Hardhead (G1)

Hardhead is an Autobot Headmaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

No, my toy's head looks nothing remotely like this, why do you ask?

Hardhead is a soldier to his core. A soldier with a stubborn streak a megamile wide. He's stubborn to the point of rejecting outright any path but his own, any idea that goes against his natural instinct or inclination (namely fighting), and any advice he didn't come up with himself. He doesn't talk much, and when he does, it tends to be blunt and terse, if not outright rude. A soldier doesn't waste time on social niceties when there's a war to fight.

Perhaps surprisingly, given his limited social aptitude, Hardhead has found a good companion in Duros, his binary-bonded Nebulan partner, who enjoys warfare just as much as Hardhead does. The two mesh so well, it's been said that theirs may be the best match among all the Autobot-Nebulan teams.

Sometimes he works with the Partner Drone Tankette.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Stephen Keener (English), Eiji Itō (Japanese), Franz Rudnick (German, The Rebirth, Part 1), Hans-Rainer Müller (German, The Rebirth, Part 2), Albert Augier (European French, The Rebirth, Part 1), Georges Atlas (European French, The Rebirth, Part 2), Francis Lax and Michel Barbey (European French, supporting voices)

This is what my head looks like. Sometimes.

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime, the Decepticons practically disappeared for a time. On Cybertron, Brainstorm used this reprieve to experiment on pairing Transformers with human partners, though his efforts did not convince Hardhead or Chromedome. Shortly after the exercise, Optimus Prime contacted them, notifying them of the Decepticons' return. They had stolen the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber and were on their way to the chamber itself on Cybertron. Unfortunately, the chamber's activation would destroy Cybertron. Hardhead and several other Autobots commandeered a ship to head off Scourge and Cyclonus before they could reach the Plasma Energy Chamber, and they managed to retrieve the Key, but an energy surge smacked the Autobot ship out of Cybertron's orbit and far into space.

Hardhead and the others crash-landed on a strange planet named Nebulos and were quickly taken captive by an underground resistance movement that believed the Autobots were machines controlled by the Hive, who ruled Nebulos. The Rebirth, Part 1 After Hardhead volunteered to become a Headmaster, he was partnered with Duros. Their first test run against the Hive machines was a cracking success with the pair working to take one down. They followed that up by taking part in the liberation of some Autobots who had been captured by Decepticon forces, easily outclassing their foe. He was the first to welcome Optimus Prime when the Autobot leader arrived on the planet. The Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters managed to get the stolen key back from the Decepticons, only for Scorponok to reveal himself. The Rebirth, Part 2

With the key back in Decepticon hands, the Autobots headed back to Cybertron in an attempt to regain it. It looked like the Decepticons were planning to open the Plasma Energy Chamber, and the Autobots suddenly found themselves abandoned by their partners. Stuck in vehicle mode, Hardhead and the others tried to storm Scorponok to rescue Arcee and Daniel Witwicky, but were easily captured. Spike Witwicky came to the rescue with Fortress Maximus, and the Autobots were free for all of thirty seconds before they were overwhelmed by the energies from the opened Plasma Energy Chamber. Luckily they had Spike and the Nebulons to close the chamber and bring about a new Golden Age.

Hardhead, Duros and the other Headmasters later returned to Nebulos to begin the work of reclaiming and rebuilding the planet. The Rebirth, Part 3

Wings Universe

During the Machine Wars, Hardhead was promoted to Autobot City Commander by Obsidian. He defended one of the city-states of Cybertron against the onslaught of Jhiaxus's clone soldiers. Termination

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Masato Hirano (Japanese), Simon Broad (English), Enrico Carabelli (Italian)

Four million years ago, Hardhead was among a group of diminutive Cybertronians who departed Cybertron under the leadership of Fortress, seeking to escape the eternal war that had consumed the planet. The Mystery of Planet Master Alas, engine trouble caused their craft to crash land on the planet Master, an inhospitable world whose murderous environments and wildly changeable atmospheric conditions threatened the lives of the Cybertronians almost as soon as they stepped off their ship and were caught in a desert of sinking sands. Fighting against the odds, the Cybertronians made several technological quantum leaps to survive on Master, including the creation of larger, lifeless Transformer bodies called transtectors. Hardhead and many of his comrades underwent rigorous physical and mental training to master the art of transformation, learning to transform into heads that connected to the transtectors and placed them under their control. The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery Hardhead was one of ten warriors who became one of these "Headmasters", but unfortunately, half their number soon rebelled against Fortress's leadership and sided with a traitor named Scorponok against him. Via the Decepticon ninja Sixshot, Scorponok soon forged an alliance with the Decepticon leader, Galvatron. The Mystery of Planet Master

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Hardhead and his fellow Autobot Headmasters traveled to the planet to help their comrades defend their homeworld. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky He helped Chromedome fight Weirdwolf. After the battle concluded with a Decepticon retreat, the Headmasters went to Athenia for introductions with the rest of the Autobots. The Mystery of Planet Master They soon joined Hot Rod on Earth to search for the Matrix of Leadership and fought Abominus while Hot Rod retrieved their prize. They returned to Cybertron with the Matrix, and witnessed Optimus Prime sacrificing himself to save Vector Sigma and Hot Rod becoming Rodimus Prime once more. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime

And sometimes, my head looks like this.

When the Decepticons developed the Madmachine, the Headmasters were all ready to storm over to Chaar and destroy it. Instead Rodimus had Blaster resurrected as Twincast, and the Headmasters went to Cybertron to delay the Decepticons and their machine long enough for Twincast to find a way to destroy it. The Great Cassette Operation Out on patrol in space, Hardhead and Chromedome first found stowaways in the form of Daniel and Wheelie, and then retrieved a couple of Beastformers floating in space. The latter led the Headmasters to the planet Beast, where they found the natives had been subjugated by the Decepticons. Joining with White Leo's rebels, they helped free the natives from Decepticon rule. Rebellion on Planet Beast

After the Decepticons directed a metal-warping meteor named Metamorphose at Athenia, the Headmasters accompanied Daniel on a mission to destroy it and ended up tangling with the Decepticon Headmasters. Approach of the Demon Meteorite Lured to the planet Praum by a distress call, the five Headmasters fell into a trap laid by Scorponok. It was only by remembering their struggles back on Master that they performed a Cross-Head on and escaped the trap so they could fight the Decepticons. The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery When Earth's major powers were threatened by a mysterious blackmailer, the Headmasters attempted fruitlessly to track the culprit down, until a clue led them to the fact it was Sixshot. They joined Raiden in cornering Sixshot in Japan and saw the Decepticon off. Terror! The Six Shadows

The Headmasters continued their training, with Hardhead exercising on a treadmill. When the Decepticons were reported to be heading for Earth, he and Chromedome went there to investigate, and when it turned out that the Decepticons were heading to Cybertron to secure the supply of cybertonuron, the pair joined the other Earth-based Autobots in heading there too. The Decepticon Headmasters mysteriously ran off mid-battle Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 and the Autobots tracked them down. They followed the trio to Vector Sigma's chamber, where the Decepticons had planted a number of bombs. Unable to defuse them, the Autobot Headmasters headed to the surface and raised the alarm, allowing the planet to be evacuated before it was destroyed. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down

