Transformers Studio Series 2026 RANKED + RANT (Worst Year Ever?)

The Studio Series line has been part of my site as a recurring staple since I started delving into reviews. It was awesome getting new versions of classic Bayverse characters and newer movie casts with a consistent scale and synergy not possible with older Movie lines (I mean, try putting the original Deluxe AOE Lockdown next to ROTF Leader Optimus). We made it past 200 figures by this point if we include combining the regular numbering system with the SS86 toys and Gamer Edition releases prior to the lack of ID numbers. It's a dream come true, and I wouldn't have it any other way, but 2026 may very well be the worst year ever for the line. We already got things like a shitty apology tour made by some lousy corporate millennial slop makers, and in a year where we could at least get some DOTM characters we hadn't gotten yet (Devcon, a proper Crankcase, some reissues of older figures, or an Autobot 3-pack with Jetwing Optimus, Bumblebee, and Sentinel), almost everything had to be focused on the 1986 movie. Luckily, I focused on getting as few molds representing the 1986 movie as possible, but there is a shitton to rant about for what may very well be Studio Series at its lowest.

13. Alpha Trion - As much as I hated the movie, I did always find Laurence Fishburne's take on Alpha Trion to be a good pick, feeling less like when Hasbro used Chris Hemsworth because of MCU clout and more like Leonard Nimoy because of how organic he felt with this kind of character. Sadly, the toy is easily worse than any other figure in the line that received a low score. It sucks too because this has more in common with old Deluxes from the early 2010s than it does with a Voyager. The deco is basic as hell, the accessories are a joke, and we can give him a double ball neck for his hunchback look, but no ankle pivots? The least they could do is give him a cape, but nope! Enjoy your $44+ crap Voyager from your overhyped crap movie! 🖕

12. Kranix - This glup shitto went from a repaint of Armada Dead End to a barely poseable minifigure to a proper Deluxe! Barely enough to rank him higher on the list, but he's at least like a Pokémon or Digimon with those evolutions. On a serious note, I guess it's cool that he can transform into his scrapped ship mode, but otherwise, his design comes off like some robot you'd find in some 80s adult comedy or sci-fi porn movie.

11. Shockwave - It's cool to have a Shockwave aesthetically fit better with the newer main Decepticons, and the mini gun is near if you never got the Centurion set. Plus, he looks way cooler as a shoulder cannon for Bruticus than as a handheld weapon. That said, is it worth spending $42 for a Voyager far fewer accessories than a Leader from 2019 when it cost $50? No.

10. Windcharger/Tailgate - Yeah, we have an Age of the Primes release included with the Studio Series list, because why have them separate when we can kill two bots with one stone? This mold finally completes the Season 1 Minibot crew as well as the Season 3 Minibot crew, and while it's cool that the transformation gives us a clean bot mode, and the fact that the figure can still pivot at the ankles despite the joints working within the shins, this mold started to make me think about spending $28 for a Deluxe when I first got him. Not only is the part count minuscule, but he also has less going on than Earthrise Cliffjumper, both in engineering and accessory count. And that dude was around $20 in 2020! The windows looking like crap as translucent instead of opaque baby blue like many G1 characters today felt like a reminder of how low standards have gotten.

9. Bumblebee - I'm on two minds with how this figure turned out: I still love the sculpt and the proportions (apart from the huge lower legs), and the transformation at least has some effort put into it. That said, the lack of paint is a joke, and I also hate how Hasbro thinks only G1 figures should have opaque windows for durability's sake; was it hard to do that with this figure? At least you'd have to paint the yellow over still, even if it wouldn't look as good. Hell, molding the parts in opaque yellow is also a good option. Makes me wonder why those separate parts for the ROTB Bumblebee door wings were a one-off instead of the norm.

8. Barricade - Once again, we have a case where the new figure does some things better and worse than the original. Alt mode is better on this, but the paint apps are worse; transformation and both modes are better, yet the color break-up is pretty bland. I like the new accessories we got, but we have no knuckle dusters with the "serve and protect" look. Happy to have another member of Megatron's short-lived crew, but I dread waiting for a new Nitro Zeus, a Dreadbot, and Onslaught because of the price hikes.

