Transformers Missing Link Guide & Release Checklist

Most Transformers lines answer the question "what would this character look like today?" Missing Link asks a different one. It starts with the toy that sat on shelves in 1984 or 1985, keeps its shape, colours and transformation logic, then rebuilds it with joints the original mould could never have supported. The name is the argument: these are the figures that would sit between the vintage toys and the modern ones if such a step had ever existed.

That premise makes the line easy to misread. This guide sets out what Missing Link actually is, lists every confirmed release with its C- or D-number and Japanese release date or window, compares it honestly against the alternatives and covers what UK collectors should check before importing.

In this guide

• What Missing Link is
• How it compares with G1 toys, reissues, Masterpiece and Generations
• Every confirmed release
• The release checklist
• Value and buying advice
• UK availability and importing

What is Transformers Missing Link?

Missing Link is a collector line produced by Takara Tomy, the Japanese company behind the original transforming car robots that became Transformers. It launched alongside the brand's 40th anniversary, was first shown publicly in August 2023 and began shipping in February 2024.

The concept, as Takara Tomy frames it, is a hypothetical reissue: a series that might plausibly have existed in that era, recreated after the fact. Each figure takes an original toy as its starting point and keeps the silhouette, proportions and materials intact, usually the transformation too, while adding articulation the vintage engineering could not deliver. Hasbro's English-language copy describes a figure as what the character "might have looked like if designed during the original 1984 toy era".

In practice a Missing Link figure looks almost indistinguishable from its vintage counterpart on a shelf, then moves like a modern collector piece when you pick it up. Die-cast metal sits roughly where the original had it. Chrome, clear parts and rubber tyres appear where the original used them. Joints are hidden inside existing panel lines rather than sculpted onto the outside.

The line is aimed squarely at adult collectors. Prices sit well above mainline retail, boxes carry Japanese-language instructions and Hasbro's own listings carry a 15-plus age grade. Zero Variant sells the range as adult collectibles for customers aged 18 and over.

Calling it another reissue line misses one specific thing. A reissue reproduces a mould; Missing Link designs a new mould that behaves like the old one.

Why Takara Tomy created Missing Link

Takara Tomy has not published a detailed account of its reasoning, so what follows is inference from the products rather than a claim about company strategy.

What the line resolves is a long-running tension in G1 collecting. The vintage toys have a shape decades of merchandise have never quite replaced: blocky, chunky, unmistakably of their period. What they do not have is movement. A 1984 Convoy has shoulders, elbows that pivot in one plane and very little else, and collectors who love that shape have had to accept the stiffness that came with it. The alternatives all change the design to fix the problem. Masterpiece redraws the character towards its animated appearance, Generations towards contemporary toy design. Missing Link keeps the silhouette and fixes the movement anyway.

There is a preservation aspect too. Several releases go back to things the original line never produced. Cordon is a 1982 Diaclone mould the Transformers line skipped entirely. Arcee is a 1986 toy that reached a non-transforming prototype stage before cancellation. Ironhide and Ratchet were sold overseas from 1984 but were left out of the general Japanese launch in 1985.

Missing Link vs original G1 toys

The comparison most collectors want is against the toy they already own, or once owned.

Visual design. Close to identical at a glance. Missing Link keeps the vintage proportions, colour breakdown and general chunkiness. Where it deviates it is usually to sculpt something the original represented with a sticker, or to sharpen details such as headlights and wheel rims.

Transformation. Most releases keep the original sequence rather than redesigning it, with the new engineering in the joints rather than a reinvented conversion. There are exceptions at both ends of the line. C-07 and C-08 Arcee are built from a prototype that never transformed at all, so their conversion is entirely new work. C-14 Ironhide and C-15 Ratchet each gain an articulated robot mode their originals never had, alongside a Respect Mode recreating the 1984 configuration.

Articulation. The original Convoy has around a dozen usable articulation points. One detailed review of Missing Link C-01 counts twenty-nine. Sunstreaker gains elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joints the 1985 toy simply did not have, and Grimlock is articulated in both modes.

Materials. Die-cast metal is retained and placed broadly where the vintage toys used it, with rubber tyres, chrome plating and clear parts on releases whose originals had them. That matters for weight and feel, which is much of why the figures read as vintage in hand.

