Released in 2007 as part of the Movie merchandising blitz, Robot Heroes are Hasbro's adaptation of their cute figurine toylines to Transformers. Along the same theme as “Galactic Heroes” (Star Wars) and “Combat Heroes” (G.I. Joe), Robot Heroes are two-inch PVC figurines of popular Transformers characters from past and present, rendered in deformed, adorable proportions. They generally only feature articulation in the shoulders and neck, where the rubbery parts are pegged together.
Robot Heroes were typically sold in two-packs, with one heroic and one evil character of appropriate factions. Some multi-packs and battle scenes were released later on, occasionally including jumbo-sized figures or super-deformed vehicles exclusive to those sets. Long after the mainstream releases, single figures cropped up in non-US Hasbro markets in blind-packed polybag packaging, including a small bio card.
The initial releases coinciding with the first movie were primarily Generation One characters, with Movie characters in the latter waves. In 2008 the packaging was modified to mimic that of Universe 2, and the characters diversified to include Beast Wars, Beast Machines, and more Generation One characters. Characters from Robots in Disguise were planned, but cancelled. Two sets from this period only saw release in non-US Hasbro markets, but Robot Heroes wasn't done yet. It resumed in 2009 concurrent with Revenge of the Fallen. This series exclusively used ROTF and Movie characters, and featured several large battle scene sets.
Despite popularity among kids and adult fans, the series did not continue after the figures tied to the ROTF film.