Kawamori

Birth place: Toyama Prefecture, Japan

Kawamori got his start in toy design working with Takara on the Diaclone line—stuff that would later become Transformers. He designed some of the most iconic robots that made the jump: Battle Convoy (who'd become Optimus Prime), the Datsun Fairlady Z Robo (the basis for Prowl, Bluestreak, and Smokescreen), and the Nissan Cherry Vanette Robo (which turned into Ironhide and Ratchet). It's the kind of early work that doesn't always get remembered, but it basically helped shape the entire franchise.

Years later, in 2006, he circled back to those roots by designing the Hybrid Style Convoy and Masterpiece Starscream toys—a nice full-circle moment for someone who'd been there from the beginning.