The Energon Pub

Every two weeks, Seibertron.com brings you a Top 5 list related to all things Transformers written by your fellow editor or a guest writer. These are our opinions 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 Transformers Energon Toys

I will be honest, at first I thought the Energon line was the worst line we ever had. But that's because the first toys I got for the line were the Autobots, specifically the deluxe and mega ones (more specifically Ironhide and Prowl ). So you can see why this line was not a hit in my eyes. But as I learnt more about it, and saw some Decepticons, I saw that there was a lot to enjoy. Especially with the Scout class, and this is the line where we first saw these toys. And Energon Scouts remain to this day the best examples of this class. Now We'll see what other beauties this line had to offer. Also, this list is for a local fan of these lists who reached out to say that they were big Energon fans and were hoping for a list to be made. Well, I hope you (and everyone else reading) have fun with it.


5. Transformers Energon Shockblast (Laser Wave)

With Energon being a 20th anniversary line, it contained a lot of homages and callback to G1. Including the very first Shockwave toy since G1 (and the first one ever designed by Takara). While it wasn't a gun, there was a lot to love, the scale especially making this the defacto Classics Shockwave for years. It's also quite the competent triple changer and has one kick ass robot mode.














4. Transformers Energon Sharkticon

One of the best water based Transformers of all time. An homage to the Sharkticons while being very much something new all of his own. I remember finding the transformation a bit simple but that by no means negates anything about him. And with me realizing that sometimes complexity is not all it's cooked up to be, I see nothing wrong with this well articulated toy that has some great and non obtrusive action features and a unique look.












3. Transformers Energon Megatron (Galvatron)

I know what you are thinking, another Decepticon? Well yeah, that's basically all this line did right. And boy did it do those right. This toy is awe inspiring in design with a ton of call backs. He comes with a tank accessory which is basically Megatron's Armada form and you can either latch it onto the great looking spaceship (which definitely has some X-Wing callbacks) or arm the robot. You can also use it as a sword handle (just don't put eateries in it, that sound will crush your dreams). While the robot looks imposing in his own right, I love how the designers interwove some Galvatron designs, such as the barrel chest, leg designs, abdominal piece and crown.
















2. Transformers Energon Omega Supreme

HELL YEAH! I just find this toy so smart. Just as in G1 you do get Omega Surpeme as a giant robot who can breakdown into playsets for your smaller bots. But unlike G1, there are less parts involved and it feels more like a Transformer but with tons of play features. Including a headmaster unit! And speaking of that headmaster, it is an homage to Action Master Omega Spreem. So you get two omega homages for the price of one!


























1. Transformers Energon Divebomb (Shadowhawk)

As I said in the intro, while this line has lots to love (surprisingly), the biggest take away is it's invention of the Scout Class. Now this class is extremely important to me since the idea was to create a lower price point where the only thing that changed was the size. Not the amount of parts (like in G1), not the complexity (like in Beast Wars), just the size. So you would still have bots as detailed, complex and articulated as deluxes but for less. And with this being the 20th anniversary, these scouts had lots of homages, including several decepticons reborn (like Ravage). Divebomb encompasses everything I just wrote and is the best scout class transformer of all time while homaging the great Decepticon birds like G1 Laserbeak and Divebomb while being his own bot.














Honourable Mention: Energon Optimus Prime and Wingsabre are both far from being even considered for this list. Optimus' proportions are terrible with a very weak transformation and Wing Sabre is more of a brick than anything from the G1 era. But combined they make for a really cool toy. So good that it was number 1 in my list of best Optimus Super Modes. So I wanted to mention that again here in this section.

I generally prefer the purple Galvatron version of that Megatron figure, since its colors (black on the head notwithstanding) are more of an homage to the G1 cartoon-style Galvatron. The light blue and green trim on Megatron just doesn't feel very Megatron-y or Galvatron-y. If it had been more on point with the G1 toy (purple, red, and orange), then I might've kept my Megatron, but I ended up giving him away, while I still have my Galvatron (who is currently on a shelf facing off against PotP Rodimus Prime).

Of the other ones on the list, I only had Shockblast myself, which was pretty decent. My nephew did have Omega Sentinel (couldn't find a Supreme at the time, apparently).

