Prowl (Animated)

Prowl is an Autobot from the Animated continuity family.

True warriors must move like water. NINJA water.

Some people are team players, and some... well, aren't. Prowl falls into the latter category. A loner at heart, he has little interest in teamwork, something Optimus Prime finds extremely frustrating. Prowl feels cooperation with the loud and unsubtle Autobots around him would cramp his style: a keen Cyber-Ninja prowess with elements of Circuit-Su^[1] and Metallikato.^[2]

Seemingly bound up in his martial-arts philosophy is his deep, deep fascination with Earth's natural environment. His quarters on Earth is missing most of its ceiling, allowing him a permanent window into nature. In fact, he seems to have a deeper appreciation of his new surroundings than the humans who grew up with them. The phrase "stop and smell the roses" is a life truth for Prowl, and he can spend hours motionless, watching the organic world play out around him.

When called to battle, Prowl uses an array of throwing weapons, such as cutting discs, that he can hurl with high accuracy. While useful as projectiles, these weapons tend to be far more damaging at close range and will occasionally bounce off their target with little damage if thrown from too great a distance. He can project holograms of himself, using them to misdirect his enemies. He also has a jetpack, granting him limited flight.

Prowl is probably the most skilled fighter of his comrades, but this might not be saying much, as they were a mere space bridge repair crew before finding themselves suddenly defending the AllSpark against the resurgent Decepticons.^[3] In fact, Jazz, witnessing him in action, remarked that Prowl must not have finished his cyber ninja training.^[2] The true story is more complex: having failed to protect the infant protoforms,^[4] Prowl ended his studies in disgrace, seeking to commune with the Allspark. His quest for redemption and inner peace has ended in failure...so far.

Fiction

Animated cartoon

Voice actor: Jeff Glen Bennett (English), Kōji Yusa (Japanese), Lutz Schnell (German), Louis van Beek (Dutch), Gianluca Iacono (Italian), Junseok Song (Korean), Fritz Gianvitto (Portuguese), Rodrigo de la Paz (Latin-American Spanish, seasons 1 and 2), Mario Gutiérrez (Latin-American Spanish, season 3), Suso Álvarez (Castilian Spanish), Joonas Suominen (Finnish), Vincent Violette (French)

This looks way more exciting in motion.

Prowl tried to avoid being drafted into fighting in the Great War, but was apprehended by Warpath and taken to Yoketron's dojo. Seeing potential in the young 'bot, Yoketron offered to teach Prowl in exchange for dropping the charges against him. Despite some initial difficulties, Prowl soon became an accomplished martial artist, and eventually Yoketron deemed him worthy of a place in the Cyber-Ninja Corps. After receiving the shurikens that would become his signature weapons, Yoketron showed Prowl a hidden room in the dojo, accessible only via the advanced processor-over-matter technique. This room contained the protoforms the Cyber-Ninja Corps had sworn to protect, a last-ditch reserve of potential soldiers should Project Omega fail. However, Prowl proved unable to operate the door, and Yoketron thus sent him on an optics quest to master the skill and become a true Cyber-Ninja.

Prowl continued to struggle with the technique, however, and on returning to the dojo he discovered that an unknown assailant had ransacked the dojo, stolen the protoforms, and mortally wounded Yoketron. Prowl attempted to save his master's life by transferring Yoketron's spark into the last remaining protoform, but only managed to make his master unhappy by sacrificing a little of the future to save the past. Assured by Yoketron that he would understand some day, Prowl watched his sensei's spark expire and mourned his loss. Five Servos of Doom

Determined to find a way to finish his training, Prowl eventually left Cybertron entirely aboard his own personal starship and secluded himself in deep space for at least a million stellar cycles in the hopes of communing with the AllSpark. While meditating on a remote asteroid, Optimus Prime's space bridge repair crew stumbled across the Cyber-Ninja. Bumblebee and Bulkhead promised to work around him, but an energon cube set by Ratchet fell into the cavern and accidentally destroyed Prowl's ship. Stranded, Prowl grudgingly accepted Optimus Prime's offer to take him back to Cybertron after completing their tour of the sector, but fumed that his path had taken so many twists and turns that he didn't even know where he was... a sentiment to which Optimus Prime could relate. Endgame, Part I

As the impromptu fifth member of Optimus Prime's repair crew aboard the starship Orion, Prowl showed a lack of interest in both teamwork and in Optimus Prime's motivational speeches. While performing some routine maintenance on a malfunctioning space bridge, the team abruptly discovered the AllSpark itself, the life-giving artifact which had been hidden offworld during the Great War. However, the presence of the AllSpark also attracted the attentions of a group of Decepticons led by Megatron. Determined to seize the artifact for himself, Megatron boarded the Orion and fought the Autobots inside, with Prowl responsible for cutting off one of Megatron's arms. The ship careened through the active space bridge and rematerialized over the planet Earth; though Prime managed to eject Megatron—wounded due to Starscream's sabotage—from their vessel, they were unable to stop the ship from crash-landing beneath Lake Erie and entered stasis pods to survive.

Fifty years later, a glob of nanotechnological matter found its way into the vessel, which triggered the ship's autonomous systems and brought its Autobot crew back online. The Autobots decided to help the locals defend themselves from the nanotech monster wreaking havoc in nearby Detroit, but mistook cars and trucks for the native life-forms and reformatted themselves into suitable disguises. The Autobots successfully took down the monster, but Prowl's refusal to work with the team led to him taking on the creature by himself and getting absorbed for his troubles. Gravely wounded, the Autobots rushed him back to their ship where Ratchet unsuccessfully tried to operate on him—it's likely that he might have died had Sari Sumdac not discovered the power of her AllSpark Key and used it to miraculously save his life.

Over the next few days, the Autobots settled into life on Earth, became local celebrities, and set up shop in an abandoned factory while Prowl discovered he had a particular fondness for the planet's organic fauna. During the team's next major battle against Starscream, Prowl showed that he had become a much better team player after working with Bumblebee and Sari to save Professor Sumdac and Captain Fanzone from the airborne Decepticon, using his thrusters to slow a falling train car. Transform and Roll Out Dispatches

Prowl watched a local cat stalk a bird and found it fascinating, but was aggravated when he was interrupted by human fans. Returning to base, he hid out in his Japanese-themed room, only to be interrupted by Prime and Bumblebee. Even worse, Sari threw a slumber party, pushing Prowl to the edge with the commotion. Ironically, when Megatron took over the factory, Prowl was able to show Bumblebee the value of stillness in battle, something the pair would work on later in a game of Twister. Home Is Where the Spark Is

Prowl joined Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead in an attempt to learn about Earth customs by watching television. They eventually stumbled upon a program wherein Prometheus Black pitted the bio-enhanced Colossus Rhodes against Bumblebee, and the other four Autobots had to come to Bumblebee's rescue after Rhodes lost control of his augmentations. Prowl managed to take down Rhodes by throwing a couple of shurikens at the pistons that triggered Rhodes's enhancements and later helped rescue Professor Sumdac after Black had become the mutated "Meltdown". Finding Sumdac Tower in defense mode upon their arrival, Prowl, Bulkhead and Ratchet were pitted against Colossus Rhodes once more. Prowl tried to take Rhodes out as he had before, only to learn that Rhodes's one weakness had been reinforced since their last encounter. The battle was eventually won when Prowl noticed that a nearby church bell's toll was interfering with Rhodes's upgrades. Using this to their advantage, the Autobots managed to defeat the villain. Through some quick thinking, the Autobots then overpowered Meltdown by using the same force-field that had kept the Autobots from reaching him beforehand. Total Meltdown

Bumblebee and Prowl inadvertently exposed the Wraith's modus operandi on live television when they captured the Angry Archer. Later, when a news broadcast showed the Wraith using his holographic equipment to pass off as a ghostly figure, Bumblebee asked why the fellow couldn't just "scan a new altmode". Prowl explained that, even if the Wraith could, it would make little difference; the vigilante relied on mystery to aid him in his crime-fighting career. Since he and Bumblebee had stripped away the mystery, a change of appearance would hardly make a difference.

