COUNTDOWN: Missing Link Convoy Repaints — What Could Be Next?

Missing Link C-01 Convoy was only released in 2024, and yet somehow it already feels like one of the most repaint-happy moulds in recent Transformers memory.

In under two years, TakaraTomy has delivered the Anime Colour version, the luscious burnt-yellow Sentinel Prime, and — just landed — the super sultry Nemesis Prime, with the white inner robot packed with Ultra Magnus, and the blue equivalent tucked inside Delta Magnus also on the way soon. That’s quite the haul for a figure barely out of its infancy.

Ok so this is gorgeous pic.twitter.com/GJsvJ9J2ax

— Sixo | Transformers (@SixoTF) March 3, 2026

What’s particularly striking is how varied those releases have been in terms of predictability. Some felt almost inevitable from the moment the original was announced — the Anime Colour version, the Magnus inner robots — whilst others came entirely out of nowhere. Sentinel Prime, for instance, is a colourway that precisely nobody had on their speculation bingo card, and yet here we are.

With Nemesis Prime now in hand and looking every bit as good as hoped, it feels like the right moment to take stock and ask the obvious question: what’s next? Because if TakaraTomy’s track record with this mould tells us anything, it’s that there will be more — and frankly, we want more! I’ve grouped some thoughts into four categories below, ranging from the near-inevitable to the genuinely unknowable, because not all repaint speculation is created equal.

#4: The Expected (These would surprise precisely nobody)

These aren’t guaranteed by any means, but if any of the following materialised tomorrow, the collective response would be a knowing nod rather than a dropped jaw. All are rooted in solid precedent or the kind of TakaraTomy habit that’s hard to ignore.

Shattered Glass — The number one name on fan wishlists whenever a new Optimus Prime mould arrives, and for good reason. The evil mirrorverse purple-and-black colourway has become something of a staple for the character, and although Hasbro has arguably leaned into Shattered Glass more, TakaraTomy is no stranger to the concept either, revisiting it most recently on the MPG line. What makes this particularly compelling for Missing Link is that a Shattered Glass take on the classic G1 design — whether vintage or modern — has never actually been done. So as familiar as the expectation feels, the actual release would still be something genuinely new.

Gold (Golden Lagoon) — If TakaraTomy has one irresistible weakness when it comes to Optimus Prime, it’s a shiny gold redeco. The Masterpiece Golden Lagoon release — a nod to Prime’s gilded appearance in the classic cartoon episode of the same name — is the most obvious touchstone, but the tradition of gold Lucky Draw prize recolours stretches back even further than that. More poignantly, TakaraTomy attempted a gold crowdfunded take on the original G1 toy for their 35th anniversary celebrations, mounted on a commemorative plinth yet still fully transformable, as a tribute to the prestigious 1988 employee gift version. Sadly, lacklustre interest meant it never came to pass. Perhaps Missing Link is the chance to finally make good on that idea.

‘Sleep Mode’ — Corpse repaints have become increasingly prevalent in recent times, with Studio Series leading the charge by immortalising the fallen Autobot crew from the 1986 film in horrific battle-damaged form. For Optimus specifically, it’s well-trodden territory — TakaraTomy’s own MP-4S Sleep Mode Convoy presented a haunting, muted take on the Masterpiece mould, whilst Hasbro’s Earthrise ‘Alternate Universe’ version went even further with full greyscaling and retooled battle damage. It might be a touch melodramatic for a line so rooted in celebration of the vintage toy, but given the history, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid if this one emerged.

Crystal/Clear — This one isn’t rooted in any specific Optimus Prime history, but TakaraTomy’s long-standing affection for translucent variants makes it feel like plausible territory. Consider the ghost Starscream from the e-HOBBY days, C-78C Crystal Rodimus, the clear Henkei! Henkei! Convoy from 2008, and more recently the translucent Rise of the Beasts Mirage and Core Dark of the Moon Bumblebee (to name but a few) — the appetite for this kind of thing clearly hasn’t waned. A classic G1 Optimus in crystal form has never been attempted before, which adds an extra layer of novelty. Not inevitable, perhaps, but hardly unthinkable either.

#3: The Dreamed-Of (Possible, but don’t hold your breath)

This next group occupies slightly murkier waters. These are the recolours that regularly surface in online discussions as though they’re a foregone conclusion — but in reality, each comes with a significant caveat that makes them considerably less certain than the fanfare might suggest.

Generation 2 — On paper, who wouldn’t want a G2-style Missing Link Convoy — brighter blues, extra weaponry, a lush black trailer with the name emblazoned down the side, and perhaps even a soundbox packed with supremely silly 1990s sound effects? The enthusiasm is entirely understandable. The complication, however, is that Generation 2 meant something very different for Takara than it did for Hasbro. The Japanese ‘G-2’ line was brief and limited entirely to the new moulds of the time, with none of the bold recolours that made the Western equivalent so fondly remembered. Given Missing Link is a TakaraTomy project through and through, a G2 deco feels more like a Hasbro wishlist item that’s somehow wandered into the wrong conversation.

Toxitron — Few recolours have made the journey from near-total obscurity to fan-favourite speculation fodder quite like Toxitron. Originally conceived as a scrapped Universe-era redeco of the Generation 2 Laser Optimus Prime mould in the early 2000s, the sickly green-and-purple scheme has since been resurrected multiple times — most recently in Legacy — and now gets name-dropped whenever a new Prime design is announced. The Missing Link mould would genuinely look extraordinary in that gloriously hideous colourway, it must be said. But much like G2, Toxitron has historically been a Hasbro-side endeavour, which makes its appearance on a TakaraTomy line feel more hopeful than likely.

