- Hardshell: "Hey! What'd he call us?!"
Sharpshot: "I don't know. Let's scrap him."
Hardshell: "Let me!" - —Hardshell with Sharpshot
Hardshell is the most fearless and ferocious of the Insecticons and one of the toughest Decepticons. He is an expert hunter, an expert fighter and is a worthy leader.
Shockwave believes that Hardshell, along with his brothers, Kickback and Sharpshot, are the three original Insecticons. This is evidenced by his ability to transform while the other lesser generations of Insecticons cannot.
Shockwave also describes him as prefering to rely on heavy artillery and advanced combat equipment instead of, or as opposed to, his natural combat instincts.