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{{trope}}
[[File:lioconvoy-
▲What happens when a [[Transforming Mecha]] can't hide its [[Shape Shifter Baggage]].
Coined by the ''[[Transformers]]'' fan community, "[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Kibble kibble]" is the general term for the odd parts of one mode that "hangs around" in the other, unable to be converted into something useful or blend in properly to hide it. In a television show or movie geared more for kids, kibble can be used as disposable "parts" that can be torn or shot off from a character, showing [[Only a Flesh Wound|superficial damage]] without exposing the kiddies to the true horrors of war.
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Artfully-placed kibble can be visually appealing, not to mention the fact that oftentimes the kibble is necessary for the transformation to work at all, so it's not all bad. Classic characters such as Prowl have the doors of their vehicle mode form door "wings" on the character and are not only perfectly fine for articulation but also gives him a [[Distinctive Appearances|distinctive (and badass looking) silhouette]]. And depending on how flexible the design is fans can sometimes create their own appearance for the character, shifting the kibble to become a psuedo-shield, armor or weapon that the original designers did not intend for.
{{examples}}
* ''[[Transformers]]''▼
** Bulkhead in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' shows off the [[
▲* [[Transformers]]
*** A number of other transformers have the ability to move the wheels on their legs down to their feet, allowing them to skate with them. Bumblebee uses this liberally in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'', and Optimus Prime does so at one point as well.
▲** Bulkhead in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' shows off the [[What Do You Mean Its Not Awesome|single most awesome use of kibble ever]], by converting the "leftover" parts of his vehicle mode [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Image:Bulkheadchair.jpg into a chair]. Reportedly, one of his many toys [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bulkhead_%28Animated%29 can do the same thing]. This shows the impact kibble has on the fandom, as everyone went crazy with that idea.
** Hot Shot of ''[[Transformers Armada]]'' can do it as well. Interestingly, Bumblebee was ''intended'' to be a new version of Hot Shot before the live-action film increased Bumblebee's name value. It's been noted even by people who didn't know about this that he ''acts'' more like a Hot Shot than a Bumblebee.▼
▲*** A number of other transformers have the ability to move the wheels on their legs down to their feet, allowing them to skate with them. Bumblebee uses this liberally in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'', and Optimus Prime does so at one point as well.
* In the [[Transformers Film Series]] Michael Bay wanted a "realistic" interpretation, the Autobots in the film series generally lack excessive kibble. For example, the Buster Optimus Prime actually completely averts this trope by having his Ion Gun form from his detachable fuel tanks. The designs in general treat the vehicle parts as being either smoothly integrated into their body or as being a sort of armor plating. This has generally resulted in some of the most slender designs ever made. Although
▲** Hot Shot of [[Transformers Armada]] can do it as well. Interestingly, Bumblebee was ''intended'' to be a new version of Hot Shot before the live-action film increased Bumblebee's name value. It's been noted even by people who didn't know about this that he ''acts'' more like a Hot Shot than a Bumblebee.
▲* In the [[Transformers Film Series]] Michael Bay wanted a "realistic" interpretation, the Autobots in the film series generally lack excessive kibble. For example, the Buster Optimus Prime actually completely averts this trope by having his Ion Gun form from his detachable fuel tanks. The designs in general treat the vehicle parts as being either smoothly integrated into their body or as being a sort of armor plating. This has generally resulted in some of the most slender designs ever made. Although how well they [[Show Accuracy Toy Accuracy|resemble the toy varies]].
** ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'', part of Devastator comes from two wrecking ball cranes. Guess what the kibble is. Just guess. It's a pair of giant steel balls hanging from his crotch. Yes, [[Michael Bay]] went for a dick joke.
*** Note that ''none'' of the vehicles that make up that particular Devastator have a wrecking ball.
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* A lesser-used definition of 'kibble' (which, however, was the earliest known use of the word as Transformers slang) is the parts that are left over from a toy's transformation. A truly disappointing number of the finer details of older [[Combining Mecha]] come from a bag of parts, to the point that the individual vehicles on their own are basically just framework. If you lay out Superion's extra bits as they would be if they were on the final robot, it's more likely to be recognized as Superion than if you assembled the five bots and didn't add the combiner kibble. As toy technology improves, this is less so today, to the point where [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Bombshock_(PCC) the most recent designs] don't have any at all (although they still have plenty of the ''other'' kind of kibble).
