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Crankstart

2026-04-08T00:33:57Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Notes */ ~~~~

{{faction|decepticon}}
:''Crankstart is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[movie continuity family]] (via the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 Transformers toyline]]).''
[[File:Titan_2-18 Crankstart.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Have we used up all the Toto lyrics on the other pages yet? We have? Damn.]]

'''Crankstart''' just wants to have fun. Mind you, his idea of "fun" is basically "endanger the lives of any [[human]]s that might be in the remote vicinity". And if any [[Autobot]]s get in the way... well, that's all the more fun, isn't it?

That overconfidence will undoubtedly get him in deep, deep trouble some day.

==Fiction==
===Toy bio===
Crankstart found a remote beach in eastern [[Africa]]<ref>''Hunt for the Decepticons'' Scout Class Breacher packaging bio</ref> to hide from the Autobots. This turned out to be pretty boring, so he would sometimes fire off a missile at passing human sea vessels to pass the time. Unbeknownst to him, [[Sea Spray (TF 2010)|Sea Spray]] and [[Breacher (TF 2010)|Breacher]] burst right out of the water and were hot on his tail.<ref>''Hunt for the Decepticons'' Scout Class Crankstart packaging bio</ref>

===Titan movie comics===
[[File:Titan_2-18 Crankstartdriving.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]

Crankstart, [[Brimstone (TF 2010)|Brimstone]], and [[Trenchmouth]] were having a hell of a time in [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]]: with the Autobot's popularity wrecked, they got to do some wrecking of their own and ''PARRRRR-TAY!'' He led the trio, eagerly touting the possibility for destruction and how more things would come to them if they waited; to prove his point, the local police turned up and he was able to have fun wiping them out. They drove off to have fun in [[Nevada]] too...

...when the Autobots hit. Crankstart mocked their strike as being feeble and pulling their punches... when [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] ''drove through him''. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.18|Shadow War}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
[[File:Kreon Crankstart wallpaper.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"Oh gun, if only I could be as transparent as you."]]
Crankstart helped man the machinery designed to cook a colossal grilled cheese sandwich for [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]]. He and the other Decepticons surrounded the invading [[Wheeljack (G1)#Kre-O cartoon|Wheeljack]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], but ended up covered in exploded grilled cheese instead, then tossed in a big net while the Autobots danced away. {{storylink|Quest for Energon, Part 2}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Transformers'' (2010)===
[[File:TF2010toy-Crankstart.jpg|right|thumb|300px|''Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you!'' We still got it, folks!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Crankstart''' (Scout Class, [[2010]])}}</ul>

:''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)#HFTD|Transformers: Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' Crankstart is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Dune Runner (ROTF)#Toys|Dune Runner]], transforming into a vehicle based on the [[Sector Seven]] dune buggies seen in the [[Transformers (film)|first film]], the same vehicle also used as the basis for the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]]'s [[Landmine (Movie)#Toys|Landmine]]. The twin gatling guns mounted on his roof/shoulders have multi-jointed armatures for different firing positions.

:This mold was also used to make ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Beachcomber (ROTF)#Toys|Beachcomber]], 2010 ''Transformers'' [[Rollbar (RPM)#Transformers (2010)|Rollbar]] and ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' GDO [[Sandstorm (G1)#Generations|Sandstorm]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/Crankstart/crankstart.htm More information on Crankstart at TFU.info]''
{{ROTFDuneRunnerMold}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy CrankstartKreon.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"They won't find me in this sealed opaque bag!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Crankstart''' (Micro-Changer, [[2012]])}}</ul>
:*''Kit number'': '''A1010'''
:*''Bag number'': '''21451 0'''
:*''Accessories'': Small pistol
{{toydesigner|[[Ed Masiello]] (Hasbro)}}

: Part of a six-figure "preview" wave of [[Micro-Changer]] [[Kreon]]s, Crankstart is a [[Blindpacking|blindpacked]] bagged mini-figure. He comes with extra parts which help him form a dunebuggy (sorta).

: He uses the [[Hound (Kre-O)|Hound]] helmet, ''Battleship'' series torso armor, [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] smokestacks and wheels, and the [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]] pistol.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/Kre-OCrankstart/crankstart.htm More information on Crankstart at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
*The abbreviated [[bio]] for Breacher from his [[multilingual packaging]] for the European market refers to Crankstart as Crank'''shaft'''.
*Yeah, we have no idea why he of all characters was chosen to receive a Kreon in the first wave of Micro-Changers either.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Decepticons]]

File:G1Snare cardart.jpg

2026-01-26T23:21:39Z

AimÃ©eRose97: AiméeRose97 uploaded a new version of "File:G1Snare cardart.jpg": Colour corrected scan of the figure's original packaging artwork by artist Mike Timmins ~~~~

[[Packaging art]] for Generation 1 [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] [[Snare]].

{{G1packagingart}}

{{C}} Hasbro, 1992.

File:RescueJet-art.jpg

2026-01-26T22:59:40Z

AimÃ©eRose97: AiméeRose97 uploaded a new version of "File:RescueJet-art.jpg": Colour corrected scan of the figure's original packaging artwork by artist Mike Timmins ~~~~

Card-art of the Rescue Force jet. image from [http://www.botchthecrab.com/archive/ Botch the Crab's box-art archive]

{{G1packagingart}}

Decepticon Dam-Busters!

2025-11-12T06:24:02Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Featured characters */ Hound was in the cast list twice

{{comicstory|
|prev=Repeat Performance!
|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #29–30
|next=The Wrath of Guardian!
|image=MarvelUK-029.jpg
|caption=You know, this would look quite good on [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|television]].
|title="Decepticon Dam-Busters!"
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=Part 1: [[September 28|28th September]] Part 2: [[October 5|5th October]], [[1985]]
|coverdate=Part 1: [[October 5|5th October]] Part 2: [[October 12|12th October]], [[1985]]
|writer=[[Simon Furman]]
|art=[[John Stokes]]
|colours=[[Steve Whitaker]]
|lettering=[[Richard Starkings]]
|editor=[[Ian Rimmer]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''Ratchet tells the Dinobots about a Transformer battle involving a dam.'''

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
[[File:Boulderdamfight.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Following their defeat of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] are making their way back to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] decides to ask a passing [[human]] for directions and is surprised when the man runs away in fear. Ratchet explains that humans can't distinguish between the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s. Grimlock is baffled and so Ratchet relates the story of a Decepticon attack on [[Sherman Dam]]...

''When [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] deduces that they can convert electrical power into a crude form of useable fuel, the Decepticons seize control of Sherman Dam. To push the power output to maximum, Megatron has [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] head under the water to create a tidal wave using his earthquake-generating powers. The Autobots arrive, and while their troops meet in battle, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] engages Megatron in a duel atop the dam using energy weapons. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], meanwhile, attempts to stop Rumble by diving down and fighting him, but Rumble gains the upper hand and Hound is thrown clear of the water. This distracts Prime who is thrown from the dam by Megatron as a result.''

===Part 2: "Wave of Destruction!"===
''The Autobots rescue Optimus Prime from the water, but Megatron blasts the dam open to cover the Decepticons' escape. With a tidal wave of water now rushing downhill, the Autobots split into two groups; one heads to a nearby village in the path of the wave to begin evacuation procedures, while the other attempts to stop the water, first by trying to block it with a rock fall, and when that fails, by blasting channels into the ground for it to drain away into. Though the torrent is lessened, it is not stopped; fortunately, once they villagers have been taken care of, [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] are able to cut more channels into the surrounding area, saving the day. Their celebrations are cut short, however, by the angry villagers who are unable to distinguish the Autobots from the Decepticons, and who blame them for the destruction in the first place. The Autobots sadly depart the scene.''

As Ratchet finishes his tale, another angry human, [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Josie Beller]], lying in her hospital bed, grows closer to completing the cybernetic upgrades that will allow her her revenge, while her employer, [[G.B. Blackrock]], makes plans for vengeance of his own. Ratchet and the Dinobots arrive back at the Ark... where [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] is suddenly attacked by the battle droid [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]] (1)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] (3)
*[[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]] (5)
*[[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] (6)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] (7)
*[[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] (13)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (14)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (15)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] (16)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] (17)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (18)
*[[Mirage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Mirage]] (19)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] (20)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (21, see notes)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] (22)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (23)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (25)
*[[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]] (28)
}}
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (9)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]] (12)
|c3=
*[[Charlie (bartender)|Charlie]] (4)
*[[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Josie Beller]] (26)
*[[G.B. Blackrock]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
"I don’t think much of this specimen of carbon-based life."
:—'''Grimlock''' on the human race

"That means taking out Megatron!" 
"Doesn’t it always?"
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Production notes===
[[File:Mtmte2 shermandam.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|"Mine's bigger."]]
[[File:DecepticonDamBusters screencap redraws.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
*"Decepticon Dam-Busters!" represents a series of "firsts" for the UK comic. It is the first UK-original strip published in full colour, and the first to abandon the toy-based designs that defined the previous original stories, "[[Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron]]," "[[The Enemy Within!]]", and "[[Raiders of the Last Ark]]," with the Transformers appearing instead in rather unique designs that mash-up aspects of their toys, [[package art]], and [[character model]]s (notably, Ratchet appears with his final character model design, while Ironhide is still based on his headless windscreen-faced toy!). Additionally, it is the first UK-original story to actively integrate itself into the ongoing narrative of the US stories between which it was published; where the past UK strips had played very loose with continuity, requiring editorial retcons to properly explain where they fitted into the timeline, the "Dam-Busters" framing sequence follows directly on from the end of the previous US issue. Even further, it does something that future UK strips generally would ''not'' do: written with knowledge of upcoming US stories, it is able to build upon subplots already in motion, checking in with certain characters and laying seeds for their next appearances in US material.
*The bulk of this story is, of course, an adaptation of portions of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]." The idea to do so came from editor [[Ian Rimmer]], who sought to capitalize on the television adverts that were still running for the full-colour revamp the comic had undergone two weeks prior by producing a story that made the different parts of the Transformers franchise seem "unified," thereby projecting an aura of accessibility. It was a one-time stunt; the cartoon's continuity-lite episodes were at odds with comic's preferred type of storytelling, and the production team had no wish to follow its lead.<ref>[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1]], page 147</ref>
*The adaptation itself is a largely faithful one, with lifted dialogue ("Stick it in neutral, Megatron!" "You're old... yesterday's model!") and even featuring literal "screencap redraws" of Ironhide and Bumblebee cutting channels into the ground to stem the flow of water (right). This extends to the inclusion of cartoon-original ideas that were not part of comic continuity, like Rumble's piledriver arms and the Decepticons' use of [[energon cube]]s; though energon cubes would be introduced in the comic in later issues, for now, their unfamiliarity to the reading audience sees the strip refer to them as "energon fuel cubes" to make it clear what they are. Alterations and additions include:
**In Part 1, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s role in the story is naturally erased, as he did not yet exist in the comic's storyline. This means that Hound is hurled out of the river by Rumble rather than buried under rocks which Spike rescues him from, and it is Hound's dramatic emergence that distracts Optimus, allowing Megatron to knock him from the dam, rather than Spike's distressed cries.
**Part 2 moves the Autobots' protection of the town to after the Decepticons have departed, rather than setting it concurrently with their battle at the dam. Megatron blasts the dam open to cover the Decepticons' escape, rather than it cracking as a result of the tidal wave, and extra scenes of the Autobots attempting to block the water as it heads for the town are added. Finally, the humans' misunderstanding and blaming of the Autobots is a new idea that's not part of the cartoon episode.
{{-}}

===Continuity notes===
[[File:DecepticonDamBusters beller redrawn.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|I love the Power Glove! It's so bad.]]
*As noted above, in a UK-story first, the framing sequence of this story follows on directly from the end of the [[Repeat Performance!|previous issue]], in which Ratchet and the Dinobots defeated Megatron and then started off back toward the Ark. Footage from that battle (caught by vacationer [[Brad Newbury]]) is broadcast on a bar television on the first page of this strip.
*Ratchet's flashback, on the other hand, is more in-line with the other UK-original stories up to now, being set in some vague time period during the events of [[The Transformers Four-Issue Limited Series|the original four-issue US mini-series]]. The "[[Robot War]]" text features run in issues [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|#36]] and [[Second Generation!|#63]] will place it as occurring during the time-lapse montage on pages 9–11 of [[Prisoner of War!|US issue #3]], shortly after "Man of Iron."
*US sub-plots in motion which the story checks in on include the schemes of the paralyzed Josie Beller, including a redrawn version of [[Repeat Performance!|US issue #8]], page 14, panel 8 (right), and G.B. Blackrock's own future plans to take down the Transformers, as he is shown looking at huge weapon. This ''must'' be his [[Anti-Robot Photonic Multi-Cannon]], which he will unleash in [[DIS-Integrated Circuits!|US issue #9]], though it looks completely different.
*The Guardian battle-droid previously appeared in [[Raiders of the Last Ark|issues #20-21]].

===Real-life references===
*The title of this story is a reference to the 1955 film, ''{{w|The Dam Busters (film)|The Dam Busters}}.''
*A customer at the bar thinks the footage of the battle at the dam is from the set of the next [[Steven Spielberg]] film.

===Continuity and plotting errors===
*The dam is given the name "Sherman Dam" in part 1, taken straight from the cartoon episode, but in part 2, it is referred to as "Boulder Dam." The ''[[Transformers Collected Comics|Collected Comics]]'' #5 reprint corrects this so that both parts use "Sherman Dam," and this version of the comic has been used for all other reprints.
*Inferno appears among the Autobots fighting the flood in part 2, page 3, panel 6, when, as a character from the 1985 toy range, he should not be active on Earth yet. Internal to UK continuity, this was not ''strictly'' an error at the time of publication; the famous "Autobot roll call" double-page spread had been omitted from the reprint of [[The Transformers (issue)|US issue #1]], so UK readers did not have a definitive list of which Autobots were "meant" to be on Earth at the time, and Inferno's appearance did not contradict anything up to that point. The same had previously happened with [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] in "The Enemy Within!", and just like Red, when the 1985 [[Autobot Cars]] range was properly introduced into comic continuity in [[Rock and Roll-Out!|US issue #14]], Inferno was, for whatever reason, ''not'' among them. It looked like this early appearance of his could fit into the same plot-gap as Red Alert's did... until [[Firebug!|issue #188]] over three years later, when Inferno arrived on Earth with the [[Wreckers]]. Oh well!
*As a side note, Inferno also appears in the story "[[Missing in Action]]" in the ''[[Transformers Annual 1985]]'', but that story was written without regard for the larger UK continuity and doesn't fit into it properly.

===Artwork and technical errors===
*Reoccurring from "The Enemy Within!" and "Raiders of the Last Ark" are a pair of "errors" that might as well be considered stylistic choices at this point, as Optimus appears with an all-blue [[mouthplate]], and Megatron is coloured with a golden torso, an overly literal artistic interpretation of how his toy's package art renders the figure's chromed chest. Where those stories coloured Megatron's arms the same gold, however, this one only colours his upper arms, leaving his forearms silver-white.
*Prowl is colored virtually all solid silver-white, with none of the black (or, well, blue depending on the comic) trim he should have. His shoulder launchers come and go throughout the story.
*In Part 1, page 6, panel 6, Jazz has toy-accurate shoulder doors and a shoulder cannon, but in part 2, page 3, panel 2, he's drawn lifted directly from his character model, without doors or launcher.
*Part 1, page 4, panel 3: Snarl's dino-mode head is grey instead of golden-yellow.
*Part 1, page 7, panel 3: It's a little hard to tell given the indistinct mashup designs used for this story, but besides Prowl, none of the Autobots on this page appear to be identifiable characters.
*Just as it did in the cartoon, Megatron's fusion cannon disappears between pages 7 and 8 of part 1, so he can have his close-quarters duel with Prime atop the dam. It never reappears.
[[File:DecepticonDamBusters recolored bee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|Hey, it's Marvel-continuity [[Wasp]]!]]
[[File:DecepticonDamBusters avalanche autobots.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|Inferno is on the far left, with the Jazz/Prowl chimeras to his right.]]
*In Part 2, an Autobot team consisting of Prowl, Jazz, Mirage, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe leave the other Autobots at the dam to go and evacuate the town. Unfortunately, several artistic errors go on to depict members of this team among the Autobots who remain behind to fight the flood:
**On page 4, panel 6, both Mirage and Prowl are part of the group that blasts a trench to stop the water; Mirage's shoulder cannon is off-model.
**On page 5, panel 4, Bumblebee is present, with an off-model ''sort of'' toy-based head.
**On page 5, panel 5, Bumblebee is still present, this time with a character model-esque head. ''This'' was the one error that evidently jumped out to the Marvel UK crew; when the issue was reprinted for ''Collected Comics'' #5, 'Bee was recolored to be green and pink, apparently to obscure his identity (pictured at right) This version was used for all future reprints.
**Also on page 5, panel 5, Mirage is part of the group being washed away by the flood, but miscolored like Rumble.
*For Inferno's one-panel appearance (pictured) his gun-barrel appears in place of his left hand, when his character model depicts it in place of his ''right'' hand. It can attach to either arm on his toy, though, and given the artist inspirations for the Transformers' appearances in this story, he could have just been drawn based on a sample figure with the barrel on the left.
*In the same panel in which Inferno shows up, two Autobots appear resembling a severely off-model meshing of Jazz and Prowl. Setting aside the fact that neither should be in the scene as noted above: second from the left is a bot with Prowl's legs, back, and shoulder-doors but Jazz's arms, holding Prowl's gun (and with no launchers); and to his right is a 'bot with Prowl's arms, legs, and body (all drawn ''slightly differently'' to the other 'bot), with Jazz's toy's squared-off shoulder-doors, and a made-up gun.
*Also, Hound's aiming his shoulder-cannon as if it was mounted on his forearm, but at this point, he's the least distracting thing in the panel.
{{--}}

===Other trivia===
*Where previous UK stories had used jagged "starburst" speech balloons to represent the Transformers' "robotic" speech, with this strip, the series adopts the style it will maintain for the remainder of its run: regular rounded balloons with "electric" zig-zag tails. This was presumably inspired by the fact that this style of bubble was being utilized in the US series at the time, beginning with [[The New Order|US issue #5]], but after US issue #9, the US title would revert to the "square box with jagged corners" style of the original mini-series, which it would use until the end of the series.
*John Stokes swipes include:
**Prowl's attack on Decepticons at Sherman Dam is redrawn from [[The Transformers (issue)|US issue #1]].
**Bumblebee's "''the horror, the horror!''" expression (had while flailing in the water) is redrawn from the cover of [[Power Play!|US issue #2]].
[[File:US1 vs UK29 Prowl Firing.jpeg|right|thumb]]

===Back-up material===
'''Issue #29:'''
*'''[[Back-up strips]]:''' ''Machine Man'' ("He Lives Again," Part 3), ''[[Robo-Capers]]'' and ''Matt and the Cat''
*'''October calendar:''' artwork of [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] by [[Richard Fisher]] that would be recycled for the [[:File:MarvelUK-305.jpg|cover]] of issue [[The Human Factor!|#305]] more than five years later.
'''Issue #30:'''
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''Machine Man'' ("He Lives Again," Part 4), and ''Robo-Capers''; ''Matt and the Cat'' "takes a rest this issue".

===Covers (2)===
*'''Issue #29:''' Optimus Prime and Megatron fight on Sherman Dam, art by [[John Ridgway]].
*'''Issue #30:''' Ratchet and Prowl rescue Optimus Prime while Megatron destroys Sherman Dam, by [[Mike Collins]].
<gallery>
File:MarvelUK-029.jpg|'''Issue #29'''
File:MarvelUK-030.jpg|'''Issue #30'''
</gallery>

===Reprints===
<gallery>
File:Tfcolcom05.jpg|'''[[Transformers Collected Comics#5|''Collected Comics'' #5]]'''; cover by [[Geoff Senior]] (Marvel UK, 1987)
File:Tfcolcom24.jpg|'''''[[Transformers Collected Comics#Winter Special 1993|Winter Special 1993]]''''' (Marvel UK, 1993)
File:Classicuk1.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1|''The Transformers Classics UK'' Volume 1]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2011)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v2.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]], Vol. 2: New Order''''' (Hachette Partworks Ltd, 2018)</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 episode adaptations]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Pat Lee

2025-11-06T03:47:54Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Notes */ The link in note 47 was unavailable, but a webarchive page still exists, so I replaced the link to one for that.

{{disambig2|Pat Lee, the superstar comic book artist|the uncredited artist who actually drew all his stuff for negligible pay|Alex Milne}}
[[Image:Patlee.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Strength and Honor.<ref>[http://patleeart.deviantart.com/ PatLeeArt] at deviantART</ref>]]
'''Patrick "Pat" Lee''' (ミチヤメノテヒフナナ ''Michiyamenotehi Funana'') is a Canadian artist. He was the president of [[Dreamwave Productions]] and (allegedly) drew some of their ''Transformers'' comics, until most of his employees noticed he wasn't paying them. Subsequently, he was also the president of Dream Engine until all its employees noticed he wasn't paying them either. After that, he founded his own company, Pat Lee Productions, and either worked for or headed a variety of Hong Kong-based companies, which all appear to have gone out of business since. He also (allegedly) continues doing comic work for increasingly obscure publishers that have no shame.

Known titles, aliases and nicknames include '''Mr. Mecha''',<ref name="wizardbig80s">[http://www.tfbrasil.net/curiosidades_Wizard5.jpg "Big 80s" feature from issue 111 of ''Wizard Magazine''], October 2000</ref> '''Paticus''',<ref name="litgtfspec">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14153 Lying in the Gutters ''Transformers'' Special], July 2002</ref> "'''Transman'''",<ref name="transman">[http://toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=102&itemid=1490 Dreamwave press release]</ref> '''Superstar Artist''',<ref name="creators">[http://old.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/p/detail/dreamwave-adds-transformers-creators The infamous "Dreamwave adds Transformers' creators" press release]</ref> and '''Mr. Talented'''.<ref name="talented">[http://www.alivenotdead.com/rosannewong/A+MASTER+IN+DISGUISE-ANDREW+LIN+vs+PAT+LEE-MR.+TALENTED+(round+2-2)-profile-113669.html Rosanne Wong about Pat Lee painting a mural on her apartment wall]</ref>

{{bigquote|Over my dead body.|[[Simon Furman]] on if Pat Lee will do work for [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]|[[BotCon 2008]]}}

==History==
===Before the Transformers===
[[Image:Dreamwave.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Chillingly prophetic.]]
Pat Lee was born in Montreal on [[June 28]], [[1975]],<ref name="bio">[http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/infrarred2.html Pat Lee's own biography on his old Angelfire website]</ref> and raised in Toronto. At the age of 16 (or 17),<ref name="patwizarddraw">[http://www.alivenotdead.com/patlee/How-to-draw-Transformers-Wizard-Magazine-profile-678562.html Pat Lee using an old Wizard article about himself as a reason to ponder about he got into the comic book industry]</ref> right after graduating from high school, Lee was eager to find a job as a "proffesional"{{sic}} in the comic book industry,<ref name="patwizarddraw"/> sending over 150 pages of sample artworks to [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and [[DC Comics|DC]]. Unfortunately for Lee, both publishers realized what a shoddy artist he was. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, however, Lee eventually managed to catch the attention of infamous [[Image Comics]] co-founder [[Rob Liefeld]] at a Toronto convention in 1994, who would hire Lee (now aged 19) to work as a penciller on various titles for Liefeld's Image studio {{w|Awesome Comics|Extreme Studios}}. After that, Pat Lee would also work for [[Jim Lee]]'s Image studio {{w|Wildstorm Productions}}, as well as accepting work-for-hire assignments from Marvel (who had now apparently changed their mind regarding his artwork).

In 1996, Pat and his brother [[Roger Lee|Roger]] decided to start their own studio within Image Comics, [[Dreamwave Productions]], with Pat acting as the company's president. With Dreamwave, Lee would continue accepting contractual work for other publishers (such as the four-issue limited series ''Wolverine/Punisher: Revelation'' for Marvel), but also started to publish his own <s>blatantly plagiarized</s> originally created titles such as ''{{w|Ghost in the Shell|Darkminds}}'' and ''{{w|Record of Lodoss War|Warlands}}''. Collaborations with various magazines and advertising campaigns helped to further advance Dreamwave's reputation. Initially, the "hook" for Dreamwave's financial success was Pat's drawing style, which many readers viewed as "manga-like" (although readers of actual manga had a different opinion on this matter).

{{--}}
===Transformers by Dreamwave===
[[Image:Big80sWizard.jpg|right|150px|thumb|His art only went downhill from here.]]In 2000, Pat and Dreamwave submitted a contribution for a feature named "Big 80s" that was published in issue #111 of ''Wizard: The Comics Magazine'', depicting Pat's own take on one of his favorite properties from his childhood days, the ''Transformers''. Proving to be a huge hit among fans, [[Hasbro]] would consider the general art style a benchmark when they were offering the license for a new ''Transformers'' comic a year later.<ref name="litgtfspec"/> Unsurprisingly, it was Dreamwave themselves who finally acquired said license, commemorating this as a turning point in the history of their company by officially cutting all ties with Image and becoming an independent publisher on their own.

[[Image:Fallenpatlee.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Why do Pat Lee's Transformers look like they're about to take a poop?]]
In addition to providing the art for various adverts, [[posters]] and covers, Pat would draw the first two ''Generation 1'' limited series, [[Prime Directive|Vol. 1]] (aka "Prime Directive") and [[War and Peace|Vol. 2: War and Peace]]. Subsequently, he would concentrate on controlling Dreamwave as its president and spend more time on his biggest hobby, fast cars, assigning art jobs to other artists (many of them hired directly out of the fandom) instead. Lee's only other major contribution in terms of art would ultimately be some of the character profiles published in the eight-issue [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]] limited series.

Despite having dominated Diamond's sales charts for several subsequent months with the ''Transformers'', Dreamwave eventually ended up in dire financial circumstances. Coinciding with rumors of unpaid freelancers, Pat Lee started to accept contractual work for Marvel and DC again, such as issues of ''House of M'' or ''[[Superman]]/[[Batman]]''. Dreamwave eventually declared bankruptcy on January 4, 2005, blaming the weak United States Dollar and other scapegoats for the company's failure.<ref>[http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=4053 Dreamwave's final press release]</ref>

{{--}}

===After Dreamwave===
With Dream Engine, Lee would work on various projects such as an ''[[X-Men]]/[[Fantastic Four]]'' crossover for Marvel, issues for the ''Batman/Superman'' series for DC and a relaunch of ''{{w|Cyberforce}}'' for {{w|Top Cow Productions|Top Cow}}, another Image studio.

Eventually, Pat Lee parted ways with Dream Engine again and started his new enterprise, Pat Lee Productions.<ref name="plp">[http://www.patleeproductions.com/ Pat Lee Productions website, no longer functioning]</ref> He was also listed as the "director" of a Hong Kong-based company named DeepSky Pictures, and alongside his brother Roger, he headed a company named Triple Eye Productions, both of which are no longer in business. Pat Lee is currently residing in Hong Kong, where he acts as one of the heads of an IP development company named Secret Lab, Ltd., which at this time holds the questionable record of being the Pat Lee-run company to remain in business for the longest period of time.<ref name="linkedin">[https://hk.linkedin.com/in/patleeart Pat Lee's Linkedin profile].</ref>

In 2011, Pat Lee was connected as a designer on ''Train Heroes'', a cartoon produced by TV Tokyo and China-based Carloon Animation.<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-01-28/tv-tokyo-pat-lee-china-carloon-make-train-hero-show TV Tokyo, Pat Lee, China's Carloon Make Train Hero Show]</ref> It later turned out that the show had similarities with the earlier anime ''{{w|Hikarian|Chō Tokkyū Hikarian}}'', both featuring trains that turned into super-deformed robots.<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-07-17/chinese-show-similarities-with-hikarian-anime-identified Chinese Show's Similarities With Hikarian Anime Identified]</ref>
{{--}}

===Return to official ''Transformers'' work===
In mid-2008, three and a half years since the collapse of Dreamwave, Lee was commissioned to do a series of illustrations for Hasbro Hong Kong to use for promotional purposes as part of their appearance at Ani-Con 2008.<ref>[http://www.alivenotdead.com/patlee/Transform+and+ROLL+OUT--profile-225643.html Pat Lee showcases his illustrations for Hasbro on his blog.]</ref> Let's hope that art stays in Hong Kong.

In spite of the [[Transformers (film)|movie]] having been out for about a year, he couldn't even be bothered to look up recent art and stills and drew [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] with his unused concept art head.

==Published Transformers works with Pat Lee credit==
===Comics===
[[Image:OptimusPrimeWarAndPeacePreview.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Now try to imagine what the truck mode looks like.]]
* ''[[Prime Directive|Transformers: Generation 1 (vol. 1)]]'': [[Prime Directive Preview|Preview]], [[Prime Directive issue 1|#1]], [[Prime Directive issue 2|#2]], [[Prime Directive issue 3|#3]], [[Prime Directive issue 4|#4]], [[Prime Directive issue 5|#5]], [[Prime Directive issue 6|#6]]
* ''[[War and Peace|Transformers: Generation 1 vol. 2: War and Peace]]'': [[Transformers Volume 2 Preview|Preview]], [[New World Order|#1]], [[Brothers' Burden|#2]], [[Cold War (issue)|#3]], [[Passive Aggression|#4]], [[Countdown to Extinction (issue)|#5]], [[Revelation (War and Peace)|#6]]
* ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' #1, #3, #6 (assorted profiles)
* ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Transformers: Armada]]'': [[Dreamwave Armada issue 6|#6]], [[Dreamwave Armada issue 7|#7]]
* ''[[More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada|Transformers Armada: More Than Meets The Eye]]'': #1, #2, #3 (assorted profiles)
* ''20th Anniversary Transformers Summer Special'': Individual story "[[Welcome to the Jungle]]"
* assorted covers for nearly all the Dreamwave Transformers series
* ''[[Transformers: Matrix Quest]]'' (Titan Books, hardcover) cover image
* ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]'': [[Targets of Opportunity|#1]]

{{note|With the revelation of [[Alex Milne]] ghosting for Pat Lee on Top Cow's ''Cyberforce'', artist [[Edwin Garcia]] being credited for "backgrounds" on the ''Generation 1'' titles, [[Sigmund Torre]] being rumored to have ghosted on parts of the first ''Generation 1'' volume, [[Nick Kilislian]] being credited for "breakdowns" for ''Divided Front'' #1, and several of his covers actually being done by ghost artists, it's uncertain how much of the art credited to Pat Lee has actually been his work at all.

Various artworks originally created by Lee for the covers of the first ''Generation 1'' limited series were also used by both [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] for their "[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]" and "[[The Transformers Collection]]" series of reissues. Following the demise of Dreamwave, Hasbro would also continue to use cover artwork drawn by Lee for promotional images and various pieces of merchandise, such as a ''[[Monopoly|Transformers Monopoly]]'' board game. The reason for this is simply because the art has already been paid for, and is therefore cheaper to use for Hasbro than newly solicited artwork.}}
{{-}}

===Packaging art===
====Alternators====
* [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Alternators|Smokescreen]]
* [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Alternators|Side Swipe]]

{{note|The packaging artwork for [[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]] Smokescreen was also used for the profile card of Takara's ''Binaltech'' counterpart.}}
====Commemorative Series====
{{collist|3|
* Series III [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Autobot Jazz]]
* Series IV [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Prowl]]
* Series IV [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Red Alert]]
* Series V [[Hoist (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Hoist]]
* Series V [[Inferno (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Inferno]]
* Series VI [[Grapple (G1)#Commemorative Series|Autobot Grapple]]
* Series VII [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Rodimus Prime]]
* Series VII [[Dirge (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Dirge]]
* Series VIII [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Commemorative Series|Side Swipe]]
}}
{{note|The artwork for Hoist, Inferno, Grapple, Rodimus Prime and Dirge was done specifically for these reissues; the rest was recycled from covers of Dreamwave's first ''Generation 1'' limited series.}}

====The Transformers Collection====
{{collist|3|
* No.0 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Convoy]]
* No.1 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Meister]]
* No.2 [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Prowl]]
* No.6 [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Megatron]]
* No.7 [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Lambor]]
* No.10 [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Soundwave]]
* No.12 [[Mini-Vehicle#Reissue lines|Minibot Team]] ([[Cosmos (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Adams]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Bumble]], [[Gears (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Gears]], [[Huffer (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Drag]], [[Powerglide (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Powerglide]], [[Warpath (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Warpath]])
* No.16 [[Insecticon (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Insectrons]] ([[Kickback (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Kickback]], [[Shrapnel (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Shrapnel]] and [[Bombshell (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Bombshell]])
}}
{{note|None of these artworks were created specifically for these reissues, but were instead recycled from old promotional posters or covers of Dreamwave's first ''Generation 1'' limited series.}}

===Other===
* Hasbro Hong Kong Ani-Con 2008 [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]] Commemorative boxset certificate

==Criticism and controversy==
===Art style===
[[Image:Patleehowtodrawoptimus.jpg|left|250px|thumb|1) Draw a circle. 2) Draw Optimus Prime. 3) Give him scraplets. 4) Give him leprosy.]]
Pat Lee's artwork has often been the target of criticism among fans. While he was initially praised by many fans for his "manga-like" drawing style (which is heavily inspired by the character designs and visual cues used by [[Studio OX]]), others criticized his tendency for exaggerated proportions, emphasis on rounded robot body parts, making the characters look "inflated" and marshmallow-like, hands reaching out to the reader [https://shortpacked.com/comic/detail "as if you just stole his purse"], a general lack of sequential storytelling skills and the overall look of his human characters (see "[[dull surprise]]" for more on ''that''). Even his critics often admitted that his work for covers and posters was better than his actual comic book interior artwork; however, that would change soon when even his cover artwork saw a severe decline in quality starting with the [[War and Peace|second ''Generation 1'' limited series]]. The introduction of [[Don Figueroa|other]] [[Guido Guidi|artists]] who drew Transformers characters in a similar style, while avoiding many of the problems Lee was criticized for, would further shift the public opinion against Lee's artwork.

[[Image:DWPrimewhatthe.jpg|right|200px|thumb|When you're being compared to [[Rob Liefeld]], maybe it's time to quit.<ref name="leefeld">[https://shortpacked.com/comic/buttons]</ref>]]
Lee's response to that was enforcing an internal "house style" that would force other artists to follow Pat Lee's own style more closely. [[Don Figueroa]] confirmed in an interview having received such requests from Dreamwave art director [[Rob Ruffolo]], a guideline which Figueroa declined.<ref name="dontrans">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090916000843/http://transfans.co.uk:80/interviews_figueroa.php Interview with Don Figueroa at TransFans.co.uk]</ref> Fellow artist [[Guido Guidi]] confirmed having received similar requests.<ref name="guidtrans">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090916000926/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_guido.php Interview with Guido Guidi at TransFans.co.uk]</ref> Ruffolo himself also later confirmed the existence of an internal "house style", without specifically referring to Lee.<ref name="ruftrans">[https://web.archive.org/web/20111114125042/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_ruffolo.php Interview with Rob Ruffolo at TransFans.co.uk]</ref>

Even though many fans preferred other artists over Pat Lee, official Dreamwave press releases and solicitations would often refer to the company's president as a "superstar artist".<ref name="dwadds">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/comics-16/dreamwave-adds-transformers-creators-2492/ The infamous "Dreamwave Adds Transformers Creators" press release]</ref>

===Business practices===
The demise of Dreamwave didn't come overnight. The first rumors of freelancers not getting paid date back as far as October 2003.<ref name="litgffreel">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14548 Lying in the Gutters reporting on early rumors of Dreamwave artists not getting paid]</ref> Following the closure of Dreamwave, former freelance writers [[Adam Patyk]] and [[James McDonough]] reiterated their claims that Dreamwave (not explicitly referring to Lee himself) had stopped paying them even before declaring bankruptcy. They had then filed a lawsuit against their former employer, and when that became public, they had allegedly also heard from other Dreamwave employees and freelancers who were supposedly also complaining about not being paid anymore.<ref name="pmdnram">[http://web.archive.org/web/20090329225039/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=39073 Newsarama Interview with writers Adam Patyk and James McDonough] (archive copy)</ref>

Aside from Patyk and McDonough, no other former Dreamwave employees or freelancers were nearly as explicit on the issue. Artist Don Figueroa only stated that Dreamwave was "getting really behind with the check" and pointed out that he "was also assured everything was cool" when he met Pat Lee in person only a month prior to the closing of Dreamwave.<ref name="dontrans"/> The latter complaint was also repeated by writer [[Simon Furman]].<ref name="furmtrans">https://web.archive.org/web/20120303025903/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_furman3.php Interview with Simon Furman at TransFans.co.uk]</ref> Likewise, artist [[Guido Guidi]] merely accused Dreamwave of a lack of "[g]ood communication", and even revealed an ambivalent attitude towards Pat Lee and his brother Roger.<ref name="guidtrans"/> Artist James Raiz, meanwhile, claimed that he was "one of the very few who came out of Dreamwave with all [his] money".<ref name="raiztrans">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090916001311/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_raiz.php Interview with James Raiz at TransFans.co.uk]</ref>

Prior to declaring bankruptcy, Pat and his brother Roger had spent four months secretly transferring most of Dreamwave's assets to a new company named Dream Engine, whose website domain was registered to Roger's name.<ref name="litgdreame">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14844 Lying in the Gutters discovering the existence of Dream Engine]</ref> In addition, it would turn out that Lee had made sure to transfer ownership of his formerly company-owned Porsche to himself before giving up Dreamwave,<ref name="porsche">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14968 Lying in the Gutters reporting on the Pat Lee Porsche story]</ref> and had spent half a million Canadian dollars on a new luxury apartment even before the Dreamwave bankruptcy.<ref name="apartment">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&col=1&old=1&column=litg&article=2203 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Pat Lee's new apartment]</ref> The overall amount of Dreamwave's debt was far over a million dollars.<ref name="litgmillion">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14886 Lying in the Gutters' list of Dreamwave's creditors]</ref>

A former Dreamwave employee later suggested that Pat and Roger had known about the looming demise of Dreamwave a full year before declaring bankruptcy, but instead of coming clean to their employees, they named their parents secured creditors and then kept the company going for another year, because Canadian law required people to be named secured creditors for at least a year before bankruptcy in order to be given priority over other creditors (this is meant to prevent someone being given secured creditor status a week before bankruptcy and then getting away with all the company's money). Teddy and Anne Lee were granted $141,000 for alleged "furniture lease", even though they were financially supported by their sons for most of their adult lives.<ref name="parents">[http://web.archive.org/web/20121025181935/http://www.bleedingcool.com/forums/comic-book-forum/17163-pat-lee-starts-interview-tour-forgiveness-5.html#post83125 Allegations by a former Dreamwave employee (Archived)], May 2010</ref>

In addition, Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa later confirmed that they were additionally charged by FedEx for having shipped artwork to Dreamwave prior to the company's closure.<ref name="fedex">[http://web.archive.org/web/20050507073425/http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/thread73039.html Archived TFW2005 thread with Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa confirming the FedEx story]</ref>

Pat Lee himself gave several interviews following the closing of Dreamwave, presenting himself as a victim of circumstance while completely dodging the issue of unpaid creators and the existence of Dream Engine.<ref name="patwiz">[http://web.archive.org/web/20061120012852/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/000230624.cfm Archived Wizard interview with Pat Lee]</ref><ref name="patnram">[http://web.archive.org/web/20100516222500/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=39738 Newsarama interview with Pat Lee] (archive copy)</ref><ref name="jazma">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080120005126/http://www.jazmaonline.com/interviews/interviews2.asp?intID=318 Jazma Online interview with Pat Lee, April 2006] (archive copy)</ref>

While working with Dream Engine, Pat Lee spent a significant amount of the company's funds on the campaign of his girlfriend {{w|Aimee Chan}}, who would eventually win the title of Miss Hong Kong in 2006. This ultimately resulted in Pat being asked by Dream Engine and his brother Roger to leave the company.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15349 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Pat Lee's involvement with Aimee Chan]</ref> In the fall of 2007, Aimee Chan changed her status on her alivenotdead social networking page<ref>http://www.alivenotdead.com/aimeechan/details.html</ref> to "single". Oops!

Following that, he was listed as the "director" of a Hong Kong-based company named DeepSky Pictures. This company apparently no longer exists, and it's unclear if it ever actually produced anything. Likewise, the companies Triple Eye Productions and Secret Lab Ltd. he had reportedly founded don't exactly have a high-profile output either, and it's difficult to find out whether both of these companies are even in business anymore.

In December 2010, Pat Lee ''finally'' agreed to give an interview to Rich Johnston, one of his most outspoken critics. While Johnston asked a lot of hard-hitting questions, often referring to personal conversations he had with people like Simon Furman and Alex Milne, Lee gave very half-hearted non-answers, claimed not to remember certain details or avoided answering questions entirely. Lee did announce he had started a "Creative Refund Movement" project to pay former Dreamwave artists.<ref name="interviewrich">[http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/12/20/pat-lee-talks-to-bleeding-cool-via-a-dabel-brother/ Rich Johnston interviewing Pat Lee] at Bleeding Cool Comics, December 2010</ref> As of twelve years later, no artist has confirmed any kind of repayment, and one artist confirmed they received nothing within the first two years of its announcement.<ref>[http://callmepo.deviantart.com/journal/Hello-karma-you-out-there-345770376 Entry on Ferd Poblete's DeviantArt]</ref>

In 2018, he (allegedly) designed rather scary-looking half-dissected "{{W|Looney Tunes}} Get Animated" vinyl figures of {{W|Bugs Bunny}} and {{W|Tweety}} for Soap Studio and Sideshow. While not necessarily ''morally'' questionable, these things are the stuff of ''nightmares''.<ref name="bugs">[https://toysrevil.blogspot.com/2018/09/get-animated-tweety-bugs-bunny-by-pat.html 'Get Animated' Tweety & Bugs Bunny by Pat Lee x ToyQube for Sept 20th Release"] at TOYSREVIL, September 2018.</ref> In 2021, he got involved in the ''totally not scammy'' field of {{W|Non-fungible_token|NFT}}s.<ref name="nft">[https://bitcoinist.com/nft-game-god-temple-launches-token-sale-play-to-earn-model/ "NFT Game God Temple Launches Token Sale & Play-to-earn Model"] at Bitcoinist.com, July 2021.</ref> Official press releases continued to praise him as "one of the most famous artists in the North American comics industry" and a "celebrity artist."

===Failure to give proper credit===
During the Dreamwave days, several artists confirmed that Pat Lee had only been drawing the robot characters, leaving the backgrounds entirely to (credited) assistants such as [[Edwin Garcia]]. However, comic book journalist Rich Johnston reported rumors that [[Sigmund Torre]] had been ghosting for Pat, who was too busy with promotion and signing tours, as early as July 2002, when [[Prime Directive|''Generation 1'' vol. 1]] was still in production.<ref name="litgtfspec"/>

Another Dreamwave artist named [[Nick Kilislian]], who is credited for doing the "breakdowns" for Dreamwave's ''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]'' [[Targets of Opportunity|issue 1]], allegedly also ghosted for Pat on the ''X-Men/Fantastic Four'' limited series Dreamwave did for [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] at the same time.<ref name="litgghostmost">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14767 Lying in the Gutters reporting on the rumor of Nick Kilislian ghosting for Pat], September 2004.</ref>

In 2007, it turned out that Lee's personal involvement in his girlfriend's beauty pageant campaign had resulted in him being unable to meet deadlines for issues of Top Cow's ''Cyberforce'' series. As a consequence, Pat had asked [[Alex Milne]] to draw those issues in his stead. After a few issues, what little credit was initially given to Milne was dropped entirely, with Pat submitting the artwork under his own name instead, paying Milne merely a fragment of the money Top Cow was paying him.<ref name="litgmilne1">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15355 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Alex Milne ghosting for Pat Lee]</ref> In addition, Lee later asked Milne to draw artwork for DC's ''Superman/Batman'' #34 as well, again giving his underpaid ghost artist no credit.<ref name="litgmilne2">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15547 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Alex Milne ghosting for Pat Lee even more]</ref> Eventually, Top Cow found out, resulting in Pat Lee not paying Milne ''at all'' for over 20 pages of artwork.<ref name="deviantmilne">[http://hombreimaginario.deviantart.com/art/Interviews-06-Alex-Milne-64254823 Interview with Alex Milne on DeviantArt]</ref>

In late 2008, former Dreamwave editor [[Matt Moylan]] confirmed that the Silver Snail exclusive variant cover for Dreamwave's [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation One'' (ongoing)]] [[Night of the Combaticons|issue 1]] that had been credited to Pat Lee had actually been drawn by a ghost artist as well.<ref name="g1ghost">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-general-discussion/190059-pat-lees-mushy-art-5.html#post2407689 Matt Moylan confirming that the Silver Snail exclusive G1 vol. 3 #1 cover had been drawn by a ghost artist too.]</ref> In early 2012, Moylan became more specific, now confirming that the cover had been drawn by [[Rob Ruffolo]]. In addition, he confirmed that an [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] lithograph had been drawn by [[Rob Armstrong]] but credited to Pat Lee, the [[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|''War Within'' vol. 2]] [[Fragmentation (G1)|issue 1]] incentive cover had been drawn by Rob Ruffolo as well, and the ''Generation 1'' vol. 3 issue 1 retailer incentive cover had been started by Pat Lee but finished by Rob Ruffolo because Lee was suffering from appendicitis at the time.<ref name="artistdisguise">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120828054042/http://www.lilformers.com/blog/page/4/ "DREAMSLAVES #2: Artists in Disguise"] by Matt Moylan.</ref>

Lee's official artist bio has included the ''blatant lie'' that he "created the original North American series of Transformers comics" since at least 2018.<ref name="bugs"/><ref name="nft"/>

===Attempts at cover-up===
In March and April 2008, a newly registered Wikipedia user repeatedly tried to remove any reference to the controversies surrounding Pat Lee in his own article, instead replacing them with more PR-friendly resume details.<ref>{{w|Special:Contributions/Hyrocomics|Contributions by Wikipedia user "Hyrocomics"}}</ref><ref>{{w|Special:Contributions/219.78.200.95|Contributions by IP 209.70.200.95}}</ref> (The critical content in the Wikipedia article ''was'' later purged for other reasons, but not reverted to the blatant self-advertising Pat's own version was.)

==Notes==
* Before the launch of Dreamwave's ''Transformers'' comic books, Pat expressed a certain level of ignorance with regard to the brand's history. For example, he claimed that, in retrospect, the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers cartoon]] was so amazing that it was only a matter of time before the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] were made.<ref name="animefringe">[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402173831/http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/01.03/feature/2/index.php3 Interview with animefringe.com]</ref> In the same interview, he also admitted liking [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], whom he considers a "wicked character", regretting that he "died" in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]].<ref name="animefringe"/> (Sideswipe does not appear in the 1986 film.)
[[Image:FuNaNa.jpg|right|216px|thumb|Those fancy Japanese characters look AWESOME. Too bad I can't read them.]]
* Fans discovered an old personal website Pat had set up prior to the big breakthrough with Dreamwave.<ref name="infrarred">[http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/ Infrarred] {{sic}} Pat Lee's Angelfire homepage</ref> In retrospect, many of the quotes and graphics featured on the site would prove to be either hilariously ironic or frighteningly prophetic, such as a promotional image depicting Pat, his brother Roger and then-Dreamwave exec Alvin Lee walking away from a nuclear explosion (see [[:Image:Dreamwave.jpg|Image:Dreamwave.jpg]]); or a header graphic that features his name, "Patrick Lee", replaced by random katakana characters (ミチヤメノテヒフナナ), which read ''Michiyamenotehi Funana''. Soon, this would become his new nickname among fans, used exclusively in a mocking manner. The cause for this is almost certainly a character-replacement Katakana font (WordPerfect TrueType Japanese to be exact), as used by someone who cannot read katakana. The correct katakana for his name would be パトリック・リー (''Patorikku Rī'').
* After the launch of Dream Engine, Lee's resume at the company's website claimed that he was responsible for relaunching "X-Men, Batman and more", thereby implying that those franchises had long lingered in a near-dead state until Superstar Funana blessed them with his divine reanimating powers.<ref>Pat's resume at the now defunct Dreamengine website.</ref>
* Comic book gossip journalist Rich Johnston, who has done a fair share of coverage on the subject of Pat Lee, has made use of the fact that the URL Deepskypictures.com was a dead link (since the "company" Pat briefly served for as a "director" is now apparently defunct), but still linked to on several of Pat's social networking pages... by purchasing the URL and redirecting it to his coverage of Pat's past and involvement with Dynamite Entertainment at Bleeding Cool Comics for a while.<ref name="badman">[http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/06/05/punking-pat-lee/ Bleeding Cool Comics]</ref>
* Pat Lee once set a hill on fire.<ref name="infrarred"/>
* All of the above is ''absolutely true''. We're not kidding.
*This very article was cited by Valent Wang as the reason why he ultimately ended up starting his toy company, the Mecha Workshop, together with Don Figueroa, despite having initially approached Pat Lee about a partnership instead. Looking up his name led him to TFWiki, where he not only learned more about Lee's business practices, but also found out about Don, leading to a (hopefully) more promising partnership.<ref name="arma">[http://www.poeghostal.com/2013/04/interview-valent-wang-and-don-figueroa-on-armarauders.html Interview with Valent Wang and Don Figueroa on ARMARAUDERS] at Poe Ghostal's Points of Articulation.</ref>

==Memorable quotes by and about Pat Lee==
{{bigquote|It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much oftener succeed through failures.|Pat Lee must be the most successful man on the planet!<ref name="jazma" />}}

{{bigquote|If he ever wants out of comics, Pat Lee's got a heck of a career as an auto mechanic.|''Wizard Magazine''<ref>Verbatim quote from a <s>[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/dailyraider/patlee.jpg butt-kissing advert]</s> article published in an issue of ''Wizard Magazine''.</ref>}}

{{bigquote|Hasbro sold Dreamwave the comic license a few years back, and now these two brothers are raking in over a million dollars a year, money being spent on fast cars and fancy toys ... But making comics isn't all fun and games; both brothers have shown a business acumen well beyond their twenty-something years. |Local news report on Dreamwave and the brothers Lee during their heyday.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19A-NkfOH3g</ref>}}

{{bigquote|I remember working with Pat Lee and how kind of disappointed I was to find how little of the art was actually him. He gave me an original art page of Armada, and there’s so little art on it!|Simon Furman<ref>Talking about memorable experiences, "[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=42871#42871 Simon Furman Q&A Volume 2 LIVE!]"</ref>}}

{{bigquote|If Pat had been some faceless bureaucrat it maybe wouldn’t now seem such an acute betrayal, but he looked me square in the eye and said everything’s hunky-dory. That’s what still, even now, burns.|Simon Furman<ref>Online interview talking about the collapse of Dreamwave</ref>}}

{{bigquote|Probably the richest guy I know.|Don Figueroa <ref>Word Association with the name "Pat Lee" from an [https://web.archive.org/web/20090916000843/http://transfans.co.uk:80/interviews_figueroa.php interview] with TransFans.co.uk</ref>}}

{{bigquote|A guy that really knows how to pitch himself.|Guido Guidi<ref>Word Association with the name "Pat Lee" from an [https://web.archive.org/web/20090916000926/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_guido.php interview] with TransFans.co.uk</ref>}}

{{bigquote|Cars are expensive.|Guido Guidi<ref>Word Association with the name "Dreamwave" from an [https://web.archive.org/web/20090916000926/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_guido.php interview] with TransFans.co.uk</ref>}}

{{bigquote|Can we get our money?|Adam Patyk<ref>Patyk's response to the question "If you could talk to Pat directly right now, what would you ask of him?" in an [http://web.archive.org/web/20090329225039/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=39073 interview] with Newsarama (archive copy).</ref>}}

{{bigquote|Some of the shapes and lines are a little misshapen. When you draw your lines, sketch them out in layout mode, and try to get as accurate as possible before making any final lines.|Pat Lee, not practicing what he preaches.<ref>[http://s104.photobucket.com/user/PatLeeProductions/media/page3.jpg.html Quote from Pat Lee's "How to draw Mecha" article from Wizard #118, July 2001.]</ref>}}

{{bigquote|To anyone who wants to break into comics- learn to love drawing backgrounds and study technical work, never have an ego, and treat your fans with respect!|Pat Lee, still not practicing what he preaches.<ref>[http://asylums.insanejournal.com/scans_daily/796425.html#cutid1 Parting words from Pat Lee in "Extreme Scenes" from Extreme Comics.]</ref>}}

{{bigquote|Please don't believe anything that comes out of this man's mouth. I did, and look where it got me!|Simon Furman in 2010 <ref>[http://www.bleedingcool.com/forums/comic-book-forum/32106-pat-lee-talks-bleeding-cool-via-dabel-brother-3.html#post144857 Furman post at Bleeding Cool, 22 December 2010]</ref>}}

==See also==
* [[Dull surprise]]

==External links==
* [http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/infrarred2.html Infrarred]
* [http://www.myspace.com/patleeart PatLeeArt] at MySpace
* [http://www.alivenotdead.com/patlee Pat Lee's alivenotdead profile blog site]
* [http://patleeart.deviantart.com/ Pat Lee's deviantART page.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/PatLeeArt Pat Lee's Youtube account]
* [http://twitter.com/patleeart Pat Lee's Twitter feed]
* [https://www.resonanceartistry.com/ RESONANCE “Art of Vibrations”]

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Pat}}
[[Category:Colorists]]
[[Category:Alternators packaging artists]]
[[Category:Executives]]
[[Category:Inkers]]
[[Category:Cover artists]]
[[Category:Hasbro packaging artists]]
[[Category:Pencillers]]

Detour (episode)

2025-09-15T11:59:35Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Featured characters */ Somehow Optimus was missing from the character list

{{disambig3|Detour}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=15
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=16
|title="Detour"
|japanese=野獣転生! ライガージャック
|romaji=Yajū Tensei! Ligerjack
|translation=Wild Beast Reincarnation! Ligerjack
|image=Cyb ep15 overhaul reformatted.jpg
|caption="By the [[burning spirit|power]] of JUNGLE PLANET!"
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Hiro Masaki]]
|director=[[Mitsuru Kawasaki]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[April 23]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[October 7]], 2005 (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Hot Shot teaches Override the meaning of Autobot honor during the second heat of the great race, while Overhaul faces a challenge of his own as he trains hard to beat Scourge.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyb ep15 barbequed overhaul.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|"Jeez, Scourge, ever heard of Mentos?"]]

