I find that most of the names given to the Transformers in this show has not been appropriate or fitting enough, in my opinion. The most obvious example are Drift’s shruiken bots Jetstorm and Slipstream, who sound better suited for planes. But it's not just them...

Steeljaw - why use that particular name, because it's so popular? Why not Fang, or Wolfgang?

Sideswipe – No real issues with his name, but I cant help thinking he could have been called Side Burn.

Strongarm – The name sounds too masculine, and too henchman-like for a police fembot. Why not just name her Prowl? (Do you know how sexy a name Prowl is for a lady?)

Hammerstrike – His name sounds fine since he’s a hammerhead shark design, then later on I found the name for suited for a hammer. Why not call him something sea-related, like Overbite (the Seacon), or plain old Sharkticon?

Terrashock – I find his name to be original, but on the other hand he could have worked with Tantrum or Bighorn (bull bots), or even Stampede (a BW name)?

Fracture – This name sounds rather medical. Why not just call him Lockdown? He's badass enough to be a Lockdown.

Airazor – this name wouldn’t really fit unless Airazor had been bad or the Mini-Con was a falcon droid. I don't know what I would have used in place for him though...


I don’t really have issues with the names of Bisk, Springload, Filch and Quillfire, they’re new enough and sound just right for their characters.

I use a variety of names from across TF history for the characters here, and in my opinion they sound better than what these guys have been designated. Does anyone feel the same way, or are you satisfied with the names given in the show?

 

Fracture isn't really exclusive to the medical profession. My first thought was fractured rock. Strongarm... maybe. Although she isn't the the typical female physically and she strives to be the strong arm of the law.

 

I'm fine with the names, and a-ok with the name Strongarm. It fits her personality and character, just like the name Knock Out (which usually refers to a beautiful woman) fit his vain character.

 

Hmm, now I'm wondering if Side Burn was called Side Burn because Sideswipe was unavailable as a name. The original RID reused a bunch of Generation 1 names, and some (Skid-Z, Hot Shot) seem like they're modifications for trademark purposes...

 

There was a sideswipe in the toy line though ( a spychanger)

 

Oh yeah, they parsed it Side Swipe. I guess they would have used that for Side Burn's name if they wanted to.

 

Just for the sake of conversation, I disagree with you, and the names are fine. The more you say them, the more you get used to them anyway.

 

Sideswipe was meant to be Fastlane.

Which solves the issue right there; he IS Fastlane in personality

 

Maybe it's me, but I always was the under the impression that he was named that because he was a medic/surgeon, and when there's surgery there's typically anesthesia involved, hence getting "knocked out."

 

Side burn.
Imagine sideswipe talking like a mix of Elvis and Johnny Bravo, voiced by William Shatner

 

No offense, but are we really doing this again? The names are ok to me...

Strongarm? Too masculine? Um... no... because really? First of all, it seems to be a unisex name like Casey, Jessie or even Charlie. I mean, I don't see anything wrong with calling a femme Strongarm, even though the name started off as male. But if you look at some of the male named characters from the game that's never going to be, there's one called Astraea. That's a female name and yet it's attached to a male.

Nothing wrong with a unisex name.

 

with a name like strongarm i was expecting a guy but i can see that her personality reflecting her name

prowl being a female's name that could have been a neat concept of expanding the imagination a little bit

 

Appropriate names?

Erector knows the feeling.

 

I think the question is: why should a women have a sexier name instead of a masculine one? What's makes this question a problem?

 

Your logic for what counts as appropriate names is all kinds of flawed, I mean seriously? Taking issue at Terrashock not being Trantum yet Sideswipe is a problem?

 

I think her name should have been Longarm, due to her obsession with rules.

Characters should have names which reflect their personality, not their gender. Whic goes back to what I said earlier, someone flips a lid if a character is sexy/could be seen as sexist.

 

No one's ever heard of "Strongarm of the law?"

Also, while the homonym of "Jessie" is unisex, the spelling is not. Jessie is more associated with females, while Jesse is males.

Still though, the point is valid.

 

I think Hasbro has so far done a good enough job naming female characters.
Either names that reflects the personality, or neutral female names with a touch of robot.
Remember girls also have to identify them selves with the characters, and it is easier to identify with Elita or Botanica, then Paul.
While Airazor and Strika is more personality driven.

 

It sounds to me like the OP is just rustled that not all of the names are names that have been prominent, or even appeared in the franchise.

Which frankly, is one of the many things I love about this series: The obvious shift from the traditional status qou of the franchise and the genuine attempt to do something unique. It's refreshing, really.

I love every one of the RID2015 Decepticons, new names and all,and I plan on having a dedicated shelf for them in my collection display, granted the cast is completed in toy form...

 

Ha, my name is Paul.

But yes, female characters having female names really isn't an issue. The sexism lies in the people making it an issue, really.

No matter how much we want to deny it, there is a clear split between genders, with each having their differences from the other. It's a provable and tangible fact.

Gender equality should be about understanding, and respecting these differences, not pushing the damaging idea that there are no differences.

And a femme Prowl would be interesting at the least, and phenomenal at best. It was the OP's use of "sexy" that made it a gender issues relations issue.

If he had just said that the name Prowl effeminate in the right context and could be used on a female character then I think there would have been, or at least should have been, an issue.