Transformers Warrior Class - WINDBLADE!

Transformers: Cyberverse - Warrior Class Wave 2 - Windblade - Hasbro 2018

I'm really excited for the Transformers: Cyberverse line. It's only been hitting the shelves three months, but I already have several great new animated-style female figures (Ultra Class Shadow Striker, Scout Class Windblade, and this Warrior Class Windblade), plus two more on the way (Scout Class Shadow Striker and an Ultra Class Slipstream). The only unfortunate thing is that there has only been one female character announced in this Warrior Class scale so far. This scale is the ideal version in my opinion. It's large enough to have great details and articulation, but small enough not to be clunky (like the larger scale animated figures tend to be). They also fit in very nicely with the typical "Deluxe" Transformers scale. I'm really hoping that the two remaining first-string female characters (Shadow Striker and Slipstream) get the Warrior Class treatment eventually. As seen in the group pic below, Windblade has really become an A-list character in the Transformers world. Let's check out this newest incarnation below!

Transformers Scout Class - WINDBLADE!

Transformers: Cyberverse - Scout Class Wave 2 - Windblade - Hasbro 2018

I love little tiny Transformers. These Cyberverse Scout Class figures are so little and cute. They are slightly larger than the Legion Class figures and slightly smaller than that Strongarm from the Battle Packs. She's actually the same size as the Power of the Primes Legends figures (Slash and Cindersaur), but the animated style makes them look different. The scale lends to good articulation and detailed sculpting, and they display very nicely. That's one problem I'm currently having with my burgeoning Transformers collection. They are generally bulky and tricky to display (especially the winged characters like Windblade). I really enjoy this scale and I'm excited to get the upcoming Shadow Striker Scout Class. There is a Slipstream in this same wave with Windblade, but she is literally just a purple and teal Starscream repaint. I was really disappointed that the first real Hasbro release of Slipstream was such a cop-out figure. Hopefully she gets a better figure down the line. Let's check out Windblade below!

Transformers - WINDBLADE!

Transformers Legacy United - Windblade (Cyberverse Universe) - Hasbro 2023

I just realized that it's been five years since we've had the last official Windblade figure. Since her debut in 2014, she was quite the fan favorite. In four years she had eight action figures, appeared in several animated series and games, and was the titular character in two different comic mini-series. She was just everywhere. She was so prevalent for so long that I didn't even notice that she was taken a step back until right now when I realized her last official figure was in November of 2018. The current Transformers Legacy line (and all its sub-groupings like Evolution and United) combine characters and designs from various chapters in Transformers history under a unified style. I can admit I was a little hesitant to get behind this idea, but after the recent Strongarm, Shadow Striker, and now Windblade, I can really see the appeal. I'm really curious to see who might be next. It seems like the sky is the limit and there are a ton of cool potential characters. Let's check out Windblade below.

Transformers Scout Class - SHADOW STRIKER!

Transformers: Cyberverse (Scout Class Wave 3) - Shadow Striker - Hasbro 2019

I'm loving how the Transformers: Cyberverse line is releasing all their main characters in multiple scales so quickly. And I'm also loving how three of those main characters are female. We already have two Windblades, two Slipstreams, and now a second Shadow Striker. The best part is that my favorite scale (the Warrior Class) has only had a Windblade so far. So potentially my favorite figures have yet to be unveiled: a Warrior Class Slipstream and Shadow Striker. And that's not even mentioning the other potential secondary characters from the cartoon: Arcee, Chromia, and Nova Storm. But in the meantime, I truly am a big fan of these small Scout Class figures. They are bigger than the Legion Class figures of the past, but they're still pretty small and adorable. They have great robot forms, but sacrifice a lot in the vehicle mode (which is a change up from past smaller-scale-transformers, but I much prefer it). I can't wait to see what gets released next. Let's check out Shadow Striker below!

Transformers Warrior Class - SLIPSTREAM!

Transformers: Cyberverse - Warrior Class Target Exc - Slipstream - Hasbro 2019

I think I could go out on a limb and say that Slipstream is my favorite female Decepticon. Blackarachnia and Airachnid are cool and all, but I'm a bit of a Transformers purist and I like my alternate modes to be vehicles and not oversized robotic animals. The organic nature of the animal modes also makes their robot forms look very aesthetically different that other characters. All the other robots have hard edges and a mechanical functionality that I find very appealing. But the beast-based characters, although cool, look more like alien androids than robots. I only discovered Slipstream when I picked up her Kre-O figure about 5 years ago. Slipstream is a female clone of Starscream introduced during Transformers: Animated. Because she is a clone, her merchandise is often just a repainted Starscream (despite her looking distinctly feminine in the cartoons). But luckily this Warrior Class Starscream buck is very gender-neutral so I don't mind the laziness. Let's check out Slipstream below!

Iron Factory - WINDSABER!

