Hironori Kobayashi

Mr. Missing Link. Also known as Mr. Masterpiece. Previously Mr. Binaltech. Originally Mr. Arcee.

Hironori Kobayashi (小林弘典 Kobayashi Hironori) is a designer at TakaraTomy. He joined the company in 1999, after impressing Hideaki Yoke with a scratch-built G1 Arcee toy he'd designed, and the first toy he created officially was Car Robots Speedbreaker (better known as Robots in Disguise Side Burn outside Japan).<ref>While he is credited with designing the Beast Wars Metals version of Jaguar/Ravage, this was based on the pre-existing Transmetal Cheetor toy and thus not entirely his own design.</ref>

Among his main achievements are several Legends of the Microns/Armada toys, the Alternators/Binaltech toys (with Hasbro colleague Mark McCall), the Masterpiece toys and the Alternity toys. Kobayashi is currently part of the "Domestic Product" team, i.e. toys that are primarily intended for the Japanese market. Previously, his job description was "Head of Hero Character Team, BOYS Enterprise Department, Marketing Division".

Kobayashi is part of the (Japanese) domestic product team, and for the Revenge of the Fallen toyline he was responsible for modifications to the products aimed at the Japanese market.

He is currently the design lead of the Missing Link toyline.<ref>Interview with Hironori Kobayashi on the Missing Link toyline for Transformers Generations 2024, translated at Soundwaves Oblivion</ref>

Known design projects

Design

Beast Wars Metals

Metals Jaguar (based on Transmetal Cheetor)

Car Robots/Robots in Disguise

Speedbreaker/Side Burn (his first full project)
Megatron Megabolt (originally designed as Beast Machines Megatron)

Legends of the Microns/Armada

1-2-3 Transformers

Charlie Chopper/Chopper (his favorite design)

Playskool Big Adventures

Speedbot (Ted) / Mototron

Binaltech/Alternators

Masterpiece

MP-1 Convoy/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime
MP-3 Starscream (initial design, completed by Shōji Kawamori)
MP-8 Grimlock
MP-9 Rodimus Convoy
MP-11 Starscream (with Shogo Hasui)
MP-22 Ultra Magnus (final version, initial design by Shogo Hasui)
MP-25 Tracks<ref>SDCC 2015: The Shogo Hasui Report: - "I did ask about Tracks and he said he did not design him but he did say (I BELIEVE Kobayashi…again hard to understand) and slowly said Lead Designer. He also said that the same designer did Ironhide and he began to say another name (Ratchet) but stopped himself."
A subsequent interview in Transformers Generations 2015 named Kobayashi as the designer of Ironhide, confirming him as the designer in question.</ref>
MP-27 Ironhide<ref>Interview in Transformers Generations 2015.</ref>