Later, when Bumblebee apprehended Colossus Rhodes, Prowl helped sign autographs for the grateful Detroiters. Later still, when the Autobots saw "Bumblebee" attack Michigan Stadium, Prowl helped clear the little Autobot's name by halting what was really a plot by the jealous Wraith. Prowl attempted to capture the Wraith as he made his getaway, only to realize he had been fooled by one of the masked vigilante's many holographic projections. Thankfully, Optimus Prime grabbed the real Wrait, who was shipped off the an asylum for treatment. Attention Surplus Disorder

Prowl joined the rest of the Autobots in investigating a theft at Sumdac's laboratories. They discovered that the crime in question had been committed by an industrial saboteur going by the name of "Stiletto". She soon attempted to collapse Detroit's Ambassador Bridge, prompting the Autobots to leap into action. During the confrontation, Prowl used his holographic abilities to blindside Stiletto. Stiletto managed to recover quickly from Prowl's trickery. She then used trickery of her own to dupe Bumblebee into exploding a truck's payload of gasoline, rendering Prowl unconscious for the remainder of the battle. The Autobots nonetheless managed to capture Stiletto, and Prowl was later patched up at Autobot headquarters. Stiletto

Prowl and the other Autobots had to calm Bulkhead down when Porter C. Powell began to market Bulkhead's altmode as a vehicle for the masses, and further rubbed salt in the wound by using highly-doctored footage to have Bulkhead "promote" the vehicle. Thankfully, Sari and Bulkhead proved that the vehicle wasn't safe for the everyday citizen. Prowl later watched an announcement on television declaring that the "Bulkhead" line was being recalled. The Insincerest Form of Flattery

In an attempt to get Bulkhead to be less bumbling and destructive after an embarrassing incident at the Dino Drive park, Prowl tried to teach Bulkhead how to move with ninja-lke grace. His unsuccessful attempts to teach Bulkhead only undermined the green Autobot's confidence, and Prowl was taken out of commission when the park's rebuilt animatronics malfunctioned and Bulkhead fell on him. Finally, when these newly minted Dinobots escaped from a Sumdac lab and ran amok, Prowl realized that Bulkhead's destructive approach had its place and encouraged him to do what he did best. After the capture of the Dinobots, Prowl sensed sparks within the trio and, unwilling to let them be destroyed, secretly hid them on a small island before they were melted down. As he explained to Bulkhead, "Just because something's big and lumbering and destructive, doesn't mean you give up on it." Blast from the Past

When Lockdown, a bounty hunter from Ratchet's past, appeared on Earth to abduct Optimus, Prowl and the other Autobots intervened. Though Prowl got passed the defenses of Lockdown's ship, and got the drop on the bounty hunter with his ninja skills, Lockdown managed to shut down Prowl by using one of his trophies: Ratchet's old EMP generator. Thankfully, Ratchet was immune to the device, and rescued Optimus while the other Autobots were indisposed. The Thrill of the Hunt

Prowl was put on a training assignment to help Bumblebee and Bulkhead learn how to better blend in with their environment. Bumblebee's impatience put an early end to the exercise, and the yellow 'bot ran afoul of Nanosec, a criminal that had nearly gotten away from him the day before. Prowl was unable to stop the speedy villain when he joined in trying to apprehend him. Later, the Autobots caught news of Nanosec robbing Sumdac Laboratories and pursued him across town until Nanosec's high-tech suit accelerated his aging until he collapsed from fatigue. With his boosters, Prowl aided Bumblebee as the yellow Autobot hurled Nanosec's stolen Destronium supply into Earth's upper atmosphere, where it exploded harmlessly. Prowl asked Bumblebee if he would like to race him back to base, but Bumblebee declined, having gotten enough high-speed chases for the day. Nanosec

Prowl and the other Autobots attended Sari's eighth birthday party. Though he wound up entertaining Sari's guests, Sari herself was left behind with Bulkhead. A few days after the event, Sari's birthday present Soundwave gained sentience and became a Decepticon, taking control of Detroits robots in an attempt to subjugate the city's human population. Prowl teamed up with Ratchet to fight back against the hostile robots, but between their sheer numbers and Soundwave interfering with their communications, the pair were soon overwhelmed until Bulkhead took out Soundwave and returned the malfucntioning robots to normal. Sound and Fury

When the Decepticons Blitzwing and Lugnut arrived on Earth, the Autobots were quickly bested by the duo, and Optimus Prime decided that the AllSpark was no longer safe on the planet. When Prowl and the others headed off to fix their ship at the bottom of lake Erie, they encountered Blitzwing and Lugnut once more and fought them underwater, where their enemies couldn't use their flight powers. Optimus kicked up dirt from the bottom of the lake as cover, which Prowl used to great advantage to sneak up on and attack Blitzwing before the Autobots retreated back to their ship... which had been armed by Ratchet and Sari while Prowl and the others had bought them time. The Decepticons were blown away, and Prowl returned to their Earth base for repairs. Lost and Found

Reasoning correctly that the Decepticons would target Sari to get at the AllSpark Key, Prowl took to instructing her in the art of "ninja nerve blows". It was shortly after one of these sessions that his decision to save the Dinobots seemingly came back to haunt him when the gargantuan robots kidnapped the girl. He headed to their island home with Bulkhead in tow, the suspicious Captain Fanzone shadowing them somewhat clumsily the whole way. However, the police captain was not prepared for the environmental hazards of the secluded island and had to be rescued by the pair of Autobots. Together, the three of them discovered that the Dinobots had been coerced into kidnapping Sari by Prometheus Black, whose corrosive touch they had come to fear. Forced along with Fanzone to fight the mad geneticist's creations in a gladiatorial arena, Prowl began to develop a bond with the captain, who in turn came to trust Prowl. Survival of the Fittest

