Dragotron

Now I'm the baddest dragon that you've ever seen, you're gonna DIE, mother ****er!

Dragotron is a Predacon from the Go! portion of the Aligned continuity family.

Ferocious and terrifying, Dragotron (ドラゴトロン Doragotoron) is the Demon Emperor of the Predacons. Originally created by the mad scientist Shockwave, he and his Predacon brethren revolted against their Decepticon masters and scattered across the stars by the hundreds. Taking notice of a planet called Earth, Dragotron led a loyal band of Predacons on a mission to invade the planet, but they were defeated by a combined force of Autobots and Decepticons. Sealed deep underground by the power of a Legendisc, Dragotron now slumbers, awaiting the day that he may awaken and once again seize the power that is rightfully his.

Seemingly invincible, Dragotron possesses the ability to transcend time and space, purportedly having once appeared on Earth in the past. Rumor has it this power may somehow be connected to the Earthlings, but its exact nature is unknown.

Fiction

Go! cartoon

Voice actor: Yōji Ueda (Japanese)

At some point, Dragotron was sealed away by the blue Legendisc Pursue! The Legendiscs! and was buried in Mount Fuji, where he remained till a stray rock thrown by a child led to a chain reaction that unearthed Dragotron's head. After seemingly awakening, he signaled his Four Oni servants, Bakudora, Budora, Gaidora, and Judora, to emerge from their sleep. The four subsequently set out in search for the other four Legendiscs. Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai! Triple Combination! Swordbot - Ninja!

Dragotron was soon recovered by the Predacons from the volcano, but was still unconscious. After finding out about the Legendiscs' time travel capabilities, Budora and Bakudora used the Legendisc within Dragotron to travel to Japan's past to find another Legendisc. Budora contemplated the idea of using the Legendisc to conquer history for himself, but discarded the thought when Gaidora questioned Budora's loyalties. However the pair was defeated by the Swordbot Samurai Team, who had also traveled through time to seek out the Legnedisc. Pursue! The Legendiscs! Meanwhile, the other two Predacons Gaidora and Judora likewise used Dragotron's Legendisc to venture into the past in pursuit of another Legendisc, but the pair also failed, being defeated by the similarly time-displaced Swordbot Shinobi Team. Discover! The Legendiscs!

Enter the dragon!

Later, Optimus Prime, the Commander of the Autobots, sensed that Dragotron's power was increasing, predicting that his eventual revival was immenent, and urged that the Swordbots acquire all the Legendiscs as soon as possible. The Invincible Swordsman - Ryōma Sakamoto!? However, Dragotron's power continued to grow to exponentially, to the point that his unconscious body began to glow with power and radiate bolts of energy, one of which happened to strike Gaidora, who was empowered by this sudden boost of energy and later wielded it in combat against the Samurai Team, absorbing the Jaki into his body to grow giant-sized, after having traveled once more into the past. However, his Swordbot opponents managed to eventually overwhelm and strike down Gaidora, reverting him back to his normal size and sending both him and Judora back to the present. Upon their return, however, the two Predacons were present to bear witness to the long-awaited revival of their master, as a fully-awakened Dragotron suddenly burst out from underground, subsequently powering up to a red-based form and swearing to both defeat the Swordbots and conquer the world once and for all. Showdown! Benkei Musashibō!

Toys

Go!

Predaking? Who the HELL is Predaking?

• Dragotron (04–27–13)
  • Japanese ID number: G12
  • Accessories: Two guns, two missiles, sword/tail

Part of the first wave of TakaraTomy Go! toys, Dragotron is a slight redeco of the Beast Hunters Voyager Predaking toy, with the only major difference from the Beast Hunters toy lying in his gray plastic, which is darker. Dragotron transforms into a three-headed dragon and comes with a tail that detaches to become a sword that can be (loosely) held by his hands. His extra dragon heads are spring-loaded missile launchers that are geared to straighten their necks and launch their missiles when the levers behind them are pulled. They can also combine into a larger weapon, with their gears being connected so that they move and fire in unison. The heads/blasters mount via 5mm post onto his back and forearms.

Tengen Toppa Guren Dragotron!

• Guren Dragotron (10–26–13)
  • Japanese ID number: G23
  • Accessories: Two launchers, two missiles, tail/blade

Part of the sixth wave of TakaraTomy Go! toys, "Guren Dragotron" is a primarily red ("guren" being Japanese for "crimson") redeco of Beast Fire Predaking (see below), a larger scale toy featuring a 21-inch wingspan, although the wings easily detach from their bases for safety reasons, and to allow easier access to the battery compartment on his back. He comes with two spring-loaded missile launchers, and his tail detaches to become a sword, all of which can peg onto his hands, wrists, and wings via 5mm post.

He also has light-up features in his dragon head, as well as his robot head and torso. The dragon head is lit by pulling on a lever on his neck, swinging the head down and opening his mouth in the process. The robot head and torso are lit by pressing the translucent-yellow button on his right shoulder. Batteries are not included.

Prime Beast Hunters

• Beast Fire Predaking (Ultimate Class, 2013)
  • Accessories: Two launchers, two missiles, tail/Infernum Blade

This toy was repurposed into Dragotron

Beast Fire Predaking is the largest representation of Predaking and features a 21-inch wingspan, although the wings easily detach from their bases for safety reasons, and to allow easier access to the battery compartment on his back. He comes with two spring-loaded missile launchers, and his tail detaches to become the Infernum Blade, all of which can peg onto his hands, wrists, and wings via 5mm post.

He also has light-up features in his dragon head, as well as his robot head and torso. The dragon head is lit by pulling on a lever on his neck, swinging the head down and opening his mouth in the process. The robot head and torso are lit by pressing the translucent-yellow button on his right shoulder. Batteries are not included.

His rear legs are mis-transformed in package, not having been angled and tabbed into his thighs. His packaging stock photography depicts his sword with orange paint details that were replaced with silver in the final product. His instructions include the eighteenth chapter of the Tales of the Beast Hunters series.

While the toy is classified as an Ultimate Class figure, It is dwarfed by the Ultimate Class Beast Hunters Optimus Prime figure; Optimus is nigh Supreme sized whereas Predaking is roughly the size of a Prime Weaponizer and the like. Clearly the designers chose wingspan over mass.

In international markets, such as Canada, Singapore, the Philippines, and Australia, Beast Fire Predaking was released as part of the first wave of mainline Prime: Beast Hunters Ultimate Class toys. In the United States, he was rebranded and repackaged in the Target-exclusive "Predacons Rising" subline, with new instructions lacking the Tales chapter.