Suiken

Suiken is an Autobot Trainbot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Despite his rail-riding alternate mode, Suiken (スイケン) is an extremely capable warrior on even the most rugged and uneven terrain. He's a veteran of a great many battles, which has given him an incredible depth of knowledge. He can plan battle tactics or even stellar navigation routes for the Trainbots' combined space-traveling train mode.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Generations toy bios

The Trainbots were constructed on Earth, in Japan. Their creation was a collaboration by several Japanese companies utilizing technology developed in the Binaltech Project. Generations Shouki bio

Ask Vector Prime

The Trainbots were built in the Raiden Initiative by a team of Japanese scientists. Doctor Ishihara chose to name the Tōkai-type 153 express, which operates in her home city, Tokyo. The name "Suiken" referenced her favorite style of martial arts. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/27

Train Wars (1)

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. The Train Wars: The Origin

MPG toy bios (1)

The Trainbots joined the Autobots in 2011. They were appointed the Autobot transport team, inheriting the role from Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx after the duo retired for a life of space exploration. MPG Shouki bio

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Kazumi Tanaka (Japanese)

In 2011, Suiken and the Trainbots were operating on Earth. After Galvatron invaded Cybertron, the robot trains assembled to transport their fellow Autobots to Cybertron across the space bridge. Shōki intervened on Ultra Magnus's first fight with Sixshot, knocking aside the ninja consultant long enough for the Autobots to roll out. The convoy was attacked along the way by the Constructicons, but Metroplex drove them off. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky The Trainbots formed Raiden and fought alongside Defensor and Superion against their Decepticon combiner counterparts. They were nearly crushed by falling debris when Bruticus collapsed a building on them using his sonic stun gun. The Mystery of Planet Master Suiken and the Trainbots returned to Earth just in time to shuttle Hot Rod and the Headmasters back to Cybertron, after their successful quest for the Matrix of Leadership. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime In their train mode, Suiken and the Trainbots transported Rodimus Prime and the Monsterbots to planet Beast as reinforcements for the Headmasters. Rebellion on Planet Beast They also carried him into battle again on the planet Praum, where Scorponok had set a trap for Fortress and his team. The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery

Back on Earth, Suiken and the Trainbots took Danny and Wheelie on a sightseeing trip in Tokyo, Japan. When Sixshot a mysterious robot declared his intention to steal all of Japan's energy, Suiken and the Trainbots remained quietly alert, confident their combination form could handle any threat to their homeland. Their passive response to the danger angered the more action-oriented Headmaster team, especially Chromedome. After fruitlessly chasing behind the bandit in attacks on London and New York, Chromedome was incensed when he arrived back at Autobot headquarters to see Suiken and the Trainbots returning from a shopping spree with Danny. Shōki and Chromedome nearly came to blows with each other before Danny intervened.

On the right, on the bottom couch.

When the robot finally made his attack on Japan, Shōki demanded that his team be allowed the first strike against their opponent. Flying to the rescue, Suiken and the Trainbots assembled as Raiden to fight Sixshot. Raiden's victory was prevented by the arrival of Trypticon, piloted by Scourge and Cyclonus. It turned into an all-out brawl after that, with the Headmasters arriving as reinforcements for their comrades. Sixshot was revealed, and he used his ninja training seemingly to duplicate himself, attacking Raiden as several winged wolves. As a demonstration of their newfound trust in each other, Raiden urged Chromedome to shoot at the holographic Sixshots swarming around him, knowing he would certainly be hit by some of the blasts. The Decepticons were eventually driven off, and Shōki and Chromedome shook hands back at headquarters, having forged a warrior's bond on the field of battle. Terror! The Six Shadows

Galvatron soon struck out against Cybertron again, this time seeking the new super-metal known as Cybertonuron. Suiken and the Trainbots were first in line on Earth to transport over the Space Bridge into combat with the Decepticons. They rushed straight into the fighting as soon as they arrived. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 Suiken and the Trainbots confronted the Predacons in defense of their home planet. The battle was fierce but brief, as the Trainbots disabled their opponents. Suiken and Getsuei tricked Razorclaw and Tantrum into crashing into one another by leaping out of the way at just the right moment. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2

