Anyone ever notice that quite a few of the new characters introduced in the 86 movie, all have a very samurai look about them.
Wreck gar, scourge, cyclonus, galvatron all have a very samurai helmet look, Some even have a goatee like oni mask face.

 

My thing in the 86 movie is that the corpses in the Quintesson jail are made up of kitbashed mobile suits. It's awesome.

 

Well, Transformers technically originated from Japan.

 

Well By the definition of the word “technically“...... “Technically” you are incorrect as the brand we know as “transformers” was created by Hasbro and Marvel comics, neither of which are from Japan

also, while it’s true the “toys” that were the bases of the first 2 years of the series were from Japan, the characters that were mentioned in the first post Wreck gar, scourge, cyclonus and galvatron , were not originally Japanese designs at all

 

Technically it didn't. The toys came from Japan, but the characters and story were conceived in America. Floro Dery, who designed the 86 movie characters from scratch, also wasn't Japanese or took much inspiration from Japanese robots or culture.

In fact I don't see how any of the 86 movie characters resemble samurai at all. Also Wreck Gar and Scourge don't have goatees, nor do their faces resemble oni masks. Scourge is rather clearly designed to evoke a vampire in the vein of classic Dracula, complete with hooded helmet design, high collar and cape-like wings, and his original posture even evoked classic a vampire hunch. Wreck Gar likewise has no Japanese influence that I can see, especially his helmet which is just the front of the motorcycle.

 

The toys were from Japan, but the lore, characters and everything else was made here in America.

 

I could be mistaken but they appear to have goatee. At least scourge and wreckgar appear to. They all have a helmet style very akin to samurai especially galv.

 

Actually I do believe some people refer to that type of facial hair as a goatee these days

I remembrance when they ere called fu Manchu but I think that’s considered a no no these days

 

I thought a goatee had to be short or at least connect the beard and mustache? What Wreck Gar and Scourge have are more like Van Dykes.

Also Galvatron and Cyclonus' helmets really don't resemble a kabuto (the helmet not the bug) that much at all. Galvatron's is rather plainly meant to resemble a crown (most obvious in his earlier designs and toy) whilst Cyclonus just has a helmet like almost any other TF. The edges don't flare out as much and he lacks any sort of ornamentation on the front. His "ears" don't really resemble or match the style, and if Dery is to be believed Cyclonus is meant to look more like a demon.

 

I think the term van Dyke has pretty much fallen out of use with people today

I’m not saying these people are accurate to call him what we’re seeing a goatee......but I think they use the term these days to describe any short chin beard that doesn’t connect to the ear/sideburn area

 

Well Some would call it a fu Manchu as that was a stereotypical facial hair style for Asian men but that would not be the right way to put it so I chose goatee as it’s defined by no hair on cheeks and hair on chin and van dyke was typically shorter

 

I can see what you are talking about with the Samurai look, especially with galvatron. Scourge always reminded me more of a Viking than anything else though.

 

I can see that also I think the topknot looking part of his head just gives me a shogun samurai vibe for scourge

 

Demon? Then why does he remind me more of

Perhaps because when people hear "Van Dyke" they think:

 

I always thought that Wreck Gar and his group were meant to evoke the Huns. His long mustaches and beard just reminds me of Genghis Khan for some reason.