Shrapnel (G1)

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

Shrapnel is a Decepticon Insecticon from the Generation 1 continuity family, family.

My kingdom for better electrical insulation... insulation.

The eccentric way in which Shrapnel parses his dialogue may seem endearing at first, first. Others are soon to discover that his seemingly benign tic is merely the gateway to a frighteningly twisted and perverse mind, even for a Decepticon, Decepticon. A master of electricity, his dark desires put this skill to use on his victims, victims. Nothing delights him more than to see how they squirm from his touch, touch.

He is sometimes known as Sharpshot or Skrapnel, Skrapnel.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Hal Rayle (English), Masashi Ebara (Japanese), Show Hayami (Japanese, "Traitor"), Yoku Shioya, (Japanese, "The Revenge of Bruticus"), Toshio Ishii (Japanese, The Movie), Galina Kristenskaya (Russian), Edgar Wald (American Spanish), Tonio von der Meden (German, The Movie TV dub and Generation 2)

Flash before my eyes, now it's time to die, die!

The mercenary Insecticons landed on earth in their own space pod before the Ark crashed to Earth. (It is unclear whether this pod was launched from the Nemesis or not, as the dialogue seems to suggest maybe it was, but the Insecticons and Megatron's Decepticons do not seem to know each other.) Their pod crashed into the region that would become known as "Demon Swamp" and their idento-computers adapted them to transform into insects and eat organic food to survive. Though they were largely communal, Shrapnel was a leader among then, usually alternating with Bombshell (Kickback was out of luck). The "Insecticons" apparently lived in the swamp for millions of years until discovered by Megatron's Decepticons. They form an uneasy alliance with Megatron, never coming fully under his command but working with the Decepticons when they could be convinced there was something (usually food) in it for them. A Plague of Insecticons

When the Autobots were attacking the Decepticons, the Insecticons were conveniently in the same area, and helped the Decepticon cause during the battle. Shrapnel fought Cliffjumper, but failed to hit him and instead damaged the buffer where Megatron was keeping the electro-cells. Still, they were given a reward of energon cubes... a grand total of two, being exact. Though Kickback was optimistic, Shrapnel and Bombshell were understandably disappointed considering Megatron had so many more. They were even more enraged when Mirage stole the cubes and framed the Decepticons for it. When Starscream showed up and got in a fight with Cliffjumper (who was spying on Mirage nearby), Shrapnel thought that the Decepticons had ambushed them and a huge fight broke out, with Shrapnel grazing and exposing the invisible Mirage. Shrapnel wanted to kill Mirage, but Bombshell decided it'd be better if they made the Autobot into their slave. When Megatron saw Bombshell controlling Mirage, he revealed to the Insecticons that no Decepticon stole the cubes; it was Mirage after all. During an Autobot attack, Megatron destroyed the electro-cells in frustration, and Shrapnel commanded the Insecticons to retreat. Traitor

Frustration will blow you up, up!

Even after the Insecticons devoured a huge forest, they discovered they were hungry again. Bombshell announced that it was snack time, and Shrapnel decided that they should eat the redwoods next. A park ranger, Mike spotted the Insecticons and reported it to fellow park ranger Jeff. When Jeff, Hound, Spike Witwicky, Bumblebee, and Beachcomber arrived, Shrapnel used his grenade launcher to scatter them, but they recovered and Bumblebee knocked Shrapnel down. The Insecticons got rid of their enemies by sending a huge tree down the river, sending them down the waterfall (or so they thought; their "demise" was actually one of Hound's holograms). After that, Megatron arrived and struck a deal with the Insecticons, taking them to the Nova Power Plant, a place rife with energy. Shrapnel commended Megatron's taste in appetizers and the Insecticons feasted, but the Nova Power Core within the plant caused them to grow rapidly. Shrapnel decided that the Insecticons would use their new size to seize control of the Decepticons from Megatron, hypnotizing Soundwave to do their bidding. Defeating the Autobot opposition, the Insecticons had become invincible and were now vital to Megatron's plan to control the world, but the Autobots discovered that the Nova Power Core, incompatible with the Insecticons' stomachs, would soon destroy them from within. Later Shrapnel infiltrated Iron Mountain using the humans' defense system against them, and helped himself to the data Soundwave took from the computer. However, Optimus Prime arrived with an antidote for the Nova Power Core, and using Megatron's gun mode blasted it at Kickback and Bombshell, curing and resizing them. Shrapnel, however, was not so lucky, as despite Spike's warnings (and jamming the cure into him), he was blown to pieces. Luckily, Bombshell was able to repair Shrapnel and the Insecticons made their escape. The Insecticon Syndrome Shrapnel was later seen among Megatron's forces parading through the streets on "Decepitcon Day". Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

The Insecticons later created a new army of clones which nearly devastated the planet Earth. Luckily, they were destroyed by the Morphobots and the Insecticons barely escaped uneaten, uneaten. Quest for Survival

Great, now there's bug guts all over his windshield, windshield.

