Cheetor (BW)

The name or term "Cheetor" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Cheetor (disambiguation).

Cheetor is a Maximal (and later an Autobot) from the Beast Era portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

There he is, your little guy.

Cheetor is full of youthful overconfidence. He's also the fastest Maximal on four legs, so he gets into way too much trouble. Thankfully, Optimus Primal keeps a steady eye on him. In return, Cheetor has grown to idolize Primal, whom he calls "Big Bot." Optimus Primal knows the young and inexperienced Cheetor needs a good role model, so he doesn't mind too much. And, hey, he's a good kid. Just... keep him away from Dinobot, okay? Impressionable minds, and all.

Speaking of bad influences, Cheetor had a brief crush on the Predacon turncoat Blackarachnia, adding some real tension between him and Silverbolt. He seems over her now.

Cheetor also appears to have vague precognitive skills, sensing important events before they actually happen--usually in the form of ominous dreams. With such power and potential, who knows—maybe the lad is destined for great things someday.

Japanese name: Cheetus or Cheetas (チータス Chītasu)

Chinese name (Taiwan): Bàu-tz (豹子, "Cheetah" or "Panther" or "Leopard"), Hūa Bàu (花豹, "Leopard", used in Beast Machines sometimes)

French name (cartoon): Vélocitor (a "coolification" of the word "vélocité," which means "speed")

Indonesian name: Sidor (probably a pronunciation mistake)

Italian name: Ghepard (original toy), Metal Ghepard (Transmetal)

Polish name: Gepardon

Spanish name: Chitor

Latinamerican name: Chitah ("Cheetah")

Fiction

First wave toy bios

Cheetor is a quiet and confidant warrior, who constantly stalks jungles in his search for Predacons. He is efficient, striking hard and fast with incredible reflexes in either mode. He is known to openly dare Predacons to challenge him and his laser-powered quasar cannon.Cheetor Bio

The on-package bios of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the Beast Wars cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, human-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted micro-continuity.

Cartoon continuity

Dawn of Future's Past

Fur is murder!

A former cadet of the Maximal Command Security Force, Cheetor left the organization young after being recruited by Optimus Primal based on his leadership potential, and joined the crew of the Axalon. Full of youthful enthusiasm and hoping to see the furthest reaches of space, Cheetor instead became embroiled in conflict when the Golden Disk was reported stolen while the Axalon was docked at a Maximal satellite. His vehicle mode could reach 550 mph, making him the fastest Maximal aboard the Axalon even before landing on prehistoric Earth.

Dawn of Future's Past

Beast Wars cartoon

Voice actor: Ian James Corlett (English), Wataru Takagi (Japanese), Tata Guarnieri (Portuguese)

What? Is it my breath?

After the Axalon crash-landed on a mysterious planet, the most youthful crew member of the disabled ship chose a cheetah as his new beast form. After admiring his new appearance, he renamed himself Cheetor. While the other Maximals were unpacking, Cheetor decided to show off, racing after some cheetahs. He soon encountered Waspinator, and opened fire, but found himself outclassed(!). The rest of the Maximals and Predacons turned up, and Cheetor cut off Megatron's speech with a "treacherous underhanded sneak attack". A full battle ensued, during which Cheetor's foot became caught in some rocks, and he had to be rescued by Optimus. Beast Wars (Part 1)

When Dinobot challenged Optimus to a duel, Cheetor was keen to take out the Predacon himself, and had to be restrained from joining the fight. After the battle was interrupted by the other Predacons, a huge energon crystal was revealed in a nearby mountain, and the Maximals rushed there to try to prevent the Predacons claiming it for themselves. With the massive amount of energy there, they were forced to fight in their beast modes, though it did give Cheetor the opportunity to try to settle the score with Waspinator. Ultimately, the energon was all destroyed. Beast Wars (Part 2)

Cheetor dreams of Rattrap's rescue attempt before it happens.