At the party to celebrate the completion of the Sol 1 satellite, Hardhead got drunk, bullied Twincast into providing music, and "treated" everyone to some karaoke. When the Decepticons attacked the launch, Hardhead and Highbrow double-teamed Cyclonus and the satellite was successfully launched, though a short time afterward, the Decepticons stole it. The Headmasters tried to retrieve it, but were eventually forced to destroy it to prevent it being used for evil. The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok The Headmasters followed that up by helping save the residents of the South American village of Pan from a nearby erupting volcano. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts They also faced a huge buridanka plant as it attacked San Francisco, though it wasn't until Fortress pulled out the Master Sword that they were able to defeat it. Head On!! Fortress Maximus

I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire a hundred shots or only ninety-nine? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a metal shard-firing shatterblaster, the most powerful rifle in the universe, and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

When reports came in of the Decepticons being up to something on Mars, hardhead and the other Headmasters traveled there in Broadside. After tangling with Predaking they rescued Daniel and found out that the Decepticons were planning to blow the entire planet up. Interrogating the Decepticons led them to a crater which naturally turned out to be a trap. Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger With Maximus, Brainstorm and Highbrow out of commission, Hardhead and Chromedome fought on. Despite the help of Raiden and the other Headmasters once they were better, the Autobots were faced with the arrival of Scorponok's new transtector, and were unable to prevent the Decepticons destroying the planet. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears

Despite Fortress's orders, Chromedome and Hardhead made an attempt to attack Chaar by concealing themselves aboard Maximus and heading toward the planet while the ship was on patrol. They were intercepted by the forewarned Decepticons, who sent them back to Maximus in a hurry. Hardhead took part in the Autobot strike on Scorponok's coronation, and was witness to the return of Galvatron. Return of the Immortal Emperor Following a distress call from the planet Sandra, the Headmasters attempted to take a shipment of energon there. When they were ambushed by the Decepticons en route, Hardhead and Chromedome used their transtectors as decoys while they went on ahead to deliver the energy. SOS from Planet Sandra

As part of Spike's plan to negotiate with the Decepticon, the four Headmasters accompanied him to Shangri-La Island on Earth as an escort. When the Galvatron who met with Spike turned out to be an impostor, Hardhead and the others rescued Carly and Daniel before attacking the Decepticons. During the escape, Sixshot destroyed the space bridge network, and the Autobots set out in pursuit in Battleship Maximus. Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!! When the Decepticons invaded Hive, the Headmasters set out to assist, but the Hive ships mistook them for enemies, and even Hardhead, Chromedome, and Brainstorm trying to reason with them didn't help. After Chromedome went on ahead and persuaded the people of Hive that the Autobots were on their side, the other Headmasters were allowed to help fight off the Decepticons. Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!

The Autobots followed the Decepticons to Twin Star, where it turned out that the planet the Decepticons were attacking had already been evacuated of population and energy. Battle for Defense of the False Planet They next followed an SOS to planet Daros where they helped overthrow a corrupt government and fight off the Decepticons. Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!! Hardhead and Chromedome were put to work fixing Battleship Maximus's weapons systems, and completed repairs by the time they had to go rescue Highbrow and expel the Decepticons from the idyllic world of Paradise. Head Formation of Friendship They again tangled with the Decepticons on the Pirate Planet, though it ultimately turned out that the planet's energy was long gone. Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship

Humpty Grumpty.

As the Decepticons returned to Chaar, their mission complete, so the Headmasters returned to Athenia. They were unable to get to Earth in time to prevent Sixshot from killing Ultra Magnus, but fought the ninja off with a fearsome counter-attack. Ultra Magnus Dies!! The emboldened Decepticons began striking across the globe until the Headmasters tracked Galvatron down in Alaska. Using information passed on by Punch, they defeated the Decepticon leader and buried him beneath the ice. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg New information pointed to the Decepticons trying to destroy Earth altogether. As Chromedome had been relieved of duty by Fortress, Brainstorm took Hardhead and Highbrow to face the Decepticons on Kamchatka Peninsula. They didn't fare well until Chromedome completed Highbrow's research, discovering Scorponok's weak point. I Risk My Life for Earth

With the Decepticons having abandoned Earth, the Autobots set about repairing the damage they'd done. Hardhead and Chromedome attempted to remove a number of bombs from a mine, but when Chromedome accidentally activated one, the pair had to perform a head switch to get them out safely. As they transported the bombs to a safe location in space, the Headmasters encountered a ship of refugees from Master. The refugees attempted to help dispose of the bombs but were caught in the explosion. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1) The refugees from Master became bonded as Targetmasters with three newly arrived Autobots, who turned out to have a low opinion of the Headmasters. Nonetheless, the Headmasters returned to their home world to fight the Decepticons. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)

We don't know why he's smiling, because we can't see what he's doing behind that rock.

After the Decepticons ransomed Wheelie for information on the Master Sword, Hardhead and the other Autobots were unsuccessful in keeping said information out of the Decepticons' hands, even after Wheelie was rescued. The Master Sword Is in Danger!! The Headmasters worked on finding Scorponok by searching for unique energy wavelengths and even found the cavern where he was constructing the Zarak Shield, but were too late to prevent its completion. The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide Hardhead and the others went along with Chromedome's plan to rally the population of Master against the Decepticons, only for the whole plan to go wrong when Scorponok popped up in the middle of a major city and defeat Fortress Maximus. Operation: Destroy the Decepticons

As the Decepticons left Master to head home, the Autobots gave chase. When Daniel was inadvertently ejected during a battle, the Headmasters eventually traced him to Daira, though they had a hard time believing that he'd been looked after by Sixshot. My Friend Sixshot! When Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a duel, the other Headmasters tried and failed to talk their comrade out of it. They were unable to follow him to lend help, as it turned out the whole thing was a diversion while the Decepticons headed for Earth. Duel on the Asteroid

Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?

By the time the Autobots reached Earth, the Decepticons had begun erecting Death Towers made from crysmagnetal around the globe, discharging energy from their tops. The Headmasters had their hands full attending to the crash of Spike and Carly's plane in the Andes Mountains. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1) The Autobots headed for Egypt where they tangled briefly with the three Decepticon Headmasters and failed to stop another Death Tower going up. As a last ditch effort, the Headmasters joined the entire Autobot army in a counter strike on the Decepticons at the North Pole. Hardhead and Chromedome were saved from Mindwipe's hypnotism by Twincast and his cassettes. As Fortress Maximus was caught in the energies preparing to tear the planet apart, Hardhead and the other three Headmasters attempted a Head Formation to give him more power. It was only when the other Autobots joined in that they succeeded, and the Decepticons' satellite was destroyed. With the Decepticons having fled into space, the Autobots left Earth to pursue them. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

Super-God Masterforce cartoon

Archive footage of a battle in space involving Hardhead was used to educate the future Headmaster Juniors about the Master Wars. Birth! Headmaster Jrs