After his latest rescue mission ended in destructive disaster, Bulkhead attempted to pick up painting, to prove he could create as well as destroy. Prowl showed some appreciation for Bulkhead's new hobby, admiring his friend's capability of creating an image whole-cloth from his imagination... until he learned that the painting he was contemplating was, in fact, a still life depicting an "accident" Bulkhead had with Ratchet's blowtorch. Later, Henry Masterson, aka "The Headmaster" stole Bulkhead's body and used it to hold the entire city at ransom by threatening to overload the city's power plant. Unable to overpower the Headmaster or prevent the power plant from overloading Sari and the Autobots instead quickly built and animated a makeshift robot that took the fatal trip into the plant's core and halted the chain reaction from within. The city safe once more, Prowl and the other Autobots attended the successful opening of Bulkhead's art show. Headmaster

When the Autobots detected a non-sentient Cybertronian energy signature form the woods outside of Detroit, Optimus sent Prowl, Bumblebee, and Sari to investigate on an impromptu "camping trip". Though Prowl felt at home in the middle of nature, his two companions weren't as well-adjusted to the change of scenery: Sari had an idealized vision of what camping was based on movies, and Bumblebee simply couldn't cope without technology. Prowl attempted to teach the other two the value of disconnecting one's self from the technological, only for the lesson to be cut short when a monstrous colony of mutant space barnacles attacked. Prowl's attempt to fight the creature proved ineffective and he was eventually infected by the alien creatures, pursuing and eventually turning Bumblebee into a monster as well. By this time, however, Sari had found the boiler room within one of her father's mines and turned the scalding water on the Autobots to eradicate the aliens and restore them to normal. Returning to base, the Autobots came to the agreement that nature and technology could work in harmony to achieve greater things than either could on its own. Nature Calls

When Decepticon energy signals were detected, the Autobots quickly realized that they were outnumbered. Bulkhead mentioned that the Dinobots might be able to help, not aware that Prowl hadn't told Optimus they had moved them to Dinobot Island. Prime was furious and ordered the two to take him there at once. After searching the island, the Autobots found the Dinobots. Prime's introduction was less than friendly, and Prowl was forced to smooth things over with Grimlock. They were unwilling to help, so the Autobots left, unsure of their next move. When Bumblebee contacted Prime, saying that Starscream was at Sumdac Tower, he ordered him to stand down. When they arrived at the tower, they saw Bumblebee fighting Starscream. Prime dryly noted that disobeying orders was becoming a habit, but Prowl wasn't too insulted.

He was too busy being shocked by Megatron bursting through Sumdac Tower. Megatron Rising - Part 1

Quickly regaining their composure, the Autobots attacked, only for Megatron to defeat all three of them himself. After the battle, Sumdac revealed his role in Megatron's resurrection, explaining that he had built his robotics empire by reverse-engineering Cybertronian technology; although Prowl and the other Autobots were furious at learning this, Prime reminded them that they had other priorities. Using residual AllSpark Key energy in Sumdac's lab, the Autobots repaired themselves, and Prime apologized for his harsh words. Although Ratchet and Sari had gotten the Orion flightworthy, the ship was shot down over Dinobot Island, where the Autobots made their last stand. During the subsequent battle, Prowl noticed that Blitzwing's multiple personalities were connected to his alternate modes. To cause his hotheaded side to emerge and transform into a tank, Prowl suggested that Bumblebee use his greatest strength—his obnoxious personality. Megatron Rising - Part 2

Though the Autobots managed to drive off the Decepticons, the cost proved high: not only had the AllSpark been lost, its essence shattered into a thousand crystalline fragments, and not only had Isaac Sumdac disappeared, kidnapped by the Decepticons as the villains went into hiding, but the destructive battle meant that humanity now viewed the team as potential menaces, despite their best efforts to repair the damage. Eventually, Ultra Magnus and several members of the Autobot Elite Guard touched down in the city, and Prowl joined the rest of the team in meeting them aboard the Sigma Supreme. Unable to detect the energy signatures of the hidden Decepticons, Sentinel Prime doubted the veractity of Prime's tale, and tensions nearly boiled over until the two Autobot teams worked together to quell a flood of police robots at a malfunctioning Sumdac plant. During the fight, Prowl was awed by Jazz's superior cyber-ninja skills. Prowl helped Jazz and Optimus infiltrate the plant while the others kept the drones busy, and together they removed the AllSpark shard that had caused the disaster—proving that Prime's story had some truth to it after all. The Elite Guard

Shortly afterwards, Sari was kicked out of her home by Porter C. Powell. Bumblebee and Bulkhead attempted to cheer up their friend after she moved in to live with the Autobots, but they botched every attempt they made. Prowl eventually felt the need to intervene, and advised the pair to simply listen to Sari. It turned out to be sound advice. The Return of the Headmaster Prowl later helped stop a runaway train powered by an AllSpark fragment. When Starscream stopped by again, Prowl was tasked with keeping civilians out of harm's way while Sentinel, Optimus and Jazz took down the AllSpark-powered Decepticon. Mission Accomplished Prowl helped clear trash from the city of Detroit during a garbage dispute in an effort to mend strained Autobot/human relations. Garbage In, Garbage Out Later, he helped search for an AllSpark fragment, only for the mission to be interrupted by a group of illegal street racers, the Street Demons, zooming by. When one of the racers caused two others to crash, Prowl stopped to help Ming-Li out of her wrecked vehicle. Velocity

Got to get back... Back to the past. Samurai Jack Jazz Prowl.

As the Autobots helped fix an overpass as part of their ongoing repair efforts, the group spotted Blitzwing and Lugnut trying to sneak off with some construction supplies and had to stay late to fix it after failing to capture the duo. That night, Bulkhead returned home with two new 'bots in tow: Mixmaster and Scrapper, two former construction vehicles brought to life by a pair of AllSpark fragments. Prowl tried his best to keep Sari away from the crass duo, and her encounter with the Constructibots left her without her signature pigtails. Though these new "Constructibots" were insufferable to begin with, they became an actual threat when they allied themselves with Megatron. Now calling themselves the Constructicons, the duo attempted to snatch away the Autobots' AllSpark fragments for their new boss, but Bulkhead was able to drive off the pair. Rise of the Constructicons

While responding to a report of rampages on Dinobot Island, Prowl and Bulkhead were given Ratchet's EMP generator and stasis cuffs to detain the Dinobots. Discovering that Grimlock had a metal shard wedged in his foot, Prowl used the generator to dull Grimlock's sensors and remove the shard. However, they then received a call from Ultra Magnus that Starscream had escaped. Heading to the Autobots' crashed ship, Prowl used Teletran-1 to scan for Starscream, discovering him on the Moon. When Bulkhead refused to go on the mission, deeming it a suicide run, Prowl stole a shuttle and went off by himself. Locating Starscream on the Moon, he managed to place stasis cuffs on the Decepticon, but Lockdown appeared to take Starscream off Prowl's hands. During their fight, Starscream escaped and destroyed Prowl's shuttle. Stowing away on Lockdown's ship, Prowl suggested an alliance to capture him and Lockdown gave him a set of armor that would assist him in the hunt. Together, the pair cornered what appeared to be Starscream, but Lockdown revealed that he was working for Megatron. Prowl would not allow "Starscream" to be taken, but Lockdown tied Prowl up and left.

