Unicron/toys

Unicron has managed to amass a star system of toys and merchandise, and then some.

Toys

The Transformers

He's green with evil!

• Unicron (Takara)

• Known designers: Hiroyuki Hataike (concept artist)

An unproduced toy for Unicron was to have been released in Generation 1. The first prototype of the toy was developed by Takara and was a green and yellow robot that was to come with a base that set up a "planetary system" with Unicron and a moon culled from movie preproduction materials that turned into a laser gun. When transformed to robot mode, Unicron would have a light and sound gimmick that would activate when shot by an infra-red ray from the gun. So far, this version of the toy has been shown only through Takara print materials.

The placement of yellow is identical to the early animation character model of Unicron which labels him "The Entity". Like that early animation model, the planetary ring is located in front of his "maw" as a result of the positioning of the toy's stand. Additionally, he appears to sport a Decepticon rubsign. Assuming the rubsign is the same size as every other one, this version of Unicron is considerably smaller than the later prototype.

At a company presentation, Takara designer Kōjin Ōno was informed that the Unicron toy was to be made at a larger size, presumably in order to serve as a more appropriate representation of the character's fictional scale. This resulted in the production of a subsequent prototype toy (see below).^[1]

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Look out! The CBS logo is on a murderous rampage!

• Unicron (Hasbro/Takara)

A larger version of the Unicron prototype design was developed by Takara in closer collaboration with Hasbro and was a blue and yellow robot, possessing different paint operations and molding to the earlier prototype, about one foot tall and was able to transform into a planet. In comparison to the earlier version, the color scheme of this later prototype is closer to the animation model's finalized colors. Furthermore, the planetary ring's location was rotated 90 degrees, similarly matching later revisions to Unicron's planet mode animation design which moved the ring away from the maw.

For a time I considered sparing your wretched little botanical garden

Omitted from the original prototype was the moon/laser gun, but the new larger design was to have come with a voice chip and a "planet microphone" to allow owners to speak through the toy. Sound samples of lines read by Orson Welles were also to be used in the toy. It also would have had a gun that became a stand for the planet mode and a blue "shield" that unfolded and covered the yellow part of his chest in planet mode. It bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Mr. Welles.

Peekaboo! I eat you!

This figure had a public "debut" of sorts at BotCon 1996, where it was mistransformed, but later convention appearances would feature it accurately transformed.

After not being shown for several years, the prototype resurfaced in the summer of 2020 on display (and once again mistransformed) at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts as part of their "Let's Play! New England Toy Stories" exhibit featuring the history of New England toy manufacturers.^[2]

According to the fansite Transformers on the Shelf (no longer online), Unicron's toy was scrapped because of cost concerns, flimsy arms, and a faulty voice chip.

Though the prototype had the tallest robot mode at the time of its planned release, it was ultimately shorter than Fortress Maximus.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Beast Wars

• Galvatron (May 21, 1998)

• ID number: D-16
• Accessories: 2 "Galva Axe" missiles, "Scissor Hand" claw/wing-section
• Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (Takara)

Released in the fourth wave of Beast Wars II products in the Japanese Beast Wars toyline, Galvatron is an Ultra-sized Triple Changer, transforming from robot to mechanical dragon to drill tank. As the only totally unique Predacon mold created for the Beast Wars II toyline, Galvatron is also the only figure from the series with both vehicle and animal forms (well, at the same time). In drill tank mode, a black plunger protruding from the top of his cockpit can be pressed, spinning his drill as part of his "Drill Destroyer" attack. The tread-sections also feature his non-firing "Galvatling Cannons", which end up in his knees in both dragon and robot mode. Also in this mode, triggers on either side of his tail fire his "Galva Axes" as spring-loaded missiles. In dragon mode, a slider on his back allows for his wings to move in a flapping action. His wings can also split open into their "Scissor Hand" claw-pincer configurations, much like they do in the cartoon.

In robot mode, Galvatron's Galva Axes can be held in his hands as melee weapons or fired from their launchers that are now located on his forearms. His Scissor Hand weapon can also be removed in this mode and used as a hand-held weapon. Galvatron's chest also houses has a yellow marble to represent his "Galva-Matrix".