On the [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]], [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] arrives to observe the fight between [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] and [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] from a distance. Overhaul has the upper hand until Scourge activates his [[Cyber Key]] and uses his flame breath to turn it around. [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] decides that it is going too far, and leaps from the sidelines to snatch Overhaul out of the path of what would have been Scourge's finishing blow.

On Earth, [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] tries to tell both his parents and Mr. [[Stanton]] about the exciting events of the first heat of the great race on [[Velocitron|Speed Planet]], but his tale is so incredible that none of them believe he could be describing a real race. As Coby and [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] walk along the street, however, they are observed by a now-familiar [[Mike Franklin|government agent]], who is listening in on their conversation, and remarks that it sounds real to him...

[[File:Cyb ep15 pedestrians.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|That's one way to stay motivated while jogging: have a gigantic monster truck tailgate you.]]

Meanwhile, on Velocitron, the second stage of the great race begins, with much pomp and ceremony. The specialised track challenges the racers immediately with a section so narrow as to prevent any overtaking, so [[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] uses his Cyber Key power to take an early lead. In the back of the pack, [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] fruitlessly attempts to pass [[Brakedown (Cybertron)|Brakedown]], but [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] easily weaves his way past the competition thanks to his small size, coming out of the stretch in fourth place.

With [[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)|Dirt Boss]] and [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] right behind him, Hot Shot navigates huge speed bumps with a little help from Coby before hitting another obstacle: a flight of stairs! As he struggles to drive down them, Override shows him up by simply transforming to [[robot mode]] and running down them. Hot Shot follows suit as Dirt Boss nips at their heels, but the lead is suddenly taken by Ransack, who uses his Cyber Key power to boost over their heads. The little sneak avails of his lead to sabotage the signs in a maze-like urban section of the track, sending everyone else on the eponymous detour while he and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] head off on the correct path. [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] tips Hot Shot off to the switch, so he and Dirt Boss decide to jump down to the correct road, beneath the one they've been diverted to. Seeing no reason for him to share this information, Override is reluctant to believe Hot Shot when he tells her about the trick, but he assures her that he'll prove he can beat her fair and square, and the three racers get back on the right track.

Back on the Jungle Planet, Overhaul is attempting to build a resistance to Scourge's fire attacks by immersing himself in lava. Watching his progress, Snarl pontificates about violence only breeding more violence, but all Overhaul does is yell at him for interrupting his earlier fight, thus marring his honour.

[[File:Cyb ep15 need you to explain.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2| You know, there's actually a surprising lack of fanfiction about these two...]]

Back with the race, which is proceeding at a pace exciting enough to get even [[Vector Prime]] worked up, Hot Shot and Override are alone at the fore participating in some banter. Trailing far behind are Landmine, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] and [[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]], who is exhausted after failing to pace himself earlier. Deducing that their chances of winning are rapidly diminishing, Ransack and Crumplezone decide to fall back on their favourite strategy: take down as many racers as they can on their way to the finish line.

Activating his Cyber Key, Crumplezone opens fire on the ceiling of a tunnel, causing a partial cave-in. Override's vision is blocked by the dust, causing her to crash and land in the path of a huge chunk of rubble. Hot Shot transforms and smashes the rubble, both saving and confusing Override, who asks him why he stopped to help her when he could have won the race otherwise. He explains that it's the Autobot spirit to always help others in need, before rejoining the race as Dirt Boss roars past. Override watches him go and mulls this over, until Brakedown shakes her out of her reverie, and they leap back into the race. Clocker, Red Alert and Landmine drop out to help [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] fight the fire caused by Crumplezone's blast, and so Dirt Boss claims victory, followed by Hot Shot in second and Override in third. Optimus praises Hot Shot, but on Earth, Bud complains that he would have won if he hadn't stopped to help "that girl".

[[File:Cyb ep15 birth of leobreaker.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|THE CIRCLE OF LIIIIIIIIIIIIFE!]]

On the Jungle Planet, Overhaul again approaches Scourge's palace, quickly dispatching [[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]] and [[Brimstone (Cybertron)|Brimstone]] to reach the planet leader and challenge him to battle once again. As they fight, [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] appears behind Snarl and attacks him for interfering in the earlier battle. Overhaul is distracted by Snarl's plight, and Scourge takes the opportunity to use his fire attack, but Overhaul can now withstand the heat of his flames, thanks to his training. Seeing this, Megatron kicks Snarl into Overhaul and tells Scourge to destroy them both. As Scourge brings his axe down, Overhaul thrusts himself between Snarl and the blade, protecting his friend even as Scourge rains down blow after blow upon him. Overhaul has an epiphany, and begins to feel the power of Jungle Planet's [[Cyber Planet Key]] course through him. Beseeching the key for its power, he scans a carving of a lion, and is reformatted into a powerful new feline form. With his new speed and power, Overhaul takes down all the shocked Decepticons around him before scooping up Snarl and carrying him off into the safety of the nearby jungle. Once safe, he ascends a rocky peak and declares to the world that he has embraced his destiny...that he is Overhaul no more...that he is now Leobreaker!
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Backstop (Cybertron)|Backstop]] (2)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul/Leobreaker]] (3)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (4)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (15)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (17)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (18)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (19)
*[[Brakedown (Cybertron)|Brakedown]] (20)
*[[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (21)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (25)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (26)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (27)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (29)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Brimstone (Cybertron)|Brimstone]] (5)
*[[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]] (6)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (7)
*[[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)|Dirt Boss]] (16)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (22)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (23)

|c3=
*[[Coby Hansen]] (8)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (9)
*[[Robert Hansen]] (10)
*[[Mrs. Hansen]] (11)
*[[Stanton]] (12)
*[[Mike Franklin]] (13)
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (28)

|c4=
*Race announcer (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah, you got no pride! There's nothing more annoying than ''pedestrians''!"
:—'''Dirt Boss''' takes offense to Hot Shot and Override transforming to take the stairs.

"Nannynanny poo poo, you caaan't catch me!"
:—'''Ransack''' is not a humble racer.

"YES!" 
"..." 
"Uh... I mean... he's doing very well." 
"Mmm-hmn."
:—'''Vector Prime''' isn't quite as good as '''Optimus Prime''' at keeping his enthusiasm in check.

"I can feel its heat. Feel something...deeper. Something about this place... the Cyber Planet Key. The power to remake a planet. The power to remake a man. I hear it! I hear you, spark of the Jungle Planet! I... I AM REBORN!"
:—'''Overhaul's''' last line.

"I have embraced my destiny. I am of Jungle Planet. I am Overhaul no more — I AM LEOBREAKER!"
:—'''Leobreaker's''' first line.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===

*In ''Galaxy Force'', Hot Shot ''ignores'' Coby's advice for dealing with the speed bumps, while in ''Cybertron'', he follows it.
*Once Hot Shot and Override are back on track, ''Galaxy Force'' sees Override press the issue of why Hot Shot told her about the Decepticons' deception a little more heavily, with Hot Shot dismissing the issue and telling her to focus on the race. ''Cybertron'' replaces it with more good-natured race banter. Immediately thereafter, ''Galaxy Force'' has Override strain on the final fast turn of the race, while in ''Cybertron'', she takes it smoothly enough to keep trading barbs with Hot Shot.
*Rather than bemoan his decision to help a girl as in ''Cybertron'', in ''Galaxy Force'', Bud simply claims that Hot Shot would have won the race if it hadn't been for the Decepticons. After all, Override's not a girl in ''Galaxy Force''!

===Animation or technical errors===
*For Stanton's brief appearance in this episode, ''Cybertron'' mistakenly dubs him as if he was Coby's father, a mistake evidently made because the character is only seen from behind for a few seconds.
*''Cybertron'' goofs again when the racers are introduced, claiming there are only eight, when there are in fact nine (Crumplezone, Ransack, Clocker, Brakedown, Red Alert, Landmine, Dirt Boss, Hot Shot, and Override).
*When Dirt Boss slams behind Hot Shot after the speed bumps, his windows flash as though he was speaking. However, he has no lines.
*When Ransack passes Override and Hot Shot on the stairs, he doesn't have his Cyber Key-activated thrusters deployed, despite using them (complete with stock footage) to pass them in the first place.
*As the racers enter the tunnel, Crumplezone's cockpit flashes as though he's speaking, but he has no lines. Shortly after, the same error affects Dirt Boss when he and Hot Shot are informed by Landmine that Ransack cheated. Later on, Overhaul suffers a similar error, but in [[robot mode]].
*When Override transforms to tackle the stairs, it is a stock background used by the Decepticons, when it should have been an Autobot.

===Real-world references===
*As he sails over the heads of his fellow racers, Ransack chuckles "I believe I can fly!" referencing the {{w|R. Kelly}} {{w|I Believe I Can Fly|song of the same name}}.

===Trivia===
*There was a break of a few weeks between the airing of "[[Race]]" and this episode, as ''Cybertron'' moved from [[Cartoon Network]] to [[Kids' WB]], and began airing over again from the beginning. The show aired daily as opposed to weekly, however, so the gap was quickly closed, and new episodes proceeded to air every weekday until the end of October.
*The unidentified actor who has been standing in for [[Ryan Hirakida]] as Bud since "[[Hero (episode)|Hero]]" continues to voice the character in this episode.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 04 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Trust (Cybertron)

2025-09-15T11:57:49Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Featured characters */ Somehow Optimus wasn"t listed in the characters section.

{{disambig2|the Cybertron episode|the Armada episode|Trust (Armada)}}
{{episode|
|series=cybertron
|ep=22
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=23
|title="Trust"
|japanese=決戦! アニマトロス
|romaji=Kessen! Animatros
|translation=Climatic Battle! Animatros
|image=Cyb_ep22_autobots_together.jpg
|caption=Who would like to share their feelings first?
|production code=k
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Hiro Masaki]]
|director=[[Oyunamu]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[June 11]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[October 18]], 2005 (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Optimus Prime's trust in Leobreaker is all that stands between the Decepticons and Jungle Planet's Cyber Planet Key.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Cyb ep22 shell game.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|One for you, and one for you...]]

Galled at both [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]'s decision to give [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]]'s [[Cyber Planet Key]] to the [[Autobot]]s and his change of heart in his attitude toward subordinates, [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] leads [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] on an air raid of Scourge's temple. While the Autobots try to fight them off, [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] petitions Scourge for his aid in the battle, but the dragon-bot has no desire to get involved in their war. To keep the Cyber Planet Key out of the [[Decepticon]]s' clutches, [[Vector Prime]] and [[Backstop (Cybertron)|Backstop]] follow [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s instructions to conceal the key within a box, and then distribute it and several dummy boxes among the Autobots. With none of the Autobots aware which of them is carrying the real key, they break into teams and head off in different directions, splintering the pursuing Decepticon forces.

[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] and [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] have to deal with the wild terrain of Jungle Planet as they are pursued by [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], who manage to get ahold of their box. When Ransack opens it, however, he is met with a spring-loaded boxing glove to the face. At the same time, [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] engages Vector Prime, using his newly revealed ability to warp to keep the elderly Transformer at bay, then using his [[insignia]]-switching power to dupe [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] and snatch Vector Prime's box. He has as much luck as Ransack, though, finding only a rock inside. As these two clashes play out, Optimus Prime tries to douse the fires around the temple started by Thundercracker, and Scourge comes to his aid in the interest of protecting his planet, taking Thundercracker out with a blast of his own flame.

[[File:Cyb ep22 eets your grave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Back Simba! Back Akela!]]

Snarl and Leobreaker, meanwhile, have escaped to a nearby shoreline, drawing attention to themselves deliberately by eschewing the cover of the jungle, based on Leobreaker's belief that there is no way Optimus would trust him with the real Key. The pair suddenly fall into a pit dug by [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]], but are able to quickly extricate themselves and overpower Mudflap, hurling him into the ocean. Leobreaker is then given pause to reconsider his tactic, debating the possibility that he does indeed have the real key, and after conferring with Snarl, the pair decide to head into the jungle.

Elsewhere, Megatron confronts Optimus Prime, who is carrying the one remaining box. The two enemies attack simultaneously, but Prime's blast is the one that finds its mark, and Megatron is laid low. Megatron mocks Prime for being too weak to deliver a killing blow, and when Prime turns to leave, Megatron quickly transforms to [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] and drives into him, causing him to drop the box. This one, too, contains only a rock, meaning that Leobreaker ''is'' actually carrying the real key! Megatron is surprised that Prime has that much trust in any of his troops, but Prime merely finds it sad that Megatron can't trust any of ''his'' men that much. Dismissing the issue, Megatron and Starscream head after the key with all due haste.

[[File:Cyb ep22 key and matrix.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Even in the most unflattering of positions, Optimus still saves the day.]]

The two Decepticons catch up to Snarl and Leobreaker in the jungle, and Starscream locks swords with Snarl while Megatron stalks Leobreaker through greenery. Megatron's taunts draw Leobreaker out of hiding, but before the two can battle, Optimus Prime arrives to back his friend up. The pair combine into Savage Claw Mode, only to be cut down from behind by Starscream. As the merged pair fall, they drop the box containing the Cyber Planet Key, and Megatron seizes it, before preparing to deliver the final blow. Before he can, Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] shines with energy, interacting with the Cyber Planet Key and causing a beam of energy to shoot into the sky. At first, nothing seems to come of it, and Megatron returns to the matter at hand... when he is suddenly hit by a barrage of a laser fire! Looking heavenward, everyone sees that the Matrix and the Key have opened a [[space bridge]] to [[Earth]], and all the other Autobots, [[Mini-Con]]s and humans have come to join their comrades! Surrounded by Autobots, Megatron tries to muscle his way through, but Prime is able to muster enough strength for a final attack, taking out Megatron and reacquiring the Cyber Planet Key.

[[File:Cyb ep22 crosswise emerges.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Cue ''"Knight Rider"'' Theme]]

After the Decepticons retreat, the heroes all regroup back at Scourge's temple, where Lori greets them. [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] is especially impressed with Scourge's fearsome dragon form, but the Jungle Planet leader is now thoroughly tired of outsiders and strange little creatures cluttering up his planet, and orders them all to leave. With the Key now in their hands, the Autobots comply and head back to Earth through the space bridge. On their journey, Vector Prime asks the Mini-Cons how the "secret mission" he assigned them was going, and [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] attempts to tell him about their new alliance with [[Lucy Suzuki]], only to be drowned out by some shouts from Coby, who worries what the other Autobots will think about another human knowing of their existence.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Lucy Suzuki's ears would probably be burning, if she wasn't in the middle of a freezing blizzard, still carrying on her research in the Arctic. When some of her fellow scientists discover a [[Crosswise (Cybertron)|huge object]] frozen in a wall of ice, Lucy is called in to examine, but none of the assembled men and women of science expect a beam to burst from the ice and scan the car that brought her! The ice wall crumbles, and a perfect replica of the car bursts out and spins to face them, much to everyone's shock... except, perhaps, that of the [[Mike Franklin|government agent]] watching through binoculars from nearby, who announces that at last, he has seen a robot in disguise with his own eyes....

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (4)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Hot Shot]] (5)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (6)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (7)
*[[Vector Prime]] (8)
*[[Backstop (Cybertron)|Backstop]] (9)
*[[Six-Speed (Cybertron)|Six-Speed]] (18)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (19)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (20)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (21)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (22)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (23)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (24)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (28)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (3)
*[[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]] (10)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (11)
*[[Brimstone (Cybertron)|Brimstone]] (12)
*[[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] (15)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (16)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (17)

|c3=
*[[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (13)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (25)
*[[Coby Hansen]] (26)
*[[Lucy Suzuki]] (27)
*[[Mike Franklin]] (29)

|c4=
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Starscream:''' I still can't believe Scourge sold out to the Autobots! 
'''Megatron:''' Bah! He has decided to act like Optimus Prime! 
'''Thundercracker:''' What'cha mean, big guy? 
'''Megatron:''' He considers himself a leader who protects his subordinates at potential cost to his own welfare. Such noble sentiments are only held by the weak and foolish...it makes me sick! 
'''Thundercracker:''' Ah get it! 
''[pause]'' 
'''Thundercracker:''' Hold the relish! Does that mean in a pickle, you'd forget about me? 
''[Megatron ignores him and banks left]'' 
'''Thundercracker:''' [to Starscream] You too?! 
''[Scream similarly ignores him and banks to follow Megs. Starscream and Megatron silently fly off out of shot]'' 
'''Thundercracker:''' Wait! Wait up! Why d' y'all skeedaddle whenever Ah talk?!

"You wanna rumble in my jungle?! That's all right by me!" 
"Sorry...but I'm hungry like the ''wooooolf''!"
:—'''Leobreaker''' and '''Snarl''' unleash their dreaded puns on Mudflap.

'''Starscream:''' Luckily, you still have me. 
'''Megatron:''' Hm. Yes. But do I really trust you? 
'''Starscream:''' No, I don't think you do. 
:--'''Starscream''' tells it like it is

"You should visit Earth! You have friends there now!" 
"By the Spark of the Ancients, don't you ever give up?!"
:—'''Lori''' is going to make '''Scourge''' nice whether he likes it or not.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*In ''Galaxy Force'', as Vector Prime hands out the boxes, he sagely states: "To fool your enemies, you must first fool your allies." In ''Cybertron'', he doesn't say this, and it isn't replaced with anything, leading to an odd moment of noticeable silence.
*As Hot Shot and Override race off with their box, ''Galaxy Force'' has them comment on how difficult Jungle Planet is to drive on (which is why Override has to blast the tree stump). ''Cybertron'' replaces the exchange (for no apparent reason) with some general banter about the scenery.
*Crumplezone waxes metaphysical in ''Cybertron'', wondering aloud if felling an Autobots in the forest makes a sound if no one is around to hear it. In ''Galaxy Force'' this segment is devoid of dialogue.
*In ''Cybertron'', Lori briefly believes the final box is her responsibility, when actually, it is Optimus Prime's. In ''Galaxy Force'', she's not so deluded.
*''Cybertron'' has Leobreaker unsure of what to do following his battle with Mudflap, and sees him consider the possibility that he does have the real key. In ''Galaxy Force'', hesitance doesn't enter into it; he immediately decides that making themselves an easy target will only help convince the Decepticons they do ''not'' have the real key, so he has to start thinking and acting like ''does'' have it, even though, unlike ''Cybertron'', he genuinely never believes Optimus trusts him that much.
*As he stalks Leobreaker through the jungle, ''Galaxy Force'' has Megatron insult both his bravery and that of Optimus Prime. It is the insult against his commander that Leobreaker cannot brook, causing him to reveal himself. In ''Cybertron'', Megatron only insults Leobreaker himself, and that's enough to make the lion-bot snap.
*When Lori greets Coby and Bud, ''Cybertron'' merely has her ask what took them so long. In ''Galaxy Force'', she is miffed to see Coby, because that means he has been allowed to go to two different planets, when she and Bud have only been to one.

===Animation or technical errors===
[[File:Cyb ep22 maskless ransack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Lone Ranger revealed!]]
*For the entirety of this episode, Ransack is missing the black "mask" that normally surrounds his eyes.
*Footage of Optimus Prime dousing the fire from the air is recycled from "[[Inferno (episode)|Inferno]]".
*When Optimus and Override are shooting at the Decepticons, Override's weapon can be seen both on her back and in her hand.

===Continuity or plotting errors===
*Megatron is struck by a laser blast from the Autobots...before the space bridge is actually shown to open.
*Scourge questions what a dragon is despite having told Megatron to "witness the three-headed dragon" back in [[Search (episode)|Search]].

===Continuity notes===
*Leobreaker is still combining with Optimus Prime as his left arm, after the damage their normal right-armed combination suffered in the previous episode.
*The kids met Lucy Suzuki in "[[Race]]". She was carrying out research in the Arctic, and discovered the truth about the Transformers, when they met her again in "[[Ice]]".
*By now familiar to regular audiences, the mysterious government agent has previously appeared in "[[Hidden]]", "[[Collapse]]" and "[[Race]]". He's about to stop being mysterious soon, we promise!

===Transformers references===
*As Megatron transforms before engaging Optimus Prime in battle, he declares that he has "waited an eternity for this," paraphrasing [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1 Megatron]]'s famous line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. This is the first instance of ''Cybertron'' homaging a line from the movie...but it will not be the last!

===Real-world references===
*Vector Prime describes the Autobots' gambit with the boxes as a {{w|shell game}}.
*Crumplezone paraphrases the classic philosophical riddle about a {{w|If a tree falls in a forest|tree falling in a forest}}, except he's talking about Autobots.
*As Leobreaker leaps at Mudflap, he declares: "You wanna rumble in my jungle? That's all right by me!", a seeming fusion of two different references. The line is apparently derived from the 1974 {{w|Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull}} song "{{w|Bungle in the Jungle}}" (which features the lyrics "Let's bungle in my jungle/Well, that's all right by me!"), incorporating a reference to {{w|The Rumble in the Jungle|The ''Rumble'' in the Jungle}}, the famous boxing match between {{w|Muhammad Ali}} and {{w|George Foreman}} from the same year.
*The musical reference Snarl makes right afterward is a lot more clear, as he announces himself to be "hungry like the wolf," quoting the 1982 [[Duran Duran]] {{w|Hungry Like the Wolf|song of the same name}}.
*Megatron mocks Leobreaker by calling him a {{w|Cowardly Lion}}, a character from ''{{w|The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz}}''.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 06 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Complete Series ([[Shout! Factory]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

The Transformers (cartoon)

2025-07-21T03:43:31Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Scramble City */ The Scramble Cuty section incorrectly mentions that Galvatron appears in it while neglecting to mention the appearances of the Cassettes, so I've fixed this.

{{disambig2|the cartoon series|other uses of ''The Transformers''|Transformers (disambiguation)}}

{{nav-G1|logo=TheTransformers_Logo.jpg}}

[[File:TransformersLogoSlantedOrange.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Red is the color of [[Autobot|GOOD]]...]]
[[File:TransformersLogoSlantedPurple.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|...while purple is the color of [[Decepticon|EVIL]]!!]]
[[File:G1Season1Logo.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|In [[Space (the place)|space]], no one can hear your trumpets go [[Media:G1-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|Dah-NUN NUN NUN NAHHHHHH]]!]]

More than any other of the many media which [[Transformer]]s have invaded in the past {{#expr: {{CURRENTYEAR}}-1984}} years, it is '''''The Transformers''''', the original cartoon that ran from 1984 to 1987, that captured the imagination of children and the young-at-heart worldwide.

{{bigquote|...we feel '''action''' should be emphasized over''' plot'''—especially avoiding any complicated story lines—to ensure the success of this series with its intended viewers.|[[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]], ''Transformer''s story editors, [[Marvel Productions]] internal correspondence [http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#154]}}

==Overview==
[[File:Cybertronplanet.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Depleted of energy... aside from the power source that lights up the entire core of the planet.]]
The cartoon (along with the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]]) set up the basic story of Transformers that most other incarnations were to follow: two warring factions of robots on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] leave in search of resources. The factions crash-land on [[Earth]] and, millions of years later, begin their battle anew in Reagan-era [[United States of America|America]] and across the globe.

Once established, the cartoon rarely took any steps to upset its status quo. Plots generally centered on a [[Decepticon]] plot or invention of the week, which would be used to gather energy or Defeat The [[Autobot]]s FOREVER!!, and the Autobots' efforts to stop the plan. Most of the time the Decepticons were forced into retreat, and the Autobots drove off victorious. At most, a new character or team was added to one side or the other. Plots became a bit less formulaic during Season 3, though character death and true plot upheaval remained a rarity.

Through its 98-episode run, this series took viewers around the globe and to many strange places and times: across the alien Cybertron, the Earth's prehistoric past, the Earth's then-future of 2005, the ''Metropolis''-like society of [[Nebulos]], and more. It is not the best animated series ever to air, but it stimulated viewers with its concept at the time, and continued to do so in the years to come.

Being the first series of ''Transformers'' ever, some episodes tended to be [[Prime Target (episode)|very]], [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|very]], [[B.O.T. (episode)|weird]] and [[Auto-Bop|80s]]ish compared with later shows. The show also featured [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|an enormous cast of characters]] in comparison to the more limited cast of future shows, likely due to the cost of developing CGI models as opposed to hand-drawn animation.
{{-}}

==Production==
[[File:DivideAndConquer-UnderseaBase.jpg|center|upright=2.5|thumb|The Decepticon undersea base. Note that it is neither [[Tom Kenny|pineapple]], [[Bill Fagerbakke|rock]], nor tiki head.]]

Writing and distribution for ''The Transformers'' were handled as a joint effort by [[Marvel Productions]] and [[Sunbow Productions]]. The show's premise is based on the original story treatment developed by [[Marvel Comics]] editor-in-chief [[Jim Shooter]], though Marvel productions briefly proposed [[Car and Cable|their own pitch for the show]] separate from Shooter's before being shot down by [[Hasbro]]. Animation was produced overseas by a number of major studios: [[Toei Animation|Toei]] (68 episodes), [[AKOM]] (22 episodes), [[Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd.]] (at least 1 episode), and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|an unknown studio]] (7 episodes). Additional contract services (such as additional animation production, photography, effects and finalization) were sub-contracted to numerous other studios, including: [[Dai Won Animation Co.]], [[Sam Young Studio]], [[Ashi Productions]], [[Trans Arts Co.]], [[Anime R]], [[Nakamura Production]], [[Studio Look]], [[Studio No. 1]] and [[T. Nishimura]].

[[File:CrashedArk1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Nobody on Earth noticed this for millions of years.]]
The original 30 or so characters were heavily modified from their toy designs for aesthetics and ease of animation. Among the artists involved in the original designs are [[Shōhei Kohara]] and [[Floro Dery]]. Other known production artists include [[Dell Barras]], who worked on second season backgrounds.

Story editors for the series included [[Dick Robbins]], [[Bryce Malek]], [[Flint Dille]], [[Marv Wolfman]], and [[Steve Gerber]]. Episode scripts were written by a large array of freelance writers. Writers notable for writing numerous episodes include [[Donald F. Glut]] and [[David Wise]].

The series was animated on an enormously rushed schedule, with many episodes going from script to screen in as little as four months, due to the need to get episodes on the air in sync with the toys appearing on shelves. That, combined with the vast number of characters and the difficulties involved with the overseas animation process, resulted in a cartoon that is notoriously riddled with [[animation error]]s and other mistakes. The producers were often aware of these mistakes, but tight deadlines left no time to correct them.

Another byproduct of the rushed production is that the show tends not to be very self-referential. Continuity between episodes is minimal, with most acting as self-contained, standalone stories, though a few Season Two and Season Three stories did build on previous episodes. Within each season, the addition of new characters is the only common change to the status quo.

[[File:ShockwaveDesertionOfTheDinobots1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|My toy's so great, I bought one myself!]]
Mistakes or not, the show is fondly remembered by many fans for the high quality of its voice acting. Indeed, many characters, lacking any significant plot developments or screen time, were brought to life solely by their unique voices and inflection styles. Voice direction for the series was provided by [[Wally Burr]], notorious for driving his performers to the limit. One of the performers in his stable, [[Susan Blu]], would later go on to work as voice director for ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' and briefly ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]''.

The ''sinister'' voice of [[Victor Caroli]] provided narration for the entire series, most commonly heard on the [[commercial bumper]]s: "The Transformers will return after these messages!" Caroli's voice also provided occasional introductory narration, recap segments for multi-part episodes, and the ''[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]'' segments which ran before the credits of Season 3.

[[File:RollForIt Spacebridge recieves.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Looks safer than flying United.]]
In addition to the show's iconic [[theme song]], ''Transformers'' featured a great variety of background music, composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]]. Walsh had previously worked on the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' cartoon, and many of those pieces were reused for ''Transformers''. New pieces were composed as well, many incorporating the melody of the show's theme song. Walsh composed new music for 2nd and 3rd seasons, each in a different style, further distinguishing the three main seasons from one another.

The show also originated the concept of the iconic "[[Scene transition|symbol flip]]" serving as a transition between scenes, a tradition carried on by some of the later series.

===Credits===

{{see|The Transformers (cartoon)/credits}}
{{--}}

==Episodes==

{{see|List of The Transformers episodes}}

These episodes are listed in "production order", the order in which the episodes were actually approved and written, rather than the order in which they aired on television. In a few instances, this means that episodes are not in the correct chronological story order, the specifics of which are noted in their own articles. Arranging the episodes in airdate order would not solve this problem, and so, as fans have done for as long as there have been ''Transformers'' episode guides on the internet, {{SITENAME SHORT}} adheres to production order, in preference to simply making up a chronological order of our own (any attempt at which would be arguable at best).

The different DVD companies which have released the series down the years have at times presented the episodes of each season in a different order that adheres to neither production nor airdate, sometimes to improve any chronology errors evident in the production order, and other times for no apparent reason. No two English-language DVD releases of the series by different companies have placed all 98 episodes in the same order. [[Metrodome]] stuck closest to production order, only making changes for chronology reasons (and sometimes not even then), while other licensees have strayed from this order to varying degrees. Season 1 has consistently avoided reorganization (as production order is actually the correct story order), but Season 3 is a victim of continuous restructuring that sees its episodes presented in a wildly different order with each release.

Please note that Wikipedia claims that the production order is the correct chronological order for all seasons. However, they have listed the episodes in broadcast order, with a number next to each entry to indicate its story order.

===Season 1===
[[File:Autobot roll call-panning shot stitched-MTMTE1.jpg|centre|thumb|upright=2.5|"Uh Jazz, I think we're missing a few members."]]
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 1, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 1|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}

[[File:DinobotsG1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Remember those [[Dinobot (G1)|dinosaur guys]]? Man, they were awesome.]]
The first season is primarily set on [[Earth]], with a few excursions to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. It started with the 1984 toys as its characters (with [[Reflector (G1)|some]] [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|exceptions]]), and introduced the early wave of 1985 toys as it progressed—the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], and [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]].

The first 3 episodes were promoted as a miniseries, airing across three consecutive weekdays. A proper 13-episode season then began broadcasting on a weekly basis, usually on Saturday mornings, the following month. While the 3-episode miniseries and the 13-episode season one are typically combined as a single 16-episode season, production companies such as [[Toei Animation|Toei]] catalog the two separately.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20030106084320/http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/oldies/collabo.html Archive of Toei's outsourced productions during the '80s, listing the miniseries and season 1 separately</ref>
{{--}}
{{collist|3|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]"
# "[[Roll for It]]"
# "[[Divide and Conquer]]"
# "[[Fire in the Sky]]"
# "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]"
# "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]"
# "[[War of the Dinobots]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]"
# "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]"
# "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]"
# "[[Heavy Metal War]]"
}}

===Season 2===
[[File:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|center|upright=2.5|thumb|I liked the one with the guy.]]
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 2, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 2|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}

[[File:Master builders prime basketball.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Didn't they make Optimus Prime play soccer or something once? Man, that was dumb.]]
At 49 episodes, the second season of ''The Transformers'' was rather substantial in length. The seemingly random number of 49 was not quite so random, though, as 65 episodes are the minimum requirement for a cartoon series to qualify for syndication status. (And 16 + 49 = 65)<ref>[[tvtropes:Main/SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon|65-Episode Cartoon on TVTropes]]</ref> In addition to these 49 episodes, a series of 5 [[public service announcement]]s were animated, presumably to accompany the episodes. For whatever reason, these PSAs were never broadcast and the episodes aired without the burden of trying to teach you anything.

The second season greatly expanded the cartoon's scope and cast. This season tends to feature more character-driven episodes than the first, with many characters getting their own "spotlight" episode. It also features a recurring theme of the Autobots assimilating Earth culture, such as playing basketball and football and even watching a soap opera. Excursions to alien civilizations popped up occasionally as well (not to mention time travel, miniaturization, and battles against undersea creatures). The second season also saw the introduction of concepts and characters that would spread out to other segments of the franchise, including the mystic [[Alpha Trion]], the ancient [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer and its [[Key to Vector Sigma|circuit key]], not to mention the first appearance of [[Female Transformer]]s within official fiction.

This season also marked a move from weekly airings (usually on Saturday mornings) to syndicated weekday broadcasts, airing Monday through Friday, either in the morning or afternoon. Some markets also scheduled it in conjunction with daily episodes of ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' (like WPIX in New York).

Season Two breaks down very roughly into three segments:

*The first thirteen episodes feature (primarily) the Season One cast.
*A large second batch of episodes brings in the remainder of the 1985 toys.
*The final ten episodes introduce the four [[combiner]] teams that formed the early entries in the 1986 line.
{{--}}
{{collist|3|
# "[[Autobot Spike]]"
# "[[Changing Gears]]"
# "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]"
# "[[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots]]"
# "[[Traitor (episode)|Traitor]]"
# "[[The Immobilizer]]"
# "[[The Autobot Run]]"
# "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"
# "[[Day of the Machines]]"
# "[[Enter the Nightbird]]"
# "[[A Prime Problem]]"
# "[[The Core]]"
# "[[The Insecticon Syndrome]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders]]"
# "[[Auto Berserk]]"
# "[[Microbots]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]"
# "[[Blaster Blues]]"
# "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]"
# "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]"
# "[[The God Gambit]]"
# "[[Make Tracks]]"
# "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]"
# "[[Quest for Survival]]"
# "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme]]"
# "[[The Gambler]]"
# "[[Kremzeek!]]"
# "[[Sea Change]]"
# "[[Triple Takeover]]"
# "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"
# "[[Auto-Bop]]"
# "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]"
# "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]"
# "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"
# "[[Aerial Assault]]"
# "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]"
# "[[Trans-Europe Express]]"
# "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]"
# "[[Starscream's Brigade]]"
# "[[The Revenge of Bruticus]]"
# "[[Masquerade]]"
# "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]"
}}

===Intermediate===
[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Then they like, killed him in the movie. Man, that was awesome.]]
''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' is in continuity with the cartoon series, occurring 20 years after the end of Season 2 (in the then-futuristic year of 2005). It was the single biggest turning point for the series, and remains controversial. The movie saw the introductions of [[Unicron]], the [[Quintesson]]s, and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], all of which would play important roles in Season 3. It made radical changes to the show's cast, killing off many characters and introducing new ones—a shock to young viewers who were used to their heroes driving off into the sunset at the end of every adventure.

Despite its unconventional place in the cartoon canon, it remains the best-known representation of the cartoon series among fans.

{{--}}

===Season 3===
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 3, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#The Transformers: The Movie and Season 3|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}
[[File:Intro3 4 with error.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|They didn't make any more cartoons after the movie. Yeah, the movie totally killed Transformers.]]
Season 3 ''transformed'' the whole premise of the show. Gone were the two teams stranded on Earth, along with many of the characters that composed those teams. In their place was a galaxy-spanning tale of battles on alien worlds. With the Autobots in firm control of Cybertron, the Decepticons, though still a threat, were somewhat reduced as villains; new enemies in the form of the [[Quintesson]]s were introduced. Plots often centered on the ultra-powerful [[Titan (group)|city-bot]]s, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]].

Season 3 has a mixed reputation. It contains some of the most mistake-laden episodes of the entire franchise ("Five Faces of Darkness", "Carnage in C Minor", the [[title sequence]] at right) most of which can be laid at the feet of [[AKOM]]. But some of its episodes are among the best as well, both in animation and scripting; "Dark Awakening", "Chaos", "Webworld", and "Dweller in the Depths" are all heavy fan favorites.

Late in Season 3, as in Season 2, the forerunners of the 1987 toy line were introduced: the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, and [[Throttlebot]]s, and (very briefly) the cassettes [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]. The season concluded with the resurrection of Optimus Prime, spurred on by a massive campaign on the part of fans, who were displeased by his death and subsequent "evil" resurrection.
{{--}}
{{collist|3|
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]"
# "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"
# "[[Starscream's Ghost]]"
# "[[Thief in the Night]]"
# "[[Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Madman's Paradise]]"
# "[[Nightmare Planet]]"
# "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]"
# "[[Webworld]]"
# "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"
# "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"
# "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]"
# "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]"
# "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]"
# "[[Only Human]]"
# "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]"
# "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]"
# "[[Call of the Primitives]]"
# "[[The Face of the Nijika]]"
# "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
}}

{{--}}

===Season 4===
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 4, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 4|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}
[[File:Bumblebee and Goldbug.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|They kept making the toys? But weren't those like, [[Action Master|the ones that couldn't transform]] or something?]]
According to [[David Wise]], he was contacted by [[Sunbow Productions]] to write a ''five''-part series finale which would introduce a deluge of new characters while simultaneously tying up the series. Shortly after Wise completed the five-episode outline, however, a budget cutback reduced it to a ''three''-parter. This created a massive headache for the writer, who did the math and claimed that they'd be introducing a new character just about every 28 or 90 seconds.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVRk-sOMZ6Y Interview from Rhino Season 3/4 DVD set]</ref> [[Dan Gilvezan]] also expressed his confusion at the truncated season, as 98 episodes didn't fit into a syndicated weekday broadcast schedule (which needed to be divisible by 5).<ref>''Bumblebee and Me: Life as a G1 Transformer'', by Dan Gilvezan</ref>

In the end, 25 brand new Transformers and 21 [[Nebulan]]s, that's 46 new characters in all, were introduced across these final three episodes. Well, that's assuming you count [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] as separate characters from [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] and [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]]... and [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] and [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] as one guy.

While the previous three seasons each featured fully original [[title sequence]]s, season 4's title sequence was more economically cobbled together. By combining animation taken from toy commercials (produced by [[Toei Animation|Toei]]) and animation from the season 3 title sequence (produced by [[AKOM]]), they crafted a "new" title sequence (which used the season 3 rendition of the theme song). A clever ploy, though the difference in animation quality and art style between segments produced by Toei and AKOM leads to the footage blending rather poorly.

# "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]"

{{--}}

===Season 5===
[[File:Puppetpmprime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Man, I wish they'd made a fifth season. It would've been awesome.]]

Season 5 did not feature any new episodes, but rather consisted of 15 episodes from the previous seasons and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' broken up into five episodes, for a total of 20 episodes. A music video for "[[The Touch]]" was also used to fill time.

In addition to a new [[title sequence]] and new [[commercial bumper]]s, new bookending segments were added to each episode. These segments featured an animatronic/stop-motion puppet of [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] meeting regularly with a live-action human named [[Tommy Kennedy]] to tell him old Transformers stories. While the stories were old, the bookending segments took place in a contemporary time with Optimus regularly name dropping characters who never appeared in the older episodes, but were currently available on store shelves.

Production of the segments fell under [[Tim Speidel]], a producer for [[Griffin Bacal]] (the New York-based advertising company which co-developed ''The Transformers'').<ref>http://digestmybrain.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/my-conversation-with-tim-speidel/</ref> The Optimus Prime puppet was operated by [[Marty Robinson]], a famous puppeteer best known for his work on ''Sesame Street'' providing the mouthplate movement and on-set voice, with an assistant performing the head turns. Filming of these segments was completed in one week during June, 1988, at Silver Cup Studios in Queens, New York. Powermaster Optimus Prime was made of wood and very fragile in certain areas, requiring actor [[Jason Jansen]] to watch his step while filming. Apparently, at one point a camera rig fell over onto the wooden Optimus Prime hand right where Jansen would have been sitting if he hadn't been eating a bagel at the craft services table. A crane operator who was strapped to the camera wasn't so fortunate and "rode" the falling equipment down for 40 feet.<ref>http://digestmybrain.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/tommy-kennedy-found-an-interview-with-jason-jansen/</ref>

{{collist|3|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1#Season 5|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2#Season 5|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3#Season 5|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day One|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day One)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Two|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Two)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Three|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Three)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Four|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Four)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Five|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Five)]]
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[Surprise Party#Season 5|Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening (episode)#Season 5|Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1#Season 5|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2#Season 5|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 1#Season 5|The Rebirth, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 2#Season 5|The Rebirth, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 3#Season 5|The Rebirth, Part 3]]"
}}

{{--}}

===The Sci-Fi Channel===

[[File:CartoonQuestTitleCard.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|They totally never showed the old episodes on TV again after G1.]]

From 1992 to 1997, the Sci-Fi Channel rotated reruns of ''The Transformers'' in and out of their early morning cartoon programming blocks, [[Cartoon Quest]] and [[Animation Station]]. These broadcasts used a unique version of the [[title sequence]], which featured the season 2 animation set to the season 3 rendition of the [[theme song]].

Unfortunately, due to longer commercial slots, the decision was made to edit the cartoon down. Sometimes this was done in a comparatively harmless fashion, but other times the flow of scenes and even the plot suffered. In one of the most notorious edits, two lines from [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] in "[[Masquerade]]" ended up smooshed into a single nonsensical jumble: "Time to add fire torobably hate myself in the morning, but—"

Unusually, the Sci-Fi Channel network run '''overlapped''' with the ''Generation 2'' syndication run; at one point the Sci-Fi Channel even ran a contest where kids could submit postcards to win ''G2'' toys.

{{--}}

===Generation 2===

[[File:G2CartoonLogo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The reason G2 sucked is they didn't even have a show. There was like, nothing on.]]

Between 1993 and 1995, a total of 52 select episodes of ''The Transformers'' were repackaged as a new program: ''The Transformers: Generation 2''. The episodes featured new transitioning segments via the [[Cybernet Space Cube]] as well as a new [[title sequence]].
{{See|Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2}}

{{--}}

===The Hub Network/Discovery Family===

[[File:Hub-CobraPaloozaMegatronAThon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nope. ''Definitely'' never showed the old episodes again.]]

Beginning in October 2010, ''The Transformers'' made its return to American television via [[Hub Network|The Hub Network]], a cable network jointly owned by [[Hasbro]]. ''The Transformers'' episodes were aired uncut and unaltered for the first time since their original broadcast (though the on-demand version of "[[Heavy Metal War]]" inexplicably used the infamous [[Kid Rhino]] version with unfinished animation). However, for scheduling and advertising purposes, the series was rebranded ''The Transformers: Generation 1''. This kept it from potentially getting confused with the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|many]] [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|other]] ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' cartoons which were airing simultaneously on the network. Despite this, nothing was done to alter the opening credits, which still say ''The Transformers''.

Incidentally, it ''also'' means that exactly the same episodes of ''The Transformers'' have been rebranded as "Generation 1" ''and'' "Generation 2"... and in reverse order, at that.

''The Transformers'' aired on the [[Huboom!]] programming block in all its various forms (changing hosts, time slots and theme every couple of years). New [[Commercial/Generation 1#2011|commercial segments]] frequently reworked animation from old episodes of ''The Transformers'', combining them with new voice overs (often from the original cast) to create humorous situations. Lo and behold, we now have [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] bickering with [[Cobra Commander]].

In October 2014, The Hub Network was replaced with [[Discovery Family]] and reruns were moved to the early-morning slot, as Discovery Communications began programming evenings on the channel.

At the beginning of 2017, however, the series was removed from the lineup entirely, only to return without warning around mid 2020, airing on weekdays at 3 AM, where the ''Transformers'' and ''G.I. Joe'' series have mainly been banished to due to Discovery Family's main demographic skewing female (hence why ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' were aired on [[Cartoon Network]]).

{{--}}

==International Releases==
===Japanese release===
In Japan, ''The Transformers'' was broken apart into 2 separately branded shows:

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''====

{{nav-fsrltf}}

'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''''' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー, ''Tatakae! Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformers'') began airing in 1985, consisting of the North American season 1 and 2 episodes. Although 2 episodes out of the original 65 were cut ("[[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots]]" and "[[Day of the Machines]]"), an additional 9 [[clip show]]s were created, composed entirely of re-used footage taken from various episodes, bringing the total number of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' episodes to 72. The 2 missing episodes were later dubbed in 1990 and released straight-to-video, then retroactively added to the series episode list, boosting its official count to 74 episodes.

{{collist|4|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]"
# "[[Roll for It]]"
# "[[Divide and Conquer]]"
# "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]"
# "[[War of the Dinobots]]"
# "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]"
# "[[Heavy Metal War]]"
# "[[Autobot Spike]]"
# "[[Changing Gears]]"
# "[[Traitor (episode)|Traitor]]"
# "[[Birth of the Transformers!]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[The Immobilizer]]"
# "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"
# "[[Enter the Nightbird]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders]]"
# "[[The Insecticon Syndrome]]"
# "[[A Prime Problem]]"
# "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]"
# "[[Auto Berserk]]"
# "[[Microbots]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]"
# "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]"
# "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]"
# "[[The God Gambit]]"
# "[[Make Tracks]]"
# "[[Quest for Survival]]"
# "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme]]"
# "[[The Gambler]]"
# "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]"
# "[[Kremzeek!]]"
# "[[Triple Takeover]]"
# "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]"
# "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"
# "[[Sea Change]]"
# "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]"
# "[[Aerial Assault]]"
# "[[Trans-Europe Express]]"
# "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]"
# "[[The Core]]"
# "[[Blaster Blues]]"
# "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"
# "[[Auto-Bop]]"
# "[[Starscream's Brigade]]"
# "[[The Revenge of Bruticus]]"
# "[[War Without End (episode)|War Without End]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Desperate Battle on Dinobot Island]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Devastator, the Giant Warrior]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Neverending Struggle]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]"
# "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]"
# "[[Masquerade]]"
# "[[Fire in the Sky]]"
# "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]"
# "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]"
# "[[The Autobot Run]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]"
# "[[Earth's Greatest Crisis]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Seek the Cybertonium]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Stunticons vs Aerialbots]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Mutiny of the Combaticons]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots]]"{{dag|black}}
# "[[Day of the Machines]]"{{dag|black}}
}}
{{dag|red}} ''Added [[clip show]]'' 
{{dag|black}} ''{{w|Direct-to-video}}''

The broadcast order of the series was significantly reworked, with most of the episodes featuring [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|Skyfire]] being pushed to the end of the run (presumably owing the character's shaky status as a Bandai toy in Japan). Contrary to what would be sensible, this did ''not'' involve correcting any of the chronological errors present in the original order; in fact, it even created some new ones. The pack-in booklet included with the {{w|LaserDisc}} and DVD sets from [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer]] includes the original production order with liner notes explaining some of the continuity issues and choices behind the Japanese airing order.

Perhaps most notoriously, the episodes were edited before their broadcast in Japan. These edits were made not for content, but for length so that the show could accommodate longer opening and ending [[Title sequence|sequence]]s. The combined length of the U.S. opening and ending sequences was about 1 minute and 10 seconds. The combined length of the Japanese opening and ending sequences, however, was about 2 minutes and 20 seconds. This resulted in roughly 1 minute and 10 seconds of content being cut from every single episode.

The translation in terms of script and story was faithful in regards to the original English version (the same cannot be said of the translations of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Japan|Beast Wars]]'' and onward). However, the dub was at times rushed and had its own unique errors, primarily in terms of matching the right voices and names to the characters on screen. Some examples of character identification mistakes include "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]", in which it is '' [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]]'' who requests permission to teleport and attack [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and "[[Divide and Conquer]]", where ''[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'' voices the teleporting [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] rather than [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (as a result, to Japanese viewers, it appears as though teleportation is a trait inherent in all Seekers and not just Skywarp). One of the worst examples would come in "[[The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders]]", as Megatron orders Blitzwing into battle, though the jet is clearly Ramjet (Ramjet is even dubbed with Blitzwing's voice).

It is entirely possible that the translation for the series was done using preliminary scripts rather than the finished versions, resulting in the additional errors. The Japanese dub began airing 8 months after the American broadcast of the series and very quickly caught up with the United States. As a matter of fact, the episodes "[[Autobot Spike]]" and "[[Changing Gears]]" premiered in Japan several weeks ''before'' they aired in the US! Other evidence indicating translation was made from draft scripts can be seen in "[[Trans-Europe Express]]", where the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]] is referred to as the "Pearl of Jehuddin", the name it carried in preliminary scripts but changed for the final version.

Although primary characters such as Megatron, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, etc., had consistent actors, the dub was ''extremely'' loose in terms of casting its secondary characters. Bluestreak, for example, had no less than ''seven'' different actors portray him over the course of the series (though [[Kōki Kataoka]] is typically credited as his "standard" voice actor). By the looks of things, if a secondary character only received one or two lines in a given episode, then whatever actor was on hand in the studio would be called in to play them, consistency be damned.

Additionally, the Japanese dub of ''Transformers'' was geared toward a younger audience than the original English version. While the dialogue and stories remained faithful in localization, the episodes received '''extensive''' [[Narrator|narration]] from [[Issei Masamune]]. The additional narration was relentless to the point of becoming play-by-play commentary. The narrator would constantly describe what was happening on screen, summarize scenes and dialogue immediately after they were seen or spoken, and generally just provide needless asides such as "And then!" "Suddenly!" and "Meanwhile!" This was done to help the younger Japanese viewers follow along with the story, though later domestically produced Japanese ''Transformers'' animation would not include such excessive narration.

''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' aired on various local [[Nihon TV]] affiliates and as a result, some episodes were preempted in some areas ("[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]", for example, only aired in the Kansai region, while "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]" aired in every region ''but'' the Kansai region). The opening theme was "[[Transformer (song)|TRANSFORMER]]" by [[Satoko Shimonari]] and the ending theme was "[[Peace Again]]" also by Shimonari. The Japanese dubs sound direction was provided by [[Shōzō Tajima]].

====''Scramble City''====

[[File:Scramble city logo.jpg|center|250x200px]]

An additional {{w|Original Video Animation|OVA special}} was produced as a spin-off of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''. The special was released to home video in [[April]] [[1986]], placing it somewhere between the Japanese broadcast of "[[Kremzeek!]]" and "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]." Primarily concerned with introducing the toys in its [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and 2010)|accompanying subline]], the special included the Japanese screen debuts of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|four]] [[Stunticon (G1)|1986]] [[Protectobot (G1)|combiner]] [[Combaticon (G1)|teams]] (the titular [[Scramble Power|Scrambles]]), [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (the titular cities), [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[City Commander]]), and Cassette bots Steeljaw, Ramhorn and Ratbat.
{{See|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010''====

{{nav-2010}}

'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010''''' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー 2010 ''Tatakae! Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformers Ni-Zero-Ichi-Zero'') began airing in 1986, consisting of the North American season 3 episodes. All 30 episodes were dubbed for ''Transformers 2010'' and 2 additional clip episodes were produced, bringing the total to 32 episodes.

