Windblade

Windblade is a character from the Transformers franchise. She was the result of a fan poll Hasbro held in 2013 and subsequently was featured in her own comic miniseries.

Windblade
Transformers character
Voiced by	English: Abby Trott (Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy) Amber Lee Connors (Transformers: Tactical Arena) Kristy Wu (Transformers: Robots in Disguise, seasons 1 and 2) Erica Lindbeck (Transformers: Robots in Disguise, season 3) Sophia Isabella (Transformers: Cyberverse) Japanese: Hitomi Nabatame (Transformers: Robots in Disguise) Aoi Yūki (Transformers: Cyberverse)
In-universe information
Affiliation	Autobot
Sub-group	Deluxe Vehicles, Female Autobots, Cityspeaker
Alternate modes	VTOL jet

History

Creation and development

Windblade is the result of the "Fan Built Bot" poll on Hasbro's official website to determine most of her character and physical traits. She was officially revealed as a female Autobot at SDCC 2013. In addition to being made as a toy, she was also lead a special IDW comic mini-series written by Mairghread Scott and illustrated by Sarah Stone. This miniseries was notable for being first Transformers comic with an all-female creative team. Scott didn't give details on Windblade's backstory, but she did say that she had "no intention of presenting her in any sort of stereotypical geisha or hand-over-her-mouth-anime-girl role."

Comics

Kre-O: Transformers

Windblade was one of several Autobots under attack by Bruticus in the Kre-O online comic.

The Transformers

Windblade made her first comics appearance in IDW Publishing Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #26 (February, 2014), which was Chapter 8 of the Dark Cybertron event. Following that event, she was featured in a 4-issue miniseries, The Transformes: Windblade, released from April–July 2014. Windblade was a Transformer from the colony world of Caminus whose claim to fame was her ability to communicate with dormant Metrotitans, for which she bore the title of Cityspeaker. When Thunderclash came looking for a Cityspeaker in order to aid Metroplex on Cybertron, she went with him alongside her bodyguard Chromia and Nautica. After some time they managed to run into Metroplex, and the three chose to station up inside him to keep him alive. Eventually, a team of Autobots from the Lost Light arrived and were able to give Metroplex a jump-start from their ship, allowing them all to space bridge back to Cybertron.

On Cybertron, Windblade aided Optimus along with Starscream, the Dinobots, and the Decepticon Barricade in investigating the a series of murders. The Firecons were early suspects, and were attacked by the group. Windblade was critical by the Autobots' quick reversion to the war, but she remained with the investigation. The group managed to uncover the true murderer, and Windblade later helped Optimus in his original task to return the Matrix of Leadership to the spot he had first received it so long ago. Windblade witnessed the trial of Megatron. Subsequently, she and Ironhide stayed behind on Cybertron under Starscream's leadership as the Lost Light and the Ark-7 departed. Optimus Prime warned her to be wary of Starscream.

Windblade settled into life on Cybertron, serving as Cityspeaker to the damaged Metroplex. Starscream, the planet's leader, grew impatient and suspicious of her. Investigating rolling blackouts with Chromia, she sought advice on interacting with Starscream. Realizing he was a scheming opportunist, she suffered a serious explosion, suspecting Starscream's involvement.

After giving Windblade a veiled threat, Starscream and Rattrap departed. Windblade revealed to Chromia that she had found traces of explosives, before the bodyguard discovered reporters spying on them. Later the two of them met up with Ironhide, who they had sent to guard Metroplex's brain. Windblade searched Metroplex's brain for reasons why Starscream would cause the blackouts, when Chromia noticed that Waspinator had let slipped in an interview that he knew something. Windblade was able to convince him to show her what he discovered despite his unwillingness to talk; a "mine" Starscream had built inside Metroplex, used to sift the Titan for the Regenesis ore in his body. Windblade returned to the reporters and brought them and the denizens of Blurr's bar down there to reveal the mine to them. Three of the Terrorcons guarded the mine, and they were more than happy to try to take down Windblade and her friends. Though she fought back valiantly, at a moment of weakness Starscream and Rattrap interrupted the battle to arrest Windblade and the others (minus Chromia and Sky-Byte) for "crimes against Cybertron."

Windblade was freed by Chromia and Sky-Byte, but Starscream and his goons swiftly attacked. Windblade and Chromia barely manage to enter Metroplex's brain room, where Windblade attempts to connect and understand everything. Merged mentally with Metroplex, she sees Transformer colony worlds, Caminus, and sadly, Chromia's rage. Windblade realizes Chromia planted the bombs to scare her off the planet. Despite supreme disappointment, Windblade, for the greater good, plots with Starscream to keep the truth buried, ensuring a future for Cybertron. She departs, wiser but compromised.

Television

Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy

In the Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy, Windblade was a Transformer from Caminus who previously served as Cityspeaker. Her friend Maxima perished in combat against two combiners, which prompted Windblade to depart for Cybertron to destroy the Enigma of Combination.

Optimus and Megatron were persuaded to join her crusade after learning of the Enigma's location and the council's plans to use it. The trio journeyed to the Council palace and were forced to face the palace defenses, though they inexplicably malfunctioned and Windblade heard a mysterious voice urging her to stop what was transpiring. The situation became further complicated when Devastator appeared and attacked the council.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Windblade was selected for a special mission on Earth by Primus, who upgraded her with flight capabilities and gave her the ability to track Decepticons. Arriving on Earth, she began hunting down Decepticons alone she discovered that other Autobots were also operating on Earth and allied with them to hunt Decepticons together. When Megatronus arrived on Earth, Windblade and others were captured, but escaped and took the entity down. With his defeat, Windblade became a full-time member of the Earth team. Later, she accompanied Optimus and Ratchet back to Cybertron with the rebuilt Alchemor, leaving the rest of the team to continue defending Earth.

Transformers: Cyberverse

Windblade as she appears in Transformers: Cyberverse.

Video games

In Transformers Legends: Into The Abyss, Windblade and Nightbeat were dispatched from the Lost Light to explore a distant planet. There they met a group of Decepticons, and joined forces with them to battle their mutual foes, the Ammonites. Though several Ammonite attacks were thwarted by the alliance, soon differing opinions caused infighting in the group. Eventually, both the Ammonites and the Decepticons were defeated, and the two Autobots returned to their spaceship.

Toys

A year after the "Fan Built Bot" poll, Windblade's first toy was released in 2014. This toy, part of the Generations line, sees Windblade transform from a female robot with 'facepaint' evocative of Japanese Kabuki theatre makeup, into a futuristic VTOL jet. The golden band in her helmet can be pulled out as a fan and she comes with a "Tornado Blade" accessory.