Blitzwing
Bombshell
Cliffjumper
Cyclonus
Elita-One
Galvatron
Gears
Grimlock
Hoist
Hot Rod
Hound
Inferno
Ironhide
Jazz
Megatron
Optimus Prime
Perceptor
Prowl
Ramjet
Ratchet
Rodimus Prime
Rumble
Skyfire
Skywarp
Slag
Snarl
Starscream
Swoop
Thundercracker
Thrust
Tracks
Ultra Magnus
Wheeljack

Function: Overzealous Little Warrior Dude Voice Actor: Casey Kasem First Appearance: "More Than Meets The Eye, Part 1"

Nightwind's Words of Wisdom:

You wanna know one of the things I really like about G1, as opposed to Beast Wars? The characters' names. Really! I love Transformer names that give you a clue not about the character's alternate form or his function or his abilities/special gimmick, but about the character himself. His personality. I love a name that, in a single word, conveys a sense of the character's personality, that sort of defines the essence of the character in question. Dirge has that kind of name. So does Dead End. So does Swindle. But very few of the Autobots, actually, have that kind of name...

Cliffjumper, of course, is an exception. He's a guy who, if given half a chance, will...well, jump off a cliff. :) (Although it should be noted that he has difficulty jumping up cliffs... See "Enter the Nightbird") He's a little guy, but he compensates for his lack of stature with a heaping helping of crazy and reckless disregard for his own safety. (I'll bet poor Ratchet just loves him...) One moment he's yanking truly enormous weapons literally from nowhere much to Hound's horror, the next he's hurling himself at a column of energy sucked right out of the sun itself, much to Optimus Prime's horror. CJ's gung-ho, fearless, opinionated, stubborn, and throughly determined to do what he wants to do.

Annnnnd in some ways, he's an obnoxious jerk. Witness him terrorizing poor Mirage in "Traitor," for instance. In fact, I've often wondered why I don't hate Cliffjumper. In many ways he's the sort of character that I generally don't like. In personality, he's similar to Brawn and has the same small-but-mighty attitude. I hate Brawn, but I like Cliffjumper. Can't figure out why... Guess it's because Cliffjumper didn't make the fatal (in my view) mistake of picking on Perceptor. ;)

Anyway, in the end, to me CJ's a yahoo that you just have to love...although I'm surprised Optimus Prime doesn't keep him on a leash or something... ;)

The Official Word:

Profile: "Let me at 'em" is Cliffjumper's usual response when the Autobots embark on a mission. His eagerness and daring have no equal among the Autobots. Optimus Prime knows this gung-ho trait is an expression of Cliffjumper's burning desire for vengeance on the Decepticons. Although he takes his work very seriously, Cliffjumper is full of good-natured bravado while he's doing it. He doesn't actively dislike Earth, but he considers its rough, uneven terrain a hindrance to his effectiveness, and too often is carelessly destructive. Often he is on the receiving end of a lecture from Optimus on caution and the protection of Earthen property.

Abilities: Cliffjumper is one of the fastest of the Autobots in his automobile mode and he makes a particularly effective target for drawing fire away from other Autobots, a job he relishes and seldom gets hurt doing. He can fire projectiles filled with what he calls "glass gas." On impact, this gas disrupts the microscopic crystalline structure of most metals, temporarily making the metal as brittle as common glass.

Weaknesses: Cliffjumper is prone to literal blow-outs in his automobile mode. He accelerates so quickly and recklessly that he is sometimes disabled before he goes 50 yards. his overeagerness can often lead him into dangerous situations that he's not prepared to handle. And sometimes if the wind is blowing toward him, he can fall victim to his own glass gas.

Miscellaneous:

Best Place to Cliffjumper-Watch:
He gets his "star turn" in "Traitor," but I find him pretty unlikeable in that episode, rather exaggeratedly paranoid almost in an out-of-character sort of way. It's like he's channeling Red Alert in that episode... I prefer him in his little bit in "More Than Meets The Eye" when he's out patrolling with Hound or in "Changing Gears" when he's hurling himself at columns of solar energy. :) That's the CJ I love...

Nightwind's Favorite Cliffjumper Quotes:

"I wanna boot some Decepticon right in his turbocharger!"
~Being bloodthirsty in "More Than Meets The Eye"...and you'd be hard-pressed, I think, to find a quote that more concisely sums up Cliffjumper's personality. :)