General Information:
Release Date: October 2023
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Blaster, Rocket Launcher (non working), Rocket
Official Photos & Text Below in Italics are from Amazon.com:
- CELEBRATE THE LEGACY: Transformers Legacy Evolution celebrates the last 40 years of Transformers history. The Detritus action figure is inspired by the Transformers G1 animated series
- 2 EPIC MODES: Transformers action figure converts from robot to offroad vehicle mode in 13 steps
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: This Detritus toy for 8 year old boys and girls comes with 2 blaster accessories that attach to the figure in both modes
- EVOLVE THE BATTLE: Transformers toy robots are upgraded with Evo-Fusion battle features! Evolve the battle by combining both blaster accessories together to form a larger weapon accessory
- REVEAL TECH SPECS: Scan the code on each package to reveal character tech specs! Collect other Transformers figures to discover facts and abilities (each sold separately, subject to availability)
Background:
Back in 2022, photos leaked online of what was described as a Buzzoworthy Bumblebee G1-style Hound figure representing the character in his “Earth Mode”. A year has gone by and that figure never materialized (I suspect it is coming in 2024, hopefully). Surprisingly, what we do have is a redeco of that figure hitting retail in October 2023: Detritus! Who? Back in 2004 Takara Tomy released a redeco of the G1 Hound figure as a Junkion named Detritus. Unlike his fellow Junkions however he was not cheerful and helpful. Instead, this Junkion is a mercenary who sells his services to whichever side he believes is winning a conflict!
Since the original Detritus toy was a Hound redeco, it made perfect sense to take the leaked Buzzoworthy Bumblebee Hound as this character. It is just interesting that we are seeing the redeco hit the market first.
To probably no one’s surprise, this figure is a redeco and retool of Siege Hound. This review will focus on the changes made to the figure for this release, so you’ll want to check out Siege Hound’s review too.
Packaging:
Detritus is part of the second phase of the Legacy line: Legacy Evolution so the packaging has been refreshed. The shape of the box is still the same, and for the most part the logos and other parts are in the same place. Sticking to the principle of plastic-free packaging, the window on the box is open but this year there is an extra layer of cardboard that sits on top of the figure to prevent theft. This covers most of the figure, leaving only the chest and head peeking out. Under the figure is an illustration of Detritus in vehicle mode with his headlights shining brightly. To the side is a close up of her in robot mode. The QR Code to scan for the tech specs has been moved to the top of the box instead of being on the back.
The back of the box features Detritus in both forms calling out a 13 step transformation. It also has a huge logo for the "Evo Fusion" gimmick which appears to be a new term to describe the gimmick that began with Siege where toys across multiple classes can be combined to form different types of weapons.
Accessories:
Detritus includes three accessories which differ from those included with Siege Hound:
- Blaster: This handheld weapon is a relatively small pistol sized gun which is mostly a cylinder with notches at the end sitting on top of a handle. This same weapon design usually represents G1 Hound’s distinctive hologram gun. Here it appears to be a generic blaster. I believe this piece is made of translucent plastic that is then painted a beautiful light shade of gold (even the handle, which is unusual). The handle is a 5mm peg and the front has a 5mm opening allowing it to attach to other weapons via “Evo Fusion”.
- Rocket Launcher: The G1 Hound action figure and animation model both had a distinctive rocket launcher which looked like it had a thruster in the back (more likely an opening for rocket exhaust) and a trigger button on top. Detritus’ rocket launcher uses this design and it looks great. This piece is translucent plastic and painted the same beige color that makes up much of Detritus himself. The launcher features two 5mm pegs, one on the bottom and one in front with a 5mm port in the back. While I call this a launcher, there is no actual firing capability in this weapon. Note: Siege Hound came with a similar accessory, but they are two distinct pieces.
- Rocket: If you’re going to have a rocket launcher, of course you need a rocket. The rocket is relatively short. It’s basically a cylinder coming to a point in the front. This piece has a 5mm port in the back, allowing it to attach to the launcher. This piece is translucent plastic and painted the same gold color as the blaster.
Robot Mode:
Detritus is a significant retool of the Siege Hound figure. Many parts still remain the same including the arms, thighs and feet. However, other parts have been swapped out or altered to give the figure a more Earth-based appearance. These parts include:
- Head: At first glance it may look like Detritus has the same head design as Hound, but there are some differences. Yes, the top of the “helmet” section is the same, including some angled lines reminiscent of the Autobot symbol. However, the panels on the helmet that flank the face are different. These go straight down instead of wrapping around the face on the sides. There are also raised rectangular panels on the sides of the helmet that are a lot thinner than those on Siege Hound. On the face, the mouth is not as prominent, looking more like a thin lipped grimace.
