Here we have Jetfire in his vehicle mode, and what a jet mode we have here! I should mention that you have the option to add the boosters, forearm guns, leg guns, and gun if you like, though this does capture the traditional armor look that the character has in the series. I also have the wings swept back, which is commonly seen with the Macross mecha. Yeah, this toy certainly evokes the Takatoku Toys/Bandai/Harmony Gold design, though with stylistic differences that keep them from bugging Hasbro. Also, the items are in red chrome, though I'll get to that in a bit.
You can leave the figure stock if you like, and the jet mode still looks neat without the other pieces. The proportions look amazing, and the underside carriage doesn't mess up the sleek nature of this toy. I also love how the nosecone doesn't look compromised whatsoever, and speaking of no compromises, the toy has rolling wheels! Sucks that most jetformers don't have wheels anymore. It was fine for Deluxes to not have them, though the Voyagers and Leaders made today should use them in ways that work like they do with this version of Jetfire. While the white plastic doesn't look like it has a rich amount of details, a closer inspection does have a decent amount of sculpting, though not on the same level as the Siege figures of today. Also appreciate the vents on the front being black than remain unpainted or molded as part of the toy. And of course, the red is nicely applied.
Now for anyone not too familiar with this figure, the toy aims to achieve both toy accuracy and cartoon accuracy while remaining the same modern look that IDW had in the early 2010s. The jet mode cockpit doesn't turn into the robot chest, as a faux one is placed instead. I don't like how the Autobot insignia doesn't have any paint added to make it look detailed. As it is, it's in the same blob red that most Autobot toys from Armada had to deal with.
For a vehicle mode comparison, here he is next to the other Jetfire figure I do have in the G1 style. For a while, I thought that the Cyber Battalion figure was exactly like the Leader figure, but there are a few differences, mainly the way the paint apps are detailed compared to one another. Still, it's neat that the figure does have in common with the Leader you see here.
Also, before we get to transformation, the cockpit opens up to reveal two seats. To my knowledge, no figures fit this seat, but hey, it adds to the look of the jet mode. Only other mainline figures I can think of with opening cockpits include Whirl and Prime Airachnid, who we shall not discuss, but whose failure we shall never forget.
The transformation is a the reverse of a normal jetformer method. Instead of having the cockpit be the chest and the wings fold forwards, the figure has to hinge the wings up and hinge the cockpit in the back to get it out of the way. The rest of the transformation is a weird mix between being basic and somewhat worryingly thin. The thing is, the plastic kind of has a cheap feel to it that doesn't belong to the size class, and it sort of reminds me of a knockoff upscale that would be found at SirToys. The scariest part is the chest, which has hinges that are not quite durable, and the tightness of the pin attaching it to the crotch makes me feel like they'd create stress marks. A less worrying part of the transformation but more annoying is how the shoulders don't always stay in, even with all the tabs added.
The robot mode looks great. The design is the right kind of update to the modified character design that is known as Skyfire, which takes less influence from the toy and has its own deviations. The design makes the character look less like a Japanese mecha or a basic tower bot and more like an evolution for the character and the modern age. It does suck that the wings aren't quite as refined as they should be, and it really sucks that there are hollowed out pieces that remind me of how light this toy shouldn't be for a Leader Class figure. I have a feeling I'm going back and forth on the toy itself, because it's still got some great elements going on, but I have to admit that there are some elements of the overall toy that don't justify the price tag it once went for. Now I got this figure for $25, half of what the toy went for in 2014, so that does elevate my praise more, but I want to remind readers that the toy was once priced at $50 and was aimed at collectors that would have had previous expectations for Leader figures since Revenge of the Fallen. Sure, it's a G1 character design that shouldn't have the exact amount of engineering, but it's still more like a Deluxe figure upscaled to Leader Class than go beyond the size class name, something seen with Titans Return and Power of the Primes. You can tell how the sides and back look, where the fake cockpit is stuck on there without the booster.
Head sculpt is nicely done, what with the silver and blue paint that add to the unquestionable G1 Skyfire face. There is also light piping for not just the eyes but also his forehead. I supposed the face may look a little too far back compared to the rest of his head, but it's not awfully so.
Articulation is fine, though clearly lacking for a Leader Class figure. Head can swivel left and right and hinge up and down. Shoulders move front and back on ratchets and in and out on hinges, while the biceps swivel and the elbows bend in plastic ratchets. No wrist swivels, and while I do wish there would be a waist swivel, the transformation doesn't allow it to work. The hips move front and back as well as in and out on ratchets, though the joints look like they wouldn't last on the pelvis. Thighs swivel, only to remind you that they're hollow, and the knees bend almost more than 90% angles. The ankles don't pivot sideways, but they hinge on two joints and are molded to look like they're angled.
You can fit the blaster in his hand if you just want a regular Skyfire look. It launches a missile, so I guess it does make the toy a bit more worthy of the price tag. But wait, there's more!
