Snarl (G1)
| The name or term "Snarl" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Snarl (disambiguation). |
- Snarl is an Autobot Dinobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Snarl is an unhappy, unsociable loner. He grudgingly follows Grimlock's orders and that's about it. He leaves thinking to others. He has few opinions and rarely expresses those he has. Snarl's uncommunicative nature only serves to fuel his sense of isolation. On top of all this, he hates the ungainly stegosaur form given him by the Ark and feels that the war on Earth means he may never see his beloved Cybertron again. Snarl is a profoundly unhappy being.
Only in war does Snarl feel happiness. Only the joy of combat washes away the ache in his spark, and lets him forget anything but the rising thrill of the fight. For these reasons Snarl revels in combat more than even his fellow Dinobots.
As an Action Master, he is partnered with Tyrannitron.
| “ | Perfect end to a perfect day. We can't even die right. | ” |
—Snarl, Dinobot morale officer, Maximum Dinobots #3 | ||
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Hal Rayle (English), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese), Yoku Shioya (Japanese, 2010), Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese, "Call of the Primitives"), Edgar Wald (American Spanish)
Along with Swoop, Snarl was part of the second set of Dinobots created by Wheeljack. They fought the previous Dinobot group who had been tricked by Megatron into joining the Decepticons. After Optimus Prime risked his life to save Grimlock from a fate similar to death, the rebel Dinobots realized the error of their ways and rejoined the Autobots, with Swoop and Snarl under Grimlock's command. War of the Dinobots
Snarl, along with the rest of the Dinobots was deemed strong enough to battle the elements when Cybertron's close proximity to Earth was causing natural disasters. He assisted by sticking trees into the ground to help break up an oncoming tidal wave. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
Soon after a climactic battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron, the Constructicons dug their way into the Autobot headquarters in an attempt to destroy Teletraan I. Upon the sounding of the alarm, Snarl was among the Dinobots who drove the intruders outside the base. However, the Constructicons unleashed their secret weapon by combining to form the mighty Devastator. Snarl was kicked by the giant, ending up hanging over the edge of a river of lava which then proceeded to burn his already damaged backside. It was not a very good day. Heavy Metal War
Spike, Hound, and Bumblebee tried to teach the Dinobots how to play football, and Snarl found himself grappling with Wheeljack. Later, Wheeljack called Snarl and the Dinobots to Washington, D.C. during the battle with Nergill's Sub-Atlanticans. Once there, Snarl's tail whip broke the Decepticons' glass dome and sent Starscream's grenade back at him. At Sub-Atlantica, Optimus ordered the Dinobots to act prehistoric, which amounted to ripping the place apart. Atlantis, Arise!
When Prime was endangered, he called the Dinobots (minus Swoop, for whatever reason) to help him out. The tanks attacking Optimus were no match for Snarl's powerful tail. Day of the Machines
Snarl and Swoop were curious when they saw the other Dinobots wreaking havoc, but curiosity killed the cat when Snarl almost damaged Teletraan I (Trailbreaker's force field protected the computer) and his tail knocked away the repair bay that Ratchet intended to use. Though Grimlock stopped the Dinobots and explained that they meant no harm, they were exiled to a prehistoric island where they would be able to train without damaging any of the Autobots' equipment. Snarl got attached to the island quickly, and he practiced his "tail stuff", which meant whipping a rock at Sludge's face. However, Megatron soon arrived, and he scared a large pack of real dinosaurs into pushing Snarl and his comrades over a cliff, and into a tar pit, Dinobot Island, Part 1 which they soon escaped from. In return for Swoop using his lasers to dry off the Dinobots, Snarl did the same to him. Dinobot Island, Part 2
Snarl came to an airport with the other Dinobots when Decepticons were spotted in the area. He was the first to smash into Megatron's secret hideout, and toppled Rumble, Megatron, and several Seekers, but Snarl was himself downed when the Decepticons fired on their weaker robot modes. As soon as their repairs were done, Optimus wanted the Dinobots to do more work, and Snarl had just about had enough, refusing to listen to Prime and instead choosing Grimlock as his leader. Grimlock's first order was bringing his team to Cybertron. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 On the metallic planet, Swoop was separated from his teammates in the heat of battle, and the remaining Dinobots were reprogrammed by Shockwave to do his bidding in the Cybertonium pits. Snarl's memory circuits were restored by Carly, and he thanked her for this. Returning to the Ark with the Cybertonium, Snarl admitted that he'd now be loyal to Optimus Prime. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
In the year 2005, Snarl was conspicuously absent during one of the most significant battles of the Great War, but was present in the aftermath of the Decepticon attack on Autobot City. He disappeared after Ultra Magnus ordered the Autobots to get to the shuttles. Later, he was on the Quintesson spaceship commandeered by Hot Rod, Kup, the Dinobots and their new friend Wheelie when they arrived on the planet Junkion. The Transformers: The Movie
By 2006, Snarl had become a little more talkative. He and Sludge were left to guard Cybertron when a seemingly resurrected Optimus Prime told them all that Hot Rod, Arcee, Ultra Magnus, and Kup were killed by the Quintessons, only to see them arrive after the Autobot Fleet left. Despite Sludge's initial concern that the two Dinobots were dead, Snarl belatedly realized that something was wrong. Dark Awakening
