List of Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 TV series) characters

The principal cast from Transformers: Robots in Disguise.

This is a list of characters from the 2001 anime series Transformers: Robots in Disguise. The series focuses on two warring species of Transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The series features many unique characters, however new incarnations of Transformers: Generation 1 characters appear in the series as well, such as Optimus Prime, Megatron, Prowl, Scourge, Ironhide, Mirage, Ultra Magnus, and Grimlock. In the show, since there were only from 6 to 7 Decepticons, more characters were created in to fill up the ranks in the toyline; however, those characters are not listed here.

Commanders

Note that in Car Robots, there is not one singular Matrix, but multiple ones, each held by high-ranking Autobot commanders. Magnus already possesses a Matrix, and simply seeks to steal the power of Fire Convoy's to increase his own (the overspill of energy resulting in the supercharging of the Autobot Brothers).

Character	Description
Optimus Prime	Leader of the Autobots Voiced by Neil Kaplan (U.S.) and by Satoshi Hashimoto (Japan)
Ultra Magnus	Ultra Magnus transforms into a car carrier. Voiced by Kim Strauss (U.S.) and by Takashi Matsuyama (Japan)
Omega Prime	When his brother, Optimus Prime, was chosen to carry the Matrix, Ultra Magnus felt passed over, and was left carrying a grudge against his brother that eventually exploded into violence when he arrived on Earth with the intention of taking what he believed was rightfully his - by force, if necessary.[1]

Autobots Brothers

backup autobots

Character	Description
X-Brawn	The eldest of the three Autobot Brothers. X-Brawn (Wildride) loves extremes and can handle any type of environment, from desert to blizzard, and can traverse some of the toughest terrain. He lives for the thrill, and can often be found climbing the tallest towers in the city in car mode, using his winch to pull himself up the buildings. He is a martial arts master, and has enormous strength in his left arm, which he uses to execute lariats (a pro-wrestling maneuverer) on his Predacon opposition. X-Brawn is a bot of few words, but is very reliable. Voiced by Bob Joles (U.S.) and by Masahiro Shibahara (Japan)
Prowl	The middle sibling of the three Autobot Brothers. Voiced by Wankus (U.S.) and by Takayuki Kondo (Japan)
Side Burn	The youngest and fastest of the Autobot Brothers, Side Burn (Speedbreaker) rockets down highways in his Dodge Viper mode for fun, in pursuit of an enemy - or chasing after his latest flame. Because that's Side Burn's greatest weakness: the ladies. Every time he sees a little red sports car, he's falls in love all over again, but cannot seem to comprehend that Earth cars are not alive. Despite his flaws, he is a courageous and sympathetic Autobot, always ready to defend those whom he cares about. He also displays a sense of humor, something he thinks his older siblings lack. Voiced by Wally Wingert (U.S.) and by Punch UFO(Japan)

Team Bullet Train

Character	Description
Railspike	Railspike (J5) is the grizzled leader of the Team Bullet Train. He is courageous and polite, and his intelligence makes him akin to any battlefield situation. He tends to act as a peacekeeper when tempers get out of hand. Despite his apparent age, Railspike is still able to take on his enemies with incredible efficiency and skill. Railspike transforms to a 500 Series Shinkansen Nozomi bullet train engine. He is equipped with rocket launchers in his shoulders, and is capable of generating ultrasonic waves, powerful enough to take down his targets in one hit. He also fires Reflector Mines which can send an opponents attack right back at them. He forms the upper body, arms and head of Rail Racer (JRX). Voiced by Mike Reynolds (U.S.) and by Shōji Izumi (Japan)
Rapid Run	Voiced by Keith Diamond (U.S.) and by Eiji Takemoto (Japan)
Midnight Express	Midnight Express (J4) is the youngest of the three members in the bullet train team. He is cheerful, friendly and eternally upbeat in the company of his friends, but harsh in the presence of enemies. Midnight Express transforms to an E4 Series Shinkansen bullet train engine. He is equipped with high temperature missiles, and his shoulders can generate shearing blades of solid light, capable of slicing giant icebergs in two. He has high strength and endurance in cold weather, but is less efficient in warmer environments. He transforms into the legs of Rail Racer (JRX). Voiced by David Lodge (U.S.) and by Naomi Matamura (Japan)
Rail Racer	Rail Racer (JRX, short for "Japanese Rail X-press") is the combined form of Team Bullet Train.