3rd Party Transformers - IF EX-05 Windsaber (Windblade) - Iron Factory 2015

Windsaber was the first of Iron Factory's 3rd Party 3" fembots back in 2015. At the time, I wasn't familiar with the world of 3rd Party collecting and the price really threw me off. She was around $25 at a time when similarly-scaled Hasbro figures were only $5. I just didn't understand the appeal. But now that I'm a fully-indoctrinated fan, I can assure you that the sculpt, paint, plastic quality, packaging, and engineering is almost always top notch. The price is still an obstacle, but I can always budget for my must-haves. And coincidentally, my interest in 3rd Party figures has revved up my purchasing of official Hasbro and Takaratomy products more than ever before. A rising tide floats all boats as they say, and fan-made collectibles help raise my interest in fembots across the board. An interesting fact about this Windsaber figure is that, although unofficial, she is the second Windblade figure ever released. And considering how prolific she in the toy aisles these days, that's very impressive. Let's check her out below!

Transformers - CHROMIA!

Transformers Legacy United - Chromia (Cyberverse Universe) - Hasbro 2024

When the Cyberverse Arcee figure came out four years ago, I was certain we would be getting a Chromia in the line. All the original engineering for that new female body seemed wasteful for a single release. Plus I really liked the Chromia design. But we all know that never happened. And that Arcee became a shelfwarmer with an unfortunate trait of turning yellow over time. But the current Transformers Legacy line is intended to merge together characters from different Universes with a unified design aesthetic (I've been especially happy to see Go-Bots and Rescue Bots in a deluxe Transformers style). Well years later this Legacy line has finally given us our first Cyberverse Chromia and she looks pretty great. I still find the females in this line to be a bit shorter and blockier that I prefer, but I can't deny the great assortment of figures we've received so far. I can't wait to see who will be revealed next (I have a million ideas). Let's check out Cyberverse Chromia below!

Transformers Ultra Class - SLIPSTREAM!

Transformers: Cyberverse (Ultra Class Wave 3) - Slipstream - Hasbro 2019

I recently acknowledged the cartoon trope of purple being a villainous color. It almost becomes a subconscious thing that you don't realize, but it's really everywhere. This past Summer I was making a collage of 80s villainesses and it ended up looking really weird because it was so purple. Think about it: Evil-Lyn, Queen Merla, Malvanna Wilde, Scorpia (Sectaurs), Vipra, Queen of the Crown, Erica Slade, Virulina, there are a ton. And that's not even mentioning the Transformers: Blackarachnia, Airachnid, Shadow Striker, Strika, Flamewar, Cindersaur, and of course Slipstream. I was really excited when I discovered that Slipstream would be a major character in the Transformers Cyberverse cartoon. Her Legends figure is one of my favorites and I definitely thought animated-style toys would be very cool. Unfortunately her first release, a Scout Class, was just a repaint of Starscream and I was very disappointed. I was afraid this figure would be the same, but luckily she appears to be a completely new figure.

Transformers Cyberverse - ARCEE!

Transformers Cyberverse Adventures (Macadam Series) - Arcee - Hasbro 2020

The year of Arcee continues! It's been such a joy seeing so many female Transformers on the shelves these last few years. And it's especially nice to be getting so many different representations of Arcee. As the prime representative of the fembots, I always assume her presence is a reliable indicator of figures yet to come. For instance, this Cyberverse Adventures Arcee will almost certainly be retooled into a Chromia or a new Windblade. The tooling that went into the body is too good not to be re-used. While this figure is generally in the same scale as the Warrior Class Slipstream and Windblade, it is a big step forward in quality. The sculpt, paint, transformation, and poseability are impressive and more at the collector-level than the previous figures which definitely seemed geared towards kids. There are two more Arcees due out this year (Earthrise Deluxe and Masterpiece) plus the Tiny Turbo Changer and any other surprised we might see (Funko?). It's an exciting time. Let's check out Arcee below!

Transformers - SHADOW STRIKER!

Transformers Legacy Evolution - Shadow Striker (Deluxe) - Hasbro 2023

Sometimes it seems nothing is cooler than a villainous female Transformer. Modern Transformers fans are faced with an abundance of female characters. So many that it makes the history of gender arguments within the fanbase seem even more ludicrous than it did back then. But still the majority of toys we see are pastel heroes - often ultra-feminized to counterbalance the blocky robotic aesthetic. But where the heroes tend to be pink and feminine, the villains are conversely sinister and purple. Shadow Striker was a character I was unaware of until 2019's Transformers: Cyberverse show which gave us two toys of her (as well as multiple toys of Slipstream and Windblade). I assumed Shadow Striker was a new character for the show (and she kind of was), but I just learned that she was based on a 2003 exclusive retool figure sharing her same name (but looking vastly different). This new figure blends details of the two figures and finally bridges the design gap. Let's check out Shadow Striker below!

