Drift (RID)

Drift is an Autobot and former Decepticon from the Robots in Disguise portion of the Aligned continuity family.

Now use head for something other than target.

While some bounty hunters may be unscrupulous thugs for hire, Drift is a rarity: he's a bounty hunter with a conscience. Dedicated to hunting down wrongdoers and crooks across the galaxy, Drift aims to bring his targets in fairly and honorably, with the goal of rehabilitating them into contributing members of Cybertronian society. This rigid moral code may be an attempt to distance himself from his shady past — he doesn't like to talk about his old life as the Decepticon thief Deadlock in the employ of Shadow Raker, nor his time with the decidedly amoral Ronin.

Not that he's all sunshine and roses, however. As a result of his training with the Circle of Light, Drift is an exacting perfectionist in everything he does. He adheres to an unbending code of honor he follows to the letter, a level of strictness even Strongarm finds excessive. He is blunt and dismissive, rarely giving even slight praise, which often leaves his two Mini-Con students, Slipstream and Jetstorm, feeling unappreciated. They stick with him because he helped lift them out of the gutter, but....

Drift is an expert in blade combat, eschewing blasters for the up-close approach, leaving his Mini-Cons to handle outside distractions while he focuses on his target. Turns out he needs the backup, as he's quite unpopular with other bounty hunters... particularly Fracture, who's itching to turn Drift into so many metal shavings. He can also form the sword of Ultra Bee.

Fiction

2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon

Voice actor: Eric Bauza (English), Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese), Su Xin (Chinese), Raffaele Farina (Italian), Andreas Müller (German), Jean-Michel Vovk (French), Jorge Badillo (Latin-American Spanish), Luiz Antônio Lobue (Brazilian Portuguese)

"We make sacred pact. I promise teach karate to you, you promise learn. I say, you do, no questions."

Back when he was Deadlock, Drift was once a student of the Decepticon Shadow Raker. He eventually left Shadow Raker's tutelage, taking the Mini-Cons Slipstream and Jetstorm with him. Out of the Shadows

Drift and his Mini-Cons headed to Earth to collect on the bounty on Bumblebee's head, however arriving at the same time was Fracture. Drift tangled with the Decepticon at a deserted ranch, however Fracture got the better of him, and it was only through Bumblebee's help that Fracture was sent into a retreat. Drift saw this as a life debt and insisted on protecting Bee, though his following Bumblebee everywhere wore thin fast. After Denny, Strongarm, Sideswipe and Grimlock were captured by Fracture to use as a trade, Drift remained resolute in sticking with Bumblebee who pointed out that there was more to honor. When Fracture was defeated, mostly thanks to Slipstream and Jetstorm hijacking the Decepticon's ship, Drift was released from his life debt, though admitted that as Bumblebee had proven himself to be honorable, he would not pursue the bounty, instead leaving in his ship. Hunting Season

They wouldn't let Denny within a 5-mile radius of this thing during filming.

Drift later returned to Earth in search of Jetstorm, who had abandoned his master after polishing his sword incorrectly. Drift and Slipstream met up with Bumblebee's team again and encountered Jetstorm, who had decided to adopt Russell Clay as his new master. Before they could argue the matter any further, Bumblebee recruited all three of them to help re-capture Quillfire and Springload, who had escaped captivity. The Autobots headed out in pursuit of the two Decepticons, and eventually discovered that they had commandeered a human tank. Drift took a blast from the tank, knocking him unconscious, and his two students rushed to his aid instead of contributing to the fight. As soon as he came round, Drift reprimanded his Mini-Cons for disobeying him... until Russell gave him a piece of his mind. Humbled, Drift reluctantly went along with Jetstorm's plan to disable the tank, which turned out to be successful. In the aftermath, Drift welcomed Jetstorm back into the fold, and announced to Bumblebee that he planned to remain on Earth for the time being so that he could learn more about teamwork. One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing

"Hey, Drift, in An Officer and a Gentleman, did you really do all those sit-ups?"
"I wish! I did one, and they just showed it a thousand times."