Stickers and printed detail. Missing Link uses both. Detail that would have been a sticker in 1984 is often painted or sculpted in, while a user-applied sticker sheet is still supplied so you can finish the figure the traditional way.

Accessories. More generous than the originals, and most larger releases add a small non-transforming human figure. Contents vary by release, so read the set contents rather than assuming.

Playability and collectability. A Missing Link figure is a better object to handle than the vintage toy in almost every respect: tighter joints, better paint, more accessories, no forty-year-old plastic to worry about. What it does not carry is provenance. If you value the specific object you owned as a child, a new production run cannot replace that.

Missing Link vs G1 reissues

A reissue is a reproduction. Takara Tomy has run reissue programmes for decades that put the same toy back into production, occasionally with minor safety or deco changes. Allowing for those changes, what comes out of the box handles like the 1984 one, stiffness included.

Missing Link designs a new mould. The size, transformation pattern and basic structure follow the original, but the internals are engineered from scratch to accommodate joints that never existed. The Japanese product copy for C-05 Sunstreaker is explicit: size, transformation pattern and basic structure follow the original toy, including some die-cast alloy, with movable joints newly implemented.

Two practical consequences follow. Missing Link costs substantially more than a straight reissue, and it is not a substitute if what you want is a period-correct reproduction of a specific vintage toy.

Missing Link vs Masterpiece

This is the comparison that decides most purchases, so it is worth being precise about what each line is trying to do.

Masterpiece generally starts from the character as it appeared on screen. The animation model is the target and the engineering exists to reach it, which produces slimmer proportions, cartoon-accurate faces and complex conversions with a large parts count.

Missing Link starts from the toy. The 1984 or 1985 product is the target and modern engineering exists to make that shape move, so conversions stay close to the originals and generally involve fewer steps. The deciding factor is which source design you want on the shelf.

Feature	Missing Link	Masterpiece
Main inspiration	The original 1980s toy	The animated or screen appearance
Visual style	Vintage proportions, blocky, period-correct colours	Slimmer, cartoon-accurate proportions
Transformation complexity	Close to the original sequence, generally straightforward	Complex, often many more steps and parts
Articulation	Modern joints hidden inside a vintage shell	Extensive articulation designed into the sculpt
Scale	Follows the original toy, so scale varies across the line	Broadly consistent internal scale within the line
Packaging	Period-style artwork, collection card, secret film	Premium collector packaging, usually with a tray
Intended collector	Collectors attached to the vintage toy aesthetic	Collectors attached to the animated designs
Display style	A shelf of vintage toys that happen to pose	A shelf of animation models in three dimensions

Convoy as the cartoon drew him is a Masterpiece purchase. Convoy as the 1984 toy looked, but able to hold a pose, is this line.

Missing Link vs modern Generations and Studio Series

Modern Hasbro lines such as Generations and Studio Series reinterpret characters using current design standards. Proportions, panelling and faces are updated for a contemporary audience, engineering is optimised for a mainline price point and the visual language belongs to now rather than 1984. Missing Link spends its engineering budget on keeping the vintage language and making it work instead. A Studio Series figure and a Missing Link figure of the same character will not look like they belong on the same shelf, which is usually the point.

Transformers Missing Link release guide

Every release below is confirmed by Takara Tomy. Autobot releases use the C-prefix associated with the original Japanese Cybertron numbering; the first new Decepticon mould appears under D-01 and D-02. Dates given are Japanese release dates, and international availability normally trails them by a few weeks. Where Takara Tomy states only a window, the window is what appears here.

C-01 Convoy and C-02 Convoy (Animation Edition)

Released 24 February 2024. Two versions of the same new mould, launched together at very different prices.

C-01 is the complete set at ¥17,380, with toy-style deco and the full accessory complement: trailer and combat deck, Roller, the rifle, the Energon axe, and the Matrix of Leadership with its chamber. Die-cast panels sit where the 1984 toy had them, the tyres are rubber and one detailed review counts twenty-nine articulation points against roughly twelve on the original.

C-02 is the cab only at ¥10,780, with animation deco rather than toy deco, an anime-coloured Matrix and no trailer. Best for: C-01 suits original toy fans who want the full set. C-02 is the cheapest way into the mould if you prefer animated colours or do not need the trailer.

