Top 5 most wanted Transformers Studio Series remastered figures

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It feels a little odd to think of a toyline "remastering" figures in the same vein as remastering films, but we've been seeing it as a growing trend whether it was the deceased Lightning Collection and their remastered Mighty Morphin figures, Black Series giving us updated versions of older figures such as Jango Fett and Revenge of the Sith Anakin, and now Studio Series with VW Bumblebee and AOE Grimlock receiving brand new figures in the line to improve upon their past releases. Both have been great examples of how a character can be improved with time and the just in figure technology, with Bee based less on concept art, and Grimlock being more in-line with the size we truly see in the film. With this in mind I've thought of a few characters from across Studio Series history that I wouldn't mind seeing redone as this film-based Transformers line continues. 

Honorable Mention: Crankcase

This is by far one of the biggest offenses in the Studio Series line as a simple reuse of the existing Berserker would have sufficed as a new mold for Crankcase in the modern age, and I frankly use that in my display as opposed to this lazy Crowbar repaint with gold dreads for some reason? With Hatchet finally being added to the line (thought the quality of that figure is to be debated) it would be nice to get a Crankcase that actually matches his on-screen design, given that, you know, that's the whole point of Studio Series. Like I said though, I have Berserker so Crankcase isn't as big a priority for me as others on this list. 

5. Lockdown

Poor Lockdown, this is one that people have been asking to have redone ever since the figure was first released. Many state he should be bigger, though screengrabs from the movie seem to support him being much smaller than Optimus (which also makes total sense given his car is *nowhere* close to the size of Optimus' truck), but where I think the figure really needs to be redone is engineering. He is far outdated by modern standards, and with the focus nowadays being on engineering instead of size I think a Voyager scaled Lockdown that manages to eliminate kibble, enhance articulation, and include all of his accessories (including the iconic face rifle) would shut fans up for good in the best way. 

4. Grindor

Now we come to Grindor, a bot whose size in the film was very clearly present with how Optimus literally climbed up his body. For Studio Series he was a simple repaint and minor retool of Blackout, a fantastic figure in its own right with many elements from it taken for the Masterpiece Blackout release; however, Grindor's size cannot be ignored! With Commander class now existing as an established price point in the Studio Series line I think an upscaled Grindor would be a welcome release, and not needing a new mold would save the line money given that they're investing in yearly Studio Series Titans for the first time. The Masterpiece Blackout has been a fun stand in for Grindor on occasion, as will the new Yolopark Blackout; however, a properly scaled Grindor is long overdue.

3. 86' Shockwave

We have not gotten an 86' Shockwave in the line so far; however, given the treatment we've been seeing other 86' characters receive I think I am not alone in saying that a truly magnificent Shockwave is on the horizon. While Coronation Starscream wasn't anything to really write home about, we've seen characters like Optimus, Megatron, Soundwave, and the Seekers all receive beautifully redone figures as part of their Studio Series reintroduction. While the Shockwave from Siege is a great figure, it will be nice to have something 100% percent screen accurate and loyal to the G1 cartoon aesthetic. 

2. Dropkick

Just like VW Bee, this first Dropkick figure suffered *heavily* from being based on concept art. While the eventual car mode Dropkick we got is a great figure it only really showcases the character for one scene from the film. While I do not expect triple changing magic to be performed at his size, it would be nice to at least get a figure of Dropkick that more greatly resembles his design from the brunt of the movie with all the helicopter kibble and a beefier robot form. As it stands, the figure we got is waaay too slender and overall barely even resembles the Decepticon we see in the movie. 

1. 86' Astrotrain

When we were initially given the updated Astrotrain figure I was happy, but over time I've become less and less enthused about this guy, especially when compared to a lot of figures we've gotten since and even figures we were getting around that time. Astrotrain has always been one of my top favorite G1 bots of all time, and I think the Studio Series 86' line is primed to give us a proper animation accurate figure of this guy that prioritizes engineering and doesn't include random extras like his "landing pad" that adds nothing to the figure. The designers behind Studio Series have enthused that 2026 is the year they're aiming to finish out 86' in the Studio Series line, and if so that could mean the perfect Astrotrain is right around the corner!