AoE Evolution | Energized Grimlock

12.06.2019 – Every kid who saw the classic Transformers cartoon had their favorities. Most of those kids who would grow up to collect the ‘modern’ Transformers toys would still pursue the same character they’ve been want in their collection. Personally, as you mature most of the choices now are to get the ones from childhood. Rarely I’d diverse from that focus as in comparison a decade or so and I’ll be always a Transformers Fan despite some interest has change. While at the Toy Kingdom Toy Warehouse Sale’s preview day I came across this 2-pack set. Normally I’d pass it up but if you’re a fan of any of the Dinobots chances are you’ll pick Grimlock!

Grimlock is the ‘Dinobot Commander’ of the subgroup Dinobots first appearing on Transformers episode 8’s S.O.S Dinobots as voiced by Greg Berger in the US series. In the comicbooks the Dinobot Leader first appeared on Marvel published Transformers #27, which I never got the chance to read it. Probably I will have the chance to get a hold of the graphic novel compilation in the future.

The character is one of the fan favorites in the series making appearance in the original run series and in 1986’s Transformers: the Movie with some rare scene stealing scenes. Up to what is called season 3 post-TF Movie appearance Grimlock was still a favorite. There have been many incarnation of the toys some of these did not have cartoon appearance that they appear in comicbooks by Dreamwave and presently with IDW Publishing.

I did not own an original vintage Grimlock as a child and I would probably be one of those kids deprived growing up without a dinobot in their collection. But life circumstances has it way and I’m practically fine having a G1 Metroplex and Galvatron growing up instead that I had the chance to get them back through TAKARA reissues in the mid-2000s. Grimlock sadly, was not reissued neither Hasbro or Takara Tomy as the original molds of the toys where lost, where most Dinobots you see on auction sites like eBay have most of them either knock off or fake.



Energon Grimlock

In the early 2000s Transformers slow revival with Unicron Trilogy series Armada, Energon, and Cybertron brought interest in some characters produced in the series. Energon Grimlock together with Swoop was released as the Mega Class 2-Pack that can form into one Voyager Class size robot dubbed “Mega Dinobot.”

This character never appeared in the Unicron Trilogy series, but was part of the Energon series of assortment. It was a store exclusive in the US and never was sold on Philippine retail. In the secondary market this figures command high value for being the first dinobots to be produced in its modern incarnation.



The Energon Grimlock would be reissued again ten years later as a ‘stand-in’ for G1 Grimlock to be included in the Evolution 2-Pack ‘Then & Now’ theme by Hasbro packed with the Age of Extinction Grimlock based from the Michael Bay-directed film, which as you all know has been on a decline by 2014 during the brand’s thirtieth anniversary that this set was designated 24 of 30 as part of the “Thrilling Thirty” anniversary theme.

Energon Grimlock looks nothing like the vintage version, but with retooling and repaint in to a G1-esuqued color scheme and change to both of the robot’s fists hole to 5mm port retooling to include a repurposed sword from a G1 Razorclaw from the Predacons as its accessories where the original release did not even include a weapon.





Dinobot ‘Stand-in’

This Energon Grimlock figure did not age the way you’d expect it and I’ve wanted to have this character since it was packed with Swoop in the original release. But due to cost at that time and circumstances it was never meant for me to get it although I’ve seen it sold in the secondary market in local conventions I still didn’t get it.

When it became available on retail in 2014 this was a rarity as not all stores carried it and was a store exclusive in Japan. Well, not until the Toy Kingdom Toy Warehouse happened in November 2019 that I saw it. At first I was having second thoughts of getting it since it doesn’t have Energon Swoop and I have no interest in keeping Age of Extinction Grimlock as I’ve been streamlining my personal collection.

The movie toys are left to be desired with the exception with selected Studio Series like Bumblebee. But the rest have been quite the ‘not-so-favorite’ by longtime fans as most who grew up and have been all about Generation One. This Grimlock figure though, still has good poses having ratchet joints on the robot’s knees and hips. The head sculpt design if I’, mistaken is based from the Grimlock from Dreamwave “Transformers: The War Within” mini-series.



Transformation from robot to dinobot takes inspiration from the vintage toy’s design with brand new concept. The dinobot mode still hold nostalgia and Grimlock can still transform into the upper half of ‘Mega Dinobot’ and all you need is Energon Swoop to complete that formation. It would have been great if Hasbro designers did not limit the ‘Power-Links’ gimmick to only combine with Swoop. This was the first time Hasbro designed a modern take on both Grimlock and Swoop without Takara designer’s feedback on their release as only the Dinobot Leader became available first time in Japan due to being packed with the Age of Extinction Grimlock.

Overall despite having limited articulation in comparison to the newer versions of the character Energon Grimlock still holds up for its own nostalgia factor to those kids who grew up watching the Unicron Trilogy. For now, this is my ‘G1 Grimlock’ unless I get to acquire the Power of the Primes version that’s gonna be next impossible. All I can say is I finally own a “G1 Grimlock” figure and that’s good enough for me.