Legends comic

In a dream, Brainstorm told the Legends Universe's Rattrap the story about how he and other diminutive Autobots, including Hardhead, fled Cybertron because of the war and settled on Master. Bonus Edition Vol. 9 Hardhead tried to calm a jealous Chromedome down when he was getting upset over the fact that Brainstorm had gotten an upgraded body. Brainstorm Chapter

In 2021, Fortress's Autobots were fighting a returned Scorponok in space when the Decepticon's machinations infected them all with blackballs that shrunk their bodies, threatening to ultimately collapse them in on themselves. Hardhead and the other Headmasters were forced to abandon their transtectors before they disappeared, then traveled to the Legends Universe to have new ones built. Headmaster Chapter Prologue On arrival, the Autobots joined forces with the local Axalon Trading Company for transtector production and became normal office workers. Hardhead enjoyed this peaceful lifestyle, wishing he could stay there forever, but accepted that he was fated to be a warrior after his transtector was finished and he was tasked with defending the city from an incoming meteor. Though his weapons were ineffective, he was able to destroy the meteor with a mighty headbutt, at the cost of injuring his true body. Bonus Edition Vol. 21

Hardhead set out when Skullcruncher was causing a ruckus in the city, revealing that the Decepticons had come to the Legends Universe as well. Learning that Skullcruncher was suffering from narcolepsy, he worked with Twincast to neutralize the Decepticon with a lullaby. Bonus Edition Vol. 22 He was unable to defeat Galvatron, however, and had to be bailed out by Blurr. Bonus Edition Vol. 25 He later manned Twincast-turned-Blaster's battle station as he battled Scourge, and sang during their victory concert. Bonus Edition Vol. 27 Hardhead enjoyed playing sumo wrestling with Rattrap, and was bested one day when the rat powered up by using Master-Braces to transform into a Headmaster. Bonus Edition Vol. 28 While out drinking with Chromedome, Hardhead offered to help Weirdwolf put up posters for his lost pet/transtector, only to end up throwing them in a river during a fight with Chromedome. The two were then knocked out by Weirdwolf's partner, Rarigo, and towed back home by Tankette. Bonus Edition Vol. 30 Fortress later told the hot-blooded Chromedome to be more like Hardhead, who'd settled down after finding a "wife" in Tankette. Hardhead also fought alongside Fortress Maximus during his battle with Metroplex. Bonus Edition Vol. 31

Hardhead watched as Chromedome flew around the office on Moguru. Bonus Edition Vol. 32 When Highbrow shut himself in his room, obsessed with research, Hardhead and Chromedome were disappointed and tried in vain to lure him out. Bonus Edition Vol. 33 Hardhead was among those hypnotized into mindless servants of Mindwipe. Bonus Edition Vol. 34 While watching the Transformers: Convobat Amazon Showdown film with Highbrow, he pondered if Convobat was a real person in some alternate universe just like them. Bonus Edition Vol. EX He was hypnotized again by Soundblaster into attacking Twincast, but while he and the others were cured, Soundblaster used the Zodiac to force their transtectors into immobile "base modes" before they could capture him. Bonus Edition Vol. 36 He was present when the long-absent Brainstorm joined them in Legends Universe, Bonus Edition Vol. 39 and helped defend the Maximus from the Astroforce until they fell to their own hunger. Bonus Edition Vol. 40

While cleaning their transtectors, Hardhead, Chromedome and Brainstorm were attacked by three look-a-likes of themselves who locked them in their transtectors, explaining that they were Nebulons who needed robotic bodies to form heads for their battle with Zarak. The Headmasters agreed to help by controlling the transtectors from their cockpits while the Nebulons formed the heads, with Hardhead working with his doppelganger Duros to help defeat Zarak. As they said their goodbyes, Hardhead asked their visitors if they really were aliens, prompting them to remove their helmets to prove it. LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter He later helped with the construction of a new Godbomber. Bonus Edition Vol. 42 When Black Convoy and the Dimensional Patrol locked away everyone's transtectors, the Autobots resisted and took down some of his drones, modifying them into transtectors so they could fight back until Black Convoy turned on the Patrol. Bonus Edition Vol. EX During Trypticon's attack on the city, Hardhead and the other Headmasters attacked the Decepticon Headmasters who had rebuilt him, but were defeated by Trypticon himself. Bonus Edition Vol. 43

Hardhead was driving on the streets of Akihabara after it was rebuilt as Neo Akihabara City in the wake of Trypticon's destruction. Targetmaster Chapter Prologue He was later among the Transformers knocked out by Slugslinger's anti-electron assault. Bonus Edition Vol. 55

Wars comics

Hardhead was present on Cybertron when the Fallen attempted to steal Vector Sigma. Train Wars

TV Magazine comic continuity

The Great Transformer War

While significant Transformer battles were being waged on Earth and across space, Hardhead and the other Headmasters were battling their Decepticon counterparts on the planet Master. Thinking that the three Decepticons had escaped them by leaping into a chasm, Hardhead began raging, and nearly wound up fighting with Brainstorm when the other Headmaster told him to calm down. Luckily, he was able to direct his anger back upon the Decepticons when they came bursting out of the ground beneath the Autobots' feet. The Decepticons didn't fare terribly well in the battle, which abruptly ended when the Decepticon ninja Sixshot arrived and instructed them to follow him back to Chaar. The Decepticons fled into space, but Hardhead and his fellow Autobot Headmasters quickly gave chase aboard the battleship Maximus, heading for Cybertron rejoin the larger Transformer war. The Great Transformer War #3

The Headmasters comic

On Athenia, Hardhead attended the unveiling of the Optimus Prime memorial statue. He and the other Headmasters also waylaid a Decepticon bombing attack on the planet. The Headmasters #1

Venturing to Beast, Hardhead and the Headmasters investigated an SOS from their allies. On ground patrol, Hardhead and Chromedome were assaulted by Reprogamma...the Fever Vegetation! Luckily, Kane and the Beastformers were able to cut them free. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters, Trainbots, and Beastformers successfully drove the Decepticon forces off of Beest and back to Chaar. The Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!

Headhead and the Headmasters next traveled to an Alaskan energy refinery, where the Decepticon Headmasters managed to temporarily get the drop on them, separating the Masters from their Transtectors. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Autobot Headmasters reunited with their Transtectors and defeated the enemy. The Headmasters #2

The Trainbots joined Hardhead and the Headmasters on an undersea mission where they found Rippersnapper, Skullcruncher and the Sharkticons stealing(?) energy from subaquatic vents. They also found a giant robot squid lying in wait. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters and Trainbots dismantled the squid and stopped the Decepticons' scheme. The Headmasters #3

In a battle with Sixshot, Hardhead and the Headmasters failed to prevent the Six Clan ninja from stealing food rations. And kidnapping Daniel. By accident. Way to go, guys. The Headmasters #4

During the Christmas season, Hardhead and his friends entertained the patients at a children's hospital until the Decepticons arrived. Through quick thinking and teamwork...aw, you get the picture. The Headmasters #6

On Earth, Hardhead and the crew of the Battleship Maximus helped put out a fire so that Ricochet and Artfire could concentrate on battling the Decepticons. The Headmasters #7

Super-God Masterforce comic

Several years after the end of the Headmasters' war on Earth, a new Autobot Supreme Commander named Ginrai was appointed, and flown to Athenia for his coronation. Hardhead was present for the ceremony, and then helped to fight off a Decepticon attack upon the planet. The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army

When Chromedome and Metalhawk were about to be defeated while defending the Bomber Project from Jin, Mirai, and Megatron, Hardhead and the other Autobot Headmasters showed up with the Godcannon in tow. Using the cannon, they were able to defeat their opponents. Headmasters VS Masterforce

Soon after, when the Decepticon BlackZarak made his way to Earth, Hardhead, the other Autobot Headmasters and Raiden pursued him, but were defeated in battle in Earth's orbit. God Ginrai's Amazing Divine Combination!

