Golder

Golder is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family.

I'll get those pesky Power Rangers!

Golder (ゴールダー Gōrudā), also known as Gol (ゴール Gōru) for short, is a long-time friend of White Leo, having trained together when they were young. His heart burns for justice and he is always ready to fighting to the end for what he believes in, and as a result it can be very difficult to change his mind on things. He grew up to become Emperor of Gun Marino, the country (one of 38 on planet Beast) that takes its name from Gun Marino Plateau, his birthplace. Apparently this made him deputy ruler under King Yellow Giraffe. When the Decepticon-backed uprising led by Alligatron overthrew White Leo's regime, Golder went into hiding with his forces, which he serves in as Staff Officer for land forces. He's occasionally reckless, but he's an expert melee fighter who gives his all to help repel the Decepticons from the Beastformers' planet. His powerful teeth can bring down giant trees and tear even steel, and his Baton-Gol MVP Weapon has the power to expand and contract at his command.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese)

MAKE MY MONSTER GROOOOOOOW!

The Golders were a species of Beastformer. A Golder joined in Big Serow's attack on the Decepticon Beastformer stronghold, only to be shot down. He took the injury in stride, saving Yellow Giraffe from Snakebomb. He was shot down again, and the Beastformer force retreated. At the rebel Beastformer headquarters, the Golder was in better shape than the other injured Beastformers and offered to be an envoy to bring more reinforcements, but White Leo denied his request, not wanting to risk more soldiers.

Several Golders were in the crowd cheering the Autobots' arrival. Soon, inside the headquarters, one Golder polished his weapon.

A Golder joined White Leo's force to rescue the Beastformers that the Decepticons had kidnapped to use as slaves. Their efforts were not necessary, as they were rescued by Wheelie, Daniel, and the Monsterbots. Nevertheless, White Leo's force joined up with the freed slaves and saw the retreat of the Decepticon Transformers. A Golder, along with the other Autobot Beastformers, saw the Autobot Transformers off. Rebellion on Planet Beast

The Headmasters comic

Golder, among others, was menaced by Predaking and the Sharkticons, led by Alligatron. They were able to escape when Brainstorm and Highbrow distracted the giant combiner. Golder returned with White Leo and others; together, they were able to defeat the Decepticon Beastformers. The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!

Legends comic

Golder took part in the final battle between the Beastformers and the Laser Beasts on Beast in 2023. He was stationed at Red Phoenix's base mode. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1

Dreamwave Generation 1 comics

Golder was present when Razorclaw took on the invading Megatron, fighting off the Decepticon Air Warriors. Welcome to the Jungle

Mini Mayhem!

When Galvatron unleashed Predaking, boasting that the gestalt's combined animal strength was unparalleled, Golder and his allies stood united to prove him wrong. Mini Mayhem!

Toys

Transformers: Beastformers

• Golder (Beastformer, 1987)
  • Beast ID number: 3
  • Accessories: Double-club weapon

Part of the first series of Takara's Beastformers toys, Golder is an anthropomorphic tiger in brown robotic armor. The rubsign on his chest reveals one of three symbols; Fire, Water or Wood.

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

He was re-released in the subesquent 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 red-grid "Cybertron Beastformer" box, with a red-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 "Cybertron Beastformer" box, with the bio card putting the painted image on a jungle backdrop. Series 3's box was unchanged, but the bio card replaced the painted image with a simpler line-art image, first used in Hasbro's Battle Beasts cast poster. In the green-box releases, depending on the "Pack" he came in, there was a chance of his bio card being replaced with a rare "Secret Photo", "Bewitching Serpent Seal", or "VS Holography Mirror" card.

• Golder (Gahsapon Beastformer, 1987)
  • Beast ID number: 2
  • Accessories: Double-club weapon

Many of the first-series Beastformers were also sold in gashapon capsule machines, Golder 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 Golder; 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.

Beastformers

• Golder (Beastformer, 1988)
  • Beast ID number: 2
  • Accessories: "Baton-Gol" MVP Weapon

Re-released in the Transformers-less Beastformers sequel series, Golder 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 "Baton-Gol" (バトンゴール Baton Gōru).

The initial early releases of this series had the chance for any Beastformer to have the rare Burstsun symbol; we'll probably never know if Golder was ever actually one of them. Later 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.)

• Big Serow (Gashapon/candy-toy Beastformer, 1988)
  • Meiji ID number: 22
  • Accessories: "Baton-Gol" weapon

A small, super-deformed, articulation-free version of Golder was produced by Meiji, and sold both as a gashapon capsule prize and as a candy toy with "chocoballs". The candy toy version came with a bio/data card with its own role-playing rules, using the old Transformers-era painted character art.

This stumpy lil fellow could be found in red, blue or green plastic, representing the Fire, Water and Wood elements (even though he still had a rubsign). His half-a-Baton-Gol weapon was molded attached to his left shoulder by a snippable sprue, common for inexpensive toys of that nature.

Notes

Foreign names

• English: Ferocious Tiger