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:
- AotP Excellion
- AotP Cybertron Sideways
- Carnivac vs Fisitron
- Sandstorm vs Slugslinger
- Spinister vs Topspin
- Trypticon
- G2 Snarl & Slag
- Ultra Magnus/Animated Nemesis Prime/Bumper/Horri-bull
- Devastation Sideswipe
- Devastation Wheeljack
- WfC Optimus Prime
- WfC Megatron
- Overload (Constructicon)
- Devastation Elite Seeker & Ground Soldier
- Perceptor/Ramhorn/Ratbat
- The Fallen/Megatron/Soundwave (Revenge of the Fallen)
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:
- SS-51 Dark of the Moon Soundwave
- SS86 Ultra Magnus
- Legacy Evolution Beachcomber
- Legacy Evolution Devcon
- Legacy Evolution Nova Prime
- Legacy Evolution Nacelle
- Siege Skywarp
- Siege G2 Sideswipe
- Siege Prowl
- Earthrise Trailbreaker
- SS86 Blaster & Eject
- SS87 DotM Bumblebee
- Earthrise Sunstreaker
- Earthrise Thrust
- Legacy Evolution Breakdown (preorder for 2026)
- Legacy Evolution Nemesis (preorder for 2026)
- Earthrise Runamuck
- Power of the Primes Predaking (preorder for 2026)
- Crossovers Gigawatt
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