Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus

Release Date: September 2023

RRP: $89.99/£91.99

Even with several of the Transformers: The Movie cast receiving figures towards the tail end of the War for Cybertron trilogy in the Kingdom line, that didn’t mean they were off the table for Studio Series 86. Where there were improvements to be made in the name of screen-accuracy they have for the most part been taken, and there’s no better example of this than Ultra Magnus. Leader class figures are great, but why not go bigger? Studio Series 86 Ultra Magnus gives the Autobot City Commander a much needed boost by bringing him up to Commander class status, as well as the largest single figure in the range thus far.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Bonecrusher

Release Date: March 2025

RRP: $24.99/£24.99

Although it’s taken a good few years into its existence for Hasbro to bring Devastator to the Studio Series 86 line, at the very least now that they are coming they’re doing it at rapid pace. So much so that we can expect to see all six Constructicons released before the year is out, with the second of the group coming in the form of Studio Series 86 Bonecrusher. Forming the left arm of Devastator in combined mode, Bonecrusher is the first of two (alongside Scavenger) Deluxe Class releases, with the legs (Scrapper and Mixmaster) as Voyagers whilst torso parts Hook and Long Haul are a Commander class two-pack.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Scrapper

Release Date: March 2025

RRP: $34.99/£34.99

While we’re now quite far out from the 35th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie it originally arrived to celebrate (so much so that we’re rapidly approaching its 40th anniversary), the Studio Series 86 line is still going strong! By this point most of the new characters that appeared in the film have been neatly covered off, but there’s still scope when it comes to the veteran Generation One characters. 2025 is poised to be a pretty big year for the line as it delves into its first combiner, the only one to appear in the film itself – Devastator! With the six Constructicons set to be released across five sets at varying price points, Studio Series 86 Scrapper neatly kicks things off with their de facto leader.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Galvatron

Release Date: January 2025

RRP: $54.99/£55.99

Even though the Studio Series 86 line is running out of core Transformers: The Movie characters to feature, there are still some characters that have not appeared in the line itself despite having a recent toy. One such example is Galvatron, who despite being synonymous with the movie has been overlooked by the line until now due to his War For Cybertron: Kingdom toy coming out around the time the line was starting. However Studio Series 86 Galvatron has finally arrived, and while it might not be a brand new figure (ala Ultra Magnus), it does however fill a void that Transformers fans have noted in Galvatron toys for decades.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Springer

Release Date: May 2024

RRP: $54.99/£55.99

So far the Studio Series 86 line has provided us with four great years of Transformers: The Movie figures, but with most of the cast now covered it's definitely beginning to wind down a bit as the franchise moves on to other things. While there's still plenty to look forward to in 2025-26 (the Constructicons especially), pretty much all of the key characters are present and accounted for. For example the release of Studio Series 86 Springer finally saw the main group of Autobots rounded off entirely within the line itself, even though some of the characters had previously appeared in the War for Cybertron trilogy lines. Springer is a retooled version of the War for Cybertron: Siege figure previously released in 2019, somewhat controversially upgraded from a voyager class figure into a retooled leader class release in the same manner as Coronation Starscream. 

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Exo-Suit Spike Witwicky

Release Date: January 2022

RRP: $11.99/£13.99

While there are plenty of (living, dead and background) characters in Transformers: The Movie to keep the Studio Series 86 line occupied for quite a while, it's nice to know that it didn't take long for Hasbro to turn their attention toward the few non-robotic cast members as well. Studio Series 86 Exo-Suit Spike Witwicky joins the line's core class offerings of smaller figures, representing the now adult Spike in the transforming armour he wore in the movie and subsequent episodes of the Generation One cartoon. In the movie, Spike assists Bumblebee with the Autobot defences on Moonbase Two - stationed there until it was devoured by the chaos bringer Unicron.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Swoop

Release Date: July 2024

RRP: £54.99/£55.99

When the Transformers Studio Series 86 line began back in 2021 one of the first things it promised fans was new renditions of the Dinobots at Leader class scale – kicking things off with Grimlock as one of the very first figures in the range. Now three years and four fantastic Dinobots later, Hasbro are finally completing the team with the release of Studio Series 86 Dinobot Swoop. Though far more prominent in Transformers: The Movie than poor old Snarl, Swoop is a rather fitting choice for the final one to come to the line – with both he and Snarl being the second wave of Dinobots to be created in the series.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Snarl

