Showing posts with label Elita One. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elita One. Show all posts

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One - MDLX Series (Die-Cast) - Elita-1 - ThreeZero 2025

In a relatively short 18 months, I we have gotten 9 Elita-1 figures from Transformers One. I think that has got to be a record for any female character in film-related merchandising blitz. Even a major character like Black Widow in the MCU would be lucky to get maybe five figures for a movie. But for some reason Elita-1 hit the jackpot. It's especially surprising considering she was excluded from the first few waves of movie merchandising. I honestly thought the main figure would be a Burger King toy. Boy was I wrong. I was unaware that toy company ThreeZero made 1:12 scale figure. I thought their product was solely in the high-end 1:6 scale market. And while this figure was at a much higher price point than I would typically pay for a 5" non-transforming Transformer, I was super curious and I wasn't disappointed in the quality at all. She is perfectly sculpted, features 46 points of articulation (according to the promotional material... I didn't count), and heavy die-cast parts. Let's check out Elita-1 below!

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

Transformers - ELITA-1, ARCEE, & BLACKARCHNIA!

Transformers Tiny Turbo Changers (2026 Edition) Blind Bags - Hasbro 2026

I'm a sucker for little Transformers collectibles, especially if there is a diverse character lineup. Some past favorite lines include Kre-O, Tiny Titans, and Tacticons. I was pretty obsessed with all of them. Between 2017 and 2020 there was a fun (but frustrating) line called Tiny Turbo Changers. They stood out because they actually transformed, they were inexpensive, and prolific.. I believe they released 100 different figures. The reason the line was frustrating was because of distribution. Most of the waves I really wanted were only released in Canada. Luckily I have friends up North who could hook me up. Flash forward to 2026 and the last thing I expected was for the Tiny Turbo Changers to be rebooted. I think all 15 new figures are repaints of the old ones, but luckily the three females have pretty distinct deco changes so I was excited to pick them all up. I even appreciate the weird attempt to differentiate between Arcee and Elita-1 with the same mold. Let's check out the Tiny Turbo Changers ladies below!

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Transformers Cyberworld - ELITA-1!

Transformers: Cyberworld - Quick Change Cyber Changers - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2025

The newest animated incarnation of Transformers is a webseries on YouTube called Transformers: Cyberworld which debuted in July 2025 and is produced by Hasbro and Omens Studios. There are only seven 5-minute episodes so far (as of me writing this post), featuring a Secret-Wars-type setting where characters are tested and challenged in different battle scenarios. It's pretty random but fun to watch. The cast is small with only nine characters so far. Luckily Elita-1 is present as the token female character and luckily Hasbro green-lit the series for a toyline. The character designs are small and blocky, but I appreciate the variation from the other figures on the shelves right now. Elita-1 has a cool color scheme which I can only describe as Coral and Guava. It's pretty hard to photograph but has a cool sherbet-y aesthetic in person. She also transforms into a boat which is a unique vehicle mode for her. The Cyber Changers lines don't offer a lot of articulation, but I still love having her in my collection.

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Transformers Rescue Bots - ELITA-1!

Transformers: Rescue Bots - Classic Heroes Team - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2025

Several years ago the popular Transformers: Rescue Bots preschool toyline had a spinoff line featuring additional classic characters like Starscream and Mirage. This line was called the Classic Heroes Team and had packaging graphics that occasionally featured Arcee (you can spy her on the back of this figure, too). Ever since first seeing this illustration, I was obsessed with getting a classic Transformers fembot in this blocky preschool format. Well, it took three years but we finally got one. Of course, it's Elita-1 and not Arcee, and it's just a simple repaint of Bumblebee, but I still think she's really fun. It's easily the most feminine of the modern Rescue Bot sculpts, and her bold pink paintjob certainly adds a lot of bright color to the existing female lineup of Quickshadow and Whirl. I hope we'll eventually get the teased Arcee and maybe some others, but realistically they'd probably just be repaints of this same figure. Let's check out the Classic Heroes Team Elita-1 in detail below!