Sonokong also released this figure in their Beast-War toyline as "Garba Tron" (also known as "Galvatron"). Aside from the difference in packaging, the Korean release of the figure is identical to the Takara releases. In place of the bio cards of the Takara releases, Garba Tron comes with two "Jan-ken-pon" cards. One has an image reflecting the one on the box, with scissors and the number one die roll, and the other with rock and the number five die roll, with a super computer or building in the background.

Beast-War Galba Tron was later reissued in the Korean Car Bot toyline, reassigned as a Destronger and renamed Gigatron Z.

• More information on Galvatron at TFU.info

A robot with a hemisphere on his back.

• Unicron (Takara)

• Known designers: Hisashi Yuki (Takara), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Takara tried again to produce a Unicron toy during Beast Wars Neo (as the character figured prominently to the endings of both the cartoon and comic), only going as far as the resin prototype stage before canceling it. It was said to be around the size of "Optimal Optimus" and had several gimmicks, such as an opening robot mouth when the horns were squeezed, and a claw and a drill that were stored in the planet "shell" in robot mode. The toy would also have had planetary ring segments, not shown in the photo at right; unlike most representations of Unicron, these ring segments ran along his equator, and were only partial so his planetary mouth was not obstructed. One hard copy was shown at the Tokyo Toy Show. Fans attempted to lobby for an unassembled, unpainted, and likely one-color "garage kit" version of the toy, but this never came to be… probably because the cost per unit would have been several hundred dollars.

Interestingly enough, neither the cartoon nor comic version of Neo Unicron looked like the toy. This toy was later used to represent Dark Nova's "Unicron Neo" form in the Legends comic.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Armada

And the fandom rejoiced (and complained).

• Unicron with Mini-Con Dead End (Supreme Class, July 2003)

• Takara/Sonokong ID number: MX-00
• Takara release date: September ??, 2003
• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate
• Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro), Hironori Kobayashi (Takara), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Unicron from the Armada toyline is an orange and transparent purple Supreme-size toy that transforms into a planet. It features many Mini-Con Powerlinx plugs on the planet's rings, and "chomping" jaws activated by moving the mandibles. The packed-in Mini-Con Dead End in moon mode plugs into a specially shaped crater-like socket on Unicron's planet form, just above his gaping maw. Powerlinx plugs on his sides activate the triple spring-loaded missile launchers, which end up on his robot mode legs. In robot mode, he has hidden compartments for Mini-Cons in his robot-mode legs and abdomen. One Powerlinx plug on the back of the robot mode activates blinking eye lights and a cannon that bursts from the chest and shoots a missile. A button on the top of the head also activates the blinking eye lights. Pushing his right hand back slightly into the cuff causes it to light up.

In total, the toy can hold up to 27 Mini-Cons in planet mode, and 30 in robot mode—35 if you count the two cavities in his forearms, Dead End's indent on the planet shells, and if a Mini-Con is stored in the compartment on each leg. 24 of the Powerlinx points are situated on his wings/planet ring. That's a lot of Mini-Cons! Attaching the full capacity of Mini-Cons can easily add a whole pound to Unicron's weight (varying slightly by the choice of Mini-Cons used of course). Since Unicron alone is one of the heaviest Transformers figures ever made at the time, one can imagine how bulky he gets.

This toy is notable for being the first "modern" Transformers release in the main line at the $50-price point. Due to his success, other releases like Energon Omega Supreme came into being. This toy was featured in ToyFare Magazine, being awarded "Toy of the Year" for 2003 in "Best of the Best 2003".^[3]

Unicron is something of a shellformer, with the majority of his planet mode being composed of two large translucent purple halves which swing onto his back in robot mode as wings (though, not to the scale they are shown to be in the cartoon). These parts can be removed quite easily in robot mode to make him a little more accurate to his appearance in The Transformers: The Movie—which is exactly what a large percentage of the fandom did with the figure, since this was the only Unicron toy available for Generation 1 collectors to buy at the time. In fact, Unicron's instructions actually tell you to remove the wings for transformation, though it's not really needed. The reason the instructions tell you to remove the wings is because they are intended to be reconnected to the same joints they were taken off of back-to-front in robot mode, allowing for the base of the wing to sit in the channels behind his shoulders, making them less likely to flop around. Because the wings are removable, this has led to hemisphereless Unicrons being quite common on the aftermarket.

