Saberback
From Transformers Wiki
- Saberback is a Predacon from the Beast Wars Neo portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
To describe Saberback (セイバーバック Seibābakku) in one word, he is "enigmatic". He is a cunning charlatan and a compulsive liar, so much so, that his fellow Predacons don't know what to believe. Rather than go out of his way to get his hands too dirty, Saberback would rather bury himself underground and relax while luring his unsuspecting enemies in with his "Claw Trap Mode"—his tail sticking out of the ground and disguised in the form of a mysterious flower. However, Saberback sometimes finds himself too relaxed and falls asleep, missing the chance to capture Maximals with his powerful claw.
Saberback is known to fool others into believing bold-faced lies such as him being able to use "magic", especially the not-so-smart Predacon Sling, whom Saberback takes great pleasure in teasing endlessly. He is also quite fond of using the simple dichotomy of "beautiful" (美しい utsukushii) and "not beautiful" (美しくない utsukushikunai) to describe the world around him.
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Fiction
Beast Wars Neo cartoon
- Voice actor: Kazuki Yao (Japanese)
Saberback was among the Predacons stationed on Gaia, along with his commander Magmatron. When they noticed five new Maximal recruits landing on the planet’s surface, he was ordered, along with the others, to deal with them. They immediately began to fire on the inbound Maximals, destroying their transport vessels and sending them crashing down. He then rendezvoused with the other Predacons, surrounding their hostage, Stampy. When the Maximals tried to rescue their teammate, Saberback, along with his teammates, confronted them, but were suddenly frozen in place by Heinrad’s freezing of time. Held still for long enough for Heinrad to take back Stampy, once things returned to normal, he was left stunned by the events that had just unfolded. Once Magmatron and Big Convoy began to duke it out, Guiledart took precautionary measures and demanded that DNAVI teleport them back to HQ before things got messy, taking all Predacons away from combat. Saberback, along with the other Predacons, was lectured by DNAVI for their failure in combat. Big Convoy, Move Out
Later on, Saberback was stationed on the planet Godbless, and utilized the Angolmois capsule discovered there to create an illusion of the natives’ god, so that they would bend to his will, and provide him with oil. He used this same power over apparitions to fool the approaching Maximals into thinking that they were seeing their own god, causing them to crashland to the surface of the planet. Saberback reported the discovery of the Angolmois Energy and the disabling of the Maximals to Magmatron, claiming that he had done the latter through magic. The Predacon leader dismissed these claims of wizardry, however, stating that the stunning of the Maximals was only possible through the power of Angolmois, forcing Saberback to concede that he wasn't truly a mystic. Saberback then suggested that, before he came back with the Angolmois, he finished harvesting the natural resources that the locals were providing him with, to which Magmatron agreed.
When the Maximals Colada and Longrack closed in on Saberback, he attempted to make the illusion of the “God of the Maximals” once more, but this time they saw through it. As a last ditch effort, he transformed into his flower mode, hiding in the ground before the pair discovered him. He then leapt out and transformed, attempting to escape the planet with the Angolmois, and calling to be teleported back to the ship. When Magmatron told him that teleportation was impossible, Saberback was instead provided with backup in the form of Sling, Dead End, and Guiledart. Guiledart praised Saberback on his competency, and ordered him to hand over the Angolmois so that he could deliver it to Magmatron personally. Saberback refused, seeing through Guiledart’s ruse, and told him off for wanting to steal credit. As the two began to bicker, Maximal reinforcements arrived, causing both Saberback and Guiledart to lose their quarry. Guiledart blamed the loss on Sling, but Saberback came to his defense, saying that Guiledart was the real reason for failure. Before things could escalate, Magmatron had DNAVI teleport them off of Godbless before more harm could be done to them. Chase the Mysterious Capsule
Saberback was on the Dinosaur, and was on board with Guiledart’s plan to retrieve the Angolmois capsule located on the frozen planet of Solid. His first move upon arrival was to bury the main Maximal group underneath the snow with Sling. The two Predacons then rendezvoused with Dead End while the ammonite Predacon worried about potentially damaging the Angolmois by losing it under the water. When Sling suggested they help him, Dead End dove in himself to retrieve it. As the ice around Saberback and Sling started to melt, they requested that DNAVI teleport them offworld. The AI demanded that they call her “Anastasia” before she helped them. Despite both he and Sling’s frustration, they agreed, and were taken back to the Dinosaur. Burning Heart Below Freezing
Saberback participated in Guiledart's plan to attack the Maximals on Maderan to give them more time to search the planet for the Angolmois capsule located there. He was teamed with Dead End, and tasked with trapping and taking down Colada and Heinrad. They succeeded, and Saberback mocked the Maximals and their inability to fight back. Stampy was able to temporarily free them, but they were captured again with the arrival of Magmatron. Big Convoy then showed up to free the Maximals, and before things could get ugly, Magmatron had DNAVI teleport all of the Predacons back to the Dinosaur. Hang in There, Stampy
When the Predacons were in orbit of the planet Donovan, Saberback was originally chosen to go and retrieve the Angolmois capsule located there. He shifted his responsibility to Dead End, who then shifted it to Sling, much to the dimetrodon's dismay. Later, when Sling required assistance in a battle between him and Colada, Saberback beamed down to Donovan with Guiledart and Dead End, with the latter assisting Sling, while Saberback and Guiledart tried to find the capsule. Once they discovered it, they got into a scuffle with the Maximals, who came out victorious thanks to Big Convoy and his "Big Cannon". Saberback was subsequently sent flying back into the sand as the Maximals took off with the capsule. Mirage of the Sand
Bom Bom comic continuity
Beast Wars II comic
Beast Wars Neo comic
2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity
Saberback was a compulsive liar, unable to trust anyone, not even himself. Beast Wars Sourcebook #3
During one of his astral journeys, Magmatron witnessed Saberback throttling Dirgegun, only for Killer Punch to clobber Saberback in turn. Moments later, Saberback was seen punching Killer Punch in retaliation. The Ascending #1
Beast Wars: Uprising
Saberback was a navigation specialist aboard the Dinosaur in the Cybertronian space fleet. He joined an away team responding to a distress call on the planet LGC-8803. While planetside, he responded to the siren call of Metascan Omega, the font of near-infinite knowledge once placed on the planet by the Logicons. He and his superior officer Apelinq entered a digital realm and performed a pilgrimage to the Eve of Providence. Once there, Saberback supplicated himself before Metascan Omega and became its avatar in communication with Apelinq. As Apelinq employed Metascan Omega to learn about the trials their crew faced on the planet's surface and in orbit, he asked it to intercede on their behalf. The Metascan Omega program intended to deny the request, in concordance with its programming directives, but Saberback managed to appeal to the program's desire for balance. The tractor beam of Metascan Omega had been misused by Lord Imperious Delirious to draw the Cybertronians to the planet; Saberback convinced the program to balance the equation by using the tractor beam to save his friends.