Energon was perhaps the most contentious part of the UT but some of the figures were decent. Personally, as a fan of Shark-Bots, I did not like Sharkticon. It is a submarine, not a Shark. However, aside from that one a solid list all round. This Megatron being one of my favourites and as I have mentioned before, it was interesting to see some many differing homages in one figure (Megs, Galvatron, Thunderwing and even Overlord to a degree). My favourite from this line, however and one I will always use any excuse to spotlight will always be Ultra Magnus:

Sharkticon wouldn't be on my list partly due to the protruding arm joint lumps and that I really liked sprung and his ed209 drone thing (which would probably be a £50 leader class these days... Silly siege shockwave pfft).
Out of the energon figures I never had, the beachcomber repaint looks great where as I never bothered with landmine, he would have been a buy if I'd ever seen the figure at retail.

yeah the megatron of that line was pretty cool and even cooler was the purple Galvatron of the same toy

Ooof, not liking Energon Optimus. I've heard some bad opinions but that one takes the cake.

This is a whole lot of yes from me. Energon wasn't a perfect line by any stretch but what it got right it got really right, and this list shows off the best of it. And I'm so glad my boy Divebomb made it to #1, he's such a great figure.

My one point of contention is Shockblast. He looks awesome but he's a bit of a dog's breakfast as a toy thanks to his colossal arm cannon and the utterly useless waist hinge (which broke on mine). But as you say, he is a wonderful looking Shockwave homage, and his redeco (Sixshot) is a colourscheme I really want to see make a return on a Shockwave toy.

Some other honourable mentions I'd like to suggest:
>Landmine and Bulkhead. Both rare examples of "super mode"/"power armour" gimmicks on characters that aren't faction leaders, and both pretty damn cool. Landmine probably inches it out by virtue of that amazing vehicle mode and really cool brute mode though.
>Mirage/Dreadwing. I know, I know, he's really fiddly and not much fun to actually play with/pose, but dear lord he's so cool to look at. He has IMO one of the coolest silhouettes in TF history, and the headsculpt is super nice too.
>Basically every Scout, but special mentions for Ravage and Cruellock. Ravage I've already gushed about, but Cruellock is a real unsung star of the line IMO. Great colours on all three versions of the mold, really nice sculpting, good articulation, a simple but interesting transformation (where the actual torso proportions change), a beast mode that's a mix of Tristar Godzilla and a velociraptor, and a really cool weapon in the form of a gigantic sword.
>Starscream (the original version). Sure he basically copies G2 Smokescreen's transformation, but it's forgivable when you consider how cool the final figure looks. The weapons are cool (and again combine into a massive sword) and he's a unique example of a "ghost Starscream" that actually has sculpting to back up his spectral status rather than just being made of clear plastic. The scarred face and cracked detailing are really nice touches.

I absolutely love this list and for once, the only one in here I haven't held is Sharkticon! Simply fantastic.

I completely agree with your #1 as I love the Dive bomb mold and its long been a dream of mine to get all the variants, same with the other terrorcons.

As for megs, I'm torn which colour scheme I like best, as the white looks good on him.

All in all, great list!

Yeah like many time before the majority of Energon figures that I did get I ended up parting ways with. They all looked good at first but as time passed they lost the excitement they had for me...what can I say.

I am surprised to see that Omega made the list. The exception to my rule as it is a great figure. I did get my hands on Omega Sentinel and though I did part ways with YOTS Omega for Siege, the Energon mold is a solid figure indeed...'nuff said!

To this day, I'm still surprised that the Sharkticon mold never got redecoed in full-on Nemesis colors since its altmode is directly based on the Nemesis from G1 and Beast Wars.

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Personally, as a fan of Shark-Bots, I did not like Sharkticon. It is a submarine, not a Shark.

Though originally intended as a spaceship, specifically The Nemesis. Isn't he still the closest thing we've gotten to an actual Nemesis toy, and that one Takara repaint the biggest Axalon we've ever gotten? The only other UT molds I can think of with that kind of longevity are Unicron and...

