2025: Transformers Year in Review/Best Of

 It's been a pretty wild year for the franchise. A disastrous combination of tariffs and corporate greed has led to some of the most exorbitant price hikes (and not too long since the most recent hikes) that will push some people largely, or completely, out of the brand, or at least toy collecting. However, we've also gotten some long awaited characters and some of the best figures in the franchise, perhaps ever. We lost a size class (Core), but also regained closed packaging. We got the most expensive non-Unicron TF Haslab to date, but got a cheaper Titan class to compensate. Haslab Omega Prime arrived broken for a lot of folks, and thankfully they've already received replacements. Update: at time of publishing, Age of the Primes and Studio Series Wave 1 (at least parts of them) for 2026 has already begun shipping and/or showing up in stores by mid-December. As of 12/16/15, I've only picked up Leader Razorclaw (thankfully at the un-inflated price), but hopefully will find all the targeted figures from the wave soon. Either way, I won't evaluate them until December of 2026.

Best of for 2025: 

For non-Studio Series Generations, this year was split, with a fifth & final wave of Legacy: United at the beginning of the year, and three waves of the new Age of the Primes for the remainder of 2025. The core class was completely absent, gaining no new figures for the final United wave and cancelled for Age of the Primes. 

-Deluxe class: I'm going to give it to Micronus, with some qualifications. I partly want the best of each class to be one of the Thirteen, though that may not actually be true. However, Micronus also was a very creative and generally successful way to integrate the smallest of the Thirteen into a line that had axed the Core price point. Micronus himself is (kind of) a mini-con, turning into a disc that is a combination of the mini-con panels from the Armada show and the disc modes of the RiD2015 series. He has a 5mm port, so can be plugged onto any other figure with a matching peg, and he comes with the Chimera Stone artifact, which looks nice but is functionally just for decoration. The big draw here is a modern twist on a pretender shell, giving Micronus a version of the Apex Armor from the Prime TV show that doubles as new iteration on the Weaponizer gimmick that ran through several lines since Siege. It's a very Unicron Trilogy-feeling figure in this sense, and feels like an all-in-one playset on a small scale. Obviously, there are concerns about the clear plastic used to construct Micronus himself, and his knees can't really totally close together, which reduces the appeal of the disc mode. 

 - Runners-up: Venin & Fireflight. Air Raid was the first figure of the line that I opened, and I was very impressed with his feel and build quality. However, he and Skydive also do the least when it comes to combiner integration, so I feel that Fireflight is a better Aerialbot representative here. Also, what I said about feel & build quality? Venin has none of that. Apparently the cost of being the only latter-day "Deluxe" Insecticon to be a completely new mold is that he feels of substantially less quality than any other new-mold AotP figure. That said, he's really not too bad, and his look is still pretty incredible. I do wish that his wings were rooted in a removable 5mm post/port, as they are a big hamper to posing and would have made great weapons. In an EVO-FUSION callback, his blaster can serve as a handle to his hatchet blade, which is fun. Back to Fireflight; he is probably my favorite Aerialbot limb, with Air Raid being a close second. And while I do like the new Slingshot mold, something about Fireflight's initial reveal left me cold. I definitely would have preferred his toy-based head design with a faceplate. His bot mode deco felt weirdly busy, and the initial alt mode render images did not do the F-4 Phantom-specific retooling any favors. Having had Fireflight for about two months now, I definitely prefer him to Slingshot and either of the leg components. 

-Voyager class: I think I have to go with Sky-Byte. Generations has now, since Kingdom or so, had a trend of producing at least one really nice Decepticon/Evil Voyager class character per line/year, and Sky-Byte definitely fills that role for 2025 Age of the Primes. It's a fantastic reproduction of the original TMII Cybershark-based design, executed much better than the Thrilling 30 version (though I now strangely want to pick up a copy of that mold for comparison purposes). I really like the shift from blue to slightly purple (this was done with another villain character recently, but I don't recall whom at the moment), and while I wish he had a visible faction symbol, the purple paint on the spark crystal looks really nice and work for being his Typhoon Blaster. Again, incredible update. I can only hope for a Hellwarp repaint! 

   - Runners-up: Alpha Trion very nearly took the #1 spot. He's an incredible figure, and while the previous SS86 Scourge retool still has some advantages, this is both a great compliment to that older version while also exceeding it. He probably has the best vehicular altmode for any of the Thirteen. He feels incredibly solid. He also has the coolest/most unique artifact in the Covenant of Primus, one of the best accessories in the history of the franchise. The pen is fun too, but I do wish he had a proper offensive weapon to go with his shield. Granted, I mostly leave that on his back as a secondary cape layer (I do wish there was a more natural way to handle this). There are definitely some flaws, but if not for Sky-Byte this might be my pick as best of the line. Great figure. I'll also give Prima a shout-out for finally getting a (real) figure. For what he is, his bot mode looks great. I don't know that a Sunbow/retcon head and truck alt mode were the best choices for an otherwise Covenant-based design. 

-Leader class: This is a tough one. Both The Fallen and Onyx Prime are amazing figures that do a great job of executing their designs and are fantastic modern uses of the leader class, fitting more into the larger leader type than the glorified voyager category. Ultimately, I think I have to side with Megatronus. It was such a relief that the design was rooted in his original Dreamwave appearance rather than the more generic Covenant design, and they also totally nailed it with the right blend of paint and plastic choices. His accessories are great; one thing that the DW look lacked was an arm cannon, so giving him a Requiem Blaster (his artifact) was the right move. The spear is pretty great, but of course the stars of the show are of course his flame effects. He looks terrific even without them, but they complete the concept of the Fallen as a character. I also like the tank barrel muzzle being used in bot mode to further emulate G1 Megatron's look. 

  - Runner-up: Onyx Prime, clearly. This guy is incredible, and I've said before that he is the only one of the Thirteen (as a toy) that really communicates a divine/angelic quality that you'd expect from the original Cybertronians. I'm a sucker for figures with multiple or alternate bot modes, and I guess the centaur mode could count as such. It's done very well; my only real problem is that it's intended to use the bow as its main weapon, but it makes much more sense for the centaur mode to have a tail over the bot mode. I know that people really want the IDW Kei Zama deco (which would really drive home the Deathsaurus similarities), but I was happy to get his "normal"/Covenant-based colors first. It makes sense that an animal-based Prime would have more natural colors, and they've been done well. Another feature I love is the mask (intended for centaur mode). It gives him a very different feel, and sells the notion that this guy could be an unpredictable beast, despite nominally being one of the more benevolent of the Thirteen. 

