Deadblow's Season 5.0 appearance, alongside builder Grant Imahara.
Deadblow was a middleweight robot built by MythBuster Grant Imahara for BattleBots. It was a silver box-shaped robot armed with a Co2-powered pickaxe (which later had a lifter attachment) and side skirts which were added for Season 3.0 after Deadblow lost to Bad Attitude the previous season. Deadblow participated in every season of BattleBots in which its weight class was represented, and did particularly well (Becoming the Season 1.0 runner-up) until Season 4.0. Deadblow had a severe weakness to wedged robots, losing to a wedge in three of the six seasons it competed.
Robot History
Long Beach 1999
Deadblow's Long Beach 1999 appearance.
Deadblow get axed by Son of Smashy.
Deadblow's was scheduled to fight SlapPest, but SlapPest had technical issues and was forced to forfeit. Deadblow won by default and advanced to the next round, where it faced Scorpion "Beta 3". Deadblow won on a judge's decision and advanced to the next round, where it faced Son of Smashy. The fight began with both robots driving at each other before Deadblow fired its axe and got it stuck behind Son of Smashy's axe. After a couple of minutes, the robots was separated and the fight resumed. As soon as the fight began again, Son of Smashy and Deadblow started trading blows. Deadblow stopped moving but started moving again after a few axe blows. The two continued to trade axe blows until Deadblow stopped moving. Son of Smashy won by KO and Deadblow was now in the loser's bracket, where it faced Junior.
The lifting arm of Junior was ineffective against Deadblow as Deadblow was invertible. Deadblow managed to dent Junior a couple of times. Both robots were still moving in the end and Deadblow won by crowd vote. Deadblow's next fight was against Turtle Road Kill and lost by crowd vote.
Deadblow wasn't finished, however, as it participated the middleweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament. Deadblow performed really well as it won overall.
Season 1.0
Deadblow's Season 1.0 appearance.
Alien Gladiator being pounded by Deadblow when it lost its hammer.
Deadblow's first match was against Alien Gladiator. Both robots went straight at each other, but Alien Gladiator started to get pierced by Deadblow's axe and eventually stopped moving after getting its weapon caught in the hellraisers. Deadblow kept hitting Alien Gladiator until metal fatigue tore off Deadblow's axe. Alien Gladiator then got its weapon caught under the hellraisers and could not move, leaving Deadblow to win by KO.
Pressure Drop gets axed by Deadblow.
In the semi final, Deadblow fought Pressure Drop. Deadblow was the aggressor in this fight and kept hitting Pressure Drop on the top with its axe. Pressure Drop could not do much to retaliate so after a trip over the Killsaws towards the end that bent the rear axle, Deadblow won 9-0 and went through to fight Hazard in the final.
Hazard hits Deadblow, sending it flying.
Both bots drove out and met each other in the middle of the arena. Deadblow was struck by Hazard's blade once, then retaliated a few seconds later with a few strikes with its pickaxe. Deadblow was struck again by Hazard, only it was a lethal hit to the side this time, denting its paneling and knocking out the battery. Deadblow was counted out by the referee and became the runner up of the Season 1.0 middleweight competition.
Deadblow wasn't finished, however, as it was repaired in time for the middleweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament.
Season 2.0
Deadblow's Season 2.0 appearance
Kegger gets axed by Deadblow.
After receiving a bye, Deadblow fought Kegger in the round of 16. Deadblow immediately attacked Kegger, leaving several holes in Kegger's thin armor. Deadblow then pushed Kegger against the wall, but was backed into, forcing Deadblow to drive over the killsaws. Deadblow continued pounding into Kegger's side, where the hammer got stuck for several moments. Kegger suddenly stopped moving and Deadblow pushed it towards the entrance ramp, where Deadblow continued hitting Kegger. Kegger was now being counted out and Deadblow won with only one second left. This put Deadblow through to fight Bad Attitude.
Bad Attiude almost flips Deadblow.
