Dinobot
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Dinobot is a Transformer from the fictional Beast Wars (Transformers) universe. Although a Predacon by manufacture, he joined Optimus Prime's Maximals. He should not be confused with the Generation 1 Autobot team the Dinobots, with the Beast Machines Dinobots sub line, or with the short lived Dinobots line.
Contents |
[edit] Beast Wars
| Transformers character | |
 Dinobot Box Art |
|
| Dinobot | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Predacon  |
| Sub-Group | Deluxe Beasts Transmetals |
| Function | Front-Line Combat Warrior |
| Motto | "Honor does not need to be won, but it must never be lost." |
| Alternate Modes | Backhoe (Timelines) Deinonychus Dinosaur (Beast Wars) |
| Series | Beast Wars |
| Voiced by | Scott McNeil (English) Keiji Fujiwara (Japanese) |
The Dinobot toy came with a mutant mask that was not utilized in the animated series, although it was seen on early prototypes of the animation. Because the toy was made before the show, it was not an exact match for the colors. When the toy was sold in Japan it was repainted eith lighter stripes and a gold head to match the television model. In Japan Dinobot was sold alone and packaged with Tarantulas.
Although sold as a Maximal, Dinobot was created as a Predacon, and joined Optimus Primal's Maximals after leaving Megatron.
Originally a Predacon under Megatron in the story, Dinobot defects, disgusted at Megatron's ineptitude, and joins the Maximals under the command of Optimus Primal.
He is proficient in physical combat, and a true warrior who follows a bushido-like code. His arsenal includes a sword with serrated blades that spin, a spinning shield, and green eye beams.
Like a samurai, Dinobot has a high sense of honor and duty -- one that often blinds him to concepts like compromise or forethought. Dinobot is impatient and naturally suspicious; the Maximals lingering distrust of him (particularly Rattrap who often called Dinobot "Chopper Face" while Dinobot called Rattrap "Vermin") for being a turncoat only heightens this. Dinobot was short-tempered and ever-ready to sharply criticize those he disagreed with -- even Optimus Primal, whom he secretly harbored deep respect for. Despite a seemingly insufferable persona, Dinobot was fiercely loyal to the Maximal cause (or perhaps merely channeling his hatred of Megatron), displayed surprising integrity, and was even (rarely) empathetic. He sacrificed his life to stop Megatron from killing the primitive humans and changing history in the episode "Code of Hero".
His beast form was a velociraptor, although a few say his size suggest he was really a deinonychus. Given that, the beast form of Dinobot lacks the 'thumb-claw' of that species. The size of the form hearkens more to the large species of raptor discovered in Utah just prior to production of the movie Jurassic Park. It was named 'Utahraptor' by the discoverer on the suggestion of paleontologist and novelist Robert T. Bakker who wrote the book "Raptor Red" based solely on the finding of the extraordinary fossils. Later on as a Transmetal 2, Dinobot gained the tell-tale "thumb-claw" to mark him as a deinonychus. It is however much more likely that he is indeed a velociraptor in his original form, just of a larger size due to his height in robot mode, similar to Rattrap, Waspinator and others being incredibly large versions of their beast mode, and that the thumb claws on his Transmetal 2 form were probably just added weapons similar to Cheetor's jet engine.
In 2006 the original Dinobot toy was one of the toys selected for the Beast Wars 10th Anniversary toyline. He was repainted in more show-accurate colored. He came packaged with one of the six pieces used to make the Transmutate toy plus a DVD of his most famous episode "Code of Hero".
[edit] Dreamwave Comics
Dinobot's earliest fictional depiction in comics was in a two part short story told in Dreamwave Productions Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye series. In this tale Dinobot and Megatron enter an ancient Autobot library housing a node of the super computer Vector Sigma where Megatron views the datatracks concerning the Autobots and Decepticons of the Great War. As a Dinobot dispatches a Maximal security agent his leader obtains the Golden Disk and announces he wishes to be addressed as Megatron from now on.
[edit] Season One
Dinobot was one of the original members of Megatron's Darkside crew who stole the Golden Disk from the Cybertron archives. Believing that Megatron led him and the other Predacons to the wrong planet, Dinobot defected from the Predacons in the very first episode of the series.
"No, no, no! It's all wrong... this cannot be Earth! Megatron, you've failed. Not only did you fail to destroy the Maximals when you had the chance, you failed to bring us to the right planet! We stole the Golden Disk for nothing! You IDIOT!" - Dinobot, fed up with Megatron's leadership.
