Gauntlet101010 wrote:It depends on the spirit of the list. IMO, there's two different kinds of lists you can make. One about the spirit of the character - one which includes homages - and one that is about the name and name only.
I'm very much into G1 Hot Rod. You have the usual, but I also include Excelleon and Super SpeedBreaker. Excelleon is very much based on G1 Hot Rod and SSB also seemed like an attempt to update the G1 look for a modern era. BUT SpeedBreaker himself wouldn't count. Him being blue is just different enough to not include him. Ditto regular Armada Hot Shot, but not his superlink form.
So, basically, toys that are derived from the design elements of the original version would count in this sort of list.
In terms of movie Wheeljack, the one with the G1esque head and deco would count. The regular Que would not. Energon Downshift would count. Armada Wheeljack would not. To me the stylistic choices for Armada Wheeljack make him belong to the Sideswipe list.
So there's a list that evokes the sprit of the original. This is pretty flexible. Would Cloud Rodimus count? Would Botcon SG Galvatron count towards a similar Galvy list? Judgement calls.
And then there's a list that's just about the names. Which ... isn't very satisfying. To me, when I'm looking at a list like that I want a comparison of toys with similar design features, not just a list of TFs with the same name. There's no point in comparing Beast Wars Inferno to G1 Inferno. They have nothing in common.
Ultimately it boils down to a judgement call. When does a new design become too different? It boils down to which design elements you feel are important and what the intention is behind the design. Some designs are meant to derive form the original. Others just share the name and nothing else.
I second this. I think Gauntlet is right on.
Names are recycled and random and arbitrary. They do not always represent the same character.
Also, WJ, you said it in your title, a “character’s best toys.” Not best named-character toys. As Gauntlet and others said that list would be random and arbitrary.
List of a character’s best toys, or “best representation of a character.” Best version of commonalities or spirit or essence of a character, even a seed of the character.
Cool lists. I look forward to them!
Lets call him TM2 Prowl and the other one Magnaboss Prowl, it will be easier 
Because he's also Mach Alert (which you could argue makes him Red Alert in some sense).
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The Mach Alert\Prowl thing works because hes got two names in different countries 