Spy Changers

A team of six Autobot espionage specialists.

Character	Description
Hot Shot	leader of the Spy Changers. Voiced by Michael McConnohie (U.S.) and by Eiji Takemoto (Japan)
R.E.V.	Voiced by Steve Kramer (U.S.) and by Chōtomi Nimura (Japan)
Crosswise	Crosswise (X-Car) is the Autobots' science officer. His specialty is space engineering, but he also has a hand in developing new machinery, and often helps out with the maintenance of his teammates. Crosswise is armed with an anti-gravity gun, which causes the targets it hits to rise in the air. Voiced by Dan Woren (U.S.) and by Junichi Miura (Japan)
W.A.R.S.	W.A.R.S. (Wars) is one of the few pro-war Autobots, a bold and daring warrior whose violent actions frighten and appall friend and enemy alike. He is equipped with heavy armor and a machine gun, which he's firing all but constantly. (W.A.R.S. stands for Wicked Attack Recon Sportscar) Voiced by Steven Blum (U.S.) and by Riki Kitazawa (Japan)
Ironhide	Ironhide (Ox) is one of the younger members of the Spy Changers, yet is a battlefield veteran with incredible strength. He's normally very peaceful, but can be incredibly irascible at times, he often takes out his frustration on Predacons or Decepticons. He does not like to be told what to do. Ironhide is a transports expert and wields a shockwave rifle. Voiced by Michael McConnohie (U.S.) and by Eisuke Yorita (Japan)
Mirage	Counter Arrow

Build Team

Character	Description
Wedge	Wedge (Build Boy) is the young leader of the Build Team. Unrefined and reckless, he sometimes makes mistakes owing to his youth, but with the help of his friends and the acquisition of plenty of experience, he is maturing into a capable leader. Wedge appears to have an almost limitless energy reserve. He wields a double-barrelled beam gun. Voiced by Michael Reisz (U.S.) and by Yukiko Tamaki (Japan)
Heavy Load	Heavyload (Build Typhoon) has the greatest strength and the thickest armour of the Build Team. Being well versed in all sorts of fighting techniques, he is also Wedge's martial arts instructor. He acts as Wedge's personal aide, and is prepared to lay down his life to follow his leader's orders. Heavy Load is sometimes accompanied by Drill Bit, a green, bronze, black, orange, and purple redeco of Cybertron Stripmine. Voiced by Daran Norris (U.S.) and by Yoshikazu Nagano (Japan)
Hightower	An expert marksman, Hightower (Build Cyclone) is second to none when it comes to using firearms. He acts as Wedge's personal bodyguard. Wedge's recklessness can leave him at a loss, but he dispenses frank advice even while staunchly supporting his leader. Hightower has deep trust from his teammates. Voiced by Joe Ochman (U.S.) and by Masami Iwasaki (Japan)
Grimlock	Grimlock (Build Hurricane), the Build Team's second-in-command, has a really sunny disposition. Calmly and coolly, he judges the progress of a battle, then provides appropriate advice to Wedge and his other teammates. Grimlock is often deep in thoughts, pondering how best to pass on to Wedge his experience on numerous battlefields. Voiced by Tom Wyner (U.S.) and by Hiroki Takahashi (Japan)
Landfill	Landfill (Build King) is the combined form of the Build Team.