The toy had a minor running change where a slot and tab were added to the shoulder and wing column, respectively, to keep the rings more firmly in place in planet mode. Early publicity photos and some catalog shots also show that the two nubs on either outside edge of the shoulders were originally full-fledged spikes, dulled down for safety reasons.

The Takara Legends of the Microns and Sonokong Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron releases of Unicron use a lighter orange, slightly more transparent plastic, and different paint applications than the Hasbro release, for instance, the silver paint on its face highlights his moustache.

This mold was used to make the Mini-Con doppelganger of Unicron.

• More information on Armada Unicron at TFU.info

• Unicron with Dead End (Bonus pack, 2003)

• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, stomach plate

Late in the US line, Walmart stores received exclusive Unicron toys that came with the Air Military Mini-Con Team in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!

Energon

This would be worth more to somebody outside of Japan if it was bought inside Japan.

• Unicron (Supreme Class, 2004)

• Takara ID number: MX-00
• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, Dead End

Unicron's Armada toy was redecoed for the Energon toyline, sporting black and transparent orange, with "Energon damage" patterns, representing his shattered and damaged form. All of the gimmicks from the previous version are intact in this one.

Early stock photography of the toy depicts Unicron with a different color scheme that features a gray face and a pink translucent chest instead of the silver face and a reddish-orange translucent chest of the actual toy.

Early shipments of Unicron in Energon packaging shipped with either the orange Armada Unicron or the black Energon Unicron inside, in seemingly equal amounts for a short while. Eventually, the orange version was phased out and black was the only shipping version.

The Takara Super Link release of Unicron—dubbed Unicron Black Version (ユニクロンブラックバージョン Yunikuron Burakku Bājon)—was packaged inside the Legends of the Microns Unicron box, with a "20th Anniversary" sticker applied to the back and the front of the box. The figure was released in limited numbers (the amount of which is currently unknown), and was presumably exclusive to a store (which is also currently unknown).

• More information on Energon Unicron at TFU.info

Unicron will make an unhappy meal of you.

• Unicron (Fast Food Premium, 2004-2006)

• Accessories: Energon cube

Available in one of two different European-market McDonald's Happy Meal promotions, this Unicron toy is based on Energon Unicron, being primarily black. It is very small, and the transformation consists of simply opening the planet mode to reveal the robot.

When his Energon cube is clicked into position, the cube's power switch set to "on", and the toy's button depressed, his body lights up. In 2006, this figure was made available in Brazil without the Energon cube.

• More information on McDonald's Unicron at TFU.info

Cybertron

ZERG RUSH KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE

• Unicron (Deluxe Class, 2006)

• Accessories: Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key
• Cyber Key Code: dgt3
• Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro),^[4] Takio Ejima (Takara), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Part of the eighth wave of Cybertron Deluxe Class toys, Unicron transforms into a futuristic, crab-like/insectoid tank. In robot mode, he sports a battle-damaged appearance, with his head featuring a skull-like design mimicking the Unicron head that comes with Cybertron Primus (see below). In both modes he features a large spring-loaded missile launcher, plus plugging a Cyber Key into his back end opens up a port on his front (which bears a striking similarity to his planet form's maw) that reveals a (non-firing) triple-barreled cannon. His side-spines in tank mode can be removed to become hand-weapons in robot mode.

This toy was the first and only Unicron toy with the trademark Dracula-style "collar" from the original animation model, up until the toy based directly on said animation model created roughly fifteen years later. He is also the first Unicron toy to be placed with the Decepticon faction for the purposes of marketing.

Due to the use of translucent plastic for his radar dish/head mount, aging samples run the risk of this piece breaking off at the joint due to plastic tolerance issues. Some samples also have difficulty holding the spike weapons properly due to the short pegs and clearance issues with his wrists.

• More information on Cybertron Unicron at TFU.info

That worked a lot better for Fort Max.

• Cybertron Primus (Supreme Class, 2006)

Cybertron Supreme Class Cybertron Primus comes with Unicron's head. The head is based on Armada Unicron's, with half of the face stripped away to reveal a robotic "skull". To provide the impression of locomotion, tentacles were added to the base of the head. His face bears a greater resemblance to his on-screen appearance in Armada than the Armada toy itself, with no facial hair, a more "wrinkled" look, and thinner, rounder eyes. Meanwhile, his color scheme matches the Cybertron toy, with dark gray horns and a purple crest on his brow.

