COUNTDOWN: 12 sets of characters still to appear in Studio Series ’86

Since the first toy debuted in 2021, the Studio Series line’s focus on characters from the 1986 Transformers movie has been a big hit with collectors.

Big names such as Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Jazz and many more have all been given the treatment in that time. Although we know SS86 won’t run on forever, plenty of characters remain on the table for the future. Sure, some of these have had recent Generations toys elsewhere. Still, it’s perfectly possible those moulds could be ‘refreshed’ as part of Studio Series, whilst others deserve new designs altogether.

Regardless, here are 12 sets of characters left to be done before we complete a movie cast for Studio Series ’86!

#12: Insecticons

These bug-themed baddies have had the rare honour of being released under the same subline of Generations toys recently after the trio dropped in its entirety as part of Legacy. Yet it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the designs given another outing complete with some slightly more screen-accurate colours, perhaps even as an SS86 3-pack? Stranger things have been known.

#11: Minibots

We’ve had plenty of new Minibot toys in recent years, yet the classic crew have been largely absent from the SS86 roster despite all appearing in the animated ’80s film. Both Bumblebee and Brawn received new moulds just recently, and Cliffjumper emerged as a retool of his Earthrise toy under the Buzzworthy Bumblebee imprint. Still, another release (with clear windows) of that figure may yet emerge, and who’s to say there won’t be refreshes of both Kingdom Huffer and Legacy Gears in SS86 packaging besides. Really, though, the most notable absentee here is Windcharger, who hasn’t had a new toy since 2018’s Power of the Primes. He may only have appeared briefly as a corpse, but the lad was still in the movie, so it could happen!

#10: Soundwave, Laserbeak, Ravage & Ratbat

We’ve seen a fair amount of the WFC Soundwave mould by this point, with recolours and redecos aplenty all within a short spell and most recently at the tail end of 2024 (not to mention a Takara Dramatic Capture release besides!). However, an SS86 Soundwave has yet to emerge – could it be an entirely new mould, and would that mean updated cassettes into the bargain? We’ve already had Rumble and Frenzy, although those moulds were also part of the last Legacy set, so perhaps not! Either way, rumours persist the musical miscreant will be part of Studio Series before too long, whatever the case may be.

#9: Rewind & Ramjorn

With Steeljaw having already debuted as a standalone SS86 release and Eject coming packaged alongside that line’s Blaster, it remains to be seen if the final two Autobot cassettes will find similar new life before long. Rewind seems likely, given that the only version of his current mould has been the translucent black plastic figure found alongside Legacy Twincast. Meanwhile, you’d have to go back to 2017 for the last Ramhorn figure, which emerged as part of Titans Return! Two can play, surely?

#8: Coneheads & Seekers

Here’s another set of characters which technically – technically! – haven’t been seen as part of SS86 despite all having corresponding Generations toys to their name in recent memory. Dirge’s Legacy release rounded out the trio of Coneheads started with Earthrise Thrust and Ramjet, and that line’s 2-pack release of Skywarp and Thundercracker makes a decent counterpart for Studio Series Starscream. Would fans like to see these refreshed again for the movie line? Probably not, but we can never rule it out!

#7: Autobot cars

Likewise, this smattering of Autobots has all been seen in adjacent lines but are yet to receive their time in specific SS86 packaging. Hound and Wheeljack recently dropped as part of a Generations Selects 5-pack, albeit with opaque plastic windows, so a further set of repaints seems unlikely but not entirely impossible. Meanwhile, Grapple (who was in the movie for a split second or two!) and Inferno (hey, he was in the credits) had Earthrise and Kingdom releases, respectively. Perhaps the design most deserving of a refresh is the one for Prowl and Bluestreak, given the former has only dropped in Studio Series as his rather divisive corpse release and the latter also hasn’t been used since Earthrise. Time will tell if any of these come to pass.

#6: Cyclonus

It’s obvious that Generations and Studio Series are meant to fit alongside one another. Yet given how many recent WFC or Legacy toys we’ve seen being refreshed for the SS86 line, it’s also not surprising that collectors are anticipating more on the horizon. One such candidate could be Cyclonus, who dropped back in Kingdom around the same time as Studio Series Scourge. With Galvatron now given the repaint treatment, could his henchman follow suit? We’d expect a matte grey face, for starters.

#5: Shockwave

Like Soundwave, the Siege Shockwave mould has been used numerous times over (and again, featured for another outing in that recent Takara Dramatic Capture set). Yet the monocled menace was a popular part of the classic ’80s movie, and some might argue there’s a logical potential for a further SS86-styled release, whether that’s a makeover of the existing mould or something new entirely. It doesn’t seem very likely, but it could still happen.

#4: Triple Changers

Blitzwing and Astrotrain have memorable moments in the 1986 movie, and despite having recent toys to their names, there’s every reason to think they could return for an SS86 outing, perhaps in a souped-up style like the recent Springer overhaul. The Astrotrain mould has been around since Siege but still looks the part, whilst it’s not hard to imagine a slightly more cartoon-accurate styled take on the Legacy Blitzwing design besides.

#3: Reflector

Wait, was Reflector in the 1986 film? Yes, he was, though you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise! He (very) briefly shows up amongst a troupe of Decepticons during the big Autobot City battle and again when Galvatron crashes Starscream’s coronation. We’re not sure that’s enough to grant the Siege Refraktor toy another day in the limelight but who’s to say?

#2: Rodimus Prime

Here’s one which hasn’t been confirmed, but we’d be willing to lay good money on. Just like Galvatron, who had a toy debut during Kingdom only to get a sizeable makeover for a recent SS86 release, we can absolutely see Rodimus being given a similarly styled new look and a Studio Series re-release. Many fans would welcome the idea, especially if it came with an updated finish and a matte-grey face. Arise, Rodimus Prime!

#1: Megatron

Here’s the thing: we know this is happening at some point. And hey, we also know it’s not going to be a gun, a subject which has already proven to be majorly controversial despite the obvious logic behind such a decision. Oh, and no, it won’t be a retool of the Siege or Earthrise moulds (nor of Age of the Primes Megatronus, for that matter). The only thing we don’t know is when it’s happening! Or what it’ll look like, I guess. But it’ll be fun finding out!

So that’s our list! Which of these would you be excited to see?

TTFN