In 1984, Hasbro and Takara Tomy released a toy line that included robots that could transform into vehicles. They were Japanese toys rebranded for the Western market, based on the Diaclone and Microman toy lines. The toy line was named Transformers and it would soon enough become a pillar of modern pop culture, with a series of animated shows, comic books, video games and – subsequently – live-action movies that created one of the most important franchises in the world. It’s no wonder people are wondering how to watch Transformers movies in order and in this article we are bringing you the complete list, including the whole animated series.
The Transformers have been around for more than 35 years and the stories, as well as the characters have changed during that time; sometimes, even drastically. This is why people often have trouble following the different continuities and storylines.
In light of these facts, we have decided to write up a complete watchlist for you so that you know your way around the franchise. We are going to include all the animated series, animated films and live-action films and present them in chronological order when they came out. Along with that, we’re going to give you a suggested watching order for each “generation”, in which the franchise is usually divided.
So, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about watching the Transformers order and enjoy!
Live-action Transformers movies in chronological order
We will first bring you in short the chronological order of all live-action Transformers movies:
- Bumblebee (2018)
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2022)
- Transformers (2007)
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
- Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
- Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Now, if you want to see in detail, how all Transformers movies and TV shows are sorted chronologically, including animated and live-action, check out our comprehensive guide below.
Transformers Movies in Order
Generation 1 (1984 – 1993)
The original broadcast of The Transformers TV series started in 1984, when the pilot miniseries aired on TV. This is considered to be the official start of Generation 1, the first major “generation” of the franchise. This “generation” produced several TV shows and the cult classic animated feature film that thoroughly shook the franchise from bottom to top. Alongside the main series, an OVA was also released. Generation 1 ended in 1993, when the Generation 2 toy line started hitting stores.
Here is a guide on how to watch the Generation 1 material:
Season 1 (1984)
Note: The episodes are ordered by their production (chronological) dates, and not by their broadcast dates, since they were aired out of order. Also, the 3-episode mini-series, which aired separately, is listed as being part of season 1.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “More Than Meets The Eye, Part 1” | September 17, 1984 |
| 2 | “More Than Meets The Eye, Part 2” | September 18, 1984 |
| 3 | “More Than Meets The Eye, Part 3” | September 19, 1984 |
| 4 | “Transport to Oblivion” | October 6, 1984 |
| 5 | “Roll For It” | October 13, 1984 |
| 6 | “Divide and Conquer” | October 20, 1984 |
| 7 | “Fire in the Sky” | December 8, 1984 |
| 8 | “S.O.S. Dinobots” | October 27, 1984 |
| 9 | “Fire on the Mountain” | December 22, 1984 |
| 10 | “War of the Dinobots” | November 24, 1984 |
| 11 | “The Ultimate Doom, Part 1: Brainwash” | November 3, 1984 |
| 12 | “The Ultimate Doom, Part 2: Search” | November 10, 1984 |
| 13 | “The Ultimate Doom, Part 3: Revival” | November 17, 1984 |
| 14 | “Countdown to Extinction” | December 1, 1984 |
| 15 | “A Plague of Insecticons” | December 29, 1984 |
| 16 | “Heavy Metal War” | December 15, 1984 |
Season 2 (1985-1986)
Note: The episodes are ordered by their production (chronological) dates, and not by their broadcast dates, since they were aired out of order.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Autobot Spike” | September 23, 1985 |
| 2 | “Changing Gears” | October 1, 1985 |
| 3 | “City of Steel” | October 17, 1985 |
| 4 | “Attack of the Autobots” | October 4, 1985 |
| 5 | “Traitor” | September 27, 1985 |
| 6 | “The Immobilizer” | September 24, 1985 |
| 7 | “The Autobot Run” | October 31, 1985 |
| 8 | “Atlantis, Arise!” | October 3, 1985 |
| 9 | “Day of the Machines” | October 10, 1985 |
| 10 | “Enter the Nightbird” | September 30, 1985 |
| 11 | “A Prime Problem” | October 2, 1985 |
| 12 | “The Core” | October 29, 1985 |
| 13 | “The Insecticon Syndrome” | October 9, 1985 |
| 14 | “Dinobot Island, Part 1” | September 25, 1985 |
| 15 | “Dinobot Island, Part 2” | September 26, 1985 |
| 16 | “The Master Builders” | October 8, 1985 |
| 17 | “Auto Berserk” | October 16, 1985 |
| 18 | “Microbots” | October 7, 1985 |
| 19 | “Megatron’s Master Plan, Part 1” | October 14, 1985 |
| 20 | “Megatron’s Master Plan, Part 2” | October 15, 1985 |
| 21 | “Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1” | October 21, 1985 |
| 22 | “Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2” | October 22, 1985 |
| 23 | “Blaster Blues” | October 23, 1985 |
| 24 | “A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur’s Court” | October 24, 1985 |
| 25 | “The Golden Lagoon” | November 4, 1985 |
| 26 | “The God Gambit” | October 28, 1985 |
| 27 | “Make Tracks” | October 30, 1985 |
| 28 | “Child’s Play” | November 7, 1985 |
| 29 | “Quest for Survival” | November 5, 1985 |
| 30 | “The Secret of Omega Supreme” | November 6, 1985 |
| 31 | “The Gambler” | November 11, 1985 |
| 32 | “Kremzeek!” | December 27, 1985 |
| 33 | “Sea Change” | November 20, 1985 |
| 34 | “Triple Takeover” | November 19, 1985 |
| 35 | “Prime Target” | November 14, 1985 |
| 36 | “Auto-Bop” | November 13, 1985 |
| 37 | “The Search for Alpha Trion” | November 12, 1985 |
| 38 | “The Girl Who Loved Powerglide” | November 18, 1985 |
| 39 | “Hoist Goes Hollywood” | November 21, 1985 |
| 40 | “The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1” | November 25, 1985 |
| 41 | “The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2” | November 26, 1985 |
| 42 | “Aerial Assault” | December 10, 1985 |
| 43 | “War Dawn” | November 25, 1985 |
| 44 | “Trans-Europe Express” | December 23, 1985 |
| 45 | “Cosmic Rust” | December 26, 1985 |
| 46 | “Starscream’s Brigade” | January 7, 1986 |
| 47 | “The Revenge of Bruticus” | January 8, 1986 |
| 48 | “Masquerade” | December 16, 1985 |
| 49 | “B.O.T.” | January 9, 1985 |
Scramble City (1986)
| 1 | Fight! Super Robot Life-Form Transformers: Scramble City Activation | April 1986 |
Scramble City is a direct-to-video OVA produced exclusively for the Japanese market in April 1986, which was meant to promote the new “combiner” figures who had been introduced at the end of season 2, and a few other figures from the 1986 product line (like Ultra Magnus, Metroplex and Trypticon) who had not yet appeared in the American cartoon; they did appear in the 1986 movie, but this toy line was not meant to be an introduction of these characters before the movie itself.
