On the left is the original SS-32 Optimus Prime, and on the right is Star Leader. I'm going to say this straight up: the mold with these improved paint apps on the KO are generally what the Takara Premium Finish should have been. While SS-05 looks better than its original release, the addition of silver on what used to be gunmetal, combined with the more broken up detailing on the hip armor, the red near the inner ankles, the gold on the circles, the flames on the wheel arches, faux chest doors, and shoulders, among other details, adds so much more to the retool. This is easily what HasTak was missing overall. BaiWei even added a few sculpt improvements, such as making him slightly taller, extending the length of the smokestacks, properly restoring the SS-05 rear wheel arch bit, and separating the red pieces on the abs (though they have a worse grip individually than without a dab of super glue). It could still be slightly better, mainly the faux window pieces could have been opaque since the DOTM and 15th anniversary versions have done just that. I also know that the lower legs may not be compatible with Jetfire's own components, though I'm not sure if this KO is meant to work with him to begin with. That being said, if we just focus on this figure specifically, wow. We even have die-cast in the feet, which helps stabilize him during posing AND adds some extra weight on a fairly light figure.
What makes him unique is that the Energon Blades he comes with are not only copied from the SS-05 tooling, but he also comes with translucent versions of the handheld blade that came with Jetwing Prime. If I'm honest, the traditional blades look worse when it comes to there being fewer paint apps and the holes in the wrist guards. The other blades thankfully look better than the stock Hasbro versions with the flat orange paint and gray plastic not matching the gunmetal paint apps. Sure, they could use more paint, but they easily replace what we had previously. Given how SS-32/44 lets me do what I always wanted all definitive versions of classic Bayverse Prime to do (specifically ROTF Leader and MPM) without heavy retooling is the option to swap the abs, and we can go a step further with a swappable exposed face. The mouth is slightly lost in the sculpt and appears to be hollow, but that's also something I appreciate. I hope the eventual 2026/7 Leader Prime can do a face swap gimmick since I hoped AOE Prime would give us that.
The truck modes may not seem all that different, but we gave the orange fade from the Jetwing version, more silver paint on what was unpainted, gunmetal grey, and opaque windows also found on SS-44. The red around the windows has been long overdue since it not only completes the altmode, but it's also screen accurate. I never understood why Hasbro left the trim blue. They even filled in the headlights on the front at the cost of removing the Autobot insignia. His wheels are inexplicably the same ones that were on the back, but I can probably get the proper front ones from a junk copy. The flames on the back are facing the wrong direction, but that's at the fault of the figure reusing the engineering of First Edition Prime than one more fitting for the Bayverse design with its part layout.
As far as variants are concerned, skip the original Star Leader, both with the outdated chest and the version you see here. The colors are the same as SS-32 apart from the small deco additions here and there, and the plastic quality is just terrible. They inexplicably left the neck unpainted, which is as bad as Hasbro leaving Mirage's forearms clear. Three repaints were made, one based on Ultra Magnus and two black Decepticon recolors. The teal-flame version makes me think of Nemesis Prime/Scourge (no not that one, dumbass fan theory echo chambers), but the purple-flame version is probably themed after Menasor. I wish the version I have came with the weapon pack since it gives us the two Ion Blasters, two axes (one opaque and one clear), the Mega Striker, and his shield.
As for GYHTOYS Vanguard, I'm not really sure how to feel about it. For a brief moment, I want to discuss how there are some Studio Series figures that should get enhanced knockoffs before this character; not saying Hot Rod doesn't deserve any attention, but I'd argue that doing better versions of DOTM Megatron, both versions of the Deluxe Ratchet mold from the first year of the line, and any of the Wreckers (especially Topspin and Leadfoot). I checked his aftermarket value, and this mold usually goes past $50. Not too expensive, but still a decent bit higher for a Bayverse character who had purists triggered because he didn't look like a gaudy magenta robot who killed off their childhood hero. That being said, the main differences include the oranges being less vibrant, there being no paint apps for the headlights, and the plastic quality is worse than the Hasbro version. Normally, the recent Generations figures would have decently substantial durability and density, and while this figure is far from cheap (at least the left hip doesn't pop off too easily), but the finish feels rougher than the polish Hasbro products usually receive. Honestly, for all the issues Hasbro products usually have, at least there is a consistent feel that makes them have the right smoothness or texture. Not only that, but Vanguard has some poorly cut areas where the pieces were originally on their sprue trees. Even a few flashes were left behind, requiring me to snip them off. Honestly, this is a weird midway point between discount store trash and APC Toys being better than the Hasbro TFP figures.