Monday, August 11, 2025

Auldey Transformers - ELITA-ONE!

Transformers - Alpha Elite Action Series 02 Blind Box - Elita-1 - Auldey 2025

I'm thrilled with the Alpha Elita Transformers blind box figures from Auldey. In quick succession they have given us the two most iconic female Transformers in amazing G1 designs and for a very reasonable price (for blind box imports of course). No, these figures do not actually transform. But for a collector of fembots with a penchant for classic animation designs, the modern Hasbro and Takaratomy transforming toys have so much kibble that the sleek animation references get lost pretty quickly. I realize that the female autobots in the G1 cartoon defied physics with their transformations even more than the male characters did, and that's exactly why these figures are so great. We've seen some great figures of Bumblebee, Megatron, and Optimus Prime that both closely resemble their animated appearance and also transform, but for the female characters we haven't been so lucky. Their petite designs just can't contain the sheer mass of their vehicle forms without a miracle of modern engineering. 

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers Studio Series - Transformers One - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2025

The Transformers Studio Series Deluxe Class line can be a bit confusing with their releases. In the Transformers One movie from last year, Elita-1 was a major character. She is in all the big scenes and she is in the core group of all the promotional images, but her Deluxe Studio Series figure didn't come out for a year after her contemporaries. And with the last big theatrical movie, Transformers Rise of the Beasts, they released figures of Airazor and Nightbird, but skipped on Arcee. The Airazor was essentially a concept design (not in the film) and Nightbird's scenes were so quick that you never got a great look. And with the Bumblebee (2018) film, the two ladies (Shatter and Arcee) were released 15 months and 43 months after the premiere (whereas the leading male characters are on the shelves before the movie is released). This Elita-1 got the same predictable delay, but she's basically the quintessential TFOne Elita released so far, so she was worth the wait. Let's check her out below!

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Auldey Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One - Action Figure Series 1 - Elita-1 - Hasbro/Auldey 2024

When I got my first Auldey Transformers figure last month (a beautiful G1 Arcee), I instantly started researching what other toys this company had made. I knew there was a G1 Elita-1 coming in wave two, but a quick search on eBay pulled up a bunch of listings for this Transformers One Elita figure that I previously knew nothing about. All the images I saw were clearly digital renderings, but I was so impressed by Arcee, that I bought this figure blindly. I was admittedly surprised when the figure arrived in a simple (printed) cardboard shipper box with a plastic tray inside. She was nearly twice and tall as the Arcee from a few weeks before and she was essentially a statue with almost no articulation. She was inexpensive so I wasn't upset, but I had a lot of errant preconceived notions I needed to accept. But the fact that she still looks very cool and imposing (she's about the same height as the large Yolopark Cogged Elita-1 figure) makes me glad to have her in my collection. Let's check out Elita-1 below!

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One: Galaxy Version 7 Wave 2 - Elita-1 - Bloks/Buluke/Blokees 2025

The Blokees obsession in the toy market today has seemingly come out of nowhere. Around this time last year I picked up my first Blokees figure (a Rise of the Beasts Arcee) that I was moderately happy with. My second purchase, however, was a Transformers One Elita-1 last year that I was obsessed with. But the current obsession has nothing two do with those two figures, but rather the smaller blindbox designs that have filled up every toy and comic shop overnight. This new Elita-1 is the first female to be included in the blindbox assortments so my firsthand knowledge is a little lacking. I believe there are two scale of blindbox figures. This Elita-1 is in the larger Galaxy Version, and then there is a super tiny and cute Defender Version scale which look like the old Playskool Robot Heroes, but super articulated and slightly SD. I hope they make a female character in that scale soon. The larger scales are not blindboxed and come in larger holographic packaging specific to the character you want.

Friday, May 30, 2025

Transformers Busts - ELITA ONE!

