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Hydra is a heavyweight robot built by Team Whyachi which has competed in every season of the BattleBots reboot since Discovery Season 4.
It is a flat, six-wheel drive robot armed with a unique hydraulic flipping arm which would build up pressure, then release in a burst, which would launch anything resting on its arm in the process. In test videos prior to its debut, the robot was shown to be capable of lifting and launching immense loads, including a 450lb quad bike and a van belonging to the team. Along with a new version of Falcon, Hydra was a replacement for the now-retired Warrior series of robots.
The robot's name derived from the hydraulic system it uses for its flipper, something which had never been seen before in modern BattleBots. Hydra performed well in the 2019 season, becoming the fourth unbeaten robot in the opening stages of the tournament. Despite its undefeated Fight Night record, it suffered an early exit after its loss to Minotaur in the Top 16.
For Discovery Season 5, Hydra sported a redesigned front end, as well as performing an overhaul on its internal layout and drive train. It also replaced its reptile-like paint job with a more monstrous look akin to the mythical beast from Greek and Roman mythology. Hydra once again did very well, being one of the few bots in the 2020 season to finish the Fight Night rounds with a 3-0 record. As such, Hydra made it into the Championship Tournament as the No.1 seed but lost to eventual runner-up Whiplash in the quarter-finals.

Hydra's teased vertical spinner configuration.
Returning for Discovery Season 6, Hydra ditched the cow catcher attachment in response to a rule change concerning corralling in the BattleBox after their controversial win over HUGE. Though the bot looked visually near-identical, with the main focus for upgrades concerning the efficiency of the primary weapon. Previously, as the tournament progressed, Jake Ewert found Hydra to be losing power due to contaminated hydraulic fluid. It now had filters to prevent this from happening again, and the internals were liquid-cooled. Hydra could also reach maximum pressure within just four seconds, compared to eight seconds in seasons past. In the lead up to filming, Jake Ewert teased the idea of a vertical spinner attachment, using one of Fusion's horizontal triangular discs to rack up more damage points, even posting a test video of the configuration in action in November 2021.[1] However, this went unused throughout Fight Night and Hydra's tournament battles. Unlike in previous seasons, Hydra started Discovery Season 6 on the back foot by losing its opening fight to defending champion End Game, but returned to form by tossing Gruff out of the arena. Rookie team Glitch were able to score arguably the take down of the season, with Hydra finishing the season with a 1-2 record having never lost a Fight Night battle prior to the 2021 season. Hydra was snubbed of a guaranteed spot in Top 32 bracket, but was one of four robots who fought in a play-off match to decide the No.31 seed. After defeating Defender, Hydra backed this up with a statement victory over No.2 seed Ribbot. Jake Ewert got the better of Blip in the Top 8, but was eliminated after a split decision loss to eventual champions Tantrum.
In June 2022, Hydra was confirmed to compete in that year's re:MARS all:STARS Challenge. Despite beating MadCatter and Cobalt en route to the final, Hydra fell short of competition success at the hands of HyperShock.
Robot History[]
Discovery Season 4[] | |
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Hydra vs. Free Shipping ![]() Hydra mistimes a flip on Free Shipping. ![]() Free Shipping, unable to right itself, is pushed across the floor. | |
Hydra vs. WAR Hawk ![]() Hydra sustains damage to its side. ![]() WAR Hawk's drive pod, removed by Hydra. | |
Hydra vs. Petunia ![]() Hydra charges down Petunia from the start of the match. Hydra was next placed against Petunia from The Netherlands. As the match began, Hydra missed with its flipper and was nearly grabbed by Petunia. Hydra then missed again and once again was nearly grabbed by its opponent. Hydra then threw Petunia into the air, but Petunia landed right side up. Hydra got in position and threw Petunia on its head, but Petunia self-righted. Hydra then took Petunia to the arena barrier and tossed it again, nearly getting it out of the arena and damaging one of the battle clock's screens. Hydra got in another flip that sent Petunia over the arena barrier to where its weapon was outside of the barrier and Petunia was trapped against the pulverizer with no way out. Petunia was counted out, giving Hydra the win by KO. | |
Hydra vs. Bronco ![]() Bronco stuck against the arena wall. | |
Hydra vs. Minotaur ![]() Hydra is unable to escape as Minotaur grinds away at its side. | |
Hydra vs. HyperShock ![]() HyperShock launches itself out of the BattleBox. ![]() Jake Ewert and Richard Stuplich are presented with the Founders Award for 2019.
