General Information
Release Date: August 2024
Price Point: $19.82
Retailer: Walmart Exclusive
Accessories: Energon Cube
Official images and text in italics are from Walmart.com:
- MOVIE-INSPIRED 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TRANSFORMERS TOY: Inspired by the Transformers One movie, this Quintesson High Commander Transformers action figure converts from robot to Cybertronian jet mode for awesome 2-in-1 play
- 2 ICONIC MODES: This Transformers figure can change from a robot toy into a Cybertronian jet toy in 18 steps
- 5-INCH ROBOT ACTION FIGURE: In robot mode, Quintesson High Commander action figure is 5 inches (12.5 cm) tall. Stage battles from the movie with other Transformers toys like this one! (Each sold separately, subject to availability)
- CYBERTRONIAN JET MODE: Imagine epic battle scenes with this Transformers figure in Cybertronian jet mode! Great for kids who love toy cars, toy trucks, and other vehicle toys
- AWESOME ACCESSORIES: Includes 1 Energon cube that can be attached to the figure
- 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
Transformers One Warrior Class Quintesson High Commander, 5" Action Figures for Kids Age 6+ Experience the epic origins of legendary Transformers robots with this Transformers One Warrior Class Quintesson High Commander action figure! This 5-inch Quintesson High Commander figure converts from robot to Cybertronian jet mode in 18 steps. It also comes with an Energon cube that can be attached to the figure. The figure is inspired by the iconic character from the Transformers movie, Transformers One. Movie-inspired interactive toys like this Quintesson High Commander 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 Hasbro. © 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 metallic yellowen Age. In the trailer we learn that our heroes could not transform until Alpha Trion gifted them transformation cogs. One surprise character who appears in the trailer is a Quintesson! While it looks different than the Five Faced Tentacles beings we are used to from G1, the plant vine like tentacles were a big giveaway. In the gallery at the bottom of the review I have included screenshots of the Quintesson ship and the Quintesson as they appear 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. While most Prime Changers are mass release figures, the Quintesson High Commander was made into an exclusive in the United States at Walmart stores.
Packaging:
The Quintesson High Commander'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 the Quintesson in his alt mode (I'm going with a "he" pronoun for the purposes of this review).
The left side of the box shows the Quintesson's CG model and his vehicle mode. 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 an 18 step transformation. Off to the side it shows that the Energon Cube accessory can connect to the vehicle mode. Thanks in part to the beautiful movie-based graphics, the box is gorgeous and I almost didn't recycle it (I did in the end).
Accessory:
The Quintesson High Commander (who I will just refer to as "Quintesson" going forward for simplicity's sake) includes one accessory: an Energon Cube. This accessory is a small cube made of translucent pink soft plastic. It looks fantastic. Under certain lighting it almost looks like it is glowing and I am serious when I tell you that if they made a giant bag of these I'd buy them in a heartbeat! The cube fits into a slot on the underside of the vehicle mode towards the front. Without breaking any spoiler embargo, I can tell you that this does have a connection to an event in the film so it is a fun feature to see included with the figure! Unfortunately there's no way for the Quintesson to hold the cube or store it in robot mode so I just had it sit on top of his forearms for display.
Robot Mode:
The Quintesson appears in the first trailer for Transformers One. First we see the ship he arrives in and then we see him grabbing Sentinel Prime with his tentacles. Thanks to these quick glimpses we get a good idea of how much this figure resembles its on screen counterpart. For the most part the sculpt is solid. The figure has a roughly oval shaped body with spikes sticking out at the top. His arms also have spikes at the shoulders, giving him an aggressive appearance. His head is flat with a roughly triangular shape and his forearms are flat with spiked points at the end. The lower body stands on a platform but is really meant to emulate his floating, tentacled lower body seen in the trailer. To me, this design looks like a blend of the G1 Quintesson Executioner (mostly in the head and arm designs) and the Quintesson Judge (mostly the lower body).
