Nightbird (G1)

This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.

The name or term "Nightbird" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Nightbird (disambiguation).

Nightbird is a Decepticon-allied human-built robot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Dude? A giant robot ninja?"
"No dude, a giant robot ninja chick!"
"Duuuude!"

Nightbird is a giant female ninja robot built to "benefit mankind".

Yeah, those nunchucks are really gonna be benefiting their way through society.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Nightbird was a robotic ninja warrior created by Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist, ostensibly to show how advanced Human technology had become. The Decepticons stole Nightbird, and Bombshell implanted her with an enhanced brain chip which turned the drone-like Nightbird into a true butt-kicking machine. Nightbird broke into the Ark and stole the Autobots' World Energy Chip, which contained the locations of a variety of energy sources, energy sources that the Decepticons would most assuredly use for conquest!

The Autobots were, at first, hampered by their promise to Doctor Fujiyama not to damage or destroy the ninja robot, and found themselves flustered in botched attempts to capture her. Eventually, however, they used an electro mesh prison which drained Nightbird's power reserves and allowed the Autobots to capture her without serious damage. Doctor Fujiyama placed Nightbird into cold storage, and she gave an angry glare as she was stored away. Enter the Nightbird

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Circa 2010, Nightbird was eventually broken out by Shadow, her "younger brother" who was an AI lackey contained within a storage box attached to her thigh. Using her creator's lab, Nightbird upgraded herself Masterpiece Nightbird Shadow bio and then attempted to steal away the three Trainbots who still remained inactive. The other nine Trainbots attempted to stop her, with the six prototypes even combining into G Liner. Nightbird used Shadow's cerebro-shell functions to take over G Liner's mind, but her efforts were ultimately halted by the three remaining Trainbots. Taken into captivity once again, Nightbird used her ninja tricks to escape this time around. The Train Wars: The Origin

Nightbird joined up with the Decepticons under the command of Galvatron, as he was the new form of her old master, Megatron. When Galvatron was killed in 2011 by the Autobot Headmasters, Nightbird refused to follow the new Decepticon leader, Megazarak, and instead set out to improve her ninjutsu. Travelling to the Six Clan's hidden village on their planet, Nightbird and Shadow met with the Clan's leader, who inducted the two into the group as "Nightbird Shadow". Nightbird trained hard, managing to attain flying squirrel and swan modes, but before she could attain two more alternate modes and become a true Six Changer, she heard in the 2030s that Galvatron had returned as Super Megatron. She left to rejoin the Decepticons on Chaar, bringing along two disciples, Road Rocket and Road Pig, but not before receiving orders to put down the wayward member of the Six Clan, Sixshot. Masterpiece Nightbird Shadow bio Road Pig and Road Rocket would eventually develop a rivalry over Nightbird. LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel

In one of the Legends World's Tigatron's dreams, Nightbird was among the evil female Transformers (and related robots, evidently) who sought to kidnap him and fought the heroic female Transformers guarding him. Arcee was in Nightbird's line of sight shortly before the dream ended due to Tigatron waking up. LG11 Chromia Alpha Trion later saw Nightbird, Blackarachnia, and Slipstream in a vision of things to come. LG14 Ultra Magnus

Using data from Nightbird, Megatron was able to, at some point, produce multiple copies of her known as "Nightbird Shadows". The plan was foiled by Optimus Prime and his Autobots, but some of the duplicates went into hiding. They plotted to someday assassinate Optimus Prime. Legends Nightbird Shadow bio

Megatron brought Nightbird with him to the Legends World, where he presented her to the public as a Tera-Kura Co. ninja maid robot under the name "Nightbird Shadow". To prevent her from causing any problems, he equipped her a clumsiness function that customers found adorable, leading to Tera-Kura mass-producing and selling Nightbird clones for profit. The clones then immediately went out of control and started rampaging through Tokyo, something Megatron credited to their inherently evil Decepticon souls, but were stopped in their tracks by their own clumsiness. The local Megatron prepared for a mass recall, but the customers of the Nightbirds protested that the clones' little "mischievous streak" was just charming, and they remained on the market. LG15 Nightbird Shadow

During Halloween, Megatron had Nightbird Shadow go trick-or-treating for energy alongside Blackarachnia and Slipstream. Dressed up as a ghost, she and the others knocked on Tigatron's door before getting accosted by Arcee, Chromia, and Windblade, who were defeated by Blackarachnia. LG17 Blackarachnia Later, when quizzed by Rattrap about her backstory, Nightbird explained her history with the Six Clan and her students, which Rattrap found hard to believe.