{{collist|3|
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[Thief in the Night]]"
# "[[Starscream's Ghost]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"
# "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]"
# "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]"
# "[[Madman's Paradise]]"
# "[[Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"
# "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]"
# "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]"
# "[[Webworld]]"
# "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]"
# "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"
# "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]"
# "[[Only Human]]"
# "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]"
# "[[Nightmare Planet]]"
# "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]"
# "[[Call of the Primitives]]"
# "[[The Face of the Nijika]]"
# "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"
# "[[Daniel's Adventure]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[The Desperate Struggle of Justice]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
}}
{{dag|red}} ''Added [[clip show]]''

As with ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', ''Transformers 2010'' considerably reordered the sequence of episodes. However, rather than restore the narrative order (as the North American broadcast had jumbled up the story arcs), the Japanese broadcast actually made things ''worse''. And as with ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', Pioneer's LaserDisc and DVD sets for ''Transformers 2010'' include a "narrative viewing order" list in the pack-in booklet.

''Transformers 2010'' received the same editing treatment as its predecessor, losing scenes to make room for the longer title and credits sequences. Likewise, it received all the excessive narration and was prone to the same rotating cast members and character identification hiccups. In regards to the latter, it could become especially problematic when the ''narrator'' was the one misidentifying the characters (in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", the narrator mistakenly identifies Wildrider and Dead End as Runabout and Runamuck).

Again, as with ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', there is evidence the ''Transformers 2010'' translation was done using draft scripts and not the finished versions. This often bled into promotional material, such as a rather [[:File:TVMagazineStarscreamsGhost1.jpg|infamous advertisement]] for "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" which featured [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] as the main character rather than [[Octane]] (as it was written in early drafts of the episode, but changed by the final version).

In addition to the extensive narration to hold the viewer's hand, ''Transformers 2010'' also received brand new text captions which had not been often utilized in ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''. These captions would appear on screen to designate locations (be they planets, countries or cities) and to identify new characters whenever they first appeared (including both names and functions). The [[Secret Files of Teletraan II]] segments were also reworked; some were dubbed, some were dropped and some brand new ones exclusive to ''Transformers 2010'' were created.

The release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie/dubs#Japan|The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was delayed in Japan and was not available between ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' and ''Transformers 2010''. To help viewers acclimate to the new status quo, explanatory material was published in the pages of ''[[TV Magazine]]'', describing the events of ''The Movie'' as the "[[Unicron War]]" and summarizing vital events from the film (such as Optimus Prime's death, Rodimus Prime's ascension and Megatron's upgrade into Galvatron). ''The Movie'' would eventually be released straight-to-video in 1989.

Like ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', ''Transformers 2010'' was broadcast on various local Nihon TV affiliates, resulting in preemptions in certain areas ("[[The Face of the Nijika]]" for example). The opening theme was "[[Transformer 2010]]" by [[Shō Hirose]] and the ending theme was "[[What's You]]" also by Hirose.

====''Transformers: The Rebirth''====

[[File:RebirthYoshiokaLaserDiscArt.jpg|center|300x200px]]

The season 4 episodes of ''The Transformers'' were not originally broadcast in Japan, with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] instead electing to produce a brand new series to continue the story of their animated continuity: ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''. However, all 3 episodes were eventually released straight-to-video in 1996 as '''''Transformers: The Rebirth''''' (トランスフォーマーザ・リバース). The episodes received their much-belated Japanese television broadcast in 2007 on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Japan]].

To differentiate "The Rebirth" from the Japanese continuity of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', the episodes were released under the American ''The Transformers'' branding. This included using the American [[title sequence]] and [[commercial bumper]]s (undubbed). To further this distinction, the dub used English-language names and terminology for the most part ("Hot Rod" was not changed to "Hot Rodimus" and "Kup" was not changed to "Cher", for example) while maintaining the Japanese-exclusive names for the more high-profile characters ("Convoy" was not changed to "Optimus Prime", for example).

Inconsistencies in translation choices aside, there were some bizarre errors in the dub; names attributed to characters or groups that existed in neither the English or Japanese versions. Scorponok is referred to as "Scorpion", the Throttlebots are referred to as the "Slot Robots", and in the Japanese subtitles of the English version, the Technobots are referred to as the "Tech Robots". The fact booklet (written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]]) included with the ''Transformers 2010'' DVD set specifically cites these instances as translation errors and not deliberate changes.

Only three actors from ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' and ''Transformers 2010'' returned to voice their respective characters: [[Tesshō Genda]] (Optimus Prime), [[Seizō Katō]] (Galvatron) and [[Issei Masamune]] (narrator). Every other cast member was replaced with a soundalike, to varying degrees of success. The voice direction for these episodes was conducted by [[Shōzō Tajima]].

===Brazilian release===
In [[Brazil]], most of the show was dubbed at the Herbert Richers studio in Rio de Janeiro, the most prominent Brazilian dubbing studio of the 20th century, and began airing in 1986 on Rede Globo in a weekly Sunday schedule, being later moved to weekdays with broadcasts from Monday through Friday. Due to how centralized the dubbing scene was at the time, most of the voice actors in ''The Transformers'' were the same people who dubbed basically every single movie and television series of the 1980s. Just like in the Japanese dub, however, only some of the main characters featured consistent voice actors for most of their episodes, with even Optimus himself getting his voice replaced halfway through the series, while everyone else got dubbed by whatever actors were available at the studio at any given time.

Regardless of that, the 80s dub is beloved by most fans who grew up with it and is considered one of the best cartoon dubs of its era. Most of the time, the characters were given very suiting voices that were even modulated to sound "robotic" just like in the American version, though they didn't had the means to recreate Soundwave's highly stylized voice pattern. As for localization, different from the comics which changed the name of almost every character to a Portuguese word, the cartoon kept most names intact with just a few exceptions; most famously, the Stunticons are referred to as the "Acrobaticons", and Optimus Prime is ''always'' called "Leader Optimus" or simply "Leader" whenever someone calls him "Prime" in the original. So yes, even Megatron calls him "Leader" all the time!

For unclear reasons, this dub (and subsequently the broadcast) of the show skipped the "More than Meets the Eye" miniseries and began with "Transport to Oblivion"; years later, the miniseries would be dubbed by ETC Filmes, a small studio located in São Paulo, and released on DVD by NBO Entertainment. They also released their own dub of "The Autobot Run", an episode inexplicably skipped by Herbert Richers. Unfortunately, this dub did a very poor job at casting its voice actors, giving most characters very unfitting voices that were left completely unmodulated; in a particularly egregious case, Optimus and Megatron are made to sound just like two regular thirty-something guys trying their best to overact each and every line of dialogue given to them.

Despite having been handled by two different studios over the years, the show was still left incomplete as far as anyone in the fandom could tell; specifically, the episodes "Kremzeek!", "Aerial Assault", "Starscream's Ghost" and everything between "Call of the Primitives" and "The Rebirth, Part 3" are not known to have ever been released in the country. Whether they were in fact never dubbed, were dubbed but never got to air, or did actually get aired but ended up being lost to time is still a mystery, though the first alternative seems to be the most plausible. Due to how haphazard dubs were made back then, it's possible that Herbert Richers skipped those episodes by pure accident and then never got to finish the rest of the show simply due to a lack of incentive. Similarly, it's possible ETC Filmes was planning on dubbing the remaining episodes just like they did with "The Autobot Run", but had their DVD releases cancelled before they could get to them. Because of this, the Brazilian release of the show is believed to have ended with the episode "Money is Everything".

As is also the case with [[The Transformers: The Movie/dubs#Brazil|the 1986 movie]], official home releases of the Brazilian dubs are extremely hard to find, with most episodes from season 2 onwards having never been released in home media to begin with. In fact, it's very likely that those episodes have only survived to this day thanks to TV recordings done by fans back when the show was still on air. As a result of this carelessness on the part of the distributors, the unknown state of preservation of the original recordings and the potential rights issues that may very well entangle them, it's effectively impossible for them to be reused in any way, meaning that an entirely new dub would necessarily have to be created from the ground up before the show could ever see another release for Brazilian audiences again.

===Latin America===
The shows aired in at least Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Colombia. The dub was recorded at [[Magnum Estudios]] in Los Angeles California, using Spanish speaking expatriates (including a number of up-and-coming Mexican voice actors).

==Home video releases==
{{main|The Transformers (cartoon)/home video}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1 cartoon titles.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Transformers will return once they have found their definite article.]]
[[File:WorldOfHectorRamirez.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|No universe is safe from being Hectored.]]
*Both the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toyline]] and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] used a definite article for their title, thus making the franchise's official name "''The'' Transformers" during its early years. At first sight, the cartoon appears to be the odd one out: The opening credits for all four seasons simply render the show's name as "Transformers", without "The"... except for the end of the season 2 opening credits. In addition, the [[commercial bumper]]s ''do'' use the definite article consistently. We have therefore chosen to use the version that matches both the toy line and the comic for the sake of consistency.
*While answering a letter from a fan in the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] to [[The Legacy of Unicron!|Issue #146]], the [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK Marvel Comics]] revealed that he totally knows all about ''The Transformers'' cartoon series. He claims the Marvel Comics depict the events as they actually happened and the cartoon is fictional.
*Looking at the production codes of the series reveals some choice tidbits:
**The series pilot, "More than Meets the Eye", was produced under a set of different production codes, as it was created before ''Transformers'' was expanded to become an ongoing series. After the pilot, the episode production numbers begin afresh with "700-01" ("Transport to Oblivion"), and proceeded in order until the end of the first season, with "700-13" ("Heavy Metal War"). At the beginning of the second season, it seems the production codes were adjusted to account for the three parts of "More than Meets the Eye", but someone's math was off by a digit: the first episode of the season, "Autobot Spike," was "700-16," instead of "700-17." This out-by-one numbering continued through the entire second season, ending with the 65th episode, "B.O.T.", as "700-64."
**The original intention of season 3 was to correct this numbering error and begin with "700-66," but after several episodes had moved into production, the decision was made to amend the numbering of the season and start with "700-86"—internal Sunbow documentation available on the Metrodome DVD release of the series shows each episode of "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" numbered 700-66 through -70, crossed out and renamed 700-86 through -90 by hand, and a model sheet for [[Beta (G1)|Beta]] identified "Forever Is a Long Time Coming" as episode "700-74," when its finalized production number was "700-94". Presumably, this was done in reference to the year, 1986, to mark a new "era" for the series now that new writers and story editors were in charge of production.
**There is no episode with production code 700–109. "Only Human" was 700–108, while "Grimlock's New Brain" was 700–110; many online sources list "Money Is Everything" as episode 700-109 and instead omit 700–111, but Sunbow documentation consistently proves this incorrect. A piece of internal correspondence from Marvel Productions<ref>[https://twitter.com/MSipher/status/1107399668361650176 Marvel Productions internal correspondance, posted by MSipher on Twitter]</ref> reveals that this is because "[[The Face of the Nijika]]" was originally episode 109, but it was "put on hold" by Hasbro for unknown reasons, and when revised, was given the new number of 700–113.
*Twelve episodes were released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]] (featuring dialogue from the German dub of the cartoon by Polyband with new background music from Karussell's own library), a common practice at the time.
*Cartoon writers are a sneaky lot, and quietly put references to ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'', another show they were working on at the same time, into ''The Transformers''. [[Daina]] of the Soviet Oktober Guard ("[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"), [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] as [[Marissa Faireborn]]'s dad ("[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]"), and an elderly [[Cobra Commander]] ("[[Only Human]]") all appear. We also see journalist [[Hector Ramirez]] ("[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"), who appeared in almost ''everything'' Hasbro and Sunbow were doing at the time.
{{--}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvMHCfwLXJRYGTnvIQX9Hmwq_Q35qnaD8 Complete ''The Transformers'' playlist on YouTube]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/net.comics/browse_thread/thread/eab15c298a61cdfb/fce7a2ddb7e35a81 1985 net.comics review]
*[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Comet/5606/tfepgd.html Aaron Marsh's Transformers Episode Guide] — Including variants and repackagings
*[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transformers/9160392217 Transformers on Facebook] - Includes information on Matrix of Leadership Box Set
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-1-1984-1985.html Scripts and storyboards for Season 1 and 2 at the Sunbow and Marvel archive]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-2-1986-1987.html Scripts and other material from Season 3 at the Sunbow and Marvel archive]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (cartoon), The}}
[[Category:Continuities]]
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:The Transformers episodes| ]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Talk:Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)

2025-02-06T22:51:17Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Revisiting the cast list */

Is the list of characters intended to be expanded to include ''all'' the characters that appeared in Victory? If so, including Wheeljack and Perceptor is fine. If not, they really don't feature enough to merit mention, I shouldn't think....--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 22:37, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
: I'm not sure an "Appearing Characters" is appropriate for this page. Imagine if we were consistent and did that also on the page for the original animated series! I think a better use of this information would be on individual episode pages. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:02, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
:: I'm inclined to agree, which is rather the point. I don't think Wheeljack or Perceptor feature anything like prominently enough in Victory to be on this page.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 23:18, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

It'd be nice to have some production notes, to shed some light into the background on the making of the series. [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 12:15, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

== Franchise page? ==

Victory appears to lack a franchise page. Could someone-who-is-not-me please crib one together from the short Masterforce page or something? I'm otherwise occupied, which is the only reason I noticed its lack. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:33, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

How about that episode list? [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 02:33, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
:[[List of Victory episodes|This]]? What about it? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 07:42, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
::Nothing, I already found it and added the link to the article. :P Now if someone could be arsed to write articles for the rest of the episodes...but who would take upon such a task? [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 15:20, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

== Clip shows vs. Recap episodes ==

I've marked the clip shows in the episode list here... but I'm not ''entirely'' sure these are two seperate beasts.

McFeely put ''some'' of these direct-to-video clip shows between episodes, and a bunch more at the end of the series. I'm ''assuming'' that this is because the mid-quel clip shows are "Holi and Jan sit aroudn the base and remember when..." where the episodes themselves have a shell story (however minimal) that actually takes place 'here and now,' while the later ones identified simply as 'clip shows' do not.

Can someone confirm if I'm right in this belief? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:46, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:That's because the ones between legitimate episodes aired as part of the series proper, while the ones at the end were released on home video. That, and it's how the Japanese compile their episode lists. We really just follow what they do. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:59, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::ah, i was thrown by some of the early clip shows not having airdates. They're simply missign airdate then-- they don't lack them. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:00, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:::To further clarify, ''none'' of the episodes have any kind of shell story - they are 100% clips presided over by omniscient narration. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 07:17, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::::Excellent! Thank you Mr. McFeely! -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 08:28, 20 July 2009 (EDT)

== Deathcobra ==

The Victory page is locked and there's no mention of Deathcobra in the cast list. http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Deathcobra {{unsigned|Mathius|00:19, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:It's not a cast list, it's a ''main cast'' list. Deathcobra appeared in all of '''one''' episode. The page got locked speficially because people kept adding one-episode characters to the list. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 00:22, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

Oh I see. This is an encyclopedia that has only partial knowledge. {{unsigned|Mathius|01:48, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}

:No this is a wiki that differentiates between legidimate major characters and hundreds of one-shot nobodies. Deathcobra is mentioned where he's relevant. Which is not the main Victory page. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 01:51, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

"One shot nobodies" are still characters in the universe. You have more information dedicated to characters who don't even have toys. If I hadn't watched the episodes I wouldn't even know about this guy because you don't include him unless someone reads each and every one of your episode summaries. {{unsigned|Mathius|01:54, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:'''Oh no!''' We're not including characters outside of articles to which they are ''relevant!'' The audacity of it all!!! --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 02:16, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

:We only list main cast on the series pages to give a clear impression about who the main and recurring characters are. You could list Deathcobra and Old Tom and so on on the Victory page, but it would just obscure who the regular case of the series is. If you listed every single character in the Victory universe, you'd have to list every Masterforce, Headmasters and Generation 1 guy as well. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 02:24, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
::And if we listed every character who ever appeared, things would get too out of hand. We'd have things like "Security Guard from Roll for It" and "Seeker #9" --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 07:44, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

And yet "the pisser" is listed from dreamwave comics. Like I said, there's no point in arguing with you. Fanboys are the same the world over. They don't like anyone not in their little "cliche" and they can't handle when someone tells them their "world" doesn't make sense. {{unsigned|Mathius|12:31, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:On which page? --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 12:40, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:There is no page which contains an overview of the characters appearing in the Dreamwave comics for "The Pisser" to be listed on. He is listed on a page which lists all the human characters in Generation 1 and the page describing the issue in which he appears; neither is analogous to the general ''Victory'' cartoon page, as this page does not attempt to list every incidental character that appeared over the course of the ''Victory'' series. It's possible that there ''should'' be a section listing every incidental from a given series on its page, but at present our pages are not set up in that way. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 12:44, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:I choose to eschew decency. ''Shut up and fuck off''. Deathcobra is not a main character, therefore he doesn't go in the "main cast". Stop looking for - and failing to find - comparative situations. I imagine you're the guy who's been trying to add all the do-nothing Mini-Cons to the Armada page, and the five-second Headmasters cameo characters to the Masterforce page. These were locked to ''stop'' this stupid shit, because ''it is stupid''. You can wail about how we're a "clique" (although how we're "fanboys" and you're not when you're hearing trying to edit the wiki as well, I don't know), but it will do you no good, because you are in the wrong. It's not changing. Go bitch about us on a messageboard or something - that's what every other retard who tries to add something fucking stupid to the wiki and then gets it reverted does. ''Cry about it some fucking more.'' - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 13:28, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:The problem isn't people telling us something doesn't make sense. The problem is someone trying to tell us something doesn't make sense before they take the time to learn how our system actually works and the reasoning behind it.
:Which it's clear from your comments here and on SG Arcee's page that you haven't taken that time, and instead of simply asking reasonable questions so you could learn, you felt the need to act like a dick. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 13:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

'''I'm''' acting like a dick? I'm not the one cussing and whining like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum. And if I was a dick I'd have just made the edit instead of discussing it first. I don't expect you guys to understand what the difference between a fanboy and a normal person is. It's built into the definition of a fanboy that you are incapable of understanding when you're in the wrong. You guys are like little kids sitting in the sandbox with your "repurposing" nonsense saying "Let's pretend that Hot Rod is bumblee because Hasbro didn't make one." Seriously? You claim there's no "cliche", but then you throw around the words "our" and "we" etc. etc. and talk about your "system" that "I don't understand." If your system works so well then what's with the glaring inconsistencies? ('''YOUR''' repurposing page says they're unofficial, but you argue here that they are official. Whatever) If people are continually trying to edit pages and you're locking them so they can't be editted, OBVIOUSLY they want the information there. But you don't want it there so it can't be. But there's no cliche. Whatever. --[[User:Mathius|Mathius]] 14:25, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:You are using "clique" to describe "group of people who actually follow the established rules and way of doing things of the site." And have not provided any kind of real explanation for why Deathcobra belongs in a section named "Main Cast". - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 14:31, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:The problem here isn't that we don't understand how we're in the wrong. The problem is that you only think we're wrong because you don't understand how things work and won't pay attention to our explanations trying to show you how they work.
:We explained to you why we don't list minor cameo characters on main fiction pages, and the places we do list them.
:As for the repurposing, Detour already explained that you didn't pay attention to the whole quote: "The repurposed character has no official toy release of his own, '''but the toy can take on double-duty representing both the character he was originally released as (the character on the box) and the repurposed character established later on in fiction'''."
:On top of that, the descriptions in the prose and/or illustrations for the prose or comic clearly describe/show the character as being represented by that toy (since that's what the author/artist had in mind as being the official representation while doing their art/description).
:So if you want to actually understand how things work and then see if something genuinely doesn't make sense, then drop the attitude and listen and then comment. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 14:42, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
These are not established RULES, these are just things that are done that way because you as a group have decided they are this way. I read the rules pages, I know very well what they say. The list of rules lists what is deemed official and unofficial content, behaviorial restrictions, etc. There is a GUIDELINE as to where the content should be listed and how, there are not a list of RULES that say the front page of an established series should have a listing of main characters only, nor deem who is a main character and who isn't. Deathcobra was only in one episode because he "DIED" in said episode, but he was certainly a main character FOR that episode. I need not remind you that the Sunstorm character didn't even have a name until E-Hobby decided that this "One Shot Nobody" was worthy of a second look. The point of the matter is, if I'm researching Victory and I know nothing about it, one of the first places I'm going to look is the character casting list. He's a character. He had a decent role. He's not in it. He's also one of only 8 breastforce characters which is significant as well.

I read what Detour wrote. You fail to recognize that the rest of the quote doesn't change anything as far as logic is concern. And I read the 'prose' stories (with the exception of reunification), they have few illustrations in them. Again you fail to see your system doesn't work and your logic is distorted. You're arguing to me that this toy looks like this character, but your own wiki page says there is no official image of this person. In other words, you justified whatthis person should look like based on a textual description and are trying to argue with me the accuracy of what is essentially someone's interpretation of the text.

Does this phrase look familiar? "'''This character has no official visual representation whatsoever'''... yet, at least."

Another point to make is that part of the "guidelines" for this is to provide sources. Where are the sources for your "repurposed" pretend figures if they're "official" ?--[[User:Mathius|Mathius]] 14:51, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:Okay, I need two things to happen. First and foremost, I need people to calm down and tone down this argument's rhetoric ''a lot'' or we're never going to get anywhere and some folks are going to get a time out. Second, this is the talkpage for the Victory cartoon. The repurposed toy discussion does not belong here, so please take it to the page where it originated.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 14:56, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

== Revisiting the cast list ==

Since expanding the cast list has come back up. I think it's very misleading to include (for example) Overlord in the cast list, no matter how that is titled, as Overlord has a cameo in one episode. People are going to look at the list and think Overlord has a significant appearance in the show, which is far from the case. --[[User:Abates|abates]] ([[User talk:Abates|talk]]) 15:56, 5 January 2025 (EST)
:As someone who has not seen ''Victory'' as of this writing, my concerns primarily lied in [[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]]. Seeing as the two [[Crossformer]]s were voiced characters with toys (with the former also seeing some notable attention after ''Victory''), I failed to realized the duo only appeared in [[Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior|one episode]]. Sorry... [[User:ShootingStar7X|ShootingStar7X]] ([[User talk:ShootingStar7X|talk]]) 16:18, 5 January 2025 (EST)
:The cast list on the Prime cartoon page includes characters who only appeared for one episode such as Makeshift and Tailgate, so what's the excuse for including those characters there but not including Deathcobra, Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus here? --[[User:AimèeRose97|FemboyRatchet]] ([[User talk:AiméeRose97|talk]]) 22:50, 5th of February, 2025 (GMT)

Talk:Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)

2025-02-06T22:51:00Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Revisiting the cast list */

Talk:Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)

2025-02-06T22:50:14Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Revisiting the cast list */

Is the list of characters intended to be expanded to include ''all'' the characters that appeared in Victory? If so, including Wheeljack and Perceptor is fine. If not, they really don't feature enough to merit mention, I shouldn't think....--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 22:37, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
: I'm not sure an "Appearing Characters" is appropriate for this page. Imagine if we were consistent and did that also on the page for the original animated series! I think a better use of this information would be on individual episode pages. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:02, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
:: I'm inclined to agree, which is rather the point. I don't think Wheeljack or Perceptor feature anything like prominently enough in Victory to be on this page.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 23:18, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

It'd be nice to have some production notes, to shed some light into the background on the making of the series. [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 12:15, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

== Franchise page? ==

Victory appears to lack a franchise page. Could someone-who-is-not-me please crib one together from the short Masterforce page or something? I'm otherwise occupied, which is the only reason I noticed its lack. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:33, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

How about that episode list? [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 02:33, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
:[[List of Victory episodes|This]]? What about it? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 07:42, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
::Nothing, I already found it and added the link to the article. :P Now if someone could be arsed to write articles for the rest of the episodes...but who would take upon such a task? [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 15:20, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

== Clip shows vs. Recap episodes ==

I've marked the clip shows in the episode list here... but I'm not ''entirely'' sure these are two seperate beasts.

McFeely put ''some'' of these direct-to-video clip shows between episodes, and a bunch more at the end of the series. I'm ''assuming'' that this is because the mid-quel clip shows are "Holi and Jan sit aroudn the base and remember when..." where the episodes themselves have a shell story (however minimal) that actually takes place 'here and now,' while the later ones identified simply as 'clip shows' do not.

Can someone confirm if I'm right in this belief? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:46, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:That's because the ones between legitimate episodes aired as part of the series proper, while the ones at the end were released on home video. That, and it's how the Japanese compile their episode lists. We really just follow what they do. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:59, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::ah, i was thrown by some of the early clip shows not having airdates. They're simply missign airdate then-- they don't lack them. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:00, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:::To further clarify, ''none'' of the episodes have any kind of shell story - they are 100% clips presided over by omniscient narration. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 07:17, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::::Excellent! Thank you Mr. McFeely! -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 08:28, 20 July 2009 (EDT)

== Deathcobra ==

The Victory page is locked and there's no mention of Deathcobra in the cast list. http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Deathcobra {{unsigned|Mathius|00:19, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:It's not a cast list, it's a ''main cast'' list. Deathcobra appeared in all of '''one''' episode. The page got locked speficially because people kept adding one-episode characters to the list. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 00:22, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

Oh I see. This is an encyclopedia that has only partial knowledge. {{unsigned|Mathius|01:48, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}

:No this is a wiki that differentiates between legidimate major characters and hundreds of one-shot nobodies. Deathcobra is mentioned where he's relevant. Which is not the main Victory page. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 01:51, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

"One shot nobodies" are still characters in the universe. You have more information dedicated to characters who don't even have toys. If I hadn't watched the episodes I wouldn't even know about this guy because you don't include him unless someone reads each and every one of your episode summaries. {{unsigned|Mathius|01:54, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:'''Oh no!''' We're not including characters outside of articles to which they are ''relevant!'' The audacity of it all!!! --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 02:16, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

:We only list main cast on the series pages to give a clear impression about who the main and recurring characters are. You could list Deathcobra and Old Tom and so on on the Victory page, but it would just obscure who the regular case of the series is. If you listed every single character in the Victory universe, you'd have to list every Masterforce, Headmasters and Generation 1 guy as well. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 02:24, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
::And if we listed every character who ever appeared, things would get too out of hand. We'd have things like "Security Guard from Roll for It" and "Seeker #9" --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 07:44, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

And yet "the pisser" is listed from dreamwave comics. Like I said, there's no point in arguing with you. Fanboys are the same the world over. They don't like anyone not in their little "cliche" and they can't handle when someone tells them their "world" doesn't make sense. {{unsigned|Mathius|12:31, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:On which page? --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 12:40, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:There is no page which contains an overview of the characters appearing in the Dreamwave comics for "The Pisser" to be listed on. He is listed on a page which lists all the human characters in Generation 1 and the page describing the issue in which he appears; neither is analogous to the general ''Victory'' cartoon page, as this page does not attempt to list every incidental character that appeared over the course of the ''Victory'' series. It's possible that there ''should'' be a section listing every incidental from a given series on its page, but at present our pages are not set up in that way. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 12:44, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:I choose to eschew decency. ''Shut up and fuck off''. Deathcobra is not a main character, therefore he doesn't go in the "main cast". Stop looking for - and failing to find - comparative situations. I imagine you're the guy who's been trying to add all the do-nothing Mini-Cons to the Armada page, and the five-second Headmasters cameo characters to the Masterforce page. These were locked to ''stop'' this stupid shit, because ''it is stupid''. You can wail about how we're a "clique" (although how we're "fanboys" and you're not when you're hearing trying to edit the wiki as well, I don't know), but it will do you no good, because you are in the wrong. It's not changing. Go bitch about us on a messageboard or something - that's what every other retard who tries to add something fucking stupid to the wiki and then gets it reverted does. ''Cry about it some fucking more.'' - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 13:28, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:The problem isn't people telling us something doesn't make sense. The problem is someone trying to tell us something doesn't make sense before they take the time to learn how our system actually works and the reasoning behind it.
:Which it's clear from your comments here and on SG Arcee's page that you haven't taken that time, and instead of simply asking reasonable questions so you could learn, you felt the need to act like a dick. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 13:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

'''I'm''' acting like a dick? I'm not the one cussing and whining like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum. And if I was a dick I'd have just made the edit instead of discussing it first. I don't expect you guys to understand what the difference between a fanboy and a normal person is. It's built into the definition of a fanboy that you are incapable of understanding when you're in the wrong. You guys are like little kids sitting in the sandbox with your "repurposing" nonsense saying "Let's pretend that Hot Rod is bumblee because Hasbro didn't make one." Seriously? You claim there's no "cliche", but then you throw around the words "our" and "we" etc. etc. and talk about your "system" that "I don't understand." If your system works so well then what's with the glaring inconsistencies? ('''YOUR''' repurposing page says they're unofficial, but you argue here that they are official. Whatever) If people are continually trying to edit pages and you're locking them so they can't be editted, OBVIOUSLY they want the information there. But you don't want it there so it can't be. But there's no cliche. Whatever. --[[User:Mathius|Mathius]] 14:25, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:You are using "clique" to describe "group of people who actually follow the established rules and way of doing things of the site." And have not provided any kind of real explanation for why Deathcobra belongs in a section named "Main Cast". - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 14:31, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:The problem here isn't that we don't understand how we're in the wrong. The problem is that you only think we're wrong because you don't understand how things work and won't pay attention to our explanations trying to show you how they work.
:We explained to you why we don't list minor cameo characters on main fiction pages, and the places we do list them.
:As for the repurposing, Detour already explained that you didn't pay attention to the whole quote: "The repurposed character has no official toy release of his own, '''but the toy can take on double-duty representing both the character he was originally released as (the character on the box) and the repurposed character established later on in fiction'''."
:On top of that, the descriptions in the prose and/or illustrations for the prose or comic clearly describe/show the character as being represented by that toy (since that's what the author/artist had in mind as being the official representation while doing their art/description).
:So if you want to actually understand how things work and then see if something genuinely doesn't make sense, then drop the attitude and listen and then comment. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 14:42, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
These are not established RULES, these are just things that are done that way because you as a group have decided they are this way. I read the rules pages, I know very well what they say. The list of rules lists what is deemed official and unofficial content, behaviorial restrictions, etc. There is a GUIDELINE as to where the content should be listed and how, there are not a list of RULES that say the front page of an established series should have a listing of main characters only, nor deem who is a main character and who isn't. Deathcobra was only in one episode because he "DIED" in said episode, but he was certainly a main character FOR that episode. I need not remind you that the Sunstorm character didn't even have a name until E-Hobby decided that this "One Shot Nobody" was worthy of a second look. The point of the matter is, if I'm researching Victory and I know nothing about it, one of the first places I'm going to look is the character casting list. He's a character. He had a decent role. He's not in it. He's also one of only 8 breastforce characters which is significant as well.

I read what Detour wrote. You fail to recognize that the rest of the quote doesn't change anything as far as logic is concern. And I read the 'prose' stories (with the exception of reunification), they have few illustrations in them. Again you fail to see your system doesn't work and your logic is distorted. You're arguing to me that this toy looks like this character, but your own wiki page says there is no official image of this person. In other words, you justified whatthis person should look like based on a textual description and are trying to argue with me the accuracy of what is essentially someone's interpretation of the text.

Does this phrase look familiar? "'''This character has no official visual representation whatsoever'''... yet, at least."

Another point to make is that part of the "guidelines" for this is to provide sources. Where are the sources for your "repurposed" pretend figures if they're "official" ?--[[User:Mathius|Mathius]] 14:51, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:Okay, I need two things to happen. First and foremost, I need people to calm down and tone down this argument's rhetoric ''a lot'' or we're never going to get anywhere and some folks are going to get a time out. Second, this is the talkpage for the Victory cartoon. The repurposed toy discussion does not belong here, so please take it to the page where it originated.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 14:56, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

== Revisiting the cast list ==

Since expanding the cast list has come back up. I think it's very misleading to include (for example) Overlord in the cast list, no matter how that is titled, as Overlord has a cameo in one episode. People are going to look at the list and think Overlord has a significant appearance in the show, which is far from the case. --[[User:Abates|abates]] ([[User talk:Abates|talk]]) 15:56, 5 January 2025 (EST)
:As someone who has not seen ''Victory'' as of this writing, my concerns primarily lied in [[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]]. Seeing as the two [[Crossformer]]s were voiced characters with toys (with the former also seeing some notable attention after ''Victory''), I failed to realized the duo only appeared in [[Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior|one episode]]. Sorry... [[User:ShootingStar7X|ShootingStar7X]] ([[User talk:ShootingStar7X|talk]]) 16:18, 5 January 2025 (EST)
:The cast list on Prime cartoon page includes characters who only appeared for one episode such as Makeshift and Tailgate, so what's the excuse for including those characters there but not including Deathcobra, Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus here?
[[User:AimèeRose97|FemboyRatchet]] ([[User talk:AiméeRose97|talk]]) 22:50, 5th of Feburary, 2025 (GMT)

Talk:Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)

2025-02-06T22:49:51Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Revisiting the cast list */

Is the list of characters intended to be expanded to include ''all'' the characters that appeared in Victory? If so, including Wheeljack and Perceptor is fine. If not, they really don't feature enough to merit mention, I shouldn't think....--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 22:37, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
: I'm not sure an "Appearing Characters" is appropriate for this page. Imagine if we were consistent and did that also on the page for the original animated series! I think a better use of this information would be on individual episode pages. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:02, 17 May 2006 (UTC)
:: I'm inclined to agree, which is rather the point. I don't think Wheeljack or Perceptor feature anything like prominently enough in Victory to be on this page.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 23:18, 17 May 2006 (UTC)

It'd be nice to have some production notes, to shed some light into the background on the making of the series. [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 12:15, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

== Franchise page? ==

Victory appears to lack a franchise page. Could someone-who-is-not-me please crib one together from the short Masterforce page or something? I'm otherwise occupied, which is the only reason I noticed its lack. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:33, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

How about that episode list? [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 02:33, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
:[[List of Victory episodes|This]]? What about it? [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 07:42, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
::Nothing, I already found it and added the link to the article. :P Now if someone could be arsed to write articles for the rest of the episodes...but who would take upon such a task? [[User:Takeshi357|Takeshi357]] 15:20, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

== Clip shows vs. Recap episodes ==

I've marked the clip shows in the episode list here... but I'm not ''entirely'' sure these are two seperate beasts.

McFeely put ''some'' of these direct-to-video clip shows between episodes, and a bunch more at the end of the series. I'm ''assuming'' that this is because the mid-quel clip shows are "Holi and Jan sit aroudn the base and remember when..." where the episodes themselves have a shell story (however minimal) that actually takes place 'here and now,' while the later ones identified simply as 'clip shows' do not.

Can someone confirm if I'm right in this belief? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:46, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:That's because the ones between legitimate episodes aired as part of the series proper, while the ones at the end were released on home video. That, and it's how the Japanese compile their episode lists. We really just follow what they do. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:59, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::ah, i was thrown by some of the early clip shows not having airdates. They're simply missign airdate then-- they don't lack them. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:00, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
:::To further clarify, ''none'' of the episodes have any kind of shell story - they are 100% clips presided over by omniscient narration. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 07:17, 20 July 2009 (EDT)
::::Excellent! Thank you Mr. McFeely! -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 08:28, 20 July 2009 (EDT)

== Deathcobra ==

The Victory page is locked and there's no mention of Deathcobra in the cast list. http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Deathcobra {{unsigned|Mathius|00:19, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:It's not a cast list, it's a ''main cast'' list. Deathcobra appeared in all of '''one''' episode. The page got locked speficially because people kept adding one-episode characters to the list. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 00:22, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

Oh I see. This is an encyclopedia that has only partial knowledge. {{unsigned|Mathius|01:48, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}

:No this is a wiki that differentiates between legidimate major characters and hundreds of one-shot nobodies. Deathcobra is mentioned where he's relevant. Which is not the main Victory page. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 01:51, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

"One shot nobodies" are still characters in the universe. You have more information dedicated to characters who don't even have toys. If I hadn't watched the episodes I wouldn't even know about this guy because you don't include him unless someone reads each and every one of your episode summaries. {{unsigned|Mathius|01:54, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:'''Oh no!''' We're not including characters outside of articles to which they are ''relevant!'' The audacity of it all!!! --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 02:16, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

:We only list main cast on the series pages to give a clear impression about who the main and recurring characters are. You could list Deathcobra and Old Tom and so on on the Victory page, but it would just obscure who the regular case of the series is. If you listed every single character in the Victory universe, you'd have to list every Masterforce, Headmasters and Generation 1 guy as well. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 02:24, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
::And if we listed every character who ever appeared, things would get too out of hand. We'd have things like "Security Guard from Roll for It" and "Seeker #9" --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 07:44, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

And yet "the pisser" is listed from dreamwave comics. Like I said, there's no point in arguing with you. Fanboys are the same the world over. They don't like anyone not in their little "cliche" and they can't handle when someone tells them their "world" doesn't make sense. {{unsigned|Mathius|12:31, 6 June 2010 (EDT)}}
:On which page? --[[User:NCZ|NCZ]] 12:40, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:There is no page which contains an overview of the characters appearing in the Dreamwave comics for "The Pisser" to be listed on. He is listed on a page which lists all the human characters in Generation 1 and the page describing the issue in which he appears; neither is analogous to the general ''Victory'' cartoon page, as this page does not attempt to list every incidental character that appeared over the course of the ''Victory'' series. It's possible that there ''should'' be a section listing every incidental from a given series on its page, but at present our pages are not set up in that way. --[[User:Monzo|Monzo]] 12:44, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:I choose to eschew decency. ''Shut up and fuck off''. Deathcobra is not a main character, therefore he doesn't go in the "main cast". Stop looking for - and failing to find - comparative situations. I imagine you're the guy who's been trying to add all the do-nothing Mini-Cons to the Armada page, and the five-second Headmasters cameo characters to the Masterforce page. These were locked to ''stop'' this stupid shit, because ''it is stupid''. You can wail about how we're a "clique" (although how we're "fanboys" and you're not when you're hearing trying to edit the wiki as well, I don't know), but it will do you no good, because you are in the wrong. It's not changing. Go bitch about us on a messageboard or something - that's what every other retard who tries to add something fucking stupid to the wiki and then gets it reverted does. ''Cry about it some fucking more.'' - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 13:28, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:The problem isn't people telling us something doesn't make sense. The problem is someone trying to tell us something doesn't make sense before they take the time to learn how our system actually works and the reasoning behind it.
:Which it's clear from your comments here and on SG Arcee's page that you haven't taken that time, and instead of simply asking reasonable questions so you could learn, you felt the need to act like a dick. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 13:39, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

'''I'm''' acting like a dick? I'm not the one cussing and whining like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum. And if I was a dick I'd have just made the edit instead of discussing it first. I don't expect you guys to understand what the difference between a fanboy and a normal person is. It's built into the definition of a fanboy that you are incapable of understanding when you're in the wrong. You guys are like little kids sitting in the sandbox with your "repurposing" nonsense saying "Let's pretend that Hot Rod is bumblee because Hasbro didn't make one." Seriously? You claim there's no "cliche", but then you throw around the words "our" and "we" etc. etc. and talk about your "system" that "I don't understand." If your system works so well then what's with the glaring inconsistencies? ('''YOUR''' repurposing page says they're unofficial, but you argue here that they are official. Whatever) If people are continually trying to edit pages and you're locking them so they can't be editted, OBVIOUSLY they want the information there. But you don't want it there so it can't be. But there's no cliche. Whatever. --[[User:Mathius|Mathius]] 14:25, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:You are using "clique" to describe "group of people who actually follow the established rules and way of doing things of the site." And have not provided any kind of real explanation for why Deathcobra belongs in a section named "Main Cast". - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 14:31, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:The problem here isn't that we don't understand how we're in the wrong. The problem is that you only think we're wrong because you don't understand how things work and won't pay attention to our explanations trying to show you how they work.
:We explained to you why we don't list minor cameo characters on main fiction pages, and the places we do list them.
:As for the repurposing, Detour already explained that you didn't pay attention to the whole quote: "The repurposed character has no official toy release of his own, '''but the toy can take on double-duty representing both the character he was originally released as (the character on the box) and the repurposed character established later on in fiction'''."
:On top of that, the descriptions in the prose and/or illustrations for the prose or comic clearly describe/show the character as being represented by that toy (since that's what the author/artist had in mind as being the official representation while doing their art/description).
:So if you want to actually understand how things work and then see if something genuinely doesn't make sense, then drop the attitude and listen and then comment. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 14:42, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
These are not established RULES, these are just things that are done that way because you as a group have decided they are this way. I read the rules pages, I know very well what they say. The list of rules lists what is deemed official and unofficial content, behaviorial restrictions, etc. There is a GUIDELINE as to where the content should be listed and how, there are not a list of RULES that say the front page of an established series should have a listing of main characters only, nor deem who is a main character and who isn't. Deathcobra was only in one episode because he "DIED" in said episode, but he was certainly a main character FOR that episode. I need not remind you that the Sunstorm character didn't even have a name until E-Hobby decided that this "One Shot Nobody" was worthy of a second look. The point of the matter is, if I'm researching Victory and I know nothing about it, one of the first places I'm going to look is the character casting list. He's a character. He had a decent role. He's not in it. He's also one of only 8 breastforce characters which is significant as well.

I read what Detour wrote. You fail to recognize that the rest of the quote doesn't change anything as far as logic is concern. And I read the 'prose' stories (with the exception of reunification), they have few illustrations in them. Again you fail to see your system doesn't work and your logic is distorted. You're arguing to me that this toy looks like this character, but your own wiki page says there is no official image of this person. In other words, you justified whatthis person should look like based on a textual description and are trying to argue with me the accuracy of what is essentially someone's interpretation of the text.

Does this phrase look familiar? "'''This character has no official visual representation whatsoever'''... yet, at least."

Another point to make is that part of the "guidelines" for this is to provide sources. Where are the sources for your "repurposed" pretend figures if they're "official" ?--[[User:Mathius|Mathius]] 14:51, 6 June 2010 (EDT)
:Okay, I need two things to happen. First and foremost, I need people to calm down and tone down this argument's rhetoric ''a lot'' or we're never going to get anywhere and some folks are going to get a time out. Second, this is the talkpage for the Victory cartoon. The repurposed toy discussion does not belong here, so please take it to the page where it originated.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 14:56, 6 June 2010 (EDT)

== Revisiting the cast list ==

Since expanding the cast list has come back up. I think it's very misleading to include (for example) Overlord in the cast list, no matter how that is titled, as Overlord has a cameo in one episode. People are going to look at the list and think Overlord has a significant appearance in the show, which is far from the case. --[[User:Abates|abates]] ([[User talk:Abates|talk]]) 15:56, 5 January 2025 (EST)
:As someone who has not seen ''Victory'' as of this writing, my concerns primarily lied in [[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]]. Seeing as the two [[Crossformer]]s were voiced characters with toys (with the former also seeing some notable attention after ''Victory''), I failed to realized the duo only appeared in [[Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior|one episode]]. Sorry... [[User:ShootingStar7X|ShootingStar7X]] ([[User talk:ShootingStar7X|talk]]) 16:18, 5 January 2025 (EST)
:The cast list on Prime cartoon page includes characters who only appeared for one episode such as Makeshift and Tailgate, so what's the excuse for including those characters there but not including Deathcobra, Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus here?
[[User:AimèeRose97|FemboyRatchet]] ([>Ussr talk:AiméeRose97|tall]]) 22:50, 5th of Feburary, 2025 (GMT)

File:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg

2025-01-22T11:17:23Z

AimÃ©eRose97: AiméeRose97 uploaded a new version of "File:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg": Higher quality

{{BWcap|[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] makes the sign of the cross as the [[Vok]] close in.|Other Victories|9}}

Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)

2025-01-04T17:18:03Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Exclusives */

{{nav-bwj}}
'''''Transformers: Beast Wars''''' (トランスフォーマービーストウォーズ) is the overarching title given to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s Japanese release of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|''Beast Wars'' toyline]], omitting the more ostentatious title "''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers''" given to the dubbed version of the accompanying [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]].

''Beast Wars'' would not hit Japan until over a year after its Hasbro-market debut, most likely due to waiting for the full first season of the show to finish production so it could be run in its totality in a single stretch, as is the norm for Japanese kids media with toy tie-ins. The show's long production time also resulted in the need for "filler" after that first year, resulting in two Japan-original cartoons and associated toylines before the line returned to the Mainframe show setting. However, even though those two series were given their own titles, "''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]''" and "''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]''", those brandings never appeared on the toys' packaging. Instead, similar to how Takara's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' version of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|''Transformers'' toyline]] maintained its title for six years despite constantly changing cartoon titles, the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' toys were all branded simply ''Transformers: Beast Wars'' for three years, until 1999 saw the toys adopt the ''Beast Wars Metals'' branding given to the dubbed version of seasons 2 and 3 of the American cartoon.

{{anchor|BW}}
==1997-1998 (''Beast Wars'')==
Starting in summer 1997, the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Beast Wars'' toyline began very similarly to the Hasbro version, with only a handful of minor color differences appearing in the first wave of product. However, by wave 2, several toys had considerably different decos, as well as an all-new villain character (created to fill out the VS-packs evenly). On top of that, several of the first-wave toys got more "show-accurate" [[variant|running changes]] in January 1998, though the level of "show accuracy" varied pretty wildly. But as the back end of the line began and Takara started bringing over non-show-character molds, most of the releases returned to being nigh-identical to their Hasbro counterparts.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' (July 1997)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#FirstUltra|Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-2 [[Polar Claw#Beast Wars|Whiteclaw]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-3 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Cheetus]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-4 [[Dinobot (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Dinobot]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-5 [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Rattle]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-6 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Convobat]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-p1|D-1 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#BWultra|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-2 [[Scorponok (BW)#Beast Wars|Scorpos]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-3 [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Waspeeter]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-4 [[Tarantulas (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Tarans]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-5 [[Terrorsaur (BW)#Beast Wars|Terrorsaurer]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-6 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megalligator]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-1 Strongest Beast Showdown: Convoy VS Megatron}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-2 Arctic Showdown: Whiteclaw VS Scorpos}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-3 Quickest Showdown: Cheetus VS Waspeeter}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-4 Ferocious Showdown: Dinobot VS Tarans}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-5 Rocky Mountain Showdown: Rattle VS Terrorsaurer}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-6 Amazon Showdown: Convobat VS Megalligator}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:BWtoy-Terrorsaur-ShowColours.jpg|250px|thumb|Terrorsaurer (running change version)]][[File:BW-toy ShadowPanther.jpg|250px|thumb|Shadow Panther]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' (October 1997)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-7 [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Rhinox]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-7 [[Shadow Panther#Beast Wars|Shadow Panther]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-7 Wilderness Showdown: Rhinox VS Shadow Panther}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' (November 1997)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-8 [[Tigatron#Beast Wars|Tigatron]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-8 [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Blackwidow]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-8 Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' (December 1997)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-9 [[Wolfang (Maximal)#Beast Wars|Howlinger]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-9 [[Buzz Saw (BW)#Beast Wars|Buzz Saw]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-9 Darkness Showdown: Howlinger VS Buzz Saw}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' (January 1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-10 [[Airazor (BW)#Beast Wars|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-10 [[Insecticon (BW)#Beast Wars|Kuwagiger]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-10 Heaven Showdown: Airazor VS Kuwagiger}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' (February 1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-11 [[Cybershark#Beast Wars|Cybershark]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-11 [[Inferno (BW)#Beast Wars|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-11 Hell Showdown: Cybershark VS Inferno}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Special Editions'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-S1 Amazon Showdown Special Edition: ([[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#VSS1|Convobat]] & [[Megatron (G1)/toys#VSS1|Megalligator]] + CD-ROM)}}
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Gray|Special Convoy Real Gray Type]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Playset'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-X1 Volcano Showdown: [[Armordillo#VSX1|Armor]] VS [[Snapper#VSX1|Snapper]] (includes [[Volcano Base#Beast Wars|Volcano Base]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Keychains'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|EC-1 [[Eggleo]]}}
{{Bp-m1|EC-2 [[Eggbird]]}}
{{Bp-m1|EC-3 [[Eggbot (BW)|Eggbot]]}}
{{Bp-p1|ED-1 [[Dark Eggleo]]}}
{{Bp-p1|ED-2 [[Dark Eggbird]]}}
{{Bp-p1|ED-3 [[Dark Eggbot]]}}
|}

===Exclusives===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[BotCon Japan 1998]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Double Punch#Beast Wars|Double Punch]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Grizzly-1#Beast Wars|Grizzly-1/Barbearian]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#FirstUltra|Blue Convoy]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[TV Magazine]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#FirstUltra|Gold Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#FirstUltra|Red Convoy]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Toys"R"Us]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Clear|Convoy Skeleton Type]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Prizeprimals.jpg|250px|thumb|A trio of prize Primals.]]
|}

{{anchor|BWII}}

==1998 (''Beast Wars II'')==
{{Nav-bwii}}
The first of the two Takara-"original" ''Beast Wars'' line-ups, the toys collectively associated with the title ''Beast Wars II'' were released beginning in March 1998. It is a very strange beast, so to speak; an eclectic mix of already-existing sculpts that had previously not been used in Japan yet, which not only included more toys from Hasbro's ''Beast Wars'' line, but also ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' vehicle-bot figures that had never before been sold in Japan (and some that had previously never even been released by Hasbro!), plus a few figures scavenged from the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original ''Generation 1'' toyline]], many of them [[redeco]]ed and [[retool]]ed (some of them extensively so), plus a few supplemental toys apparently intended for release in ''[[Microman]]''. Ultimately, only three characters received new toy sculpts: [[Moon (BW)|Moon]], [[Lio Convoy]], and [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]]. We'd like to say it all fit together cohesively, but... no, not really. It's weird.

The toyline was backed up by a [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|cel-animated anime series]] and a [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|short-lived monthly manga]] in ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'', though neither one exactly set the world on fire or helped move many toys.