Transformers Busts - Elita One (BBTS Exclusive LE 600) - Diamond Select 2008

For roughly seven years, this was the only Elita One piece in my collection (I now have over twenty). As much as I've always embraced her as a key character in Transformers lore, the tragic truth is that she had only appeared in a single G1 episode (that most diehard Transformers bros hated). And my handful of Transformers friends had never even heard of her. So this bust was a dream come true for me. She has a perfect classic sculpt from Mark Wong and I didn't hesitate at all to buy her. She was actually my second ever order from BBTS and also my second ever mini-bust purchase (after the 2007 Firestar Bust that opened the floodgates). The only downside to this purchase was my overinflated expectations. I either heard a rumor of a Chromia or just imagined it, but either way I was a little deflated they only made two fembots. But I'm so glad Diamond Select Toys made the first official classically-inspired female Transformers products. Let's check out Elita One below!

Monday, May 26, 2025

Transformers Authentics - ELITA-1!

Transformers Authentics (Discount Store Basic Series) - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2025

The newfound A-list status of Elita-1 continues with this basic series figure from the Transformers Authentics line. This is an inexpensive, yet official, line made by Hasbro for stores like FiveBelow, Dollar General, and Family Dollar. There are several different scales for this line, but so far the female figures (Arcee and now Elita-1) have only been in the smallest Bravo Class style. The roster of these figures is pretty exclusive with only the top-tier characters making the cut. Ever since her leading role in 2020's War For Cybertron animated series on Netflix, Elita-1's popularity has been on a steady climb and she has been the go-to token fembot ever since (in Earthspark, Transformers One, Cyberworld, etc). I've always adored this character so I'm thrilled she is finally in the spotlight and getting an abundance of long overdue merchandising. While this isn't the greatest toy in the world, I considered her inclusion in this line a badge of honor. Let's check out the Transformers Authentics Elita-1 below!

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Dr. Wu - ALIE!

Dr. Wu No. DW-MS35 - Alie (3rd Party Elita-1) - Mechanic Toys 2024

I find it endlessly amusing that the best Elita-1 figures come from unofficial 3rd Party companies. I've thought the various official Hasbro releases have been pretty great. But each one has something a little off about it. This Dr. Wu (Mechanic Toys) Amie figure is a prime example of how this character should be done every time. I'm a sucker for the original 80's cartoon designs so the modern interpretations that take artistic liberty with proportions and structure will always take second fiddle to a super classic look like this. The original batch of Dr. Wu fembots came out back in 2022 (at the same time as a competitor line from NewAge), and I was always sad that an Elita-1 homage was excluded from the lineup and replaced by endless Arcee variants. It took a few years, but they finally produced this late-release Amie and I couldn't be happier. This is quite possibly the nicest Elita-1 figure ever. If she were a larger 6-7" scale, she would be perfect. Let's check out this beautiful 3rd Party Elita-1 in detail below!

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One: Classic Class Model Kits - Elita-1 - Bloks/Buluke/Blokees 2024

I love that action figure model kits are becoming so prevalent in recent years. Transformers One hit the theatres this past Fall and the majority of the products I've picked up so far have been model kits: two Yolopark kits from a few months ago, and now this Blokees kit. This is especially amusing since the main Studio Series Elita-1 from Hasbro isn't being released for another nine months. But these kits are an amazing way to pass the time until then. My first Blokees figure was Arcee from Rise of the Beasts. I had lukewarm feeling about her because of her odd proportions and construction. It seems like the majority of Transformers Blokees have been in a super-deformed style, so I assumed that would be a consistent design for the brand. But luckily this Elita-1 has perfect proportions and overall design. And with the cool light-up eyes feature and the $16 pricetag, I might even say this is the best value movie Elita-1 out there (if you can overlook the fact that she's non-transforming). Let's check her out below!

