Autobots

Ironhide

A blunt old soldier. Shoots first and asks questions later — but always has his team's back.

Where he comes from

Cybertron. One of the oldest Autobot warriors, who has fought since the very beginning of the war.

Story

Ironhide is the Autobots' bodyguard and weapons expert, a veteran who has seen more battles than anyone on the team. He dislikes long talks and believes the best plan is the one where everyone comes home.

In the films Ironhide is a weapons specialist with an endless arsenal of cannons. His death at the hands of the traitor Sentinel Prime in Dark of the Moon was one of the most painful moments for fans.

Classifier: traits & abilities

Faction
Autobots
Role
Bodyguard, weapons specialist
Alt-modes
Van (G1), large pickup truck (films)
Weapons
Liquid-projecting guns (G1), twin rotary cannons (films)
Abilities
Heavy armour, firepower, close-combat experience
Strengths
Toughness, loyalty, battle experience
Weaknesses
Impatience, early distrust of humans
Personality
Gruff, blunt, protective
Key relationships
Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Cliffjumper
First appearance
1984
Voice (G1)
Peter Cullen

Filmography

YearTitle
1984–1987The Transformers (G1)
1986The Transformers: The Movie
2007Transformers
2009Revenge of the Fallen
2011Dark of the Moon

Main screen appearances; not an exhaustive list.

Fan prequel: «Armour That Remembers»

An original story by this site. Not part of the official canon.

There isn't a smooth patch on Ironhide's armour: dents, scars, weld marks. Rookies ask why he doesn't polish it like the others.

Once, he did. After his first great victory Ironhide let the craftsmen of Iacon restore him to the shine of new metal. The next day he didn't recognise himself in the mirror — and couldn't recall the names of those who had stood beside him in those battles.

Since then he hasn't let a single mark be erased. "Every dent is someone I covered," he says. "Polish the armour, forget the friends." That's why Ironhide still looks like he has just come back from a fight. In a way, he always has.