Transformers series

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This page is about the assorted Transformers animated series. For information on the numerous comic book series about these characters, see Transformers (comic).

This page is a partner page to Transformers Universes, listing the various television series that the Transformer toyline has spawned since its creation in 1984. The successive Transformers series focus on two factions of robots fighting out a civil war which spilled over to the planet Earth. On Earth, the robots could transform into local types of vehicles, such as cars, trucks and airplanes. The protagonists of the series were based on Transformer toys.

An important note regarding the Japanese way of doing television: many successful Japanese series last only one season, unlike in the United States. Typically, with shows such as Transformers, a successful series will end after one season and a new series based upon a slightly modified universe will begin in the next season. This is why shows such as Headmasters and Car Robots last one season each.

Contents

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Cartoons

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The Transformers (G1) 1984-1987, U.S. (98 episodes)

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Note: Also known as Fight! Super Robot Life (Seasons 1-2) and Transformers: 2010 (Season 3) in Japan. Although the cartoon series concluded in 1987, the toyline itself lived on until 1990 in the U.S., and 1992 in Japan and Europe.

This series began with a three-episode story, later titled either More than Meets the Eye or Arrival from Cybertron. In this incarnation the planet Cybertron is running low on energy. The Heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, set out in space to search for more energy but are attacked by the Evil Decepticons led by Megatron. Both races crash on Earth and lie in suspended animation for the next four million years. Awakened by a volcanic eruption, the computer on board, Teletraan I, begins repairing Decepticons and Autobots. The Decepticons set out to plunder Earth's energy resources in order to have the energy to conquer Cybertron. The Autobots seek to prevent this and so the battle is renewed on Earth, Cybertron and across space.

After sixty-five episodes across two seasons, the status quo of the series received a major shift with Transformers: The Movie, which then led into seasons three and four (although season four comprised only a three-part miniseries). However, as the movie was not shown in Japan until 1990, a special episode was written and animated to bridge the gap between the 2nd and 3rd seasons, titled Scramble City, detailing the creation of Metroplex. A second Scramble City episode exists which retells the first, but in stop-motion animation, rather than cel.

Leaders come and go as the years pass. In the fourth and final series, comprising a three-part story titled "The Rebirth", Cybertron is revitalized using energy from the Earth's sun. The Autobots and Decepticons have discovered the world of Nebulos and united with rival groups of Nebulans to become Headmasters and Targetmasters. However, this three-parter was not aired in Japan, where it was opted to continue the Transformer series with further full-length seasons (see below).

When the line was relaunched in the 1993 as Generation 2, the 1984-92 era was retroactively branded "Generation One" by fans, a term that was later adopted for official use. It formed the basis for all Transformers series to come.

The comics produced by Marvel between 1984 and 1991, and again from 1993 to 1994, tell a substantially different version of the story. Both versions were equally authorized by Hasbro.

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Transformers: Headmasters, 1987, Japan (35 episodes)

Note: The series was dubbed into English in Hong Kong in the early 1990s and aired on the Malaysian TV channel RTM 1, then later on the satellite network, StarTV. The series received no official release in the west until September 2005, when UK company Metrodome Distribution produced a complete boxset featuring the original Japanese audio, the English dub and also newly commissioned subtitles. There has yet to be a release in the U.S..

In this series (which completely ignored the events of the American 3-part story arc "The Rebirth"), the Transformers, led by Optimus Prime (Convoy), then Rodimus Prime (Rodimus Convoy), and finally Fortress/Cerebros (Fortress Maximus), are joined by a team of Headmasters, small Transformers long ago stranded on a hostile planet (planet Master). There they were forced to create bodies to endure this environment.

This series is more momentous than most:

  • Cybertron is all but destroyed, requiring the Autobots (Cybertrons) to seek out a new planet to live on.
  • Optimus Prime (Convoy) dies (again).
  • The Matrix is recovered, then makes its last appearance when Rodimus Convoy leaves to find a new home for the Cybertronians (Autobots).
  • Scorponok (Mega Zarak) becomes a major player in the Decepticon (Destrons) power struggle
  • Ultra Magnus is murdered by Sixshot.
  • Blaster and Soundwave kill each other in a duel to the death and are rebuilt into new bodies. Blaster is renamed Twincast and Soundwave is renamed Soundblaster.
  • Galvatron is forever trapped under Arctic ice.
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Super God Masterforce, 1988, Japan (43 episodes)

Note: Dubbed and aired in the early 1990s. The characters used in Masterforce were marketed in America under different names and sometimes colour schemes, using the terms "Pretenders" and "Powermasters". The series received no official release in the west until April 2006, when UK company Metrodome Distribution produced a complete DVD boxset featuring the original Japanese audio, English dub and newly commissioned subtitles. There has yet to be a release in the U.S..

