Red Devil

Red Devil
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship I (Not selected as Spitfire) World Championship II World Championship III World Championship VI (Withdrew)
Other Names	HyperActive (Working name) Spitfire (WC I)
Team Information
Team	Team Duct Tape (WC II) All Black Robotics (WC III)
Team Members	Team Duct Tape Jerome Miles (Captain) Daniel Madsen Chris Jones Gauge Miles Davido Hyer Austin Carlson All Black Robotics Ravi Baboolal (Captain) Logan Prizrenac Antoine Trabulsi Julia Chernushevich
From	Team Duct Tape Spanish Fork, UT All Black Robotics Ontario, Canada
Associated Robots	Team Duct Tape Sublime (Jerome Miles) All Black Robotics Archangel, Ferocity (Antoine Trabulsi) Bucktooth Burl, Marvin, DUCK!, Ferocity, HyperShock (Julia Chernushevich) Lycan (Ravi Baboolal, Logan Prizrenac, Antoine Trabulsi) Sublime (Jerome Miles)
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Weapons	Articulating saw Grabber Plow (WC III)
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Red Devil was a heavyweight robot built by Team Duct Tape, which competed in BattleBots World Championship II and III. In its final season, Red Devil was operated by All Black Robotics.

It was a tracked robot armed with a grappling arm and an articulating 12" saw blade, which would come down and attempt to cut into an opponent's top armor. Its articulating arm, grabbers and saw were all chain-driven, and both drive pods were powered independently, resulting in "essentially three bots bolted together", according to All Black Robotics. The robot was built by Jerome Miles, who had previously competed with his lightweight Sublime in Seasons 2.0, 3.0 and 5.0 of Comedy Central BattleBots. He attempted to submit an earlier version of Red Devil, named Spitfire, for World Championship I, but was not selected to compete.

Red Devil during World Championship II hero shots.

Red Devil performed well in its debut campaign, reaching the Round of 16 after defeating the No.3 seed and fan favorite Witch Doctor in the Round of 32. Red Devil's unique design earned it the Best Design Award for World Championship II.

Red Devil during World Championship III hero shots.

As Jerome Miles was competing in China, Red Devil returned in World Championship III under Ravi Baboolal's team All Black Robotics, who themselves had previously competed in World Championship II with Lycan. Here, it had a tougher run, winning two matches against Brutus and SubZero but losing a further four before its failure in the Last Chance Rumble became the final nail in the coffin for Red Devil.

Red Devil would not return for World Championship IV due to time and financial constraints within the team.

In February 2020, Jerome Miles announced his retirement from robot combat after 22 years, putting Red Devil up for sale along with Dragon King. The Red Devil name was passed onto Ravi Baboolal, who Miles stated would be working on a new version for future competition. While the team had initially planned to compete in World Championship V, the team announced that they would not be attending due to both travel restrictions and a baby pending in the family.

All Black Robotics initially applied for World Championship VI with their redesigned Red Devil, boasting a set of individually-powered grabbing claws with flamethrowers, as well as a new saw blade and interchangeable drive systems. The robot was midway through the build process when in July 2021, Ravi and his team confirmed the decision to retire Red Devil following an emergency six week lockdown in Ontario, as well as struggling to achieve their desired result with the new grappling weaponry.

"With heavy hearts we have come to the inevitable decision that we have no other choice but to retire Red Devil, scrap Red Devil 2 and end the lineage here and now. This puts an end to hundreds of hours of design work, weeks of fabrication and building and many thousands of dollars spent. We had a lot planned for the rebirth of Red Devil and are saddened to end things here and now. The new robot was to be a stunning successor to the original robot."

— Ravi Baboolal in a July 2021 Reddit post

Dragon King on the other hand, was sold to the Bot Bash Party Crew, known for making Skorpios, who entered it as an alternative for World Championship VII.

Red Devil's proposed look for World Championship VI.

Red Devil being worked on.

Red Devil circa 2018.

Red Devil's independent drive pods.