At Tera-Kura, employees became enchanted with Nightbird's cuteness when she took off her mask, prompting the company to begin producing the absurdly popular "Nightbird Maskless Version". LG-15 Nightbird Shadow Sequel Nightbird later swooned over the foreign Springer with the other female Tera-Kura employees, LG19 Springer Prologue driving Tigatron to envy. LG19 Springer The three later came with Megatron on a hot springs trip, and were thus absent when Tera-Kura Co. was briefly taken over by Waspinator. LG-EX Waspinator Nightbird Shadow and Slipstream were targeted by Skids in his quest to send all the Legends World's interdimensional visitors back to their own universes, prompting Megatron to intervene and seemingly lose his life saving his soldiers. As they crowded around his body, however, they found that Megatron persisted in a tiny new body that Nightbird found cute. LG20 Skids

Tarantulas, leader of Tera-Kura Co.'s science department and the one in charge of the Nightbird clone production, allied with the Decepticon Headmasters near one of the production lines. Headmaster Chapter Prologue On a chart showing the employees of the newly formed Decepticon Tera-Kura Co. and their titles, Nightbird Shadow was included as one of the "three office ladies". LG22 Skullcruncher When Megatron turned into Galvatron and went on a rampage in the city, Nightbird Shadow and the other two tried to talk (well, sign language) him out of it, but their calling him "Megatron" only angered Galvatron further and he opened fire on them. LG23 Galvatron Nightbird was later present for Scourge's failed attempt at usurping Megatron. LG26 Scourge

Nightbird's continued time at the office involved getting hypnotized into fawning over Mindwipe, LG34 Mindwipe getting her dress ripped off by Apeface's telekinesis, LG38 Laserbeak and standing around while Megatron argued with Astrotrain. LG40 Astrotrain When the Headmasters turned against Tera-Kura Co. and came to steal Metroplex's transformation cog from them, Nightbird led her clones into battle against the traitorous Sweeps. Decepticon Civil War Nightbird saw her chance to fulfil her secret mission from the Six Clan when Sixshot appeared in the Legends World. When the rogue ninja was distracted by his victory over Ultra Magnus, she snuck up behind him and impaled him, told him he had broken the Six Clan's laws, and left him to die. LG50 Sixshot

Benefiting mankind over here.

Nightbird remained at Tera-Kura Co. after Megatron left to become mayor, but remained loyal to him and helped take back the company after it was conquered by the Concurrence. LG63 G2 Megatron With the destruction of the Legends World, Nightbird returned with Megatron to their own universe. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 2 She honored the terms of the Cybertron Alliance, the peace treaty between Autobots and Decepticons negotiated by Optimus and Megatron. At the ceremony, she tried to bring about personal peace between her former protégés, Road Rocket and Road Pig. Epiloge

Nightbird served as the race queen for the Speedia 500, Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1 and cheered as the race neared its end. Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 2

Feeling a kinship with them, Masterpiece Nightbird Shadow bio Nightbird brought the Selectors before Megatron in 2050, allowing Rung to make his plea for the Decepticon to assist them in revolution against their creators, the humans. Volcanicus comic 1

3H comics

Bombshell would be so proud.