When Fort Knox was stolen by a Transformer with dinosaur transform static, Snarl was among the dinosaur Autobots who was interrogated. But Perceptor discovered that the energon found was a Decepticon formula, leaving Trypticon as the real culprit. Snarl, riding on Broadside, accompanied the other Autobots to Carbombya and helped fight the Decepticons. Thief in the Night
Snarl would often spend his free time fishing in a lake/pond with the other Dinobots. Their idea of fishing was wading out and grabbing fish with their teeth. He was among the first Dinobots to realize that there was something wrong with Grimlock after he was exposed to anti-electrons, and the Dinobots temporarily ostracized him. They let Grimlock back after he transferred his super-intelligence to Computron. Grimlock's New Brain Later, he was among the Primitives summoned by Primacron's assistant to fight Tornedron. He objected to the "stupid Decepticon rhino"'s low opinion of Grimlock, and a brawl ensued. Other than that, he didn't really contribute much to the Primitives' adventures. Call of the Primitives
Prevenge
- Voice actor: Hal Rayle (English)
Japanese cartoon continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages
The Headmasters cartoon
In the year 2011, the Decepticons invaded Cybertron to get their hands on Vector Sigma. Wreck-Gar dispatched Snarl, Swoop and Grimlock to defend their planet. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
Wings Universe
Together with Hot Rod and Kup, the Dinobots were on board a shuttle fleeing from Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps, though they were more concerned about hearing one of Kup's war stories than being under attack. When they found temporary safety inside a nebula, Kup relented and told them about the time he was in the Elite Guard and fought on Beta-Nine. Eventually the Decepticons found them, but Snarl and the other Dinobots were so angry about the interruption that they made short work of the attackers. Wings of Honor
Marvel Comics continuity
Marvel The Transformers comics
Snarl was one of the original crew of the Ark. After it crashed, Shockwave came to Earth in pursuit and landed in the Savage Land. The Ark rebuilt Snarl along with Grimlock, Slag, Sludge and Swoop into the Dinobots and sent them to the Savage Land to defeat Shockwave. The Last Stand Shockwave had the upper hand until Snarl smashed the mountainside Shockwave was standing on, sending him and the Dinobots submerged in a tar pit where they remained until they were dug out by Ratchet millions of years later. Snarl, along with the other Dinobots, then helped Ratchet to defeat Megatron and reclaim the Ark and free the deactivated Autobots within. Repeat Performance!
Not long after this he went mad due to the burning out of his cybo-dendrons after being submerged in the tar pit for millions of years. The Autobots knew the danger the Dinobots posed and they set out to find them. Mirage, Trailbreaker and Brawn tracked Snarl to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, where he was captured with the aid of the human Carl Thompson. Dinobot Hunt!
Snarl later recovered along with the other Dinobots. Second Generation! He and the other Dinobots left the Ark shortly afterward to help Sludge save his friend, Joy Meadows from both the Decepticons and Swoop's former tormentor, Professor Morris and his new robot Centurion, funded by Triple-I. In the National Interest
Snarl would later battle the future Decepticon Galvatron. Fallen Angel After the death of Optimus Prime, Snarl helped to battle Trypticon who had been sent from Cybertron by Ratbat to attack the Ark. Having driven Trypticon away Snarl and the Dinobots returned to the Ark where Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. King of the Hill!
Following the return of Optimus Prime as Autobot leader, Snarl and the other Dinobots were critically damaged by the Underbase-powered Starscream. Dark Star After being repaired by Ratchet using Pretender technology, Grimlock took Snarl and the Dinobots to Hydrus Four and restored them using Nucleon. Snarl and the Dinobots later returned to Cybertron and took part in the battle against Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction!
Marvel UK future timelines
In 2008, Snarl and the Dinobots were one of several special units unleashed on the Decepticon attack force when Scourge and Cyclonus led the 'Cons on a siege of the Autobots' main base on Cybertron. Autobot High Command soon learned this assault was only a distraction, however, engineered by Unicron himself who was reconstructing himself on the planet of Junkion. When Smokescreen returned from Junk with this news, Rodimus Prime gathered Scattershot, Grimlock, and the rest of the Dinobots with him to make an assault on Junk. Much to Rodimus's dismay, Snarl and the Dinobots didn't hold back at all when attacking the Junkions Unicron had mind-controlled into doing his bidding, and tore through them as if they were any other enemy. The Legacy of Unicron!
Earthforce
Searching for a means to revive his fellow Dinobots, Grimlock found a way and brought Snarl and the others back to full activation. Shockwave wanted the secret for himself, but the Dinobots weren't exactly forthcoming. During a fight with Shockwave's Decepticons, Snarl took Starscream to school, battering him with his tail, taking a bite out of his legs, and finally zapping the treacherous Decepticon with solar energy from his spines. Two Steps Back! Not long after that, Optimus Prime took the Ark off-planet, leaving Earth under the protection of Grimlock, the Dinobots, and the newly formed Autobot Earthforce they commanded. Break-Away!
