Not to be confused with the middleweight which competed in Season 3.0 of Comedy Central BattleBots.
Kraken is a heavyweight robot built by Matt Spurk of CE Robots, which competed in every season of the BattleBots reboot since Discovery Season 3.
It is a two-wheel drive robot armed with a unique crushing weapon, which utilizes an air bag to push the top jaw downwards and into its opponent's top armor. Kraken is themed to look like an anglerfish unlike the robot's name, which is a legendary sea monster typically depicted as something closer to a giant octopus. The team cited Witch Doctor as their main inspiration to carry a strong theme with their robot.[1]
In Kraken's debut season, it was reduced to fighting in two Science Channel rumbles, but failed to win in either. After losing to eventual bracket winner Lock-Jaw in the first round of the Desperado Tournament, Kraken was winless in the main season, with its sole victory coming against Red Devil in the USA vs. The World special, a competition Matt Spurk's team were only drafted into at the last moment, replacing the troubled Raven.
Kraken returned for Discovery Season 4 with notable changes. Chief among which was the considerably more powerful weapon, which was now able to crush with 60,000lbs of force, making it three times more powerful than in its debut season. Kraken also sported a flamethrower inside the mouth as a secondary weapon, to spew flame once it got a hold of its opponent. It featured a minibot named Tadpole and aesthetically, it had a shorter bulb on top, a rebuilt head, and a fresh new paint scheme for the competition. Kraken also had two narwhal minibots named Wally and Walter, though they would often find themselves getting stuck on the floor. The team's record improved from its debut campaign, but the team missed out on the Top 16 after a devastating loss against Son of Whyachi.
Due to COVID-19 regulations during filming for Discovery Season 5, much of Kraken's team was absent. However, the bot would ultimately succeed in entering the Top 32. Kraken had been working on new upgrades for the 2020 season, such as new wheels, a modified set of teeth designed to be more functional than before, as well as an inverse color scheme. There were actually two versions of Kraken built for the season, in order to aid with maintenance and repairs. One sported a air of 6" long fangs, the angler fish bulb, front wedge plates, and the smaller teeth on the upper jaw. The second one is differently shaped, lacks the bulb, had new teeth, shorter 3" fangs, and featured horizontal spinner armor. Despite having more losses than wins once more, Kraken performed well in each of its fights against high-tier opposition, managing a shocking upset against 2019 season runner-up Witch Doctor, losing out on a controversial decision against Black Dragon, and lasted the full three minutes against both HUGE and Sawblaze, the latter of whom held Kraken away from the Top 16. Kraken returned for two BattleBots Bounty Hunters mini-tournaments, but was unsuccessful in reaching the Bounty Final in both.
Kraken returned for Discovery Season 6 with another new scale design, and upgraded wheel protection either side of the primary weapon. Its signature crushing weapon has been upgraded and now can punch holes through 1/4" steel. For Season 6, Kraken can now crush with 100,000lbs of force, as well as clamping down considerably faster than in the 2020 season. Despite its upgrades, Kraken suffered losses in all three of its Fight Night battles, first to returning competitors in ROTATOR and HiJinx before losing to Glitch and failing to make the Top 32 as a result.
In March 2022, the team announced Kraken would be retiring in its current form following the conclusion of the 2021 season.[2] However, they remained open about the idea of redesigning Kraken for future seasons.[3]

Kraken bites into Extinguisher's LiPos at Robot Ruckus in January 2022.
Outside of BattleBots, Matt Spurk has designed and built over 20 different combat robots of various weight classes. These include Black and Decker Robot Wrecker, which was inspired by BattleBots heavyweight icon Nightmare and Big Ol' Blade.[4] His first build was actually a heavyweight called 4-Letter-Word, which Matt Spurk still owns and competed with in Robot Ruckus events in Orlando up until building Kraken.[5]
Kraken also competes in Robot Ruckus events away from the televised show, benefiting from its design being sportsman-legal due to a lack of kinetic weaponry. Most recently, Matt Spurk entered it into Robot Ruckus at South Florida Fair in January 2022. It is known to have fought an untelevised heavyweight robot called Ruff, as well as seasoned BattleBots competitor Extinguisher. In the latter, Kraken was able to sink its teeth into Extinguisher's lithium polymer batteries, causing smoke to fill the arena.
