KÅjin ÅŒno
Kōjin Ōno (大野 光仁 Ōno Kōjin) is a TakaraTomy employee born on May 11, 1959 in Tokyo. He worked for Takara for several decades prior to the merger with Tomy. Kōjin was one of the main designers for the Microman and Diaclone toy lines, and designed many of the toys that were later licensed to Hasbro and repurposed as the first Transformers toys ever. His name is sometimes transliterated as "Koujin Ohno".
Among Kōjin's designs were the first "car to robot transforming toy", the toy that later became the Autobot Sunstreaker, and the largest Transformers toy ever, Fortress Maximus. Later Kōjin played a key role in the introduction of the Beast Wars toy line to the Japanese market and designed toys for both the 2007 live-action movie line and its successor, Revenge of the Fallen.
Toys that Kōjin Ōno is known to have had a hand in designing
Generation 1
- Sunstreaker
- Hound
- Bluestreak, Prowl
- Skids
- Ironhide
- Jazz
- Inferno
- Mirage
- Sideswipe
- Trailbreaker
- Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp
- Camshaft
- Overdrive
- Downshift
- Grimlock
- Slag
- Sludge
- Snarl
- Swoop
- Bonecrusher
- Scavenger
- Scrapper
- Hook
- Long Haul
- Mixmaster
- Devastator
- Blitzwing
- Astrotrain
- Octane
- Metroplex
- Galvatron
- Getsuei
- Kaen
- Seizan
- Shōki
- Suiken
- Yukikaze
- Raiden
- Fortress Maximus