The packaging for this variation of Primus was specifically changed with a call-out for the Unicron head. This was originally supposed to be the first version of the Primus toy shipped, being part of the second wave of Cybertron Supreme Class toys, but both versions ended up shipping simultaneously, leading to some hunting to get the packed-in "Uni-skull".

• More information on Unicron's head (with Primus) at TFU.info

Universe (2008)

• Unicron (Supreme Class, 2008)

• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile

For Universe, Armada Unicron was rebranded with no deco differences, even retaining the Armada release's product code. He was sold as a Toys"R"Us exclusive. As with all Unicron products produced by Hasbro since Cybertron Unicron, he is placed in the Decepticon faction. Once again, the on-box bio profile describes Unicron's nature as a multiversal singularity.

Transformers (2010)

Orange you glad it's 2010?

• Universal Dominator Unicron (September 2010)

• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, Bug

A retool of Supreme Class Armada Unicron toy (see above), this Unicron is given a new head and an animated film-inspired deco. He retains all of his original gimmicks, including electronics. His Mini-Con partner, Bug, is still included.

This set is only available in Japan as a Toy Hobby Market exclusive, with orders being taken from June 1st through July 4th. The toy was released at the end of September 2010. Unicron is part of Takara's Welcome to Transformers 2010 anniversary celebration, and is packaged in a special box that is meant to go with the Creator Primus toy released the same year. Unicron comes with two "points" redeemable towards a talking stand for Masterpiece Rodimus Convoy.

This Unicron utilizes parts from both versions of Armada Unicron, having wings from the initial release, but hinged shoulder plates with holes on the backs for pegs from the slightly retooled version.

YOU GET THE BEEEEEEEEEEST OF BOTH WORLLLLLDS

• Unicron (Supreme Class, 2011)

• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, Kranix
• Known designers: Andrew Scribner (deco artist)

Made in honor of the 25th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, the 2010 Transformers toyline's Unicron deco is noticeably different than TakaraTomy's "Welcome to 2010" Unicron release (even though they are both coloured to represent the character from the movie). It is now cast in metallic gray and gold-ish orange, as well as a muted blue. The shade of blue may be seen as comic-inspired, since the 80's Marvel comics sometimes had blue tones in the figure… but so did Unicron in some scenes of The Transformers: The Movie, so make of it as you will. It comes with the Mini-Con Kranix (identical to the TakaraTomy release) and is exclusive to Amazon.com and also at Toys"R"Us in Canada, while being available at general retail in parts of Southeast Asia. He was also released in Chile as a Ripley exclusive during Christmas 2011.

While the packaging is of the 2010 toyline, the instruction manual uses the Dark of the Moon logos (but not the series' style of instruction graphics).

• More information on Transformers (2010) Unicron at TFU.info

United

Should I use THE CLAMPS?

• Ark Unicron (February 25, 2012)

• ID number: UN-29
• Accessories: Missile, 4 spines (2 long, 2 short), Planet X Cyber Key

Ark Unicron is a straight redeco of the Deluxe Class Cybertron Unicron toy and is, for some reason, packaged in a Voyager-sized box. He is redecoed in colors similar to the 2010 Transformers Unicron figure, replacing his orange plastic with a darker, metallic shade, his dark gray with a muted blue, and his tan with gray. The Cyber Key retains its Key Code.

Like the 5th and 6th wave figures, Ark Unicron's package feature a sticker that said "limited quantity (数量限定)", indicating that this figure is released in limited numbers after its first and only shipment.

This figure was repurposed as several of Unicron's disciples in the Generation Selects comics.

• More information on Ark Unicron at TFU.info

Prime

There's gold in them thar hills.