Set soon after the end of the second season, the episode focuses on the Autobots’ efforts to construct a new mobile fortress, the titular “Scramble City”, or Autobot City. When the Decepticons learn of this, their combiner robots are deployed to attack, and a battle between them and their Autobot counterparts ensues, focusing on their “Scramble Power” – the interchangeability of the individual limbs – to the extent that at one point, Breakdown of the Stunticons connects to Superion to damage him. At the episode’s conclusion, Scramble City is activated and assumes its robot mode of Metroplex to rout the Decepticons. However, from the ocean depths, the Decepticons’ own city, Trypticon, rises.
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
| 1 | Transformers: The Movie | August 8, 1986 |
The epic Transformers movie that came out in 1986 was an important moment for the G1 series. The movie was a bridge between seasons two and three, but was much darker and less kid-friendly than the main animated series. It featured an ensemble voice cast (including the likes of Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy and Eric Idle) and it was sort of a send-off for a lot of the characters featured in seasons 1 and 2 of the animated series (including the likes of Optimus Prime and Megatron). It also introduced a lot of new characters to the franchise, who would become the protagonists of the subsequent seasons.
The story takes place in 2005, twenty years after the events of the TV series’ second season and serves as a bridge to the third season. Decepticon villains are more menacing, killing Ironhide, Ratchet, Prowl, Brawn, Windcharger and Wheeljack without hesitation. Optimus Prime dies following a battle with Megatron.
Later, Megatron is reformed into Galvatron by Unicron, while Skywarp, Thundercracker, Shrapnel, Kickback and Bombshell are reformed as Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps. Starscream is destroyed by Galvatron. Blaster gets four cassettes of his own like Soundwave known as Ramhorn, Steeljaw, Eject and Rewind; however, Soundwave gets a new cassette called Ratbat. At the end of the film, Hot Rod becomes Rodimus Prime and uses the Matrix of leadership to destroy Unicron. He then becomes the new leader of the Autobots.
Season 3 (1986-1987)
Note: The episodes are ordered by their production (chronological) dates, and not by their broadcast dates, since they were aired out of order.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1” | September 15, 1986 |
| 2 | “Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2” | September 16, 1986 |
| 3 | “Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3” | September 17, 1986 |
| 4 | “Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4” | September 18, 1986 |
| 5 | “Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5” | September 19, 1986 |
| 6 | “The Killing Jar” | September 29, 1986 |
| 7 | “Chaos” | September 30, 1986 |
| 8 | “Dark Awakening” | October 1, 1986 |
| 9 | “Forever is a Long Time Coming” | October 8, 1986 |
| 10 | “Starscream’s Ghost” | October 2, 1986 |
| 11 | “Thief in the Night” | October 6, 1986 |
| 12 | “Surprise Party” | October 9, 1986 |
| 13 | “Madman’s Paradise” | October 13, 1986 |
| 14 | “Nightmare Planet” | October 31, 1986 |
| 15 | “Ghost in the Machine” | October 21, 1986 |
| 16 | “Webworld” | October 20, 1986 |
| 17 | “Carnage in C-Minor” | October 14, 1986 |
| 18 | “The Quintesson Journal” | November 11, 1986 |
| 19 | “The Ultimate Weapon” | November 10, 1986 |
| 20 | “The Big Broadcast of 2006” | November 12, 1986 |
| 21 | “Fight or Flee” | October 15, 1986 |
| 22 | “The Dweller in the Depths” | October 30, 1986 |
| 23 | “Only Human” | November 13, 1986 |
| 24 | “Money is Everything” | November 17, 1986 |
| 25 | “Grimlock’s New Brain” | November 14, 1986 |
| 26 | “Call of the Primitives” | November 18, 1986 |
| 27 | “The Face of the Nijika” | November 20, 1986 |
| 28 | “The Burden Hardest to Bear” | November 19, 1986 |
| 29 | “The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1” | February 24, 1987 |
| 30 | “The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2” | February 25, 1987 |
Season 4 (1987)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Rebirth, Part 1” | November 9, 1987 |
| 2 | “The Rebirth, Part 2” | November 10, 1987 |
| 3 | “The Rebirth, Part 3” | November 11, 1987 |
Japanese Transformers (1987-1990)
Initially, Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, imported the American Transformers animated series from 1985 to 1986. When the series came to an end with the three-part miniseries “The Rebirth” in 1987, however, Takara decided to continue the series themselves, declining to import “The Rebirth“ and instead created a full-length 35-episode spin-off series, Transformers: The Headmasters (two additional clips episodes were produced after the fact for direct-to-video release). Two additional series – Super-God Masterforce and Victory – were also produced, with the Japanese series concluding with the Zone OVA in 1990.
The Headmasters (1987-1988)
Supplanting The Rebirth’s position in Japanese continuity, The Headmasters occurred one year after “The Return of Optimus Prime” (the two-episode mini-arc from season three), introducing the title characters to the Transformers universe in a different way. Whereas in western fiction, the Headmasters result from the merging of a Transformer with an organic alien being from the planet Nebulos, the Headmasters of the Japanese series are a group of small Cybertronians who departed the planet millions of years ago and crash-landed on the inhospitable planet Master. To survive its harsh climate, a select few Cybertronians constructed larger bodies called “Transtectors”, to which they connected as the heads.
