Jan Minakaze

Jean Minakaze is a human from the Victory portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Really a lost infant bird. We swear.

Jean Minakaze (南風ジャン Minakaze Jan) is a human boy orphaned after a spacecraft carrying him and his family was destroyed by the Dinoforce. He was adopted by Star Saber, who acts as his father. He is very protective of Star Saber and does not enjoy watching him go off into battle. He greatly admires his "father" and treats him with the utmost respect. He works along with the Rescue Patrol Team in giving innocent bystanders aid against Decepticon attacks.

Jean's exposure to an Autobot upbringing has made him very intelligent for his age and species (that is, human). While he has no special weapons, he has built for himself a vehicle capable moving on two robotic legs. He named his creation the Illumina II, after Illumina, a girl from his school. When indoors, he uses a hover-board to get around and attract attention. He is also very brave for a boy his age.

His normal outfit includes a hoodie overshirt with suspenders and hightop sneakers with no socks, suggesting the Autobots of 2025 are not particularly fashion-conscious.

Fiction

Victory cartoon

Voice actor: Miyako Endō (Japanese)

When Jean was a baby his parents travelled to Mars with him. However, their ship was attacked by the Dinoforce. Doctor Minakaze and his wife contacted the Galactic Defense Force for help, but it was too late. To save Jean, his parents put him in a tube and shot him into space moments before their ship exploded. An Autobot commander named Star Saber arrived to save them, but he was too late. He was able to recover the tube Jean had been put in. Attack! Leozack

After that Star Saber took him in as his own child and brought him up among the Autobots. Attack! Leozack

At some point he became friends with the Autobot Supreme Commander and Star Saber's friend God Ginrai. Jean alerted Blacker and God Ginrai of the Dinoforce's attack at the Moon base. The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber

Jean and the Autobots left the moon base and flew to planet Earth. Jean was worried about the Decepticon wanting to take control of the Earth. Wingwaver assured him they would defeat them. Sneak Attack! Dinoking

Jean's first day at school was ruined by an attack from the Dinoforce and Decepticon second-in-command Leozack, but the day was saved thanks to the Brainmasters and Holi. Attack! Leozack

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."

Jean was instructed in the proper usage of levers by Wingwaver and the rest of the Multiforce. He then had a fantasy about playing on a giant teeter-totter; with Deathsaurus. Unite!! Multiforce

Victory comic

Even Transformers need to take a bath.

After the ship containing his parents was destroyed by the Dinoforce, Jean was adopted as a baby by Star Saber and went to live with the Autobots out in space.

Many years later, when the Earth came under attack from Deathsaurus, Jean returned to his homeworld alongside his surrogate father. There, they met Deathsaurus and the "Decepticon Boy", Solon. Star Saber defeated the Decepticons with ease and sent them into retreat. As they fled, Jean vowed to help his father protect the Earth. Magnificent! Our Friend, Star Saber!

Later, Deathsaurus began a large forest fire and absorbed its energy to increase his own power. As Star Saber fought his nemesis, Jean was taken hostage by the mysterious Solon. With Jean in a deadly headlock, Solon presented his hostage to Deathsaurus. Fearing for Jean's safety, Deathsaurus slapped Solon, freeing Jean and knocking off Solon's helmet. Jean was shocked to see that Solon, by all appearances, was a human boy the same age as him. As Star Saber defeated Deathsaurus, the Decepticons retreated. Jean was still in shock over Solon's identity, leaving Star Saber to remark that it was as if Solon was Jean's darker half. Great Turn-Around! Star Saber

Enrolling in an Earth school, Jean made fast friends with the girl Illumina. His fun didn't last long, however, as his class soon received a new foreign exchange student: Solon! Confronting Solon after class, Jean's rival explained to him that he was a highly advanced cyborg and was enrolling in an Earth school so he could gather information on the "inferior humans" and determine their weaknesses. Jean wasn't about to take this lying down, but before they could rumble, Leozack began attacking the city.

Star Saber soon arrived and took the Decepticon out, then approached Jean and his friends. While Jean was happy to introduce Illumina to his dad, he made it a point to insist that Solon was not his friend. This hurt Solon's feelings, and the Decepticon boy vowed to be better than Jean at everything, including grades and sports. Leozack Rumbles Violently!

Out in some barren wasteland, Star Saber was making short work of the Breastforce. Following their defeat, Jean began to tease Solon. Their rough-housing was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Shūta Gō and Cab, who made it clear that they felt Star Saber was an inferior Supreme Commander to Ginrai, a statement which infuriated Jean. Suddenly, Kakuryū burst from the ground and attacked Star Saber. He didn't fare well, almost immediately being thrown over a cliff. As Saber loomed menacingly over the Decepticon, Jean begged him not to destroy him. Star Saber instead helped Kakuryū up and sent him on his way. Though Solon still wasn't impressed with Star Saber, Shūta Gō and Cab were won over. Warrior of Love, Star Saber!