During the Combaticons' attempt at destroying Earth by sending it into the sun, the Insecticons were seen in large numbers, numbers, again and Shrapnel was responsible for taking apart the Space Bridge controls. He would later be tracked, tracked, by the combined Autobots and Decepticons after which he relinquished the controls. The Revenge of Bruticus

Shrapnel, along with his Insecticon colleagues, attacked Autobot City on Earth, where he was badly damaged and dumped into space from Astrotrain. His floating body would be reformatted by Unicron into one of Galvatron's minions. But that didn't stop him from showing up later on Junkion and threatening Daniel. The Transformers: The Movie

Shrapnel’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “Transformers: The Animated Movie.”

He also somehow appeared on Chaar after the Decepticons' defeat to nibble on some energon cubes Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1. Shrapnel was seen assisting the Quintesson-planned attack on the Autobots on Goo Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 and he later tried to stop Sky Lynx from returning Metroplex's transformation cog. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5 Much later, Soundwave briefly spoke using Shrapnel's voice and speech pattern for no reason. Fight or Flee

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga

Shrapnel, along with the other Insecticons, took part in an attack on Kyushu that attracted the attention of the Autobots. The Four-Wheel Drive Corps responded, but the attack turned out to be an ambush as the Insecticons trapped the Autobots in a volcanic crater. Luckily, the Four-Wheel Drive Corps was able to "combine" and perform the fearsome "Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. The blast of energy was so powerful that it sent the Insecticons fleeing in terror. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3

Mars Attacks: The Transformers

The three Insecticons were among Decepticon forces who formed an alliance with the Autobots during a Martian invasion. They saved Ironhide and Jazz from some of the Martians' giant ants. Mars Attacks: The Transformers

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

Why don't I get a caption, caption?

Shrapnel was one of the top lieutenants of Lord Straxus at Darkmount on Cybertron, acting as his Executive Officer and supervising both the technicians that translated Soundwave's message from Earth & assisting on the Space Bridge project. He was also was responsible for capturing Autobot spy Scrounge before he could report back on the whereabouts of Spanner. Despite his rank, Straxus used Shrapnel's face as a stress ball when things went wrong The Smelting Pool! and was willing to send him on a suicidal janitorial mission once simply out of petty spite, but Shrapnel managed to talk his way out of it. The Bridge to Nowhere!

ANTENNAE!

In addition to his high rank, he was one of the most feared and dangerous killers on Cybertron, a key target for the Autobot resistance. The rebel plan Operation: Volcano was kicked off when Shrapnel tortured the information of a (fake) rebel meeting out of an informant, but was ruined by Megatron calling the Insecticons to Earth. Target: 2006 Shrapnel arrived on Earth to play a key role in the Hoover Dam battle, and afterwards served on Earth under Megatron permanently. Aerialbots over America!

Then he served under Shockwave, Ratbat, possibly Scorponok, Bludgeon, Megatron again... all while doing absolutely nothing of note besides being uncommonly easy to spot in crowd shots. He may have been killed by the Underbase-powered Starscream, or alternatively he could've just been really lazy and not gotten involved with things—he's one of Cybertron's deadliest killers, what does he have to prove?

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

This page is basically colorless, colorless

Shrapnel and his Insecticon buddies served under Megatron in the Decepticon Civil War, but their spying mission against Shockwave was foiled by Starscream. Shrapnel got in a good electrified shot at Starscream's bum first, but then he caught them in a rustbug hoop. The treacherous Seeker then drafted them into helping him set up a clash between the two leaders. Bugged!

Find Your Fate Junior

As the following stories are multipath adventures, details will vary depending on the path taken. See individual pages for information on alternate paths.