Here is the watching order:
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Four Warriors Come Out of the Sky” “Sora Kara Kita Shiri no Senshi” (空から来た四人の戦士) | July 3, 1987 |
| 2 | “The Mystery of Planet Master” “Masutā Sei no Nazo” (マスター星の謎) | July 10, 1987 |
| 3 | “Birth of the Dream Double Prime” “Yume no Daburu Konboi Tanjō” (夢のダブルコンボイ誕生) | July 17, 1987 |
| 4 | “The Great Cassette Operation” “Kasetto Dai Sakusen” (カセット大作戦) | July 24, 1987 |
| 5 | “Rebellion on Planet Beast” “Bīsuto Sei no Hanran” (ビースト星の反乱) | July 31, 1987 |
| 6 | “Approach of the Demon Meteorite” “Akuma no Inseki Sekkin” (悪魔の隕石接近) | August 7, 1987 |
| 7 | “The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery” “Shi-Hyaku-Man-Nen Nazo no Bēru” (四百万年・謎のベール) | August 28, 1987 |
| 8 | “Terror! The Six Shadows” “Kyōfu! Muttsu no Kage” (恐怖！六つの影) | September 4, 1987 |
| 9-10 | “Planet Cybertron Is in Grave Danger” “Seibātoron Sei Kiki Ippatsu” (セイバートロン星危機一髪) | September 4, 1987 |
| 11 | “The Shadow Emperor Lord Zarak” “Kage no Taitei Sukoruponokku” (影の大帝ロード・ザラック) | September 18, 1987 |
| 12 | “The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts” “Nazo no Kyūkazan Daifunka” (謎の休火山大噴火) | September 25, 1987 |
| 13 | “Head On!! Fortress Maximus” “Heddo On!! Fōtoresu Makishimasu” (ヘッドオン！！フォートレスマキシマス) | October 2, 1987 |
| 14-15 | “Explosion on Mars!!” “Kasei Bakuha!!” (火星爆破！！) | October 9, 1987 |
| 16 | “Return of the Immortal Emperor” “Kaette Kita Fujimi no Teiō” (帰って来た不死身の帝王) | October 20, 1987 |
| 17 | “Planet Sandra SOS” “Wakusei Sandora Esu Ō Esu” (惑星サンドラＳＯＳ) | October 27, 1987 |
| 18 | “Daniel’s Biggest Pinch Ever!!” “Danieru Shijō Saidai no Pinchi!!” (ダニエル史上最大のピンチ！！) | December 4, 1987 |
| 19 | “Fight to the Death on Planet Bee Hive!!” “Hachi no Su Sei wo Shishu se yo!!” (蜂の巣惑星を死守せよ！！) | December 11, 1987 |
| 20 | “Battle for Defense of the False Planet” “Misekake Boshi no Kōbōsen” (見せかけ星の攻防戦) | December 18, 1987 |
| 21 | “Find Scorponok’s Weak Spot!!” “MegaZarakku no Jakuten wo Abake!!” (スコルポノックの弱点をあばけ！！) | December 18, 1987 |
| 22 | “Head Formation of Friendship” “Yūjō no Heddo Fōmēshon” (友情のヘッドフォーメーション) | December 18, 1987 |
| 23 | “Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship” “Uchū Kaizoku Sen no Nazo” (宇宙海賊船の謎) | December 25, 1987 |
| 24 | “Ultra Magnus Dies!!” “Urutora Magunasu Shisu!!” (ウルトラマグナス死す！！) | January 22, 1988 |
| 25 | “The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg” “Hyōzan ni Kieta Hakai Taitei” (氷山に消えた破壊大帝) | January 29, 1988 |
| 26 | “I Risk My Life for Earth” “Chikyū ni Kakeru Kono Inochi” (地球に賭けるこの命) | February 5, 1988 |
| 27-28 | “Miracle Warriors Targetmasters” “Kiseki no Senshi Tāgettomasutā” (奇跡の戦士ターゲットマスター) | February 12, 1988 |
| 29 | “The Master Sword is in Danger!!” “Ayaushi Masutā Sōdo!!” (危うしマスターソード！！) | February 26, 1988 |
| 30 | “Zarak Shield Warfare” “Zarakku Shīrudo Kōbōsen” (ザラックシールド攻防戦) | March 4, 1988 |
| 31 | “Decepticons Annihilation Strategy” “Desutoron Zenmetsu Sakusen” (デストロン全滅作戦) | March 11, 1988 |
| 32 | “My Friend Sixshot!” “Waga Tomo Shikkusushotto!” (わが友シックスショット！) | March 18, 1988 |
| 33 | “Asteroid Duel” “Asuteroido no Kettō” (アステロイドの決闘) | March 25, 1988 |
| 34-35 | “The Final Showdown on Earth” “Saigo no Chikyū Dai Sakusen” (最後の地球大決戦) | March 25, 1988 |
Super-God Masterforce (1988-1989)
With the conclusion of the U.S. Transformers cartoon series in 1987, Japan produced their first exclusive anime series, Transformers: The Headmasters, which carried out the story concepts begun in The Transformers: The Movie. With the completion of that series, the Decepticons had finally been forced off Earth, and the stage was set for the beginning of Super-God Masterforce.
Although nominally occurring in the same continuity as the previous Transformers series, there was a very obvious effort on head writer Masumi Kaneda’s part to make Masterforce a “fresh start” as a mecha story, introducing an entirely new cast of characters from scratch, rather than using any of the previous ones. To this end, although the toys are mostly the same in both Japan and the West (barring some different color schemes), the characters which they represent are vastly different—most prominently, Powermaster Optimus Prime’s counterpart is Ginrai, a human trucker who combines with a Transtector (a non-sentient Transformer body, a concept lifted from Headmasters) to become a Transformer himself, the same applies to the other Powermasters’ counterparts; the Godmasters. This has led to some continuity errors and quirts, but Super-God Masterforce was generally a success in the Japanese market. Now, let us see the watching order for this series:
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Rise Up!! Pretenders” “Tate!! Puritendā” (立て！！ プリテンダー) | April 12, 1988 |
| 2 | “Fearsome! The Destrons’ Manhunt” “Kyōfu! Desutoron no ningen kari” (恐怖！ デストロンの人間狩り) | April 19, 1988 |
| 3 | “Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet” “Ūkai!? Nerawareta Janbo Jetto” (誘拐！？ 狙われたジャンボジェット) | April 26, 1988 |
| 4 | “Birth! Headmaster Jr.” “Tanjō! Heddomasutā Junia” (誕生！ヘッドマスターJr.) | May 3, 1988 |
| 5 | “Rampage!! Little Devils with no Need for Rules” “Daiabare!! Rūru Muyō no Chīsana Akuma” (大暴れ！！ ルール無用の小さな悪魔) | May 10, 1988 |
| 6 | “Go Goshooter: Showdown in the Wasteland” “Ike Gōshūtā: Kōya no Taiketsu” (行けゴーシューター・荒野の対決) | May 17, 1988 |
| 7 | “Panic! Protect the Wild Animals!!” “Panikku! Yasei Dōbutsu wo Mamore!!” (パニック！ 野生動物を守れ！！) | May 24, 1988 |
| 8 | “The Super Warriors: The Godmaster Brothers” “Chō Senshi: Goddomasutā Kyōdai” (超戦士・ゴッドマスター兄弟) | May 31, 1988 |