7. Optimus Prime - The truck mode may look more accurate, and the transformation is a fair bit different from the original Voyager, but there is still a whole lot of room for improvement when it comes to better matching the movie. The colors only favor the bot mode, given the weird color-changing Optimus hoes through when he switches modes, and the proportions of the chest don't do much favors if you compare it to both the original Evasion Prime and the one Bumblebee movie toy that's scaled like a Voyager but is not screen accurate. Oh, and the hollow inner thighs on a $42 Voyager, what a fucking joke.

6. Thundercracker/Skywarp/Starscream - Not to sound like a retarded video essay, but this mold made me hate army-building Seekers already. Firstly, the cartoon accuracy may be present for this mold, but I hate how the wings can't fold back like with the Siege and Earthrise figures. While the shade of blue as well as the matte grey and black are cartoon accurate, nothing will ever beat the colors used for the Generations Deluxe Thundercracker from 15 years ago. As for Skywarp, he may be a mass retail figure this time around, yet he feels zestless, color-wise, even next to Siege. And as we know with Starscream, he was initially hard to come by, while many fans had meltdowns and conspiracy theories going on that ultimately died down when the figure was finally available. Oh, and Sunstorm should be by himself.

5. Airachnid - The only worthwhile purchase related to TF One, and it's all thanks to impressive Deluxe engineering, a design translated faithfully in this scale, and for being one of the very, very, very few creative parts of the whole movie. And thankfully, her character is not a reused trope that we saw from modern animated movies since the mid-2010s.

4. Nemesis Prime - While the original Optimus was the winner of the previous lineup, Nemesis is pretty close if not for the new issues he brings to the table. Being underpainted is already an issue, but while the darker grey looks mostly better, is it still hard to paint the face area at least so he wouldn't have the sculptwork harder to pick out? The slightly brighter blue also doesn't fit a Nemesis repaint as well, but hey, gotta distinguish him somehow. The retooled parts are nice, and I dig that he has the post-sword gauntlets, but the biceps have those little holes now, and the slight color difference will result in some color mismatching. I wish he could be higher, but as we know, the only good execution of a TLK Nemesis comes from the likes of Yolopark and Threezero, I assume.

3. Devastation Bumblebee - You thought I would forget about this guy after passing on him? He is about to get a review in the near future, but let me say that this guy getting so high up on the list despite being a tiny Deluxe is proof of how fucked the 2026 lineup for Studio Series was. Other than that, the only other issue I have is how I needed to shave the copyright info from the inside of his chest to prevent the face paint on him from scratching off.

2. Soundwave - Never did I expect a toy of one of the most overrated Transformers to beat a version of Bayverse Prime, but more importantly, this is what we should have gotten in 2024's Legacy United line. While the cassettes are ass, this figure at least is better proportioned than the Netflix figure, won't have issues fitting any tape inside unlike past figures, and doesn't have any Siege remnants that make him awkward in some areas. Also, I partially take back what I said about Soundwave being overrated because I have plenty of his toys and love them so much. Especially the G1 and Masterpiece versions.

1. Grimlock - He wins by default just from having some good Titan engineering and for not being completely disappointing. I don't agree 100% with the partsforming, and he should still use far more paint and dino articulation, but he's still pretty remarkable when it comes to not using prior Grimlock transformations and is still an impressive beast to behold. It's making me excited for some Titan Dinobots for the next few years. Almost makes the whole Apology Tour slop worth bearing through. Almost.

What Was Skipped This Year (aka Why 2026 Sucked for Studio Series)

If you can tell by how small the list is compared to prior ranking lists, I did not buy that much from this year's Studio Series waves. On top of prices getting higher and quality getting lower, I had a feeling good things would eventually come to an end somehow. Worst still, I was hoping to get some of these if it wasn't for just the huge level of uninterest compared to past years. In 2025, I skipped Devastation Optimus, and he was just the tip of the iceberg for stuff I would not get. Now I have much more that I lost interest in compared to other years. I mean, I was able to get everyone in the numbering system before it was abolished, but now skipping figures altogether is a thing more often than not. Let's go over who didn't make it to the final list! Just be warned that a lot of what I said for some of these figures is recycled from a past post I made. New rants for figures we got since then will be included!