Attack of the Insecticons

Shrapnel was stationed at the Insecticons' nest, an underground cavern located near to another cavern the Autobots used to test the Sun-Pak, an energy device that could power a Cybertronian for twenty-four hours after being charged for only an hour in sunlight.

If the Autobots flee their testing site after having been discovered by the Decepticons and confused their escape route for a tunnel that led them deeper underground instead of towards the surface, they would come upon Shrapnel and his Electro-Disrupter, which all-but paralyzed the Autobots. After taking the time to mock his captives, Shrapnel briefly left the Autobots unattended in order to contact Megatron. If the Autobots attempt to use the Sun-Pak as a bargaining chip for their release, Shrapnel informs them that once his fellow Insecticon Bombshell arrives on their coordinates, the Insecticons will use Cerebro-Shells to mentally enslave all of the Autobots, rendering any attempt at negotiations moot. Before the Insecticons are able to follow through with their plan, however, the human Buster is able to sneak up on the pair and turn the Insecticons' Electro-Disrupter on them, allowing the Autobots to escape.

If the Autobots flee their testing site and choose the correct path to the surface, Shrapnel encounters the convoy nonetheless and is able to sneak up on Ironhide and snatch away the Sun-Pak while the Autobot struggles with the tunnel's cramped confines. Once the Sun-Pak's absence is discovered, if the Autobots decide to send Mirage and Buster as advanced scouts to go after the Insecticons immediately, the pair find Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback hiding out in a rotting forest. The Sun-Pak having given him delusions of grandeur, Shrapnel gloats that he will use its power to take control of the Decepticons from Megatron, unaware that Ravage is nearby, reporting the Insecticon's boasts to his master.

If Mirage and Buster act quickly and decide to take on the Insecticon trio in light of this situation, Mirage successfully confuses all three Insecticons with his holographic powers, while Buster snatches the Sun-Pak, leaving the Insecticons empty handed for all the scheming.

If Mirage and Buster call for reinforcements before confronting the Decepticons, Megatron arrives on-scene and berates Shrapnel for keeping the Sun-Pak from him. Shrapnel attempts weasel his way out of being punished by denying the Sun-Pak's existence, only for Megatron to blast him for his duplicity. When Megatron hears the approaching Autobot convoy, he orders Shrapnel along with the rest of his troops to hide in order to ambush their enemies. This leads to nothing more for the Decepticons but being sprayed by Ironhide's acid-dispenser, forcing the lot of them to retreat. Attack of the Insecticons

Beast Wars cartoon

While temporarily out of his mind (well, more than usual, anyway), the Predacon Waspinator believed himself to actually be Shrapnel, and adopted his mannerisms and speech pattern, pattern. Dark Designs

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Oy with the speechifying, ing! When do we get to shoot someone, one??

Shrapnel was part of an assassination unit alongside Kickback, Bombshell, Soundwave and Ravage shortly after the rise of Optimus Prime. He and his partners were assigned to eliminate the new Prime, steal the Matrix, and bring it to Megatron so that he could turn Cybertron into a cosmic dreadnought and conquer the universe. The War Within #1 The War Within #2 Spoiler alert—it didn't work. The War Within #3 The War Within #6 During the Dark Ages after Megatron's disappearance, Shrapnel served with the main Decepticon faction under Shockwave's command. One time Slag sucker-punched him so hard, Shrapnel's colors went wrong. Conflagration Shrapnel was also present at Tyger Pax during the aborted peace treaty between the Autobots, Decepticons and Ultracons. Megatron's sudden arrival with the Aerospace Extermination Squadron put a quick stop to those peace talks. The Age of Wrath

Shrapnel was part of a unit sent to Earth by Shockwave to guide the planet's development and prepare it for invasion. He and his team changed their alternate modes to giant insects (from his original "jet with antennae" mode). They were beaten up by the Dynobots on arrival, then played dead until Grimlock got bored and wandered off. Extermination

Shrapnel and the Insecticons made a brief appearance in the second Transformers Trilogy novel, Annihilation, as troops under Starscream's command on Earth. This appearance is contradicted by later Dreamwave stories. Also, in the novel the Insecticons shrink down to insect-size as they did in Marvel Comics, whereas later Dreamwave issues showed them retaining their full size, like their cartoon versions.

