Killer Fish

Killer Fish is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family.

The Killer Fish are attacking!!!

Killer Fish (キラーフィッシュ Kirāfisshu), or just Killer (キラー Kirā) for short, is one of the Decepticon-allied Beastformers attempting a brutal takeover of the planet Beast. His particular role in the Decepticon Beastformer forces is staff officer. He's a professional, brutal killer who uses a built-in sonar to track down his targets, and his Killer Anchor MVP Weapon not only lets him sink ships but enhances his swimming speed to the point where he can swim 9800 kilometers in a few hours without stopping. His rank is Emperor of Lennonia, the country on planet Beast in whose Wow River he was born, under Alligatron. He was once the greatest crime lord of Beast, his name synonymous with terror, but quit his life of crime after becoming Emperor and donning the responsibility of governing a nation. Biographies of his dark past have since become best sellers. He has a personal vendetta against Big Serow, who gave him an injury that still hurts.

Sometimes there are lots of him.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Bill Mumy once took me out to see a movie. Didn't have to pay to get me in.

The Killer Fish were a species of Beastformer, part of Alligatron's cadre of Beasts that allied with the Decepticons. When a rebel force led by Big Serow tried to take the Decepticon stronghold, the Killer Fish were among those fighting back, helping force the rebels into retreat with their firepower.

The Killer Fish guarded the Decepticon stronghold in the nearby waters, and those Killer Fish leapt out to cut off Daniel and Wheelie's escape from the other evil Beastformers. Rebellion on Planet Beast

The Headmasters comic

Hordes of Killer Fish, backed by the Predacons and Sharkticons, enforced the will of Alligatron. But with the interference of the Autobots, the Killer Fish were driven back. The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!

Laser Beasts comic

Following the end of the Beastformers' civil war, Killer Fish stood in defense of Bistoram when the Laser Beasts invaded the surface. Beastformers VS Laser Beasts

Legends comic

Killer Fish fought alongside Alligatron and Galvatron in the Decepticons' first invasion of Beast in 2011. LG51 Doublecross Prologue

Killer Fish took part in the final battle between the Beastformers and the Laser Beasts on Beast in 2023. He blocked a shot from Brainmouse with his Killer Anchor. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1

In 2038, the then-peaceful Beast was invaded by Galvatron II's Decepticons. Crystal Killer Fish was part of the joint Beastformer-Laser Beast alliance that fought against the invaders. When the Three Wise Ones made their presence known during the battle, Crystal Killer Fish kneeled in deference. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3

Dreamwave Generation 1 comics

Killer Fish was part of the front-line assault against Megatron's Air Warriors when the Decepticons arrived on Planet Beest to retrieve the Predacons. Welcome to the Jungle

Toys

Transformers: Beastformers

The one that got away... with murder!

• Killer Fish (Beastformer, 1987)
  • Beast ID number: 5
  • Accessories: Anchor weapon

Part of the first series of Takara's Beastformers toys, Killer Fish is an anthropomorphic fish with pink-maroon robotic armor. The rubsign on his chest reveals one of three symbols; Fire, Water or Wood.

The Hasbro Battle Beasts release of the figure can vary in the tone of the pink paint used on its armor, with some samples being a more desaturated and matte olive; it's uncertain if the Takara version has similar (minor) paint variation.

He was re-released in the subsequent second and third series; while the toy proper was not changed, the packaging and packed-in bio card was. The Series 1 release comes in a generic purple-grid "Destron Beastformer" box, with a purple-grid bio card with a painted character image on the front, though there was a random chance of his card being replaced by the rare "Holography Mirror" card. Series 2 came in a green-grid generic "Destron Beastformer" box, with the bio card putting the painted image on a jungle backdrop. Series 3's box was unchanged, but the bio card replaced the painted image with a simpler line-art image, first used in Hasbro's Battle Beasts cast poster. In the green-box releases, depending on the "Pack" he came in, there was a chance of his bio card being replaced with a rare "Secret Photo", "Bewitching Serpent Seal", or "VS Holography Mirror" card.