Red Devil as Spitfire as it applied for World Championship I.

Outside BattleBots

Jerome Miles designed and built an upgraded version of Red Devil for King of Bots and This Is Fighting Robots. Known as Dragon King, this robot sported a dragon head design for its front jaws and a predominantly yellow appearance in place of red. Its complexity meant Dragon King required a total of five people to operate it for these Chinese events. At This is Fighting Robots, Dragon King lost its first and only battle against ORBY Blade.

Dragon King fought twice at King of Bots, losing to Boxing Champion but defeating Warrior and being cut from its team two episodes later.

YouTube content creator and BattleBots safety inspector William Osman, purchased the previous version of Red Devil from Jerome Miles. Although he would not compete with the robot, it became the focal point of several of his YouTube videos - one of which involved the robot destroying an office - alongside a collaborative video between Osman and fellow YouTuber Allen Pan in which it fought a considerably weaker opponent named 'Height Adjuster 9000'. The 'Red Devil' name and brand were still in the hands of Ravi Baboolal and All Black Robotics, who planned to build a new Red Devil machine for the next season of BattleBots.

Dragon King under the ownership of Bot Bash Party Crew.

Red Devil and William Osman in 2020.

Red Devil and Dragon King.

Dragon King during This is Fighting Robots.

Robot History

World Championship II
Red Devil vs. Wrecks Red Devil's BattleBots debut came against the uniquely-powered, Wrecks. Wrecks drags itself to the corner of the arena. Red Devil moved towards the center of the arena as Wrecks got up to speed. However, Wrecks tipped itself over and its blade tore into the BattleBox floor, propelling the robot across the arena. Red Devil looked to capitalize, but retreated as Wrecks' disk got back up to speed. The gyro-walker was still unbalanced, however, and continued to carve into the steel floor. Red Devil hooks onto Wrecks and slams it into the arena. As it tried to face Red Devil, the tracked robot got around to Wrecks' back and lifted its rear leg, driving it into the housing for the screws. Red Devil moved its upper jaws, but it soon became clear that both robots were stuck together. A timeout was called by the referees and the robots were manually freed. Red Devil looks on as Wrecks is counted out. The fight resumed and Red Devil promptly maneuvered around to the back of Wrecks, which was not moving following the unstick. The chain for Wrecks' rear leg had fallen off and therefore, Wrecks could not gyrate from side to side. It was declared immobile and a count began, giving Red Devil the win by knockout.
Red Devil vs. Witch Doctor Now in the Round of 32 as the No.30 seed, Red Devil took on the No.3 seed, Witch Doctor, and was equipped with its forks having considered a flat wedge pre-fight. Red Devil pins Witch Doctor under the pulverizer. Witch Doctor's minibot, Shaman, charged at Red Devil with its flamethrower ignited, but the tracked robot ignored the distraction and made contact with the main robot. Witch Doctor's drisk grazed the front of Red Devil as it clamped down on the left side of its opponent's weapon. Soon after, Red Devil engaged with its cutting saw and began slicing into Witch Doctor's top armor near the pulverizer. Smoke begins to emit from Witch Doctor. Red Devil continued to hold Witch Doctor, driving it back before the Miami bot pushed back, flipping Shaman over in the process and locking up its left wheel. Witch Doctor and Shaman locked horns in the middle of the arena and smoke began pouring, but it was initially uncertain from which robot. Chris Rose: "... and somebody's smoking, Kenny! Who's smokin'?" Kenny Florian: "It looks like it might be Red Devil. Witch Doctor breaks free and... OH! It's Witch Doctor that's smoking!" — Chris and Kenny react as smoke billows from Witch Doctor. Smoke pours from Witch Doctor as Red Devil emerges victorious. As the pair separated, it became clear that the smoke was coming from Witch Doctor. As Red Devil remained aggressive, the sprocket supporting the chain for Witch Doctor's self-righting arm broke. This proved vital as shortly after, Witch Doctor was overturned by Red Devil. The No.3 seed was unable to right itself and was counted out as thicker smoke began to pour out. This upset win put Red Devil to the Round of 16.
