Over the years, a number of Transformers characters have shared their names with various characters and vehicles in other Hasbro lines. In many cases, this poses little to no problem for Hasbro, seeing as the company often already holds the trademark in the "toys" field, and most certainly won't take itself to court over the use of the name in question. In fact, using a name in another toy line (even one released by a Hasbro subsidiary) qualifies as a use of a trademark, hence making it "safe" for another term.
This list includes a few
Takara Transformers characters as well, because why the hell not?
Shared names with G.I. Joe
| G.I. JOE
|
TRANSFORMERS
|
| Air Raid
|
Air Raid
|
| Airwave
|
Airwave
|
| Backblast
|
Backblast
|
| Backstop
|
Backstop
|
| Barrel Roll
|
Barrel Roll
|
| Barricade
|
Barricade
|
| Bazooka
|
Bazooka
|
| Black Out
|
Blackout
|
| Blades
|
Blades
|
| Blaster
|
Blaster
|
| Blast-Off
|
Blast Off
|
| Bullet-Proof
|
Bulletproof
|
| Bullhorn
|
Masterforce Bullhorn, Kre-O Bulhorn
|
| Cannonball
|
Cannonball
|
| Chameleon
|
Chameleon
|
| Checkpoint
|
Checkpoint
|
| Claymore
|
Claymore
|
| Cloudburst
|
Cloudburst
|
| Clutch
|
Generation 1 Clutch, C.L.U.T.C.H.
|
| Countdown
|
Generation 1 Countdown, Shattered Glass Countdown
|
| Crankcase
|
Crankcase
|
| Cross Hair
|
Crosshairs
|
| Dee-Jay
|
Beast Wars II DJ, Generation 1 DJ
|
| Dreadnok Demolishor
|
Demolishor
|
| Depth Charge
|
Depth Charge
|
| Devastator
|
Devastator
|
| Digger
|
Digger
|
| Dogfight
|
Generation 1 Dogfight, Adventure Dogfight
|
| Double Clutch
|
Generation 2 Double Clutch, Power Core Combiners Double Clutch
|
| Earthquake
|
Earthquake
|
| Falcon
|
Falcon
|
| FLAK
|
Generation 1 Flak, Movie Flak
|
| Flash
|
Flash
|
| Flint
|
Flint
|
| Frostbite
|
Universe Frostbite, Kre-O Frostbite
|
| Ghostrider
|
Ghost Rider
|
| Gears
|
Gears
|
| Grand Slam
|
Grand Slam
|
| Hammer
|
Generation 1 Hammer, Return of Convoy Hammer
|
| Hardtop
|
Cybertron Hardtop, Movie Hardtop
|
| Hawk
|
Hawk
|
| Heavy Metal
|
Heavy Metal
|
| Hurricane VTOL
|
Hurricane
|
| Iceberg
|
Armada Iceberg, Kre-O Iceberg
|
| Iguanus
|
Generation 1 Iguanus, Beast Wars Iguanus
|
| Incinerators
|
Armada Incinerator, Movie Incinerator
|
| Inferno
|
Inferno
|
| Iron Klaw
|
Iron Claw
|
| Junkyard
|
Junkyard
|
| Knockdown
|
Knockdown
|
| Knockout
|
Knockout
|
| Lightfoot
|
Lightfoot
|
| Lockdown
|
Lockdown
|
| Long Arm
|
Longarm
|
| Mainframe
|
Mainframe
|
| Major Altitude
|
Major Altitude
|
| Manta Ray
|
Generation 2 Manta Ray, Beast Wars Manta Ray
|
| Mirage
|
Mirage
|
| Night Creeper
|
Nightcreeper
