Transformers Animated (toyline)

The Transformers Animated toy line merges the more expressive design style of the cartoon with extremely poseable robot forms (to a degree which seemed pleasantly surprising even to Hasbro). Unlike the franchises immediately before it, there is no overarching, line-wide gimmick (such as Mini-Cons or Cyber Planet Keys). Rather, transforming is the gimmick, and the toys have other special features unique and appropriate to the character (such as triple-changing or interchangeable tools). While the designs originated with Hasbro and the Cartoon Network team, TakaraTomy stepped up to the plate to engineer the toys. The line debuted on July 1, 2007, at Hasbro's Future Products panel at BotCon.

Hasbro, citing the strength of the movie toyline, postponed the official release of the Animated toyline to June 22, 2008 in the US. However, some toys began showing up at retailers in the Cincinnati area to coincide with BotCon, followed by wider releases in Canada in May and the U.S. shortly thereafter.

Homages
Even more so than Energon, Animated is saturated with frequent and obvious references and homages to Generation 1 and other lines, possibly intended as a celebration of the Transformers' 25th anniversary year. Among them are:


 * Blackarachnia is based on the Beast Era character of the same name.
 * Blitzwing is based on his Generation 1 namesake.
 * Bumblebee is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name. Elite Guard Bumblebee has a similar color scheme to movie Bumblebee's "stealth" mode with some elements of Goldbug, the rebuilt version of Generation 1 Bumblebee.
 * Grimlock is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Jazz is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Cybertron Mode Megatron is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name, with some similarities to movie Megatron. Earth Mode Megatron is based Battlestars Super Megatron.
 * Cybertron Mode Optimus Prime is loosely based on the Generation 1 character of the same name, specifically The War Within. Earth Mode Optimus Prime is based on the Generation 1 Prime, as well as Robots In Disguise Optimus Prime.
 * Prowl has a police-based alternate mode and a logical mind, like the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Ratchet is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Skywarp is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Snarl is based on the Generation 1 Slag.
 * Soundwave is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name, though with a new alternate mode loosely based on an unproduced Classics toy of his G1 counterpart.
 * Starscream is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Swoop is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Ultra Magnus is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.
 * Wreck-Gar is based on the Generation 1 character of the same name.

In addition, there are characters seen in the cartoon that also have strong homages. These may yet become toys.

Toys
The core toys of this franchise are available at most of the traditional size classes.

Deluxe

 * Cybertron Mode Optimus Prime (Wave 1)
 * Bumblebee (Wave 1)
 * Lockdown (Wave 1)
 * Prowl (Wave 1)
 * Blackarachnia (Wave 2)
 * Ratchet (Wave 2)
 * Jazz (Wave 3)
 * Oil Slick (Wave 3)
 * Snarl (Wave 3)
 * Soundwave (Wave 3)
 * Swoop (Wave 4)
 * Elite Guard Bumblebee (Wave 4)
 * Sentinel Prime (Wave 4)

Voyager

 * Bulkhead (Wave 1)
 * Cybertron Mode Megatron (Wave 1)
 * Starscream (Wave 1)
 * Earth Mode Optimus Prime (Wave 2)
 * Grimlock (Wave 3)
 * Lugnut (Wave 3)
 * Blitzwing (Wave 4)
 * Skywarp (Wave >4)
 * Wreck-Gar (Wave >4)

Leader

 * Bulkhead (Wave 1)
 * Earth Mode Megatron (Wave 1)
 * Ultra Magnus (Wave 2)

Supreme

 * Roll-Out Command Optimus Prime (Wave 1)

Multipacks

 * Optimus Prime vs. Megatron: The Battle Begins (Wave 1)

Activators
The Activators subcategory consists of chunkier, simpler, Scout-class-sized toys with one-touch, spring-loaded transformations.
 * Bulkhead
 * Bumblebee
 * Lockdown
 * Optimus Prime
 * Patrol Bumblebee
 * Ratchet
 * Starscream
 * Thundercracker

Bumper Battlers
An expansion on the Cyber Slammers subline from the 2007 live-action movie toys, Bumper Battlers feature "bump-and-transform" action. Hitting the front bumper causes the toy to change into robot mode, and pressing the toy's sigil activates sound effects and speech gimmicks.
 * Bumblebee
 * Optimus Prime
 * Ratchet
 * Jazz

Others
Bumblebee will be available in a non-transforming "Animated Power Bots" version, in the style of the Cyber Stompin' Bumblebee and Optimus from the 2007 live-action movie.

Also there will be McDonald's Happy Meal toys of Megatron and Optimus Prime, which are, of course simplified representations of those characters.