Name: Knock Out
Allegiance: Decepticons
Function: Back-alley Doctor
Timeline: Aligned Continuity
I'm not just going to patch you up; I'm going to look good while I do it.
Profile:
Slick, sly, and thoroughly unscrupulous, Knock Out is the Decepticons' medic. Knock Out's practice includes not only maintaining the Decepticon forces, but also carrying out all manner of illegal and unethical processes at the behest of Megatron. He will happily install new weapons or upgrades into his Decepticon comrades (even ones banned under the Tyrest Accord). Some Decepticons dread going to Knock Out for maintenance, not knowing if they will wake up with some experimental (and frequently dangerous) system installed into their chassis without their knowledge. If he were a human doctor, Knock Out would almost certainly be operating out of an unlicensed back alley clinic. In fact, this is exactly what Knock Out was on Cybertron, due to being debarred by the Cybertronian medical council for his very loose interpretation of ethics. Knock Out joined the Decepticons in search of respect, but found that many of the Decepticons had very little appreciation for his talents, with a few exceptions. Even so, Knock Out's skills are in high demand - even being called upon to give treatment or carry out experimental procedures on Megatron himself. Megatron, for his part, respects the way that Knock Out will perform even the most unethical procedures without question. One of Knock Out's defining characteristics is his extreme vanity; he knows the value of looking good, and ruining Knock Out's paint job or bodywork is a sure-fire way to enrage the medic. Equally, Knock Out knows that discretion is the better part of valour - in the event that a situation starts to turn against the Decepticons, Knock Out will prioritise his own safety, taking whatever actions are necessary to save his own hide.
Sports Car mode:
Author notes:
I present to you the best new character created for the Transformers Prime series! Knock Out is an incredibly fun character who works really well in the context of the series. He's this great unethical doctor kind of character which is a perfect fit for the Decepticon forces, but he has a bit of depth because you can see he sticks by his friends like Breakdown and Starscream, while also always being careful to look out for himself. I like how he joins the Autobots toward the end of the series, a turn that is well foreshadowed by how Knock Out always looks out for himself and is treated like trash by the majority of the Decepticons. When Ratchet shows a little common courtesy and Megatron falls, Knock Out swapping sides makes sense as more than just a gag about him saving himself. It's a pity he didn't return for the sequel, I'd have liked to have seen how Knock Out progressed after Predacons Rising.
The one thing I wanted to make more of in this profile was Knock Out's preference for a automobile alternate mode and that that says about his vanity. It didn't really fit into the flow of the narrative that I was writing, since I focused on the unethical aspects of Knock Out's personality and his history as an unlicensed doctor. To me, that went more to the core of who Knock Out is than his vanity, which in my mind is his secondary characteristic. The automobile mode might well get mentioned when I come back and do the abilities section down the road.
Toys of Transformers Prime Knock Out
Transformers Prime Knock Out
If there is a character who I'd love to get a new toy, it's this guy. He's an awesome character in the show, and the toy really does not do him justice. It's not a bad toy, but it is held back by some questionable decisions. My main criticism is that this toy just doesn't do a very good job of reflecting Knock Out's on-screen persona. He's too skinny and lacks the pressence of the on-screen Knock Out, plus the shoulders don't lock in correctly, and the arms are tricky to pose, and suffer from being made of the car doors and roof.
It'd be fine were this another character, a non-show character or a less integral member of the cast. But Knock Out is a character who is such an ensemble dark horse and brilliant part of the Transformers Prime series that I'd want to see him done proper justice with a new toy.
More information on Transformers Prime Knock Out at TFW2005
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Transformers Prime toys in my collection.