C-01S Sentinel Prime

Released 13 September 2024 as an exclusive for the 40th Anniversary Transformers Expo 2024 in Japan, packed with a Roller counterpart named Dillo. A redeco of the Convoy mould, and the hardest release in the line to find at a sensible price. Its scarcity and close relationship to C-01 make it more relevant to completists than to anyone choosing a first Missing Link figure.

C-03 Bumble and C-04 Cliff

Released 30 November 2024 at ¥5,940 each. Known internationally as Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, these are the 1984 minibots given the Missing Link treatment. Bumble includes his blaster; Cliff adds a chromed cannon in a cartoon-inspired style.

Best for: beginners. At less than half the price of the deluxe cars these are the cheapest entry to the line, so they suit anyone wanting to understand the concept before committing to a larger figure.

C-05 Sunstreaker

Released 28 June 2025 at ¥13,200. A deluxe-class figure standing around 12.5 cm, following the size, transformation pattern and basic structure of the original including its die-cast content, with new joints at the elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.

Two changes are worth knowing. The original's spring-loaded punching gimmick is replaced by a fully transformable fist stored inside the arm, and the set adds a chrome-plated flare gun referencing the cartoon plus a driver figure and a cockpit that takes it. For the classic Countach shape with movement it never had, this is the most direct example the line offers. See the current C-05 Sunstreaker listing.

C-06 Cordon

Released 28 June 2025 at ¥13,200. A retool and redeco of Sunstreaker in white and black police livery, and the most interesting release in the line historically. Cordon originates as No. 3 "Countach LP500S Patrol Car Type" from Takara's 1982 Diaclone range. When Hasbro adapted Diaclone moulds for the 1984 Transformers line this one was skipped. Cordon eventually entered Transformers through Masterpiece and later Generations Selects before receiving the Missing Link treatment.

It comes with the Speed Trap Gun, two Power Fists, two Blast Packs, a Cordon Wand supplied on a runner and a police officer figure. The appeal is narrower than Sunstreaker's, since this is a design the Transformers line never used, which is either the reason to buy it or the reason to skip it. See the current C-06 Cordon listing.

C-07 Arcee (Prototype) and C-08 Arcee

Released 27 September 2025 at ¥13,200 each. These are the first Missing Link figures not based on a toy that reached mass production. In 1986 Takara's Arcee development got as far as a non-transforming styrofoam prototype before stopping, so there was no original sequence to preserve. Missing Link builds a working figure around what that toy would have been, with size, structure and die-cast content consistent with a 1986 release.

C-07 reproduces the prototype's pink and orange scheme with the head design from that development work. C-08 leans towards the cartoon appearance with a different head sculpt, a different weapon and some remoulding. Best for: C-08 suits an animation-led shelf. C-07 is for anyone who has read about the cancelled prototype for years.

C-09 Cybertron Hero Set

Released 27 December 2025 at ¥11,880. A two-pack of Bumble and Cliff in Animation Type form, based on the C-03 and C-04 moulds with changes matching the cartoon: new anime-style heads, revised paint on the arms, lights, emblems and weapons, and clear blue window parts in place of black. Two figures in one box makes it a reasonable starting point as well as a display piece. See the current C-09 Cybertron Hero Set listing.

C-01N Nemesis Prime

Released 28 February 2026 at ¥17,380. A full redeco of the C-01 set in black with teal striping, pink windows and a pink Energon axe, paired with a silver trailer carrying a Decepticon symbol, a black combat deck and a silver Roller counterpart named Giza. The heat-sensitive emblem reveals the Decepticon mark and the sticker sheet is recoloured to match.

Nothing here changes how the figure works, so it reads as a companion piece for collectors who already own C-01 rather than a first purchase. See the current C-01N Nemesis Prime listing.

C-10 Ultra Magnus

Released 28 March 2026 at ¥27,500, and still the largest release in the line at 262 mm in robot mode. The inner robot is a modified Convoy-type truck with new parts for the carrier, which converts through the maintenance, command and mobile operations base configurations the original was known for, and it can carry other Missing Link releases in car mode. Around fifteen accessories come with it, including an alternative head and a redesigned "Deerstalker" powered buggy. It makes a genuine centrepiece, though the price sits a long way above the rest of the line.

C-11 Delta Magnus

Released 27 June 2026, also at ¥27,500. It takes C-10 into the early Diaclone Powered Convoy colours, the design Ultra Magnus was adapted from, and adds a companion unit named Cybertron Powerdrive.

