TRANSFORMERS 40TH ANNIVERSARY - POP Retro Toys N° 178 - Optimus Prime

Discover Optimus Prime, the iconic leader of the Autobots, with this Funko POP! Retro Toys No. 178 figurine. This edition celebrates the 40th anniversary of *The Transformers: The Movie*, the animated feature film released in 1986. Funko has recreated the character’s classic design in the signature style of the POP! range, resulting in a vinyl figure approximately 14 cm tall.

This figure retains the elements immediately associated with Optimus Prime and his Generation 1 appearance, with his imposing robotic silhouette and classic Autobot visual identity. This release is part of the same anniversary series as Grimlock, Mirage, Prowl and Wheeljack, with Funko officially presenting this wave as a celebration of the 1986 film’s four decades.

Made from PVC/vinyl, the figure is number 178 in the POP! Retro Toys collection. It comes packaged in the traditional Funko display box, allowing it to be displayed whilst keeping its packaging intact. 

Technical specifications

• Manufacturer: Funko

• Range / Collection: POP! Retro Toys

• Model number: 178

• Licence: Transformers

• Character: Optimus Prime

• Faction: Autobots

• Version: 40th Anniversary – The Transformers: The Movie

• Form depicted: robot mode

• Material: PVC / vinyl

• Product type: Funko POP! collectable figurine

• BEMS category: POP! Bobble Head

• Height: approx. 14 cm / 5.5 inches

• EAN: 0889698933506

• Supplier / Funko reference: 93350

• Packaging dimensions: 11.5 × 9 × 16 cm

• Packaging: cardboard box with transparent window

Character origin and backstory (Lore)

Optimus Prime is the leader of the Autobots, the Transformers who oppose the Decepticons led by Megatron. He is generally portrayed as a courageous commander committed to protecting the lives and freedom of sentient beings. In several stories within the franchise, his former identity is Orion Pax, who becomes Optimus Prime when he receives the Matrix of Leadership and takes command of the Autobots.

Like the other Transformers, Optimus can transform from his robot form into a vehicle form. His classic appearance is that of a lorry, a transformation that Hasbro has also retained in its action figures, which are directly inspired by the 1986 film. His combination of power, military prowess and leadership makes him one of the principal defenders of Cybertron and Earth against the Decepticons.

In *The Transformers: The Movie*, Optimus Prime continues to lead the Autobots as their war against Megatron rages on Earth. The film also introduces the threat of Unicron, a gigantic sentient planet capable of devouring worlds, whilst the Matrix of Leadership becomes the only hope of stopping this new threat.

One of the film’s most memorable moments occurs during the Battle of Autobot City, when Optimus faces Megatron in a decisive duel. Seriously wounded during the fight, he subsequently succumbs to his injuries – a scene that has become one of the most famous and much-discussed moments in the entire history of Transformers. Hasbro has, in fact, placed this event at the heart of the official celebrations for the film’s 40th anniversary in 2026.

This POP! Retro Toys No. 178 thus pays tribute to the classic incarnation of Optimus Prime and his central role in the 1986 film, by including him in a collection specially designed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of *The Transformers: The Movie*.