...yes, Arcee should probably get an honorable mention for most repaints, even if that's just because there were hardly any other fembot molds for the next half-decade or so. Overuse of the mold not only gave several female G1 characters their first toys, but produced Flareup and Flamewar, new characters who went on to bigger and better toys! (albeit, still retools of newer Arcee bikes) We have many better Arcee molds now (several times over if one counts all of her 3P love), but it's not fair to forget what a huge deal little Energon Arcee was at the time.

As for Megatron, I prefer the smaller mold; that's one I got in both color schemes. Oddly, I don't even think of the leader-size one as Megs, because he was immediately repurposed into my first Thunderwing! Maybe I just think of T-wing and Galvy as looking similar because of how Geoff Senior drew them, but the off-white/teal/black color scheme, the way you can position the shoulder cannons, the whole look of his spaceship mode, and especially the fact that he comes with a smaller version of himself that you attach to said ship to power him up, all scream Thundie to me. Will I get around to customizing the face before we get a proper CHUGGURLPWWFC upgrade for Thunderwing? Probably not.

And speaking of repurposing, no love for what will always be one of the best Ironhide toys of all time? No, not Kicker's Playskool-headed pal; the only list he should ever make/top is most annoying characters in TF fiction. Of course, I mean Energon INFERNO, accurate enough to War Within Ironhide that I seriously consider him superior to Siege Ironhide in the pre-Earth aesthetic department.

And while Energon's Autobots weren't the most awe inspiring, no appreciation for how much fun the Multiforce-esque mix-and-match dual-combining was? You could even put Deluxes and Voyagers together, for Steroid-master and Crazy-Pants configurations!

The main thing I disliked about the Energon toyline was the translucent plastic; or specifically, the inconsistency about what it meant. Now, the scout toys handled it perfectly, literally. Omnicons and Terrorcons processed Energon into weapons they could pass up to larger figures via energon stars/chips, and that's what clear plastic signified. The variety of sculpts and colors implied different types of energon having different properties and functions, and while this idea wasn't really explored, it had a little history to it, in both Beast Wars and Japanese G1. Would've made just enough sense, if it had stopped there. Starscream being a smoky ghost was fine of course, but his case-mate Hot Shot had a translucent gun...that fired an opaque missile. Sooooo...the gun was also made of energon, but could fire solid projectiles? A little thing, but a bad aesthetic choice for all the questions it posed. Little things like that kept creeping in and adding up.

And then came those three gestalt teams, bringing up the rear. While their HFGG (Hand/Foot/Gun/Garbage) appendages will always be best remembered for jumpstarting the 3rd party accessory market by screaming out so loudly to be replaced that they were as deafening as garishly blinding, if you left them on, they shouted even more puzzling questions: Did the Maximi need a certain amount of energon to stay combined? Would the dynamic of their fights hinge on finishing off their opponents before it ran out and they fell apart, or would their hands and feet just disappear but they'd still be able hobble about? Since the cartoon never even made it clear if the 12 limb guys were sentient, this issue was totally ignored. Every time I see the Energon gestalts with the official kibble, my heart burns with renewed anger...at Pat Lee. Because among the many awesome books we'd have gotten if Dreamwave's demise had been forestalled even a few more months were the Energon Sourcebooks, which would've surely given us bios for all the Constructicons, Combaticons, and Aerialbots, and insight into all the myriad functions of energon in the UT.

But to close on a positive note, the most fun to be had with Wing Saber and Omega Supreme isn't from combing them with Op, but having them run afoul of any decent sized GoLion/Voltron toy that has the full Blazing Sword. Hours...well, minutes of bisecting joy!

Wireless_Phantom wrote:

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Energon was perhaps the most contentious part of the UT but some of the figures were decent. Personally, as a fan of Shark-Bots, I did not like Sharkticon. It is a submarine, not a Shark. However, aside from that one a solid list all round. This Megatron being one of my favourites and as I have mentioned before, it was interesting to see some many differing homages in one figure (Megs, Galvatron, Thunderwing and even Overlord to a degree). My favourite from this line, however and one I will always use any excuse to spotlight will always be Ultra Magnus:

Ahh yes, number one on my list of "toys which I would love to own but will never be able to justify the price I would have to pay for one"

God, I remember seeingvthat toy in a Walmart as a Kid, and I had to choose between him and Treadbolt, the Scavenger remaint... I was so stupid back then...