In addition to his signature "Stop The Time" gun, Vanguard also comes with swords that were obviously never shown in The Last Knight but they fit him decently. After all, G1 Hot Rod had a "totally-not-a-lightsaber-from-our-blatant-Star-Wars-plagiarism-excuse-of-a-movie-pre-JJ-Abrams" while he would later have the Sword of Primus in the Regeneration One comics; it inspired one of the accessories of his Kingdom figure AND sort of the one that came with his Core Class counterpart. That being said, these swords come not from any official design (not even FOC Grimlock despite similar appearances), but they instead come from Mastermind Creations' Terminus Hexatron, specifically the Shadow Emissary repaint! And wouldn't you know it, but even this unofficial Six Shot got bootlegged at some point! I don't know what's funnier, Hasbro taking inspiration from third party companies or bootleggers stealing figures based on Hasbro IPs. Regardless, TLK Hot Rod rocks the swords perfectly, almost giving Drift a run for his money.
As for the vehicle mode, another paint app omission is the tiny badge meant to represent the Lamborghini logo. Reminds me of how incomplete some realistic carformers look without a proper manufacturer brand a la the Autobot Brothers from RID or DOTM Dino since a Ferrari license isn't in Hasbro's grasp. The car mode otherwise looks fine apart from missing those details on the front, though it doesn't roll as nicely as the official version. Maybe it does on some other copies, but that depends on how the tolerances are on the bootleg. Transformation was already involved in the real deal due to how small some of the parts are on what felt like a mini-MPM, but the worse tolerances and plastic finish made it feel a little worse for my tastes. Not like it's going to infect me with micro plastics that break down from the toy shattering into a million pieces, but I know it could feel a bit alien to anyone who only touches Hasbro stuff and never messed with anything slightly lower than their standards (though to be fair, they aren't perfect anyhow, and I know many Has Bros who are downright against high quality bootlegs and knockoffs).
Overall, these two figures are an example of duality between bootlegs. Baiwei have come a long way from their earlier Star Leaders, while Gibberishtoys gave us a Hot Rod that, yes, is inexpensive yet is slightly worse than the Hasbro version. Studio Series knockoffs have proven to be inconsistent with how they're produced compared to other knockoffs, whether it's from having near identical reproductions with little to no documentation on them, upscaled knockoffs meant to fit with the MPM series, and higher quality versions of main Bayverse characters with the occasional upgrade kit stolen from DNA Design. Baiwei's knockoff makes sense given Optimus Prime usually sells, and his knockoffs manage to go even further in quality than the official versions; I'm waiting for someone to knockoff the AOE version so it can look nicer than the Hasbro version! As for Hot Rod, my guess is that some smaller KO companies were willing to take a shot at a less-prominent character and and see if anyone is willing to buy from them, hence the slightly-lower quality and more vague name choice. While Star Leader is a cool addition to your collection, Vanguard can be skipped unless you never got the official one, you don't want to spend $50+ on the real version in the aftermarket, or if a custom is something you want to do. Funny that, I still have an ROTB Optimus Prime waiting his spotlight with the DNA Design upgrade kit, but who knows when that will happen. And just as I finish this review, the ROTF Megatron KO is on its way.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Star Leader/Optimus Prime)
⭐⭐⭐ out of (Vanguard/Hot Rod)
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