Feeling Grimlock was taking his new command gig too seriously, Snarl and the other Dinobots decided to have a little fun with the boss, thanks to the Earth custom of April Fools' Day. They sent him out on a wild robo-goose chase for Shockwave, only to end up at an ice sculpture of the Decepticon set behind an "April Fools!" sign. Grimlock didn't take this too well, and was last seen headed towards Snarl and the Dinobots with the world's biggest snowball. Snow Fun!
When Wheeljack discovered an evil plot behind Sleepfast nightlights, he had Snarl help him break into the manufacturing warehouse to confirm his suspicions. While inside, they were attacked by a swarm of evil nightlight gremlins and confronted by the mastermind behind the nefarious scheme: Mindwipe! Thinking quickly, Snarl and Wheeljack were able to turn the thought-activated nightlights against their creator, mentally commanding the hundreds of lights to all flash on at once, temporarily shorting out Mindwipe's optical circuitry. The Living Nightlights!
As Autobot Earthbase finished construction, Snarl was present when Wheeljack activated the unfortunate defense system that kept the Autobots out of their own headquarters. The House that Wheeljack Built! When the system had to be shut down, he was also on hand to defend the base from an attack by Soundwave and the Decepticons. Divide and Conquer!
As always, the Dinobots stuck together in crises, like when Slag went into a routine berserker rage right when Optimus Prime was performing an inspection of the Earthforce operation. Snarl and the others went racing around the base trying to keep Slag from destroying TOO much necessary equipment before Prime left. The 4,000,000 Year Itch! On a more serious note, however, Snarl himself came down with a debilitating case of Corrodia Gravis, a wasting disease that would cause him to slowly rust to death unless he received a systems boost from a compatible Transformer. The problem? That Transformer was Starscream. Assassins
Starscream made a deal with the Autobots and agreed to the systems boost, The Lesser Evil! but years later the disease returned and Snarl was completely incapacitated. The Dinobots theorized that the central control crystal from the shuttle which first brought them to Earth could help, storing Snarl's cerebral patterns until a new body could be constructed for him. Once they traveled to the Savage Land, however, they found that the crystal wasn't in the shuttle anymore. Searching the area, the Dinobots found a paleontologist named Professor Embrey, who had adapted the crystal and used its radiative properties to stop a wasting disease that was killing off the dinosaurs in the Savage Land. Unable to retrieve the crystal from Embrey without condemning the dinosaurs to death, Swoop arranged a solution by using the crystal to transfer Snarl's mind into a living stegosaurus. Snarl remained behind in the Savage Land under Embrey's care until a new body could be made for him. Destiny of the Dinobots!
Another Time & Place
Several months after the golden age of Cybertron was reintroduced, Snarl and most of his fellow Dinobots had succumbed to the transfiguring effects of Nucleon and lost their ability to transform. When Grimlock received information that the Hydrus Four facilities had reopened, and discovered a means of reversing Nucleonic changes, the Dinobots jumped at the idea. Despite Prime's half-hearted warnings, Snarl and his teammates followed Grimlock back to Hydrus Four in the hopes of becoming Transformers once again. They were followed by the "exiled" Decepticons, however, and a battle with a huge native creature delayed the Dinobots long enough for Bludgeon's crew to get ahead of them and take over the Nucleon facility. The Dinobots were laid low by a Holocaust Trigger, overloading their sensory circuits so that they were helpless before the Decepticons. Cruelly tortured, the Dinobots were still left alive so that they could witness the rebirth of Megatron, thanks to the Nucleon infusions Bludgeon was feeding him. Luckily, the Autobots had long since learned to become worried whenever the Dinobots were out of sight for too long, and had followed them to Hydrus Four. Roadhandler, Tote and several Micromasters managed to free the injured Dinobots, and an Autobot strike force brought down their Decepticon captors. The Nucleon reversion process was a success, and Snarl and his comrades were restored to fully operational Transformers. Another Time & Place
Marvel Generation 2 comic
Snarl and the Dinobots were fighting alongside Grimlock and a small group of Autobot Firestormers when they uncovered the Cybertronians and their terraforming measures. After calling in Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots, they became part of a major offensive against not only Jhiaxus and his ilk, but everything they represented. War Without End! Despite Prime serving as overall commander, however, Snarl and his buddies were still Dinobots first and foremost. So when Grimlock wanted to take first strike action against Prime's orders, there was no question who they'd follow. Snarl and the others were captured almost immediately, though, and only escaped thanks to the timely intervention of Optimus Prime and his more loyal group of soldiers. Devices and Desires!
Snarl continued to fight alongside the Autobots with his Dinobot comrades, on both Earth and Ethos. The Gathering Darkness Escalation! Later, after the Autobots forged an alliance with the first-generation Decepticons against the Cybertronians, the Dinobots got into the spirit of things—they teamed up with Headstrong and Weirdwolf in a metal-munching contest, to see who could chow down on the most Cybertronians.
