Function: Dinobot Den Mother Voice Actor: Gregg Berger First Appearance: "S.O.S Dinobots"

Nightwind's Words of Wisdom:

Ahhhhh, my Dinobabies. :) And yes, to me, they are babies. As far as I'm concerned, they're not stupid, as some would assert. They're just young and inexperienced, and they have a lot to learn. But...I think that'll be a subject for a future essay, actually, the whole Dinobot dynamic. So I won't wax too rhapsodic about them in their individual profiles here. I'll save it for later.

But anyway... I tend to like the Dinobots because I see them as outsiders. They're outsiders in many ways, even. Specifically, though, they don't fit in with the Autobots. The Autobots and Dinobots are allies, yes, but they generally don't interact with each other in a social sort of way. When they're not needed, the Dinobots are in their little closet, where the Autobots conveniently don't have to deal with them. And this, to me, is why they're so rebellious. I mean, I would be, were I a Dinobot. There are the Autobots, all chummy with each other, for the most part. And they created the Dinobots as a force to be reckoned with, to help them out in sticky situations...and that's about the only time that you'll see an Autobot care about or interact with a Dinobot. It's sad, really. In fact, it makes me quite angry on the Dinobots' behalf, forcing me to pop off a fic like " Vigil."

But anyway, the Dinobots are outsiders. Rebels. And one of the things I like about the Dinobots is that they each have different personalities, some of which clash with each other. For instance, you have Slag the bully and Sludge the muffin who wants to be loved. :) So there's conflict within the group that, as a whole, also has conflict with the Autobots. Conflict is good from a storytelling point of view and is therefore attractive to me, personally. But, in that sort of situation a character is needed who will hold the Dinobots together, who will be their group advocate, their "spokesperson," a character who will bridge the personality gaps that exist between the others so that as a whole they can be more of a unified front in the face of the Autobots' general indifference and occasional scorn.

That "bridge" character, of course, would be Grimlock. More than that, to the other Dinobots, he is, in a sense, Mama. He's the only one who, if one of the other Dinobots asks why he has to do something, can get away with answering, "Because I said so!" and the other Dinobot in question will still do what he's told. Why? Because to the other Dinobots, Grimlock isn't necessarily "king." Rather, Grimlock is, as I said, "mama." The reason why I see him that way is because, rather than being a lordly "king" indifferent to the plight of his "subjects," Grimlock is instead much more like a mama bear who is fiercely protective of her cubs. For instance, Grimlock gets sick and tired of the Dinobots being cannon fodder for the Autobots in "Desertion of the Dinobots," so he walks out on them when they need him most. (And I, personally, think he was fully justified in doing so. Gooooo, Grimmy!) So I see Grimlock when dealing with the other Dinobots as very maternal in that sense.

So, Grimlock's the mama bear. He's the force that holds the five Dinobots together. Although they may grumble about it — particularly Slag — the others recognize of course that Grimlock's on their side, that he acts in their own best interests, and that he is the one best suited for dealing with the Autobots. So, they do what he says and follow where he leads not because he's some kind of "king" but because he's Mama, and Mama looks out for them and does his best to keep them safe. So, Grimlock may not be the smartest of the Dinobots (That would be Swoop, I believe) or the most aggressive overall (That would quite obviously be Slag), but he's Mama, and with the other Dinobots that counts for a lot. And it counts for a lot with me, too. I tend to think that aspect of Grimlock makes him...well, utterly adorable, actually. Me give Grimlock hugs!

And of course just like any other mama bear, if you piss Grimlock off — and especially if you threaten a "cub" while doing so — look out. Just about any Decepticon could give you a litany of reasons why you shouldn't piss off Grimlock. I love the fact that Grimlock has that adorable and protective maternal side and yet at the same time he is, indeed, an intimidating force to be reckoned with. Just like a mama grizzly bear, indeed.

Oh, and you just have to love Grimlock's almost poetic motto thing, huh? I can just see him trying to read it and going, "What the...?" ;)

The Official Word:

Profile: The most fearsome and powerful of the Dinobots, Grimlock would gladly usurp Optimus Prime's role as Autobot Commander if he thought he could get away with it. For now, he's happy to tear into the enemy Decepticons whenever he can and wait for a more opportune moment to try for the leadership. He can be cold and merciless, and shows contempt for those he views as weak, such as humans and even some fellow Autobots. But he is a valiant warrior and his actions command respect from all who are witness to them, both friend and foe.

Abilities: Grimlock's strength is second only to Optimus Prime's, and even that is arguable. In Dinobot mode he can use his powerful jaws to snap in two virtually anything that comes between them- from a 4-foot diameter steel cable to a Decepticon leg. In Autobot mode he wields an energo-sword, which can slice a 2-foot thick concrete wall with one sweep of its crackling blade. He also uses a double-barreled self-propelled rocket launcher.

Weaknesses: Other than arrogance and lack of speed, Grimlock has no significant weaknesses.

Miscellaneous:

Best Place to Grimmy-Watch:
Hmmmmm... In my opinion, it'd be "Atlantis, Arise." That, to me, is Grimlock at his "most mature," in a way. And I love his snarkiness toward Optimus Prime in that episode and in "Day of the Machines." There are probably some cute little Grimlock bits in the third season, too, but like I said, I tend not to like the way the Dinobots are portrayed overall in the third season, so I tend not to notice them much, personally. "Call of the Primitives" is a good third season episode for Grimlock, though, given that he saves the universe and all... :)

Nightwind's Favorite Grimlock Quotes:

"HAH! You wrong. And you ugly, too!"
~Giving Megatron the unvarnished truth in "Dinobot Island."

"BAAAAAAAAAD Megatron!"
~Righteously outraged at being used by Megatron in "War of the Dinobots"

"We love stupid enemies!"
~After Megatron asserts that he's not afraid of the Dinobots in "Atlantis, Arise."

"You joke! Who always saves Autobot hide?"
~A long-suffering Grimlock after Optimus says that he didn't expect Grimlock to be there saving Autobutt.

"Hmmm... Hadn't thought of that..."
~After asserting in "The Ultimate Doom" that he didn't care if the entire Earth fell apart...and then being gently reminded by Wheeljack that he lives on Earth.