|
| Night-Viper
|
Night Viper, NightViper
|
| Outback
|
Outback
|
| Overkill
|
Overkill
|
| Overlord
|
Overlord
|
| Pathfinder
|
Path Finder
|
| Payload
|
Payload
|
| Predacon
|
Predacon
|
| Quickstrike
|
Quickstrike
|
| Rage
|
Rage
|
| Rampage
|
Rampage
|
| Razorclaw
|
Razorclaw
|
| Recoil
|
Recoil
|
| RHINO
|
Rhino
|
| Roadblock
|
Roadblock
|
| Road Pig
|
Road Pig
|
| Rollbar
|
Rollbar
|
| Rook
|
Rook
|
| Rumbler
|
Generation 1 Rumbler, Shattered Glass Rumbler
|
| Salvo
|
Salvo
|
| Scoop
|
Generation 1 Scoop, Shattered Glass Scoop
|
| Scrap-Iron
|
Cybertron Scrap Iron, Shattered Glass Scrap Iron
|
| Shadow Strike
|
Universe Shadow Striker, Revenge of the Fallen Shadow Striker
|
| Shockblast
|
Shockblast
|
| Shockwave
|
Shockwave
|
| Sideswipe
|
Sideswipe
|
| Side Track
|
Sidetrack
|
| Skydive
|
Skydive
|
| Sludge Viper
|
Sludge
|
| Smoke Screen Transport
|
Smokescreen
|
| Slip-Stream
|
Slipstream
|
| Snow Cat
|
Snow Cat
|
| Space Shot
|
Spaceshot
|
| Spasma
|
Spasma
|
| Stalker
|
Stalker
|
| Striker
|
Striker
|
| Thunderwing
|
Thunderwing
|
| Tigerhawk
|
Tigerhawk
|
| Tomahawk
|
Tomahawk
|
| Tripwire
|
Tripwire
|
| Vortex
|
Vortex
|
| Wave Crusher
|
Wave Crusher
|
| Windmill
|
Windmill
|
| Wreckage
|
Wreckage
|
| Zigzag
|
Zigzag
|
Shared names with other Hasbro lines
Similarly, several other non-G.I. Joe Hasbro lines over the years have shared names with Transformers characters.
| Other Line
|
TRANSFORMERS
|
| Air Raiders Wind Razor
|
Windrazor
|
| Army Ants Bone Crusher
|
Bonecrusher
|
| Army Ants Black Jack
|
Blackjack
|
| Army Ants Grease Pit
|
Greasepit
|
| Army Ants Knockdown
|
Knockdown
|
| Army Ants Recoil
|
Recoil
|
| Army Ants Snarl
|
Snarl
|
| Army Ants Stalker
|
Stalker
|
| Army Ants Tail Spin
|
Tailspin
|
| C.O.P.S. Air Raid helicopter
|
Air Raid
|
| C.O.P.S. Airwave
|
Airwave
|
| C.O.P.S. Barricade
|
Barricade
|
| C.O.P.S. Bluestreak motorcycle
|
Bluestreak
|
| C.O.P.S. Bulletproof
|
Bulletproof
|
| C.O.P.S. Checkpoint
|
Checkpoint
|
| C.O.P.S. Hardtop
|
Hardtop
|
| C.O.P.S. CROOKS Jolt
|
Jolt
|
| C.O.P.S. Inferno
|
Inferno
|
| C.O.P.S. Longarm
|
Longarm
|
| C.O.P.S. Mainframe
|
Mainframe
|
| C.O.P.S. Mirage
|
Mirage
|
| C.O.P.S. Nightstick
|
Nightstick
|
| C.O.P.S. Roadblock
|
Roadblock
|
| C.O.P.S. Streetwise
|
Generation 1 Streetwise, Universe Streetwise
|
| Lite-Brite
|
Animated Lightbright, Generation 1 Lightbright
|
| My Little Pony Beachcomber[1]
|
Beachcomber
|
| My Little Pony Cosmos
|
Cosmos
|
| My Little Pony Baby Countdown
|
Countdown
|
| My Little Pony Discord
|
Discord
|
| My Little Pony D.J.