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers: One - Elita-1 (Cogged Mode) Advanced Model Kit - Yolopark 2024

These Yolopark model kits are a really fun line to augment all the Hasbro and Takara Transformers product. I've noticed solicitations for a while featuring classic Transformers, Rise of the Beasts, and Evangelion, but the two Elita-1 figures for Transformers One were my first purchases. They were fun to assemble and display great. The two different modes in the One line come at different scales and pricepoints. Cog-Less Mode is 5.12" and runs $21.99 and the Cogged Mode is 6.89" and runs $36.99. Surprisingly, I had multiple issues with the larger, more expensive one (details below). But none of the issues were dealbreakers, just surprising quality issues. I eagerly look forward to the next female Transformer they might make (I'm assuming Arcee) and will gladly make the purchase. This review is for the larger 7" Cogged version - after Elita is rejoined with her Cog of Transformation and gets powered-up and is able to transform. (Note this model does not transform. Only robot mode). Let's check her out below!

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers: One - Elita-1 (Cog-less Mode) Advanced Model Kit - Yolopark 2024

When the Transformers One product was revealed and started hitting shelves earlier this year, Elita-1 was depressingly absent from the character representation. As the primary female character in the movie, prominently featured in all the posters and trailers, this was baffling and disappointing. For a brief while, I thought the Burger King toy would be the best movie Elita figure. But things have turned around. When all is said and done, there should be seven new Elita-1 toys in this design, but the release schedule is very slow (The Hasbro Movie Masters figure currently has a release date of exactly one year from today, Nov 3rd 2025). But in the meantime, the first real articulated figures are two model kits from Yolopark featuring both versions of Elita, Cog-less (before she has the ability to transform), and Cogged (after her Cog of Transformation is reinstalled). Neither figure is transforming mind you. This review is for the smaller 5.12" Cog-less model kit. Let's check her out below!

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

King Jr - Transformers One - Elita-1 & Cybertronian Cycle - Burger King 2024

I ate Burger King a couple weeks ago for the first time in close to 20 years. The burger was actually great. The fries were not as good as they used to be sadly. I did the same thing with McDonalds a couple years ago and I thought all of it was gross and couldn't believe how much I used to eat it in my youth. But I digress. The whole reason I dabble in fast food as an adult is to fetch the rare female kid's meal action figure. Funny thing though, the highly astute BK employee assured me I was getting Elita-1, but underneath my Whopper was Orion Pax. I ended up ordering the whole set on eBay. When this Elita-1 figure was first shown, I feared she would be the only movie figure of her. There had already been a lot of Transformers One product shown, but all the early product was devoid of females (despite Chromia, Arcee, Elita-1, and Airachnid all being listed on iMDb). But luckily there now seem to be a ton of Elitas coming. Let's check out the BK Elita-1 and her Cybertronian Cycle mode below!

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Transformers EarthSpark - ELITA-1!

Transformers: EarthSpark - 1-Step Changers ESS-08 - Elita-1 - Takara Tomy 2024

When I started collecting action figures as an adult, fembots were basically nonexistant. But now there are a ton. Since January 2023, there have been 30 official female Transformers released (and that's not even counting the awesome 3rd Party figures). But along with the collector-friendly deluxe figures, these characters are also now released as gimmicky lower-level figures, too (a luxury that was limited to only the male characters for decades). These figures can look pretty cheap and cheesy (ex: Tacticons and 1-Step Changers). But I'm a completist for most fembots so they still end up in my collection. I recently splurged and bought all the TakaraTomy Japanese releases of the EarthSpark ladies and I was impressed at how a few added paint details can improve their visual appeal. This 1-Step Changer Elita-1 from TakaraTomy has paint on her forearms, shoulders, chest, and forehead (all of which were lazily unpainted in the Hasbro version) and it's a big improvment. Let's check out the updated Elita-1 below!

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Transformers EarthSpark - ELITA-1!

