COUNTDOWN: Haslab Deathsaurus – 24 things to know! (part 1)

Hopes were high for yesterday’s Hasbro Pulse fanstream as Transformers collectors eagerly awaited a big reveal. Fortunately, we were not disappointed…

Yes, the newest Haslab crowdfunded project is a brand new Deathsaurus! We were treated to loads of details about this stunning figure, which is still clearly in the prototype stage, as orders were immediately opened alongside the reveal.

There’s a lot to talk about regarding this tremendously exciting project so let’s get cracking and see what it’s all about!

#24: Who is Deathsaurus?

First, the character of Deathsaurus (sometimes written as Deszaras) originates from Takara’s Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory line in 1989. He is the series’ big bad, the Decepticon Emperor of Destruction and has terrorised the galaxy for thousands of years. The character has long been admired as part of Transformers lore, although his star has been on the rise in more recent years thanks to a fan-favourite turn in the IDW comics storyline and several popular third-party toys on the back of that. Still, the new Haslab release will be the first official transformable figure of the character based on his classic design since the ’80s, so that’s pretty exciting, to say the least!

#23: He is the leader of the Breastforce

OK, so one element of Deathsaurus’ legacy that never fails to raise a titter amongst Western fans is the name of the subgroup he belongs to. Yes, he’s the leader of a team known as the Breastforce, so-called because they all feature small animal companions that transform into breastplates that attach to their chests. In Deathsaurus’ case, he has two such companions, traditionally known as ‘Eaglebreast’ and ‘Tigerbreast’, the latter of which stores away behind the other when placed on their master’s person.

The rest of the Breastforce make up the combiner team that forms Liokaiser, with the individual characters all featuring one animal partner each. Like Deathsaurus, these companions can stow away on their chests when not on the prowl or can transform into handheld blasters as well.

#22: He is the archenemy of Star Saber

As the main antagonist of Victory, it’s no surprise that Deathsaurus is the mortal enemy of Star Saber, with a bitter feud ongoing between the pair. After the Autobot commander was unveiled as the previous Haslab project, many fans had been speculating when we might see his nemesis given a similar treatment as part of the Generations line, so this new design is certainly welcome to see!

#21: His alternate mode is a kaiju

Another thing about Deathsaurus that often causes a lot of comments is his alternate form. Whilst he’s often affectionately referred to as a ‘giant space chicken of death’ or something along those lines, he actually transforms into a kaiju, a Japanese term for a giant monster or, perhaps more specifically, a ‘strange beast’. Kaiju is also the name for the genre of Japanese-originating giant monster films that have become widely popular since 1954’s Godzilla. In Deathsaurus’ case, it’s not hard to see why some people believe this form resembles a chicken of sorts, but either way, the updated Haslab design looks to do a brilliant job at bringing it to life!

#20: The G1 toy is quite legendary 

The 1989 original release of Deathsaurus is a landmark figure that has become a grail in many Transformers collectors’ eyes. Relatively accurate to the screen for the time, it’s also tremendous fun, with the Breastforce gimmick taking centre stage in terms of play value. These days, it commands a notoriously high value for good condition or mint specimens. However, it’s still far from a rare item, with plenty of copies being widely available on the aftermarket, generally speaking. Hopefully, the new figure will make a fantastic accompaniment for it!

#19: The new toy appears to be very cartoon accurate 

Although the original figure was already quite close in appearance to the screen, it’s no great surprise to see the Haslab design coming closer to that goal. Some additional details are thrown in, such as the vents on the thighs versus the smoother upper legs seen in animation, which were presumably included to give a few 1989 toy nods, too. However, it’s the head sculpt which really sells the obvious influence with the new figure, making it by far and away the most cartoon-accurate Deathsaurus toy thus far.

#18: The toy is over 11 inches tall

One thing that sometimes surprises vintage collectors is how much smaller the 1989 figure is compared to his archenemy, Star Saber. It’s not the first obvious height disparity we’ve seen in classic hero/villain match-ups of this kind, but at least the Haslab effort makes up for that, as our new Deathsaurus looks enormous! At 11-inches tall, he’s easily as big as the equivalent Victory Saber figure whilst wearing the additional ‘boots’ in super mode, and should amount to an incredible presence on any shelf.

#17: There are 30 points of articulation

As well as having a commanding stature, Deathsaurus should be a lot of fun to handle, not least because the toy boasts 30 points of articulation overall. With just a grey prototype to view, we’ve yet to glimpse the full range of what the design is capable of, but rest assured, this one promises to be pretty poseable.

Join us for part 2 when we look at the new toy’s many gimmicks and more!

TTFN