Star Saber (G1)
| The name or term "Star Saber" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Star Saber (disambiguation). |
This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.
- Star Saber is an Autobot Brainmaster from the Victory portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Famed throughout the length and breadth of the cosmos as the greatest swordsman in the universe, the heroic Star Saber (スターセイバー Sutā Seibā) has ascended from humble beginnings to the lofty position of Supreme Commander of the Autobots and head of the interplanetary Galactic Defense Force. Protector of the weak, defender of the defenceless and lover of life in all its forms, Star Saber's heart burns with an unending passion for justice and peace unequalled by any other, which drives him to quash evil wherever he finds it, with a cry of "Let's say go!"[1] This idealism is perhaps best evidenced in his adoption of the orphaned human child, Jan Minakaze, as his own son, for whom he cares deeply.
Star Saber is a member of the powerful subgroup known as the Brainmasters, who possess incredible courage, strength, skill and intelligence. Star Saber exemplifies courage in particular: his smallest robot form is the Brain of Courage (勇気のブレイン Yūki no Brain), which connects to a larger body to become the robot known as Saber (セイバー Seibā). In either robot or jet mode, Saber connects to the mobile battle platform named the V-Star with a cry of "Battle Up!" to become Star Saber. Furthermore, in either mode, Star Saber is capable of linking up with his team-mate Victory Leo to become Victory Saber (ビクトリーセイバー Bikutorī Seibā). In this form, Star Saber's speed and power are greatly enhanced, but at times, Victory Leo's savage personality can override his calm and collected nature.
Fiction
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Victory cartoon
- Voice actor: Hideyuki Tanaka (Japan), John Culkin (English, Omni Productions dub)
As a child, Star Saber was a paragon of good behaviour. He was never greedy, so he never had to sneak food, and he never once wet the bed and got scolded for it. He was, however, still a fun-loving kid, who would zoom around on a skateboard while wearing his bedsheet as a cape.[2]
Around 500,000 years ago, when Star Saber was a commander in the Autobot army, the powerful Decepticon warrior Deathsaurus threatened the galaxy with his colossal Planet-Destroying Fortress. Star Saber led a garrison of Autobots in an assault against the fortress, and battled Deathsaurus personally while his troops planted gravity boosters on the fortress's surface. The boosters de-energized the fortress and trapped it in a gravity cell at the heart of the Dark Nebula, forever earning Star Saber the enmity of Deathsaurus. Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress
Several years before 2025, Star Saber was appointed Supreme Commander of the Autobots, and consulted his friend, God Ginrai, on whether or not he should take the job. Ginrai Dies!! Star Saber accepted the role, and by extension, became head of the Galactic Peace Alliance's Galactic Defense Force, dedicated to protecting planets all throughout the galaxy from the renewed threat of the Decepticons under the command of Deathsaurus, who had succeeded in his quest to become Emperor of Destruction. The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber In one of these attacks, a human spacecraft was destroyed by the Dinoforce, killing all on board, save for a baby that had been placed in an escape pod. Star Saber recovered the child, Jan Minakaze, and adopted him as his own son. Attack! Leozack
In 2025, Deathsaurus's attacks on Earth's sector of space intensified, leading Star Saber to make preparations to leave the Autobots' base on Planet V and personally take command of the defense force unit stationed in Earth's sector. After saving the small frontier community of Iron Town from a pair of Decepticon desperadoes, Star Saber returned to base to a report of an attack by the Dinoforce on the Lunar Base on Earth's moon and immediately headed to the scene. As he drew close to the moon, Deathsaurus appeared to bar his way, and the two old foes battled while Blacker, Braver and Laster clashed with the Dinoforce. Star Saber broke the fight off when Jan alerted him to the worsening battle on the moon's surface, and he proceeded to dispatch the Dinoforce with ease before Deathsaurus caught up to him and their battle continued. Battling his way through Deathsaurus's Breast Animals, Star Saber emerged victorious, and the Decepticons fled. The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber The Autobots proceeded to transport the human staff of the damaged Lunar Base back to Earth aboard their Shuttle Base, but when they came under attack from the Dinoforce again, Star Saber split himself into Saber and the V-Star to defeat their combined robot form of Dinoking. Sneak Attack! Dinoking
Operating out of the Shuttle Base, Star Saber's Autobots took Earth as a second home of sorts, and staged all their operations from there. Star Saber enrolled Jan at school, flying him there personally for his first day and giving the headmistress quite a shock. Unfortunately for everyone, Star Saber's presence at the school attracted the attention of the Decepticon Breastforcer Leozack, who put the student body in mortal danger when he attacked. Star Saber separated from the V-Star and had Jan use it to carry the students to safety while he tackled Leozack and the Dinoforce. When the students were safe, Saber recombined with the V-Star, and defeated Leozack and Dinoking with the aid of Road Caesar. Attack! Leozack
Star Saber later battled Dinoking again at an energy plant, this time with the aid of Landcross, Unite!! Multiforce then went up against Leozack once more at the Ocean Exhibition amusement park, Move Out! Rescue Team before battling both opponents yet again at a uranium mine. Infiltration... The Uranium Mine Later, when Blacker and the Multiforce investigated a Decepticon energy base in the Amazon jungle, Star Saber became concerned when he was unable to contact them, and sped to their aid, helping them to dispatch the villains. Explosion!! The Energy Base
When the Breastforce began draining electrical energy from a major American subway system, Star Saber proved too large to venture into the tunnels to investigate, and had to divide into Saber and the V-Star to proceed. Investigating the power distribution centre, Saber was confronted by Deathsaurus, and in the cramped quarters of the building, proved to be no match for the villain's nimble Breast Animals. Directing the V-Star to crash into Deathsaurus, Saber forced the Decepticon to block the craft, thereby leaving his unprotected chest open for attack and allowing Saber to impale him with his sword. Thus wounded, Deathsaurus fled, leaving Saber victorious once more. Big City - Underground Terror