Super God (Chôjin) Masterforce, hereafter just Masterforce, continues on some time after the events of "Headmasters." The Cybertrons and Destrons have left Earth after the events of that series, but a group of Cybertron Pretenders (who have been hiding amongst Earth's population since men lived in caves, thanks to the powers of their Pretender shells) guard the planet in secret. They are led by Metalhawk (also known as Hawk in his human disguise). Pretenders can take the form of any organic lifeform; Cybertron Pretenders take human forms, while Destron Pretenders take the forms of beasts and demons.

The disguised Cybertrons don their battle suits by touching a special bracelet (Masterbrace) and giving the verbal command "suit on". The Pretenders then show their true giant robot forms by issuing the verbal command "Pretender". Headmasters is referenced here and a few characters from that series, including Chromedome, make a cameo appearance. However, the true Headmaster stars are what make the series so unusual for a Transformers series: they are not Cybertrons or Destrons, but human children. The children can pilot non-sentient (but possibly alive in the case of Headmaster Juniors and definitely alive in the case of Godmasters) Transformer bodies called "Transtectors" by wearing suits that allow them to transform into the Transtectors' heads and control them, and as such, they are named the Headmaster Juniors. A particularly popular character from this team is schoolgirl Minerva, whose toy was released in the U.S. in blue and yellow colours as Nightbeat.

Later, the concept of Godmasters (known as "Powermasters" in the west) is introduced. The strongest Godmaster is Ginrai, a truck driver who powers a Transtector bearing a striking resemblance to Convoy (and whose toy was released in the U.S. as Powermaster Optimus Prime without the die-cast or clear windows on the cab and without the retracting fists for the combined mode). Ginrai becomes the ultimate Godmaster, combining with his cab and trailer to form Super Ginrai. Later, he combines with Godbomber to form the mighty God Ginrai.

The primary antagonists in this series are the evil energy entity Devil Z, his subordinates Giga and Mega, and their group of Godmasters, Pretenders and Headmaster Juniors.

At the conclusion of the series, after claiming victory, the Transtectors gain sentience and leave the Earth with the Transformers.

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Transformers: Victory, 1989, Japan (44 episodes)

Note: Barring the appearance of the Micromasters, there was no carryover of this story to America. Victory was also dubbed into English for the Asian television network, StarTV, and may have aired in Hawaii.

Taking place in an unspecified amount of time after the events of Masterforce (there is a common misconception that the series takes place in 2025), the transformers return to Earth to join with the humans in defense of the galaxy. Led by Star Saber, the Autobots and earth defense force fight Decepticon leader Deszaras (Deathsaurus) for control of the galaxy's resources.

This storyline included the Brestforce (Breastforce) and Brainmasters.

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Transformers: Zone, 1990, Japan

Note: There was little or no carryover of this story to America, where ActionMaster toys were the toyline of choice.

Using the Mysterious Zone Energy, nine great Decepticon (Destron) generals (The major gestalts, including Devastator and Predaking) are revived under the command of a Decepticon(Destron) leader named Violenjiger. Dai Atlas leads the Cybertrons (The Japanese term for Autobots) in a quest to stop the Destrons. Originally planned to be a complete OVA series, Zone was cancelled after one episode, and the remainder of its story was related in the pages of the Japanese publication, TV Magazine.

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Battlestars: Return of Convoy, 1991, Japan

Note: An entirely original Japanese story with no Western carryover.

When the evil alien entity, Dark Nova, resurrects Galvatron as SuperMegatron, Convoy (Optimus Prime) is reborn as Star Convoy by the Zone Energy. In the course of the storyline, as Star Convoy fights alongside Grandus, Sky Garry, and troops of Micromasters, including the combiner, Sixliner, SuperMegatron is again transformed into UltraMegatron, and then combines with Dark Nova into Star Giant for the final battle. This story was not an animated series, and was told through one chapter of manga to start, then completed in the pages of the Japanese publication, TV Magazine, in text format, accompanied with colour illustrations.

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Operation Combination, 1992, Japan

Note: An entirely original Japanese story with no Western carryover.