-Larger classes (Commander/Titan/Haslab): Only three entries here: Silverbolt/Superion frame (Commander), Star Optimus Prime (AKA Star Convoy; Titan) and Omega Prime (technically a Legacy/Legacy: United release; Haslab). Also, as something of an anomaly, Star Convoy is labeled as Titan, but in reality is a new size class that is priced around the same that Titans were in the mid-2010s while being something more in line with a Commander+ size and lots of accessories, balancing out to feeling something akin to a budget version of a Victory Saber/Deathsaurus-type Haslab. Anyway. Of the three, Silverbolt/Superion definitely gets the most play. I don't have Legacy Motormaster, and only recently completed the Stunticons thanks to the Walmart Black Friday deals, so Superion is my first frame combiner. I get the impression that he's much better as a frame combiner than Menasor, but I can only speak from experience and say that I'm pretty happy with him. I never completed the normal version of Combiner Wars Superion, but had the G2 version and plenty of other CW combiners aside. Superion is definitely a level above them in terms of combiner playability and posability, being very stable. Of course, you lose the Scramble City capability (at least, in most ways), but I do appreciate that even the frame of Superion still has to be assembled, and each component robot has a section of frame that they are "responsible" for/attach to, so you can still attach each component to their frame section and then assemble the actual combiner. Silverbolt himself is the best version of the character, clearly having advantages over the G1 toy, the big Universe 2.0 Ultra class, and the CW Voyager. The Concorde mode is about as clean as it could be, and is actually one of my favorite modes for the figure. For Star Convoy, this is clearly the best update he could have gotten in our modern, gimmick-less toyline. He's a clear improvement over the Generations Selects version in many ways, though I do still appreciate that figure for many different reasons. Honestly, I don't really have many problems with the new Star Convoy other than the fact that Hot Rod isn't actually a Micromaster - he's yet another Core class version, the third of which within a decade - and that there probably should have been two Micro Carriers rather than one. I love the Zodiac artifact accessory, even if Optimus (in any form) being part of the Thirteen has never been a great move. Playability is very high, combining a great and highly posable robot mode with a killer truck mode and dumb but fun base mode. The effects pieces count is great, especially the new hard plastic Matrix blast/plasma blade and also the energon bullet. Omega Prime, infamously, had (potential) breakage issues. Luckily, my copy was fine, but I still opened him up to shave down the interior parts responsible for the problem. I've also not had any yellowing on Magnus, thankfully. As a Haslab, it's a pretty incredible set, and as of the new price hikes retroactively feels like a steal, being pretty damned close to the new retail prices for everything. Blue Bolts is a great new inclusion (definitely glad she got her missiles), but I think the Omega combination itself is my favorite mode. It really benefits the most from the engineering and design improvements (both Magnus and the Prime Super Mode are kind of held back by their huge legs and fire ladder, respectively, but these aren't issues for Omega Prime). The bases look great, though could have benefited from some paint. The Matrix Blade is incredible, but definitely unwieldy and I wish the Omega hands could grasp it/lock into it more securely. Currently I have Earthrise Scorponok brandishing the giant weapon. The core Optimus robot mode is also fantastic and definitely an improvement on the original (I absolutely appreciate working the pectoral windows into the transformation). Ultra Magnus is certainly better than the original, though I kind of wish that his shoulders could have been made larger to reflect the anime look a bit more. Of these three big figures, I think I'm settling on Star Convoy. He just has an incredible presence that I think his price actually does justify. I hope we see more figures at this range (I think the new AoE Grimlock Titan might be somewhat similar?).

Studio Series also experienced a similar split compared to its counterpart, with the first wave of the year being no different than previous waves of the line, but with a packaging/design refresh coming in the spring with the year's second wave. Notably, this change dropped individual figure numbering and also any subline branding (no more Gamer Edition, for instance). Aesthetically, Studio Series experienced much less change than Age of the Primes did (compared to Legacy United), with the overall black appearance still dominating the design. Again, the core class was eliminated for 2025. 

 - Deluxe: Honestly, this year's offerings were a bit lean for my personal tastes. Wave 1 started with stuff I wasn't overly interested in (slightly by the BBmovie Bumblebee retool, but I still haven't picked it up), the deluxe Constructicons are probably the worst of that team, and the only other really interesting wave was the last one. For what I've purchased, TF: One Starscream takes the cake. He is incredibly well-engineered for a modern deluxe figure, feeling like a ROTF design from 2009-2010. The Galaga-ish alt mode is beautiful, a much better take on what they tried to do with the BBmovie design. His mouth is weird, but when everything else is so incredible, it doesn't matter as much to me. 

   - Runner-up: Probably a tie between TF: One Bumblebee and RotB Double Punch. I didn't get either until recently, and BB was a much better figure than I'd expected, though there's room for improvement. I'd pick Elita over him, but she is marred by the chest/head not locking in effectively in robot mode. Her gun is much nicer than BB's version, however. Doublepunch is a Scorponok repaint, which I love, but the images always made Doublepunch's deco look worse than Scorponok's. However, my son insisted on the Black Friday 2-pack (with an extra SS86 Bumblebee that got donated along with other redundant 2-pack figures), and I do enjoy Doublepunch much more in-hand than I expected. The red paint versus plastic isn't as big of a difference as I'd feared, and the mold itself is just as fun as before. I really wish a third repaint would be green, but I think they are going with a different color (I believe it's supposed to be Sandstorm). 

 - Voyager class: I think I'm going with Mixmaster. I didn't have high hopes for him when he was revealed, but he may have become my favorite of the Constructicons. He's certainly in the top half of the group. Anyway, the simple but addictive transformation is great. While I wish the drum did something more productive, the fact that it does anything at all is a big improvement over the CW version. And while I like that the CW had a "backwards" altmode, I also appreciate this version being different. He also actually manages to feel like a voyager, if on the smaller side. 

   -Runner(s)-up: Scrapper and TF: One Sentinel Prime, easily. Scrapper instantly benefits by having better articulation than his CW version and being much more appealing than his deluxe wave counterpart (Bonecrusher). The inclusion of the two large Devastator weapon parts also help make him very playable and dynamic-looking. Sentinel, on the other hand, is a bit of a rare bird; it's not often that we have transformers with two or more distinct robot modes without the use of add-on parts. Anyway, as a result, Sentinel comes up feeling like a hyperpower-style Energon Decepticon, and I mean that as a good thing. His only real downside is that his plastic finish and color choices make him feel like he is from a different line than the existing TF: One deluxes, most of whom look better in this regard. Either way, he's a fun figure and makes me wish even more for a better G1-style Sentinel Prime figure. 

 - Leader class: easily SS86 Megatron. This is one of the best figures in a while, especially for the character. I actually have a whole unpublished write-up of my glowing impressions on the figure, but it really does nearly superannuate the previous attempts to create G1 Megatron in a normal retail release. More on this guy later...

   -Runner(s)-up: The only other one I actually got was AoE Optimus Prime, and he is pretty incredible. Maybe smaller than I'd like, but that is a problem with all Bayverse Optimus toys from this line. It does have me excited for the TLK Nemesis Prime version. I was interested in Apelinq, but have only seen him a few times and didn't ever quite feel like pulling the trigger for the price. I may still get him. 

 - Commander class: The only entry here is the Long Haul/Hook set, which also includes the trailer that forms Devastator's hips and thighs. It's a pretty great set, and even just combining the three included components, feels much more substantial than anticipated. Hook and Long Haul are, individually, some of the better SS86 Constructicons; I'd place Hook slightly behind Mixmaster and Long Haul a bit after (all six of them are hampered by a lack of waist rotation, and this especially hinders Long Haul, who has a very flat profile). Since there is no competition here, all I can say is that I'd recommend the set, though obviously it's a stronger recommendation if you are completing Devastator. Otherwise, I don't think $90 is worth it for two (smaller) voyagers and an otherwise useless trailer/pile of weapons.

-Cyberworld: I've only bought a couple of molds, but I'd be remiss to leave them out. Both Sky-Byte and Galvatron are fun figures, though I'll admit that I didn't bite on Galvatron until he was on sale lower than his $15 MSRP. I may also be picking up Megatron as well; I saw him on sale last week and hope he might still be. These are very simple, limited figures, but better in this regard than most kid-focused lines of the past decade or so. What helps is that most of these figures are based on designs built for the show, so the aesthetic, more-or-less, matches the toy quality. The automorph features are fun and work well, not being overly gimmicky. Also, many of the designs have been given the freedom to be pretty unique compared to their standard forms, such as a Junkion Snarl (the Dinobot), a jet mode Mirage, and Hot Wheels-like Sky-byte - a shark car! Galvatron is an especially weird case, being essentially a Galvatron design that was thrown in a blender with several cross-continuity Scourge design elements, like smokestacks from RotB, facial hair from G1, a dragon mode from Cybertron (I'd throw the flame effects in with that aspect, as well), and an Optimus-style helmet from RiD2000. Sky-Byte has a great blast effect port for his tailfin blaster, and it's a special thing regardless when we get two Sky-Byte toys in one year. 