• Gaia Unicron (2012-09-29)

• ID number: AM-19
• Accessories: "Bogu" Arms Micron

Part of the seventh wave of Japanese Prime toys, and exclusive to said line, Gaia Unicron is an all-new mold. Its robot is based on Unicron's rock-avatar bodies from the Prime cartoon, while its alternate mode is… erm… a sort of amorphous mass that is presented by the toy's instructions as a "vehicle mode," but which has apparently been designed to look like a mountain with Unicron's face at its center, ringed by bolts of lightning—another reference to the Prime cartoon, in which Unicron's spirit communicated with Megatron by appearing in the fumes of a volcano. He also partsforms into "Gaia Armor" for either Voyager Optimus Prime or Megatron, which more or less leaves most of his mass hanging off the wearer's butt. The Gaia Armor features a "loincloth" panel which has one of each of the 3 Arms Micron Power crystals, not unlike Hades' tail. Though his sticker sheet comes with Decepticon symbols for his shoulders, there are also optional Blentron stickers. His soft plastic wings and horns are prone to drying out and cracking with age, primarily near their connection points.

Unicron's Arms Micron partner, Bogu, transforms from what appears to be a robot mole into a pointy claw to replace one of Unicron's spiked club arms. (The displaced club arm can snap onto the back of the other club arm.) Gaia Unicron and his micron feature numerous 5 mm posts and peg-holes.

Compared to his stock photography, most (if not all) Gaia Unicrons have mis-assembled knees, with two small gray parts on the inner portions of his knees being swapped, thus restricting his knee articulation. This cannot be fixed without knocking out a few pins. It's also common to find one with two of the same knee joint, meaning that swapping them won't fix the issue.

• Optimus Prime + Gaia Unicron (2013)

• Accessories: "Bogu" Arms Micron

This Asian-exclusive redeco of Gaia Unicron features a sticker-less, extensive paint-job, coating his shoulder-pads and large club-arm in shiny metallic paints that match his vacuum-metallized parts, with some additional glossy-black and metallic-magenta paint details here and there. Bogu comes pre-assembled and lacks stickers. Gaia Unicron's knees are still mis-assembled.

He and Bogu come in a multi-pack with a similarly-shiny Optimus Prime (with O.P).

• Nightmare Unicron (2013)

• Accessories: "Bogu M" Arms Micron

A black, grey, and red redeco of Gaia Unicron, this version of the chaos-bringer is designed to match up with Nemesis Prime. Notably, this is the first release of the mold to feature correctly-assembled knees.

Nightmare Unicron was released as a Cybertron Satellite store exclusive in Japan. Prior to the release, he was revealed as a prize for the second Arms Up Micron contest.

Platinum Edition

• Unicron (Supreme Class, 2016)

• Accessories: 6 missiles, giant chest-missile, Kranix

Part of Hasbro's Platinum Edition offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, Unicron is a redeco of the 2010 Transformers Unicron toy, itself a retool of Armada Unicron. It is similar but not identical to the previous Hasbro 2011 Amazon.com release–the blue is now much lighter and slightly less saturated, while the orange is slightly lighter and the grey is darker, both of which are more metallic. The leg missiles have also changed to a darker blood red plastic. The paint deco is unchanged aside from matching the tweaked color scheme. The mold is also showing its age, as it is much harder to get the planet halves to stay latched together compared to past releases.

Like several of the 2016 Platinum Edition sets, Unicron saw a very limited release: Essentially, he was only ever officially released in some of Hasbro's Asian markets such as Hong Kong. A small number of US-based online retailers (such as BigBadToyStore), plus a few more from Canada and the United Kingdom, stocked him as well, having obtained their stock through Asian vendors.

War for Cybertron Trilogy

"For a time… I considered sparing your wretched bank account. But now, you shall witness… ITS WITHDRAWAL!"

• Unicron (2021)

• Accessories: Damaged face plate, two chin pieces, Autobot shuttle, planet display stand, head display stand
• Known designers: John Warden, Lynsey Urban and Lenny Panzica (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Robby Musso and Emiliano Santalucia (concept art), AJ Piejko-Brown and Aurora Kraus (packaging), Mark Grzesik, Sarah Jean Rovenko, and Dan Caparco (instruction design), Lee Tympanick (safety), Rachel Fleming (senior box sitter, marketing), Charlie (junior box sitter, cat)^[5]

At over 27 inches tall in robot mode, 30 inches wide in planet mode, and weighing 16 pounds including his stand, War for Cybertron Trilogy Unicron is the biggest Transformers figure to date, overthrowing Titans Return Fortress Maximus.

…and at $575 USD plus tax, it overthrows your car payment and auto insurance.

