Dai

Dai is a Decepticon-allied Mini-Con from the Prime portion of the Aligned continuity family.

I never knew me a better time, and I guess I never will.

Dai (ダイ) sheds no tears.

Fiction

Prime cartoon

Voice actor: Kenji Nomura (Japanese)

Gabu, Baru, and Dai arrived in the studio to show off their Super Combo Weapon mode, the Dark Matter Calibur. They then promptly cut large gashes in the set (scaring Guru and Zori who had been hiding behind the door). O.P., B.B., and R.A. arrived in their Star Saber mode to try and stop the carnage, but one swipe of the Calibur forced them to separate. Adhesive Transformation!? Magnetic Tag Match Still combined, Gabu, Baru, and Dai then fell asleep, giving O.P., B.B., and R.A. a chance to plan a different strategy. Exploration Transformation! Escape from the Underground Once they woke up, they began demanding an apology from the three Autobot Microns, who refused and called in reinforcements in the form of Pral, Jaze, and Sise. These new arrivals combined into the Cosmotector Super Combo Weapon, which then powered up into a golden form and defeated the Dark Matter Calibur, causing Gabu, Baru, and Dai to separate. Friendship Transformation! My Bulkhead

After acquiring new Shadow forms thanks to Dark Energon, Gabu, Baru and Dai combined into the Dark Star Saber and picked a fight with R.A.'s Star Saber. Prophetic Transformation! A Message from Beyond Time The duel continued for a long time with no end in sight until round 998, when the Dark Star Saber trio took major damage from Shining R.A.'s Rainbow Shield Attack but countered with their equally powerful Solar Ion Arrow Combo. As they prepared to settle it once and for all, both swords clashed using the Legendary Weapon Attack, which caused the Dark Matter Calibur to glow in the form of a purple flail. Resurrection Transformation! The Reviving of Planet Cybertron

Dai, now back in his regular form, later joined the rest of the Arms Microns in thanking their audience for watching Arms Micron Theater. Ultimate Transformation! Fight! Transformers

Toys

Prime

• Dai (AMW Micron, 2012)

• ID number: AMW-03
• Release date: July 28, 2012 (retail)
• Energon Crystal: SP Electro

Part of the first wave of poly-bagged single "AMW" kits, Dai transforms from a robot crocodile into a quad-barreled rocket launcher. While his tail becomes a handle, very few toys can actually grip it, leaving it to the 5 mm post towards the front for that purpose. He has multiple 5 mm posts and holes as part of the Arms Micron play pattern, allowing him to be combined with other Mini-Cons to form bigger and more ridiculous weapons. However, he is specially designed to form the hilt and handle of the "Super Combo Weapon" Dark Matter Calibur with Baru and Gabu.

Dai came unassembled and unpainted still on the sprue, with customer-applied foil stickers for deco.

Gabu, Baru and Dai had a very-limited early release separate from the rest of the AMW series, sold at the Next Generation World Hobby Fair Summer '12 in Fukuoka, Japan, on June 30 and July 1. Purchasing all three also granted the buyer a free Firebolt Clear Yellow Version.

This mold was also redecoed into Timelines Gatoraider.

• Gabu, Baru & Dai at Alfes's Toy Blog

• Final Battle Megatron (Voyager, 2013)

• Set ID Number: AM-33
• Release date: February 25, 2013
• Energon Crystal: SP Death Dark

A transparent black redeco, called Shadow Dai, was packaged with Final Battle Megatron. As before, he combines with fellow pack-ins Shadow Gabu and Shadow Baru, but this time into the "Super Combo Weapon" Dark Energon Saber.

As he's made out of transparent plastic, caution should be taken with him, as simple assembly can cause strain on the now more-fragile clip joints.

Notes

• Dai is the only one of the Dark Matter Caliber trio that does not transform into a melee weapon.
• Dai's name seems to be a hyper-shortening of the Japanese rendition of "crocodile" (クロコダイル kurokodairu).