Exclusives: it always feels like there are more and more exclusives every year. I don't know that this is true, but it definitely feels true, especially ever since 2020. To keep things streamlined, store exclusives for all lines will be considered here, except those that were reissues of formerly discontinued figures - for those, see below. As with those reissues listed below, I'm also listing the exclusives here: 

1. AotP Excellion
2. AotP Cybertron Sideways
3. Carnivac vs Fisitron
4. Sandstorm vs Slugslinger
5. Spinister vs Topspin
6. Trypticon
7. G2 Snarl & Slag
8. Ultra Magnus/Animated Nemesis Prime/Bumper/Horri-bull
9. Devastation Sideswipe
10. Devastation Wheeljack
11. WfC Optimus Prime
12. WfC Megatron
13. Overload (Constructicon)
14. Devastation Elite Seeker & Ground Soldier
15. Perceptor/Ramhorn/Ratbat
16. The Fallen/Megatron/Soundwave (Revenge of the Fallen)
17. Retro Gears
18. Retro Bumblebee
19. Retro Brawn
20. Retro Seaspray

I've become really fond of the Target late summer/fall 4-packs. They started with the Siege Seeker 3-pack, devolved into an Earthrise Seeker 2-pack, then reemerged in its present state in 2021, dovetailing with the Kingdom line. This year's offering is a somewhat mixed package, though I'll admit it's primarily Bumper that lowers the average. He's perfectly fine, but clearly too similar to BB to be interesting other than as a Megatron: Origin plot point. That said, I guess he does keep the tradition alive for many of these 4-packs having some BB-like figure. Nemesis and Horri-bull are the highlights, with Nemesis having an amazing deco, and Horri-bull being an interesting way to modernize a now-decade-old mold. Horri-bull also finally rounds out the monster headmasters, just as the Deluxe Insecticons were completed by Venom this year - it's nice to see these long-term projects come to fruition. Also, a shout-out to the WfC Megatron and Optimus repaints. I did not realize at first that these were anything but reissues with a bit of battle damage, but they have much better decos than their original releases. I've replaced my originals, that's all I'll say there. Another highlight for me has been the Devastation Elite Seeker & Ground Soldier set. They both look great and the sword weapons a fun and make them stand out from the earlier releases of the molds. Finally, Cybertron Sideways is a weird case of being better than the original, but just barely. The robot mode benefits from improved articulation, but he's missing some of the green paint apps and the alt mode doesn't look as flat/sleek as the 2005 mold. Also, he and Excellion, both Walmart exclusives, are just reminders of how we didn't get a fully fleshed out Cybertron-themed capsule line this fall. Something is better than nothing, but Cybertron is my favorite TF line ever, so to see it snubbed this way wasn't great. Edit: Ok, I forgot to include the Walmart Retro figures. Of the four, the only new mold is Seaspray, and he's incredible. Much better than the TR version, and I like how you can make his feet bigger/more toy accurate, or keep them a bit more practical and smaller. I think he does have to take the cake for best exclusive this year. Again, a completely new mold, a character that we haven't had on shelves in almost a decade, and executed extremely well. I'm not really sure what a non-retro release would do to really tempt me over this version. The head looks great, and Seaspray isn't a character where there are major deco/paint app differences. 

Reissues: Hasbro has really been pushing it into high gear for reissues this year. We had a few last year (especially Optimus toys, of which PotP Optimus was the biggest deal for me), but now they seem to be all over the place. However, some showed up as wave-component package refreshes (like Legacy United Ramjet or SS-102 RotB Optimus), and I'll ignore them here. To keep track, I'll list all reissues here and then assess my favorite:

1. SS-51 Dark of the Moon Soundwave
2. SS86 Ultra Magnus
3. Legacy Evolution Beachcomber
4. Legacy Evolution Devcon
5. Legacy Evolution Nova Prime
6. Legacy Evolution Nacelle
7. Siege Skywarp
8. Siege G2 Sideswipe
9. Siege Prowl
10. Earthrise Trailbreaker
11. SS86 Blaster & Eject
12. SS87 DotM Bumblebee
13. Earthrise Sunstreaker
14. Earthrise Thrust
15. Legacy Evolution Breakdown (preorder for 2026)
16. Legacy Evolution Nemesis (preorder for 2026)
17. Earthrise Runamuck
18. Power of the Primes Predaking (preorder for 2026)
19. Crossovers Gigawatt

Again, keep in mind that this list doesn't include the package refresh reissues (where an older release is inserted as a normal retail release into a current wave with new packaging), slightly altered releases that are close enough to being reissues (like Trypticon, Sandstorm, etc.), or the Walmart Black Friday 2-packs. For this list, however, I have to say that Devcon and Beachcomber have to be way near the top - Legacy Evolution deluxe wave 2 was notoriously absent (not that wave 1 was much better) from store shelves, and even online retailers as well. Unfortunately, Axelgrease (the female Decepticon Junkion) didn't also get reissued, though I'll admit she was the least desirable of the group. Between Devcon and Beachcomber, Beachcomber is easily the better toy, and I'd say he is one of the best latter-day deluxe mini-bots. I wish the bird wasn't so small and flexible, but it's not exactly an integral component. Sunstreaker would have been up there, but his Selects/SS86 multipack version from last year already helped make him available. However, this reissue is much cheaper than the 5-pack, and some prefer the clear plastic of the windows on this version. Breakdown, of course, is a big deal for late Menasor collectors like myself; I was able to get Dead End and Wildrider (along with G2 Breakdown) from the aforementioned Black Friday packs, and now we wait to see if Motormaster gets reissued (as most Commanders have). I think I'll have to settle on Beachcomber - he is the only amongst these that I actually had to wait for/was new to me, but was also genuinely, surprisingly good. 

-Transformer of the Year, 2025: Studio Series 86 Megatron. As I mentioned, I have an unpublished post that lauds this figure, even retrospectively assessing the previous G1 Megatron updates in view of how great this newest edition is. I'll have to finish the post and upload it as a coda to this post. I actually really like Megatron better than SS86 Optimus, with a more fun/interesting/less irritating transformation and a much more dynamic robot appearance. It has its downsides, but they're just not a big deal compared to how much this mold succeeds at. I'm really looking forward to repaints/retools. 

 -Runners-up: Honestly, Megatronus the Fallen probably leapfrogs Sky-Byte, partly because of the synergy with SS86 Megatron. The Fallen was one of the most anticipated figures for the year, being shown off back at the 1027 event last fall in 2024. Due to his cannon barrel extension piece and overall design/transformation scheme, there were many who figured that Megatron would end up being a retool of the Fallen, but it was obvious that the designs and aesthetics were too different to allow for this. If nothing else, releasing two leader-class tanks that both turn into Decepticon/evil leaders of major stature in the fiction is a fairly bold move for Hasbro. The Fallen was absolutely the best choice as the initial centerpiece of the line. 

    

Moving forward?

I have several unfinished posts from earlier in the year, the most recent of which was from 9/17/25 (Transformers Day). That was the day when the latest Studio Series preorders were made available, along with the new price hikes. I didn't bother with a new post, but NYCC in October carried more bad news, as the heavily anticipated Armada Nemesis Prime/Star Saber exclusive was found to be $90, and the SS86-based Skybound Optimus (with Megatron arm) is $80. Furthermore, we got confirmation that commanders would also get a price bump. 

Around the same time, into the middle of saturation for AotP wave 3, price hikes were applied to several/most products already on store shelves. I bought most of wave 3 for normal prices (either by online preorder or at WM/GameStop in person), but did not find Flatline (so far) until after WM wanted to charge $43 for him, which I wasn't willing to do. They'd already tricked me into paying $30 for Seaspray at brick and mortar. The price hikes were supposedly for 2026, but I guess that didn't matter. It's also very inconsistent; I was able to preorder some 2026 SS figures through WM for the older price, and you can still find some figures at Target and GameStop for those prices as well (weirdly, GameStop charges $35 for voyagers, but $65 for leaders, a further $5 increase). Even reissues of older figures (Runamuck from 2020 and Beachcomber and Devcon from 2023) have been subject to the new $28 MSRP.

This really sucks. Prices have gone up on everything, and now Hasbro wants me to pay more for a 2025 voyager than I did for a 2005 leader (which were also much larger toys, usually with electronics and other gimmicks, compared to modern leaders). I feel committed to finish out the Thirteen (let me note that it feels particularly shitty for Hasbro to raise prices in the middle of a collection that people have wanted for years) and the Combaticons, but I really don't want to pay full price for them, especially the extremely overcharged voyagers (of which the Combaticons have 2). Unfortunately, these aren't any of the figures that have preorders at the older price; the Target and WM sites simply don't have them listed at all. 