Jean and his two new buddies soon built a treehouse and formed the "Autobot Boy Team", though their meaningful dialogues typically extended no further than what toy was cooler. Their first meeting was a short one, as Jean was kidnapped by Yokuryū and whisked away to the Thunder Arrow. Jean's captor, Deathsaurus, revealed that he had a soft spot for little kids and offered him a place on the "Decepticon Boy Team" he was forming. Solon encouraged Jean to join, informing him that he could become a cyborg just like him. Deathsaurus sweetened the deal by offering Jean lots of gifts (such as toys, fruit and a Famicom) as well as wads of cash.

Star Saber soon arrived to rescue his son, though Jean was still thinking over the offer. Jean decided that, although Star Saber was really stingy with his allowance, the Autobot was still family, and Jean chose to leave with him. Star Saber proceeded to trounce Deathsaurus and return to Earth, with Jean telling Solon he'd see him at school the next day. Deathsaurus quickly abandoned all further plans for a Decepticon Boy Team. Watch Out, Jean! Hurry, Star Saber!

The Autobot Boy Team soon changed their name to the Victories and donned sets of silly armor, Jean's being modeled after Star Saber. Jean and Star Saber left to chase Liokaiser across the galaxy, eventually losing his trail on Energy Planet X. Frustrated, the two began to bicker like brats, exchanging childish insults. As Star Saber began to wonder if he was treating Jean too much like a soldier and not enough like a son, Liokaiser pounced. About to deliver the deathblow, the Decepticon was momentarily halted as the individual Breastforce members began to argue over who would get to kill the Autobot. Star Saber and Jean took this opportunity to break free and defeat the Decepticon. With their enemy in retreat, Jean and Star Saber vowed that, even if they fought, they'd never let their disagreements get in the way of their duty. The Star of Friendship, Jean and Star Saber!

This speaks for itself really.

Not long after, Star Saber fell to a united attack from Deathsaurus, Liokaiser and Dinoking. With his father about to be killed, all hope seemed lost. Suddenly, a hot blonde chick arrived with a new Autobot named Victory Leo. Victory Leo combined with Star Saber to form Victory Saber, who quickly defeated the Decepticons. As Jean began to swoon at the sight of the bodacious blonde, she quickly introduced herself as Patty Minakaze...his sister. Patty explained that after their parents were killed, she'd left to live with Victory Leo on Planet V. The gurunium alloy their father discovered was used to built Victory Leo's body, making the Victory Combination possible. The Strongest Partners, the Combination of Victory!

Jean began to regret having a sibling, as Patty usurped leadership of the Victories from him and began (sweetly) working her teammates to the bone mopping floors. Jean's janitorial duties were soon interrupted by a crisis on planet Guard, so he, Patty, Victory Leo and Star Saber left to investigate. There they were met by Deathsaurus and King Solon, Solon's new giant mech unit. The two Decepticons merged into King Zaras and attacked Victory Saber. The pair were evenly matched until Solon was distracted by Patty saying the word "mother", and that momentary pause gave Victory Saber the chance he needed to destroy the King Solon mech. As Solon's flaming body hurtled to the ground, Jean and Patty offered to help him and even let him join the Victories. Solon refused and fled, though he felt Patty reminded him of his deceased mother. Mighty! Victory Saber

During another battle, Victory Saber and the Brainmasters proved unable to defeat Deathsaurus and Liokaiser. Jean began to lose hope until Solon arrived, having at last switched sides at the urging of Blacker. With Solon's help, the Victories performed the "Five Stars of Victory" attack, sending the Decepticons retreating to their Space Stronghold. Jean asked Solon if he'd officially join the Victories, but Solon said only under one condition: if Patty would be his big sister, too. While Patty found this flattering, Jean found it infuriating. Shine! The Five Stars of Victory

With the final confrontation at hand, Jean and the Victories, aboard Galaxy Shuttle, invaded the Space Stronghold. Their part in the battle was a short one, however, as Leozack quickly immobilized them with an exploding trap. Eventually, Victory Saber won the day and Deathsaurus conceded defeat. Deathsaurus then revealed that the Decepticons had been fighting for their families aboard the Stronghold all along—a noble act. Patty invited the Decepticon families to live in harmony with the Autobots on Planet V. With the battle over, Jean and his ex-rival Solon encouraged their fathers to set aside their differences and shake hands. The pair of Transformers did so, and good times were had by all. Heroic! The Victory War

Notes

• The proper Romanization of Jean's name is not clear. The standard (and long-used by the fandom) transliteration of his name is "Jan", but the character being half-French lends credence to the "Jean" Romanization, it being a French male name.

Foreign names

• English: Meekon (Omni Productions dub)
• Spanish: Marcos (America)