Man, too bad Hun-Grrr and Skullcruncher weren't there to make it a real contest. Total War!
Fleetway Generation 2 comics
Classics
Snarl (in his Action Master body) is part of Grimlock's crew on the Graviton. He told a recently ditched Monzo one little promise: "He'd never have to hear Weirdwolf's voice again." That gave them everything they needed to defeat Bug Bite. Games of Deception
Later, Snarl and the rest of the team were seen hunting down Drag Strip, Overkill and Acid Storm on a dusty planet. At Fight's End
Regeneration One
Kid Stuff Talking Story Books
Snarl and the other Dinobots live in an underground jungle environment, hidden beneath the Antarctic ice cap. He can fly. Snarl was travelling to the Autobots’ headquarter when he and the Dinobots were attacked by Starscream and the Decepticon superjets. The Dinobots managed to fend off the Decepticons, and continued to Autobot headquarters. Back at the Dinobots’ base, another Snarl, immersed in his tar cocoon, awaited activation to join the Autobot ranks. When the Crusher, a Decepticon juggernaut, forced its way into the Dinobots’ headquarters, the vibrations it produced inadvertently freed the cocooned Dinobots, who charged at Megatron and Soundwave to fend them off. Jaws of Terror
Optimus had requested Snarl and the rest of the Dinobots’ assistance when he and Prowl investigated Decepticon activity on the island of Buru. Upon their arrival, the Dinobots quickly began overpowering the Insecticons on the island. Slaves of the Insecticons
Marvel Storybooks continuity
Snarl and the other Dinobots stood by while Swoop mercilessly butchered Devastator and killed the Constructicons one by one. The rest of the Dinobots then joined in ripping the Constructicons' carcasses into scrap metal for good measure. Battle for Earth
Marvel coloring books
Snarl and the rest of the Dinobots gathered around Grimlock as Hot Rod explained to them that he was being chased by a squad of Decepticons. Hot Rod then took off towards Autobot City to warn Ultra Magnus while the Dinobots headed to confront the Decepticons. In the battle that ensued, Snarl took out Soundwave with a swipe of his tail. Battle at Oil Valley
Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity
- Voice actor: ??? (English)
Snarl was the leader of the Dinobots. Low on power, he lead them to Doctor Heath Blaisedale's solar plant in search of more solar energy. When they got there, they found the Autobots and Decepticons engaged in a fierce battle for control of the plant, and Snarl grudgingly answered Cliffjumper's plea for help in stopping Megatron. After Cliffjumper used glass gas to destroy Megatron's cannon, Snarl powered up on solar energy from the reactor and, standing on his hind legs, started attacking the Decepticon jets. Unfortunately in their enthusiasm for fighting, the Dinobots completely trashed the reactor. Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)
Milton Bradley mini-comic
Snarl was among a number of Autobots under Jetfire's command who crewed the ark. After it crashed into Earth, the ark detected Soundwave and repaired Snarl and three others into the Dinobots. The Dinobots soon tracked down Soundwave, but he proved too much for them to handle until Grimlock used his brain and brought the nearby cliff down, knocking them all offline. In the Transformers
Big Looker storybooks
Snarl was one of the Autobots present at Metroplex when Hot Rod was talking about the car show at the Coliseum. Car Show Blow Up
The Transformers Adventure Game Books
Dinobot War
Snarl, along with the rest of the Dinobots, were present during Earth's distant past, when you, Ravage and Laserbeak travelled through time. The Dinobots quickly learned about the Decepticons' plan to attack the Autobots still slumbering in stasis aboard the crashed Ark, and set out to oppose them. Whether or not they succeeded was up to you! Dinobot War
Find Your Fate Junior
Dinobots Strike Back
Snarl, along with the rest of the Dinobots, were on lookout duty in Hidden Valley. Bombshell managed to sneak up on the group and Snarl was one of the Dinobots who were subjected to the Insecticon's mind-control. After being ordered by his new master to attack Autobots and humans alike, Snarl's fate was up to the only Dinobot retaining his free-will, Swoop. If Swoop reports directly back to Autobot base about what transpired, the Autobots weigh multiple options on how to best stop the Dinobots' rampage.
If the Autobots choose to use Mirage's abilities against the Dinobots, Snarl and the rest of the sub-group are tricked into believing Optimus is standing at the edge of Bandit Bluff's precipice, and charge for the Autobot leader. Their target turns out to be an illusion fabricated by Mirage, and the Dinobots are knocked unconscious by their fall, and subsequently freed of Bombshell's control.
If the Autobots choose to use Windcharger's abilities against the Dinobots, the outcome of the Dinobots' and the rest of the Autobots' confrontation has two possible outcomes. If Windcharger uses his magnetic powers too close to the Dinobots, the powerful magnetic field sends Snarl and the other Dinobots into convulsions before killing them. If Windcharger decides to use his magnetic powers from a greater distance, the Cerebro-shells are harmlessly extracted from the Dinobots. Later, Snarl is celebrating with the Autobots when Grimlock recalls Bombshell announcing that controlling the Dinobots was only a part of the Insecticon's plan.