The core engineering is C-10's, but this is not a straight repaint. Some parts are changed and deco the original rendered as stickers is recreated through sculpting and paint. The chest panel wheels omitted on C-10 are restored, so the unit can take its Armour Jet configuration. Powerdrive is the larger change, re-engineered from a parts-swap arrangement into a full transformation. Best for: C-10 for the Ultra Magnus most collectors picture, C-11 for the Diaclone design underneath it.

C-12 Grimlock

Released 25 July 2026 at ¥18,700. The first Dinobot in the line, converting between a mechanical tyrannosaurus and a robot with articulation in both modes and retained die-cast content. Gold chrome and clear parts follow the plating style of the vintage toy. The added movement shows most clearly here, because the 1985 toy was particularly static.

C-13 Grimlock (Animation Type)

Due late August 2026 at ¥18,700. A cartoon-accurate redeco of C-12 with no chrome and no clear parts. Because the faction emblem sits in a different position on this version, the robot mode chest has been remoulded to suit. Accessories include a red sabre referencing the old toy and overseas comic depictions, a two-tone anime-specification double laser gun, a missile launcher and a worker-type human figure. Best for: C-12 if you want the vintage plating, C-13 if the shelf is animation-led.

C-14 Ironhide

Due late November 2026 at ¥16,500. One of the more significant releases in the line, because Ironhide was sold overseas in the 1984 lineup but left out of the general Japanese launch in 1985. The original toy split into two units, with the robot component taking the form of a power loader that looked nothing like the animated character. Ironhide's face was a decal on the seat, visible through the windscreen.

Missing Link gives the character three modes: a Nissan Cherry Vanette van, a properly articulated robot with a cartoon-inspired head, and a Respect Mode recreating the 1984 toy configuration. A laser, a drill and rockets on a runner come with it, along with storage compartments in the backpack and a port for a separately sold stand. Collectors of the original toy get both the historical configuration and the robot it never had, which is the strongest case any release in the line makes for itself.

C-15 Ratchet

Due late December 2026 at ¥16,500. Ratchet shares the van mould family with Ironhide in white and red, and shares its history: part of the 1984 overseas lineup, skipped for general Japanese release in 1985. The three-mode structure carries over, converting between robot, ambulance and Respect modes, the last recreating the original toy's separate power-loader unit. A laser and a spanner are the notable additions. See the current C-15 Ratchet listing.

D-01 Soundwave and D-02 Soundwave (Animation Type)

Fully revealed on 4 August 2026, with Japanese preorders opening the following day. These are the first D-numbered releases and the first newly engineered Decepticon in the line, which is why the numbering changes: D picks up the original Japanese Destron sequence the way C picks up Cybertron. Everything before them has been an Autobot mould or a redeco of one.

Both keep Soundwave's cassette-player alt mode, described on Takara Tomy's pages as a stereo cassette, and both add a configuration the vintage toy never had. Takara Tomy calls it Light Standard Mode: the Cybertronian street light Soundwave disguises himself as in the anime.

D-01 arrives in late February 2027 at ¥30,800 in toy colours, packed with Scout Robo, the reconnaissance drone known in English as Autoscout, in figure form for the first time. D-02 follows in late March 2027 at ¥25,300, shifting to the animated colour scheme, sculpting in mechanical detail the original rendered as flat stickers and swapping the cassette for Condor in Cybertron mode, better known here as Laserbeak. The animation version being ¥5,500 cheaper runs against the usual pattern in this line, so the choice is not simply toy deco at a premium.