-Orion Pax: The harvesting device looks awesome, and the gold with silver/gunmetal makes it even more badass than it has any right to be. Unfortunately, positives end from here on out; the alt mode has the thighs exposed in a way comparable to Classics Deluxe Optimus; it's just as bad as the exposed fists from the 2024 Deluxe of this same iteration. I also have to question why the wheels and ankles had to be molded in red plastic, especially if they stand out even more on top of the grey and blue. It would be fine if they were fast in grey or black, but seeing them as they are, I bet Hasbro used the term "affordable" in reference to how cheap the toy is to produce than it costs consumers to buy. The proportions in a vanilla pose also seem off compared to the CG model: I know Orion was meant to have this halfway point aspect between his cogless form and his Prime look, but the way it turned out here has him look as if he has his pants pulled up way too high. Oh, and he's slightly shorter than Elita, so fuck this figure and the movie it's based on.

-Thundercracker (One): He may be better than the Starscream mold in terms of having a better head sculpt, and at least the wings are modified along with the better weapons. Sadly, I still hate this mold, with parts falling off as well as there being no ankle pivots. I wish these colors were used in the SS86 TC, but no, we can't have nice things in 2026.

-Cliffjumper: I know this figure might be worthwhile to some, but wouldn't it be better if this dude used the Devastation Bumblebee mold instead? I don't know, maybe this would have been fine if Hasbro didn't use the same chest for Bee. Also, I won't lie that going from a bazooka into a slightly generic pistol is a bit of a downgrade.

-Soundwave (One): Yeah, it's another TFOne figure I'm skipping. Why else would I want more from the cast of I swore off everyone after Alpha Trion sucked? Not helping is how stupid the proportions are on this figure as a consequence of Hasbro's lame brand synergy mandate, forcing people to barely tweak their G1/evergreen designs and not even doing anything that creative on their own. Also, his altmode is ass, and the elbows and knees barely bend past 45 degrees, so fuck this thing, especially for having the voice of Jon Bailey. His Soundwave may not have the same "disgruntled Gen-X parody" vibes as his Optimus, but I still don't like him as a voice actor.

-Cyclonus: The shades of purple and lavender are comparable to a Takara release, and while he's less likely to yellow than the Kingdom version, I still prefer the Legacy one anyway. Also, nice work making the legs better yet fucking up the back by removing those panels covering the gaps.

-Astrotrain: We went from a fairly stumpy yet still good bot mode with armor attachments that suck the most in robot mode to a robot mode that looks like pure ass and everything wrong with how Hasbro handles Leaders today. Oh sure, we get the option for a tailfin tie look for the chest, and the cufflinks work in train more, whoopdeefuckingdoo. Why is his chest nothing but hideous hinges? Why are his arms so skinny that Unicron could smoke them from being no thicker than a cigarette to him?? Why does he look leaner than he should be when he's usually given some bulk with his character model??? WHERE DID ALL THE BUDGET GO?!?!?! Oh, and how convenient that only NOW we get blast effect parts on a Leader Class figure when barely anyone else gets to use them. Thanks for the consistency, Hasbro. I don't even want to get this on clearance; it's THAT bad.

-Blitzwing: I don't get how this is an automatic improvement from the original other than maybe the gauntlets blending in better with the rest of him. People hated paying around $55 for the Legacy release; what makes them think paying $5 extra for a repaint that is only slightly more cartoon accurate is worth the difference? I get that he was in the movie after Optimus ran him over, but come the fuck on.

-Prowl: So close to making this cartoon accurate to the show, yet they still had the same bumper and head from the Earthrise version. It's funny when the dead retool has the more accurate parts for those, but we can't really use them since the chest is damaged and the head is constantly in pain. Also, he is a Target exclusive, so🖕.

-Hot Rod: He at least tries doing a few new things to make it unique from the 2021 release, such as the magenta color scheme, replacing the blast effects with his fishing rod, bootleg lightsaber, and XS-sized shield, and making some of the unpaintable plastic the same color as the rest of him after fans complained about the glaring issue with the yellow breaking up the old release's red. Oh, and the Matrix is unpainted, but I'm sure Hasbro knows you got other Matrices lying around at this point. Seriously, we used to go from an Optimus or an equivalent character coming with a Matrix almost yearly (ignoring re-releases and sculpted details on some releases) to having it pop up every week and month. Sadly, the figure is said to have had some molding problems, as well as there being pieces coming off on some copies. This is a "maybe" purchase, but I am more likely going to get Devastation Bumblebee anyhow.