When Leozack called in his newest Breastforce recruit Hellbat, Star Saber went up against the pair several times, joining the other Autobots in battling through Hellbat's hypnotic waves, The New Warrior - Hellbat and splitting into Saber and the V-Star to take on the two at once when they stole energy from a Nevada spaceport. Attack the Shuttle Base!! Star Saber later joined with the Brainmasters in saving Marine City from the threat of a neutron bomb, giving Blacker the V-Star so he could search for the bomb while he battled Leozack as Saber. Tanker Hijack Operation Later, while Star Saber was busy leading the Autobots in an attack against Leozack and most of the Breastforce, Hellbat kidnapped Jan and Holi. Jan proved resourceful enough to escape his cell and contact Star Saber, who came to his rescue, defeating Dinoking by collapsing a mountain on him. Rescue Jan!! Not long after, Star Saber and the Multiforce thwarted a Decepticon hydroelectric power-gathering scheme. Mach and Tackle
The strange disappearance of several spaceships while passing through the asteroid belt led Star Saber to investigate, disguising himself as an ordinary spacecraft with a large exoskeleton. Venturing into the asteroid belt, Star Saber discovered that the vanishing ships were the work of the Decepticons when the villains caught him in a tractor beam. Luckily, he avoided detection long enough to summon the other Autobots to his location, and bested the Breastforce single-handed in the ensuing battle. A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid
When the occupied God Ginrai was unable to respond to an attack by Hellbat and two mercenaries in his employ on the planet Micro, Star Saber was forced to travel to the planet to investigate. With the aid of Greatshot, Star Saber defeated the villains, but had pushed his strength to its limit to wrench an overloading power plant from its moorings with his bare hands and fly it into space to prevent the devastation its explosion would have caused. Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior Soon after, the Breastforce attacked the Planet Micro Satellite Penitentiary in an attempt to free their comrade Guyhawk, and despite fighting hard, Star Saber was unable to prevent the Decepticons' escape. Rescue! Guyhawk With all six of their members now together, the Breastforce were able to combine into the terrifying Liokaiser, who was actually able to hand Star Saber his first real defeat. Indeed, Star Saber would have died at Liokaiser's hands had God Ginrai not arrived in time to rescue him. Unite! Liokaiser
Star Saber stared death in the face once again on the return trip to Earth when he was attacked by Deathsaurus and confronted by the emperor's deadly Living-Metal-Destroying Cannon. Although Deathsaurus actually pulled the trigger on what would have been a fatal blast, it was simple luck for Star Saber that Deathsaurus had already used up too much of his personal energy supply, leaving the cannon unable to fire. Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress Once back on Earth, Star Saber steeled himself for another confrontation with Liokaiser, and found himself having to soothe the fears of Jan, who was having nightmares of his father's demise. When Liokaiser struck again at the Schaeffer Energy production plant, Star Saber held his own in the fight, but a definitive outcome was not to be had, since Deathsaurus ordered a retreat when the plant's energy was successfully stolen. Battle Up of Wrath!! Another battle between Star Saber and Liokaiser soon followed, this time at the South Pole, where Star Saber was again defeated by the combiner, and would have met his end had Deathsaurus not interrupted and attempted to claim the honor for himself. This momentary distraction allowed Star Saber to turn the tables and defeat Deathsaurus while an insulted Liokaiser did nothing but watch his leader lose. Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle
When a battle with Deathsaurus in the desert left Star Saber and Blacker wounded, Crisis! Ambush in the Desert the Decepticons capitalized upon the Autobots' lack of manpower by stepping up their attacks, until Star Saber was left with no option but to enter battle despite his injuries. Confronted by Deathsaurus and Liokaiser in a subterranean cave in Asia, Star Saber was once again saved from the brink of death by God Ginrai, who took the shot meant for his friend. A Deadly Battle Fatally wounded with no hope of repair, Ginrai insisted that Star Saber allow him to be deactivated and rebuilt using a power-up design the commander had created. Star Saber was revolted at the notion of using his friend's body in such a way, but Ginrai would not relent, Ginrai Dies!! and was reconstructed by Perceptor, Wheeljack and Minerva as Victory Leo. Fight!! Victory Leo Star Saber then had the scientists implant a combination circuit in his head, which would allow him to merge with Victory Leo. Awaken! Victory Leo The duo successfully accomplished this combination for the first time when Deathsaurus was bombarding the Earth with missiles from space; together, they became Victory Saber, outraced Deathsaurus's missiles, destroyed his launcher and defeated him in battle. The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification
Star Saber was in space seeing Perceptor off when the Dinoforce attacked Jan's school, leaving the boy to defend his friends as best he could in his mech, the Illumina II, before Star Saber was able to come to his aid. After defeating Dinoking, however, Star Saber was surprised to have the battered Dinoforce troops clutch at his legs and throw themselves in his path in an attempt to save their leader, Goryu. Touched by this genuine display of camaraderie, Star Saber sheathed his sword and told Goryu to be sure to heal properly for their next battle. Jan - Defend the Campus!!
While Star Saber was attending a Galactic Peace Alliance conference, Leozack attempted to exploit the Autobots' trust of their leader by donning an exoskeleton in his likeness and posing as him in order to obtain information on his combination with Victory Leo. As it happened, only Victory Leo smelled a rat, and in time, the real Star Saber returned to combine with his partner and expose the phoney to the other Autobots. A Mystery?! The Deception of the Base Bombs Later, Jan used the Illumina II to help save Star Saber from the Decepticons' latest threat, the metal-eating Doriya insects. The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!