Drift and his Mini-Cons participated in a training exercise. They later GroundBridged underwater with the rest of the Autobots, who were in pursuit of Octopunch. After the Decepticon broke into an Cybertronian spaceship, Drift pursued him inside, but wound up trapped in a room with Sideswipe. Undeterred, Drift instructed his two students to meditate, and Sideswipe reluctantly went along with it. Deep Trouble

Drift helped Fixit zero in on a pair of Decepticon signals. They turned out to belong to Groundpounder and Headlock, and the Autobots, sans Grimlock, tried to GroundBridge into Crown City. The bridge malfunctioned and wound up stranding the team in the Arctic. A second GroundBridge had them materialize outside the city limits, and the team were held up by traffic while Grimlock and Fixit fought the two Decepticons. The Champ

When Fixit reverted to his sentry programming and armed the scrapyard's security systems, Drift suggested that Fixit might have to be destroyed. He and his two students were trapped by containment fields, but he managed to escape and pursued Chop Shop's components when they managed to escape from stasis. The Trouble with Fixit Drift and the other Autobots found themselves trapped outside their own base after Steeljaw's team moved in and set up a subsonic field to keep them out. While the others created a diversion, Drift and Bumblebee rigged up a catapult which they used to get Drift's Mini-Cons into the scrapyard, disabling the subsonic field so Drift and the others could retake the base. Lockout

After Grimlock tried to befriend Scowl, Drift joined in the hunt for the villainous Dinobot and did his best to redirect a runaway train. When Scowl attacked a nearby spa, Drift and his two students searched for their quarry in the showers; Scowl managed to get the drop on all three of them and took the trio down. Similarly Different Drift joined up with newcomer Windblade when the team tried to bring in Zizza. The Buzz on Windblade

"George Takei?"
"That's right. And I would never have gotten away with it, regardless of you meddling kids."

After some of the Autobots began feeling homesick for Cybertron, Bumblebee decided to take them on a vacation. The team GroundBridged to abandoned Edmondville after an erupting volcano proved unpopular. The team had fun scaring off a group of human tourists, although Drift didn't get the chance to show off his ghost costume. Drift later had to deal with an imposter, who escaped into the town's abandoned mineshaft. With the help of Drift's Minicons, the team managed to flush Pseudo out and incapacitate him. Ghosts and Impostors

A warrior is a master of himself and his environment.

When Sideswipe and Strongarm were kidnapped by Decepticons, Drift and the other Autobots set off to rescue their comrades from the Decepticon's base of operations. They discovered that the Decepticons were using the Crown City Colossus to summon Megatronus from another dimension. Battlegrounds, Part 1 With their forces bolstered by the return of Optimus Prime, Drift freed his allies and fought against the Decepticons while Optimus took on Megatronus. After Steeljaw's forces were routed, Drift and Sideswipe hacked off part of the Colossus's arm and pinned Megatronus beneath its weight, allowing Bumblebee, Strongarm, and Sideswipe to power up using their Decepticon Hunters and finish off Megatronus. Afterwards, Drift returned to their base with the others. Like the other Autobots, he chose to remain on Earth under Bumblebee's command. Battlegrounds, Part 2

As Decepticons were being detected far from the scrapyard, Drift was assigned to be part of an "away team" to hunt them. He and the rest of the team were sent on a mission to the Arctic under Optimus Prime's command, however as they tracked the Decepticon, they found themselves having to deal with Optimus's weakened state as a result of the Primes taking back the power they had bestowed on the Autobot leader. Overloaded, Part 1 After rescuing Optimus from a cliff and then becoming the victims of an avalanche, the Autobots managed to sneak up on Polarclaw by scanning some arctic camouflage. Drift took part in the mountain chase, which saw Polarclaw driven into an ice floe and incapacitated. Overloaded, Part 2

Dull brown surprise!

Travelling south, the away team switched paintjobs again, this time adopting desert camouflage from an offroad jeep. During the hunt for another Decepticon, Drift had to suffer Sideswipe's ceaseless chattering. When the team was ran across Swelter and Glacius, Drift deployed his students to test their skills, though he had to intervene after they were defeated. Searching for Razorpaw, the Autobots ended up at a military base where Drift and Sideswipe were ambushed by the two Mini-Cons again. Though the pair were trapped in a metal cocoon by their foes, Drift was at least grateful for the fact that it had silenced Sideswipe. Cover Me

"Until then, let's all have a drink. I've got soda, beer, and Hetap."

Investigating possible interference with one of Windblade's caches, Optimus's team found themselves up against Stockade and his army of Mini-Cons. During the ensuing firefight, Slipstream and Jetstorm pretended no to hear their master's orders in a bid to act independently in the field. Drift was injured as a result, and sealed himself in the cache. While the other Autobots dealt with spererate squadrons of Stockade's troops, Drift successfully used the cache's force field and the weapons it contained to hold off the Decepticons. After witnessing his students acquit themselves against the foes, he informed them that their education was complete, and they were free to act as they themselves saw fit. However, they insisted on remaining his students. Drift accepted to continue teaching the Mini-Cons, though he warned he would no longer tolerate disobedience in the line of fire. The stealth team then learned that the scrapyard's GroundBridge had been repaired, and Drift was carried back to base by Grimlock through a portal. Graduation Exercises

After a chance encounter resulted in Ratchet joining the team, the Autobots got a lead to the location of the remaining Decepticons on Earth; Toolbox, a recent escapee from "Decepticon Island." They used a ruse to infiltrate the crashed Alchemor which the Decepticons were using as a base by posing as captives. Though they made good headway in their infiltration at first, an argument between Bumblebee and Optimus caused them to pause, allowing the Decepticons higher ups to catch wind of their presence. In due course, the Autobots found themselves completely surrounded by the enemy. Decepticon Island (Part 1)

"What are you doing?"
"Dunno, a fangirl told me to stand over here next to you."