Red Devil vs. Bombshell Red Devil next took on reinstated No.30 seed, Bombshell. Bombshell delivers a big hit to Red Devil. Bombshell charged towards Red Devil in the opening seconds, missing with its first attack but slamming into its opponent's left drive pod with the second, throwing Red Devil over. The tracked machine landed upright, but this impact tore one of the battery leads out of Bombshell and cut power to its disk for the remainder of the battle. Regardless, Bombshell was unfazed and used its narrow edge to slide underneath Red Devil, upending it as the saw made contact with the floor. Red Devil was slow to self-right, allowing Bombshell to drive it into the housing for the screws. Red Devil became unbalanced and was slow to twist its body into its correct configuration. Bombshell capitalized again, shoving Red Devil to two of the corners of the arena in quick succession. "Bombshell's driving - just too good." — Kenny Florian as Bombshell is struck by the pulverizer and drives over the killsaws Bombshell overturns Red Devil. Red Devil was now able to face the No.19 seed again, but Bombshell used its power to charge into it head-on again, denying Red Devil the opportunity to get its still-active weaponry into play. Bombshell overturned Red Devil again as the fight passed the halfway mark. Ravi Baboolal could only spin the tracked machine on the spot as it looked to mount an attack; Red Devil raised itself again to try and recover to a more favorable position, but Bombshell pinned its opponent in place and caused it to tip over once more. Red Devil is struck by the killsaws. Getting its wedge into play, Bombshell attacked the axle of Red Devil before retreating. Red Devil was stationary and Bombshell launched an attack, but the All Black Robotics machine evaded the No.30 seed and forced it to drive into the wall. With its lifting mechanism inverted and its saw still a non-factor, Red Devil was shoved into the blue square and found itself sliced by the killsaws in the closing seconds. The clock hit zero and the fight went to the judges, who voted unanimously in favor of Bombshell. Red Devil's team did not leave empty-handed as the robot's unique appearance saw it win the Best Design Award at the end of the season.
World Championship III
Red Devil vs. Monsoon (Rehearsal) According to Monsoon captain Tom Brewster, Red Devil took part in what was essentially the dress rehearsal fight for the 2018 season between it and Monsoon. Neither robots used their weaponry and barely made contact as the fight was largely staged to test camerawork and lighting. Monsoon was declared the 'winner' and the main tournament followed.
Red Devil vs. Brutus Red Devil's first competitive battle of the 2018 season came against the returning Brutus. It was equipped with its articulating scoop for this bout. Brutus starts smoking in the opening seconds of the match. As both robots met in the center of the arena, Red Devil proved the lower robot as Brutus rode up its front scoop. Brutus therefore reversed and began trying to circle its opponent. However, Brutus soon began smoking and its weapon slowed to a stop. Red Devil drove straight over the weaponless Brutus, using its scoop to get underneath the plow of Brutus as it proved to be the lower robot. Red Devil cuts into Brutus. Red Devil pushed Brutus back against the housing of the screws before bringing its saw into play. Though it was unable to slice clean through Brutus' plow, sparks flew as Red Devil was able to cause visible scratches and scars. The underside of Brutus' plow was also snagged on the sharp horns of Red Devil's plow, preventing Adam Bercu from driving away. In its desperate attempts to flee its opponent, Brutus' drive motors gave out, leaving the previous season's Top 16 finisher lifeless as it fell free of Red Devil's hold. This offered the Canadian robot an opportunity to maneuver to the back of Brutus, slicing into its immobile opponent as the count began. Ravi Baboolal picked up the win by knockout in his first fight as Red Devil captain.
Red Devil vs. Monsoon Red Devil's second fight of the season came against British newcomer Monsoon. Ravi Baboolal's team opted to keep the plow configuration which helped against Brutus. Pre-fight, Baboolal stated his intention to out-drive Tom Brewster, avoiding the primary weapon while targeting the angled sides either side of it. Red Devil is thrown over early on. As it approached Monsoon, Red Devil began on the back foot as it was struck in the opening seconds, throwing it backwards. A second blow disabled the Canadian bot's primary weapon, ripping the blade out of its arm and leaving the motor to dangle limply outside the chassis. Monsoon destroys the weapon mechanism of Red Devil. Now weaponless, Red Devil re-engaged but was thwarted by the lower forks of its opponent, which fed the Canadian machine into its spinning bar and threw it over again. Red Devil was now in a highly vulnerable position with its plow upside-down and ineffective. Monsoon continues to attack Red Devil. Monsoon continued its assault on the All Black Robotics machine, snapping the wiring holding in its loose weapon and creating large gashes in the top and bottom of Red Devil's plow. Monsoon begins smoking as its weapon suddenly halts. Another head-on collision saw both robots tip backwards, but this engagement also favored Monsoon. The next, however, would result in Monsoon's weapon being disabled as smoke began to emit form its motor. Sensing a way back into this battle as both weapons were now non-functional, Red Devil pushed on as the fight passed the 1:30 mark. Both bots enter a stalemate. Red Devil was able to shove back as Monsoon used its bar as a battering ram. Due to its pivoting frame though, Monsoon was able to survive being bullied by Red Devil as the fight remained in the center of the BattleBox, away from arena hazards. Red Devil drove itself over the killsaws late on, and was unable to control its opponent in the closing seconds. Judge Derek Young scored the battle for Red Devil, but Frank Ippolito and Naomi Kyle voted in Monsoon's favor, giving Ravi Baboolal's team their first loss by split decision.
