The Energon Pub

I could not find a definative answer on this online. Are these terms interchangable?

Henkei refers to those figures that are released at common Japanese retail. Gentei is a continuation, but refers to figures released on through limited means i.e. store or online exclusives.

More precisely, Henkei refers to the regular retail release of the Classics/Universe line of figures in Japan. Instead of being Classics they are called Henkei.

Gentei refers to the exclusive versions of those figures. Be them exclusive to a store, a venue, or a promotion.

For instance Gentei Henkei Cyclonus is the Orange and White Exclusive version of the Universe Cyclonus Figure only available to the Transformers themed Credit Cards holders or so they say.

While Henkei Cyclonus is just the Light Purple Japanese Version of the figure available at toy stores around Japan.

Thanks guys! I bought a Gentei ghost starscream from ebay relatively cheap when they first came out but it was described as a Gentei when most of the auctions said Henkei. I was hoping it wasn't a KO or something.

One could argue that Gentei is an exclusive subline in the overall Henkei line. The Gentei name was first used for the Cyclonus repaint, any exclusive before that was still Henkei. In short:

Henkei Exclusive
Convoy Clear Version
Thundercracker
Skywarp
Skyglide (repaint of Classics Steel Wind)

Gentei
Dirge
Thrust
Dark Skyfire
Stuntron Wildrider
Rijie Electro Disruptor Version
Starscream Ghost Version
Strafe with Rocketbot
Sling (repaint of Classics Thunderwing)
Vorter ("Vortex", repaint of Classics Divebomb)

So somebody correct that TF Wiki