Here we have Dark Master in his Cybertronian jet mode. This alt mode is basically a different take on the whole 2007 Megatron aesthetic with the altmode being entirely alien in terms of design. You have hints of similarities like the slightly exposed face and the wings being unusual in terms of design, but the transformation and part layout is entirely different. All of Megatron's toys have junk underneath the altmode due to the fact that his jet mode is pretty clean from underneath, meaning no exposed thighs. But it's something we can expect even in a larger scale design like this. I do like the fusion cannon on the top, and the vents on the sides, but there is not much else to say for the altmode.
For a comparison with his past iteration, here he is with the Megatron that took over from the Hasbro PRID version since 2020. The colors on the official toy are like this because TakaraTomy wanted to gas this up as Megatron's resurrection to replace the size-inaccurate Arms Micron version of the First Edition Deluxe. The deco in bot mode makes sense as we'll get to, but the jet mode looks so unfocused with the chrome, the dark gray, the black, and the purple in both translucent and opaque are not as consistent as the other versions of the mold. Oh, and the shoulders are not visible on the new guy.
Transformation should be familiar to anyone who had either of Megatron's toys, between the leg transformation, the front being the chest, the back storing the arms, and requiring the removal of the fusion cannon. It's pretty much what I expected it to be, but the robot mode looks sooo good! I love how much of a threat he comes off as in this design, being a better blend of G1 and Movie aesthetics than his Beewun counterpart and even his appearance in The Last Knight. He has a decent level of sculptwork applied all throughout, adding some in-set lines to make the surface of the pieces feel layered while adding some metallic purple and gunmetal gray paint apps to break up the light gray plastic (which isn't that shiny but I feel it works fine regardless). The backpack is also nice and clean, even with the option to swivel the head covering piece around so it would flush better with the back. It's a little touch that I like on a figure like this. One big problem that the figure feels a bit cheap, especially for its upscaled size. Not necessarily a deal breaker, but it's something I should mention.
Head sculpt is much better this time around, matching the proportions and details of the CG model like the pupils on the eyes and rougher face. Even the teeth are picked out nicely in white paint so as to not blend in with the gunmetal paint. His articulation consists of a ball jointed neck, shoulder rotation, onward arm movement, a swivel above the elbow, and a somewhat double elbow joint if you use the both intended elbow joint and the unintended joint for transformation. The wrists swivel, the hips are on universal joints, the thighs swivel, the knees bend (though I wish the knee pads would jut out), and there is a bit of ankle pivot.
The fusion cannon is capable of being hand-held if you want to give him that look for some reason, but because of how the handle is shaped, combined with the added plastic used for the inside of the hands, it isn't an easy fit. And we'll get to another issue in a moment. I should mention that the cannon has a feature where you can light it up, but I don't have any cell batteries with me at the moment.
The figure also comes with two arm blades. It's unusual that he'd have an extra one since he only had one under the cannon, but I'm not complaining. And on the back is an extra piece meant to go on the hole so it can store the Dark Star Saber. Yes, this Dr. Wu accessory is back, and I love it!
Much like the regular Star Saber, the Dark Star Saber requires removing the little bit on the bottom of the handle so you can insert it. The biggest downside is that it's easy to scrape its paint when putting it in the hand. A real downside since the paint seems durable on this guy otherwise. Also, well-versed fans will know that he used the arm of Liege Maximo to wield the weapon, though it doesn't need a Prime for it to be used.
For anyone wondering, this guy is the basis that APC chose for Dark Master. The engineering is practically the same, as is the fusion cannon, but the unofficial company practically added extra elements to make their Megatron much sharper and robust by comparison. Shame we lost the silver deco but oh well. I feel like spreading out the density of this guy's plastic while being upscaled could be better rectified.
There is a variant that has a shinier paint job that gives it a more premium feel (you can see the cannon light up as well). While I am fine with the regular Dark Master, this should have been the one we got in the first place if the rumors of us getting as weathered version were true.
He has an unexpected clear plastic variation, which we never had in the first place. It looks cool but I don't trust it that much in terms of durability. I'd rather we get a repaint representing the Dark Energon recolor. Oh and retools of the Sharkticon and Unicron versions.
For anyone wondering about the FunPub retool made for pre-Earth Beast Wars Rampage/Protoform X were recreated here, it is and with two big improvements: the head is much better designed, and the canopy meant for covering said head is also retooled. Thank you, APC Toys.
For a size comparison, here he is appropriately towering over fellow APC Toys release Soundwave, First Edition Starscream, and PRID Knock Out. I feel like a new Knock Out would be greatly appreciated.
And for a size comparison with two larger toys that makes things hard to keep in frame without losing focus, here he is with Beast Hunters Shockwave and Legacy Evolution Dreadwing, and I think the size between these characters makes sense, though maybe Shocko and Dreads should swap sizes?
And then we have Optimus Prime next to former brother-in-arms. Now THIS is how you should scale these two. While Optimus had the First Edition release officially anyhow before we got the KO, Megatron never had a size that did him justice until now.
Oh yeah, and you may notice that while these two are posed fighting against Unicron's spawn, Megatron has no insignia on his chest. Will he be an Autobot or a Decepticon? Well, if you remember my opinions on how IDW made Megatron into a sudden softie with no real build-up, then you can tell I'm going traditional.
And here we have Megatron next to his official counterpart from waaaaaay back on 2012. Now keep in mind that the PRID mold is the Takara Arms Micron version once again, hence the cool yet inaccurate paint job as well as the differently proportioned fusion cannon. Also he lacks his insignia because Takara opted to remove paint apps from their Arms Micron toys in favor of stickers. But setting the cosmetics aside, the unofficial figure is so good it blows away the original when it comes to how accurately the character design is captured; the shoulders are integrated into the toy and thus don't look too separated, the fusion cannon is better integrated, there is no reliance on clear plastic, the head doesn't look poorly sculpted, and the additions of bicep rotation and ankle pivots make all the difference.
Overall, APC Toys' Dark Master is THE definitive version of TFP Megatron we'll ever get in plastic form. With how lousy Hasbro's approach towards most Legacy takes on Prime characters makes me concerned on a hypothetical Megatron, on top of the (probably dead) R.E.D line making a mediocre-quality figure, why deal with the official versions when this is the far superior option? It's being reissued on sites like TFSafari and ShowZStore so don't miss out on this badass figure, even with its minor issues.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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