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Discovery Season 5[] | |
Hydra vs. Witch Doctor ![]() Hydra flips Witch Doctor. Hydra's first fight was a main event against the previous season's runner-up, Witch Doctor. When the match started, Hydra managed to flip Witch Doctor into the air, and afterwards kept flipping them continuously. After the short hang-time, Hydra was hit by Witch Doctor's weapon, and then took a small hit from the disc spinner. Hydra then managed to flip Witch Doctor high into the air, which caused one of Witch Doctor's discs to break. Their opponent's drive seemed okay, so Hydra remained aggressive and flipped Witch Doctor into the screws. After that, Hydra started smoking and was barely moving. However, Hydra was able to get moving again after letting its speed controllers cool, causing some confusion and controversy among fans. The time ran out shortly after and Hydra won by a 2-1 split decision. | |
Hydra vs. HUGE ![]() HUGE is corralled by Hydra's attachment.
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Hydra vs. Uppercut ![]() Hydra propels Uppercut into the air. | |
Hydra vs. HyperShock ![]() Hydra tosses HyperShock out of the arena. | |
Hydra vs. Gigabyte ![]() Hydra launches Gigabyte. | |
Hydra vs. Whiplash ![]() Hydra upends Whiplash, but it is able to self-right. | |
Discovery Season 6[] | |
Hydra vs. End Game ![]() Hydra launches the defending champions early on. ![]() Hydra becomes stuck in the corner of the BattleBox.
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Hydra vs. Gruff ![]() Hydra circling around Gruff. ![]() Hydra watches on as a flaming Gruff is counted out.
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Hydra vs. Glitch ![]() Hydra throws Glitch into the air. ![]() Glitch fights back. | |
Hydra vs. Defender ![]() Hydra and Defender face off. ![]() Hydra sends Defender flying.
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Hydra vs. Ribbot ![]() Sparks fly as Ribbot's undercutter grinds down Hydra. ![]() Hydra watches on as Ribbot is counted out. ![]() Hydra's welded forks. Following this fight, the Ribbot team's frustration became a source of controversy as they believed they were able to show translational movement. Jake Ewert revealed that the fight had been edited to shorten the length of time Hydra refused to engage for, and confirmed he was not encouraged to engage with Ribbot again to disrupt the potential count.[5] Hydra had also welded its wedgelets together upon hearing Ribbot had opted for its undercutter, having already locked into using their forks. Due to a loosely enforced rule regarding configurations only having to appear the same as what had been blindly submitted prior to knowing Ribbot's configuration, this loophole also went unpunished. | |
Hydra vs. Black Dragon ![]() Black Dragon becomes stuck on the BattleBox. ![]() Black Dragon throws itself at Hydra. | |
Hydra vs. Blip ![]() Blip takes on Hydra. ![]() Hydra throws Blip early on. ![]() Blip struggles to self-right. ![]() Blip is counted out. ![]() Blip's broken left-side wheel. | |
Hydra vs. Tantrum ![]() Hydra faces Tantrum. ![]() Tantrum slips its forks underneath Hydra. ![]() One of Hydra's many flips on Tantrum. ![]() Tantrum pins Hydra against the wall in the closing moments. | |
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)[] | |
Hydra vs. MadCatter Hydra was one of eight robots selected to compete in the second re:MARS all:STARS Challenge in June 2022. In the first round of the bracket, it faced MadCatter. Hydra took the win by knockout after MadCatter became caught on the screws. | |
