Greatshot

Greatshot is an Autobot Six Changer from the Victory era of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Ironically, his aim is terrible.

A loner, the ninja-like Greatshot (グレートショット Gurētoshotto) took a while to become an Autobot team player. Of course, even after he did, he still prefers to do things his own way.

Greatshot's six modes, ranging from robot to rhino, make him one of the most lethal warriors the Autobots have. Plus he ruffles Guyhawk's feathers quite a bit.

Fiction

Victory cartoon

Voice actor: Michihiro Ikemizu (Japanese)

To be honest, it's more like a long box thing with guns stuck on the end.

Greatshot's former friends included the criminal mercenaries Blue Bacchus and Black Shadow as well as the sociopathic Guyhawk. Greatshot trailed the pair of mercenaries to planet Micro, intent on stopping them as his first step in "putting an end to conflict." There he encountered and teamed up with Star Saber, the Autobot leader, who was himself investigating Decepticon attacks. Greatshot informed the Autobots that he would deal with the matter as a point of honor, though Star Saber insisted on helping anyway. Greatshot was able to best the two Crossformer mercenariess in combat, destroying their powerful shells, though he failed to defeat either core opponent. He parted ways with the Autobots on somewhat friendlier terms. Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior

Greatshot traveled with Holi to a prison facility of Micro, sneaking in through the sewer system. Though Greatshot hoped to convert Guyhawk to the Autobot cause, his former friend gave his refusal in a spray of blaster rounds that almost wiped out the two Autobots. The pair fought, destabilising the prison's lava power supply. Greatshot was almost sent plunging into the lava, but saved himself with a grappling line. Holi was helping him out when a quake sent them hurtling towards the lava, but they were saved by the timely arrival of Star Saber. Greatshot and Holi became firm friends as a result of the encounter. Rescue! Guyhawk

It's a bird-lion-rhino thing!

Some time later, Greatshot visited Earth to see his new friends. After sleeping in a seaside cave, he was surprised by the Thunder Arrow erupting from the ocean. He trailed it, and stumbled on a destroyed city full of dead Autobots. Continuing on, he finally caught up with the Decepticons and was able to assist the Brainmasters, facing Deathsaurus himself in combat. With yet another timely arrival on the part of Star Saber, the Decepticons were seen off. Crisis! Ambush in the Desert After the death of God Ginrai, Star Saber called Greatshot to Shuttle Base and asked him to take command of God Ginrai's Sector Two Defense Force. Greatshot reluctantly agreed. Fight!! Victory Leo

When Deathsaurus was able to reactivate his Planet-Destroying Fortress, Star Saber called Greatshot away from his duties to assist in battling the thing. He arrived in time to help Road Caesar, though they were unable to prevent the fortress from launching meteors at Earth, causing untold devastation. The two Autobots decided to assault the fortress's launch bay, and were only saved from certain destruction by the arrival of Star Saber and Victory Leo, the former of whom ordered them to retreat to Earth. The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!

Following the destruction of the fortress and defeat of Deathsaurus, Greatshot returned to his life as a mercenary and disappeared after the Silvart War. Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification

Transformers PD Type comic

While Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime high-fived and celebrated victories against the Decepticons, a shadowy ninja lurked in the background, cloaked by shadow. Greatshot claimed it was merely an act of desperation. No One Knows When He's Come or Gone. Greatshot...

Toys

Victory

Missing his jet nose and using another bot's guns... but still bad-ass!

• Greatshot (1989)
  • Japanese ID number: C-325
  • Accessories: 2 guns

Greatshot is a retool of Sixshot with several completely new parts, including his shoulders, chestplate and both his robot and animal-mode heads. Like Sixshot, he has six different modes: a robot, a tank, a spaceship, a gun, an off-road vehicle, and a winged rhinoceros (retooled from Sixshot's wolf mode). Each of these modes has their own functionality, including things like a trigger (that is, a little plastic panel that springs back after you pull on it) for his gun mode. His two guns, retooled to have slightly longer handles than Sixshot's, fit into different holes in every mode.

As with Sixshot, Greatshot's robot mode is mostly a brick, with no real articulation to speak of.

• More information on Greatshot at TFU.info
• More information on Greatshot at Transformers-Universe.com

Notes

The ninja storm is growing! Shadowmaru is on the left.

• For a while, there was much fandom speculation that Greatshot was an upgraded version of Sixshot. However, according the supplemental character bio included with Greatshot's toy, he is in fact a former compatriot of both Sixshot and Sixknight, who in turn were all members of the "Six Clan" that "secretly rules over the galaxy". Uh... okay then! [1] Still, there is at least one notable similarity between Sixshot and Greatshot, beyond them sharing the same base mold: they both had the same actor, who voiced them both with a stereotypical "samurai movie" dialect.
• The supplementary bio further states that Greatshot frequently carries out secret ninja missions, further tying him in with the "Ninja Staff Officer" Sixshot and the "Ninja Knight" Sixknight.
• The Greatshot mold was later retooled to make the heroic "Ninja Detective" Shadowmaru for Takara's Brave Police J-Decker toyline. Amusingly, while the other 5 forms are of standard size for the series (assuming 5 meters in robot mode), his size for gun mode was increased to the point that, in Transformers terms, Omega Supreme could use him for an oversized rifle. Shadowmaru also had a prototype "brother", Kagerō, who could only change into three forms. He was not produced as a toy. More on Shadowmaru at TF Baka-Ichidai.

Foreign names

• English: Sixshot (Omni Productions dub)
• Spanish: Sixshot (America)
• Italian: Iperbot
• Russian: Shestizaryadnik (Шестизарядник, Sixshot)