In 2025 or so, Fujiyama, apparently having learned nothing, built an entire army of Nightbird drones. When they went on a rampage, Arcee, Daniel Witwicky, and Wheelie came to the doctor's aid. Though they were rather outnumbered, the group held off the drones long enough for Hot Spot to arrive with help and an evacuation shuttle. This was only just too late for Wheelie, who found his back slashed open by a Nightbird drone, disabling him from getting to the shuttle. Loyal to his friend, Daniel stayed with him as the others fled. When he could no longer fight off the drones, he detonated an explosive to destroy them, killing himself and Wheelie in the process. Departure

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Then, would those be male ninja robots?

A science fiction movie, Enter the Nightbird, featured Nightbird kicking shiny metal robo-ass. Infestation

Kre-O comic

Nightbird was wanted as one of Earth's five most wanted criminals. Little did the Autobots know that their list was out of date, leading to their shock when Metroplex came under attack from Autobot Spike, Robot Master, Dr. Arkeville, Headmaster... and a whole lotta Nightbirds! The villains nearly managed to steal Metroplex's brain, but were thwarted at the last possible moment by Carzap and G.B. Blackrock. In the battle's aftermath, several Nightbirds found themselves strewn about in pieces. The Brick List: Earth's Most Wanted

2005 IDW continuity

Nightbird was identified as a Cityspeaker by a Camien newscaster. Primeless, Part 1

Games

Transformers Legends

At her unveiling by Doctor Fujiyama, Nightbird was stolen by the Decepticons and reprogrammed by Hardshell to serve them. She was sent on a mission to Autobot HQ, where she stole the World Energy Chip and successfully escaped into the desert, however Jazz and Brawn gave chase, and despite the best efforts of the Decepticons, she was recovered along with the chip. The Autobots returned her to Doctor Fujiyama, who put her in stasis. Enter the Nightbird

Angry Birds Transformers

Nightbird appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. She is portrayed by Zeta. Angry Birds Transformers

Transformers: Earth Wars

Nightbird
So about that upgrade....
Information Faction Decepticon Unit type Standard Min. Stars 2 star Class Warrior Behavior Nightbird fires her gun periodically at enemies, before closing in and pummeling with some kicks and punches. Ability Holo Decoy Place a single decoy that disables defenses with a percentage of Nightbird's health. Only one can be active at a time. Cost: 3 ability points + 3 for reuses Level 11 Bonus: Upon death, the decoy explodes and stuns enemies. Passive Shoots at nearby enemies every 5 seconds (cannot reach targets over walls) C.O.M.B.A.T.s Companion, Melee Meta information Date added May 12, 2016 Countertpart Arcee
Nightbird at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki

Nightbird was originally constructed as a non-sentient robot, equipped with advanced ninja-based combat programming. Her capabilities changed dramatically after Bombshell implanted a cerebro-shell, which fused with her systems and generated a functional meta-processor, elevating her intelligence beyond its original limits. This transformation made her a major threat to the Autobots. That danger increased further when Bombshell was reformatted, severing his control and granting Nightbird full autonomy and true sentience. Nightbird bio

When Arcee, the Autobots' recon and decoy specialist, was sent to Earth, Nightbird was sent in response. Nightbird had some showdowns with Arcee before settling in with the rest of the Decepticons. Crystal City

Toys

Kre-O

• Earth's Most Wanted (Kreon multi-pack, 2015)

• Accessories: Katana, nunchaku, sai, two shuriken, Kre-O stand-plate

Kreon Nightbird uses the standard Kreon body, despite being released in 2015, the year Kreon construction changed every piece from the neck down. She uses Lockdown's helmet, though with the mask portion clipped on backwards. She has a backpack that can sheath her katana and a clip on her arm for additional weapon storage.

The "Earth's Most Wanted" Kreon pack was originally available only at BotCon 2015, and also includes Kreons of Doctor Arkeville, Robot Master, Sentinel Prime, the Headmaster, and Autobot Spike.

Legends

She's everything someone always wanted.