Dinobot attempted to challenge Megatron to a duel for leadership of the Predacons, only to be blasted away by Scorponok on Megatron's orders. Determined to pay Megatron back for such a dishonorable action, Dinobot decided to join the Maximals he knew were also somewhere on the planet - as their leader. After changing his activation code to the Maximal "Maximize", Dinobot challenged Optimus Primal to a duel on a narrow stone bridge, for the right to lead. Unlike Megatron, Optimus chose to accept his terms. The two battled, with Dinobot refusing to strike a fallen Primal at one point, saying it would be dishonorable. In the midst of the perilous duel, the Predacons attacked them both, and Optimus saved Dinobot from falling into a deep chasm. Feeling indebted to Optimus, whom he had already begun to respect, he joined the Maximals.
Despite his alliance with the Maximals, Dinobot was often at odds with the group, particularly Rattrap. Because Dinobot was once a Predacon, Rattrap simply did not trust him, and made his feelings fully known. The hostility that was held between Rattrap and Dinobot persisted throughout the series, usually in the form of verbal insults being tossed back and forth. But as the Beast Wars progressed, they both learned to respect and trust each other. However, they would never admit to it and still fought.
In the episode Double Dinobot Megatron created a "clone" of Dinobot - a living clone of Dinobot with a sparkless artificial intelligence mind. With a personality similar to Dinobot's (but without a sense of honor), it was unable to transform into a robot mode, but in beast mode it looked and sounded just like the real Dinobot. Dinobot faced it in combat, staying in beast mode out of his sense of honor; the real Dinobot defeated and ate his double.
After they were all blinded in an energon explosion, Rhinox guided the blinded Maximals Dinobot, Rattrap and Cheetor back to base while being hunted by the Predacons (Dark Voyage).
[edit] Season Two
When the Earth was hit by a quantum wave it transfigured several Cybertonians into transmetal forms, but Dinobot, Rhinox, and Waspinator were unaltered. It is theorized by fans that because they were inside CR-Chambers as the wave passed, it protected them from its effects (Aftermath).
After the destruction of the artificial moon, both Waspinator and Dinobot realized that the planet they were on was ancient Earth, the original destination of the Darkside. They both attempted to steal the Golden Disks from Megatron, and Dinobot was successful, while Waspinator ended up getting nearly scrapped by the security systems. Dinobot wondered if the disk's record of the future was immutable or if the future could be changed. He hid the Golden disk under a rock, and the alien disk in the Axalon (Coming of the Fuzors Part 1).
"To be... or not to be. That is the question. These disks I hold... are they a record of what will be, or only of what may? For if the future is indeed immutably foretold, then my demise is but moments away from that confirmation - for I could not live if not the master of my fate, but, if indeed the future can be changed - if these disks record only one path of all the myriad ways the cosmos might conform - then their power is infinite, and yet, still limited, for they could be used but once - and then in that change be rendered fiction forever more. I could DESTROY THEM, but, no... t'would be a coward's answer. I will know the truth instead. Then - it will be either them, or me, that face oblivion...'til then..." - Dinobot
When it appeared that Megatron was going to triumph, Dinobot, his desire for glory getting the better of him, briefly changed sides. He proved himself in combat with the Predacons by defeating Quickstrike. He gave Megatron the Golden Disk, but was unable to kill Rattrap when he was presented with the opportunity. He re-dedicated himself to helping the Maximals win, although the Maximals never fully trusted him again after this (Maximal, No More).
Dinobot uploaded a copy of his datatracks to the Axalon's computer (Bad Spark).
Torn over his betrayal of his allies and guilt-ridden over allowing Megatron to obtain the Disc, Dinobot finally discovered the answer to his question when, after an argument with Rattrap over his betrayal, he witnessed Megatron and Rampage using one of the golden disks to show that the future was indeed mutable. Armed with this knowledge, Megatron led an all-out attack on the primitive ancestors of Humankind, attempting to wipe them out, and deny the Autobots an important ally in the war against the Decepticons. With no time to wait for reinforcements, Dinobot single-handedly fought off the entire Predacon force and destroyed the disk, even managing to incapacitate Megatron by attaching a sharpened stone to a stick. However the damage to his systems was too severe, and Dinobot died surrounded by his friends, redeemed at last. This in turn, taught the primitive humans how to create weapons and defend themselves, as shown when an anthropoid bludgeons a snake with his improvised weapon. "I am a warrior. Let the battle be joined." - Dinobot before his final battle.
"Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly; the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly. The rest... is silence." - Dinobot's last words, directed to Rattrap.
