Chopper (ShowBot)

Chopper
Participation Information
Live	BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon
Team Information
Team Members	Zach Goff Anthony Meyer Jason Snow Cheryl Daro Sire Prince Tippy Morgan Brayan Duran (Destruct-A-Thon Engineer/Mechanic)
Associated Robots	Copperhead, Poison Arrow (Zach Goff)
Robot Statistics
Weight	~275lbs
Weapons	Bladed axe
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Not to be confused with the middleweight competitor of the same name, or the unsuccessful World Championship II applicant also called Chopper.

"Well you know what they say, when Chopper's around sparks fly and bots die. So you best watch your back, Kangaroo Jack!"

— The Chopper captain, Anthony Meyer insults Destruct-A-Thon host Steve Judkins during their introduction

Chopper is the name of a robot built by Zach Goff of Caustic Creations. It is one of twelve ShowBots to feature in the live show BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon, and the only one not built to resemble a current or former BattleBots competitor.

It is a two-wheel drive robot with a steep front wedge and metal tubing to protect vital components. Chopper's primary weapon is a large, 16lb bladed axe which can attack from overhead, and theoretically assist it in self-righting if flipped over. Chopper also has rear-mounted spark shooters which emit bright sparks out from behind it as it drives, which last about twenty seconds once activated before dying out. As of mid-October, the robot has also added a small explosive within the spark shooters, designed to be set off after taking a hit and make it flashier. Although early images saw it with standard wheels, the official photo of Chopper on the website shows it with bright red tires.

As with all other ShowBots, Chopper is standardized to use OYES switches made by Team End Game, as well as lithium iron phosphate batteries as opposed to lithium polymer batteries. The latter was enforced to reduce the risk of hazardous fires during shows.

Chopper's team plays the role of heels within the show, dressing as bikers and stereotypical tough guys while insulting both the hosts and the audience. They have a humorous rivalry with co-host Steve Judkins, whom they often mock for being Australian, and are known to make bets with regarding the outcome of their matches: if they lose, they must sing "I'm a Little Teapot" to the audience, whereas if they win, Steve must perform the song. Although Chopper acquitted itself well in the early shows, even earning a Main Event billing alongside Witch Doctor at one point, its performance has gone downhill since, resulting in them frequently having to sing. Chopper's most frequent opponents are Whiplash and Bronco.

For the January 8, 2025 show, Chopper was driven by former competitor and judge Lisa Winter as it took on Whiplash. Later in the month, it took on SawBlaze in a special exhibition match, but lost by knockout.

Chopper adopted a stars and stripes livery for the July 4, 2025 Destruct-A-Thon show, and sported gold accents for the 500th show in mid-2025. In the lead-up to Halloween that year, Chopper adopted a HyperShock livery. It has also been seen with pink attire when operated by Tippy Morgan.

Chopper painted pink while fighting Bronco.

Chopper with its HyperShock livery.

Chopper as it appeared during the 500th show.

Chopper sporting its 4th July livery.

Chopper in the red square.

Chopper taking on Whiplash.

Chopper taking on Tazbot.

Chopper fights a flaming Malice at a May 2023 show.

Chopper's spark shooters fire in a battle against Tazbot.

Chopper backstage.

Chopper's original image on the BattleBots website.

Outside BattleBots

Caustic Creations previously entered the Chopper design into the Chinese show Clash Bots, where it competed alongside their drum spinner Spicy Newt under the name Battle Ax.

Chopper as Battle Ax.

Robot History

BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon

Chopper vs. SawBlaze (Exhibition) During the January 24, 2025 show, Chopper was chosen to take on World Championship VII winner and Golden Bolt runner-up, SawBlaze. For the battle, it was driven by Trey Roski and featured dark green wheel hubs and axe decoration to reflect its opponent's colors. Chopper is sliced by SawBlaze early on. Chopper immediately began showering the arena with sparks as it approached SawBlaze, which evaded the ShowBot initially before giving chase, hooking Chopper onto its front prongs and driving it into the Screws. SawBlaze brought its arm over, slicing into Chopper and creating sparks of its own. SawBlaze delivers a prolonged attack. Chopper swung and misfired, appearing to struggle for grip as its axe fully retracted and its wheels were lifted off the steel floor. This allowed Jamison Go to take advantage of the opening and get around to its side, charging into Chopper and shoving it into the Screws of the Upper Deck. Soon after, Chopper was driven into the housing for the Screws behind the red starting square, losing parts of its exoskeleton. SawBlaze sensed Chopper's vulnerability and mounted another prolonged attack, this time cutting into Chopper's axe and causing a flurry of sparks in the process. Chopper was freed and the battle returned to the center of the BattleBox, where Chopper failed to land several attacks in quick succession. With its flamethrower readied, SawBlaze scooped Chopper up again, lifting its wheels off the floor and allowing the Giant Nut winner to ram it into the corner. Chopper was overturned on impact, using its axe to self-right. It was slow to try and escape the corner, however, allowing SawBlaze to bring its special saw into play once again, this time making contact with its exhaust pipes. Trey Roski struggled to keep Chopper's front pointed at his opponent and SawBlaze capitalized by driving it into the arena wall again and flipping it over. It recovered, but not without losing another of its decorative exhaust pipes. SawBlaze backs into Chopper late on. SawBlaze's dominance continued as Chopper was on the receiving end of another cutting attack, abruptly ended as Jamison Go's machine became snagged in a Killsaw slot. Chopper, now unable to retract its weapon, was carried to the blue square and left as Chopper 'exploded' with a plume of smoke. The axe twitched but there was no life in Chopper's drive system as SawBlaze backed into the exposed weapon, leading to one final cascade of sparks. Chopper was counted out with just seconds remaining, and SawBlaze took the win by knockout.

Exhibition Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 1 *

Competition	Wins	Losses
BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon *	None	SawBlaze

* This record intentionally excludes Chopper's regularly scheduled Destruct-A-Thon fights against other ShowBots.

See Also

• Battle Ax (Clash Bots)

Trivia

• Chopper and Nightmare were present as display pieces for the Anime Las Vegas show in April 2023.
• Chopper's introduction music is Rollin' by Limp Bizkit.
• Chopper is the only Showbot in the BattleBots: Destruct-A-Thon not based on or inspired by an existing or former BattleBots competitor, Chopper is based on its builder's Clash Bots entry Battle Ax.