COUNTDOWN: 5 gorgeous RID 2001 repaints

We’ve recently been sharing the love for some top-class Transformers repaints, including examples from the Unicron Trilogy, Beast Wars and the mid-2000s Generations line.

There’s just something about seeing an already familiar toy design rehashed in a bold new colour scheme that never fails to get the motor running. There’s often no better way to fully appreciate a particular mould than to admire it with a different look.

Well, now we’re back with more, and this time, we’re looking at some stunning Robots in Disguise ‘bots from the 2001 line-up! I’ve narrowed it specifically to Hasbro releases and tried to avoid the obvious high-profile Takara toys from the 2000 Car Robots roster, despite many of them also being designs re-used from previous eras of Transformers. All that said, here are five terrific RID 2001 repaints for your consideration!

#5: Wind Sheer (2001)

Starting with one of the smallest examples, yet arguably one of the most deserving. In fact, Wind Sheer is so good that there’s an argument to say he inspired this list! A rehash of the Machine Wars Megatron mould (which becomes obvious as soon as you take a closer look at that head sculpt!), this design originated during Generation 2, although it was never released at the time. It’s since popped up in various other lines, including Robotmasters, but Wind Sheer remains one of the finest iterations. Whilst the Machine Wars colour schemes were rather drab, here the mould is granted a stunning purple and black makeover, made all the better by striking neon green painted highlights and eye-searing translucent orange for the canopy and light-piped eyes. Without a doubt, though, the crowning glory (pardon the pun) is the head crest motif, which applies a welcome spot of added detail onto this often fairly simply-served specimen. That this was a mere pack-in release with an already familiar Car Robots hand-me-down belies how lovely it is up close. Sheer class.

#4: Destructicon Scourge (2003)

Whilst the practice may be all too common these days, back in the early 2000s, it was still quite unusual for individual characters to receive multiple toys over the course of one Transformers line. So, it was a bit of a surprise when the 1994 Hero Optimus Prime design from Generation 2 re-emerged in the ever-popular black and teals for another stab at RID’s fan-favourite Decepticon bad guy. Unfortunately, this release was slightly mired by mould degradation, not clipping together quite as well as its previous outing, but that aside, there’s still plenty to enjoy about it, not least of which is the good looks on offer! This colour scheme never fails to make any mould look at least a little enticing, but the bright red translucent plastic works overtime here to produce a striking result overall.

#3: Cryotek (2002)

There’s an argument to say that with RID, Hasbro pushed the boundaries when it came to re-releasing anything and everything they could from previous lines in the name of expanding the line at all costs. However, when the result is as absurdly and undeniably showstopping as this, are we really complaining? I’ve long talked up my outright adoration of familiar moulds being pumped out in jazzy new colour schemes, and the incredible Beast Wars Transmetal 2 dragon Megatron design suddenly appearing in electric blue is the perfect example of why. It takes a toy that is already top-tier and gives us a wholly new excuse to appreciate why that is, with a distinctly different flavour to boot. In many ways, it’s the perfect counterpart to the original – an icey yin to the fiery red’s yang – to the point where I can honestly only say that its impossible to choose between them; you simply *need* them both on your shelf.

#2: Jhiaxus (2003)

In the modern era of Transformers, it feels increasingly like every previously unturned corner of the franchise’s past is now being explored for new toy fodder, no matter how niche it may have first appeared. So it has come to pass that we now have a page-accurate take on the Generation 2 comic’s most notorious big bad in the form of Legacy Jhiaxus, although some twenty years ago, just the mere use of the character’s name was enough to get us all excited. True, the result looked nothing like anyone would have expected, being an orange and grey re-use of the Beast Machines Deluxe Jetstorm mould, but that mattered not a jot, especially considering how attractive the result was.

#1: Ruination Urban Camo (2003)

It says something about how popular many of the repaints from Car Robots and RID are that the line’s Ruination release is often cited by fans as superior even to the 1986 Bruticus original. If anything, the updated palette has carved out an identity all of its own, although it wasn’t the only look the character adorned during the early 2000s! This latter-day release may be just another outing for the already well-worn mould on the one hand. Still, it’s every bit as worthwhile for how uniquely cohesive it is, with a uniform grey and camo-themed scheme looking quite impressive in hand. However, it’s the sparsely used pops of colour that really make this one work, from the red eyes to the yellow crotch panel and especially the fancy purple slippers. It all adds up to a truly worthwhile repaint for a design that’s had more than its fair share.

So that’s our list! What are some of your favourite RID 2001 repaints?

TTFN