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Highbrow's forehead is right!

A long time ago, on Cybertron, Hardhead was part of an Autobot strike unit led by Fortress Maximus. This unit operated out of a cave dug into the Manganese Mountains, and often worked to foil the schemes of their primary nemesis, Scorponok. Their last major mission on Cybertron was to upset a slave march to the smelting pools. After that, however, Fortress Maximus revealed to the Autobots that he had grown sick of warfare, and planned to escape the endless ring of hate by immigrating to a new world altogether: Nebulos. Initially, Hardhead was outraged and accused Maximus of cowardice for even conceiving of leaving the war before it was finished, but he was quickly chastized when Highbrow reminded him of how valiantly their leader had fought on the battlefield that day, and every day prior for countless vorns. With some convincing, Hardhead and many others chose to join Fortress Maximus on his quest for peace. Peace is rarely an Autobot's lot, though, as an innocent mishap combined with some xenophobia among a few of the Nebulan rulers to bring war to the Autobot camp's doorstep. Hardened warriors like Hardhead and Kup immediately fell into old habits and started fighting back, but Fortress Maximus abruptly ended their gunplay and ordered an all-out retreat.

Despite these setbacks, Fortress Maximus was determined to wage peace, not war. He brought an envoy of Autobots, including Hardhead, to the Nebulan capitol of Koraja to once again plead for peace. When the Nebulans still were not totally swayed after he and his Autobots disarmed, Maximus removed his own head from his shoulders, leaving his body deactivated and inoperable in the Nebulans' care. Hardhead and three other Autobots joined their leader in his gesture. It was this gesture which finally ushered in a cease fire with the Nebulans. Ring of Hate!

Fortress Maximus, Hardhead and the others had their separate heads and bodies detained inside a bunker outside Koraja, as so-called "prisoners of peace", while the Nebulan leaders conversed with them and also the remaining Autobots (under Kup's supervision) in the Folassian Forest beyond the city. Maximus had successfully convinced Galen, head of the World Watchers, of his good intentions, but the paranoid Lord Zarak distrusted the Autobots at every turn, and was committed to removing them from Nebulos even if he had to fake their crimes in order to do it. He even went so far as to summon the Decepticons to Nebulos, hoping that they would rid the planet of their Autobot problem.

Upon the Decepticons' arrival, Scorponok and his henchmen began to lay siege to Koraja, trying to get at the inoperative Fortress Maximus and his men. Galen and Council Guard Commander Duros arrived at the Autobots' bunker to rapidly consult them on options. The allies eventually settled on a radical solution involving bio-mechanical engineering—Galen and several other volunteers were bionically reconstructed to transform into duplicates of the Autobots' severed heads, allowing them to binary bond with the Autobots' bodies and share both physical control and tactical analysis with the original Autobot personalities. Duros was one of the first volunteers for the Headmaster process, and was binary bonded to Hardhead. Duros quickly adjusted to the raw power and military might of his new body, using Hardhead's laser-guided cannon against the Decepticon aggressors. Broken Glass! Stylor's Story

Their status as the saviors of Koraja made Duros and the others an instant hit among the populace, but Nebulos's rulers were still wary of the Transformers, especially now that their presence had led Nebulans themselves to wage war for the first time in over 10,000 years. Galen and his men did their best to assuage the fears of the Council of Peers. When the Horrorcons and Terrorcons attacked the Splendora resort, Hardhead and Brainstorm joined their Autobot comrades, the Technobots, in fending off Abominus and zapping Apeface and Snapdragon into submission. The devastation left in the wake of their battle did little to discourage the council's antipathy, however. When the Autobot Headmasters went on a rescue mission to recover Lord Zarak and his followers (who had been prisoners of the Decepticons since their arrival), a detachment of Council members insisted on accompanying them. Unfortunately, Zarak had entered into a bargain with Scorponok, and by the time Hardhead and the others reached the Plains of Thok, the Decepticon Headmasters had been born. Although Zarak / Scorponok endangered the council members by using them as a diversion to gun down the Autobots, Mindwipe's hypnotic gaze had scrambled the other Nebulans' minds so much that Zarak was able to convince them that Galen's men were the evil ones, and he manipulated the Decepticons into becoming Nebulos's new "champions". Love and Steel!

Duros and the other Nebulan Headmasters were held captive by Zarak in Koraja, alongside their disabled Autobot counterparts. Despite his hunger for power and growing battle-lust, however, Zarak still ultimately wanted what was best for Nebulos. Realizing how a continued war between the Autobots and Decepticons would truly affect the planet he loved, Zarak freed Duros and the Autobot Headmasters, sending them back to their comrades in the forest. Galen had reached the same conclusions as Zarak, and gathered his men back aboard the Autobot ship Steelhaven, to leave Nebulos behind to rebuild in their absence. Sure enough, Zarak/Scorponok and the Decepticons chose to follow the Autobots into space. Brothers in Armor!!

Before leaving Nebulos, Hardhead and Duros witnessed a duel between Fortress Maximus and Scorponok, with overall victory between the two factions at stake. However, the clash turned out to be a distraction set-up by the Decepticons to steal a fuel convertor. With it in hand, the Decepticons left for Earth, forcing the Autobots to follow. The Final Conflict

Got to... SHEEAKK!

Before they left, however, the Autobot Headmasters had another encounter with their Decepticon opposite numbers. After the Targetmasters were captured by the Decepticons for analysis and dissection, Hardhead and the Headmasters went out looking for them, only to run into the Decepticon Headmasters on the way. Hardhead was nearly knocked off the road when Mindwipe's hypnotic stare sent Brainstorm crashing into him. Despite being shaken by the impact, Hardhead still managed to defeat both Weirdwolf and Skullcruncher by himself. The Autobots regrouped to follow Mindwipe, the last of their attackers, who was apparently fleeing for safety. After entering the Decepticons' Fortress of Despair, however, Hardhead and the others realized they had been led into a trap, and were confronted by the might Scorponok and the Decepticon Targetmasters. In order to help even the odds, Hardhead freed the Autobot Targetmasters. With their help, the Autobots eventually overcame the Decepticons and fled back to base. Worlds Apart!

And I'll form the head! Fortress Maximus's head, that is. With tools.