A month later, after no further Decepticon attacks, Star Saber and the Autobots were suddenly forced to go into action when the Decepticons raised Atlantis off the coast of Portugal. Disasters caused by the tidal waves the raising of the continent had created kept the Autobots occupied with relief efforts, allowing the Decepticons to steal enough of Atlantis's energy to finally re-power Deathsaurus's fortress. The Terror of the Giant Tidal Waves Greatshot and the Brainmasters headed out to serve as the first line of defence against the fortress, while Star Saber and Victory Leo found themselves delayed by the Dinoforce, who had—unbeknownst even to themselves—been abandoned on Earth by Deathsaurus. As Victory Saber and Dinoking battled, the fortress began bombarding the Earth with meteor bombs, one of which struck Dinoking and ended the battle. Victory Saber proceeded to head into space to confront the fortress, but was blasted by its weapons and crashed on its surface, unconscious. The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!
Victory Saber did not regain consciousness until the fortress was nearly upon the Earth, and immediately renewed his attack on the massive weapon, leading Deathsaurus to dispatch Liokaiser to keep Victory Saber busy. Just as the two combatants engaged each other, Jan arrived on the scene in the Illumina II, having been giving information on the fortress's weak spot by Goryu, who had realized that Deathsaurus had abandoned him and his troops. Star Saber separated from Victory Leo, leaving his partner to deal with Liokaiser while he covered his son's entrance into the fortress. Within the fortress, Star Saber faced off against Deathsaurus for their final brutal battle, eventually besting his eternal foe just as Jan succeeded in destroying the fortress's weapon power core. Deathsaurus refused to accept defeat, and sealed Star Saber in the fortress, setting it on collision course with Earth, but with help from Victory Leo, Star Saber escaped. The pair then merged into Victory Saber and, burning with flaming energy, tore the fortress apart from within, causing it to explode in a cosmic firestorm before it collided with Earth. Although the pair initially seemed as through they were destroyed in the conflagration, both Star Saber and Victory Leo emerged from its ashes, just as victorious as their name. Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification
Super-God Masterforce cartoon
When Shūta asked Grand if he could meet the new Supreme Commander, Grand obliged by showing him clips of Star Saber. Shūta and Grand's Masterforce Super-Secrets!
Legends comic (1)
In 2021, the Concurrence made plans to eliminate the Autobots in general and Star Saber in particular. Mutant Targetmaster Birth Chapter By manipulating the Galactic Peace Alliance, they had Star Saber arrested on false charges and imprisoned in the Planet Micro Satellite Penitentiary until he was broken out by Sixshot and Daniel Witwicky, who brought him to the Legends World. There he hid out at Chromedome's place and helped him draw manga until Ultra Magnus showed up to arrest them, at which point Star Saber fled while Sixshot kept him busy. Bonus Edition Vol. 50 Star Saber repaid Sixshot by gifting him a new transtector, suggesting he use it to join the Autobots under the identity "Greatshot" to continue the illusion that he was dead. Once the Concurrence lost their influence over the Galactic Peace Alliance, Star Saber was cleared of all charges and returned home where he joined forces with Greatshot to destroy the Concurrence. Bonus Edition Greatshot
United EX
Star Saber saved Kakuryu's life, influencing the Decepticon to later join the Autobots. The Dragon Pays His Dues
Kiss Players
At the instruction of the Sparkbots, Shaoshao Li travelled forward in time from 2007 to witness Star Saber's final attack against Deathsaurus's fortress in 2025. She kissed the Autobot leader to obtain a fragment of what she believed was the AllSpark within him (but which was, in actuality, a splinter of Unicron's fractured lifeforce). Kiss Players radio drama #44
Zone cartoon
- Voice actor: Hideyuki Tanaka (Japanese)
Some time after the end of the Victory war, a new energy source known as Energon Z was developed on planet Micro. Knowing that the Decepticons—who had since fallen under the command of the supernatural being Violengiguar—would want the energy for their own nefarious purposes, Star Saber ordered the fortification of Micro into a defense base that could properly protect its precious new innovation. Employing a process developed by the Super Car Patrol Team, the Autobot space pioneers known as the Powered Masters rebuilt Micro as the planet "Zone". Zone story page #1
As the "Nine Great Demon Generals" that Violengiguar had assembled began attacking planets throughout the galaxy, Star Saber issued commands from his base on Planet V, directing the Micromasters of Zone to respond to the threats. Zone story page #2 When King Poseidon and Trypticon attacked the planet Wall, however, he and Victory Leo were forced to take action as Victory Saber, only to be ambushed b the two Decepticons, who tried to drag them beneath the watery surface of the planet. Luckily for them, a combined attack from Missile Bull, Erector, Overload and Skywave saw the villains off. Zone story page #3
When the generals attacked the planet Feminia, Star Saber and Victory Leo merged into Victory Saber and headed for the planet with Galaxy Shuttle and the Rescue Patrol Team to do what they could for the inhabitants. Victory Saber saved a native boy named Cain from falling into a pit of lava as the ground beneath his feet collapsed, and got him to the Galaxy Shuttle in time to evacuate, but he was unable to get to safety himself, and was caught in the planet's explosion and feared dead by his troops.
Two-and-a-half months later, Victory Saber's body was discovered floating in space, badly damaged but alive, by the Autobot Powered Masters Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber. They brought him to planet Zone for medical treatment, before heading on to Earth to defeat the Demon Generals that were in the process of attacking the planet. Impressed by Dai Atlas's skill in battle, Star Saber held a ceremony to appoint Dai Atlas the new Supreme Commander of the Autobots. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!