-Damaged Optimus Prime: This could be cool for some custom work, but ultimately, doing a damaged Optimus with amateur Sharpie scratches on the windows and a fucked up grille in the middle of a retarded apology tour is not worth spending the full cash.

-Damaged Megatron: If you want your vanilla SS86 Megatron to come with slightly more accurate legs, then spend the full cash on this just for a part swap. Otherwise, this would only be good for a clearance sale, especially when the original release wasn't worth the full asking price anyhow.

-Insecticons: Honestly, the original versions are better than these. The silver paint on their alt mode appendages (or clear plastic for Kickback's wings in his case) looks better than the flat, cheap grey. I'm fine with them making a 3-pack of the Insecticons, especially if you don't want to spend extra money on a Skywarp, but I'll be honest and say I'd probably want Diaclone Warudo repaints instead. Something to keep Generations Selects alive, right?

-Energon Universe Optimus Prime: Never has a figure made me hate the concept of Prime going on the offensive. This thing costs about as much as the original figure did, only about $10 less because he traded in the trailer and most accessories for a new head and a Megatron arm. The aesthetics of the arm barely match the smooth surface of Optimus. But hey, gotta match the comic, right??? You're better off getting the Blokees version.

And as for the re-packs, I already mentioned that Sunstreaker and Wheeljack would be fine if not for the fact that one could have been a new mold and the other already having a Devastation release. Scourge is fine to have, but he is far from a wow-worthy release. Snarl getting a reissue is fine with me since the Dinobots are very sublime in general, some more than others. Scourge makes no sense to reissue, considering he's not only a figure with less demand than Hasbro thinks, but why is he still the same as in 2023? It'd be fine if Hasbro retooled him to better match the CG model, or improved the durability of the backpack's clear plastic? Something would greatly help instead of just changing the box. And if you're going to reissue an older Leader, why not go the route of giving DOTM some 15th anniversary love? Either Jetwing Prime or Megatron to go with last year's Shockwave reissue, maybe leaning to Megs so as not to oversaturate the line with Optimus (plus, we already got the Buzzworthy reissue). Oh I forgot to include Hound, but who cares. And no, I don't count the Matrix in this kind of ranking list since that is a roleplay thing and not an action figure.

What to expect for Studio Series 2027?

Honestly, very little. I know it's going to match up with the 20th anniversary of the 2007 movie, but so far, the whole aspect of them trying to go for all kinds of media has me feeling very doubtful they'd make a proper anniversary, let alone give any attention to TF media past G1 or anything vaguely based on G1 like the High Moon games. So if you had hopes for Energon or Cybertron versions of Optimus, tough luck because we'll instead get Dreamwave and IDW versions of Optimus Prime instead. And you know that they will retire the 1986 movie yet still promote the G1 cartoon. Setting all that aside, I want to go over 4 categories: Figures I plan to get, figures that are maybes/undecided, and figures that I either own already or will skip. 

Plan to get:

• 2007 Ratchet (New mold, now in the size class he should have been the whole time, and hopefully better quality than the old Deluxe. That said, I know the lack of paint will be an issue)
• TLK Megatron (Finally rounding out the Megatron designs of the line, but we'll see if the dragon mode bonus won't compromise the rest of him)
• Titan Scorn (While I hope he is better than Grimlock, I heard there is a slight issue with the right arm's engineering in terms of having the gorilla arm look)

Possible Purchases:

• Goldfire (Depends on how soon I'd get this figure on heavy discount; after all, nothing beats getting Devastation Bumblebee for $1)
• Red Alert (Would be cool to distinguish this character from the WFC Trilogy mold, which is how I have Kingdom Sideswipe be my definitive CHUGswipe, but the price is a factor for now)

Already Have:

