Violethorn

Violethorn is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a Beastformer as up-and-at-'em as Violethorn (バイオレットホーン Baiorettohōn). He never misses his daily training, never puts off any task he can do right away, and he will stick to that task until it's complete. He firmly believes that working to make today better ensures a better tomorrow. He's one of the most physically powerful beings on planet Beast, and keeps a friendly competition going with Bluehorse. And with his MVP Weapon Tomahorn (トマホーン Tomahōn) in-hand, he can cleave boulders in two or smash things to a million pieces with ease.

Following the Great War, he became Emperor of Bowdonia, working under his good friend King Bowdog. With the brilliant canine directing Violethorn's monstrous strength, the two make for a powerful pair.

Toys

Beastformers

• Violethorn (Beastformer, 1988)

• ID number: 25
• Pack: G
• Accessories: "Tomahorn" MVP Weapon

Released only in the post-Transformers "RPG"-themed Beastformers sequel series, Violethorn is an anthropomorphic bison in lavender robotic armor. His left arm ends in a two-pronged claw. The Battle Emblem on his chest reveals one of three symbols when warmed up; Fire, Water or Wood.

The Hasbro Battle Beasts release of the figure can come with more blue-tinted purple armor; it's uncertain if the Takara version has similar (minor) paint variation.

As part of the first assortment of individually-boxed Beastformers in the "RPG" line, there was a chance his normal pack-in bio card would be replaced with a rare "Burstsun" holo card featuring White Leo on the front, with a Burstsun Battle Emblem sticker in a little baggie affixed to the back, for you to attach to whichever Beastformer you chose.

• Violethorn (Gacha Beastformer, 1988)

• ID number: 25
• Accessories: Weapon

Many of the first-series Beastformers were also sold in Takara's Gacha capsule machines, Violethorn included, for the same price as the regular boxed releases. This version is identical to the regularly-released boxed version, including the randomized rubsign, except the gashapons appear to have randomized weapons (or just crummy quality control).

According to the pack-in slip that came with the Gacha toys, fifteen of these beasts could also come in rare all-white/cream versions; presumably there is a white version of Violethorn, but it has not been confirmed.

Merchandise

Candy toys

• Violethorn (Gashapon/candy-toy Beastformer, 1988)
  • ID number: 9
  • Accessories: "Devil Waver" weapon

A 1-inch-tall, super-deformed, articulation-free version of Violethorn that could come in red, blue or green plastic, representing the Fire, Water and Wood elements (even though he still had a rubsign). All of the SD Beastformers come with a different Beastformer's weapon attached to their left shoulder by a snippable sprue: Violethorn comes with Devilbat's "Devil Waver" weapon, while White Leo has Violethorn's "Tomahorn".

This toy was sold in three different ways. First it was available as a gashapon capsule prize by Takara. Then it was sold as a candy toy from Takara, randomly-packed in a box of three with a packet of ramune-flavored candy tablets. Then again as a candy toy, this time through candy/snack company Meiji, in randomized packs of two with a packet of "chocoballs" (chocolate covered malted milk balls). The Meiji release also has much more elaborate packaging, with newly-painted box art (which sometimes shows characters not made in this assortment), and the entire interior of the box printed with game rules, character bios, chunks of lore, etc.

• Ramune Beastformers Battle Card (1988)
  • ID number: 9

A gold-foil "Battle Card" of Violethorn, featuring painted character art of the kind found on early Transformers: Beastformers bio cards (seen at the top of this page), was available in randomly-packed sets of cards that came with ramune-flavored candy tablets. The back of the card features a severely truncated bio, with data for the game from the Meiji chocoball SD figures' packaging.

Notes

• Violethorn is one of 22 figures that were advertised on multiple Transformers-era materials but not actually released in that iteration of the line.
• His 1988 bio card gives him the nickname "Vio" (バイオ Baio), and notes he was born on the Violet Plateau.

Foreign names

• English: Bloodthirsty Bison