Release Date: January 2026
RRP: $42.99/£34.99
The Seekers are arguably the Transformers' franchise greatest cash cow, and with the ability to repaint/retool the same mould into a dozen different characters rarely does a line go by where they aren't included. Since its debut back in 2020 the War for Cybertron: Earthrise version as been the standard for mainline Transformers, sneaking its way into multiple lines since - including the Studio Series with the Coronation Starscream set. But now a new challenger has finally entered the ring, with Hasbro unveiling an all-new seeker mould with Studio Series Thundercracker. Based on his (brief) appearance in Transformers: The Movie and the preceding seasons of the Generation One cartoon, this is the first of what will certainly be many more Seeker releases in this mould. Is he good enough to justify potentially buying them all over again?
Thundercracker comes packaged in the updated Studio Series style box, which was revised last year for more synergy with the concurrent Age of the Primes line. The slightly larger Voyager Class size of box, the front proudly shows off the figure via its large window section. This is accompanied by new artwork of the Decepticon Seeker in both modes, as well as the generic Transformers logo, Studio Series branding and character name. One side of the box continues the same artwork alongside an Autobot insignia, whilst the other repeats robot mode art. On the back of the box are images of the figure in both modes, accompanied by a step counter, a small (and incredibly generic) character bio and image from Transformers: The Movie. The shot Hasbro have chosen are Thundercracker's last moments before he (along with Skywarp and the Insecticons) were thrown out of Astrotrain, which makes sense given that this "death" is his most notable moment in the movie. Inside Thundercracker is tied down to a cardboard tray, with his "accessories" in a separate bag taped to the side. Said accessories are his wing tips, tailfins and Incendiary Guns - all of which are part of his body and thus need to be attached when initially taking the figure out of the packaging.
As far as mainline Transformers go, this is without a doubt the most cartoon-accurate version of Thundercracker yet. The Earthrise (and preceding Siege) version was definitely close, but featured a lot more moulded detailing (and in the Siege figure's case, battle damage) that was a staple for that specific line. The Studio Series version is an all-new mould, opting for much smoother panelling and a less boxy figure. It's impressive just how close it not only feels to the cartoon model, but also the Masterpiece version given how much smaller and cheaper it is. The simpler detailing doesn't feel like it's trying to wholly replace the Earthrise version either, so for fans who prefer the extra moulding and details (such as the chest turbines, with the cartoon model lacks) that version doesn't necessarily feel obsolete. Thundercracker's specific deco also looks fantastic here, with that bright blue plastic sitting nicely against the light grey and black. The red and white stripes on the wings really pop too. The head sculpt sports painted eyes (despite also having a light-piping function), as well as an open mouth grin which fits Thundercracker's character rather well. There have been reports of some copies coming with different facial expressions (including a smile and a frown), but these seem to be factory errors and that these faces are for later versions of the mould - Skywarp for example sports the frowning face in his stock images.
A particularly cool feature on this new Seeker mould is that the tailfins can be attached to the figure in two different ways, depending on whether you want a cartoon or toy-accurate look. For a toy-accurate Thundercracker you simply need to plug them onto the sides of the lower legs, but for a more cartoon-accurate look they inside plug onto the back of the main wings out of sight. While it's technically cheating as they should fold up into the legs (as per the Masterpiece figure), unless you're looking at the figure directly from the back they aren't noticeable at all. It's a simple solution that may lack the complexity of a proper transformation, but works wonderfully for a figure of this size and price point.
Making the sculpt more animation-accurate at one thing, but Thundercracker continues to impress when it comes to articulation as well. Altogether he features;
- Ball jointed head
- Swivel hinge shoulders and hips
- Hinged elbows, knees, ankles and feet
- Bicep, waist, wrist and thigh swivels
As the Incendiary Guns connect to the arms via standard 5mm pegs, these can also be rotated into position on the arms to suit whatever pose Thundercracker is in. The front of the crotch/skirt piece is also attached via a hinge, allowing it to move upwards and in turn give the legs more clearance when posing. It's a single piece that covers both sides, so the whole part has to be lifted up even if you're only moving one leg. Granted overall this isn't all that different to what's usually expected on a modern Transformers figure but one particular surprise on this mould is the waist swivel. Again it's something that should come as standard, but Hasbro have never been able to pull it off with the Seeker design before. So seeing it here is excellent, and adds quite a lot to Thundercracker when it comes to posing. The way the feet work is also very good, with the combination of the ankle tilt and hinge front-foot part making balancing in particularly dynamic posing no issue whatsoever.
Thundercracker transformers into his iconic blue F-15 like jet fighter mode in 27 steps, which can get interesting at times but never overly complex. Folding the two small grey plastic pieces of his waist into his torso area so that the arms can clip in properly is a good example of something small yet makes a quite a difference to how it all fits together. And when all the steps have been completed, you're treated to a jet mode that's every bit as clean as the robot mode. While there may be the odd bit of panelling here and there to give the vehicle a little more depth/detail, again it feels like it could have leapt straight out of the cartoon. Behind the cockpit is a fully sculpted interior with chair and control panel, which is a really nice bit of extra detailing that could have easily been missed. That all said some buyers might be slightly turned off by the underside of the vehicle, which leaves a big gap where the cockpit section once sat. Being the least visible part of the vehicle mode (you'd quite literally have to be looking underneath to properly notice) it doesn't feel like that much of a deal-breaker, but there are some Transformers fans out there that prefer a more solid vehicle mode from all angles. If this is the sacrifice that had to be made for it to look so good from every other angle though, then so be it.
In jet mode Thundercracker sports an opening cockpit as well as retractable landing gear situated under the nosecone - both of which are simple vehicle mode inclusions but were absent from the Earthrise version. Although no effect parts are included with the figure, they can be attached to either the Incendiary Guns or thrusters to make the vehicle look a little more dynamic. Sadly the vehicle mode doesn't have a designated socket for a display stand to fit into for aerial display, but the gaps on the underside means there are plenty of places to slot one in. The result is a simple jet mode which may not be heavy on gimmicks, but looks just as good/clean as the robot mode with just as much display/shelf presence. Personally I'm not usually one to display my Tranformers figures in alt mode, but a fleet of Seekers in this style would definitely stand out.
With Hasbro constantly updating the Seeker mould it's understandable that fans may lament the idea of having to buy them all over again, but Studio Series Thundercracker proves that these might just be the definitive version for anyone striving for cartoon accuracy at this size. The sculpt is gorgeous, delivering a smooth cartoon-model appearance that's incredibly close to the Masterpiece version despite being a fraction of the size, cost and complexity. The transformation is straightforward yet clever, and despite a hollow underside the jet mode is every bit as impressive as the robot. As an added bonus, it's nice to have Thundercracker be the one to kick off a whole new range of Seekers as well! Hasbro have really brought their A-game with this one, which is just as well as a mould fans will be buying plenty of in the next few years.
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