Features include over 50 points of articulation (including a whopping 15 points per hand, plus posable eyes, mouth and teeth), a geared chomping planet mouth with articulated mandibles, a removable head, an Autobot shuttle, and minuscule Galvatron and Hot Rod figurines to eat. Two display stands are included: a large main stand that can be used in both modes, and a smaller display stand for the head and some of the accessories. To make it easier to manipulate such a massive toy, he can remain attached to the larger display stand during transformation, and his planetary rings/wings can be detached, but transformation is possible without removing any parts. The pointy bits around the equator are molded in flexible plastic for fragility reasons. His head has an alternate damaged faceplate, an alternate forked chin, and hidden skull details. Beneath the main display stand is a compartment to store whichever faceplate and chin piece aren't in use.

In a first for the Transformers brand, Unicron includes tiny plastic plugs to conceal screw holes on the front of his left arm, the back of his right arm, and on the planet's pinching mandibles. The 22 screw hole covers are packaged on a sprue. All of the plugs conceal asymmetries resulting from shared parts between the left and the right sides of the figure.

To achieve the screen-accurate spherical shape for his planet mode, Unicron's transformation consists mainly of his planet mode's outer shell splitting apart and packing into layers on the back of his torso and legs. A rear panel of the planet does form Unicron's forearms, emulating his transformation scene in The Transformers: The Movie. Each wing has nine joints used for transformation. The planetary ring is radially symmetrical, and can be connected with its parallel points oriented clockwise or counter-clockwise (instructions show clockwise, most of the promotional materials show counter-clockwise). The wings and equatorial spikes require much assembly. Along with the Cybertron Deluxe mold, this is one of only two Unicron toys to feature his iconic Dracula-style collar.

The final production figure has a few visible differences from the stock photos, convention appearance specimens, and even its own instruction booklet. Most conspicuously, the inner planetary maw is now blue instead of yellow, and the robot lower teeth are grey-blue instead of painted silver. The tiny Galvatron and Hot Rod figures are also completely different sculpts with rectangular bases and fewer colors. Promotional renders of the Autobot shuttle accessory were shown in a single color, but in production some of the details are painted over in silver.

The small display stand for Unicron's head has many places on its legs to display the shuttle and mini-figurines, and room for additional similar items. There are 15 rectangular sockets for figurines like Galvatron, Hot Rod, or Optimus Prime (of whom you have two options), and there are three places to attach the 5mm post for the Autobot Shuttle's display armature or other items with 5mm posts. The Kingdom Galvatron toy was packaged with a version of The Revenge, which was intended to be in-scale with this Unicron figure, and features a 5mm post on its underside, but it does not have sufficient physical clearances to fit into any of the ports on this display stand.

Yes, he can support his own weight in robot mode without his stand. No, the head does not need to be removed during transformation; it fits inside the planet mode by rotating his horns down.

The bottom of the planet mode features two flaps designed to conceal the insertion slot for the stand, just in case you figure out a way to display planet mode without the stand. Unfortunately, one of the flaps takes some fiddling to flip, and the author of the instructions expected them to be packaged flipped-in so Unicron could immediately connect to his stand, but most specimens were not found that way, making the average unboxing experience frustrating. The final page of the instruction book, read in reverse order, shows how to flip this flap and fix this problem.

Announced by Hasbro Pulse on July 15, 2019, Unicron is the first Transformers toy to be released as a crowdfunded project from HasLab. Unicron required a minimum of 8,000 backers to be put into production, with an initial deadline of August 31. On August 29, Hasbro announced it was pushing the end date back to October 6 (the end of New York Comic Con 2019) in response to fan feedback asking for more time; the project finally achieved the 8,000 backer goal one day before the new deadline, on October 5. On October 6, the project finished (according to the HTML code of the progress bar) at 140.9%, or 11,272 units, despite officially only displaying “8,000+”. More than a month later, the page was changed to officially read “12,000+ Backers”. In addition to the Unicron figure itself, HasLab backers received a digital comics bundle from IDW Publishing (featuring new cover art by Andrew Griffith that homages the cover of Marvel's The Transformers #1), which contains the four-issue Transformers: The Animated Movie miniseries, and the first issue of the 2019 Transformers ongoing series. Unicron began shipping to purchasers in February 2021.