As mentioned in the introductory paragraph, the toys related to the ''Beast Wars II'' fiction were not actually sold under that banner, but were branded with the normal ''Beast Wars'' logo... despite the complete change in packaging design and the use of ''Beast Wars II'' on checklists.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' (3-??-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-12 [[Apache#Toys|Apache]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-13 [[Bighorn#Toys|Bighorn]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-14 [[Tasmania Kid#Toys|Tasmania Kid]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-15 [[Scuba#Toys|Scuba]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-12 [[Megastorm#Toys|Megastorm]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-13 [[Starscream (BW)#Toys|Starscream]] & [[BB (BW)#Toys|BB]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-14 [[Dirge (BW)#Toys|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-15 [[Thrust (BW)#Toys|Thrust]]}}
{{Bp-m1|X-2 [[Diver (BW)#Toys|Diver]] & [[Niagara Base#Toys|Niagara Base]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-12 Cannon Showdown: Apache VS Megastorm}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-13 2 Against 1 Showdown: Bighorn VS Starscream & BB}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-14 Land Horizon Showdown: Tasmania Kid VS Dirge}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-15 Sea Horizon Showdown: Scuba VS Thrust}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[April 23|4-23]]-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-16 [[Lio Convoy#Toys|Lio Convoy]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[April 30|4-30]]-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-17 [[Autostinger#Toys|Autostinger]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-18 [[Autocrusher#Toys|Autocrusher]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-19 [[Autojetter#Toys|Autojetter]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-20 [[Autolauncher#Toys|Autolauncher]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[Image:BWII LioConvoy toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Lio Convoy]][[File:BWII toy - Galvatron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Galvatron]][[File:BWII-toy TakoTank.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Tako Tank with Ikard]][[File:BWII-toy Hellscream.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Hellscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[May 21|5-21]]-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-16 [[Galvatron (BW)#Toys|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-16 History's Greatest Showdown: Lio Convoy VS Galvatron}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[June 25|5-25]]-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-17 [[Bigmos#Toys|Bigmos]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-18 [[Powerhug (BW)#Toys|Powerhug]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-19 [[Tonbot#Toys|Tonbot]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-20 [[Mantis#Toys|Mantis]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-21 [[Drill Nuts#Toys|Drill Nuts]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-22 [[Scissor Boy#Toys|Scissor Boy]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-17 Frontier Showdown: Bigmos VS Autostinger}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-18 Heavy Armor Showdown: Powerhug VS Autocrusher}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-19 Stratospheric Showdown: Tonbot VS Autojetter}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-20 Discus Showdown: Mantis VS Autolauncher}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' (7-??-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-23 [[DJ (BW)#Toys|DJ]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-24 [[Motorarm (BW)#Toys|Motorarm]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-25 [[Gimlet#Toys|Gimlet]]}}
{{Bp-m1|X-3 [[Tripledacus#Toys|Tripledacus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' (8-??-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-21 [[God Neptune#Toys|God Neptune]] ([[Coelagon#Toys|Coelagon]], [[Halfshell#Toys|Halfshell]], [[Scylla#Toys|Skyulle]], [[Sea Phantom#Toys|Sea Phantom]], [[Terrormander#Toys|Terrormander]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' (9-??-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-26 [[Lio Junior#Toys|Lio Junior]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-27 [[Skywarp (BW)#Toys|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-28 [[Santon#Toys|Santon]]}}
{{Bp-m1|X-4 [[Magnaboss (BWII)#Toys|Magnaboss]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' (10-??-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-22 [[Megastorm#Gigastorm|Gigastorm]] (w/ [[Gigascouter#Toys|Gigascouter]])}}
{{Bp-mn|S-2 [[Moon (BW)#Toys|Moon]]}}
{{Bp-m1|X-5 [[Ikard#Toys|Ikard]] & [[Tako Tank#Toys|Tako Tank]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' (11-??-1998)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-23 [[Starscream (BW)#Hellscream|Hellscream]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-24 [[BB (BW)#MaxB|Max-B]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-25 [[Dirge (BW)#Dirgegun|Dirgegun]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-26 [[Thrust (BW)#Thrustor|Thrustor]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Special releases'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-1 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Burning|Burning Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-16 [[Lio Convoy#Flash|Flash Lio Convoy]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Puzzle pack-ins'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Lio Junior#Black|Lio Junior]] (black & red)}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Lio Junior#White|Lio Junior]] (white & yellow)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Role Play'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Cybertron Buster]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Playset'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Maximal Mobile Base|Cybertron Idōkichi]]}}
|}

{{-}}
===Exclusives===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Lio Convoy#GalvatronColor|Galvatron Color Lio Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-mn|[[Moon (BW)#Mechausagi|Mecha Usagi Moon]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Toys"R"Us]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Black Lio Convoy#Toys|Black Lio Convoy]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

{{anchor|BWN}}

==1999 (''Beast Wars Neo'')==
{{nav-bwneo}}
[[Image:BWN-toy_Break.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Break, the shelliest shellformer who ever shelled.]]
The second of the two Takara-"original" ''Beast Wars'' line-ups, the toys collectively associated with the title ''Beast Wars Neo'' were released in [[1999]]. Takara apparently put the time saved by the previous year's rampant recycling of existing sculpts to good use, as the follow-up's biggest feature is probably the fact that it is positively ''heavy'' with all-new sculpts, plus a handful of retools, and only a very small number of straight redecos. Some of these toys would later see release in Hasbro markets, while others remain unreleased in Western markets to this very day.

The "Cybertrons" (i.e. Maximals) kept the mostly-mammals theme, while the "Destrons" (i.e. Predacons) had a theme of dinosaurs and other big scary prehistoric animals. Every new mold also had a pseudo-third "attack mode", typically a weapon or trap, though quite often they can be simply described as "pile of animal parts with a gimmick sticking off it".

The ''Neo'' line-up is also notable for being ''extremely'' short-lived at retail, with the majority of its product released over the span of a mere five months, quickly making way for ''Beast Wars Metals''. Supposedly, this is related to the fact that these toys did not fare well sales-wise. Japanese fans at the time cited the overly-complex toys being too difficult for the younger age group ''Transformers'' had been traditionally aimed at in Japan. Despite the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' media being aimed at the lower single-digits ages, these toys were ''notoriously'' complicated for that age group, with even grown adults finding the [[transformation]]s utterly frustrating, as they require multiple panels on [[ball joint|ball-jointed]] struts to be positioned ''precisely'' right for the [[beast mode]] to lock into place. On top of that, several of the toys are infamous for being "[[shellformer]]s"—[[Break]], in particular, could have all of his beast-mode panels/parts removed and ''still leave a fully functional robot mode behind''!

On top of that, the Cybertrons lacked appeal to kids as they largely had benign, not-exactly-combat-ready beast modes (likely why [[Hasbro]] has left most of those molds alone). Reportedly, ''Neo'' sold ''so'' bad it actually poisoned the well for the incoming ''Metals'' line, as kids largely left ''Transformers'' alone... which would force Takara to make some [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|drastic changes]] a little later on.

Like ''Beast Wars II'', ''Neo'' had a [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|cel-animated cartoon]] and ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|manga]] to shill the toys. Despite this, the toys were still just branded ''Transformers: Beast Wars'', even though the packaging was redesigned again. For [[Japanese language|whatever reason]], the packaging rendered the faction names "Cybertron" and "Destron" as "Cybertoron" and "Destoron".

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' (01-??-1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-29 [[Longrack (BW)#Toys|Longrack]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-30 [[Colada#Toys|Colada]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-31 [[Stampy (BW)#Toys|Stampy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-32 [[Break#Toys|Break]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-33 [[Rockbuster#Toys|Rockbuster]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-34 [[Randy (BW)#Toys|Randy]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-29 [[Guiledart#Toys|Guiledart]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-30 [[Saberback#Toys|Saberback]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-31 [[Sling (BW)#Toys|Sling]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-32 [[Dead End (BW)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-33 [[Hydra (BW)#Toys|Hydra]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-34 [[Crazybolt (BW)#Toys|Crazybolt]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-29 Savannah Showdown: Longrack VS Guiledart}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-30 Desert Showdown: Colada VS Saberback}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-31 Prairie Showdown: Stampy VS Sling}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-32 Undersea Showdown: Break VS Dead End}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-33 Backwater Showdown: Rockbuster VS Hydra}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-34 Explosive Showdown: Randy VS Crazybolt}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[Image:BWN-toy_Heinrad.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Heinrad]][[File:Beast Wars-Magmatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Magmatron. Coming to a [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline near you]].]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' (02-??-1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-35 [[Big Convoy#Toys|Big Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-35 [[Magmatron#Toys|Magmatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1|S-3 [[Heinrad (BW)#Toys|Heinrad]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-35 Cosmic Showdown: Big Convoy VS Magmatron}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' (03-??-1999)
{{Bp-m1|C-36 [[Mach Kick#Toys|Mach Kick]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-37 [[Sharp Edge#Toys|Sharp Edge]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-38 [[Bump#Toys|Bump]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-36 [[Archadis#Toys|Archadis]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-37 [[Hardhead (BW)#Toys|Hardhead]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-38 [[Bazooka (BW)#Toys|Bazooka]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-36 Favorites Showdown: Mach Kick VS Archadis}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-37 Master Fencers Showdown: Sharp Edge VS Hardhead}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-38 Extreme Showdown: Bump VS Bazooka}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' (05-??-1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-39 [[Survive#Toys|Survive]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-39 [[Killer Punch#Toys|Killer Punch]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-39 Roaring Showdown: Survive VS Killer Punch}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' (07-??-1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-uc|X-6 [[Latolata#Toys|Latolata]]}}
{{Bp-uc|X-7 [[Elphaorpha#Toys|Elphaorpha]]}}
{{Bp-uc|X-8 [[Drancron#Toys|Drancron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Canceled'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-uc|[[Unicron/toys#Beast Wars|Unicron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Role play'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Matrix Cannon (BW)|Matrix Cannon]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Spy Shot & Claw Gun]]}}
|}
{{-}}{{anchor|BWM}}

==1999 (''Beast Wars Metals'')==
{{nav-bwm}}
[[File:BW-toy Rattrap Metals.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Metals Rattrap, with subtle but important differences from the Hasbro Rattrap.]]
With seasons 2 and 3 of the Mainframe ''Beast Wars'' show finally wrapped up, Takara was able to send the show out as a full season with accompanying toyline. ''Metals'' was a smaller line than its predecessors, sticking entirely with characters who appeared in the show (even if not in Transmetal bodies). The first wave of toys had different, more "show-accurate" decoes and, notably, name [[tampograph]]s were replaced with generic "CYBERTRON" and "DESTRON" markings. However, toys in later waves were functionally the same as Hasbro releases (other than minor changes to Optimal Optimus/Powered Convoy). The line also included a Takara-only [[retool]] of Transmetal Cheetor into [[Ravage (G1)#Beast Wars|Ravage]] (a character that appeared on the show in that design), which was quickly a very sought-after item outside Japan.

Of particular note are the character [[bio]] cards that come with each toy. While bio cards had been in all previous Takara ''Transformers'' toylines (and were part of most toylines for many years after), for ''Metals'' the card fronts were three-stage lenticular-printed, showing the characters' robot, beast, and pre-Transmetal beast modes.

Along with the show, ''Metals'' got a ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|manga]] that is... kind of ''insane'', having little to nothing to do with the show outside of some very broad-strokes story elements, but it ''does'' feature all the characters in their toy-Transmetal bodies, at least.

Unfortunately, despite the initial ''Beast Wars'' line being very popular, the return to that cast and cartoon could not overcome the sales that had been slumping ever downward over the previous two years. As such, this line was ''incredibly'' short-lived, a mere four months long, plus Takara opted to pass on the Hasbro sequel series ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' in favor of their own original followup line, ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'', that hewed more closely to classic Transformers... mostly, at least. Though, ''Beast Machines'' would eventually get a [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#Takara Beast Wars Returns toyline|limited release in Japan]], several years later.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' (September 1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-40 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-41 [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)#Toys|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-42 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Cheetus]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-43 [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Rattle]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-44 [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Rhinox]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-45 [[Airazor (BW)#TM1|Metals Airazor]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-40 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-41 [[Rampage (BW)#Toys|Metals Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-42 [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Waspeeter]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-43 [[Terrorsaur (BW)#TM1|Metals Terrorsaurer]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-44 [[Tarantulas (BW)/toys#TM1|Metals Tarans]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-45 [[Quickstrike (BW)#Toys|Quickstrike]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-40 Fateful Showdown: Metals Convoy VS Metals Megatron}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-41 Brave Showdown: Silverbolt VS Metals Rampage}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-42 Gale Showdown: Metals Cheetus VS Metals Waspeeter}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-43 Flash Showdown: Metals Rattle VS Metals Terrorsaurer}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-44 Strength Showdown: Metals Rhinox VS Metals Tarans}}
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-45 Heatwave Showdown: Metals Airazor VS Quickstrike}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BWtoy-JaguarTM.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Metals Jaguar, the line's most distinctive figure.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' (October 1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-46 [[Depth Charge (BW)#Toys|Metals Depth Charge]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-46 [[Inferno (BW)#Metals|Metals Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-p1|X-9 [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Metals|Metals Jaguar]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|VS-46 Undersea Showdown: Metals Depth Charge VS Metals Inferno}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' (December 1999)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-47 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Metals Powered Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-48 [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#TM2|Metals Blackwidow]]}}
{{Bp-m1|C-49 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#TM2|Metals Cheetus 2]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-50 [[Tigerhawk#Toys|Metals Tigerfalcon]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-47 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#TM2|Metals Dragon Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-48 [[Dinobot II#Toys|Metals Dinobot]]}}
|}

==Related releases==
===Takara imports===
To combat their dwindling supply of domestic ''Beast Wars'' product (which sold like hotcakes) at the end of 1997, Takara resorted to importing toys made for the American market and slapping localized stickers on their packaging, although this resulted in prices double that of domestic product. And some misspelled names. This would be done again for some of the Transmetals 2 subline, with some sold at theaters and the rest at [[Toys"R"Us]]. Notably, three toys sold in theaters have minor paint variants not found in mainstream releases (which were identical in both Takara and Hasbro markets)—Depth Charge, Cheetor, and Dinobot.

{|style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Imports (1997)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Claw Jaw#Toys|Claw Jaw]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Snarl (BW)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Bonecrusher (BW)#Toys|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[K-9#Toys|K-9]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[B'Boom#Toys|B'Boon]] {{sic}}}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Drill Bit (BW)#Toys|Drill Bit]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-p1|[[Lazorbeak#Toys|Lazorbeak]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Powerpinch#Toys|Powerpinch]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Spittor (BW)#Toys|Spittor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Jetstorm (BW)#Toys|Jetstorm]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Retrax#Toys|Retrax]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Manterror#Toys|Manterror]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Transquito#Toys|Transquito]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Theaters (1999)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-m1|[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#TM2|Cheetor]]}}
{{bp-m1|[[Depth Charge (BW)#Beast Wars|Depth Charge]]}}
{{bp-p1|[[Dinobot II#Beast Wars|Dinobot]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Scarem#Toys|Scream]] {{sic}}}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Sonar (BW)#Toys|Sonar]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Ramulus#Toys|Ramulus]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Toys"R"Us'''
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Minor#Toys|Optimus Minor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Iguanus (BW)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Jawbreaker (BW)#Toys|Jawbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Prowl (TM2)#Toys|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Scourge (BW)#Toys|Scourge]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|}

===Hasbro imports===
[[Magmatron#Beast Machines|Magmatron]] was released by Hasbro in the United States as a [[Target]] exclusive. The toy itself was mostly unchanged, but put in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' packaging that also featured the Japanese ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' logo, Magmatron's own name in Katakana, and text taken from his original ''Beast Wars Neo'' packaging.

Additionally, Hasbro imported several other Japanese ''Beast Wars'' toys and made them available via their [https://web.archive.org/web/20001001070721/http://hasbrocollectors.com:80/brand.cfm?brand=8 "Hasbro Collectors" website]. Unlike Magmatron, these were just existing stock in their original packaging. All of them could be bought at a bit of a markup... though ultimately, they would end up being blown out at half-price.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron (Maximal)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Lio Convoy#Toys|Lioconvoy]] {{sic}}}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Longrack (BW)#Toys|Longrack]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Stampy (BW)#Toys|Stampy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Tigatron#Beast Wars|Tigatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Destron (Predacon)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Shadow Panther#Beast Wars|Shadow Panther]]/"[[Ravage (G1)/toys#ShadowPanther|Tripredacus Agent]]"}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Galvatron (BW)#Toys|Galvatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''VS sets'''
{{Bp-m1p1|[[Colada#Toys|Cohrada]] {{sic}} VS [[Saberback#Toys|Saberback]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|[[Mach Kick#Toys|Mach Kick]] VS [[Archadis#Toys|Archadis]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:BM-toy Magmatron.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|ターゲットエクスクルーシブ]]
|}
</ul>

===Sonokong ''Beast-War'' Korean series===
In [[South Korea]], Takara licensee [[Sonokong]] released a selection of ''Beast Wars II'' toys, under the title '''''Transformers: Beast-War''''' (트랜스포머 비스트-워 ''Teuraenseupomeo Biseuteu-Wo''). Subsequently, some of the ''Beast Wars Neo'' toys were released under the title '''''Beast-War Neo''''' (비스트-워 네오 ''Biseuteu-Wo Ne'o''), leaving out the "''Transformers''" part of the title from the previous line.

====''Beast-War''====
Each of the figures sold in the ''Beast-War'' toyline came with a minimum of two cardboard "{{w|Rock paper scissors|Jan-ken-pon}}" cards in place of the Japanese bio cards. Each card is printed on a single side with a picture of the character (usually just a straight reuse of the packaging art) and has either a rock, paper or scissors symbol printed in the top right corner. While the packaging and instructions give no explanation as to what this feature is for, a rough estimate would suggest that each card indicates which figure is stronger than the other, based on either of the three symbols. Additionally, there are unique dice rolls on each of the cards which suggests that a die must be used to play the game—''whatever that game may be''.

Some figures have been known to come with more than two cards—and in some extreme cases—the two cards that are supposed to be packaged with the respective figures are not included at all.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-16 [[Lio Convoy#Toys|Lion Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|X-4 [[Magnaboss (BWII)#Toys|Magnaboss]] (including [[Lio Junior#Toys|Lion Junior]], [[Skywarp (BW)#Toys|Skyhawk]], and [[Santon#Toys|Mammoth]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Destron'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-12 [[Megastorm#Toys|Megastorm]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-13 [[Starscream (BW)#Toys|Starscream]] {{sic}}<ref group="A">In Korean "스타스크램" translates into "Starscrem" or "Starscram", however; the packaging uses "Starscream" as the English translation instead.</ref> (w/ [[BB (BW)|BB]])}}
{{Bp-p1|D-16 [[Galvatron (BW)#Toys|Garba Tron]] {{Sic}}<ref group="A">A poor [[Japanese language|transliteration]] of "Galvatron".</ref>}}
{{Bp-p1|D-17 [[Autostinger#Toys|Auto Stinger]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|D-18 [[Autocrusher#Toys|Auto Crasher]] {{sic}}<ref group="A">In Korean "오토슬래셔" translates into "Autoslasher", however; the packaging uses "Auto Crasher" as the English translation instead.</ref>}}
{{Bp-p1|D-19 [[Autojetter#Toys|Auto Jetter]] {{sic}}<ref group="A">In Korean "오토제트" translates into "Autojet", however; the packaging uses "Auto Jetter" as the English translation instead.</ref>}}
{{Bp-p1|D-20 [[Autolauncher#Toys|Auto Launcher]] {{sic}}<ref group="A">In Korean "오토레인쳐" translates into "Autolanecher", however; the packaging uses "Auto Launcher" as the English translation instead.</ref>}}
{{Bp-p1|D-22 [[Megastorm#Gigastorm|Giga Storm]] (w/ [[Gigascouter#Toys|Gigascooter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:C-16 Lion Convoy Sonokong.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Lion Convoy packaging]]
|}

====''Beast-War Neo''====
Unlike the previous line, the ''Beast-War Neo'' figures include actual bio cards made of a similar material to that of the Japanese cards, rather than a piece of cardboard with a single side printed. For whatever reason, each of the figures in the line include a handful of randomly selected bio cards; meaning you could end up with multiples of the same character's card or none of the respective characters included in the box itself.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Individual figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|C-05 [[Big Convoy#Toys|Mammolike]]}}
{{Bp-p1|D-05 [[Magmatron#Toys|Magmatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''VS sets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|DX-01 [[Longrack (BW)#Toys|Giraffot]] VS [[Guiledart#Toys|Trikero]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|DX-02 [[Colada#Toys|Cobrio]] VS [[Saberback#Toys|Stegorat]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|DX-03 [[Stampy (BW)#Toys|Stampy]] VS [[Sling (BW)#Toys|Dimetron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1p1|DX-04 [[Break#Toys|Break]] VS [[Dead End (BW)#Toys|Ammonat]]}}
{{Bp-m1p1|DX-05 Mammolike VS Magmatron}}
{{Bp-m1p1|DX-06 [[Mach Kick#Toys|Match Kick]] VS [[Archadis#Toys|Archadis]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:DX-01 Giraffot VS Trikero Sonokong.jpg|150px|thumb|Giraffot VS Trikero packaging]]
|}
</ul>

<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="A"/>

==Post-''Beast Wars'' releases==
As ''Beast Wars''—at least the first phase—was a big seller for Takara, they've dedicated ample space in later toylines for returns to those characters. For the same on Hasbro's side of things and post-brand unification toys (barring ''Masterpiece''), see [[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)#Post-Beast Wars releases|that toyline's corresponding article]].

===''Beast Wars Reborn'' (2006)===
{{nav-bwReborn}}

In celebration of the upcoming 10th anniversary of ''Beast Wars'', Takara released a set containing the original Ultra Class Convoy and Megatron toys with new, show-accurate heads and cartoon-based decos under the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' banner. Those toys were accompanied by a four-part text story serialized in ''[[Figure Ō]]'' magazine.

===''Beast Wars Telemocha Series'' (2007)===
{{nav-bwt}}
[[File:Blackarachniatelemocha.jpg|thumb|250px|''Telemocha'' Blackwidow (Blackarachnia)]]

[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''Telemocha'' line (a combination of the words "'''tele'''vision" and "o'''mocha'''", the Japanese word for "toy") was much the same concept as Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|10th Anniversary]]'' line, being spruced-up versions of the original molds packaged with DVDs of key episodes. However, not only did Takara ''really'' slather on the paint, but they made some odd additions to the line, including a couple of characters from ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1998 (Beast Wars II)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1999 (Beast Wars Neo)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', as well as an entirely new Predacon named [[Wolfang (Predacon)#Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Wolfang]] (pronounced "Volfang").
{{--}}

===''Beast Wars Again'' (2023)===
{{nav-bwa}}
[[2023]] saw a sudden revival of Japan's ''Beast Wars'' franchise as TakaraTomy sought to ensure children knew what the heck a "Beast Warrior" was ahead of the ''Beast Wars'' cast's big screen debut in [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|''Rise of the Beasts]]. The toyline was composed of meticulously screen-accurate [[redeco]]es of the ''Beast Wars'' figures from the earlier ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' toyline.
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' toys/characters in "ensemble" lines===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|RM-02 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Beast Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|RM-02 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#RobotmastersBlack|Beast Megatron Limited Black Version]]}}
{{Bp-d1|RM-09 [[Psycho-Orb#Robotmasters|Psycho-Orb]]}}
{{Bp-a1|RM-11 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Beast Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|RM-11 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#RMBLACK|Beast Convoy Limited Black Version]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|RM-21 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#RMBURN|Burning Beast Convoy]] + DVD}}
{{Bp-a1|RM-22 [[Lio Convoy#Robotmasters|Lio Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|RM-22 [[Black Lio Convoy#Robotmasters|Lio Convoy Limited Black Version]]}}
{{Bp-a1|RM-23 [[Lio Convoy#RMDVD|Lio Convoy + DVD]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'''
{{Bp-a1|C-12 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Cybertron Cheetus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|C-16 [[Dinobot (BW)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dinobot]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Super Robot Lifeform Transformers Prime (Arms Micron)|Prime]]'''''
{{Bp-a1|AM-28 [[Lio Convoy#Prime|Leo Prime]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:RMtoy-Primal.jpg|thumb|250px|''Robotmasters'' Beast Convoy]][[File:Masterpiece-MP-43-Megatron-(Beast-Wars).jpg|thumb|250px|''Masterpiece'' Megatron]]
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Legend Commander Collection]]'''''
{{Bp-m1|LC-02 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Legend Commander Collection|Convoy (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-m1|LC-03 [[Lio Convoy#Legend Commander Collection|Lio Convoy]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)#Toys|Legends]]'''''
{{Bp-m1|LG 01 [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Legends|Rattle]]}}
{{Bp-m1|LG 02 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Legends|Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-p1|LG 17 [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Legends|Blackwidow]]}}
{{Bp-m1|LG 41 [[Lio Convoy#Legends|Leo Prime]]}}
{{Bp-m1|LG-EX [[Blue Big Convoy#Legends|Blue Bigconvoy]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|LG EX [[Convobat#Legends|Convobat]] (w/ [[Megalligator#Legends|Megalligator]] & [[Ape X Arms#Legends|Ape X Arms]])}}
{{Bp-m1|LG-EX [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#LGEX|Rattle]]}}
{{Bp-m1|LG-EX [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#Legends|Rhinox]]}}
{{Bp-p1|LG-EX [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#Legends|Waspeeter]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Generations (TakaraTomy)|Generations]]'' (TakaraTomy)'''
{{Bp-d1|TG-28 [[Megatron (G1)/toys#TG28|Megatron]] & [[Starscream (G1)/toys#TG28|Starscream]] ([[Waspinator (BW)/toys#TG28|Waspinator]])}}
{{Bp-p1|TG-30 [[Waspinator (BW)/toys#Deluxe|Waspinator]]}}
{{Bp-m1|TG-31 [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#Generations|Rhinox]]}}
|-
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'''''
{{Bp-m1|[[Big Convoy#Encore|Big Convoy]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Big Convoy#EncoreMatrixBuster|Big Convoy (Matrix Buster ver.)]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"|'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'''''
{{Bp-m1|MP-32 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|Convoy (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-m1|MP-34 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|Cheetus (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-p1|MP-34S [[Shadow Panther#Masterpiece|Shadow Panther (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-m1|MP-38 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#MasterpieceSupremeCommander|Convoy (Beast Wars) Legendary Leader Ver.]]}}
{{Bp-m1|MP-38+ [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#MP38Plus|Burning Convoy (Beast Wars)]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1|MP-41 [[Dinobot (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|Dinobot (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-p1|MP-43 [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|Megatron (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-p1|MP-46 [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|Blackwidow (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-m1|MP-48 [[Lio Convoy#Masterpiece|Lio Convoy (Beast Wars)]]}}
{{Bp-m1|MP-50 [[Tigatron#Masterpiece|Tigatron (Beast Wars)]]}}
|
|width="25%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-m1|MP-59 [[Rhinox (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|Rhinox]] (2024-06-29)}}
|-
|}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)}}
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Beast Wars toylines]]
[[Category:Japanese toylines]]

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)

2024-12-29T03:02:16Z

AimÃ©eRose97: /* Main cast */

{{disambig3|Victory}}

{{nav-victory}}
[[File:VictoryPoster1.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|By the power of Grayskull... I HAVE THE POWER!]]

'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory''''' (戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマーV ''Tatakae! Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Victory'') ran from [[March 14]], [[1989]] to [[December 19]], [[1989]] in Japan for 38 broadcast episodes, in support of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|toyline]] of the same name. "[[Transformer V]]" is the [[theme song|opening theme]] and "[[Cybertron Banzai]]" is its [[Japanese themes|ending theme]], both written by legendary composer [[Chūmei Watanabe]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Development==
[[File:Victory concept art.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Early ''Victory'' treatment artwork by [[Ban Magami]].]]
After the conclusion of the daring, unusual ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''Victory'' took the continuing animated saga of the Transformers back to a much more basic approach, restoring an unmoving status quo of small groups of [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s battling over energy on [[Earth]]. Like ''Masterforce'' before it, the series takes a fresh-start approach, focusing on a cast of entirely new characters, although the connections between the previous series are a lot more clearly drawn than they were between ''Masterforce'' and ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'', with repeated appearances by members of its cast.

Early planning for ''Victory'' was done by [[Masumi Kaneda]], who had also been responsible for ''The Headmasters'' and ''Super-God Masterforce''. His earliest treatment for the series—written in September 1988 and illustrated by [[Ban Magami]], as seen at right—included prototypical versions of the characters who would become [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]—with [[Brainmaster]] and [[Breastforce]] gimmicks already in place—as well the Brainmaster trio, the [[Multiforce]], a non-bestial [[Victory Leo]] and a four-man iteration of the [[Breastforce]]. Perhaps most interestingly, characters based on [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] and [[Vroom (G1)|Vroom]] all appear in prominent positions among the Decepticons, and the treatment obviously called for the return of all six [[Headmaster Junior]]s from ''Masterforce'' to fill out the series human cast alongside Star Saber's human son, [[Jan Minakaze]]. For whatever reason, though, Kaneda was less involved with the actual production of the finished series, with [[Hiroyuki Hoshiyama]] credited as the head writer. Kaneda did, however, script the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (manga)|''Victory'' manga]], with the massive storytelling gulf between it and the anime illustrating how few of Kaneda's ideas for the series actually made it into the show.

For an unknown reason—be it a rushed schedule, a diminishing budget (perhaps caused by ''Victory''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s uncommonly well-done animation) or something else—''Victory''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 38-episode run features a full six [[clip show]]s, containing no new footage or story at all. As if that wasn't enough, a ''further'' six were released directly to video after the end of the series, bringing the total up to 44.
{{--}}

==Storyline==
[[File:Brainmasters victory cartoon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
In the year 2025, following the defeat of the [[Decepticon]]s on [[Earth]] in the [[Masterforce War]], the villains have begun aggressively attacking other planets in the universe. To counter this threat, the [[Autobot]]s join with many other civilizations and lifeforms (including [[Human]]ity) to form the [[Universal Peace Alliance]], which strikes back against the Decepticons with its military, the Universal Defense Force. Recently appointed [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots, [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] heads up the Sector One Defense Force, backed up by the [[Brainmaster]]s and [[Multiforce]], while [[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]] takes charge of Sector Two.

[[File:Victory36 deathsaurusearth.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Seeking the energy necessary to free his massive [[Planet-Destroying Fortress]] from imprisonment in the [[Dark Nebula]] where Star Saber sealed it years ago, the Decepticons' new [[Emperor of Destruction]], [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]], attacks Earth with his [[Dinoforce]], prompting Star Saber and his team to set up residence on the planet. Accompanying them is [[Jan Minakaze]], Star Saber's adopted human son, whose parents died in a Decepticon attack when he was just a baby, and [[Holi]], head of the [[Micromaster]] [[Rescue Patrol Team|Rescue Team]], who soon arrive on Earth to be with their leader. The Decepticons, meanwhile, are progressively joined by more and more members of the elite [[Breastforce]] squad, including their scheming leader [[Leozack]], who seeks to take leadership of the Decepticons from Deathsaurus, and the sneaky [[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]], who's only looking out for himself.

After a series of energy-raiding adventures on Earth, the Breastforce target the Micromasters' homeworld of planet [[Micro]], where they liberate their teammate, [[Guyhawk]], enabling the team to combine into the mighty [[Liokaiser]] and finally defeat Star Saber in battle for the first time. Despite the addition of the six-changing samurai [[Sixshot (G1)|Greatshot]] to their ranks, the Autobots are weakened by this turn of events, and when God Ginrai arrives on Earth to aid them, he is fatally wounded by Deathsaurus and recreated as Victory Leo. When Deathsaurus finally reactivates his fortress and turns it upon the Earth, Star Saber and Victory Leo combine together into [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] to end the threat of Deathsaurus once and for all.
{{--}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Victory episodes}}
{{collist|3|
# [[The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber]]
# [[Sneak Attack! Dinoking]]
# [[Attack! Leozack]]
# [[Unite!! Multiforce]]
# [[Move Out! Rescue Team]]
# [[Infiltration... The Uranium Mine]]
# [[Explosion!! The Energy Base]]
# [[Big City - Underground Terror]]
# [[Clash!! Two Great Heroes]]{{dag|red}}
# [[The New Warrior - Hellbat]]
# [[Attack the Shuttle Base!!]]
# [[Tanker Hijack Operation]]
# [[Move Out!! Breastforce]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Rescue Jan!!]]
# [[Mach and Tackle]]
# [[A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid]]
# [[Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior]]
# [[Rescue! Guyhawk]]
# [[Unite! Liokaiser]]
# [[Assemble! Combiner Warriors]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress]]
# [[Battle Up of Wrath!!]]
# [[Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle]]
# [[Crisis! Ambush in the Desert]]
# [[A Deadly Battle]]
# [[Ginrai Dies!!]]
# [[Fight!! Victory Leo]]
# [[Ultimate Crisis!! Autobots]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Awaken! Victory Leo]]
# [[The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification]]
# [[Jan - Defend the Campus!!]]
# [[A Mystery?! The Deception of the Base Bombs]]
# [[The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!]]
# [[The Strongest! Victory Saber]]{{dag|red}}
# [[The Terror of the Giant Tidal Waves]]
# [[The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!]]
# [[Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification]]
# [[Autobots Forever]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Radiant! Victorious Planet]]{{dag|red}}
# [[The Emperor of Destruction Wins!]]{{dag|red}}
# [[SOS! Global Defense Directive]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Micromasters!]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Victory Attack of Friendship!]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Echo Across the Galaxy! Bell of Love!!]]{{dag|red}}
}}
{{dag|red}} ''[[Clip show]]''

==Main cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;[[Brainmaster]]s
*[[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber/Victory Saber]] ([[Hideyuki Tanaka]])
*[[Road Caesar]] ([[Kōji Totani]])
**[[Blacker]] (Kōji Totani)
**[[Braver]] ([[Hirohiko Kakegawa]])
**[[Laster]] ([[Shingo Hiromori]])
;[[Multiforce]]
*[[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] ([[Masashi Hironaka]])
**[[Wingwaver]] (Masashi Hironaka)
**[[Dashtacker]] ([[Yoshikazu Hirano]])
**[[Machtackle]] ([[Yūki Satō|Hiroyuki Satō]])
;[[Rescue Patrol Team|Rescue Team]]
*[[Holi]] ([[Kyōko Tongū]])
*[[Boater]] ([[Aya Hisakawa]])
*[[Fire]] ([[Tomoko Maruo]])
*[[Pīpō]] ([[Hinako Yoshino|Hinako Kanamaru]])
;[[Micromaster|Micromasters]]
*[[Raikuru]] ([[Osamu Saka]])
*[[Clipper (G1)|Clipper]] ([[Miyoko Aoba]])
;Others
*[[Galaxy Shuttle]] (Shingo Hiromori)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Greatshot]] ([[Michihiro Ikemizu]])
*[[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]]/[[Victory Leo]] ([[Hiroshi Takemura]])
*[[Minerva (G1 robot)|Minerva]] ([[Tomoko Maruo]])
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] ([[Masaharu Satō]])
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] ([[Shinobu Satouchi]])
*[[Lightfoot (robot)|Lightfoot]]
*[[Ranger (robot)|Ranger]]
*[[Road King (robot)|Road King]]

|c2=
;[[Breastforce]]
*[[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] ([[Takeshi Aono]])
**[[Eaglebreast]]
**[[Tigerbreast]]
*[[Liokaiser]] ([[Keiichi Nanba]])
**[[Leozack]] (Keiichi Nanba)
***[[Lionbreast]] (Keiichi Nanba)
**[[Drillhorn (G1)|Drillhorn]] ([[Masato Hirano]])
***[[Hornbreast]]
**[[Guyhawk]] ([[Hōchū Ōtsuka]])
***[[Hawkbreast]]
**[[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]] ([[Yoku Shioya]])
***[[Kōmoribreast]]
**[[Jallguar]] (Hirohiko Kakegawa)
***[[Jaguarbreast]]
**[[Killbison]] ([[Kazumi Tanaka]])
***[[Bisonbreast]]
*[[Deathcobra (G1)|Deathcobra]] ([[Tomomichi Nishimura]])
**[[Cobrabreast]]
;[[Dinoforce]]
*[[Dinoking]] ([[Daisuke Gōri]])
**[[Goryu (G1)|Goryu]] (Daisuke Gōri)
**[[Doryu (G1)|Doryu]] (Masashi Hironaka)
**[[Gairyu]] ([[Yūki Satō|Hiroyuki Satō]])
**[[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]] (Masato Hirano)
**[[Rairyu]] ([[Shinobu Satouchi]])
**[[Yokuryu]] (Hirohiko Kakegawa)
;[[Crossformer|Crossformers]]
*[[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] ([[Yūji Mikimoto]])
*[[Blue Bacchus]] ([[Ryōichi Tanaka]])
;Others
*[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]]
*[[Buster (G1)|Buster]]
*[[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]]
*[[Cancer (robot)|Cancer]]
*[[Bullhorn (robot)|Bullhorn]]

|c3=
*[[Jan Minakaze]] ([[Miyako Endō]])
*[[Illumina]] ([[Yumi Tōma]])
|nonumbering=true

}}

==Home video releases==
[[File:MadmanVictory.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Australian DVD release]]
===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Transformers: Victory'' — DVD Box 01 (2003)
*''Transformers: Victory'' — DVD Box 02 (2003)

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Metrodome}}
*The Takara Collection Vol 3 — ''Transformers: Victory'' (2006)
*''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection (2007)

===Australia===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''The Transformers: Victory'' (2008)
*''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (2009)

===United States===
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*The Japanese Collection — ''Transformers: Victory'' (2012)
*Transformers — The Japanese Collection (includes ''Headmasters'', ''Masterforce'' and ''Victory'') (2012)
{{-}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマーV|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory'' at the Japanese Wikipedia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Victory (cartoon)}}
[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Victory media]]

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)

2024-12-28T15:23:52Z

{{disambig3|Victory}}

{{nav-victory}}
[[File:VictoryPoster1.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|By the power of Grayskull... I HAVE THE POWER!]]

'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory''''' (戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマーV ''Tatakae! Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Victory'') ran from [[March 14]], [[1989]] to [[December 19]], [[1989]] in Japan for 38 broadcast episodes, in support of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|toyline]] of the same name. "[[Transformer V]]" is the [[theme song|opening theme]] and "[[Cybertron Banzai]]" is its [[Japanese themes|ending theme]], both written by legendary composer [[Chūmei Watanabe]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Development==
[[File:Victory concept art.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Early ''Victory'' treatment artwork by [[Ban Magami]].]]
After the conclusion of the daring, unusual ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''Victory'' took the continuing animated saga of the Transformers back to a much more basic approach, restoring an unmoving status quo of small groups of [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s battling over energy on [[Earth]]. Like ''Masterforce'' before it, the series takes a fresh-start approach, focusing on a cast of entirely new characters, although the connections between the previous series are a lot more clearly drawn than they were between ''Masterforce'' and ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'', with repeated appearances by members of its cast.

Early planning for ''Victory'' was done by [[Masumi Kaneda]], who had also been responsible for ''The Headmasters'' and ''Super-God Masterforce''. His earliest treatment for the series—written in September 1988 and illustrated by [[Ban Magami]], as seen at right—included prototypical versions of the characters who would become [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]—with [[Brainmaster]] and [[Breastforce]] gimmicks already in place—as well the Brainmaster trio, the [[Multiforce]], a non-bestial [[Victory Leo]] and a four-man iteration of the [[Breastforce]]. Perhaps most interestingly, characters based on [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] and [[Vroom (G1)|Vroom]] all appear in prominent positions among the Decepticons, and the treatment obviously called for the return of all six [[Headmaster Junior]]s from ''Masterforce'' to fill out the series human cast alongside Star Saber's human son, [[Jan Minakaze]]. For whatever reason, though, Kaneda was less involved with the actual production of the finished series, with [[Hiroyuki Hoshiyama]] credited as the head writer. Kaneda did, however, script the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (manga)|''Victory'' manga]], with the massive storytelling gulf between it and the anime illustrating how few of Kaneda's ideas for the series actually made it into the show.

For an unknown reason—be it a rushed schedule, a diminishing budget (perhaps caused by ''Victory''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s uncommonly well-done animation) or something else—''Victory''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s 38-episode run features a full six [[clip show]]s, containing no new footage or story at all. As if that wasn't enough, a ''further'' six were released directly to video after the end of the series, bringing the total up to 44.
{{--}}

==Storyline==
[[File:Brainmasters victory cartoon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
In the year 2025, following the defeat of the [[Decepticon]]s on [[Earth]] in the [[Masterforce War]], the villains have begun aggressively attacking other planets in the universe. To counter this threat, the [[Autobot]]s join with many other civilizations and lifeforms (including [[Human]]ity) to form the [[Universal Peace Alliance]], which strikes back against the Decepticons with its military, the Universal Defense Force. Recently appointed [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots, [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] heads up the Sector One Defense Force, backed up by the [[Brainmaster]]s and [[Multiforce]], while [[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]] takes charge of Sector Two.

[[File:Victory36 deathsaurusearth.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Seeking the energy necessary to free his massive [[Planet-Destroying Fortress]] from imprisonment in the [[Dark Nebula]] where Star Saber sealed it years ago, the Decepticons' new [[Emperor of Destruction]], [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]], attacks Earth with his [[Dinoforce]], prompting Star Saber and his team to set up residence on the planet. Accompanying them is [[Jan Minakaze]], Star Saber's adopted human son, whose parents died in a Decepticon attack when he was just a baby, and [[Holi]], head of the [[Micromaster]] [[Rescue Patrol Team|Rescue Team]], who soon arrive on Earth to be with their leader. The Decepticons, meanwhile, are progressively joined by more and more members of the elite [[Breastforce]] squad, including their scheming leader [[Leozack]], who seeks to take leadership of the Decepticons from Deathsaurus, and the sneaky [[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]], who's only looking out for himself.

After a series of energy-raiding adventures on Earth, the Breastforce target the Micromasters' homeworld of planet [[Micro]], where they liberate their teammate, [[Guyhawk]], enabling the team to combine into the mighty [[Liokaiser]] and finally defeat Star Saber in battle for the first time. Despite the addition of the six-changing samurai [[Sixshot (G1)|Greatshot]] to their ranks, the Autobots are weakened by this turn of events, and when God Ginrai arrives on Earth to aid them, he is fatally wounded by Deathsaurus and recreated as Victory Leo. When Deathsaurus finally reactivates his fortress and turns it upon the Earth, Star Saber and Victory Leo combine together into [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] to end the threat of Deathsaurus once and for all.
{{--}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Victory episodes}}
{{collist|3|
# [[The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber]]
# [[Sneak Attack! Dinoking]]
# [[Attack! Leozack]]
# [[Unite!! Multiforce]]
# [[Move Out! Rescue Team]]
# [[Infiltration... The Uranium Mine]]
# [[Explosion!! The Energy Base]]
# [[Big City - Underground Terror]]
# [[Clash!! Two Great Heroes]]{{dag|red}}
# [[The New Warrior - Hellbat]]
# [[Attack the Shuttle Base!!]]
# [[Tanker Hijack Operation]]
# [[Move Out!! Breastforce]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Rescue Jan!!]]
# [[Mach and Tackle]]
# [[A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid]]
# [[Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior]]
# [[Rescue! Guyhawk]]
# [[Unite! Liokaiser]]
# [[Assemble! Combiner Warriors]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress]]
# [[Battle Up of Wrath!!]]
# [[Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle]]
# [[Crisis! Ambush in the Desert]]
# [[A Deadly Battle]]
# [[Ginrai Dies!!]]
# [[Fight!! Victory Leo]]
# [[Ultimate Crisis!! Autobots]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Awaken! Victory Leo]]
# [[The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification]]
# [[Jan - Defend the Campus!!]]
# [[A Mystery?! The Deception of the Base Bombs]]
# [[The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!]]
# [[The Strongest! Victory Saber]]{{dag|red}}
# [[The Terror of the Giant Tidal Waves]]
# [[The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!]]
# [[Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification]]
# [[Autobots Forever]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Radiant! Victorious Planet]]{{dag|red}}
# [[The Emperor of Destruction Wins!]]{{dag|red}}
# [[SOS! Global Defense Directive]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Micromasters!]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Victory Attack of Friendship!]]{{dag|red}}
# [[Echo Across the Galaxy! Bell of Love!!]]{{dag|red}}
}}
{{dag|red}} ''[[Clip show]]''

==Main cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;[[Brainmaster]]s
*[[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber/Victory Saber]] ([[Hideyuki Tanaka]])
*[[Road Caesar]] ([[Kōji Totani]])
**[[Blacker]] (Kōji Totani)
**[[Braver]] ([[Hirohiko Kakegawa]])
**[[Laster]] ([[Shingo Hiromori]])
;[[Multiforce]]
*[[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] ([[Masashi Hironaka]])
**[[Wingwaver]] (Masashi Hironaka)
**[[Dashtacker]] ([[Yoshikazu Hirano]])
**[[Machtackle]] ([[Yūki Satō|Hiroyuki Satō]])
;[[Rescue Patrol Team|Rescue Team]]
*[[Holi]] ([[Kyōko Tongū]])
*[[Boater]] ([[Aya Hisakawa]])
*[[Fire]] ([[Tomoko Maruo]])
*[[Pīpō]] ([[Hinako Yoshino|Hinako Kanamaru]])
;[[Micromaster|Micromasters]]
*[[Raikuru]] ([[Osamu Saka]])
*[[Clipper (G1)|Clipper]] ([[Miyoko Aoba]])
;Others
*[[Galaxy Shuttle]] (Shingo Hiromori)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Greatshot]] ([[Michihiro Ikemizu]])
*[[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]]/[[Victory Leo]] ([[Hiroshi Takemura]])
*[[Minerva (G1 robot)|Minerva]] ([[Tomoko Maruo]])
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] ([[Masaharu Satō]])
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] ([[Shinobu Satouchi]])
*[[Lightfoot (robot)|Lightfoot]]
*[[Ranger (robot)|Ranger]]
*[[Road King (robot)|Road King]]

|c2=
;[[Breastforce]]
*[[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] ([[Takeshi Aono]])
**[[Eaglebreast]]
**[[Tigerbreast]]
*[[Liokaiser]] ([[Keiichi Nanba]])
**[[Leozack]] (Keiichi Nanba)
***[[Lionbreast]] (Keiichi Nanba)
**[[Drillhorn (G1)|Drillhorn]] ([[Masato Hirano]])
***[[Hornbreast]]
**[[Guyhawk]] ([[Hōchū Ōtsuka]])
***[[Hawkbreast]]
**[[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]] ([[Yoku Shioya]])
***[[Kōmoribreast]]
**[[Jallguar]] (Hirohiko Kakegawa)
***[[Jaguarbreast]]
**[[Killbison]] ([[Kazumi Tanaka]])
***[[Bisonbreast]]
*[[Deathcobra (G1)|Deathcobra]] ([[Tomomichi Nishimura]])
**[[Cobrabreast]]
;[[Dinoforce]]
*[[Dinoking]] ([[Daisuke Gōri]])
**[[Goryu (G1)|Goryu]] (Daisuke Gōri)
**[[Doryu (G1)|Doryu]] (Masashi Hironaka)
**[[Gairyu]] ([[Yūki Satō|Hiroyuki Satō]])
**[[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]] (Masato Hirano)
**[[Rairyu]] ([[Shinobu Satouchi]])
**[[Yokuryu]] (Hirohiko Kakegawa)
;[[Crossformer|Crossformers]]
*[[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] ([[Yūji Mikimoto]])
*[[Blue Bacchus]] ([[Ryōichi Tanaka]])
;Others
*[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]]
*[[Buster (G1)|Buster]]
*[[Hydra (G1)||Hydra]]
*[[Cancer (robot)|Cancer]]
*[[Bullhorn (robot)|Bullhorn]]

|c3=
*[[Jan Minakaze]] ([[Miyako Endō]])
*[[Illumina]] ([[Yumi Tōma]])
|nonumbering=true

}}

==Home video releases==
[[File:MadmanVictory.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Australian DVD release]]
===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Transformers: Victory'' — DVD Box 01 (2003)
*''Transformers: Victory'' — DVD Box 02 (2003)

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Metrodome}}
*The Takara Collection Vol 3 — ''Transformers: Victory'' (2006)
*''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection (2007)

===Australia===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''The Transformers: Victory'' (2008)
*''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (2009)

===United States===
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*The Japanese Collection — ''Transformers: Victory'' (2012)
*Transformers — The Japanese Collection (includes ''Headmasters'', ''Masterforce'' and ''Victory'') (2012)
{{-}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマーV|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory'' at the Japanese Wikipedia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Victory (cartoon)}}
[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Victory media]]

IP infringement

2024-12-18T15:40:31Z

{{disambig2|unlicensed toys based on ''Transformers''|third parties that produce actual ''Transformers'' products under license|Third party}}
[[File:01-Studio Headless Unicron.jpg|thumb|200px|"You underestimate me, Hasbro."]]
The many and varied facets of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] are the intellectual property (IP) of [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]], and their ownership of these ideas and designs is [[Copyright|protected by law]]. Alas, some rascally elements have, over the years, decided they'd like a slice of that pie, which has led to the creation of what have been described as '''IP infringing items''' by employees of former Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]].

{{bigquote|Theft of IP like this is staggering, develop your own characters and designs!|[[Aaron Archer]], former [[Hasbro]] employee<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170510214929/https://aaron-archer-art.tumblr.com/post/88471654165/aeonmagnus-fans-toys-ft-03-scoria-gallery Aaron Archer on Tumblr]</ref><ref>Archer would later do design work for a not-[[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] figure for an abortive Kickstarter project. TFWiki.net leaves you to make of this what you will.</ref>}}

==Kinds of IP infringement==
Technically, any use of Hasbro and Takara's ''Transformers'' names, characters, and concepts without obtaining a license could be considered IP infringement. Things such as fan art and fan fiction, however, are rarely considered problematic, being as they are not intended to generate profit or are otherwise one-off works. In fact, in the past Hasbro has laid out guidelines to fan-artists and similar creators wishing to make and sell art and crafts based on ''Transformers'', which basically boiled down to being careful how one "branded" it (or, in practice, ''didn't'' brand it by just avoiding the use of brand names and some minor semantics).

When things get dicey —and the license-holders get tetchy— is when IP infringement occurs on a grander, and more organized scale.

===Knockoffs===
[[File:DOTM.MIRAGEKO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Automatons in Concealment]]
{{main|Knockoff}}
In the context of ''Transformers'', [[knockoff]] is often used to describe both low-budget/quality toys, the kind of off-color, oversized/undersized thing that one might come across in a "dollar store" cranked out by the bajillions from China, and higher-quality toys that actually attempt to pass themselves off as genuine Hasbro or Takara products. Knockoffs that are direct replicas of existing Hasbro toys are very obviously the result of theft – in that case, it is the precise design and engineering for the toy that has been stolen. However, it is not unheard of for manufacturers to create their own cheap toys in the image of ''Transformers'' characters, and these still constitute IP infringement– Optimus Prime the Character is as much Hasbro's property as Optimus Prime the Specific Toy.

Conversely, a toy that copies the engineering (i.e. [[transformation]]) of an existing Hasbro/Takara product but is changed enough as to not resemble an existing character protected by copyright might not necessarily constitute IP infringement: Functionality is protected by patents, and patent protection legally expires after 20 years. This is why you occasionally see off-brand toys that work just like the [[Jumpstarter]]s but look nothing like [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] or [[Twin Twist]].
{{--}}

==="Third party" toys===
[[File:MechaformNotJetfire.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|I Can't Believe It's Not Jetfire!]]
In the late 2000s, spurred on by the ''Transformers'' nostalgia boom invoked by the [[live-action film series]], a new phenomenon arose—unlicensed products based on ''Transformers'' aimed at the adult collector market. The very earliest examples of this kind of product were accessories and then "upgrades" for existing Hasbro toys, such as a trailer/armor set for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Classics|''Classics'' Ultra Magnus]], but the market quickly grew to include standalone action figures based on ''Transformers'' characters. The number of groups producing these figures has ballooned rapidly, to the point that two or even three separate companies will be simultaneously releasing toys of the same characters. Popular market trends have included [[combiner]]s and, more recently, figures emulating the qualities of the ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' line.

The [[fandom]]'s generally recognized name for these kinds of figures is "third party Transformers", although this is ultimately a misnomer for the plain reason that they are not actual ''Transformers'' products. This terminology makes more sense in light of their history, as the initial accessories, add-ons and "upgrade" kits can still somewhat be considered "third party" products, and the term, once established among the fandom, was simply never adjusted when standalone figures became the main focus of such offerings. It also differentiates them from "bootleg" toys, as bootlegs are usually considered explicit copies of official Transformers toys designed to "trick" unaware buyers into purchasing thing, while "third party" products are usually explicitly purchased by collectors for their qualities. Obviously, these should not be confused with the actual [[Third party|third parties]] who produce ''Transformers'' merchandise under license from Hasbro or Takara.

In (very half-hearted) attempts to dissuade the notion that they are pinching ''Transformers'' characters, "third party" toy manufacturers typically avoid using [[Insignia|faction symbols]] (although sometimes include molded spaces for the buyer to apply their own), and give their figures alternative names that attempt to capture the sound and/or spirit of the [[trademark]]ed originals, with varying degrees of bizarreness. A toy intended to look like [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] might, for example, wind up named "Stellaryell". Initially, fans would often avoid confusion by referring to these figures as "not" versions of the characters they were based on (for example, "Not-Starscream"), though as the market has grown that terminology has been mostly abandoned since there's liable to be multiple different Not-Starscreams. After many years of these products, name overlaps are bound to happen; for example, different companies have figures alternatively based on [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] that are both named "Rager". Even more hilariously (though not really surprising), there are even ''knockoffs'' of "third party" toys! Let's see ''them'' duke out their IP conflicts in court.

Desire for those toys arises for various reasons, including:

* Wanting a toy of a character who has not received a modern, or any toy, at a certain scale or quality, or in a specific style, such as the ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' line.
* Desiring different aesthetics (such as a more [[Live-action film series|movie]] accurate design compared to official toys), or a new design of a character.
* A belief that they are of superior quality. Design limitations such as [[For safety reasons|safety regulations]] and [[Design change|budget]] are much less of an issue compared to official toys; like many other figures designed for an adult audience, a "not a toy" disclaimer can be found on some of these products to justify these features, such as sharper edges on characters or small parts.

For reasons that should be obvious, TFWiki considers "third party" toys unrelated to its goal of documenting the ''Transformers'' brand, beyond examples where they have influenced official product.

====Types of "third party" toys====
Note: The following terms are descriptors rather than actual official terms since, well, they're clearly not official products.