The other Autobots arrived and chewed out Prowl for his actions, but Prowl insisted that they retrieve Starscream first. During their pursuit, a second Starscream somehow showed up and offered an alliance against Megatron. Prowl took down Starscream, but in his actions, he destroyed a bird's nest. Realizing that the modifications he had were going to his head, he resolved to abandon them... once they got Starscream. Prowl initially flubbed an attempt to spy on the meet between Megatron and Lockdown and quickly found himself outgunned until the other Autobots arrived with the second Starscream. During the standoff that followed, the two Starscreams revealed that they had bombs inside them. Prowl used the armor he had been given to send them into the sky, saving Detroit from destruction. Lockdown then contacted Prowl, offering him a partnership, but Prowl declined and returned Ratchet's EMP generator. A Fistful of Energon

Prowl took part in a pursuit to catch Nanosec after the super-speedy villain got a second wind, but the chase came to an end when Bumblebee mysteriously slowed down to a stop. After the other Autobots returned to base for repairs, Bumblebee alerted the rest of his team that a Decepticon had built a machine that could freeze any electronic machine within its range, just as he had been earlier that day. Prowl and the others sped out to take on the threat. They were all affected by the device's power before they could reach their destination, and were only able to take on Swindle once Sari had deactivated his weapon. SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy

Prowl and the other Autobots gathered to listen in on an all-points bulletin from Ultra Magnus, alerting them that the criminal Wasp had escaped from prison. Later, Bumblebee told the rest of his team that he had stumbled upon a Decepticon transmission, and they reported his findings to the head of Cybertron Intelligence, Longarm Prime. Autoboot Camp

Due to his inability to stay quiet, Prowl placed a bet on Bumblebee—that he couldn't go 10 cycles without talking. Should he keep to this, Prowl would fork over a case of axel grease. Bumblebee kept on slipping up, though Prowl was gracious enough to give him multiple shots at winning the bet. Prime took Prowl and Bumblebee with him to Dinobot Island to investigate Meltdown's prison break. The pair's bet was put on hold after both Prowl and Bumblebee were off-lined by Blackarachnia's cyber venom. After the day was saved, Prime used the antidote on the bots, and Bumblebee pointed out he'd been quiet for ages! Prowl dryly noted it took Bumblebee being comatose to achieve this, but the yellow bot didn't care—he just wanted his grease! Black Friday

Prowl had been helping Sari train through an obstacle course when he learned from Optimus that the Constructobots had resurfaced. The Autobots looked high and low throughout Detroit for Mixmaster and Scrapper, but without Sari's key to track their AllSpark signatures, the search proved fruitless. Then, Blitzwing dropped out of the sky and took on the whole crew. Pinned down by the Decepticon the Autobots learned that Sari was dealing with the Constructobots on her own back at headquarters, but couldn't get back to help her until Blitzwing abruptly ditched the battle. Although the Autobots raced home, they found that Sari had taken care of the intruders all by herself. Sari, No One's Home

When Bulkhead was kidnapped, Bumblebee brought the Autobot intelligence agent Blurr to the plant, who revealed that Megatron was building a space bridge to conquer Cybertron from within. As Sari and Ratchet went to repair the ship, Prowl went with the others to rescue Bulkhead and shut down the space bridge. However, they were incapacitated by the Constructicons... just in time for Starscream and his clones to attack. A Bridge Too Close, Part I

Escaping the Constructicons, Prowl was able to lock stasis cuffs on a lying clone, but was soon occupied with Mixmaster. When Prowl managed to disengage long enough to check on an injured Prime, a fawning clone managed to place stasis cuffs on him. Once he came back online, Prowl once again tried the processor-over-matter technique to disable his stasis cuffs, a gamble that ultimately paid off, and Prowl was able to throw a shuriken at Prime's stasis cuffs as he was being thrown through the space bridge. Unfortunately, power problems with the bridge arose, causing Megatron to add Starscream's AllSpark infused head to the mix. This caused a power overload which sucked up Megatron and Starscream, and nearly sucked up the Autobots as well. Fortunately, Ratchet had gone to the Orion and brought his old friend Omega Supreme back online; their transformed ship allowed himself to be sucked into the malfunctioning space-bridge, overloading and destroying the structure. Although the Autobots managed to rescue Professor Sumdac and reunited him with his daughter, Sari discovered that the skin of her right arm had been torn, revealing robotic circuitry underneath! A Bridge Too Close, Part II

Hearing of Professor Sumdac's sketchy explanation of Sari's origins, Prowl infiltrated Sumdac's lab, scanned the professor and accessed his computer data. He later revealed his conclusions: Sari had begun her existence as a Cybertronian protoform. When a Rock Lord was TransWarped to Earth with Bumblebee inside, Prowl was surprised that Ratchet was taking his EMP generator into battle again. They barely got a chance to face the thing when Sari upgraded herself with her key and smashed the Rock Lord into bits. Unfortunately her upgrades went out of control and she wounded Bumblebee. While Ratchet tended to Bumblebee, Prime, Bulkhead and Prowl attempted to remove Sari's key from her. Prowl's ninja moves allowed him to extract the key and he rushed it back to Ratchet, only to find its charge had been expended.

After all that excitement was done, the Autobots were surprised when Omega Supreme, now under Megatron's control, transwarped into view and attacked them. Optimus and Prowl infiltrated the giant's leg, and Prowl headed for Omega's spark chamber while Optimus went to keep Megatron distracted. Prowl jacked in to Omega's memory, and was able to successfully encourage Omega Supreme to reject Megatron's control and reassert his own. The victory was short-lived, as Starscream took the opportunity to take over and eject both Prowl and Optimus from Omega Supreme. The problem was later solved via the application of a plasma dynamic thruster, which sent Omega Supreme and his two prisoners randomly transwarping across the galaxy. TransWarped

With Professor Sumdac back on their side, the Autobots set about tracking down what remained of the Earthbound Decepticons. The first one they ran into was Lugnut. Optimus and Prowl managed to get stasis cuff onto him while the others kept him distracted. Of course, then they had the problem of getting him out of the crater, but while they were doing that, Bulkhead got into some trouble with the Constructicons and they were forced to go help. Prowl warned Bumblebee not to make any sparks because there was oil everywhere, but otherwise stood around watching everyone else win the fight. Three's a Crowd Prowl's keen ninja senses somehow failed to detect when Wasp switched identities with Bumblebee. He and Bulkhead hunted the city for the now fugitive "Wasp" and found him attacking a Hot Dog Bot. He managed to convince the pair he was Bumblebee, but they were attacked by Jetfire and Jetstorm. Prowl eventually clarified Bulkhead's garbled explanation to Optimus and Sentinel, after which they returned to the plant to unsuccessfully try to catch the real Wasp. Where Is Thy Sting?

Everyone knows ninjas have magical powers like that.

Assisting Optimus and the Elite Guard in hunting down a Decepticon, Prowl was as stunned as anyone else when Sentinel Prime apparently caught their quarry all by himself—and it was only the most recent of several solo captures Sentinel had made. He then learned that Optimus had spotted a silhouette wearing a unique helmet that evening. Going over the helmets in the data banks with Optimus, Prowl was amazed when his commander identified Yoketron's old helmet as the one he'd seen. As Prowl unsuccessfully tried to solve the mystery, Sentinel continued to capture Decepticons, but realized that all of the Decepticons were missing their unique weapons and modifications, despite Sentinel showing him Lugnut's power-punch mods in storage. Prowl still suspected something was up, however, and his theories were borne out when he overheard Sentinel talking via communicator to an unknown party.