Iron Factory - SHRIKE'S FEATHER!

3rd Party Transformers - IF EX-27 Shrikes Feather (Slipstream) Iron Factory 2018

One of my favorite genres of character is female gender-swaps of existing male characters. My obsession with all the bat-ladies and spider-ladies are a prime example if this. But I've been getting really into Transformers in the past few years and this gender-swapping is almost unheard of in this universe. The biggest example, however, is Slipstream. Slipstream is a female clone of Starscream introduced in the Transformers: Animated series. In that storyline, Starscream had made a number of clones of himself, but Slipstream really stood out. Not only was she the token female, but she was wicked and funny. Each clone had unique traits: cowardly, prideful, obsequious, etc. Most of these traits resulted in comic buffoonery, but Slipstream seemed like a genuine villain. She became really popular and has since appeared in comics, videogames, and other animated Transformers franchises. Plus she's gotten a lot of toys! Let's check out this 3" Iron Factory Slipstream homage, Shrike's Feather!

Transformers - SLIPSTREAM!

Transformers Legacy United - Slipstream (Cyberverse Universe) - Hasbro 2024

A fantastic side effect of Windblade's popularity is that every once in a while we get a retool of her toys as Slipstream. As a clone of Starscream, the majority of Slipstream's action figures have been simple repaints of his sculpts, with no effort to give her a more feminine design. Luckily the modern interpretations of Starscream have have very androgynous bodies, so there are plenty of great Slipstreams out there. But it's just nicer when it's an intentionally female sculpt. This newest figure is a retool of 2023's Legacy Windblade and she's been pretty difficult to find at retail. I saw her at New York Comic Con in October, and then once in November at GameStop. Other than that, the only place I've seen her available is on BigBadToyStore. Which is all a shame because she's such a cool, wicked character and it's been six years since we've seen her on the shelves. There aren't any more announced female characters in the Legacy line, so it's possible that she's the last. Let's check out Slipstream below!

Transformers Mini-Con WINDSHEAR!

Transformers: Generations Series 02 #13 - Mini-Con Assault Team - Hasbro 2014

This little lady snuck right by me this past year. I feel like I impatiently flipped by this figure a thousand times this year while frantically seeking Windblade, Arcee, and Chromia. Then while searching for a picture of Flamewar, Flareup, and Transmutate for my Year-End Review, I found the *ahem* fuckyeahwarriorwomen tumblr which had a group photo of all of 2014's fembots including this mysterious little green lady. I was immediately on the hunt. I soon discovered that Windshear is a part of the Mini-Con Assault Team alongside Heavytread and Runway. Mini-cons are small human-sized Transformers that combine to form a standard-size Transformer. These three mini-cons combine to form Centuritron. The great thing about discovering her in the 11th hour is that the Assault Team pack was on clearance in almost every store I went to. It was a no-brainer.  I wish all my purchases could be so obviously pre-ordained.  Let's check out Windshear below!

Transformers: Robots in Disguise - STRONGARM!

Transformers: Robots in Disguise - Deluxe Class - Strongarm - Hasbro 2014

This character is a bit of mystery to me right now since the new cartoon Transformers: Robots in Disguise doesn't premiere until early 2015.  All we know about Strongarm is that she is an "Elite Guard Cadet" and a member of Bumblebee's young Autobot team when he returns to Earth following the Predacons Rising movie.  Aside from that, all we have are some graphics, some teaser video clips, and three (count'em, three!) action figures.  The action figures make her out to be a lot bulkier than she appears in the animation, but even so, she is definitely packing a lot more muscle than previous Transformer girls (if you don't count Strika).  I'm hoping we get another version of her someday with a more cartoon-accurate body, but if not, I'm still very happy with this Deluxe Class figure.  There are also mini Cyberverse-style figures and blocky One-Step-Changer figures on the toy shelves right now.  I love it how I have to pick and choose because I'm running out of room on my fembot shelf (!).  I never thought I'd see the day.

Transformers - STRONGARM!

Transformers Legacy Evolution - Strongarm (Robots in Disguise) - Hasbro 2023

It seems like every iteration of modern Transformers animation has one token female that they elevate to A-Lister status. Transformers: Prime had blue Arcee. Transformers: Cyberverse had Windblade. War for Cybertron featured a redesigned Elita-One. And Earthspark has Twitch. But I think special commendation goes to Strongarm from Robots in Disguise. This character was very different in several ways. For starters, she was big and strong. True to her name, Strongarm was a powerhouse character in this show, a far cry from the more dainty females before and after her. She is also a rescue vehicle. Kids are always drawn to the fire, medic, and police vehicles (similar to kids always being inexplicably drawn to the Red Ranger), but female characters rarely transform into them. Finally, her headsculpt is very traditional. There is something about the framing of her face and the yellow crest on her forehead that makes her look like she was designed in the 80s along with the rest of the classic Transformers characters.