Thanks to an impromptu distraction created by Windblade, the rest of the Autobots were able to make a break for it and escape from Steeljaw's troops. They then split up into smaller teams, with Drift and Ratchet sent to free the captured Windblade. They found Overload putting her in a stasis pod and fought with the Decepticon. Drift became trapped in a pod himself and missed Overload's defeat, but he and the others were able to escape the ship before the cryo-gas bomb went off, freezing all on board. In the aftermath, several Autobots decided to return to Cybertron, as the Decepticon threat had been eliminated. Drift opted to remain on Earth under Bumblebee's command so they could work on building a permanent base of operations, and better meet any future threats that came to the planet. Decepticon Island (Part 2) When news of the Bee Team's exploits reached Cybertron, Drift became one of the many Autobots blacklisted by the High Council for being a supporter of Optimus Prime. Enemy of My Enemy

Bumblebee took his team on a tour of interesting locations on Earth, culminating in them visiting the remains of Autobot Outpost Omega One, only to find a strange bomb had been set up to detonate. Though the team split up, Drift ended up coming to the aid of Bumblebee and Sideswipe against Paralon and Buzzstrike, only to be knocked out by the two scavengers. He later recovered in time to watch Bumblebee prevent the bomb from doing significant damage. History Lessons When Bumblebee split up the team to search sites of Cybertronian significance, Drift was assigned look in Canada. The team was accidentally bridged back to the scrapyard instead of Mount St. Hilary because Denny and Russell didn't know what they were doing. Strongarm's Big Score

Drift and Strongarm checked out the Great Wall of China during the search. When they later joined Grimlock after the Dinobot encountered Thermidor and Tricerashot, Drift joined in the pursuit, only to be stopped by a fallen tree. Pretzel Logic

"He's the single most frustrating man I've ever met."

Team Bee retrieved a high energy pulse generator from Egypt, only to have to destroy it when it threatened to fry their brains. Following an invasion of the scrapyard by the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, Drift was outraged when Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream were abducted by Starscream, and used as leverage to capture Bumblebee. Mighty Big Trouble Joined by Optimus, the team split up to search for Starscream. After the others ran into the Weaponizer Mini-Cons and teamed up, Drift joined them in the middle of Aerobolt's story. A short time later, they ran into the Scavengers, and then during the fight with them, the Mini-Cons were captured by Starscream. Mini-Con Madness The Scavengers defeated, Drift and the rest of the team located Starscream's ship, and during the ensuing battle with the Decepticons, they were knocked out by Starscream. They eventually managed to defeat Starscream, despite him successfully merging with the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, by dragging him down into range of Fixit's signal so he could be de-merged. After farewelling Optimus and the Mini-Cons, Drift gave his Mini-Cons permission to hang out with Sideswipe for a while, and Team Bee split up to search more Cybertronian sites. Worthy

"There is literally nothing left that he could do to make this situation worse."

During the Autobots' downtime, Drift continued practicing with his sword. He joined Bumblebee and Grimlock in going to the aid of Sideswipe and Strongarm when it turned out Heatseeker was too much for them to handle. King of the Hill (Part 1) His knowledge of the missiles Heatseeker was using allowed the Autobots to disable them. During the ensuing battle against the Stunticon, the whole team was knocked unconscious and temporarily merged into one robot. King of the Hill (Part 2)

After Drift used Grimlock in a demonstration with Jetstorm, the Dinobot insisted on becoming his "poodle". To Drift's chagrin, Grimlock's clumsy attempts to put his teachings into practice were actually successful, leading to the capture of Crustacion. Defrosted The team joined up with Rescue Bot Blurr during a mission to secure the Decepticon Ragebyte. At one point Drift retrieved a jetboat from the scrapyard, only to fall out when Sideswipe commandeered it. Blurred

Despite Zorillor spraying him with blinding gunk, Drift was able to slice the end off the Con's gun and dispatched his pupils to finish taking down the Decepticon. Along with the rest of the team, Drift found himself infatuated with the Sphere of Doradus Zorillor had been carrying, and had to fight its effects long enough to capture Springload. Sphere of Influence Drift took part in a mission to try to get a Decepticon Hunter back from Dragstrip and Wildbreak. Bee Cool

"Whoso pulleth out this Drift..."