Once again told entirely in the pages of TV Magazine, "Operation Combination" is a story that involves the Autobot and Decepticon combiners, Guard City and Battle Gaea (repaints of Defensor and Bruticus respectively), and the Autobot Micromaster combiners, Sixtrain, Sixturbo, Sixbuild and Sixwing. The storyline of these series was related in the pages of TV Magazine, through text and colour images.

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Transformers: Generation Two, 1992-95 U.S.

Note: A line blending a re-release of Generation 1 toys and a collection of entirely new toys with emphasis on gimmicks.

The first G2 toys were simple rehashes of older G1 figures such as Optimus Prime, Starscream, Ramjet, Jazz, Inferno and Sideswipe, redecorated and outfitted with new additional gimmicks like firing missile launchers and detachable electronic sound packs. The first main change of the G2 line came with Megatron - no longer able to be a gun because of new toy laws, he was now a gigantic tank. As G2 went on, other gimmicks such as color-changing figures, light-up parts, pressure-launching missiles and auto-transformations appeared.

There was no new cartoon created for Generation 2, but a selection of episodes of the original G1 series were "enhanced" with computer-generated borders and scene transitions dubbed the "Cybernet Space Cube". Marvel Comics, on the other hand, produced a new 12-issue series to accompany the toyline that saw the Autobots and Decepticons going up against a second generation of Cybertronians, and facing the Swarm, the deadly by-product of their reproduction.

The G2 storyline was carried out in Japan in manga.

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Beast Wars: Transformers, 1996-1999, US/Canada (52 episodes)

Note: Initially released in the west, this series revived the Transformers franchise in Japan as well. The last two seasons of Beast Wars were shown in Japan as Transformers: Beast Wars Metals. The series was named Beasties in Canada, due to Canadian regulations frowning on the use of the word "war" in a show aimed at children. The show was produced by Mainframe Entertainment, out of Vancouver, Canada, who also did ReBoot.

The heroic Maximals, Autobots who land on earth between the time of Optimus Prime's landing on earth, and the Autobot's and Decepticon's revival by Teletran One. The Maximals, fight the evil Predacons, Decepticons who crashed at the same time the Maximals did, on prehistoric Earth. Much like the Transformers that will be revived in the "future", the Maximals and Predicons took on the forms of their surroundings. The Maximals took on the form of Mammals, except in rare cases, the Predecons took the form of predators like dinosaurs and insects. 3D Animated. See Beast Wars entry.

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Beast Wars: Transformers, 1997, Japan (26 episodes)

This was simply the Beast Wars season 1 dubbed into Japanese.

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Beast Wars Second: Super Lifeform Transformers, 1998, Japan (43 episodes)

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Note: After the first season of Beast Wars aired in Japan, it was necessary for two further exclusively Japanese series to be produced, as it would take two more years for Mainframe to produce enough episodes of their Beast Wars series to air in Japan as a season. Beast Wars Second was the first of those two series, and was released in Japan while the second season of Beast Wars aired in the U.S and Canada.

The Cybertrons (led by Lio Convoy) and Destrons (led by Galvatron), who originate from the same future time as the Western Beast Wars characters, square off on a planet called Gaia (implied to be Earth in the far future) for control of the mysterious Angolmois Energy. The series spawned a theatrical movie comprising three "acts" - bookending the original story that formed the second act were a recap of the first Canadian season of Beast Wars, and the second-season episode, "Bad Spark." The movie saw Optimus Primal (Convoy in Japan) transported to the future world of the series and team up with Lio Convoy.

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Beast Wars Neo: Super Lifeform Transformers, 1999, Japan (35 episodes)

Note: Aired in Japan while the third season of Beast Wars was airing in the U.S.

At the conclusion of Beast Wars Second, the Angolmois Energy is sealed in capsules and scattered across the universe. Beast Wars Neo continues this storyline, as the new Maximal leader, Big Convoy, leads his team in search of the capsules, to reclaim them before Magmatron and the Predacons do. Along the way, both sides meet opposition from a third faction called the Blendtrons, who want the Angolmois Energy for their own purposes - it is revealed that the energy is the life-force of Unicron, and the Blendtrons seek his rebirth.

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Beast Wars Metals: Super Lifeform Transformers, 1999, Japan (26 episodes)

This was the Japanese dub of the second and third seasons of the Western Beast Wars series.

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Beast Machines: Transformers, 1999-2001 US/Canada (26 episodes)

Note: Shown in Japan in 2004-2005 as Transformers: Beast Wars Returns.