You can armor him up with the guns now attached on his legs and forearms while also giving him the jet booster! To top it all off, he gets the sleek Macross mask that clips over the face. These accessories help take the character from a scientist to a gunner in the sky. Sure, the guns on the legs look dumb, and the arm-mounted guns are a bit redundant, but the accessories make him feel more complete. You can also attempt to combine the weapons if you like, though be careful with the tightness of the pegs combined with the chrome near the holes.
If you want, you can display the boosters on the back pointed upwards. Almost like the Classics Voyager version with spring-loaded guns. Here, they simply swivel, and the thing itself is pretty hollow but at least has no gaps. I want to talk about the chrome, which some may find out of place, but I think that fans that don't want to display the chrome parts on this toy can take them off. This does make me think of a knockoff with crazy chrome accessories, but at least the chrome isn't on the main figure and doesn't really mess up the look, a thing that is prominent with most 2014 Transformers found in Age of Extinction (especially with certain Optimus Prime and Grimlock toys).
This figure got a few reuses, some for himself and others for the Seekers. This is a Silver Jetfire, adding him in even more chrome than he really needs. All you had to do was choose which altmode Jetfire turns into, which is stupid since there's no way he can be a bus, yacht, or motorcycle when he has JET in his name!
This is the Takara version of the mold, which ditches the chrome and adds some nice black paint on the guns. Yes, this is one of the rare instances of a Takara toy not adding chrome on a toy (which was a thing they were known for with the Henkei line). He has a few more paint apps, notable some black on the knees, red around the ankles, and extra red to go with the fake cockpit. He was also in an SDCC 2017 pack made for the Revolutions line, so you can get this figure without the chrome.
This is Combiner Wars Thundercracker, the first of three Seekers to use this mold. At first, I didn't like how the Seekers would use the mold of a character like Jetfire. The more I saw it, the more I dug that the retooling helps make the Seekers stand out from Jetfire in both modes. Legs are the same and most of the accessories are included, but I dig the retooled wings, chest, head, and null-rays make the Seekers look even cooler. I do wish the turbines would be hidden back even more, but I applaud Hasbro for making the tooling different. Still, it's bizarre to see Combiner Wars have so many Leader Class figures but only utilize three molds, with one of them being a 2014 figure...and we didn't even get to the other mold mates yet.
Here we have Starscream, the redeco of Thundercracker (yes, it's one of the rare instances of a Starscream being redecoed from Thundercracker). He's about the same as Thundercracker, though he now comes with a crown. Not much else to say but I dug playing as this version of the character in Forged to Fight.
Finally, this is Skywarp. Nice colors, but that's 'nuff said.
Here we have Jetfire with the Siege Commander, Classics Voyager, and G1 toy. Siege Jetfire does look very nice, and I do like the features he has along with the armor gimmick similar to T30 Jetfire. Still, the size of the figure is just too big for an Autobot crew mostly consisting of Deluxes and Voyagers. If I ever got this guy, he'd mostly be used as a Masterpiece stand-in rather than be the main Jetfire of my CHUG display. Classics Jetfire was neat for his time, though he mostly works as a figure meant for smaller displays, so if you buy Legends figure or Deluxes, this guy works for a small-shelf display. G1 Jetfire is obviously a Macross/Robotech Valkryie repurposed as a Transformer. He fits best as a bit of history regarding how G1 toys were once reused from other robot lines before the 1986 characters were made as new molds.
Let's bring back Cyber Battalion Jetfire. You can tell just how much similar the smaller guy is next to the Leader Class figure. It's cool, yeah, but I can't help but admit that the CB one looks more like an impulse purchase rather than be meant for a proper figure for a display.
Another size comparison, this time featuring Siege Optimus and Starscream. Yeah, some may find it baffling that I have two figures with a Jetfire that's not even from their line. Setting that aside, I like the scale here, where the character is clearly taller than everyone else but not to the point where he feels more like a combiner or a Titan.
Finally, we have him with his old grandpa counterpart, ROTF Studio Series Jetfire. I know that both figures were made 5 years apart from each other, and one's different in terms of appearance from the other, but I think that Jetfire's ROTF figure works better as a Leader Class toy thanks to his engineering, articulation, use of ratchet joints, and ability to combine with Optimus Prime. T30's attributes are the height, accessories and chrome, rolling wheels, and that's pretty much it. Still, I really can't fault T30 Jetfire too much. While he's not quite Leader Class material next to figures released from 2006-2011 and figures made from 2016-2019, at least he does look cool and uses the chrome nicely (even if it's got that bootleg feel). If you see him at a toy shop at a cheaper price, from $25-35, definitely pick him up. Don't let that stop you from buying Siege Jetfire, since you can easily put him in a Masterpiece display and not need to buy $230 for an actual MP version of Skyfire.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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