After a methane explosion during the pursuit of Drag Strip, the team were temporarily again merged into one robot, with Drift as the sword. In the aftermath they found themselves having to cope with two Sideswipes. The Great Divide Drift and the rest of the team captured three Decepticon brothers as a result of Strongarm employing her detective skills. Get a Clue When Shadow Raker arrived on Earth to reclaim the Mini-Cons, Drift was initially evasive towards the rest of his team, but eventually admitted his prior history with the Con. Shadow Raker managed to reclaim the Mini-Cons for a while, but they were able to trick him into remaining on Earth long enough for Drift and the team to track him down and capture him. Out of the Shadows

Another of Fixit's combiner experiments led to the Autobots switching bodies. Occupying Sideswipe's form during the subsequent mission to defeat the Stunticons led to Drift tripping up when he forgot he no longer had his Mini-Cons, however he and Sideswipe succeeded in taking down the Decepticon team. Disordered Personalities A visit by Strongarm's old friend Nightra turned out weird when the team discovered Nightra was actually a criminal being hunted by the Autobot bounty hunter Blastwave. After the truth was revealed, Drift was nearly blown out of Blastwave's ship by Nightra, barely being caught by the real bounty hunter on his way out of the cargo bay. Guilty As Charged

Drift remained back at the scrapyard while Grimlock was dabbling in the art world. The Golden Knight Then later while the team was trying to recapture Simacore, they had to also deal with Grimlock given super speed by another of Fixit's experiments. The Fastest Bot Alive! Slipstream accidentally shattered Drift's katana while cleaning it, leading to Sidweswipe covering it up by slipping Drift a nerf sword instead. Drift remained unaware during the mission to prevent the Stunticons from stealing a maglev train's power supply, until he inevitably drew the sword and instantly pinned the blame on Sideswipe. When Slipstream later admitted his wrongdoing, Drift conceded that maybe Sideswipe shouldn't be judged on his past pranks—and immediately fell victim to another prank while trying to fix his sword. Railroad Rage

Bumblebee announced strict new discipline as they continued the hunt of the Stunticons, and began micromanaging the team's operation, much to Drift's annoyance. The team managed to combine into their Ultra Bee form without the aid of Fixit's equipment and fought Menasor. Combine and Conquer When Optimus returned to recruit Drift for a mission, Drift insisted on completing the team's current mission to secure Windblade's cache on the Moon first. During the mission, the team again merged and managed to defeat the Decepticons once and for all. Drift and his students were then able to leave Earth with Optimus, but not before Drift got a last hug from Grimlock. Moon Breaker

In order to prove Optimus's theories, Drift infiltrated the High Council chambers and gathered evidence that the leaders of Cybertron were using mind control on the population. Drift rejoined the rest of the Bee Team as they traveled back to Cybertron to expose the new council, however after evading the planetary defenses, they landed and were immediately surrounded by security. Enemy of My Enemy With the help of Dropforge and Steeljaw, the team managed to gain entry to the High Council Tower. Discovering that the council were actually disguised Decepticons led by Cyclonus, Drift and his pupils took out Riotgear using a Deployer technique they have been working on. The team later merged into Ultra Bee to combat the Decepticons' own combined form while Fixit disabled the Decepticon mind control. A protracted battle followed, but the Autobots prevailed, and in the aftermath, Optimus assigned the Bee Team as ambassadors to Earth. The team returned to the planet they now regarded as home, and found themselves again pursuing Steeljaw. Freedom Fighters

Robots in Disguise shorts

To Serve Bot.

Drift watched Grimlock and Fixit perform in a talent show. Fixit Jam

Drift allowed Jetstorm and Slipstream to watch a "training simulation" when Sideswipe came along and explained to them the concept of "dibs". Then, Fixit detected that the two Cyclones Backtrack and Ransack were on the loose and informed the Bee Team as such. Slipstream called "dibs" on recapturing the rogue Mini-Cons, which Drift allowed, despite Bumblebee's concern. The Power of Dibs When Slipstream and Jetstorm returned to base with the Cyclones in hand, Drift met them with an uncharacteristic "welcome back" hug. Though he quickly regained his composure, Drift confided to his students that he was glad they were unharmed. Two Plus Two Equals More

