It must have been a lot of fun to come up with Transformers. Once the central idea of giant robots that turned into vehicles was laid out, the writer's room could toss out hilarious names and comical designs. Beast Wars changed the game by introducing machines that turned into animals. Cheetor enjoyed a brief recent spotlight in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, but where did he appear before this year?
Rise of the Beastsreintroduced the Beast Wars continuity to the Transformers franchise. Many fans weren't familiar with the 90s series, though it was huge in Canada. Most modern iterations preferred to stick to new versions of the old-fashioned characters. Like most superhero-oriented franchises, every Transformers robot is someone's favorite, including Cheetor.
Who is Cheetor in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?
Cheetor is one of the Maximals in Rise of the Beasts. Zimbabwean actor Tongayi Chirisa provides his voice. He can be seen in the opening scene when Unicron comes to the Maximals' homeworld. Cheetor takes the form of a cheetah, making him the fastest member of the team. He leaves his home planet with his fellow Maximals after their leader, Apelinq, sacrifices himself. Unicron is trapped in their universe for untold years. Cheetor and his allies settle into the jungles of Peru, hiding with the indigenous population and guarding their half of the Transwarp Key. In 1994, humans discovered the other half of the Transwarp Key, accidentally sending a signal to Unicron's emissary, Scourge. The Autobots want the Key to return to their home planet, while Scourge will use it to summon Unicron. When the Autobots arrive in Peru, Cheetor and the other Maximals attack. Cheetor pins Mirage while Arcee holds the cat at gunpoint. The misunderstanding is quickly cleared up, and the Maximals and Autobots work together.
Cheetor is involved in several battles against Scourge and his goons, the Terrorcons. He demonstrates the ability to run faster than a sports car can drive. Cheetor fights in the final encounter against waves of Terrorcon drones. In this bout, he reveals his bipedal form. He's slender and sleek with clawed hands and feet. His weapon is a double-edged spear that pops out of his back. Cheetor throws his spear to save Noah Diaz from the evil Nightbird and struggles to survive the onslaught of Unicron's Scorponok drones. Cheetor can be seen pouncing on piles of enemies. In his final scene, he appears with his old and new friends to await Unicron's return.
What was Cheetor's first appearance in Transformers media?
Cheetor first appeared in the 1996 Beast Wars animated series. Ian James Corlett provided his voice. Corlett is known for portraying Goku in the original Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Z, and he's still working today in shows like Skull Island. He's characterized as the young, impulsive, energetic member of the Maximals. He's a passenger on the Maximal exploration vessel Axalon, which crash-lands along with a Predacon ship on a mysterious uninhabited planet. He and his allies selected wild animals to model themselves after. Cheetor took his name after taking the form of the cheetah, the fastest creature he could find. His speed is his greatest asset, but it also frequently comes back to bite him. He's cocky and impulsive to a fault. In an early episode, he volunteers to replace his leader, Optimus Primal, in a gladiatorial arena. Cheetor was frequently compared to characters like The Flash for his demeanor and obsession with speed. He's seen as the Beast Wars answer to Hot Rod. He gradually becomes a respected member of the Maximals and fights on equal footing with his powerful allies.
What happened to Cheetor?
Cheetor appeared in the Beast Wars follow-up, Beast Machines. He was a prominent member of the Maximals in that show as well. He was a feature of the IDW comics that started in 2006. Cheetor becomes a big player on the small screen again in the 2018 Transformers: Cyberverse series. He has shorter appearances in shows like Armada, TransTech, Shattered Glass, and Animated (2011.) Though he was never as prominent as he was in Beast Wars, Cheetor never really went away. Transformers has always taken a loose approach to canon, treating its history like a literal toy box. Cheetor isn't among the franchise's favorites, but he's still a likable figure.
Cheetor is one of the Maximals in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The film has a strange habit of giving a couple of machines the spotlight while making everyone else set decorations. Cheetor isn't one of the headliners this time, but it's nice to see him make it to the big screen for the first time. Cheetor will stay around as he always has. He may be a bigger name in the next entry. Maybe more of his personality will show through in their next tangle with Unicron.