Robotmasters
Some time after Dai Atlas's eventual defeat of Violengiguar, Star Saber and Victory Leo set about tracking down the Decepticon criminal, Gigant Bomb. In the course of the pursuit, all three warriors travelled through the mysterious dimensional fissure known as the Blastizone and were cast through space and time, to arrive on Earth in 2004. Star Saber and Victory Leo aligned themselves with Optimus Prime and various other Autobots from throughout space and time to prevent the Decepticons from acquiring the power of Solitarium, and eventually returned to their home time when the task was done.
Pack-in manga
A Solitarium-empowered Gigant Bomb, now partnered with the Decepticon Smokesniper, had Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal, Bound Rogue, and Mirage on the ropes, until Star Saber and Victory Leo suddenly appeared on the battlefield and vowed to rip their bodies apart. The pair merged into Victory Saber and destroyed their Solitarium with a single strike, causing the two Decepticons to immediately flee the scene. Star Saber then properly introduced himself to Prime and Primal, declaring it an honor to meet them, and that together, they would surely defeat Megatron. The Victory Warriors Enter!!
Online manga
Investigating the decay of planets across the galaxy, Star Saber and Victory Leo came across the Blastizone, and a vortex of negative energy surrounding Earth on the other side of the Zone. After crossing the distortion into the year 2004, Star Saber surveyed Earth and came across the Decepticon Smokesniper. Star Saber battled Smokesniper one-on-one and defeated his opponent, only to be attacked from behind and disarmed by Gigant Bomb. Gigant Bomber and Smokesniper combined into Gigant Sniper and opened fire on Star Saber, Go! Star Saber but Victory Leo soon came to his aid, and the pair fused into Victory Saber for round two of the duel. The Decepticons were defeated and Victory Saber joined the Autobots native to the era. Bonds Stronger than Steel
When Lio Convoy arrived through the Blastizone, Megatron directed him to attack Star Saber and Victory Leo, who once again combined to fight back. The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters Luckily, Optimus Prime arrived to break up the fight and make the combatants realize they belonged to the same side, and together, Star Saber, Victory Leo, Prime, Primal, and Lio Convoy sent the Decepticons packing. Together, the 4 Great Supreme Commanders
When an injured robot named "Reverse Convoy" appeared on Earth, Star Saber and the Autobots brought him to their base for medical aid. Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior Their trusting natures proved to be their downfall, however, when this so-called Convoy turned out to be the original Megatron in a new guise. In a trap, he captured Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal, Victory Leo, and Mirage, and shot down Star Saber when he attempted to rescue them, but was bested by the sudden entrance of Lio Convoy. The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn
Victory Saber later joined Prime, Primal and Lio Convoy in battling both Megatrons, Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker. Unsurprisingly, they claimed victory once again and the power of solitarium allowed Star Saber and his contemporaries to return to their native time. And Then
Cartoon
- Voice actor: Masahito Yabe (Japanese)
While investigating a mysterious explosion, Star Saber came under attack from Starscream, who scored two missile hits on the future-born Autobot. Unable to hit Starscream with his own guns, Star Saber summoned Victory Leo, and the pair combined into Victory Saber to take the fight up close and personal. It took the arrival of Optimus Prime for the Decepticon Air Commander to be defeated, but at that point, Megatron, Gigant Bomb, and Smokesniper arrived. Victory Saber kept Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper busy while Prime defeated Megatron with aid from the newly arrived Optimus Primal. After Megatron was defeated, the three commanders agreed to continue the fight against the new Decepticons/Predacons and protect Earth's Solitarium. Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!
Later, when the Decepticons attacked a city, Star Saber was a bit late to the game, arriving merged with Victory Leo to attack Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper. The pair promptly disengaged, only to be shot by new arrival Reverse Convoy, who revealed that he was, in fact, the original Megatron in disguise. Prime and Primal were able to defeat the two Megatrons with the aid of newcomer Lio Convoy, after which Star Saber and Victory Leo linked up in jet mode to carry Prime to the next battle. The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters
Victory Saber Limited Black Version bio
The Autobots were tasked by the United Nations to go undercover in the Middle East to uncover an underworld market working in alliance with the Decepticons. Taking advantage of the Decepticons' ignorance of future Autobots, Optimus Prime sent Star Saber and Victory Leo, disguised with "optical camouflage" that could only last six hours. Their weapons were modulated as to not cause any unnecessary human causalities, and a cover story of the duo seceding from the Autobots was provided.[3]
3D diorama manga
After assembling the Arsenal Force, Beast Megatron used it to power-up Wingstun, Air Hunter, Psycho-Orb, and Wrecker Hook. Victory Saber got wind of this, however, and managed to destroy the Arsenal Force, thereby returning the other Decepticons to their usual loser selves. Robotmasters Vol. 3
Victory Saber was present at Autobot HQ when Reverse Convoy arrived with data stolen from the Decepticons. He helped protect his fellow Autobot from an attack by Starscream, who wanted the lost data back. Robotmasters Vol. 9
Bad move, as Reverse Convoy soon revealed himself to actually be Rebirth Megatron incognito. Rebirth Megatron captured Victory Saber, Optimus Prime, and Optimus Primal, sapping them of their energy. Victory Saber and the others were soon rescued by Lio Convoy and an alternate reality Optimus Prime. Together, they vanquished Rebirth Megatron, Beast Megatron, and all the other Decepticons with their Big Bang Cannon. Robotmasters Vol. 11
Legends comic (2)
In 2038, Star Saber and Victory Leo responded to an attack on Zone. Victory Saber fought alongside Optimus Prime, God Ginrai, Fortress & Grand Maximus, and many others in defense of the Zone Base being assaulted by Dark Nova's minions. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One Dark Nova's Vok Galaman proved a devastating opponent, however, tearing through the various Supreme Commanders allied against him. With the encouragement of Optimus Prime, Victory Saber used his heart of burning justice to empower the Matrix within him, getting back into the fight. The Supreme Commanders each called upon their Matrix power to re-energize the Reconfiguration Matrix inside of Convoy, allowing him to evolve into a healed Star Convoy once more. Together, Star Convoy and Dai Atlas dealt a significant blow to Dark Nova. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two
Generations Selects Special Comic
In the Precursor World, Star Convoy did battle with King Poseidon. Through the power of the Silver Matrix, he connected with the future Supreme Commanders he had met during the Solitarium Wars, Lio Convoy, Star Saber, and Beast Convoy. With their strength feeding his own, Star Convoy healed his wounds and was revitalized. Seacons comic 5
TV Magazine comic continuity
Victory comic
Star Saber and Deathsaurus's rivalry began when they were children 500,000 years ago, and argued all the time. Star of Friendship, Jan and Star Saber! That rivalry came to a true head in 2025, when Deathsaurus began attacking the Earth in pursuit of the energy required to keep his gigantic "Space Stronghold" powered up. The Grand Victory War In response to Deathsaurus's first attack, Star Saber led the Multiforce to Earth, and made short work of Deathsaurus by cleaving his shoulder with his Saber Blade. As the Decepticon emperor retreated, Star Saber made a vow to protect the beauty of Earth's nature for all mankind. So Cool! Our Ally, Star Saber!
