Transformers Cyber Battalion Jetfire review

Jetfire came from a time period where he and plenty of other Transformers G1 toys were reused from pre-existing Takara toys, and some of them were actually from other toy companies like Takatoku Toys/Bandai. While he was sold in the US and potentially any countries where Bandai was not a massive company at the time, Takara knew they couldn't have the toy on their Transformers line, so as a result, Jetfire was renamed to Skyfire and was also redesigned to ease on the toys Takaras did not use. That said, Jetfire was the more commonly-used name for the character, even with the Macross-esque details added on. This Cyber Battalion toy is no exception, but the more important question is if it's worth getting despite it being a cheaper figure? Let's find out, but before we do, I should mention that I'll go easier on this toy given how it's supposedly made for a younger demographic.

Here is the jet mode, which looks fairly good overall from the top; the bottom does have a bit of vehicle kibble that's made from the arms and legs. Thankfully, there is a bit of landing gear that helps keep it stable, even if the wheels don't roll. The pegs of the guns could probably work if they weren't too long. Either way, the jet mode's not too bad, though I wish the red Turbo Thrusters were more prominent.

You can display the wings in a more traditional look, though it leaves forearms exposed from the top.

Here is Jetfire with Classics Starscream for size comparison in jet mode. They look fairly decent next to each other, though this Starscream figure is a Deluxe and this Jetfire is more Voyager-sized.

The transformation is fairly simple, what with the only steps being folding the cockpit into the chest, straightening the arms, flipping the feet down, and separating the legs. At least the backpack has you fold the wings up so it won't look too bad.

Robot mode is very reminiscent of the 2014 Leader Class figure. It looks good overall, and while it could go for some panel-lining or a wash, at least the paint that is there looks decent. He doesn't also have that shampoo bottle look to him, thankfully. The tailfins being exposed from the sides look off, but the rest of the robot mode looks decent from the front and the side, though the back doesn't look too appealing.

Head sculpt also looks like the Leader, at least one that's masked, though the lack of black for the antennae and the lack of blue for the forehead does make it look unfinished. At least the visor has some nice blue paint and the silver mouthplate looks good.

Articulation is so-so. Head looks side to side, shoulders move front and back as well as in and out. Elbows bend, hips move front and back and in and out. No bicep swivels or knees, which is a shame for fans that do want to get this guy as a stand-in for their CHUG collection, but I feel there's more fun to be had with this toy than there would be with most one-step figures. You can display his guns either handheld or mounted on his shoulders.

This guy was once retooled from Starscream, who was also in the Cyber Battalion line. While the arms, legs, cockpit, and weapons are the same, the wings, outer portions of the chest, and the head are new for Jetfire. While Jetfire at least looked complete, Starscrean looks kind of stupid with the black for the shins and guns when those should be gray.

Here he is with Classics Starscream, and the scale does remind me of when there used to be a Classics figure of Jetfire that was a lot bulkier due to his armor. Now for the rating. Obviously, collectors may not care for this toy because the Generations line gave us two better options for fans (Thrilling 30 and Siege), but aside from the completionists, this set is perfect for younger fans that don't want to deal with some one-steps or Ultra sized figures with half-baked gimmicks. At least the transformation is a bit more involved but without feeling like an afterthought. If you have a kid that loves Transformers and want to give them a G1 Jetfire of sorts, this will perfectly do.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