Cheetor enthusiastically volunteered to check out a new experimental comlink. Despite being under orders not to get into any combat situations, he unsuccessfully attempted to attack Scorponok and was left heavily damaged. After a strange precognitive dream, he awoke back on the Axalon, whether the other Maximals expressed their disappointment in his actions. Given a hard time by Rattrap, Cheetor rushed out to make another attempt to capture the cannon that Scorponok was recovering, and was captured by Tarantulas. Luckily for him, he was soon rescued by Rattrap, who also lied to Optimus to cover the young bot's hide. The Web

Though Cheetor was looking forward to another mission to install energon monitoring devices, Optimus delayed the mission due to the heavy storm raging. Dinobot managed to goad Cheetor into going out anyway, and, while placing one of the devices, a lightning bolt hit it, resulting in a bizarre two-way teleportation effect between the Maximal and Predacon bases. Cheetor himself found himself in the Darksyde, where he was able to hack the Predacon data files and discover that the two crashed ships lay on a common energon vein, meaning that an explosion at one base would destroy both. He managed to get the information back to Optimus, but Dinobot had already sent through a bomb — Cheetor was able to detach it from the console it was fixed to in time. He returned to the Axalon, where he promised Optimus that he would pay more attention to orders... until the next time. Equal Measures

After a decisive Maximal victory at the Standing Stones, an alien probe swallowed Optimus Primal. The argument over who would lead turned into a secret ballot, during which, from Rhinox's reaction, Cheetor voted for Dinobot, suggesting he trusted the Predacon's leadership skills over those of Rattrap. As it turned out, the exercise was rendered pointless by the revelation that Optimus wasn't dead after all. Chain of Command

Terrorsaur discovered a flying mountain with a cache of super-powerful energon at the top, but he was spotted by Cheetor, who immediately dashed back to the Axalon to inform the other Maximals. Power Surge When one of the stasis pods crashed to the ground and Optimus was damaged by a Predacon sneak attack, Cheetor, Rhinox and Rattrap set out to try to get to the pod, but were delayed by Waspinator and Terrorsaur. They were beaten to the pod by the Predacons, but a last-minute gambit by Dinobot and Optimus meant that the protoform inside had already been reformatted into Tigatron. Fallen Comrades Like the other Maximals, Cheetor couldn't believe that Rattrap had defected to the Predacons. Of course, it turned out to be simply a ploy to determine how the Predacons had been spying on the Maximals. Double Jeopardy

Cheetor, Rattrap, Dinobot and Rhinox were forced to evacuate the Axalon when a fight caused Rhinox's new defense system to go out of control. A Better Mousetrap Infected by a Predacon virus which caused uncontrollable rage, Optimus managed to persuade Cheetor to release him from his confinement, only for the Maximal leader to head off on a one-bot mission against the Predacons. After Primal had slagged most of the Predacons, Cheetor managed to get hold of the antivirus and administer it to Optimus. Gorilla Warfare

During a flyby by a transwarp probe sent from Cybertron, the Maximals tried to set up a signal array to contact it. The Predacons had other idea though, and Tarantulas's transformation lock lens locked both Cheetor and Tigatron in their beast modes. The pair were captured and put in cages in the Darksyde, but soon escaped and used the Predacon repair pools to fix themselves. They unfortunately rejoined the fight too late — the Predacons had prevented the signal from being sent. The Probe

After the apparent destruction of the Predacons, Cheetor and Rattrap mocked Dinobot's sorrow at the passing of his ex-comrades. It was, of course, a ruse, and the Predacons revealed themselves once the Maximals had repaired their ship. Victory When Rhinox was twisted into a Predacon by Megatron's Transmuter, Cheetor was keen to rescue their friend, Optimus ordered everyone to hold back, while the evil Rhinox wrecked havoc in the Predacon base. Dark Designs On another occasion when Rattrap went missing, Cheetor and Optimus looked for the ratbot, only to discover that the Dinobot who had sent them on the hunt was a clone controlled by Megatron. By the time they got back to base, the clone had already been defeated by the real Dinobot. Double Dinobot