• Allicon (Got him back in Earthrise in 2020 for $20, so I'm saving $10. That said, funny how long Hasbro waited to rebrand this one)
• Jazz (Got him back in 2018 also for $20, so I'm still saving money. However, if they went repack heavy for Studio Series 86, why not reissue the 15th anniversary version?)
• Bumblebee (Got him back in 2020, yet again for $20, so you know the drill. Would be fine if they made him unmasked)
• Ironhide (Got him back in 2018 for $30, so I'm saving $14. Missed opportunity to make this the DOTM version with the Heavy Iron weapons and some better tooling for the bumper since that movie turned 15 this year)
• Swoop (Got him for $5 less than what Leaders go for today, so I'm going to be fine. However, Dinobot reissues are nothing bad since they're good toys)

Undecided For Now:

• Nautica (Already got the Titans Return version, but I would like to compare which version is better. However, the terrible price + me not being a fan of a character that's qUiRkY aNd ReLaTaBlE is going to have me think twice about this one)
• Shredhead (Not really feeling this one up until we get better images or scale, especially the price. While the van mode's mural art looks awesome, can we stray away a bit from van alt modes given we keep getting these with the collabs? They're starting to be everywhere more than Bumblebee toys ever were at this point)
• Autobot Micro-Cassette set (Do I really want to get a set like this just for Concept Art characters, a Rewind that should have been opaque, and a surprise Shattered Glass Ramhorn? Not when half of the figures are weak, or when the set itself likely going to be pricey)

Skipping Altogether

• TFOne Shockwave (Hated the movie, not interested in a Shockwave whose comic relief was used in other B & C-tier animated movies; the only good thing is the potential of them borrowing the engineering for an FOC Shockwave)
• Wheelie (I'm fine with the Retro version as it is while Core Class Wheelie is with my other Autobots, besides the fact that G1 Wheelie sucks)
• OP: A Bumblebee (I wasn't a big fan of the Optimus Prime: Awakening short film, so why would I want to buy a Bumblebee that has horns and a fusion cannon based on some shitty visions? Also, putting this a year after said fan film came out is laughable)
• Seeker 4-pack (I already got the Siege versions of the Rainmakers, do I want figures of them to be accurate in one mode but not the other? And why does Sunstorm have to be locked behind this stupid set?)

So far, that leaves us with 3 figures I plan to get, 2 possible options, 5 I already have, 3 undecideds, and 4 that will be skipped. That's a huge contrast to what I'd normally get in the past decade, at least for Studio Series. Apart from the prices, I've also been focused more on getting them if I like the character or if it's a piece of media that character is from. For example, no way would I ever want an Autobot Megatron if the idea was ass in IDW, but if I see a Studio Series version of Animated Lugnut, I could bite the bullet because that's more worth my time. We'll see how it goes, but just remember that there's going to be a whole lot more up Hasbro's ass now that they've missed the point of this line.

Transformers Age of the Primes Year 2 RANKED

Unlike past trilogies we got since 2015, the Age of the Primes line lasted for only 2 years with no rebranding. I guess when you only have 13 Primes to spread for a certain amount of time, why wait the completion when we could get them at a reasonable pace. 8 of them were released in 2025, and only 5 remained for this year. For now, we're not sure what the next line will be given NYCC came and went, but leaks suggest this is either going to something titled "Age of Evolution" or "Megatron Rising"; the former is said to be your standard Generations affair of bringing in different characters from various continuities, while the latter is either a capsule line or the actual line meant to focus on different versions of Megatron and make a Decepticon resistance group (how original). Whatever we get, we'll discuss how my future spending habits on new TFs will be moving forward. So let's dive in and see what we got!

16. Nexus Prime - Apparently, we are getting a frame for this dude around 2028-9, which makes all the proof that Hasbro didn't plan ahead of making a combiner out of this character all the more obvious. And it sucks, too, because this could have easily been another Commander Class figure, or at least finding some way of making it a MTO release at a reasonable price while we get the limbs over time. Sadly, even if we could have gotten that frame much sooner, the figure still suffers from plenty of issues by itself; the Cybertronic jet mode looks worse than Energon Wing Saber, and the robot mode is extremely generic (probably because the designers took influence from the equally generic TFOne design). The combiner torso is the best part of the figure, but you'd have to use Superion's frame instead. Good luck being patient while Hasbro keeps jacking up the prices!

