Sky-Byte (RID)


 * Sky-Byte is a Predacon from the Robots in Disguise continuity family.



Deep within Sky-Byte beats the spark of a poet, a scholar, a brilliant and cultured military general who can command armies capable of conquering worlds. But without aptitude and patience that means jack squat, and Sky-Byte lacks both. Still he soldiers on, for he is driven... by a desperate need for approval. He needs the blessings of his commander Megatron quite possibly more than he needs energon. And Megatron, being Megatron, doesn't dole out praise much, so Sky-Byte tries harder and harder, getting more and more desperate.

This drive is the root of all his problems. He's actually quite intelligent and physically powerful, but he pushes himself to extremes to impress his leader. When he's in control of a situation, he's a deadly effective foe. But as soon as the situation begins to slip even the smallest bit, he starts to panic, and usually ends up doing something to mess things up and lose the upper hand, which makes him panic more, so he overreacts, and gets in more trouble, etc. etc. etc. It doesn't help that while he's ruthless towards Autobots, humans seem quite safe from his ire... maybe he sees a little something of himself in these underdogs. After all, they developed his new favorite form of expression, the haiku. And they do seem rather impressed by him...

Sky-Byte is in charge of the Predacon lackeys Dark Scream, Gas Skunk and Slapper, not that they give him any modicum of respect. In fact, they're more likely to try and shuffle the blame for their failures onto the shark, a gambit that's actually moderately successful, since Sky-Byte is so very good at making things worse for himself. He has a hate-hate relationship with the new Decepticons, especially Scourge, who he sees (rightly) as being a huge threat to his position as Megatron's second-in-command.


 * Poor frustrated shark.
 * Megatron is a dumbass.
 * Why do you bother?


 * Japanese name: Gelshark

Robots in Disguise

 * Voice actor: Peter Spellos (English), Konta (Japanese)

As Megatron is dressing-down the Predacon trio for their latest failure, Sky-Byte suddenly appears--demonstrating a skill for either invisibility or teleportation that he will never display again.

In the fog of battle, Sky-Byte prevents a skyscraper that has been attacked by the Decepticons from collapsing. With his position threatened by the arrival of Scourge, Sky-Byte plots to be the first to discover Fortress Maximus, and takes Dr. Onishi along with him on the search. Sky-Byte later becomes so preoccupied with battle that he tosses Dr. Onishi to Koji, leading the youth to believe Sky-Byte deliberately rescued his father out of the goodness of his heart. The Autobots believe this too and apologize to Sky-Byte for fighting him (after they've already blown the tar out of him). These apparent acts of goodness, plus his generally comic persona during events Koji and his friends witness, lead the children to become very fond of Sky-Byte, following him and pestering him for autographs. A proud Predacon, Sky-Byte is bewildered by this attention. He thinks of using it as a way to get his haikus published, but Galvatron has another idea--using Sky-Byte's friendship as a way to capture some humans, so that the best means of controlling Fortress Maximus can be tested. After the Predacons are defeated yet again by the Autobots, Galvatron incapacitates all the Autobots, seizes control of every child on Earth, and draws Omega Prime into a ritualized battle. Sometime during those events, Sky-Byte vanishes without a trace. After their final victory, the Autobots round up and capture every other Predacon and Decepticon, none of whom know his whereabouts. Whether the Autobots simply forgot about him or if he deserted his teammates is unknown. Sky-Byte is left to spend the rest of his life on Earth, a fate the other Predacons seem to view as worse than death, though his own attitude as he swims off into the sunset suggests he feels quite differently.

Dreamwave Summer Special comic
Sky-Byte and Scourge were sent on a joint mission, although they did nothing but bicker until Optimus and Ultra Magnus showed up. While Scourge battled them, Sky-Byte took advantage and made off with the goods, leaving Scourge with a haiku to keep him thinking.

Robots in Disguise

 * Sky-Byte (Mega, 2000/2001)
 * Japanese ID Number: D-005


 * An extensive redeco of the Transmetal 2 Maximal Cybershark, Sky-Byte transforms into a large monstrous bio-mechanical great white shark. His tail has a gear-system that spins the fins like a propeller when a wheel in his side is turned (this system becomes his right arm, forming a spinning claw weapon).  He also has a double spring-loaded missile launcher concealed in his shark mouth that doubles as a hand weapon.


 * First available as part of the Car Robots line in Japan, there are no noteworthy differences between the Takara and Hasbro versions.