Earth's nature proved to be the very next thing that Deathsaurus attacked, when he started a forest fire and defeated Landcross. Star Saber and Road Caesar came to their friend's aid, but were unprepared for the new strength Deathsaurus had drawn from the energy of the fire. Luckily, Deathsaurus was distracted when his own cyborg-human son, Solon, arrived with Jan in a deadly hold, and Star Saber exploited the opening to flatten Deathsaurus with a "Super Saber Meteor Spin". Great Reversal! Star Saber
After Jan alerted him to an attack on an Earth city by the Decepticon Leozack, Star Saber came speeding to the rescue, only to be knocked from the sky by the villain's electromagnetic nunchaku. Unfortunately for Leozack, he had forgotten to bring his Breast Animal into battle with him that day, allowing Star Saber to puncture his unprotected torso with his sword and send him fleeing. Leozack's Rampage! The rest of the Breastforce didn't do much better in a later battle against Star Saber, and neither did inept Dinoforcer Kakuryu, who was hurled over a cliff by a "Saber Vacuum Tornado Pacifier" from the Autobot commander. As he dangled on the cliff's edge, however, Kakuryu was shocked when Star Saber pulled him to safety, displaying once more the compassion and love of life that made him worthy of the role of Supreme Commander. Star Saber, Warrior of Love!
When Deathsaurus kidnapped Jan and took him to the Decepticons' Thunder Arrow out in space, an enraged Star Saber gave chase and came tearing through the ship's hull. Deathsaurus didn't take Jan's rejection well, but couldn't stand up to Star Saber's shattering "Planetary Impulse Sword Death-Strike" attack. Danger, Jan! Hurry, Star Saber! Although the reunion between Star Saber and Jan was a happy one, tempers soon flared between the two of them when they pursued the Decepticon to Energy Planet X, only to lose their trail and start blaming each other. When they were attacked by the lurking Liokaiser, Star Saber disengaged from the V-Star, and allowed Jan to take control of it, transforming it into battle station mode and opening fire on Liokaiser. Saber delivered the final blow that drove the villains into retreat, and the two heroes apologized to each other, realizing that if they couldn't work together, they'd wind up like the Decepticons. Star of Friendship, Jan and Star Saber!
Attacked by Deathsaurus, Dinoking and Liokaiser all at once, Star Saber was defeated and would have met his end if not for the sudden appearance of the new, feral Autobot, Victory Leo. Star Saber found he could combine with the newcomer, and together, they became Victory Saber and defeated the Decepticons with their "Flash Victory" attack. The Strongest Pair, the Combination of Victory! Deathsaurus tried to create a counter-force for this powerful new combination, creating a mech for Solon with which he could combine to become "Kingsaurus", but when Solon lost focus during a battle on the planet Guard, Victory Saber destroyed his mech with a "Victory Boomberang" attack. Victory Saber Is Strong! Later, with the power of the Autobot boy-team, the Victories, increasing their own energy, Victory Saber and Road Caesar combined their powers into the "Victory Caliber" attack, which grievously wounded Deathsaurus and Liokaiser in one shot. Shine, Five Stars of Victory
After this definitive battle, Deathsaurus withdrew his forces to the Space Stronghold and began bombarding Earth with meteorites. Star Saber engaged Deathsaurus in a battle in space while the rest of his troops entered the massive fortress, but the treacherous Leozack had been planning for this moment, and turned the power of the fortress's main cannon on Deathsaurus himself. Deathsaurus survived the blast and crippled the fortress with his own weapons, allowing Star Saber to come crashing through the control room window and unleash his Planetary Impulse Sword on Leozack. Leozack begged Star Saber not to destroy the fortress, at which point the injured Deathsaurus chose to reveal the true reason for his energy-gathering attacks on Earth to the Autobots: the fortress was, in fact, home to the Decepticon civilians, and they required the energy to keep the fortress functional for them to live in. Star Saber realized that it was time to set aside their warring ways and follow the example set by Jan and Solon. With a handshake between the two leaders, the Victory War came to an end, bringing peace to everyone—the truest victory of all! The Grand Victory War
Zone comic
Some time after the end of the Victory war, a new energy source known as Energon Z was developed on planet Micro. Knowing that the Decepticons—who had since fallen under the command of the supernatural being Violengiguar—would want the energy for their own nefarious purposes, Star Saber ordered the fortification of Micro into a defense base that could properly protect its precious new innovation. Employing a process developed by the Super Car Patrol Team, the Autobot space pioneers known as the Powered Masters rebuilt Micro as the planet "Zone". Zone story page #1
As the "Nine Great Demon Generals" that Violengiguar had assembled began attacking planets throughout the galaxy, Star Saber issued commands from his base on Planet V, directing the Micromasters of Zone to respond to the threats. Zone story page #2 When King Poseidon and Trypticon attacked the planet Wall, however, he and Victory Leo were forced to take action as Victory Saber, only to be ambushed b the two Decepticons, who tried to drag them beneath the watery surface of the planet. Luckily for them, a combined attack from Missile Bull, Erector, Overload and Skywave saw the villains off. Zone story page #3
When the Demon Generals destroyed the planet Feminia, Star Saber was caught in the planet's eruption and feared dead by his troops. A month later, however, he was found floating in space by Powered Masters Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber, who brought him back to Zone for medical attention. After Dai Atlas's successful defeat of the Demon Generals on Earth, Star Saber decided to pass the mantle of Supreme Commander on to the Powered Master. Zone
