General Information
Release Date: May 2025
Price Point: 4,950 Yen (MSRP)
Retailer: Japanese Exclusive
Accessories: Arms x 2, Head Gear, Air Vents/Boosters x 2, Energy Axe
Official images and text in italics are from Takara Tomy Mall
Characters from the web-based anime series "Transformers: Wild King" are now available as toys! Introducing Optimus Prime, the Energy Master from "Transformers: Wild King"! Transforms from robot to vehicle and vehicle to robot! Combines (Wild docking) with Energy Beasts (sold separately)! Enjoy your own Wild docking! *The specifications are the same as the Optimus Prime included in the "WKS-01 Optimus Prime & Light Long Wildocking Set."
Character Profile from Takara Tomy's Site (translated via Google Translate):
He's the trusted leader of the Autobots, a legion of righteous men. He once clashed with Megatron, leader of the evil Decepticons, but now they have a peaceful, cooperative relationship. Megatron set out ahead of them in search of power to protect their homeworld, but suddenly communication is cut off, and Optimus is dispatched to pursue him. Arriving on the uncharted planet Elementros, Optimus encounters Energy Beasts, each with their own unique personality. Through his bond with them, he gains new powers, "Wild docking," and sets out to stop Megatron's rampage against the dinosaurs!
Packaging:
Optimus Prime is packaged in a rectangular cardboard box with no openings. Instead, the front is covered in product photography showing Optimus in both modes and combined with Energy Beasts. Behind him is a planet (presumably Elementros). The back of the box features the toy in both modes along with his profile (translated above). A small box on the right shows him combined with Energy Beasts. Below that is a ton of (presumably) legal information. Overall this box is nice and really different from what we have in lines like Generations or Cyberworld. To me this makes it a bit more special beyond being a Japanese exclusive.
The figure and accessories are tied to a plain cardboard try with rubber bands. Unlike lines like Legacy, there are no parts wrapped in tissue paper. This packaging is nice as it is reusable, allowing you to store the figure inside when you do not have it on display.
Accessories:
Optimus Prime includes several accessories, let's go through them.
Axe
In a callback to G1 Optimus Prime, he comes with an axe weapon. The axe features one curved blade on one side and a ton of greebles on the other and along the handle. Part of the point of the accessories in Wild King is to find different ways of connecting them to figures and one another. To that end, this weapon has five 5mm ports and two pegs. The axe features two ports on either side behind the axe blade. Another is located towards the base of the handle. The bottom features a peg with a notch (so not exactly a standard 5mm peg) and the side of the handle features a standard 5mm peg. This accessory is made of blue plastic with silver painted on the edge of the axe blade.
Arms
While they are not exactly accessories in the traditional sense, it is important to note the forearms detach from the shoulder sections so you can connect Energy Beast limbs as his arms. The arms connect via two 5mm pegs on the shoulder sections. I'll go into the arms a bit more in the robot mode review below.
Head Gear
There have been past versions of Optimus Prime featuring extra "head armor" when he combines with other characters, vehicles or a trailer (think Powermaster Optimus Prime's "super mode" head). In a nod to that tradition, this Prime features an additional head piece that attaches to the back of his head via two vertical tabs. This piece covers the back of his head and wraps around to the sides, giving him larger "antennae" pieces. This piece can be stored on top of the vehicle mode and you can connect it to the back of the axe (using the aforementioned tabs). This piece is made of blue plastic with gold paint on the antennae.
Air Vents/Thrusters
Optimus includes two rectangular pieces that connect to the top of his vehicle mode as air vents or thrusters (or both?). These pieces are identical and each feature two 5mm pegs on the bottom and two 5mm ports on top. These pieces are not necessary for him to combine with Energy Beasts, but they do allow you to connect additional accessories to him in both modes. Each of these is made of blue plastic with no paint applications.
Robot Mode:
Wild King Optimus Prime is roughly a Voyager Class sized figure, measuring a little over 7 inches (about 17.78 cm) tall and 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) wide shoulder to shoulder.
Optimus Prime's Wild King design feels like a Cybertronian version of the form we are used to from G1. He has a lot of the classic Optimus design elements including:
- Head: The head design is classic with a central crest, antennae on the sides of the head, thin eyes and a mouth plate. The head's shape is a bit more narrow than some other recent Optimus figures but it's still instantly recognizable.
- Arms: The forearms have a section on top that features a sculpted triangle detail. This is a direct callback to a triangle that has appeared on many other Optimus Prime figures.
- Torso: The chest features windows that have an angled shape towards the middle. The mid-body features a grille-like design and the hip area features designs that recall the rectangles on G1 Optimus Prime in the same area.
- Legs: The lower legs have a section in the middle that features several overlapping panels and each leg has two wheels from the vehicle mode on the sides.
All that said, some of the designs on this figure are a bit more futuristic or "scifi" looking than a more "Earth-based" Optimus Prime. These designs elements include wide shoulders with no smokestacks, the angles on the chest windows and the grille on his mid-body is more of a trapezoid shape than a rectangle. I like these little touches as they help distinguish this design from past Optimus Primes.