Rhinox and Cheetor got to another crashed stasis pod before anyone else, however the ambient energon was endangering the protoform inside. Cheetor shut himself down to allow Rhinox to extract a needed component from him, and dreamed that Rhinox was telling him about sparks. After reawakening, Cheetor was forced to try to defend the pod against Blackarachnia, Waspinator and Terrorsaur, while only having limited use of his robot mode. Though he managed to defeat the first two, Terrorsaur prevailed... only to be defeated by newly-online Airazor. The Spark

During Tigatron's disappearance, Cheetor spotted Blackarachnia and Scorponok leaving the Predacon base on a mission. As it turned out, they were heading towards a flying island which Tigatron had crashed on. Tigatron sent a Cyberbee containing footage of the island, which the Maximals were able to recover, despite Cheetor firing on it. The Trigger, Part 1 Cheetor and Rhinox were forced to evacuate the Axalon after Blackarachnia took control of the island, intending to destroy the Maximal base with it. The Trigger, Part 2

Another Predacon gambit saw them stealing the rectifier coil from the Maximal base, effectively trapping the Maximals in their beast modes. Overcome by bestial instincts, the Maximals wandered off into the jungle, and it was only through Tigatron's intervention that they were able to delete the blocks separating their robot and beast psyches. Call of the Wild An energon explosion caused a group of Maximals, of which Cheetor was a part, to be blinded far from base. As they attempted to journey home, Cheetor was attacked and severely damaged by a huge snake. He spent most of the rest of the journey on Rhinox's back, until they came under attack by Terrorsaur and Waspinator. Rhinox was able to guide everyone in fending off the attack without the use of their sight, and they were soon found by Optimus. Dark Voyage

After a violent storm damaged the Maximal base, making it vulnerable, Cheetor shot down a cyberbee which was spying on them. Unfortunately the Predacons had gained enough information and the help of Starscream, who had possessed Waspinator's body, enabling them to easily take over the Axalon. The Predacon occupation didn't last long, as internal conflict in their ranks allowed the Maximals to retake their base. Possession After Rattrap and Dinobot's bickering caused Rhinox to beome infected by a Predacon energon discharge virus, Optimus insisted the pair go out alone to find the cure. Cheetor was part of the party which went to back them up when they located Tarantulas's lair. The Low Road

After Snowstalker was killed by incidental fire during a battle, Cheetor tried unsuccessfully to comfort Tigatron, but the other Maximal announced he would no longer be a part of the Beast Wars. Law of the Jungle After Megatron called a truce and the Maximals needed to find out what he was up to, Cheetor suggested that Rattrap infiltrate the Predacon base unarmed, so as to not violate the truce. Rattrap was less than impressed with the suggestion. In the end, Tigatron did the infiltrating, and the other Maximals covered his escape. Rhinox and Cheetor "intercepted" Terrorsaur with a sheet of metal. Before the Storm

Tigatron and Cheetor observed the moon splitting open, but were called back to base by Optimus. They got back as the alien weapon began super-heating the planet's surface, and helped the damaged Dinobot and Rhinox into CR chambers. Optimus intended to use a stasis pod Tarantulas had been working on to attack the Planet Buster, despite Cheetor, Tigatron and Airazor all volunteering to go in his stead. As the pod lifted off, Cheetor managed to tune the sensors in to follow its path until it destroyed the Planet Buster. Other Voices, Part 2

When the quantum surge from the explosion engulfed the planet, Cheetor's exostructure was mutated into a shiny new Transmetal body. Along with a tougher metal hide and built-in weaponry, his beast mode gained the ability to fly via two powerful thrusters in his torso. Unfortunately, his first attempt at flying led him on a one-way trip into a bulkhead. His new flight mode allowed him to be particularly effective against Waspinator in a subsequent battle, however he was then blasted off a cliff by Megatron, and crashed into Rattrap while trying to fly to safety. Rhinox fortunately interceded before the pair could be slagged. Aftermath

Ultra gear!