Pepsi Prime — The Pepsi Optimus lineage is a storied one. The 1985 North American mailaway exclusive — identical to the regular release save for branded trailer decals — has since become one of the most coveted pieces of vintage G1, its desirability wildly disproportionate to how little it actually differs from the standard toy. That release inspired TakaraTomy’s own 2005 effort, which went considerably further by completely overhauling the G1 figure with a full Pepsi colour scheme and a newly tooled trailer designed to haul bottles of the soft drink as cargo. It’s a genuinely delightful piece of branded madness, and one that fans regularly invoke as potential Missing Link fodder. Whether the stars align for another corporate collab of this kind is another matter entirely — but it’s far from impossible.

Fire Guts Ginrai — There’s solid history behind a fiery orange take on the classic Optimus design — most famously the beautiful 2002 God Ginrai redeco and the Botcon 2014 Knight Ginrai outing on the Classics mould — but that history alone doesn’t make a Missing Link version any more likely. What does give it some indirect relevance is the recent Sentinel Prime release, whose burnt yellow and charred aesthetic already nudges in a vaguely similar direction. Whether TakaraTomy would revisit that well so soon is debatable, but as a concept, Fire Guts Missing Link remains a tantalising if speculative prospect.

#2: Don’t Count On It (Lightning in a bottle, not a blueprint)

Here’s where things get important to clarify. The following are often cited in repaint speculation threads as potential Missing Link candidates — purely on the basis that they happened once before on other Optimus Prime moulds. However, that logic doesn’t quite hold up under scrutiny, as each of these was a genuine one-off: a product of a specific moment, partnership, or cultural window that is unlikely to reopen. They’re worth celebrating, but probably not worth anticipating.

Evangelion — The 2014 Masterpiece Convoy Mode “Eva” remains one of the most visually arresting Transformers releases ever produced, blending the distinctive palette of Neon Genesis Evangelion onto the classic Optimus design with genuinely stunning results. Its reputation is thoroughly deserved, but the existence of that release — and indeed the forthcoming Synergenex Evangelion Prime, which retools the 2018 Legendary Optimus Prime for a more dedicated homage — doesn’t make a Missing Link equivalent any more probable. Crossover partnerships of this complexity don’t tend to be repeat business, and I’d be genuinely astonished to see this one revisited here.

BAPE / Atmos — The three A Bathing Ape tie-ins on the G1 Convoy design between 2011 and 2013 — in green, black, and red respectively — followed by a further trio on the Masterpiece mould between 2014 and 2017, represent one of the more extraordinary runs of branded Transformers releases in recent memory. The two Nike Atmos Safari collaborations on that same Masterpiece mould in 2019 and 2020 only added to the legacy. All of them are glorious, but none of them points toward a Missing Link equivalent being on the cards. These were products of a particular moment in streetwear culture’s intersection with collector toys, and that specific lightning seems unlikely to strike twice — at least not in the same form. A future apparel tie-in of some kind? Perhaps. These exact ones? Almost certainly not.

Shining Magnus — Strictly speaking, this is a repaint of Ultra Magnus rather than Convoy — but given that the Missing Link Ultra Magnus inner robot is a direct retool of the Convoy mould, it’s entirely relevant we consider it here. The original Shining Magnus from 2000 is the stuff of collector legend: only 800 were ever produced, the colourway was largely dismissed at the time, and it has since become one of the most sought-after and expensive pieces in the hobby. The vivid yellows supposedly reference the glow of the Matrix from the 1986 film, despite Magnus not exactly being centre stage during that particular moment. Demand for a reissue or spiritual successor is undeniable — but demand and likelihood are very different things, and TakaraTomy has shown little appetite for revisiting something so niche. Low odds, I’m afraid.

Ghostbusters — Yes, the MP-10 mould was once decked out in Ghostbusters livery by Hasbro, and yes, it was enormously entertaining. And yes, the idea of a Missing Link equivalent is fun to entertain, considering how bonkers it would be! But this falls squarely into the same category as everything else here — a charming one-off born of a very specific licensing moment, not a template for what comes next. I’d file it alongside the others: wonderful to have existed, unlikely to return.

#1: The Unknown (The ones nobody sees coming)

And finally, the most relevant category of all, because here’s the thing about Missing Link Convoy repaint speculation: the most likely outcome is that TakaraTomy does something nobody predicted.

Consider the evidence from elsewhere in the Optimus Prime repaint canon. In 2011, TakaraTomy released an Elite Guard-inspired take on the Animated Voyager mould — black replacing blue, crisp gold accents throughout, supposedly nodding back to the 2006 Cybertron Galaxy Force design — and absolutely nobody saw it coming. In 2025, Supreme — the iconic New York streetwear label — put its stamp on a G1 Convoy release that arrived with essentially zero warning. 2008’s Music Label line produced an EXILE collaboration that dressed the Autobot commander in the colours of the Japanese pop group, logo and all. And perhaps most outlandish of all, in 2021, Earthrise Optimus Prime received a Bump of Chicken makeover, kitting the Autobot leader out in the distinctive multicoloured livery of the Japanese rock band to the considerable bewilderment of collectors worldwide.

None of these could have been predicted, or fit any established pattern, and yet every single one of them happened anyway.

That’s the real lesson of Missing Link Convoy repaint speculation: for every Shattered Glass or Golden Lagoon that feels like a certainty, there’s a Sentinel Prime or Bump of Chicken waiting in the wings that will leave all of us completely blindsided. TakaraTomy’s imagination for this sort of thing has consistently outpaced anything the fandom could sensibly anticipate, and there’s every reason to expect the same from Missing Link.

So by all means, keep the wishlists going. Just leave a little room for the impossible.

So that’s my look at what might — or might not — be coming next for Missing Link Convoy! Which of these would you most like to see happen, and what have I missed?

TTFN