2015 Robots in Disguise books

Drift was once a homeless bot, forced to steal Energon. He came to Megatron's attention and joined the Decepticon army as Deadlock, however when he was nearly destroyed during a battle, he was found and repaired by the Circle of Light. They taught him the ways of the Samurai until the war eventually reached them. Deadlock eventually joined up with a group of bounty hunters known as the Ronin. When they tracked a target to a moon of Athena and Foxtrot's solution was to destroy the moon, Deadlock rebelled against the plan. He destroyed the ship and fled. Drift's Samurai Showdown

Drift was out searching for energon when the rest of Bumblebee's team hunted down Scuzzard and Filch, but arrived back in time to help prevent Filch from escaping captivity a second time. Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard Drift's reluctance to work with the rest of Bumblebee's team did not endear him to 'Bee. When the team caught the Ronin Forager, who recognized Drift as Deadlock, Bumblebee began to doubt Drift's motives, leading Drift to opt to leave the team. When Foxtrot and Stilts later captured Team Bee, Drift posed as his old self, which allowed him to get back into the scrapyard and surreptitiously free the Autobots so that they could defeat the Ronin. Drift's Samurai Showdown

During the incident with Skinkbomb, Drift and his Mini-Cons were off on a scouting mission, and Fixit didn't have any luck contacting them. The Trials of Optimus Prime

As part of the "away team", Drift helped apprehend Shocksprocket. The team headed to Mount Everest to hunt Abominus, only to be temporarily captured after falling into one of the Decepticon's boobytraps, until Slipstream rescued them. They later successfully apprehended Abominus. Autobot World Tour

Birth! Black Knight Bumblebee

A disgruntled Drift tried to prepare Bumblebee to battle the Decepticon spy Phantomjaw, but the training was going poorly until one of Drift's blows left Bumblebee floundering in mud. With his new, darker color, Drift had a hard time seeing him, and observed that it gave Bumblebee an advantage. Suddenly, Phantomjaw himself interrupted the lesson, much to the dismay of an indignant Drift. Bee was losing his fight until Drift, seized with inspiration, told him to scan a black car, mimicking the stealthy coloration of his earlier mudbath. Phantomjaw lost track of the new "Black Knight" Bumblebee and was sent flying by the Autobot's fist as a result. Birth! Black Knight Bumblebee

IDW Robots in Disguise comic

High Expectations Asian Father.

When Team Bee was lured to Fort Tucker to fight a pair of Vehicons, Drift was forced to aid Grimlock after the Dinobot was felled while protecting some humans. It later turned out to be a distraction while Steeljaw and Steve abducted Fixit and Russell from the scrapyard. Robots in Disguise #5

Returning to base, the team found empty stasis pods and the computer trashed, and were forced to resort to their own wits to work out where Steeljaw was. After Grimlock reasoned that he was somewhere in the Sierra Vistas, Drift spotted some energon left on Bumblebee by the Vehicons. The team was able to track the source of the energon to the cave in question, rescuing Fixit and Russell before engaging Steeljaw's crew. Drift found himself double-teamed by Fracture and Clampdown, until the three Vehicons realized that Steeljaw was not part of Megatron's command. In the aftermath Team Bee was left with the majority of Steeljaw's team as prisoners. Robots in Disguise #6

Commercial appearances

Drift faced off against Fracture in the middle of some woods, launching his two Mini-Con partners as the Decepticon did the same. Slipstream and Jetstorm were victorious in their fight, and Drift loomed over them proudly as the two smaller robots high-fived. Robots in Disguise Deployers toy commercial

Games

Robots in Disguise mobile game

• unlock Starter — 500 Energon Cubes or 10 Ultra Sparks
• unlock 1-Step — 2000 Energon Cubes or 40 Ultra Sparks
• unlock Warrior — 4000 Energon Cubes or 80 Ultra Sparks
• unlock Deployer — 6000 Energon Cubes or 120 Ultra Sparks

When Crown City was overrun by Decepticons as a result of a stasis pod modified to clone an army, the Autobots were forced to battle them throughout the city and surrounding landscape. They eventually found that Steeljaw and another Decepticon had constructed a space bridge and defeated the pair. Robots in Disguise

Transformers Super Mini-Con Striker

Drift acted as a goalkeeper in a soccer match between him, Slipstream, and Jetstorm; and the Decepticons Fracture, Divebomb, and Airazor. Transformers Super Mini-Con Striker

Toys

Robots in Disguise (2015)

Warrior Class

You have no honor! (Hasbro Version Pictured)

• Autobot Drift (Warrior Class, 2015-2016)

• TakaraTomy ID number: TAV18
• TakaraTomy release date: June 27, 2015
• Accessories: Longsword, short sword

First released as part of the second wave of Hasbro's Robots in Disguise Warrior Class assortment, "Autobot Drift" transforms from a samurai-styled robot into a futuristic orange car that appears to be a cross between AOE Drift's Bugatti Veyron alt-mode and a Gumpert Apollo. In robot mode, his two swords can be stored on his left hip. In car mode, they store on his underside by using the tabs on his legs with the slots in the sword handles.

