General Information:
Release Date: October 2022
Price Point: $24.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: Spear handle/Blaster, Spear tip
Official images and product description in italics below are from Amazon:
- TRANSFORMERS PRIME-INSPIRED DESIGN: This Transformers: Legacy 5.5-inch Prime Universe Knock-Out robot toy is inspired by the animated series, Transformers: Prime, updated with a Generations-style design
- UNIVERSES COLLIDE: Universes collide with Transformers: Legacy! This epic line of Transformers toys brings together fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers multiverse
- 2 EPIC MODES: Action figure converts from robot to sports car mode in 18 steps. Comes with battle spear accessory that breaks apart into blaster and Energon shield accessories
- HARNESS THE POWER OF ENERGON: Gear up with the most powerful substance on Cybertron, Energon! This Transformers Prime Universe Knock-Out figure comes with an Energon shield accessory that attaches as the tip of the battle spear accessory
- QR CODE: Scan the QR code on each package to reveal character tech specs from across the multiverse! Collect other Legacy figures to reveal their character tech specs (each sold separately, subject to availability)
Harness the power of Energon with the Transformers: Legacy Deluxe Prime Universe Knock-Out robot toy! Knock-Out is a slick-talker and choose a vehicle mode to match. Although he’s a medic, he prefers to take bots apart than fix them. Universes collide! Transformers: Legacy brings together fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers multiverse. Figures feature deco inspired by their universe with an updated Generations design. In honor of the almost 40-year legacy of Transformers entertainment, the fandoms come together from across the Transformers multiverse, all in one toy line. Transformers: Legacy action figures are great kids’ toys and exciting collectibles for fans of all ages. Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro.
Background:
Knock Out was introduced in the Transformers: Prime series in 2011. The character was a rare case of a Decepticon who functioned as both a medic and a warrior. His personality quickly won fans over and by the time the show ended (and the Robots in Disguise (2015) era rolled around) he had switched sides to join the Autobots. Despite being what I'd consider a fan favorite there have not been a ton of Knock Out figures over the years. There were serveral during the Prime era but after that he kind of faded away. Now he's back in Legacy, having gone through whatever wacky portal that is uniting Transformers characters from various universes.
This figure is a retool and redeco of the Studio Series 86 Jazz figure, so you'll want to check out that review for my look at the core design used for this figure. That said, this figure features extensive retooling so I'll get into that below.
Packaging:
Knock Out is packaged in the standard Legacy Deluxe Class box. The box design starts with a rectangular shape, but it angles back on the top and left side (if you're facing the box). The Legacy logo is large and in charge in the front of the box with an illustration of Knock Out in vehicle mode above it. To the left is a chyron with Knock Out's name and his universe designation as the "Prime Universe". The angled, left side part of the box has artwork of the character in robot mode. The back of the box shows off the figure in both modes calling out an 18 step transformation. Below that is a QR Code you can scan to reveal the character's tech specs online. I have screen captured the tech spec and included it in the gallery at the bottom of this review.
Accessories:
Knock Out features two brand new accessories that combine into a larger weapon. First there is a spear handle/blaster. This piece is basically a rifle where the long barrel also serves as the handle of Knock Out's spear weapon. This piece is designed to serve as the core of much larger weapon combinations. It has two 5mm pegs on the top and bottom, allowing Knock Out to hold this as a spear handle or rifle/blaster. The back has another 5mm peg, but it has a small tab on one side so your connection possibilities with other weapons is limited. The handle also has two 5mm ports on other side. In theory, you could attach 4-5 weapons to this and then of course attach weapons to those weapons making for a fun combination of accessories! This piece is made of silver plastic with no paint applications.
The other accessory is the tip of the spear. This piece can attach to the handle to form the spear weapon or you can attach it to Knock Out to act as a blade weapon for close up combat. If you kind of tilt your head and squint your eye a bit this could also be seen as a shield. This piece features 3 blades, taking a design cue from spear weapons included with past Knock Out figures from the Prime era. This weapon features a 5mm peg and a 5mm port. There is also a smaller port for 3mm pegs. This piece is made of a translucent dark grey plastic with metallic blue painted on the center blade.
Robot Mode:
According to Hasbro designer Mark Maher, the idea of using Studio Series 86 Jazz as the foundation for this figure came from Takara Tomy designer, Hisashi Yuki. The designers opted not to just simply give the figure a new head and call it a day. Instead, a lot has been changed with this figure including:
- Head: The head is a brand new design featuring a thin crest in the middle and angled designs on the top of the helmet section His face is roughly "T" shaped with thin eyes. These design elements come right from Prime Knock Out but the head is not quite as exaggerated as Knock Out's was in the Prime series, looking more like a G1-esque take on the character.
