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Every month now, 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.


Top 5 Best Thundercracker Transformers Toys

After our previous Top 5 Starscream list, an interesting discussion ensued on our boards. While other Starscream molds were brought up, many felt that some worked better for other seekers. And that gave me the idea to look at every seeker as an individual character and revisit their history within the brand. It was fascinating to see how each seeker has their own idiosyncratic molds and some molds that they just own. Today we will cover Thundercracker.

5. Action Master Thundercracker Solo Mission Jet Plane

Thundercracker is the only other seeker released in the Action Master line and while he does share the same mold as Starscream, the toy is rather unique in other ways. First of all, that deco is CRAZY but in the best ways. Definitely screams more G2 than anything else and that makes sense since this was a (totally rad) 90s toy. He does have his own unique molding in terms of accessories which is a jet that he can pilot (just adding to the wackiness) that then turns into a mecha body for him. Fun playability all around and an iconic deco that is now remembered as Shatterred Glass Thundercracker.










4. Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Leader Thundercracker

While I was not a huge fan of this toy when it was released as Starscream, I thought it looked great as Thundercracker. It's a very imposing toy and makes a fun and affordable display piece, compared to the MP.






3. Studio Series Thundercracker

This is one of the few molds that Thundercracker has which Starscream does not. And unlike other instances (like the Cybertron line) this mold rocks! I really love how it blends the symmetry of the jet mode with the asymmetry of the robot mode. It also has a very satisfying and meaty transformation. Hasbro gave this release some extra attention in the deco department, as we see on the thunder motif tail and extra deco on the knees. I like that the new head sculpt is fairly Starscream-like but still unique and he is Titan Master compatible for even more fun. This was also one of the very last Toysrus exclusives ever available in the US, an extra piece of bittersweet trivia.








2. Earthrise Thundercracker

What a solid toy. I loved the Classics mold but the size just didn't work for me. So now that issue is fixed with the Earthrise toy and we also have him in more show accurate colours and improved articulation so it's just win win.






1. Siege Thundercracker

While both molds are good, I tend to preffer the Earthrise mold over the Siege one for Seekers. However with Thundercracker, there is a bit more at play since this Siege version gives us his first look in the cartoon. While Starscream is the main seeker, it was Thundercracker that we saw on Cybertron in this tetrajet form and unlike Skywarp, who accompanied him, Hasbro nailed the deco.










Honourable Mention

Transformers Convention Club Shattered Glass Thundercracker

While the calssics mold is somewhat covered with the Earthrise mold already on the list, I wanted to mention it again here, especially since there was an exclusive release by the Transformers Club which gave us the Action Master deco through their Shatterred Glass Thundercracker.

That Grimlock head on Thundercracker's body is undoubtedly the coolest thing I've seen today.

You know, I still really enjoy Cybertron Thundercracker.

Bite me

My favorite of the Seekers, mainly due to that beautiful blue. However, I don't bundle ER and Classics together, even if ER is basically a larger version of Classics. ER is better due to its larger size and better parts. I also place ER at the top of the list, it's a better figure than the Siege version. My list:

5. Studio Series
4. Siege
3. Armada
2. MP-11T
1. Earthrise

Honorable mention: Combiner Wars leader class.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You know, I still really enjoy Cybertron Thundercracker.

Bite me

Hey man, you know me, I don't judge.

I want to get that Studio Series Thundercracker at retail price. I also hope Skywarp gets made from the Blitzwing mold so we can have three distinct but still cool Seekers.

Funny you should honorably mention SG Thundercracker, since my #1 is a tie between literally every other use of the Classics mold that attempted Thundercracker's deco.

See, what makes Thundercracker special among Seekers is, ironically, his generic-ness. That is, most of the generic Seekers in both Season One 3-parters had templates based on his layout, so once you have every release of CHUGGURL Thundercracker from Games of Deception to Generations, including every Takara release and KO that tried to be him, just decide which one gets his color scheme the closest, then use TFWiki, Zobobor's PVC repaints (if you can find what's left of his site), or some other online guide to repurpose each slightly different hue of blue into a specific generic, and you've got the biggest, most show accurate 'Con air force possible, without even bothering to customize! Assuming you also have every every other use of the mold, official or not, including 3 of the purple "Air Warrior" generics for good measure.

Until the Earthrise mold gets reused THAT much, it ain't replacing jack-slag in my collection.

And good call on the bittersweetness of SS TC, Will. I worked for Toys'R'Us until the bitter end, and that was the last TF I ever helped a fellow collector find. I still can't take mine out of his box; too many emotions.

william-james88 wrote:

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:You know, I still really enjoy Cybertron Thundercracker.

Bite me

Hey man, you know me, I don't judge.

People, you don't judge people. If you didn't judge you wouldn't make top lists.

I'm just not a fan of the Nitro mold, doesn't really do anything for me and mine doesn't tab together properly. I have a KSI Boss I haven't opened, not sure if that would change my mind about the tabbing or not.

My list is a little different since it includes a figure that technically isn't Thundercracker.