• Nightbird Shadow (2015)

• ID number: LG15
• Release date: 2015 October 24
• Accessories: Pistol, rifle, two swords, two sais

Part of the eighth wave of Transformers Legends toys (an assortment of entirely Legends-exclusive female villains), "Nightbird Shadow" is a retooling of the running change variant of Generations: Thrilling 30 Deluxe Class Arcee featuring a new head and chest, transforming into a Cybertronian open-top sports car. She includes all four of Arcee's weapons – two swords, a large gun and a small gun – as well as two new sai accessories. All six of her weapons each feature several universally-sized rectangular pegs that allows them to be tabbed into multiple matching ports in her fists, forearms, hips, shoulders, and the sides and rear of her car mode. Additionally, her two guns can store beneath her car mode.

As a retool of the second version of Thrilling 30 Arcee, Nightbird Shadow uses the "open" hand sculpts, which feature a rim at the bottom of the fist to prevent weapon handles from sliding too far in and potentially getting stuck. Unfortunately, this prevents her from properly holding her blasters and swords, but her new sai weapons sidestep this issue by having narrower sections at the end of the handles that can slide past the rims inside the hands, allowing Nightbird to wield the weapons properly if the sais' side tabs are pointed inwards.

Stock photography promoting the figure depicted the sai accessories as painted plastic, but they are rendered in translucent yellow on the final production figure. These photos also lack the Decepticon symbol on her car-mode hood.

Her name is a reference to the Japanese title of her debut cartoon episode: "The Shadow of Nightbird" (ナイトバードの影).

Generations mold: Arcee

Version 1 (closed hands): Hasbro: Thrilling 30 021 Arcee Version 2 (open hands): Hasbro: Thrilling 30 021 Arcee (running change) Platinum Edition Arcee (Autobot Heroes) Fun Publications: Combiner Wars Lifeline TakaraTomy: Legends LG10 Arcee LG15 Nightbird Shadow Street Fighter II × Transformers Arcee [Chun-Li] Version 3 (5 mm hands): Hasbro: Combiner Wars Arcee (Combiner Hunters) See also: Hasbro/TakaraTomy: Studio Series 86-16 Arcee Fun Publications: Combiner Wars Impactor's weapons

Generations Selects

Are wa Nan-nan ja? Nan ja? Nan ja? Nin-ninja, ninja ninja Kakuranger, ninja ninja Ninja Sentai Kakuranger!

• Nightbird (Deluxe Class, 2019)

• Series: War for Cybertron: Siege
• Hasbro ID number: WFC-GS07
• TakaraTomy release date: 2019 September 7
• Accessories: "Venomizer Blaster", "Nightshock Baton", 2 "Flash Grenades"
• Known designers: AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

A Generations Selects add-on to Siege, Nightbird is a redeco and new head retool of Chromia, transforming into a Cybertronian car. Like Chromia, Nightbird includes a gun compatible with the C.O.M.B.A.T. System. Two grenades can connect to the barrel, and the scope can be detached and can extend the barrel as well, allowing you to change the length of the barrel and/or scope. The grenades can also attach to the back of the vehicle, as if they are big exhaust pipes. Hasbro stock photography also suggests plugging one grenade into the pegged end of the silencer and the other into the underside of Nightbird's hand, creating the appearance of some sort of small staff to make up for her otherwise notable lack of melee weaponry. The instructions instead suggest connecting the two grenades together, then pegging the silencer on top to make a rather bottom-heavy baton. The arrangement can be reversed to make a mace. Unlike most Siege figures, Nightbird is basically spotless, with no battle damage paint applications anywhere on her body. She also features multiple hardpoints all over herself and her weapon to accommodate "Fire Blasts" from the Battle Masters assortment, which can be used to simulate blaster fire or explosions.

Despite Nightbird sharing a similar transformation scheme with the Power of the Primes Moonracer/Novastar mold, the Chromia/Nightbird mold is mostly unique, save for the wheels, thighs and hip ball joint sockets.

Some copies of Nightbird seem to suffer from either mold degradation or poor quality control, with exceptionally tight peg holes, loose joints, and excess plastic. Sometimes the extra plastic is simply extra flash near molding lines from the sprue which hasn't been removed, while other times it's in more problematic spots like the opening around the peg holes on the grenades. Others have reported figures arriving broken or breaking after transforming it for the first time.

