Here we have Skywarp in his jet mode, which is based on a Sukhoi Su-37 fighter jet. While not exactly made by the same manufacturer that gave us the classic F-14 or the badass F-22, it still feels appropriate for a Seeker-type design. We have a shape similar to the former, in addition to the stabilizer fins that are undoubtedly shaped similarly to the G1 jets. While null rays aren't present under the wings, we do have a few missiles or bombs that come with most military jets. What deviates this from the classics, however, is the addition of vertical fins near the cockpit as well as a nosecone pointing downwards. Whether this is due to Hasbro adhering to safety standards like with their version of Armada Starscream or just how they designed the jet is unknown. You do have some robot kibble underneath, but this is still a pretty decent jet in spite of its sort of gaudy color scheme. Honestly, purple would be fine if this was mixed with teal (Slipstream) or black (a generic Seeker).
His Cyber Key gimmick, which includes one of the Earth variety, has the fuselage pop up to reveal a cannon, complete with launching missile via two gray tabs on the sides. Reminds me a bit of Reveal the Shield Lugnut's attack feature, only spring loaded and not phallic.
For a size comparison, here he is next to the Legacy United version of Cybertron Starscream. I'm not sure how much bigger the original version of the larger get is compared to its 2024 counterpart (probably by 25%), but at least the mindset that Starscream turning into a gunship-type of jet isn't entirely lost with this comparison.
For a look at a jet mode somewhat similar to Skywarp's, here is the SS86 version of G1 Thundercracker. Obviously, they have their own differences that make these far less 1:1 with each other, but you can tell HasTak designers wanted to find something fairly close to what Seekers used to turn into before going even further with the Classics Deluxe Starscream. Funny enough, I bet the Legends version of Thundercracker was repainted into a few G1 Seekers, so maybe they weren't far off. As for Thundercracker, I have things to say about him, don't you worry.
His transformation is pretty similar to how the average Seeker design works. The cockpit area folds down, the legs are straightened, the arms are brought out, though this time, they are in different positions throughout the jet mode. The spine of the jet mode becomes the left arm, meaning we have asymmetry rarely seen on a design like this. The downside is that while the robot mode itself is fairly close to what we normally expect with a generic Seeker design, the left arm ends up being much longer and unwieldy than the right arm since it's all cannon. A similar trait was seen with Nitro Zeus from The Last Knight, yet somehow he has better proportions than what we have here with his arms not being as unbalanced despite one of them being the entire front section of his jet mode. This design always came across like a clumsier take on the Seeker design, but maybe that's the point if we consider Thundercracker's role in the series. Cybertron depicted him as a dimwitted goofball with firepower potential, hence the left arm being intentionally clumsy design work. Other things like the upside down wings and his hips being so far apart add to that awkwardness, though I should mention that the left arm should be watched out for if it starts sagging.
His head sculpt is yet another take on the G1 design, though it feels like a mix between the shape of the Armada and Energon versions of Starscream. It's appropriately blocky and has the vague shape carried over, though with unique details of its own that make him less 1:1. While light piping is included, it doesn't always work the best. As for the articulation, the neck, shoulders, biceps, and thighs are in swivels, while the in and out arm movement, elbows, and knees are on hinges; the left arm has a double joint rather than a single joint. Finally, the hips are on ball joints. And yes, the missile can still be fired without the need of a Cyber Key.
As far as repaints are concerned, this is actually the original use of the mold. Thundercracker was also deviated heavily from the classic color scheme yet felt more faithful in bot mode with a mix of blue and grey compared to Skywarp depending on just purple and white. I wouldn't mind getting this so there can be two Seekers that are like a weak yet funny duo that follow Starscream. The Hasbro version has more paint apps than the Takara version.
The last version of the mold we got was for the 2007 movie line in the form of a Walmart exclusive named Divebomb. This was one of the more bizarre attempts at trying to repaint a Unicron Trilogy mold and putting it next to the realistic bots from that film. The lemony yellow mixed with brown just feels out of place, and it feels more like a Shattered Glassc version of Thundercracker
For a size comparison, here he is next to the same Starscream from earlier. Once again, the new Voyager is smaller than what we had before, but the scale should still be accurate. Honestly, Skywarp feels like one of the weakest molds from the line. I like the idea of having some asymmetry, but the left arm is ridiculously impractical with how it's designed. I also wish more tabs were used on the torso so it wouldn't depend on friction to keep everything in place, especially the left arm. He is a fairly inexpensive figure in the aftermarket, but I still find Skywarp a bit mediocre as a repaint. Just stick with Thundercracker and skip this or Divebomb. Only reason why I own this version of the mold was because I usually review figures right after they arrive from eBay.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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