PDTF Comic comic
While facing Liokaiser, Star Saber combined with Victory Leo to form Victory Saber! Victory Saber attempted to give a speech, only to be constantly interrupted by an odd growling noise, and he finally had to tell Victory Leo's lion head to keep the noise down. He's Here! Victory Saber!! Star Saber prepared to finish Deathsaurus off once and for all, only for the Decepticon leader to bring out Liokaiser. Star Saber attempted unsuccessfully to distract Liokaiser with some tuna, before resorting to hiding and trying to contact Victory Leo. Don't Lose! Star Saber!!
Star Saber nominated Grimlock as his secondary defense while he battled Deathsaurus. The fight raged on for ages, but Star Saber finally triumphed, and Deathsaurus fell to the ground where he was nommed on by Grimlock. Me Strongest! Me Grimlock!
Transformers GT: Mission GT-R
In a world where the Transformers' war settled into a series of friendly competitive races known as the Transformers GT, Star Saber became the GT Transformer known as GT-R Saber. A hot-blooded combatant, his main tactic in one-on-one races was to transform into robot mode and use his Gas-Fill-Blade to slice apart his opponent's drivetrain. Like other racers, GT-R Saber put a limit on his own strength by separating his Matrix into a GT Sister, creating his partner Anna.
Story of Transformers GT
On the day before the Transformers GT began, GT-R Saber went out for a test run and found himself racing with the similarly practicing GT-R Prime. Towards the end of the race, Prime transformed into robot mode: assuming he was preparing to fight, Saber transformed as well, only for Prime to turn back into car mode and finish the race while his opponent was distracted. Test Run Battle! –Prelude– Saber was determined to get back at Prime in the actual race the next day, finding support in Anna who advised him to target Prime as his victories had likely made him careless. As soon as the race started, Saber blindsided Prime and sent him flying, allowing him to take first place. First Fast Attack! –Whoever Strikes First Wins– Lagging behind as the race went on, he found himself behind GT-R Megatron and sped towards him for an attack, only to be blasted by his opponent's EX. Cannon and spin out of control. One Shot and One Kill!! –Finishing Blow–
Comic
GT-R Saber was racing against GT-R Prime and GT-R Maximus, being goaded on by Anna on the sidelines, when the race was interrupted by the arrival of the ruthless GT-R Megatron. An offended Saber threw a punch at the intruder, who effortlessly dodged it and declared his intent to crush all racers inferior to him. In the end, GT-R Prime put a stop to the battle by persuading Megatron to race the three of them instead. Transformers GT: Mission GT-R
Story pages
Like other racers, GT-R Saber attended photo shoots alongside Anna in order to promote coexistence between humans and Transformers. The Work of the GT Sister Race Queens? When a reincarnated Unicron attacked the Transformers GT finals and absorbed the huge energon pool saved up for the final prize, Saber restored his true power by using the "Matrix In" process to recombine with Anna. Together with the other powered up racers, he fought and defeated Unicron, saving Earth. The True TFGT
2005 IDW continuity
- First appearance: More Than Meets The Eye #18
Star Saber was part of the Circle of Light Arm the Lonely and known as a religious fanatic, proposing an "atheist holocaust". Part of his religious efforts included trying to turn the Circle over to his ideology, only to be rejected by Dai Atlas. Documentaries were made about his holy wars, giving him the nickname of the "Dark Evangelist". Circle of Light member Drift was aware of the stories surrounding him, relaying them to Rodimus when they were together on the Lost Light. The Divided Self
Star Saber later fell in with Chief Justice Tyrest, betraying the Circle of Light by opening their Crystal City to an attack by Tyrest's Legislators. Arm the Lonely Once in Tyrest's inner circle, Star Saber helped him with his operations on Luna 1. When Minimus Ambus disappointed Tyrest in his performance as Ultra Magnus, the Chief Justice decided to appoint Star Saber as the new enforcer of the Tyrest Accord in Ultra Magnus's place. The Divided Self
When the Lost Light arrived on Luna 1, Star Saber joined the Legislator attack on the ship, seeking out the "criminal" and "apostate" Skids. After stabbing Skids through the torso and knocking out Swerve, House of Ambus he had both teleported to a Luna 1 jail cell containing Rodimus and some of the Lost Light crew. Star Saber was soon there to bring another prisoner from the variable voltage harness—Skids' partner in crime, Getaway. The Divided Self
Soon after, the captive members of the Circle of Light broke free and Star Saber personally attended to the riot. There, he crossed Great Swords with Dai Atlas before plunging a fist into his former leader's chest and coldly crushing his spark. Arm the Lonely
Star Saber proceeded to tear through the members of the Circle of Light, demanding worthy challengers. Cyclonus answered his call and engaged the enforcer, who quickly gained the upper hand. Star Saber was about to execute his opponent and questioned his reasons for fighting, to which Cyclonus answered to it being personal and turned the tables by stabbing one of Star Saber's eyes with his remaining horn. Cyclonus moved in for the killing blow as the blinded warrior held his damaged eye in pain, but Saber managed to teleport to safety before it could be delivered. This Calamitous Life
