Drift (AOE)
| The name or term "Drift" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Drift (disambiguation). |
- Drift is an Decepticon-turned-Autobot from the from the Revenge of the Fallen and Age of Extinction portions of the live-action film continuity family.
A former Decepticon turned Autobot commando, Drift's strength lies not only in his mastery of ancient swords, but in his composure in battle. Despite the dark times upon the Autobots, Drift remains calm, dignified, and thoughtful, often taking time to practice his swordsmanship and spout haikus about whatever's going on. Drift highly respects Optimus Prime, referng to him as his sensei. Knowing there is hope whenever the Autobot leader is around, this extremely polite and loyal Triple Changer will follow Optimus to the bitter end. He doesn't think much of Bumblebee, though, due to his youth and lack of warrior discipline.
He is sometimes partnered with Slug.
Fiction
How to Ride your Dinobot cartoon
Drift and Slug had cornered Lockdown inside a barn, but alas, Drift had to learn how to attack with his Dinobot steed. Due to a lack of accurate instructions, Drift activated pretty much every button on Slug, activating everything but the weaponry. Some time later, Drift finally struck gold and activated the heavy weaponry... only to be immediately fried, much to his and Slug's disappointment. How to Fight
Titan Magazines Age of Extinction comics
Five years before the battle of Chicago[1], Drift led a three-Con team on Cybertron with his friend Knucklehead and so-not-a-friend Lockdown as his subordinates. His task was to capture an Autobot stronghold, which—to Knucklehead's glee—he planned to do by storming it, in attempt to minimise bloodshed. Lockdown sneered at him for being soft and advocated bombing the place flat, which Drift pointed out was why Megatron put them in charge: so they'd have something left to rule. The three sneaked up the wall, surprised the Autobot guards, and with martial arts skill they disabled every one without a shot being fired. However, Lockdown tried to execute prisoners and when Drift stopped him, Lockdown gleefully took the opportunity to label Drift a traitor and try to whack him. Knucklehead backed up his friend and the two of them sent Lockdown falling into the fort's molten moat, swearing revenge on them both; Drift knew that he could never take revenge as long as Megatron was in charge. He then let the prisoners retreat with their wounded and was told that he'd make a fine Autobot.
By the time of Chicago, Drift had indeed switched sides and he was annoyed to be cleaning up Ark debris on the moon instead of tracking down remaining Decepticons. Optimus was bemused that Drift was so eager to fight his former allies. While grousing that the Ark was their last memories of Cybertron laid waste, the samurai was horrified to find Knucklehead's corpse: recently killed by Lockdown without Megatron to stop him. Drift made a grave for his friend and Prime told him that they'd stand against Lockdown together. Adrift in Time and Space
Age of Extinction film
- Voice actor: Ken Watanabe (English), Kiyomitsu Mizūchi (Japanese), Jorge Badillo (Latin American Spanish)
Drift was among the Autobots who had gone into hiding on Earth after humanity turned against the Autobots. To his disgruntlement, Bumblebee took de facto command of the Autobots in the absence of Optimus Prime. Drift was overjoyed at the return of his sensei, declaring there was hope after all. Though Hound cursed the humans as a "bunch of backstabbing weasels", Drift took pity on the humans, sadly reciting a haiku regarding the humans' betrayal. The haiku didn't sit right with Hound, and the two nearly came to blows before their attention was turned to the arrival of Cade Yeager and his family. Later that night, Drift sadly reported that they were the last five Autobots, and informed Optimus of Bumblebee's stint as leader during his absence. He couldn't resist expressing his distaste of Bumblebee's leadership and immaturity aloud, claiming that the younger Autobot brought shame upon the group. The two bots quickly came to blows with Drift gaining the upper hand over the "smartass". Holding Bumblebee at sword-point, Drift claimed to see right through Bumblebee's "puppy dog eyes" act, mocking him when such an act was beneath him. The mood soon was dampened further when Cade Yeager revealed footage of an attack on Ratchet and Leadfoot's demises.