| 9 | “A Fierce Battle! The Cybertrons are in Trouble” “Gekisen!! Saibatoron Ayaushi” (激戦！！ サイバトロン危うし) | June 7, 1988 |
| 10 | “A Hero is Chosen – His Name is Ginrai” “Erabareta Hīrō – Sono Na wa Jinrai” (選ばれたヒーロー・その名はジンライ) | June 14, 1988 |
| 11 | “Ginrai: God On of Rage!!” “Jinrai: Ikari no Goddo On!!” (ジンライ・怒りのゴッドオン！！) | June 21, 1988 |
| 12 | “A Strange Friendship: Cancer and Minerva” “Kimyōna Yūjō: Kyansā to Mineruba” (奇妙な友情 キャンサーとミネルバ) | June 28, 1988 |
| 13 | “Friend or Foe!? The True Form of the Monster!!” “Teki ka Mikata ka!? Monsutā no Shōtai!!” (敵か味方か！？ モンスターの正体！！) | July 12, 1988 |
| 14 | “Eliminate the Godmaster Ginrai” “Goddomasutā Jinrai wo Massatsu se yo” (ゴッドマスタージンライを抹殺せよ) | July 19, 1988 |
| 15 | “Heroic!! Birth of Super Ginrai” “Sōzetsu!! Sūpā Jinrai Tanjō” (壮絶！！ スーパージンライ誕生) | August 2, 1988 |
| 16 | “Lightfoot: A Dramatic Encounter” “Raitofutto: Gekiteki Naru Deai” (ライトフット 劇的なる出逢い) | August 9, 1988 |
| 17 | “An Enemy? Ranger the Third Godmaster” “Teki? Daisan no Goddomasutā Reinjā” (敵？第三のゴッドマスターレインジャー) | August 16, 1988 |
| 18 | “A Powerful Foe!! Sixknight the Wanderer” “Kyōteki!! Sasurai no Shikkusunaito” (強敵！！ さすらいのシックスナイト) | August 23, 1988 |
| 19 | “At Full Strength! The Four Godmaster Gunmen” “Seizoroi! Goddomasutā Yonjūshi” (勢揃い！ ゴッドマスター四銃士) | August 30, 1988 |
| 20 | “The Cybertron Warrior: Sixknight?!” “Saibatoron Senshi: Shikkusunaito?!” (サイバトロン戦士 シックスナイト？！) | September 13, 1988 |
| 21 | “Save the Little girl! Chojin Warrior Godmasters” “Shōjo wo Sukue! Chōjin Senshi Goddomasutā” (少女を救え！ 超神戦士ゴッドマスター) | September 20, 1988 |
| 22 | “Life? Death? Lightfoot’s Desprate Situation” “Nama ka? Shi ka? Zettai Zetsumei Raitofutto” (生か？死か？ 絶体絶命ライトフット) | September 27, 1988 |
| 23 | “Expose the Destrons’ Dark Trap!” “Desutoron no Kuroi Wana Oabake!” (デストロンの黒い罠をあばけ！) | October 4, 1988 |
| 24 | “Super Ginrai Gets Blown Away in the Desert!?” “Sūpā Jinrai Sabaku ni Chiru!?” (スーパージンライ砂漠に散る！？) | October 11, 1988 |
| 25 | “Will it be Destroyed! The Bomber Project” “Yaburareru ka! Bonbā Keikaku” (破られるか！ ボンバー計画) | October 18, 1988 |
| 26 | “God Ginrai: Into Space!” “Goddo Jinrai: Uchū e!!” (ゴッドジンライ・宇宙へ！！) | October 25, 1988 |
| 27 | “God Ginrai: Showdown on the Moon” “Goddo Jinrai: Getsumen no Taiketsu” (ゴッドジンライ・月面の対決) | November 1, 1988 |
| 28 | “Overlord: Terror of the Super Soul Tornado” “Ōbārōdo: Chō Tamashī Tatsumaki no Kyōfu” (オーバーロード・超魂竜巻の恐怖) | November 8, 1988 |
| 29 | “Escape!! The Exploding Underwater Volcano” “Dasshutsu!! Kaitei Kazan Dai Bakuhatsu” (脱出！！ 海底火山大爆発) | November 15, 1988 |
| 30 | “Destroy Godbomber!!” “Goddobonbā wo Hakai se yo!!” (ゴッドボンバーを破壊せよ！！) | November 22, 1988 |
| 31 | “Appearance!! The Final Godmaster” “Shutsugen!! Saigo no Goddomasutā” (出現！！最後のゴッドマスター) | November 29, 1988 |
| 32 | “Secret Orders! Destroy the Cybertron Base!!” “Himitsu Shirei! Saibatoron Kichi wo Hakai se yo!!” (秘密指令！ サイバトロン基地を破壊せよ！！) | December 6, 1988 |
| 33 | “Pinch! The Cybertron Base Explodes” “Pinchi! Saibatoron Kichi Daibakuhatsu” (ピンチ！ サイバトロン基地大爆発) | December 13, 1988 |
| 34 | “Black Zarak: Destroyer From Space” “Burakku Zarakku: Uchū Kara no Hakaimono” (ブラックザラック・宇宙からの破壊者) | December 20, 1988 |
| 35 | “Crisis! The Day of the Downfall of Humanity” “Kiki! Jinrui Metsubō no Hi” (危機！人類滅亡の日) | January 10, 1989 |
| 36 | “God Ginrai: Save Cancer!?” “Goddo Jinrai: Kyansā wo Sukū!?” (ゴッドジンライ・キャンサーを救う！？) | January 17, 1989 |
| 37 | “God Ginrai: Showdown at the Destron Base” “Goddo Jinrai: Desutoron Kichi no Kessen” (ゴッドジンライ デストロン基地の決戦) | January 24, 1989 |
| 38 | “The Ultimate Combination! New Lifeform Black Zarak” “Kyūkyoku Gattai!! Shin Seimeitai Burakku Zarakku” (究極合体！！ 新生命体ブラックザラック) | January 31, 1989 |
| 39 | “Battle to the Death!! God Ginrai VS Darkwings Reborn” “Shitō!! Goddo Jinrai Bāsasu Shinsei Dākuuingusu” (死闘！！ ゴッドジンライVS新生ダークウイングス) | February 7, 1989 |
| 40 | “Cybertrons! Desprate Attack!!” “Saibatoron! Kesshi no Atakku!!” (サイバトロン！ 決死のアタック！！) | February 14, 1989 |
| 41 | “Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z” “Gokuaku Hidō! Debiru Zetto no Shōtai” (極悪非道！ デビルＺの正体) | February 21, 1989 |
| 42 | “A Battle…And Then” “Tatakai…Soshite” (戦闘…そして) | February 28, 1989 |
| 43 | “Fight! Super Ginrai” “Tatakae! Sūpā Jinrai” (戦え！スーパージンライ) | Unaired |
| 44 | “Bomber Project Announced! Birth of God Ginrai” “Bonbā Keikaku Hatsurei! Goddo Jinrai Tanjō” (ボンバー計画発令！ゴッドジンライ誕生) | Unaired |
| 45 | “The Secret of Godbomber!” “Goddobonbā no Himitsu!” (ゴッドボンバーの秘密！) | Unaired |
| 46 | “Trading Places! Cybertron Warriors!” “Dai Gyakuten! Saibatoron Senshi!” (大逆転！ サイバトロン戦士！) | Unaired |
| 47 | “You Too Use the Masterforce to Transform” “Masutāfōsu de Kimi mo Toransufōmu” (マスターフォースで君もトランスフォーム) | March 7, 1989 |
Victory (1989)
With the Japanese series moving further and further away from the stylistic roots of the American series, Victory represented this divergence at its greatest. The visual style of Victory is derived heavily from the anime of the time, with the transformations of the robots being treated as more monumental, presented through more dynamic and lengthy stock footage. Still frame effects and re-used animation were used wherever possible to compensate for high levels of animation compared to the previous series, possibly due to budget cuts at the time.
Despite his apparent death in The Transformers: The Movie, Wheeljack returned during the death of God Ginrai/Birth of Victory Leo saga, along with Perceptor from the original series, with God Ginrai and Minerva from Transformers: Super-God Masterforce returning too.