Recurring Autobots

Character	Description
Skid-Z	When this eager soldier arrived from Cybertron, Skid-Z (Indy Heat) selected the race car of Augie Cahnay to be his vehicle mode, but also wound up absorbing Cahnay's psychotropic energy, which had saturated the vehicle, leaving him compelled to enter any race he could find.
Tow-Line
Fortress Maximus	Fortress Maximus (Brave Maximus) was hidden on Earth in order to protect the planet—it is often assumed that he was sent to prevent the potent energy within burgeoning mankind from falling into twisted hands—slumbered beneath its surface, with the assorted keys to his re-awakening scattered across the globe - the component pieces known as the O-Parts were concealed within ancient structures, the Orb of Sigma within a subterranean pyramid, and Cerebros (known as Plasma in Japan), the power key of Maximus, within a South American temple, all presumably done with the aid of the early civilisations responsible for the constructions. At some undefined point, a group of six Autobots were sent to Earth to reactivate him, but when their ship crashed, they joined Maximus in stasis, until the emergence of Megatron and Optimus Prime's forces. His Headmaster component is known simply as the Emissary (Brave in Japan), while Cerebros is here the name of the Emissary's Headmaster, the smallest component of the toy. Interestingly, rather than being portrayed as human/Nebulon-sized in the animated series, Cerebros was the size of a normal Transformer, making Brave Maximus civilizations far, far larger than his American predecessors. Voiced by Steve Blum, Steve Kramer (as Cerebros) (U.S.) and by Masayuki Kiyama (Japan)

Predacons

Commanders

Although Megatron/Galvatron often appears to be the ultimate Predacon authority, it is revealed late in the Robots in Disguise show that he had been sent to Earth by a Predacon Council. The Predacon leadership hierarchy is unknown beyond this. On Earth, Megatron usually stays at his base, the Megastar, where he watches the missions he sends his Predacons on.

Character	Description
Megatron/Galvatron	Megatron (Gigatron) is the merciless leader of the Predacons, including Sky-Byte, Slapper, Darkscream and Gas Skunk, in Transformers: Robots in Disguise. Having wrought destruction across most of the universe, Megatron has now turned his attention to Earth and the energy it is rich in, as well as having a hidden agenda - to obtain the power of Fortress Maximus. To this end, he kidnaps energy expert Doctor Kenneth Onishi, who had previously uncovered many of the keys to unlocking Maximus's power. Megatron's own great power is evidenced by his six-mode transformation - robot, bat (Gigabat), twin-headed dragon (GigaDragon), jet (GigaJet), car (GigaFormula) and claw (GigaHand). Each form has its own different capabilities, making Megatron a very unstable and unpredictable fighter. In Car Robots, each mode has its own personality, voice, and behavior patterns. When Megatron was buried in the ruins of the pyramid following a failed attempt to steal the orb from the Autobots, he underwent his most startling transformation of all, as the energies of the pyramid resurrected him as the vampiric Galvatron (Devil Gigatron), able to enhance his own strength by draining the life energy from others. As Galvatron, he possessed four additional transformations - a hydrofoil, a gryphon, a pterodactyl and an elephant, used to terrifying effect when he drained the energy of Fortress Maximus and decided to engage Omega Prime in a final battle at the Earth's core, but lost. Voiced by Daniel Riordan (U.S.) and by Yōichi Kobiyama (Japan)
Sky-Byte	In some ways, Sky-Byte (Gelshark) is one of the central characters on the show. All he wants is for Megatron to see him as the loyal and dependable warrior that he really is, and he goes to great lengths to prove his resourcefulness to him. Although heralded as one of the mightiest Predacon warriors, Sky-Byte has summarily failed to live up to his hype during Megatron's campaign on Earth. Unfortunately for Sky-Byte, things seldom turn out as he has planned them - if it is not the Autobots who thwart his plans, it is the three fools he has under him. And then there's the new threat, Scourge; that ingratiating newcomer who tries to assume his place as Megatron's second-in-command. His fierce outer appearance aside, there is also a softer side to Sky-Byte - he's an intellectual with great love of poetry. He also sings a song while in a good mood about himself. The toy is a repaint of transmetal 2 Cybershark from Beast Wars. Voiced by Peter Spellos (U.S.) and by Konta (Japan)