Drift took part in Cade's mission to infiltrate KSI, providing some valuable intel to the human prior to the operation. Drift joined in the subsequent assault on the facility when the news came of Ratchet's brutal demise and dismemberment. Drift used his helicopter mode to lift Bumblebee through the upper levels of the building to rescue Cade from Harold Attinger. The Autobots soon fled once again, and Drift was unable to intervene in the battle between Optimus and Galvatron when the drone's missile fire separated the Autobots from their leader. When Lockdown captured Optimus and Tessa Yeager, Drift infiltrated the bounty hunter's ship in Chicago with the rest of the group. Now behind enemy lines, Drift advocated stealth and a lack of violence, but immediately hacked an alien captive of Lockdown's to death when it startled him. Drift reported that Lockdown's dark matter drives were firing up, signaling they had about ten minutes before the ship departed Earth (nine minutes, worse case scenario). Drift went to free his sensei with Hound and Crosshairs, and remained aboard the commandeered ship of Lockdown's with him and Hound.
When the Autobots regrouped following the escape from Lockdown's ship, Optimus announced they would be leaving Earth and abandoning humanity to their fate. Drift voiced no opposition to his leader's orders, but intercepted a transmission from Joshua Joyce, informing the team that Joyce was moving KSI's drones to their facilities in China. After Cade warned Joyce of the danger Galvatron presented, Drift assured Cade that their vessel could quickly race them across the globe. It was a spaceship, after all. Optimus edited his orders: while the Autobots would stay to retrieve the Seed and stop Galvatron, they would leave Earth forever immediately afterwards.
Drift later remained with Optimus and Crosshairs when their ship was shot down by the rogue Galvatron's Decepticons over Hong Kong. Crashing in a nearby valley, Optimus revealed his trump card: the ancient Dinobots. While Optimus beat some authority into Grimlock, Drift followed Crosshairs' lead and evacuated to the sidelines to stay out of the crossfire. Though he was baffled by Grimlock's saurian alternate mode, having expected "a giant car", Drift was impressed to see his sensei take dominance over the Dinobots. Though Crosshairs grumbled about Optimus' dynamic leadership, Drift simply smiled and knew it was innate in their leader. Following Optimus' lead, Drift quickly mounted Slug and together they fought off many of Galvatron's army in Hong Kong. Drift later helped escort the Yeager family and Joyce away from the city, but Lockdown intervened and nearly captured them all. Optimus, Bumblebee and the Yeager's soon defeated Lockdown, and Drift was assigned by his sensei to watch over the Yeager family while he left Earth. Age of Extinction
How to Ride a Dinobot comic
When Optimus Prime insists the Autobots learn how to ride Dinobots, Drift and Crosshairs are cocky with how quickly they master it. After Optimus suggests a combat drill, they ride Slug and Scorn at each other with full force...only for the Dinobots to halt at the last moment and launch their riders into each other. How to Ride a Dinobot!
Toys
Age of Extinction
Robots in Disguise
- Autobot Drift (One Step Changers, 2014)
- Japanese ID number: LA06
- Part of the first wave of Age of Extinction: Robots in Disguise One Step Changers toys, "Autobot Drift" is a simplified toy that transforms into a blue 2013 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. He transforms by being folded inside-out/outside-in, very much like a switchblade. His sword blades are molded onto his arms, and his hands are compatible with 5mm posts.
- He's quite addictive to transform.
- The Japanese release of Drift features additional paint details in robot mode, including blue paint on his fake hood, lower arms and shoulder armour, silver on his crotch, and gold on his face and crest.
- Autobot Drift & Dinobot Slug (Dino Sparkers, 2014)
- Autobot Drift (Titan Heroes, 2014)
- Autobot Drift is a non-transforming, badly molded and painted Titan Heroes figure. It features very little articulation. And is creepy as hell.
And the AoE Blu-ray release...
- Drift (Flip & Change, 2014)
- Part of the second wave of Flip & Change assortment, this Drift toy is a simplified version of his (spoiler-less screen-accurate) 2013 Bugatti Veyron that can auto-transform by flipping the figure over itself. He shares a transformation scheme similar to his fellow Flip & Changers, Bumblebee and Lockdown.
- Autobot Drift (Power Battlers, 2014)
A Deluxe sized version of the character with a simpler transformation than the Deluxe.
- Autobot Drift (One Step Changers, 2014)
- Japanese ID Number:LA-SP
- Part of the third wave of Age of Extinction: Robots in Disguise One Step Changers toys, Helicopter Drift is a simplified toy that transforms into an (again, screen-inaccurate) attack helicopter in one step.
- The Japanese release of the toy is bundled with 1-Step Sliver Knight Optimus, Galvatron & Slug.