The last time I really struggled with continuing in this hobby was in 2014, when the Generations T30 line had (what I thought was) a weak slate of voyager and leader figures, and the Age of Extinction line was not up to the standard that the previous movie lines had set. I was also heavily collecting Legos a the time, which diverted funds away from the TF line regardless. And while I did largely abstain from the more expensive T30 figures and the AoE line, this decline was a matter of interest; the brand just wasn't doing enough to keep me collecting most figures. That's not the current situation. 2026, for both Studio Series and Age of the Primes, looks pretty terrific so far, with very few skippable figures (like Animated Wreck-Gar, and maybe Jalopy, Sureshot and SS Titan Grimlock). Star Wars was a major part of my Lego collecting, and by 2015 I felt priced out. I'm feeling that again here, with a toyline that was a major part of my childhood, and which I've been collecting as an adult since 2003. But political malpractice and corporate greed, on top of any "natural" inflation rate, are conspiring to make these items, already luxuries, really out of reach for most people (and I have what I think of as a decent salary). 

So I don't know exactly what I'll do. Deluxes and leaders I may continue to buy as normal, as they have had a relatively minor increase, though I'd certainly prefer not to. $43 (and higher, at some retailers) voyagers, however, won't do. They are simply not worth the price; look at AotP Brawl for any convincing you may need. And sure, he's a bit of an outlier, but if the Hasbro design team feels the need to convince their superiors that some deluxe-sized toys (SS86 Hot Rod, Legacy Override, SS86 Scrapper & Mixmaster, and now AotP Brawl and Swindle) require a voyager budget and MSRP, then they have to be amazing figures to justify that. But to then hike the price by nearly $10? So yeah, I'm not exactly sure how it'll play out, but I don't think I'll be paying full price for the voyager class figures. And generally, I'm going to have to pull back from collecting. Again, I feel committed to Bruticus and the remaining Thirteen, but anything else is subject to the chopping block. My Pulse Premium lapsed a few days ago and I don't feel the need to renew it. Why pay $50 for free shipping and first preorder access if you aren't willing to pay their prices? After 2026, my collecting habits will probably look fairly different. 

SS86 Megatron: What's Next, and a Legacy of Adaptation

Update: I drafted this in September, maybe added to it in October. With SS86 Megatron winning my Best TF of 2025, it's time to unleash this post on the world! Just keep in mind that it was written early in the fall and I'm actually posting in on 12/18/25, so the dates will sound off: 

So I found SS86 Megatron last month. While I had some reservations about the figure after it was leaked in June, it was clear that it was going to be the most accurate mainline take on Sunbow Megatron ever, with probably little room for improvement. 

And yeah, that's pretty much right. Megatron looks about as good as he possibly could in robot mode. I suppose that before I sing its praises, I'll knock out the list of demerits:

- QC: more than one person (but including myself) have copies with some pretty loose joints. For mine, it's the left shoulder, and bad enough that he can't wield his pistol with a blast effect attached. Definitely looking to grab another copy that hopefully works better. Update: my second copy finally arrived. Great arm joints, but I switched out the left forearm (the gauntlet wouldn't quite close correctly) and both legs at the thigh (the shin panels weren't locking in place). I also hit the fusion cannon post with some clearcoat so it wouldn't rotate too easily in robot mode, and might put some on the right thigh swivel as well. But otherwise, it's been Frankensteined about as much as it can and I'm really happy with the results. Granted, I'm nearly always defaulting to buying two copies of figures any more, either for part replacement or total replacement, and that's not the most fun thing when the figures are expensive leader class and above. 

-Shoulders/upper arms: either the upper arms are too small, or they are brought too far inward by the transformation. It does look right as far as the show model goes, but he can't have his arms hang straight down, only flared out, and that doesn't look good. Update: while slightly bigger upper arms still wouldn't be a bad thing, people pretty quickly figured out that you can mistransform the shoulder assembly in a way that is still very stable while broadening the shoulders and he looks great. Makes it a bit fiddly to pose him, since trying to rotate the biceps usually makes the butterfly joint move, but the aesthetic tradeoff is worth it. Pretty much resolves the aesthetic issue I had with the design.

-The fusion cannon does look weird. I don't care as much now that I have it in hand, but yeah there are some questionable design choices. Update: I have no issues with the look of the cannon anymore; more annoyed that the peg is a bit small so it rotates in bot mode too easily (as noted above, I've resolved this with clearcoat). 

-Much worse is that the cannon's 5mm blast effect port is buried too far into the aperture to accommodate most blast effects. This can be worked around by using the barrel extension, but that doesn't give the right look. Surely someone can design a printable adapter.

-I appreciate the pistol and sword, but both have weird flaws, like the pistol's design being off (it looks cool, just not correct the same way the Centurion Drone accessory does) and the sword blade being detachable, but in a way that still prevents it's use by figured with closed fists. This is aggravated by the fact that the handle has a very tight fit in the hand; it makes me nervous that inserting or removing the handle will break the hand. To play it safe, you can always use it as a forearm-mounted blade. SS AoE Optimus handled all of this much better with its Sword of Judgement. I also wish the blade was clear plastic, but oh well. 

-The turret's rotation point is way too far back. It doesn't ruin the figure and it's not the first time we've seen something like this, but it's not great. 

-Of course, Megatron is nowhere near as big as many former leader class releases; having him stand next to Selects Super Megatron (a mold that was originally released as a Titans Return voyager), they are the same height. There's certainly a difference in weight and complexity, but with the recent leader class price increase (I paid around $65 for this at Target, including taxes), it's getting harder to stomach the latter-day smaller leader class toys (as much as I appreciate them otherwise). A good point of comparison (for size) is Megatron's wavemate of SS86 Grimlock (reissue). As an update, I more recently got out CW Armada Megatron (who at the time I compared to a tall Ultra class of the 2000s era), and man, yeah, the height differential is a bit crushing. There are certainly huge improvements and different priorities suitable for a collector line like SS86, but I don't think it passes eye test vs. cost. 

-Despite my complaint about size, Megatron's just a bit too tall at the head compared to Kingdom/Legacy/SS86 Galvatron. 

And that's probably it for the problems I have. They do mar the experience of the figure a bit, but nothing overwhelming, and the pros far outweigh the cons. 

I think that's about it for my problems with the figure. This thing is incredible, so I'll focus on the highlights: 

-These may be one of the most successful figures to capture a Sunbow character model, all the more impressive considering it had to be engineered around a different alt mode. It very much looks like Megatron as he appeared in the G1 show/movie. SS86 Optimus was mostly successful (some wish the head was more accurate, and I agree), but there is something about Megatron's proportions and sculpt that just really sell the animation model better than most other SS86 (or otherwise Sunbow-focused) figures. It's nice to finally get the pistol (tank) barrel incorporated, even if it is by parts-forming (being accomplished the same way that AotP the Fallen handles it). I'd love an abdominal mounting like the G1 toy, but it looks great as-is. Also, a G1 Megatron toy without a backpack is a bit of a rarity, and it's impressive that it could be accomplished here.   

-Speaking of alt mode and transformation - this is a pretty incredible transformation; my only real hiccup is that it's hard to complete either the legs or the torso transformations independently based on how the torso locks into both the hips and the shin plates. I'd prefer that it was possible to transform the torso securely into the tank front/turret and then move on to the legs/treads. The legs/treads themselves are fantastic and I'm pretty sure we've never seen it executed this way before. TR Megatron had sort of the opposite idea, with the treads encompassing the length of the tank and then collapsing into the arms, but that led to flat-feeling arms and legs that were perhaps less bulky than desired. I'd say that Megatron's boots are a bit exaggerated in their flare and bulk, but for how it cleverly accommodates such a prominent part of the tank mode, it's extremely well done and very fun to convert. I also like the "burst open" arrangement you can apply to the treads when going to robot mode. The turret transformation is a bit unintuitive regarding the shoulder apparatus, but I love the rotating gauntlets. The turret, overall, could look better, but it works well while not sacrificing the robot appearance much. 

-Articulation is pretty phenomenal. I'm reminded of Kingdom Rodimus, which was the first mainline TF I bought to feel like a premium action figure in terms of movement options. Again, SS86 Optimus does a commendable/comparable job, but I'll just say that it's hard to make Megatron pose poorly. Also, action poses help minimize the weirdness of the shoulder proportions without needing to "unlock" them. The feet are big, stable (but mobile) bases, and allow for pointing toes despite the heel not having clearance to rotate up - yes, this is a consequence of how the toes transform, but I'm glad it works out for both purposes.