5) G1 Thundercracker - Yeah, he's a brick and you have to remove the fists and move the guns to transform him, but he's such a great looking figure in hand. I love the sparkly blue, it looks so good in person.


4) Titanium Thundercracker - It's amazing that they could do such a great job with the first attempt at a Tetra Jet, looking like it popped right out of the War Within comic.


3) Transformers Legends (Takara Tomy) Armada Starscream Super Mode - I'm a huge fan of the Aramda jet mold and this mold was a clever update. If it was bigger it would definitely be a contender for the number two or even one spot.


2) Siege Thundercracker - Almost a perfect interpretation of the cartoon Tetra Jets, if only they could have done something better with the legs he might be number one.


1) Earthrise/Classics Thundercracker - The Classics mold was already a nearly perfect upgrade to the original Seeker mold, but the Earthrise mold took everything that was great about it and made it even better. I hate to say they can never top this figure, but it sure wont be easy.



Emerje

I'd probably replace the actual AM Thundercracker with the FunPub repaint and cut the classics version altogether. In my mine the ER mold just replaces it's use. Except as background filling genericons, of course!

Are you going to complete the Triforce and make a top 5 Skywarps? Is there a particular Skywarp that just scream him as opposed to any other Seeker? The only one I can think of is the War For Cybertron version since he was in that body a long time in the comics. But if you don't read the comics it's just not the same.

The only Thundercrackers I have are Studio Series and the DOTM deluxe, so I’m glad to see Studio Series on here! It’s such a cool figure, I like that the head sculpt is fairly Starscream-like but still unique.

Even though he’s not an on-screen character, I think it’s cool that they actually tried to incorporate him into DOTM with the short bio.

EvasionModeBumblebee wrote:The only Thundercrackers I have are Studio Series and the DOTM deluxe, so I’m glad to see Studio Series on here! It’s such a cool figure, I like that the head sculpt is fairly Starscream-like but still unique.

That is exactly what I meant to write (will be using that).

Gauntlet101010 wrote:I'd probably replace the actual AM Thundercracker with the FunPub repaint and cut the classics version altogether. In my mine the ER mold just replaces it's use.

I forgot I had them tied, fixed that since I do feel the same with Earthrise replacing classics.

Are you going to complete the Triforce and make a top 5 Skywarps?

Hell yeah!

Is there a particular Skywarp that just scream him as opposed to any other Seeker?

Yes, my top 5 Skywarp list is almost completely different from either my Thundercracker or Starscream list.

The only one I can think of is the War For Cybertron version since he was in that body a long time in the comics. But if you don't read the comics it's just not the same.

I make further arguments as to why that mold is really good as Skywarp and works better for him than others.

Classics Thundercracker had a better blue.

I don't suppose the Cybertron TC mold will have a shot on that Skywarp list?

Here are mine for TC:
5. G1 Thundercracker. A partsforming brick, but a good-looking one with nice features (it looks and feels like a poor man's Valkyrie). Love that sparkly dark blue, and I like when subsequent toys use it instead of settling for the cartoon's approximation. Easily my favorite deco for the G1 mold.
4. Dark of the Moon Thundercracker. Yeah, he's a Starscream redeco instead of quasi-unique like Studio Series, but the design looks really good in G1 Thundercracker colors (especially with the G1 toy-esque dark blue). Makes me want to get a spare HFTD Leader and paint it up in those colors.
3. Cybertron Thundercracker. He was doing the "bodily distinct from Starscream" thing everybody loves SS TC for before it was cool</hipster>, he's a cool homage to the Cyberjets, he's got a nice big gun (and if you pinch the shoulder strut in between his chest and back like you're supposed to, he supports it well), his Su-37 jet mode looks awesome, and he's got a great color scheme.
2. SIEGE/Earthrise Thundercracker. Don't own the ER Seeker mold, but based on everything I've seen and heard about it I'd put it on equal footing with SIEGE. And SIEGE is pretty good - captures the cartoon Tetrajet fairly cleverly, looks good in both modes, well-articulated, fun to play with, very nice.
1. Armada Thundercracker. Yes, the Armada Seeker mold's articulation is limited in some ways. But it's not horrible. And he's got great gimmicks - carrying his Mini-Con under the fuselage as a deployable scout car, electronic sounds that don't require AAA (or worse, AA) batteries, boosters that become missile launchers, and of course the wing sword. He's got lovely shelf presence, and both the robot mode and the jet mode look cool. Plus I like how the mold takes the classic Seeker design's Valkyrie heritage and just runs with it.

cruizerdave wrote:Classics Thundercracker had a better blue.

If you're talking about the Generations release, I agree; it's a nice dark blue that comes close to the G1 toy. Botcon or Henkei, not so much.

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:I don't suppose the Cybertron TC mold will have a shot on that Skywarp list?

Not on my list, but it could on yours

Thanks for sharing your list.

Hi there, nice list.

