Red Octo

Red Octo is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Red Octo (レッドオクト Reddo Okuto) is perhaps Alligatron's least-reliable warrior. It's not that he's not good at his job; he is incredibly skilled in underwater operations and combat, breaching the hulls of enemy ships with mines, and his Octo Anchor (オクトアンカー Okuto Ankā) MVP Weapon can secrete a viscous liquid that quickly corrodes metal. It's getting him to do his job in the first place that's the problem.

Capricious and incredibly indecisive, Octo spends most of his time at the bottom of the sea, not doing anything in particular. He misses missions and strategy briefings with regularity. It's something of a mystery as to why he even joined Alligatron's rebellion in the first place, as he's a very light-hearted, playful and easygoing sort who rolls with the tides.

With the war's end, he has somehow managed to become the Emperor of his homeland Tamaraham, working under fellow former insurgent King Power Nozzle. The two could not be a more mismatched pair as far as personality goes, but they actually work very well together. Sharing a telepathic link, the stern and steady Nozzle is able to keep Red Octo on task, keeping him busy with underwater jobs where he excels.

Toys

Transformers: Beastformers

• Red Octo (Beastformer, 1987)

• ID number: 36
• Pack: D
• Accessories: Spear (usually)

Part of the second series of Takara's Beastformers toys, Red Octo is an anthopomorphic octopus in blue robotic armor. The Battle Emblem on his chest reveals one of three symbols when warmed up; Fire, Water or Wood.

He usually comes with a gold spear weapon marked with the same ID number as on his back. However, Beastformers is notorious for toys coming with someone else's weapon; it's unclear if this was just originally poor QC, but in the sequel series, this semi-random weaponry was actually turned into a "gimmick".

He was only available in the "D Pack" assortment, and came in a green-grid generic "Destron Beastformer" box. He came with a bio card with a painted character image on a jungle backdrop, though there was a chance his bio card would instead be replaced with the rare "Bewitching Serpent Seal" card featuring Cobrander.

Notes

• The 1987 character poster art of Red Octo incorrectly gives him a silver... weapon... thing... that looks nothing like any existing Beastformers weapon. His '88 bio art is partially redrawn to give him the correct weapon.
• As he was not sold in the post-Transformers sequel series and thus had no bio card, his "RPG"-era bio comes from the Hero Special 4: Beastformers mook. This bio gives him the nickname "Tako" (タコ), Japanese for "octopus", and notes he was born in Tamara Bay.

Foreign names

• English: Octillion Octopus