Character

A character is a fictional depiction of a Transformer, a human, an alien or another entity that might or might not have a toy representation. If there is a toy, the character is usually, but not always, based on the toy and intended as a means of promoting said toy.

Over the course of the numerous Transformers series and toy lines, some characters have changed their names, while in other cases, characters have appeared that share a name with another character but are separate individuals. Many characters also have counterparts in other continuities they may or may not share a lot of similarities with.

Hasbro's attitude towards the importance of characters has changed a lot since the launch of the Transformers brand in 1984.

Character depiction

A character can be depicted in several ways. One of the simplest forms is the bio often featured on the back of a toy's packaging, which is usually a brief write-up of the character's personality and abilities.

Characters are also featured in supporting media such as comics, TV shows, movies, video games or books. In the case of characters based on a toy, the depiction of the character will often be consistent across the various media–in theory, at least.

Often, characters not based on existing toys may be created specifically for supporting media. They may be humans, but also Transformers or other aliens. In some cases, the same non-toy character appears in several different supporting media. Some of them might be turned into toys later on, due to the (often unexpected) popularity of those characters.

Relevance

Originally, Hasbro didn't put as much emphasis on outstanding characters for the Transformers toy line from a marketing standpoint as they do today. Toys were supposed to have a shelf life of two years at maximum, to be replaced by new toys, which would be entirely new characters. As a consequence, Hasbro only bothered to register a small number of trademarks in the 1980s, such as "Optimus Prime" or "Soundwave".

Hasbro didn't originally realize how much of a crucial part recognizable characters had played in the success of the original Transformers series until they were facing the viewer backlash following Optimus Prime's death in The Transformers: The Movie. Following that, more and more toys were designed to resemble–and named after–existing toys/characters. Starting with the Generation 2 toy line, Hasbro began basing many toys from nearly every new line on existing "classic" characters.