Continuing on from the end of the Beast Wars series, Beast Machines sees the Maximals return to a Cybertron ruled entirely by Megatron and his massive army of Vehicon drones. Granted new techno-organic forms by the legendary Oracle, the Maximals are now on the run as they attempt to restore an organic balance to Cybertron.

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Transformers: Car Robots, 2000, Japan (39 episodes)

Note: Released in the west as Transformers: Robots in Disguise on September 8 2001.

An entirely new universe unconnected to other continuities, Car Robots or Robots in Disguise sees Megatron (Gigatron in Japan) and his Predacons launch a campaign against Earth, resulting in the emergence of Optimus Prime (Fire Convoy) and his Autobots, operating undercover on Earth in the forms of everyday vehicles. The series returns Transformers to its vehicular roots after the Beast series, and features classic Transformer concepts like gestalts and Headmaster technology. When imported to the U.S., a large number of references to past Transformers series were inserted into the show.

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Transformers: Armada, 2002-2003, U.S./Japan (52 episodes)

Note: Released in Japan as Transformers: Micron Legend (2003-2004).

Transformers Armada was the first co-production of a series between Hasbro and Takara to create a line for simultaneous release in both countries. The show was written and animated in Japan, though it was created with global sensibilities rather than the more anime-specific tendencies that one would expect in a show of such origins. However, a result of an unreasonable schedule set by Cartoon Network, the series was rushed out of production, resulting in an American version that often contain unfinished, mistake-riddled animation and a transliterated script that frequently disagreed with the action onscreen and got character names wrong. The Japanese version, meanwhile, was released slightly later, and hence contained all the completed animation.

Armada begins a new universe of continutiy for Transformers, taking major elements of Generation 1, and remolding them into a new image, such as the appearance and purpose of Unicron and the purpose and look of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. The series focuses on Mini-Cons (Microns in the Japanese version), a new faction of small Transformers with special powers, added to this series as the larger Transformers pursue them to Earth and begin their quest to find them. If the Decepticons could get the most Mini-Cons, they would up their power and be unstoppable. If the Autobots could find them all, they could prevent the Decepticons from using the Mini-cons as tools of war and liberating them. The Mini-cons later played a large part in the defeat of Unicron.

A companion comic/manga was included with the Japanese DVD releases of the series titled Linkage. This comic told the side story of a group of Mini-cons whose adventures happened in the background of the events of the TV series. A better understanding of the Mini-cons is contained in this comic and has been translated into English.

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Transformers: Energon, 2004, Japan/U.S. (52 episodes)

Note: Released in Japan as Transformers: Super Link (2004), released in U.S. as Transformers: Energon (2004-2005). As with Armada, Energon too was a co-production, but in this case, more of the production was left to the Japanese.

Set roughly 10 years after the events of Micron Legend/Armada, Super Link/Energon focuses on the quest for the energy-rich mineral, Energon (hence the U.S. title), and the toyline's new gimmick, that of combination, a power possessed by the Autobots that allowed pairs to fuse together to create one new, powerful robot, in a process called Powerlinking (previously introduced in Armada as the act of combination), or in Japanese, "Superlinking," (hence the Japanese title). This series includes characters designed and/or named as homages to the G1 universe, such as Laserwave/Shockblast, Megazarak/Scorponok, Rodimus, Wheeljack/Downshift and Command Jaguar/Ravage.

Peace has existed between the Cybertrons/Autobots and Destrons/Decepticons since the death of Megatron and disappearance of Unicron. However, a creature named Alpha Quintesson (See Quintesson) has designs to reactivate Unicron, though his reasons were pure. In the process, Megatron was revived and intended to use Unicron to take over the Universe.

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Transformers: Galaxy Force, 2005, Japan/U.S.(52 episodes)

Note: Released in USA as Transformers Cybertron (2005 - 2006).

A new stage of the Transformers saga opens across the galaxy. A black hole which appears at the end of an intense battle now threatens to destroy the universe. Now, the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime (Galaxy Convoy in Galaxy Force), are in a race against the Decepticons, led by Megatron (Master Megatron in Galaxy Force), to find the Cyber Planet Keys (Planet Forces in Galaxy Force), mysterious ancient powers that can be used to either save the galaxy or to conquer it. On their journeys, the Transformers interact with the inhabitants of various planets, one being Earth.

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External links

es:Transformers ja:トランスフォーマー pt:Transformers sr:Трансформерс zh:变形金刚

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