COUNTDOWN: SS86 Thundercracker – 6 things to see!

This year’s San Diego Comic-Con brought a wealth of exciting Transformers updates as the Hasbro brand team was on hand to showcase a whole plethora of reveals!

There was plenty to take in, but amongst it all, the debut of an all-new Seeker design for the ongoing Studio Series SS86 line-up was undoubtedly something that stood out. After all, no one had predicted such a thing, especially not with the previous Earthrise mould already having been repainted for the roster.

Some may be a little disgruntled to see yet another round of Seekers, of course. Still, there’s also no denying the new design brings plenty of benefits to the table. So with that in mind, here are six things to see about Studio Series SS86 Thundercracker!

#6: The robot mode is amazingly clean!

IMAGE CREDIT: TFW2005

Kicking off with an obvious point here, it’s worth saying how fantastic this thing looks in robot mode first of all. It’s surprisingly kibble-free, for starters, with a very unencumbered silhouette which leans heavily towards the look of the character’s classic animation model. Add in a distinct absence of greebling or modelled detail versus the Earthrise design in favour of smooth panels and uninterrupted lines, and there’s no denying the new mould has a genuine aesthetic appeal!

#5: The jet mode looks equally impressive!

IMAGE CREDIT: TFW2005

Likewise, the jet form is remarkably cohesive, stowing away any robot mode kibble fairly neatly to deliver an exceptionally polished result. The top side looks magnificent with no real interruptions to the finish and plenty of familiar hallmarks such as the classic pair of black squares in the middle. Even the sides and underneath are very tidy, considering everything it needs to go through in terms of transformation. Dare we say it’s not that far off the Masterpiece MP-52 design in how well it cleans up here, despite being only a fraction of the budget and complexity!

#4: It appears to be nicely articulated

Shoutout to there *finally* being a Seeker design with a waist swivel where the cockpit doesn’t break into two pieces to achieve it https://t.co/fJNFtjiLRB pic.twitter.com/0FoH0QGjAK

— Sixo | Transformers (@SixoTF) July 27, 2025

One thing a lot of Seeker designs are not particularly known for is their poseability, if only because they typically carry so many inherent compromises and kibble that it makes the result a little fiddly. By comparison, this new SS86 mould has everything we want in terms of modern articulation, with seemingly plenty of range in the arms and legs and even an unencumbered waist swivel, which is a welcome sight! It’s also notable how the chest cockpit sits high enough on the midriff not to be ‘broken’ during the process, which is a small but critical point.

#3: It’s highly cartoon accurate

For better or for worse, cartoon accuracy is “a thing” and likely will be for years to come. Some collectors are greatly opposed to that, but even the most ardent animation detractors will often agree a pleasing result can still be achieved as long as the designs don’t go “too far” into slavish screen adherence. The Masterpiece line is the most obvious example of that, with its updated aesthetic putting off many longtime fans in the process and on face value, you could be forgiven for thinking this new SS86 design goes the same route. Yet it seems to interpret the idea of cartoon accuracy in a much more nuanced manner, still feeling like the concept has been interpreted to work as an actual 3D toy and not just an imitative attempt to portray the animation model to the greatest extent possible. Suffice it to say, this is “good” cartoon accuracy.

#2: It has plenty of little features

IMAGE CREDIT: TFW2005

Given they turn into jets, Seeker designs bring with them all kinds of potential for interactivity and fun, and one only has to look at the now classic Masterpiece MP-3 mould to see exactly what we mean. True, that went above and beyond in how it portrayed an amazingly realistic vehicle, but even then, you would think that stuff like landing gear and opening cockpits were standard on any given toy of these characters. Yet that sort of thing was entirely what was missing on the Earthrise design, so forgive us for being excited to see such elements making a welcome return on SS86 Thundercracker! He has permission to land.

#1: Those ankle fins are optional!

IMAGE CREDIT: TFW2005

This last point has already been controversial. Still, the new design makes clever use of optional partsforming (note we said it was optional!) in allowing you to remove the rear jet fins from the ankles and stow them away on the back of the wings instead. Some were disappointed in this solution, if only because the initial renders on show did not make it clear that it wasn’t a built-in feature somehow, but equally, it would be tough to see how they might incorporate such a transformation step without getting into MP-52 levels of complexity. In any case, you can leave the fins on the ankles if you prefer, or stow them round the rear for a more anime-accurate vibe. Options!

So that’s our list! Are you excited for SS86 Thundercracker?

TTFN