COUNTDOWN: 8 Beast Wars toys that deserve Generations updates!

Despite being – gasp! – almost thirty years old, Beast Wars endures as a fan-favourite Transformers series, which has continued to be referenced with more modern media and toys even today.

Yet, although we may never again see the glut of new figures found during 2021’s Kingdom line, plenty of classic Beast-era names still exist that could – and should! – be brought back for an updated spin as part of the ongoing Generations brand, be it Age of the Primes or whatever comes after. Oh, and before everyone gangs together in unison to shout, “Transmetals!” with the force of ten suns, we’ve opted to keep this list focused on the purely organic offerings from the ’90s line-up. Here are 8 such vintage Beast bots that deserve new toys.

#8: Sharp Edge

The name ‘Sharp Edge’ might be a bit on the nose (pun very much intended) but then there’s little that’s subtle about this 1999 Beast Wars Neo toy. After all, with a prominent protruding chest cannon, a pair of handheld melee weapons made from his beast mode face and tail and a backpack that looks like a shark has split open and skinned alive, this guy knows how to make an impression. Despite being a retool of Kenner’s original Cybershark figure from 1997, the changes to the mould make for quite a very different vibe overall, although either one would be ripe for a Generations update in our book. The Japanese take edges it purely on account of quirk factor, and because the character never received a Transmetal update of any kind (with Cybershark’s 1999 TM2 design going on to become popularised by its 2000/1 Sky Byte repaint), despite having been immortalised in at least one episode of the corresponding Beast Wars Neo cartoon. Shark at that.

#7: Crocodile Megatron

For our next entry, we’re going back to the earliest days of Beast Wars and the initial 2-pack that dropped featuring the original Optimus Primal and Megatron toys. Yes, this was before it was all gorilla vs T-Rex, as presented in the popular CGI cartoon of the time, as these takes on the characters were a bat and a crocodile, respectively. Whilst not as immediately memorable as a pair of alternate modes (it lacks that instant ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ factor, admittedly), there’s still plenty to admire here, and croc Megs especially is one of my favourite Beast Wars toys. After all, there’s something so inherently insidious about the idea of a crocodile lying in wait, all subdued menace under the surface, that it feels almost like the spiritual successor to the classic Megatron gun mode in many ways, perhaps far more than the loud, unbridled rage represented by the most infamous dinosaur. In any case, it’s a fun design that’s a bit different to the norm, and would doubtless make for an enjoyable update should the opportunity arise. See ya later, alligator?

#6: Torca

Plenty of Transformers toys have suffered from the dreaded gold plastic syndrome over the years. Still, few are quite as synonymous with GPS as the 1998 Fuzor known as Torca! Perhaps it’s because it was a pretty popular toy back in the day, but many a collector seems to have unpleasant memories of the thing spontaneously crumbling some years later, which is a crying shame considering what a terrific design the thing has otherwise. A truly freakish mishmash of an elephant and a killer whale (because why not?), the bizarre beast form gives way to an equally memorable robot guise, complete with a killer head sculpt boasting some serious Dreamwave The Fallen vibes. It all adds up to one of the best-looking toys of the era, making it all the more tragic that you need to handle it with kid gloves (if you take the risk at all!). Sure, there was a Japanese repaint in Elphaorpha, but it would be great to see an updated Generations effort give us the Torca we always wanted at long last.

#5: Galvatron

Where to start with this toy? The insanely cool dragon mode? The powder pink colour scheme? The, er… rather suggestive vehicle form? Sure, those last two points may contribute to Beast Wars II Galvatron looking more like something you’d find in Ann Summers than battling a horde of Maximals, but still, there’s no denying this thing has an aura all of its own! I was instantly struck by its presence as soon as I saw the incredible grey prototype way back when, and even though I could never have predicted *that palette* on the finished article, it remains a top-tier favourite of mine. Yet it’s still very much a product of the era, leaving plenty of potential for a modern re-do to bring updated articulation and additional features to the proceedings, much like we’ve already seen with Beast Wars Neo Magmatron. Let’s get it Galvatron!

#4: Mantis / Manterror

I’ve listed our next entry under the mould’s dual Kenner/ Takara identities, if only because the inherent design remains as outlandish as ever no matter which slight variance in colour scheme you give it! Seen above is the Japanese take with its brilliant blue wings. However, something about the sculpt always fits better as a villain in my mind, so arguably, its Western equivalent, the superbly named Manterror, is more appropriate for today’s consideration. Whatever the case, it’s the only Transformers toy we can think of which turns into a praying mantis, and for that alone, it deserves a modern Generations-style update at some point soon. Until then, we’ll be brimming with mantis-cipation.

#3: Bazooka

One of many fantastic Beast Wars Neo toys, Bazooka is notable for several reasons. One, he turns into a Euoplocephalus, which is about as cool and unusual a dino mode as you could wish for, making him a natural contender for another outing any day of the week as far as we’re concerned. Second, he’s rocking a rather quirky design, with a vibrant orange colour scheme, helmeted noggin and half his beast back hanging off his shoulder as would-be armour, so he’s sure to be a standout if given an update. Third, the original has one of the most bafflingly complicated transformations of any toy you can think of, which is especially notable considering it’s a Basic class effort and is supposed to be akin to literal child’s play. A new version could potentially fix such a nitpick, so here’s hoping Bazooka comes back with a boom!

#2: Barbearian

We were *so* close. When artwork for the Kingdom line started dropping, there was one particular image with a sweeping shot of all kinds of unusual characters from Transformers history engaged in a royal rumble, and among the ranks was a distinct rendering of Beast Wars Polar Claw. The large frosty-themed Maximal is a bit of a fan-favourite, albeit with just the one much-beloved toy to his name, so there was a palpable amount of hype to see what the upcoming Generations figure might look like. Unfortunately, it never materialised, leaving Polar Claw fans to bear with it while they continued to hope such a thing might one day become reality. Well, now could be the time, but beyond the obvious use of the mould, what about the more traditionally-coloured but even-more-ludicriously-named Barbearian as a potential character update? Sure, it’d be great to have both, but at least let’s get this guy as the bear minimum.

#1: Magnaboss

Ask anyone – literally any Transformers fan – what the best combiner of all time is, and odds are they’ll say Magnaboss without even giving it a second thought. OK, I can’t back that up, but it’s exactly what they should say because the 1997 three-pack is a masterclass in how to make such multi-robot gestalt designs work. Not only are all the big bot pieces built in, but every aspect of the individual trio has its place to play in the final form, from elephant tusks to bird wings and head to lion’s mane. Sure, the component parts themselves may have some degree of compromise. Still, there’s little doubt this is truly about as good as it gets when it comes to such combiners, which means perhaps my only hesitation in wishlisting a modern update is that I’m genuinely not sure what there is to actually improve on here. Still, it would be great fun to find out, so let’s hope it becomes reality one day, eh?

So that’s our list! What other classic Beast Wars toys deserve an update?

TTFN