Favorite Transformer?

[Arnie_Wan_Kenobi]

Headmaster Brisko, if only because he gave us "Evil Power-Hungry Cartographer" as a possible career choice. (Also, his Headmaster partner robot as "Fangry," which is a word I have used to apply to grumpy cats since I was like eight.)

My first two Transformers were Thundercracker and Prowl, so I have fond memories of losing all of their partsformer pieces. And the F-15 Eagle is just a freaking cool plane.

But just generally "favorite" that I never owned as a kid:
G1 Hound (toy-his initial tech-spec bio as some dude who just likes wandering in nature. I have the WalMart re-releaae)
G1 Optimus Prime (toy and cartoon-what a paladin should be)
G1 Soundwave (toy and cartoon-because why the heck is a tape player so darn cool? Have the WalMart re-release)
G1 Ultra Magnus (toy, tech specs, movie-this guy pretty much embodied every trait I wanted to show as a teen)
G1 Grimlock (cartoon-because Me Grimlock genius! I have a worn but good condition blue G2 I got in a multi-part trade two decades ago)
G1 Wheeljack (I'm in love with the Lancia Stratos)

The core Beast Wars Maximal cast are also favorites for their dynamic and the well-written characterization.

The crown of my (admittedly small) collection is a complete G1 Roadbuster, who I always thought was a cool looking in both modes.

Honorable mentions to Generations Skids (amazing toy based on great characterization in the IDW comic, one of the only figures I've bought because of reviews.)

 

[Maxperson]

Poor guy is probably the one that has been made the most obsolete because of changing transforming technology. lol

Fixed that for you.

 

[Maxperson]

Starscream(the original) was always my favorite.

 

[Blue Orange]

As a kid I always liked Thundercracker, because jets were cool and blue was my favorite color and he was the blue jet. I also liked the way he wasn't totally in with the Deceps--independence appealed to me.

Looking back, though, I have to say Chris Latta wound up creating an enduring character with Starscream. That high-voiced, backstabbing, not-as-smart-as-he-thinks-he-is Decepticon wound up in every later version of the series, and while some of it is the dramatic tension of the dissension within the bad guys, you have to give some of the credit to his characterization. I'm sorry he died young, because I would have liked to see him get some recommendation for being the smartass in all of our memories as the kids who grew up with the show became adults and were able to talk about how Optimus Prime's death was the first encounter with that for a lot of us with more sheltered lives, or how Unicron was the first encounter with the Burkean sublime.

 

[Willie the Duck]

Transformers first came out right when I was in that awkward phase where I wasn't quite done with action figure-like toys*, but wasn't really buying any and certainly not starting new toy lines. So they were more the toys of friends' younger siblings or eventually the kids I would babysit. That said, I still found favorites amongst the them.
*framed that way because I would get new Legos for many more years.

• The Decepticon jets ("seekers" I guess) and Grimlock both had really satisfying transformation sequences. You would pick them up in one form and change them into the other and the process was very pleasing.
• I rarely like the 'main character'/team leader of those series (Lion-O for Thundercats, Keith in Voltron), or even general adventure serials (always found Buffy, Angel, Xena, etc. to be less interesting than the supporting characters). However, I did appreciate that Optimus Prime seems a lot more like Team Dad than a main hero.
• I always enjoyed the 'gimmick' of Ultra Magnus being a repainted Optimus Prime in a shell/suit/power armor. Later (post 2000), there apparently was a comic where he got the drop on someone by having them sneak up on the shell, not realizing he was not in it. I thought that was fun.
• Speaking of comics, in the original Marvel comics (which I read more than played with the toys) there was a human character named Circuit Breaker who got hurt in a Decepticon attack and built a super-suit to go battle transformers. She didn't know (or care) about the distinction between factions and held responsible/targeted both factions. I thought that was a neat twist (probably first time I experienced it).

 

[beta-ray]

As a kid I always liked Thundercracker, because jets were cool and blue was my favorite color and he was the blue jet. I also liked the way he wasn't totally in with the Deceps--independence appealed to me.

I am a simple guy, so tend to like the "hero" Transformers. Of the Decepticons, I did like Thundercracker because he wasn't totally aligned with the 'cons. The IDW comics really emphasized this part of his personality.

 

[James Gasik]

I'd mention Jetfire, but for legal reasons, I cannot consider him a Transformer.

 

[Undrave]

I'd mention Jetfire, but for legal reasons, I cannot consider him a Transformer.

They finally fixed that issue in court: Harmony Gold can no longer go after Hasbro for Jetfire. Ever again.

 

[James Gasik]

They finally fixed that issue in court: Harmony Gold can no longer go after Hasbro for Jetfire. Ever again.

Thank Primus!

 

[Stalker0]

I always laughed at how iron hide would just yell out “PRIME” in this over the top voice.