Robot History[]
Discovery Season 3[] |
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Kraken vs. Sharkoprion vs. Deviled Egg ![]() Kraken bites with Sharkoprion. Kraken's first match in BattleBots was against Sharkoprion and Deviled Egg in a Science Channel exclusive rumble. After a slow start, Kraken took an early hit from Sharkoprion as it swung its tail, before biting down on Sharkoprion with its fangs. As a result, Kraken lost drive on one side as debris had infiltrated the bot and shorted out the speed controller on that side. After driving around Sharkoprion for a bit, Kraken let go and lost both her fangs as the tubes holding them in place had been bent. Later, it grabbed a hold of Sharkoprion again, but took damage from both Sharkoprion and Deviled Egg. Kraken eventually stopped moving as the earlier impact from Sharkoprion had bent the gearbox and the extra driving on that side removed the teeth from the sprocket and in the end, lost out to Sharkoprion by a KO after 2:22. |
Kraken vs. Mohawk vs. Gemini ![]() Kraken trapped in the screws. Kraken's next match in the third season was against Mohawk and Gemini in another Science Channel undercard rumble. Kraken started off with little interaction from either Mohawk or the Gemini twins, who opted to fight each other instead. Kraken continued to play little part in the match and eventually got stuck at the arena screws, where it remained for the rest of the rumble. Time ran out Gemini were declared the victors, reducing Kraken to a 0-2 record. |
Kraken vs. Lock-Jaw ![]() Kraken bites Lock-Jaw behind its weapon. ![]() Kraken is flipped over. Without a win to its name, Kraken became one of eight participants in the 2018 Desperado Tournament, a mini competition for struggling teams to decide a guaranteed Top 16 place. Its first opponent was Lock-Jaw and veteran BattleBots competitor, Donald Hutson. The match started well for Kraken as it immediately grabbed a hold of Lock-Jaw and dragged it all around the arena before letting go. Additionally, it was also fending off most of Lock-Jaw's attacks. However, one particular hit dislodged the crushing jaw mechanism, leaving it almost useless. Making matters worse, Kraken was beginning to lose drive on one side that resulted from a drive motor beginning to burn out. Kraken took a final hit from the rear and was flipped over, where it couldn't self-right. Kraken was counted out, giving Lock-Jaw the win by KO. |
Kraken vs. Red Devil ![]() Kraken bites into Red Devil's right track. Kraken next participated in the USA vs. The World tournament against Red Devil as a last-minute replacement for Raven, who caught fire in the test box. In response to its most recent loss, the spike behind Kraken's wheels was removed to allow for invertibility. Early on, Kraken was able to bite down on Red Devil's track and show reasonable aggression. This caused Red Devil to have drive issues on that side, so Kraken moved in again, attacking the disabled track but failing to cause any further damage. Kraken was then toppled over by Red Devil but quickly self-righted and resumed its assault. This time, Kraken bit down on the remaining track but was unable to disable it. Kraken then took Red Devil to the pulverizer, which pushed both Red Devil's upper claw and saw arm down. Time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous 3-0 decision and 1 point to Kraken. |
Kraken vs. Chomp ![]() A stranded Kraken gets roasted and axed by Chomp. ![]() Chomp flies through the air as it tries to land a hit on Kraken. |
Discovery Season 4[] |
Kraken vs. Ribbot ![]() Kraken bites down on Ribbot. Kraken first faced the rookie amphibian - Ribbot. The match started off well for Kraken as it quickly won the ground battle and clamped down on Ribbot's chassis, puncturing the decorative foam. Kraken then shoved Ribbot into the screws before releasing it, allowing Ribbot to land a hit that bent one of Kraken's fangs. Kraken quickly got a hold of Ribbot again and shoved it under the pulverizer, the resulting hit bent the foam into Ribbot's vertical spinner, tearing it to pieces. Time ran out and Kraken won a 3-0 judges' decision. |
Kraken vs. Blacksmith ![]() Fire fills the BattleBox as Kraken and Blacksmith face off. |
Kraken vs. Son of Whyachi ![]() Kraken bites down on Son of Whyachi. |
Kraken vs. Wan Hoo ![]() Kraken activates its flamethrower on Wan Hoo. |
Kraken vs. Lucky ![]() Kraken and Lucky meet in the BattleBox. |
Kraken vs. Shatter! ![]() Shatter! slips underneath Kraken. |
Discovery Season 5[] |
Kraken vs. Black Dragon ![]() Kraken bites down and scorches Black Dragon. |