Alerting Jazz, Prowl set out after Sentinel and discovered he'd been working with none other than Lockdown, who was wearing Yoketron's helmet. However, even as Prowl watched, Lockdown and the Starscream clone he'd just captured double-crossed Sentinel, and Lockdown revealed he'd been a student of Yoketron's too. Realizing who'd killed his sensei and destroyed the protoforms, Prowl attacked Lockdown and demanded the helmet. Lockdown complied, but the helmet had been rigged to spring a trap, and Prowl found himself bound tight and hauled aboard Lockdown's ship, there to have his mods removed and added to a duplicate of the power armor sidecar Lockdown had once lent him. However, Prowl was able to master the processor-over-matter technique to free himself, don the armor and battle Lockdown back outside. They landed by the Starscream clone just in time to have a scoreboard fall on them, but Prowl's processor-over-matter saved them from injury. The clone was captured, though Lockdown got away, and with a line to Cybertron finally open, Prime reported to Cliffjumper that Prowl was responsible for capturing all the Decepticons they had on the ship. Back in his quarters, Prowl graciously accepted Jazz's compliment that Yoketron would approve of the helmet's new owner, vowing to do all he could to be worthy of it. Five Servos of Doom

Prowl turned out with the other Autobots to see off Sentinel and his team as they left Earth for Cybertron. Predacons Rising

At Christmas, Prowl theorized that Santa Claus could use holograms to deliver billions of presents in one night. He joined the other Autobots in drinking oilnog, unaware that their drink had been spiked by Soundwave, who took the opportunity to trap the five 'bots in a virtual reality world of his own making. In this simulation, the Autobots awoke on Christmas to discover that they'd somehow turned into humans. Only Prowl seemed at ease with the change, taking the opportunity to experience life from a different perspective as the Autobots made their way to Sumdac Tower, playing with a baby and trying vegetarian food at a Burger Bot restaurant. The peace was interrupted by a Decepticon attack, and the Autobots helped rescue people from a damaged building. Prowl dashed inside to rescue Gary, exiting the building with a spectacular leap that should have been impossible. After an abortive attempt to fight the Decepticons in their new human forms, Prowl suggested they proceed to Sumdac Tower by bus.

They reached the tower, only to see the planet Cybertron move into view and blast it. As Megatron and a host of Decepticons landed, Prowl and Optimus began to come to the realization that none of what they were experiencing was real. When Megatron picked up Prowl, the Autobot was able to slice Megatron's arm off with one blow and resist being stepped on by Blitzwing. Prowl proceeded to float in the air, menacing Starscream before phasing through his foe's head. After the Decepticons evaporated, the Autobots found they were able to return to their robot forms just by willing it. At that point, a giant Soundwave scooped them up, while in the real world, Soundwave planned to reprogram them into Decepticons. Human Error, Part I

After Soundwave's reprogramming was interrupted, Prowl used processor over matter to escape the virtual world. Soundwave promptly caught him trying to free Optimus and put him back into the simulation, turning them back into humans and forcing them to pursue Soundwave's virtual avatar in nearby vehicles that matched their alternate modes. They had great difficulty adapting to driving and Prowl inadvertently did wheelies on his police cycle. The five Autobots were cornered by Soundwave, who began reprogramming them. Prowl was successful in using processor-over-mater to resist Soundwave's control, and when Soundwave used the Autobots in the real world to attack Sari and the group of "Substitute Autobots" she'd gathered, he carefully made sure no one was harmed. As Soundwave focused on getting Optimus to offline Sari, Prowl took the opportunity to knock Ratbat out of the Decepticon's hands, breaking his control. Soundwave responded by having Ratbat grab Prowl, lift him into the air and drop him into a building. After Optimus managed to defeat Soundwave, the Autobots reassembled, and Prowl reflected on how much they'd learned about what it meant to be organic. Human Error, Part II

Prowl turns that frown (and his sunglasses) upside down.

When Omega Supreme's energy signature was detected on the Moon, Optimus decided that he needed an upgrade to keep up with Megatron. Prowl offered his boosters for Ratchet to study, and also offered to go to the Moon to check things out. Jazz insisted he stay on Earth and try to complete his cyber-ninja training. The pair retired to some woods, where Prowl was able to reconstitute an AllSpark fragment through meditation. After returning to base, they watch Ratchet repair Optimus after the testing of Prime's boosters, and Prowl encouraged his leader to take up the Magnus Hammer. As the Autobots discovered when they rushed outside, Megatron had created three clones of Omega Supreme, and they were on their way to Detroit. Endgame, Part I

With the three Lugnut Supremes bearing in on the city, Optimus had serious doubts over whether he could take them. Prowl reassured him, saying that he'd be behind Optimus every step of the way. The two took to the sky, but despite their best efforts, the Lugnut Supremes couldn't be taken individually. When Prowl suggested looking for a way to remove them all at the same time, Prime used his Magnus Hammer to carry them away to Dinobot Island with a whirlwind. This destroyed one and disabled flight capabilities for the remaining two, but still they advanced.

Prime ordered Prowl and Jazz to help evacuate the city's humans towards Sumdac Tower, since its force shields should make it a safe place. After this was accomplished, Prowl and Jazz tried to stop the Lugnut Supremes with their melee weapons, but they were ineffectual. Prime radioed Prowl, telling him that the only way to stop them from destroying the city was to gather the power of the AllSpark. Prowl took Jazz back with him to the tower, which had just lost its force shield. As the two cyber-ninjas meditated, fragments of the AllSpark were telekinetically gathered from all corners of the city, thanks to their mastery of Processor-over-matter. Starscream was an unwitting casualty of this, as the Decepticon had flown too close, and the AllSpark fragment that kept him alive was yanked from his skull.

Who's that playing "Unchained Melody"?

But Prowl and Jazz couldn't muster enough AllSpark fragments to serve their needs. Some of it was missing! With the Lugnut Supremes now threatening to blow up the city and everything else in a 100-mile radius, Prowl made a tough choice. He levitated himself up towards their growing AllSpark fragment collection and relinquished his own spark, despite Jazz's protests. With one last serene smile, Prowl was lost momentarily in a flash of light. His uncolored body fell into Jazz's arms as the light dimmed.

Inaction Master Prowl, available at stores near you.

This last, desperate act enveloped the final Lugnut Supreme in an AllSpark-powered shell, capturing both Optimus Prime and Megatron inside. Prowl appeared once more, as an AllSpark ghost, to carry Prime away to safety.