Suiken and the Trainbots defended the Sol 1 satellite during its launch cycle. When Scourge, Cyclonus and the Predacons arrived to steal the satellite, they flew out with the Headmasters to stop them. Shōki gave the command and the Trainbots assembled to form Raiden, grappling with Predaking and ultimately chasing off the Decepticons. The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok Next, Suiken's team joined the Protectobots on an emergency rescue mission to Peru, where an active volcano was threatening a small town. They were intercepted by the Predacons, and so Shōki asked Hot Spot to go on ahead and help the villagers while the Trainbots occupied the Preds. Soon, Raiden and Predaking were formed, and the battle was really joined. The Headmasters soon arrived and tagged out the Trainbots, allowing Suiken and his friends to journey to the village and escort the people to safety in their combined train mode. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts In their next evil scheme, the Decepticons unleashed a giant carnivorous plant in downtown San Francisco, prompting the Autobots to respond. Suiken and the Trainbots arrived on the scene, but were confronted by Bruticus, who wished to duel with sabers made of light. The Trainbots formed Raiden and met Bruticus sword for sword. Head On!! Fortress Maximus

Second from the right.

On a geological expedition to Mars with Danny and Spike, Suiken and the Trainbots were present when a series of tremors rocked the landscape. Seeking to investigate, the group split up to locate the source of the phenomena. Suiken and his teammates ran into the Predacons, and soon they learned of a plot to blow up Mars. Passing off the investigation to Chromedome and the Headmasters, Suiken and the Trainbots flew back to Athenia in order to take Spike and Danny to safety. Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger They were almost immediately called back, however — the Decepticon Headmasters had used plasma energy to neutralize Fortress Maximus, leaving the Autobots on Mars in desperate need of reinforcements. Suiken and the trains reformed Raiden as they arrived, and fought against Abominus and the MegaZarak Transtector, scorpion mode. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears

Suiken and the Trainbots served as military transportation for the Autobots when they attacked the Decepticon meeting on the moon. The strike was foiled by the arrival of Galvatron, and the Autobots fled back to Earth aboard the trains. Return of the Immortal Emperor Suiken and his teammates were next used for a relief mission. The planet Sandra was in desperate need of energon, and Ultra Magnus coordinated the Autobots of Earth in gathering some of their energon reserves aboard the Trainbots. Galvatron and the Decepticons wanted the energy for themselves, however, and interfered with the relief aid. Suiken and the Trainbots took off twice for Sandra, and they were twice shot down by the Decepticons before they could leave atmosphere. The Autobots of Earth finally gave up, sending energy reserves from Athenia instead. SOS from Planet Sandra Suiken and the Trainbots also ferried the Witwickys and Headmasters to the mutual benefits talk with Galvatron. When the discussions went sour, they helped the Headmasters defeat the Horrorcons and make it to safety. Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!

After the talks failed, the Decepticons fled into space aboard Scorponok, planning to raid other planets in the universe for their energy. The Trainbots were part of a task force Fortress assembled to chase after their nefarious foes. After reaching the Twin Star planets, Suiken and the Trainbots ferried Brainstorm and Arcee down to the barren world of Toruin. They then transformed into Raiden and flew to the sister planet, Sperity, to battle the Decepticon invaders. Battle for Defense of the False Planet On Daros, Suiken and the Trainbots transported the rescued prisoners from the northern hemisphere to safety. Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!! They also appeared on Paradise, escorting Highbrow on his scouting mission and later flying the Technobots and Monsterbots into battle. Head Formation of Friendship On Pirate Planet, Suiken and the Trainbots defended the pirates' pyramid from Galvatron, so that Highbrow and the Autobot Clones could unlock its secrets first. Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship

After returning to Earth, Suiken and the Trainbots re-entered Ultra Magnus's command at Autobot City. They were summoned to transport the Technobots to Miami, where an Autobot energy facility was under attack by the Decepticons. Suiken and his partners returned to Autobot City once it was attacked by Sixshot and Trypticon. They tried to enter the battle, assembling as Raiden, but were waylaid by Apeface and Snapdragon, who kept them busy long enough for Sixshot to murder Ultra Magnus on the battlefield. In the aftermath, Suiken and his comrades attended Magnus's funeral. Ultra Magnus Dies!!