Optimus in turn can send Bumblebee, Skids and Sludge to investigate nearby electromagnetic activity. If he does, and Skids returns to Autobot base after the Decepticons has captured Bumblebee, Prowl suggests to send Snarl and his ilk as undercover agents into the Decepticons' local operation. Prowl explains that the Decepticons are likely unaware that the Dinobots are no longer under Bombshell's control. If Optimus goes with this plan, Snarl takes one Megatron himself, one of his tail-strikes causing the Decepticon leader's cannon to fire an opening in the Decepticon's base, leading to the Autobots successfully defeating the Decepticons thanks to the Dinobot's strategic placement.
If the Autobots choose to simply attack the Dinobots immediately and brutally, Snarl is brought to his knees by one of Powerglide's concussion bombs. Next, he missile by Swoop until his Cerebro-Shell falls out of his body.
If Swoop chooses to stay and fight Bombshell instead of reporting back to base after the Dinobots have become Bombshell's slaves, and successfully defeats the Insecticon, Snarl is freed along with the other Dinobots. Whatever other choices are made in this path, Snarl stays unaware of what has transpired, his memory a blank during the mind-control. Dinobots Strike Back
Frito-Lay posters
The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
In Cybertron's past, Snarl was part of Grimlock's Lightning Strike Coalition, and he fought the Predacons with the rest of the team while Ironhide and Wheeljack made off with Starscream's energon. Fragmentation When Prowl and his squad of Autobots were overwhelmed in a fight with the titanic Trypticon, the Dynobots (after a bit of heated debate) responded to their distress call. While Grimlock left to deal with the Chaos Trinity, Snarl and the rest fought Trypticon until he fled. During the battle, Snarl angered Trypticon by making fun of his "dumb-looking" dinosaur-esque robot mode. (In the present day, he wound up with a dinosaur altmode. Oh, bitter irony!) Revelation Snarl and the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition formed a truce with Shockwave and tracked down their missing comrades. Conflagration
Transformers Legends anthology
Snarl battled three Decepticons on Dinobot Island with Paddles. After two of the Decepticons retreated, the Dinobots cornered the last, Raze, who managed to damage Paddles before Snarl could finish him. Snarl flew off without bothering to check if Paddles was still functional, leaving the sand to swallow his comrade. Paddles
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity
Snarl and his comrades got the name "Dinobots" after they were randomly sent into Earth's distant past by a malfunctioning Teletran 3 and given dinosaur beast modes. They were brought back to the present by a group of G.I. Joe and Cobra members, and proceeded to rip Shockwave and his army to pieces. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4
A few months later, Snarl helped defeat Serpent O.R.'s newly acquired army as well. He agreed with Storm Shadow's statement of "KIII-YAHHH!" as the two beat up Ransack and Venom. The Art of War #5
The Beast Within
Four million years ago, Snarl combined with his fellow Dinobots to form The Beast, a savage abomination of a gestalt that knew no mercy. The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences
In the present day, Snarl participated in a savage battle against the Decepticons. He did not fare too well in the early stages of the battle, being on the receiving end of a volley of Decepticon laser blasts. Then, Grimlock called upon him and the other Dinobots to combine once more into their gestalt form. The merge complete, the Dinobots then rampaged once more as The Beast. The Beast Within
IDW Generation 1 continuity
In the days of Nominus Prime, the Dynobots were known as the Primal Vanguard's Covert Strike Force, a team of demolitions and heavy weapons experts with a perfect track record. This came to end end during a mission to the caverns of the Toraxxis Plains, where the team was attacked by powerful monsters that forced them to fight back by using a revolutionary method of instantaneous altmode adaption to scan the monsters themselves. They escaped, but their grief over their loss of their medic, Skar, combined with the cold-blooded treatment by their superiors caused them to desert from the Vanguard. Underworld
Snarl and the Dynobots dropped off the radar, spending their time fighting in underground pit fights, up until the day the newly crowned Optimus Prime broadcast a rally call for Cybertronians to join him against the Decepticon dictatorship. Broadcast The Dynobots responded by joining the Autobot side, arriving at the battle for Iacon in time to tale out a lot of tanks. Endgame However, by this time their hastily scanned monster altmodes was causing the Dynobots to become increasingly aggressive. Fearing that they might actually become monsters and endanger the people of Cybertron, the team left the Autobots and turned to a life of crime, gathering money for the purpose of leaving the planet. Derelicts
During an heist on the Toraxxis mega-refinery, Snarl was responsible for wheeling in the tanker they used to siphon the refinery's energon. Wreckage The operation was interrupted by Scorponok's Decepticons, who were looking to capture the refinery for their own purposes, forcing Grimlock to trigger the alarm and summon the Autobots. Faces of Darkness Following the destruction of the refinery at the hands of Scorponok, the Dynobots had had enough and convinced Grimlock to turn themselves in to the Autobots in hopes that Optimus Prime could help them. Prey En route to Autobot headquarters they were pulled aside to respond to a riot at Starsreach Spaceport, where they were caught in another Decepticon attack. Massacre