15. Sureshot/Joyride - At last, the Targetmaster Autobots are complete, and the mold for Sureshot is kind of weak. I don't like how wonky his proportions are, while the altmode ends up looking more like a poor Lego dragster than a convincing altmode. Not helping is that Joyride's got the same level of frustration, only his spoiler had to partsform while his Powermaster partner is even worse that what SS got. Makes me dread how so many Powermaster figures will turn out, especially anyone potentially sold as a Deluxe.

14. Swindle - I really want to like this guy since I love the Combaticons in general, but he is starting to make me think twice about this whole Voyager-price Deluxe BS. For one, the only way he's going to get that type price is purely from a slightly more involved transformation than the average Deluxe and an accessory set that is mostly for him. Then there is the fact that a figure like him easily gets sold out, even with a higher price tag than what Vector Prime got thanks to some discounts. Ignoring those issues, bot mode is fine, but the Jeep mode is kind of wonky, and the trailer should have been black to look better as Bruticus's weapon.

13. Smokescreen - I wasn't 100% if he would replace the Beast Hunters mold that easily, and sure enough, he hasn't, but I think if you could turn this into another character it could work better. For one, this should have been an RID15 Jazz given how similar the designs are, though I could easily get this as a Barricade based on that sexy TFCC repaint if we can get an Arms Micron Frenzy homage for an accessory. I just wish the torso could go down more since he looks slightly mistransformed. That and his punch dildos are a joke when I'm sure Smokescreen had more convincing arm cannons in the show. 

12. Powerglide - At long last, we get a new Powerglide over a decade since Combiner Wars. I dig some of the engineering used for the transformation, especially the faceplate so we can have him with the stupid mask from the Hoist on Hollywood episode. The heart from The Girl Who Loved Powerglide is also neat. As for actual issues, the feet still look like crap, but the forearms are easily dislodged if you try to bend them deep. Not sure why TFWiki hasn't mentioned that unless it's a rare problem. That fake rubsign is kind of retarded though, ngl.

11. Blast Off - While it's cool to have a shuttle mode Blast Off without the issues of having to be a retail exclusive or held back by an Aerialbot redeco taking his mass retail spot first, he's still pretty basic sauce as a Transformer. He's the kind of figure that does the job fine enough without needing to be that much of a wow factor beyond completing Bruticus and I guess matching the Sunbow animation 1:1. That said, the nosecones hand halves and the forehead visor are still stupid.

10. Quintus Prime - While it's cool he has some legs underneath his tentacle hula skirt, it's hard to pose him right beyond "aura farming" as all the Instagram content farm pages tend to say. At least the clear plastic is in PVC, but who knows if that would last longer than what Hasbro uses for their windows. I guess the squid mode is a neat bonus if you want to make him a "triple changer".

9. Brawl - He's the better of the two Voyager Combaticon limbs, but that's not saying much. The issue is that for as complex as he may be, the color mismatching with those greys, as well as the molding's seam line on the barrel, doesn't help make this feel worthy of a Voyager. Not only that, but the face paint apps are prone to scratching off from how small his space is during the torso segment of the transformation. Also, Hasbro lied saying this figure would have a ratcheting mechanism like the Constructicons legs, but he clearly has nothing of the sort. 

8. Big Convoy - For a guy with "big" in his name, he sure comes off like a shrunken down bootleg of the original toy with a high price point. Now I get that he comes with plenty of paint apps and accessories, on top of using some butterfly joints, but that barely makes him worthy of the modern Leader Class price point when some Voyagers had this level of engineering back in the ROTF days. They'd either have plenty of accessories or play features that make this feel like a joke in comparison. I bet Hasbro would put HFTD Battle Blades Optimus and claim he is a Leader Class figure. That said, it is impressive they can pack in a lot for a figure smaller than the original Takara release, but I would rather wait for a sale to pop up with a Nemesis Prime repaint. More like Mid Convoy, amirite?