Millions of years later, they were discovered by both the EDC and Autobots after kidnapping an entire town. Over the preceding few thousand vorns, Shrapnel had apparently lost control of the Insecticons unit, with Bombshell gathering more and more power for himself without Shrapnel even recognizing it. Kickback pointed this out, but the Autobot incursion prevented the conversation from going any farther. Shrapnel was last seen getting a building dropped on him by Sideswipe. Extermination

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity

In an alternate future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, swarms of Insecticons, including Shrapnel-type ones, was a constant menace. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3

In the regular timeline, as part of Serpent O.R.'s forces, Shrapnel defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/G.I. Joe strike force. The Art of War #3 The Art of War #5

The Beast Within

Shrapnel participated in a brutal battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. His corpse would be one of many that littered the battlefield as Autobot survivors tried to escape The Beast.The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Yeah, well you're the ones sitting on a pile of manure, manure.

Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback were created by Deluge, under supervision by Megatron. The Insecticons joined Megatron's forces on Earth, where they helped defeat and capture the local Autobots. The Decepticons then shipped their prisoners off to Cybertron via space bridge, intending to feed them to the failed Insecticon creations known as the swarm. All Hail Megatron #7

The Insecticons then participated in the attack on New York City, during which Shrapnel took part in destroying some human jets. All Hail Megatron #1 One of the humans caught in the devastation was Marissa Faireborn, who witnessed the Insecticons' battle with the jets. Detonation Boulevard After listening to Megatron's victory speech All Hail Megatron #4, the Insecticons traveled to China and helped wreck Beijing. There, Shrapnel and Kickback sided with Bombshell when he picked a fight with Skywarp and Thundercracker, but the three bugs decided to drop the subject and run away when faced with Skywarp's teleportation ability. All Hail Megatron #6 After returning to New York, the Insecticons were approached by Starscream, and Shrapnel demanded to know what the Seeker wanted with them, although Bombshell chastised him for being rude to a superior officer. Starscream apologized to the three for their treatment at Skywarp and Thundercracker's hands, then decided it was time to tell them about his vision of the future. All Hail Megatron #8

The Insecticons subsequently joined Starscream as he rebelled against Megatron, and Shrapnel blasted his former leader with lightning. Unfortunately, this did minimal damage to Megatron, who responded by shooting Shrapnel with his fusion cannon. All Hail Megatron #10 The revolt was cut short when human jets from Europe attacked and the Autobots returned from Cybertron unharmed, All Hail Megatron #11 leading to the Decepticons' defeat. All Hail Megatron #12 As they fled the planet aboard Astrotrain, Shrapnel showed Starscream that Megatron was still functioning, which did not please the Seeker in the least. Shrapnel volunteered to stealthily kill Megatron by siphoning his energon, but Starscream felt assassination wouldn't work in his favor. When he saw that Starscream was going to throw the Autobot Matrix of Leadership down a garbage chute, Shrapnel was shocked and convinced him to keep the artifact as a symbol of leadership. Uneasy Lies the Head

Unfortunately, Starscream turned out to be a less-than-competent leader, stranding his troops on a desolate asteroid where they had to resort to strict rations or even cannibalism to survive. Upon learning that Dreadwind had been stealing precious fuel for himself, Shrapnel, Kickback and Needlenose hunted him down and executed him for his crime. As they proceeded to loot their victim's corpse, Shrapnel was particularly interested in getting his hands on an afterburner. All His Engines Shockwave watched their behavior with curiosity from a nearby building. Shockpoint

Shrapnel was controlling the base's defenses with Acid Storm when the latter detected an incoming Autobot vessel. While Acid Storm was busy panicking, Shrapnel calmly fired missiles at the intruder... not realizing that the wreckage of the ship would come crashing down on top of them afterward. After getting to safety, he returned to scavenge the remains of the ship, and found a weapons locker. An empty weapons locker. Then Hot Rod shot him in the back with its contents. Heart Like a Wheel He survived and was present when a repaired Megatron took back control of the Decepticons. Spotlight: Megatron

Megatron would later use space bridge technology built into in his new body to summon Shrapnel and the rest of the Decepticons to him on Cybertron. At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by Galvatron into combining with his Sweep army and forming a huge monster. Kings Following Galvatron's defeat and the reformatting of Cybertron, Shrapnel and the other Decepticons had their fair share of trouble integrating into post-war society. Thankfully Megatron finally showed up, giving them an excuse to riot and cause chaos once more. City on Fire He and a group of other Decepticons immediately marched on the Autobot prison and freed Megatron so that he could lead them again. The Verge

Hearts of Steel

Where the scrap have my colors gone, gone?

