
I love repaints. I may have mentioned this.
There’s something about seeing an already familiar toy design rehashed in a bold new colour scheme that always gets the motor running. After all, what better way is there to fully appreciate a particular mould than to admire it with a different look?
Having already showcased examples from the Unicron Trilogy, CHUG, Beast Machines, RID 2001, Binaltech, Masterpiece, Generation 1 and a fair chunk of Beast Wars, we’re back at it again for more Transformers Animated! Simply put, here are five gorgeous repaints for your consideration! And yes, there are some Botcon examples…
#5: Botcon G2 Sideswipe (2011)

Yes, we’re kicking things off in style! Botcon repaints have become a staple of these lists, so we’re swinging into that in a big way here with an example from what many collectors consider the best year of exclusives the convention ever put out! And yes, it’s another Rodimus Minor repaint, but given how inherently fantastic that mould is and how extraordinary so many of its reuses are, can you blame me? After all, it’s a perfect choice for this reimagination of Sideswipe’s fan-favourite bad boy ’90s overhaul, bringing the black Generation 2 look back into the spotlight three years before the Masterpiece line did a similar thing. The retooled Breakdown head (also from the same year’s Botcon) is a perfect choice to represent the classic Autobot, and the mix of those popping reds and greens versus that sultry, shiny main body set this one off. It’s hard to pick a favourite use of the design when they’re as consistently excellent as this.
#4: Adventure Swoop (2015)

One thing I always love about Transformers is when an older toy design is rather randomly brought back out of obscurity for another altogether unexpected outing. Nothing will ever quite top the inexplicable tale of the original Beast Wars Terrorsaur mould’s resurrection several decades later, but still, seeing the 2008 Swoop toy re-released in a sparkling new colour scheme seven years on was a major surprise! Yet that’s precisely what happened in TakaraTomy’s Adventure toy line, their take on 2015’s Robots in Disguise, to pad out the proceedings with more product. It may lack the flail weapon of the original outing, but still, there’s no denying it was a thrill to see the Animated Dinobot done justice with such a creative makeover! It’s just a shame there weren’t more examples like this.
#3: Botcon Dead End (2011)

Hey, I said we’d be talking more about Botcon, and I did mention above how 2011 was *the* year to beat, so don’t be surprised we’re returning to that well for more! Yes, the Stunti-Con-Job team is one of the most desirable convention giftsets of that era, and for good reason, as indeed even a cursory glance at Dead End here will attest to. Taking some of the best toy designs from Animated and entirely turning them on their head with superb new Scramble City colour schemes to represent the Decepticon’s car-themed thug brigade was a masterclass in what makes such repainted efforts so alluring, after all. It’s a great result given precisely nothing about the figure makes you think of Jazz, despite the Autobot being far and away the more common use of this mould. True, they may not combine into Menasor at all, but when the individual team members look as good as this, it’s not a feature which is all that sorely missed!
#2: Skywarp (2009)

We’re mixing things up now with a figure that was not a convention exclusive (what?) and saw release in the main Animated toy line itself (crazy town!). Yes, every Starscream design tends to receive a whole rainbow of repaints, and sure, Skywarp is typically towards the top of the tree somewhere, but something about this 2009 example still hits different. I mean, sure, it’s *gorgeous* – Skywarp toys typically are, what with being all black and purple and everything – but this one goes the extra mile to become truly breathtaking up close. Much of that is down to the main body being lighter than usually expected, leading to an almost anime-styled grey mixed beautifully with several shades of distinctly pinkish-purple and complemented by some blazing translucent orange highlights. It’s hard not to lament that Thundercracker never made it over the release line to complete the trio, but at least we snagged this beautiful beast.
#1: Botcon Toxitron (2011)

I did warn you, no? Yep, we’re back to Botcon 2011 for one final example (for now!), but don’t tell me I didn’t save the best till last because, well, look at this thing. Somehow hideous beyond belief and yet undeniably stunning all in equal measure, Animated Toxitron is absolutely inexplicable even when examined up close, defying expectations to be one of the most undeniably splendid repaints of all time. Inspired by the 2003 Universe repaint of Generation 2 Laser Optimus Prime that sadly never was, this was ultimately the first take on the character to see release and thus really set the template for the attempts which followed over the years. Yet somehow, it remains the most extreme example of them all, dialling up the absurd colour palette to an almost unacceptable degree but imbuing it with a can’t-look-away charm in the process. It absolutely should not work. And yet.
So that’s our list! What are some of your favourite Animated repaints?
TTFN