With Megatron seemingly destroyed, Jazz carried the dead body of Prowl to the others. But before the Autobots could begin to mourn, Megatron reappeared, though heavily damaged. Prime fought the Decepticon leader with renewed vigor in the knowledge that this battle cost the life of his friend, but he stopped just short of killing the villain. Megatron and the other Decepticons were taken in captivity back to Cybertron, along with Prowl's body. Bumblebee, Jazz, Ratchet, and Bulkhead were Prowl's pallbearers, and the crowds of Cybertron cheered their victory. Endgame, Part II

Be the Hero books

Prime Suspect

When the police began pursuing Optimus for breaking and entering, Prowl protected Sari and another kid who had been caught up in things, using his holograms to distract the cops. The trail led the Autobots to HomeTech's laboratory, where the two kids were sent in to find the security footage of Prime apparently breaking in, which later necessitated a rescue by Prowl and Bumblebee. The Autobots continued to follow the clues to HomeTech's main warehouse, where they fought Blitzwing, the real mastermind behind the theft. Prime Suspect

Quest for the AllSpark

Prowl chose Texas to conceal a fake AllSpark when Megatron took control of Detroit's robot workforce in an attempt to locate the artifact. He returned to Detroit in time to join Bumblebee and Bulkhead as they went to help Optimus and Ratchet fight Crush-A. Quest for the AllSpark

Web of Deception

Prowl saved Sari and her friend from drowning after their Aquaskimmer was destroyed on the surface of Lake Erie. He, Bumblebee and Bulkhead subsequently found that the Autobot ship was offline and Optimus missing. Once everything was working again, Ratchet's scans located Lockdown's ship parked on the lake bed nearby, sending Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Prowl and the two young humans on a mission to investigate. While fighting the bounty hunter, they discovered the involvement of Blackarachnia, who wanted revenge on Prime. After the clash, Prowl found he had to use Circuit-Su mediation to realign his inner processes before he could continue, however the delay led to Sari's young friend locating Blackarachnia and her eventual defeat. Web of Deception

Time-Quake

When strange time distortions began occurring across Detroit, the Autobots split up with special scanners to try and track down the cause of the problem. Prowl traced the signal to a disused warehouse on the Detroit River, arriving at around the same time as Bulkhead and a random human. Within, Prowl narrowly rescued the human when the floor collapsed, and in the basement the trio found a time machine. After Bulkhead and the human were plunged back in time, Prowl remained at the warehouse, but it was several days before the pair returned, having jaunted around history. Meanwhile, the other Autobots had tracked down the culprit behind the strange machine. Prowl and Bulkhead joined them at said culprit's hideout, but the foe was able to keep the Autobots at bay, forcing the human to go in to wrap things up. Time-Quake

Titan Magazines

When Quake-Maker attacked Detroit with, yep, earthquakes, Prowl was there saving people from falling rubble before the villain temporarily buried him. Once he got out, he found himself following the orders of new arrival Afterburn and helped beat Quake-Maker. Burnout

On his day off, Prowl went to a basketball game with Bulkhead, Sari and Afterburn. The speed, grace and tactics of the game thrilled him, leaving him with the belief they could learn much from basketball. Unfortunately he had to duck out of the game to stop the supervillain Crossroads, who was causing robotic systems across Detroit. Working out with Sari that this was a diversionary tactic so Crossroads could reach Sumdac Tower, Prowl and the others headed for the building, and Prowl disabled the villain's robot-controlling gauntlets with well-aimed shurikens. And he spouted basketball terms while doing this for... well, we dunno.

He stood in front of Afterburn while saying they should all keep their eyes out for the enemy. Surely a coincidental posing! Crossroads!

Take that, Shattered Glass Bumblebee!

When Bumblebee was boasting about his incredible speed, Prowl pointed out that he was also reckless and a dangerous driver. Why, if Bumblebee had to follow rules when he drove, Prowl could whip him! This throwing of the gauntlet led to the two Autobots having a race at Crazy Coyote Canyon, with Bulkhead joining in for the heck of it. With his superior reflexes and driving over his opponent, Prowl shot into the lead, smugly noting that reckless actions get you into trouble...

...and then, not looking where he was going, ran into a Decepticon trap. With Lugnut planning to use him as a piñata, only Bumblebee's arrival saved him, and reckless action saw the two escape. If that wasn't embarrassing enough for Prowl, Bumblebee beat him in the rest of the race and Bulkhead won the whole thing... ! The Race

Lil Formers

Prowl shared his weight loss secrets with a Prowl from another universe. Lil Formers

The Cool comic

Witnessing the mysterious Allspark being uncovered, Prowl along with the rest of Optimus Prime's crew fled through a space bridge gate in order to keep the artifact out of Decepticon clutches. Unfortunately, Megatron was able to board their ship and left Prowl defeated on the floor, leaving Optimus to deal with the Decepticon leader by himself. The Cool Extra issue 3

Prowl was among the Autobots who traveled to the Earth city of Detroit in order to protect the AllSpark from the Decepticons. When Starscream, Lockdown and Blackarachnia attacked, Prowl joined in the fray, pitting his skills against Blackarachnia. The Cool Episode 1

The Autobots were unable to prevent Starscream from seizing the AllSpark, however, and Prowl was helpless to defend himself from Starscream's AllSpark-powered aerial attacks. When Optimus Prime died stopping Starscream, and was subsequently revived by the power of Sari's key, Prowl was there to greet him. The Cool Episode 2

Prowl later took part in defending Dinobot Island from a Decepticon raid. He expressed displeasure at Lugnut's aerial bombardments, observing that their weapons didn't have the range to counterattack. Once the Dinobots saved the day, however, Prowl saw them off along with the rest of the Autobots. The Cool Episode 3

Prowl was present at Sumdac Systems headquarters when Megatron was revived in a new body. He fared poorly in battle, as Megatron swatted him away with a single blast of his fusion cannon. Prowl survived the fight and later greeted the Elite Guard when they arrived on Earth. The Cool Episode 5

Later, Prowl joined up with Lockdown, donning a set of power-boosting armor in order to take down Clone #3370318 (whom he mistook for the real Starscream). When Prowl learned that Lockdown would be selling "Starscream" to Megatron rather than Ultra Magnus, he attempted to stop his ex-partner, only to be subdued and rendered unconscious. Prowl eventually came to, joining the rest of the Autobots as Clone #2716057 attacked. Prowl defeated the clone, but destroyed an entire city park in the process. Prowl then recalled a lesson from his Cyber-Ninja master, Yoketron, regarding power and choices. Realizing there was one Starscream too many, Prowl and the Autobots then rushed to a warehouse where Lockdown was meeting Megatron. The real Starscream had rigged the clones to explode and kill everyone. Using his head, Prowl attached his armor's rocket packs to the clones and sent them flying; harmlessly detonating in the sky. Prowl then discarded his armor, vowing to the memory of Yoketron that he would start his training over from scratch. The Cool Episode 6

Prowl then joined in the battle for the Decepticon Space Bridge. He registered horror at the sight of Optimus Prime being blasted by Slipstream. The Cool Episode 7 When the battle for the Space Bridge had ended, Prowl joined the other Autobots in bidding farewell to Omega Supreme, who sacrificed himself in the fight. The Cool Episode 8

At Autobot HQ, Prowl performed a full body-scan on Sari and determined that she was originally a Transformer protoform that scanned Professor Sumdac's DNA, creating an entirely new lifeform. Suddenly, the Autobots were attacked by Starscream in Omega Supreme's body! Prowl encouraged Bulkhead to keep the fiend busy until Optimus could return from wherever it is that he went. Once Optimus did return and vanquished the Decepticon, Prowl was put in charge of finding Starscream's leftovers and pulling them out of Omega Supreme. The Cool Episode 9