Your pitiful American version lacks honor.(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)

His scannable insignia is dead-center on his chest, easily scanned even in-package.

Despite being succeeded by the "Blizzard Strike" redeco in wave 6, which itself was later re-released under the Mini-Con Weaponizers subline imprint packaging refresh, the original orange version of Drift was later re-released in Mini-Con Weaponizers packaging.

The TakaraTomy version of Drift, released in the fourth wave of Adventure toys, features a more yellow-y orange base plastic, and extra paint applications on his feet, shoulder and arm panels, chest, & his mustache. Like his Hasbro counterpart, he features a scannable badge, though this is a different design. In-package, this is covered up by a "dummy sticker" to prevent scanning without purchase. Scanning the real sticker unlocks Drift in the Transformers Chronicle checklist app.

A redeco of this figure with a new head sculpt was also released under TakaraTomy's Adventure line under the name "Drift Origin Mode", now representing an alternate universe counterpart of the character.

• More information on Drift at TFU.info

After the G1 deco, you knew they were bound to do this one.

• Blizzard Strike Autobot Drift (Warrior Class, 2016-2017)

• Accessories: Longsword, short sword

Released in the sixth wave of Warrior Class toys (and much later re-released under the Mini-Con Weaponizers subline imprint packaging refresh), "Blizzard Strike Drift" is a redeco of the original Warrior Class Drift, now featuring an "arctic" deco in various shades of blue. He now has clear plastic for his wheels and car roof kibble.

Like his original toy, his scannable insignia is dead-center on his chest, easily scanned even in-package.

Strangely, his stock photography depicts him with a Decepticon sticker-badge rather than his Autobot badge, which also unlocks the same character if scanned.

Candy Cane Drift

• Alpine Strike Autobot Drift (Warrior Class, 2016)

• Accessories: Longsword, short sword

Released in the ninth wave of Warrior Class toys, "Alpine Strike Autobot Drift" is yet another redeco of the Warrior Class figure, now featuring a deco pattern based (roughly) on his Generation 1 counterpart.

No, despite coming out well after the Adventure set with the Generation-1-style alternate head retool, he does not come with the Generation-1-style alternate head retool.

One-Step Changers

No one is truly disabled as long as he has honor! (Hasbro version pictured)

• Autobot Drift (One-Step Changer, 2015)

• TakaraTomy ID Number: TED13
• TakaraTomy release date: October 24, 2017

Part of the third wave of Robots in Disguise One-Step figures, this Drift transforms from a stumpy samurai robot into a futuristic orange car in just one step, sharing the same transformation scheme with One Step Changer Bumblebee. He features added articulation in his shoulders, and includes 3mm compatible hands.

(TakaraTomy version pictured)

His scannable insignia is on his robot mode chest/vehicle mode front, easily scanned even in-package.

Like Bumblebee, Drift is incompatible with Stomp & Chomp Grimlock due to how the legs are molded.

This figure was released twice in the Hasbro line: first in 2015 in the original Robots in Disguise packaging design, and then again in 2016 in the Mini-Con Weaponizers subline imprint packaging refresh.

In Japan, Drift was released in the eight wave of the Adventure "Easy Dynamic Series" sub-line of simpler toys for younger hands. As per usual, he has more extensive paint applications, a lighter and paler orange plastic, and a Chronicle checklist-app scan-badge sticker.

• Autobot Drift (1-Step Changer, 2017)

Released in the ninth wave of Hasbro One-Step Changers, the first wave to be sold under the Combiner Force subline, this new-mold version of Autobot Drift shares a similar transformation "butterfly knife" style transformation with Age of Extinction One-Step Changer Drift. His scannable badge is on his vehicle mode's roof. Although the badge is accessible while in-package, the badge was neutered by a thin string, unless you want to take the toy out from the packaging.

Now, this One-Step Drift can ride on Stomp & Chomp Grimlock, hooray!... but he does not activate any of the larger figure's gimmicks. Aw.

Mini-Con Deployers

Transforms from brick to brick and back again! Hasbro Version Pictured)

• Autobot Drift & Jetstorm (Mini-Con Deployer, 2015)

• Accessories: Jetstorm Mini-Con w/ armor sprue

Naturally part of the first wave of Mini-Con Deployers, this Warrior-sized mold of Drift transforms into his Cybertronian car form. In robot mode, he features 3mm compatible holes on his arms and a 5 mm post-compatible left hand. He has extremely limited articulation, in service of greater stability for the toy's central gimmick: launching Mini-Cons.