Missing Link release checklist

Product number	Character	Version	Japanese release date	Original toy basis
C-01	Convoy	Toy deco, with trailer	24 February 2024	1984 Convoy / Optimus Prime
C-02	Convoy	Animation Edition, cab only	24 February 2024	1984 Convoy / Optimus Prime
C-01S	Sentinel Prime	Transformers Expo 2024 exclusive	13 September 2024	C-01 mould redeco
C-03	Bumble (Bumblebee)	Standard	30 November 2024	1984 Bumblebee minibot
C-04	Cliff (Cliffjumper)	Standard	30 November 2024	1984 Cliffjumper minibot
C-05	Sunstreaker	Standard	28 June 2025	1985 Sunstreaker
C-06	Cordon	Standard	28 June 2025	1982 Diaclone Countach LP500S Patrol Car Type
C-07	Arcee	Prototype version	27 September 2025	Unreleased 1986 Arcee prototype
C-08	Arcee	Standard	27 September 2025	Unreleased 1986 Arcee prototype
C-09	Bumble and Cliff	Cybertron Hero Set, Animation Type	27 December 2025	C-03 and C-04 redeco
C-01N	Nemesis Prime	With Giza	28 February 2026	C-01 mould redeco
C-10	Ultra Magnus	With Deerstalker	28 March 2026	1986 Ultra Magnus
C-11	Delta Magnus	With Cybertron Powerdrive	27 June 2026	C-10-based retool, Diaclone Powered Convoy colours
C-12	Grimlock	Standard	25 July 2026	1985 Grimlock
C-13	Grimlock	Animation Type	Late August 2026	C-12-based animation retool
C-14	Ironhide	Standard	Late November 2026	1984 Ironhide
C-15	Ratchet	Standard	Late December 2026	1984 Ratchet
D-01	Soundwave	Toy deco, with Autoscout	Late February 2027	1985 Japanese Soundwave
D-02	Soundwave	Animation Type, with Cybertronian Laserbeak	Late March 2027	1985 Soundwave, animation-inspired version

Which Missing Link figure should you buy first?

The right first purchase depends on what drew you to the line rather than on what happens to be in stock.

• Cheapest way in. C-03 Bumble or C-04 Cliff at around ¥5,940. They also show the added articulation most clearly, since the originals had almost none.
• Fullest expression of the line. C-01 Convoy, with toy deco, trailer, Roller and the complete accessory set, on the mould most other releases build from.
• Historical curiosity. C-06 Cordon or C-07 Arcee (Prototype). Neither exists as a vintage Transformers toy, which is precisely the reason to want one.
• Centrepiece. C-10 Ultra Magnus, if the shelf can take a 262 mm figure and the budget can take the price.
• Animation-led display. The C-09 Cybertron Hero Set for something small, or C-13 Grimlock (Animation Type) for something larger.

Are Transformers Missing Link figures worth it?

Missing Link makes most sense when the vintage appearance is the reason you are interested. The proportions are right, the die-cast weight is right and the packaging is designed to feel like the period. A shelf of these reads as a shelf of vintage toys, which no Masterpiece or Generations figure will do.

Bought for articulation alone the case is weaker. A modern Generations figure of the same character will pose at least as well for a fraction of the price. What you pay for here is articulation inside a vintage shell, which is a much narrower thing.

Price is the main obstacle. UK retail follows size rather than a single band: the minibots sit lowest, the deluxe cars and both Arcees in the middle, Convoy-class and van-class releases higher, Grimlock can exceed £120 and the two Magnus releases cost substantially more than anything else in the line. Exchange rates and import costs move, so treat any figure you have seen quoted as indicative and check the current listing. Set expectations on size too. Sunstreaker is around 12.5 cm and the minibots smaller, with only Ultra Magnus and Delta Magnus genuinely large. These are expensive objects relative to their physical size and to how much work the transformation asks of you.

The question that decides it most often is whether you already own the original or a reissue. If you do, and the frustration is that it cannot hold a pose, Missing Link is the specific solution to that problem. If you own nothing and simply want a good Optimus Prime, a current Generations release will cost less, and Masterpiece is a separate premium option built around animation accuracy.

Scale and compatibility

Missing Link follows the size of each original toy rather than imposing a single line-wide scale. Sunstreaker is deluxe-sized at around 12.5 cm because the 1985 toy was, and Ultra Magnus is 262 mm because the 1986 toy was large. The line therefore inherits the same inconsistent internal scale the vintage toys had.

For display that works in its favour. Because each figure follows its own original, it stands alongside vintage G1 toys at a believable size, and mixed shelves look right in a way that is rare among modern lines.

Physical compatibility with vintage toys is a different question, and not one to assume. Accessories are newly designed for the new figures, hand and peg tolerances are not guaranteed to match forty-year-old parts and Takara Tomy does not document cross-line compatibility. Within Missing Link some compatibility is designed in and stated: the Ultra Magnus and Delta Magnus carrier holds other releases in vehicle mode, while C-01N and C-14 have ports for a separately sold display stand. Treat anything beyond what the product description states as unverified.

