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Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:10 pm
by william-james88
Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by me, your fellow editor. These are my opinions (just like movie or game reviews hosted by sites are still just the opinion of one person) so what matters most is what you guys think of the topic or list, and I hope to see your own lists or comments on omissions and ranking. Let's have fun! All previous lists can be found here.
Due to some technical difficulties, the list could not be published last Saturday, but instead here we have it to start the week off, enjoy!


Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

This is Seibertron’s 50th list and for this milestone, I wanted to have some fun on a topic that can be quite subjective since it is 100% about your sense of aesthetic. Here are the 10 head sculpts I like most amongst all Transformers toys. Criteria is mixed and subjective but I went for what I found either well done, detailed, interesting or definitive with a hint of the brand’s legacy factoring in here and there.

10. Transformers Animated Oil Slick Gallery

It is a very humanoid head compared to most robotic heads sported by Transformers and it works well with his more slender physique. I like how it is within a dome, giving off that crazy scientist vibe (ala Mr Freeze and Herman von Klempt) which also works with the motif that his main weapons are liquid concotions he comes up with.

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9. Transformers Generations Jetfire Gallery

This was such a brilliant release by Hasbro. They honoured both the G1 toy and the cartoon in one fell swoop. That Macross themed mask is gorgeous and just exudes cool with a great respect to the best sci fi mecha design while the cartoon inspired face underneath is on point.

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8. Transformers Cybertron Sideways (Noise Maze)

I love how his head looks like a stylized decepticon symbol made more devilish. Him not having distinctive eyes works to great effect to capture a design of someone wanting the world to burn and have the flames reflect in his visor. Light piping was a great addition to the brand and it works wonders here.

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7. Transformers Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy

I love how part of this design is very traditional looking for an interpretation on the Optimus Prime Head sculpt. However, they add this extra beast era detail of having horns which adds a noble savagery to him. To me, this really becomes the ideal merging of a classic Optimus design for a Beast era, merging the two most important eras of Transformers, the one that started it and the one that brought it back. I also adore the metallic reflective eyes. While light piping may be awesome, I do like this alternative, it proves that there is more than one way to make a robot’s eyes feel alive.
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6. Transformers Animated Lockdown

This shows how the brand kept being fresh throughout the years. This was a fully original design for a character that is now as classic as any other. I love the black marks on his face, which remind me of a Dathomirian.

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5. Transformers Masterpiece Grimlock (Grimlock (MP-08))

As we get into the top 5, nostalgia is bound to weigh a bit more, and while this is such an iconic face, the reason why it has been such a mainstay is because it was awesome from day one. The faceplate and visor has this no nonsense vibe and harkens back to mecha designs older than Transformers. The rendition of that design here is magnificent.
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4. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Leader Megatron

Speaking of magnificence, the designers really outdid themselves with this head sculpt. While this may not be the ultimate rendition of G1 Megatron, it is the ultimate rendition of his face. I just love the extra dents and texture added to it, giving it a modern and more 3 dimensional spin on a classic catoon design.

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3. Transformers Cybertron Vector Prime

Speaking of classic designs harkening back to G1, we have Vector Prime, who’s face is literally the G1 autobot symbol. You can see it, from the crest to the mouth and chin piece. The Cybertron/Galaxy Force line had the very best head sculpts, to me, because they took familiar Transformers aesthetics and added to them, giving us something new and timeless. This design is a perfect example.

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2. Transformers Go! Budora

A sense of tradition goes a long way in a head design but rather than this head be an homage to a character, it instead harkens back to the history of where these toys originally come from. I am referring to the oni design that adorns his feline like helmet. Also, the eyes have that metallic sheen I loved so much from Big Convoy, but in a nice red tint to bring out the evil. The amount of detail here puts almost every other head sculpt to shame. But that’s ok, because if every oher head looked like this, then it wouldn’t be unique.

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1. Transformers Cybertron Hot Shot (Excellion)

It is hard to describe why I love this head sculpt so much but here I go. As I said with vector Prime, the Cybertron line excels at bringing out the best classical Transformers designs and making them new. This head is the epitome of that with references to classical autobot designs including prime like antennas, a helmet which reminds me a lot of Springer, especially at its base and a perfectly happy autobot face which looks similar to a Datsun brother. Yet the combination of all these elements gives it a brand new design that is all it own, especially with the inclusion of a clear yellow plastic visor that is reminiscent of the previous form of Hotshot (who was originally supposed to be Bumblebee) and the retractable visor. I love having all the differently coloured/painted plastic come together to form this head sculpt. Here, we see how the Brand can reinvent itself design wise and be new, while also preserving the legacy which has contributed to its longevity. It stays relevant but honors the past and that is what I hope in general from this Brand at every moment.

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Transformers Cybertron Hot Shot (Excellion) Gallery

Honourable Mentions: I am sure the comments section will be full of them, so please be sure to click the "join discussion" button to see them. As for me, the three I had a hard time removing off this list were the heads of Alternity Banzaitron, Beast Wars Neo Guiledart and 2001's RID Megatron.