Release Date: June 2023

RRP: $54.99/£55.99

Transformers: The Movie offered some of the greatest mysteries to the Transformers fandom. Which of the damaged Decepticons specifically turned into Scourge and Cyclonus? Whatever happened to Cyclonus' Armada? And perhaps the greatest of all - just where the hell was Snarl during the events of the film? Despite being seen alongside his fellow Dinobots for a handful of scenes, he's bizarrely absent for almost the entirety of the runtime despite the Dinobots being main characters in the story. While that mystery may never truly be solved, at the very least Hasbro haven't forgotten about him - with Studio Series 86 Dint Snarl being the next Leader Class release in the popular range of new toys based on the film.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Sludge

Release Date: July 2022

RRP: $54.99/£55.99

So far the Transformers Studio Series 86 line has delivered hit after hit, but undoubtedly one of the most exciting aspects of it has been the opportunity to get a full set of official Dinobots that match up to their size and stature on the cartoon itself. Since Hasbro only release so many leader class figures a year it's a bit of a slow process, but at least fans were able to round off 2022 with the original trio of these fan favourite Autobots. Studio Series 86 Dinobot Sludge is the fourth leader class figure from the Transformers: The Movie 35th anniversary range, following on from Grimlock, Slug (Slag) and Coronation Starscream.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Decepticon Rumble (Blue)

Release Date: November 2022

RRP: $11.99/£13.99

Everyone loves a big Transformers toy, but every now and again you've got to give the little guys some love as well. Thankfully this is exactly what the Studio Series 86 line has been doing lately, adding the Core Class to their range of screen-accurate figures from 1986's Transformers: The Movie. After getting off the ground with Wheelie and Spike in his exo suit, now Hasbro are giving the bad guys some love with Studio Series 86 Decepticon Rumble (Blue). A core character in the Generation One cartoon since its pilot, the wise-talking Rumble is one of Soundwave's trusted cassette minions.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Arcee

Release Date: July 2022

RRP: $24.99/£25.99

The Studio Series 86 line is rapidly running out of characters that prominently appeared in Transformers: The Movie, particularly when you take the ones that have recently appeared in the War for Cybertron trilogy lines into account as well. However that clearly isn't going to stop Hasbro from celebrating this landmark piece of Transformers media, as Studio Series 86 Arcee has arrived while the Earthrise (also re-released as part of Kingdom) version is still in recent memory. However contrary to what you might think, this Studio Series version is not just a cartoon-accurate repaint of the Earthrise version – instead looking even further back in Arcee's toy history alongside some brand-new tooling.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Perceptor

Release Date: January 2022

RRP: $22.99/£22.99

While the majority of the principal cast of Transformers: The Movie were brand new characters, there were some previously established Autobots that were able to receive a significant role without dying in the process. The most obvious of these is of course the Dinobots, but in addition to them there was also Perceptor – who tended to Optimus Prime in his final moments before evacuating Autobot City alongside Ultra Magnus' team. Which is exactly why Studio Series 86 Perceptor is the perfect addition as the line (in tandem with releases from the War For Cybertron trilogy and Legacy ranges) draws ever closer to completing that principal cast.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Coronation Starscream

Release Date: January 2022

RRP: $52.99/£55.99

Transformers: The Movie saw numerous fan favourites killed off in favour of brand-new characters that were about to hit toy shelves in 1986, but arguably some of them were able to get their most iconic moments in right before their deaths. The finally showdown between Optimus Prime and Megatron goes without saying, but there's also the untimely demise of Starscream – finally crowned as the Decepticons' new leader before being blasted to ashes by Galvatron. Decked out in full royal regalia, Starscream's new look has been fondly remembered by the franchise since, so shouldn't be any surprise to see Studio Series 86 Coronation Starscream as part of the film's 30th anniversary toy line. Although the anniversary may have been in 2021, as one of the first SS86 releases for 2022 Starscream shows that there's plenty of life in it yet, and Hasbro know it.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Buzzworthy Bumblebee Studio Series 86 Cliffjumper

Release Date: January 2022

RRP: $24.99/£23.99

If there's one thing that the Transformers franchise has tried to ensure since the release of the first live-action movie back in 2007, it's that everyone should love Bumblebee. The character has been a core part of nearly every Transformers production since then, and now even has his own dedicated toy line in the form of Buzzworthy Bumblebee. Despite the name Buzzworthy Bumblebee is actually a pretty diverse subline - producing a number of interesting releases around the current Transformers toy lines that are often only tangentially related to Bumblebee himself. The ever-popular Studio Series line has also branched out into it as well - with one such example being the Buzzworthy Bumblebee Studio Series 86 Cliffjumper figure. Though not a key player in Transformers: The Movie, Cliffjumper was stationed aboard Moonbase One alongside Jazz as the Autobot planned to take their home planet back from the Decepticons. 