During the attack Grimlock lost control and went on a violent rampage in monster mode, causing the Dynobots to lose their newfound hope in finding salvation. They regrettably went back to their original plan and left Cybertron on one of the spaceport's shuttles. Unleashed However, on learning that Trypticon had awakened, they turned back to help the Autobots fight the ancient beast and its minions—the very same creatures they'd met underground long ago. Annihilation Snarl was ready to give up after Trypticon devoured Grimlock, but unexpectedly this only allowed the Dynobot leader to bring the giant monster down from the inside. In the aftermath, the Dynobots rejoined the Autobots for good in hopes that Autobot science could cure them of their cursed altmodes. Belly of the Beast
Millions of years later, Snarl and the other Dynobots followed Grimlock to revenge themselves against Shockwave, who blew up a cache of energon they had stolen. When Shockwave traveled to Earth, the Dynobots pursued him and reformatted themselves to transform into robotic dinosaurs with a synthetic skin as a defense against energon overload. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go into stasis lock due to excessive energon radiation. Due to a deadman's switch, the Dynobots' ship blasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava. Spotlight: Shockwave
Thousands of years later, the Dynobots were eventually excavated by Skywatch, Escalation #5 and though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by a Machination spy (under orders from Scorponok). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok and escaped, vowing to find and rescue Snarl and the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, plans to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock. Spotlight: Grimlock
Skywatch activated Snarl, and in a test run, had him destroy a tank. When Grimlock showed up in Fallon, he and the other Dynobots were sent to intercept him. Maximum Dinobots #1 The Dynobots were set loose on Grimlock, nearly tearing apart the town. Scorponok had the neural clamps on Snarl and the others loosened a bit to take advantage of their natural animosity towards Grimlock. As predicted, Snarl and the others weren’t happy to see their former commander, feeling Grimlock had betrayed their trust by activating the "dead man's switch" that entombed them along with Shockwave. But Grimlock pointed out that what he did was in keeping with the break-the-rules, win-at-any-cost Dynobot credo, which seemed to calm the others down briefly. Maximum Dinobots #2
However, Swoop simply couldn’t overlook what Grimlock had done and took off on his own. Snarl, Sludge, and Slag also walked away together. Scorponok chose this moment to have his Headmaster army engage Grimlock, curious to see if the wayward Dynobots would aid their now-estranged leader. And they did return, unwilling to watch Grimlock die alone. Despite their valiant efforts, it seemed as if the Sunstreaker clones would overwhelm them, but the Monsterbots arrived on the scene to give the Dynobots some reinforcement. Summoned earlier by Grimlock, the Monsterbots' addition to the battle soon turned the tide and the remaining Machination troops retreated. Maximum Dinobots #3
The Monsterbots agreed to ferry the Dynobots to Machination HQ in their ship. As Grimlock discussed terms of payment with Repugnus, Snarl and the others discussed what they considered a miserable situation. Snarl speculated that they were out in the cold now, in terms of faction. He admitted that although he enjoyed trashing Decepticons, he only did it so he could one day return to the trouble-free life he had on Cybertron. When Grimlock returned to tell the others the terms of their alliance with the Monsterbots, Sludge and Snarl both wondered aloud why they couldn't simply let Scorponok alone. Grimlock told them that it was personal now and it was the "Dynobot way" to settle up with Scorponok. Snarl disagreed; He pointed out that the "Dynobot way" was more often than not, "Grimlock’s way" and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be dragged down with Grimlock because of it. But Grimlock, being Grimlock, told them he was going in, with or without them. After their commander leapt out of the ship into battle once more, Snarl and the others decided "what the hell", and followed him despite their misgivings. They set about demolishing Sunstreaker clones again, with Snarl taking some damage to his leg. Grimlock told them he'd handle Scorponok, but Snarl insisted that they’d do it together, as Dynobot comrades-in-arms. Soon, the clones ground to a halt, and a damaged Hot Rod appeared to explain that Hunter O'Nion was likely responsible. As Sludge began to celebrate, he was blasted and apparently killed by Scorponok, who had decided to join the battle personally. Seconds later, Shockwave arrived on the scene, ALSO wanting a piece of the Dynobots and challenging Scorponok for the right to kill them. Maximum Dinobots #4
As Scorponok and Shockwave got into it, Snarl approached Grimlock, who was brooding over Sludge's downed body. Snarl urged Grimlock to snap out it and use the time to escape, while reminding him that the Dynobots never were ones to get all "band of brothers". But feeling that his obstinate attitude got Sludge killed, Grimlock told Snarl to retreat with the others while he remained behind to make amends. Snarl returned to Slag and Swoop and reported that Grimlock wasn’t going to be leaving with them.
