"Studio Series 86" Thundercracker Toy Review | Ben's World of Transformers

02/24/26

General Information
Release Date: April 2025
Price Point: $34.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.) - All preceding links are Sponsor/Affiliate links for Ben's World of Transformers
Accessories: Arm Blasters x 2, Wing tips x 2, Rear Stabilizer Fins x 2

Official images and text in italics are from Amazon.com

THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE THUNDERCRACKER: This Transformers Studio Series Thundercracker figure features movie-inspired deco and details
6.5-INCH VOYAGER CLASS TRANSFORMERS FIGURE: In robot mode, the Transformers action figure is 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) tall
CONVERT BETWEEN ROBOT AND JET MODE IN 27 STEPS: This Transformers toy figure converts between modes in 27 steps
2 ARM BLASTER ACCESSORIES: Figure comes with 2 arm blaster accessories that attach in both modes
ARTICULATED FOR PLAY AND DISPLAY: Studio Series Transformers figures feature articulation for display-worthy poses or action-packed play
GIFT TRANSFORMERS COLLECTIBLES: Transformers action figures make a great Christmas, holiday, or birthday gift for boys and girls 8 and up or anyone who collects Transformers toys

Experience the epic action of The Transformers: The Movie with the Studio Series Thundercracker toy! The 6.5-inch (16.5 cm) figure converts from robot action figure to jet mode in 27 steps. With movie-inspired details, intricate poseability, and blaster accessories that attach in both modes, this Transformers Thundercracker action figure makes an awesome addition to any collection. Look for more Transformers collectible toys (sold separately, subject to availability) featuring favorite characters like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and more to create a lineup that is — More Than Meets the Eye. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc.

Background:
In 2026, Hasbro expanded the Studio Series 86 line significantly. One of the figures included in the early 2026 wave was Thundercracker. Thundercracker's role in the film was minimal, but he would eventually be reformatted into Scourge, the Tracker. Thundercracker has made the rounds in the Transformers toy line over the years. Among the versions of the character are:

As you can see, Thundercracker has been a consistent presence over the years, but interestingly enough, this Studio Series 86 version is the one that is most focused on representing the version from the cartoon. In many ways the versions released over the years have been sort of making baby steps towards this version. To be clear, this is a whole new design and not a redeco/retool of any previous Thundercracker figure.

"In Box" (Stock Photo)

Packaging:
Thundercracker is packaged in what is best described as the Generations "standard" box. The box is rectangular with a black background. A large window is cut away to show the entire figure (behind a plastic window!). The "Transformers" logo is now set horizontally under the figure with the Studio Series logo under that. Underneath that is the logo for the movie and Thundercracker's name. Next to the figure is a graphic which calls out his 27 step transformation and age recommendation of 8+. To the right is Thundercracker's artwork in both modes.

The back of the box has a red section at the top with a screen capture of the Decepticons on the Autobot shuttle. To the right is the movie logo, Thundercracker's name and the blurb "THUNDERCRACKER prepares for battle alongside DECEPTICON leader, MEGATRON". Under that is the figure in both modes calling out the 27 step transformation. The background is artwork of the Autobot shuttle with the hole blasted out in the side. It is not hard to imagine that if backgrounds were still included with these figures that would have been used for his backdrop.

Accessories:
Thundercracker includes several accessories with only two being actual weapons. Let's go through them:

Wing Tips: No, Thundercracker does not include fancy shoes, instead the ends of his wings are included as separate accessories. I imagine this was partly done for safety reasons. Since they add a section that points up, perhaps the designers were worried about breakage. These attach to the ends of each wing using three small pegs. Each piece is made of blue plastic with no paint applications.
Stabilizer Fins: Both the vertical and horizontal stabilizer fins from the vehicle mode are included as separate accessories. As you would expect, the vertical one has pointed piece set horizontally on top. The horizontal fins are designed to swing up and down. In vehicle mode you would have them down, in robot mode you can remove this piece from his legs and attach it to the back of his wings for a more cartoon-accurate appearance. This piece is made of blue plastic with black paint on the vertical section.
Incendiary guns: Thundercracker has two weapons which are traditionally attached to his arms. These are the same design as the ones used by other Seekers such as Starscream and Skywarp. They feature a rectangular, boxy section in the back with small "fins" on them which lead to cylinders in front. Each weapon features a 5mm peg that allows you to attach it to his arms, wings or fists. The ends are designed to fit Blast Effects. Interestingly, each of these weapons are made of clear plastic but mostly painted blue, matching nicely with the plastic used on Thundercracker himself.

"Robot Mode"

Robot Mode:
When Siege and Earthrise Thundercracker were released they were seen as the closest we've gotten to "cartoon Thundercracker" but their designs often featured a lot of greebles, a carry over from the War for Cybertron era. This figure was designed to be a more cartoon accurate design that will no doubt get at least five or six redecos and retools in time! For those curious, this figure stands at about the same height as the Siege and Earthrise versions and surprisingly, this figure actually weighs slightly more than the Earthrise version. Earthrise Thundercracker weighs in around 4.7 ounces while this figure comes in at 5.0 ounces.

When I say "cartoon accurate" design, one of the first things that is striking versus previous versions is how smooth a lot of the panels on the figure look. This is especially true on the arms and legs, which feature almost no "greeble" style detailing. There is some line detailing on the torso and wings, but all those details are carry overs from either the original G1 action figure or the animation. I don't want to make it sound like the figure is not detailed at all. There are some great details including triangles on the pylons that flank his head and some great line detailing on the wings. From a sculpt perspective, he looks fantastic and he really does give off a great "animated" vibe.