Generations
- Autobot Drift (Deluxe, 2014)
- Accessories: Two daggers, two swords
- Japanese ID number: AD23
- Part of the second wave of Age of Extinction: Generations Deluxe Class toys, this figure of Drift features a more complex transformation and a much more articulated and proportionate robot mode. He comes with two daggers and two swords, all of which he can wield via 5mm post. All four of his weapons can store on his roof/back in various ways in robot mode, while in vehicle mode his daggers store beneath the roof and his swords store on the underside of the car.
- A variant of Drift that apparently ships with wave 2.5 (which also includes Lockdown) adds black paint operations to the front vents. The two versions can be told apart inside the packaging by the manufacturing date codes stamped into their cardbacks.[2]
- Takara's Movie Advanced Series version gives some gold details and a darker chest for a slightly more accurate appearance.
- Autobots United 5 Pack (Platinum Edition, 2014)
- Accessories: Two daggers, two swords
- Drift from the Autobots United pack is a redeco (but still inaccurate,
oh come on Hasbro!) of the Deluxe class above. The swords and daggers are now grey.
- Unfortunatly, this toy doesn't even have screen accurate colours, leaving questions why none of Drift's toys have screen accurate colours.
- Autobot Drift (Voyager, 2014)
- Accessories: Two missile pods, two swords
- Japanese ID number: AD30
- Part of the second wave of Age of Extinction: Generations Voyager Class toys, this Drift is a retool of Voyager Skyhammer, transforming into a made-up (but screen-inaccurate) assault helicopter that resembles a cross between a Eurocopter Tiger and a Mil Mi-24. He features a new head and includes Skyhammer's original missile pods as well as two new swords that can combine with each other to form a larger sword. The pods can attach to 5mm peg-holes on his hands, one on each of his forearms, a pair under each of his wings, a port on the backs/insides of each of his shoulder cockpit halves, and a port underneath his cockpit. He features a very minor retool in which the "cones" on his engine intakes in vehicle mode have been enlarged.
- The original version of this mold was also used to make BotCon 2013 Sandstorm.
Merchandise
Revenge of the Fallen
RPMs - Robot Powered Machines
- Autobot Drift (2010)
- Series: Double Siders
- Number: ?
- Robot Powered Machines Mini-Vehicle Autobot Drift is a small, non-transforming, die-cast car based on his mainstream counterpart's vehicle mode. His robot mode is sculpted underneath the vehicle, and his wheels use through-axle construction that lets the toy zip around at high speeds on smooth surfaces. Thanks to his oversized tires, he can slide along rightside-up or upside-down.
- The intended RPM release of "Double Siders" Drift never came out. Though it was going to be recycled into Speed Stars, the RPM version had more paint operations, including having his name printed on his hood and bumper. The only image of the toy comes from a downloadable poster that was on the official Transformers website of Turkey.
- This mold was also used to make Speed Stars Breakdown.
 End of the road. |
- Autobot Drift (2010)
- Series: Allspark
- Number: 04
- "Allspark" Drift was presumably a redeco of "Double Siders" Drift. Though listed on the back of the Asian market release of RPM "Allspark" Starscream, it has never officially been depicted. However, an otherwise unknown redeco of the Drift mold with blue detailing was displayed at Toy Fair 2010, amongst a mix of cancelled RPM and planned Speed Stars vehicles. It is possible that this mystery redeco was the aborted "Allspark" Drift.
End of the road. |
Speed Stars
- Drift (Mini-Vehicle, 2011?)
- Series: Double Siders
- Number: ?
- A redeco of the unreleased RPM "Double Siders" Drift, Speed Stars Drift is a small non-transforming die-cast car. He features notably fewer paint operations than the RPM version.
- Like its RPM predecessor, Speed Stars Drift was never released.
End of the road. |
Notes
- Not counting Mixmaster's battle mode, Drift is the first Triple Changer seen on-screen in the live action films, transforming from a helicopter to a sports car at will.
- While the original Drift and other incarnations of the character have had Japanese motifs, this Drift's appearance is heavily based upon that of a samurai.
- In Rise of the Dark Spark, Drift's alternate mode appears to be comically large – the sports car is of comparable size to tanks found in the environment!
- Drift also holds the distinction of being the only new character in Age of Extinction besides the Dinobots to not be called by name, though briefly during the scene where Galvatron chases the Autobots, he is identified on KSI's satellite feed.
- For some reason none of Drift's toys had film-accurate colours.
References
- ↑ Dark of the Moon has no explicit date but as Sam has graduated, it's set in 2012 at the earliest
- ↑ Age of Extinction Drift Variant at The Allspark.