Here’s the watching order for the last full G1 series:
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Brave Hero of the Universe – Star Saber” “Uchū no Yūsha – Sutā Seibā” (宇宙の勇者・スターセイバー) | March 14, 1989 |
| 2 | “Surprise Attack! Dinoking” “Kishū! Dainokingu” (奇襲！ダイノキング) | March 28, 1989 |
| 3 | “Attack! Leozack” “Shūgeki! Reozakku” (襲撃！レオザック) | April 4, 1989 |
| 4 | “Unite!! Multiforce” “Gattai!! Maruchisentai” (合体！！マルチ戦隊) | April 11, 1989 |
| 5 | “Move Out! Rescue Team” “Shukkin! Resukyū Butai” (出勤！レスキュー部隊) | April 18, 1989 |
| 6 | “Infiltration…Uranium Mine” “Sennyū…Uran Kōzan” (潜入…ウラン鉱山) | April 25, 1989 |
| 7 | “Explosion!! Energy Base” “Bakuha!! Enerugī Kichi” (爆破！！エネルギー基地) | May 9, 1989 |
| 8 | “Big City – Underground Terror” “Dai Tokai – Chika no Kyōfu” (大都会・地下の恐怖) | May 16, 1989 |
| 9 | “The New Warrior – Hellbat” “Shin Heishi – Herubatto” (新兵士・ヘルバット) | May 30, 1989 |
| 10 | “Attack the Shuttle Base!!” “Shatoru Kichi wo Nerae!!” (シャトル基地を狙え！！) | June 6, 1989 |
| 11 | “Tanker Robbing Operation” “Tankā Gōdatsu Sakusen” (タンカー強奪作戦) | June 13, 1989 |
| 12 | “Rescue Jean!!” “Jan wo Kyūshutsu se yo!!” (ジャンを救出せよ！！) | July 4, 1989 |
| 13 | “Mach and Tackle” “Mahha to Takkuru” (マッハとタックル) | July 18, 1989 |
| 14 | “Fierce Battle!! Asteroid” “Gekisen!! Asuteroido” (激戦！！アステロイド) | July 25, 1989 |
| 15 | “Planet Micro – The Mysterious Warrior” “Maikuro Boshi – Nazo no Senshi” (マイクロ星・謎の戦士) | August 1, 1989 |
| 16 | “Rescue! Gaihawk” “Dakkan! Gaihōku” (奪還！ガイホーク) | August 8, 1989 |
| 17 | “Unite! Liokaiser” “Gattai! Raiokaizā” (合体！ライオカイザー) | August 15, 1989 |
| 18 | “Resurrection!? The Destron Fortress” “Fukkatsu!? Desutoron Yōsai” (復活！？デストロン要塞) | August 29, 1989 |
| 19 | “Battle Up of Anger!!” “Ikari no Batoru Appu!!” (怒りのバトルアップ！！) | Unaired |
| 20 | “Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle” “Shitō!! Nankyoku no Kōbō-sen” (死闘！！南極の攻防戦) | September 5, 1989 |
| 21 | “Crisis! Desert Ambush” “Kiki! Sabaku no Machibuse” (危機！砂漠の待ち伏せ) | September 12, 1989 |
| 22 | “A Deadly Battle Bet” “Shi wo Kaketa Gekitō” (死を賭けた激闘) | September 19, 1989 |
| 23 | “Ginrai Dies!!” “Jinrai Shisu!!” (ジンライ死す！！) | September 26, 1989 |
| 24 | “Fight!! Victory Leo” “Tatakae!! Bikutorī Reo” (戦え！！ビクトリーレオ) | September 26, 1989 |
| 25 | “Awaken! Victory Leo” “Mezameyo! Bikutorī Reo” (めざめよ！ビクトリーレオ) | October 3, 1989 |
| 26 | “Turnaround! Deadly Victory Unity” “Gyakuten! Hissatsu no Bikutorī Gattai” (逆転！必殺のビクトリー合体) | October 17, 1989 |
| 27 | “Jan – Defend the School!!” “Jan – Gakkō wo Mamore!!” (ジャン・学校を守れ！！) | October 31, 1989 |
| 28 | “Mysterious?! The Base Explosion Trap” “Nazo?! Kichi Bakuha no Wana” (謎？！基地爆破の罠) | November 7, 1989 |
| 29 | “The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!” “Shi wo Yobu Uchū Konchū!!” (死を呼ぶ宇宙昆虫！！) | November 14, 1989 |
| 30 | “Terror of the Giant Tsuanami” “Kyodai Tsunami no Kyōfu” (巨大津波の恐怖) | November 28, 1989 |
| 31 | “The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!” “Kyodai Yōsai Ikari no Fukkatsu!” (巨大要塞怒りの復活！) | December 5, 1989 |
| 32 | “Clash! Fortress vs Victory Unity” “Gekitotsu! Yōsai tai Bikutorī Gattai” (激突！要塞vsビクトリー合体) | December 12, 1989 |
Zone (1990)
| 1 | Transformers: Zone | July 21, 1990 |
Transformers: Zone is a Japanese OVA released in 1990 as the ultimate conclusion of the Japanese G1 series. It came out a year after Victory and was intended to be another animated series, but was reduced to a 30-minute OVA due to poor toy sales.
Following on from Victory, the mysterious three-faced insectoid being, Violenjiger, dispatches the nine “Great Decepticon Generals”—Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Trypticon, Predaking, Abominus, King Poseidon, Overlord and BlackZarak—to acquire “Zone Energy”, destroying the planet Feminia to obtain the world’s store and in search of the powerful Zodiac.
Caught in the destruction of the planet, Star Saber is rescued by Dai Atlas, who then repels an attack by the Decepticons on Earth, and is appointed the new Autobot commander at the conclusion of the episode, following a battle with the Decepticons and unlocking the power of the Zodiac that was found on Earth.
Generation 2 (1993 – 1995)
Generation 2 started with a 1993 toy line based on the G1 toys and would soon succeed the famous debut generation. Despite the toys adding a lot of new characters during the evolution of G2, Generation 2 never actually escaped the influence of G1 and was always considered just a weak reinterpretation of its more famous predecessor.