When Getaway's reign over the Lost Light began to falter, he hired Star Saber to serve as the ship's new chief of security in spite of their past relationship, luring him with the promise of a rematch against Cyclonus. Star Saber arrived just as the Protectobots, Riptide, Mirage, and Thunderclash were making their escape. He immediately shot Thunderclash, and then proceeded to hideously murder Mirage and cut down the non-believing Defensor, but was prevented from finishing off First Aid, Riptide, and the injured Thunderclash when Atomizer shot him with a nudge gun. Journey's End
Not long after, the Lost Light finally arrived at what appeared to be the mythical Cyberutopia, Journey's End but what was actually the planet Mederi, a planet-sized euthanasia clinic that operated by creating what its occupants wanted to see. You Are Here Having never formed a coherent vision of what "Cyberutopia" might be, the telepaths who operated the simulation were unable to process the crew's desire, revealing the planet in its default, barren state. They were then attacked by the forces of the Grand Architect; to save himself, Getaway struck a deal with the mysterious being, claiming that Rodimus and his loyalists were on their way to foil the Architect's plans. In exchange for a position of power among the Architect's retinue, Getaway was asked to prove his loyalty to the cause... and so allowed the Grand Architect's associate Scorponok to transform the rest of the crew into sparkeaters, Lūstrāre which were then unleashed on Rodimus's team when they arrived on Mederi. A Dance Before Dying Star Saber himself was spared. (Probably because his old boss Tyrest was also working for the Grand Architect.)
Star Saber finally had his chance to get revenge on Cyclonus when he and Rodimus stormed the Lost Light's bridge, but Cyclonus immediately transformed and flew off upon seeing him. Thinking Cyclonus was fleeing like a coward, Star Saber transformed and chased after him. However, Cyclonus was in fact luring Star Saber into a narrow corridor in which his vehicle mode would not be able to maneuver properly, where he promptly transformed and brandished his Great Sword. Unable to dodge or react in time, Star Saber flew straight into the ancient warrior's sword and was sliced right down the middle. Cyclonus gave a brief eulogy for the fallen fanatic, praying that Primus would forgive his sins. Lūstrāre
Kre-O online manga
Victory Saber was one of several Autobots reeling from the appearance of the mighty Devastator. A New Menace! The Giant Soldier Devastator Appears!
Later, Saber attempted to dry out some bedsheets that he had wet. Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!
Ask Vector Prime
When asked who was the greatest Cybertronian swordmaster he had met, Vector Prime noted Star Saber to be a master sword-user. Vector Prime also noted that though relatively rare in the multiverse, there were realities where Star Saber became a Prime, or more commonly, was upgraded into Saber Convoy. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/26
Beast Wars: Uprising
Preditron remembered Star Saber as a worthy Autobot who would inspire future generations of Transformers. The Predacon Manifesto
Power of the Primes marketing material
Star Saber was a potential bearer of the Matrix of Leadership. As a force for order, Star Saber vowed to use his supreme swordsmanship to become a champion of all of Cybertron's people, striving for a just peace. Instead, the Matrix went to Optimus Primal. Power of the Primes fan poll
Transformers '84
After Straxus had become the de facto Decepticon leader, Star Saber was facing off against Deathsaurus's Decepticons only to eventually be surrounded. After insulting his enemy's cowardice, Star Saber flew off in the V-Star where he received a call from Ultra Magnus, who requested him back to Autobase. Secrets & Lies #3
Inspired by the Wreckers' explosive victory over Project Dreadnought, Ultra Magnus decided to share command of the Autobots with Star Saber and Fortress Maximus, opting for a decentralized response to the now fragmented war, augmented by a few autonomous units like the Wreckers. Secrets & Lies #4
2019 IDW Continuity
Star Saber had at some point encountered the Wreckers and earned their trust. Later on, Thunderclash included him in a list of potential recruits for a new team of Wreckers. Treads and Circuits Part 4
Games
Transformers: Legends
Star Saber was a member of the Circle of Light on a quest to find a peaceful place to call home. He found the AWOL Decepticon Deadlock, whom he returned to the Circle's base. When Lockdown came looking for Deadlock, Star Saber and the other members of the Circle fought the bounty hunter, and as a result, Deadlock turned over a new leaf, changing his name to Drift and joining their group. Circle of Light
Transformers: Earth Wars
Famed as one of the greatest cyber-swordsmen in the known universe, Star Saber fought his way up through the ranks, from footsoldier to commander, driven by a flaming passion for justice and peace, and a commitment to the Autobot cause to rival that of Optimus Prime. Star Saber Bio
When the Autobots broke through the trithyllium doors of the Deception Planet-Destroying Fortress in the Arctic, Blaster detected a faint signal from a spaceship in the vicinity. Star Saber gave a warning not to enter the fortress because Deathsaurus was in there, and Optimus Prime took heed. Arctic Saga - What Lies Beneath
When Star Saber finally met the Autobots face to face, he explained to them who Deathsaurus was. Soon they detected that the fortress energy levels were rising. The Fortress wasn't not activating, but was about to self-destruct. Everyone was able to evacuate. Arctic Saga - Monster Within
Later, after he joined the Autobots through the Space Bridge, he assumed that the planet was "covered in a brittle exo-skin". Prowl corrected him that the "exo-skin" was actually ice which covers only parts of the Earth. He's a bit dull as Ultra Magnus, as he ranted on how he will not rest in finding Deathsaurus, much to Prowl's chagrin, and mentioned that he lectured at the Autobot Academy, much to Jazz's boredom.