This figure is made of red, blue, silver and black plastic - all classic Optimus Prime colors. Paint colors include silver, blue, yellow and light blue. Yellow and silver are the most heavily used colors. He also features a tampographed Autobot symbol in white and red on his left shoulder. It's a fairly simple deco, but it works for the character.
There are eighteen points of articulation on this figure. That includes five on each arm and three on each leg. The only point of articulation that is a bit dicey is the swivel connecting the shoulder section to the elbow. Because the arms detach, they have a tendency to come off when you move that joint. They connect right back on but their grip is not particularly tight so be warned.
There are six standard 5mm ports on the arms, but they each come in sets of two. So there are two on top of the shoulders, two on the sides of the shoulders and two on the sides of the forearms. The fists have the port with the extra notch so the tab on the axe weapon (and other Wild King weapons) can fit in there. You can attach accessories from other figures to the ports or you can attach the air vent/thruster pieces to them and then attach other accessories to those. There are also two 5mm ports on the back of his lower legs but there's not a whole lot you can do with those due to their position. He also features pairs of 5mm pegs on his back and the front of the legs, though again their usefulness is limited in this mode.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach the weapons and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- Push the robot head down into the chest.
- Rotate the upper body around.
- Swing each forearm up.
- Swing the shoulders back.
- Swing the forearms forward and connect the notch on them to the tab on the panel with the grille.
- Push the legs together.
- Swing the legs up and fit the slots on the top half of the robot to the notches on the knees.
- Attach the air vents to the top of the shoulder sections.
- Attach the head piece to the back of the robot head using the tabs on the back of the head piece and the slots on the back of the robot head.
- Attach the peg on the axe handle to the side of the vehicle.
Vehicle Mode:
Optimus Prime's truck mode looks like a Cybertronian version of his traditional Earth mode. The front is boxy with a flat front while his legs form the rear of the cab. The truck rolls on six large wheels. While the front is very square shaped, the shoulders extend back a bit, giving him a sleek appearance despite the boxy shape. Attaching the accessories such as the head piece and the air vents really adds a lot of detail to the vehicle. The legs feel a bit short in that if you were to attach a hypothetical trailer, you wouldn't have a lot of room to do it. However, I do not believe this toy was made with that in mind so it's not much of an issue.
This form features all the same colors as the robot mode. This mode emphasizes the panels forming the front of the vehicle so we get more red plastic with silver and yellow paint. I do wish the lower part of the grille panel was painted silver but overall the vehicle mode still looks good.
The air vent/thruster pieces on top have 5mm ports on top that allow you to attach additional weapons. You can do the same with the ports on the back of the shoulders and the ones on the sides of the vehicle.
Transformation to Torso Mode (from Robot Mode):
- Detach the accessories and set them aside for now.
- Detach the forearms and set them aside for now.
- Detach the lower legs and set them aside for now.
- Swing the middle chest panel down.
- Attach the head piece to the back of Optimus' head.
- On each forearm, swing the silver piece back into the forearms.
- On each lower leg piece, swing the back panel open. Put the forearms in and then push the panel back in place. Then push the knee armor (really the front of a foot) down.
- Energy Beast limbs can be attached to the shoulder and knee sections with dual 5mm pegs. The lower leg pieces form feet that attach to the Energy Beasts.
Torso Mode:
The torso mode is a bit reminiscent of Energon Optimus Prime where he forms a torso piece while other characters form his limbs. While there are "official" transformations you can see in stock photos, really you can attach the various animal parts wherever you want. This opens up a lot of potential play options which really makes the Wild King line super fun.
The coolest sculpted details revealed in this mode are on the chest. Folding the panel down reveals a Matrix chamber complete with a sculpted Matrix detail inside. The Matrix is painted gold with blue in the middle while the areas around it are painted silver and yellow. This looks beautiful and I love the idea that the Matrix is part of the "Wild Docking" ability. The Matrix section features four 5mm ports intended for the leaf shaped "armor" pieces included with the Energy Beasts. I appreciate that the designers figured out a way to both store the forearms in the lower legs and use the lower legs as the "feet" of the Combiner mode.
The dual 5mm peg/port system to connect the limbs is a fun universal system, but I do wish there was a way to "lock" the limbs in better (like an additional hinged piece that connects the two or something). If you pose out the figure enough, the arms have a tendency to fall off, though the legs are generally fine.
Final Thoughts:
Wild King is a line aimed at younger fans, so this figure does not have the same articulation as a Generations figure (for example he lacks ankle tilts). That said, he is meant to be a fun figure by himself and a torso for the Combiner form. In that respect this figure is fun, though the arms falling off can get a bit frustrating. It's not a perfect figure, but it is fun and unique. That said, it is hard for me to wholeheartedly recommend this as none of the usual United States action figure retailers are carrying them. If you want these guys Amazon Japan or ebay are your two primary sources, and even then they have been selling out fast. I managed to order this guy for retail price off Amazon Japan and by that measure this is recommended. Don't go paying crazy prices for it unless you're desperate to own it.
Pros:
- Takes the basic Optimus Prime design and makes it a bit more "scifi" looking.
- Good (read: not amazing, but satisfactory) deco.
- Fun play features.
Cons:
- The arms and Energy Beast arms come off way too easy.
- Less articulation than most figures nowadays.