This was mainly visible in the comics and the short-lived animated series, which aired in 1993 and was actually a re-run of the G1 series, featuring (sometimes even abridged) versions of the G1 episodes, with the only additional sequence being a series of primitive CGI sequences used for the Hasbro toy commercials (making it one of the earliest computer-animated series, predating ReBoot) and an advertisement for the Marvel Comics title. This is how you should watch the Generation 2 material (if you actually care to do it):
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “More Than Meets the Eye (Part 1)” | August 20, 1993 |
| 2 | “More Than Meets the Eye (Part 2)” | August 27, 1993 |
| 3 | “More Than Meets the Eye (Part 3)” | September 3, 1993 |
| 4 | “Transport to Oblivion” | September 28, 1993 |
| 5 | “Roll for It” | September 30, 1993 |
| 6 | “S.O.S. Dinobots” | June 11, 1993 |
| 7 | “Fire on the Mountain” | November 28, 1993 |
| 8 | “War of the Dinobots” | September 12, 1993 |
| 9 | “The Ultimate Doom: Brainwash (Part 1)” | November 7, 1993 |
| 10 | “The Ultimate Doom: Search (Part 2)” | November 8, 1993 |
| 11 | “The Ultimate Doom: Revival (Part 3)” | November 9, 1993 |
| 12 | “Countdown to Extinction” | November 29, 1993 |
| 13 | “Heavy Metal War” | June 18, 1993 |
| 14 | “Autobot Spike” | November 1, 1993 |
| 15 | “Dinobot Island (Part 1)” | July 9, 1993 |
| 16 | “Dinobot Island (Part 2)” | July 16, 1993 |
| 17 | “Enter the Nightbird” | October 12, 1993 |
| 18 | “Changing Gears” | October 4, 1993 |
| 19 | “A Prime Problem” | October 14, 1993 |
| 20 | “Atlantis, Arise!” | September 13, 1993 |
| 21 | “Attack of the Autobots” | October 7, 1993 |
| 22 | “Microbots” | October 20, 1993 |
| 23 | “The Master Builder” | July 23, 1993 |
| 24 | “The Insecticon Syndrome” | October 17, 1993 |
| 25 | “Day of the Machines” | October 10, 1993 |
| 26 | “Megatron’s Master Plan (Part 1)” | November 15, 1993 |
| 27 | “Megatron’s Master Plan (Part 2)” | November 16, 1993 |
| 28 | “Auto Berserk” | September 14, 1993 |
| 29 | “City of Steel” | November 22, 1993 |
| 30 | “Desertion of the Dinobots (Part 1)” | November 3, 1993 |
| 31 | “Desertion of the Dinobots (Part 2)” | November 4, 1993 |
| 32 | “Blaster Blues” | October 21, 1993 |
| 33 | “A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur’s Court” | July 30, 1993 |
| 34 | “The Core” | July 2, 1993 |
| 35 | “The Autobot Run” | June 25, 1993 |
| 36 | “The Golden Lagoon” | August 6, 1993 |
| 37 | “The Search for Alpha Trion” | October 28, 1993 |
| 38 | “Prime Target” | August 13, 1993 |
| 39 | “The Girl Who Loved Powerglide” | November 2, 1993 |
| 40 | “Triple Takeover” | September 16, 1993 |
| 41 | “Sea Change” | October 27, 1993 |
| 42 | “Masquerade” | September 21, 1993 |
| 43 | “Trans-Europe Express” | November 21, 1993 |
| 44 | “Cosmic Rust” | November 14, 1993 |
| 45 | “Kremzeek!” | September 15, 1993 |
| 46 | “Starscream’s Brigade” | September 19, 1993 |
| 47 | “The Revenge of Bruticus” | September 20, 1993 |
| 48 | “Aerial Assault” | November 11, 1993 |
| 49 | “B.O.T.” | November 10, 1993 |
| 50 | “Fight or Flee” | September 26, 1993 |
| 51 | “Ghost in the Machine” | September 22, 1993 |
| 52 | “The Ultimate Weapon” | September 23, 1993 |
Beast Era (1996 – 2000)
Generation 2 passed as if it wasn’t even there, so, in 1996, Hasbro decided to completely revamp the whole Transformers line. The changes were radical. Although the basic premise of the good guys (Maximals) fighting the bad guys (Predacons) stayed the same, everything else was changed, with the Transformers now transforming into animals, rather than vehicles, weapons or other objects. Also, the animated series were made using CG, rather than classical animation. This caused a lot of controversies back then, but the Beast Era of the Transformers history is today lauded by a lot of fans. Several animated series were produced, including one movie, along with comic books and video games.
As for the watching order, here’s how you should watch your Beast Era shows:
Beast Wars: Transformers (1996-1999)
This was the first animated series from the Beast Era; an American-Canadian co-production that ran from 1996 to 1999, consisting of a total of three seasons and 52 episodes. The plot is set in the future, years after the original G1 (and G2) stories and features the battle between the Maximals and the Predacons, who are in reality the Autobots and Decepticons, but in animal form. The series was made using CG animation, becoming the first installment in the franchise to do so. Here is how you should watch it:
Season 1 (1996-1997)
Note: The episodes are ordered by their production (chronological) dates, and not by their broadcast dates, since they were aired out of order.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Beast Wars, Part 1” | September 16, 1996 |
| 2 | “Beast Wars, Part 2” | September 17, 1996 |
| 3 | “Chain of Command” | September 24, 1996 |
| 4 | “Equal Measures” | September 23, 1996 |
| 5 | “Fallen Comrades” | September 30, 1996 |
| 6 | “The Web” | September 18, 1996 |
| 7 | “Double Jeopardy” | October 7, 1996 |
| 8 | “Power Surge” | September 25, 1996 |
| 9 | “A Better Mousetrap” | October 8, 1996 |
| 10 | “The Probe” | October 15, 1996 |
| 11 | “Gorilla Warfare” | October 14, 1996 |
| 12 | “Dark Designs” | November 4, 1996 |
| 13 | “Victory” | November 1, 1996 |
| 14 | “Double Dinobot” | November 5, 1996 |
| 15 | “The Spark” | November 11, 1996 |
| 16 | “The Trigger, Part 1” | November 18, 1996 |
| 17 | “The Trigger, Part 2” | November 19, 1996 |
| 18 | “Dark Voyage” | January 27, 1997 |
| 19 | “Possession” | February 3, 1997 |
| 20 | “Spider’s Game” | January 6, 1997 |
| 21 | “Call of the Wild” | January 7, 1997 |
| 22 | “The Low Road” | February 10, 1997 |
| 23 | “Law of the Jungle” | February 17, 1997 |
| 24 | “Before the Storm” | February 21, 1997 |
| 25 | “Other Voices, Part 1” | March 31, 1997 |
| 26 | “Other Voices, Part 2” | April 1, 1997 |
Season 2 (1997-1998)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Aftermath” | October 26, 1997 |
| 2 | “Coming of the Fuzors, Part 1” | November 2, 1997 |
| 3 | “Coming of the Fuzors, Part 2” | November 9, 1997 |
| 4 | “Tangled Web” | November 16, 1997 |
| 5 | “Maximal, No More” | November 23, 1997 |
| 6 | “Other Visits, Part 1” | February 8, 1998 |
| 7 | “Other Visits, Part 2” | February 15, 1998 |
| 8 | “Bad Spark” | February 22, 1998 |
| 9 | “Code of Hero” | March 9, 1998 |
| 10 | “Transmutate” | March 10, 1998 |
| 11 | “The Agenda, Part 1” | March 11, 1998 |
| 12 | “The Agenda, Part 2” | March 12, 1998 |
| 13 | “The Agenda, Part 3” | March 13, 1998 |
Season 3 (1998-1999)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Optimal Situation” | October 25, 1998 |
| 2 | “Deep Metal” | November 1, 1998 |
| 3 | “Changing of the Guard” | November 8, 1998 |
| 4 | “Cutting Edge” | November 15, 1998 |
