Once released, Rover could bounce and glide across the land and sea for a long range and at high speed, faster than a vehicle or boat.

Rover behaves as if it were a self-aware or quasi-intelligent entity and can interact with its surroundings, as well as adjusting to and anticipating the actions of Number 6 and other characters.

Several aspects of how Rover worked were never revealed in the series beyond the primary actions in subduing prisoners, in which task it was apparently extremely effective.

Open questions surrounding Rover suggest that its use in the series was a variation of the deus ex machina type of plot device, used as a means to give a reason as to why the Village is so successful in coercing the inhabitants and preventing escape, without having to waste screen time explaining this method.

[2] In some interviews, Patrick McGoohan claimed that it was not seaworthy, and sank in the waters off Portmeirion during the initial stages of filming, but this story has been said to be untrue and just made up.

While the rocket is being launched, Rover drops down a hole to a cave-like area, where it shrinks to a small size and becomes still as if it is deactivating itself now that it is no longer needed in the Village.

The antagonist uses Rover-like bubbles to sweep up any escapees from Gemarschaft, and carries them back to the village so they can be stoned to death by the brainwashed masses, as Lupin witnesses when he enters looking for his captured friends.

In Mystery Science Theater 3000's presentation of Laserblast, Tom Servo identifies an inflated white pool toy as "Rover from The Prisoner!"

", from the second volume of the Tales of the Shadowmen anthology series, the original Rover from 1912 is made of metal and propelled by steam, and is stated as being designed by the character of Cavor from H. G. Wells' novel The First Men in the Moon.

In the 1980s video game Impossible Mission by Epyx software there are several rooms you must pass through which have a large floating ball that slowly follows you.

In the episode "From the Confidential Casefiles of Agent 22" of the 2017 animated series DuckTales, a bubble-like entity wearing a "jaunty hat" guards the villainess's lair.

In the final episode, The Beast is revealed to be an embodiment of 6's hidden desire to stay in the Village, thus stopping any attempt at escape made by himself or others.