After leaving Nebulos, Hardhead and the crew of Steelhaven followed an Autobot distress call to the planet called Earth. During the long journey, they had Fortress Maximus heavily upgraded into a larger, more powerful body. Even the militaristic Duros was a bit unsettled by the new war-like outlook of their leader, Galen, but he insisted he was merely changing to fit the circumstances they had been dealt. Upon arrival, Fortress Maximus, Hardhead and the other Headmasters took a shuttle down to Earth's surface, and located the caves in Mount St. Hilary where the distress call had first been broadcast. They also found the broadcaster himself, an Autobot named Goldbug whose brain module had been retrofitted into a tiny electronic toy car. Long story. Scorponok and the Decepticon Headmasters had also come to Earth after the distress call, however, and a battle broke out. The battle proved costly, as Galen died protecting an Earthling from Scorponok. He passed on his control helmet to this boy, Spike Witwicky, leaving Fortress Maximus and the Autobots in his hands. It was Hardhead who first suggested that Spike was the group's new leader. Trial by Fire!

In the weeks that followed, Steelhaven's crew united with the other Autobots on board the Ark. Unfortunately, the Ark's commander, Grimlock, was difficult to deal with, and so their meetup resulted in a ritual battle for Autobot supremacy between him and Blaster on Earth's moon. Hardhead disembarked along with the rest of the Steelhaven crew to watch the fight. Totaled!

That's gonna leave a mark.

During the Time Wars, Hardhead was among the Autobot strike team gathered by Optimus Prime, Grimlock and Fortress Maximus to engage Galvatron for the fate of two time periods, several associated planets, and the universe at large. Unfortunately, the future Autobots of 2009 arrived before the battle began, and the mass substitution effect created by time travel shunted Hardhead into Limbo for the duration. Time Wars

Hardhead was next seen on Cybertron for the final united battle against Unicron. Working with the Decepticon Pretender, Bomb-Burst, he was in the process of moving a surface-to-air missile battery into position when Unicron touched down on the planet's surface. The Planet-Eater's massive foot indiscriminately crushed Autobot, Decepticon, and weapon flat. On the Edge of Extinction!

Regeneration One

Seriously, this guy's got more faces than a Quintesson.

After the death of Duros/Hardhead in the war against Unicron, Hardhead's original head was attended to in Project Lazarus on Nebulos. Scientists led by Borx attempted to create new bodies for the remaining Autobots, but were unable to achieve the proper "biometamechanical synthesis" to integrate the two. Unfortunately for them, they sought the tech necessary on the Plains of Thok at the facility where the Decepticon Headmasters were created. The original Scorponok was reactivated by their snooping, and he took control of the planet. With the aid of Grimlock's Nucleon-soaked CNA, who he had captured while seeking a new body for himself and the other Nucleon victims, Scorponok completed another project—to create a "Gene Key" which could mute the consciences of Autobots, turning them into "Decepticons". The rebuilt Hardhead was one of the three subjects he demonstrated this on, along with Highbrow and Brainstorm, and as soon as they were freed, they proceeded to attack Grimlock for wearing an Autobot symbol. After Hardhead had been stomped on a bit by Grimlock, Scorponok stopped them, as Grimlock was now working for him under blackmail anyway. They proceeded to travel to Cybertron to begin converting the populace into Decepticons. As soon as they landed at Iacon's Civil Defense Hub, the twisted Autobots shot the shocked Slapdash in the face. Leaving him for dead, they then marched in and began killing Civil Defense Force members until the coast was clear for Scorponok. Natural Selection, Part Two

After taking over the Civil Defense Hub, they began corrupting Autobots, and passed around Gene Keys so the effect continued to spread. Once the chaos was well under way, Hardhead, Highbrow, and Brainstorm were recalled to the Iacon Civil Defense Hub alongside Grimlock. There, Scorponok sought to assure himself of the Dinobot's loyaly; Grimlock was ordered to execute Punch, who was immune to the key's effect, while the others looked on. Grimlock found himself unable to go through with the deed, Natural Selection, Part Three and was ordered to stay put while the rest of Scorponok's troops saw through their master's plan. Predictably, Grimlock disobeyed orders and went on the run. Hardhead trailed him to the Nursery and readied to execute the Dinobot, but was disabled when Grimlock released the unstably combusting Inferno. Natural Selection, Part Four

After the Gene Key's effects were reversed, Hardhead became horrified by what he had done. He voluntarily submitted himself for trial and imprisonment as a war criminal. Destiny, Part One Nevertheless, he and the others took up arms in defense of Cybertron when Bludgeon and his Warworld arrived. Destiny, Part Four He later helped drive off the Primum Fugae when they attacked the Dinobots' new settlement. The War to End All Wars, Part 2

Hardhead was among the Autobots who assaulted Jhiaxus's Hub, The War to End All Wars, Part 4 and later returned to a Cybertron infested with shadow-demons. The War to End All Wars, Part 5

Transformers '84

In the early days of the Great War on Cybertron after the Ark's launch, Hardhead was one of Fortress Maximus's troops when they were attacked by Scorponok's troops. Secrets & Lies #3

Ladybird Books continuity

Headlessmasters...available at yard sales near you!

While the Autobots planned for an elaborate sabotage scheme designed by Brainstorm to eliminate a Decepticon installation, Hardhead complained about the fancy stuff and wished they could just rush in and blow stuff up. Decepticons at the Pole

During a period when the Autobots on Nebulos were low on lubricant, Hot Rod dispatched Hardhead and Chromedome to search for a legendary lost lake of oil. They searched a possible valley with their Headmaster partners, but Stylor reported back with no luck. Looking for Duros's return, Hardhead transformed into his headless robot mode to get a better view across the plains. When Duros returned with a clear signal on his geo-sensors, the Headmasters traced the spot. Hardhead used sonic shell as a non-inflammatory means of drilling down to the reservoir. Duros and Stylor entered the tunnel and found a vast source of oil for the Autobots to claim. Autobots Strike Oil

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Escalation #3

Hardhead makes his own decisions!

Hardhead was constructed cold. Arm the Lonely He was a career soldier, intended as a problem solver who got things done fast. To him, this meant he had no future, as some day the war will end, and he would be a walking reminder of it, something to be quietly done away with. Spotlight: Hardhead He was part of the 113th Battalion and took part in a massive battle against Black Shadow. Rules of Disengagement He also participated in the Battle of Junkion. A Lonely Pillar on the Plain

Hardhead answers his own questions!

Prior to the Brasnya incident, Hardhead was ordered by Optimus Prime to Earth on the Ark-32, along with Hot Rod. Escalation #3 The two arrived right in the middle of the battle, although Hot Rod sped away after the facsimile before Hardhead could stop him to report their presence. He engaged in battle with Astrotrain, Escalation #4 causing severe damage to the shuttle Triple Changer and continued to hound him to such an extent that Skywarp had to call in reinforcements. Escalation #5 When Megatron seemingly defeated Optimus Prime, Hardhead attempted (futilely) to damage him with repeated cannon blasts. Escalation #6

Hardhead would eventually regroup with his teammates after the battle and was among them during Sixshot's surprise assault on the Ark-19. Devastation #1 He bravely (if futilely) attacked Sixshot, along with the rest of the Autobots before being beamed back to the Ark-32. Devastation #3 Devastation #4 Due to injuries and separate missions, Hardhead found himself to be the only active Autobot besides Prowl—and neither were happy to hear that Optimus was withdrawing them from Earth to Garrus-9. Devastation #5 Hardhead went to retrieve Hot Rod and the others, blowing up a Headmaster that was attacking Hot Rod. Hot Rod refused to go though, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go and took Wheeljack and Ironhide back with him. Devastation #6

Hardhead expresses his own feelings!