Kraken vs. Witch Doctor ![]() Kraken explodes Wally to bits on Witch Doctor's spinner. |
Kraken vs. HUGE ![]() Kraken receives an uppercut from HUGE. |
Kraken vs. SawBlaze ![]() Kraken attempts to clamp down on SawBlaze. |
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters[] |
Tombstone Bracket[] |
Kraken vs. Claw Viper ![]() Kraken and Claw Viper bite down on each other. ![]() Claw Viper looks to suplex Kraken. |
Kraken vs. SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE ![]() Kraken chews the side of SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE. |
Kraken vs. Gruff ![]() Kraken in the blue square, decorated with aluminum foil. ![]() Kraken gets to grips with Gruff. |
Son of Whyachi Bracket[] |
Kraken vs. Rusty ![]() Kraken clamps and roasts Rusty's side. ![]() Kraken's top gets drilled by Rusty. ![]() Kraken's head gets ripped off by Rusty. Kraken became one of the only robots in the 2020 season to fight in multiple Bounty Hunter brackets, and in the Son of Whyachi tournament, found itself against Dave Eaton and Rusty. Rusty started of to a pretty bad start as Kraken was able to get to Rustys sides and Kraken then pushes Rusty around with a good grip on Rustys side. Later, Kraken pushes Rusty towards the corner. But then Rusty lands a powerful shot to Krakens head, managing to completely damage krakens top armor and cause the air pouch of Kraken to fall out and drag on the ground as both bots were able to still function at the end. The judges awarded Rusty a unanimous 3-0 decision, eliminating Kraken from the bracket. |
Discovery Season 6[] |
Kraken vs. ROTATOR A flaming Kraken has ROTATOR in its jaws. Kraken is extinguished as the crew attempt to separate both bots.
Kraken becomes toothless at the hands of ROTATOR. ROTATOR destroys Kraken's air bag late on. |
Kraken vs. HiJinx ![]() Kraken takes a shot from HiJinx. ![]() Kraken attempts to clamp down on HiJinx. |
Kraken vs. Glitch ![]() Kraken and Glitch go weapon to weapon.
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Results[]
KRAKEN - RESULTS | ||
Discovery Season 3 | ||
Fight Nights 0-3 | ||
Fight Night Rumble | vs. Deviled Egg, Sharkoprion | Lost (KO) |
Fight Night Rumble | vs. Gemini, Mohawk | Lost (KO) |
Desperado Round 1 | vs. Lock-Jaw | Lost (KO) |
USA vs. The World Representing the USA | ||
USA vs. The World | vs. Red Devil | Won (JD) |
Exhibition Matches | ||
Exhibition Match | vs. Chomp | Lost (KO) |
Discovery Season 4 | ||
Fight Nights 1-2 | ||
Fight Night | vs. Ribbot | Won (JD) |
Fight Night | vs. Blacksmith | Lost (Split JD) |
Fight Night | vs. Son of Whyachi | Lost (KO) |
Exhibition Matches | ||
Exhibition Match | vs. Wan Hoo | Lost (JD) |
Exhibition Match | vs. Lucky | Lost (JD) |
Exhibition Match | vs. Shatter! | Won (JD) |
Discovery Season 5 | ||
Fight Nights 1-2 | ||
Fight Night | vs. Black Dragon | Lost (Split JD) |
Fight Night Main Event | vs. Witch Doctor | Won (JD) |
Fight Night | vs. HUGE | Lost (JD) |
Top 32 26th seed | ||
Round of 32 | vs. SawBlaze (7) | Lost (JD) |
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters | ||
Bounty Hunters - Tombstone Episode | ||
Round 1 | vs. Claw Viper | Won (JD) |
Round 2 | vs. SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE | Won (Split JD) |
Round 3 | vs. Gruff | Lost (JD) |
Bounty Hunters - Son of Whyachi Episode | ||
Round 1 | vs. Rusty | Lost (JD) |
Discovery Season 6 | ||
Fight Nights 0-3 | ||
Fight Night | vs. ROTATOR | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night | vs. HiJinx | Lost (JD) |
Fight Night | vs. Glitch | Lost (KO) |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 6
- Losses: 15
Competition | Wins | Losses |
---|---|---|
Discovery Season 3 | Red Devil (USA vs. The World) |
Sharkoprion (Undercard Rumble) Gemini (Undercard Rumble) Lock-Jaw (Desperado Tournament) Chomp (Untelevised Match) |
Discovery Season 4 |
Ribbot (Undercard Match) Shatter! (Exhibition Match) |
Blacksmith (Undercard Match)
Son of Whyachi (Undercard Match) Wan Hoo (Grudge Match) Lucky (Exhibition Match) |
Discovery Season 5 | Witch Doctor (Main Event/Undercard Match) | Black Dragon (Undercard Match)
HUGE (Undercard Match) |
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters | Claw Viper (Tombstone Bracket)
SMEEEEEEEEEEEEE (Tombstone Bracket) |
Gruff (Tombstone Bracket)
Rusty (Son of Whyachi Bracket) |
Discovery Season 6 | TBA | ROTATOR (Undercard Match)
HiJinx (Undercard Match) Glitch (Undercard Match) |
Faruq Tauheed Introductions[]
"If this bot was a holiday, it would be "Fangsgiving." Here with a side of candy slams, get ready for a big helping of pumpkin die. It's KRAKEN!"
