Before I'd ever seen Beast Wars, I was thoroughly primed to hate Silverbolt.
I'd heard a theory (which I don't believe, but still) suggesting that every Beast Wars Maximal held the spark of a former Autobot...for example, Cheetor is supposedly Hot Rod, Rhinox is Springer, Optimus Primal really has one and the same spark as Optimus Prime, etc.
Silverbolt was Ultra Magnus.
The first episode I saw with Silverbolt--"Transmutate"--seemed to play this out. Rattrap was snidely telling Silverbolt to get the "stick out of his exhaust pipe," and Silverbolt was acting like a general stiff...not to mention his corny lines when he confronted Rampage.
"Hold, evildoer!" or something to that effect.
This all changed when I saw "The Agenda."
It's not just his relationship with Black Arachnia--although I love that part, I still like Silverbolt more than Black Arachnia.
What brought about my change of heart?
It was the realization that "White Knight" and "Goody Two-Shoes" are NOT one and the same.
Silverbolt is a White Knight. As such, he is bound by his honour. He will not engage in conduct that he feels is unfair or dishonourable. He follows his conscience above all else.
In THE AGENDA, Optimus Primal's attitude towards Black Arachnia was very different than Silverbolt's. Primal gave Silverbolt an order that Silverbolt did not agree with.
A goody two-shoes would have shut up and done it anyway.
Silverbolt, on the other hand, refused to obey an order that was against his conscience. Furthermore, instead of just sneaking around behind Primal's back, Silverbolt had the courage to confront Primal about his beliefs and state that he did not agree with Primal's plan of action--regardless of the fact that this wouldn't win him any points with the other Maximals.
When Silverbolt knocked Cheetor out--with an apology, because Cheetor had done nothing to deserve it save for being in the wrong place at the wrong time--my jaw hit the floor. Silverbolt was DEFINITELY no goody-two-shoes!
Another special thing about Silverbolt is that he was willing to give Black Arachnia a chance when no one else would. He was able to see the good in her, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Eventually, his persistence and dedication paid off. Funny, he's kind of like MY boyfriend that way.
When I first heard about Fuzors, I thought they were a really stupid idea. Silverbolt, on the other hand, manages to pull off the combination. Silverbolt's form is reminiscent of a griffin, only with wolf parts instead of lion parts. There's a heraldic/mythic element to the design that's very suiting to the character. Yet another reason I should have hated Silverbolt and instead, love him.
Silverbolt also has very expressive eyes.
In robot form, Silverbolt's head retains canine characteristics. His upper face is reminiscent of a superhero mask--a modern-day White Knight. He has a canine muzzle, which makes it more believable when he uses his advanced sense of smell (ie, to detect Ravage's presence when Ravage is stealth-cloaked and none of the Maximals can see him).
The feathers at the side of the head reinforce Silverbolt's half-avian nature.
I also have a weakness for flight...maybe because I'm a glider pilot...and Silverbolt's mode is far more majestic than Transmetal Cheetor's turn-and-burn jets or Transmetal Primal's air surfboard.
And finally, Silverbolt is just good-looking. I had to say it. Sue me.
