COUNTDOWN: 8 notable Transformers breakout characters

Transformers has its fair share of memorable characters from over the years, which is unsurprising when you consider we’re now in the brand’s 40th anniversary year!

Yet despite all too often falling back on the same familiar faces of the classic 1980s series, there are also many names from subsequent eras who have gone on to find fame beyond their initial appearance, in some cases even achieving similar levels of go-to star status as the most recognisable robots of G1. Whatever the case, all of these examples can be considered notable despite debuting in later media.

All that said, here are 8 Transformers breakout characters!

#8: Strika

Strika first appeared in the second season of the much-maligned (but severely underrated) turn of the millennium series Beast Machines, debuting during the three-part Sparkwar opus. She and her comrade-in-arms Obsidian were presented as legendary generals from Cybertron’s military history, although later fiction would further establish them as former Autobots who had now crossed over into Megatron’s villainous Vehicon army. Both characters are memorable, but Strika is the one who, more than any other new presence in Beast Machines, has earned a name elsewhere. She made a brief but noteworthy turn in the third season of Transformers: Animated and quite clearly inspired the similarly styled Alpha Strike in Cyberverse more recently. She’s also often cited as a great example of a female Transformer with a less stereotypical body type, frequently hulking over her contemporaries and proving a true powerhouse on the battlefield!

#7: Hot Shot

Hot Shot was certainly not the first example of “the kid-friendly character” in a Transformers show, but he was one of the more unforgettable! Rubbing some fans the wrong way during his debut in 2002’s Transformers: Armada, he’s since become a franchise mainstay, frequently cropping up in the most unexpected of places. He was initially considered as one of the main cast for Transformers: Animated before that role went to Bumblebee instead as a way of tying in with the concurrent live-action movie of the time. However, this near-miss is even more ironic considering the original take on the character was called ‘Bumblebee’ himself during the early stages of production on Armada. However, he would later crop up in Animated‘s third season during a brief appearance and has had a notable presence in the IDW comics and a star turn in the oft-overlooked but excellent Rescue Bots Academy.

#6: Barricade

Though it wasn’t the first use of the name, Barricade became an instant hit as the memorable Decepticon police car from the first live-action Transformers film in 2007. Such an alternate mode was typically reserved for Autobots prior to this, but the idea immediately resonated with many fans despite only appearing in a handful of scenes. He would crop up again in Dark of the Moon and The Last Knight, now sporting a new look, and has since become a regular presence in everything from the IDW comics to the War For Cybertron video games and the similarly-titled but entirely unaffiliated cartoon trilogy, along with much more besides. These days, he’s often sporting a classic G1-inspired look, but the inspiration is undoubtedly traced back to that first film appearance.

#5: Sky-Byte

Ask any group of fans what the most noteworthy character from 2001’s Robots in Disguise cartoon is, and there’s a decent chance plenty of them will mention Sky-Byte. After all, how many haiku-spouting, teeth-gnashing flying sharks do you come across in your average Transformers fare? Besides his eccentric antics and frequent bouts of comic relief, Sky-Byte’s story had a lot of heart, as he became a surprisingly loveable presence despite his affiliation with the Predacons. He even managed to claim a happy ending come the show’s finale! No doubt a sizeable part of the affection was also for the exceptional voice work of actor Peter Spellos (RIP), pathing the way for the character to be brought back for a noteworthy return in 2019’s Cyberverse cartoon, alongside new toys to boot.

#4: Bulkhead

More than most on this list, the Bulkhead is noteworthy because he’s not commonly associated with just one iteration from Transformers history. Despite first appearing as the adorable oaf of the Autobot line-up in 2007’s Transformers: Animated, many fans will also claim his subsequent Prime portrayal from 2010 as equally important, adding new elements to the character’s make-up beyond his initial debut. In truth, both versions have their place, especially as Bulkhead has arguably never been quite as prominent in the franchise since then. True, he’s popped up briefly in IDW comics, and there have been a few other nods besides (not least of which includes a new-look Legacy toy just recently), but thus far, nothing matches the double-whammy of his first two top-tier turns. Still, you can’t keep a good Autobot down, and fan affection for Bulkhead no doubt means we can expect him to be used again before too long!

#3: Blackarachnia

If you go back now and watch Blackarachnia’s debut appearance in the first season Beast Wars episode Double Jeopardy, you might be surprised how inauspicious it is. Despite being only the second new character introduced to the show after the pilot, she barely registers during this initial story, serving as a mere token presence outside of a few impressive kicks on the battlefield. Fortunately, she quickly became one of the standout fan-favourite elements of the show, never failing to command your attention with her devious antics, all bolstered by a stellar performance from voice actor Venus Terzo, and evolved well beyond her stereotypical ‘bad girl’ persona to a fleshed-out member of the Maximal crew through to series sequel Beast Machines. The character’s backstory was significantly overhauled for an equally unforgettable turn in 2007’s Animated, and she was a clear inspiration for the similarly-themed Airachnid from 2010’s Prime, who herself has since popped up in IDW comics and more besides, before the classic version’s return in WFC: Kingdom. Not bad for a Tarantulas repaint, eh?

#2: Windblade

In many ways, Windblade was explicitly created to be a breakout character by her very nature. After all, she was the franchise’s first ‘Fan Built Bot’ candidate in 2013, designed through a series of online polls which determined everything from her name, gender, allegiance, alternate mode, special skills, colour scheme, weapons and even her back story, with the final result debuting at San Diego Comic-Con that year. Still, it’s only fair to credit Windblade for how easily adopted she’s become in the hearts of many fans, which explains why it’s hard to pin down her popularity to any particular part of franchise media. Though perhaps most commonly associated with the IDW comics, she’s also made highly memorable appearances in cartoons such as 2015’s Robots in Disguise, Cyberverse and the Prime Wars trilogy, racked up a plethora of video game portrayals, and boasts an entire legion of toys to her name. She’s even had her own McDonald’s Happy Meal iteration along the way!

#1: Lockdown

It’s surprising that Lockdown’s initial appearance in 2007’s Animated cartoon consists of a mere three episodes, considering what a franchise all-star the character has since become. Debuting in the first season caper The Thrill of the Hunt, the non-affiliated bounty hunter immediately made a splash with his unusual spiky design, outrageously striking car mode and a hauntingly husky voice portrayal from the legendary Lance Henriksen. He would later appear once per season, filling out his backstory somewhat as a supposed former Autobot who betrayed his ninja master. Though not *technically* a Decepticon (despite the corresponding toys being badged as such), there was nothing particularly nice about the guy all the same, but that didn’t stop him from being a lauded presence on the show and one fans were all too happy to see popping up elsewhere in the franchise later on. This includes appearances in the IDW comics and the Cyberverse cartoon, which were strongly informed by his initial debut. However, the character’s overhaul for 2014’s live-action Age of Extinction truly shows what a big-name franchise presence this guy has now become. If nothing else, he was arguably the best bit of that movie!

So that’s our list! Did we miss any obvious examples?

TTFN