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Transformers Alternity Banzai-Tron (Crystalo Black) Gallery

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Transformers Beast Wars Neo Guiledart Gallery

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Transformers Robots In Disguise Megatron (Gigatron) Gallery

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:31 pm
by D-Maximal_Primal
I think I'd like to nominate Titans Return Alpha Trion and Cerebros to that list.

I also think Beast Hunters Megatron had a magnificent face sculpt, as did Combiner Wars Defensor.
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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 4:18 pm
by Kurona
If we're talking Combiner headsculpts, you've gotta include this guy.

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It's so bloody amazing.

Favourite headsculpts... well, you can fault the CW line for it's mold re-use all you want, but most mold re-uses at least came with a great-looking new head. I find myself adoring Dustup, Onslaught, Hot Spot, Skyburst and Alpha Bravo in particular. Offroad was also great; while originally based on Ruckus' head it went in it's own crazy fractured direction that the sickly paintjob only helps to bring out.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 4:37 pm
by Oreo Bot
I feel like TFP Dead End doesn't get enough credit for such a cool head sculpt. And that light piping tho

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 4:48 pm
by Emerje
A few of my favorites:

Generations FOC Air Raid (Japanese version, totally badass)
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Cybertron Armorhide (My favorite Cybertron Scout figure)
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Hunt for the Decepticons Axor (Those details! And on a Decepticon without looking like a monster)
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Transformers Go! Bakudora (I like it better than Budora)
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Legends Blackarachnia (The head sculpt we always wanted)
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Cybertron Unicron (Sounds funny when you say it that way, and how was this never repainted into Bludgeon??)
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Transformers Legends Chromedome (Love how much face detail they got in around his eyes)
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I could go on, but I don't want to turn this into another top 10.

Emerje

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 4:48 pm
by Autobot Roadburn
Oreo Bot wrote:I feel like TFP Dead End doesn't get enough credit for such a cool head sculpt. And that light piping tho


THANK you! I have him sitting on my desk right now, he looks fantastic when he's backlit. I'd also like to mention MP Optimus Primal and Soundwave, Age of Extinction Evasion Mode Optimus Prime (battle mask version from Autobots United looks amazing) and Titans Return Brainstorm and Chromedome for how MTMTE-accurate they both look.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:07 pm
by -Kanrabat-
All right, nice list Will!

Now it's my turn to show n tell about my top 5 favorite head sculpts.
But be warned, I'm... unconventional.

#5) MP-03 Starscream, smirking version.

This head have great character and give Starscream life. Too bad the (ugh...) overpriced and garbage MP-11 remake don't have the face changing gimmick.

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#4) deluxe Optimus Primal, Beast Machines. (Beast head)

GAH! HOLY CRAP! That gorilla head is scary as hell! Sure, this figure is mostly hated because it's not show accurate at all. So what? This MOFO is "Shattered Glass" Optimus Primal and he will rip your throat out without a second thought.

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#3 Unicron, "Amazon Exclusive" version.

Noble and menacing at the same time, they really knocked it out of the park with that version.

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#2) ROTF Voyager Megatron

That's one hell of a detailed head. Even the teeth are shown and this head is way better than the Leader because of the pure concentrated EVIL it emmanate.

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#1) G1 Optimus Prime.

Okay, yeah, maybe I'm not that unconventional. Because how can I not give top honnors to the very bot that brought us to Transformers in the first place? G1 Optimus was my first TF ever in my childhood and my love for the brand may be because that bot BREATHE character and nobility. And when you look at a bot, the first thing you look at is the head. And Optimus's head IS Transformers.

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The Seibertron Gallery is broken here so have the image below instead:
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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:25 pm
by Easy Tiger
Of the top of my head, it has to be Unite Warriors Ultra Magnus.

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Transformers Legends Ultra Magnus Gallery

I'll be honest, I don't think he could get any more perfect than this.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 5:59 pm
by TK415
Cool lists everyone. I skimmed it. I look forward to taking a closer look.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:05 pm
by SureShot18

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:11 pm
by TFPhotoguy
Combiner wars Optimus Maximus and Titans Return Furous (Hardhead's headmaster) have got to be my favorites
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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:19 pm
by fenrir72
85% agree with your lists wj88. Especially Jetfire. But honoroble mention to Breacher and Jazz G1 and Alternity Convoy.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:43 pm
by Optimutt
Great list, WJ!

There have been such a smorgasbord of amazing faces over the years, and I'm sure it was not an easy pick to narrow down the list. Very well-thought out, and your descriptions of Budora and Lockdown are really good points that got me thinking. Very nice details about them.

Here are some of my favorites:

Omega Prime - I love, love LOVE this head. I love the toy. I love both Fire Convoy and Ultra Magnus, and I adore the combined form, even if it is a little limited in articulation. It is a thing of beauty.
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/reminator2 ... mehead.jpg

Prowl/ Bluestreak/ Smokescreen - G1 all had the same head, but what a head. The MP Prowl is the only one to retain the classic look, and it is utterly perfect. Saying that, I'm not dissing the MP SMokscreen or MP Bluestreak heads - far from it. All I'm saying is that only MP Prowl really carries over the original G1 toy perfection.
http://static.seibertron.com/images/toy ... owl043.jpg
http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uplo ... 191536.jpg

There are so many more out there that I can't even begin to list, but the heads are one of the things that they have been keeping us coming back for more. Homanges, originality, even the ugly ones (Looking at you, G1 Gnaw, and you RiD Bruticus).