Soon, Nightbeat discovered that he logged a message during his visit to Gorlam Prime—of which he had no recollection—and asked Hardhead for help. Spotlight: Cyclonus

Before leaving for Gorlam Prime, Nightbeat told Hardhead of his fears that he may be compromised, and that if he threatened Hardhead or anyone else, he should terminate Nightbeat. Arriving on Gorlam Prime, Nightbeat and Hardhead discovered virtually the entire planet's population had frozen in a chrysalis-like state and were in the midst of undergoing some kind of evolutionary cycle. Before they could explore further, however, they were beset upon by dozens of Micromasters, all of whom immediately targeted Hardhead.

Hardhead shoots his own comrades!

Escaping from their attackers, the two Autobots fled deep underground. Once they neared the portal to the Dead Universe, Jhiaxus took remote-control of Nightbeat and tried to kill Hardhead with a point-blank shot between the optics. Fortunately, Hardhead lived up to his name and took the shot with minimal damage. As Nightbeat was joined by more Micromasters, Hardhead took the opportunity to retreat deeper into Gorlam Prime's underground caverns.

There, he discovered the portal to the Dead Universe. As the mind-controlled Nightbeat caught up with him, Hardhead realized he had nowhere else to fall back to. When told to surrender, Hardhead responded by shooting Nightbeat through the head with a pinpoint shot and then plunged through the portal, ready to face whatever dangers lay on the other side. Spotlight: Hardhead

Hardhead rises from his own grave!

Having become a permanent resident of the Dead Universe, Hardhead did not resurface until Jhiaxus's plans were well underway. However, he did manage to catch the Cybertronian scientist who was fleeing the onslaught of Arcee. Preventing the madman's escape, he explained to the hyperviolent Autobot that Jhiaxus couldn't truly die here on the threshold between the material world and the Dead Universe. That suited Arcee fine, as it let her indulge her revenge fantasies to their utmost. Spotlight: Sideswipe

Hardhead remained at Arcee's side as she happily killed Jhiaxus over and over again, though he was more interested in investigating some ancient catacombs discovered in the depths of Gorlam Prime. After some time had passed, the portal to the Dead Universe began to act strangely, luring the inhabitants of the planet into wandering through it. Seemingly due to his connection to the Dead Universe, Hardhead was immune to this apparent hypnosis, and he pinned Arcee down to keep her from following the others. Once the entire population of Gorlam Prime was gone, the portal emitted a flash of light and changed shape, knocking Hardhead and Arcee out cold. After they awoke, they left to investigate the catacombs and figure out what happened. Heart of Darkness #2 Eventually, they detected Galvatron and his troops entering the portal's chamber and attacked them. Heart of Darkness #1

Hardhead delivers his own lame dialogue!

Hardhead took on Cyclonus and Scourge, defeating both of them, but was brought down by Galvatron, who was drawing on power from the Dead Universe. He urged Arcee to flee and warn the Autobots, and was then captured by Galvatron, who invaded his mind and read his memories. Heart of Darkness #2 Having presumably fallen under Galvatron's control, Hardhead joined the army he was building to defend the universe from D-Void from the Dead Universe. He accompanied Galvatron, Cyclonus, and a generic or two to the planet Dykayra to scout out a sight of an incursion of D-Void. Heart of Darkness #3 There, he and the others fought with Nemesis Prime, resurrected and controlled by D-Void. Hardhead survived the battle and was later air-dropped onto Cybertron, the army's first line of defense. Heart of Darkness #4

Hardhead crashes his own ship!

Hardhead was somehow freed from Galvatron's influence and reunited with Arcee. Thanks to Galvatron tapping into his mind with the Heart of Darkness, Hardhead had a solid understanding of the connection between it, D-Void, and Galvatron himself. Aboard Arcee's shuttle in Cybertron's orbit, they addressed the survivors of the destroyed Kimia Facility, expounding on Cybertron's current predicament. Some, like Brainstorm and Chromedome, had trouble grasping the complicated scenario, but Hardhead finally broke through to Swerve. The group of Autobots set upon the task of preventing Galvatron from unknowingly doing D-Void's bidding and turning Cybertron into a massive portal for the Dead Universe to bleed through.

Bringing their shuttle into Cybertron's crumbling atmosphere, everyone but Hardhead and Arcee bailed out when it was decided to fly under the planet's surface. Following a large access tunnel directly to Vector Sigma and the core, Hardhead crashed the shuttle directly on top of Galvatron. Galvatron dug himself out from under the debris and took both Hardhead and Arcee on, quickly defeating them. Genesis

After the Chaos war ended and Galvatron was defeated, Hardhead was subjected to tests by Brainstorm, who concluded that his connection to the Dead Universe was gone and as such he was no longer undead. Black Planet Hardhead briefly considered joining Rodimus's quest for the Knights of Cybertron, only to change his mind when he learned that the crew was full of freaks. Dark Dawn Instead he joined forces with Wheelie, and Garnak to take custody of the catatonic Jhiaxus and leave Cybertron to keep it safe from his brand of evil. After a while, their ship picked up a distress signal from the planet Arduria, which caused Jhiaxus to awaken and begin screaming 'Pax'. In response, Hardhead called Optimus Prime, who had changed his name back to Orion Pax in the aftermath of the Chaos Event. Together, they investigated the situation on Arduria, only to fall victim to a Decepticon trap. Attacked by Monstructor, Hardhead and Orion were unable to prevent Jhiaxus from begin rescued by Bludgeon, but upon deducing that the Decepticons were hunting down the fruits of Shockwave's Regenesis program, they pursued them to the Lenocinium Velnero System. Syndromica (1)

Hardhead makes his own discoveries!

Hardhead, Pax, Wheelie, and Garnak, after months of searching for Jhiaxus, came across another Decepticon ship just as it entered planet LV-117's atmosphere. Syndromica (2) This ship was manned by the Reflector trio, who had just stolen it out from under Bumblebee and Wheeljack on Cybertron. Night and the City

Hardhead and his companions chased the stolen Decepticon ship to LV-117's surface only to arrive, to their surprise, many years after the ship they had just followed to the surface has crashed. Almost immediately, Orion Pax disappeared from the company of his companions to find himself shifting non-linearly through time, which, fortuitously, enabled him to gain a firmer understanding of what Jhiaxus and Bludgeon were planning. Pax, after a month away, temporally stabilized and returned to his friends, who had waited on LV-117 for his return at Wheelie's staunch insistence. Hardhead then let Pax know how long he had been gone and informed him that Jhiaxus and his followers had returned in Pax's absence, stolen the crashed Decepticon ship, and were gone again. The quartet set out once more to hunt down and stop Jhiaxus, Bludgeon, and Monstructor. Hardhead attempted to pilot the ship out of the planet's orbit at the same angle by which they had entered, but despite his best efforts, another two weeks was lost leaving orbit. Syndromica (2)

Hardhead shoots his own comrades! Again!