Hydra vs. Cobalt Next up in the bracket was one of the most feared bots from the 2021 season, Cobalt. Hydra again won by KO and moved to the final. | |
Hydra vs. HyperShock Now in the re:MARS all:STARS final, Hydra faced HyperShock for the third time since 2019, having won their previous two encounters. Both robots got attacks in with their primary weapons, but Hydra appeared to come off worse, suffering damage to its side skirts. This led to it becoming lodged in a killsaw slot and stuck. Hydra fired its flipper and an unspecified part tore away before it stopped moving and began leaking hydraulic fluid. Unsure whether to engage, an upside-down HyperShock attempted to free Hydra, but was unsuccessful in its attempts. Hydra was eventually counted out and Team HyperShock were crowned re:MARS champion. |
Results[]
HYDRA - RESULTS | ||
Discovery Season 4 | ||
Fight Nights 4-0 | ||
Fight Night | vs. Free Shipping | Won (KO) |
Fight Night | vs. WAR Hawk | Won (KO) |
Fight Night | vs. Petunia | Won (KO) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Bronco | Won (KO) |
Top 16 3rd seed | ||
Round of 16 | vs. Minotaur (14) | Lost (KO) |
Exhibition Matches | ||
Exhibition Match | vs. HyperShock | Won (KO) |
Discovery Season 5 | ||
Fight Nights 3-0 | ||
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Witch Doctor | Won (Split JD) |
Fight Night | vs. HUGE | Won (JD) |
Fight Night | vs. Uppercut | Won (JD) |
Top 32 1st seed | ||
Round of 32 | vs. HyperShock (32) | Won (KO) |
Round of 16 | vs. Gigabyte (17) | Won (JD) |
Round of 8 | vs. Whiplash (8) | Lost (Split JD) |
Discovery Season 6 | ||
Fight Nights 1-2 | ||
Fight Night Main Event | vs. End Game | Lost (KO) |
Fight Night | vs. Gruff | Won (KO) |
Fight Night | vs. Glitch | Lost (KO) |
Play-in | vs. Defender | Won (KO) |
Top 32 31st seed | ||
Round of 32 | vs. Ribbot (2) | Won (KO) |
Round of 16 | vs. Black Dragon (18) | Won (JD) |
Round of 8 | vs. Blip (7) | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. Tantrum (11) | Lost (Split JD) |
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022) Runner-up | ||
Round of 8 | vs. MadCatter | Won (KO) |
Semi-Final | vs. Cobalt | Won (KO) |
Final | vs. HyperShock | Loss (KO) |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 17
- Losses: 6
Competition | Wins | Losses |
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Discovery Season 4 |
Free Shipping (Undercard Match) WAR Hawk (Undercard Match) Petunia (Undercard Match) Bronco (Main Event/Undercard Match) HyperShock (Exhibition Match) |
Minotaur |
Discovery Season 5 | Witch Doctor (Main Event/Undercard Match)
HUGE (Undercard Match) Uppercut (Undercard Match) HyperShock |
Whiplash |
Discovery Season 6 | Gruff (Undercard Match)
Defender (Play In Match) |
End Game (Main Event/Undercard Match)
Glitch (Undercard Match) |
re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022) | MadCatter | HyperShock |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]
"From the cheese state of Wisconsin, in this fight, it's the big old cracker and you're just de-brie. Give it up for HYDRA!"
"This bot is a wizard with its flippers. It's going to put you on tilt and rock the way you're built. Bounce you off the bumpers and off the walls. When it's over, it's over. In the BattleBox, there are no free balls. It's HYDRA!"
"This bot is going to Die Hard. It's about inflict some John McPain. You're gonna need some Nakatomi plasma. Welcome to the BattleBox pal! It's HYDRA!"
"This Wisconsin flipper would make a great cow tipper. It'll udderly defeat you if you make one wrong moooooove. It's HYDRA!"
