwood (Kelvin Fletcher), a boy the same age in the care of the local authority whilst his father Billy (David Crellin) is in prison for robbery and manslaughter.

Robert discovers that Andy started the fire and disgusted by this, he goes to Spain in May 2001 to stay with his grandmother Annie Brearly (Sheila Mercier), and her husband Amos (Ronald Magill).

In September 2001, Robert and Andy go on a night out in Leeds with Katie, Donna, Ollie (Vicky Binns) and Marc Reynolds (Anthony Lewis), and Eve Birch (Raine Davison).

Nicola dumps him the following day when she invites him round to her house in order for him to discover her having sex with Syd Woolfe (Nathan Gladwell).

Jack survives the gunshot wound and sticks to the coverup story the boys told the police, but unable to see Andy unpunished for trying to do such a thing to Robert disowns him and he returns alone to Butler's Farm.

Robert and Debbie plan to go to London, along with Max who was leaving the village after poisoning cows belonging to the Briggs family for his father, Tom (Ken Farrington).

Max is forced to separate them and Robert tells Debbie that he doesn't care about her and was only interested in her because of Sarah and wanted to hurt Andy by taking his daughter away.

Robert learns that Donna has recently died and he is reunited with Victoria (now Isabel Hodgins) and their former stepmother Diane (Elizabeth Estensen) at The Woolpack.

When Robert learns Lawrence had an affair with Edna Birch's (Shirley Stelfox) husband, he tells Victoria, Finn Barton (Joe Gill), Val (Charlie Hardwick) and Eric Pollard (Chris Chittell).

Robert catches Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) and Ross Barton (Michael Parr) with his stolen car and he blackmails them into robbing Home Farm, in order to teach Lawrence a lesson.

Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt), after finding Robert and Aaron in the portacabin together after they had sex, sends Chrissie a note saying to "Rein your cheating husband in."

Once Robert thinks the flames are out, they leave arguing, while the fire spreads to a nearby car where Adam sleeps and some gas canisters, causing an explosion and helicopter crash.

Rebecca promises to help by finding evidence against Chrissie and Lachlan to secure Andy's freedom and also offers Robert shares of her inheritance, which he accepts as he has a wedding to plan.

In the back room, Robert assures Aaron he was indeed playing Rebecca all along in order to help Andy and also tells him about the failed breakout attempt for Lachlan.

Charity and Chas moan about the couple's constant bickering as well as how overcrowded the pub is which prompts Liv to ask Aaron and Robert why they can't get their own place.

Robert then tells him that in exchange for the trip to Vegas, Rebecca needs his help at Home Farm during Lawrence's absence which requires an overnight stay to negotiate a business deal.

Robert attends Lachlan's trial with Diane, Victoria and Bernice where they express their disgust at Chrissie for not admitting to framing Andy and letting her son take the fall for everything.

Lachlan is acquitted of attempted murder but the judge reminds the teen that he had already pleaded guilty to perjury and is therefore remanded in custody, leaving the Whites in shock and the Sugdens delighted with the result.

Fed up with his insecurity and jealousy, this leads to a heated argument between the pair, after which Robert tells Aaron he can't do this anymore and removes his engagement ring.

Arriving back at Keepers Cottage Robert discovers smoke and is told by Aaron he had to break in to get Seb as he'd been left unattended with the cooker was on.

During the 1990s, he was only involved in small storylines, including Sugden's decision to not work on his father's farm and his stepmother Sarah's (Alyson Spiro) death in 2000.

His popular relationships with Donna Windsor, Andy's wife Katie Sugden and Debbie Dingle, established him as a bad boy, but the storyline which saw him leave his love interest Elaine Marsden for dead in a car accident, led to him being described as "an out-and-out villain" by critics.

Davies reprised his role as Robert on 10 February 2009, which saw him return to the village alongside grandmother Annie Brearly (Sheila Mercier), who had previously been absent from the show since 1996.

"[3] Following Robert's return and recast in 2014, the character showed romantic interest in Aaron Livesy as played by Danny Miller and has been portrayed as bisexual.

[9] Following Robert and Aaron's engagement in October 2016, producer Iain MacLeod was asked at a press conference if the wedding would be a "big event", he responded: "In keeping with their characters, I don't think anybody is expecting dancing girls and show tunes.

[17] However, he also called Robert a "bad lad", "The Dales troublemaker", "a manipulative killer and a cut-throat businessman", "duplicitous" and a "scheming murderer" who would "stop at nothing to trick people out of their money".