We've got Hall of Fame voting going on up there

[Almighty Unicron]

Hm, question. Do you guys think a character from a Japanese-Only series is eligible (or should be eligible) for being in the Hall? I mean, none of my favorite characters are Japanese-only, but surely if we're voting in characters like Barricade because Bayformers is underrepresented, then shouldn't we be voting in, I dunno, Cancer, because that era of TF is underrepresented too?

[BWprowl]

Hm, question. Do you guys think a character from a Japanese-Only series is eligible (or should be eligible) for being in the Hall? I mean, none of my favorite characters are Japanese-only, but surely if we're voting in characters like Barricade because Bayformers is underrepresented, then shouldn't we be voting in, I dunno, Cancer, because that era of TF is underrepresented too?

I actually considered adding Ginrai to my list this year, but decided against it. Maybe next year, both he and Star Saber are definitely good choices, I think.

Admittedly, Ginrai is no longer Japanese-exclusive as of this year's BotCon, but still.

Anyway, my votes:

1. Barricade (Movies)
I've put Barricade on my list every year pretty much for all the reasons people have already mentioned, but here's some more: We are now entering into what could be considered the second 'era' of the live-action films. I have already seen firsthand people who are feeling 'nostalgia' for the previous movies, especially the first one. There will be fans in the future of the fandom who look back and remember these films, and Barricade is an important, defining, memorable part of that line. I would even go so far as to dare to say that "evil police car guy" could be the next generation's "tape deck guy".

2. Optimus Primal
For reasons already stated, and he's been on my lists in the past as well. Optimus Primal could arguably be considered THE most important character in the original, G1-based continuity line. To the point that even after he died a terrific death in BM, they still brought him back to be the 'Leader' and central character of Universe just to hawk more toys. You can create different iterations and idiomatic interpretations of Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, and even guys like Cheetor and Blackarachnia, but I would say Primal is distinctly defined by his character and role in his one continuity, moreso than a lot of other TFs.

3. Sky-Byte
Because fuck Wheeljack.

4. Devastator
Like others, this is one everyone else has covered well before. Devastator's an iconic, important element of TF personified. I'd say that, like Hot Rod, it's kind of astounding he hasn't been entered already.

5. Arcee
She may not be the first or even the best female TF character, but Arcee's the most defining of that element, and should be recognized for it. She's defined by her gender to the point that a character being named Arcee will communicate "is female" and little else about that particular incarnation, but that singular element has persisted throughout dozens of generations and new continuities, ensuring that if series like Energon, Animated, and TFPrime didn't have a ton of female TFs in their ranks, they would at least have an Arcee.

Swerve is a relevant character in a TF book that is gaining mainstream acceptance. "More than Meets the Eye" is helping TF grow as a property in a very competitive comic market.

I agree that MTMTE more than any other series in recent years has been very important with growing the fandom, not just in size and readership, but in diversity, but I'm not sure that Swerve is the best character to be considered iconic or emblematic of it. Rodimus or Chromedome would both be better choices, but if you ask me, Rung would probably be best, all things considered. Still, as JT pointed out, MTMTE is still young enough that it's hard to say if its yet-undeniable impact will be a lasting iconography or a flash of hype that fades eventually. So I'd give it a few years.

Knockout: Has the character been used after "Prime"? And, given the "glitch at the factory" comment, does anybody want this character back on Hasbro's radar?

Jesus Christ, really? Hasbro reps inadvertently blunder into a slur regarding the character, and that means we should just shift our glance to the side and not talk about them anymore? Fuck that noise, it means we should being them up MORE to indicate to Hasbro that we take the character and what they mean for the franchise seriously, and maybe they should actually think about these things. Excluding characters and groups they may represent on the basis that they're uncomfortable to talk about is one of the most ludicrous things I've ever heard. Plus, Knock Out was one of the few things I actually enjoyed about what of TFPrime I watched, so go him.

[JediTricks]

So, thanks to BWP and Anderson voting, we have a well-defined list... except for 5th place, which currently is in a tie. Like the last few years, we may get a few lurkers to vote, but right now it's so last-minute that I can't count on them making that difference. The good thing is that the tie has a different number of votes, so I could use that as a tiebreaker. But given the way our list is laying out right now, I think the wiser course would be to include more diversity in choices. I'll wait a little longer before saying more, and consider a tiebreaker vote.