The Decepticons, including Shrapnel, fought against the Autobots in Earth's distant past until an Ice Age forced them to shut down and wait it out. They awoke in the late 19th century when a failed human submarine crashed onto their submerged ship. Hearts of Steel #1 As the Decepticons' human ally required money to help them, Starscream ordered the Insecticons to provide some. Shrapnel disguised himself as one end of the "Insectrain", providing the combined mode with a pair of giant scissor blades to destroy other trains on the railway. The Insecticons robbed a train carrying cash and bullion from the Denver Mint, and despite not seeing the value in human currency, they stuffed Shrapnel's chest cavity full of money and gold. They delivered the stolen property to Starscream and Tobias Muldoon the following morning. Hearts of Steel #2 Shrapnel was later present when Starscream announced to his troops that the Autobots had awakened as well. Hearts of Steel #3

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback acted as bounty hunters for Megatron. The Insecticon trio brought their king four of the human invaders that had recently been pestering him, after picking them up in the middle of a firefight between G.I. Joe and the Decepticons. The fleshlings escaped, along with a couple of Autobot captives, when Mirage tricked Megatron with a holographic projection of Optimus Prime. Targetmasters

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

Shrapnel is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.

The Transformers (PS2)

Transformers Legends

Sharpshot and Kickback helped Megatron defeat Sentinel Prime. The War Within

Chafing under Megatron's rule, Sharpshot and his fellow Insecticons began raiding energy storage and high-energy research facilities worldwide. The energy gave them increased size and power, and it was only when the Autobots and Decepticons formed an alliance that they were able to be stopped. Harvest of the Insecticons When Ultra Magnus returned to Earth with new troops in the form of Wreck-Gar and Wheelie, the Insecticons managed to ambush them. Junkion Reunion

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Shrapnel participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Transformers: Battle Tactics

Toys

Generation 1

File:G1Shrapnel toy.jpg

I don't have two left hands, hands.

• Shrapnel (Insecticon, 1985)
  • Japanese ID number: 42

Shrapnel is a redeco of the Diaclone Waruder Insecter Robo "Kuwagatrer" toy. Shrapnel transforms into a robotic stag beetle and doesn't do a whole lot more than that. Like the other Insecticons, he has a variation on his chromed parts, but this one is on his gun. Some Shrapnels have "fins" on the very back-end of the rifle and a more detailed main barrel, while others (obviously) lack those details. The extra-detail versions appear to be a later run.

In Japan, Shrapnel and the other Insecticons were "re-released" as mail-order items from 1987 through 1988. They each cost 880 yen (their normal retail price) and two Robot Points.

This mold was used to make the Zaptrap drones.

• Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Shrapnel at Transformerland.com
• More information on Shrapnel at TFU.info

The Transformers Collection

• Insectrons (Multi-pack, 2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 16 (full set)

Shrapnel was released as part of the Japanese The Transformers Collection series in a set with Bombshell and Kickback. This set also included three energon cube accessories that fit inside their chest compartments.

The Shrapnel in this set has the lower-detail rifle, probably in order to keep it closer to the original-original release, particularly for the redeco.

Universe (2008)

• Insecticons (Toys"R"Us exclusive multi-pack, 2009)

Shrapnel was re-released as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in the Universe line, in a set with his Insecticon pals. Like with his 2007 Robot Heroes incarnation (see below), Shrapnel has been renamed for trademark reasons, this time to "Sharpshot". Likewise, Bombshell's name has been changed to "Hardshell", a name previously used for his Robot Hero.

This version uses the more detailed version of the gun.

• More information on Universe Sharpshot at TFU.info.

Generations

Shutterbug, bug.

• Skrapnel & Reflector (Legends Class, 2014)
  • Series / Number: 02 / #008

Part of the sixth wave of 2012-onwards Generations Legends Class toys, Thrilling 30 "Skrapnel" (so renamed for trademark reasons... again) is a new mold that is roughly the size of a Cyberverse Commander Class toy, and is thus roughly the same size as his original toy. He generally resembles his original G1 character model, once again transforming into a robotic interpretation of a stag beetle. He is partnered with Reflector, a smaller robot that mixes elements of Viewfinder's character model with his toy. Reflector can transform into a camera or a weapon modeled after Shrapnel's grenade launcher, both of which Skrapnel can wield via its 5mm post, or mount onto Skrapnel's back in insect mode.

