Top 5 Best Samurai Themed Transformer Toys
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2017 2:03 pmEvery 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.
Top 5 Samurai Transformer Toys
I realized that I lost track of time at some point (having a new baby will do that to you) and on week was skipped in December. So to remedy that, you are getting this new list just one week after the previous one about the best Ravage toys (where most people surprisingly agreed that the Masterpiece version was not the best). But enough of older lists, on with the new. 2018 will be giving us a new take on the the most popular Pretender figure of all time, Bludgeon, and in light of this I chose to look back on the best Samurai themed toys (since a list of just Bludgeon would not leave us with much).
With the Transformer toys originating from Japan, it only makes sense that the toy designs would emulate certain archetypes from the motherland even when designed by western designers (which is the case for every one of these top 5 toys). The Samurai armor is legendary and many designers have had fun throughout the year to integrate it into a Transformer's design regardless of how much sense that would make for alien robots. It is a fun and recognizable theme and here are the top 5 toys that make it work best.
5. Transformers Age of Extinction: Generations Drift
While the initial Drift character design was more subtle when it first appeared in the comics, the Michael Bay version takes it to a whole other level. The robot mode doesnt take cues from the samurai look, it is the samurai look, probably the most out of all this list. You have the leather armour complete with Haidate and Sode (thigh armour and shoulder pads). I love how efficient and smart the design is. The Sode are done by folding the car doors outward which replaces alt mode detail with brand new detail for the robot mode. The robot's chest is still the front of the car, thus retaining the Bugatti logo at the front, but peeled to reveal a samurai armour chest. He also has weapons storage for his 4 swords. The goal of the Takara designers when thinking of the engineering was to make him have as much robot specific detail as possible without it being overly complicated to transform and I think it's a mission they accomplished and even better than the retool that came out for Transformers: The Last Knight.
4. Transformers Generations Drift
While movie Drift is fun, I still find the initial Drift release to be a better toy. The Samurai theme is present but more subdued with more of a look at what a samurai warrior would look like on Cybertron, made up of more car details. I especially like the big shoulders and the sword sheets that along with the car doors acting as the Haidate (armoured skirt). He also has the best sword found on this entire list.
3. Transformers Animated Samurai Prowl
This guy is a whole storm of Japanese themes. He is a motorcycle that turns into a ninja Transformer. The articulation even permits you to give him some amazing sneaking poses since you have have him stand on his toes. The best part though is that a later release of the toy came with a side car for the motorcycle and this side car could unfold into samurai armour. It just works so well as a toy. Everything fits perfectly turning a ninja into a samurai (at the cost of articulation). While the base toy is awesome and was already number 1 on a previous list, it is his samurai mode that is the focus here and the fact that it removes more than 60% of his initial phenomenal articulation is definitely a point against him.
2. Transformers: Robots In Disguise (2015) Drift
This to me is the best of both worlds in terms of a Drift Transformer. While the AOE seemed to be wearing a human's samurai costume, the IDW Drift was more taking cues from the general look. This guy though fuses the themes to give you a very distinctive samurai look while also using most of his car parts. He is by far the most fun to transform of the three Drifts and the flipping car panel to reveal the robot chest is brilliant and efficient. I also love how well his giant shoulders are the same pieces found at the front of the car and don't seem out of place in either mode. He also has a fun headsculpt I prefer to the AOE mask, complete with a phenomenal mustache (which Hasbro forgot to paint, but that's why we have Takara, or sharpies). His alt mode is also sublime and super sleek, by far the best Drift alt mode so far.
1. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Bludgeon
I realize this list has a lot of Drift, as opposed to Bludgeon who is (or was?) the main Samurai themed bot in the brand. But that is because with Drift being less of a classic character, his look and personality was readily altered depending on the medium with Bludgeon usually staying more true to his original looks. Plus it doesnt help that his most recent toys (Prime, RID) have all been redecos/retools of previous toys. But the Revenge of the Fallen toy was Bludgeon through and through. This was a no-brainer for the number 1 spot, what a perfect toy. The idea was to homage a robot who turned into a tank which hid inside the shell of a non transforming toy which looked like an undead samurai. So what they did was have the alt mode be the tank and have the robot mode be the samurai, repurposing some alt mode detail. They knock that part out of the park by having the tank threads become the samurai armour on his legs and arms along with other piece of the tank, making this samurai armour near impenetrable. The tank cannon is where the longer sword is stored and the tank's turret can open up to reveal a sheath containing a shorter sword. These are all design masterstrokes, and it is hard to believe that this was released as part of the movie line. The homage being perfectly executed and using the alt mode to the robot mode's advantage earns this figure the rightful spot at the top.
Honourable mentions:
It would be hard not to mention the very first full on samurai ransformers toy, Transformers G1 1989 Bludgeon Gallery. Now you can look at the pictures above and see just how well the challenge was executed.