In both modes, he features a pressure-launch system which works with any "buzzsaw"-type Mini-Con toy, flinging the little bots forward; Drift comes packaged with one of his students, Jetstorm, so you can engage with this gimmick right out of the package. In car mode, this launcher is embedded in his front bumper. In robot mode, the whole assembly just kind of hangs off his butt and to the side of his right leg, which poses some weird balance issues (thus the nigh-immobile legs).

Although his stock render shows that his scannable insignia is placed on the left side of his vehicle mode, the final product features his badge on his robot mode chest, easily scanned even in-package.

No, you can't put my Mini-Cons on my arms. Buy me.(TakaraTomy version pictured)

• Micronshooter Drift Set

• TakaraTomy ID number: TAV27
• TakaraTomy release date: September 19, 2015
• Accessories: Slipstream and Jetstorm Microns w/ armor sprues

The TakaraTomy release of Deployers Drift, released in the ninth wave of Adventure toys, features (say it with us now) additional paint applications to make him more show-accurate.

He also comes with both of his Mini-Con students, Jetstorm and Slipstream.

• More information on Deployer Drift at TFU.info

• Blizzard Strike Autobot Drift & Jetstorm (Mini-Con Deployer, 2016)

• Accessories: Jetstorm Mini-Con, armor sprues

Drift was redecoed for the second wave of Deployers, now in a much more icy-looking light-blue arctic deco.

He retains his gimmickry, and his pack-in Mini-Con partner Jetstorm, who has also been cast in matching light-blue plastics.

• More information on Deployer Blizzard Strike Drift at TFU.info

Legion Class

Pocket-sized honor!

• Autobot Drift (Legion Class, 2016-2017)

Part of the sixth wave of the ''Robots in Disguise Legion Class lineup, this tiny version of Drift transforms into his Earth-mode made-up car form in a few short steps. In robot mode, he features 3mm compatible hands for accessories that he does not come with.

This figure was released twice: first in late 2015/early 2016 in the original Robots in Disguise packaging design, and then again in mid-2017 in the Combiner Force subline imprint packaging refresh, as part of wave 12 of the Legion Class assortment along with Cyclonus and Heatseeker. However, the latter wave was only ever released internationally, with no confirmed sightings at US retail.

• More information on Legion Drift at TFU.info

• Autobots vs Clampdown (Multi-pack, 2016)

• TakaraTomy ID number: TAV49
• TakaraTomy release date: May 31, 2016

In Japan, the Legion Drift mold was only available as part of a four-piece EZ Collection set. And yes, he's much more extensively-painted than his Hasbro counterpart. Like his set-mates, he doesn't have a scan-badge sticker, instead the set has a single card for all four toys with a single scan-badge for the entire set in the Chronicle checklist app.

This set also included Optimus Prime, Ratchet, and Clampdown. Talk about an unfair fight!

Like the rest of the Adventure EZ Collection sets, some online retailers like Amazon Japan were still selling it two years later, at greatly reduced prices, up to 70% off.

Icicle-sized honor!

• Blizzard Strike Autobot Drift (Legion Class, 2016)

Drift was redecoed for the eighth wave of Legion Class toys, once again in an icy-themed "Blizzard Strike" deco, and once again the said deco is radically different from the other "Blizzard Strike" toys he's got.

Slick light-blue tires, tho.

Hyperchange Heroes/3-Step Changers

Coming soon: Activision Attack Drift!

• Blizzard Strike Autobot Drift (Hyperchange Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2015)

Released in the sixth wave of Three-Step Changers, this toy is a considerably bigger, simpler toy meant for the younger set, transforming to or from his made-up Earth-car mode in a mere three simple steps. In robot mode he has 5 mm post-compatible hands, which can be used to wield any Mini-Cons from the "Mini-Con Weaponizers" subline (or a few billion other accessories and parts from other toys).

This is also the only Drift toy to feature him with his battle mask deployed.

His scannable insignia is on his robot mode chest/vehicle mode front, easily scanned even in-package.

Strangely, the toy features a "Blizzard"-themed deco, released before the normal colors version (below).

The TV Colors version is also available as an alternate downloadable content skin! (TakaraTomy version shown)

• Autobot Drift (Hyperchange Heroes/3-Step Changer, 2016)

• TakaraTomy name: Big Drift
• TakaraTomy ID Number: TED18
• TakaraTomy release date: February 27, 2016

First released in the eighth wave of TakaraTomy's Adventure "Easy Dynamic Series" subline, Big Drift a redeco and minor retool of Blizzard Strike Autobot Drift, now in his original colors and with a maskless face.