"It may be the three seed, but it's the baddest flipper in town. Say buh-bydra, it's HYDRA!"
"This bot is flipping fantastic. It's a member of Team Whyachi that'll make you fly-achi. Reach for the sky-dra, it's HYDRA!
"He's launched bots all over, from London to Boston. Get too close, and he'll stun you like Stone Cold Steven Austin, and that's the bottom line, cause Hydra said so. It's HYDRA!"
"This bot comes from Wisconsin, the land of cheese and dairy. If you're lactose intolerant, this might be kind of scary. It'll turn you into swiss, cause its flipper doesn't miss. Make you crumble like ricotta, it's one. Big. Botta. It's HYDRA!"
"The number one seed, he beat every bot on the schedule. And had opponents bouncing off the walls, like they just pounded some Red Bull. His launch is so good, you might start in the BattleBox. But take one hit, and end up in the parking lot. It's HYDRA!"
“Last year, he had a Buzz. He wondered Woody hit the ceiling? He goes Hamm and he Rex bots if that’s how he’s feeling. Those were Toy Story references, in case you didn’t get their barn. And now this bot will launch you into infinity and beyond. It’s HYDRA!”
"Hey everyone, it’s your captain Faruq here wanting to thank you guys for flying Hydra Airlines. We’re gonna get launched here in a second and then we’ll be cruising at about 35000 feet. It’s going to be a bumpy ride so buckle up. Flight attendants will be around to take your orders for your last meal. And in the very likely event of a crash landing, sit back, relax and enjoy your demise. You’re now free to move about your coffin. Thanks again for flying the deadly skies with HYDRA!"
"From Dorcester, Wisconsin, he might be named after a character from ancient folklore but when he takes aim at you, he doesn't myth. It's HYDRA!"
"Straight outta Wisconsin, the home of the Cheeseheads, when this bot sees a fight, he just thinks, 'Yeah, he's dead.' He flips a bot farther than an Aaron Rodgers throw. Tells his enemies, 'Packer your bags cause you're going home.' Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome HYDRA!"
"This flipper is a killer. It ain't no friendly TV dolphin. It's the deadly kind flipper that will put you in a coffin. He'll flip you in the morning. He'll flip you late at night. He'll flip you til you're nearly dead then turn out the lights. It's HYDRA!"
"This bot is made from 100% real Wisconsin Bad Boy. It's part cheese curd on a motorcycle, part bratwurst punching soy. Your chances of living are skim to none when this bot eats you whole. It's the scary dairyland monster, gee, golly don't you know? It's Hydra!"
"Earlier, he flipped Blip so hard, his little heart shut down. Now he'll send Blip's bro to a family reunion six feet underground. Started 31st, now he's the dirty worst. Jake Ewert's got no chill. He just won't stop until he kills both of Aren's bots and then he's the king of the hill. It's HYDRA!"
Trivia[]
- Hydra was the first modern BattleBots competitor physically split a robot apart without the use of a spinning weapon, doing so against WAR Hawk.
- In Discovery Season 4, Hydra's paint changed color from purple to teal depending on the lighting.
- Hydra is the only robot who was given the No.1 seed but did not have a spinning weapon.
- Hydra survived its first eleven fights without being flipped over, a run that ended in the quarter-finals of Hydra's second season by Whiplash.
- This feat was repeated in Hydra's upset loss to Glitch during the 2021 season.
- Hydra is the only hydraulic flipper in BattleBots history.
- Despite the team's pedigree and success, Hydra and Son of Whyachi are the only Team Whyachi robots to make it past the Round of 16.
- In December 2021, the exhaust manifold from the 2019 and 2020 iterations of Hydra, as well as the 2019 bot's titanium front plate were auctioned on eBay.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/Whyachi/videos/3006562839558824
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpXmC2FLI4/
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=697526978331590
- ↑ Public message from Jake Ewert in the Out of the Arena Discord server.
- ↑ Public message from Jake Ewert in the Out of the Arena Discord server.
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