When Spike and Chromedome needed to get to Earth for the volcano summit, Suiken and the trains popped over to Athenia to give them a ride. At Autobot City, Suiken and Shōki heard a commotion outside and investigated, finding Spike injured in a battle between Metroplex and Trypticon. As Shōki took Spike to safety, Suiken showed himself to be freakishly strong by flipping Trypticon off of Metroplex's back. Holy shit. I Risk My Life for Earth

After the Decepticons seemingly abandoned Earth, Suiken and the Trainbots assisted Spike in rebuilding the planet after the enemy's departure. On one occasion, they located Sixshot's old command base. By combining into Raiden, the Trainbots helped Defensor and Computron obliterate the base, wiping out all trace of the Decepticons' presence. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)

After Wheelie was kidnapped by the Decepticons and ransomed for the secrets of the Master Sword, Suiken and the Trainbots flew Chromedome and Danny in close to the MegaZarak base for a rescue attempt. The Master Sword Is in Danger!! When Danny went missing in a space vortex, Suiken's team joined the Targetmasters in searching for him. My Friend Sixshot! They also transported the Headmasters to the Pallas asteroid in order to battle the Decepticons. Duel on the Asteroid

Upon returning to Earth, Suiken and the Trainbots ferried Danny and the Headmasters to the Andes Mountains for a rescue mission, after Spike and Carly crashed their jet in the treacherous terrain. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1) As part of Raiden, Suiken participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' Head Formation to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

MPG toy bios (2)

The destruction of the space bridge network left the Trainbots pivotal to the Autobots' transportation infrastructure, and they remained a frequent sight on Earth long after the Headmasters and the rest of the Autobot forces departed. MPG Shouki bio

Super-God Masterforce Master File

Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the Master Wars. During this time, the Trainbots discovered that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and reported the news to Fortress. The Headmasters Now!!

Train Wars (2)

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. The Train Wars: The Junction

The Trainbots were heavily injured fighting the Nine Great Demon Generals in the form of Raiden, leaving them requiring extensive repairs. Blaming himself for their condition, Shouki left the team so that his leadership would never endanger them again. Train Wars: Shouki & Daniel Chapter

Later, just as all seemed lost for Shouki and the ragtag band of Transformers left to defend Cybertron, Shouki was greeted by Suiken along with the Micromaster trains Desire and D-Go. The other Trainbots had arrived astride Metroplex, bringing with them the Liner Team and the Train Team! With that, on Windy's count all three teams of train 'bots combined into one massive coupling to chain the Fallen, giving Shouki and company time to vanquish the dark god by funneling Metroplex's power through Shouki's new "Raiden" cannon mode. The battle over, the Trainbots shared a tender moment as their old friend Daniel Witwicky reminded Shouki they were all his partners. Train Wars 2

TV Magazine comic continuity

The Headmasters comic

He's the second train from the bottom.

Responding to a distress call from their Beastformer allies on the planet Beast, Suiken and the Trainbots hurtled through the atmosphere in their separate train modes to deal with the Decepticons menacing the planet. Combining in mid-air, the united team allowed gravity to do the rest of the work as Raiden delivered a shattering "JR Kick" straight to Predaking's face, taking him out of the fight. The day won, Chromedome directed the Trainbots to shuttle the any of the Beastformers' wounded back to the Autobot base on Athenia for treatment. The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!

Back on Earth, Suiken and his team wowed Daniel with their amphibious talents as they transported him and the Autobot Headmasters on a mission to investigate reports of massive squids attacking the Autobots' undersea bases. The Decepticons were laying in ambush and unleashed the culprit, a giant robot squid! The Trainbots allowed themselves to be entangled by the mechanical mollusk, biding their time until Daniel was safe inside his exosuit and the Headmasters' remotely piloted transtectors converged on their location. When the time was right, the Trainbots erupted into their robot modes, catapulting their passengers to safety and shredding several of creatures' tentacles in the process. As the Headmasters did their part by tying the creature into one massive knot, the Trainbots made a show of it by erupting from the ocean as Raiden to swing the swing the automaton architeuthis like a mace, flattening the other Decepticons and ending the aquatic menace. The Headmasters #3

Bottom right.

