Last Knight Dragonstorm

Robot Mode: Let’s start with the fact that this robot here was never seen in the Last Knight movie (more on that below). He is mostly black with red and golden highlights and – unsurprisingly, given that he is an oversized 1-step Changer – is mostly an immobile brick. The arms can move, but that’s pretty much it. Detailing looks pretty good, though, but the proportions are a bit strange (massive chest, tiny head, relatively short arms) and the dragon wings are very low on his back. All that’s due to the 1-step transformation, of course.

Dragonstorm carries the tail of his dragon mode as a sword and his arm articulation is just good enough to support some sword fighting poses. The figure is stuffed with electronics, though most of them are for the dragon mode. Dragonstorm does utter sentencens in robot mode, too, but to be honest I’ve already forgotten what they are. Bottom line, the robot mode certainly isn’t the focus of this figure. Probably the best it can be given the limitations.

Beast Mode: Dragonstorm transforms (in one step, naturally) into a three-headed dragon. The G1 transformation sound rings out when you do and the resulting beast looks pretty spiffy. But while the robot had at least some arm articulation, the dragon is basically a statue. You can move the wings a bit and that’s it. No, not quite. Pushing the button on the large handle grip on his back causes his central dragon head to bend forward and open it’s jaws. It roars, too, and unveils UV lights that can, apparently, light up the faction insignia on the smaller 1-step changers.

And that’s basically it, I fear. A large, nicely detailed dragon, but you can’t really do much with it except have it stand there and look fearsome.

Remarks: The Last Knight movie featured, surprise, a couple of Cybertronian Knights, who apparently fought alongside the knights of King Arthur. Don’t question it, just roll with it! These robotic knights (however many there were, the numbers varied) could combine into a giant robotic dragon called Dragonstorm. Dragonstorm could not only breathe fire, he also enjoyed crushing both humans and Decepticons underneath his bulk by messing up his landings and rolling across the ground. And, naturally, Optimus Prime rode him during the final battle. Not that it made any sense, but it sure looked cool.

Now the Last Knight toyline does include a combining Dragonstorm, though he just combines out of two robots, not eight or twelve or however many. It also, though, features this guy here, the Mega 1-Step Turbo Changer Dragonstorm, who is most definitely not a combiner, doesn’t really look like the dragon (briefly) seen in the movie, and is certainly meant for a younger audience. Though I question the wisdom of having a simplified toy for small kids in this price range. I have to say, though, that the packaging is really nice, especially the hole “burned” into it by Dragonstorm’s fire breath.

Anyway, I got this boy from Hasbro Germany after partaking in the Optimus Prime transformation challenge and have since passed him on to my honorary nephews James and Joss in Kansas. Hope they have fun with him. Bottom line: a nice toy for small kids who can convince their parents to spend quite a bit of money on a large toy that they’ll probably lose interest in pretty quickly.

Rating: C-