Packaging, stickers and accessories

Presentation is a substantial part of what you are paying for. Boxes use newly commissioned artwork in the style of the period, with the line's package illustration handled by original G1 box artists Shin Ueda and Hidetsugu Yoshioka, and instructions are in Japanese. Each release includes at least one collection card carrying the box artwork, plus a red "secret film" that decodes the spec chart printed on the packaging.

Most figures also carry a heat-sensitive "secret emblem" that appears when warmed with a finger, the modern take on the vintage rubsign. A user-applied sticker sheet is generally supplied alongside detail that has been painted or sculpted in rather than left to decals, and redecos get fully recoloured sheets. Weapons vary by character, and most larger releases include a small non-transforming human figure, a nod to the Diaclone pilots the moulds descend from.

Where a release has both a standard and an animation version, the differences are consistent in kind: new head sculpts, revised paint and sometimes different materials, dropping toy-era finishes where relevant. C-02 has no trailer where C-01 does, C-09 swaps black window parts for clear blue, C-13 drops the chrome and clear parts C-12 has. Contents are not identical across the line, so read the set contents on each listing.

Are Missing Link figures limited?

Missing Link is not sold as a limited edition line, with one exception. C-01S Sentinel Prime was an event exclusive tied to the 40th Anniversary Transformers Expo 2024, and event exclusives are genuinely constrained.

Everything else is a standard Japanese collector release, which behaves differently from a limited edition but not quite like open stock either. Production runs are set against preorder demand, preorder windows are short and Western retailers receive a finite allocation, so popular releases do sell out at retail. Reissues happen too. C-01 Convoy shipped in February 2024, returned as a December 2024 re-release and was announced for a further run with Japanese preorders opening in July 2025.

Aftermarket prices move for ordinary reasons: whether a release is currently in production, how much of the allocation reached Western retailers, exchange rates and shipping costs. None of that is an investment case. Buy a figure because you want to own it.

Upcoming Transformers Missing Link releases

Correct as of 5 August 2026. This section is updated as Takara Tomy announces new products.

Confirmed and dated:

• C-13 Grimlock (Animation Type), due late August 2026 at ¥18,700. Fully revealed with official images.
• C-14 Ironhide, due late November 2026 at ¥16,500. Fully revealed at Shizuoka Hobby Show 2026, with Japanese preorders opening in May 2026.
• C-15 Ratchet, due late December 2026 at ¥16,500. Revealed at Shizuoka Hobby Show 2026, with official stock images following in June 2026.
• D-01 Soundwave, due late February 2027 at ¥30,800. Fully revealed on 4 August 2026 with official images and a product page, in toy colours with Scout Robo (Autoscout).
• D-02 Soundwave (Animation Type), due late March 2027 at ¥25,300. Revealed alongside D-01, in animated colours with Condor in Cybertron mode.

Display prototypes and teasers: none currently outstanding. Ironhide and Ratchet were both shown as display pieces at Shizuoka Hobby Show 2026 and have since progressed to full reveals, and the Decepticon teased in the C-15 reveal has now been identified as Soundwave.

Unconfirmed rumours: characters or numbers beyond the announced Soundwave pair remain speculation, so they are deliberately kept out of the checklist above.

Where to buy Transformers Missing Link in the UK

Missing Link is a Japanese domestic line, so how you buy it matters as much as what you buy. Worth checking against any retailer:

• VAT and import costs. Confirm whether the price you see is the price you pay. A cheaper headline figure from outside the UK can arrive with VAT plus a handling fee on the doorstep.
• Where the order ships from. UK-held stock avoids customs entirely. Direct-from-Japan orders may not.
• Expected release date. Takara Tomy's published date is the reference point, though schedules do move and international stock normally lands weeks later. A preorder should tell you the window it is working to.
• Packaging standards. Ask how boxed items are packed for transit if the outer box matters to you.
• Preorder terms. Check what is taken up front, when the balance is due and what happens if a release slips.
• Communication. Japanese release schedules move. A retailer that tells you when that happens is worth more than one that is marginally cheaper.

Zero Variant is a London-based online hobby shop specialising in Japanese collectibles, mecha and premium imports, shipping from the UK and worldwide. Our Transformers Missing Link collection shows what is currently held as UK stock and what is available to preorder. The wider Transformers range covers Masterpiece, MPG, New Legends and Hasbro's own lines alongside it. UK delivery is free.