7. Armada Sideways - He may not have had the initial distribution issues of his Cybertron counterpart, but he still had some form of controversy with Hasbro not acknowledging his head swapping gimmick or the Minicons in general. Still, for as pricey as Voyagers have gotten, I can at least say there is some good bit of play value going on with this toy specifically, whether you want to display the Minicons individually or as a single robot to ride on the bike, and the three head feature is cool in spite of there being no blank chest piece for the regular mode. Not 100% perfect, but a good bit of Armada fun in modern Generations. And hey, he at least came with his Minicon unlike practically everyone else. WASSUP WIT' DAT?!

6. Vector Prime - He is the only repaint from the Thirteen's lineup, but at least it's excusable given his history as having a more golden deco in his youth. Thankfully, they fixed some of the joint tolerances since my copy of the Cybertron colors had some loose waist and hip joints that I had to tighten despite the use of pins instead of screws. This repaint seems to be closer to the Galaxy Force repaint (the Hasbro-made repaint not the Takara line) than the Universe 2008 one. While they did lower the price for him, the lack of a Safeguard Minicon is still a retarded Hasbro move.

5. Quickstrike - Finally got a version of this character that looks better than the old toy, is slightly more poseable, much more durable, and adds another member to the Predacons. If only we got this around the same time as Silverbolt. Now we need the Transmetals and TM2 Blackarachnia. 

4. Liege Maximo - This design is straight up wicked, especially when you'd think he wouldn't get any merch given his out there design almost making him look like an evil tree trunk. I'm so glad we got this instead of the Loki-esque design the Aligned continuity went with because this is a much more unique way to interpret a member of the Thirteen. Best of all, he looks way better sitting on the throne that came with Coronation Starscream than the Seeker wished he ever could.

3. Amalgamous Prime - If you're someone who wants to spend $42 on a Voyager, the only recommendation would be this Prime. You've got plenty of potential alt modes to make on top of the stock options, so much versatility with the 5mm ports, and you're able to combine him with any -izer or -ator we got since Siege to make wacky combinations. So much fun from the only figure in this size class worthy of an awful price.

2. Onslaught - The best part about this is how good Bruticus ends up when you complete the set. I also love how well the battle platform looks compared to the others we got since Legacy, given it doesn't look too much like it's made from the husk of a larger robot (even if we have the thighs and fists still exposed). The option to separate the front of the truck from the rest is admirable, his cab looks flatter than normal. Worst part is the lack of his own gun when everyone else got their own! Do we have to take some of them from the leg bots like with the Energon line up? That's why he's ranked number 2.

1. Armada Jetfire - No, he doesn't have Comettor, and he is intentionally designed to look mistransformed, but this guy does so much good that it's easier to forgive his flaws than with Onslaught's. Let's also remember that he comes form an alternate pair of pants for Optimus, but the true test to come will be integrating Overload. Until then, this dude wins the spot for the year. And in some ways, he's better than the Titan Grimlock.

And that wraps up the AOTP Year 2 lineup, thus ending the line as we know it. Just know that I'd rather wait for the Powerlinx Red Alert and Sentinel Prime sets to hit discount like Nemesis Prime currently is (assuming I can get my hands on one because fuck Hasbro's MSRP). Be on the lookout for my reflection on the line as a whole while I give an update on the future of Generations reviews. While you're at it, don't forget to stick around for any incoming Studio Series rankings (with a rant of the century included), and wait till the end of the year for my miscellaneous Transformers purchases of 2026 and the Best & Worst that the year had to offer.

Blokees Champion Class BBM Optimus Prime & Bumblebee review

It's that time again for another Blokees review, this time focusing on the Champion Class lineup with the two Autobots with more than 5 speaking lines in the Bumblebee movie: the titular Autobot scout and his red and blue leader who now appeals to the echo chambers of the TF fandom. While Bumblebee's design was fine for the most part, it took until ROTB for me to like the idea of Optimus having a G1-based design (at least the modified version). Not much else to say about the Blokees lineup of these figures, but it is kind of interesting how we got this duo after Blitzwing came out. Then again, same company who skipped ROTF Megatron to get straight to the 2007 version. Anyways, let's see how improved these additions are compared to last few releases.