Red Devil vs. SubZero Red Devil gets flipped by SubZero. Red Devil gets its saw onto SubZero's front. Sitting at 1-1, Red Devil met SubZero and was fitted with its grapplers. Red Devil was the weaker of the two robots in the opening moments, with SubZero getting a good few flips on the tracked machine. However, SubZero's flipper began to warp from these flips and eventually broke. The tide turned as Red Devil started to take control of the fight, using its claws to get underneath SubZero and drag it around while its saw created sparks. Red Devil released SubZero before grabbing it again, creating more sparks. After releasing for a second time, Red Devil grabbed it once more as time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous decision for Red Devil, putting them 2-1 for the season.
Red Devil vs. Valkyrie Red Devil has its tread pod ripped off by Valkyrie. Up next for Red Devil was Valkyrie, who had impressed in the Desperado Tournament. As a result, Red Devil kept its anti-spinner plow set-up for this fight. The match began relatively well for Red Devil as the plow was resisting the impacts from its opponent. However, as the match wore on, the plow was showing signs of some damage from repeated hits courtesy of Valkyrie. As Leanne Cushing's machine continued to deliver blows, Red Devil's drive pod gave way and flew across the BattleBox, severely hindering their ability to drive. This left Red Devil with only one working tread with which to fight, though the severed drive pod continued to respond to inputs from the team's transmitter until it rested on its side, unable to move. Time eventually ran out on Red Devil, and Valkyrie took a unanimous judges' decision.
Red Devil vs. Kraken Kraken bites into Red Devil's right track. Red Devil's next opponent was originally set to be Raven, but it suffered from electrical problems in the Test Box and withdrew. Therefore, Red Devil took on Kraken in the USA vs. The World special, with the Canadian Red Devil representing The World. The team opted for the traditional grabber configuration. Red Devil almost immediately found itself within the mouth of Kraken. Surprisingly, this attack managed to totally disable Red Devil's right track, which Kraken continued to bite down on. Red Devil was then taken to the pulverizer and had both its weapons pushed down with the hammer blows, bending the saw in the process. Red Devil still struggled to move well and took an attack to its working tread pod before time ran out. The judges awarded a unanimous decision to Kraken and 1 point to the USA.
Last Chance Rumble All six robots in the BattleBox. Red Devil gets to grips with Bombshell. Bombshell tears away Red Devil's tread. Red Devil is immobilized as the rest fight on. With a modest but not spectacular Fight Night record, Red Devil opted into Last Chance Rumble, where it again met Valkyrie and Bombshell, as well as DUCK!, Lucky and Gigabyte, all competing to earn the 16th seed in the bracket. Red Devil opted for two saws on the saw arm, replacing the old saw that was damaged previously. As each of the spinners got up to speed, Red Devil got an early grab on DUCK! and with assistance from Bombshell, took it to the screws. DUCK! was then taken to Valkyrie's undercutter, who ran into the spinning shell of Gigabyte and deflected away. Gigabyte itself then ran into the wedge of Bombshell, unbalancing it as John Mladenik's bot hit the screws. Not yet back up to speed, Gigabyte's ground clearance was breached by Bombshell as Valkyrie drove itself into the arena wall. Lucky and DUCK! tussled in the far end of the arena as Red Devil got back into the action and grabbed the back end of Bombshell, but could not get its saw into play. DUCK! and Gigabyte collided in the middle of the BattleBox before Hal Rucker's bot rammed into the back of Valkyrie, before taking a blow to its plow. Lucky was experiencing drive issues on one side while Bombshell looked to prevent Gigabyte from spinning back up. As Red Devil drove up Bombshell's wedge, its vertical spinner hit their right side tread and tore it off, which was the first major damage of the rumble. Gigabyte dealt a follow-up shot which sent Red Devil spinning away from the action. Red Devil played no further part in the fight, and the judges awarded the Last Chance Rumble to Bombshell.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 4
• Losses: 4

