Hoist’s Top Ten Transformers – Generations

Welcome to Hoist’s Top Ten Transformers series! In these articles, I will be showing off the top ten transformers figures from my collection. The top ten from each toy line will be chosen and the series will culminate in an overall top ten. This Generations list includes all of the lines that more-or-less homage the original characters (commonly called CHUG for Classics, Henkei, United, Generations) but also includes lines such as the RTS (Reveal The Shield) line. Also, even though the War for Cybertron (WFC) and Fall of Cybertron (FOC) figures were released under the Generations line, I felt there were enough of them to warrant a list of their own. This was a very difficult line to narrow down to just a top ten partly because there are just so many that fall into this category, but also because there are so many fantastic figures. I know that I have left out a lot of great figures and I also know that if I were to make this list again in a few months, it’s highly likely that it would look different. In fact, one of the figures that made this list has only been in my collection for about a week! Let’s get to the list!

10. Wreck-Gar

Wreck-Gar is, without a doubt, the best motorcycle Transformer ever. He transforms from a fantastic looking dirt bike to a practically perfect representation of everyone’s favorite television addict! He is highly posable and the best part is that if you have two Wreck-Gar figures or even one of the repaints, like Junkheap, these guys can actually ride one another just like in the 1986 movie thanks to tabs on the crotch and slots on the motorcycle seat!

9. Rattrap

Rattrap has only been in my collection for a few days and he makes this list for being a wonderful representation of the vermin from Beast Wars! He has spot-on robot and rat modes. The rat mode even supports having him stand on his hind legs as he did many times during the show. Sure, the robot bits that are normally hidden in rat mode are on full display when he stands up, but that is a small price to pay for the additional playability. It is this extra feature (along withe being fresh on my mind) that give Rattrap the nod over the other fantastic Generations figure form Beast Wars – Waspinator.

8. Jazz

Jazz was my favorite character from G1 and I was super happy to see that he got a truly great figure in the Generations (actually Reveal The Shield) line. OK, so the alt-mode isn’t a Porsche, but everything about this figure screams Jazz! The paint job, the large fours and even the flip-out speakers on his door wings are classic Jazz. He can even flip out the speakers in car mode so he can entertain (or annoy) all his fellow Autobots!

7. Warpath

Purists will decry Warpath due to his H-tank alt-mode as opposed to a traditional tank, but that’s really just nit-picking. Everything about this figure is amazing. The color is perfect. The turret rotates and the barrel raises and lowers (both are remarkably rare feature for tank Transformers, surprisingly). He has homages to his trademark speech pattern stenciled on his fuselage, KA-90W (KAPOW!) and Z0W-333 (ZOWIEE!!). Top all that off with a highly articulate, fun-to-transform figure and you have a really special figure.

6. Ratbat

Ratbat is the first Takara figure that I ever got and now I understand why so many people prefer them. He is beautiful. Clearly, this is a retool of the Generations Scourge figure, but Ratbat makes this list because of the deep, rich purple and due to portraying Senator Ratbat from the comics – before he was reformatted into one of Soundwave’s cassettes.

5. Orion Pax

Finally! We got an official Orion Pax figure! And he’s AWESOME! This is clearly the bot who would later become Optimus Prime when he receives the Matrix of Leadership. He is a highly posable and fun-to-transform figure and looks great in any collection. The only negative that I have heard about this figure is that it is a tad on the small side. Personally, I think that actually fits perfect since it helps to demonstrate the physical, as well as figurative, growth that he undertakes when he becomes Optimus Prime.

4. Sandstorm

How can you go wrong with a triple-changer? Well, I suppose it’s possible, but fortunately, this is not one of those times. Springer was the original character to use this particular mold and he would be in this spot if the nearly impossible didn’t happen – a remold turned out better than the original! Maybe I’m biased since I had (and still have!) G1 Sandstorm, but never got Springer. Then again, I love how the big, beefy rear wheels from the dune buggy mode become the blades for the VTOL mode and end up on his back to give him a very imposing and unmistakable presence in bot mode.

3. Drift

Drift haters just go ahead and skip to the next entry because I love Drift! He is one of the first figures that I got when I started collecting Transformers again and I think he’s one of the main reasons why I’m still going strong because he is a fun figure and even more fun character! He has a great looking car mode and a fun transformation into a great looking bot mode. Oh yeah, he has three swords! The two smaller sword store in his hip mounted scabbards which is a fantastic touch (especially since most weapons end up having to sit on the side when not in use or look super wonky in vehicle mode. *cough* MechTech *cough* Last but not least, he has his Great Sword which can be wielded with both hands as a gigantic, mystical, spark-linked sword should.

2. Lugnut

Lugnut is hands-down the best airplane Transformer that I have ever seen. Unlike the famed Seekers and other jet Transformers that look great from above but are little more than folded-up robots from below, Lugnut looks great in his bomber mode from every angle! OK, so his hands are a little obvious on his wings, but that can easily be read as fuel tanks and/or weapons. Once his amazing transformation process is complete, he is a perfect representation of the Decepticon bruiser from Transformers: Animated. From his cyclopean face (Yes he has smaller eyes on his head, but it’s the one big one that counts) with a moving jaw, to his spring-loaded Punch Of Kill Everything (P.O.K.E) gimmicks on both claw-like fists, he is unmistakably Lugnut.

Oh yeah! Since Lugnut is so fiercely loyal to Megatron, he now holds the Megatron gun that came with Masterpiece Soundwave all the time. Shh! Don’t tell him it’s not really Megatron.

1. Lockdown

Lockdown is truly remarkable – he is a Deluxe class figure that transforms into a robot that stands taller than most Voyager class figures. This is achieved by basically unfolding the entire car mode to form the robot. On top of the lanky but attractive (and seriously spiky!) body with the menacing hook, his head is a true work of art. While most Transformers get high marks from reviewers from having the head mounted on a ball joint, Lockdown ups the ante by not just having a ball joint, or even two. He has three ball joints and a swivel joint which allows his head to be posed in pretty much any direction imaginable! Finally, the alt-mode is a fantastically spiky Corvette-like vehicle that is a spitting image of the Transformers: Animated figure on which this is based. By the way, I know Lockdown was released under the Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) movie toyline, but he was never actually in that movie. This figure is clearly an homage of the TFA Lockdown and this model is even used in the IDW comics where many other Generations figures come from. Besides, now that Age of Extinction features a different version of Lockdown, complete with a different toy, this guys is now, in my head-canon (which is different than the AOE Lockdown’s face cannon) at least, a Generations figure.