The Autobot Warrior, Sixknight?!

« Transformers: Super-God Masterforce ep 20 »
"The Autobot Warrior, Sixknight?!" サイバトロン戦士 シックスナイト?! () (Cybertron Senshi Sixknight?!)
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	13 September 1988
Writer	Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
Director	Yoshikata Nitta
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Both Sixknight and Cancer have been greatly affected by their experiences with the Autobots and decide to do something about their conflicted loyalties.

Synopsis

"Aren't you supposed to have horns and a tail?"

The recruitment of Road King to the ranks of the Autobots has completed the search for the Godmasters, and Ginrai celebrates with the Pretenders, although they offer so many toasts to their recent successes that he can't even get the time to drink. It's at this point that Metalhawk hits him with a bombshell: He wants Ginrai to take over as leader of the Autobots! Ginrai is not thrilled with the idea, but the Pretenders don't give him much choice in the matter.

Elsewhere, the Decepticon Headmaster Juniors are relaxing on a beach. Cancer tries practicing his martial arts, but can't focus; his mind is clouded with memories of Minerva and the kindness she has shown him in the past. Wilder and Bullhorn tease Cancer mercilessly about his infatuation, although Cancer loudly denies it. Bullhorn really begins to lose his temper, suggesting that Cancer just go and join the Autobots if he likes her so much, and the pair almost start fighting for real before Wilder breaks it up and tells them to return to the base, where Giga and Mega have arranged a lavish feast for dinner. As Giga pontificates about the loss of the newest Godmasters to the Autobot side, Mega notices that Cancer is not eating and calls him to her chambers after the meal. There, she consoles him and presents him with a gift: a tiny Transformer named Browning, whom Cancer quickly befriends.

Should you really be letting the 11-year-old fly the helicopter?

In the fields surrounding Autobot Base, the Autobot Headmaster Juniors relax, and Minerva tends to Ranger's horse. Looking into the horse's eyes, she is reminded of Cancer's own "beautiful eyes" and wonders aloud what he is doing, much to the consternation of Cab and Shūta. Suddenly, their relaxation is brought to an abrupt halt by the arrival of Sixknight, who throws down his guns and expresses his desire not to fight, but merely to speak with Ginrai. Shūta contacts the base, and Ginrai agrees to meet with the six-changer.

Meanwhile, Cancer and Browning have taken a helicopter from the Decepticon base and brought Wilder and Bullhorn to Japan. Desperate to prove to his teammates—and perhaps to himself—that Minerva means nothing to him, Cancer has them disembark in mid-air, boarding their Transtectors and returning to the area in which Cancer was originally captured by the Autobots. His plan is to begin tearing up the area to draw out the Autobots, although the scheme gets off to a bad start when the diminutive Browning proves too small to pilot the still-flying helicopter, and it crashes on top of the Juniors.

"See that? I caught that fly. There was a time I could do that with chopsticks."

At the same time, Ginrai arrives before Sixknight, and the six-changer asks him the question that has been torturing him since they last fought: How could a Transformer have lost to a frail, fragile being like a human? An impassioned Ginrai explains that the great strength of human beings is their indomitable spirit and their will to fight for the sake of their loved ones, even if they know they cannot win. Sixknight rejects this answer, unable to comprehend losing to an intangible concept rather than to a physical force, but Ginrai continues to explain that it is this strength to overcome such fears and limitations that makes humans great. Just then, a report of the Headmaster Juniors' rampage comes in, and the Autobots immediately depart to deal with them. Sixknight, however, wants to prove to Ginrai that he is not a Decepticon and offers to take care of the Juniors himself.

As the Juniors tear through a city and Cancer calls out for Minerva to show herself, Sixknight drops out of the sky and immediately begins pummeling the three Juniors. Ginrai and the Autobot Juniors soon arrive, and Ginrai orders them to hold back, unsure of what to make of Sixknight's actions and waiting to see more. Sixknight's multiple transformations push the Juniors back and force them to change strategy, pretending to surrender and then rushing Sixknight when he moves in. The tables are briefly turned, but Minerva darts onto the battlefield and appeals to Cancer, who cruelly rebuffs her. While he is distracted by her, however, Sixknight is able to seize him and hurl him into his comrades, putting things back in his favor again. Now no longer willing to spare the Decepticons, Sixknight is about to deliver the killing stroke when he pauses, unsure of whether or not to go through with it. Browning uses his hesitation to ask Minerva for help in saving Cancer, transforming to pistol mode and having her fire him at Sixknight. Browning unleashes a volley of smoke bombs, which obscure the battlefield and allow the Decepticons to escape. Sixknight realizes that what he did was enough, and that he did not truly have it in him to kill them. Convinced that Sixknight is trustworthy, Ginrai invites him to the Autobot base, but Sixknight remarks that Ginrai should not trust him so easily. Telling Ginrai that he now knows there was a purpose in their meeting, he departs, saying that they will meet again.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"It is important to me. Humans are tiny, their bodies weak. If I were to step on them, they would go into the next world. If it is cold, they starve; if it is hot, they collapse from the heat. How could I have lost to such a being?"

—Sixknight

"I don't know how to say this, but if you want an answer...like you said, humans are tiny and weak. Their hearts tremble! But to protect their loved ones, they will fight even if they know they cannot win! That is the strength of humans!"

—Ginrai

"Be quiet, Cleaning!"
"It's BROWNING! GET MY NAME RIGHT!"

—Browning doesn't put up with punning from Bullhorn.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Road King was recruited by the Autobots in the previous episode.
• Cancer and Minerva's unusual relationship began in "A Strange Friendship: Cancer and Minerva".
• Sixknight previously appeared and battled Ginrai in "A Powerful Foe!! Sixknight the Wanderer".

Real world references

• Diver is still reading The Currents of Spade, by "Izaac Esimov", the same book he was reading in "Super Warriors - The Godmaster Brothers". He must be a slow reader.

Trivia

• The Autobots play with animated playing cards. The joker winked at Diver and the Autobot symbol on the ace of hearts flashed.
• While on the beach, Cancer's thoughts turn to Minerva when he sees a pair of crabs walking along together. It's easy to forget that Cancer's unfortunate name comes not from the disease, but from the astrological sign of the crab, derived from the fact that his Transtector is a crab-monster. So, he's just one crab, all on his own, and the sight of a pair of them makes him sad. Aww.
• This is the first Super-God Masterforce episode to feature a full insert song, in the form of "Kiseki no Transformer", which was previously heard in instrumental form in "Lightfoot: A Dramatic Encounter".
• Super-God Masterforce took a two-week break between the airing of the previous episode and this one.

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "A New Friend, Sixshot" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: October 28, 1990

Spanish

• Title: "Un Nuevo Amigo" ("A New Friend")
• Original airdate: ?

Home video releases

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Super-God Masterforce — DVD Box 01 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — The Takara Collection Vol 2 — Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2008 — The Transformers: Super God Masterforce (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory)
2012 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Super-God Masterforce (Shout! Factory)