The three retreated to an evacuation point while Hot Rod decided to stay behind to breach Machination HQ again. The Monsterbots were waiting for Snarl and the others at the evacuation point and Repugnus was perfectly willing to take the remaining Dynobots on as members of his team. This offer did not particularly entice Snarl, Slag, and Swoop and they decided to return to help Grimlock. When they returned, they found that Scorponok had retreated, Sludge had come back online, and Grimlock was in pitched battle with Shockwave. Snarl and the others immediately set upon the one-eyed Decepticon, but Grimlock ordered them away to find Scorponok. They found Scorponok about to kill Hot Rod inside a chamber that housed the Decepticon Headmaster's original head. Using his stegosaur plates as handheld daggers, Snarl attacked Scorponok and Hot Rod directed Swoop to strike at the Decepticon’s original head. Swoop severed the connections keeping the original head alive and Scorponok was disabled. At Hunter's urging, Snarl was about to execute the helpless Decepticon when Ultra Magnus arrived on the scene. Magnus decreed that Scorponok and the now-defeated Shockwave would be taken into custody and made to pay for their crimes. He also suggested they clear the area of any Cybertronian evidence and depart as soon as possible. Snarl and the others agreed to this. When all was said and done, the warrants that Ultra Magnus had out on Snarl, Slag, Sludge, and Swoop were canceled when Grimlock took the blame for the initial going-AWOL incident and surrendered himself. Snarl was seen helping to repair the Skyfire and preparing to leave Earth with the remaining Dynobots. Maximum Dinobots #5
After traveling space for a few years, Snarl and the newly dubbed "Dinobots" returned to a reborn Cybertron and joined Ironhide for a mission to find the Aerialbots who had gone missing in the wilderness. After a run-in with a ferocious turbofox, which the Dinobots dealt with in their usual fashion, they discovered signs of Transformer weaponry which made Ironhide suspicious that Megatron was still around after the Decepticon leader had disappeared during the Autobot's last battle which ended the war. The night they set up camp, the Dinobots were suddenly compelled by an outside force to start fighting amongst themselves. Dinobot Hunt They eventually teamed up to pursue Ironhide, who was saved thanks to the timely arrival of the combined form of the Aerialbots, "The Superion". Night and the City
As it later turned out, the Dinobots' rage had been brought about by Megatron, who had been using them as test subjects for a mysterious type of energy capable of forcing Transformers to combine, though the Dinobots' egos proved too strong to allow for a combination. Superion's appearance caused them to recover, and they returned to Iacon with Ironhide and Superion just as the city was being conquered by Decepticons. Before the Dawn Snarl joined the fight and battled cassettes alongside Ironhide, Plan for Everything who then sent him and the Dinobots to help Arcee. While the Autobots did win in the end, they found themselves exiled into the wilderness when Starscream took command and banished all non-neutrals from the city. Heavy Is the Head Out in the wilderness, the Dinobots defended the Autobot convoy from the approaching Constructicons, at least until the Decepticon team revealed their desire to join forces with them. Second Exodus
Hearts of Steel
Snarl was one of the many Autobots who fought against the Decepticons on prehistoric Earth. Hearts of Steel #1
Transformers: All Spark
Revenge (All Spark) Ray of Hope Conclusion
Games
The Transformers (PS2)
Transformers Legends
At a time when their group was the Lightning Strike Coalition, Slug and Snarl were on a mission to find their leader Grimlock, who had disappeared. While searching the Sea of Rust, they were ambushed by Hardshell and the Insecticons. Slug and Snarl were overwhelmed and taken prisoners to Shockwave's lab, where they are reunited with the rest of their squadron. Shockwave experimented on the Lightning Strike Coalition, transforming them into the monstrous Dinobots. This backfired on the Decepticon scientist, however, when the Dinobots used their new found power to rise up against Shockwave and thrash his lab. Rescue the King
Following the disappearance of Grimlock and Swoop, Snarl and the other remaining Dinobots refused to obey Autobot orders and set out for the Decepticon base, attacking Optimus when he tried to stop them. Having dealt with Optimus, the Dinobots continued towards the Decepticon base until the Autobots managed to overwhelm and imprison them. Day of the Dinobots - Part 1 The trio were released during a night raid by Grimlock and Swoop. The five Dinobots marched on the Decepticon base, but were defeated by Shockwave, Ramjet and Ratbat. Day of the Dinobots - Part 2
The Dinobots supported Grimlock when their leader decided to take control of the Autobot army, and took part in an attack on the Decepticons, capturing Megatron and Shockwave. Me, Grimlock, King
When Optimus fell in battle during a massive Decepticon attack on Autobot City and Grimlock took command, Snarl and the other Dinobots joined him in crushing the Decepticon forces. S.O.S. Dinobots
Ultra Magnus and Snarl were on a fact-finding mission to the planet of the Torkuli when Galvatron arrived there for treatment. They subsequently had to flee as Galvatron's treatment failed and he destroyed the planet. Web World
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Snarl participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Transformers: Battle Tactics
Transformers: Frontiers
Toys
Generation 1
- Snarl (Dinobot, 1985/1986/1991/1992)
- Japanese ID number: 29
- Accessories: "Energo Sword", "Electron Cannon", "Rocket Pod", 3 missiles
- Snarl transforms from a robotic Stegosaurus bristling with gold vacuum-metalized armor plates, to a heavily armed robot armed with a red energo-blade, a smaller laser rifle and a rocket launcher with three black missiles.