The "Behold, Galvatron!" Unicron Companion Pack is intended as an add-on set, featuring Galvatron in a clear purple deco reminiscent of his reformatting scene, small painted ships of the Revenge (a different sculpt than Galvatron's hand weapons), a Quintesson ship, and the Junkions' Minnow, as well as an additional 14 mini-figures that can be placed on the display stand.

Merchandise

Hard Hero

Weighs almost as much as the real thing

• Unicron (BotCon 2002)

This statue of Unicron is a huge cold-cast porcelain statue based upon the cartoon design of Unicron. It was originally a BotCon 2002 exclusive before being released to the general public.

Titanium Series

"Screw transforming. Watch me convert this 7-10 split."

• Unicron (3" Robot Master, 2006)

• Accessories: Decepticon stand

Part of the very first wave of Titanium Series "Robot Masters" figurines, Unicron is a 3-inch-tall figurine made partially of die-cast metal, with movable arms. One hand holds what seems to be a moon (or he's going bowling).

• More information on Titanium Unicron at TFU.info

Art Asylum

Oh, I see how this works. You say, "Behind you!" and I turn around, and while I'm staring at nothing, you run away. Well, I'm not falling for it!

• Unicron Movie Statue (Diamond Select, 2007)

This statue of Unicron stands 8 ½” tall and is limited to 1,986 pieces (as in 1986, the year the original animated Transformers movie was released). It also features a smaller statue of Hot Rod standing upon the centerpiece holding the Matrix of Leadership aloft. Oddly enough, Hot Rod is in his toy colours.

Robot Heroes

Quite possibly the only Unicron you could ever afford.

• Optimus Prime & Unicron (Two-pack, 2007)

• Known designers: Bill Rawley (Hasbro), Marcelo Matere (concept artist)

Based on a cartoon-ified version of his The Transformers: The Movie model, Unicron's entry in the Robot Heroes line comes packed with a Matrix of Leadership-brandishing Optimus Prime. His articulation consists solely of his shoulder joints. Also, it was noted that Unicron doesn't have a smiling mouth unlike most of the Robot Heroes figures.

• More information on Robot Heroes Unicron at TFU.info

• Unicron (Single-pack, 2008)

In some countries outside of North America, Unicron was released individually in a blindpack with no notable changes.

Diamond Select

Downloading Galvatron.exe, 74% Complete

• Megatron Reformatted Bust (Action Figure Xpress exclusive, 2008)

"Megatron Reformatted" is a bust exclusively available through Action Figure Xpress, depicting the Decepticon leader in the beginning stages of his reformation into Galvatron as featured in The Transformers: The Movie. This bust features a base in the shape of Unicron.

Download complete! Run: Y/N

• Galvatron (2009)

Similar to the above piece, this bust depicts the newly-created Galvatron suspended above Unicron. It was sculpted by Art Asylum and was limited to 1,000 pieces.

Tiny Titans

THAT... IS NOT A KNIFE. THIS... IS A KNIFE.

• Unicron (Tiny Titans, 2016)

• Series: 6
• Number: 9/12

Part of the sixth and final blind-bagged assortment of Tiny Titans, this toy is a small, soft-plastic figurine of the Chaos Bringer, oddly brandishing a butcher knife that he has never used in any work of fiction prior to this toy's release.

He includes a collectible card that renders him in the 2015 Robots in Disguise styling. The card includes a scan-badge for the Robots in Disguise mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

EX Gōkin+

Devourer of Wallets

• Unicron Head (2015)

• Accessories: 2 whole eyes, 2 shattered eyes, stand

Produced by Art Storm as part of their EX Gōkin+ line, this is a large, extensively detailed sculpt of Unicron's disembodied head as seen in the third season of the Generation 1 cartoon. He comes with alternate eye parts, allowing you to display him with either shattered or undamaged eyes.

• More information on Unicron Head at Art Storm's official site

Soldier Story

Our darkest lighter.

• Unicron (2017)

• Accessories: Hot Rod, Hot Rod clear stand, remote control, USB power cable

Another high-end collectible, the Soldier Story Toys Unicron table lamp stands over 26" tall and is bedecked with over 70 LEDs of various colors all over it. It also projects the movie-style Decepticon insignia above it. The lamp also includes a 6" Hot Rod holding the Matrix of Leadership.