| 5 | “Feral Scream, Part 1” | January 24, 1999 |
| 6 | “Feral Scream, Part 2” | January 31, 1999 |
| 7 | “Proving Grounds” | February 7, 1999 |
| 8 | “Go With the Flow” | February 18, 1999 |
| 9 | “Crossing the Rubicon” | February 21, 1999 |
| 10 | “Master Blaster” | February 28, 1999 |
| 11 | “Other Victories” | March 5, 1999 |
| 12 | “Nemesis, Part 1” | March 6, 1999 |
| 13 | “Nemesis, Part 2” | March 7, 1999 |
Beast Machines: Transformers (1999-2000)
Beast Machines was a direct sequel to the initial Beast Wars series, with its first season being set soon after season three of the original series. This was likewise an American-Canadian co-production and used the same animation as its predecessor. Like Beast Wars, it was much darker in tone and was aimed at adults, as well as children. Here is the correct watching order for this series:
Season 1 (1999)
Note: The production codes of these episodes are not known, so we’re listing them according to their air date. It is possible that the episodes were not aired in the same order as they were produced.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Reformatting” | September 18, 1999 |
| 2 | “Master of the House” | September 25, 1999 |
| 3 | “Fires of the Past” | October 2, 1999 |
| 4 | “Mercenary Pursuits” | October 9, 1999 |
| 5 | “Forbidden Fruit” | October 16, 1999 |
| 6 | “The Weak Component” | October 23, 1999 |
| 7 | “Revelations, Part I: Discovery” | October 30, 1999 |
| 8 | “Revelations, Part II: Descent” | November 6, 1999 |
| 9 | “Revelations, Part III: Apocalypse!” | November 13, 1999 |
| 10 | “Survivor” | November 27, 1999 |
| 11 | “The Key” | December 4, 1999 |
| 12 | “The Catalyst” | December 11, 1999 |
| 13 | “End of the Line” | December 18, 1999 |
Season 2 (2000) – Battle for the Spark
Note: The production codes of these episodes are not known, so we’re listing them according to their air date. It is possible that the episodes were not aired in the same order as they were produced.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Fallout” | August 5, 2000 |
| 2 | “Savage Noble” | August 19, 2000 |
| 3 | “Prometheus Unbound” | August 26, 2000 |
| 4 | “In Darkest Knight” | September 2, 2000 |
| 5 | “A Wolf In The Fold” | September 9, 2000 |
| 6 | “Home Soil” | September 16, 2000 |
| 7 | “Sparkwar Part I: The Strike” | September 23, 2000 |
| 8 | “Sparkwar Part II: The Search” | September 30, 2000 |
| 9 | “Sparkwar Part III: The Siege” | October 7, 2000 |
| 10 | “Spark of Darkness” | October 28, 2000 |
| 11 | “Endgame Part I: The Downward Spiral” | November 4, 2000 |
| 12 | “Endgame Part II: When Legends Fall” | November 11, 2000 |
| 13 | “Endgame Part III: Seeds of The Future” | November 18, 2000 |
Japanese Beasts Wars (1998-1999)
Like it happened with the original G1 series, the Japanese decided to produce their own take on the Beasts War series. But, unlike the Japanese G1 adaptations, which were mostly similar to the original American series, these series were completely different. They used classical animation (save for the leaders, who were made using CG animation) and the whole series had a much more kid-friendly tone. A total of two seasons were produced, along with one tie-in movie. Here’s how you should watch them (if you ever get the chance, since they have not been released outside Japan and South Korea):
Beast Wars II: Super Life-Form Transformers (I) (1998)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “New Forces Arrive!” “Shin Gundan Tōjō!” (新軍団登場！) | April 1, 1998 |
| 2 | “White Lion, Run!” “Shiroi Raion, Hashiru!” (白いライオン、走る！) | April 8, 1998 |
| 3 | “Bighorn’s Anger” “Bigguhōn no Ikari” (ビッグホーンの怒り) | April 15, 1998 |
| 4 | “The Lake Trap” “Mizūmi no Wana” (湖のワナ) | April 22, 1998 |
| 5 | “Galvatron Resurrected” “Fukkatsu Garubatoron” (復活ガルバトロン) | April 29, 1998 |
| 6 | “Mystery of the Ancient Ruins” “Kodai Iseki no Nazo” (古代遺跡のナゾ) | May 6, 1998 |
| 7 | “The Insect Army Arrives!” “Konchū Gundan Genwaru!” (昆虫軍団現わる！) | May 13, 1998 |
| 8 | “Friend or Foe? Insect Robos” “Teki Mikata? Konchū Robo” (敵・味方？昆虫ロボ) | May 20, 1998 |
| 9 | “The Strongest Tag Team?” “Saikyō Taggu Kessei?” (最強タッグ結成？) | May 27, 1998 |
| 10 | “Autorollers, Move Out!” “Ōtorōrāzu Shutsugeki se yo!” (オートローラーズ出撃せよ！) | June 3, 1998 |
| 11 | “Danger! Scissor Boy” “Ayaushi! Shizā Bōi” (危うし！シザーボーイ) | June 10, 1998 |
| 12 | “Galvatron’s Great Rampage!!” “Garubatoron Dai Bōsō!!” (ガルバトロン大暴走！！) | June 17, 1998 |
| 13 | “Destron General Offensive!” “Desutoron Sō Kōgeki!” (デストロン総攻撃！) | June 24, 1998 |
| 14 | “Combined Giant Tripledacus” “Gattai Kyojin Toripurudakusu” (合体巨人トリプルダクス) | July 1, 1998 |
| 15 | “The Festive Jointrons” “Yōkina Jointoron” (陽気なジョイントロン) | July 8, 1998 |
| 16 | “A Fearsome Combination Plan?” “Osorubeshi Gattai Sakusen?” (恐るべし合体作戦？) | July 15, 1998 |
| 17 | “Who Is the Leader!?” “Rīdā wa Dare da!?” (リーダーは誰だ！？) | July 22, 1998 |
| 18 | “Black Lio Convoy” “Kuroi Raio Konboi” (黒いライオコンボイ) | July 29, 1998 |
| 19 | “Space Pirate Seacons!” “Uchū Kaizoku Shīkonzu!” (宇宙海賊シーコンズ！) | August 5, 1998 |
| 20 | “Who Is the Strongest Warrior!?” “Saikyō Senshi wa Dare da!?” (最強戦士は誰だ！？) | August 12, 1998 |
| 21 | “The Cool Squid Scuba” “Ika Shita Sukūba” (イカしたスクーバ) | August 19, 1998 |
| 22 | “Megastorm’s Reckoning” “Megasutōmu no Keisan” (メガストームの計算) | August 26, 1998 |
| 23 | “Underwater Showdown” “Kaichū no Taiketsu” (海中の対決) | September 2, 1998 |
| 24 | “Face the Setting Sun” “Yūhi ni Mukatte” (夕陽に向かって) | September 9, 1998 |
| 25 | “The Final Battle” “Saigo no Tatakai” (最後の戦い) | September 16, 1998 |
| 26 | “Enter Lio Junior” “Raio Junia Tōjō” (ライオジュニア登場) | September 23, 1998 |
| 27 | “Megastorm Reborn” “Shinsei Megasutōmu” (新生メガストーム) | September 30, 1998 |
| 28 | “New Weapon Tako Tank” “Shin Heiki Tako Tanku” (新兵器タコタンク) | October 7, 1998 |
| 29 | “Artificial Planet Nemesis” “Jinkō Wakusei Nemeshisu” (人工惑星ネメシス) | October 14, 1998 |
| 30 | “Gigastorm’s Treachery” “Gigasutōmu no Uragiri” (ギガストームの裏切り) | October 21, 1998 |
| 31 | “Starscream’s Last Moments” “Sutāsukurīmu no Saigo” (スタースクリームの最期) | October 28, 1998 |
| 32 | “The Lio Convoy Assassination Plot” “Raio Konboi Ansatsu Keikaku” (ライオコンボイ暗殺計画) | November 4, 1998 |
Beast Wars II: Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger! (1998)
| 1 | Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger! | December 19, 1998 |
This was actually a short animated movie that was released by Toei as part of the larger Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers movie, as one of three films within it; the other ones are Clash! Beast Warriors (a clip show that recaps the first season of Beast Wars) and Beast Wars Metals (the Japanese dubbed version of the Beast Wars season 2 episode “Bad Spark”). Based on what we know from the Beast Wars II animated continuity, the movie is set between episodes 32 and 33 of the anime, which is why we have divided our guide like this.