Predacon Field Squadron

The Predacon Field Squadron ground force are specialized for combat in water, air and on land, and they cannot cut it in any of them. They try their best and possess a powerful combined laser attack, but their most admirable quality is that they are good for a laugh. The trio usually operate under Sky-Byte, but are usually quite ineffective against the Autobots, particularly when compared to the Decepticons. At the conclusion of the series they were taken back to Cybertron for incarceration with Galvatron and the Decepticons. "Ask Vector Prime" also featured them in an alternate timeline in which the trio were saved from an even greater tyrant than Galvatron by Sky-Byte, and the four of them later came to the aid of the Autobot hero Defensor.

Character	Description
Slapper	Slapper (Gusher) is one of the Predacon foot soldiers under Sky-Byte's command and, although it is not saying much, is probably the most competent of the Predacon Trio. Slapper seems to be portrayed as Skybyte's right-hand man. In beast mode, Slapper can leap remarkable distances in a single bound. He can use his long tongue like a whip, dexterously wrapping it around his enemies' weapons to snatch them away. In robot mode, the tongue detaches to be wielded as a weapon. He also has a camouflaged extensible grabber claw which can tear through the hull of a battleship. Slapper has also proven himself to be a supremely competent hacker, able to infiltrate even heavily protected systems. Slapper has a tendency to speak his mind without thinking, often earning his superiors' disapproval. Slapper does tend to be gullible, as he believed Sideburn when he tells him that he was once a tricycle that fell for a red tricycle. He transforms into a frog. His tongue is over 40 feet (12 m) long and he attacks with his Right Laser in robot mode. In Car Robots, he speaks in Kansai dialect. Voiced by Peter Lurie (U.S.) and by Ryō Naitō (Japan)
Gas Skunk	Gas Skunk (Gaskunk) is one of the three foot soldiers under Sky-Byte's command. He is snobbish and conceited, traits that are possibly a response to others' treatment of him - being a skunk, most individuals tend to keep a distance from him. Gas Skunk is an expert in demolitions operations and is also something of a technical specialist; able to cobble together intricate devices from the barest of essentials. He can fire time bombs from his right shoulder and emit a gas from his mouth that, if inhaled, causes uncontrollable laughter. In beast mode he can also emit his Death Skunk Attack; which fires a cloud of acid. In robot mode he fired a Left Laser from his left shoulder. He relies on his serrated tail for close range combat. In Car Robots, he speaks in effeminate Japanese. Gas Skunk was named the 15th top unfortunately named Transformer by Topless Robots.[2] Voiced by Jerry DeCapua (U.S.) and by Norio Imamura (Japan)
Darkscream	Darkscream (Guildor) is one of the Predacon soldiers under Sky-Byte's command. Rather flamboyant, he loves to show off his fencing skills. He has an all-absorbent fascination with samurai and swashbuckler dramas. Darkscream is a fairly competent swordsman (though he often boasts his expertise) and can slice through most alloys with one stroke of the serrated Energon sword hidden in his tail. Nocturnal by nature, he has no trouble with all-night missions. Can virtually escape detection - he emits an electromagnetic cloaking field, is soundless in flight, and disappears in subdued light and shadows. His "Center laser" also has freezing properties. Transforms into a Japanese giant flying squirrel. In Car Robots, he speaks in feudal "de gozaru" style Japanese. Voiced by Steven Blum (U.S.) and by Hiroki Takahashi (Japan)

Decepticons

In an attempt to bolster their numbers, the Predacons stole six Autobot protoforms. With their forms taken from vehicles found at a nearby airfield, and their personalities corrupted by Megatron's evil influence, they were given the title of Decepticons (Combatrons) from him.