(Also, like 11 and unaware of how rare it was)

I don't know...
A top 5 energon without Landmine ?

It looks like you were so focused on decepticons that you forgot there's been a fantastic autobot in the middle of the powerlinx stuff.



Could easily take the place of Shockblast or Sharkticon..

I'd remove Shockblast. As mentioned the arm cannon makes him lopsided, and that waist hinge!

ExciKaiser wrote:I don't know...
A top 5 energon without Landmine ?

It looks like you were so focused on decepticons that you forgot there's been a fantastic autobot in the middle of the powerlinx stuff.



Could easily take the place of Shockblast or Sharkticon..

Oh, yeah! Definitely replace Shockblast. Good call.

Although i've never owned any of them here's a top 5 list based on which i would be interested in owning

5- Jetfire
4- Inferno
3- Starscream (G1 repaint colors)
2- Cruellock (Dinosaur)
1- Galvatron

I'll echo the Inferno/Roadblock mold. It's easily the best of the Deluxe Autobots, having all four of its modes (truck, robot, torso, pants) pretty good all around.

Treetop Maximus wrote:Ooof, not liking Energon Optimus. I've heard some bad opinions but that one takes the cake.

It's not a great toy, hence why it didn't make the list.

ExciKaiser wrote:I don't know...
A top 5 energon without Landmine ?

It looks like you were so focused on decepticons that you forgot there's been a fantastic autobot in the middle of the powerlinx stuff.



Could easily take the place of Shockblast or Sharkticon..

yeah and also bulkhead
seriously those two should have been on the list

Ultra Markus wrote:

ExciKaiser wrote:I don't know...
A top 5 energon without Landmine ?

It looks like you were so focused on decepticons that you forgot there's been a fantastic autobot in the middle of the powerlinx stuff.



Could easily take the place of Shockblast or Sharkticon..

yeah and also bulkhead
seriously those two should have been on the list

Energontoy-Bulkhead.jpg

They can both be on your list, why not share with everyone how your list would look like.

I'm gonna risk abject mockery and say that whilst not great combiners, the individual members of the Energon combiners were actually pretty cool toys. The A-10 mold is one of my favourite transforming A-10s we've gotten thus far (the use of the head as a little belly turret is extra cool, even if the real aircraft doesn't have one), and the Gepard mold is a cute, fun little tank. Also kinda gives me Seeker vibes, which is neat.

Also, I still want to nab the Sharkticon mold at some point. There's something about that submarine mold I just adore.

The toys for Energon were a lot of fun and so was the cartoon.

Black Hat wrote:I'm gonna risk abject mockery and say that whilst not great combiners, the individual members of the Energon combiners were actually pretty cool toys. The A-10 mold is one of my favourite transforming A-10s we've gotten thus far (the use of the head as a little belly turret is extra cool, even if the real aircraft doesn't have one), and the Gepard mold is a cute, fun little tank. Also kinda gives me Seeker vibes, which is neat.

Also, I still want to nab the Sharkticon mold at some point. There's something about that submarine mold I just adore.

I think the limb bots for Superion Maximus are some of the best damned toys we got in Energon. A shame the torso bot is an unfinished piece of junk.

Superlink Galvatron G was my main Galvatron for a long, long time. I think he did a lot of things right. A good balance of a new look, but with enough familiar callbacks to be recognised as Galvatron. I even like the alt. mode better than G1's. Scourge and Cyclonus are both flyers, so Galvatron also being a flyer makes perfect sense. I think his biggest weakness are the way his wings are handled. He takes up a lot of space and makes him hard to fit in a collection. And his articulation nowadays is terribly stiff. Still like him a lot, though.

Even though we've gotten a newer, better OS, YotS Omega Supreme will remain my main one (although I only have Omega Sentinel displayed right now). He scales well with Combiners, not being overwhelmingly tall, but is still very large. I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did when I got that mould - since it was old and kinda simple, but I was definitely wrong on that count.

I also have to say that Energon Unicron has a deco that's for better than the original's, despite not being G1.

Energon Unicron had a fantastic colour scheme I thought. I didn't mind the superion torso, wasn't great but I still had fun with him.