COUNTDOWN: 9 Missing Link repaint ideas

We’re only a handful of releases deep into TakaraTomy’s new Missing Link line, and the excitement for more is already palpable.

Yet despite boasting just three unique moulds thus far, it’s time to start considering what repaints might become available later on, especially now that the first such example will soon be stepping off the factory line. After all, who could forget this?

Yes, the upcoming Sentinel Prime is all kinds of unexpected, from the core concept itself to the pretty whacky choices in colour scheme (to say nothing of it apparently also being a loose nod to the ‘real’ truck chosen to become Optimus Prime’s second form in the first episode of the classic 1980s cartoon!).

So, with that in mind, here are nine fun ideas for repaints of the existing Missing Link line-up, all in an attempt to do something a little out of the ordinary!

#9: Movieverse

Kicking us off is this idea from James Wilson, which could be an unusual but creative way to get Movieverse fans excited for Missing Link at the same time. Imagine a classic G1 Convoy featuring 2007-era Guy Fieri-esque flames along the sides or a Chibified Volkswagen Bumblebee with the black racing stripes of the Camaro version. Could be something!

#8: Yellow Cliffjumper & red Bumblebee

Alright, I know I said we’d look at concepts outside of the norm, and yeah, this one seems almost inevitable somehow, but c’mon, who wouldn’t want TakaraTomy to do the classic colour swap on Missing Link Bumblebee & Cliffjumper? After all, such an idea has gone surprisingly underutilised since the ’80s, despite being a memorable aspect of the original Transformers line!

#7: ‘Dead’ Optimus Prime

Like it or outright hate it, the notion of ‘dead’ Transformers toys is definitely now a thing! What began with Masterpiece MP-4S Convoy Sleep Mode back in 2010 has eerily evolved into an ongoing staple of the franchise, with even mainline takes on Prime and the likes of Ironhide, Prowl and Ratchet all rocking the corpse couture. So why not a Missing Link attempt? Bonus points if they capture the haunting muted reds and blues of the MP-4S version.

#6: Micro Change blue

Again, you might cry foul and state this one is obvious, but to that, I say, aha! It’s never actually been done in Transformers before (well, apart from Bump of Chicken Bumblebee, but hey). Yes, back in the pre-TF days of Micro Change, the toys which would become our Autobot Minicar heroes were available in red, yellow, and a very natty shade of powder blue, which has yet to be recreated on any spin of the classic mould. Could Missing Link plug the gap?

#5: Fire Guts

Someone will inevitably tell me this is not Optimus Prime but his Japanese lookie-like Ginrai, and it’s true! However there is some precedent for employing the so-hot-it-should-be-illegal ‘Fire Guts’ colour scheme first seen in the 1988 Masterforce cartoon and later immortalised on the 2002 e-HOBBY release, after it was used on the Classics Optimus mould for 2014’s Timelines Botcon giftset. Besides, how good would this look?

#4: Wasp

It may sound a little out there, but this idea lives up to the whacky spirit of the upcoming Sentinel Prime colour scheme and could be a bold first for a G1-style Bumblebee! After all, the Animated Wasp repaint of that line’s yellow fellow never made it to retail. Yet, it remains in plenty of fans’ hearts and minds as one of the many that got away from over the years. Whether as a fairly straight-up green repaint or a more extensive retooled makeover, could Missing Link provide the answer at long last? It would certainly keep DiaBrave Sid happy, as it was his suggestion!

#3: Neon Genesis Evangelion

I consider this one of the more outright unlikely options on the list, but hey, it’s fun to dream, right? After all, the Masterpiece MP-10 Convoy Mode “EVA” figure is even objectively a real sight to behold, with a truly original spin on an Optimus Prime colour scheme and lovely layers of lavish paint making for a wholly premium finish. That it also delivers such a fan-rousing homage to a much-beloved anime is the cherry on top, and no part of me thinks it wouldn’t be enjoyable to repeat the process in Missing Link. Clearly tikgnat agrees, as he suggested this one!

#2: Multi-coloured Minibots!

Alright, this one’s a cheat in many respects, but who cares? Suffice it to say, there is a genuine abundance of potential colour schemes that Missing Link Bumblebee and Cliffjumper could deck out for endless repaint fodder. Generation 2, keychain chase variants, Mexican Antex, Botcon exclusives, e-HOBBY Go-Bots: it’s all been done and plenty more besides. Get busy, Takara.

#1: Dark Awakening ‘ghost’

We have something more than a little ominous but wholly original for our final entry! Anyone who grew up with the classic 1980s Transformers cartoon will surely remember the nightmare-fuel that is season three’s Dark Awakening, which sees the future Autobots stumble across a deceased Optimus Prime’s tomb. However, it turns out that Prime has been reanimated, only to end up sacrificing himself all over again (or so we thought…) in a truly horrifying fashion. It ends with a rather touching tribute to the fallen Autobot leader as we see his ghostly image emblazoned across the stars, prompting Fancy Dan to ponder the idea of a clear plastic release of Missing Link Convoy as a fitting homage.

Failing that, you could instead immortalise Optimus’ final moments from the episode, finally capturing in toy form one of the most enduring (and terrorising) portraits of our childhood hero that we ever care to imagine. Why not, eh?

So that’s our list! Which of these would you be up for?

TTFN