=====Accessories=====
These are generally items that are designed to interact with official product, but involve no modification to said official product. These are most often weapons (e.g. the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] and [[Dark Star Saber]] from ''Transformers: Prime''), but may also include [[:Category:MacGuffins|MacGuffins]] like the [[AllSpark Matrix]] or even characters like notable humans such as [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]] and [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]].

=====Add-ons=====
These are items that are designed to interact with official product and modify their appearance. However, said modification takes advantage of preexisting tabs, slots, posts and so on, thus requiring no actual modification of the official product. An example would be panels designed to fill in the gaps in the thighs of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Powermaster Optimus Prime]], which slot in snugly into the gaps.

=====Upgrade kits=====
These are items designed to interact with official product and modify their appearance, but require some sort of actual modification to the official product. This can be as simple as popping off and swapping a limb on ball joints or putting a small piece in a gap to fill it in, to more comprehensive modifications like partial disassembly and replacing of parts. A kit that allows someone to switch the head of ''Classics'' Bumblebee to create a ''Classics''-styled Goldbug or giving ''G1'' Ironhide and Ratchet actual heads would be an example of this.

=====Full figures=====
As mentioned above, these are generally what is meant when references are made to "third party Transformers". These are standalone fully transformable figures clearly based on and meant to evoke actual ''Transformers'' characters. One of the earliest and most (in)famous examples was a triple-changing Not-Springer which became wildly popular because official Springer toys of that time transformed into either a land vehicle or an air vehicle, but not both. These types of products are arguably the most problematic, as they may actually cause lost sales for an official figure. Add-ons and upgrade kits, in contrast, may actually encourage collectors to purchase the official products they are meant to complement.

Again, these are descriptors, partially because there is a lot of overlap. For example, would a replacement head for a reissue G1 Bruticus that comes with light up LED eyes be considered an upgrade kit (since it replaces the original head) or an add-on (since it makes use of the post hole already intended for the original head)? Would hands and feet for a ''Combiner Wars'' Combiner that also transform into weapons for the component bots fall under accessories (as they're weapons) or upgrade kits (since they replace the original hands and feet) or add-ons (since they slot into preexisting ports)? And what about stickers that can change, for example, [[Prowl (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' Prowl]] into an approximation of an [[Autotrooper (disambiguation)|Autotrooper]]? In fact, a lot of what created the demand for figures in the first place was that grey area. The first widely-successful "third-party" figures were technically an upgrade kit for [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)|Bruticus Maximus]], which were "fixing" the problem of the set having only two limb molds by adding two additional Basic-sized figures to the mix.
{{--}}

===Doujinshi===
Generally understood to mean fan-comics, ''doujinshi'' (同人誌) are a uniquely Japanese occurrence. Japan has a very healthy culture of fan groups who make their own manga, many of them starring original characters but a huge portion starring characters owned by companies (for a ''Transformers'' example, imagine a gag manga where [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] is portrayed as a little child and being raised by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the other Decepticons to be the mighty [[Emperor of Destruction]] he is in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory|''Transformers: Victory'']]. Hijinks ensue). This would of course never fly in a litigious society like the US, but in Japan doujinshi exist in a strange gray area.<ref>[https://www.tofugu.com/japan/doujinshi-definition/ A page explaining doujinshi and why they're tolerated in Japan]</ref>

Basically, the difference between what would be understood as a fan-comic in the West and a doujinshi in Japan is that in the West (especially the US), while a company might turn a blind eye to someone making fan-comics for fun (e.g. on a site like DeviantArt), they would come down on them if they tried to put those same fan comics up for sale. [[Hasbro]] might allow (or at least ignore) people selling fanart and fan-comics at a proper ''Transformers'' convention like [[BotCon]], but might be much less forgiving if those same people tried to sell those items at, say, a general science fiction convention. Meanwhile, in Japan, there are various conventions where doujinshi are actually the key focus, such as the famous {{w|Comiket}}. A ''Transformers'' doujinshi might be sold at a ''Transformers''-related convention, but might also appear at, say, a mecha-related convention or a general science fiction-related convention (since the Transformers would fall under a mecha or science fiction category).

Long story short, [[TakaraTomy]] could complain and shut down groups making doujinshi any time they wanted, but like many Japanese companies, it appears that it simply isn't worth the hassle. People who make doujinshi are often the most hardcore of fans, and so alienating them isn't something most companies are eager to do. In addition, any victory would simply not be worth the resulting bad press, since fan groups are not exactly swimming in cash and while doujinshi are put up for sale, a lot of groups seem to just do it for love of the art or the series. Most doujinshi also receive extremely limited distribution, such as at dedicated conventions for only one or two days at a time. It should also be mentioned that many big names in manga got their starts or honed their skills in doujinshi circles, and it isn't impossible for a company to want to recruit some of these up-and-coming talents.

It, er, probably should be pointed out that some (though not all) doujinshi are very, ''very'' NSFW.

{{--}}

==Hasbro and IP infringement==
===Remarks and actions===
Official statements from Hasbro on "third party" toys are few and far between. In one response, provided as part of the company's now-defunct fansite Q&A program, they noted the illegal nature of the figures, and remarked that this kind of IP infringement was unfair to legitimate licensees who pay to produce ''Transformers'' merchandise.<ref>[http://www.tfviews.com/news/main/hasbro-q-and-a/499 TFviews Hasbro Q&A, August 2009]</ref> Hasbro did keep a binder cataloging every "third party" toy in case action needed to be taken against them.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/997302-aaron-archers-statements-toy-design-tfcon-2014-a.html "Aaron Archers statements on toy design at Tfcon 2014"] at TFW2005.</ref>

In 2015, Hasbro's UK branch distributed an online survey of the collecting habits of ''Transformers'' fans to coincide with the Auto Assembly unofficial convention, which included a surprising number of questions regarding "third party" products. In a bit of an embarrassing ''faux pas'', a Hasbro representative present at the convention itself also addressed a [[Vos (G1)|Vos]] cosplayer as "Cynicus", the name of an unofficial figure of that character.<ref>[http://waspshot23.tumblr.com/post/127569311096/ok-so waspshot23 on Tumblr]</ref>

To date, there has only been one known instance of Hasbro pursuing actual legal action against the manufacturers of "third party" toys. While such unofficial toys were banned from being sold at the dealer room at [[BotCon 2012]],<ref>This mandate initially encompassed fan art too, but this was quickly relaxed.</ref> [[BotCon 2015|2015]] and [[BotCon 2016|2016]], they generally seem to adopt a "laissez-faire" approach to such toys; while they don't officially condone such material, they're willing to allow it to exist as long as it isn't impacting Hasbro's bottom line. The one instance of Hasbro taking legal action was an unofficial toy of [[Unicron]], announced during the [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]] campaign for [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron|''War for Cybertron'' Unicron]], seemingly intended to directly undercut Hasbro's big-ticket crowdfunded toy; evidently and understandably unhappy with this, Hasbro apparently intervened to have all posts about the pretender to the throne taken down from social media.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/3rd-party-not-unicron-apparently-removed-by-hasbro/43937/ 3rd Party (Not) Unicron Apparently Removed by Hasbro] at Seibertron</ref>

===Third party designs in official products and marketing===
[[File:MTMTE18 cvrB.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|IP un-infringement?]]
Beginning in the 2010s, there have been occasions where "third party" figure designs have slipped into official media. One cover for [[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|''More than Meets the Eye'' #18]] saw [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] drawn based on unofficial figures "Rager" and "Cogz." Hasbro and [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] did not comment on this, although it seems likely that somebody somewhere might've gotten a slap on the wrist. (The artist in question has not done any comic covers since...)

Meanwhile, ''official'' third party licensee [[Imaginarium Art]]'s statues of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] seem to be based on the unofficial figures "Carry" and "Green Giant", with [http://imaginarium-art.com/project_news.php Rodimus Prime] featuring detailing on his forearms otherwise unique to Carry and [https://www.facebook.com/imaginarium.hobby/posts/575739045925230 Devastator] having kneepads only found on Giant. One has to assume Hasbro wasn't looking too closely, or were understandably unaware of those figures, when they signed off on these.

In what was presumably an innocent mistake that resulted from the use of a fan's personal collection, a slide shown at the Hasbro investor and press event presentation during [[Toy Fair 2016]] that represented Transformers "Spanning Generations" featured a photograph of a father and son surrounded by a variety of ''Masterpiece'' toys... and the "third party" [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] "Green Giant".<ref name="toyfair16">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/12/tfw2005-coverage-hasbro-toy-fair-2016-investor-press-event-309206 Slides from the Hasbro investor and press event presentation during Toy Fair 2016].</ref> Oops!

Although stylized, the ''[[Transformers: Earth Wars]]'' models for the Predacons are recognizably based upon the "Feralcons", one of the three notable sets of "third party" Predacons. It even leaked into their combined mode, thusly based upon "Feral Rex". Meanwhile, [[Motormaster (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Motormaster]] is modeled on the TransFormMission "Powertrain" interpretation of Motormaster's design from IDW's [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]].

[[File:LL19 vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|250px|IP dis-infringement.]]
The ''Earth Wars'' rendition of [[Warpath (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Warpath]] is based on one or both of BadCube "Wardog" and FansToys "Sheridan".

Similarly, ''Earth Wars'' and the ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'' cartoon feature models for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] based on the Fanstoys' "Iron Dibots" figures, rather than those from the concurrent [[Power of the Primes (toyline)|toyline]].

In an odd occurrence for a game which almost exclusively employed screen models and recent toys, [[Jazz (G1)#Transformers: Forged to Fight|Jazz]] in ''[[Transformers: Forged to Fight]]'' is directly modeled on Toyworld's "Coolsville" figure.

[[E. J. Su]], fulfilling the role of guest artist for [[Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|''Lost Light'' #19]], was not given vehicle mode references for Rodimus, Drift, Ratchet, and Chromedome. Consequently, he had to make do with googling and used alt-modes [[:File:LL19 vehicle modes.jpg|based directly]] on the Mastermind Creations "Calidus" and "Stray" figures. Ratchet and Chromedome were based on official, though inaccurate, toys of the character.

The packaging art for Earthrise Sky-Lynx appears to depict Dirge using DX9's "legends scale" take on the character as a basis.

An [[Industrial Light & Magic|ILM]] [[:File:BBArcee Head Revisions.jpg|design presentation]] about the 2018 ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' movie used an image of Fans Toys "Rouge" as a [[Arcee (G1)|"Generation 1" Arcee]] design reference for [[Arcee (Movie)|''Bumblebee'' Arcee]].<ref>[https://www.ilm.com/visual_development/bumblebee-developing-an-epic-set-piece/ Bumblebee: Developing an Epic Set Piece - ILM San Francisco]</ref> This is an unsurprising research method as Arcee did not receive an official ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' figure until 2020, with multiple unlicensed third-party companies vying for fans' attention throughout the 2010s.

[[Package art]] for the [[Nemesis_(G1)#Legacy|''Legacy Evolution'' Titan-class Nemesis]] toy featured [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in his Cybertronian "Tetra Jet" mode with the art for it being based off Impossible Toy's "Prankstor".

[[Singapore Comic Con#2023|Cybertron Fest 2023]] accidentally let some third party upgrade kits slip through the cracks in it's display of fan collections.
Namely, in a cabinet full of Optimus Primes, ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' [[Optimus Maximus (G1)#Unite_Warriors|Optimus Maximus]] has the Perfect Effect upgrade kit equipped, giving him a different pair of hands, feet, torso, and waist than the normal retail release. Not too far away, ''[[Transformers: Generations#Thrilling 30 (2013-2014)''|Thrilling 30]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]] and mold-mate ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Titans_Return|Fortress Maximus]] have also been seemingly upgraded, using the Unique Toys Metropolis head and Perfect Effect PC-14EX blaster (meant for [[Grand Maximus#Legends|his brother]]) respectively.

[[Daniel Warren Johnson]] uses Magic Square's 2023 "Light of Peace" Optimus as a reference when drawing him in Skybound's [[Transformers (2023 comic)| Transformers comic,]] on account of its poseability. .<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the Optimus Prime figure that Magic Square put out this past year in 2023. It's an update, so it has a new head sculpt, it looks just like the movie, the '86 movie which of course has been my bible. He looks so good that you can actually like, kind of pose him, and he looks pretty dynamic. And I knew that, man, if the toy looks this cool in real life, then I can make him look really cool... like look at this, it looks great, he looks kind of alive.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=798s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
{{-}}

===Hasbro's own copyright dodging===
[[File:CYB sonic bomber originalsculpt.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|First party problems.]]
Despite Hasbro's own (completely understandable) aversion against people making a profit off their IP without permission, it's not like Hasbro is entirely innocent in this regard: In fact, the ''Transformers'' toys' [[alternate mode]]s being unlicensed reproductions of real-world vehicles and aircraft goes back all the way to the very first ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys.

While the whole market situation was still very different back in the 1980s, and car manufacturers apparently didn't start properly enforcing their intellectual properties in the field of toys and merchandise until the early 2000s, ''Transformers'' toys with [[licensed vehicle alternate modes]] are still the exception rather than the rule. The vast majority of [[popular Earth vehicle alternate modes]] are still unlicensed approximations of their real-life inspirations, basically "[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|not-Lamborghinis]]" or "[[Powerglide (G1)/toys|not-A-10s]]", with a few details altered to avoid a lawsuit — though this wasn't enough in [[Side Burn (RID)#Toys|one notable case]]. [[Downshift (Energon)#Cybertron|Some]] [[Windcharger (G1)#Transformers (2010)|examples]] are a little more creative, meshing together two or more real-life inspirations to create a genuine "hybrid" design, but most are just barely altered and instantly recognizable for what they are supposed to represent. While the target audience is obviously a different one (most people who buy a Hasbro Sunstreaker do so because he represents Sunstreaker the ''Transformers'' character, not because they want a Lamborghini for their toy car collection; however, most, if not all, people who buy a "third party" version of Sunstreaker do so because he represents Sunstreaker the ''Transformers'' character), it illustrates the gray area involved.

Less of a gray area appears to be the case of the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[High Beam#Generation 2|High Beam]] (released in 1995), though: Its alternate mode looks plain ''identical'' to a vehicle from [[Mattel]]'s ''[[Hot Wheels]]'' line that was first released in 1991 under the names "Back Burner" and "Sonic Special", but would eventually become more well known in 1995 under the name "[[Wikia:hotwheels:Speed Blaster|Speed Blaster]]". Unless both toys were based on the same obscure real-life concept car that has since been ''completely'' forgotten by history, that would be a ''very'' blatant case of Hasbro ''literally'' copying one of its competitor's toys and just making it transform.

Hasbro's ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' and ''[[Kre-O]]'' toylines "knocking off" [[LEGO]]'s iconic bricks cannot be considered IP infringement, however, as the technical patents for their brick-building system expired in [[1978]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Soundwave (G1)/toys

2024-12-16T11:27:22Z

{{suite}}
[[File:G1 boxart Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The truck guy's cool, but he will never be cool as this tape guy.]]
'''[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]''': popular. Amount of toys: sufficient for its own page.

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1Soundwave toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Soundwave superior. Nuff said.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave and Condor Cassette: Buzzsaw''' (Decepticon, [[1984]]-[[1986]], [[1990]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Battery/"[[concussion weapon|concussion blaster]]", battery/rocket launcher, 3 rockets
{{toydesigner|[[Hideaki Yoke]] (TakaraTomy), [[Shinji Aramaki]] (concept artist)}}

: Released in the first year of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original ''Transformers'' toyline]], Soundwave transforms into a realistically-sized blue and silver microcassette recorder, complete with an opening cassette door that can accommodate any of the numerous [[Mini-Cassette#Toys|Mini-Cassette]] figures. He came packaged with [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Buzzsaw]] to fully exploit and immediately advertise this interactive gimmick. Soundwave is armed with a shoulder-mounted cannon and a hand-held concussion blaster, which both transform into imitation batteries that store in a compartment on his back while he is in his alternate mode. Early releases of Soundwave had solid upper wrists, while subsequent ones have a rectangular gap at the base of the wrist (as shown in the picture to the right).

: A pair of trapezoid-shaped stickers intended to decorate these batteries were repurposed by Hasbro as visible speakers in alt-mode (which end up on the inside of his legs)—it's possible that Buzzsaw was composited over his package art specifically to cover the visible sticker on his gun, so as not to contradict the new suggested sticker placement in the [[instructions]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Going back to the source, the Takara Micro Change Series MC-10 Cassette Man, its instructions and sticker application map show clearly that sticker set #1 should be placed at the end of the battery accessory. That's why you don't see it on the inner legs of the boxart. If you now return to the Soundwave boxart image towards the start of the article, you'll see it on the end of his gun - and you'll even see the "Microman" text that wasn't removed! It should be noted that the most common Hasbro Soundwave art has Buzzsaw covering that part of his gun, and this is probably as good a reason as any as to why!|link=https://tfsquareone.blogspot.com/2019/09/hasbro-g1-soundwave-sound-or-power.html|name=Maz|site=Transformers Square One|title=Hasbro G1 Soundwave - Sound or Power?|year=2019|month=09|day=03}}</ref>

: Hasbro re-released Soundwave in 1985 with quite a few changes. The most immediately-noticeable is that his tape door has a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]] instead of the foil Decepticon sigil that was there before. However, there were also a number of other mold changes made to the toy, which got their start in the Japanese Takara release (detailed below).

: The popularity of Soundwave and his interactive tape gimmick was evident from an early stage: his toy continued to be sold up through 1986, after the vast majority of his 1984 brethren had been removed from toy shelves; Mini-Cassette partners continued to be produced for him even after this, through 1988; and Soundwave and Buzzsaw were shipped to Australian retail again in 1990. Over the years there have been multiple reissues of Soundwave, and this article lists each distinct edition of the figure under its own heading.

: In Europe, Soundwave was released in three different subsequent versions that are most notable due to packaging variations: The first version, released in 1985, was manufactured by Takara and featured a [[Milton Bradley]] logo on its packaging; the second version, released in 1986, was also manufactured by Takara, but now featured a Hasbro logo on its packaging; and the third version, also released in 1986, was now manufactured by Ceji (the parent company of [[Joustra]]) and still featured a Hasbro logo on its packaging.<ref name="eurosw">"European Soundwaves" at 20th Century Toy Collector: [http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/posts/2011/11/13/european-soundwaves-g1-part1/ Part 1], [http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/posts/2011/11/22/european-soundwaves-g1-–-part-2-of-2/ part 2].</ref> The [[Mexico|Mexican]] release of Soundwave, by [[IGA]], had painted black feet.

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-communicators-soundwave/361/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Soundwave at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Takara}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave''' (Decepticon, [[1985]])}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''17'''
:*''Accessories:'' Battery/"concussion blaster", battery/rocket launcher, 3 rockets, headphones, microphone

: Takara's release of Soundwave in 1985 had some very notable differences from the Hasbro release, the biggest being the addition of a set of headphones and a microphone, both non-functioning, which were part of the original ''[[Micro Change]]'' "Cassette Man" set that Hasbro turned into Soundwave. To further emulate Cassette Man, Takara's Soundwave came with [[Rumble (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Rumble]], rather than Buzzsaw, and a clear plastic case that he could fit into in tape mode (Cassette Man came with either Rumble, Frenzy or Laserbeak, as different releases and copies varied). Soundwave's rocket launcher has a fully-functional spring-loaded firing mechanism, due to differing [[for safety reasons|safety laws for projectiles]] in the US Hasbro had severely weakened the spring's launching strength. He also only came with a [[rubsign]] on the tape door.

: Takara made a [[variant|running change]] to the [[mold]], re-sculpting the recessed buttons on Soundwave's pelvis into one solid, protruding piece, and moving the cassette door's hinge from inside the figure's chest to a lower, external position on either side of this new button assembly. This modification became the standard for all subsequent re-uses of the Soundwave mold, including Hasbro 1985's release of the toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|VSY}}
[[File:G1toy VSY.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Grimlock vs Soundwave''' (Multi-pack, [[1985]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''VSY'''
:*''Accessories:'' Battery/"concussion blaster", battery/rocket launcher, 3 rockets

: Takara also released Soundwave in a "versus" set along with [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]], lacking the additional headphone and microphone accessories, and now partnered with [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Frenzy]] instead of Rumble. The version of Soundwave included in this set was (supposedly) the earlier, pre-running change version with individual buttons on his chest.

: The set also included an audio cassette, and has become the rarest of the three "VS" sets Takara produced.

{{-}}{{anchor|SoundblasterG1}}
[[File:G1Soundblaster toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I see a blue 'Con and I want him painted black.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundblaster''' (Decepticon, [[1987]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''D-101'''
:*''Accessories:'' Battery/"concussion blaster", battery/rocket launcher, 3 rockets

: Released in the third year of Takara's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]'' toy line (the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1987 (The Headmasters)|Headmasters]]''-themed year), Soundwave was [[redeco]]ed in a new black and red color scheme, and his chest door was [[retool]]ed so that he could now hold two cassettes at once. The figure's stickers, however, retain Soundwave's blue coloration instead of being changed to work with Soundblaster's black.

: This time, Soundblaster came packaged with [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Headmasters|Buzzsaw]], who now sported a new [[sticker]] which would reveal the weak spot of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]] when placed behind Soundblaster's translucent red chest door, in the same manner that [[Tech Spec]]s decoders worked.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1987/Destron/Soundblaster/soundblaster.htm More information on Soundblaster at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:G1 ActionMaster Soundwave toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Wingthing, did you swap my gun with [[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]]'s? You did, didn't you? Bad bat! No mecha-mosquito ice cream for you tonight!"]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave with Wingthing''' (Action Master, 1990)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "[[Photon negator]]"
{{toydesigner|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Released in the seventh and final year of the ''Transformers'' toyline in the US (sixth and not-final in European markets), Soundwave was part of the first wave of individually-carded [[Action Master]]s. This toy is a non-transforming 3¾-inch action figure which combines elements of his cartoon model and original toy. His construction is broadly similar to that used by the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' figures of the time, having a swivel neck, shoulders and knees, plus ball-jointed hips attached via a steel rod internally secured by a rubber "o-ring". His hands have standard 3 mm holes which allow him to hold any other accessory in the Action Master line, plus his feet have holes in the bottom to secure him to larger vehicles. On top of that, the hole in his back is compatible with [[5 mm post]]s.

: He came packaged with his new [[Action Master partner|partner]], [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]], who turns into a massive cannon Soundwave can hold, and can also be augmented by attaching Soundwave's "photon negator" rifle.

: Soundwave's [[instructions]] depict a different [[weapon]] than the one the toy actually comes with, showing him with [[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]]'s rifle. As a consequence, several toy information websites and identification guides (including ''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations]]'') depict Soundwave with Treadshot's weapon, using the instructions as a reference (as seen at right).

::*''[http://tfu.info/1990/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Soundwave (Action Master) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====''Transform Jr''====
[[File:G1toy junior soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave''' (Gōkin, 1986)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''17'''
:*''Accessories'': Cassette, launcher, 2 missiles

: Released during the early portion of the ''[[Transform Jr]]'' toyline when it was still going by the short lived "''Transform Gōkin''" name, ''Jr'' Soundwave is a smaller, simplified version of the original toy, lacking many stickers and paint applications, as well as the larger figure's retractable fists and the spring-activated release for his chest door. The chest door can still be manually opened, though, and Soundwave comes with a cassette partner to fit inside, albeit a non-transforming one (it's basically just a rectangle of clear plastic with a sticker on it; from the pattern on the sticker, it might be Rumble). He comes with only one gun, which can be placed either on his shoulder or in his fist, with two static 'missile' pieces that can be inserted into the front of the gun. He also features [[die-cast]] metal parts in his legs.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Destron/SoundwaveJr/soundwave.htm More information on Transform Gōkin Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|JrSoundblaster}}
[[File:G1toy junior soundblaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundblaster''' (Jr, 1987)}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''D-101'''
:*''Accessories'': 2 cassettes, launcher, 2 missiles

: Just as his larger toy was, ''Jr'' Soundwave was redecoed and retooled to become Soundblaster the following year, sporting a black coloration and an enlarged chest door (though the door itself remains colorless, lacking the distinctive red tint of the large Soundblaster figure). Soundblaster retains all of Soundwave's accessories and features, and comes with an extra tape to match his new expanded tape door. The sticker for one of his non-transformable cassette partners remains the same, looking a lot like Rumble. He also comes with a blue tape that might be Frenzy, even though Soundblaster's [[package art]] now shows Buzzsaw.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Destron/SoundblasterJr/soundblaster.htm More information on Transform Jr Soundblaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generation 2''===
[[File:G2-toy Soundwave GoBot.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Colors so loud you can practically hear them.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Go-Bot, [[1995]])
**''Accessories:'' gun
{{toydesigner|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]]s, Soundwave is a ''very bright'' [[redeco]] of [[Gearhead#Toys|Gearhead]], transforming into a [[NASCAR]]-style Ford Thunderbird stock car with precision wheels and wire axles, compatible with ''[[Hot Wheels]]'' and ''Matchbox'' playsets and tracks (which he was properly sized to fit). His ''exceptionally'' loud color scheme, being composed of bright shades of fluorescent yellow, pink and blue, is one of the few times fans can actually get away with describing a toy as "[[neon]]".

: Soundwave was one of only three Go-Bots sold in the Takara ''G-2'' line, but it was a... weird release. While the car shell is identical to the Hasbro Soundwave, his robot parts are identical to the second-wave opaque version of Gearhead, being red and metallic silver, due to the [[gang-molding]] process that produced the Takara-release Go-Bots [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GobotOptimusPrime|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Go-Bot|Megatron]]... and his stylized "T" with the ''Transformers'' logo [[tampograph]] was also applied to them to boot. He also has Gearhead's red face-paint rather than the Hasbro Soundwave black. These three toys were sold on cards that were nigh-identical to the Hasbro cards on the front, rather than the usual ''G-2'' style packaging, with only a small bit of Japanese text on the front in the logo. The back side is stylistically close to the ''Generation 2'' packaging, but a "generic" cardback used for all three toys and entirely in Japanese. It's unclear why these toys were released this way; it's possible these were sold in convenience stores or some other similar outlet rather than in conventional toy stores/departments. Even more oddly, the Soundwave shown on the cross-sell is the Hasbro-release Soundwave with the maroon-purple and aqua-blue robot parts.

:This mold was also used to make various versions of ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[W.A.R.S.]] and the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' incarnation of [[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]]. It was planned to be used to make ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Greasepit (G2)|Greasepit]], but that toy was canceled.

:This toy was later [[repurposing|repurposed]] to be a [[Soundwave (G2)|"next-generation" clone of Soundwave]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1995/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Soundwave (Go-Bot) at TFU.info]''{{G2GearheadMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|LaserCycle}}
[[File:LaserCycleSoundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|His bio actually says this isn't his favorite form. No foolin'.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Laser Cycle, <strike>[[1995]]</strike>)
:This planned [[redeco]] of the [[Laser Cycle]] [[Road Pig (G2)#Toys|Road Pig]] would have seen Soundwave transform to a blue and silver Harley-Davidson Electra Glide touring motorcycle, with an LED-lit tailpipe that became an arm-mounted weapon in robot mode. Ultimately, however, it ended up as one of several planned late-1995 ''Generation 2'' redecoes that never made it to release. The cancellation was presumably a comparatively last-minute decision, since several of these toys, including Soundwave and fellow Laser Cycle redeco [[Jazz (G1)/toys#LaserCycle|Jazz]], ''were'' solicited in various store catalogues, such as the Sears Wish Book. Some packaged samples of this toy do exist, but there are estimated to be less than a dozen in existence.

:This mold was later [[retool]]ed to make the ''[[Microman]]: [[Microman#Micro Millennium (1998-2000)|LED Powers]]'' toys [[Microman#RoadBison|Road Bison]] and [[Microman#HyperSpeeder|Tornado Bison]]; the retooled mold was then used to make [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]] and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' [[Sideways (RM)#Toys|Double Face]].
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Machine Wars''===
[[File:MW-toy Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Not my scene, baby!]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Mega, [[1997]])
**''Accessories:'' [[electron rocket]], radar dish
:Originally a [[KB Toys]] exclusive, ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Soundwave is a [[redeco]] of the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] [[Stalker (G1)#Toys|Stalker]], transforming into a grey and burgundy tracked electron rocket carrier. His rocket can mount on either shoulder or his back in robot mode, and retains Stalker's [[Megavisor]] gimmick; a panel on the top slides open to reveal a port for the smaller Predator jets to attach to, allowing their Megavisor slides to be viewed through the "scope" of the missile. Stalker's own built-in slide is retained, but is left blank with no unique printing. Also missing from this version of the toy are Stalker's hand-held missile launcher and accompanying ammunition, due to [[for safety reasons|safety concerns]] over their small, not-passing-choke-gate-tests size. Soundwave's instructions omit several panels of Stalker's own instructions, including the one that serves as the placement guide for stickers 1 through 7.

:This mold was also used to make the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[#Universe (2003)|incarnation of Soundwave]], and repurposed as a [[Soundwave (MW)|clone of Soundwave]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1997/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Machine Wars Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''The Transformers Collection''===
[[File:G1toy tfc soundwave and soundblaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|No! We're not friends, we're enemies!]]
*'''Soundwave''' (2003)
**''ID number'': '''10'''
**''Accessories'': [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys|Laserbeak]], tape case, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster
:The first reissue of Soundwave's original toy was released as part of Takara's ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'', and this time came with [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Laserbeak]]. The toy reinstates Soundwave's chest-mounted Decepticon symbol, relocating the rubsign to the cover of his battery compartment, but otherwise features no notable differences from the original, post-button-remold version of the figure. This was, however, many international fans' first exposure to Soundwave's modified button mold, and it was erroneously assumed by many that the change had been first made for this release as an artefact of modifying the Soundblaster mold back into Soundwave.
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}

{{anchor|CollectionSoundblaster}}
*'''Soundblaster''' (2005)
**''ID number'': '''18'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]], Buzzsaw, 2 tape cases, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

:Not ones to waste the opportunity now that they had the mold back in action, Takara also reissued Soundblaster as part of the ''Transformers Collection'', sweetening the deal by including not just his original partner Buzzsaw, but also the first reissue of [[Ravage (G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Ravage]]. Despite the opportunity, they still didn't change the color of Soundblaster's stickers from Soundwave-blue to black.
{{-}}

===''Smallest Transforming Transformers''===
[[File:SmallestTF Soundwave toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Size: small. Taste: big.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (2003-2004)
**''ID number:'' '''GTF 05'''
**''Accessories:'' Rocket launcher, concussion blaster, battery cover

: Standing at only two inches tall, ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Soundwave is an extremely small-scale replica of his original Generation 1 toy. Although his retracting fists, rotating head and missile accessories are left out, the figure otherwise retains a surprising amount of the original toy's functions and features, including the ability to store his weapons as batteries and an opening chest door. This opening chest accommodates Soundwave's in-package partner, [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' Ravage]], who is probably ''the'' smallest Transformer ever.

:Soundwave was originally released as part of the first ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' wave, and was then made available again in the limited-availability "Wave 2.5" the following year, without changes. In both instances, as with the rest of the figures in the line, he was sold in [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] packaging.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2003/Destron/SmallestSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Transformers Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2003)===
[[File:Universe Soundwave&Space-Case toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Now, let's see Space Case jump out of Soundwave's chest!]]
*'''Soundwave & Space Case''' (Ultra Class, 2004)
**''Accessories:'' Giant missile, radar

: Only available in an Ultra-level two-pack with [[Space Case (G2)#Universe (2003)|Space Case]], ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Soundwave is another reuse of the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] [[Stalker (G1)#Toys|Stalker]] mold, this time in a mix of purple-blue, waxy yellow, plain grey, and a bit of burgundy. This version of Soundwave features some slight retooling compared to previous uses of the mold. The base of the peg on the missile is slightly thicker, the hole it plugs into is shallower, and the eyepiece now has a more cupped shape. The Megavisor slide features a target reticle with an Autobot insignia in the center. Stalker's projectile launcher and its missiles are once again omitted.

: Due to the lack of fiction for either toy in the set, it is ''possible'' that this incarnation is in fact an alternate-universe version of Soundwave, some incarnation of [[Soundwave (BW)|that OTHER Soundwave]], or possibly even a new character altogether.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2004/Decepticon/TFUSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Universe'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Titanium Series''===
{{anchor|TiCR}}
[[File:Titanium CybHeroes Soundwave toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He's the "manliest" Soundwave ever!]]
*'''Soundwave''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak, rocket launcher, concussion blaster, display base
{{toydesigner|[[Don Figueroa]] (concept artist)}}

: ''[[Titanium Series]]'' Soundwave is based on the original Generation 1 figure, transforming into a microcassette player mode, now looking more like a boombox. He retains the gimmickry of the original toy such as his transforming weapons, which still store as batteries on his back, and his opening chest door that can accommodate the diminutive transforming Laserbeak figure packaged with him. Laserbeak can also perch onto tabs molded on the top of his shoulders. Soundwave comes with the standard display base that all other 6" ''Titanium Series'' figures come with, and a unique nameplate.

:This figure is plagued by multiple design flaws. In particular, its disproportionate waist makes it look like Soundwave is wearing a diaper, and its legs poor telescoping engineering makes it virtually impossible for them to stay extended while supporting the weight of the toy, so the toy is barely able to stand up the way it is intended to. The cumulative effect is a Soundwave who is not unlike [http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/1969/12/39471474f18fcac9b2_0.jpg a baby]. Note, however, that the stock photo depicts his waist slightly mistransformed, as the hip joints can shift up towards the waist.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/TitSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Titanium Series Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TiSoundblaster}}
[[File:Titanium soundblaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Soundblaster''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, unreleased)
**''Accessories:'' Ravage, rocket launcher, concussion blaster, display base

: A planned redeco of ''Titanium'' Soundwave in his black and red Soundblaster colors, this toy would have come with a new ''Titanium'' version of [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Ravage]] instead of Laserbeak. Although displayed at [[BotCon 2007]], Soundblaster was ultimately canceled along with many other solicited 6" Cybertron Heroes, but this did not stop him from appearing as a cross-sell on the packaging for ''Titanium'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Prowl]] in late 2008 (which claimed he would have been "also available" as of November 2008), as Hasbro was unwilling to spend the resources on altering the packaging for these already-complete products.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Classics''===
[[File:Classics Commemorative Soundwave toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Ravage, Laserbeak: Eject. Operation: Reissue.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Commemorative Edition, 2007, 2012)
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak, Battle Ravage, 2 tape cases, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

: Hasbro's first reissue of the original Soundwave toy was originally intended to be part of their ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' of Generation 1 reissues, but when that line was cancelled, it was instead released as part of the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toyline. The phrase "Commemorative Edition" is prominently displayed on the front and sides of the box, though, and it remained exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]], as all Commemorative Edition toys were. The box itself opens up to reveal a pop-up cutout of Soundwave that is nearly twice the size of the figure in the box.

:Despite both the packaging's claim that it is "identical to the original toy," and the image on the packaging showing a heavily photoshopped Takara reissue Soundwave with a traditional single tape chest door, the figure actually sports the double-wide door and tooling changes of Sound''blaster'' (complete with extra tech-detailing), which allows him to carry both of his pack-in partners, Laserbeak and (Battle) Ravage. Being an odd mismatch of Soundblaster and Soundwave, (Battle) Ravage has all his stickers replaced with tampographs including one showing the weakness of [[Fortress Maximus]], while Laserbeak has pre-applied foil stickers, and Soundwave himself has matte pre-applied stickers. Soundwave also uses a much less saturated metallic blue plastic than the original figure. In an unusual move for a Hasbro release, the set also includes two clear-plastic cassette cases for the two tapes, previously only included with Takara versions of the figures. Per child safety laws, his spring-loaded weapons were neutered.

:Sadly, in the Canadian markets, this version of Soundwave was pushed back over a year from the original release date, and very few Toys"R"Us stores had them. Dang.

:Soundwave was later re-released in Hasbro's Asian markets in slightly altered packaging that omitted the Toys"R"Us sticker (for obvious reasons) and changed the age recommendation from "Ages 8+" to "Ages 5+".

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/ClassicsSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Classics'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}
{{-}}

===''Music Label''===
[[File:Music label soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Soundwave finally enters the digital age after only what, twenty-three years?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave Playing Audio Player''' (2007)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Electric launcher, "Wave Bluster", 2 clenched fists (left & right), 2 gun-holding fists (left & right), 2 eject-button pose fists (left & right), headphones

: Released as part of TakaraTomy's small ''[[Transformers Music Label|Music Label]]'' toyline, this incarnation of Soundwave drags the character kicking and screaming into the digital age as a working MP3 player. Despite his new electronic abilities, Soundwave still transforms, in a manner virtually identical to his original Generation 1 figure, no less. He still comes with his trademark pair of weapons (although they no longer double as batteries, since he's got a real one in there now!) plus three sets of hands: two clenched, two for holding his guns, and two posed as if he is pressing his "eject" button.

:Soundwave runs on a single AAA battery, lasting for about six hours of continuous play, and operates using a miniSD card; the packaging claims it can only support up to 1GB, but reports indicate it can actually take up to 2GB. The distinctive buttons on Soundwave's pelvis are now working buttons that control the player: play/pause/power, next, previous, volume up and volume down. Naturally, the player also comes with a set of headphones, but an optional accessory, sold separately, can take their place: a set of ''transforming'' headphones in the image of Rumble and Frenzy.

:Soundwave was initially released in two color schemes: "Spark Blue", his normal blue and silver colors; and "Sonic White", a mostly white color scheme with some blue detailing, echoing the traditional [[iPod]] color scheme. When the toy received a second production run later in the year, the "Sonic White" version was replaced with a new Soundblaster-inspired "Blaster Black" deco.

: The "Sonic White" version was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as the mirror-universe ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]].

: During one of Hasbro's designer panels at [[BotCon 2008]], an audience member questioned the feasibility of releasing this figure in the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'' toy line]], but '''''without''''' the expensive MP3 player electronics. Bizarrely, Hasbro design director [[Aaron Archer]] gave a seemingly prepared statement that did not answer the question at all, and instead stated that Hasbro were unlikely to release ''Music Label'' Soundwave in their markets due to the obscurity of the MiniSD memory card format. (For what it's worth, Hasbro's [[Greg Lombardo]] had given an actual answer to the same question at [[BotCon 2007]], when he stated that ML Soundwave's innards are so devoted to electronics that removing them might adversely impact the leftover toy's appearance and stability.)

::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/MLSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Music Label Soundwave (Sonic White) at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/MLBlueSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Music Label Soundwave (Spark Blue) at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://tfu.info/2007/Destron/MLBlackSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Music Label Soundwave (Blaster Black) at TFU.info]''

===''Encore''===
[[File:G1toy encore soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Laserbeak: Prepare for flight. Operation: Nostalgia.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (2007)
**''ID number'': '''03'''
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak, tape case, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

:The original Soundwave toy was made available once again as part of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' series of reissues. Aside from a slightly lighter shade to his blue plastic and similar changes to his accompanying stickers, the figure remained unchanged from its previous reissues.
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|EncoreSoundblaster}}
[[File:Encore Soundblaster Toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Soundblaster''' (2012)
**''ID number'': '''21'''
**''Accessories:'' "Enemy", "Wingthing", tape case, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

: Soundblaster was available again as part of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' series of reissues. This release includes two new cassette partners: [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]] and [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]].

: For this release Soundblaster features additional silver paint on his face plate and the sides of his head, metallic red eyes instead of yellow, and the removal of the silver paint on his crest in an effort for animation accuracy. In addition, he has a large Decepticon insignia tampographed on his chest. All the label stickers from the previous releases of Soundblaster have been reproduced via tampographs as well, with the exception of the stickers for his weapons which come preapplied.

: The tampographs on the knees and stickers on the weapons are misapplied, being placed in the wrong orientation. The coloration of the blue labels has also been altered to replace some of the blue (but not all) with black. Stock photos depicted Soundblaster with a screen-accurate purple cassette door, although this has never been seen in any actual retail release.
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008toy soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Exclusive, 2009)
**''Series'': '''G1 Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak, Ravage, Buzzsaw, [[Ratbat (G1)/toys|Ratbat]], rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

: In 2009, Hasbro released yet another reissue of Soundwave as part of the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, this time as a [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] exclusive that was prominently offered at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2009. After Hasbro's last reissue of the figure had used the double-sized Soundblaster chest door, this version of Soundwave reinstated his original door, and came packaged with no fewer than ''four'' tapes: Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and [[Ratbat (G1)/toys|Ratbat]]. On the flipside of the ''Classics'' release, the photography on the box shows the Soundblaster ''double'' chest door as opposed to the single door it actually sports. Compared to various previous reissues, the blue is very slighty darker and the silver plastic has a blue tint to it.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/TFUSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Universe 2008 Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:Unitedtoy soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Let his metallic paint chip off, and he changes continuity families.]]
*'''Soundwave Cybertron Mode''' ([[December 25]], 2010)
**''ID number'': '''UN05'''
**''Accessories'': Rifle, missile launcher

: Part of the first wave of the ''United'' series, Soundwave is a repaint of ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)#Toys|War for Cybertron]]'' Deluxe Class [[Soundwave (WFC)/toys#Generations|Soundwave]].

: Retaining ''exactly the same'' plastic colors as his WFC toy, Soundwave instead features an extensive metallic blue/violet [[Paint operation|paint]] scheme that covers a majority of his vehicle mode (as well as some robot parts, like his head, for example). The purple highlights on the Hasbro version are replaced with a bright pink, the metallic details on his chest are a milder shade of gold, and his chest insignia is in full color.

: [[Stock photography#Takara stock photos|Comically]], the action-oriented stock photo on the back of his packaging has him mis-transformed. His hinged crotch has not been pegged to his main body, with the result looking like Soundwave wearing a diaper... again.
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy SoundwaveKreon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Easiest Microchanger ever: just remove everything from his torso.]]
*'''Sentinel Prime''' (2011)
**''Set number'': '''30687'''
**''Pieces'': '''386'''
**''Kreons'': Sentinel Prime, Soundwave, Thundercracker, Fire Chief
**''Accessories'': Scoped pistol

: The ''[[Kre-O]]'' [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#Kre-O|Sentinel Prime construction set]] comes with a Soundwave [[Kreon]]. He has an adorably creepy speaker-mouth under the helmet's faceplate.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Decepticon/Kre-OSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Custom}}
[[File:KreO-Toy SoundwaveCustomKreon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Custom Kreon, 2013)
**''Set number'': '''A6090'''
**''Pieces'': '''36'''
**''Accessories'': Rack, large cannon, Seeker arm rifle, scoped pistol, double-barreled pistol, rocket backpack, small wing-pack, curved blade

: Part of the first assortment of "Custom Kreons", this version of Soundwave comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his many many extra pieces. His [[tampograph]]s are much more heavily-detailed than the original Kreon, based on the [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|original Soundwave toy]]. His "normal" helmet and grenade launcher are [[chrome]]d, plus he comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso and legs. He also has a pair of extra arms (originally from the ''Kre-O Battleship'' aliens), plus a buildable cannon based around the aforementioned chrome gun, a small scoped pistol, a double-barreled blaster, and a two-piece curved-blade sword.

: He still has the adorably creepy speaker-mouth.

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2014}}
[[File:KreO-toy SoundwaveClass84.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Kreon Class of 1984''' (Kreon figure set, 2014)
**''Set number'': '''B0090'''
**''Voted'': Class Gossip
**''Accessories'': Blaster

: This version of Soundwave, part of the [[Kreon Class of 1984]], has much more elaborately toy-based [[tampograph]]s than his prior versions. He comes with a blue version of the new blaster from the ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|Age of Extinction]] Kre-O'' sets, and a back-brace piece that we guess is there for gun-mounting purposes. There's also a bunch of "cassettes" based on the various [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Recordicon]]s packed in the box that ostensibly go with him, but are part of the big block of extra accessories and we're just filling space here.

:The head under the helmet has no mouth whatsoever, which is somehow creepier than the speaker-mouths of the prior Kreons.

: He was only available in the [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2014 [[exclusive]] "Kreon Class of 1984" set of thirty Kreons, commemorating the franchise's thirty years. Remaining stock was to be sold online at [[Hasbro Toy Shop]], but there ''was'' no remaining stock by the end of the convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Decepticon/SDCCKre-OSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Class of 1984 Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Knight}}
[[File:KreO-toy SoundwaveKW Knight.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Knight Soundwave''' (Kreon Warrior, 2015)
**''Set number'': '''B0955'''
**''Collection'': '''2'''
**''Accessories'': Stand-plate, clip-on bird, double-bladed pike, orc shield

:Part of the second wave of Kreon Warriors, "Knight Soundwave" is a fantasy-medieval version of the Decepticon. He has a clip-on wooden "Laserbeak"-y bird, but it's not specifically labeled as "Laserbeak". His shield also bears a coat of arms featuring two bird heads and a feline head. What could ''that'' mean? Hmmmmm....

:His helmet and accessories all hail from the ''Kre-O Dungeons & Dragons'' sets.

: Like all the Kreons released that year (at normal retail at least), he uses the new 2015-tooling Kreon body, which basically involves small construction changes on every part below the head, making them largely incompatible with the prior Kreon parts (heads still work fine), but the new tooling adds some extra functionality and structural support.

: The Kreon Warriors were only released in Canada, Australia, and various Asian markets. The individual bags had also abandoned any kind of coding that identified the contents. This means getting the one you want from an unopened bag involves either trying to feel out the unique parts, or just buying the whole dang case.

{{-}}{{anchor|Wiseguy}}
[[File:KreO-toy SoundwaveWiseguy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|And be a juke. Box. Vil-lain.]]
*'''Wiseguy Soundwave''' (Kreon Warrior, 2015)
**''Set number'': '''B0955'''
**''Collection'': '''2'''
**''Accessories'': Stand-plate, clip-on bird, 2 pistols

: Soundwave's second Kreon Warrior, also part of the second collection, is part of the "Wiseguy" theme, 1920s gangster-styled Kreons. He sports a slicked-back gray wig, dual pistols, and a clip-on bird that's painted like [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Wiseguy|Laserbeak]] and probably ''is'' meant to be Laserbeak but is not actually labeled "Laserbeak". His body [[tampograph]]s suggest that he would turn into an old-timey jukebox. Awesome!

: The lack of US distribution and lack of bag codes holds up here too.

{{-}}{{anchor|BattleChanger}}
[[File:Kre-O-Battle-Changers-2-pack-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet Vs. Soundwave''' (Battle Changer 2-pack, 2015)
**''Set number'': '''B1507'''
**''Accessories'': Blaster rifle
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro)}}<ref>[https://youtu.be/PdsHMGVDZFg?si=7IIIhq2AU8jwMnSx Interview] with [[Hasbro]] designer [[Evan Brooks]] on the Triple Takeover podcast, from their YouTube channel</ref>

:Available in a two-pack set with [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#BattleChangers|Ratchet]], Battle Changers Soundwave is a built-up Kreon that transforms from robot to spaceship (somewhat resembling the [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' incarnation of Soundwave]]) and back ''without'' needing to be disassembled.

: Soundwave is loaded out with four different partners. [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#BattleChangers|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)/toys#BattleChangers|Rumble]] become twin-blaster pods that can be mounted on his wings or legs. [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#BattleChangers|Laserbeak]] becomes chest armor for Soundwave's robot mode, or a set of tailfins for spaceship mode. And [[Ravage (G1)/toys#BattleChangers|Ravage]] just kinda hangs on Soundwave's jet-mode underside, but becomes a backpack with over-the-shoulder blasters for Soundwave's robot mode.

:This set, like all the Battle Changers, originally only saw release in Canada, Australia, and Asian markets. It eventually saw release in the U.S. in late 2015 through discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls.
{{-}}

===''Masterpiece''===
[[File:Masterpiece Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Laserbeak, eject. Operation: let the fandom rejoice.]]
*'''Soundwave''' ([[January 26]], [[2013]]/[[September 28]], 2013/[[2019]])
**''ID number'': '''MP-13'''
**''Accessories'': Condor "case", energon cube & lid (three in total in the Amazon.co.jp version), display panel, concussion blaster, [[Megatron (G1)/toys#MP13|Megatron gun]] (consists of pistol, scope, silencer, & stock), sensor
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Soundwave is a more intricately engineered version of his Generation 1 design, transforming into his classic tape deck alternate mode, but substantially thicker. His chest compartment still opens, of course, and remains scaled to accommodate the original ''Generation 1'' mini-cassette figures, as well as the new ''Masterpiece'' mini-cassette figures, such as his pack-in partner, Condor. A spring-loaded panel inside his chest can be pushed back in increments to allow Soundwave to hold up to three cassettes at once; after one is removed, pressing a button on his back slides the panel forward, pushing the remaining cassettes up and putting the next into position, ready to be removed when his chest door is opened again. However, this feature is so ''finnicky'' that his [[instructions]] actually have to include a little segment telling owners what ''not'' to do with the toy to make sure it works.

:Soundwave comes with his traditional concussion blaster weapon, and his non-firing rocket launcher is now an integrated, non-removable piece. Unlike the Generation 1 toy, both cannon and launcher do not become batteries for his alternate mode, instead storing on his back. He also comes with the wrist-mounted sensor from "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]", and his forearm panel opens up to reveal sculpted speakers. He also comes with a [[retool]] of the Megatron gun [[Megatron (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|originally released]] with ''Masterpiece'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|MP-01 Convoy]].

:Additionally, Soundwave comes with an empty energon cube which can plug into his chest panel, and a grid-patterned display panel that also fits over his chest door. His instruction booklet includes two images that can be cut out and slipped between Soundwave's chest and the display panel to simulate readouts displayed in "[[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|More than Meets the Eye]]": the [[Victory (G1)|Decepticon space cruiser]]'s blue prints and intel reports hacked from [[Teletraan I]].

:Soundwave and his accessories can also interact with the other ''Masterpiece'' mini-cassette figures in many other ways. Laserbeak or [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Masterpiece|Buzzsaw]] can perch onto the tabs on Soundwave's shoulders and forearms. Soundwave can also wear ''Masterpiece'' [[Rumble (G1)#Masterpiece|Rumble]] and/or [[Frenzy (G1)#Masterpiece|Frenzy]]'s piledrivers on his forearms as cannons, and can store one set of Rumble or Frenzy's guns in compartments on Soundwave's feet/at the back of his tapedeck mode. Additionally, Soundwave's sensor can combine with Rumble and Frenzy's piledrivers to form the link cable used by Soundwave to hook up to a larger monitor in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

:The edition purchased via [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] in Japan came with two additional energon cubes. The Asian version includes a commemorative coin contained in a package looking like Soundwave's tapedeck mode.

:For this release, some Soundwaves suffer from a [[Quality control|paint error]], leaving the small upside-down triangle on his forehead crest unpainted, though it is animation accurate.

:Soundwave was re-released on September 28th, 2013 and again in 2019. The minor quality control issues with the re-release were lessened or not as widespread as the initial release. The 2019 re-release features slightly darker blue plastic, and painted red eyes.
{{MPSoundwaveMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|HasbroMasterpiece}}
[[File:TRU Masterpiece Soundwave with Cassettes.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|... And Megatron makes seven Decepticons in one box.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (2013/2016)
**''ID number'': '''MP-02'''
**'''09 OF 30'''
**''Accessories'': Five microcassette cases, two Frenzy piledrivers, Frenzy piledriver mount, left & right Frenzy "Thruster Guns", two Rumble piledrivers, Rumble piledriver mount, left & right Rumble "Thruster Guns", energon cube & lid, display panel, concussion blaster, [[Megatron (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpieceSoundwave|Megatron gun]] (consists of pistol, scope, silencer, & stock), sensor

: The Hasbro release of Masterpiece Soundwave features a slightly different deco than the Takara version, such as a yellow visor instead of a red one, and leaving the Rumble/Frenzy gun storage panels on his feet unpainted. All of the accessories included with the Takara release are ported over to the Hasbro set (with the exception of the cut-out images for use with his display panel), plus all five of the ''Masterpiece'' microcassettes. The cassettes also feature different decoes than their Takara counterparts (see their own articles for details), and their cases are cast in clear plastic instead of the translucent hot pink the Japanese versions came with. His highly truncated instructions omit any explanation of virtually all of his accessories, action features, and interactions with his minions. Finally, he has a designated number as part of the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' line.

:Soundwave is exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]] stores. He was released earlier (with fellow ''Masterpiece'' [[Acid Storm (G1)#Masterpiece|Acid Storm]]) in limited numbers at San Diego Comic Con 2013.