Character

Description

Scourge

Scourge (Black Convoy) was one of a crew of six Autobots sent to Earth to reactivate the legendary Autobot battle fortress, Fortress Maximus. As leader, Scourge was equipped with the ability to detect the unique energy signatures of the O-Parts, the Cybertronian components that held the key to Maximus's awakening - but he was never given the opportunity to use that ability in the service of the Autobots. With all six members of the crew held in stasis pods in protoform state through the long journey, their craft malfunctioned and crashed on Earth in the mid-20th century, and the Autobots joined Maximus in slumber. In the present time, archaeologist and energy expert Doctor Kenneth Onishi's research eventually led him to the various links in the chain of Fortress Maximus - he located the fortress itself beneath Earth's surface, mapped the location of the O-Parts, and discovered the location of the crashed Autobot spaceship. However, when the evil Megatron came to Earth with the intent of harnessing Maximus's power, he captured Onishi, and through mental scans, discerned the location of the Autobots' ship. Stealing the six protoforms, Megatron took them to a nearby military base to scan vehicle modes for them, infusing them with a part of his own spark energy to turn them to the side of evil. With an infusion of Megatron's spark energy to complete the concoction, Scourge was born, emerging from his pod as a dark twin of Optimus Prime, who proved that Megatron's programming had over-ridden any Autobot goodness within him. Voiced by Barry Stigler in (U.S.) and by Taiten Kusunoki (Japan)

Commandos

The Commandos comprised the rest of the Autobot mission sent to reactivate Fortress Maximus. Together, they possess the ability to combine into one mighty robot, Ruination, with each of the four smaller members able to form any limb, rather than assuming the fixed configuration of the animated and comic book incarnations G1 predecessor. Movor and Ro-Tor can form arms to give Ruination flight powers, while Armorhide and Rollbar give extra physical power in the role. Ruination's weapons are a combination of all the team's individual guns, and can level a city with their power.

Character	Description
Mega-Octane	Mega-Octane (Dolrailer) is the cool, calculating leader of the Commandos. He is cruel and unfair, and uses his four subordinates as if they were his own limbs - he expects them to carry out his orders without question, and he has no tolerance with delays or mistakes. He is somewhat envious of Scourge, who snatched leadership of the Commandos directly from him. In missile trailer mode, Mega-Octane can launch missiles with a range of 65 miles (105 km). In robot mode, he carries a laser rifle. He can also transform into a combat station and perform maintenance on his teammates. He forms the torso and head of Ruination and shares a resemblance to Onslaught. Voiced by Bob Papenbrook (U.S.) and by Holly Kaneko (Japan)
Armorhide	Armorhide (Dangar) specializes in desert warfare, and his body camouflage can fool most Autobots' photoreceptors. Unfortunately, his loud boasting and eagerness to scrap Autobots often reveal his position. Armorhide is not too bright, he is described as a "Half-track mind" by fellow Commandos. In tank mode, Armorhide can reach speeds of 45 mph (72 km/h) and has a range of 600 miles (970 km). His turret-mounted gun shoots a shell up to a distance of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) with powerful force. Armorhide combines with his fellow Commandos to form the giant robot Ruination and looks like Brawl. Voiced by Richard Epcar (U.S.) and by Takayuki Kondo (Japan)
Movor	Movor (Shuttler) transforms into a combat space-shuttle, and is capable of achieving planetary orbit under his own power. He carries detection equipment so he can search for Autobots from orbit, and is equipped with a powerful, long-range x-ray laser that allows him to attack them from that distance. He is somewhat pompous about his abilities, something which irritates his teammates. Movor has excellent heat-resistance. He combines with his fellow Commandos to form the giant robot Ruination and looks like Blast-Off. Voiced by Robert Axelrod (U.S.) and by Hidenori Konda in (Japan)
Rollbar	Rollbar (Greejeeper) specializes in hand-to-hand combat. He is a skilled practiser of Crystallocution - the Cybertronic martial art of defeating an opponent by attacking his metal fracture points. He's also very interested in Earthen martial arts. Although described as "All-terrain terror", Rollbar prefers Arctic environments, and likes fighting on rainy days. He combines with his fellow Commandos to form the giant robot Ruination. Rollbar has a sarcastic sense of humour, which often shines through both amongst his team and when facing Autobots and resembles Swindle. Voiced By Michael Lindsay (U.S.) and by Riki Kitazawa (Japan)
Ro-Tor	Ro-Tor (Hepter) is responsible for reconnaissance. He is not particularly fast in helicopter mode, but he has a tight turning radius and fantastic manoeuvrability. In addition he's almost soundless in flight, which allows him to sneak up on hapless Autobots and attack them from above. Ro-Tor likes to practice acrobatic flying in his free time. Ro-Tor combines with his fellow Commandos to form the giant robot Ruination and resembles Vortex. Voiced by Neil Kaplan (U.S.) and by Masao Harada (Japan)
Ruination	The Commandos combine to form Ruination (Baldigus). A powerful foe, Ruination often followed Scourge's plans and when Ruination's components combine in vehicle/robot mode, it is similar to the Combaticons merging into Bruticus. Voiced by Bob Papenbrook (U.S.) and by Holly Kaneko (Japan)