Transformers: EarthSpark - ESD-14 DX - Elita-1 (Deluxe) - Takara Tomy 2024

I've learned a lot about Transformers over the years, but I can admit the intricacies of the Hasbro/TakaraTomy relationship is a little vague to me. From my experience, when the two companies release the same product, the difference has been solely paint applications. So when I discovered that this EarthSpark Elita-1 actually had noticeably improved tooling, I was surprised. I really liked the 2023 Hasbro Warrior Class Elita-1. She has a great sculpt and scale. But when I discovered this Japanese version with an articulated head, sculpted hands with removable weapons, and added paint details, I was obsessed. As one of my favorite Transformers, I will be endlessly excited about new Elita-1 toys. With her prominent role in the upcoming Transformers One movie, I'm excited that she will be getting five new movie figures (and likely even more). But I'm excited this EarthSpark design got one final hurrah. It's pretty great, even though it will be overshadowed shortly. Let's check out Elita-1 below!

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Transformers One - ELITA-1!

Transformers One -  Robot Battlers Series One - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2024

I'm pretty excited for the Transformers One movie in a few weeks. I'm not sure if I will actually enjoy it. I'll be honest, the tone of the trailers I've seen didn't thrill me. But I am excited to see Scarlett Johansson's portrayal of Elita-1. It's amazing that Elita-1 has been so prevalent in Transformers media in recent years after decades of underuse. She was a major player in War for Cybertron and EarthSpark, but her theatrical debut in Transformers One will likely be her biggest role yet. Of course, Hasbro has notably excluded her from most of the movie toylines so far. This Robot Battler figure is  Rock'em Sock'em type gimmicky toy, but I was still excited to find her in the store. There is an upcoming Burger King toy and two figures from Yolopark, but I hope some official Hasbro product is in the works too. In addition to Elita's role in the movie, Airachnid, Chromia, and Arcee also should have screentime. That kind of female presence will definitely get me to the theatre. Let's check out this first Elita-1 figure below!

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Transformers Earthspark - Elita-1!

Transformers Earthspark - 1-Step Flip Changer - Elita-1 - Hasbro 2024

I love how every few years there is a reboot of the Transformers Universe animated for television. I rarely watch all of these, but I love the repercussions they have on the toylines - especially more modern series that don't shy away from including female characters. The current incarnation is Transformers Earthspark on Paramount+ and the show features at least five female Transformers that have received toys so far (nine figures total and two more on the way). The show includes original characters like Twitch and classics like Elita-1. I'm really glad Elita-1 had been rescued from obscurity. Her single episode appearance in 1985 could have been a one-and-done flashback appearance, but thankfully she was brought back as major character in 2020 War For Cyberton series, then again in 2022 for Earthspark, and I assume her role in the upcoming film Transformers One (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) will be significant. It's safe to say Elita-1 is now a staple of the franchise. Let's check out her Flip Changer below!

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Transformers - ARIEL!

Transformers Legacy Evolution - War Dawn Erial & Dion (SDCC) - Hasbro 2023

In the Winter of 1985, just six short weeks after we were introduced to the concept of "female Autobots" in Transformers episode The Search for Alpha Trion, we got a surprising backstory of Optimus Prime and Elita One in the episode War Dawn. In this story, the Aerialbots travel back in time and discover a peaceful Cybertron before the war between Autobots and Decepticons had begun. They meet Dion, Orion Pax, and his girlfriend Ariel (voiced by Samantha Newark, aka Jem). A surprise attack by Megatron and his Decepticon warriors catches the pacifist trio offguard and they sustain serious injuries. The Aerialbots search for help and find a young Alpha Trion in a workshop/lab trying to make defensive warrior robots as he predicted that violent conflict was inevitable. They convince him to help their wounded friends and soon we learn that Alpha Trion has completely rebuilt Orion Pax into Optimus Prime. Then he mentions that Ariel will become Elita One next (but we never see her final form).