In August 2023, the first low-resolution images of a new TakaraTomy toy line called Transformers Missing Link hit the internet.
Transformers leaks aren’t unusual, with upcoming figures often being known about months in advance of an official reveal. However, these images – showing an upcoming reissue of the vintage Optimus Prime toy – caused a stir that quickly became a wave of hype.
“G1 Optimus Primes are a dime a dozen”, I hear you say, so why did this reissue cause such a ruckus? Well, that’s because this Optimus Prime appeared to have a level of articulation that had never been seen before.
This sparked immediate excitement among fans and raised a load of questions. Is that really a G1 Optimus Prime? How is it posing like that? Is this even real?!
Pre-order details soon confirmed that yes, this was actually happening. Transformers Missing Link was officially underway.
A New Era for G1 Collectors
Missing Link Development Manager Hironori Kobayashi explained the thought behind the concept in an interview for the Generations 2024 book:
Missing Link isn’t about clinging to the past; it’s about enhancing what needs improvement. Missing Link aimed to be a ‘relaxing Transformer’—a figure designed to be easy to play with and comforting for those who were weary of high-end, complex toys.
(Interview excerpts from Soundwave’s Oblivion)
As expected, Kobayashi and the team at TakaraTomy launched the Missing Link series with the toy fans had been waiting for – an articulated G1 Optimus Prime.
Released under Prime’s Japanese name, C-01 Convoy is the ultimate upgrade to the original G1 toy.
A completely new mould, this toy features a G1-accurate design and colour scheme, all the accessories you remember, and even a few brand new ones.
C-01 Convoy comes with integrated, articulated hands, sculpted and painted details instead of decals, his iconic rifle (which he can now hold straight), an energon axe, a removable Matrix chamber and even the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.
It’s the complete G1 Optimus Prime you dreamed of as a kid. And it was only just the beginning…
As much as we love Roller, TakaraTomy recognised that the real star of the show is the cab. As C-01 Convoy kicked off the line, TakaraTomy also revealed C-02 Convoy, a trailer-less variation of C-01 that sports an anime-accurate deco.
As far as ‘80s kid wish fulfilment goes, Missing Link Convoy C-01 and C-02 were bang on target.
Expanding the Missing Link Universe
As if an articulated Optimus Prime wasn’t exciting enough, the line quickly started to grow in number and scope.
When the very first C-01 images dropped, images of a Missing Link Megatron followed swiftly afterwards. These contributed to the hype around the line and revealed just how hungry fans were for more; however, the images were quickly debunked as fake
Yet within months TakaraTomy officially announced that two mini-bot favourites, C-03 Bumble and C-04 Cliff, would both be released by the end of 2024.
Fans went off. Missing Link was more than just a one-and-done!
The reveal showed toy-accurate appearances for both mini-bots; Bumblebee with his original battle mask rather than the cartoon face of later releases. They even came with Autobot insignia stickers based on vintage G1 promo artwork, rather than the refined on-brand design we know and love today.
This appeared to show how Missing Link is less about just articulation, and not at all about cartoon accuracy, but much more about revisiting a very specific pocket of time with modern techniques to improve upon an already-winning formula.
More was soon to follow.
Arriving with little fanfare in mid-2024, C-01S Sentinel Prime became the second Optimus Prime repaint of the line by giving the toy a vibrant orange and blue colour scheme.
Besides being (a loose interpretation of) his own unique character, this Sentinel Prime also looks just like the vehicle Teletraan I scanned to create Optimus’ alt-mode in the very first G1 episode. It’s a lovely deep cut for longtime fans.
Later in the year the line kicked up a gear with the reveal of Missing Link C-05 Sunstreaker.
As the oldest transforming robot toy in the original G1 line, TakaraTomy releasing a Missing Link Sunstreaker so soon feels especially fitting – this toy represents the birth of the Transformers, after all. Further, with the original Sunstreaker mould having been lost for decades, demand for G1 versions of the character is ever-present. This release is a huge win for fans, whether they want a new take on a classic or the opportunity to own a version of it for the first time.
And last but not least, the potential for gorgeous Diaclone-style repaints is something else to look forward to…
TakaraTomy fully understood the assignment. Sunstreaker went live for pre-order alongside C-06 Cordon, the famous white and black police car version of the vintage toy. Both are amazing toys in-hand and look fantastic displayed solo or as part of a wider display.
At 2024’s TF40 expo, TakaraTomy dropped yet another real game changer: Missing Link C-08 G1 Arcee.