"Your lips will be smacking, fighting spirit won't be lackin', destruction will be stackin'. It's KRAKEN!"
"This snake is straight from the Garden of Beatin'. Bringing a fight of biblical proportions and that's the gospel truth. It's KRAKEN!"

An alternative design for Kraken, submitted in a second application.
"Here to make you walk the plank is a bot that's part snake and part tank. It'll give you a whackin'. Release KRAKEN!"
"Step on a crack, break your momma's back. Don't step on this bot without a plan of attack. Its scales never fails. Its fangs provide bangs. It's packin', it's KRAKEN!"
"It's the scourge of the seven seas and it's coming for your booty. Better cover your buccaneers, 'cause the show you're about to see is rated ARRR! Let's get crack-a-lacking! Release the KRAKEN!"
"Knock knock. (Who's there?) Ahh yeah. (Ahh yeah who?) Ahh yeah, it's the mystic sea creature who's coming to crush you. Open the door for KRAKEN!"
"It's covered in scales and will leave you impaled. X marks the spot where you got bit by this bot. It's here for paybackin', it's KRAKEN!"
"They see it rollin', they hatin'. Controllin', and tryin' to catch it biting dirty. It's our own chomp-millionaire, KRAKEN!"
"This team and bot are a scary looking lot. I see pirates and a monster, but that's not all they got. If you haven't seen it fight, then that's your loss. My favorite part is now, when the kids do The Floss. Prepare to get a smackin' from the KRAKEN!"
"Yo-ho, yo-ho. These pirates about to be beat. Coming from the briny depths to chomp you 'til there's nothing left. Dead bots tell no tales. KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, he came here to breathe fire and chew bubblegum. AND HE'S ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM! It's KRAKEN!"
"Crack is whack, that's where we should begin. But this team will crack a bottle when they celebrate their win. This bot has giant metal teeth that can break you in two. So if you ask him what’s crackin', it's probably you. Give it up for KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, he's got more bite than a vampire at a neck convention, it's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, this swashbuckling crew of pirates will hit you so hard you won't know your port from your starboard. It's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, it's the beast from the deep, here to put you to sleep. this is KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, here to do some serious bot smacking, it's KRAKEN!"
"From Titusville, Florida, you can't handle the tooth. Here's KRAKEN!"
Trivia[]
- According to a Reddit post Kraken is female, evidenced by the LED at the front which is commonly associated with the female anglerfish.
- All eight of Kraken's battles in 2020 were decided by judges' decision, including its BattleBots: Bounty Hunters fights.
- Kraken is pictured as the poster bot on the cover of BattleBots: The Official Guide (2022)..
- Between Kraken's Season 4 loss to Son of Whyachi and their Season 6 loss to Glitch, Kraken lasted the full three minutes in 13 consecutive fights.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/tc0z99/comment/i0beqlx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/tc0z99/comment/i0b3jkz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/tc0z99/comment/i0b1nxv/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/ku1uu5/comment/giplars/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/ku1uu5/comment/gipqggl/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/tc0z99/comment/i0b3jkz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
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