He later told Prowl the reason he spent so much time in the Arctic was that he was looking for his Saber Blade, which is better than the spare he currently wields. So Prowl and Jazz go with Star Saber to find it.
In the Arctic, he was startled by a polar bear, and prepared to defend the others. Jazz told him that it is more scared of him than he is of it, and he replied that he was Justice Warrior of the Year three years in a row.
Soon he ran into Deathsaurus, and he immediately assumed he remained on Earth to conquer and oppress. Deathsaurus responded he was just looking for his lost weapons, but Star Saber would not let him pass. It seemed to Deathsaurus that he was trying to talk him to death.
Months later after his return from the Arctic, he came across Grimlock and the Space Bridge, newly modified as a doorway through time. He felt the presence of a Prime in the making. A Stitch in Time
- Class: Special
- Lowest Star Rating: 2 star
- Weapons: Star Saber uses his Saber Blade and shield to attack opposing Decepticons!
- Ability: Blazing Storm: Rush into battle spreading electrical fire over a large radius and deals damage to surrounding targets and disables them!
- Cost: 12 Ability Points +3 cost increase.
Star Saber at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki
Toys
Merchandise
Notes
- Star Saber's Brainmaster figure has for years been (and continues to be) incorrectly referred to by fans with the names "Yuki" and "Yukio", mistakenly derived from the Japanese word meaning "courage" (勇気 yūki). In truth, like all Brainmaster units, it does not have a proper name, but is known simply by the title used in this article, the "Brain of Courage".
- After an initial pass in the usual Takara house style by Takashi Kunihiro, Star Saber's final visual design was drafted by famous Mobile Suit Gundam mechanical designer Kunio Okawara, who was also the design lead on the Victory cartoon. This resulted in Star Saber's classical "super robot" aesthetic fairly unique in the Transformers franchise.[4]
- The Robotmasters episode "Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!" Romanizes Star Saber's name as "Star Saver"; both names are homonyms in Japanese.
- Star Saber as a brutal villain in the 2005 IDW continuity is drawn from James Roberts's days as part of the Transmasters UK fanfic group, which depicted the character as such. His exact characterization is different, as Roberts wanted to respect his former collaborators and not poach their ideas. Star Saber was used because he was an existing Generation 1 character yet to be established in this continuity who would have had weight if he showed up as Tyrest's new right hand.[5] Thematically, he fits with Tyrest and Pharma's theme of being one of the main pillars of society (in this case religion) going wrong.[6]
- IDW's depiction of Star Saber depicts him as a normal robot, never incorporating the original figure's Brainmaster gimmick. During his climactic death scene, artist Casey Coller took some artistic liberties by depicting the head of a smaller robot lying amidst Star Saber's remains—a detail not requested in James Roberts's script.[7]
- Like all non-toy robot Kreons in the Kre-O comics, Victory Saber is made from existing Kre-O parts. He uses the Optimus Prime helmet, and a backpack made from a 2x4 harness and a pair of 1x2 plates with side-bars, a pair of clip-on wings and a pair of clip-on rifles. Add to that a chestplate that's the Wheeljack wing-pack draped forward. He stands atop a pair of platform shoes, each made out of a 1x2 plate with a slope over one stud, and a 1x2 Combiner "lower limb" block. He carries a short-sword of the type most commonly carried by the Predaking components. Whoof! Saber himself has a simpler assembly, using a shield piece and an unmasked version of Optimus Prime's helmet.
Foreign names
Saber
- Mandarin: Star (China, 史达 Shǐdá)
Star Saber
- Mandarin: Wángzhězhījiàn Star (China, 王者之剑史达,"Excalibur Star"), Xīng Yǔ (Taiwan, 星宇, "Star Cosmos")
- Russian: Istrebitel (Истребитель, "(Aircraft) Fighter")
Victory Saber
- Mandarin: Shīwáng Star (China, 狮王史达, "Lion King Star")
- Russian: Pobeditel' (Победитель, "Victor")
References
- ↑ "Let's say go" is a Japanese language pun, as it is written with the English word, "Let's", and the Japanese word "seigō" (整合), meaning "coordinate" or "integrate" (as seen in print in "Shine, Five Stars of Victory"). As such, it's hard to preserve the pun in translation, so the official DVD releases of the series by Metrodome and Madman Entertainment didn't bother, rendering the phrase simply as "Let's say go".
- ↑ This description of Star Saber's childhood comes from the lyrics of Victory's closing theme tune, "Cybertron Banzai". While the very notion of Transformers having a childhood that they actually physically grow out of is rather bizarre, resulting in the temptation to not consider the song "canon", the Victory manga also depicts Star Saber as a child, in an actual, in-story flashback. So if it can happen in the comics, there's really no reason to think that it can't also have been the case in the cartoon.
- ↑ Robotmasters Victory Saber Limited Black Version bio
- ↑ Interview with Hisashi Yuki on Star Saber at Hasbro Pulse
- ↑ Women Write About Comics: "James Roberts on IDW’s Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye" 19:24 - 31:07
- ↑ Moonbase2's second interview with James Roberts – 02:05:34 to 02:05:57
- ↑ Casey Coller on Twitter