As Jhiaxus had mentioned Gorlam Prime during their last encounter, the four Autobots made their way to the dead planet. On the way, Hardhead, like all cold constructed Cybertronians, was nearly killed by Chief Justice Tyrest's universal killswitch. Arm the Lonely After recovering and arriving on Gorlam, he showed his companions the mysterious catacombs he'd explored years earlier, leading to the discovery of another Regenesis ore within them. Hardhead's own theory was that Jhiaxus had built the catacombs to make the planet more like Cybertron, but they found it went deeper than that when Wheelie began disintegrating on touching one of the buildings, forcing Hardhead to amputate his arm. Another battle with Monstructor led to the revelation that the underground city was in fact a dormant Titan infused with Ore-2, and unfortunately Orion Pax played right into Jhiaxus's hands by awakening it. Homecoming As the unleashed Ore-2 destroyed Gorlam Prime, Pax's group escaped on the Skyroller and were rescued by the crew of the Lost Light. Hardhead was unhappy to find Cyclonus there. Dark Dawn

Learning that a Dead Universe portal had opened on Cybertron, Orion Pax elected to enter the still active Gorlam Prime portal alongside Hardhead, Rodimus and Cyclonus to investigate. Having nothing but mistrust for Galvatron's former minion, Hardhead called Cyclonus a coward and accused him of abandoning them when the group was attacked by cyberwraiths within the Dead Universe. Black Metal He was also pretty rude to Rodimus for abandoning Cybertron in favor of some quest, only to learn that it was in fact the Lost Light crew who had recently saved him from death by killswitch. To the surprise of everyone, most of all Hardhead, the group was then approached by none other than Nightbeat, Into the Abyss having "survived" his death at Hardhead's hands by falling through the Dead Universe portal and becoming undead. Even so, he remained a sleeper agent of Nova Prime's, and by following him Hardhead and the others found themselves led into a trap. Finest Hour

Hardhead meets his own fate!

Trapped in a containment cube by Nova, the team improvised a plan to distract their captors and smash their way out using Orion Pax's strength and Hardhead's skull. The plan succeeded, only for the force field to reseal itself before anyone other than Hardhead could escape. Hardhead suddenly found himself alone against Nova Prime, who crushed his fist and with it the force field generator allowing him to survive within the Dead Universe. Exposed to the malevolent and lethal universe around him, Hardhead's body disintegrated and scattered on the winds. No Exit

Arcee asked Optimus Prime about Hardhead's death, to which Optimus assured her that he had personally taken care of his killer. The Mind Bomb When Tracks later accused Arcee of not knowing what it was like to lose someone, Arcee found herself admitting that Hardhead's death had affected her, but couldn't tell if they had ever really been happy during their time together. The Transgressors

Kre-O online manga

Hardhead was at Megatron's hanami party, where he was singing with a microphone. Presumably he was inebriated. Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!

TransTech

In one universe, Hardhead was binary-bonded to the G.I. Joe operative Tank, joining up with the Screaming Eagles against the forces of S.K.A.R. in a globe-spanning confrontation. Ultimately, the Screaming Eagles emerged victorious, ushering in a new Golden Age for Earth. Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01

Titans Return marketing material

When Scourge and Crashbash attacked Velocitron during the planet's biggest race, Hardhead and Furos fought alongside Sentinel Prime and Optimus Prime to repulse the invaders, defending Hyperfire from Decepticon abduction. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters

2019 IDW continuity

At some point, Hardhead posed in a group photo with many Cybertronians, including Blast Off. Open Comms He served with Quake and the Great General Dai Atlas during the War of the Threefold Spark. Escape Part Three

Commercial appearances

• Hardhead was among several Transformers who left the war on Cybertron behind, to blast their way to the distant planet Nebulon! There, Hardhead allowed the "intelligent Nebulon" Duros to become his head. Fierce battles between Autobots and Decepticons resumed on the alien sphere as Headmasters and Targetmasters of both factions faced off against one another. Headmaster comic book commercial
• Hardhead, Chromedome, Brainstorm, and Highbrow awaited their Headmaster partners as Hot Rod sent out a Decepticon alert. Once Duros was aboard his vehicle mode, Hardhead sped off to come to blows against the Decepticon Headmasters. Headmasters commercial
• A stone sculpture of Hardhead was savaged by Skullcruncher and Mindwipe as part of their training. Decepticon Headmasters commercial

Games

Transformers: The Headmasters

Hardhead was kidnapped by the Decepticons and held captive on the Jail planet by Menasor. He was rescued by Chromedome and his other comrades, and in turn helped rescue those who were still imprisoned. Once they had reunited, Hardhead and the others met with Fortress Maximus for the last battle against Scorponok. Transformers: The Headmasters

The Transformers (PS2)

Voice actor: Strings Kozisek (English)

The Transformers

Transformers Legends

The Autobot Headmasters including Hardhead hunted for Starscream's ghost by tracking the electro-magnetic spikes which signaled his manifestations. They were able to prevent him passing over into the physical world, and scattered the Decepticons who had aided him. Ghost in the Machine When the Decepticons aimed to get hold of the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Hardhead and his fellow Headmasters made off with it but soon crashed on Earth. They were aided by the EDC, who patched them up and helped them fight off Apeface and Skullcruncher. Last Stand of the Earth Defense Command

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Hardhead was a heavily armed Autobot. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook

Toys

The Transformers

I don't get it either. Not like I have a "hard head" to draw.

• Hardhead (Headmaster, 1987)

• Takara ID number: C-102
• Accessories: "Duros" Headmaster partner "Tank Commander", 2 "Shatterblasters"
• Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Kunio Okawara (concept artist)

Released in the fourth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (third year in Europe and in Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line), Headmaster Hardhead transforms into a Cybertronian self-propelled artillery gun. Like many Transformers of this era, he can store his rifles in 5 mm post-holes in his vehicle mode, and his Headmaster partner, Duros, can ride inside his cockpit.

Duros transforms into his head, which, when attached to Hardhead's robot mode, activates a simplified, spring-loaded Tech Spec meter hidden under a panel on his chest. (The panel is very susceptible to breakage however, so it's advised you don't open it.) This gimmick works with any other Headmaster "pilot" figure, and will display different levels dependent on which Headmaster figure is plugged in.

• More information on Hardhead at TFU.info
• Image gallery of Hardhead at Seibertron.com
• Instruction booklet for Hardhead at Botchthecrab.com

Universe (2008)

It feels like a pizza-disc launcher is missing.