Prior to the final confrontation against the Decepticons, Prowl stood heroically alongside his fellow Autobots. The Cool Extra issue 1

When Optimus was nearly killed during his epic showdown with Megatron, Prowl joined the rest of the Autobots in looking on in horror. However, when the Autobots returned to Cybertron victorious, Prowl was nowhere to be seen. His fate remains a mystery. The Cool Episode Final

Precursor World

A Warrior of the Seven Lights resembling a white Prowl was a member of the White Order. At their base on the White Planet, he notified his commander White Gallant Convoy of the conflict between extradimensional warriors Star Convoy and Super Megatron on the Blue Planet. When he suggested they intervene, Gallant directed him to stand down and let the Blue Order do their work. The matter resolved, the pair kept watching and marveled at Star Convoy's heroics for a time. God Neptune comic 2

Later, the Warrior was nearby when Gallant found out he'd made a real bad call as the Primus Vanguard's eponymous supreme leader warned him of the fall of the Blue Order and the threat of the now-supercharged Ultra Megatron Omega. Later still, the Warrior supported Gallant in battle when the similarly dimension-hopping pirate Halfshell attacked looking to plunder the Order's holy Matrix Saber. God Neptune comic 1

Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic

Prowl, with an embedded AllSpark fragment, was a spectator for the second week of the Speedia 500 on Velocitron. He decided to join an impromptu third iteration of the race. Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 3

Games

Transformers Animated: The Game

Voice actor: Jeff Glen Bennett (English)

Prowl set up the Autobots' headquarters into an obstacle course for Optimus, Bumblebee and Bulkhead to practice their skills on. When Ratchet picked up a Decepticon signal, Optimus dispatched Prowl to investigate. Taking to the roads, Prowl located a Decepticon Transmitter Drone and shot it down. After Ratchet modified the drone to return home, it escaped from the Autobot base and Prowl chased after it but failed to catch up with it. He later tracked down and captured Lockdown, after the bounty hunter gave Bumblebee some trouble. He joined Bumblebee at the Decepticon mine base, and offered Sari a lift back to headquarters. Following the safe return from Cybertron of Optimus, Bumblebee and Bulkhead, he expressed incredulity that Optimus had turned down the chance to join the Elite Guard. Transformers Animated: The Game

Transformers Animated: Action Packs

Toys

Animated

Legends Class

Even as a legend he keeps the epic transformation.

• Rescue Ratchet (Animated 3-pack, 2008)

The Legends Class Prowl toy is a smaller, simplified version of his Deluxe toy (below), transforming into a sleek police motorcycle. Even at that size, he retains his wheels-in-legs transformation!

This toy came packaged with Ratchet, as well as a Legends Starscream, in a set exclusive to Target stores in the US. It features a slightly different deco from the Universe release of the mold, having a silver chevron and a silver Autobot sigil.

Other than the various Legends Prowls below, this mold would have also been used to make EZ Collection Turbo Cycle, but that toy was cancelled.

• Prowl (Rescue Ratchet 3-pack) at TFU.info

Clear smoke? Future Detroit's air filtration systems are truly amazing!

• Prowl Clear Smoke Ver. (EZ Collection, 2010)

A redeco of Legends Prowl in smoky translucent black, with some opaque grey parts. He was only available at Apita stores in Japan, a free promotional toy for customers who purchased Voyager Class Optimus Prime or Megatron, at a certain -and sadly currently-unknown- date.

• EZ Collection Limited Clear Version (EZ Collection multi-pack, 2010)

The "EZ Collection Limited Clear Version" set included a redeco of Legends Prowl in mostly translucent black with opaque tan nylon parts. Unlike Prowl Clear Smoke Version, this version of Prowl is painted to resemble his normal coloration, only clear.

This set was part of a raffle token promotion in Family Mart stores in Japan. The "EZ Collection Limited Clear Version" set was prize D, and included four different translucent EZ Collection figures, the other three being Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and Starscream.

This needs Saba badly.

• Prowl Elite Guard Version (EZ Collection, 2010)

• Release date: July 24, 2010

A white, black, and gold redeco of Legends Prowl, "Prowl Elite Guard Version" shares its overall deco with the Tokyo Toy Show exclusive Deluxe Class "Elite Guard Prowl" figure (below).

It was only available in Volume 4 of TakaraTomy's blindpacked EZ Collection series.

Deluxe Class

No, you're not seeing things, both of his wheels are part of his robot mode, and it's still symmetrical.

• Prowl (Deluxe, 2008 / 2010)

• Takara ID number: TA-05
• Takara release date: March 27, 2010
• Accessories: 2 bladed mecha stars, traffic light "chain" weapon
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Alex Kubalsky (TakaraTomy), Derrick J. Wyatt (concept artist)

Part of the first wave of Animated Deluxe Class toys, Prowl transforms into a black and gold police "superbike" of made-up model. As advertised on the back of the box, his rear bike mode lights can flip forward in robot mode to form "flash blasters".

Two of his hubcaps are removable, and they both can reconfigure into three-bladed "mecha stars" which he can hold in robot mode. The mecha stars have a pseudo-automorph feature; pulling out on one blade simultaneously opens the other two. He also comes with a traffic light "chain" weapon which he can hold in robot mode, but it cannot be stowed in superbike mode. Unfortunately, it also has a tendency to break his thumbs off if held by the handle. So maybe don't.

Partly due to his lithe proportions, as well as both the waist ball joint and double-jointed knees required for his transformation, Prowl is extremely poseable.

TakaraTomy released this toy a few years later in the first wave of their Animated toyline. This release of the toy features a glossy, shiny paint job for the entire front of his bike, painting his headlights, and having an almost vac-metal-like finish for his headlights and gold parts. The Autobot insignia on his abdomen/vehicle front is now in full color, bordered in white.

• Prowl at TFU.info

• Battle in Space (Deluxe 2-pack, 2008)

• Accessories: 2 bladed mecha stars, traffic light "chain" weapon

This Walmart exclusive two-pack features an unchanged Deluxe Prowl and an unchanged Battle Damaged Deluxe Megatron from the Battle Begins two-pack.

This bundle was a 2008 Black Friday release.

Bludgeon redeco in 5...4...3...

Yours won't do this.

• Samurai Prowl (Deluxe, 2009 / 2010)

• Takara ID number: TA-34
• Takara release date: August 28, 2010
• Accessories: Sidecar/battle armor, wheel/"sword"
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Part of the sixth wave of Animated Deluxe Class toys, this redeco and heavy retool of Prowl includes an all-new sidecar which transforms into the "samurai" armor that appeared in "A Fistful of Energon". Roughly 80% of the original robot mode is retooled, leaving only parts such as the biceps, interior of the arms, and the lower legs untouched. Among other deco changes, his gold is paler, and all of his translucent plastic is now teal. The robot mode "wings" are now designed to fold upwards, and a pair of slots were added to accommodate the body of the samurai armor. A new, smaller head with a translucent plastic visor replaces the original head so that the samurai helmet can fit, and either of the new pegs on his forearms can be used to mount the new wheel/blade weapon. Additionally, he gains thigh swivels, making him even more posable.