:Soundwave was also reissued in 2016 by Hasbro Asia under ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' co-branding, packaged with a mini die cast cassette player based on his alt mode. Some of the images in this picture were plagiarized for the promotion. As it was originally issued under ''Masterpiece'', it would be easier to list this down here instead of reproducing it under the ''Generations'' section.

{{-}}{{anchor|MP13B}}
[[File:MP-Soundblasterwithratbat.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Ratbat eject, Operation: black paint job.]]
*'''Soundblaster''' ([[March 23]], 2014)
**''ID number'': '''MP-13B'''
**''Accessories'': Ratbat "case", red energon cube & lid, purple display panel, concussion blaster, translucent red [[Megatron (G1)/toys#MP13B|Megatron gun]] (consists of pistol, scope, silencer, & stock), sensor
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Following tradition, ''Masterpiece'' Soundblaster is a black redeco of the first MP Soundwave figure. While the chest door is cast in toy accurate red, the additional display panel is cast in translucent purple allowing for optional cartoon accuracy. Soundblaster includes all of the other accessories included with Soundwave as well, with the energon cube and Megatron gun now being cast entirely in translucent red plastic, as well as Ratbat.
{{-}}

===''Construct-Bots''===
[[File:Soundwave Construct-Bots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Elite, 2013)
**''Pieces'': '''48'''

:Part of ''[[Construct-Bots]]'' Wave 1 Elites, Soundwave can transform into a jet vaguely resembling his Unicron Trilogy incarnation. He is armed with two guns (depicted as gold in stock photography, but blue on the actual toy) and two weapons, resembling his Generation 1 shoulder cannon, that become engines in jet mode.

:He also comes with a translucent purple storage tray complete with lid and Decepticon insignia.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CBSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Construct-Bots'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:ConstructBots_ArsenalPackSoundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Laserbeak: Eject. Operation: Hammer Time!"]]
*'''Arsenal Pack Soundwave''' (<s>2014</s>)
**''Pieces: '''58'''
:Arsenal Pack Soundwave is a slight redeco of the previous release, changing the light blue pieces to purple. He also includes new acessories, such as an orange hammer and four black guns.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Bot Shots''===
[[File:BotShots_CancelledSoundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Looks like ''"Operation: Bot Shots"'' failed.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (<s>2013</s>)
**''Number'': '''B015'''
***''Fist strength'': '''???'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''???'''
***''Sword strength'': '''368'''
: Presumably part of Wave 4 of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2, Soundwave is a Flip Shot. His robot mode is directly based in his ''Generation 1'' counterpart, while his vehicle mode is kind of a garbage truck with giant boomboxes in the sides.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Linkin Park × Transformers''===
{{anchor|Linkin}}{{anchor|LinkinPark}}
[[File:LPSoundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''[[New Divide|Give me reason To fill this hole]]'']]
*'''Transformers Linkin Park Soundwave: Special Edition''' ([[September 23]], 2013)
**''Accessories:'' Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Ravage, Ratbat, 4 tape cases, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

:[[Linkin Park]] Soundwave is a gold and black [[redeco]] of Soundwave. He's packaged with Linkin Park gold redecoes of [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Linkin|Ravage]], [[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Linkin|Ratbat]], [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Linkin|Laserbeak]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Linkin|Buzzsaw]] (the last two of which are completely identical) on a flocked-purple plastic tray inside a special commemorative box. He has no stickers, factory-applied or otherwise, but has a tampographed Linkin Park logo and Decepticon symbol. Linkin Park Soundwave: Special Edition was exclusive to "SURU", a music store owned by Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn. The figure was limited to 2000 pieces.
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}
{{-}}

===''Hero Mashers''===
[[File:HM-toy Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Soundwave Beefier.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Battle Upgrade, 2014)
**''Pieces'': '''14'''
**''Accessories'': Missile launcher, missile, shoulder-cannon, blaster/blade, left & right gun pods, "Sideswipe" left forearm

: Part of the second wave of "Battle Upgrade" ''[[Hero Mashers]]'' toys, Soundwave is a non-transforming action figure with ratchet-joints, about six inches tall. He has multiple peg-holes all over that can be used to mount any ''Hero Mashers'' accessory.

: He is designed with a removable head, forearms, thighs, and lower legs, all of which use the same clip-peg/hole joint. This means his pieces can be swapped around in any order, as well as swapped with any other ''Hero Mashers'' figure... which includes figures from [[Marvel Comics]], ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'', and ''[[Jurassic Park|Jurassic World]]'', meaning you can make some pretty freaky combinations.

: While he is (roughly) the same size as a standard Hero Masher, his larger [[size class|price point]] is made up for with more parts and gimmicks. He comes with both of his classic "battery" weapons, with the handgun being a spring-loaded missile launcher. He also comes with [[Sideswipe (WFC)#Hero Mashers|Sideswipe]]'s left arm, based on the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'' version of the character, with a smaller version of the "[[Path Blaster]]" cannon as part of the design.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2014/Decepticon/HMSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Hero Mashers'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
{{anchor|SoundwaveMasterpieceYOTG}}
[[File:MP-YOTGSoundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Laserbeak, eject. Operation: Hideous lack of taste]]
*'''Soundwave Year Of The Goat Edition''' (2015)
**''Accessories'': Five microcassette cases, two Frenzy piledrivers, Frenzy piledriver mount, left & right Frenzy "Thruster Guns", two Rumble piledrivers, Rumble piledriver mount, left & right Rumble "Thruster Guns", energon cube & lid, display panel, concussion blaster, [[Megatron (G1)/toys#HasbroMasterpieceSoundwave|Megatron gun]] (consists of pistol, scope, silencer, & stock), sensor

: This [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] set packs in a redeco of the ''Masterpiece'' Soundwave mold (see below), with all of that release's Hasbro accessories, but is molded in a mix of orange and translucent plastic.

: He also comes with similarly-decoed versions of ''Masterpiece'' [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Laserbeak]], [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Buzzsaw]], [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Ravage]], [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Decepticon Rumble]], and [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Decepticon Frenzy]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/PlatinumSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Year of the Goat Soundwave at TFU.info]''
{{MPSoundwaveMold}}
{{-}}

===''Q-Transformers''===
[[File:QTransformers Soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67]]
*'''Soundwave''' ([[August 29]], 2015)
**''ID number:'' '''QT-27'''

:A retool of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|QT-09 Optimus Prime]], ''[[Q-Transformers]]'' Soundwave transforms from a [[super deformed]] Nissan GT-R R35 to a cute little robot. Unlike most ''Q-Transformers'' retools which only have new heads, Soundwave also sports newly molded legs in place of Prime's iconic truck-bed-legs.

{{-}}
*'''Decepticons 3-Figure Set''' (2016)
**''ID number:'' '''QTFS-02'''

:During the second ''Q-Transformers'' series, the Soundwave toy was available in a three-pack alongside [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Megatron]] and [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Shockwave]]. He is identical to the original ''Q-Transformers'' toy.
{{-}}

===''Titans Return''===
{{anchor|TitansReturn}}
[[File:Titans_Return_Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|right|Broadcasting live from Iacon Square Gardens]]
*'''Soundblaster & Soundwave''' (Leader Class, 2016)
**''Accessories:'' [[Soundblaster (TR)#Toys|Soundblaster]] Titan Master partner, rifle, shoulder cannon, spotlight/rocket-sled
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)|[[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept artist)}}

: A [[redeco]] and [[retool]] of [[Blaster (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Autobot Blaster]] (you may have expected this), Soundwave is part of the second wave of Leader Class ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' figures, transforming from robot to soundbar<ref>https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/titans-return-soundwave-concept-sketches-from-emiliano-santalucia/40130/</ref> to stage mode and back (or even his Cybertronian lamppost mode in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon if you're feeling fiddly). In addition to Blaster's rifle and recolored rocket-sled, Soundwave also comes with his signature cannon "battery", which can plug into his shoulder, or store on his back while he in alt mode. He includes a [[Titan Master]] partner, [[Soundblaster (TR)#Toys|Soundblaster]], who can turn into his head or man Soundwave's 'stage' mode. Soundwave is also capable of holding Legends Class 'spy-tablet' figures in his chest compartment. Unlike most Titans Return toys, Soundwave doesn't have an obvious place to store Soundblaster when he's in stereo mode, although he can be inserted into the underside of the rocket sled, which in turn can be stored inside Soundwave's body, at the cost of available space for any of the Legends figures. Soundwave also features many (nonfunctional but realistic-size) device ports on his back and legs, such as dual-prong power ports, headphone jacks and USB ports.

:Soundwave's instruction sheet contains an error where it says that his base mode is compatible with other ''Titans Return'' toys' base modes: it has Powermaster Optimus Prime labeled as "Autobot Blaster". Some toys have stress marks on the hatch that opens to hide his head in base and stereo mode even before opening the box.

:The Hasbro Asia exclusive giveaway sticker sheet can be used to enhance the figure's details.<ref>https://news.tfw2005.com/2016/09/23/hasbro-asia-titans-return-stickers-wave-2-325179</ref>

:This mold was redecoed into ''[[#Golden Lagoon|Golden Lagoon]]'' Soundwave, and further retooled into ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline)|Bumblebee]]'' [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#Bumblebee|Soundwave]].
{{-}}

===Xiaomi / Transformers===
[[File:Xiaomi soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|This device is not compatible with [[Ravage (SG)|your]] version of [[Yatter]].]]
*'''Soundwave''' (2016)
**''Accessories'': 2 blaster parts, shield, drone/ wing pack

:The result of a team-up between [[Hasbro]] and Chinese consumer electronics company {{w|Xiaomi}}, Soundwave transforms from an officially licensed Mi Pad 2 tablet to a Voyager-sized robot in 30 steps. The transformation is accomplished through a series of clever folds and wraps to achieve a three-dimensional robot mode from such a flat and thin alternate mode. The robot mode lacks neck movement but otherwise features decent articulation with tiny ratchet joints. He is armed with a large blaster rifle, a shield, and even a [[Ratbat (G1)/toys|Ratbat]]-like minion that is formed from some of his kibble. The head sculpt shares a lot of similar structures with the [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Movie version]] of Soundwave, but with facial elements from G1 Soundwave. His [[instructions|instruction booklet]] is die-cut into a Decepticon symbol. As an added little easter egg, the Mi Pad logo is sculpted into the base of his robot mode neck, though it is covered when the halves of his head are aligned in robot mode.

:The figure's production was funded primarily through crowdfunding. Backers could pledge a minimum of 169 Yuan (or $26) to receive the figure if their funding goal was met. The amount of pledges more than tripled their goal amount which may lead to a wider release for the figure.

:Whether by design or coincidence, the Mi Pad's camera ends up on the robot mode's right shoulder where Soundwave usually has his iconic shoulder cannon.

::*''[http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/06/xiaomi-mi-pad-2-transformers/ Article and promotional video available on engadget.com]''{{-}}

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2016}}
[[File:SDCC-2016-Xiaomi-Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Shattered screen for increased accuracy.]]
*'''Transformers Evolution Soundwave''' (2016)
**''Accessories'': 2 blaster parts, shield, drone/ wing pack

:This Soundwave is a redeco of the figure above, replacing gold with silver, and removing all traces of the Xiaomi branding on both the packaging and the figure, down to retooling the logo off the inner neck joint. Soundwave was available at Hasbro’s booth in San Diego Comic-Con 2016, and subsequently on HasbroToyShop.com. Amusingly, on the latter website this toy's listing name is "Transformers Evolution Soundwave Alternate If Needed: Transformers Soundwave Convention Exclusive Figure Featuring Tablet Mode" {{sic}}.
{{-}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG36-Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It's been a while...since I got my new body.]]
*'''Soundwave''' ([[December 28]], [[2016]])
**''ID number'': '''LG36'''
**''Accessories'': Rifle, Rocket Sled/Spotlight, Headmaster

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Soundwave is a redeco of [[#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Leader Class Soundwave]], who is a retool of Blaster. Soundwave also features a deco based on both his toy and his cartoon appearances. Notably, his small Headmaster form's colors are based on [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#The Headmasters cartoon|Soundblaster]] (no, not that [[Soundblaster (TR)|Soundblaster]]), his rebuilt form.
{{-}}

===''War for Cybertron: Siege''===
[[File:WFCS-Voyager-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=2|"Well, I mean, we can't sell a ''street lamp''..."]]
[[File:TF-WFC-S-Soundwave-Boombox-Fan-Mode.jpg|thumb|Operation: Jamming in the darkest times.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Voyager Class, [[2019]])
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''WFC-S25'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number:'' '''SG-24'''
**''TakaraTomy release date:'' [[May 31]], 2019
**''Hidden message code'': '''LAMPPOST'''
**''Accessories:'' "HI-KEP [[Concussion weapon|Concussion Blaster]]," "LR-HD [[Sonic cannon|Sonic Cannon]]," and "EMTX Blitz Charge Blaster" (all combine to form "USW HF Sonic Compression Mega-Blaster")
{{toydesigner|[[Aaron Gray]] (Hasbro)|[[Emiliano Santalucia]] (concept artist), [[AJ Piejko-Brown]] (packaging)}}

:Part of the second wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' Voyager Class figures, Soundwave transforms from a ''heavily'' G1-inspired robot to a rather unfocused "Patrol Hovercraft" and back. As noted by Hasbro designer [[John Warden]], he also has an "Easter egg" third mode—a “Cybertronian Sensor Lamp” inspired by his appearance in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".<ref>https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/siege-red-alert-revealed-stock-photos-for-nycc-siege-figures-design-notes-from-warden-nycc/42180/</ref> While not shown in the directions, lineart for this mode can be found on the left side flap of the bottom of the box, as well as the right side of the box when a black light is shone on it—however, please note that the photography to the right is slightly mistransformed when compared to the official lineart; Soundwave's waist is meant to be turned 180 degrees, so that the vehicle mode cockpit faces forward, as well as the backs of his legs. An additional [[Fan mode|fan-made]] boombox mode was canonized in the stop-motion short "[[The Bot Dance Off]]". The boombox mode makes use of molded details on his foot covers, swinging them around to flank his chest from hovercraft mode, along with straightening out the boosters. While this works to approximate his original G1 Cassette player mode, very little actually locks into place for it.

:Soundwave features an opening chest compartment that can accommodate his usual <s>[[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]</s> <s>[[Mini-Con]]s</s> <s>[[Deployer (WFC)|Deployer Mini-Cons]]</s> [[Micromaster]]s [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ravage]], who are sold separately in the Micromasters assortment, and has his left index finger molded out so that he can be posed pressing his own 'eject' button, as well as slots on his arms for Laserbeak to (loosely) perch on. Although [[Ratbat (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ratbat]] & [[Rumble (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Rumble]], and [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Frenzy]] & [[Wingthing (G1)#Generations|Wingthing]] (as well as the two redecos included with the latter two; [[Skar (G1)#Generations|Skar]] and [[Knok#Generations|Knok]]) are ''designed'' to fit into Siege Soundwave's chest, the fit is incredibly snug and risks the figures getting stuck. [[Eject (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Eject]], [[Rewind (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Rewind]], [[Rewind_(G1)#Legacy|positive polarity universe Rewind]], [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Studio Series|''Studio Series'' Rumble (Blue)]], and [[Frenzy_(G1)/toys#Studio_Series|''Studio Series'' Frenzy (Red)]] are also compatible with his chest compartment.

:He also includes three weapons compatible with the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]], two of which are based on his classic sonic blaster and shoulder cannon. The third is shaped like the original Megatron's alt mode gun-barrel and can in fact be attached ''Siege'' or ''Earthrise'' Megatron's back to mimic the cartoon appearance. All three weapons can combine to form the "USW HF Sonic Compression Mega-Blaster". Compared to his contemporaries in the ''Siege'' line, Soundwave is absolutely ''slathered'' in 'battle damage' paint applications all over his body, and unless one does this ''carefully'', any attempts to remove said paint will result in his design-origin paint details being removed as well.

:Soundwave features a [[Light-piping|light-piped]] yellow visor as an homage to [[#Generation 1|his Generation 1 toy]]. His alternate mode is also slightly mistransformed in the secondary stock photos, with the entire lower body twisted around.

:There are also tabs on the sides of his chest, just in front of his arms, that appear to line up with the notches on the inside of his thruster blocks that seem to have been intended to allow them to fold flush against the sides of his vehicle mode, rather than being held above it by their struts. However, this is not possible as a result of the struts clashing against other parts even if they are modified to allow a wider range of movement.

:This mold was used for ''Siege'' [[Soundblaster (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Soundblaster]].

:This toy is one of the items that was released as part of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' 35th Anniversary promotional mailer box.<ref>https://news.tfw2005.com/2019/05/21/transformers-35th-anniversary-promo-box-in-hand-388546</ref>
{{--}}

===''Vintage G1''===
[[File:VintageG1-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Soundwave & Condor Cassette: Buzzsaw''' (June 2019)
**''Accessories'': Buzzsaw, rocket launcher, 3 rockets, [[concussion weapon|concussion blaster]]

:''[[Vintage|Vintage G1]]'' Soundwave is a [[Walmart]]-exclusive reissue of the [[#The Transformers|Generation 1 toy]], including "Condor Cassette [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Buzzsaw]]." Like most other reissues (including Hasbro's previous ''Universe'' release), it appears to be based on the running change Japanese version of the original figure, with a door that can only hold one cassette but still with the unified buttons. This release features flat gold paint on the tape door rather than the chrome gold finish of previous releases. In addition, it features a sticker sheet, unlike previous reissues which had the stickers pre-applied.

:The figure does not include a [[rubsign]], as ''Vintage G1'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Starscream]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Hot Rod]] do. Recreating the original G1 look-and-feel, the box photos perpetuate the [[#The Transformers|30+ year old error]] of placing two black and red stickers intended for the weapons onto Soundwave's legs/front face of the cassette player mode; these are not affixed in-package, enabling the buyer to make their own choice as to where the stickers should be placed.
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}
{{-}}

===''Golden Lagoon''===
[[File:35th-Golden-Lagoon-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Get down girl, go 'head, get down.]]
*'''Soundwave''' ([[February 10]], [[2019]])
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''GL-04'''
**''Accessories'': [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]], rifle, shoulder cannon, spotlight/rocket sled
:''[[The Transformers Golden Lagoon|Golden Lagoon]]'' Soundwave is a redeco of the ''[[#Titans Return|Titans Return]]'' Leader Class figure, now in a gold and gold-chromed color scheme, based on his appearance in the [[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|episode of the name]]. Unlike in said episode, his tape door remains clear, rather than gold opaque. He retains his previous base mode and comes with a removable Headmaster for his head.

:This figure debuted at Winter [[Wonder Festival]] 2019 before being made available at [[TakaraTomy Mall]] on [[February 28]], 2019. It was later rereleased by [[Hasbro Pulse]] in the USA in January 2021.

:This toy also appeared in ''[[Generations Selects Special Comic]]'' as a member of the [[Golden Age (GS)|Golden Age]], who may or may not be named "Soundwave".
{{-}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
[[File:Earthrise Centurion Drone Soundwave.jpeg|250px|thumb|Now let's see Laserbeak pop out of ''this'' tape deck.]]
*'''Deluxe Centurion Drone''' (Deluxe Class with accessories pack, [[2020]])

:A non-transforming accessory (duh!) of Soundwave in his tape deck form is included in the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Centurion droid#Toys|Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack]] set. Unlike [[Reflector (G1)#E33|Reflector]], Soundwave features (minimal) painted details but lacks a [[5 mm post]] handle that would allow other figures to hold him. Instead, he has a 3mm hole on his underside that allows him to peg into the various 3mm posts present on many ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' figures or even on the tips of their weapons.

{{-}}{{anchor|2020Netflix}}
[[File:TF-Generations-WFC-Trilogy-Voyager-Battle-3-Pack-Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[#War for Cybertron: Siege|You want the guy you saw on Netflix?]] That's not who's in the Netflix box. You'll pay extra for a Netflix box for [[:File:G1Soundwave_toy.jpg|a different reason.]]]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Battle 3-Pack, 2020)
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''WFC-14'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': [[February 20]], [[2021]]
**''Accessories'': Concussion Blaster, Sonic Cannon, Charge Blaster (all combine to form Mega-Blaster), [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Ravage]] [[Micromaster]]s

:Concurrent with the ''Earthrise'' toyline and season of the Netflix [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon]], this version of Soundwave is an extensive retool of his ''Siege'' figure with new parts (approximately 70% of the original ''Siege'' mold has been replaced) that allow him to transform into his iconic tape deck mode, but strangely has the red accents on his weapons and forearms removed. Unlike the other Voyager Class toys, Soundwave is spotless, much like the majority of the ''Earthrise'' toyline. Soundwave also comes with his signature tapes, [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Ravage]], both of which were redecoed with cassette-styled details and received new heads. He retains the chest door tooling from the original version of the mold instead of the Soundblaster retool, and still features the pinned-swivel landing struts on his forearms from the original ''Siege'' mold, although they serve no purpose for the retool's transformation. Unlike in the stock render (prominently featured on the packaging's backside), the final Soundwave toy features a red visor.

:There are many reported cases where ''all'' of his unpaintable joints are prone to [[photodegradation]]. This includes both plastic colors, with the gray pieces, typically his elbows and thighs, taking on a yellow tint, while more rarely his blue plastic parts eventually discolor into green. There have been more extreme examples of this discoloration documented as well, with the gray pieces turning completely cheese-colored yellow, while the blue pieces discolor into black.

:Like all of the Netflix-branded subset of ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toys, Soundwave was a Walmart exclusive in the United States and Canada.

:Soundwave is one of two puzzling Netflix-branded figures that have become extra rare and valuable for a mutual set of confusing reasons; the other is [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Bumblebee]]. Most Netflix figures try to depict characters as they appeared in the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon, favoring Cybertronian [[alternate mode]]s and extra battle damage, but that was not the goal for Soundwave and Bumblebee. Instead, with clean paint jobs and never-seen-on-Netflix Earth alternate modes, they might be the most Generation 1-faithful available versions of their characters in the [[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|''Generations'' toyline]] era.

:Netflix Soundwave was retooled into ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Soundwave (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Soundwave]]. The mold was also redecoed, sans the Ravage Micromaster, into ''[[Dramatic Capture Series]]'' [[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Dramatic_Capture_Series|Soundwave]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Behold}}
[[File:Behold Galvatron Soundwave.JPG|thumb|200px]]
* '''Behold, Galvatron! Unicron Companion Pack''' (Leader Class, 2022)

:The ''second'' tiny accessory-packed Soundwave in the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' line is this immobile and non-transforming robot-mode [[Slug figure|minifigure]], barely 10mm tall, scaled to interact with the immense [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' Unicron]] figure and its clear display base. This was one of a set of 14 minifigures in the "Unicron Companion Pack" that was included with the [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|"reformatting" version of Galvatron]]. The set was [[exclusive]] to [[Hasbro Pulse]].
{{--}}

===''Authentics''===
[[File:TF-Authentics-Alpha-Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Alpha, 2020)
**''Accessories'': Shoulder cannon, RADAR dish

:''[[Transformers Authentics|Authentics]]'' Soundwave is a Voyager-sized toy based on his [[evergreen]] design. He transforms into an armored vehicle in just a few steps. Despite the vehicle mode being nearly identical to the ''Cyberverse'' Warrior Class toy, this figure has a completely unique transformation scheme. The vehicle mode hood, RADAR dish, and cannon all come detached in package. The cannon can be placed in either hand, or in a slot on the right shoulder as most Soundwave's do.

:He is mistransformed in his [[stock photography]], he has actual feet which can fold out from behind his shins.

:This item first saw release at Dollar General.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-Authentics-Titan-Changer-Soundwave.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Built like a [[Brick (term)|brick]], figuratively ''and'' literally.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Titan Changer, 2023)
:*''Accessories:'' Shoulder cannon

:Released in the fourth wave of ''Authentics'' Titan Changers, Soundwave transforms from robot to armored vehicle in a few steps. He includes his shoulder cannon and features an opening chest door, thought it opens up to store his head in vehicle mode rather than any cassette minions.

{{-}}{{anchor|Commander3Pack}}
[[File:TF Authentics 2024 Amazon Decepticon Commander 3-Pack.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Soundwave''' ([[2024]])
:Released as an Amazon exclusive, the [[Soundwave (Cyberverse)#Warrior|''Cyberverse'' Warrior Class Soundwave]] toy was reissued with no changes as part of an ''Authentics''-branded 3-pack with similarly unchanged versions of Warrior Class [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Commander3Pack|Starscream]] and [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Commander3Pack|Shockwave]].

{{-}}

===''War for Cybertron: Kingdom''===
[[File:WFC-Kingdom Core Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|After 18 years... a Laserbeak that is comparable in size to [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|the world's smallest Ravage]]!]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Core Class, [[2021]])
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''WFC-K21'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''KD EX-11'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': [[January 29]], [[2022]]
**''Accessories:'' Sonic Cannon, Concussion Blaster, [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Laserbeak]]
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Part of the third wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' Core Class toys, Soundwave is a Legends-sized toy that takes many cues from his larger ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toy, sculpt-wise. He turns into a closer approximation of his original microcassette recorder mode, utilizing a transformation closer to the [[#The Transformers|Generation 1 Soundwave toy]]. Due to design limitations, Soundwave's feet stick out in boombox mode, though they can be mistransformed to achieve a more rectangular recorder, albeit leaving large gaps in the sides. Soundwave features his Concussion Blaster and Sonic Cannon, which can store on his back in recorder mode. In true Soundwave fashion, the included non-transforming Laserbeak cassette can store inside Soundwave's chest compartment, though the cassette door has to be manually opened unlike Soundwave's other ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toys.

:Unlike the rest of the Core Class brethren, Soundwave does not come with a [[flight stand]]-compatible 3mm hole on his rear hip.

:The Hasbro stock photo of the recorder mode is slightly mistransformed: According to the instructions, his head must be rotated 180 degrees before tucking it away to conceal his face in alternate mode. Failing to do so will also make it difficult to pull his head back out, as there is a small tab on the back of his head to help the process.

:Unlike every other ''Transformers'' toy revealed at [[Hasbro Pulse Fan Fest 2021]], Soundwave and [[Dracodon#Toys|Dracodon]] were not available for pre-order after the virtual panel. Initially set for a [[January 29]], [[2022]] release by TakaraTomy, Soundwave was delayed to March 2022.
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Voyager-Class-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Sadly, not a re-release of the harder-to-obtain ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' Soundwave.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave''' (Voyager Class, [[2022]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Concussion Blaster", "Sonic Cannon", "Charge Blaster" (all combine to form "Mega-Blaster")

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' Voyager Class toys, Soundwave is a [[package refresh]] of his ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|toy]], now redecoed to lose the battle damage paint applications, much like [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Legacy|Galvatron]] from the same line, although the blue plastic used in this release is ''slightly'' darker than the original ''Siege'' figure.

:This figure was officially revealed by Hasbro on the [[April 12]], [[2022]] Fan First Tuesday.

{{-}}{{anchor|LegacyCore}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave''' (Core Class, 2022)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Sonic Cannon", "Concussion Blaster", [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Legacy|Laserbeak]]
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' Core Class toys, Soundwave is a [[package refresh]] of the previous [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' Core Class figure]], with no other changes besides his packaging. The new robot mode package art depicts Soundwave's skirt flap being able to split unlike the actual toy, as well as filling in the gaps under his forearms. In an oversight by Hasbro, Laserbeak is stored inside Soundwave's chest, meaning that one could steal the minion by simply moving the paper tie and opening his chest up.<ref>[https://old.reddit.com/r/transformers/comments/yd5x9z/hasbois_need_package_their_toys_better/ Video showing how easy it is to steal Laserbeak.]</ref> This is probably due to only one person being in charge of all box engineering for the brand, leading to layouts being rushed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is bad. Honestly the cassette should have been placed under the insert or elsewhere in the box. A lot of these layouts for Core Class get rushed because there is only one person usually doing all of the TF packaging.|link=https://old.reddit.com/r/transformers/comments/yd5x9z/hasbois_need_package_their_toys_better/ittfywd/|name=AJ Piejko-brown (aka Boxitron)|site=Reddit|year=2022|month=10|day=26}}</ref>

{{-}}{{anchor|LegacyEvo}}
[[File:TF-Legacy-Core-Class-Soundblaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"[[The Great Cassette Operation|New Soundwave]]": Model not to scale.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundblaster''' (Core Class, 2022) }}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TL-29'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[May 27]], 2023
:*''Accessories'': "Sonic Cannon", "Concussion Blaster", [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Legacy|Buzzsaw]]
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://youtu.be/vuZHDR3ZBd8 Transformers Panel] at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2022]] Day 1 on the [[Hasbro Pulse]] YouTube channel.</ref>

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy: Evolution]]'' Core Class toys, Soundblaster is an anime-accurate redeco of the aforementioned Core Class toy, coming with redecoed versions of his weapons. He also includes a tiny, non-transforming version of cassette Buzzsaw that fits into his chest, itself a redeco of Laserbeak. Like with the previous wave's Soundwave, Buzzsaw is stored inside Soundblaster's chest in packaging.

:This toy represents the clone Soundblaster in Hasbro material<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Soundblaster leads a small band of criminal mercenaries in the Cybertronian underworld.|name=Hasbro ''Transformers'' website|title=Soundblaster|link=https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/bios/zaqwsxcd}}</ref> and the rebuilt Soundwave in TakaraTomy material.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=レガシーワールドに出現したサウンドブラスターは音撃攻撃を得意とするディセプティコンのサウンドウェーブの転生した姿と言われているが、その正体に関しては多くの謎に包まれています。|link=https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products-lineup/tf_tl/tl-29|name=トランスフォーマーオフィシャルサイト|title=TL-29 サウンドブラスター}}</ref>

::*''[[Source:Transformers Legacy bios#TL29|Machine translation of ''Legacy Evolution'' Soundblaster's TakaraTomy bio]]''

{{-}}{{anchor|LegacyLeader}}
[[File:TF-LegacyUnited-LeaderSoundwave.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|You're just buying me for the [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Legacy|gold bird]], aren't you?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''G1 Universe Soundwave, G1 Universe Decepticon Rumble, G1 Universe Buzzsaw, G1 Universe Ravage''' (Leader Class, [[2024]])}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Soundwave Set''' (サウンドウェーブセット)
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''TL-84'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[2025]] [[January 25]]
:*''Accessories'': Concussion Blaster, Sonic Cannon, Charge Blaster (all combine to form Mega-Blaster)
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/markclonus/p/C8KUDDTuLtU/ Design notes] on ''Legacy: United'' Soundwave from [[Hasbro]] designer [[Mark Maher]] on Instagram</ref>

:''Legacy: United'' "G1 Universe Soundwave" is a redeco of the above ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#2020Netflix|Soundwave]], now including three cassettes: [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Legacy|G1 Universe Ravage]], [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#LeaderClass|G1 Universe Buzzsaw]], and [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Legacy|G1 Universe Rumble]]. The inclusion of Rumble marks the first release of this specific Soundwave figure to come with a cassette figure that isn't derived from either of the Micromaster Laserbeak or the Ravage molds introduced in ''Siege'', though they're still used here for the included figures of Buzzsaw and Ravage, respectively.

:This version of Soundwave uses gold for the chest door trim and adds the red stripes on his blasters and forearms. His silver paint accents have also been adjusted to better match his unpainted gray plastic.

:This release features the molded ridges in the hip joints used on the [[Soundwave_(G1)/toys#Dramatic_Capture_Series|Dramatic Capture Series]] release, forcing the figure into a slight A-stance.

:This set makes the unusual move of being a multi-pack of figures from smaller [[size class]]es sold as a regular Leader Class release. However, official listings still call it "Voyager Class G1 Universe Soundwave". Soundwave's package art is reused from the above ''Legacy'' Core Soundwave, unlike his cassettes which received new art.

:He was revealed on Mark Maher's Instagram on [[June 13]], [[2024]], as part of a week of ''Legacy United'' reveals, being put up for pre-order the same day.

::*''[https://www.instagram.com/markclonus/p/C8KUDDTuLtU/ Designer commentary on ''Legacy: United'' Soundwave from Mark Maher on Instagram]''

{{--}}

===''Collaborative''===
[[File:TF-Collab-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"''It's the Ramshankle, and you know dang well, it's made out of old vehicles that we couldn't sell!''"]]
*'''Soundwave Dreadnok Thunder Machine with Zartan and Zarana''' ([[2024]])
**''Crossover with'': '''''G.I. Joe'''''
**''Accessories'': Knife, cannon, 2 gunbarrels, 2 grill guards, antenna, chain leash
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Shuhei Umezu]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Mario Carreiro]] (packaging)<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfy3IcQd3g4 The Hasbro ''Transformers'' Panel] at [[San Diego Comic-Con#2024|San Diego Comic-Con 2024]] with [[Mario Carreiro]], [[John Warden]], [[Evan Brooks]] and [[Nate Purswell]], recorded at the "Memo's Collection" YouTube channel.</ref>}}

: ''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]'' Soundwave transforms, as his name suggests, into a [[Dreadnok]] [[Thunder Machine]]. His dual chaingun features rubber ammo belts that can be "fed" into the gun via a simple gear system. He includes a large Bowie knife which he can hold, or store on his leg. Also included is a [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Collaborative|recolor of ''Masterpiece'' Ravage in blue and red]], a reference to pre-production concept art of Ravage for the original cartoon.

:Much like previous ''G.I. Joe'' ''Collaborative'' releases, he comes with retro-styled G.I. Joe figures, those being [[Zarana#Collaborative|Zarana]] and [[Zartan#Collaborative|Zartan]], who can ride in his vehicle mode or man his turret. The inside of his vehicle mode doors have molded notches for storing Zartan and Zarana's weapons.

: Soundwave's chest door is button-activated and can accommodate ''Masterpiece'' mini-cassette figures like the one included with him, as well as original ''Generation 1'' cassettes.

:He features mild [[partformer|partsforming]] wherein the front roll-cage of his vehicle mode must be removed, split, and attached as kibble in robot mode. Minor assembly is required, as his chaingun barrels and vehicle antenna need to be attached.

:His packaging features [[GM]] licensing and namedrops the Camaro, the Corvette and their associated symbols. The toy itself, however, features a molded Pontiac symbol and a Firebird's front end as part of its vehicle mode. Stock renders of the figure depict Soundwave with a second knife stored on his leg, though the toy itself only includes one.

: Though designated for a 2024 release, pre-orders for Soundwave arrived early in late 2023.
{{-}}

===''Dramatic Capture Series''===
[[File:TF-DCS-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Fortunately, a premium re-release of the harder-to-obtain ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' Soundwave… that doesn't come with Ravage.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nemesis Bridge''' ([[2024]])}}</ul>
:*''Release date'': [[March]] 2024
:*''Accessories'': Concussion Blaster, Sonic Cannon, Charge Blaster

:Released as the first entry of the ''[[Dramatic Capture Series]]'' line by TakaraTomy, this Soundwave is a redeco (and ''very minor'' retool)<ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/takara-dramatic-capture-series.1254112/page-49#post-22238621 ''Dramatic Capture Series'' Soundwave retool notes]</ref> of the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#2020Netflix|mold]] in more Generation 1 cartoon-accurate colors, and he only comes with [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Dramatic Capture Series|Laserbeak]]. This version uses a consistent gold for the cassette door and adds silver to his forearms and red accents to his shoulders, forearms, and shoulder cannon, but not his handheld blaster. He uses a darker clear red visor that mostly neuters his light-piping. The aforementioned retool is rather unusual, adding ridges on the inside of his hip pieces that prevent the legs from standing straight, only in an A-stance.

:Soundwave is packaged with [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Dramatic Capture Series|Shockwave]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Dramatic Capture Series|Megatron]]. Also included is a throne/command chair, a reuse of ''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Coronation Starscream]]'s throne, which was based on the command chair of the ''Nemesis'''s bridge to begin with.
{{--}}

===''Transformers Retro''===
[[File:RetroSoundwaveLaserbeakRavage.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Soundwave Laserbeak & Ravage''' (2024)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Rocket launcher, 3 rockets, concussion blaster

:The [[Walmart]]-exclusive ''[[Transformers Retro]]'' line released yet another version of Soundwave to coincide with the franchise's 40th anniversary. This set aims for unprecedented [[show-accuracy]]: for the first time in the long history of the mold, Soundwave's weapons, tape deck buttons, and the trim around his cassette door are no longer chromed, and the figure's [[plastic]] is a matte, less "sparkly" variety than usual. The Decepticon symbol on his chest is far larger. It seems the mechanism for Soundwave has been retooled, as the buttons on his waist stick out a bit more and the hinge on the door has been moved further outside.

:Soundwave came with similarly modified versions of [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Transformers Retro|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Transformers Retro|Ravage]]. The set was revealed as part of Walmart Collector Con, with orders available as of [[October 13]], 2023.
{{G1SoundwaveMold}}
{{-}}

===''Reactivate''===
[[File:ReactivateSoundwave.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1| '''Optimus Prime & Soundwave''' (2024)}}</ul>

:*''Accessories'': Cannon, rocket launcher

: ''[[Transformers: Reactivate|''Reactivate'']]'' Soundwave is a Deluxe-sized figure that transforms from a robot into a post-apocalyptic armored SUV with a deployable satellite dish. Soundwave was only available with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Reactivate|Optimus Prime]]. He includes 2 guns, one of which is on an articulated post so it can angle up and down.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*According to an interview in the magazine ''Otaku USA'' (issue 3, pg. 102-3), the original Micro Change toy and the accompanying cassettes were at least partially designed by famed mecha designer and anime director [[Shinji Aramaki]]. He did not come up with the transformation scheme, but designed most of the outward appearance and details. He also worked on the toys that became the Deluxe [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]], [[Reflector (G1)#Toys|Reflector]], and [[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Toys|Perceptor]].
*Including the ''[[Micro Change|Micro Change]]'' "Cassette Man" version, the original Soundwave mold has sported at least four different tape doors:
**The original MC-10 version had a cassette door that had "Cassette Man" emblazoned on it and featured a hinge that was internal to the robot's body.
**For the initial ''Transformers'' release by Hasbro, the "Cassette Man" text was removed.
**When [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] released the ''Transformers'' version of Soundwave in Japan, they [[retool]]ed the hinge so the bottom of the door attached to the outside of the robot, on either side of the "buttons", which had also been retooled. Both versions of Soundwave were available in Japan, making the retool a running change [[variant]].
**The Soundblaster version had a door that retained the external hinge and added the capacity for holding a second cassette.
[[File:Classics Soundwave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Pimp My Ride.]]
*The Decepticon faction insignia appears to be roughly based on Soundwave's head.
*Though Soundwave's toy is a microcassette recorder, his fictional appearances depict him as a stereo cassette deck or Walkman. (Likewise, his microcassette tapes are depicted as regular audio cassettes.)
*"Years ago", [[Don Figueroa]] created a concept drawing for a potential SUV-esque Soundwave toy for ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''.<ref name="classics">[http://www.unicron.com/news_item/1132/ Don Figueroa, New Concept Art & comics news!]</ref> Presumably, this toy would have been Voyager-sized.<ref name="classicslineup">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/possible-transformers-classic-line-up-4336/ Early rumors about the line-up for Classics] (spot on except for Soundwave and a Deluxe-sized Optimus Prime who was later seen as a prototype)</ref> Despite the [[fandom]]'s immediate assumptions, ''Transformers Animated'' character designer [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] has said that this particular design did ''not'' in fact influence the [[Soundwave (Animated)|''Animated'' version of Soundwave]], meaning any resemblance between the two is coincidental.
* The "[[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Stealth Bumblebee]]" set includes a tiny buildable "cassette recorder" that includes a sticker of Soundwave's recorder mode. You wanna say it's Soundwave? Go right on ahead. It's what the [[Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!|''Kre-O'' manga]] did, after all.
*Some of the writers of [[Ask Vector Prime]] planned to characterize the [[#Universe (2003)|2003 ''Universe'']] Soundwave toy and its package-mate [[Space Case (G2)#Universe (2003)|Space Case]] as [[Female Transformer|female characters]] and part of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] continuity family.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Bot Shots Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Collaborative Decepticons]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Decepticons]]
[[Category:Dramatic Capture Series]]
[[Category:Encore]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Hero Mashers Decepticons]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legacy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Music Label]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:TakaraTomy Mall exclusives]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:Toys"R"Us exclusives]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]

Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie

2024-11-14T04:49:36Z

{{episode|
|otherseries="Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie"
|image=TF_40th_Special_Movie_thumbnail.jpg
|caption=''Touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable'' ''Row, row, fight the power!''
|japanese=トランスフォーマー40周年記念スペシャルムービー
|romaji=Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie
|airdate=[[September 12]], [[2024]]
|production company=
|animation studio=[[Studio Trigger]]
|director=[[Akira Amemiya]]
}}

"'''Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie'''" is a short 3-½ minute animated "promotional video" (or "PV", as it's usually abbreviated) created to, as the title suggests, celebrate the ''Transformers'' franchise's 40th anniversary. It was produced by [[Studio Trigger]] (with assistance from [[Production I.G.]], [[Production +h.]], [[Studio Colorido]], [[Studio KAI]], and [[Madhouse]]) for [[TakaraTomy]] and features the song "[[Mayday (song)|Mayday]]" by [[Bump of Chicken]].

As it's essentially an animated music video, there is no plot to "Special Movie"—instead, the main draw is that it features characters and concepts from basically every major animated ''Transformers'' production to ever see screen time in [[Japan]], plus the [[live-action film series]]. It's as rad as it is indicative of Trigger's love for the franchise... which is to say, ''it's rad as hell''.

Following a teaser on [[August 28]], [[2024]], the ''Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie'' was officially uploaded to TakaraTomy's YouTube channel on [[September 12]].

==Characters==
''Hooooo boy'', it's a lot! This short features almost '''''two hundred''''' characters from across forty years of ''Transformers'' media!
{{note|Yes, Unicron Trilogy Optimus and Megatron both appear twice in the character list, due to differing portrayals in Japan. See "[[#Continuity notes|Continuity notes]]" below.}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1]]'''
* [[Springer (G1)#The Transformers cartoon|Springer]] (3)
* [[Sandstorm (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sandstorm]] (5)
* [[Steeljaw (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Steeljaw]] (19)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (28)
* [[Jazz (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (29)
* [[Metroplex (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Metroplex]] (30)
* [[Grand Maximus]] (31)
* [[Broadside (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Broadside]] (32)
* [[Fireflight (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Fireflight]] (33)
* [[Slingshot (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Slingshot]] (34)
* Unknown white jet (35)
* [[Air Raid (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Air Raid]] (36)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skydive]] (37)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Silverbolt]] (38)
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Fortress Maximus]] (39)
* [[Holi]] (42)
* [[Boater]] (43)
* [[Fire]] (44)
* [[Pīpō]] (45)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (74)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (75)
* [[Star Saber (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Star Saber]] (76)
* [[Ginrai (human)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|God Ginrai]] (82) (Ginrai & [[Godbomber]])
* [[Dai Atlas (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Dai Atlas]] (84)
* [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime (''Robots in Disguise'' 2001)]] (91)

'''[[Beast Era|Beast Era]] [[Maximal]]s
* [[Lio Junior]] (18)
* [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]] (72)
* [[Big Convoy]] (73)
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (78)
* [[Lio Convoy#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Lio Convoy]] (81)

'''[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]'''
* [[Vector Prime#Cybertron cartoon|Vector Prime]] (1)
* [[Bulkhead (Energon)#Cartoon continuity|Bulkhead]] (6)
* [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (7)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime (''Armada''/''Energon'')]] (87)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Cybertron cartoon|Optimus Prime (''Cybertron'')]] (90)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Energon cartoon|Optimus Supreme]] (112) (Optimus Prime & [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]])
* [[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]] (125)
* [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide (''Energon'')]] (139)

{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Movie continuity family|Live-action movie Autobots]]'''
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee (2007/''Q-Transformers''/''ROTB'')]] (130)
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime (2007/''Q-Transformers'')]] (133)
* [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] (165)
* [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] (166)
* [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] (167)
* [[Stratosphere]] (175)
* [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] (177)
* [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] (180)
* [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack (''ROTB'')]] (181)

'''[[Animated continuity family|Animated]]'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (85)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (159)

'''[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]]'''
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee (''Prime''/''RID'')]] (77)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime (''Prime''/''Go!''/''RID'')]] (79)
* [[Kenzan]] (80)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (114)
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (121)
* [[Gekisoumaru]] (142)
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] (157)

'''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Live-action movie Maximals]]
* [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] (174)
* [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]] (176)
* [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] (178)
* [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] (179)

'''Other'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime (''Cyberverse'')]] (83)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime (''EarthSpark'')]] (86)
{{!}}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] / [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1]]'''
* [[Scourge (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (10)
* [[Swindle (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Swindle]] (23)
* [[Kakuryu (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kakuryu]] (26)
* [[Warrior]]s (40)
* [[Dropkick (G1)|Transports]] (41)
* [[Ion Storm#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ion Storm]] (49)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Acid Storm]] (50)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Nova Storm]] (51)
* [[Trypticon (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Trypticon]] (52)
* [[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]] (53)
* [[Leozack]] (54)
* [[Guyhawk]] (55)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (56)
* [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (57)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (58)
* [[Scorponok (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scorponok]] (62)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (93)
* [[Deathsaurus (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Deathsaurus]] (98)
* [[Overlord (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Overlord]] (100)
* [[Violengiguar]] (103)

'''[[Predacon (BW)|Beast Era Predacons]]
* [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (12)
* [[Megastorm|Megastorm/Gigastorm]] (22)
* [[Starscream (BW)|Starscream]] (67)
* [[Magmatron]] (92)
* [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (95)
* [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron (''Robots in Disguise'' 2001)]] (96)
* [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] (97)
* [[Dinobot II]] (156)

'''[[Vehicon (BM)|Beast Era Vehicons]]'''
* [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (24)

{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}

'''[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]'''
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)#Energon|Mirage/Tidal Wave]] (9)
* [[Thunderblast_(Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (11)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Thundercracker]] (20)
* [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (25)
* [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (68)
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Cybertron cartoon|Megatron (''Cybertron'')]] (94)
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Armada cartoon|Megatron (''Armada'')]] (104)
* [[Nemesis Breaker]] (111)

'''[[Movie continuity family|Live-action movies]]'''
* [[Lockdown (ROTF)#Q-Transformers cartoon|Lockdown (''Q-Transformers'')]] (135)
*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] (168)
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] (169)
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (170)
*[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] (171)
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] (172)
*[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] (173)

'''[[Animated continuity family|Animated]]'''
* [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (21)
* [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] (60)
* [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (61)
* [[Wasp|Waspinator]] (69)
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (109)

'''[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]]'''
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons / Jet Vehicons]] (2)
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] (65)
* [[The Fallen#2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon|Megatronus]] (102)
* [[Megatron (WFC)#Prime cartoon|Megatron]] (108)

'''Other'''
*[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron (''Cyberverse'')]] (99)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron (''EarthSpark'')]] (101)
{{!}}}

|h3=Other robots|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Mini-Con]]s'''
* [[Jolt (Armada)#Armada cartoon|Jolt (''Armada'')]] (4)
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt (''Cybertron'')]] (8)
* [[Oceanglide]] (13)
* [[Waterlog (Armada)|Waterlog]] (14)
* [[Stormcloud (Armada)|Stormcloud (''Armada'')]] (15)
* [[Aerobolt]] (16)
* [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (88)
* [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]] (105) ([[Astroscope]], [[Payload (Armada)|Payload]], [[Sky Blast (Armada)|Sky Blast]])
* [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] (106) ([[Jetstorm (Armada)|Jetstorm]], [[Runway (Armada)|Runway]], [[Sonar (Armada)|Sonar]])
* [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom]] (107) ([[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]], [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]], [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]])
* [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (117)
* [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (122)
* [[Energon Saber]] (140) ([[Scattor (Energon)|Scattor]], [[Skyboom (Energon)|Skyboom]], [[Wreckage (Energon)|Wreckage]])
* [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (155)
* [[Swindle (Armada)#Cartoon continuity|Swindle]] (158)
* [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Cartoon continuity|Sparkplug]] (164)

'''Others'''
* [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] (27) ([[Ashtray]], [[Greasestain]], [[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]])
* [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]] (46)
* [[Insecticon (WFC)#Cartoon continuity|Insecticons (''Prime'')]] (63)
* [[Dragotron|Guren Dragotron]] (64)
* [[T-AI]] (131)
* [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] (132)
* [[Artemis]] (134)
* [[Unicron]] (194)
{{!}}}

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1]]'''
* [[White Leo]] (17)
* [[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]] (47)
* [[Buster (G1)|Buster]] (48)
* [[Kremzeek]] (49)
* [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] (70)
* [[Pis]] (71)
* [[Illumina]] (126)
* [[Jan Minakaze]] (127)
* [[Cab (human)|Cab]] (136)
* [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]] (137)
* [[Shūta Gō]] (138)
* [[Akira Serikawa]] (143)
* [[Mega]] (160)
* [[Giga]] (161)
* [[Dirk Manus]] (162)
* [[Marissa Faireborn]] (163)
* [[Kenneth Onishi|Daichi Ōnishi]] (182) (Kenneth Onishi)
* [[Koji Onishi|Yuuki Ohnishi]] (183) (Koji Onishi)
* [[Kiko Onishi|Yuuki's mom]] (184) (Kiko Onishi)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (189)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (190)
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (191)

'''[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]'''
* [[Kicker Jones]] (89)
* [[Alexis Thi Dang]] (115)
* [[Rad White]] (118)
* [[Carlos Lopez]] (120)
* [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (123)
* [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (124)
* [[Coby Hansen]] (128)
* [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (129)
* [[Bud Hansen]] (154)

{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Animated continuity family|Animated]]'''
* [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] (110)
* [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] (141)

'''[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]]'''
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (113)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (116)
* [[Jack Darby]] (119)
* [[Tobio Fūma]] (144)
* [[Isami Tatewaki]] (145)
* [[Kotarō Fūma]] (146)
* [[Ryōma Sakamoto]] (147)
* [[Sasuke Sarutobi]] (148)
* [[Bokuden Tsukahara]] (149)
* [[Musashi Miyamoto]] (150)
* [[Musashibō Benkei]] (151)
* [[Tobio Fūma's grandfather]] (152)
* [[Sekishūsai Tatewaki]] (153)
* [[Russell Clay]] (192)
* [[Denny Clay]] (193)

'''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'''
*[[Dot Malto]] (185)
*[[Mo Malto]] (186)
*[[Alex Malto]] (187)
*[[Robby Malto]] (188)
{{!}}}
}}

==Production==
{{stub|Stuff from director interview, the multitude of crew posts on social media}}
===Credits===
{{see|Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie/credits}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* As we mentioned up top, this video is a tribute to just about every major animated ''Transformers'' production to ever be broadcast on TV, screened in theaters, or released direct-to-video in Japan, up through and including ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' (yes, even the ''[[Q-Transformers]]'' [[Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (cartoon)|shorts]]) along with first and last [[live-action film series|live-action films]], ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]''. A notable exception is the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'', which did receive a full Japanese dub, but is otherwise absent from the proceedings... though considering how much it resembles Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars'' in terms of aesthetic, we'll forgive Trigger for excluding it.
** Other missing shows include ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' and its [[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|sequel]], the [[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|''BotBots'' cartoon]], and the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' web shorts, all of which were never dubbed for Japanese release.
** This somewhat-narrow focus also means that characters from other mediums aren't included, most notably the many ''Transformers'' comics, games, prose stories, and [[story page]]s. If you were looking forward to seeing Star Convoy, Super Megatron, the [[Primus Vanguard]], and so on, we're sorry to disappoint you.
** Also of note is how the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] is implemented. In keeping with how those series were [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)#Galaxy Force|originally treated in Japan]], ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s cast is largely composed of discrete characters separate from the cast of ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', leading to the absence of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their ''Energon'' bodies for the crowd shots of each faction's leaders.
* Nearly all of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters are depicted as being considerably smaller than most of the other Transformers, in keeping with the scale established by the first [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]].

