Lione

This article is about the Generation 1 Autobot sometimes named Sawback. For the Aligned Autobot Mini-Con, see Sawback.

Lione is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

AYEYAYYAI! (wah wah waaaaa)

Lione (リオーネ Riōne, aka Sawback) is sometimes one of the Autobot Master Warriors, the group of diminutive young robots training on the planet Master to become fully-fledged Headmasters. Don't let the beast mode fool you; Lione is smart as a whip, and when hooked up to a transtector, has the speed and power to back up his brains.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

If you want his toy, you'd better have a Fistful of Dollars.

The Headmasters cartoon

Lione was among the members of the resistance formed to force the Decepticons off of planet Master. When the Autobot Headmasters arrived on Master to aid the resistance in a battle against the Decepticon forces, Lione was in the group that emerged after the fighting to thank them for their assistance. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)

Master File

Some time later, after the Decepticons had been forced off of Earth and a larger war began based around use of advanced technology from Planet Master, Chromedome and the other Headmasters took it upon themselves to train Lione and the other Master Warriors in the use of their powers. Master File No, 1

Legends comic

Lione, Toraizer and Shuffler were deployed to the planet Beast to help the Beastformers in their war against the Laser Beasts, only to be forcibly merged with the bodies of three Laser Beast warriors who used the power of the Three Wise Ones on them. Lione was bonded to the Laser Beast Emperor, Tigerburn. LG51 Doublecross Prologue While Tigerburn was in control of their combined body, he would begin to hear Lione's voice in his head, urging him to use the Beastformers' Water Gem for good instead of evil. When Tigerburn splashed himself with water from the Well of Transformation in search of power, the wishes of Lione's mind proved stronger than his and the Autobot was able to use the water's properties to separate the Laser Beast from his body. Bonus Edition Vol. 64

Titans Return marketing material

The ancient Titan Master Sawback was a skilled specialist in armor and its development. When he combined with larger robots he gave them a firepower boost that could cut through thicker and stronger armor. Titans Return Sawback online bio

Toys

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

Hey Lione, why the long face?

• Lione (Autobot Master Warrior, 1987)

Available exclusively in Japan in a tiny individual box, Lione transforms from an orange and dark-yellow robotic lion into a humanoid head. In this mode, he can connect to any of the larger Headmaster toys' bodies, activating their built-in Tech Specs meter. Lione grants his host body a Speed rating of 8, Strength of 8, and Intelligence of 10.

Lione and his fellow Autobot Master Warriors go for ludicrous sums of money on the secondary market. Naturally, this has led to some convincing knockoffs being made. The set with the widest distribution has a number of small differences from the originals, but one big obvious tell: these knockoffs lack the "© Takara '87" copyright stamping. Be wary when buying!

• More information on Lione at TFU.info

• Lione (Cybertron Master Warrior, 1987)

What go for even more ludicrous sums of money are the entirely-white versions of the Master Warriors. These are stupid-rare pieces (and yes, there are knockoffs of these versions).

These were only available as free giveaways with the purchase of other Transformers product. One of these promotions was the "Throttlebot Promotional Sales Campaign", where a random bagged all-white Headmaster was given away with the purchase of any Throttlebot at select Japanese retailers (sadly, we do not know which retailers these were). Reportedly, they were also available at Lawsons stores with the purchase of any Transformers product, both individually and as a big bagged set of six. Sadly, more concrete information on these campaigns is going to be... hard to come across.

Titans Return

TIME TO HARNESS THE *whispers* power of the lions.

• Sawback (Titan Master, 2016)
  • Accessories: Lion/shield/jet drone

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Part of the third wave of individually-carded Titans Return Titan Masters, "Sawback" (renamed for trademark reasons) is a tiny robot that transforms into a robot head that can be plugged into the neck socket of any Deluxe, Voyager, or Leader Titans Return figure. To further homage his original beast mode, his robot mode features a leonine snout rather than a humanoid face.

He comes with his vehicle partner that transforms from a shield, which can be used by larger figures thanks to its 5mm post, to a winged lion (of which he forms the mane) or a jet any Titan Master can ride. His lion form is seemingly based on Generation 1 Steeljaw.

Unfortunately, Sawback never saw release in Malaysia, which made the fans rely on aftermarket hobby shops to obtain him.

This deco was repurposed as Tigerburn in the mini-comic Legends Bonus Edition Vol. 51.

Legends

Maybe I’m a lion.

• Seaspray & Lione (Two-pack, March 24, 2018)
  • ID number: LG64

Legends Lione is a redeco of the Titans Return head-former, without the transforming lion accessory. This version is colored more like the original Lione toy, albeit in a more desaturated color palate matching old catalog photos (seen below) than the actual released toy.

He was only available in a two-pack with Seaspray.

Notes

The white version can be yours For A Few Dollars More.

• The original catalogue photos of Lione show him with a lion head set deeper into the mane, and with a much shorter head mode face than the final product.
• Anime Lione sure is colored like Steeljaw, isn't he?

Foreign names

• Chinese: Jùchǐ Dāo (锯齿刀, "Sawtooth Blade")