While Rhinox set up some equipment to send his core consciousness on a jaunt, Cheetor left the Axalon to look for Dinobot. Instead he found the Predacons and was attacked by a new addition to their forces, Silverbolt. He radio'd base to warn Rattrap. Rattrap and Dinobot soon joined him and prepared for a showdown with the Predacons. Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1) Though outnumbered, the trio persisted in defending the Axalon, eventually capturing Silverbolt and taking him back to the ship for repairs. As the Predacons pressed on with their attack, the Maximals found themselves out of ammo, but were saved at the eleventh hour by the resurrection of Optimus Primal in a new Transmetal body. Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)

Despite his new form, Cheetor was still assigned to monitor the sensor grid, reporting on strange signals. Tangled Web When Rhinox worked out that there was an alien site in Grid Zeiram, the area Tigatron and Airazor were patrolling, Cheetor was sent to warn them. He was moments too late to prevent them from being shot into space by the alien plants there, much to his anguish. Though Cheetor wanted to rescue Tigatron and Airazor, the priority was on stopping Megatron, and the Maximals returned to Grid Zeiram, where a spaceship grew from the plant life and released an energy surge which blasted everyone present. Other Visits (Part 1) As the Transmetals and Fuzors recovered quickly from the blast, Cheetor and Silverbolt took Dinobot and Rhinox back to base for repairs. After Megatron took control of the alien craft, the Maximals launched an attack on it, distracting Megatron long enough for Rattrap to undertake some sabotage. Other Visits (Part 2)

Out flying on patrol, Cheetor spotted a crashed stasis pod marked with an X, which Optimus explained contained Protoform X, a Maximal experiment. Of course, the Predacons arrived to try to take control of the pod, and weapons fire caused energon beneath the pod to explode. Damaged, Optimus and Cheetor returned to base, but were repaired in time to help Silverbolt and Blackarachnia defeat Protoform X. Bad Spark On another patrol, Cheetor encountered the Predacon forces, again, and communicated their position to Dinobot. After Dinobot died defending a valley of early humans from the Predacons, Cheetor and the others mourned his loss. Code of Hero

Check out my undercarriage!

While out hunting for yet another Predacon jamming tower, Rattrap and Cheetor stumbled on a stasis pod containing a strangely mutated Transformer, which became known as Transmutate. Unfortunately the first thing it did was break up their fight with the Predacons using its sonic attack. As Rattrap later joked about the creature's appearance, Cheetor pointed out Transmutate was standing right behind him. Transmutate

The Maximals were overjoyed when Rhinox revealed that the transwarp wavefront from the Planet Buster explosion would soon be detected by Cybertron and a rescue mission sent. Cheetor was looking forward to going to Six Lasers Over Cybertron, much to Rattrap's embarrassment. Instead of the expected rescue mission, they got Ravage, a Predacon operative sent to apprehend Megatron. Joining forces, they mounted an attack on the Darksyde. Cheetor was blasted by the defense systems. Twice. Unsurprisingly he wasn't present when Megatron was finally captured. The Agenda (Part 1) With the Maximals in control, Optimus order Cheetor to go out and look for Blackarachnia, whom Silverbolt had allowed to escape. Cheetor assured Silverbolt, who had developed feelings for the Predacon, that he would bring her in in one piece, only for Silverbolt to punch him out, leaving to find Blackarachnia himself. Cheetor wasn't happy.

He and Optimus instead went to fetch some energon crystals stashed by Tarantulas, only to run into Inferno and were forced to retreat when the crazed Predacon blew up the energon. The pair headed back for the Axalon, only to be informed by Rattrap over the commlink that Ravage had switched sides — a fact made obvious by the transwarp cruiser bearing down on them with Megatron riding atop. The Agenda (Part 2) Pinned down on the battlefield, Optimus and Cheetor were blasted flat by Megatron, but fortunately survived without too much damage. After Rattrap took out the transwarp cruiser, the Maximals set out in pursuit of the retreating Megatron.

