Unicron, the biggest and most expensive Transformers toy ever, smashes all expectations

With a height of 71 cm and a girth of 83 cm, Unicron is the biggest transforming Transformer ever to hit the homes of collectors — and he's got all the bells and whistles that you'd expect. He transforms into an evil planet (can you think of anything larger?) that eats other planets, and first appeared in Transformers: The Movie (1986), where he was the central antagonist that the original Transformers had to defeat.

The villainous Unicron has seen several toys made of him over the years, but none of them did justice to the sheer size of the colossal creature. Unicron's release knocked the previous contender of the largest Transformers ever, Fortress Maximus (60 cm) from the Titans Return line, soundly off the throne.

He — or rather, "it" — was released on 8 February, 2021 to the chagrin of Transformers collectors' wallets everywhere, clocking in at S$799 (US$575) in Singapore when the item was first released for pre-order. Now, collectors can expect to pay at least S$1,200 for the behemoth on e-commerce sites.

Unicron was first announced in 2019 on Haslab, Hasbro's crowdfunding platform for premium collectibles, where it was announced that the mammoth figure would go into production if it hit at least 8,000 backers. It hit its target and soon went into production, as hobbyists waited for its release with bated breath.

Officially, Unicron stands at 68.58 cm tall and weighs approximately 7.2 kg (16 pounds). But the heft and balance of the figure makes him feel like he weighs quite a bit more.

Robot Mode

In his humanoid guise, Unicron has over 50 points of articulation — meaning he has 50 over joints that allow him to mimic fairly human poses. His hands alone have over 15 joints each, allowing him to grasp virtually any object the way a human could. Most toys come with a hands that have a moulded in slot or hole that allows weapons to fit, rather than fully articulated fingers. Of course, he comes with opposable thumbs, which give him the flexibility and capability to hold objects.

Unicron's head is removable — a reference to Transformers: The Movie (1986), when his head was blown off his body in the climatic finale, and left to orbit Cybertron (the Transformers' home planet) for the rest of the series. To allow fans to emulate the looks of his battle damaged head, Unicron comes with a swappable damaged face. He also comes with a "bearded" chin in addition to the original pack-in chin, in homage to the animation error in the movie (two different versions of Unicron were shown, one with a "beard" and one sans "beard"). His jaw can also open and close, and a tab allows you to move his eyes from side to side.

To support his 7.2 kg mass, a large stand is provided to hold him place. Unicron can be posed without the stand, but it feels like this might put too much pressure on the joints in the feet (which may end up giving way when it's least expected). However, it's probably safer for both wallets and hearts if he remains on his stand.

The level of detail on Unicron is astounding. Usually, Transformers figures that are meant to represent towering robots that are the size of buildings are much more detailed, both in terms of the sculpt and the paint job, to create the impression that these are truly titans. Being a planet, virtually every surface on Unicron is intricately moulded to show that there's literally more than meets the eye to this figure. Unicron's body is also asymmetrical in design (most toys are symmetrical to save cost, as the left side of the body can also be "mirrored" to create the right side) which rewards observant collectors who like to pore over every detail of a figure.

Unicron clearly dwarfs a Singapore 10-cent coin — but he's gigantic enough that he can easily hold one in his hand. It gives a sense of scale to the epic figure, that he can hold any reasonably sized object in his hand without issues.

His robot mode is truly a sight to behold, even when compared to other Titans — Transformers like Fortress Maximus, Metroplex, Scorponok, Tryptican, and Omega Supreme, that are meant to represent cities or other kaiju.

Planet Mode

Unicron is traditionally depicted as a planet with rings, akin to Saturn or Uranus, except he has a giant maw for devouring smaller, lesser planets.

His alternate mode is no slouch in this department, coming with his trademark rings and a circular maw with a lensing feature to open and close the "teeth" in unison. He forms a near-perfect sphere in robot mode, with the shape broken only by its rings and maw.

When fully assembled, his rings reach 76.2 cm (30 inches) in diameter, making him the perfect centerpiece for any display, coffee table, or collection. In planet mode, he eclipses any other Transformer in size, evoking the wonder and majesty that you'd expect an evil transforming planet to.

This is where his stand comes in useful — it certainly helps to pose him in a way that shows him floating in space, allowing you to examine him in his full glory.

He also comes with a minuscule Autobot space shuttle, Galvatron figure, and Hot Rod figure to emphasise the sheer enormity of the planet.

Overall

As a mass produced Transformers figure, Unicron has certain exposed areas where his screws are visible. He comes with several pieces that allow you to cover those screws, to further increase the suspension of disbelief that this is truly an evil transforming planet that you have bought. No other Transformer has been released with such a feature, making this a first for the line.

However, he comes in a cubic box that measures 60 cm on each side. It's difficult for most saloon cars to transport a package of this size, so it's advisable to have the assistance of a hatchback car or a van to transport the figure.

As a pre-order item, Unicron was available at specialist hobby shops, such as Robo Robo or Big Bad Toy Store. He also be found on e-commerce sites like Carousell, though it is unlikely that he will still be available at the pre-order price.

Verdict

Unicron's sheer size and weight make him a collectible that's firmly targeted at adult collectors. It's unlikely that younger collectors will be able to carry, let alone transform, a figure of such heft. However, his enormous (and rising) price tag also means that fans have to shell out a sizeable amount for him.

But the bragging rights can't be denied. And there's the undeniable sense of nostalgia at seeing a villain from one's childhood finally being realised in a form that's suitably epic for a Transformer that turns into a planet.

So if you can afford the cost (and more importantly, the space), then Unicron is worth shelling out for. In years to come, Transformers collectors will probably be divided into two camps — those who have this version of Unicron, and those who don't.