|
DJ
|
| My Little Pony Flash
|
Flash
|
| My Little Pony Lickety-Split
|
Lickety-Split
|
| My Little Pony Night Glider
|
Nightglider
|
| My Little Pony Rumble
|
Rumble
|
| My Little Pony Scoops
|
Scoop
|
| My Little Pony Seaspray[2]
|
Seaspray
|
| My Little Pony Star Catcher
|
Starcatcher
|
| My Little Pony Sunbeam
|
Generation 1 Sunbeam, Unicron Trilogy Sunbeam
|
| My Little Pony Steamer (UK: Tracks)
|
Tracks
|
| My Little Pony Twilight
|
Twilight
|
| My Little Pony Windsweeper
|
Windsweeper
|
| My Little Pony Windy
|
Operation Combination Windy, Animated Windy
|
| My Little Pony Zig-Zag (Zebra)
|
Zigzag
|
| Nerf N-Strike Barricade RV-10
|
Barricade
|
| Nerf N-Strike Elite Mega Centurion
|
Centurion
|
| Nerf N-Strike Elite Demolisher 2-In-1
|
Demolishor
|
| Nerf N-Strike Firefly REV-8, Nerf Vortex Firefly Tech Kit, Nerf N-Strike Elite Firefly Mission Kit
|
Firefly
|
| Nerf Dart Tag Firestrike, Nerf N-Strike Elite Firestrike
|
Bot Shots Firestrike, Kre-O Firestrike
|
| Nerf N-Strike Jolt/Jolt EX-1, Nerf Zombie Strike Jolt
|
Jolt
|
| Nerf Rebelle Knock Out Gallery
|
Knock Out
|
| Nerf Hyper Rip Rockets Quickstrike
|
Quickstrike
|
| Nerf N-Strike Elite Rampage
|
Rampage
|
| Nerf Zombie Strike Ricochet
|
Ricochet
|
| Nerf N-Strike Elite Stockade
|
Stockade
|
| Nerf Cyber Stryke Gear Strongarm, Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm
|
Strongarm
|
| Nerf N-Strike Thunderblast
|
Thunderblast
|
| Nerf Vortex
|
Vortex
|
| Street Fighter Devastator
|
Devastator
|
| Visionaries Cryotek
|
Cryotek
|
| Xevoz Quick Slinger
|
Quickslinger
|
| Xevoz Razorclaw
|
Razorclaw
|
| Z-Bots Bazooka
|
Bazooka
|
Notes
- G.I. Joe Sideswipe is modeled and named after Hasbro employee Andrew Frankel, who also worked on the Transformers toyline... and used the handle "Swiper" while active in TF fandom. Funny how that works out, isn't it?
- The Beast Wars name "Tarantulas" actually came from an unproduced Joe-series "Manimals" toy, Tarantulus.
- Contrary to fan rumors, the name Kobushi was NOT originally intended for an unreleased Xevoz figure. The unreleased Xevoz figure was named "Scarabushi."
- Hasbro has occasionally used names from non-Hasbro toylines that were obtained via corporate buyouts and the like for Transformers characters, with the most notable examples being Generation 2 Go-Bots, named after the GoBots toyline, and Armada Leader-1, named after the leader of the "good guy" Tonka GoBots.
- Hasbro and Tonka also shared certain names when they were still in competition. Blaster, Rumble and Warpath were both Transformers and GoBots. Similarly, "Scrapper" was registered as a trademark by Tomy's US branch in 1985 (waaaay before Tomy merged with Takara into TakaraTomy), the same year Hasbro released the Constructicon toy of the same name. That was possible because trademark law still worked differently back in the 1980s, and companies were less aggressive about protecting their products' names.
- Hasbro didn't use the name "Onslaught" for 14 years following 1994's Generation 2 Onslaught. In the meantime, Marvel had created its own Onslaught character, with Toy Biz releasing their own toys of the character (the first as part of 1997's X-Men: Onslaught line, the second as the build-a-figure from 2006's Marvel Legends Series 13). By 2007, Toy Biz had lost the Marvel license to Hasbro, and the following year saw the release of three new Transformers "Onslaught" toys as part of the Universe line. While there's no concrete evidence and this might be mere coincidence, it's possible that Hasbro's lawyers wanted to avoid a trademark conflict until they had established a business relationship with Marvel again. Hasbro subsequently released a new toy of the Marvel Onslaught character with 2010's Handful of Heroes Series 2.
- Furthermore, Hasbro released several other figures based on established Marvel characters as part of their Marvel Legends and Marvel Universe lines that share names with Transformers characters such as Venom, Guardian, Cannonball, Warpath and Electro. They're listed down here because these characters are original Marvel properties and the toys are only produced and released by Hasbro under license. Coincidentally, the Marvel Venom character was also part of the Transformers: Crossovers line-up, though.
See also
External links