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship II	Wrecks Witch Doctor	Bombshell
World Championship III *	Brutus (Undercard Match) SubZero (Undercard Match)	Monsoon (Undercard Match) Valkyrie (Undercard Match) Kraken (USA vs. The World) Bombshell (Last Chance Rumble)

* Red Devil's rehearsal match against Monsoon and the Last Chance Rumble are omitted from its win/loss record.

Faruq Tauheed Introductions

"You'll be screamin' when you face this demon, also known as Beelze-bot. It's RED DEVIL!"

"Last name Devil, first name Red. It's about to make you dead! RED DEVIL!"

"Wrath is one of the seven deadly sins. This bot is the other 6-6-6. It's RED DEVIL!"

"Bringing the satanic panic, it's the gleamin' demon. Say your prayers, call in the preacher. The last words you'll hear will be, "Bye, Felicia." It's RED DEVIL!"

"This devil went down to Georgia. He was looking for some parts to steal. He's not in a bind, he's got an axe to grind and he's gonna make you squeal. It's RED DEVIL!"

"Its palate is primal, its brush strokes are brutal, and you'll get an earful as it makes you say Vincent Van G-oh no. It's RED DEVIL!"

"This fighter is straight up dia-bot-ical. Dressed to impress and definitely possessed. Coming in screamin' like a fiery demon, it's RED DEVIL!"

"When it enters the arena, all hell breaks loose. Here to demon-strate its powers, it's RED DEVIL!"

Trivia

• Each tread pod was able to run individually, even when detached from the main robot. This was proven in its fight against Valkyrie in 2018.
• Red Devil has only lost fights by judges' decisions.
• Had Red Devil qualified for Season 1 of the reboot with its original name, it would have been the second robot to have a part of it named Spitfire, with the first being Spitfire from Season 5.0 of the Comedy Central series and the third being the drone which accompanied reboot competitor SubZero.
  • However, it would not be the final robot to have applied under the name Spitfire, as a British applicant was originally accepted for the 2020 season but had to withdraw due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Valkyrie was the first robot that was armed with a horizontal spinner that faced Red Devil, and managed to knock one of its track off, an act very similar to what happened with Dragon King in China.
• Red Devil is the only robot to compete in the Last Chance Rumble which did not return for another season.

See Also

• Dragon King (This is Fighting Robots/King of Bots)