Clearly, this mold represents a new standard in mainline Megatron design, and as such I expect some redecos/retools down the road (though not as many as the Siege/Earthrise mold, as this is a more expensive leader instead of a voyager, and they get few release slots per year). If I'm not mistaken, we are already due a TFTM 40th Anniversary release next year. I think that could go one of two ways: keep the same basic deco, but retool the head and chest to have the cracked battle damage from the Battle for Autobot City in the movie. Alternatively, we could get a counterpart to the 2021 reformatting Galvatron, casting this in clear/solid purple with some grid deco lines. I'd be a lot more likely to get the latter than the former, but in either case, it wouldn't be a terrible idea to switch up the weapons so that Megatron has his TFTM-exclusive laser pistol sidearm, and also a new, articulated energon morning star. I'm fully aware that the morning star is from the TV show and not the movie proper, but that's irrelevant to me and SS86 Optimus got his axe. I do still like the Centurion Drone's morning star, but as I said, having a new articulated version would go a long way to completing the look of the figure. 

Other options: I feel a comic edition is inevitable, though I wouldn't have much interest. I don't think an SG repaint of this mold would work well either (it didn't work that well on the Siege mold, even with the new parts). Megaplex could be fun and is overdue. Honestly, with next year being the 20th anniversary of Classics, I'd love this mold in the Classics deco. That would be fun. 

Regarding a legacy of adaptation, we're nearing two decades of G1 Megatron reinvention. This is a thread/theme that has stuck in my head over the years, and I've loved seeing the new iterations as they've come. It's especially interesting for Megatron specifically, as his appearance diverged much more from his G1 look during the RiD/UT years as opposed to Optimus. 

Here are the primary toyline entries that I would consider to be part of this neo-G1 Megatron lineage. I've mainly excluded figures that were primarily intended to represent his G2 form (though willing to include G1 repaints thereof) or other major deviations, and also those from non-mainlines (like simpler figures for younger audiences, the masterpiece molds, or those from non-G1 continuities). I'm also mostly interested in the larger molds of deluxe, voyager and leader classes, though I do want the 2011 Reveal the Shield Legends class to get a special mention here as being one of my favorite G1 Megatron molds of all! Also, if not for continuity, I'd definitely include SS Concept Art Megatron, as he's clearly rooted in G1 and doesn't visually have much to do with his other movie renditions, but still. 

-Classics Megatron (Voyager, 2006), Titanium Series (Cobra 6", 2006), Titanium Series (War Within 6", 2007), Universe: Special Edition (Deluxe, 2008), Combiner Wars (Leader, 2015), Titans Return (Voyager, 2016), Platinum Edition (Voyager, 2016), Siege (Voyager, 2019), Earthrise (Voyager, 2020), Generations Selects (Voyager...plus? 2020), Legacy Evolution (Miner Voyager, 2023), Legacy United (Gladiator Voyager, 2024), Studio Series 86 (Leader, 2025). 

So, one by one: 

-Classics Megatron (Voyager, 2006): The original G1 Megatron reinvention, Classics Megatron was something special, as we'd had no previous G1 Megatron toy since Machine Wars in 1997, and of course, the last one to be based on the original design was the 1990 Action Master, but for obvious reasons it doesn't quite count. The G2 line had some great Megatron molds, but they themselves were a reinvention of the character with both new colors and a new alt mode, breaking new ground where the G2 Optimus toys were more conservative. Classics Megatron balanced a few objectives: using a pistol alt mode, colors based more on the Sunbow model than the G1 toy, and modernizing the design. The alt mode, recognizable as a modified Nerf Maverick design, was a decent way to get a legally acceptable pistol mode. Choosing a shell-former transformation scheme allowed the pistol mode to maintain the right look while also getting a pretty humanoid robot, albeit with giant wings, one of the major aesthetic divergences of the mold. The colors were spectacular if not correct; white, black, purple neon green and a touch of gold and orange made for a compelling visual and recalled the Action Master's vehicle, but fans immediately wanted the mold released in the character's traditional colors. This would happen fairly soon via Henkei, but it would take a decade for it to happen in a domestic figure. The figure itself is a lot of fun - laying everything out to close the alt mode shells makes for an interesting transformation, and the robot is very imposing/dynamic. Having the same design today with a removable cannon, waist swivel and tilting ankles would be the cherry on top of an already great design. Of course, the only major semblance to the show model is the use of white over the G1 toy's silver (of course, these days a light grey is used as the preferred interpretation of the Sunbow color). It definitely feels like a product of its time, a UT toy shoved forward into the world of G1 updates. Any of the various color-accurate repaints will get you a better capture of Megatron's original design, but in a line of somewhat loose reimaginings, Classics Megatron is a fascinating first swing. 

-Titanium Series (Cobra 6", 2006): Widely regarded as one of the worst transformers figures, I've only included it here because it meets the criteria I've set out above. The design and colors are actually pretty good, but the build quality is terrible, and I only bought it on clearance for $5 (MSRP was $15). It's really not a toy that truly attempts to capture the original Megatron look, but it was the only alternative to the Classics toy, and in some ways hewed closer to the original. I'll end by saying that the base design is solid enough that another take on it, without die-cast and at least voyager in scale, would be worth a shot. 

-Titanium Series (War Within 6", 2007): A much better Titanium Megatron, this was based on the design from the incredibly popular The War Within comic book. Unfortunately, the simplistic design restrictions imposed by the die-case use in the line meant that the design couldn't really be done justice, with the transformation being pretty elementary, relying on some partsforming (on a deluxe-scaled figure) and the robot essentially laying down to achieve the tank mode. Still, this figure was much closer in overall aesthetics to a "true" G1 Megatron - granted, through a Dreamwave lens - so it was pretty popular regardless. The use of actual silver paint (as on Cybertron Galvatron, who used G1 Megatron's color scheme) was very appealing, and the Titanium War Within Optimus, a very popular figure, needed a counterpart regardless. This was very much a situation of one step forwards, two steps back, plus this figure was released in the wake of MP-05, which of course was the ne plus ultra Megatron figure of the day. 

-Universe Special Edition (Deluxe, 2008): I have a certain fondness for this toy. The mold was originally released in a G2-ish green deco in 2006 as part of a Classics 2-pack, and was a much more palatable deluxe tank Megatron compared to the Cobra Titanium. It was also the much more favorable figure in its own 2-pack, with the Optimus being somewhat lacking. While the figure was dominated by its spinning arm gimmick, it had good articulation for the time, an interesting transformation and a pretty good (if not full-bore G2) deco. For the Universe (2.0) line, Hasbro Toy Shop released a few special boxed (not carded) repaints of Classics molds, and the most appealing one for most was Classics deluxe Megatron in his G1 colors. Once more, the Sunbow coloration was used rather than the G1 toy's metallic silver, and this time it came out as a very light grey compared to the white of the Classics Voyager. The deco is much more cohesive on this release, making it the more appealing version of the mold. The head sculpt in particular shines, as the previous deco molded it in a weird grey plastic that looked painted, while this version looks much cleaner. It has terrific light-piped eyes as well. 

-Combiner Wars (Leader, 2015): I was very excited for this mold; the IDW MTMTE comic had recently introduced its Autobot Megatron arc, and I was definitely convinced that this toy would be that design, including Autobot signage (or possibly having a faction-swapping gimmick). I was pretty disappointed. The design had nothing to do with Milne's great-looking concept (there was also a chance it would have been based on Andrew Griffith's post-stealth bomber body from the RiD comic/Dark Cybertron crossover, which also would have been great), and while there was Autobot signage, it was only as optional stickers. I also never cared for how big the head was for this mold, and while it did attempt to have more of a Sunbow look, I don't think it was executed well. The fusion cannon, at least in "G1 mode," is very awkward, with the firing end sticking out way too far back, plus the whole cannon has to swing out of the way into an unstable-looking position to allow Megatron's arm to bend (though I do like the look of the cannon front-mounted, something SS86 can't really do). I found a great appreciation for the mold once I bought the Armada Megatron retool (inexplicably in the same wave, though I bought mine later in 2015), which is still among my favorite TF toys to date. I will say that I miss the days of getting toys covered in metallic paint - it's one of this release's biggest strengths. Another great strength is the fun of the working treads, another rarity in TF toys, though it comes with the downside of severely limiting the knees. I'm sure the tread functionality also lead to this mold being the basis for the Robosen Megatron design, who looks pretty awesome and I wish I had it. I'll admit that I am considering finally purchasing a copy, as this is a major missing link in my lineage of modern Megatron figures, and it is intended to scale with PotP Optimus, which I finally bought last year thanks to a reissue. It's definitely a flawed figure, but it has its appeal, not least of which is that it's the only large mainline toy of G1 Megatron. 