As it turned out, the Predacon leader had found the Ark buried in Mount St. Hilary. The Maximals worked frantically to dig out the cave in he'd created to block their passage, and then to evade the Ark's defenses, but were too late to prevent Megatron from shooting a stasis-locked Optimus Prime in the head. The Agenda (Part III)

When Blackarachnia defected to the Maximals, Cheetor swiftly gained a big crush on her and deliberately joined her on a mission; he was left annoyed when she dismissed him as a "nice kid" Cutting Edge, and more so when she further emphasised what she thought of the crush via a big pointy weapon. Proving Grounds Despite this, the crush briefly flared up again when she almost died. Crossing the Rubicon

While supporting Depth Charge's attack on Megatron's perverse cloning experiments, Cheetor came in contact with the direct energy beam of the transmetal driver, causing a massive explosion that made his fellow Maximals believe he was dead. However, he was seriously damaged and wandered around for megacycles afterwards, not knowing where he was, before he finally stumbled back to base.

Refusing treatment in the CR chamber, he was prone to hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, and delirium. He escaped the base and would rest for hours at a time, only to awaken and find himself somewhere foreign, his gears exhausted. Feral Scream Part 1

Rawr.

In reality, his Transmetal body was in conflict with the alien "Transmetal 2" power infused into it by the transmetal driver. While unconscious, he would undergo a mutation into a feral beast that acted with savagery and aggression. With Optimus Primal's help, he finally gained control of the power and rejoined the rest of the Maximals, who were surprised at the rapid changes to him. Feral Scream Part 2

"Oh, joy," Rattrap remarked on this. "Cyber-puberty."

Beast Wars: Transformers Video Game

Cheetor somehow gained possession of his own base, complete with with sphinx-like statues bearing his likeness and colour scheme.

Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals Video Game

This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the Beast Wars cartoon.

Voice Actor: ??? (English), ??? (Japanese)

During a decisive battle, Cheetor witnessed Optimus being badly injured. Cheetor’s reaction was to charge into battle with unmatched fury, turning the tide of the war in favor of the Maximals. Thanks to this victory, the Maximals eventually overpowered the Predacons, and established peace on the planet. Following the battle, Optimus and Cheetor had this heartwarming exchange;

Optimus: "You showed a lot of potential out there. Someday you might make one prime leader." Cheetor replied: "Sorry Bogbot, but that's your department... But who knows? Maybe in another universe!" Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals

Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Cheetor's fate in those outcomes.

IDW Beast Wars comics

Cheetor appeared outside the Ark alongside Optimus Primal and Rhinox. Showing concern for Optimus, as the big monkey seemed to sense a presence that Cheetor pointed out to be seemingly non-existent. Somewhat freaked-out by Optimus's odd behavior, both Cheetor and Rhinox convinced Optimus that he was simply "chasing ghosts." The Gathering #3

Transformers Legends

A Meeting of Minds

Transformers Legends were meant to be "imaginary stories," and not to be taken as canon. Whether or not these story are to be taken as having happened is up to one's personal canon.

Beast Machines cartoon

Voice actor: Ian Corlett (English), Wataru Takagi (Japanese), Hercules Fernando (Portuguese)

Beast Machines toy bio

At some point, Cheetor acquired a highly advanced stealth armor and dubbed himself Night Slash Cheetor. This new armor granted Cheetor all sort of new abilities, including being undetectable to every known Vehicon radar and tracking systems and creating a negative psychological effects on Vehicon generals, rendering their drones useless in combat. Considering the armor was never mentioned elsewhere, it would seem to have been a short-lived upgrade. Night Slash Cheetor bio

3H comics

It was revealed that Cheetor was a Matrix Templar, as he and Rodimus (another templar) battled Cryotek. It also seemed that Cheetor is one of Rodimus's biggest fans, so much so that Cheetor based his first changeform on Rodimus's design. This merely reflected a resemblance that went deeper than physical appearance: They both looked up to really big leaders, they both were known to live for speed, and their early days were filled with foolish stunts.