• More information on the Unicron table lamp at Soldier Story's website

Symbiote Studios

"Complete the Cuddle."
"Hahahaha, DO IT YOURSELF!"

• Unicron Plush (2021)

Available exclusively for San Diego/LA Comic-Con 2021, this adorable head plush of the Devourer of the Planets is produced by Symbiote Studios, and officially licensed by Hasbro. Made with high-quality soft minky fabric.

Icon Heroes

As the old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the Matrix.

• Unicron Pen Holder (2022)

A polystone replica of Unicron's severed head produced by Icon Heroes, meant to be used as a pen holder. It features a large gap on its top to accommodate multiple pens, while each of its shattered eyes can store one pen at a time to humorous effect.

Pop!

Half the planet turns into his head.

• Unicron (Jumbo size, July 21, 2022)

• ID number: 103

Released as part of the Pop! Retro Toys segment, Funko's Pop! Unicron is a Jumbo-sized 10" super deformed vinyl figure based on his original Generation 1 design, with many of his coloring details based off the HasLab toy above.

This piece was a shared exclusive for San Diego Comic-Con 2022 and GameStop; the toy was the same at both venues, though the packaging would have different stickers.

ReAction

It's settled: there is no such thing as "too obscure".

• Unicron (December 30, 2022)

Released in the sixth wave of Super7's line of multi-property 3.75-inch "retro" action figures, ReAction Unicron is a "giant-sized" 6-inch toy scaled to tower over the rest of his shipping assortment. In stark contrast to the cartoon-faithful sculpting of the entire rest of the line, this non-converting figure is based on the unreleased 1986 Hasbro prototype toy listed waaayyyy up above. No, really. It features swivel articulation at the hips, shoulders and neck… though the spheroid body means the leg articulation is very limited, and the arms just kind of… swing inward in front or behind him fairly uselessly. Like, he can do half a dab.

The cross-sell images on the cardback depict the Unicron figure holding a large gun, likewise matching the first (and lesser-known) 1986 prototype that had been designed to include a gun that could transform into a stand for the planet mode; however, the final figure did not include this weapon, probably due to the aforementioned wonky arm articulation. It was double cancelled… harsh.

As with all releases in the ReAction toyline, Unicron comes packaged on a card that emulates the nostalgic packaging style of Kenner's Star Wars action figures from the late 1970s to early '80s.

• Unicron (Prototype) (2024)

This version of ReAction Unicron has a green deco to represent the other unreleased early Unicron prototype shown way above - this time the Takara model. In keeping with this, the card uses the Japanese Transformers logo instead of English. The card is significantly smaller than that of the previous version, now the same size as those of standard 3.75" ReActions. It was exclusive to the Super7 website; the listing named it as "Unicron (Prototype)", though that term was not written on the card.

• Unicron (Yellow) (2024)

This version returns to the original ReAction figure / Hasbro toy prototype color scheme, but now in noticeably brighter shades of yellow and blue. It was packaged in a G1-styled box, with new character art instead of that from previous ReAction releases. The character bio on the box is reused from the Universe Unicron toy above. This piece was released for San Diego Comic-Con 2024, with leftover stock being available on the Super7 website the following week.

Notes

They're always so cute before their horns come in.

• Perhaps the earliest known draft of the design that would become Unicron was created by Japanese artist Takehiko Itō of Outlaw Star fame. Itō suggested using redecoes of the spherical Micro Change "Meteor Robo" toys as satellites for "Planet-Robot" in brainstorming sessions.^[6]
• Designer Aaron Archer was shocked by the number of twist-ties used in Armada Unicron's packaging, and decided to straighten them all out and put them in a line, measure it, and multiply the length by the number of Unicrons he knew they'd produced—and the total length of twist-tie would've stretched from Providence, Rhode Island to Phoenix, Arizona. This anecdote led the packaging team to try and reduce the number of ties used in Transformers packaging.^[7]
• According to Aaron Archer, he didn't intend for the resemblance between Cybertron Unicron and the Ark, which TakaraTomy would capitalise on with their "Ark Unicron" release. The toy was motivated from a desire to release a Unicron figure at an affordable price-point, in particular for regions where retailers had never stocked the full-size Armada toy.^[4]

References

External links

• Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron
• Inflatable Unicron store display gallery