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Dinobot Slug & Daniel Witwicky

Release Date: July 2021

RRP: $52.99/£54.99

The 35th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie may have come and gone, but the Studio Series 86 line continues to run strong with plenty of characters still left for Hasbro to release. Among them are of course fan-favourites the Dinobots, four of which had a prominent place in the film (Snarl's whereabouts continue to be a mystery to this day). With Hasbro's current strive for G1 accuracy it also means bigger Dinobots than ever before, continuing with the Leader class Dinobot Slug & Daniel Witwicky. Due to the name's connotations in certain parts of the world, this is the new marketed name for the triceratops formerly known as Slag.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Wreck-Gar

Release Date: August 2021

RRP: $31.99/£34.99

One of the great things about Transformers: The Movie is how big it made the G1 universe feel. Suddenly we weren't just dealing with Autobots and Decepticons on Earth and Cybertron, but a whole cosmos of transforming robots on multiple sides of the conflict. After the Autobots crash land on the Planet of Junk we're soon introduced to the Junkions – a race of TV-talking robots with both the ability to transform and quickly repair themselves. After initially viewing the Autobots as hostile, Hot Rod is able to befriend their leader Wreck-Gar (voiced by Monty Python legend Eric Idle) – leading the Junkions to help defeat Unicron and become an ally of the Autobots going forwards. Despite being seldomly used outside of G1 continuity the Junkion leader has become a firm fan favourite, so it's only fitting that Hasbro mark the movie's 35th anniversary with the release of the voyager class Studio Series 86 Wreck-Gar figure.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Gnaw

 

Release Date: September 2021

RRP: $22.99/£21.99

Transformers: The Movie changed a lot of things in the Transformers Generation One landscape, but one key thing was that going forwards it wasn't just about the war between Autobots and Decepticons anymore. As well as introducing fans to the planet-sized chaos bringer Unicron, the movie also introduced the manpulative Quintessons – a race that went on to become key players in the show's third season. On their home planet, the Quintessons carry out mock trials where, innocent or guilty, the defendant will inevitably be fed to their army of Sharkticons. Though Hot Rod, Kup and the Dinobots were able to temporarily put a stop to this with a Sharkticon revolt, the Quintessons would return to fight the Transformers on multiple occasions. Though unnamed onscreen, ever since their original G1 toy the Sharkticon figure has gone by the name of 'Gnaw' – returning now for the film's 35th anniversary with the deluxe class Studio Series 86 Gnaw.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Hot Rod

Release Date: December 2020

RRP: $29.99/£29.99

The price of Transformers toys have been going up steadily for years now, but another tactic Hasbro have recently started to introduce is releasing smaller figures at higher price points and then making up for it with better engineering and/or accessories. Take War for Cybertron: Siege Shockwave for example - a voyager class-sized figure at best, but comes with armoured parts to justify a leader class price point. On the one hand it does unfortunately make some figures more expensive than they perhaps should be, but on the other it can lead to some pretty interesting releases and help maintain proper scale between figures. An excellent example of this release method is Studio Series 86 Hot Rod, a deluxe class figure that's been released at the voyager class price point. Arguably he's the perfect character to get this sort of treatment in a Transformers: The Movie-centric line - he's the star of the movie and if any Autobot deserves to get the perfect toy in a line celebrating it's 35th anniversary, it's him.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Scourge

Release Date: December 2020

RRP: $29.99/£32.99

With Cyclonus already released as part of the Kingdom line and Galvatron soon to follow later in the year, the Studio Series 86 range is going to run out of key characters from Transformers the Movie to release if Hasbro aren't careful. Especially when it comes to the Decepticon side of things, since there were far fewer new Decepticons in the film than there were Autobots. The villains are also looking seriously outnumbered in the first wave of figures from the 35th anniversary celebratory line, with Studio Series 86 Scourge being the only Decepticon amongst a sea of Autobots. A herald of Unicron, "Scourge the tracker" commands the Sweeps - an army of huntsmen built in his image.

Toybox REVIEW: Transformers Studio Series 86 Jazz

Release Date: December 2020
RRP: $19.99/£19.99

Arguably Transformers: The Movie’s biggest claim to fame is how it killed off the majority of the existing cast (aka toys no longer on the shelves) in order for Hasbro to bring in a whole new one (aka toys that were on the shelves), but there were a handful of the classic 1984-85 cast that did manage to survive the kind of cull that other toy-advertising cartoon franchises could only aspire to. One of lucky survivors was Optimus’ culture-loving right hand man Jazz, so it’s only fitting that this particular member of the original Autobot crew found his way out of the War for Cybertron trilogy range and into Studio Series 86 instead. Between these two toy lines Transformers fans have been spoilt for choice when it comes to classic G1 characters, and Studio Series 86 Jazz was an important release in completing that classic Autobot line up.