-Titans Return (Voyager, 2016): Ah, now this one was worth the hype. For whatever reason, Titans Return, a line which already implemented a headmaster ("Titanmaster") gimmick across all deluxe and larger figures, decided to impose another gimmick across the voyager class: triple changing. While this was a way to get several (but not all...odd move) triple changing G1 characters into the line, it also meant that such molds were also getting pretooled/retooled as somebody else as well. This didn't always work, as with Sentinel Prime (who should have been a truck, not a shuttle/train) and Optimus (terrible jet mode compared to Octane's), but much of the time, it did. Megatron is a great example - he's clearly a Blitzwing pretool, but the concept of jet/tank triple changer absolutely makes sense for the Decepticon leader. And despite being based on a Blitzwing robot mode design, Megatron gets enough specific tooling to really sell the mold as his own. While truncated due to the headmaster gimmick, the faceplate looks great and fits the modern, sharper interpretation of Megatron's head design found in IDW art and other sources. The chestplate looks great, though sadly depends on stickers rather than paint/tampographs for added detail (as would most TR voyagers). There have been many detractors of the fusion cannon, which has two parts; the barrel forms the tank turret barrel, and the rear of the cannon (the scope's eyepiece on the original G1 toy) is "replaced" by a typical TR headmaster-compatible accessory/gun, so Doomshot (the headmaster) can sit in it. This does look weird, making the back of the combined fusion cannon weirdly two-dimensional (though retroactively, it does mean that you can apply a PotP Primemaster spark to the cannon, which is cool). It's also not helped by the color difference - the cannon's front piece is black, but the back is light grey. If it were all black it would work much better. It's definitely could have looked better, but it works considering the line's play pattern. I've also always considered this my head-canon version of a hero/Autobot Megatron, though I've never actually removed his Decepticon stickers and replaced them. Both alt modes on this figure are terrific, and the bot mode has some great kibble placement as well (you can finagle a Seeker-ish Megatron, which is fun). My only real problem with the mold (as I mentioned above) is the arm transformation. In concept I don't mind it, but the way that the treads collapse makes the arms feel like flat panels that only look right from the front. Megatron should have powerful, boxy arms, and this mold just doesn't. I do love the option to attach the front/main fusion cannon over either shoulder, and I really wish I had the TT Legends Hero G2 repaint as a result. That is absolutely one of my most regretted missed purchases over the years; it looks amazing. 

-Platinum edition (Voyager, 2016): as noted above, this was the first (and only) domestic release of the Classics mold in more accurate colors. However, to make it legally acceptable, the gun mode had to be pretty colorful, so the panel wings are clear red, not grey or silver or anything. I was ok with this tradeoff, enough that I was willing to purchase this two-pack (the included Optimus is much less of an interesting repaint) for mainly just Megatron. He looks spectacular in robot mode, though I do wish his biceps were silver rather than the red of his forearms. It was fun for this to come out the same year as TR Megatron. 

-Siege (Voyager, 2019): it was difficult to contain my excitement for Siege Megatron. Siege Optimus looked good too, but Siege Megatron was going to be the first "normal" take on the character in a while - not a triple change like TR, in better scaled unlike CW, and with modern engineering too boot. I actually bought the Cyberverse Warrior Megatron in late fall 2018 to stave off my hype for the Siege figure. And while I still enjoy the mold, it's certainly already dated. I never did like the weird neck articulation, and the arm turret is a bit mushy in alt-mode. Also, while the barrel/sword is a creative way to include a lesser-known part of Megatron's arsenal, it's also really big and distracts a bit from the main fusion cannon, which should be the star of the show. Aside from the mushy turret, the tank mode does look really cool, and is very Siege in how it rides that line of being "Cybertronian" while also being recognizable; I think Megatron does this better than Optimus and most other Siege figures. Our first blast effect-compatible Megatron, the figure can have effects on both gun barrels, and even a swiping effect on the sword blade. Despite being smaller than the SS86 toy, this version looks big and powerful in a way that SS86 doesn't - but it's not trying to capture the screen appearance, so this should make sense. Not a bad figure with which to usher Megatron into the modern age of TF engineering.

-Earthrise (Voyager, 2020): I never bought this one - it didn't look good enough to order, and I never saw it in shelves, thanks to pandemic shipping disruptions. A heavy retool of the Siege mold, the base figure was fine enough (though the head is weird looking, and the front treads make for an even larger backpack. The big fumble was the tank barrel/sword weapon. For whatever reason, they decided to completely change how this would transform, ditching the clever method of the Siege version and basically making the sword into a spear, with the barrel forming the spear's shaft. However, they also attached some panels that would add definition when attached to the tank turret, but just awkwardly hangs from the weapon mode. Many have tried attaching the barrel to the backpack to echo the G1 animation model, but this looks particularly bad in this attempt. I did consider getting both the G2 and Dramatic Capture repaints, but never pulled the trigger. I'm certainly glad I skipped the normal version, as with many figures of the time, it suffers from bad yellowing. And while the DC repaint still has some appeal due to the shiny paint, SS86 Megatron has greatly reduced that appeal.

-Generations Selects (Voyager, 2020): I really like this one. I was much more of a TR Galvatron fan than most, and the idea that they would actually retool him into Super/Ultra Megatron (following his upgrade pattern in the Japanese media) was incredibly obvious thing in hindsight. I also love TFs with multiple bot modes, and this figure specifically follows the pattern of Animated Shockwave, with two bot modes AND two alt modes - but in this case, the alt modes are actually really distinct from each other. It didn't hurt that we also got a Megatron pistol and energon morning star in the Centurion Drone set around the same time, so I've mostly kept those accessories with Super Megatron since I got him. He also has a good counterpart in Selects Star Convoy, though with AotP Star Convoy being much bigger, a lot of folks now want a larger Super Megatron with a dedicated mold. I wouldn't complain (except for the inevitably high price), but for now I'll greatly enjoy this version.

-Legacy: Evolution (Voyager, 2023): a pretty late retool and repaint of the Siege mold, this is my favorite version of it. It comes in a set with a great rendition of Senator Ratbat, and the colors and retooling on Megatron are superb. You can definitely feel its age, but the head perfectly captures Milne's art from Megatron: Origin, and the new accessories (drill and pickaxe) make him much more interesting than otherwise. He's certainly a much more successful retool than the SG version. I won't say much more here, as it's still the Siege mold, but for both story and aesthetic reasons, it's the must-own version of the mold. 

-Legacy: United (Voyager, 2024): a clever way to go for one last milking of the Siege mold, this version retools Miner Megatron just a bit more to resemble his Gladiator form from the same Megatron: Origin comic. I don't think this version looks nearly as good as the Evolution one, but his one gets two more weapons, both straight from the comic, and of course the big selling point of coming with the most accurate take on IDW cybertronian Optimus yet, interestingly based on Gamer Edition Optimus. I actually do want this set, but never have bit on it, even when on sale a few times. Still, it's not a bad way to retire the Siege mold. 

A Legacy Reforged

Legacy Armada Megatron was announced a bit less than two years ago, and I picked up my copy around Fathers Day 2023 (while on vacation, no less). I was delighted to finally have the figure, though disappointed or discouraged by the shoulder engineering, which, similar to Legacy Laser Optimus Prime, left the giant shoulder armor with only lateral movement, leaving any forward/backwards movement to the true shoulders below. This necessitated some armor flaps in front of the shoulders, and in Megatron's case, the root joint of the whole arm was sadly loose enough that any additional weight or anything more than a slight touch could send the whole thing slumping down as if Optimus had sliced into him with the Star Saber. For whatever reason, this engineering choice bothered me a lot more with Megatron than Laser Optimus, a mold I liked enough to buy three times over. 