Humans

Character	Description
Koji Onishi	Son of Doctor Kenneth Onishi, Koji (Yūki Ōnishi) allied himself with the Autobots after his father was kidnapped by Megatron, offering them advice and knowledge about Earth. A bright child, Koji has learned a lot about archeology from his father, though he possesses no special powers, beyond a startling knack for being right where he needs to be, in the middle of coincidental Predacon attacks. When Dr. Onishi was freed from Megatron's clutches, it seemed Koji's role in the Transformer war was over, until he found himself able to control Fortress Maximus. Voiced by Jason Spisak (U.S.) and by Akiko Kimura (Japan)
Doctor Kenneth Onishi	Doctor Kenneth Onishi (Daichi Ōnishi) is Koji's dad. He's an archaeologist, who also happens to be the world's leading expert in the use of energy. Talk about diversification. He has a rarely seen or mentioned wife. Voiced by Kirk Thornton (U.S.) and by Shōji Izumi (Japan)
T-AI	T-AI, her name being an abbreviated form of "Tactical-Artificial Intelligence System", is the sentient computer program which runs the day-to-day operations of the Autobots' base, manning and directing the Global Spacebridge and activating Battle Protocols, selecting suitable members for the mission at hand. She takes the form of a young human woman in a pink uniform.
Kelly	This hapless young woman does not get involved in the Transformers' battles on purpose - she just always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. In addition to owning the disguised X-Brawn, she's also had her nerves frayed through Side Burn's constant pursuit of her red sports cars, and frequently goes off on vacations in an attempt to relax, only to have the Transformers wreck those, as well. Kelly (Junko) was in the tanker truck that was scanned by Scourge to form his alternate mode, and consequently, her human bio-signature was incorporated into Scourge's own. He was later able to use this bio-signature to control Fortress Maximus. Voiced by Philece Sampler (U.S.) and by Chieko Higuchi (Japan)
Carl	Koji's best friend, Carl (Kenta) briefly captured by the Decepticons in a case of mistaken identity, who tried to use him to control Fortress Maximus. Voiced by Joshua Seth (U.S.) and by Mariko Nagahama (Japan)
Jenny	Another of Koji's friends. Didn't believe that Carl could control Fortress Maximus, Jenny (Miki) is one of many that believed Sky-Byte was good after being "saved" by him. Voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessey (U.S.) and by Mami Fukai (Japan)
Dorie Dutton	A female news reporter who frequently covers the Transformers' battles. Voiced by Tifanie Christun (U.S.) and by Mariko Nagahama (Japan)

References

1. TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE Returns! Hasbro Launches Product Line Based on Original '80s Theme; Fox Kids Series to Debut September 8th. Business Wire September 5, 2001
2. Kevin Guhl (December 16, 2009). "The 30 Most Unfortunately Named Transformers".