The stock photos on the Hasbro Pulse website show the vehicle mode mistransformed. One has the robot mode feet exposed in vehicle mode, neglecting to fold out the front panel to cover them. The other shows the grenades/tail pipes at a very high angle, meaning the head is not rotated completely backward. This one also shows the silencer piece attached to the side of the blaster, which is possible but not intentional as the hole that allows this is a different shape and much longer than the notch.

This toy was released exclusively through Hasbro Pulse and other online retailers in North America, and TakaraTomy Mall in Japan. It was also available at general retail in Singapore.

This mold was further retooled to make Legacy Ascenticon Kaskade.

Masterpiece

"You gave her rocket launchers?!"
"Look, it's harder to build a robot without them, okay? They're load-bearing."

• Nightbird Shadow (2022)

• TakaraTomy ID number: MP-55
• Release date: 2022 February 28
• Hasbro ID number: MP-51+
• Accessories: 2 "Variable Ninja Swords", 2 sais, 2 "Light Ninjya[sic] Sword" lightsaber handles, 2 lightsabers blades, 2 "Electro Shurikens", "Shuriken Gun" pistol, "Blowgun" blaster, 3 Effect parts, "Shadow Pouch" holster, alternate face
• Known designers: Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy)

Masterpiece Nightbird is a retool of Masterpiece Arcee, transforming into a Cybertronic car. In addition to recolors of the two small guns, three blast effects, and holster that were among the accessories included with Arcee, Nightbird comes with a veritable arsenal of new weapons: two lightsabers with removable blades, two sai, two shuriken (all drawn from the original cartoon), and two swords based on those which came with the Legends figure. Nightbird's mouthplate can be removed to reveal her full face, and she also comes with an additional unmasked face (complete with molded anime-esque sweatdrop) inspired by her appearance in the Legends comic that is also compatible with the mouthplate.

Amusingly, Nightbird's instructions depict an official "swan mode" directly based on the aforementioned Legends comic episode. And yes, it's just as ridiculous as it was in the comic.

• Masterpiece Nightbird Shadow bio translation

Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Nightbird, Enigmatic Agent (2019)
  • Wave 4P: War for Cybertron: Siege II
  • Rarity: RT
  • Card Number: P7/2019
  • Stars: 7

Nightbird, Enigmatic Agent was released as an in-store play promo for the Transformers Trading Card Game's Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II release.

Notes

• Nightbird's gadgets to benefit humanity include: nunchaku (unused), a pair of sai daggers (also unused), a wrist-mounted grappling hook, magnetic feet (they also work on rocks!), fist-replacing sawblades, some kind of spin/make bright light/disappear gimmick, an endless supply of hip-stored energized shuriken, a beam saber, another unused weapon the hilt of which is visible on her "backpack", a glowing magnetic tractor beam, and stereo speaker-nullifying metal donuts. Additionally, she vanishes after jumping over a cliff edge, leading Mirage to wonder if she has the power of invisibility.
• The Nightbirds in The Wreckers comic have four different accent colors, the same colors as the bandanas of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• A screencap of Nightbird was used to represent the Nightracer in the comic story "A Flash Forward, Part 2" since her head was a close fit and the art style matched the images of other Decepticons next to her. According to Pete Sinclair and Jesse Wittenrich, the image wasn't supposed to be recognizable as Nightbird once it was obscured by Sky-Byte, but either Sky-Byte didn't cover her up in a way that would obscure her enough, or maybe we're just that good. She's not intended to be the same character as Nightbird.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Nightbird (ナイトバード Naitobādo)
• French: Oiseau de Nuit (Europe, "Nightbird")
• Italian: Ninja
• Mandarin: Yèyīng (China, 夜莺, "Nightingale"), Yèniǎo (Taiwan, 夜鳥, "Nightbird")
• Russian: Golubka (Голубка, "Dove")
• Spanish: Ave Nocturna (Latin America, "Nightbird")