Killer Fish

This article is about the villainous Beastformer. For the heroic ancient Beastformer, see Crystal Killer Fish.

Killer Fish is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family.

The Killer Fish are attacking!!!

Few Beastformers can claim a more sordid past than Killer Fish (キラーフィッシュ Kirā Fisshu). Even well before Alligatron's rebellion, Killer Fish was the greatest crime boss of planet Beast, a ruthless, utterly cold-blooded being who held incredible power and kept millions living in fear. It's small wonder he joined with Alligatron in an attempted takeover of the planet.

Those days are behind him, though. With the end of the Great War, he returned to his homeland of Lennonia, and like the reborn Alligatron, vowed to change for the better. The pair rule Lennonia with Killer Fish serving as subordinate Emperor to King Alligatron, and are dedicated to leading the country in peace. The burning drive and strong personality that led him to his life of crime are now channeled into acts of kindness and building up his people. Not that Killer Fish denies his past; in fact, he's written a memoir of his crime boss days that has become a bestseller. He also has an old scar that hurts to this day, from a wound inflicted in a battle with Big Serow, serving as an endless reminder.

But while he may no longer rule a crime empire, his skills as a brutal combatant have not diminished in any way. He has few equals in underwater mobility, boasting the speed and stamina to cover 9800 meters of ocean in a few hours, especially with his MVP Weapon the Killer Anchor, which can create incredibly powerful whirlpools and water funnels he can use to both propel himself great distances and attack with enough force to sink ships. His internal sonar helps him track ally and enemy alike, and in close combat he can always rely on his razor-sharp teeth to take a chunk out of his foes. And he is more than ready to bring his terrible might to bear in defense of his country.

His relationship with the ancient being known as Crystal Killer Fish is unknown.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Bill Mumy once took me out to see a movie. Didn't have to pay to get me in.

The Headmasters cartoon

The Killer Fish were a species of Beastformer, part of Alligatron's cadre of Beasts that allied with the Decepticons. When a rebel force led by Big Serow tried to take the Decepticon stronghold, the Killer Fish were among those fighting back, helping force the rebels into retreat with their firepower.

The Killer Fish guarded the Decepticon stronghold in the nearby waters, and those Killer Fish leapt out to cut off Daniel and Wheelie's escape from the other evil Beastformers. Rebellion on Planet Beast

The Headmasters comic

Hordes of Killer Fish, backed by the Predacons and Sharkticons, enforced the will of Alligatron. But with the interference of the Autobots, the Killer Fish were driven back. The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!

Beastformers comic

Following the end of the Beastformers' civil war, Killer Fish stood in defense of Bistoram when the Laser Beasts invaded the surface. Beastformers VS Laser Beasts

Legends comic

Killer Fish fought alongside Alligatron and Galvatron in the Decepticons' first invasion of Beast in 2011. LG51 Doublecross Prologue

Killer Fish took part in the final battle between the Beastformers and the Laser Beasts on Beast in 2023. He blocked a shot from Brainmouse with his Killer Anchor. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1

Dreamwave Generation 1 comics

Killer Fish was part of the front-line assault against Megatron's Air Warriors when the Decepticons arrived on Planet Beest to retrieve the Predacons. Welcome to the Jungle

Toys

Transformers: Beastformers

The one that got away... with murder!

• Killer Fish (Beastformer, 1987)

• ID number: 5
• Pack: A, D, E
• Accessories: Anchor weapon

Part of the first series of Takara's Beastformers toys, Killer Fish is an anthropomorphic fish with pink-maroon robotic armor. The Battle Emblem on his chest reveals one of three symbols; Fire, Water or Wood.

He usually comes with a silver anchor-weapon marked with the same ID number as on his back. However, Beastformers is notorious for toys coming with someone else's weapon; it's unclear if this was just poor QC or intentional.

The Hasbro Battle Beasts release of the figure can vary in the tone of the pink paint used on its armor, with some samples being a more desaturated and matte olive; it's uncertain if the Takara version has similar (minor) paint variation.

He was re-released in the second and third series; while the toy proper was not changed, the packaging and packed-in bio card was. The Series 1 release comes in a generic purple-grid "Destron Beastformer" box, with a purple-grid bio card with a painted character image on the front, though there was a random chance of his card being replaced by the rare "Holography Mirror" card. Series 2 came in a green-grid generic "Destron Beastformer" box, with the bio card putting the painted image on a jungle backdrop, though as part of the "Pack D" case there was a chance of his card being replaced with the rare "Bewitching Serpent Seal" card. Series 3 had no real changes to the box or bio card, but this time the card could be replaced with the rare "VS Holography Mirror" card.

This mold was also used to make Crystal Killer Fish.

Beastformers

• Killer Fish (Beastformer, 1988)

• ID number: 5
• Accessories: "Killer Anchor" MVP Weapon

Re-released in the Transformers-less Beastformers sequel series, Killer Fish was given a straight re-release with new packaging and a new, more filled-out bio card with corrected coloring. This new card also gave his weapon, now branded an "MVP Weapon", the name "Killer Anchor" (キラーアンカー Kirā Ankā). Speaking of the weapon, there is also a chance he could come with the weapon from one of the other Beastformers in his shipping case; matching the Beasts with their same-numbered weapons was part of the "role-playing game" attached to the line, encouraging kids to buy more of the toys.

He was sold in the second assortment of individually-packed Beastformers, with a peg-hole in the top flap, and a sticker on the bottom with his name and role on it. This series did not have any kind of "rare card" random pack-in promotion. There have also been samples of Killer Fish (and several others) found on small generic bubble-cards, but it is uncertain if these were ever officially released at retail.

Late in the run, the "mood ring" styled rubsigns were replaced with new rubsigns that revealed full-color Fire/Wood/Water images on black backdrops. (These rubsign variants also happened at the same time in the Hasbro Battle Beast version of the line.)

• Killer Fish (Gashapon Beastformer, 1987)

• ID number: 5
• Accessories: Weapon

Many of the first-series Beastformers were also sold in gashapon capsule machines, Killer Fish included. 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).

There is also a rare all-white/cream version of Killer Fish; these rare versions can vary in how white they actually are, and it's uncertain if that's how they started or if some have simply yellowed with age. These white versions tend to be very expensive on the secondary market.

Merchandise

Candy toys

• Killer Fish (Gashapon/candy-toy Beastformer, 1988)
  • ID number: 13
  • Accessories: "Platinum Sword" MVP Weapon

A 1-inch-tall, super-deformed, articulation-free version of White Leo 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: Killer Fish came with Platinum Tiger's "Platinum Sword", while Killer Fish's "Killer Anchor" came with Giader.

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: 13

A gold-foil "Battle Card" of Killer Fish, featuring the painted character art from his original Transformers: Beastformers bio card, 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

• Killer Fish's 1988 "RPG" bio gives him the nickname "Killer" (キラー Kirā), and notes he was born in the Wow River (ワウ川 Wau-gawa).
  • His pack-in bio card states he was born in "Wauru" (ワウル), which is very likely a typo for Wau-gawa (ワウ川), given Alligatron's card says he was born in the Bow River (バウ川 Bau-gawa). His Hero Special 4: Beastformers mook bio states "Wow River".
• In the Battle Beasts toy commercial (animated by Toei), Killer Carp is voiced by Michael Bell and says words to the effect of, "WWWWWATER! Water puts OUT fire!"

Foreign names

• English: Killer Carp