General Information
Release Date: July 2024
Price Point: $19.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Energon dagger, Energon tail whip
Official images and text in italics are from Amazon:
- MOVIE-INSPIRED 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TRANSFORMERS TOY: Inspired by the Transformers One movie, this Prime Changer Alpha Trion Transformers action figure converts from robot to Cybertronian lion mode for awesome 2-in-1 play
- 15-STEP CONVERSION: This Transformers figure can change from a robot toy into a Cybertronian lion toy in 15 steps
- 5-INCH ROBOT ACTION FIGURE: In robot mode, Alpha Trion action figure is 5 inches (12.7 cm) tall
- CYBERTRONIAN LION MODE: Imagine epic battle scenes with this Transformers figure in Cybertronian lion mode
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Includes an Energon dagger and Energon tail whip that attach in both modes
- TRANSFORMERS ACTION FIGURES FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 6 AND UP: Transformers movie figures make a great gift for boys and girls who love robot toys
- ICONIC TRANSFORMERS MOVIE CHARACTERS: Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, once friends bonded like brothers, who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. Look for more Transformers toys (each sold separately, subject to availability) to build your collection
Experience the epic origins of legendary Transformers robots with this Transformers One Prime Changer Alpha Trion action figure! This 5-inch Alpha Trion figure converts from robot to Cybertronian lion mode in 15 steps. It also comes with an Energon dagger and Energon tail whip that attach in both modes. The figure is inspired by the iconic character from the Transformers movie, Transformers One. Movie-inspired interactive toys like this Alpha Trion toy make cool gifts for boys and girls ages 6 and up. Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, once friends bonded like brothers, who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. TRANSFORMERS and HASBRO and all related trademarks and logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. © 2024 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Background:
Transformers One is an animated theatrical film due to be released on September 20, 2024. The film features a core group of characters having an adventure before the beginning of the Great War during Cybertron's Golden Age. In the trailer we learn that our heroes could not transform until Alpha Trion gifted them transformation cogs. Trion appears briefly in the trailer below.
The "Prime Changer" figures are a sub-line of Transformers One toys that are akin to Generations Deluxe Class toys but simplified. This type of figure has been done before. The Cyberverse line had the "Warrior Class" figures such as Optimus Prime and Hammerbyte who definitely would appeal to Generations collectors more than the typical gimmick-centric figures elsewhere in the line. That said, this figure is a bit smaller than the average Deluxe, measuring about 5 inches (about 12.7 centimeters) tall. One of the first Prime Changers released in this line is Alpha Trion.
Packaging:
Alpha Trion's packaging is very reminiscent of the Warrior Class packaging from Cyberverse. The figures are in cardboard boxes (made of the robust cardboard seen on recent Legacy figures) featuring a blue and purple Cybertronian city as the backdrop. The front has an open window allowing you to see the figure inside. On the front is the vertical Transformers logo on the right and the Transformers One logo on the bottom. Above that is Alpha Trion in his alt mode mouth open in a roar and claws getting ready to slash at an enemy!
The left side of the box shows Alpha Trion's head and part of his neck and torso with another (different) render of his beast mode in front. The other side features the core four heroes from the film: Orion Pax, B-127, D-16 and Elita-1. The back of the box features the figure in both modes calling out a 15 step transformation. Thanks in part to the beautiful movie-based graphics, the box is gorgeous and I almost felt bad recycling it!
Accessories:
Alpha Trion includes two accessories:
- Energon dagger: The dagger weapon is a small blade weapon measuring a little over 1 inch or about 2.54 centimeters long. This doubles as the beast mode horn so the "blade" is not a traditional thin sword blade. Instead it looks like a horn infused with energy. This piece is made of silver plastic with the "blade" part painted light blue. The handle is a 5mm peg allowing Alpha Trion to hold this in his hands.
- Energon tail whip: Alpha Trion's other weapon is a whip that also forms his tail in beast mode. The whip looks like it has a handle at the base with an energy infused whip extending out of it. In a way, it looks like a Lightsaber whip. This piece is also made out of silver plastic with the whip painted light blue. There is a 5mm peg at the end.
Robot Mode:
Alpha Trion is a character whose roots go all the way back to G1 cartoon where he was the Cybertronian who rebuilt Orion Pax into Optimus Prime. He would appear in various forms over the years including a Titan Master and a G1-centric 2-pack with Orion Pax. This new iteration of the character takes some design cues from his G1 counterpart but puts a slightly different spin on it.