He later said of Rodimus's past, "I'm not lookin' forward to the day they chronicle my early bonehead adventures onto a datacon for all the world to see." Wreckers: Finale Part II

Hope he never reads this.

Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle Video Game

Cheetor becomes involved in a series of one-on-one battles when the discovery of a super-powerful Energon crystal on Earth leads several Maximals and Predacons to attempt obtaining the crystal's powers for their own gain.

Cheetor could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

Cheetor eventually defeated Megatron, the last bot standing between the crystal and himself. Once the crystal was in his possession, Cheetor absorbed its power, becoming the most powerful of the Maximal. This allowed him to soar through the ranks and become Supreme Commander. This position was more then he could handle, however, and he abandoned his post after only three days. Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle

Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Cheetor's fate in those outcomes.

Beast Wars Metals comic

Off to go train with Piccolo or something, I'm sure.

Following the Quantum surge, Cheetor was upgraded into a Transmetal but left stranded on Energoa far, far away from the other Maximals and believed dead by Rattrap. Following Optimus Primal's return to life, Cheetor could be seen staring poetically at the moon from his distant location. Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!

Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic

The Cirrrcle of Liiiife...

After Screamscream and Ravage stole energon cubes from Hound, Cheetor appeared on the scene, defeated both of them and got the cubes back, getting the adoration of Hound and random fauna. Cheetor then went to live in a safari park. Henkei! Henkei! volume 8

3D Battle-Card Game

Cheetor, in his Transmetal 2 body, was one of Optimus's many allies in a fight against Megatron's own army, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. Energon Wars Expansion Set

Trivia

• Cheetor fired the first shots of the Beast Wars. First he shot at Waspinator, unprovoked, and again at Megatron while Optimus was attempting to negotiate. What a little rascal.

• Cheetor has the first line in the show Beast Wars; he also has the last line in the show Beast Machines, closing the arc of the two shows in a coherent development of Cheetor as a young rookie to Cheetor as commander.

• Cheetor and Tigatron are the only characters in Beast Wars who are definitely in the correct scale to the lifeform he has adopted as a beast mode, being seen nearby a real cheetah in the pilot episode. As a result, Cheetor has the odd distinction of being the yardstick by which other Beast Wars characters' scale inconsistencies can be measured.

• Mainframe Entertainment's original plan for Transmetal Cheetor was to have his face mature over the course of the season, from a big-eared, wide-eyed, rounded face into one close to the toy. Also, he would have had a "Hero's Heart" which glowed after completing brave or heroic feats, somewhat akin to the classic anime character Astro Boy. Due to time and financial restrictions, none of these concepts panned out. Thankfully. His toy, however, DOES have a molded heart on the abdomen.

I wonder what Beast Machines Cheetor thinks of this artwork?

• Comic Bom Bom advertisements for the Game Boy Color's Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle feature Cheetor with a slightly different (and much happier) head than the version which appeared in the game's instruction manual. Both are sickeningly cute, though.

• Cheetor has the somewhat dubious honour of being the only Maximal Megatron never refers to by name on the show.

• In "Bee in the City", Beast Wars Megatron accidentally calls Bumblebee "Cheetor", the first instance of a running gag where the plucky young yellow kid-appeal bot is called by another kid-appeal bot's name.
  • This is also ironic in being the first and only time his name is spoken by Megatron.

• In the Japanese dub of the Beast Wars cartoon and in the Beast Wars Metals manga, Cheetor had the quirk of ending nearly every sentence in a long, stressed "Jā-n", which is supposed to sound like a cute kitty growl.

External links

• Cheetor at TFU.info