Convoy (rank)

"Convoy" redirects here. For the Prime episode, see Convoy (episode).

Convoy (コンボイ Konboi) is an Autobot and Maximal rank of leadership throughout many Japanese series. It is similar in many ways to the American rank of "Prime". The rank was named in honor of Convoy (the Japanese name for Optimus Prime).

In the Generation 1 continuity, an Autobot did not have to achieve a Convoy rank to be the Supreme Commander. The structured ranking of Convoys was not established until the era of the Beast Wars.

Unlike those in the American fiction with a rank of "Prime", a Convoy isn't the Supreme Commander of the Maximals as a whole (that job belongs to the Maximal Elders or the Convoy Council, depending on what time period you're talking about). Virtually any high ranking Maximal General is a Convoy, and they are instead the Supreme Commander of a crew of Maximals. They typically possess their own Matrix, most often an Energon Matrix.

Whether it's a requirement of the rank or just bizarre coincidence, many Convoys share quite a few common design elements, generally based on the original Optimus Prime/Convoy.

Known Convoys

Generation 1 & 2

• Convoy/Star Convoy/Battle Convoy
• Rodimus Convoy
• Pepsi Convoy

Robot Masters

• Reverse Convoy

Beast Wars

• Convoy/Convobat/Burning Convoy/Metals Convoy/Powered Convoy/Beast Convoy
• Convoy/Lio Convoy/Flash Lio Convoy
• Big Convoy
• Great Convoy
• Joe Convoy

Beast Wars Neo comics

• Crow Convoy
• Break
• Cohrada
• Longrack and his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-...well, a LOT of his ancestors.
• Stampy

Car Robots

• Fire Convoy/God Fire Convoy
• Black Convoy

Micron Legend/Super Link

• Convoy/Jet Convoy/Magna Convoy/Magna Jet Convoy/Grand Convoy/Wing Convoy/Omega Convoy
• Rodimus Convoy

Galaxy Force

• Galaxy Convoy/Liger Convoy/Sonic Convoy
• Nitro Convoy
• Flame Convoy
• Live Convoy
• Megalo Convoy

See also

• Autobot Commander
• Supreme Commander
• Prime (rank)

Note

The name "Convoy" derives from "Battle Convoy", the Japanese name of Optimus Prime in Diaclone toyline, because the name "Optimus Prime" is difficult for Japanese kids to remember and pronounce. Starting with the 2007 Transformers film, TakaraTomy abandoned that idea and began calling all new incarnations of Optimus Prime by his English name in Japan as well, including new versions of Generation 1 Optimus Prime. The exception is products aimed at older Japanese fans, such as Masterpiece and Alternity, which still call him Convoy.