Transformers Reveals Dinobot Fan Faves, Designer Evan Brooks Explains How Dinobots Paved the Way for Rise of the Beasts (Exclusive)
Transformers fans will finally get to see the Maximals take on the Predacons in the anticpated Rise of the Beasts, and Hasbro has already revealed several looks at the new figures hitting their Legacy and Studio Series lines. Today they've also revealed a look at several new additions to those lines and more, but these new additions in many ways paved the way Beast Wars and ultimately Rise of the Beasts. We're talking about the Dinobots of course, and not only do we have an exclusive first look at some of the new Dinobot figures coming to the Legacy, Studio Series, and Generations line, but we also had the chance to discuss the importance of the Dinobots to this larger than life legacy with Hasbro Product Designer Evan Brooks.
Today fans can get a first look at Snarl, Scarr, Swoop, and Grimlock, though Grimlock is part of the Shattered Glass line. You can find the official descriptions for those figures below and you can find all of the images starting on the next slide. Plus, Hasbro even revealed a new Transformers Studio Series Core Class Ironhide during the stream, which you will be able to pre-order soon. You will be able to pre-order all of the new figures right here at Entertainment Earth when they drop.
Transformers Legacy Evolution Dinobot Scarr
(Ages 8 and Up | Approx. Retail Price: $11.99 | Available: Summer 2023)
Transformers Legacy opens the portal to a whole new universe of More Than Meets the Eye, bringing together every generation of Transformers like you've never seen before, including the new Transformers Legacy Evolution Dinobot Scarr action figure. The new toy stands at 3.5" tall and is inspired by the IDW comics. Dinobot Scarr can convert from robot to Ankylosaurus mode in 9 steps and be combined with all 6 Transformers: Legacy Evolution Dinobot toys to form the mighty Volcanicus. The action figure also includes a blaster accessory that can be attached in both modes. The new Transformers Legacy Evolution Dinobot Scarr will be available for pre-order in April at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.
Transformers Legacy Evolution Dinobot Swoop
(Ages 8 and Up | Approx. Retail Price: $11.99 | Available: Summer 2023)
Transformers Legacy opens the portal to a whole new universe of More Than Meets the Eye, bringing together every generation of Transformers like you've never seen before, including the new Transformers Legacy Evolution Dinobot Swoop action figure. The new toy stands at 3.5'' tall and is inspired by The Transformers animated series. Dinobot Swoop can convert from robot to Pterodactyl mode in 6 steps and can be combined with all 6 Transformers: Legacy Evolution Dinobot toys to form the mighty Volcanicus. The action figure also includes a blaster accessory that can be attached in both modes. The new Transformers Legacy Evolution Dinobot Swoop will be available for pre-order in April at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.
Transformers Studio Series Leader 86-19 Dinobot Snarl
(Ages 8 and Up | Approx. Retail Price: $54.99 | Available: August 2023)
Bring the epic action of the Transformers movies from the big screen into your collection with the all-new Transformers Studio Series Leader 86-19 Dinobot Snarl action figure. Featuring movie-inspired details and accessories, the new Studio Series Dinobot Snarl action figure stands 8.5" tall and converts from robot to Stegosaurus mode in 31 steps. The figure includes a removable backdrop display from the iconic Battle of Autobot City scene and comes with a sword accessory that attaches to the Dinobot Snarl in both modes. The new Transformers Studio Series Leader 86-19 Dinobot Snarl is available for pre-order now at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.
Transformers Generations Shattered Glass Grimlock
(Ages 8 and Up | Approx. Retail Price: $54.99 | Available: Summer 2023)
The Transformers Generations Shattered Glass Collection shatters everything fans know about the Transformers robots in an alternate universe where the heroic Decepticons battle the evil Autobots. The Transformers Generations Shattered Glass Grimlock is a leader class action figure that stands at 8.5" tall and can convert from robot to T.rex mode in 23 steps. The toy's Shattered Glass universe-inspired design includes the iconic purple Autobot logo that make it great for both an adult collectible or toy for boys and girls. The action figure also includes a dual-barreled blaster that attaches in both modes. The new Transformers Generations Shattered Glass Grimlock will be available for pre-order in April at Hasbro Pulse and other major retailers.