Skrapnel was redecoed into BotCon 2015 Zaptrap and Adventure Shrapnel and retooled into Chop Shop.

• More information on Generations Skrapnel at TFU.info

Merchandise

Decoy

• Shrapnel (Decoy, 1987)

Shrapnel was one of the Decepticon Decoys packed in with smaller carded Transformers toys. While the normal purple version could be included with any Decepticon toy, the rarer red version was available only on Throttlebot cards and only for a short while before the switch to purple.

• More information on Decoy Shrapnel at tfu.info.

• Destron Hero Collection-22 Set (Decoy multi-pack, 1987)

The entire run of twenty-two Decepticon Decoys were sold as a single boxed set in Japan, only in purple.

Hard Hero

Stop! In the name of love, love.

• Shrapnel (2003)

The second installment of Hard Hero's "Insecticon Series", Shrapnel is a 9-inch cold-cast porcelain statue sculpted by Jason Ray. Only 1000 pieces of the statue were produced.

Robot Heroes

• Rodimus Vs. Insecticon (2007)

The world's cutest psycho, psycho.

As part of the Robot Heroes line of PVC figurines, "Insecticon" (so named because Hasbro was unable to acquire the trademark to "Shrapnel") is a two-inch tall soft-plastic figurine in an adorable "super-deformed" style. He has swivels at the shoulders and neck.

"Insecticon" was only available in a two-pack with fellow trademark-loss refugee, Rodimus.

• More information on Robot Heroes Insecticon at TFU.info.

Notes

• Shrapnel—like the other Insecticons—was originally a Diaclone "Waruder" evil-alien-piloted mech in different colors... which were eventually used when the trio were redecoed for e-HOBBY release. Specifically, Shrapnel was the Kuwagattler (or Kuwagatra) mecha. This is also the genesis of those opening chest compartments.
• In the cartoon, Shrapnel was often shown as something of a leader among the Insecticons, while Venom is the official leader in other portions of Generation 1.
• Shrapnel's Executive Officer rank would never come up again after The Bridge to Nowhere!, and he ended up as just some guy. Presumably, Budiansky (and later Furman) just forgot about it.
• Shrapnel's alt mode is devoid of wings yet he still manages to fly while transformed as an insect.
• In The Transformers: The Movie, this guy got shot by Blitzwing (thanks to Kup), knocked into a moat by Hot Rod, AND run over by Optimus Prime. THEN he proceeded to get THROWN INTO SPACE by his fellow Decepticons. He was killed by Unicron and his body was used to make a Sweep. Later, he somehow came back to life on Junkion only to get run over by Daniel. Poor guy sure had an off-day.
• Shrapnel, along with Starscream, had his gender switched from male to female in the French dub of The Transformers: The Movie. It is unknown why this change was effected, but it's most likely because of the character's high-pitched voice. The change did not happen in the cartoon, as it had used a different dubbing team from the movie. The change is especially ironic, given that only male stag beetles have the large pincers of Shrapnel's alt-mode.
  • His gender was also switched in the Russian dub, mainly because Shrapnel is a feminine noun in Russian.
• In the Japanese dub of The Transformers, Shrapnel retained his speech quirk of repeating words and phrases (as well as his gender). However, the dub was less consistent with the quirk and he only repeated himself from time to time. Also, Shrapnel's lightning blasting abilities were given a name, the "Thunder Attack", in true anime special move fashion.
• Shrapnel's package art for his Hasbro and Milton Bradley releases hilariously depicts him with two left hands. For Takara's Japanese release, this error was corrected.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Sharpnel (シャープネル Shāpuneru)
• French: Éclats D'Obus (Canada)
• Hebrew: Mitsrár (מצרר, "Cluster Bomb")
• Italian: Rantrox
• Mandarin: Dànpiàn (弹片, "Shrapnel")
• Portuguese: Estilhaço (Portugal comic), Metralha (Brazil comic), Estilhaço (Brazil comic), Granada (Brazil Beast Wars)
• Russian: Shrapnel (Шрапнель Shrapnel')
• Ukrainian: Shrapnel (ICTV, Шрапнель Shrapnel")