The Dinosaur crashed to the planet, never to fly again, but survived as a new colony dubbed Dinosaur City. Saberback remained behind at the colony while several members of the crew returned to Cybertron. Intersectionality In the years that followed Dinosaur City became a thriving mecca for Cybertronians and alien species. Saberback remained part of the city's people more than a decade after the Vehicon Apocalypse back home. The Inexorable March
Legends World
Saberback of the Legends World was a teacher at the school where Magmatron was the principal. He attended a staff meeting where Big suggested changing the "HR" for "home room" to "TF" for "Transformers". Very Strange
2005 IDW continuity
Saberback was one of Onyx Prime's Maximals that fell under the command of Unicron. When Optimus Prime led a force against Unicron to prevent him from eating Caminus, Saberback was sent out to attack. Last Stand
2021 Beast Wars comic
Saberback was contained in one of the many stasis pods on the Axalon that were ejected when the ship was caught in a battle with the Darksyde and left in orbit above the planet they crashed on. Savage Landing Part 1 The pod was soon brought down to the surface due to sabotage carried out by Blackarachnia. Pod Part 2 Before he could activate, Saberback was discovered by the Vok who, using knowledge gleamed from Cheetor, reprogrammed him to serve their interests.
Part of the "Children of the Vok", Children of the Vok Saberback was sent out to capture Megatron, accomplishing his task via holographic manipulation while Polar Claw detained Optimus Primal. Primal Rage
When the two leaders awoke, the Children explained that the Vok sought to be rid of the Cybertronians until their experiments on the planet were complete and Saberback suggested that both crews could go into stasis lock until such time. The Children then took their leave, hiding in another of Saberback's holograms until Primal and Megatron realized they could escape while in their beast modes. However, the Children caught them during the attempt. Though Saberback initially fought Optimus Primal, he turned his focus to Megatron after the Predacon killed Polar Claw. Saberback cast a hologram cloak over himself and Inferno, but Megatron had gotten wise to the trick and reached through the field to grab the smaller mechanoids. Before Saberback could even finish his pleas for mercy, Megatron snapped him in two. The Child's death prompted Pakak to speak directly to Megatron. Children of the Vok
Reanimated through Vok science, Saberback joined the rest of the Children of the Vok in an attack of the Darksyde only for the group to withdraw following the death of their masters. The End
Toys
Beast Wars
- Saberback (Deluxe, 1999)
- ID number: D-30
- Release date: January ??, 1999
- Accessories: "Triple Claw" tail-weapon
- Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept art)
- Part of the first wave of Beast Wars Neo products in Takara's Beast Wars toyline, Saberback is a Deluxe-sized figure that transforms from an organic Stegosaurus into a robot with Plains Indian or Aztec-styled design. In robot mode, his tail detaches to become a hand-held, non-firing "Triple Claw" blaster. Also featured is a cow skull on his chest that, when lifted, reveals his Predacon spark crystal.
- He also features a third "Claw Trap Mode", which is achieved by splaying out the dinosaur mode limbs, so that he is on his belly, then raising up his spine/ponytail section with his tail opened up into the Triple Claw configuration; thus making him look like a foreign-world flower.
Right: Sonokong packaging pictured
- Desert Showdown: Colada VS Saberback (VS set, 1999)
- Takara ID number: VS-30
- Sonokong ID number: DX-02
- Takara release date: January ??, 1999
- Accessories: "Triple Claw" tail-weapon
- Saberback was also available in a "Desert Showdown" (砂漠の対決 Sabaku no Taiketsu) two-pack with the Maximal Colada, also released in the first wave of Neo toys. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.
- Sonokong also released this vs-pack in Korean Beast-War Neo markets. "Stegorat" is identical to the Takara releases of Saberback, other than the packaging and Tech Spec cards.
Merchandise
Beast Wars Gum
- Saberback (candy toy, 1999)
- A snap together model kit of Saberback was available as part of Kabaya's Beast Wars Gum, sculpted from blue and yellow plastic. He could transform from robot to beast mode by being broken down into his component parts, then rebuilt into a new mode. It came with a stick of gum.
Notes
- In Beast Wars: Uprising continuity, Saberback's pre-beast vehicular body is a "virtual redeco" of the Prime: Beast Hunters Deluxe Class Bumblebee toy.
Foreign names
- Korean: Stegorat (스테고라트 Seutegorateu)