These Dinobots and more in many ways paved the way for characters like Rhinox, Airazor, Cheetor, and more. Brooks feels the same way, and Beast Wars was a natural evolution of Transformers as a brand overall.
"I think as you were saying, there is a big correlation between kids love animals, they love beasts, and everybody loves dinosaurs. So the Dinobots in G1, super popular characters, it just seemed like the obvious next step of trying to reinvent a brand. Well, what if they were all animals? Things like that." Brooks said. "But the nostalgia for that show and just that era of toys, there were so many innovations. You had ball joints that came into the Beast Wars toys, so they had more posability than ever before. That show had great writing and characters, so everybody just loves them. Having re-watched the show back when we were doing Kingdom a couple of years ago, I was like, 'Oh God, this is still such a solid show and these characters are great.' So I think all of those reasons and more are why it's held with such nostalgia."
The characters of Beast Wars were much further along as far as personalities than the Dinobots, allowing the characters of Beast Wars to run where they first walked. That said, they firmly established the idea of family and form a long-lasting bond that most other groups would envy.
"They were very primal. They were huge, just very primal characters compared to the other guys," Brooks said. "It's interesting because it's almost like they were almost the first subgroup of Transformers, I guess is how I would put it. Because then you would get teams, you would then get the Aerialbots, the Stunticons, and they were a team of five. It's almost like the Dinobots were that first core group of like, yeah, they are Autobots, but they're also this subteam. I know people would say, well, there's the Minibots, and it's like they're all tiny cars. It's like, I don't know, I if I count that. There are the seekers."
"But this is, it is a team of five. Personality-wise, it gets weird because it's like, oh yeah, I can tell you Grimlock's personality. But then the other four, I'm always like, and then there's the other four. They all had maybe one-off episodes to try to develop their characters, I guess. Yeah, as you were saying, they did kind of become their own team and family in a weird way because they would always go off on adventures on their own and not listen to the Autobots. It's interesting. Maybe that was learned there. I'm not sure," Brooks said.
As for the figures themselves, so much has changed in regards to how much can be done from those early days. As you can see in the figures, the Dinobots look better than ever, and there is a sort of pressure to get iconic characters like these just right.
It carries with it a lot of weight, I guess is how I would put it," Brooks said. "I've been working on them with Hasui over at TakaraTomy, and we've worked on every one of them so far. We'll work on the fifth one together as well. It's been great, I guess is how I would put it. Hasui san is such a master. He's worked with Transformers for so long and he's just so skilled. He worked on a couple of the Masterpiece figures back in the day. You can tell that he had just a lot of passion to put into this to try and replicate them as best he could. They're fantastic. I know for me going into it's just like, oh, I'm working on a leader skill Grimlock, no pressure or anything like that."
"But it's kind of been a dream. It's nice to put them in ... Because the original G1 toy is the same size as Optimus Prime, and that was never right to me. It's like, well, no, they're supposed to be these big freaking guys. It's nice to be able to give them the scale and the mass, the presence that they're supposed to have and make them really stand out. It seems like folks have been pretty receptive to it. They've really been liking them. I know now we're also doing them at Core Class so that hopefully people can collect them at Core Class and have them as little desk toys and things like that," Brooks said.
As for picking a favorite amongst the Dinobots from a design standpoint, it's difficult, but there is one that always emerges as a favorite for Brooks.
"Ooh, that is a good question. Oh gosh. I almost instantly do go to Grimlock just because of how iconic, like his color breaks, where he has mostly gold body makes him stand out compared to the rest that have red and blue. I guess iconically it would be Grimlock, even though when I was a kid, my favorite dinosaur was a Brontosaurus. So Sludge was my favorite, even though he said and did absolutely nothing most of the time. It was just like, there's Sludge, he's a Brontosaurus," Brooks said.
"But then Grimlock, it's probably going to be Grimlock's design, because I think his is one that has become so iconic that it's carried over a lot into whatever version of media he pops up in. It's usually a reference to his G1 design. So it just becomes more and more iconic over the years."
Rise of the Beasts hits theaters on June 9th, and you can find all of the pre-orders for the new Dinobot figures right here.