So, later that fall, I finally gave in to the siren call of 3rd party upgrade kits. However, this wasn't anything flashy; I just wanted Megatron to have the normal shoulder movement that he ought to. The main option seemed to be a 3-D printed kit from Sam's Forge, an English guy who makes some pretty cool transformers, accessories and parts via 3-D printing. 

It took a while, but I finally got my kit in December 2023; a second kit was even included for my trouble. However, even after I bought some new small screwdrivers to perform the installation, I kept putting it off for some time. 

Finally, I installed the kit sometime in fall 2024. It was a bit frustrating, as Megatron's turret and midsection are awkward to disassemble or reassemble, especially for the first time. However, once I had everything together, it was a revelation. The mold completely opened up, allowing the character to come through in a way I didn't expect. Megatron became so much more menacing and (obviously) dynamic. While the mold still has some issues that hold it back from being a perfect update, the shoulder replacement certainly made it the definitive release for the character (or, at least, this version of the character; I'm still very fond of Cybertron Galvatron). 

Sadly, one of the left shoulder hinge pieces broke a few weeks after the installation, breaking my heart right alongside it. I knew I had a backup set of parts, but I'd been reserving that for the upcoming Galvatron repaint, and didn't really want to deal with purchasing a new set. So, once again, I put things off. 

Finally, in December, I managed to get the Galvatron repaint, on sale, from Walmart online (which is terrific and terrible - they've stopped carrying leader class toys in stores). This pressed the issue, of course. Not only did I want to repair Megatron's shoulder, but I'd want Galvatron fully mobile as well. Sadly, Sam's Forge was no longer producing new sets. However, his files are still purchasable online (very low price) and thankfully, I'd recently gained access to a 3-D printer. So, my son helped me get a new set printed; we had to go with black plastic rather than the grey that Sam used for Megatron, but it turned out quite nicely. I still had to depend on the more rubbery parts and screws from the backup set, but as of a few weeks ago, both figures are now equipped with fully functioning shoulders and are a heck of a duo. 

It's incredible how such a simple change can totally reshape your view of a mold. Sam's upgrade kit blends seamlessly with the transformation, and its only real drawback is that it has to be made from printed plastic, so the durability won't be comparable to what Hasbro can typically offer. It's all the more strange that Megatron, a modern leader class toy (read: not too big) with minimal accessories (all of which are actual necessary components of his alt or bot modes) either couldn't find the room for these joints in the parts count, or Hasbro/Takara deliberately chose to design the shoulders the way they did. There is a bit of a pattern, with not only the aforementioned Laser Optimus, but also Legacy Blitzwing, though on him the issue is less egregious. Whatever the situation, I'm grateful that we live in a time where such a solution as Sam's shoulder kit is possible. As stated, the transformation works just as intended, and since Hasbro/Takara did take the time to include universal movement for the true shoulders, now having the same for the shoulder pads allows for nearly unparalleled movement and expression for the design. The parts are also just big enough to apply an appropriate amount of friction to the shoulder pad hinge, rather than the more floppy movement allowed by the factory parts. 

Before I gush too much, I'll take some time to specifically speak to the Galvatron repaint, as I've only had him for about a month. I never bought the original Armada Galvatron, as at the time, I was new to adult TF collecting and not keen at all on the idea of same-character repaints. It didn't help that I also simply didn't like the deco. It didn't seem to make sense to me for the character of Megatron/Galvatron. I will also say, retrospectively, that I think the older 2002 mold didn't wear the Galvatron deco as well as the Legacy mold does. Anyway, I decided to bite on the newer release, especially because I'd been pre-gifted the extra shoulder kit in 2023. I was a bit hesitant, because the final unveiling pics had a much darker, creamier tone to the white than I'd preferred, but in hand it looked much better. The new face is a bit of a plus, and the inherent set of optional configurations to the mold means that I mostly have Galvatron with the right hand in arm cannon form, while Megatron usually keeps his tank cannon intact and slung under the right arm as his character model typically does. 

Galvatron's deco, specifically the paint apps, also really impressed in person. The gold looks amazing, and there is a pretty liberal use of it. There's also a great use of contrast that isn't really exploited with Megatron. For example, both molds have a paint app on the helmet that extends from the front to the back piece. On Megatron, this isn't incredibly noticeable in alt mode, where the back of the head is very visible. For Galvatron, the base plastic for the head is the maroon color, while the paint app is the hold, and it just looks terrific. There is also a lot of black that contrasts nicely with the white and also the maroon (like with the three trapezoidal panels on the front left tank tread). Both molds allow their purples to mainly be a surprise for the robot mode, and the more lavender color for Galvatron may look less traditionally "on brand for Decepticons" compared Megatron's purple, but it's nicely distinct while maintaining some design continuity between the decoes. Also, while I think I probably picked up on this subconsciously through the years, I didn't find out until last year that Armada Galvatron's lavender was chosen because, as of 2003, one of the most recent Galvatron character/toy releases would have been Beast Wars II Galvatron, which of course is dominated by the lavender color. 

Alas, my Legacy Megatron/Galvatron journey isn't over. Unfortunately, I've yet to be able to purchase a Legacy Tidal Wave, and missed out on Amazon's temporary $180 price. I'm not sure that I'd buy it at full price, as there are a lot of other high-priority expensive purchases in the coming months, but I'd love to be able to complete my Armada Decepticon leader with the Burning Megatron/Galvatron mode. 

While I'm grateful that Hasbro has released both Megatron and his Galvatron redeco, I'd be lying if I didn't really want a new Universe/Timelines Megazarak from this mold. Yeah, it would mean finagling another shoulder upgrade kit, but I'd find a way. However, while I'm very convinced that the leader class has been Hasbro's strongest design showcase for the past few years, they've been pretty bad about bypassing some incredibly obvious repaints. I'm considering dedicating a post to such a list, but for here, my point is that if we haven't already gotten Cryotek by now and no sign of Universe Razorclaw on the horizon, I don't think we'll see Megazarak anytime soon. Which is a shame, because Hasbro has clearly been more than happy to reproduce previously Botcon-only characters (we got a whole Shattered Glass subline), and Megazarak possess the best deco that was actually released (I'd also love a "Black Megatron" redeco, which has black, dark olive green & purple, neon green, and yellow, similar to a later, cancelled deco for Energon Megatron). I was able to obtain Megazarak for a great price ($45 or so?) on eBay back in 2008-2009, and sadly sold it later when trying to make some money. So, yeah, a new one with modern articulation would be amazing. If I recall correctly, the black plastic on Megazarak had a nice metal flake effect - not the most unique thing in Transformers, but rarely seen with black - and I kind of doubt we'd see that again, but one can dream. Speaking of dreaming, I'd also love to see Hasbro spend the money and time to make a new, special release (it'd be best as Generations Selects, I guess, with a custom price point) of Armada Megatron with their own improved tooling for the shoulders, a Leader-1 mini-con, and knife accessory if possible. Or, at the very least, we need a special set of the missing mini-cons for the Legacy Armada/Cybertron tools, like Leader-1, Sparkplug and/or Over-Run, Swindle, toy-color Jolt, and Windsheer.

To close, a huge thank you to Sam's Forge. You've taken a mold that was just short of the mark and breathed new life into it, and for what is, probably, my favorite iteration of Megatron. Armada was the toyline that reintroduced me to transformers and, for better and worse, allowed the franchise to sink its claws into me. 

Best of 2024: a Year with Too Much

Christmas and the new year have recently come and gone, so I guess I'll do a Best Of list!

Legacy: United

-Core class:

Not many releases over the year, thanks to wave 2 only adding BM Cheetor (which I still need to pick up). I think I'll have to go with Geocron. It's a fun mold, but the unique head and purple colors put it over Bouldercrash. I do love that both have a half-hearted weapon mode, hearkening back to the CW era toys of this size (commander class back then?). 

Runner-up: Energon Megatron. Thus far, Energon has gotten the least representation from the recent UT revival, and with Megatron's simple design, he was a good choice for core class. He also has a lot in the way of accessory load out options, which makes him a good toy for fiddling with. Galvatron also looks good (last purchase of 2024, on 12/31), however, I think the green on Megatron is nicer than the almost cheddar yellow on Galvatron that should have been more of an orange. I do wish we'd had gotten his Optimus counterpart, and with core class absent for Age of the Primes, I don't know that we ever will. 