One interesting note: There have been reports of Thundercracker shipping with one of three faces. One is a smile, the other an open mouth and a frown. The copies I have seen in person (aside from my own) appear to be the "open mouth" version where his expression looks a bit like an amused expression. Hasbro has made no official declarations about this but my speculation is that the tooling for the Seeker was made with multiple heads for its eventual redecos. It would not be hard to imagine that Skywarp, Starscream and Thundercracker could each have a different expression. Indeed, the official stock photos of Skywarp show him using the "frown" face.

"Robot Mode with Blast Effects"

Thundercracker is mostly made up of blue, grey, black and translucent orange plastic. The blue is a much lighter shade than the one used on previous Thundercracker figures, which is a nod to the animation model. The black color is not a deep shade, rather it is slightly lighter also giving it an "animated" appearance. The paint colors on this figure include light grey, red, blue, black, white and purple. Light grey covers a lot of the torso section. Blue is used to paint parts of the cockpit cover to match the rest of the figure and his eyes are painted red (despite the eyes being designed for light piping). The wings have red and white lines on them with large, purple Decepticon symbols. The deco looks great and really does nod to the cartoon beautifully.

There are twenty four points of articulation on this figure. That includes five in each arm and six in each leg. One delightful thing to see is that he has waist articulation! Sure this may sound almost perfunctory nowadays with Generations style Transformers figures but on Seekers they traditionally don't have waist articulation due to the way their transformation schemes. As mentioned above, you can attach the stabilizer fins to his ankles for a more "toy-etic" appearance or you can flatten them and attach them to the back of the wings for a more "cartoon-accurate" appearance. His weapons can be attached to his arms or fists (and of course the wings in vehicle mode).

Transformation to Vehicle Mode:

Detach the weapons (and stabilizer fins if they're on the wings) and set them aside for now.
Straighten out the arms and legs.
Push the fists down gently. This will swing open the panel they sit on. Swing the fists back, then swing the panels back up.
Pull up the chest section.
Rotate the section with the robot head and cockpit around, then swing the nose cone up.
On the side of the waist area there are small grey pieces. Swing each of these up.
Swing each of the arms in.
Swing the chest sections down that normally flank the cockpit and slide the tabs on them into the ports on the arms.
Swing the lower body forward a bit so it lines up with the upper body.
Swing the cockpit/nosecone section back and connect it to the clips on the piece on top of the vehicle mode.
Open the back panel on each lower leg.
Swing the lower legs up a bit, them push the tabs on the black knee hinges into the slots on the front panels of the lower legs. The idea here is to move the lower legs up slightly and lock them in.
Swing the rear panels on the legs back into place.
Swing the feet up.
Push the lower legs together.
Swing the middle panel on the back of the robot mode back and connect it to the legs.
Swing the wings back.
On each stabilizer fin, swing out the horizontal fins.
Attach the stabilizer fins to the ports on the ankles.
Attach the weapons to the underside of each wing.

"Vehicle Mode"

Vehicle Mode:
Thundercracker transforms into an F-15-like jet fighter. This is a classic look for the Seekers with details including a cockpit section flanked by two rectangular sections, wings that sweep back (with the added flourish of the points on the wing tips), raised curves leading to the rear boosters and both vertical and horizontal stabilizers on either side at the back. Unlike the robot mode, the vehicle mode features sculpted line details running from the front all the way to the back of the jet. They didn't overdo it however. It's just the right amount to make the jet look (somewhat) like it could be a real vehicle with panels covering up machinery. In a really nice touch, the interior of the cockpit has been sculpted complete with a chair and control panels! If you want to take a closer look, you can open up the cockpit cover! This is not common among the Seeker sculpts and it's a nice touch that calls back to G1 Thundercracker.

One thing that might turn some fans off is found on the bottom of the vehicle. The section between the two chest panels is empty, with nothing filling in that gap. For some fans this will be a bigger deal than others. For me, the positive aspects of this figure override this gap. After all, I do not display this figure upside down in vehicle mode so it's no big deal to me. Your mileage may vary.

This mode mostly shows off the blue plastic with some black filled in by the vertical stabilizer fins and a section in the middle. The translucent orange on the cockpit really pops against the blue and looks great. The red and white stripes on the wings also really pop.

Aside from the cockpit being able to open, Thundercracker also has landing gear! This is another fun nod to the G1 Thundercracker toy. It swings down from underneath the cockpit but it does not have working wheels. Still I think it looks great! You can attach Blast Effects to the front of the weapons and the thrusters in the back of the jet to look like exhaust.

Final Thoughts:
Thundercracker is a really nice new version of the Seeker design. The cartoon-model appearance and improved articulation really make this a cool figure. The deco looks great too and the transformation is quite different from the Earthrise figure. The gap on the bottom of the vehicle mode will definitely turn some fans off, but it doesn't bother me since it doesn't really show unless you're looking at the bottom of the vehicle. Recommended!

Pros:

Excellent sculpt in both modes.
Adding in elements like the cockpit opening and the landing gear are very welcome play features.
From a weight standpoint this Seeker sculpt holds up against the Earthrise version very well.
Excellent articulation including the unexpected waist articulation!

Cons:

The gap at the bottom of the vehicle is definitely going to turn off some fans.

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