Quick question: Could we get a Best Heads list for Beast heads in the future?

(and if anyone can get the linked images into the text, that would be wicked swell!)

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:55 pm
by DedicatedGhostArt
I personally would've put the ToysRUs exclusive Masterpiece Starscream's head on here also. And plus, it has the springy side vents instead of like on the original to where the head was way too thin looking.

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Transformers Masterpiece Starscream (MP-11) Gallery

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 8:57 pm
by Sharkticon Soup
I would definitely consider G1 Soundwave and G1 Prowl, the two figures whose heads inspired the Decepticon and Autobot symbols respectively. Oh and G1 Shockwave. That one eye just looks right through you. So little detail yet so powerful.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Mon Dec 12, 2016 10:11 pm
by paul053
Great list. I enjoy reading them.

I would add couple...

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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 12:36 am
by Andrius
All the animated guys have so much character. Swindle's smirk stands out in my mind.

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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 9:05 am
by william-james88
CMI-SillySpringer wrote:I personally would've put the ToysRUs exclusive Masterpiece Starscream's head on here also.

Does anyone here have the Unite Warriors Starscream? I ask because I do and I think its headsculpt is even better than the MP.

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-Kanrabat- wrote:#2) ROTF Voyager Megatron

That's one hell of a detailed head. Even the teeth are shown and this head is way better than the Leader because of the pure concentrated EVIL it emmanate.

I only ever had the Leader, I wil be getting the voyager next year with the Takara aniversary release. I had not realized the voyager had a superior headsculpt and I look forward to experiencing it.

Optimutt wrote:There are so many more out there that I can't even begin to list, but the heads are one of the things that they have been keeping us coming back for more. Homanges, originality, even the ugly ones (Looking at you, G1 Gnaw, and you RiD Bruticus).

Quick question: Could we get a Best Heads list for Beast heads in the future?


I was ok with Gnaw, he's cute (like Universe Hound), but yeah I am not a fan of that Bruticus.

Interesting list, the one about the beasts, I had not thoght of it. But yeah, thats a good idea. I will get one started. You got any ideas off the top fo your head?

TK415 wrote:Cool lists everyone. I skimmed it. I look forward to taking a closer look.


And I look forward to reading your own list :)

D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I also think Beast Hunters Megatron had a magnificent face sculpt, as did Combiner Wars Defensor.
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Why the shark one over the original? Is it the colours you like better?

All these comments are great. If anyone cares, all the ones below were contenders that were on at a certain point as I was thining the list:

paul053 wrote:I would add couple...
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Optimutt wrote:Omega Prime
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MP Prowl really carries over the original G1 toy perfection.
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Oreo Bot wrote:TFP Dead End


Emerje wrote:Transformers Go! Bakudora (I like it better than Budora)
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fenrir72 wrote:Alternity Convoy.


SureShot18 wrote:Here's some off the top of my head. (Hehe)
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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:13 am
by Kurona
william-james88 wrote:
CMI-SillySpringer wrote:I personally would've put the ToysRUs exclusive Masterpiece Starscream's head on here also.

Does anyone here have the Unite Warriors Starscream? I ask because I do and I think its headsculpt is even better than the MP.

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I'd be tempted to agree as the head looks incredible... but then we get to the face. It's so... squashed and has a comically childish frown on it that looks less like Starscream's plans got foiled and more like Alpha Trion told him he has to share his toys with Prowl.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 4:07 pm
by D-Maximal_Primal
william-james88 wrote:
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:I also think Beast Hunters Megatron had a magnificent face sculpt, as did Combiner Wars Defensor.
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Why the shark one over the original? Is it the colours you like better?

Well, the original had a good head and there is nothing wrong with it, but the remold just looks so much more evil and possessed, for lack of better wording. Those teeth, that head crest, the colors, it screams an awesome head that is evil and fierce and says "I dare ya to fight me. I'll literally eat your spark while you live"

It really ticks the boxes for me, not to mention evil green eyes

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:30 pm
by DarkEnergon
My favorite - iconic and still unique:

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Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 7:13 am
by Emerje
D-Maximus_Prime wrote:It really ticks the boxes for me, not to mention evil green eyes


That penetrate your very soul! :DEVIL:

Emerje

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:01 pm
by ebo716
My favorite is cw rook because it is a chess piece, a Russian snow hat, and a football helmet all at once

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2016 5:10 am
by Gingko
A good list, but a hard list to do. And like others, i would have added a few others.

Some with parts :
Lugnut
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Tankor
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Maybe i have a thing for the one-eye-bot ?


And for "one piece head sculpt" :

Waspinator
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rampage
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Landmine
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In Transformers Prime and Animated there also somes very good head sculpt. Like said, not an easy list to do.

Re: Top 10 Best Head Sculpts

PostPosted: Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:39 am
by fenrir72
Titans return/Legends Metroflex (with chrome)