- Snarl was later reissued in the European/Australian-exclusive "Classics" series (not to be confused with the 2006 Classics line). In Japan, he and the other Dinobots were offered as mail-away items during Operation Combination, at a cost of 2300 yen (his original retail price) and two robot points.
- Snarl (Action Master, 1990)
- Accessories: "Tyrannitron" partner, "Intensity Beam"
- Action Master Snarl is a non-transforming action figure that combines the animation model with toy-details and a few other new flourishes. Part of the third assortment of basic carded Action Masters, he came with his transforming partner Tyrannitron. He is compatible with any other Action Master weapon or vehicle.
Generation 2
- Snarl (Dinobot, 1993)
- Accessories: "Vigor Sword", "Electron Gun"
- The original Snarl toy went through several iterations in the Generation 2 line. First, he was re-released in the original silver base color without his missile launcher or missiles; the only notable difference in the toy proper is the inclusion of the "AUTOBOT" tampograph on the inside of one of his robot mode legs.
- The toy then had its silver changed to green, and then changed again to red. The final red coloration is the most common, while the green and silver variations go for a little more on the secondary market.
Transformers (2014)
- Dinobots Generation One 4-pack (Deluxe, 2014)
- Accessories:
- Available only as part of the Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive "Dinobots Generation One 4-pack" that was first made available at San Diego Comic-Con 2014. Snarl is packaged with Grimlock, Strafe and Slug, and their box unfolds into a diorama of the crashed Ark in Mount St. Hilary.
Platinum Edition
- Dinobots Set (Platinum Edition 5-pack, 2015)
- Accessories: Axe-head, thagomizer
Merchandise
Decoy
- Cybertron Hero Collection 9 (multi-pack, 1986)
- Snarl (1987)
- Decoy number: 2
- The figurine was later brought over to Hasbro markets as part of the Decoy promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots and Technobots.
Notes
- Snarl had the preliminary name of Stegobot.
- The original Snarl toy was part of Takara's Diaclone Dinosaur Robo series. When Hasbro imported the toy for the Transformers line, the Diaclone driver mini-figure was dropped and the robot mode's black torso was turned to a more team-matching red.
- In "Heavy Metal War", Snarl demonstrated the ability to shoot lasers out of his nostrils.
- A 1986 Panini stickerbook sold in Belgium and the Netherlands gave Snarl the alternate French language name "Smarl". Whether this name was used in any other media made for French-speaking regions is unknown.
- Action Master Snarl is the only carded returning-character Autobot Action Master to have an animal/robot partner rather than a giant accessory in the US line. Whether or not his partner Tyrannitron was originally intended to go with Kick-Off—who got a giant accessory rather than an animal/robot partner like all the other new-character Action Masters—is unknown.
- The overall design and transformation sequence of the original Snarl toy served as the basis for Armor Geist, one of four recurring villainous henchmen on the Takara/Sunrise co-production Brave Exkaiser. In what might be called a vision of things to come, the four "Geisters" were once briefly fused into a single robot called "Mad Geister" (マッドガイスター Maddogaisutā). However, because each Geister controlled a portion of the combined body—and, aside from Ptera Geist, they had the accumulated brain power of a Froot Loop—this ended rather badly. In a more successful (if not also prescient) later development, the Geisters learned to merge in groups of two, with Armor Geist forming the lower body of "Hormor" (ホーマー Hōmā).
- According to his toy bio, the Beast Machines era Dinobot Striker is rumored to be one of the original Generation 1 Dinobots. If this is true, his stegosaur mode and energy absorbing spinal plates strongly point towards his being Snarl.
- Shortly after its original release in Europe, the G1 toy of Snarl was discovered to be painted using a lead based paint. A huge recall was undertaken by Hasbro to make sure Snarl didn't poison anyone. So had Prime just tricked the Decepticons into licking him then the war probably would have ended much quicker.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Snarl (スナール Sunāru)
- French: Grondeur (Canada)
- Hungarian: Acsargó
- Italian: Stego
- Mandarin: Phá-hsiāo (Taiwan, 咆哮, "Snarl"), Háojiào (China, 嚎叫, "Howl")
- Portuguese: Rugidor (Brazil comic), Grunhido (Brazil comic)
External links
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Articles in need of images
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Character stubs missing video games
- Character stubs missing toys
- Upcoming toy releases
- Action Masters
- Classics Autobots
- Combiners
- Decoys
- Dinobots
- Generation 1 Autobots
- Generation 2 Autobots
- The Headmasters Autobots
- Mail order items
- Regeneration One Autobots
- Wings Universe Autobots
