Honorable mention: Heatwave - He is a retool of Legacy Bulkhead, and I try to make sure I only count retools if they're heavily different from the original base figure to the point of coming across as a new toy. He isn't part of the main list since he's between a regular retool and a heavy makeover, and that's also why Slugslinger isn't on the list despite being released for the AOTP line. Anyways, I wanted to like this version of the character so badly, especially since having poseable Rescue Bots was always a thing that should have been done sooner. Chase was pretty cool back in the Legacy United line, yet Heatwave ends up feeling more like an afterthought, considering they didn't do anything to change his torso's proportions or remove any remaining altmode-specific details left behind from Bulkhead's military truck design. Why complain about the torso, you may ask? Because in the old toy and the show, he pulled an Optimus with his arm transformation simply by having them come out from the side, hence why you have these front sections around the headlights that looked vaguely like fingers. I don't know how successful that would have been, but if Hasbro was willing to do something about better matching the old transformation, it would have been better than just letting him stay with an empty torso.
15. Aerialbot limbs - Air Raid and Skydive work about the same as Slingshot and Fireflight. They transform the same, they have similar color schemes, and they all work either as arms or legs, two of them split in half, and the other two are cubed up and barely visible. Not much else to say other than you're better off getting them if you really want Superion; they lack any individuality unlike the Stunticons and now Combaticons.
14. Solus Prime - I hate that the parts on her pop off too easily, and the skirt flap armor does make posing her a bit awkward without trying to make the design broken up too severely, but I can at least defend her and say that she isn't a truly terrible toy. I love the bot mode design, combining elements of her Covenant of Primus design with the appearance she briefly had during Power of the Primes. Her altmode being a Cybertronian minitruck also fits well, especially with a truck being fairly fit for a Prime than a car, but my favorite thing would have to be the color scheme; something about the purple and gold makes her almost Wonka candy-esque.
13. Venin - The new mold Insecticon we've waited for since Legacy began, one knows you simply don't make a retool like we got with Ransack, Chop Shop, and Barrage. While the wings make his arms.jut out more and his bot mode head looks less Cybertronian, I still appreciate how unique he is compared to the others, and somehow his color combo works much better than it normally would. It also helps that he was meant to be the true leader of the Insecticons.
12. Alpha Trion - It's neat to get a version of the character that is from his earlier appearances, making him appropriate for not just stuff like War Dawn but also representing his early days as a Prime. I also appreciate that the altmode isn't as much of a shellformer, especially given how often that would theoretically turn out with figures like Scourge. The articulated hands are a nice touch, and the same goes for his pen and the Covenant of Primus. Wonder where he gets the ink from...
11. Red Alert - About time we get another Armada character that's a new mold, and what better choice than the medic bot himself? While Red Alert once again lacks a Minicon, the design is still faithfully recreated and does the shoulder cannon gimmick even if manually. His design is blocky and chunky, but I always appreciated it when HasTak used to reinvent the classic aesthetics and give them a unique twist instead of rehashing G1/evergreen again and again. I don't plan to get Flatline right away, but I would buy Red Alert's Powerlinx repaint.
10. Silverbolt - Even though my Combiner Wars copy broke for being cheap and I got the Universe version for less than the original price, I still wanted to have combining Aerialbots. Silverbolt isn't a perfect Commander Class figure, from the lack of specific joints to just recycling alt mode/kibble problems we've seen since 1986, but he at least has a decent super jet mode idea with the folded up combiner frame. Plus, unlike Menasor, he thankfully doesn't have a concerning issue with his fragile shoulder hinges.
9. Star Convoy - I'm still calling him that instead of the name Hasbro have him because it sounds less clunky. Seriously, was it hard to use Star Convoy/Optimus Prime? Anyways, I will complain that he is hollow for his price, but it is great seeing the old design as a more poseable action figure, the price is thankfully lowered (but who knows if this will continue), and he at least gets to come with his Micromaster, Hot Rod. Why Hasbro couldn't do the same with Drill Bit and Ramjet is beyond me.
8. Prima Prime - The first ever Transformer Primus ever created finally gets a toy that turned out better than I thought. He is pretty plain with the light grey plastic, but the design nicely balances his old Marvel and Aligned designs, the Star Saber is a neat inclusion, his Matrix can be integrated into said weapon, and he can also do a hover mode for his altmode. Best of all, he isn't made for any retools mind despite his simple design.
7. Vortex - I already love the Combaticons, and seeing that we're getting a new version of them for AOTP makes me even happier. Vortex not only isn't a retool of a reuse-friendly figure this time around, but he also has a more robust transformation that doesn't feel all too been-there-done-that compared to other figures he previously had. The light blue is sort of out of place but certain groups wanted cartoon accuracy, hence why it's there. Can't wait to finish Bruticus.
6. Alchemist Prime - Maccadam used to be a Prime as Cyberverse later established, and I honestly feel happier with owning two versions of the character since they did the revelation of his past without making him feel like a self-insert (cough Rung). While his altmode is closer to an Earth vehicle, I still find him generally enjoyable when it comes to his transformation and having a chunky yet still badass bot mode design. Hell, he still makes for a better Bulkhead than the Legacy version!
5. Micronus Prime - I was worried I wouldn't like this little dude just because he felt like he would fill his price tag with crap that makes it feel like you're paying for a Core Class with benefits. However, giving him the Apex Armor, having it turn into a cool unicycle, and integrating the Minicon influence naturally makes this guy an underrated figure. The only oddity would be how the parts meant to hold the wheel look like propellors on his back.
4. Sideways - Thank you Walmart for redeeming yourselves somewhat by making him in-stock immediately after cancelling people's preorders by mistake. Sure, some people would not care too much about this if they own the original version already, but he still makes for a great figure based on one of the best designs in the Cybertron line. He's not just faithful to the design, but he has slightly better articulation and still retains the old gimmicks, albeit working manually.
3. Sky-Byte - A delightful toy / He may be stuck with third place / But he still kicks ass.
2. Onyx Prime - I would have expected this figure to turn like shit, but I think he ended up being so close to being the best figure from the line (at least for the first year). Robot mode looks very dynamic given his non-G1 design, transformation is not as confusing, and the option to have him either as a centaur or a beast with optional extra legs makes him much more versatile than people realize. Also, despite being brown, the color works better on him than any typical robot.
1. Megatronus the Fallen - What an awesome design done justice after the previous attempt we got in the Titanium Series. A beefy robot mode that no doubt inspires the Decepticon leader named after him in some continuities, fire effect parts that represent his War Within flaming abilities, and various options for his weapons thanks to the ports and lore influences. It's also great that he isn't retooled or is a pretool for a future Megatron, especially knowing how easy that could have been if Hasbro wanted to do his IDW design (either Stormbringer or the one when he was an Autobot for some lame reason).
And that wraps up the second ranking list for the Transformers franchise this year! While I already covered this line and Studio Series 2025 before it, be sure to get my thoughts on the miscellanious Transformers lines sold in other lines as the year ends! I don't know if this will happen before or after, but be on the look out for my long overdue 5-year anniversary post and a retrospective on 2025. Wish me luck!
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