Smaller details matter too. Based on the look of the Quintesson in the trailer it looks like it has a techno-organic look to it. While the plates that make up its body armor look like they could be metal, they have a rough texture that suggests the shell of an insect or crustacean. The armor sculpt on this figure takes some of that look and incorporates it into the torso, head and arms. The tentacles on the Quintesson also look like vines, similar to the design of the G1 Quintessons and those are reflected here.
This figure is made of green, brown and translucent pink plastic. Most of the body is green plastic with smaller parts like the upper arms done in brown. The tentacles that can be moved in and out to the sides are translucent pink plastic. For safety reasons, the tentacles are softer plastic. Paint colors include brown, silver, yellow and green. The color scheme does not seem to totally match up with what is seen in the trailer, but it definitely has the "spirit" of the color scheme shown in the movie.
There are nine points of articulation on this figure. I'm being very generous here by including the hinge the head sits on and the ability of the head to spin in a circle. These are really just features of the transformation but you can use the hinges to have the head extend out a bit but it admittedly looks awkward. The arms have ball joints at the shoulders and elbows and the translucent pink tentacles can move out and in.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Swing the torso and arms section forward.
- Swing the hinged piece the head is connected to up, swing the head down, then push it back into place.
- Swing the front of the vehicle mode up (this is the piece that was hidden by the torso in robot mode).
- Swing the tentacles inward.
- On the base of the figure is a translucent pink pointed piece. Swing that piece back.
- Rotate the torso/arms section around.
- Swing the torso/arms section up, tabbing it against the panel that forms the top of the vehicle mode.
- Rotate the arms so they point towards the back.
- Push the rear section with two points on it back at an angle.
- Position the forearms to point out to the sides and tab it into the angled section in the back.
Vehicle Mode:
Based on the trailer I embedded above, it does not appear that the Quintesson actually transforms into a spaceship. From the looks of the trailer it appears he is exiting the ship seen earlier in the trailer. So the Quintesson figure here is just representing the Quintesson elements of that scene. That said, I am not 100% sure this vehicle mode is meant to represent the exact ship seen in the trailer. That ship is much bulkier and wider looking than this vessel. In the same screenshot you can see two other ships hovering in the background and it is a bit harder to make out their details but I wonder if this vehicle mode is meant to represent one of those ships.
Regardless, some of the design philosophy of the ship in the trailer carries over to this vehicle mode. The armor plates all have a rough, organic appearance. There are spikes sticking up at angles and out to the sides. Even the front of the ship looks almost like a spikey nosecone on a jet. The result is a techno-organic looking ship that looks very alien and very cool.
This mode carries over all the colors from the robot mode mostly featuring the green color. The front end is a newly revealed part made of translucent pink plastic with green paint on it in a beautiful spray pattern. Sadly, the panels forming the middle and rear of the ship are not painted at all. Some dark wash would have brought out their details beautifully, but to be fair given the price point and Class of figure it's no huge surprise this mode doesn't have a lot of paint.
Flip the vehicle over and you'll see a square shaped slot towards the front. This is where you can fit the Energon Cube for storage.
Final Thoughts:
The Quintesson High Commander figure is a fun little figure that represents the character seen in the trailer (and film) well. The alt-mode is a bit metaphorical rather than literal, but that works for me. That said, don't pick this figure up expecting a Studio Series level toy. The figure is limited in articulation and it is only about 5 inches (about 12.7 centimeters) tall. I'm big on getting any Quintesson figure so I happily added this to my collection, but if you prefer your Quintessons five faced you're best sticking with your Earthrise Quint. Recommended!
Pros:
- Very cool sculpt featuring much of the design philosophy from the film.
- Cool colors (even if not fully screen accurate).
- The Energon Cube accessory is really neat, I want a ton of them!
Cons:
- A bit small compared to the character's appearance in the film.
- Limited articulation.
- Looks a bit plain in vehicle mode deco-wise.