When Christmas rolled around, Suiken and co got into the spirit of the season when they joined the Autobot Headmasters in handing out gifts at a Japanese children's hospital, even going so far as to procure an enormous Santa hat to don as Raiden and carry a huge sack. The merriment was soon interrupted by the arrival of the Decepticon Headmasters, but rather than join the battle, the Trainbots followed Chromedome's instruction to disengage, decombining and flying the hospital's patients to safety in their respective train modes.The Headmasters #6

The Headmasters story pages

Upon their arrival to Athenia, the Targetmasters set out to make themselves useful by offering their expertise to Fortress's existing troops. While the Trainbots could assume their train modes in a flash, when it came time to combine into Raiden, the big guy failed to live up to his name. Suiken and his team began taking speed transformation lessons from the Autobots' new resident "Speed Coach", Pointblank, to get their super mode formation up to snuff. The Headmasters story pages

Super-God Masterforce comic

Second from the right.

Several years after the Decepticons' expulsion from Earth following the final battle at the North Pole, the Trainbots were dispatched to pick up the new Autobot Masterforce that had risen to prominence on Earth, and bring them to Athenia so Fortress could transfer his position of Supreme Commander to their leader, Ginrai. Naturally, the Decepticons attacked Athenia during Ginrai's stay, and the Trainbots formed Raiden to fight back, only for him to wind up being cut down alongside Chromedome by a powerful blast from the combined Decepticon Scramble 7. The quick thinking of Ginrai and the other Godmasters managed to repel the Decepticons with a combination attack, and a battered Raiden survived to fight another day. The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army

Super-God Masterforce intro

Behind Ginrai.

The Trainbots soared majestically through the sky in their combined train mode alongside Ginrai's base mode. Masterforce title sequence

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Suiken was part of a big crowd of unhappy Cybertronians who made Prowl look really stupid when he tried to make a speech assuring them that everything would be okay after the collapse of Shockwave's supposedly-benevolent rule. Skyfire

Transformers Go! Go!

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Shushupopo!! part 1 Shushupopo!! part 2

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

The Transformers

Toys

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

• Suiken (Trainbot, 1987)

• ID number: C-128
• Accessories: "Storm laser" pistol, 3 "joint parts" connectors, left Raiden fist
• Known designers: Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy)

Released in the third year of Takara's The Headmasters toyline, Trainbot Suiken transforms into a Tokai-type 153 Express locomotive. Like all his fellow Trainbots, he began life as a Diaclone "Train Robo", and he still features space for a Diaclone pilot figure in the front end of his vehicle mode, though he no longer comes with plastic tracks to ride on like the Diaclone figure did. In train mode, he can link up end-to-end with his teammates using the connectors included.

He also forms the left arm of the team's combined mode Raiden... though he can also form the right arm if you're so inclined.

• More information on Suiken at TFU.info

• Raiden (Gift set, 1987)

• ID number: C-131
• Accessories: "Storm laser" pistol, 3 "joint parts" connectors, left Raiden fist

The entire Trainbot team was sold both as individuals and in a six-bot Raiden gift-set. All six toys in this set were identical to their individual releases.

• Suiken (Trainbot, 1990)

• ID number: C-357
• Accessories: "Storm laser" pistol, 3 "joint parts" connectors, left Raiden fist

The Trainbots were re-released during Zone in new packaging, and only as individuals, never in a box set. The toys are identical to their original Headmasters incarnations, except for the fact that they no longer sport rubsigns.

Transform Jr

• Yukikaze / Suiken (Multi-pack, 1987)

• ID number: Trainbot Set 2 (トレインボットセット1)

Stumpy, simplified, weapon-less versions of Suiken and the other five Trainbots were released as part of Takara subsidiary Seven's Transform Jr line of simplified Transformers toys (these molds were originally part of Takara's Diaclone offerings). Suiken was available in a boxed two-pack with Yukikaze, and the pair could combine with the other four Trainbots (also released in packs of two) to form a stumpy little Raiden.

This release of Suiken ended up primarily dark blue and cream rather than his normal dark green; this happens to be the colors of the original toy's Diaclone alternate deco, but it's also possible this was simply a case of the necessities of gang-molding forcing the color change, as all of the other Trainbots have their original/Transformers colors.

• Raiden (Gift set, 1987)

• ID number: C-131
• Accessories: Left & right fists, chestplate, "Train Bazooka" rifle

The Transform Jr versions of Suiken and his team were also available in a complete gift set. As with the larger versions, these are identical to their individual releases.