** [[Transformers Energon]]'s combiner teams tried to solve the kibble problem by having the individual TFs' weapons become the hands and feet.
** However, the Japanese-only Transformers line "Operation Combination" had three combiners named Sixbuilder, Sixwing, and Sixturbo whose extra parts are put to good use: they could combine into small jets, able to be piloted by any of the individual team members. (Maybe they should have called him Sevenwing.) The same line also slightly modified the previous year's Sixliner to make Sixtrain; both used the kibble as extra cars to be pulled by the train-bots. After all five were reissued well over ten years later, four of them (Sixliner was omitted) were ''finally'' released in America, renamed (and in Sixbuilder's and Sixwing's cases, repainted) as new versions of [[Transformers Generation
** The ''Beast Wars Neo'' toys were notorious for being "shellformers" with much kibble that doesn't integrate at all into the robot form. Forget "becomes a backpack or a cape," the animal parts, ''mostly intact,'' just hung off wherever they happened to be. Break basically has a giant penguin for shoulders - beak, feet, and all. ''Nothing'' folds away or attempts to look more attractive. Similar can be said of the entire line.
** The ''[[Transformers]]'' ''[[
* Parodied in ''[[Project
* Played straight in ''[[Code Geass]]'' with Gino's Knightmare Frame, the Tristan. In [http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=8a2505951df2bc7b011e083d30cb01ef its first appearance] you can clearly see its hands right next to the giant 'Anchors.'
* The ''[[Gundam]]'' franchise tends to be all over the spectrum with regards to this trope but special mention has to go to the Union and AEU mecha from ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam 00]]''. This can probably be pinned to the fact that they aren't fully transformable and can only change between forms in the hangars (though in the first season, [[The Rival]] pulls off the first-ever on-the-fly transformation).
* The [[Challenge of the Go Bots|Go-Bots]] seemed generally more willing to make use of their kibble than Transformers were. A Guardian with a cockpit in his chest might allow a human to ride around in it; or a Renegade might forcibly shove a human into his cockpit to hold him prisoner. And they would frequently pop their heads up out of their vehicle modes to emphasize a point when speaking, particularly Cy-Kill. Scooter pretty much always left his face visible when transformed.
* The various ''[[Super Sentai]]'' and ''[[Power Rangers]]'' [[Humongous Mecha]] have different combined forms that may either be fairly slender or cumbersome to the point that they shouldn't have any real range of motion. Generally, the technology-based series have fairly smooth looking Megazords while the animal-themed series usually have a giant animal head or five sticking out of the chest and/or sides.
** Sadly,
* A consistent problem with ''[[Digimon]]'' toys; some (Greymon -> MetalGreymon) do it significantly better than others (Patamon -> Angemon, which had a particularly bad case of the shell problem). It was particularly bad with the [[Fusion Dance|Jogress Evolution]] toys around ''[[Digimon Adventure 02]]'', and it didn't help that they simply did not design Omegamon in a way at all friendly to an adequate combining toy. The ''[[Digimon Xros Wars]]'' line mostly cleaned up its act in regard to this trope, but still had a small problem with Shoutmon's head still being somewhat visible when it's being used to form the V crest on the chest of Shoutmon X3 and higher.
* ''[[Kamen Rider Den-O]]'': Den-O's armor consists of two pieces which swap around depending on which form is active: Sword Form's chestplate opens up vertically for Gun Form, and it becomes the backplate for Rod and Ax Form. Meanwhile, Ax Form's chestplate splits horizontally for Rod Form's chest and shoulders, and it is (of course) Sword and Gun's back. Wing Form is a recolored and modified Sword Form, while [[Super Mode|Climax and Liner Forms]] are completely original.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Toy Tropes]]
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▲[[Category:Trope]]
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