COUNTDOWN: 10 RID 2001 characters that still need some love!

For people in the know, the 2001’s Robots in Disguise is one of the most beloved bits of Transformers history. And for those not in the know, well, trust me: 2001’s Robots in Disguise is one of the most beloved bits of Transformers history.

We are also presently in something of a mini-renaissance when it comes to the series. After all, we have characters such as Side Burn and Tow-Line popping up as a main-line makeovers in Legacy, and then, of course, there’s the small matter of Omega Prime having just dropped as the latest high-end Haslab spectacular.

With that in mind, here are 10 more examples of classic characters from the line (or its 2000 Japanese forebear, Car Robots) who could conceivably be brought back in modern form.

#10: Prowl & X-Brawn

This first entry feels like a shoo-in, surely! After all, with Side Burn already making his comeback, who wouldn’t want to see his car brothers alongside him. Both Prowl and X-Brawn are memorable designs of the time, though one suspects they’d be given a fairly sizeable overhaul should they be brought back in the same style as the former Viper. We imagine those Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz real-world car forms would be a thing of the past, likely replaced by more generic vehicle models, whether to the delight of fans or not. Still, such a sizable compromise aside, it would be intriguing to see how their robot modes could be tackled, especially in the case of the extremely quirky X-Brawn.

#9: Yellow Splendid Convoy

OK, this next one is a bit of a cheat – and technically, it’s not even “Robots in Disguise”, but a recolour from the 2003 Universe line – but regardless, there’s no doubt plenty of fans would *love* to see the new Haslab Optimus Prime design given a yellow refresh to homage the vintage Sam’s Club exclusive. Sure, there are always concerns about the crowdfund figures not being used for repaints, but so far as we know, Hasbro has never actually stated that will be the case, and frankly, we don’t see them keeping such a sizable cash cow as one-and-done forever. It would be… splendid.

#8: Skid-Z

Like Tow-Line, Skid-Z (or Indy Heat as he was initially known under Takara’s Car Robots) began life as a redeco of an old, unused Generation 2 flipchanger design. It was first seen in Machine Wars before RID, but the 2000/1 lineup was where it really came into its own, with the character also appearing in the accompanying animation. That popping purple and terrific teal is a fantastic combination on the classic toy and could be fun to see on a modern mould, too, even if it is likely to be a retool of something that already exists.

#7: Ruination

We may have mentioned this suggestion on the blog before, but forgive us for the ruinous repetition, as we’re sure you’ll understand the enthusiasm in this case. After all, with a new Bruticus design currently being released bit by bit as part of Age of the Primes, how long do we really think it will be before those same designs are given an RID-flavoured re-release? We can only speculate if it will be as individual toys or a 5-pack box set, but either way, it’s surely a matter of time before Ruination awakens.

#6: Rail Racer

Come on. COME ON. Ask anyone, literally anyone, even those only tangentially interested in RID 2001, and there’s a good chance they might offer up Rail Racer as a character who should make a return in modern toy form. The original is an all-time banger, but almost two and a half decades have passed since then, and we’re long overdue for a redo. Trains, eh? Always delayed. Let’s hope this one gets on track soon.

#5: The Predacon trio

Anyone who has seen the 2001 RID cartoon will know that the hapless triad of beastly baddies under Megatron’s control is one of the more memorable parts of the show. It would be unfair to call them franchise all-stars, but still, it’s a shame they haven’t been in toy form since then, so now is the time to change that! After all, Slapper (the frog), Dark Scream (the flying squirrel – yes, really), and Gas Skunk (the, er, skunk) are also quite idiosyncratic designs, having been rehashed from the latterday era of Beast Wars when things got *really* weird. Updated toys would no doubt lack the blinging chrome of the originals, but still, we can’t help but imagine this one.

#4: Spychangers

My only hesitation about even suggesting the notion of updated Spychanger toys is the genuine belief that it is practically impossible to top the originals. I mean zero shade on any current toy designer working on the brand today – it’s just there was a purity of execution with those vintage designs (which began life in the mid-90s as Generation 2 Go-Bots, of course) that makes them a true tactile thrill even by today’s standards. Still, there’s plenty of potential here for a makeover of some kind, especially as the characters were significantly larger in scale as part of the cartoon storyline than their original toy counterparts would have you believe. Equally, if they could find a way to incorporate the weapons, it might be a definite leg up!

#3: Landfill

He has a name that evokes all kinds of unpleasant connotations when it comes to toys, but make no mistake, the Build Team Big Man is most certainly not rubbish. In fact, Landfill is one of the more creative combiners we’ve had over the years, with a central multi-configuration gimmick that allows any of the three non-torso bots to work as either a leg or a pair of arms. Whichever form you choose, the result is typically rather unwieldy and a bit gangly in places, but that just adds to the charm of the overall set. It’s hard to know how an updated Generations take could make sense of it all (one suspects the troupe might be locked into a single combined form, for one thing), but it could certainly be intriguing to find out!

#2: Brave Maximus

With all the many recolours the Titans Return Fortress Maximus mould has had since its 2016 debut, it’s quite shocking to consider that none of them has been in homage to what many fans would tell you was the nicest outing of the original design! Yes, Brave Maximus – or simply “Fortress Maximus” as he is known in the show – is an idea that has only ever existed in toy form on the vintage mould. However, we have just received a mini Titan Master Cerebros included with Haslab Omega Prime, so perhaps we shouldn’t write this one off just yet? Strangers things have been known.

#1: Megatron

Where there’s an Optimus Prime, there surely needs to be a Megatron, right? That’s typically how it goes, anyway, and one can’t help but consider how many fans might agree when it comes to the chief bad guy of the 2001 series. After all, at the same time so much online discourse is dedicated to deciding if Transformers’ most infamous villain should be a gun or a tank, we dare to ponder him being a jet. Or a car. Or a dragon. Or a bat. Or… a hand. And hey, those are just the initial options until you get to the potential Galvatron repaint, the original of which had no less than ten official modes! Could an updated design rival such intricacy? It’s possible, although something tells us this might be an incredibly ambitious project for a retail affair. Could we see another RID Haslab before too long? Either way, this one has to happen.

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

TTFN