Despite the production of a non-transforming prototype, Arcee was (in)famously skipped for a toy release in 1986, and it’s been a gap in our G1 collections ever since. Finally – and quite incredibly – TakaraTomy has corrected this oversight. The Missing Link C-08 Arcee figure fits seamlessly into a G1 line up, with an aesthetic firmly rooted in its original early-80s design and in keeping with the other ‘86 bots.
What’s more, as well as the cartoon accurate colour scheme TakaraTomy also released a version in the original prototype colours as well, with a different head sculpt to boot. C-07 G1 Arcee (Prototype) might not be how Arcee came to life in the cartoon, but by matching the prototype colour scheme it perfectly resembles how we thought a G1 Arcee would look if it were ever made.
Both are amazing, and I genuinely couldn’t say which I prefer.
Arriving early 2026, one of the most exciting Missing Link releases isn’t another repaint of C-01 Convoy – but it is a re-tool: Missing Link C-10 Ultra Magnus!
With the original G1 Ultra Magnus being up there with Powermaster Optimus Prime when people refer to G1 toys being bricks, this release almost seemed too much to dare hope for – but TakaraTomy made it happen. With new articulation, new play features and the upcoming repaint C-11 Delta Magnus, based on the original Diaclone release, this is one of the highlights of the line so far.
2026 also saw the first Decepticon in the line – C-01N Nemesis Prime, another repaint of C-01 Optimus Prime. A slightly inauspicious start for the bad guys, but repaints have been a huge part of Transformers since before the line even existed. It’s very much to be expected.
Coming Soon
With how seismic Missing Link has been so far, it’s crazy to think how many more possibilities there are with the line – but each new reveal is pushing the limits of G1 in ways that we never dreamed of before.
The next scheduled releases are C-12 Grimlock and C-13 Anime Grimlock, updates to the bonafide classic G1 T-Rex toy (and a day one pre-order for yours truly).
However, it’s the most recent reveals that are the most exciting for the future of the line. C-14 Ironhide and C-15 Ratchet are not just G1 with articulation – these are completely re-designed toys that take the original toy’s alt-mode and use it as the basis to create robot modes that much more closely resemble the G1 characters.
It’s a wonderful blend of the classic Transformers aesthetic and modern engineering, and alongside Arcee these reveals are a true signal of intent for the line.
As for what toys are coming next? We’ve had strong hints that Silverbolt is coming, which raises hopes about revisited G1 combiner teams. Exciting times ahead!
3rd Party Competition & KOs
Whenever there’s a buzz in the Transformers world, third-party companies aren’t far behind.
In May 2024, new 3rd party company Bingo Toys announced their take on a Missing Link Grimlock figure, BT06 Grimsharp. However, after the amazing-looking promo images dropped and the toy went up for pre-order with some retailers, it all suddenly went quiet before the reveal of TakaraTomy’s Missing Link Grimlock. It’s easy to imagine that Bingo Toys received a cease and desist notice on this one…
It just goes to show that even if TakaraTomy create the best Missing Link toys, they’ve gotten onto a goldmine here – and they’ll need to move faster to keep up with demand. With official releases dropping at a steady but slow-ish cadence, there’s a huge opportunity for an enterprising 3rd party company to make a name for itself, as long as they can beat the lawyers!
Then, of course, there are the KOs.
In December 2024 news dropped of a knock-off version of C-01 Convoy, the KC-01 Optimus Warrior. Coming with more die-cast metal and a cheaper price point, this presents a serious alternative for the cash-strapped collector.
The Future of Transformers Collecting
Whether you see Missing Link as returning Transformers to its roots or just an opportunity to revisit and improve classic action figures, there’s no denying that the line has taken the Transformers world by storm.
As well as wondering what other un-produced figures could get the Missing Link treatment in future, thanks to Ironhide and Ratchet we now also get to justifiably imagine complete reinventions of toys we know and love.
There’s still a lot more to come from this concept, as Kobayashi explains:
Missing Link isn’t just about adding more joints; as the name suggests, it’s a project designed to complete the unexplored aspects of Transformers. What you’re seeing now represents only half of Missing Link. The true essence of the project lies ahead, and we are actively working on how to shape it.
We don’t know where we’re going yet, but one thing is clear – this is about more than just nostalgia with joints. TakaraTomy are giving fans the toys we always wanted, the way we always imagined them. And they may even be setting us up for something we never even knew we wanted.
Transformers Missing Link is a dream line; an unparalleled collector experience… and it’s only just beginning!