• Hardhead (Ultra Class, 2009)

• Series: Generation 1 Series
• Accessories: Shield
• Known designers: Andrew Scribner (deco artist)

Universe Hardhead is a redeco of Universe Ultra Class Onslaught, and transforms into a six-wheeled SWAT assault truck with positionable mine-scoops and a rotating double-barreled turret on top. When the button on his rotating turret is pressed, electronic lights in his head and turret flash and one hears either machine gun fire or a siren sound, either of which are continuous if held down. Rolling the vehicle's middle left tire activates a third sound effect of him causing extensive property damage on something unfortunate enough to get caught under his wheels. A looped driving sound will then be continuously played until the tire stops rolling, when a final sound of the vehicle driving away/to a halt is played. He comes with a riot shield, which can either connect to a flip up tab on his left arm in robot mode, or store on top of his turret in either mode. The small flap at the top of the shield is used to access the turret's button, either by pressing on the flap itself, or by flipping it open and pressing the button directly. A button on his right arm spring-deploys an arm-mounted weapon. Instead of blending in with the rest of his colors, his shield stands out entirely black with a messily painted "no" sign on top of a similarly made Decepticon symbol with seven tally marks below it.

Hardhead uses the later version of Onslaught's electronics that doesn't cut off quickly.

This toy was one of three Walmart exclusive Universe Ultra Class toys released in 2009.

This mold was retooled into Timelines Clench. The Clench tooling also served as the basis of the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising incarnation of Torca.

• More information on Universe Hardhead at TFU.info
• Image gallery of Universe Hardhead at Seibertron.com

Generations

Hard-to-get.

• Hardhead vs. Ratbat (Multi-pack, 2011)

This figure would have been a pretool/redeco of Generations Deluxe Class Warpath, utilizing the alternate head sculpt depicted in some of the steps in Warpath's instructions.

It was inteded to be released as part of a Toys"R"Us exclusive two-pack with Ratbat, a redeco of Generations Scourge that would have similarly used that toy's alternate head sculpt. The intended deco sheets for the two figures were revealed by the unofficial Pete's Robot Convention on Facebook in 2020, but later taken down again at the request of Hasbro.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Titans Return

He's on his way to run over some alien nests.

• Hardhead & Furos (Deluxe Class, 2016)

• Accessories: "Furos" Titan Master, rifle, tank turret
• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Part of the first wave of Titans Return, Hardhead transforms into a futuristic tank of made-up model. Although his tank treads are merely molded detail, he possesses a set of hidden wheels underneath the front of his vehicle mode and in his rear tank treads that allow him to roll. In robot mode, he can either mount his non-firing turret on his shoulder (as pictured) or carry it in his hand, though due to its size it can make the figure somewhat unstable. His rifle - which, interestingly, seems to be generally modeled after a real-life Heckler & Koch G36C subcarabine - can also be carried, mounted on his shoulder, or plugged in on top of the larger gun.

Hardhead comes with his Titan Master partner Furos, who fits into his vehicle mode cockpit and transforms into his robot mode head. As with other Titans Return toys, Hardhead can accommodate any Titan Master figure in both robot and vehicle mode. Due to the placement of the socket for Titan Masters to attach, Hardhead can be fully transformed into vehicle mode without removing his head. His head socket is a bit on the tight side; turning Furos's head 180° before inserting him will make for a smoother fit. However, this should be done with caution, as grooves in the neck port can scratch the paint off of Furos' face with repeated use.

In addition to the cockpit, Hardhead's turret can be opened to reveal a seat that allows any Titan Master figure to man it in both modes, with the cover also featuring a pair of angled pegs for a Titan Master to (somewhat insecurely) peg onto. Hardhead additionally sports four pegs on his treads that allow Titan Master figures to attach to his vehicle mode. (The rifle also has a small port that lets you store it on any of these pegs.) All this means that, not counting the neck socket, Hardhead's vehicle mode can accommodate a grand total of six extra Titan Masters at once.

Hardhead was redecoed as Quake. The toy also served as the model for the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising incarnation of Tankor and as Bludgeon in "Cybertron Magna Convoy".

• More information on Titans Return Hardhead at TFU.info
• Image gallery of Titans Return Hardhead at Seibertron.com

Legends

• Hardhead (Deluxe, 2016)

• Release date: July 23, 2016
• ID number: LG21
• Acessories: "Ros" Headmaster, rifle, tank turret, "Tankette" partner drone

Part of the twelfth wave of TakaraTomy's Legends toyline, Hardhead is a redeco and retool of the Titans Return mold, featuring a more original-toy-accurate paintjob and a new headsculpt based on his Headmasters anime character model.

He also comes with Tankette, a redeco of the Titan Master vehicle accessory that originally came with Terri-Bull.

• Legends Hardhead at Alfes's Toy Blog

• Headmaster Set (Multi-pack, 2017)

• Release date: February 19, 2017
• ID Number: LG-EX

Released as a Wonder Festival 2017 [Winter] exclusive, this Hardhead is a redeco of the aforementioned Hasbro Titans Return head tooling, featuring more extensive paint applications to color-match the above Legends body figure. The pack-in mini-manga depicts this toy as Duros from "The Rebirth".

The set also came with Grimlock, Gong, Chromedome, Flywheel, and Brainstorm, all similarly-extra-deco'd versions of Hasbro Titan Masters which were not otherwise released in Japan.

Retro Headmasters

• Hardhead (Deluxe Class, 2020)

• Accessories: Duros Headmaster, rifle, tank turret
• Known designers: AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

Released as part of the Retro Headmasters line, Hardhead is a redeco of the Titans Return Deluxe Class toy in even-more-original-toy-accurate colors, as well as tampographs that replicate the stickers from the original toy. Despite the super-toy-based deco, Duros utilizes the Headmasters anime face from Legends figure.

Along with the rest of the Retro Headmasters toys, Hardhead was a Walmart exclusive in Canada and the US, and was also sold exclusively at The Warehouse and Toyworld in New Zealand.

This figure also serves as the basis for Shattered Glass Hardhead.

Notes

More like... Squathead...

• In the television commercial for Marvel Comics' Headmasters limited series, the Autobot and Decepticon Headmasters are shown having different head designs than the ones their Nebulan partners would later turn into. These designs were seemingly never used in any other piece of Transformers media. The models for most of them, however, turned up in the excellent Transformers Generations guidebook.
• As had been (snarkily) pointed out on the captions on this page, the design of Hardhead's toy head doesn't match any of his fictional appearances. The biggest difference is that the toy has a mouthplate whereas the cartoon and comics all show him with a mouth, but there are lots of other variations in shape and detailing.
• In late 2013, upcoming product listings inadvertently released to the public included 'TRA GENERATIONS DLX HARDHEAD A9252', although this figure was ultimately never announced or released.^[1] Considering that a Nightbeat retool of the contemporary Reveal the Shield Jazz mold was also originally planned for the same assortment, it seems likely that this Hardhead toy would have been based on the previously unreleased 2010 Generations Warpath pretool.
• Kreon Hardhead's appearance is, like all the cameo Kreons, based on existing parts, including the Hound helmet and a shoulder cannon accessory. His singing while drunk is based on his counterpart in the Japanese The Headmasters cartoon.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Ros (ロス Rosu), Hardhead (ハードヘッド Hādoheddo)
• French: Tête-Dure (Canada, "Hard-Head")
• Hungarian: Keményfej
• Italian: Blindobot ("Armoredbot")
• Mandarin: Tǐetóu (Taiwan, 鐵頭, "Iron Head"), Lǎowángù (China, 老顽固, "Old Stubborn")
• Russian: Tverdolob (Твердолоб, "Diehard")

References