Various surgical tools with bailout mechanisms are provided that allow direct engagement with one or more actuators to provide rapid and effective bailout (such as release, reversal, and/or retraction) of surgical tools while minimizing the amount of force and/or time to complete the bailout. Robotic surgical tools generally have a housing and an elongate tool shaft extending from the housing and having an end effector on a distal end thereof. The housing has a plurality of actuators for causing various functions of the end effector, such as rotation, articulation, clamping, firing, stapling, etc. The housing attaches to a tool driver on a robotic arm that electromechanically drives the actuators to control the end effector. A bailout mechanism can extend from the housing into the elongate shaft and directly engage the actuators to apply a force thereto to retract an actuator.