Transformers: Animated remains a crown jewel in the long history of robots in disguise cartoons.
The mid-2000s show set a high bar for such fare when it first aired and continues to delight new and old audiences alike, as I can attest, given my son and I are currently watching it through. For me, it’s a delight to revisit a beloved show I haven’t seen in some time, and for him, well, let’s say it’s hitting all the right buttons so far!
However, as much as he’s already pondering the existence of new toys representing the core cast, my mind cannot help but consider the many possibilities for the characters from elsewhere in the cartoon that have never been represented in plastic form before. While the original Animated line did a great job at bringing so many bots to life, there were numerous unrealised examples left on the screen, some of which could have been genuinely incredible!
So today, that’s exactly what we’re looking at! Simply put, here are six characters from Transformers: Animated who have never been released in toy form before but could be perfect candidates for a bit of Legacy love!
#6: Hot Shot
Although commonly associated with his Transformers: Armada debut, Hot Shot has proven to be a minor franchise mainstay, also cropping up quite prominently in cartoons such as Rescue Bots Academy and, to a much lesser extent, Animated. However, whilst he was little more than a background presence, the lad still managed to make a memorable turn as part of Rodimus’ crew in episodes such as Transwarped. Funnily enough, though, he was initially conceived to be part of the main Autobot team before being replaced by the now suddenly popular Bumblebee following the first live-action film in 2007, and there was even going to be a toy of the character at the time, too. This would have featured an Earthern vehicle form ultimately never seen on screen, but otherwise, it looks to be a fairly faithful take, even including his arm-mounted flamethrowers.
Image credit: TFWiki, originally published in Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II
Could now be the time for Animated Hot Shot to be realised in toy form finally? With Legacy having already brought the character’s Armada iteration to life, it seems unlikely, but one can always hope!
#5: Wasp
OK, technically – technically! – there was a toy of Wasp. Two of them! The one most fans will be aware of is his significantly more familiar Beast Wars-inspired ‘mutant’ turn as Waspinator, originally released back in 2009. However, the other, intended to represent his more traditional Cybertronian form from his days as an Autobot cadet, was never released despite being readily advertised on the packaging of many a latter-day toy from the line.
That figure was set to be a straight-up repaint of the Deluxe Bumblebee from the time (oh, the irony). A retooled head to better represent the character was mooted but ultimately eschewed in favour of that honour going to Ironhide instead, which, on balance, was no bad thing. In any case, its ultimate cancellation leaves Wasp without a proper toy of his initial design, and considering what a memorable presence he was in the show, receiving considerably more screen time than many of the toys released in the line, it seems only fair to bring things full circle and make him real at long last!
#4: Slipstream
Modern Transformers audiences will no doubt be familiar with the character of Slipstream. She’s made her presence firmly felt in cartoons such as Cyberverse (which, in turn, you could argue has even inspired the female takes on traditionally male Seeker characters such as Skywarp in Earthspark) and has even had quite a toy to her name in both that line and areas such as Legends, too. Yet it all started back during the Animated cartoon, where the then-unnamed bot began life as a clone of Starscream before becoming a memorable presence in her own right. Later immortalised as ‘Slipstream’, the first canonically female Seeker proved a real hit with many fans, which no doubt explains her subsequent prevalence in later franchise fare. Still, sadly, she never received a faithful toy take on her now classic design from the time. With various iterations of the Seekers already having been homaged in the current Generations line recently, perhaps now is the time for something a bit different?
#3: The Constructicons
Two for the price of one here! The Constructicons likely need no introduction to anyone even peripherally familiar with Transformers, yet their Animated portrayal has always been a particular delight. True, the crew is typically much more sizeable in other fiction, and yes, this pair never saw fit to smush themselves together into anything even resembling their traditionally fan-favourite Devastator combined form. Still, the characterisation here is top-notch, and the designs are highly distinct, making this dim-witted duo more than memorable, although sadly, neither “Mix” nor Scrapper was ever granted toys at the time. There have been some excellent custom efforts over the years (notably this top-drawer 3D-printable contribution from the hugely talented @Sam_Makes_Toys), but their lack of official representation is still quite notable.
With Legacy plunging into ever-deeper depths of Transformers history, could it be about time for the Animated Constructicons to be given their due?
#2: Strika
There are many reasons to adore Strika’s unforgettable appearance in the Animated cartoon. Firstly, it’s a hugely welcome bit of Beast Machines rep, bringing a popular character back for another outing beyond the oft-forgotten show from where she originated. Secondly, she’s a distinctive and majorly foreboding presence, immediately introduced as a titan-sized terror not to be trifled with as she looms over her significantly smaller Autobot prey. Finally, she looks terrific, taking everything good about her original portrayal and supercharging it into one beautifully realised new take, although one which has sadly never seen the light of day in toy form. The character hasn’t been featured much since (despite a sort of turn in Cyberverse under the trademark-friendly name “Alpha Strike”), but there’s still time for Legacy to deliver on a decade-and-a-half’s worth of promise with the ultimate toy of her Animated incarnation!
#1: Omega Supreme
Come on, you don’t need me to explain this one to you, surely! Besides, you had to know who would take the top spot here. After all, there’s a reason the Animated interpretation of the Autobot’s last line of defence, Omega Supreme, is often cited as one of the fandom’s favourites from over the years. In this case, Omega reveals himself quite late in the day, first transforming to his supersize robot mode at the end of the second season despite having been a dormant presence in his ship form since the beginning. When it finally happens, it’s everything you could have imagined, combining various elements from classic Transformers lore to become something more than just the sum of its parts, which explains why this design has been a popular inspiration for customs over the years. Yet a Titan class Legacy figure would surely be the ultimate icing on the cake for Animated fans who have waited years to see such a thing made real at long last. Will it happen? It feels unlikely, sadly. Would it be awesome? You betcha!
So that’s our list! Which Animated characters would you most like to see brought back in toy form?
TTFN
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