- Chest: The chest panel (which forms part of the vehicle mode’s front section) is a completely new piece, featuring a Jeep like design with a (non-working) winch in front, round headlights and a grille.
- Back: The frame piece that was on Siege Hound’s back has been removed and instead replaced with a windshield that looks a lot like one you’d find on a real life Jeep.
- Waist: While similar in design, many of the smaller details on his waist differ from Siege Hound. On Siege Hound there is a distinct line running across the are between the thighs. That detail is absent on this figure.
- Lower Legs: the lower legs are different, though many parts of the design are similar to Siege Hound’s. For instance, Siege Hound has a rectangular knee armor detail on the lower legs while Detritus has five sided knee armor. The smaller details on the lower legs also differ between Siege Hound and Detritus, with Hound having many more “greebles” than Detritus. Unfortunately as a result of the “smoothing out” of this section, the smaller pegs for Blast Effects have been removed.
Detritus uses the 2004 action figure as its foundation when it comes to the deco. He is made up of beige, brown, black and light gold plastic. Some fans may worry about the gold plastic given past horrors of Gold Plastic Syndrome, but I am hoping that Hasbro’s ability to overcome the problems of the past carry over to this figure. The contrast between the three colors really pops but they all work together nicely at the same time. Paint colors include red, silver, brown, beige and light gold. The biggest paint details are brown and red details on the arms and legs. The light gold color is used on the winch on his chest and it looks great against the beige color. In this mode he has a red Autobot symbol on his left shoulder. The silver and red details on his forearms in particular are a direct reference to tickets on the 2004 Detritus’ forearms. Overall I dig the deco.
There are twenty four points of articulation on this figure. This includes five in each arm and six in each leg. He has fourteen 5mm ports in this form, a carry over from the era of Siege where heavy emphasis was placed on attaching weapons and accessories to a central figure. These ports include three on each arm, one on each side of the head and three on each leg. He also has one on either side of his head, allowing you to attach his rocket launcher in G1 Hound style. On top of that, his shoulders still have the small pegs to attach Blast Effects, a fun throwback to the Siege era.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing the shoulders back a bit.
- Swing the chest piece up to cover up the head.
- Swing the windshield piece up and connect it to the chest piece.
- Swing the robot arms in so they sit under the chest piece.
- Swing the panel on the inside of each lower leg out, then extend it out.
- Swing each of the lower leg sections over the thighs. This forms the sides of the vehicle.
- Push the lower leg sections together then press the side panels with the wheels against the sides.
- Push the front of the feet down (these wind up on the sides of the vehicle).
- The weapons can be attached to the ports on the back or sides of the figure.
Vehicle Mode:
Like the robot mode, this mode still reflects a lot of Siege Hound’s design at its core, but a lot has also changed. These changes include:
- Front: The front of the vehicle looks more like an Earth-based vehicle without the rough and tumble scifi stylings of Siege Hound.
- Sides: The side panels have some details that carry over from Siege Hound such as squares with angled notches on them in the middle with a triangular piece under it (presumably these represent steps to get in and out of the vehicle). However the front and back wheel wells are all new designs that resemble an Earth vehicle.
- Back: The rear of the vehicle is much smoother and simpler than Siege Hound. For some reason the back has no rear lights sculpted in (while Siege Hound did have lights there).
- Wheels: The wheels are all new pieces. These wheels are not as wide as the ones on Siege Hound. They also look more like Earth wheels than something from an alien world.
I really do hope this figure is eventually released as Hound. The retooling is really well done and would be a really cool looking G1 Hound.
This mode mostly shows off the same colors as the robot mode, but the dark brown color gets focused on the middle and rear sections. The wheels are black plastic with silver painted on the sides. A fun detail is a purple Decepticon symbol painted on the hood. Having both faction symbols is a nod to Detritus being a mercenary and it is a fun design choice.
There are six 5mm ports in this mode. The sides have two and there are two on top of the rear section offering up a lot of potential fun connecting extra accessories and Micromasters.
Final Thoughts:
Detritus is a great retool of Siege Hound. I loved the Hound figure, so this gets a big thumbs up from me too. There is some loss of play value since you cannot attach as many Blast Effects but it’s not a huge loss. I also love such an obscure character who started as an exclusive joining a “main” line. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent retool in both modes.
- Good deco.
- A fun character who was once an exclusive is now available for all fans to purchase in the “main line”.
- Good play value.
- Joints are all nice and tight despite being a retool.
Cons:
- I do wish rear lights had been sculpted and painted in vehicle mode.
- I would have liked the “spare tire” accessory to have been included to better resemble the G1 Hound design.