The studio series Thundercracker looks really nice in Bot mode, especially with the second head you posted. The Planemode is not my favorite though. Earthrise TC is my 3rd favorite, cause i think it just looks really nice in both modes and the size is just right. In my opinion Siege TC looks too bulky and is missing some smoothness that the cartoon version has. So no thanks on that one. My second favorite is G1 TC, because hes precious! Now where did we hear that
My No.1 TC is still Masterpiece MP 11. The mold is not perfect anymore and feels a bit outdated, the articulation ist not the greatest, compared to the Seeker mold 3.0 (don`t know why Takara is calling it 2.0), but he still looks awesome together with Starscream and Skywarp on a shelf. And if you put MP 36 Megatron with them its just the best . Do I really need a 3.0 Masterpiece Thundercracker? Not really I'm happy as I am.



Cheers

had to stop reading after #5 as my eyes started bleeding.

nah, kidding. good list overall.

Overcracker wrote:Surprisingly I agree with the list.

If anything, I'd give an honorable mention to the actual Armada Thundercracker (even though he's technically not TC).

I enjoy that mold so much. Hell even the Wing Sword is a cool touch. The color scheme just works for that mold better than Starscream I think.

And the Minicon gimmick is quite unintrusive, but satisfying when used.

Yes! This mold (the regular version) was my first Starscream, and easily has one of my favourite headsculpts of the franchise. That smug, smug smirk, man! Also yeah those colours are great.

And this is a great list! I will agree that CW Thundercracker looks much nicer than Starscream or Skywarp- I didn't buy him myself, but if I were for some reason to acquire any of the three, it'd be that version. And good to see SS Thundercracker getting some love, he's a great toy. Also pulls off a great made-up jet which IMO works far better than the phony Phantom that Blitzwing got saddled with, and I love love LOVE the thunderbolt tailfin stripes.

A few I'd be tempted to honourable mention:
>DOTM Thundercracker: A mold good enough to be upscaled and tweaked for SS as Starscream, except in blue and with a chainsaw. What's not to like?
>07 Thundercracker: Tragic jet mode aside I loved this sucker as a lad. The robot mode was remarkably expressive, the transformation interesting (even if the results were disappointing), the colours were delightful and the headsculpt was great.
>Robotmasters Thundercracker: Not a great toy by today's standards, but an interesting precursor to the much-loved Classics mold.
>Titanium Thundercracker: Again, a bit of a crap toy, but a cool design that certainly looks nice enough. The tetrajet mode is probably one of my favourite tetrajet redesigns too!

Now the question is, will we get a Top 5 Coneheads list and a Top 5 Misc Seekers list (Sunstorm, Classics Acid Storm etc)?

Love that Shattered Glass Thundercracker!

I absolutely love the Siege mold, but you have to switch his face with Starscream. The smirk is more fitting for Screamer while I feel the stoic look fits Thundercracker better.
The Earthrise mold is very very nice too. A nice clean G1 look. I like the extra port on the top of the jet mode too so you can arm him up with an extra gun like a battlemaster.

Evil Eye wrote:Now the question is, will we get a Top 5 Coneheads list ?

Each Conehead will get his very own list. I detailed every upcoming list for the next 2 years right here

master-list-for-top-5-best-transformers-lists-p1642668.php#p1642668

megamanfan wrote:had to stop reading after #5 as my eyes started bleeding.

nah, kidding. good list overall.

I chose that image of the box just for that effect, totally shattering (pun intended) any perception we may have for Thundercracker and his usual colour.

Speaking of that box, did you all see that price. OUCH!!!!

20$ 30 years ago (exactly) is almost double today in terms of inflation. We see that a bunch in toys these days where a 10$ deluxe back in the 90s is a 20$ deluxe today (simply in terms of what a parent is willing to pay for a toy).

But man, if that same action master thundercracker was released for $40 today I bet lots of fans would say it was a ridiculous price, when it's the same price this toy was back in the day. Man TFs back in the day were not cheap, at all.

william-james88 wrote:But man, if that same action master thundercracker was released for $40 today I bet lots of fans would say it was a ridiculous price, when it's the same price this toy was back in the day. Man TFs back in the day were not cheap, at all.

Back when I was a kid I never could get into TFs since they were the expensive toys.

I may have overcompensated for that now.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:

william-james88 wrote:But man, if that same action master thundercracker was released for $40 today I bet lots of fans would say it was a ridiculous price, when it's the same price this toy was back in the day. Man TFs back in the day were not cheap, at all.

Back when I was a kid I never could get into TFs since they were the expensive toys.

I may have overcompensated for that now.

Same here!

I completely agree with Siege Thundercracker at Number One. I'm also pleasantly surprised to see the Leader Class version included. I was under the impression not many people liked it.

I still think the Earthrise mold is too small.

I like that IDW made G2 Ramjet and Actionmaster Thundercracker separate characters to the G1 guys.

I remember having Movie Voyager Thundercracker from 2007. Great colors but the bulky arms and Doritos style robot shape and goat leg feet was too weird for me. No idea where he disappeared though.