===Transformers references===
Settle in, folks, because in case that ''ridiculous'' character list up there didn't tip you off, there's a '''lot''' to unpack here:
* Befitting this crossing of multiple time periods and universes, the opening seconds depict various methods of traveling across time and space that've been shown throughout the franchise: [[Vector Prime]] (surrounded by imagery of swinging pendulums and clockwork gears, recreating a scene from the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Guardian (episode)|Guardian]]"), the [[Kronosphere]] from "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", the [[Time Window]] from "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]", the [[teleport gate]] from ''[[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!]]'', the [[Quintesson]] banishment chamber from "[[Madman's Paradise]]", and the [[Dragon Mound]] from "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]".
* There are two instances where the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] appears in full (the first during the aforementioned "time machine" montage, the second during the credits), both of which use its design from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].
* We get what appear to be two sides in an ongoing battle, with an army of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] on one side and a group of various Autobot helicopters on the other, including Generation 1 [[Triple Changer]]s [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], ''Armada'' [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]], ''Energon'' [[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]], and both [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] from ''Cybertron''.
* The following scene shows the wreck of the ''[[Galvaburg II]]'' sinking into the ocean. Among the survivors are Generation 1 [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], ''Cybertron'' [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' '01 [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], as well as [[Oceanglide]], [[Stormcloud (Armada)|Stormcloud]], and [[Waterlog (Armada)|Waterlog]] of the ''Armada'' [[Sea Mini-Con Team]], with ''Energon'' [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] coming to their rescue in the background.
* Standing among some urban wreckage are a group of animal-themed characters, including [[Aerobolt]], [[White Leo]], [[Lio Junior]], and Generation 1 [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]. This is followed by a group of "tanky" villains: ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], Generation 1 [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], and ''Armada'' [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (in his [[Powerlinx]] colors), all perched on ''Beast Wars II'' [[Megastorm]] in alternate mode. Flanking the group are ''Cybertron'' [[Thundercracker (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Thundercracker]] and, from ''Victory'', [[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]] of the [[Dinoforce]], both the comic relief punching bags of their respective series.
* There's a battle that appears to be taking place on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], with various Junkions in action. Two in the background are indistinct, but in the foreground are the body-types associated with the characters [[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] and [[Ashtray]]; Junkyard is carrying a wounded Junkion who appears to be [[Greasestain]] over his shoulder.
* A shot of the aftermath of a battle in a demolished city, with [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in vehicle mode on his side leaking copious amounts of energon, his front in flames. [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] is also just barely visible in vehicle mode as well, turned completely on his roof. Notably, Ratchet's appearance seems to be modeled after his [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#SSVoyager|''Studio Series'' '86 figure]], with parts of his robot mode visible on the undercarriage and his pistols located ''roughly'' where their storage pegs are in alt-mode.
* We get a shot of an Autobot/Maximal naval fleet consisting of Generation 1 [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress's ''Maximus'']], [[Grand Maximus|Grand's ''Maximus'']], Generation 1 [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and the ''[[Yukikaze (BW)| Yukikaze]]''. The Generation 1 [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] are present as well, but there's some oddities: [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] rests on Broadside's deck but is miscolored gray, while next to him is what appears to be a ''sixth'' white Aerialbot, a twin-tailfin jet that's kind of [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]-shaped (but Air Raid is flying in the upper-right corner of the shot, so it ain't him!).
* ''Victory''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Rescue Patrol Team]] walk past a line of offline Decepticons along a beach—specifically the generic "[[Warrior|warriors]]" and "[[Dropkick (G1)|Dropkicks]]" seen in "War Dawn"—as they approach the colossal form of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]].
* [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] [[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]] and [[Buster (G1)|Buster]] from ''Super-God Masterforce'' stand by their [[Transtector]]s.
* Next is a villainous counterpart to the earlier Autobot naval fleet shot, featuring [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]], Generation 1 [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (based on his ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toy), ''Armada'' [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], Generation 1 [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], and the ''Prime'' version of the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]''. Flying above them are the [[Rainmaker]]s ([[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Ion Storm]], and [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]]); the ''[[Thunder Arrow]]''; the three flying members of the [[Breastforce]] ([[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]], [[Leozack]], and [[Guyhawk]]); Generation 1 [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]; ''Animated'' Blitzwing, [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]], and [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]; what appears to be ''Prime'' [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] (or maybe ''Go'' [[Dragotron]]?) and two ''Prime'' [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]], and some ''Prime'' Air Vehicons.
** Generation 1 [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] takes off from Tidal Wave's deck, with [[Kremzeek]] in his cockpit. He is joined in the air by ''Armada'' [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] and ''Beast Wars II'' [[Starscream (BW)|Starscream]], as well as ''Victory'' Leozack and ''Animated'' [[Wasp|Waspinator]]. Leozack's a thematically similar Starscream-like scheming second-in-command character, while Waspinator's inclusion is almost certainly meant to nod to when Starscream's ghost possessed the ''Beast Wars'' [[Waspinator (BW)|version]] in "[[Possession]]".
* [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] appears forlornly looking over poor little [[Pis]], whom he savagely kicked in the ''Masterforce'' episode "[[Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules]]".
* The following two panning shots are big ones: the many different Autobot and Maximal leaders standing in front of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on one side, and the various major villains standing in front of [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and the Decepticon ''Nemesis'' on the other.
** Of note on the heroic side: [[Big Convoy]] is wielding his [[Matrix Cannon (BW)|Matrix Cannon]] alongside his [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]]; [[Jan Minakaze]] can be seen standing on [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]]'s shoulder, wearing his spacesuit from the [[Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification|final episode of ''Victory'']]; ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' '15 Bumblebee is wielding a [[Decepticon Hunter]], and [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] is holding the [[Zodiac]]. Both [[Moonbase One]] and [[Moonbase Two]] can also be seen in the background, as can [[Kicker Jones]] from ''Energon'', riding that series' version of [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]].
** On the villains' side, ''Cybertron'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] is shown holding Vector Prime's [[Planet Map]]; ''Armada'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] is wielding the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]], and [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] all at once; ''Animated'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] has [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] tied to his chest, as he did in the ''Animated'' episode "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]]"; and ''Prime'' [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] is depicted as he appeared in the late stages of ''Prime'' season 2, with [[Liege Maximo|the dead Prime]]'s right arm in place of his, allowing him to wield the [[Dark Star Saber]]. Also of note are who was chosen to represent certain series: [[Dragotron]] (in his larger, red, "Guren" form) represents ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (cartoon)|Transformers: Go!]]'', [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] represents ''Robots in Disguise'' '15, and [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] supplants [[Devil Z]] as the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' representative. Generation 1 Galvatron is not included, as his previous self is already present.
*Next, we see ''Cybertron'' Megatron combine with [[Nemesis Breaker]] on [[Velocitron]], and clash with [[Lio Convoy]] in his "Legendary Green Lion" form, featured in the final episodes of both ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo''. Lio is wielding [[Magmatron]]'s [[Magma Blade (BW)|Magma Blade]], as he did in the ''Neo'' episode "[[The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle]]".
* Five sword-wielding Autobot leaders gather: Star Saber; [[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]] (wielding the sword he used only once, in the ''Victory'' episode "[[A Deadly Battle]]"); ''Robots in Disguise'' '15 Optimus Prime, armed with the [[Prime Decepticon Hunter]]; ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], brandishing Vector Prime's sword [[Rhisling]], as he did in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Unfinished]]"; and Fortress Maximus, with his mighty [[Master Sword]]. They all strike the "[[Masami Ōbari|Obari pose]]" (a dynamic perspective shot made famous by the ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]'' series of anime), as ''Cybertron'' Optimus did in the aforementioned episode.
*Next comes a quintet of Autobot leaders using more blaster-based powers, all unleashing their "final attacks": ''Cyberverse'' [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] fires an energy blast from his Matrix, as he did in the ''Cyberverse'' episode "[[I Am The Allspark]]"; ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] uses his "Blizzard Storm" water blast; Big Convoy opens fire with his [[Big Cannon]]; ''Armada'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] uses his "Max Fire" super move; and ''Energon'' Optimus Prime (combined with [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] as "Optimus Supreme") completes the group, unleashing his "Grand Final Impact" finisher.
* Next follow three scenes dedicated to the Autobots' human allies, all grouped by the nature of their relationships:
** The first scene depicts "close friends", in this case the kid/teen casts of ''Prime'' and ''Armada''. They're joined by the ''Prime'' incarnations of [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], Bumblebee, and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], the [[Street Action Mini-Con Team]], and ''Armada'' [[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]]. Look close, and you'll see that [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] is wearing the [[Good Luck Necklace|necklace]] prominently featured in the ''Armada'' episodes "[[Portent]]" and "[[Cramp]]", which symbolizes her friendship with Starscream, while [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] is eating a bag of chips of the same brand as he munched on in "[[Confrontation (episode)|Confrontation]]".
** The second scene pairs two "mech teams", with Jan Minakaze and [[Illumina]] (visible only in silhouette through the cockpit canopy) in the ''[[Illumina II]]'' traveling alongside [[Coby Hansen]] and [[Lori Jiménez]] in the [[Cobybot]]. In keeping with its appearance in ''Victory'', the ''Illumina II'''s name is still misspelled as "Irumina II" on its side.
** The third scene is a group of "fighters", including the Autobot [[Headmaster Junior]]s, riding on ''Energon'' [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] (in his green "Energon" power-up colors), [[Kicker Jones]] (riding the [[Energon Saber]] like a hoverboard, as he often did in the show), and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], who imitates Kicker's signature kick from the opening of ''Super Link'', with [[Ocean City]] in the background.
*Between the mech teams and the fighters, we get a scene set in [[Gaia]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]; [[Artemis]] and [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] are joined by [[T-AI]] and a trio of surprise guests in the form of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] from ''Q-Transformers'', altogether creating a team of "cutesy mascot characters". In keeping with the Flash-animated nature of their series, the ''Q-Transformers'' trio have ''incredibly'' simple animation.
* While the close-up shot of some red flowers might ''seem'' like just a random transition scene, it's actually a reference to the end of "[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!]]", where [[Akira Serikawa]] presents [[Cain]] and [[Emusa]] with some. This scene transitions into a showcase of all three of "Aligned" Optimus Prime's bodies as featured in Japan's run of ''Prime'' and ''Go!'': Optimus appears in his "Beast Hunters" body with [[Star Saber (Prima)|Prima's Star Saber]], joined by ''Prime'' Optimus holding the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] and Optimus Exprime from ''Transformers Go!'' in the background.
** Notably, ''Prime'''s third season was never dubbed and aired in Japan, but instead was replaced with ''Transformers Go!'', where Optimus appears in his "Beast Hunters" body in multiple episodes.
* The next two scenes continue the ''Transformers Go!'' train: the first depicts Optimus combining with [[Gekisoumaru]] and [[Kenzan]] into DaiGekisou, while the second is a group shot of the series' human cast staring into the horizon atop DaiKenzan. All the historical characters are gathered on DaiKenzan's right shoulder, protagonists [[Tobio Fūma]] and [[Isami Tatewaki]] are hanging out in his chest cavity, and the two boys' respective grandfathers are on DaiKenzan's left shoulder.
* Next follows a recreation of the scene of Vector Prime giving [[Bud Hansen]] and [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] his planet map, as seen in the aforementioned episode "[[Guardian (episode)|Guardian]]".
* After this, we get a montage of some of the franchise's tragic deaths intercut with scenes of Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] traversing through "[[Transformer afterlife|the other side of the Matrix]]" (as seen in the ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]"), his appearance shifting between his regular look, his corpse (complete with [[aggressive depigmentation]]), and the... ''distinctive'' color scheme designed by Bump of Chicken bassist [[Chama|Yoshifumi "Chama" Naoi]] for the exclusive "[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#BUMP OF CHICKEN CONVOY|Bass Convoy]]" figure produced as a tie-in with this video. In order, we can see Optimus on his deathbed from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', [[Dinobot II]]'s honorable sacrifice from "[[Nemesis Part 2]]", ''Prime'' [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] getting stabbed in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]", ''Armada'' Starscream's last stand from "[[Cramp]]" (complete with [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] being ejected), ''Animated'' [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] in his samurai armor relinquishing his [[spark]] in "[[Endgame, Part II]]", and Jan mourning the loss of [[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]] from "[[Ginrai Dies!!]]".
* The following sequence sees the [[Transmetal]] versions of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] merge with their Generation 1 counterparts to form their respective upgraded forms, a more literal interpretation of how Optimal Optimus and [[Transmetal 2|dragon]] Megatron came into being in the third season of ''Beast Wars''. When the two clash fists, echoes of their future selves from ''Beast Machines'' appear.
* In "blink and you'll miss it" frames, Mega and Giga are piloting the Megajet and Gigatank respectively to form into Overlord.
* Overlord is seen battling ''Animated'' [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], who's equipped with the [[Magnus Hammer]] and the "Wingblade" [[jet pack]], as was the case in "Endgame, Part II". The battle takes place in Earth orbit, with the moon visible in the background, referencing Overlord's lunar battle with God Ginrai (whose design directly inspired the look of ''Animated'' Optimus' flight mode, hence why he's here instead of Ginrai) in the ''Masterforce'' episode "[[God Ginrai - Into the Sky!!]]".
* The man [[Marissa Faireborn]] is kissing is the swindler [[Dirk Manus]] from the episode "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]". He only appeared in that one episode of the original cartoon, but expansions to Japanese ''Transformers'' lore have since established that he and Marissa got back together and had a [[Sue Faireborn|daughter]].
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] opening the Matrix is made to parallel ''Armada'' [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] using that series' Matrix to resurrect his Optimus in "[[Miracle (episode)|Miracle]]" and Dai Atlas raising the Zodiac above his head, presumably meant to nod to Optimus Prime's resurrection as Star Convoy in the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|''Battlestars'' story pages]].
* The live-action films get some representation in the form of the [[Transformers (film)|first film]]'s Autobot and Decepticon teams charging their opposites down on a barren highway. ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'' gets some love too, with its versions of [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], [[Stratosphere]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)#Rise of the Beasts film|Bumblebee]], [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]], [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], and [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] staring off into the distance. All of them are based on their early control art designs, though Airazor sports her final feathery head. As it was in the film, Airazor is the only one without a robot mode.
[[File:Families.jpg|thumb|right|350px]]
* The final scene sees the Generation 1 versions of Optimus and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] stare each other down, as several human families from across the franchise's history look on: [[Denny Clay]] and his son [[Russell Clay|Russell]]; the adult version of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] with his wife [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and his son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]; the [[Malto (disambiguation)|Malto]] family from ''EarthSpark''; and [[Koji Onishi]] and his parents [[Kenneth Onishi|Kenneth]] and [[Kiko Onishi|Kiko]] (notably, Kiko's ''only'' prior animated appearance having been a single scene in the [[Battle Protocol!|first episode]] of ''Robots in Disguise''). The angle then cuts back to Prime and Megatron, only now, they have been replaced with their ''EarthSpark'' counterparts shaking hands—the series' more black-and-white roots have thematically given way to its more nuanced present. We then pan up to see [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s head orbiting Cybertron as the credits roll.
...'''PHEW!'''

===Real-world trivia===
* Notable among the Studio Trigger staff that worked on this video are key animators [[Masaru Sakamoto]] and [[Hiroki Mutaguchi]] and director [[Akira Amemiya]]. Sakamoto previously helped design [[Flame Toys]]' Furai Model Lio Convoy kit and was one of a few guest artists on the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]], Mutaguchi drew the cover for the ''[[Transformers Generations 2022]]'' book, and Amemiya is a ''huge'' fan of the franchise that's done multiple official illustrations and designed various other Furai Model kits.
* Outside of Studio Trigger's staff, multiple animators veteran to previous ''Transformers'' series were brought on as guest animators; these include lead animators for the Japanese produced ''Transformers'' shows and Unicron Trilogy [[Munetaka Abe]] and [[Masahiro Yamane]], and even [[Studio OX]] artists [[Tsuyoshi Nonaka]] and [[Morifumi Naka]].
* Longtime Japanese ''Transformers'' artist [[Hayato Sakamoto]] also contributed to the ''Special Movie'' as another key animator and a project supervisor. As confirmed by Sakamoto himself, this video marks his debut as an animator.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=構成協力及び原画で参加しました！TF40周年記念作品に関われてとても嬉しかったです！そしてアニメーターデビュー！それもトランスフォーマーのアニメ！更にスタジオtriggerのアニメに！やった！超豪華スタッフと一緒にお仕事出来て信じられない感じです。是非見てくださいーーー！！|link=https://twitter.com/hayatoron/status/1834238504290976209|name=Hayato Sakamoto|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=09|day=12}}</ref>
*TakaraTomy's initial upload of "Special Movie" to YouTube has been marked as unavailable to watch in most regions outside of Japan. It was reuploaded to Twitter without region locking around 12 hours later.

===Errors===
* On the heroic side, Generation 1 Optimus Prime is missing the blue detail on the bottom of the waist between the legs. It is shown in white. It is shown in blue when Optimus is seen again before combining with Beast Wars Optimus Primal. The missing blue would happen again on the shot of Generation 1 versions of Optimus and Megatron stare each other down.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOfJT_Kwna8 ''40th Anniversary Special Movie'' at TakaraTomy's official YouTube account] (region locked)
*[https://twitter.com/TF_pr/status/1834429279255605698 ''40th Anniversary Special Movie'' on the TakaraTomy ''Transformers'' Twitter account]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81Q3xTYBbDA ''40th Anniversary Special Movie''] with English subs by [https://karyuudofansubs.blogspot.com/ Karyuudo Fansubs]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u92rRvHluuA Making-of director interview with Akira Amemiya at the Studio Trigger YouTube channel] (with English subtitles)

[[Category:Web series]]

File:Families.jpg

2024-11-14T04:46:32Z

AimÃ©eRose97: Composite of the panning shot of the Clay, Witwicky, Malto and Onishi families from the end of the Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie animation.

Composite of the panning shot of the Clay, Witwicky, Malto and Onishi families from the end of the [[Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie]] animation.

The Transformers: The Movie

2024-11-14T04:37:04Z

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]
|prev=B.O.T. (episode)
|next=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
|seriess2=[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]
|prev2=Scramble City: Mobilization
|next2=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
|title=''The Transformers: The Movie''
|image=Transformersanimatedfilmposter.jpg
|caption=A long time ago in a galaxy far far away....
|production code=4034
|production companies=[[Sunbow Productions]] [[Marvel Productions]]
|distributor=[[Dino De Laurentiis|De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]]
|executive producer=[[Tom Griffin]] [[Joe Bacal]]
|screenplay by=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|cinematography by=[[Masatoshi Fukui]]
|edited by=[[David Hankins]]
|music by=[[Vince DiCola]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], [[1986]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|runtime=85 minutes
|budget=$5–6 million
|box office=$2.6–5.8 million
|credits=The Transformers: The Movie/credits
}}
{{quote|Conceived in the epic tradition of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''...|[[Victor Caroli]] ain't just whistling Dixie|[[The Transformers: The Movie promo|''The Transformers: The Movie'' promo]]}}

'''''The Transformers: The Movie''''' is an animated feature film based on the original ''Transformers'' toyline. It was released in the United States on Friday, August 8, 1986.

The film's storyline follows the same continuity as the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' cartoon. It introduces a [[Scale|planet-sized Transformer]] called [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] who eats other planets, and is approaching [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As part of their continuing wars, the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s have a [[Battle of Autobot City|fierce battle]] on [[Earth]] which sees both [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] mortally wounded. Prime passes the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and dies, and Megatron is transformed by Unicron into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (briefly) assumes leadership of the Decepticons, but is killed when Galvatron arrives at Cybertron. Galvatron then chases the surviving Autobots on Earth across space, splitting them up and taking the Matrix. The Autobots find their way back to each other, and follow Galvatron to Cybertron just as Unicron transforms into [[robot mode]] and begins to eat their world. Travelling inside Unicron, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] recovers the Matrix, transforms into Rodimus Prime, and uses the Matrix to destroy Unicron.

Often referred to by fans simply as "the movie" or "TFTM", the movie was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work. For these reasons, the film remains very popular with children of the 1980s.

The film opens with characters who had been featured in the first two years of the toyline and associated media (cartoons, comic books, etc.), but quickly introduces new characters and kills many of the old ones to make room. Of particular note, Optimus Prime and Starscream are both destroyed during the course of the film.

{{quote|The Japanese have funded a full-length animated cartoon about the doings of these toys, which is all bad outer-space stuff. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen.|Orson Welles<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=KlqsYy512WIC&source=gbs_navlinks_s "Orson Welles: A Biography"] page 522</ref>}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Lithone.jpg|left|thumb|That's no moon.]]
[[Unicron/Generation 1|A mechanical planet]] travels through the depths of space, attacking [[Lithone (planet)|a metal planet]] which has [[Lithone (species)|robotic inhabitants]]. Robots, vehicles, buildings, and even large chunks of rock are sucked off the surface and devoured by the monstrous planet.

It is the year [[2005]], and the [[Decepticon]]s are now in control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The [[Autobot]]s are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Autobots launch a [[Autobot shuttle|shuttle]] to pick up a final shipment of [[energon]] from [[Earth]] before they strike.

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|thumb|Commander, tear this ship apart until you've found those plans. And bring me the passengers; I want them alive!]]
Plans for the attack are overheard by [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]], who reports back to [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. The Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew (including [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]). Using the Autobots' own shuttle, the Decepticons are able to get very close to the Autobots' base on Earth, [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.

During the [[Battle of Autobot City|battle at Autobot City]], both [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron suffer mortal injuries, and a number of others are also killed. Eventually the Decepticons retreat, but the damage suffered by the Autobots is severe.

[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|thumb|If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.]]
Shortly after the battle, Prime lies on his deathbed. He passes the reins of leadership to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and gives him the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. (Though [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] actually touches the Matrix before Magnus does.) Prime relates a prophecy: "One day, an Autobot shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Matrix to light our [[darkest hour]]." He then gives the oath, "[['Til all are one]]", and [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|dies]]. This sequence of events is observed remotely by Unicron, the monstrous planet, who appears unusually concerned by the survival of the Matrix.

The Decepticons are making their escape aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but are too heavy for him to get them all home under his own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Decepticons decide to throw their injured members off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest, including the mortally wounded Megatron. Too injured to save himself, Megatron is tossed out into space by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], who claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

[[File:TFTM Starscream chucks Megatron.jpg|thumb|Into the garbage chute, flyboy.]]
Megatron and the other adrift Decepticons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and his minions in exchange for their service. After some coercion on the planetoid's part, Megatron agrees, and is [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. The other Decepticons are turned into [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. Unicron provides them with a [[Revenge (G1)|ship]], and sends them to kill Ultra Magnus and destroy the Matrix, stating that the Matrix is the only thing which can stand in his way.

[[File:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|thumb|Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed.]]
Galvatron first stops at Cybertron to take his revenge by killing Starscream and reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons. Almost immediately afterwards, Unicron arrives in Cybertron's vicinity and devours at least two moons—both of the Autobots' moon bases are destroyed. Under coercion by Unicron, Galvatron finally heads to Earth to kill Ultra Magnus, but Magnus and the other surviving Autobots flee in a pair of shuttles. Eventually Galvatron manages to cause one shuttle to crash on yet another metal planet ([[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]), and detonates the other with a volley of missiles. However, the Autobots in the second shuttle escape unnoticed by separating the front portion of their shuttle just before impact.

The Autobots in the crashed shuttle, Hot Rod, [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], find themselves separated and in a hostile environment. Hot Rod and Kup battle a [[Sea squid|giant squid]], are captured by a pack of [[Allicon]]s and taken before a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson#Judges|judge]] and his court. While being held there, they learn the name and nature of Unicron from [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a survivor of the planet destroyed in the opening of the film, which he calls [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]. Meanwhile, the Dinobots encounter and befriend a young, wild Autobot named [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] who has been living alone on Quintessa. Together, they crash the trial just as Hot Rod and Kup are fighting losing odds against the Quintessons' [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[File:Tftm1986d.jpg|thumb|What an incredible smell you've discovered!]]
The other group of Autobots has landed on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to make repairs, but are attacked yet again by Galvatron, who was tipped off to their survival by Unicron. During the battle, Ultra Magnus tries to open the Matrix to use its power, but is unable to do so, and instead is killed. Galvatron absconds with the Matrix, taking it away to Unicron. The remaining Autobots—[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]]'s son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]—are then ambushed by [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], the eponymous natives of Junkion, who are also giant transforming robots. This battle is cut short, however, by the arrival of Hot Rod's group in their Quintesson ship. After exchanging the [[universal greeting]] they all make friends, and the Junkions restore Ultra Magnus to life. Together, the whole group travels to Cybertron to try to recover the Matrix and destroy Unicron.

[[File:TFTM Unicron smashes cybertron.jpg|thumb|left|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron and force his master into submission, but is unable to open it. Unicron, not pleased with this attempted treachery, shocks Galvatron by transforming from a planet into a [[Scale|planet-sized robot]]. Unicron plucks Galvatron off his chest and swallows him, Matrix and all, and then begins attacking Cybertron itself. [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] scrambles the Decepticon forces to defend the planet, but they are ineffective against so large an enemy. Shortly the Autobots arrive from Junkion, and fly the Quintesson ship straight through Unicron's eye. This impact destroys the ship, and the Autobots fall out inside Unicron. Hot Rod, separated from the others, eventually runs into Galvatron. During their fight, Hot Rod gets his hands on the Matrix and hears Optimus's voice speak the words, "Arise, Rodimus Prime." Hot Rod grows in stature, adopts a much sterner demeanor, and quickly dispatches Galvatron by tossing him through Unicron's hull out into space. He then opens the Matrix, which fills Unicron with light and begins destroying him.

[[File:Tftm1986e.jpg|thumb|Use the Force, Luke.]]
In the meantime, the other Autobots inside Unicron have located some of their comrades from the moon bases who had been presumed dead, including [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and Daniel's father, Spike. The Autobots, including Rodimus, escape through Unicron's remaining eye just as he begins to fall apart and explode. The scene then immediately shifts to the surface of Cybertron, where—for unclear reasons—the Autobots seem to be in charge again. Rodimus predicts an era of peace and prosperity, and the film closes with a shot of Unicron's severed head still floating in orbit around Cybertron.

[['Til all are one]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]] ([[Judd Nelson]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Robert Stack]])
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] ([[Lionel Stander]])
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
*[[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] ([[Gregg Berger]])
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] ([[Paul Eiding]])
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] ([[Buster Jones]])
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (Neil Ross)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] (Peter Cullen)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]] (Michael Bell)<ref group="fc" name="crednolines">Credited and appeared, but had no speaking lines.</ref>
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] ([[Scatman Crothers]])
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] ([[Dan Gilvezan]])
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] ([[Casey Kasem]])
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] ([[Don Messick]])<ref group="fc" name="creduncertain">Credited, but may or may not have appeared through an animation error.</ref>
*[[Auto-combatant]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Eject (G1)|Eject]]
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]<ref group="fc" name="crednoapp">Credited, but did not appear.</ref> ([[Walker Edmiston]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] ([[Chris Latta]])
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] ([[Roger C. Carmel]])
*[[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] ([[Arthur Burghardt]])
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (Michael Bell)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (Neil Ross)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (Neil Ross)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (Don Messick)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] ([[Hal Rayle]])
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] ([[Clive Revill]])
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] ([[Jack Angel]])
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] (Corey Burton)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] ([[Bud Davis]])<ref group="fc" name="crednolines"/>
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] ([[Ed Gilbert]])
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (Frank Welker)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] (Chris Latta)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (Frank Welker)<ref group="fc" name="appearnocredit">Appeared and had speaking lines, but not credited.</ref>
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]]
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]
*[[Cyclonus's Armada]]
|h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3=
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] (Bell)
*[[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] (Welker)
*[[Rubbish]]
*[[Re-Cycle]]
*[[Trashbin]]
*[[HAZMAT]]
*[[Ashtray]]
*[[Wasteoid Gamma]]
*[[Greasestain]]
|h4=Others|c4=
'''[[Human]]s'''
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (Corey Burton)
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] ([[David Mendenhall]])

'''[[Lithone (species)|Lithones]]'''
*[[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]] ([[Norman Alden|Norm Alden]])
*[[Arblus]]

'''[[Quintesson]]s'''
*[[Quintesson Prosecutor|Quintesson leader]] (Roger C. Carmel)
*[[Quintesson Judge]] ([[Regis Cordic]])
*[[Quintesson Executioner]]
*[[Quintesson Bailiff]]
*[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]
*[[Allicon]]s

'''Other'''
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] ([[Orson Welles]])
|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group="fc"/>

==Quotes==
[[File:TFTM European intro.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.4|It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.]]
"Now all we need is a little energon and a lot of luck." 
"More than you imagine, Optimus Prime."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' tempt fate.

"Such heroic nonsense."
:—'''Megatron''' coldly finishes off Ironhide. The 'Cons always get the best lines.

"First, we crack the shell... then we crack the nuts inside."
:—'''Rumble''' bravely raids Autobot City.

"I've got better things to do tonight than die!"
:—'''Springer''', telling it like it is.

"One shall stand. One shall fall."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' uttering the most quoted line of the Movie. An ass kicker cometh.

"Why throw your life away so recklessly?" 
"That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron." 
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''', about to engage in one last battle to the death.

"You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of '''''sterner stuff'''''."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s trash talk is actually [http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/sterner-stuff a lot cooler than it sounds].

"I would have waited an eternity for this! It's over, Prime." 
"'''''NEVER!'''''"
:—'''Megatron''' is about to learn that a wounded '''Optimus Prime''' has enough strength left for one good hit.

"Until that day...'til all are one..."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''{{'}}s final words.

"Oh, how it ''pains'' me to do this." 
"Wait! I still function!" 
"Wanna ''bet''?"
:—'''Starscream''' fights back the tears as he throws '''Megatron''' out of Astrotrain.

"Soundwave superior, Constructicons inferior."
:—'''Soundwave''' insults the combiner team.

"I have summoned you here for a purpose." 
"Nobody summons Megatron!" 
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
:—'''Unicron''' shows '''Megatron''' who's the boss.

"Who disrupts my coronation?" 
"Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy." 
"Megatron? Is that you?" 
"Here's a hint!"
:—'''Galvatron''' drops "hints" for '''Starscream''' like others drop anvils.

"Oh shit! What are we gonna do now!"
:—'''Spike''' says the movie’s most infamous line.

"Kup and Hot Rod just bought it!" 
"I can't deal with that now!"
:—'''Springer''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' assess the situation.

"Did we ''have'' to let them detonate three quarters of the ship?" 
"Seeing as how they would have detonated ''four'' quarters, I think it was a good choice."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Springer''', debating the launch of their emergency shuttle.

"Spare me this mockery of justice!"
:—'''Kranix''' is upset at being found innocent.

"You check in, but you don't check out."
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' making a reference to the tagline from the "Roach Motel." commercials

"For a time... I considered ''sparing'' your wretched little planet Cybertron. But now... you shall witness... its ''dismemberment''!"
:—'''Unicron''' really needs to work on his anger management skills...

"Destiny... You cannot... destroy... my... destiny!"
:—'''Unicron'''{{'}}s final words.

"Let this mark the end of the Cybertronian Wars as we march forward into a new era of peace and happiness! 'Til all are one!" 
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' announces the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]...for now.

==Season 5==
When ''The Movie'' was broadcast in [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season]] of ''The Transformers'', it was broken into 5 parts (designated "Days") and given new bookending segments with original story material.

===Day One===
[[File:TommyPrimeSeason5BumperMovie.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems.]]
[[Tommy Kennedy|Tommy]] meets up with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] in the barren wasteland and Prime is concerned with the black eye and many bruises Tommy is sporting. Tommy explains that some "big guys" at school tried to rough him up (and by all visual evidence, succeeded). Tommy asks Prime if he'd ever faced any "big guys" in his many adventures and Prime decides to tell him about the time he faced the "biggest guy" of them all, [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]...

Optimus leaves off at the point during the [[Battle of Autobot City]] when Megatron broke their defenses to let the slaughter begin. Optimus gruesomely teases his own death scene to a very confused and concerned Tommy, but reassures him that until he can be revived as a Powermaster, the Matrix must be passed on to someone else who is worthy. Tommy wants to hear all about it, but Optimus doesn't have the time. Apparently, he needs to meet up with [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] and help him [[Space bridge technician|repair]] the [[Space bridge]]. Tommy asks if he can tag along and Optimus tells him that if he can lift one of their two-ton screwdrivers, he can even help. They summarily blast off into space.
{{-}}

===Day Two===
[[File:PrimeExplodingMemoryChip.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|I've lost R2!]]
Tommy and Optimus meet up in the barren wasteland, though Prime isn't sure what Tommy wants. Tommy reminds him that he promised to tell him more about Unicron and Prime concedes that he's been having trouble with his memory chip, lately. Tommy tells him all about the Battle of Autobot City, but none of it rings a bell for Optimus. Prime asks Tommy to open up an access panel in the back of his head and check the circuit. Tommy repairs the circuit, jogging Prime's memory...

Prime leaves off at the point where [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] are eaten by Unicron. Tommy demands to hear more of the story, but Prime's memory chip explodes and smoke pours from the side of his head. All he sees are brief flashes of the further adventures of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and the rest. The furthest he can see, though, is the "death" of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] when his shuttle is blown up by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Tommy expresses discontent, citing that the Autobots are "too cool to die". Prime says he knows there's more to the story, but with his faulty memory chip, he can't access the details. Tommy insists they get his chip fixed and so they blast off into space to do just that.
{{-}}

===Day Three===
[[File:TommyKennedyTraumatized.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I can't even see. How am I supposed to fight?]]
Tommy finishes the repairs on Prime's memory chip, much to Prime's relief. Tommy asks Prime to test it out by continuing his story about the battle against Unicron. Prime indulges Tommy's request...

Prime leaves off at the point where [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and Hot Rod are taken to the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] pits and watch as the survivors of [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]] are executed. Tommy begs Prime to stop, claiming that the story thus far is too intense and depressing for him to handle. Prime asks if he wants to hear about how Kup and Hot Rod are fed to the Sharkticons, how the Autobots are menaced by "aliens made of junk" or how Ultra Magnus is blown to pieces by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Tommy suddenly changes his mind and demands to hear all the gory, macabre details. Prime sets Tommy back down in the barren wasteland and promises to return soon to transform his day into an adventure. He then blasts off into space.
{{-}}

===Day Four===
[[File:PrimeTommyStopMotion.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet it's farthest from.]]
Tommy and Optimus meet up once again in the barren wasteland. Tommy asks why Prime is so late for their appointment and Prime confesses that [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] took a wrong turn on the way over. Prime wishes he hadn't let the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] fly the shuttle. Tommy asks if Prime has enough time to tell him more of the story and Prime assures him there's time enough...

Prime leaves off at the point where the Autobots team up with the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s to battle Unicron. Tommy is incredulous, wondering what a bunch of aliens made of junk could possibly contribute to the battle against Unicron. Prime informs him that great adversities often bring out the best in people, citing Hot Rod as an example. Tommy begs to hear how the story ends, but Prime says that he must first take Grimlock to have his "brain circuits" upgraded. Setting Tommy down, Prime promises to be back soon to transform his day into an adventure. Then he blasts off into space.
{{-}}

===Day Five===
[[File:StanBushTheTouchMusicVideoRecordLabelNotes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you.]]
Meeting again in the barren wasteland, Optimus asks Tommy if he's ready to hear the end of the story. Contrary to all the enthusiasm Tommy has shown during past storytimes, the human child laments that he's forgotten most of the tale thus far (offering the flimsy excuse that his lack of an electronic brain makes remembering so many details impossible). Prime gives him "a quick rundown" (that takes ''four minutes'') and then proceeds to finish the epic yarn...

Prime finishes the story with the destruction of Unicron, the ascension of Rodimus Prime and the exile of the Decepticons. Prime asks Tommy if he's satisfied, but Tommy just has more questions. Like what was up with the [[Quintesson]]s? Did they drop Grimlock on his head when he was a kid? And how did they ever bring Prime back to life? Prime tells Tommy to slow down. He has to attend an interstellar peace conference, but until he returns, he leaves Tommy with... [[The Touch|THE TOUCH!!!]]
{{--}}

==Production timeline==
* First script outline by Ron Friedman: revisions from 15th August 1984 to 19th September 1984
* [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|First draft script]] by Ron Friedman: submitted November 12th 1984. Revised February 13th 1985.
* Reference photos of Powered Convoy toy designated as Ultra Magnus, provided to Ron Friedman: Taken 18th March 1985
* Second script outline by Ron Friedman: revised 28th March 1985
* Second draft script by Ron Friedman: completed 27th April 1985. Revised 2nd May 1985
* Model sheets approved 14th June 1985: Cyclonus, Galvatron (Marvel model with revised head), Hot Rod, Kranix (the pre-final model, can be seen with Granix name on it), Quintesson Judge (colour approved on 18th November 1985 by J. Bacal), Rodimus Prime, Scourge/Sweep, Sharkticon, Unicron robot mode, Wheelie, Wreck-gar
* Model sheets approved 24th June 1985: Ultra Magnus robot mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 2nd July 1985: Ultra Magnus (Initial Toei design. Colour revised on 20th July 1985)
* Model sheets approved 19th July 1985: Arblus robot mode, Spike (final model), Ultra Magnus vehicle mode(first Powered Convoy version)
* Model sheets approved 29th July 1985: Quintesson Prosecutor (a.k.a Quintesson leader. Approved by J. Bacal on 18th December 1985)
* Model sheets approved 31st July 1985: Arblus spaceship mode
* Model sheets approved 6th September 1985: Rewind flip side of the cassette mode
* Dialogue recording (main sessions): 10th and 11th September 1985
* Model sheets approved 3rd October 1985: Rewind and Eject
* Model sheets approved 8th October 1985: Lithonian Scientist, Lithonian Woman no.1

* Storyboard sequence 1 (Attack on Lithone): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 2 (Title sequence): Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 3 (2005): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 4 (More Than You Imagine): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985.
* Storyboard sequence 5 (Attack On The Shuttle): Final 31st October 1985
* Storyboard sequence 6 (Gone Fishin'/Dare): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 7 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 1): Final 14th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 8 (Battle Of Autobot City, part 2): Final 31st October 1985. Revised Final 14th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 9 (Death Of Optimus Prime): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 10 (Witness To A Funeral): Final 7th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 11 (Contest For Leadership): Final 4th November 1985. Revised Final 13th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 12 (Transformation): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 26th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 13 (Coronation): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 18th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 14 (Destruction Of Moonbase One): Final 10th December 1985. Revised Final 19th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 15 (Escape): Final 16th December 1985. Revised Final 24th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 16 (Pursuit): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 17 (Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way): Final 11th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 18 (Arrival On Junk): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 19 (Unwelcome Visitors): Final November 14th 1985. Revised Final 27th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 20 (The Matrix Survives): Final 12th November 1985. Revised Final 25th November 1985
* Storyboard sequence 21 (An Unexpected Friend): Final 18th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 22 (Destruction Of Moonbase Two): Final 17th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 23 (Ambush): Final 11th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 24 (Judgement/Rescue): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 25 (Another Leader Dies): Final 9th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 26 (Unusual Allies): Final 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 27 (The Enemy Revealed): Final 12th December 1985. Revised Final 26th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 28 (Confrontation): Final 19th November 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 29 (United Against The Enemy): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 4th December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 30 (In The Belly Of The Monster): Final 20th November 1985. Revised 3rd December 1985. Revised Final 6th December 1985
* Storyboard sequence 31 (Their Darkest Hour): Final 2nd December 1985. Revised 19th December 1985. Revised Final 31st December 1985

==Animation errors==
[[File:TFTM Unicron Small.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We’re doomed.]]
*When Unicron is approaching Lithone at the start of the movie, at the line "Look, it's Unicron!", a [[Animation error#Sizing errors|cel stacking error]] results in Unicron's ring appearing in front of a building arch, [[Distribution|making Unicron look very tiny]] in that shot. In the next shot, it is clear that Unicron is several times larger than the entire planet of Lithone.
*The inside of one of the Lithonian ships being devoured by Unicron is visible for a couple of frames. The pilot of the ship appears to be Kranix, even though he apparently screams out Kranix's name, and Kranix appears later in the Quintesson prison.
*When Optimus Prime asks Jazz to report security status, it shows both Jazz and Cliffjumper. Cliffjumper is seen twiddling knobs above the actual drawn computer, as if a section was supposed to be present.
*Coloring errors:
**When the closeup of Cliffjumper doing his countdown is shown, his shoulders are blue (like his windows) instead of red.
**Scavenger's head is white instead of black as he ducks from Prowl's shot aboard the shuttle.
**Blaster's forehead is red instead of white after his "look out and shout!" line, and again after he returns to [[robot mode]].
**In the big lineup of firing Decepticons in Autobot City, Soundwave's cheek guards are blue instead of white.
**When Blaster asks Perceptor "What's shakin'?", a Dirge-colored Seeker flies by the window. However, it appears to be the standard Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp design, instead of having Dirge's unique wings.
**As Devastator lays into the walls, Shrapnel is white where he should be black.
**Megatron's pelvis is white instead of black as he gives the "let the slaughter begin!" order.
**When the Dinobots jump out of Optimus Prime's Shuttle, the shuttle is colored like the first shuttle, which Megatron boarded, instead of red-highlighted scheme of Prime's shuttle.
**When Prime says "No matter the cost", the shuttle is painted completely orange, when the front should have red and white highlights.
**In the shot of Decepticons running in Autobot City prior to them being crashed through by Optimus, Ramjet can be seen sporting Dirge's wings, albeit in red just like Ramjet's. Or maybe this is Dirge incorrectly painted in Ramjet's colours. Who knows?
**When Prime drives up behind the Decepticons, Blitzwing's helmet is purple instead of yellow. Prime's trailer is missing its Autobot symbol as well.
**After Megatron asks, "Why throw away your life so recklessly?", Optimus' left hand is colored red instead of blue when he replies "That's a question you should ask yourself, Megatron".
**The gun Megatron uses to fatally injure Optimus is blue and white for most of the shots it is seen in, but when Megatron screams "Fall! FALL!" while shooting Prime again, it is black.
**Prime's antennae are white as he tries to stand after knocking Megatron off the ledge.
**Starscream's whole nosecone, rather than just the canopy, is yellow as he looms over the fallen Megatron.
**In the shot of the Decepticons jettisoning Thundercracker, Skywarp and the Insecticons from Astrotrain, Ramjet and Dirge have their colours swapped.
**As Starscream prepares to toss Megatron out the door, Soundwave's eyes are painted white like his mask rather than red. (Maybe he was sleeping, his excuse for not stopping Starscream)
**Starscream's cockpit shell nearest his head is colored like a canopy rather than gray, as he nominates himself for leadership. Man, even the A-list animation team couldn't keep this straight.
**The red stripes on Starscream's wings are noticeably absent during most of the Coronation scene.
**When dragging Arcee into the shuttle and two shots later when flying into space Magnus's Shuttle has Blue highlights instead of Red.
**After Springer runs past him, Perceptor's gun changes from red to white for a few frames.
**When Cyclonus is strafing what appears via editing to be Hot Rod's shuttle, it has red highlights instead of blue.
**When Hot Rod's ship is being watched by Galvatron trailing smoke it has red highlights instead of blue.
**In the shot after Magnus announces that he cannot deal with that now, his ship has blue highlights instead of red.
**Shrapnel's lower legs are white when he lands on Junk, instead of black. Must be a side effect of being dead.
**When Hot Rod tells the Junkions the universal greeting, the Autobot insignia on his chest is colored black.
**After transforming, Unicron has all-white hands (instead of white with gold knuckles) and a white, rectangular chin (instead of the double-triangular chin with a goatee) he has later.
**As the Autobots fly through space after exiting Unicron's eye, Rodimus is painted in Ultra Magnus' colors (inverted).
*When the Decepticons blow a hole through the Autobot shuttle to get in, it is a clean break. However, Megatron is still shown ripping through random ship components to get in.
*When the Decepticons are killing the Autobot shuttle crew, there is one of the common Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker miscolors. Megatron transforms into gun mode and Starscream catches him, killing Brawn. When they cut back to the Decepticons, Starscream moves back to avoid the Autobots' fire, and a ''second'' Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this was probably meant to be Skywarp, as he flies into the shuttle and takes a seat at the controls once the Autobots are defeated). When they cut back to the Decepticons for the third time, Starscream has Megatron again and is finishing off the rest of the Autobots. In the shot of Starscream firing his own lasers, his wings are red instead of gray.
*When Brawn is shot, it can be seen for one frame that he is initially hit in the top of his chest. As he falls, the wound has moved to the front rounded part of his chest. Additionally, the wound changes from black to red for one frame.
*Per his standard cartoon appearance, Ratchet should have a [[Red Cross]] symbol on each shoulder. When he turns in his seat as Brawn is shot down, we can see one on his right shoulder, but when he stands to return fire on the Decepticons, the right shoulder's cross has vanished, and he's only got one on his left shoulder. Then, when he falls, the cross is missing from ''both'' shoulders.
*When the Decepticons fly to the shuttle's controls:
**All of the Autobots have changed positions from when they fell—Brawn is now on his back, for example, while Prowl is now face-down.
**Ironhide's chest is completely intact, despite having a bunch of holes blown in it.
**Prowl, who turned gray as he fell (evidently dead before he even hit the floor) seems to be back in his normal colors.
*The reflections of Hot Rod and Daniel in the lake rarely line up with where they should be.
*When Hot Rod catches a fish, it is barely the size of his finger. When he releases it, it's [[Scale|suddenly huge]].
*Hot Rod has at least two totally different transformation schemes during the course of the film.
*When Hot Rod begins to shoot at the hijacked Autobot shuttle, the yellow light on his forehead is misaligned.
*When Kup and several Autobots at the roadblock react to Hot Rod's attack on the hijacked Autobot shuttle, Bluestreak is represented by Prowl's [[Character model|animation model]], in Bluestreak's gray and black colors.
*Hound and Sunstreaker appear in Kup's group at the foot of Lookout Mountain as they observe Hot Rod firing on Ironhide's shuttle. Sunstreaker later appears as Optimus Prime's co-pilot when they arrive on Earth with the Dinobots, and is seen disembarking the shuttle along with Optimus Prime and Hound.
**In the movie's storyboard, only Hound is shown present with Kup during the roadblock scene. Sunstreaker's only appearance in the storyboard is when he exits the shuttle, meaning that his presence during the roadblock scene is purely an animation addition. Hound being in both places ''is'', however, an error in both the movie and the storyboard—''unless'', Optimus Prime and the Dinobots picked up Hound and Sunstreaker from Lookout Mountain enroute to Autobot City? Now there's an idea for the old [[Personal canon|headcanon]]!
**In a deleted scene from the storyboard that would've shown Hot Rod and Kup meeting up with Ultra Magnus inside Autobot City, Sideswipe is shown running alongside Wheeljack in the background. However, Sideswipe is mistakenly referred to as "Sunstreaker" in the script (how ''[[Sideswipe (G1)#Notes|ironic]]''). Whether this mislabelling had any bearing over Sunstreaker being present with the roadblock crew is anyone's guess.
[[File:ShockwaveBattleAutobotcity.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We've picked up a new group of signals... enemy fighters heading your way.]]
*In a wide aerial shot of the city under attack, a Reflector flies by in Ironhide's color scheme. Shockwave also makes his only appearance in the battle; considering both his role as Cybertron's guardian and his absence from any other scenes during the battle, his presence is probably an animation error. Rumble also flies past, despite being inside Soundwave at this point.
*When Shrapnel and Kickback are eating the door, Shrapnel only has one antenna.
*A laser blast that should be behind Blaster is instead layered in front of him as he acknowledges Perceptor's orders.
[[File:TFTMRumbleFrenzytwored.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[FIRRIB|What]] about that [[R2-D2|blue one]]? We'll take that one.]]
*When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]].
*Blaster first ejects what looks like Eject, who stays blue up until he gets to the edge of the screen. He then turns black like Rewind. Then Blaster ejects another blue cassette, which after about a second turns black. This one gets through half his transformation colored black, then turns blue for a split second then turns black again. Then, when the cassettes are fighting each other, Eject runs in from the left and jumps over Perceptor. And then he runs in from the left ''again'' to shoot Ravage.
*As Springer runs up to the launcher, Wheeljack's body is visible, but he's in the red, white and blue color scheme of Smokescreen - who, in the storyboards of this sequence, was intended to be the one lying there dead.
*While Springer and Arcee are trying to move the launcher into place, Springer's face is the same color as his helmet.
*During Devastator's combination sequence in Autobot City, his chest plate, portions of his pelvis, his forearms, and Bonecrusher's treads are all green. The chestplate and pelvis should be purple, as should Bonecrusher's treads (they're ''normally'' green when Bonecrusher is separate, but they turn purple when he combines), and his forearms should be black.
*For almost the entirety of his screen time during the battle in Autobot City, the "jet engine" on top of Devastator's chest plate is misinterpreted as a trapezoidal block. The only time it appears in its proper shape is when he high-kicks Grimlock. It appears as it should during the scuffle on Astrotrain.
*While Perceptor and Grapple are shooting, Swoop's lower half runs by in the foreground, long before the rest of him gets there.
*Prime's dramatic transformation sequence far outlasts the transformation sound that's supposed to go with it. It's also the wrong sound (ascending pitch) for his robot-to-vehicle transformation. His trailer is also missing the Autobot logo, which reappears for the rest of the scene.
*Prime is missing the transformation sound as he blasts back to robot mode.
*The gun Megatron fires uses the same sound effect as his fusion cannon.
*When Optimus Prime takes the Matrix out of his chest to give to Ultra Magnus, the animators forgot to remove the cel of the Matrix inside his chest, as it's still in there even as he's holding it in his hands. Since it's not supposed to be there, the luminous effect for the Matrix's core is missing from the duplicate in his chest, creating a visual trick that makes it look like Optimus might just have removed the core itself. (The [[Matrix of Leadership#Universe|''Universe'' comic]] would later use this error as a springboard to reconcile the visuals of Optimus's chest interior with their depiction in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.)
*When Ultra Magnus accepts the Matrix, he's seen inserting it into his chest twice, or at best readjusting its "fit".
*As the other Decepticons prepare to push him out, Bombshell's chest is rendered as a shapeless gray mass, rather than with its yellow canopy.
*The voice that says, "Brothers! Don't!" is nowhere close to the voices of any of the five Decepticons shown getting thrown out of Astrotrain.
*When Megatron says "Nobody summons Megatron" his chest emblem is colored gray like his chest. It looks like it should have been painted as a darker shade of purple, as it's the shadowed section. But was painted gray instead.
[[File:TFTMStarscreamCoronationErrors.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4| *''trumpet fanfare''*]]
*Even after the [[Battle of Autobot City]], characters who are supposedly dead continue to appear in crowd shots and battles. Shrapnel's role in the fight on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] is the most noticeable (and he was called for by name in the original script), but Thundercracker, Skywarp and Kickback can all be seen at Starscream's coronation. The two jets are later seen again, flying into Unicron's mouth.
*In the establishing shot of Starscream's coronation, there are only five Constructicons (Bonecrusher had better things to do tonight) and they are miscolored as purple and white rather than their usual purple and green color scheme.
*Hook has two eyes instead of his normal visor as he looks around in confusion during the trumpet scene.
*An early establishing shot clearly shows Cybertron with two and ''only'' two moons in low orbit. Yet a third moon is visible right after Unicron finishes eating the two Autobot bases.
*When Galvatron introduces himself to the Coronation party, Soundwave's chest window is drawn far too small.
*When Galvatron says "Decepticons, to Earth!", aside from his mouth being partially open, his mouth doesn't move. I guess being reformatted by Unicron gives you the ability to talk without moving your mouth?
*In the scene where Bumblebee and Spike are in the [[Autobot frigate]] and escaping Moonbase Two's destruction, when the two are cheering after believing that Unicron has been destroyed, Bumblebee's on the left side of Spike's seat. However, after Spike expresses his "colorful" reaction to Unicron remaining completely unscathed, and when the frigate is about to get sucked into Unicron, Bumblebee is on the right side of Spike's seat.
*When Cyclonus is strafing the Autobot shuttle in space, he briefly flies offscreen, and during that time his laser blasts come from a point that in no way matches his flight path.
*During the wide shot of the Autobots in the crashed ship on Junk, Blurr's entire head is white. Also so is Daniels head, which is drawn as an indistinct incomplete circle.
*Daniel's lips don't purse when he whistles.
*Wreck-Gar's mouth doesn't move at all during his first lines, despite the camera pushing in all close on his face.
*The pistol Ultra Magnus fires uses the same sound effect as Optimus Prime's rifle.
*During the Junkion chase scene, Trashbin attacks Arcee. When she fights him off his motorcycle, his model is switched for Junkyard's when he falls down. And his head then flickers between colors when mounting Junkyard.
*When Grimlock gets kissed, his eyes are round instead of triangular.(Probably intentional expression)
*As Hot Rod falls off one of Unicron's inner spikes, his lower body isn't drawn in. It looks like it should be blocked by our view of the spike, but is layered above it instead.
*Hot Rod's missing his Autobot symbol as he regains his footing inside Unicron.
*As the Dinobots fly around Unicron, both his eyes are intact. (The left one had at this point been shattered.)
*The third smelting victim (who looks a lot like another Bumblebee) doesn't fall from the conveyor belt; he simply vanishes.