-Deluxe class:

I think I have to go with Slipstream! Wind blade was the least appealing wave 1 deluxe, but I finally got a copy for my daughter earlier this year, and the mold was much more fun than I gave it credit for. Slipstream gives the mold a vastly improved deco - seriously, one of the best-painted deluxes in a long time - along with the new Seeker-style head and null-ray cannons. I do kind of wish it retained the sword from Windblade as well, but it's great as-is.

Runner-up: Quake, who is edged out by Slipstream mainly by virtue of her being a United-era new mold, while Quake's base mold of Skullgrin now has some age on it. Skullgrin really surprised me with how fun it is, and the G2 Cybertronian retool was even better, and Quake takes things to a new level yet again. I'm actually pretty happy with this style of targetmaster, having both Needlenose and Windsweeper, and the very different alt mode is weird but fun. The auto-aim "gimmick" can be a bit frustrating, but the fact that they got any kind of working turret out of this is pretty impressive. The robot mode is taller than the older toolings, which is interesting, and I love the leg transformation. Honorable mention for G1 Universe Optimus (the not-missing link toy), who is really cool and I hope we get more like him, but I'm just not going back to him like I am to Quake.

-Voyager class:

Actually very hard to choose a winner here, as all of them are pretty great. I think I have to come down on Animated Motormaster; the Optimus tooling was already amazing, and then they gave it an amazing deco. Incredibly fun transformation, best execution of the rocket axe, and good job capturing the Animated style within a blockier look. 

Runner-up: here, I'll choose Thundertron. He mainly wins out because of how much better he is than the original toy, and it's kind of cool that a character formerly exclusive to a toyline and book got a brand new mold after so much time. I actually do prefer the headsculpt of the regular release, but I'll admit that the paint on the exclusive version looks great. 

-Leader class:

Tigerhawk. He just has such great presence in robot mode, a great "angelic" counterpart to the diabolical Transmetal II Megatron. Alt mode is good enough, and I'm wondering were the hell a Universes Razorclaw repaint is (along with Cryotek!), but considering I never had the VW original, this is a terrific replacement. The purple over blue (show accuracy) is an interesting choice that I like. I highly recommend giving him the lightning effect from the Frankenstein crossover, as Tigerhawk's wrists can be mistransformed enough to make it look pretty good. Then pairing him with Bouldercrash or Geocron in weapon mode helps sell the "elemental warrior" idea from the show. But seriously, a Universe Razorclaw repaint stat.

Runner-up: Sandstorm. If Tigerhawk didn't have such an awesome robot mode, Sandstorm would have won first place (also notice that these two are the only new leader molds in the line). Sandstorm is one of the best triple changers ever, really. The two modes are quite distinct and going from one to the other is a lot of fun. It's held back a bit but the very finicky chest connection in robot mode, but I can get it to work with some doing. The winch accessory is a fun rarity in those times, as well. Armada Galvatron was a late purchase and comes close to winning out as well, and I can't ignore that I love having the Netflix Soundwave mold in plastic that hopefully won't yellow.

-Bigger toys: 

I did buy both Magmatron and Omega Prime, but obviously the latter won't be shipped for at least some months from now. Magmatron is pretty great, though I do wish I had Tidal Wave. Magmatron make a good companion to Deathsaurus, though he does cry out for a rival Big Convoy, but there's no real sign of him on the horizon (speaking of which, we also need a BWII Galvatron). I will say it was nice to have a bit of a return to form with a larger commander. He's still not a giant like Jetfire or Skylynx, but he's certainly big enough.

-Exclusives:

Lots of good options! I will have to settle on Ferak. Objectively the least interesting Star Raider exclusive, he wins out largely due to the strengths of the Cyclonus mold, enhanced with some cool tweaks to both modes. 

Runner-up: I think Filch. The base mold, again, is great already, and the colors and new parts really take this one a step above. Honorable mentions include Prime Cliffjumper (and the rest of his set, really), the two Deluxe Insecticons, and Treds.

Studio Series

-Core class:

Mohawk. The TLK Decepticons are a great but incomplete group, but Mohawk gets them one closer to completion, and with one of the more memorable characters to boot. The decapitation feature and knife accessory help it take the cake. 

Runner-up: Concept "Rumble." Yes, I'm a RIBFIR guy. This is a fun little mold, great to fiddle with. I did recently pick up the red version, but I don't think they balanced the colors as well for him. I don't have Starscream yet, though he looks like a better toy for the design than the voyager mold. 

-Deluxe class:

Lots of good options here, and I think I have to go with a tie between Scorponok and GE Deception Solider. They are both relatively simple for studio series (like, Scorponok doesn't really feel like he belongs to the same line as SS RotB Primal), but they are both just so fun. I'm convinced that Scorponok has a future as a base for an Alien crossover figure. I never got GE Barricade, but the Soldier is one of the more fun shell-formers of recent times. 

Runner-up: again, another tie, this time better two TF: One releases. I think Megatron has a slight edge over Optimus just because I like the former's transformation better, but Optimus does a fair bit as one of the first deluxe Optimus toys in a while. I'm waiting for the inevitable exclusive two-pack with better colors (and probably more accessories), but for now these will do. 

-Voyager class:

Only five releases, and I only have three of them, as I don't plan on buying BB Skywarp and I've seen, but not yet picked up, GE Ratchet (yet). Between GE Starscream, BB Shockwave and SS86 Scrapheap, I'll got with Shockwave. Yes, he suffers a bit from a lack of bicep swivels and he's really bad for waffled parts, but he is just a lot of fun to play with and transform. It's easy to give him a spider tank mode

Runner-up: probably Scrapheap. Both he and Junkheap have much more retooling than you'd think, and such that they are both more enjoyable than Wreck-Gar. 

-Leader class:

BB Concept Megatron. Of similar quality to RotB Primal, this guy looks great and is one of my favorite G1-ish Megatrons of late. I actually really like both alt modes, though the plane is definitely a bit more finicky to arrange. 

Runner-up: SS86 Springer. Mostly improves on the Siege mold, though at the expense of removing some ports. This, along with the use of tabs rather than posts on the new weapons (aside from the blue rifle's handle), does make it difficult to satisfactorily arrange the weapons in any of the modes. I do like the return to a rotor sword, but the handle is small enough that it's loose, and of course the joints don't allow it to look natural in alt mode. 

-Commander class:

Only the second year of SS commander class, Optimus is much more appealing than last year's Magnus that I skipped out on. Of course, he does follow the pattern of many commander releases that are ultimately expensive Voyager (maybe leader) class toys that include a trailer, at the very least this trailer feels like the definitive version that we could expect from a modern non-MP line. Optimus himself is a treat, with a very interesting but fun transformation that made a more Sunbow-style bot mode appealing to me where similar MP figures hadn't done so before. I do wish the axe was a bit larger and was made of hard plastic. Also, this trend of giving rifles short port handles is a bad one, and the alternative method to attach the rifle in truck mode doesn't work very well. Aside from these and probably a few other minor issues, this is a great release, only really held back by the price necessitated by the trailer.

-Exclusives:

Studio series was very light on exclusives this year, to the point that I didn't buy any. I should have gotten SS86 Blaster, if only to have a solid plastic cassette for him. The others didn't interest me. 

Generations: Comic Edition

-Straxus is the easy winner here. I'd already been a fan of the Galvatron mold, and with the changes made here, I think they improved it. My only real complaint is the lack of blast effect compatibility for the main cannon barrel and how it looks a bit awkward as a standalone weapon. The axe looks incredible. The comic deco effects, which for Grimlock an Shockwave were a deterrent, work much better on Straxus. One of the best retools in a long time.

Runner-up: I don't have any of the other comic releases, but if I did, I'd pick Xaaron/Flame. Shockwave and Grimlock have some cool accessories, but I don't like the colors on Grimlock, and Shockwave seems overpriced without his Siege armor. 

There's a ton I didn't pick up and wish I had, and may yet still do so. Still, United may have been the strongest phase of Legacy, and Studio Series got an interesting new tack with the concept art figures. Age of the Primes will be with us soon, for which I'm very excited!