A change was made to the wheel/sword weapon between the photography and final production stages. The Hasbro stock photography shows that the wheel was originally able to split down the middle, with each half pegging onto a forearm. However, this is not possible on the production version. The two halves are screwed together, and there's no hint of a second connection piece when disassembled. It's probable that the divided pieces constituted a choking hazard. This modification, on the other hand, allows the sidecar to actually roll.

Prowl's bladed ninja stars don't really seem to be intended to be removed from his legs, but with a bit of force, you can still pry them out of there. They have, however, been remolded so they're now fused together and no longer able to open, but they are exchangeable with the stars from the original Deluxe Prowl. While not being included, he can also still hold the chain traffic light from the original version.

Prowl loses a lot of his original maneuverability when you put his Samurai armor on, and also becomes a little more tricky to balance, but that's the price you pay for the ability to blind your enemies with overexposure to pure awesomeness and teal translucent plastic.

The Japanese release, part of the seventh wave of TakaraTomy's Animated line, is virtually identical to the Hasbro version, with the only notable change being the use of a white and red Autobot symbol on his torso rather than a non-outlined silver one.

• Samurai Prowl at TFU.info

• Darkness Showdown: Prowl / Blitzwing (VS pack, 2010)

• Release date: April 24, 2010
• Accessories: 2 bladed mecha stars, traffic light "chain" weapon

In the Takara Animated line, Prowl was also available in a "Darkness Showdown" (暗闇の対決, kurayami no taiketsu, also called "Battle in the Dark" on English on the box-back) two-pack with Blitzwing.

Released in the second wave of Animated product, both toys are identical to their individual releases.

Now he's a different kind of assassin.

• Prowl Elite Guard Ver. (Deluxe, 2010)

• Release date: July 15, 2010
• Accessories: 2 bladed mecha stars, traffic light "chain" weapon

"Prowl Elite Guard Ver." is a redeco of the original Deluxe-class Prowl toy in a pseudo-policey white, black and gold color scheme, with a head deco inspired by "Generation 1" Prowl, silver-chromed headlamps, and of course the Elite Guard symbol on his windshield/chest. Yes, even the traffic light "chain" weapon is redecoed in white.

He was an exclusive to the Tokyo Toy Show 2010, held from July 15 through the 18th. The packaging is unchanged from the original retail release, bar a sticker on the front of the bubble. It is currently unknown how many of this toy were produced.

Universe (2008)

Itty-bitty ninja.

• Prowl (Legends, 2008)

• Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro)

A slight repaint of the Legends Prowl included with the "Rescue Ratchet" three-pack was sold in the 2008 Universe toyline. The main difference is his Autobot symbol is now red with white outlines rather than un-outlined silver.

This mold was going to be used as "Turbo Cycle" in Takara's EZ Collection series, but that release was ultimately canceled.

• More information on Universe Prowl at TFU.info

• Classic Legends (Multi-pack, 2008)

Universe Prowl was also available as part of a three-pack with the Universe releases of Legends Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. This set had the three regular-release toys, still on their normal cards, bound together in a larger cardboard sleeve.

It is currently unknown if this set was a normal-retail release or a store exclusive.

EZ Collection

• Prowl (EZ Collection, 2010)

• ID Number: EZ-19
• Release date: April 24, 2010

In Japan, the Universe Animated Prowl toy was released without changes as part of the third volume of EZ Collection, in blindpacked packaging.

Legacy

In order to become one with the Allspark, Prowl had to sacrifice his lithe thighs, and some of his chin.

• Animated Universe Prowl (Deluxe Class, 2023)

• TakaraTomy ID number: TL-33
• TakaraTomy release date: August 26, 2023
• Accessories: 2 Bladed Mecha Stars
• Known designers: Sam Smith (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Emiliano Santalucia (concept artist)^[5][6]

Released in the second wave of Legacy: Evolution Deluxes, "Animated Universe Prowl" is a Generations-styled version of the character that transforms into a police motorcycle in 20 steps. He comes with two Mecha Stars, dubbed as "Evo-Fusion" technology. Like his original toy, they can be stored in his motorcycle wheels, but now open by twisting the outside instead of by a single blade. Both hands are sculpted to hold the stars by their blades, while his right hand can additionally hold 5 mm accessories. Unfortunately, it's generally impossible for the right hand to properly hold the weapon.

Hilariously, his head can be seen peeking out from his front window in vehicle mode due to his transformation; he even has a fuel gauge and a speedometer molded into the back of his head.

Notably, this is the first mainline Animated toy since the show's cancellation in 2009.

This figure was later redecoed with a new head into Legacy: United Cyberverse Chromia. Because of the design flaw on the right hand, one of TakaraTomy's stock photos had a slightly visible adhesive tack when the figure was holding the weapon.

• Designer commentary on Legacy Prowl from Sam Smith

Merchandise

• Transformers Animated Game Collection (2008)

Released as part of the board game set, this Prowl is a (very) show-accurate mini-figure figure based on his animation model.

Prowl is also sold with Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Optimus Prime minifigures, and of course: 3 board games (Transformers Animated Game, Checkers, and Tic Tac Toe), and a 100-piece puzzle.

Notes

Hhm, foreshadowing?

• Prowl's eyes are a reference to 2000 AD's ABC Warriors,^[7] specifically to the character Joe Pineapples.
• Prowl's general robot mode design, down to his khaki legs, tall boots, and helmet-shaped head, is meant to evoke a California Highway Patrol motorcycle cop, circa CHiPs. Eat your heart out, Erik Estrada.^[8]
• Despite his alternate mode being the smallest among the core cast, Prowl's robot mode is about the same height as Ratchet's, and much taller than Bumblebee's.
• Since he was in the AllSpark energy and able to save Optimus Prime after he relinquished his spark he seems to have fused with it much like Alpha Trion and Vector Sigma. It also seems possible that his spark, rather than truly being extinguished has fused with the AllSpark since he did appear as a spark ghost.
• Amazingly, Hasbro hadn't originally intended to make a Samurai Prowl toy until one of their team saw the episode.^[9] The on-show introduction of the samurai armor certainly wasn't your typical marketing vehicle, considering Prowl's speech about how he didn't need the armor after all and everybody crediting him with a wise choice when he abandoned and destroyed it. This leads to some mildly amusing backtracking once Hasbro finally produced the toy, with a new episode airing that just happened to feature a second, identical set of armor that Prowl could now wear because he had a new toy out had grown as a person and could now handle the responsibility.
• Prowl's retractable mouthplate was inspired by Snake-Eyes from G.I. Joe.^[10]
• Prowl shares his body-type with fellow Autobots Horsepower and Sparkride.
• In the Transformers Animated profile shorts, Prowl is introduced to the audience by Bulkhead in "Meet Prowl".

Foreign names

• Japanese: Prowl (プロール Purōru)
• Russian: Syshhik (Сыщик, "Detective")

References