Availability checked: 5 August 2026. At the time of writing the range includes C-05 Sunstreaker, C-06 Cordon, the C-09 Bumblebee and Cliffjumper Animation Version set plus C-01N Nemesis Prime as UK stock, with C-15 Ratchet available to preorder with a deposit. Availability changes, so check the product page for current price and estimated arrival. Our shipping and returns page covers delivery and how orders are packed.

Frequently asked questions

What is Transformers Missing Link? A Takara Tomy collector line that recreates original 1980s Transformers toys as new figures with modern articulation and finish. The designs, proportions and transformations follow the vintage toys. The engineering that makes them move is new.

Is Missing Link the same as a G1 reissue? No. A reissue reproduces the original mould, stiffness included. Missing Link designs a new mould matching the original's size, structure and transformation while adding joints it never had, and costs considerably more as a result.

Are Missing Link figures the same size as the originals? Broadly yes. Each release follows the size of the toy it is based on rather than a line-wide scale, so Sunstreaker is around 12.5 cm while Ultra Magnus is 262 mm in robot mode.

Is Missing Link better than Masterpiece? They work from different source designs. Masterpiece recreates the animated appearance with complex engineering, while Missing Link recreates the original toy with modern joints. Pick the look you want on your shelf.

Do Missing Link figures transform? Yes, all of them, and most follow their original toy's sequence. C-07 and C-08 Arcee are the exception in one direction, built from a prototype that never transformed, so their conversion is new work. C-14 Ironhide and C-15 Ratchet are the exception in the other, adding an articulated robot mode alongside a Respect Mode recreating the 1984 configuration.

Are Missing Link figures officially licensed? Yes. They are produced by Takara Tomy, the Japanese rights holder for Transformers alongside Hasbro, and are distributed internationally through official channels.

Are stickers included? Generally yes. Most releases supply a user-applied sticker sheet alongside painted and sculpted detail, plus a heat-sensitive secret emblem on the figure. Contents vary by release, so check the set contents on the listing.

Are Missing Link figures limited editions? Mostly no. C-01S Sentinel Prime was a genuine event exclusive, but the numbered mainline releases are standard Japanese collector products. They can sell out at retail because production is set against preorder demand, though popular releases have been reissued.

Which Missing Link figure should I buy first? C-03 Bumble or C-04 Cliff if you want the cheapest way to understand the line, or C-01 Convoy for its fullest expression. Choose an animation edition instead if you prefer cartoon colours to toy-accurate ones.

Will Takara Tomy make more Missing Link figures? Yes. The line has run continuously since February 2024, and D-01 and D-02 Soundwave extend its announced schedule through March 2027. Anything after those two releases remains unconfirmed.

Why does the line use C- and D-numbers? The prefixes echo the original Japanese Cybertron and Destron faction names. Identify a figure by number and name together, since redecos such as C-01N and C-01S share a number stem with C-01, while Soundwave starts the D-number sequence.

Are Missing Link figures suitable for children? No. Hasbro grades the line 15-plus, and Zero Variant sells these figures only to customers aged 18 and over. They contain small parts and die-cast metal.

Sources and update policy

Japanese prices, release windows and set contents come from Takara Tomy's official Transformers product pages, including C-01 Convoy, C-10 Ultra Magnus, C-11 Delta Magnus, C-12 Grimlock, C-15 Ratchet, D-01 Soundwave and D-02 Soundwave (Animation Type). Those pages give the release month, so exact days come from the matching Takara Tomy Mall listings. Hasbro's listings are used where an English-language description is clearer. UK prices and availability come from the live Zero Variant listings above.

Where Takara Tomy publishes only a release window, this guide uses the window rather than converting it into a specific day. The checklist covers announced products only, and the updated date changes whenever numbering, dates, prices or availability are materially revised.

Where to go next

Missing Link resolves a compromise G1 collectors have lived with for forty years. You no longer have to choose between a toy that looks the way you remember and a toy that can hold a pose. It also does something a reissue programme cannot, producing figures for designs the original line never released: Cordon, Arcee, and the Japanese domestic Ironhide and Ratchet that never came.

It is not the right line for everyone, and it is not cheap for what it is. If you want animation accuracy or maximum engineering per pound, other options serve better. But if the shape of the 1984 toys is the thing that keeps you collecting, nothing else currently in production gets closer.

You can see what is currently in stock or available to preorder in our Transformers Missing Link collection.