Banzaitron was also a robot who had an Asian theme about him and though the Asian look was further emphazised when he was redeco'd from ROTF Bludgeon, it was fun to see that carry through in the Alternity line. That line actually gave a samurai look to Megatron as well and I think it worked well for both of them:
Transformers Alternity Banzai-Tron (Crystalo Black) and Megatron
Top 5 Samurai Transformer Toys
I realized that I lost track of time at some point (having a new baby will do that to you) and on week was skipped in December. So to remedy that, you are getting this new list just one week after the previous one about the best Ravage toys (where most people surprisingly agreed that the Masterpiece version was not the best). But enough of older lists, on with the new. 2018 will be giving us a new take on the the most popular Pretender figure of all time, Bludgeon, and in light of this I chose to look back on the best Samurai themed toys (since a list of just Bludgeon would not leave us with much).
With the Transformer toys originating from Japan, it only makes sense that the toy designs would emulate certain archetypes from the motherland even when designed by western designers (which is the case for every one of these top 5 toys). The Samurai armor is legendary and many designers have had fun throughout the year to integrate it into a Transformer's design regardless of how much sense that would make for alien robots. It is a fun and recognizable theme and here are the top 5 toys that make it work best.
5. Transformers Age of Extinction: Generations Drift
While the initial Drift character design was more subtle when it first appeared in the comics, the Michael Bay version takes it to a whole other level. The robot mode doesnt take cues from the samurai look, it is the samurai look, probably the most out of all this list. You have the leather armour complete with Haidate and Sode (thigh armour and shoulder pads). I love how efficient and smart the design is. The Sode are done by folding the car doors outward which replaces alt mode detail with brand new detail for the robot mode. The robot's chest is still the front of the car, thus retaining the Bugatti logo at the front, but peeled to reveal a samurai armour chest. He also has weapons storage for his 4 swords. The goal of the Takara designers when thinking of the engineering was to make him have as much robot specific detail as possible without it being overly complicated to transform and I think it's a mission they accomplished and even better than the retool that came out for Transformers: The Last Knight.
4. Transformers Generations Drift
While movie Drift is fun, I still find the initial Drift release to be a better toy. The Samurai theme is present but more subdued with more of a look at what a samurai warrior would look like on Cybertron, made up of more car details. I especially like the big shoulders and the sword sheets that along with the car doors acting as the Haidate (armoured skirt). He also has the best sword found on this entire list.
3. Transformers Animated Samurai Prowl
This guy is a whole storm of Japanese themes. He is a motorcycle that turns into a ninja Transformer. The articulation even permits you to give him some amazing sneaking poses since you have have him stand on his toes. The best part though is that a later release of the toy came with a side car for the motorcycle and this side car could unfold into samurai armour. It just works so well as a toy. Everything fits perfectly turning a ninja into a samurai (at the cost of articulation). While the base toy is awesome and was already number 1 on a previous list, it is his samurai mode that is the focus here and the fact that it removes more than 60% of his initial phenomenal articulation is definitely a point against him.
2. Transformers: Robots In Disguise (2015) Drift
This to me is the best of both worlds in terms of a Drift Transformer. While the AOE seemed to be wearing a human's samurai costume, the IDW Drift was more taking cues from the general look. This guy though fuses the themes to give you a very distinctive samurai look while also using most of his car parts. He is by far the most fun to transform of the three Drifts and the flipping car panel to reveal the robot chest is brilliant and efficient. I also love how well his giant shoulders are the same pieces found at the front of the car and don't seem out of place in either mode. He also has a fun headsculpt I prefer to the AOE mask, complete with a phenomenal mustache (which Hasbro forgot to paint, but that's why we have Takara, or sharpies). His alt mode is also sublime and super sleek, by far the best Drift alt mode so far.
1. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen Bludgeon
I realize this list has a lot of Drift, as opposed to Bludgeon who is (or was?) the main Samurai themed bot in the brand. But that is because with Drift being less of a classic character, his look and personality was readily altered depending on the medium with Bludgeon usually staying more true to his original looks. Plus it doesnt help that his most recent toys (Prime, RID) have all been redecos/retools of previous toys. But the Revenge of the Fallen toy was Bludgeon through and through. This was a no-brainer for the number 1 spot, what a perfect toy. The idea was to homage a robot who turned into a tank which hid inside the shell of a non transforming toy which looked like an undead samurai. So what they did was have the alt mode be the tank and have the robot mode be the samurai, repurposing some alt mode detail. They knock that part out of the park by having the tank threads become the samurai armour on his legs and arms along with other piece of the tank, making this samurai armour near impenetrable. The tank cannon is where the longer sword is stored and the tank's turret can open up to reveal a sheath containing a shorter sword. These are all design masterstrokes, and it is hard to believe that this was released as part of the movie line. The homage being perfectly executed and using the alt mode to the robot mode's advantage earns this figure the rightful spot at the top.
Honourable mentions:
It would be hard not to mention the very first full on samurai ransformers toy, Transformers G1 1989 Bludgeon Gallery. Now you can look at the pictures above and see just how well the challenge was executed.
Banzaitron was also a robot who had an Asian theme about him and though the Asian look was further emphazised when he was redeco'd from ROTF Bludgeon, it was fun to see that carry through in the Alternity line. That line actually gave a samurai look to Megatron as well and I think it worked well for both of them:
Transformers Alternity Banzai-Tron (Crystalo Black) and Megatron
Other than that, I think I agree.