[edit] Season Three
Megatron again played with the idea of cloning Dinobot. The first time he created several animal-like cybernetic raptors with transmetal enhancements to hunt down the scattered humans. Eventually the weapon-using humans were able to destroy the raptors by learning they had a weak spot.
Megatron's obsession over Dinobot's betrayal led him to make one last clone of Dinobot. This clone was created with a blank Protoform, Dinobot's DNA template, and a piece of Rampage's spark and the Transmetal Driver.
Without any of Dinobot's honor, this Dinobot was a formidable foe, as well as a calculating and cunning strategist. He also had something of a rivalry with Rampage, who he would often keep in line by squeezing their combined spark, causing the Predacon warrior great pain.
This Dinobot served as a devoted Predacon, until Rampage's death restored the personality of the original Dinobot (rumored to have been made possible via a copy of the original Dinobot's personality engrams downloaded into the clone, thanks to Rattrap in the 'missing' episode Dark Glass), and thus refused to attack his former comrades.
While in control of the ancient Decepticon ship Nemesis, Megatron ordered Dinobot to open fire on the helpless Maximals inside the Autobot Ark. Dinobot's sense of honor started to return when his spark was made whole after the death of Rampage. Not only did Dinobot refuse to fire, he was also able to access Teletraan I and tip-off the Maximals to a shuttle located within the Ark. When Rhinox piloted the Autobot shuttle to smash through the cockpit of the Nemesis causing it to crash, Dinobot chose not to leave the doomed ship, and saluted Optimus Primal as a final farewell. It is presumed that Dinobot perished in the crash, although there is the chance he might have survived because his half-possession of Rampage's semi-indestructible spark.
"Destroy them!" - Megatron
"Negative!" - Dinobot
"What? What possible reason do you have to disobey me? I am your master! I am your creator!" - Megatron
"...and I... have my honor!" - Dinobot
"In the spark of an enemy, there will be salvation, and in the darkest hour there will be a light." - Optimus, in reference to the cloned Dinobot defeating Megatron.
It has been hinted at BotCon, however, that due to Rampage's indestructability, he may have survived and lived of the rest of his days on pre-historic Earth, maybe even finding a way back to Cybertron eventually. This is plausible, due to the fact he was a reported character in TransTech, the unproduced follow-up to Beast Machines.
The Transmetal 2 toy of Dinobot came in three variants. The first was released as a post-Christmas edition in late 1998 (for the 1999 release year) in show-accurate colors (this version being the model for the series), identifiable due to all pre-1999 Transmetal 2s having a "Transmetal II" logo. The second version makes use of navy blue and metallic maroon detailing on an ivory-colored body, as opposed to brown and maroon. The "II" logos are replaced with a "Transmetal 2" logo. The third and final TM2 Dinobot was nearly as commonplace as the second, with the ivory tooling replace with a whiter colored plastic. The remaining parts were decorated in a brighter blue and vacuum-metallized red. (The white, red and blue Dinobot is said to have been exclusive to Wal-Mart, but K-Mart stores in 2002 were shown to also have them in stock.)
[edit] Beast Machines
The toy of Transmetal 2 Dinobot was repainted into the Dinobot Rapticon.
[edit] Transtech
After the Beast Machines line ended, Hasbro planned a follow-up series called Transtech. The Transtech concept was a line intended to take Transformers to their most futuristic. Hasbro commissioned sets of designs from Draxhall Jump. The series was supposedly to bring back some of the characters who died in Beast Wars along with some Generation 1 characters, all in new, techno-organic bodies, though with vehicle alternate modes instead of the animals used in Beast Machines. Many concept sketches and even a few toy prototypes were made, but Hasbro scrapped the idea in favor of bringing Car Robots to their markets as Transformers: Robots in Disguise.
Concept sketches or prototype toys have been seen for Blackarachnia, Cheetor, Depth Charge, Megatron, Nightscream, Optimus Prime, Scavenger, Shockwave, Silverbolt, Soundwave, Starscream and a new character called Immorticon. There were also rumors of a Transtech Dinobot.
[edit] Transformers: Energon
Dinobot is the Japanese name for the Terrorcon Cruellock.
[edit] Botcon Dinobot
One of the Botcon 2006 exclusive figure is a remold of Armada Hoist which is a homage to Beast Wars Dinobot. This figures is supposed to represent Dinobot before he was reformatted into an animal form. He turns into a backhoe. In an earlier Botcon music video (done to the song Du Hast by Rammstein), it's revealed that Dinobot's pre-Beast Wars name was Dynamo, although his pre-Beast Wars rendering in the video did not look like the Botcon 2006 figure. This is a contradiction to the Dreamwave comics story where he was called while on Cybertron.