MPG

I'm a man of means by no means

• Trainbot Suiken (2023)

• Release date: June 24, 2023
• ID number: MPG-04
• Accessories: "Snow Laser" gun, Raiden's "Train Bazooka" rifle, rail A, rail B, joint part
• Known designers: Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy), Dai Ono (Tomytec), Yuki Ohshima (concept artist)

Previously teased on the "A Railway Story In The Sky" exhibition on December 3, 2019 and later confirmed in a magazine interview^[1] with designer Kōjin Ōno in the March 2021 issue of Figure Ō, Suiken is the fourth release in MPG. Produced in collaboration with TOMIX, the train department of TakaraTomy's scale model oriented subsidiary Tomytec, the figure converts into a fully HO scale compatible incarnation of his classic JNR 153 series "Tokai" Express train mode in Shōnan livery.^[2] Suiken's third mode forms the left arm of the historic first "Masterpiece" combiner in the form of a new incarnation of Raiden. In addition to his traditional position as Raiden's arm, the front of Suiken's train mode splits off to form Raiden's left "Leg Beam" ankle winglet, formerly an inert piece of combiner kibble.

The figure's last contribution to the combined mode comes in the form of Raiden's "Train Bazooka" rifle, now usable to the individual Trainbots via a tab and flip-down secondary handle that allow it to live up to its name with an ersatz bazooka mode. As with the prior MPG Trainbots, Suiken includes two modular railway sections slated to combine with segments included with the other Trainbots a la the team's original Diaclone plastic tracks. This track can be converted into a base for a stand armature (sold separately), and an adapter is included for a "flying train," a staple of the Headmasters cartoon. An indentation on the underside of the tracks can store Raiden's Kōken included with the later MPG-05 Trainbot Seizan.

MPG Suiken is notably the only MPG Trainbot without a 100% licensed alt mode, as all 153 series trains were removed from service before the reorganization of the JNR into the JR Group companies in 1987.

One word of warning is necessary for the aspirant MPG Trainbot diorama builder: the set's adherence to vehicle mode accuracy proves something of a double-edged sword. While the MPG Trainbots adhere to a unified 1:87-ish HO scale, they do not adhere to a unified track width. In accordance with their real-life inspirations, Shouki, Yukikaze, Ginou and Yamabuki utilize standard gauge (true HO) tracks while Getsuei, Suiken, Seizan and Kaen utilize metre gauge (HOm) tracks. It is thus necessary to split the team up accordingly if one is to actually roll the danged things.^[3]

• Official TakaraTomy website of MPG Trainbot Suiken
• Machine translation of MPG Trainbot Suiken's bio

Notes

• It is a difficult to tell the true meaning of Suiken's name, since it is "spelled" in phonetic katakana rather than kanji. However, suiken (酔拳, literally "water fist") is the Japanese transliteration for the Chinese zuì quán (醉拳) style of kung-fu — known more commonly in the West as the "Drunken Fist" style. We've never seen Suiken down a swig and go all Drunken Master on anyone, but the possibilities are awesomely tantalizing. This was referenced years later when the Facebook edition of Ask Vector Prime told the origin story of the Trainbots.
• Suiken had the preliminary name of Storm (ストーム),^[4] which was likely taken from the occasional identification of the Diaclone toy as "Stormliner" (ストームライナー Sutōmurainā).
• The Japanese term in his function that's normally translated "plains" or "wasteland" is the one used in the translation of the title "High Plains Drifter", so you could consider him to be a high plains warrior. Suiken does not, however, talk like Clint Eastwood.
• The Trainbots are all originally Diaclone toys, which came in two different color schemes. However, there are several mold differences between the Diaclone and Transformers versions. Suiken's most notable difference is that the Transformers versions lost a spring-loaded firing mechanism for the fist / front part of the train, which the Diaclone version does contain. Due to this change, the connector-peg for his robot-mode backpack was remolded from a long notched peg (as seen on his box-art) to a shorter and far less breakable peg. The Transformers releases also lost the Diaclone pilots (of course) and the little plastic tracks for the trains to ride on.
• Suiken appears as part of the Trainbots' combined train form in the title sequence of the Super-God Masterforce cartoon, but not in the series itself. The series creators seem to have intended to use the Robot Train to travel back and forth to Athenia, more closely tying Super-God Masterforce to previous Transformers series, but the idea was quietly dropped. They did, however, appear for that purpose in the concurrent comic series.

References

External links

• Diaclone Suiken at Diaclone.net (Japanese-language site)