Here we have Optimus Prime fully assembled, and one thing that genuinely surprised me was how complex his build was compared to other Champion Class figures. Obviously this is a live action design, so no shit he's going to be fairly intricate in some regard, but as I always look for with every subsequent release, accuracy at such a small scale is always a treat. Granted, this Optimus is easier to translate because it's based on the basic G1 design, but at the same time, I dig that these parts are broken up more and integrating less toyetic joints like what older figures used to have. These feel more like the larger model kits than the smaller ones people usually collect, and I like that we stray further away from the chibi aesthetics and joints to make these feel more movie accurate. Not that the older figures were bad, but I always appreciate seeing them go further beyond with what they can achieve. This Optimus is a good way to experiment with that in case they want to do revised versions of the older figures they made, and I do like how well painted he is at this small scale. 

His articulation consists of a ball joint at the neck, shoulder rotation, outwards arm movement, butterfly joints, bicep rotation, double jointed elbows, ball jointed wrists, an ab crunch, a waist swivel, hips that are no longer ball jointed but can now swivel front and back as well as hinge in and out, we get a small bit of thigh rotation, double jointed knees, and ankles that are on ball joints. His accessories are a massive Ion Blaster that would mean Optimus is compensating for his terrible voice acting thanks to Travesty Knight telling Peter Cullen to impersonate the mediocre Jon Bailey. A blast effect is included but it doesn't stay on that well. He also has pointing hands as well as open jazz hands in addition to the standard light up eyes.

For a size comparison, he is not only taller than his 2007 counterpart, but also much taller than the ROTB version that kick-started this whole Blokees craze (and for good reason especially now). The 2007 build is still great, don't get me wrong, but imagine if it went with a more complex assembly without some of the chibi attributes. Hell, the BBM model makes the ROTB version look like the Fortnite skin! Ironically, it can open its chest unlike the new one.

As for Bumblebee, he's pretty close to the CG model as well, though it's the first time I have a figure that actually matches the rounded proportions instead of the lanky toys from Studio Series and Masterpiece. Not just from the use of outdated concept art, but most of these toys also had to work in transformations for a design that had as little engineering real estate as old AOE figures (even if he had the front of the car as well as the shoulder blade wheels and hints of doors on his back). So naturally, the most accurate version of this design in my collection is the smallest one that can't transform. At least here, being a simpler look than what we normally get with the other movie designs, he doesn't really need to be as detailed as others normally are. Only thing I would add is some paint for the rims, but what is more interesting is how the torso is built: the inner frame where the torso lights up is flipped upside down so that it maintains the proportions of the upper body. This version of Bumblebee, despite aiming to be cutesy and whatnot, still feels like a robot version of those hulking He-Man style figures, and Brawn almost gave me Ninja Turtle vibes.

As for his articulation, it's generally the same as Optimus's, though keep in mind his bicep rotation works separately from the shoulder pads, and he also has no ab crunch. As for his own accessories, he just comes with an alternate pair of open hands, a boombox that can rest on his shoulder, a cannon arm with the same blast effect that stays on little better, an alternate head with the battle mask, and twin arm blades that would be cool if not for the fact that they didn't mirror them.

For a size comparison, here he is with his DOTM and ROTB counterparts. The former is still my favorite version of the character in Blokees form, but the ROTB version doesn't come off as chibified as other characters in the first wave did. I am surprised to see no part reuse whatsoever, not even the head!

And here he is with his Studio Series counterpart. This is the 2.0 version that tried to be closer to the movie design than the original. Even with the heftier lower legs and bigger head, this Bumblebee still can't match the CGI model as well as a nontransforming figure could. I think some of the 3P Legends figures could do better than HasTak. Either way, the Blokees version may scale better with Studio Series figures.

And here they both are with the Ballroom Blitz himself, representing a small trio of an already small cast of BBM characters. The amount of robots in that movie, minus the generics, may be the same as the total cast of the 2007 movie. Either way, I'm pretty happy to see these two continue enhancing what we got with Blokees engineering and making the Champion Class better with each subsequent release. I don't know if the 2007 duo with Optimus and Megatron would get redos to feel consistent with the more recent builds, but I hope this quality continues overtime. That said, I bet they would go all out for the 10th anniversary of the Bumblebee movie than they would the 20th anniversary of the 2007 movie.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (for both)