• Killer Fish (Gahsapon Beastformer, 1987)
  • Beast ID number: 5
  • Accessories: Weapon

Many of the first-series Beastformers were also sold in gashapon capsule machines, Killer Fish included. This version is identical to the regularly-released boxed version, including the randomized rubsign, except the gashapons appear to have randomized weapons (or just crummy quality control).

There is also a rare all-white/cream version of Killer Fish; these rare versions can vary in how white they actually are, and it's uncertain if that's how they started or if some have simply yellowed with age. These white versions tend to be very expensive on the secondary market.

Beastformers

• Killer Fish (Beastformer, 1988)
  • Beast ID number: 5
  • Accessories: "Killer Anchor" MVP Weapon

Re-released in the Transformers-less Beastformers sequel series, Killer Fish was given a straight re-release with new packaging and a new, more filled-out bio card with corrected coloring. This new card also gave his weapon, now branded an "MVP Weapon", the name "Killer Anchor" (キラーアンカー Kirā Ankā).

The initial early releases of this series had the chance for any Beastformer to have the rare Burstsun symbol; we'll probably never know if Killer Fish was ever actually one of them. Later in the run, the "mood ring" styled rubsigns were replaced with new rubsigns that revealed full-color Fire/Wood/Water images on black backdrops. (These rubsign variants also happened at the same time in the Hasbro Battle Beast version of the line.)

• Crystal Killer Fish (Beastformer, 1988)
  • Accessories: "Killer Anchor" MVP Weapon

Two different versions of a clear-plastic "Crystal Killer Fish" (クリスタルキラーフィッシュ Kurisutaru Kirā Fisshu) were made available as a prize in "punch-box" giveaways in various stores. Basically, kids would punch through a paper front on a multi-compartment box, each containing a random Beastformers toy. Three clear Killer Fish were available per box. (Unfortunately, we don't know how many compartments there were on the box.)

However, each box also had one compartment with a special Crystal Killer Fish with mottled-brownish stripes painted on. Naturally, this version of the toy commands quite a fair amount on the secondary market.

Even the other Beastformers agree, he is curiously attractive for a fishman...

• Perfect 6-tai Set (Box set, 1988)
  • Accessories: "Killer Anchor" MVP Weapon

The plain Crystal Killer Fish was also available in a much more reliable way, as part of the "Perfect 6-tai Set" (パーフェクト6体セット) multi-pack. (The English text on the packaging renders it as "Beastformer 6 Animals Set".)

One of the six slots in this box set will always have Crystal Killer Fish, randomly taking the place of one of the six "normal" figures in the pack: Baboon, Cobrander, Demonkey, Eagle Killer, Little Serow, or Shield Dragon. Given that this set was the only way to obtain Demonkey and Little Serow in the entirety of Beastformers's run, having Crystal Killer Fish replace one of those two would be... frustrating.

Crystal Killer Fish came with an exclusive bio card, with new bio information and slightly altered rules for his attacks in the line's dice game.

• Killer Fish (Gashapon/candy-toy Beastformer, 1988)
  • Meiji ID number: 13
  • Accessories: "Platinum Sword" MVP Weapon

A small, super-deformed, articulation-free version of Killer Fish was produced by Meiji, and sold both as a gashapon capsule prize and as a candy toy with "chocoballs". The candy toy version came with a bio/data card with its own role-playing rules, using the old Transformers-era painted character art.

This stumpy lil fellow could be found in red, blue or green plastic, representing the Fire, Water and Wood elements (even though he still had a rubsign). All of the Meji Beastformers comes with a different Beastformer's weapon attached to their left shoulder by a snippable sprue, common for inexpensive toys of that nature. Killer Fish came with Platinum Tiger's "Platinum Sword", while Killer Fish's "Killer Anchor" came with Giader.

Notes

• The Hasbro release of "Killer Carp" was similarly (eventually) available with both styles of rubsign.
• In the Battle Beasts toy commercial (animated by Toei), Killer Carp is voiced by Michael Bell and said words to the effect of, "WWWWWATER! Water puts OUT fire!".

Foreign names

• English: Killer Carp