- Chest: The portion of the figure that forms both the robot chest and vehicle mode front end is entirely new. This deign borrows heavily from Prime Knock Out's design including a grille that has a "T" shape overlapping it and raised sections on the left and right that echo the design of his robot head.
- Forearms: Unlike Jazz's blocky forearms with thin segments, Knock Out's forearms are more uniform with only a small raised section on top.
- Thighs: The thighs are all new pieces which look a bit thinner than those sections on Jazz.
- Feet: Instead of Jazz's wide, chunky feet, Knock Out's feet call back to his Prime design by starting wide at the top and then narrowing towards the center at the "toes".
While this falls more under the vehicle mode parts, the wheel wells attached to the sides of the lower legs are new pieces. Not only is the shape different than those on Jazz, but the pieces also do not swing forward the way they do on Jazz. Official photos show these pieces remain in place from vehicle to robot mode, but you can technically swing them back a bit.
I am very impressed by how much has been changed with this figure. There was a time where a new head a new paint job would have been all we would have gotten, but such extensive retooling really makes this feel like a very different figure than Studio Series 86 Jazz.
Taking inspiration from his original Prime incarnation, this version of Knock Out is made up mostly of dark red, grey, translucent dark grey and black plastic. White, red and silver are the main paint colors featured in the robot mode. While this character did eventually join the Autobots, here he sports a tiny purple Decepticon symbol on his chest. There is yellow paint on the sides of the wheels but that is a detail intended to be featured in the vehicle mode more than the robot mode. Knock Out never had the most complex/intricate deco in Prime, so this deco looks just right for the character.
All twenty two points of articulation on my copy of this figure are just as tight as those on my copy of Jazz (if not a bit tighter in some places like the arms). The only part that feels a bit more loose than I would prefer are the knees, but he's not wobbly. He poses and stands just fine, I just wish they were tighter. Knock Out can hold his spear weapon as one piece or you can split them and have him hold them in his fists or attach them to the 5mm ports on his forearms. You can also have him store away his spear using the 5mm port on his back.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the accesories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Swing each fist into the forearms.
- Swing the back pack up, swing the doors out and then pull out the rear window.
- Point the front of each foot down.
- Swing the chest up.
- Push the robot head down, then swing up the middle panel under the chest that will fill in the gap where the head was located.
- Rotate the lower body around.
- Rotate the chest around.
- Swing each lower leg up over the thighs, then push the two lower legs together to form the rear of the vehicle.
- Swing the robot arms back, then swing them in so they wind up under the front of the car.
- Rotate the forearms so the small tabs on them face outward.
- Push the windshield/cabin cover section down and swing the doors in, connecting them to the tabs on the forearms.
- The spear can be attached to the top of the car or broken up to attach to the ports behind the rear wheel wells.
Vehicle Mode:
Knock Out's vehicle mode is a wholesale "re-shelling" of the Studio Series 86 Jazz vehicle mode. From front to back it is an entirely new vehicle mode. Instead of the Porche based curves of Jazz, this vehicle looks more like Knock Out's Prime vehicle mode and the cabin section has more distinct angles than Jazz. The only parts carried over from Jazz are the wheels, which makes sense from a cost perspective and frankly they're not that critical to Knock Out's design. I'm really impressed by how extensive the retooling on this figure is in both modes.
This mode shows off a lot more of the translucent dark grey plastic on the top of the cabin section. This is not necesarily a good thing for some fans. In theory, this plastic should be flexible enough to transform without a problem, but when Studio Series 86 Jazz was released, many fans reported breakage in this area due to the translucent plastic. I have not seen as many reports of this with Knock Out, so perhaps this figure does not suffer from the same problem. That said, I can see how the use of translucent plastic on a piece with many moving parts for the transformation can make some fans nervous. All I can say is that between the time I received this figure and wrote this review I transformed it about ten times with no issues.
In terms of deco we get a lot of dark red paint in this mode, mostly due to needing paint on the translucent plastic. It looks really uniform so I'm happy with it. The sides of the vehicle feature beautiful silver designs that call back to similar designs on Prime Knock Out. The front is painted silver and the sides of the wheels are yellow. These colors all work together to give Knock Out the look of a modified street racing car you'd see in a film franchise like The Fast and the Furious. It's a beautiful looking vehicle mode.
Final Thoughts:
Knock Out is a great example of how retools and redecos can really be awesome in the Transformers toy line. It is also a great example of how a Prime design can be brought more in line with G1 aesthetics while still retaining key features of the character's original design. My biggest concern about this figure are the parts made of translucent plastic, so that keeps it from being highly recommended, but I still think this figure is worth adding to your collection.
Pros:
- Extensive retooling.
- Beautiful new deco, especially in vehicle mode.
- Cool weapon that calls back to the character's previous action figures.
- A very successful "G1-ification" of a Prime character.
Cons:
- The translucent panels and hinges continue to be a concern.