We get a quick look at Alpha Trion in the trailer above, and from what I can see this figure does a good job of representing the CG model in the film. It has a lot of the same design elements including:
- Head: The head has a very distinct design that includes corns on the sides and a high crest in the middle. He also has a very large "chin piece" and a roughly triangular face. The horns and crest are inspired by the G1 head design and it looks great.
- Torso: The torso appears to have three armor panels overlapping it. The one in the middle has a circle towards the bottom (possibly representing where his transformation Cog is?). These shapes and details all match up with the CG model seen in the trailer.
- Arms: Alpha Trion has very large, round armor on his shoulders with circles on the sides. This is directly inspired by G1 Alpha Trion's shoulder armor design.
- "Cape": G1 Alpha Trion had "wings" on his back that looked like a cape. This version of Trion features the halves of the beast mode head on his back looking very much like a G1 influenced cape. You can see something behind Alpha Trion in the trailer but it goes by pretty fast so he may or may not have a cape in the movie.
- Legs: The legs look fairly generic but there are a couple fun details. First, the sides at the knees have circles on them which call back to the circles on the shoulders. His feet are also blocky looking, matching the animation model.
All that said, this figure appears to be missing some of the wear and tear and plants(?) that appear to be growing on him in the CG model shown on the box. It will be interesting for fans to see what the final model looks like versus this relatively "clean" figure.
Alpha Trion is made up of silver, metallic purple and gunmetal grey plastic. Paint colors include a metallic purple (lighter than the plastic), silver and light blue. These colors also can trace their roots to G1 Alpha Trion who had purple and pink colors in the cartoon (and decades later in action figure form). The metallic colors really do a great job of emulating the appearance of the character in the film and they look great!
There are twenty points of articulation on this figure. This includes four in each arm and four in each leg (with ankle tilts!). Each fist has a 5mm port to hold the weapons.
Transformation to Beast Mode:
- Detach the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- On each forearm, swing the beast mode paws down, then rotate the forearms so the paws are facing forward.
- Swing the arms up.
- Swing the "cape" section up and over the robot head.
- Attach the dagger/horn to one half of the mane/head section.
- Close the halves of the beast mode head and mane over the upper body of the robot mode.
- Swing the armor on the lower legs up and push them onto the thighs.
- Swing the thighs forward, then swing the lower parts of the robot legs back.
- Swing the heels on each foot up.
- Attach the whip weapon to the back of the beast mode.
Beast Mode:
Alpha Trion's beast mode is a lion. Why a lion? If you go way back to the 3H era of Botcon, a redeco of Beast Machines Snarl (a lion in beast mode) was proposed as a Beast-era Alpha Trion (riffing on the pun of an "Alpha Lion"). You can see the mock up of this figure on The TFWiki (just scroll down towards the bottom). Years later, Titans Return Alpha Trion would also have a lion mode. Now history repeats itself.
The Transformers One trailer reveals that at this point in Cybertron's history there are still animals roaming the landscape. Unlike the characters in the Beast-era of Maximals and Predacons, these appear to be fully mechanical creatures. This lion form fits right in with them. A lot of details look inspired by an Earth-based lion, but the details are all smoothed out to look like metal-based armor instead of fur or skin. I really love the look of the "mane" that is wrapped around the neck and chest area. The beast mode head sculpt is aggressive looking with the teeth set in a growling expression. I really dig the look of this beast mode.
The same colors from the robot mode carry over here, but we get a lot more silver showing thanks to the mane and the base of the tail. The light blue tail and horn really pop nicely against the darker purple colors. All the while these colors continue to call back to the original Alpha Trion.
There are eighteen points of articulation in this mode, all focused on the legs of course. Now, if you look at the sides of each leg it looks like there are 5mm ports there to attach extra weapons but unfortunately none of the ports are actually sized correctly, so sadly, no extra firepower for Alpha Trion.
Final Thoughts:
Alpha Trion is a fun figure and looks great in both modes. The transformation is fun and intuitive and I love the callbacks to previous versions of the character. Recommended!
Pros:
- Excellent sculpt in both modes.
- Beautiful deco.
- Good articulation.
- Cool weapons.
Cons:
- Slightly smaller and less complex than a typical Deluxe Class figure which may turn some fans off.
