Ichibi

Ichibi is an Autobot-allied Mini-Con from the Galaxy Force portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

File:Galaxy force micron ichibi.jpg

Considering he was supposed to have a Powerlinx socket and not a 5mm peg, I certainly feel misdirected...

Ichibi (イチビ) is a member of the Caliber Mini-Con Team, a special strike force under the command of Wing Saber. He is a stealthy 'bot, a master of misdirection.

Fiction

Ask Vector Prime

Vector Prime noted that the exploits of the Caliber Mini-Con Team had yet to reach the Quadwal universal cluster, but iterations of them were often found in the service of Wing Saber. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/19

Toys

Galaxy Force

• Ichibi (Caliber Micron, 2005)

Ichibi's new 5mm peg, replacing the Powerlinx port

Ichibi is a retool of the Armada Air Military Mini-Con Team Mini-Con Thunderwing, transforming into a "flying wing" style stealth fighter. The swivelling Powerlinx socket was removed and replaced with a 5mm peg, letting Ichibi be used as a hand-held weapon by most larger Unicron Trilogy toys (the Cybertron version of Wing Saber has to hold Ichibi on his forearm, not in his hand).

He and the other Caliber Micron were only available in July of 2005 from select stores in Japan as special promotional giveaways. Ichibi could be obtained from either "Ito Yokaido" or "Hello Mac" department stores, with the purchase of any Transformers item.

The same mold (without the peg) is used by Razorclaw, Seeker, and Twirl.

• More information on Ichibi at TFU.info

Transformers: Armada mold: Thunderwing
Hasbro: Armada Thunderwing Universe (2003) Thunderwing (w/ Ramjet) Thunderwing (w/ Fireflight) Cybertron Razorclaw Takara: Legends of the Microns MM-11 Flame MM-12 Flame (Exdimensions) Twirl Super Link 5 Seeker (Micron Booster) Galaxy Force Ichibi
Hironori Kobayashi

Notes

• Hirofumi Ichikawa explains that "ichibi" is the Japanese name of a variety of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti). It has no common kanji representation, though it's theorized to have derived from tomoshibi, meaning "lamplight". While this seems to set this name rather apart from the other two Caliber Micron names in feel, if you consider the names as all deriving from "ninja tools and skills", a common thread emerges. It turns out this particular plant was used long ago as an ingredient of the gunpowder used for matchlock rifles and similar weapons.