Bad Attitude charges at Deadblow and pushes it for awhile, but Deadblow turns around and started hitting Bad Attitude with it's axe. Deadblow was then pushed by Bad Attitude and got under the pulverizer. The robots realign in the middle of the arena and Bad Attitude pushes Deadblow again into the wall. Deadblow continues hitting Bad Attitude with it's hammer. Bad Attitude nearly gets upended by the hellraisers, but skids away. Deadblow has Bad Attitude pinned briefly against the wall, but Bad Attitude turns around and slams Deadblow against the arena wall multiple times. Bad Attitude pushed Deadblow again and got it stuck near the arena exit ramp, with it's hammer stuck between the edges of the spikestrip. Deadblow is unable to free itself and is counted out. Bad Attitude won by KO and Deadblow was eliminated.
Deadblow wasn't finished, however, as it participated the middleweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament. Deadblow performed really well as it won overall.
Season 3.0
Deadblow's Season 3.0 appearance.
Deadblow fighting Spinster.
Deadblow's first match was against Spinster. Deadblow won by KO and advanced to the round of 16, where it faced Twin Paradox.
In the beginning, Deadblow rushes straight at Twin Paradox with its hammer down for an attempt to flip it. Twin Paradox gets lifted by the piston. Twin Paradox was pushing Deadblow from the rear and Deadblow drives over a set of killsaws and a skirt is sent flying across the arena from the impact. Deadblow stopped moving and Twin Paradox was hitting the top of Deadblow with it's spinning disc. Deadblow was sitting on the floor spinner and hits Twin Paradox with it's axe as Twin Paradox was pushing Deadblow. Twin Paradox pushed Deadblow under the pulverizer and Deadblow was being counted out. Twin Paradox won by KO and Deadblow was eliminated from the tournament.
Deadblow wasn't finished, however, as it was repaired in the time for the middleweight royal rumble at the end of the tournament.
Season 4.0
Deadblow from Season 4.0.
Deadblow's first and only match of the season was against Summoner. Summoner won on a close 25-20 judge's decision and Deadblow was eliminated.
Deadblow wasn't finished, however, as it participated the middleweight consolation rumble at the end of the tournament. It is unknown how well it did, but it eventually lost out to Malvolio and T-Wrex.
Season 5.0
Wins/Losses
- Wins: 10
- Losses: 7
| Wins | Losses | |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach 1999 | SlapPest | Son of Smashy, Turtle Road Kill |
| Season 1.0 | Bye | Hazard |
| Season 2.0 | Bye | Bad Attitude |
| Season 3.0 | Spinster | Twin Paradox |
| Season 4.0 | None | Summoner |
| Season 5.0 | Blue Devil | Chummy |
Merchandise
Any appearances by Deadblow in merchandise are listed below:
- Deadblow/Grip N' Grappler
- Deadblow/Metal Mechanics
- Deadblow/Deluxe Metal Mechanics
- Deadblow/Battle Chains
- Deadblow/Build 'Em Bash 'Em
- Deadblow/BattleBots: Beyond The BattleBox
- Deadblow/MiniBot
Trivia
- Deadblow's design was inspired by the US Robot Wars' Thor due to the fast hammer.
Appearances in Mythbusters
Since Grant joining MythBusters in 2005 (alongside Blendo creator Jamie Hyneman and electronics/control wirer Adam Savage), Deadblow has been used on the show several times - though often with other attachments besides its original titanium hammer. Its debut came in "Bottle Rocket Blast-Off", when Grant demonstrated it - while its accomplishments were reeled off with accompanying footage - before using the pneumatic system that normally powered the hammer to test the pressure rating of a soda bottle. Its most notable use so far came in 2009 in "Driving In The Dark", which saw Grant, Tory Belleci and Jessi Combs testing the myth that smugglers can beat checkpoints at the Canadian border by turning off their wikipedia:headlights while not crashing or navigating wrongly due to lack of light. To simulate an oncoming car with its headlights ablaze, Grant fastened halogen lamps to Deadblow - which earned it the nickname of "Blinky" - and drove it towards Tory, who was playing the role of a smuggler in a go-kart with its headlights off, causing him to veer and crash into the tire wall.
Its other uses on the show include the "Beat the Guard Dog" myth where it played the part of a robotically controlled cat - all that Grant had to do was modify it to mount a taxidermied cat and make the cat's joints hang loosely.