If you want to do a blind statement on a tiebreaker which I may or may not use, tell me which you like more: 6 or 8.

Huh. And here I really liked Unicron in TFP. Most interesting use of the guy in years.

We spend time with his golems and his antibodies, but when it finally comes to dealing with him, it's pretty anticlimactic. I just don't think it made a huge impact, it didn't feel like a central danger to the Prime story, more like an afterthought.

Hm, question. Do you guys think a character from a Japanese-Only series is eligible (or should be eligible) for being in the Hall? I mean, none of my favorite characters are Japanese-only, but surely if we're voting in characters like Barricade because Bayformers is underrepresented, then shouldn't we be voting in, I dunno, Cancer, because that era of TF is underrepresented too?

The only reason I could think of why a character there wouldn't be eligible is that this is Hasbro's TF hall of fame rather than Takara's, but honestly, they've paid homage to Takara already in this HOF with designers so I would think it's reasonable. That said, I would start campaigning now for next year's because there won't be a lot of folks backing that vote this year with just 1 day to go. But as BWP said, Ginrai and Star Saber are well-known enough to get that level of push, I think.

[JediTricks]

Here are our final results:

1. Optimus Primal
2. Devastator
3. Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime
4. Barricade
5. Arcee (G1)

Arcee was in a tie with Cheetor, I made the executive decision to go with Arcee because she would be the first female inductee and has been talked about a lot by the fans lately. Had Blackarachnia done one more vote, she likely would have been there instead, it was a tie between Arcee and Cheetor, the next one down was BA close behind.

[Mako Crab]

As much as I want Blackarachnia in the HoF, recent voting on TFW has shown me that she would come in dead last. If any fembot is going to win this year, it's going to be Arcee.

Glad to see Primal and Barricade made it. I was rooting for them. Devastator and Hot Rod make sense too. I think we have a good selection this year. Some G1, some movie, some BW- and. . . why did you put the (G1) next to Arcee?? Hasbro auto-inducts all incarnations of the same character anyway. So G1, BW, Energon, TFA, RotF, and TFP Arcee should all be counted under the name, right?

[JediTricks]

As much as I want Blackarachnia in the HoF, recent voting on TFW has shown me that she would come in dead last. If any fembot is going to win this year, it's going to be Arcee.

Glad to see Primal and Barricade made it. I was rooting for them. Devastator and Hot Rod make sense too. I think we have a good selection this year. Some G1, some movie, some BW- and. . . why did you put the (G1) next to Arcee?? Hasbro auto-inducts all incarnations of the same character anyway. So G1, BW, Energon, TFA, RotF, and TFP Arcee should all be counted under the name, right?

I know they do, but I don't want them confusing her with the Prime incarnation which is a wildly different character. When I sent in the list, I actually added sources for all the characters since Tankor (BM) would not be a pleasant mistake with Tankor (G1 Octane).

[andersonh1]

Had Blackarachnia done one more vote, she likely would have been there instead, it was a tie between Arcee and Cheetor, the next one down was BA close behind.

I guess Arcee has had more versions and more screen time than BA, but BA is a much more interesting character. I'll have to remember to put her on the list again next year.

[Mako Crab]

I guess Arcee has had more versions and more screen time than BA, but BA is a much more interesting character. I'll have to remember to put her on the list again next year.

Totally agreed. She has way more depth and is just a far more interesting character. I like TFP Arcee a whole lot, but she doesn't have nearly as much going on.

[BWprowl]

I know they do, but I don't want them confusing her with the Prime incarnation which is a wildly different character.

You could say the same about, say, G1 Starscream and Armada Starscream, but I'm pretty sure Hasbro lumped them together with all the other Starscreams whenever they auto-inducted him, that's just the way they treat these things.

Not to mention the pages of debate you could get by questioning if IDW Arcee is included under the heading you get with G1 Arcee.

I was just voting for general, idiomatic 'Arcee' when I put her on my list, at any rate.

[Mako Crab]

Same here. But I know Hasbro will count TFP Arcee when they put her on the poll, so I wasn't gonna make a deal out of it. Besides, she's not *that* wildly different from G1 Arcee. Look at how they portrayed her in the convention comic after she lost Daniel: all brooding & pessimistic & stuff. I know the convention comics only sorta count, but y'know- it set a precedent.