== Continuity errors ==
[[File:G1TFTM Snarl cameo.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|He used to bulls-eye womp-rats in his T16 back home.]]

*The Dinobot [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is mysteriously absent from almost the entire movie, even though the Dinobots as a group are featured prominently. Copies of the script which have come into fans' hands repeatedly list the Dinobots, but never make mention of Snarl by name. In fact, at one point the script refers to "the four Dinobots". Despite this, Snarl does appear in three very brief shots—in which at least one other Dinobot (Swoop in one, Sludge in another) is entirely absent. Hmm.
** On the other hand, the original production ''storyboards'' for the scene where Snarl first appears in the movie only mentions "the Dinobots", not a specific amount of them. Additionally, Snarl also seems to have been in the scene with Kup telling the Dinobots a story in at least ''one'' version of the film; the Japanese trailer for the movie has finished footage of this scene...but it's very different from the one in the film; the Dinobots are all in their robot modes, and Snarl is present in the scene instead of Slag. It's completely unknown why Snarl's appearance in this scene was cut.
*Also curiously absent are the 1985 Autobot cars and Mini-Vehicles, such as Inferno, Smokescreen, Cosmos, Warpath, etc. It would seem that these characters were available at the time of the movie:
**Perceptor and Blaster both debuted at the same time in the cartoon as the 1985 cars, and both play prominent roles in the movie.
**Grapple is [[:File:BattleAutobotCity.jpg|seen ''very'' briefly]] during the battle for Autobot City. Or maybe it's [[Hauler]].
**The 1985 Decepticons (Astrotrain, Dirge, etc.) appear in the film.
**[[:File:TFTM-SideswipeRedAlertTracks.jpg|Tracks]], [[:File:TFTM-RedAlertDown.jpg|Red Alert]] (who was shot in the back by the Constructicons; his gun is the one Megatron uses against Optimus), and Smokescreen (who was supposed to be the corpse in place of Wheeljack next to Windcharger, Wheeljack instead surviving the battle and being part of a scrapped Earth-based subplot) all appeared in storyboards but not the finished film.
*Devastator is treated as ''the'' ultimate threat, while in the cartoon, his role (and apparent power) was already being [[Starscream's Brigade|severely diminished]], presumably because several other combiners had been introduced. In story terms, the absence of these newer combiners, not to mention the mighty Omega Supreme, is inexplicable. In real-life terms, those characters didn't exist when the film commenced production. (The ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' adaptation shows Omega Supreme, Superion and Defensor guarding the Ark against an attack by Bruticus and Menasor, attempting to [[retcon]] the problem away.)
*Possibly the biggest example of the film's tonal shift from the cartoon, shots from firearms that would previously knock another character down at best have since become lethal, best demonstrated when Brawn and Prowl are each killed with a single shot by the Decepticons during the movie's first act.
[[File:Cyclonus armada tftf.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|We'll be safe enough once we make the jump into lightspeed.]]
*The existence of Cybertron's moons is contentious ''at best''.
**On the one hand, in numerous close and distant shots of the planet throughout the first two seasons, not a single moon was seen. Ever. Even after it got knocked out of Earth's orbit.
**On the other hand, Megatron ''does'' refer to Cybertron as "land of the metal moon" (note the singular) during "[[Microbots]]", suggesting otherwise. The fact that he was overenergized at the time and lost consciousness in mid-sentence - just before he ''might'' have specified a plural number of moons, (in)conveniently enough - makes it unclear just how much credence we should lend this statement.
**The movie promptly introduces two (possibly three) moons over the planet. In continuity terms, they must either have highly elliptical orbits with periapsides (points in their orbits that bring them closest to the planet) that just happened to coincide with the timeframe of the movie or they were constructed sometime after 1986.
*During the Battle of Autobot City, Starscream gets his leg caught. He shoots downward and gets away while screaming "My foot!", but it's his shin that's smoking while his foot looks fine. Later he kicks Megatron with the same foot. Shouldn't that hurt, according to him?
*So Ultra Magnus just happens to have a ready-made Matrix chamber installed in his chest cavity? Is this standard issue for all Autobots?
*The cartoon had already established that Astrotrain increases his size when he transforms to shuttle mode, being large enough to carry a pair of Decepticons in his cockpit. However, within the movie itself, his size is [[scale|noticeably inconsistent]]: When he leaves Autobot City, he's just large enough for the Decepticon army to cram themselves in; later, he's so huge that the Constructicons can quite comfortably form Devastator inside him. Perhaps he continued expanding when transforming from train to shuttle mode?
*Speaking of which, Astrotrain's entire body flips over when he transforms from train to space shuttle to escape from Autobot City. While ''we'' applaud the [[Show-accuracy|toy-accuracy]], the Decepticons inside probably didn't.
*The damage suffered by Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons basically appears out of nowhere when it's time for them to be jettisoned. While Shrapnel and Kickback are shown taking a beating early on, they appear shiny and new later in the battle, as do the two Seekers.
*Soundwave is loyal enough to pick up a wounded Megatron and save him, but then votes "aye" to jettisoning the wounded Decepticons, and when Starscream goes to throw Megatron out, Soundwave doesn't try to intervene. He even tries to steal the leadership once Megatron is gone. The "loyalty" attribute that has pertained so strongly to Soundwave seems to be alienated from the character in this scene.
*The number of minions created by Unicron changes throughout the film, with more Sweeps appearing as the story progresses. A second Cyclonus ("Cyclonus, the warrior, and [[Cyclonus's Armada|his armada]]") is shown being created but disappears shortly thereafter. At least ''seven'' new characters are shown at one point, created from only ''six'' Decepticons thrown from the shuttle.
*How can the Constructicons blow on those trumpets? Only [[Hook (G1)|three]] [[Bonecrusher (G1)|of]] [[Mixmaster (G1)|them]] have mouths.
*Given his relative position, Starscream's single shot through the trumpets defies all geometry.
[[File:SSBQ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I've been looking forward to this for a long time." "Yes, I bet you have."]]
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is capable of reducing [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] to ashes with a single shot from his cannon mode. Though in later episodes Galvatron is shown blowing up even small ''[[Thrull|planets]]'' and being able to take down [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] with one shot from his cannon, his extraordinary killing power seems to be gone—like when he scores a direct hit in cannon mode on Ultra Magnus in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" and Magnus isn't especially hurt at all, or how a similar blast against Scourge in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]" only leaves the latter temporarily incapacitated. [[Marvel Comics]] bios explain this by suggesting that Galvatron had nearly limitless power through Unicron... but then again, Galvatron himself claims to be "more powerful than ever" after Unicron is dead in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]". [[To sell toys|Who knows.]]
*Why didn't the Autobots notice Unicron until he was within devouring distance of Cybertron's moons? Why doesn't Shockwave, who is ''on Cybertron,'' react until after Unicron has eaten these moons, transformed into a giant robot, and ''smashed his hand into the planet's surface?''
*Despite running out of energon goodies on Quintessa, Hot Rod has at least one to offer to the Junkions.
*How did Hot Rod and Kup know to fly from Quintessa to Junk?
[[File:TFTMStarscreamVsUnicron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Let me see your identification.]]
*When the Decepticons on Cybertron launch a counterattack on Unicron, all three of the first-year Seekers are seen fighting alongside the Coneheads. Given that all three were either explicitly killed earlier in the movie (Starscream) or have been turned into Galvatron's troops by this point (Thundercracker and Skywarp), they're obviously not supposed to be ''around'' in these forms anymore; of course, they could also just be [[generic]]s reusing their colors...but, as noted above, Thundercracker and Skywarp ''also'' appear at Starscream's coronation.
*Daniel, who was just learning how to use his exo-suit, had to knock down the acid cover inside Unicron to save his loved ones. Why couldn't the more experienced Spike do the same with his suit from above? He had both of his arms free and a clear shot at the cover.
*It's not clear how Rodimus Prime (carrying two humans) and the other Autobots survived their jump out of Unicron's eye and their plunge towards the surface of Cybertron.
*It's also unclear just how the dozen or so Autobots (and one shipload of Junkions) managed to retake the whole planet of Cybertron. Did Unicron really wipe out ''that'' many Decepticons?
* Unicron's invincibility is extremely inconsistent; Moments before becoming Galvatron, Megatron creates visible damage to Unicron's horns simply by attempting to hold into something. Later, he doesn't suffer even a dent when one of Cybertron's moons is detonated in his mouth. Near the end, the Dinobots are capable of punching their way through his "skin", and Rodimus Prime just casually throws Galvatron into space through Unicron's side. Even without the Matrix, the small group of Autobots did pretty well against him.

===Not necessarily errors===
*Fans have noted throughout the years that Astrotrain, in his flight through zero-gravity space, should not have needed to "jettison some weight" in the literal sense. However, since the ejected Decepticons quickly fall behind Astrotrain instead of floating alongside him, he must still have been accelerating and thus would have needed to burn a greater amount of fuel in order to push a larger payload. Perhaps he should have said "jettison some ''mass''", but then again, just being a spaceship doesn't make him a rocket scientist.
*Springer escapes from Unicron's eye by transforming into helicopter mode and flying through outer space, where there shouldn't be an atmosphere for his rotors to provide lift. Maybe Unicron was still within Cybertron's atmosphere?

==Continuity notes==
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' has had a huge effect in shaping the mythos. Among the elements and characters which would reappear in many other iterations of ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' are:
**The notion that [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has moons.
**The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] as a physical object, rather than the computer program previously depicted in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comics]]. Even the Marvel comics would eventually shoehorn this one in.
**[[Autobot City (disambiguation)|Autobot City]].
**[[Unicron]].
**The notion of [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] becoming [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|Galvatron]].
**The idea of "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]" being a rank rather than simply a given name.
**[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|And it killed off Optimus Prime before it was cool]]!
*Cybertron's appearance in the post-titles establishing shot shows some major changes to the planet since our last look at it in Season 2. Many of the same buildings from the cartoon's stock image of the planet are there, but the giant pit near the planet's equator is mostly covered over, and the shredded portion of its southern hemisphere has been completely rebuilt.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Springer deploys a small flip-out twin laser from his wrist during the Autobot City battle.
**Arcee and Hot Rod both activate a long-distance scanner of some sort by lowering a red visor from under their helmets over their eyes.
**Megatron uses an "[[Lightsaber|Energy Dagger]]"<ref>[https://twitter.com/walruslaw/status/1204860124898181123 Reference sheets for various weapons used or planned for use in ''The Transformers: The Movie''] - TFRaw.com on Twitter</ref> during his one-on-one battle with Optimus Prime.
**Hot Rod uses a saw blade that extends from his retracted wrist.
**Blurr has the same kind of hooked welding tip used by various Autobots as far back as "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
**Arcee unleashes a nasty barbed post from her fender to fend off a Junkion.
**Grimlock shows the never-before seen ability to [[GoBots|shoot lasers from his fists]].
*'''[[The Revenge of Bruticus|< <]]''' What makes Starscream the leader? Megatron's <s>dead</s> almost dead!

==Real-world references and Easter eggs==
[[File:TFTMUnicronSkyscrapers.jpg|thumb|I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.]]
*When the inside of Unicron is shown after he devours Lithone, the "blinking energy" effect of Unicron's innards shows, for a split second, what appear to be several images of post-apocalyptic buildings. These images look to be recycled background paintings from ''{{w|Fist of the North Star (1986 film)|Fist of the North Star}}'', a film [[Toei Animation|Toei]] had animated the same year. Regardless of animation efficiency/corner-cutting, the flashing images of ruined civilizations are eerily appropriate for Unicron.
[[File:TFTM Sludge Devastator.jpg|thumb|Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.]]
*When Sludge gets haymakered by Devastator, his eyes pop out of their sockets in ''{{w|Looney Tunes}}'' fashion.
*Kup's storytelling sequence aboard the shuttle is drawn from the novel ''{{w|Of Mice and Men}}'', complete with Grimlock in the Lenny role asking Kup to "tell Grimlock about petrorabbits again".
*The Junkions speak almost entirely in pop culture quotes and pastiches. Littered among the generic phrases like "operators are standing by!", "Film at eleven" and "eliminate even the toughest stains" are more specific references, such as:
**"Don't look behind door #2, Monty!" - a reference to the game show ''[[Let's Make a Deal]]'' and its host, [[Monty]] Hall.
**"Ger-ronny-doo-ron-ron-ronny-mo!" - both the famous "{{w|Geronimo (exclamation)|Geronimo!}}" war cry, and the 1963 hit "{{w|Da Doo Ron Ron}}".
**"You check in, but you don't check out" - a parody of the tagline for {{w|Roach Motel (insect trap)|Roach Motel}} insect traps.
**"Breep, drit, aw rootie!" - part of {{w|Tutti Frutti (song)|"Tutti Frutti, aw rooty!"}}, from the 1955 song.
**"Happy motoring!" - the slogan of gas company [[Esso]].
**"Kill the Grand Poobah!" - a {{w|Grand Poobah|satirical term}} originating from {{w|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s ''{{w|The Mikado}}'', likely referencing its use as the title of leaders of pseudo-Masonic lodges in ''{{w|The Flintstones}}'' and ''{{w|Happy Days}}''.
[[File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg|thumb|Easy? You call that ''easy!?'']]
*The Quintesson jail cell includes robot debris ''strongly'' resembling [[:File:Tftm rosencrantz-and-guildenstern.jpg#parts|several mobile suits]] from 1985 Japanese animation ''{{w|Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam}}''.
*''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects (yes, even the high-budget Movie uses them):
**The ''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst noise is used extensively throughout the film, over and over and over, almost any time a Decepticon takes flight.

**[[Luke Skywalker]]'s deactivating [[lightsaber]] is used as the sound of the Quintesson ship's ramp extending.
**Clashing lightsabers are used as Unicron fires eye-blasts at the attacking Transformers.

**An igniting lightsaber is used as Rodimus opens the Matrix.
**An AT-AT foot stomp sound is heard as the Autobot shuttle crash lands on Junk.
**The whir of an AT-AT's leg hydraulics can be heard part way through Unicron's transformation.
*The ''[[Star Trek]]'' sliding door sound is used as Wreck-Gar pulls out his <s>iPhone</s> mini-TV.
*The sound used for the communicators on ''Star Trek'' is used when Daniel activates his blaster to save Spike.

==Adaptations==
*[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|A comic adaptation of the movie]] was published by [[Marvel Comics]] in 1986, concurrently with the movie's theater run. It was based off a non-finalized version of the script, and differs in many details from the final film. Additionally, most of the major character models (and possibly their unedited original character write-ups) appear in issue #4 of the ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' series.
*[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|A storybook adaptation]] was released in the UK by [[Ladybird Books]].
*A four-part adaptation was released in 2006/2007 by [[IDW Publishing]], as part of the film's 20th anniversary celebration. It was titled ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' to differentiate it from the [[Michael Bay]] [[Transformers (film)|live-action film]]. Unlike its predecessor, it adheres rigidly to the script and plot of the finished movie.

==Soundtrack==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack}}

==Promotions==
*Early in the movie's production, a [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|promotional trailer]] was made to sell the project to potential investors.
*The movie was advertised on related 1986 toy packages via the [[Decipher the Decepticon]] Sweepstakes, which included a pack-in poster and contest.
*The movie was heavily advertised directly by TV [[commercial]]s, and tail-end segments on Transformer toy ads. Portions of its story were also retold in altered fashion by animation segments of commercials for the movie character toys, such as a spot showing Springer doing battle with Wreck-Gar.
*[[Ziploc]] sandwich bags featuring an iron-on patch in boxed to advertise the movie. Each box contained one of eight potential characters.

==In the comic continuity==
The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK comic]] made extensive use of the Movie as the basis for a series of stories involving the Transformers in the future. However, there are several differences between the events seen on screen and those referenced in the comic:

*The comic always dates the movie to [[2006]], following the date given in a treatment that was all [[Simon Furman]] had when he wrote "[[Target: 2006]]".
*In "Target: 2006", [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] states that he was previously "[[Life Spark]]".
*The Matrix is always called the "Creation Matrix" in the comic, a name that predates the "Matrix of Leadership" but which is now used for the same physical object.
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] both survive the events, both later appearing in "[[Space Pirates!]]" (set in [[2008]]).

In addition, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] definitely survives the attack by Unicron.

The US comic almost completely ignored the events of the Movie, though later in the run an alternative future is briefly shown in "[[Rhythms of Darkness!]]" and "[[A Savage Circle]]". In this timeline at least some of the events of the Movie took place such as the creation of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], which is dated to 2005, though [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]]'s death was overlooked. [[Prowl (TM2)|Wouldn't be the first time. Or the last.]]
*The US version of the future story "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]" implicitly has the events of the movie as part of its backstory. However, since the rest of the US series ignored the movie, this issue's place in the continuity is questionable.

==Edits==
Several English-language versions of the film exist, with the following differences in content from the American theatrical run:

*In some versions (notably the European version) the opening credits are replaced with a scrolling text ("''Star Wars'' style") which provides backstory.
*In some versions (notably the European version) the film ends with [[Victor Caroli|a narrator]] reassuring the audience that Optimus Prime will return.
*Instances of swearing in the film (there are two) were edited out; sometimes one, sometimes both. Those instances are: Spike yelling, "Oh shit, what are we gonna do now?" after the self-destructing Moon Base 2 fails to scratch Unicron, and Ultra Magnus growling, "Open, damn it, open!" while trying to open the Matrix to fend off Galvatron and the Sweeps on Junkion. The United Kingdom cinema version had the swearing included but, when it was released on VHS in the United Kingdom, Spike's line was cut ("damn" not being considered especially offensive in the UK). However it has been restored on all United Kingdom DVD releases.
*In some early FHE video releases, the shot of the Matrix falling out of Optimus Prime's hand and being caught by Hot Rod is edited so that it appears that Ultra Magnus simply takes the Matrix from Prime. Why this was done is not known, and the replay of the Hot Rod catch on Unicron's monitors was left intact.
*The original FHE video release of the film painted out all instances of Megatron's green-colored "bleeding" from the end of the battle of Autobot City up to his meeting with Unicron.
*Instead of DEG, the {{w|Rank Organisation|Rank Film}} "{{w|Gongman}}" appears before the British release of the film, as Rank were the United Kingdom distributors. Ironically, the DEG logo at the beginning uses the "Gongman" sounds, rather than its own fanfare, possibly due to a plastering mistake.

None of these edits significantly affect the story. They should not be confused with various other sequences which were changed before the film's final release:

*Originally, Ultra Magnus's "death sequence" on Junkion called for him to be lassoed and drawn and quartered by the Sweeps' energy beams, but this was deemed too graphic for audiences, hence the less disturbing "shot to death" sequence seen instead. There is evidence that the original sequence had been fully animated when the decision was made, however; the Sweeps still kept their solid energy lassos when they fire upon Magnus, and Magnus is seen visibly straining against what appears to be said lassos (edited out and replaced with laser fire) before exploding. This also explains why the Junkions only have to put his limbs back on to repair him.
*A number of other sequences were illustrated as [[storyboard]]s but dropped, presumably without ever being animated. Among them were:
**A short scene showing Ironhide piloting the Autobot shuttle through ''huge chunks of ice'' from the tail of a passing comet, explaining how the Decepticons caught them unawares. In response to a reprimand by Prowl who prickishly disapproves of Ironhide's piloting shenanigans, Ironhide exclaims, "I can sure as shootin' dodge a couple of ice chunks". When the Autobots are suddenly jolted by the Decepticon strike force as Megatron and his troops attempt to enter the shuttle, Ironhide tells the others on board, "That was no ice chunk...". Heroic nonsense ensues...
**An extended sequence with Hot Rod and Daniel outside the city.
**A sequence of Mirage blasting Bombshell and being fired on by Megatron.
**The Autobots finally bringing down Devastator with a barrage of missiles (and the Constructicons subsequently shooting Red Alert in the back).
**The Decepticons dogpiling Optimus Prime, explaining why he seems to be standing up just before his fight with Megatron, and no longer holding his rifle. According to storyboards, Prime gets bum-rushed by Blitzwing (who causes Prime to drop his gun), Starscream, Astrotrain, and Skywarp. While it is not clear how Prime defeated the first four hand-to-hand combatants, Dirge is later shown attempting one final sneak attack (and gets his can handed back to him) as Prime is talking to Megatron before the two leaders' final fight.
**Trailbreaker is shown dead among the wreckage of Autobot City as the Decepticons begin their retreat.
:Some of these concepts were in earlier versions of the script, and hence made it into the comic adaptation.
*Rumors have occasionally circulated in the fandom of additional animated footage that was dropped from the film, such as ultra-violent battle scenes.<ref>https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/B0ZMv7tdDMk?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a</ref> No evidence has ever surfaced to back these claims; the only known edits of any storyline or character importance are those listed in this section.
:{{see|Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#The Transformers: The Movie|Urban legends about ''The Transformers: The Movie''}}

==Reception and box office==
{{quote|''The Transformers'', in which Orson Welles plays a planet, is pure headache material. Target audience of cartoon-watchers also will probably find the film unintelligible, noisy and unoriginal. Boxoffice prospects are dismal.|2=[http://books.google.com/books?id=DHNZAAAAMAAJ&q=Hasbro+Transformers&dq=Hasbro+Transformers&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=1983&as_maxm_is=12&as_maxy_is=2005&num=50&as_brr=0&cd=69 Variety's Film Reviews 1985-1986, Volume 19]}}

{{quote|Obnoxious animated feature about the title good guys, who defend the universe against an evil planet (which has a voice of its own... provided by Orson Welles.) That deafening rock score certainly doesn't help. Little more than a feature-length toy commercial.|Leonard Maltin, ''1987 Movie & Video Guide''}}

{{quote|While all this action may captivate young children, the animation is not spectacular enough to dazzle adults, and the Transformers have few truly human elements to lure parents along, even when their voices are supplied by well-known actors. |2=[http://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/09/movies/screen-transformers-animation-for-children.html The New York Times]}}

{{quote|Transformers -- The Movie, a feature-length animated film inspired by the syndicated TV cartoon series inspired by the Hasbro toy imported from Japan, is utterly uninspired entertainment. |2=[http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3CE8EA8D40CCA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM The Dallas Morning News]}}

{{quote|If you can swallow, without gagging, a large measure of sentimental and offensive religiosity - lines like "Do not grieve. Soon I will be one with the Matrix," whispered by a failing hunk of Autobot metal - then you have a better than even chance of leaving the theatre on your own two feet. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=01kiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W6gFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2445,1286000&dq=transformers&hl=en The Montreal Gazette]}}

{{quote|Everything is poorly drawn and - when it's in focus - one dimensional. It is terribly hard to separate the robots from the backgrounds, and there is no easy way to tell the good guys from the bad guys. In an earlier movie based on the same sort of robot toys - "Go-Bots: The Battle of the Rock Lords" - the good guys were either white or colorful and the bad guys were dreary, and they had distinct personalities. Not this movie; everyone looks and sounds alike, except one pink robot who is a female good guy. Her tin voluptuousness makes her stand out. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kw4wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OgMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6957,6334152&dq=transformers&hl=en The Toledo Blade]}}

{{quote|Even with an all-star cast doing the voice overs... and a rock music score, this is still nothing more than a ripoff of a successful toy line. |2=[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AYckAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dtsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4192,1494652&dq=transformers&hl=en The Palm Beach Post]}}

{{quote|The great animated villains, like the Wicked Queen in Disney's "Snow White," had motivations as compelling as any live-action character. Unicron apparently destroys entire worlds because it has nothing else to do. |2=[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/57996397.html?dids=57996397:57996397&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+8%2C+1986&author=CHARLES+SOLOMON&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=8&desc=%60THE+TRANSFORMERS%27%3A+STRETCHING+A+POINT The LA Times]}}

{{quote|A surprisingly dark, emotional, and almost excessively cynical experience for Transformers fans.|2=[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/ Rotten Tomatoes]}}

''The Transformers: The Movie'' was almost universally panned by professional critics upon its release.

Well-known film critic and animation enthusiast, Leonard Maltin, gave it a rating below 1 1/2 stars in his ''1987 Movie & Video Guide'', regarding it as a "bomb", then proceeded to write an unflattering blurb denouncing the film as a "feature-length toy commercial".

Caryn James of the ''New York Times'' admitted in the [[August 9]], 1986, edition of the paper that the film was intended for young children, pointing out that the kids in the audience were having a grand ole time with the ''Transformer'' toys and comics they brought with them to the theater, but derided the film as having little to no appeal to adults.

''Variety's Film Reviews 1985-1986, Volume 19 '' was far less even-handed in their review, claiming the film had no appeal to adults ''or'' children. They predicted the film would perform poorly in the box office (and were correct, in that regard).

Carrie Rickey of the ''Dallas Morning News'' chided the film in the [[August 13]], 1986, issue of the paper, describing it as "essentially a cartoon ''Star Wars'' about robots from a toybox galaxy far, far away". She then went on to say that the film "never takes off" and derided it as "uninspired".

Janice Kennedy of the ''Montreal Gazette'' verbally disemboweled the film in the [[August 23]], 1986, edition of the paper, criticizing it as overly commercial, profane, loud, violent, humorless, heavy-handed in its religious messages and chaulk-full of gratuitous celebrity voice-overs. Her only compliment: "But ''The Transformers: The Movie'' does have at least one good thing going for it, a howlingly appropriate song by [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]. It's title? ''Dare to be Stupid''." ''Ouch''.

Nanciann Cherry in the August 13, 1986, edition of the ''Toledo Blade'' claimed the robots in the movie had little personality and faded into the background. She even went on to say that ''[[GoBots]]: {{gb|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords|Battle of the Rock Lords}}'' was a superior film! Her review was filled with inaccuracies, however, citing characters such as "Unicon" and claiming that the destruction of Cybertron's moons by "Unicon" is what caused the Autobots to travel to Autobot City, at which point Megatron attacked. To be fair, she readily admits, "About 20 minutes into the film, I gave up on the plot and tried to count all the ideas that were stolen from other sources. Now that kept me busy." So she wasn't really paying attention, anyway.

Kathryn Buxton in the [[August 22]], 1986, edition of the ''Palm Beach Post'' gave the film a whopping ''one'' star, calling it "a ripoff of a successful toyline", whatever ''that'' means. In the same article, she also gave David Cronenberg's ''[[Fly|The Fly]]'' one star, just for reference.

In the August 8, 1986, edition of the ''LA Times'', critic Charles Solomon made clear his dislike for the film centered primarily on the fact that none of the characters had interesting or believable motivation. He stated, "Not even the best actor can create a character out of nothing. Not one of the robots has a reason for doing what he does." Solomon then pointed to Unicron specifically as an example of the lack of deep, multi-dimensional motivations in the characters.

Over time, however, the movie has acquired something of a cult following beyond the core base of [[fandom|Transformers fans]], particularly among children of the '80s. It is sometimes screened as a midnight movie at colleges. Online, it is not hard to find amateur reviews lauding everything about it as utterly awesome, from the premise to the soundtrack, and dismissing more critical views out of hand. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' currently holds a 62% "fresh" rating based on 25 professional reviews at online review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_the_movie/</ref> In response to the film's cult following, several reviewers have compared the film in a favourable light to the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]]s (prior to the unprecedented critical success of [[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]), stating that they lack the heart or nostalgia of the '86 movie.<ref>https://www.inverse.com/article/7309-6-enduring-legacies-of-1986-s-animated-the-transformers-the-movie</ref><ref>https://slate.com/culture/2007/07/transformers-why-the-original-animated-movie-is-still-the-best.html</ref><ref>https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Sorry-Michael-Bay-Why-1986-Transformers-Movie-Best-43582.html</ref>

===Box office===
An [[August 30]]th, 1987 ''Los Angeles Times'' article on the decline and fall of the DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group listed ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as grossing $2.6 million in the United States on a $5 million budget.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-08-30-fi-5144-story.html</ref> Both it and ''My Little Pony: The Movie'' (which earned $2.8 million on a $5.5 million budget per that same article) were financial failures, together losing Hasbro about $10 million in an otherwise profitable year.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=... we just accidentally found the budget for The Transformers: The Movie while skimming a book about My Little Pony. Thanks, @sherilyn! https://t.co/epw3GW83lE|link=https://twitter.com/tfwiki/status/895169922678042625|name=TFWiki|site=Twitter|year=2017|month=08|day=09|(defunct=)}}</ref>

Confusingly, in comparison to the ''Los Angeles Times'' article, modern box office tracking sites<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm</ref><ref>http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1986/0TRTM.php</ref> list ''The Transformers: The Movie'' as having made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with the other online box office takes from animated films of 1986, the results are not particularly charitable; while it did better financially than ''{{gb|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords}}''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gobots.htm</ref> ($1,338,264) and ''Heathcliff: The Movie''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heathcliff.htm</ref> ($2,610,686), it performed worse than the 1986 ''[[My Little Pony]]'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mylittlepony.htm</ref> ($5,958,456) and the '''second''' ''Care Bears'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=carebearsmovie2.htm</ref> ($8,540,346). Bringing up ''The Great Mouse Detective''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=greatmousedetective.htm</ref> ($25,336,794) and ''An American Tail''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americantail.htm</ref> ($47,483,002) would really just be overkill.

==Significance in Transfandom==
''The Transformers: The Movie'' remains one of the most important elements of the entire Transformers brand, both within the fiction and from the perspective of the brand's popularity and "mindshare".

Fictionally, it established several story concepts that have been used repeatedly in the years since 1986, some of which—such as Unicron and the Matrix—are now central to the entire Transformers mythos. The movie is also the centerpiece of the most well-known Transformers continuity: the Generation 1 animated universe. The ''Transformers'' cartoon is split into "pre-movie" and "post-movie" sections which feature different characters and settings, and even somewhat different visual styles. (Most pre-movie episodes were animated by the studio [[Toei Animation|Toei]], while most post-movie episodes were animated by [[AKOM]].)

On a practical note, it was widely available on videotape, and remained so long after the ''The Transformers'' cartoon had gone off the air. Only a [[Family Home Entertainment|handful of series episodes]] were available on video, making ''The Transformers: The Movie'' the logical choice for someone looking to pick up a ''Transformers'' cartoon; this made it far more well known among fans than any particular cartoon episode.

To an entire generation of young fans, the movie was the most visually spectacular and narratively epic ''Transformers'' experience of their entire youth. Events such as the death of Optimus Prime are widely reported to have reduced many kids to tears. It is hardly a surprise that these emotional experiences embedded themselves deeply in many fans' memories.

Latter-day ''Transformers'' stories have made uncountable references (though [[The Transformers: The Movie/references|we're trying]]) to the movie, lifting or borrowing elements of its [[Minus One|dialogue]], [[The Transformers: Autocracy|fight sequences]], [[A Flash Forward|subplots]], [[Heavy Is the Head|details]], [[Less Than Zero|settings]] and more, as writers have discovered that a shout-out to the movie is a quick and easy way to win cheers from [[GEEWUN|some segments]] of [[Fandom|their audience]]. Even Hasbro and Takara themselves have gotten in on the act, producing a variety of toys based on the minutia of the film: [[Starscream (Armada)#Cybertron|Starscream's crown]], [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#United|Galvatron's creation]], the awakening of [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Prime]], and more. The fandom, for their part, pores over new ''Transformers'' fiction, often latching on to even the most tangential of details as a [[The Search for Alpha Trion#Quotes|"reference"]] to the movie, [[The Burden Hardest to Bear|coincidental or not]]. Call-outs, real or perceived, were once a rare treat - but now are so common that many fans are more likely to groan than cheer whenever some version of Optimus Prime declares that "[[One Shall Fall|One shall stand...]]" or a damaged character states that "[[Unfinished|I still function]]" or a vengeful blast is preceded by "[[The Illusion of Control|Here's a hint]]" or yet another Soundwave says yet another variation of "[[Human Error, Part II|Soundwave superior]]", or... well... this:

<center><gallery>
File:Transformersanimatedfilmposter.jpg|'86
File:TFTM1.jpg|'86 again
File:Botcon2000-movieposter.jpg|2000
File:TFvol1 31cvrRI.jpg|2010
File:Timelines10 diamonded.jpg|2014
File:Echoes and Fragments cover.jpg|2016
File:LL1 Riptcvr.jpg|2018
</gallery></center>

In 2016, thirty years after the release of the film, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave us perhaps one of the most meta comeback lines in franchise history. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] declares that "Today — one shall stand, and two shall fall!", Optimus simply punches him in the face with a flat "No cliches, Galvatron", voicing once and for all just how sick we've gotten of '86 quotes. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

{{quote|...wait, I only just noticed something. Did they actually manage to go the entire episode without quoting the 86 movie?|[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/94625-episode-65-beast-hunters-episode-13/page-4#entry2360303 Allspark poster Unit Eleven]}}

==Criticisms==
[[File:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|left|thumb|Only [[Stormtrooper (SW)|Imperial Stormtroopers]] are so precise.]]
All this is not all to say that the movie is a "masterpiece", exactly. The film met with extremely harsh critical reviews on its release, and some of those criticisms still ring true today.

The film displays an arguably cynical attitude towards itself as [[To sell toys|a vehicle for advertising toys]], especially in the way [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|beloved characters]] are killed—sometimes gratuitously—for sake of justifying the story's focus on a new group of toys. (Note that with the exception of Laserbeak and possibly Buzzsaw, the poster at the top of this article features ''only'' new characters.)

Further, the two primary plot devices—[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]—have no prior establishment in the fiction. Unicron is given no backstory ([[Call of the Primitives|until season 3]]) or justification; he simply exists, is very dangerous, and is afraid of the Matrix, all for no adequately explained reason. The introduction of the Matrix itself is a heavy [[retcon]]. The story asks the audience to accept that this cosmically powerful artifact has been in Optimus Prime's possession all along (even though Prime's open-chested repair scene in "[[Divide and Conquer]]" and his X-ray scene in "[[A Prime Problem]]" show absolutely no signs of said Matrix), but has somehow never been relevant before. In fact, this lack of prior establishment is what led [[Simon Furman]] to develop the divinity backstory of Unicron and [[Primus]] in the UK comics run.

[[File:Megatronlightsaber.jpg|thumb|Your powers are weak, old man!]]
The movie bears many similarities to ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'': There are several character-parallels ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] is a [[Han Solo]]-type and [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] even has Princess Leia's hairdo!), the primary threat is similar (it's the [[Death Star]]... [[Unicron/Generation 1|but it transforms!]]), and both feature a climactic battle where the [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|young hero]] hears the voice of his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|dead, wise mentor]] one last time before saving the day.

To be a bit more fair to ''The Transformers: The Movie'', however, most of these similarities are either superficial (Arcee's Leia-hair; Megatron's "lightsaber" he briefly uses in his duel against Optimus Prime) or can be seen as elements common to thousands of years' worth of epic storytelling through human history, not just common to ''Star Wars''. As a simple example, the phenomenon of two charismatic leaders dealing each other mortal injuries in battle hearkens back to some versions of the "[[King Arthur]]" myth; in their final battle, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arthur]] and his arch-enemy [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sir Mordred]] deal one another lethal injuries and both apparently expire—though Arthur according to the legend will [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|return]] when [[Cybertron (planet)|England]]'s need [[Darkest hour|is greatest]].
{{--}}

==Formatting==
[[File:Tftm widescreenesque.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The "widescreen" picture (left) actually ''cuts off'' the top and bottom of the fullscreen picture (right). Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them.]]
Although it was billed in some advertisements before its theatrical release as being "widescreen", the movie was in fact animated in a 4:3 (fullscreen) aspect ratio. For its theatrical screenings, the film was matted down in the projector by the projectionist to a 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen), chopping the top and bottom off the picture, but all video transfers of the movie were done without mattes, meaning that there was actually more picture visible in the fullscreen video and DVD releases than there would have been in theaters. Across 2006 and 2007, new editions of the DVD of the film were released by Sony BMG and [[Metrodome]] which applied the mattes in order to replicate the original theatrical presentation of the film for the first time in home entertainment. Some fans, however, didn't realize that the film wasn't actually ''animated'' in widescreen, and, hearing that the DVD was to be in widescreen, expected to see the fullscreen image with additional footage at the sides, causing them to complain that the top and bottom were cut off, thereby totally missing the point.
{{--}}

==International versions==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie/dubs}}

==Commercial releases==
[[File:TFTM LaserDisc cover.jpg|thumb|The cover image from the original Japanese home media release of the movie.]]
*The movie was originally released in North America on VHS and Beta on [[September 17]], 1987<ref>http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19870911&id=YhAuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ls8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3198,2881581</ref> by [[Family Home Entertainment]], minus Spike's swear. Just days before, on [[September 14]], 1987<ref>https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003579/19870910/016/0016</ref>, it was released in the UK by [[Video Gems]]. This version featured the opening text crawl and closing narration inherent to the UK version of the film. In Australia, the film was released on video by RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts. In Japan, [[Sohbi Kikaku|Hill Crane]] released a {{w|LaserDisc}} version alongside a VHS copy, both sporting a gorgeous painted cover that decorated many a fan's desktop back in the day.
*The movie was released spottily in the '90s, beginning with a budget VHS by Avid Home Entertainment in 1991. [[Malofilm]] released a VHS in Canada in 1995, notable for being the first home entertainment version to include Spike's swear. In 1998, Japanese company Pioneer produced another pair of LaserDisc and VHS releases. In 1999, things kicked off when American company [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] secured the Transformers license and released the film on VHS once again.
*The 21st century's flirtation with ''The Transformers: The Movie'' started with a UK budget VHS release of that country's version by [[Sony|Sony Wonder]], distributed by [[Maverick Entertainment]]. A Japanese company called CatCo followed this up with a VideoCD, and Malofilm—now Seville—were the first to release a DVD version of the film, though it was just a dump of their VHS version.
*In November 2000, ''The Transformers: The Movie'' got its first, full professional DVD release from Kid Rhino. This edition, labelled a "Special Collector's Edition", is the first to feature remastered video and audio, and several special features, including storyboards and an interview with [[Vince DiCola]]. Rhino concurrently released this version on VHS, sans extras.
*In 2001 in the UK, Sony Wonder released their own much-delayed DVD version of the film. It was the UK version of the film, but included Spike's swear. However, the release was burdened by badly interlaced video, though it notably included the [[Omni Productions]] dub version of the ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Headmasters]]'' episode "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]" as an extra. This version (including the ''Headmasters'' episode) was simultaneously released on VHS.
*The movie was released on DVD in Australia in 2003 by [[Madman Entertainment]], using the same video as the Maverick version, but distinguished by some nifty new cover art by [[Don Figueroa]], and special features not seen on other editions, such as ''[[Stan Bush|The Touch]]'' music video and 80s TV spots.
[[File:Tftm uk covers.jpg|thumb|The UK poster art (left) has been the most common DVD and VHS cover in its home country, but the Ultimate Edition featured new art by Andy Wildman (right).]]
*After acquiring the license to release ''Transformers'' DVDs in the UK, [[Metrodome]] focused on completing their run of series box sets before turning their attention to the movie properly, releasing only a cheap budget DVD of the UK version through Prism Leisure with no extras, and a [[PlayStation|UMD]] of the same version.
*In 2005, Metrodome released ''Transformers: The Movie - Reconstructed'', a new version of the film designed to expose as much of the animated picture as possible. This, however, only resulted in exposing the rough, unfinished edges of the animation, and an overly pale remaster was compounded by excessive interlacing due to an unnecessary NTSC to PAL transfer. This, coupled with a 5.1 remix from [[Magno Sound & Video]], featuring the same extra sound effects that they added to Rhino's season box sets, made this release both controversial and disappointing to many. This was the first time that the US version of the movie was released in the UK, and the first to feature the US poster art as a cover (although a Silverscreen store exclusive version of the disc included a reversible cover with the UK poster art as well). Extras include trailers, TV spots, the character biographies from the Madman release, a looped version of the Lion ''Transformers'' theme on the main menu, and a subtitled version of "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]".
[[File:Tftm sony covers.jpg|thumb|Sony's covers, by Don Figueroa.]]
*For the movie's 20th anniversary in 2006, new license holder [[Sony|Sony BMG]] released a two-disc special edition of the film, featuring both a high-quality widescreen remaster and the original fullscreen version, audio commentaries from crew and fans, several new featurettes interviewing those involved in the movie's production, storyboards, TV spots, American and Japanese commercials and more. Most notably, this version included the first Western release of "[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]", albeit silent and unsubtitled, featuring only audio commentary. Also very notable is that this version includes an actual deleted scene from the animated film as an extra, though it is more of interest as a curiosity than anything it actually contains, being an approximately 2-second-long aerial view of the Autobots running towards the critically damaged Optimus Prime. This release featured two covers by Don Figueroa: one is of the '84-'85 cast that appear in the movie, and one is of the movie's new characters, available either as a lenticular hologram that switches between the two, or as a reversible sleeve with the images printed on either side.
[[File:Tftm madman covers.jpg|thumb|Madman's 2003 DVD cover (left), and their 2007 Special Edition cover (right).]]
*Delayed a bit to coincide with the hype for the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], Metrodome also released a two-disc "Ultimate Edition" with a different widescreen master. Like "Reconstructed", this version used the US edition of the film, but this time, the UK version was also included, in fullscreen, on the second disc. Extras include TV spots, commercials, the Madman biographies, storyboards, commentary, "Scramble City" (with audio and subtitles), featurettes with [[Flint Dille]] and [[Peter Cullen]], and more. The double-disc edition was sold in a steel case featuring new art by [[Andrew Wildman]], with the UK poster art adorning the standard case inside. Various store exclusives were available, including postcards from Play.Com, a reversible cover with the US poster art from HMV, art cards from Virgin Megastore and [[posters]] from Woolworths and [[Toys"R"Us]]. It was also available in an extra-less single-disc version. This version was premiered at the Mid Ulster Film Festival in Ireland which was the only cinema showing of the remastered version of the film to date.
[[File:ShoutFactory TFTM BluDVD.jpg|thumb|Shout! Factory's 2016 Blu-ray cover.]]
*The film was released in Full HD 1080p on Blu-ray in the UK in October 2007. The Blu-ray is not region-locked, so it will play anywhere in the world. It features a 2.0 soundtrack, 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and a full bitrate DTS 5.1 track. The master used was the same used by Sony for their US DVD. Sadly, there are no extras on the DVD. The version of the film on the Blu-ray is the US one, complete with curse words.
*Madman produced their two-disc special edition through some collaboration with Metrodome, and consequently it features much of the same content, with additional extras taking the form of The Touch music video and a bonus episode of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. This release again features cover artwork by Don Figueroa, specifically the cover of [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' adaptation.
*For the film's 30th Anniversary, and after being out of print in the US for 10 years, the film was rereleased on Region 1 DVD and given its first Region A Blu-ray release on [[September 13]], [[2016]] by [[Shout! Factory]]. Both versions are sourced from a brand-new 4K transfer which underwent extensive color-correction and remastering, and a Steelbook packaging variant of the Blu-ray was also made available.<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/action-adventure/the-transformers-the-movie-limited-edition-30th-anniversary-steelbook The Transformers: The Movie Limited Edition 30th Anniversary Steelbook]</ref> The Steelbook Blu-ray was released in the UK by [[Manga Entertainment]] as a limited edition on December 12, 2016, followed by a standard edition release a year later.
*On September 27, 2018, Fathom Events screened the movie at select theaters in the United States. The movie was preceded by an interview with [[Travis Knight]] and [[Hailee Steinfeld]] and a preview of a scene from ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', and followed by a short featurette of Stan Bush discussing the music he contributed to the movie and performing acoustic versions of ''The Touch'' and ''Dare''.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/08/01/1986-transformers-movie-hitting-theaters-one-night-only-369314 1986 Transformers Movie Hitting Theaters One Night Only!]</ref> Cineplex would later show the movie in Canadian theaters on October 4.
*For the 35th anniversary, Shout! Factory produced the first 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of the movie — presented in widescreen only — and a remastered fullscreen 1080p Blu-ray. Feature-length storyboards and the Stan Bush featurette from the 2018 Fathom Events screening were added as new bonus features. The two discs were first made available in a limited edition SteelBook with four art cards on [[August 3]], [[2021]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-limited-edition-steelbook?product_id=7636 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook]]</ref>; a wide release in standard packaging followed on [[September 28]]<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition?product_id=7668 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>, as did a third set comprised of the new fullscreen Blu-ray and a widescreen DVD<ref>[https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-edition-1?product_id=7667 The Transformers: The Movie [35th Anniversary Edition]]</ref>. Cover art for the new releases was created by [[Matt Ferguson]].
**Region B versions of the Shout! Factory 35th Anniversary discs were distributed by Funimation and released on [[October 25]], and an additional collector's edition set was made exclusive to Zavvi, packaging the 4K and Blu-ray discs with an art book, poster and six art cards.<ref>[https://www.zavvi.com/blu-ray/the-transformers-the-movie-35th-anniversary-zavvi-exclusive-4k-ultra-hd-limited-collectors-edition-includes-blu-ray/13169855.html The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary - Zavvi Exclusive 4K Ultra HD Limited Collectors Edition (Includes Blu-ray)]</ref> Zavvi also partnered with Ferguson to release a line of art prints and apparel featuring his cover art.
*Fathom Events once again returned the film to select theaters on [[September 26]]–[[September 27|27]], 2021, accompanied by a set of [[The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary Stop Motions|stop-motion comedy videos]] inspired by the film.

==Television broadcasts==
Following a segmented, five-part broadcast during [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 5|the fifth season of ''The Transformers'']], the complete feature film was aired on American television in 1989 via Fox stations. Air dates and times were June 17 at Noon, July 30 at 11 A.M. and September 2 at 10 A.M. Of course, this was the language-edited video release from Family Home Entertainment.

The movie was aired on [[Hub Network|The Hub]] on February 18, 2012, following [[Orion Pax, Part 1|the Season 2 premiere]] of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' on what was called "Transformers Mega Saturday". Uniquely, this version combined the European opening narration with the US scrawl-free opening credits, muted the two swear words (rendering the lines as "It isn't even dented! ...What do we do now?!" and "Open... ''Open!''"), used the European closing narration at the end, and sped up the scroll of the end credits to cut it down for time, ending the lyrics of the [[theme song]] around the beginning of its second verse ("Strong enough to break the bravest heart..."). Subsequent re-airings on The Hub aired this version of the movie.

The American television airing of the feature film adds one extra sound effect, and it has never been heard in any other release. During the scene when Arcee is racing to jump aboard the departing Autobot shuttle, there is a distinctive sound effect when she jumps. In all other releases there is no sound effect.

A July 4, 2014 Hub broadcast of the movie markets it as ''Transformers: The Animated Movie'', distinguishing it from that computer animation/live action [[Transformers (film)|hybrid film]] with the similar title made two decades and one year later.

==Notes==
*According to [[Buzz Dixon]], Hasbro's decision to kill off Optimus Prime was actually an attempt to maintain some brand-storytelling parity with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'', as Dixon had just convinced them to allow the death of [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] in ''{{w|G.I. Joe: The Movie}}'' and both films were in production at the same time.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20151215034944/http://www.joeheadquarters.com/interviews_dixon.shtml</ref>

*After reading [[Ron Friedman]]'s [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|first draft]] of the movie's script, [[Flint Dille]] and [[Jay Bacal]] hastily wrote and proposed a script of their own, "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]", which later informed the cartoon five-parter "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]". Elements of this script also supposedly made it into the finished film, but no copy of the script has ever surfaced.

*This film was the last professional performance by [[Orson Welles]], who died only a month later. According to production materials shown at [[BotCon 2000]] by Tim Finn, the voice recording sessions for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' were done on [[September 10]] and [[September 11|11]] of 1985. Welles died on [[October 10]] of that same year. It has often been speculated that Unicron's last line ("Destiny… you cannot destroy my destiny!") was recorded by another actor—possibly [[Leonard Nimoy|Nimoy]]—because it sounds different than the other lines. This speculation has been quashed by statements by Transformers voice director [[Wally Burr]].<ref>http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/wally-burr/wally-burr-3.html</ref>
[[File:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!!]]

*With the exception of Starscream and possibly Shockwave, only the Autobots suffered fatalities in the movie. All of the other "dead" Decepticons from the Autobot City battle were rebuilt into Galvatron's new troops, and although more Decepticons were shown taking heavy damage and suffering huge casualties while fighting Unicron, their identities and their final condition are uncertain. Additionally, both Starscream and Unicron survived in the post-movie series in some form or another. Shockwave's death in the finished film is highly uncertain, although in the script it is fairly strongly implied. Regardless, Shockwave was originally intended to appear in the immediate post-movie story "Five Faces of Darkness", serving in the role that was ultimately given to Blitzwing, before an internal [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] memo clarified that his character had been dropped from the series.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bid3TK_q2HxH7NR5MDAlGsKe5AlcbBnU/view Partial outline of "Five Faces of Darkness", covering Parts 3 to 5]</ref> Shockwave does make some miscolored appearances in crowd shots in later cartoon episodes, but these are probably examples of the fairly common animation errors in those episodes.

*Somewhat ironically, though only three of the original eighteen Autobots — [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] — are definitively shown to have survived the movie, two would quite literally never be heard from again: [[Scatman Crothers]] passed away (though this didn't stop Jazz from making any number of background cameos) while Casey Kasem [[Casey Kasem#Notes|quit the show early in the third season]]. Fate's finger is fickle indeed.

*The Dinobots spend the majority of the film in their dinosaur modes, a practice that would eventually carry into season 3 of the cartoon. Swoop is the only one to spend extended amounts of time in robot mode, due to the anatomical issues of walking in a flight-based mode. However, there are some instances where they're briefly shown in robot mode for blink-and-you-miss-it moments, for no reason whatsoever. Additionally, despite his constant presence among the Dinobots, Sludge has no lines in the film at all.

*Unicron's roars in the movie were stock vocalizations originally created for Marvel Productions' 1982 ''The Incredible Hulk'' animated series and performed by voice actor Bob Holt, who voiced the [[Hulk]] in that show. Holt otherwise never voiced a character in the Marvel/Sunbow Transformers series (although he was a regular member of the ''{{gb|Challenge of the GoBots (cartoon)|Challenge of the GoBots}}'' cast as the original voice of [[Cop-Tur (GoBots)|Cop-Tur]]), and had passed away the year before ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in 1986. Thus, Unicron has the distinction of featuring ''two'' posthumous performances for the same Transformers character in a single production.

*[[:File:TFTM-MaybeBeachcomber.jpg|A robot resembling Beachcomber]] appears alongside Spike and the Autobots inside Unicron seconds before Daniel blasts the acid cover. Whether this was actually meant to be Beachcomber or just coincidental coloring is unknown, but regardless, Beachcomber shows up alive and well in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]".

*Pieces of music from the movie would later be used in the [[Commodore 64]] version of ''Turrican''. For instance, basically unaltered bits of "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWFx-Go6Y6A Escape]" make up [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6jjpwpDVNY Subsong Two of the game's title theme].
{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''German:'' '''''Transformers: Der Kampf um Cybertron''''' ("Transformers: The Battle for Cybertron", TV airings only)
*''French:'' '''''La Guerre des Robots''''' ("The War of the Robots")
*''Japanese:'' '''''トランスフォーマーザ・ムービー''''' ("Transformers: The Movie")

==External links==
*[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3212281345/weekend/ ''The Transformers: The Movie''{{'}}s box office domestic gross]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' outlines, scripts, storyboards, concept art and model sheets]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20211021062746/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/movie/movie.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080426020409/http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie] (archived)
*[http://zobovor.tripod.com/transformers_the_movie_bloopers.html ''The Transformers: The Movie'' bloopers]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

File:Allicons.jpg

2024-11-14T04:14:01Z

AimÃ©eRose97: AiméeRose97 uploaded a new version of "File:Allicons.jpg": Composite of the "universal greeting" panning shot.