Now with least honorable paint operations! (Hasbro version shown)

His scannable insignia is on his robot mode chest/vehicle mode front, compatible to TakaraTomy's Transformers: Chronicle app. This was restricted by a dummy sticker in-package.

The Hasbro version of this redeco/retool came out later in the year, as part of the eighth wave of Three-Step Changers, and the first wave sold under the "Mini-Con Weaponizers" subline. Of course, he has a much more limited paint budget than his Takara counterpart.

Curiously, the 3D stock render on the packaging still depicts him having a masked face.

His scannable insignia is on his robot mode chest/vehicle mode front, easily scanned even in-package.

Team Combiners

• Ultra Bee (Team Combiner, 2017)

• Accessories: Drift sword

Part of the first wave of Team Combiners in the Robots in Disguise third-year "Combiner Force" subline, this toy of Drift is a non-transformable sword that came in the Ultra Bee's box set. The blade's lower section features two pairs of tabs, which allow him to be stored on Ultra Bee's back. He can also be stored in Grimlock's tail, though exactly how is unclear, given the vague instructions.

The sword's handle can pivot left and right, though what utility —if any— this serves is also unclear.

The packaging and instructions do not identify the sword as Drift in any way.

This set also includes Crash Combiner-styled toys of Bumblebee, Grimlock, Sideswipe, and Strongarm.

Kre-O

Battle Changers

• Autobot Drift (Kreon Triple Changer, 2015)
  • Accessories: 2 swords

• Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro)^[1]

Kreon Triple Changer Autobot Drift mooshes all the incarnations of Drift into one form! This built-up Kreon transforms from robot to sportscar to helicopter, without needing to be disassmebled. His general appearance is based on Generation 1 Drift, his altmodes come from Age of Extinction Drift, and of course his micro-Kreon Mini-Con partners Slipstream and Jetstorm hail from Robots in Disguise Drift.

Drift (along with Blitzwing) was shown at Toy Fair 2015, but no accounts of it seeing release in any market have ever surfaced.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Merchandise

Tiny Titans

• Autobot Drift (Tiny Titans, 2015)
  • Series: 3
  • Number: 1/12

Part of the third assortment of Tiny Titans blindpacks, this version of Drift is a soft-plastic, minimally-painted figurine, depicted swinging his swords with a severe torso-twist action.

He includes a collectible card that includes a scan-badge for the Robots in Disguise mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

• Autobot Drift (Tiny Titans, 2016)
  • Series: 5
  • Number: 8/12

Part of the fifth assortment of Tiny Titans, this version of Drift is now molded in red plastic, and is in a more "normal" front-facing battle-ready pose.

As per usual, he includes a collectible card that includes a scan-badge for the Robots in Disguise mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

Dickie Toys

• Autobot Drift (Single Pack, 2016/2017)

Released as part of the Single Pack assortment, Drift is a show-accurate, non-transforming die-cast vehicle based on his alternate mode. He features through-axle construction, allowing for super-speedy racing on smooth surfaces, and his car mode is compatible with many tracks and playsets from Hot Wheels and Matchbox.

He was also available with the following redeco variants:

• Power Up, which features metallic blue paint applictions.
• Neon, which features a brighter hue of yellow.
• Cybertron, which features a gray scale redeco.
• Arctic, which features a white redeco.
• Energon, which features shiny metallic paint.

• Autobot Drift (Plastic Robots & Car 2-pack, 2017)

This 2-pack features an unchanged Drift toy car, but with a show-accurate, non-transforming robot mode figure as a bonus!

• Robots in Disguise 5-pack (2017)
• Robots in Disguise 8-pack (2017)
• Robots in Disguise 11-Pack (2017)

The unchanged Drift car (or any of his random redecoes) was also available in either of these multi-packs. He would probably be bundled with his robot mode figurine though.

Notes

• In the Japanese dub of the series, Transformers Adventure, Drift speaks in an archaic dialect associated with the samurai, often ending sentences with "de gozaru" (でござる) (an honorific that eventually evolved into "desu"). This was also the verbal tic previously used for Tigatron (who was played as a samurai, too), though Drift doesn't ramble it in nearly as much excess (he leaves that goofiness to Slipstream and Jetstorm).
• Drift's color scheme is seemingly derived from early designs for Age of Extinction Drift.^[2][3]
• His voice actor Eric Bauza was a huge fan of the original Drift, so don't be surprised if he calls this one of his favorite roles.
• A late-series Kre-O "Transformers Lunchbox" commercial shows a CG-rendered Kreon of Drift. This is the only indication that a Drift Kreon was potentially in the works; no listings or production samples have surfaced.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Drift (ドリフト Dorifuto)
• Mandarin: Piāoyí (China, 漂移, "Drift")

References