The film revolves around the Maximals, led by Lio Convoy, the Predacons led by Galvatron and a mysterious device that has crashed on Planet Gaia (a future version of Earth), leading to the arrival of Maximal warrior, and the protagonist of the original Beast Wars series, Optimus Primal. Galvatron also uses the device to summon a monster Decepticon called Majin Zarak who threatens to destroy all the Maximals.
Beast Wars II: Super Life-Form Transformers (II) (1998-1999)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | “The Great Angolmois Freezing Operation” “Angorumoa Reitō Dai Sakusen” (アンゴルモア冷凍大作戦) | November 11, 1998 |
| 34 | “Knock Out Nemesis!” “Nemeshisu wo Buttobase!” (ネメシスをぶっ飛ばせ！) | November 18, 1998 |
| 35 | “Lio Junior’s Revolt!” “Raio Junia no Hanran!” (ライオジュニアの反乱！) | November 25, 1998 |
| 36 | “Messenger of the Fourth Planet” “Daiyon Wakusei no Shisha” (第四惑星の使者) | December 2, 1998 |
| 37 | “The Crisis of Planet Gaia” “Wakusei Gaia no Kiki” (惑星ガイアの危機) | December 9, 1998 |
| 38 | “Fly Out! Planet Gaia” “Tobidase! Wakusei Gaia” (飛び出せ！惑星ガイア) | December 16, 1998 |
| 39 | “Assemble! Thirty-Nine Warriors” “Seizoroi! Sanjūkyū Senshi” (勢揃い！三十九戦士) | December 23, 1998 |
| 40 | “Revenge of the Space Pirates” “Uchū Kaizoku no Fukushū” (宇宙海賊の復讐) | January 6, 1999 |
| 41 | “Breaking into Nemesis” “Nemeshisu e no Totsunyū” (ネメシスへの突入) | January 13, 1999 |
| 42 | “Legend! The Green Warrior” “Densetsu! Midori no Senshi” (伝説！緑の戦士) | January 20, 1999 |
| 43 | “Farewell! Lio Convoy” “Saraba! Raio Konboi” (さらば！ライオコンボイ) | January 27, 1999 |
Super Life-Form Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (1999)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Big Convoy, Move Out!” “Biggu Konboi Shutsugeki se yo!” (ビッグコンボイ出撃せよ！？) | February 3, 1999 |
| 2 | “Chase the Mysterious Capsule!” “Nazo no Kapuseru wo Oe!” (謎のカプセルを追え！) | February 10, 1999 |
| 3 | “Burning Heart Under The Ice” “Hyō Tenka no Moeru Kokoro” (氷点下の燃える心) | February 17, 1999 |
| 4 | “Go For It! Stampy” “Ganbare! Sutanpī” (頑張れ！スタンピー) | February 24, 1999 |
| 5 | “Mirage of Sand” “Suna no Shinkirō” (砂のしんきろう) | March 3, 1999 |
| 6 | “Dinosaur Combiner Magmatron” “Kyōryū Gattai Magumatoron” (恐竜合体マグマトロン) | March 10, 1999 |
| 7 | “Duel in the Labyrinth” “Meiro no Naka no Kettō” (迷路の中の決闘) | March 17, 1999 |
| 8 | “Black Hole Crisis” “Burakku Hōru no Kiki” (ブラックホールの危機) | March 24, 1999 |
| 9 | “Sub-Commander Longrack” “Fuku Shirei Rongurakku” (副司令ロングラック) | March 31, 1999 |
| 10 | “Wah! Eaten” “Wā! Taberarechatta” (ワー！食べられちゃった) | April 7, 1999 |
| 11 | “Planet of Time” “Toki no Wakusei” (時の惑星) | April 14, 1999 |
| 12 | “Lonely Hydra” “Hitoribotchi no Haidorā” (一人ぼっちのハイドラー) | April 21, 1999 |
| 13 | “Break is Destron?” “Bureiku wa Desutoron?” (ブレイクはデストロン？) | April 28, 1999 |
| 14 | “Voyage Diary” “Kōkai Nisshi” (航海日誌) | May 5, 1999 |
| 15 | “Mach Kick Volunteering Enlistment!?” “Mahha Kikku Nyūtai Shigan!?” (マッハキック入隊志願！？) | May 12, 1999 |
| 16 | “Star of the Ultimate Weapon” “Saikyō Heiki no Hoshi” (最強兵器の星) | May 19, 1999 |
| 17 | “Troubled DNAVI” “Komatta DĪNABI” (困ったＤＮＡＶＩ) | May 26, 1999 |
| 18 | “Assault! Randy” “Totsugeki! Randī” (突撃！ランディー) | June 2, 1999 |
| 19 | “Physicist Bump” “Butsurigakusha Banpu” (物理学者バンプ) | June 9, 1999 |
| 20 | “Hardhead is Hardhead” “Hādoheddo wa Ishiatama” (ハードヘッドは石頭) | June 16, 1999 |
| 21 | “Deepsea Single Combat!!” “Shinkai no Ikki Uchi!!” (深海の一騎討ち！！) | June 23, 1999 |
| 22 | “Stolen Gung Ho” “Ubawareta Gan Hō” (奪われたガンホー) | June 30, 1999 |
| 23 | “Hotblooded Instructor Survive” “Nekketsu Kyōkan Sabaibu” (熱血教官サバイブ) | July 7, 1999 |
| 24 | “Gather! New Warrior Friends” “Atsumare! Shin Senshi Tachi” (集まれ！新戦士達) | July 14, 1999 |
| 25 | “Beast Warrior of Mystery!?” “Nazo no Bīsuto Senshi!?” (謎のビースト戦士！？) | July 21, 1999 |
| 26 | “Robbed Capsule” “Ubawareta Kapuseru” (奪われたカプセル) | July 28, 1999 |
| 27 | “Chase the Blentrons!” “Burentoron wo Oe!” (ブレントロンを追え！) | August 4, 1999 |
| 28 | “Angered Magmatron” “Ikari no Magumatoron” (怒りのマグマトロン) | August 11, 1999 |
| 29 | “Illusion? Lio Convoy” “Maboroshi? Raio Konboi” (幻？ライオコンボイ) | August 18, 1999 |
| 30 | “Unicron Resurrection!?” “Yunikuron Fukkatsu!?” (ユニクロン復活！？) | August 25, 1999 |
| 31 | “Unicron’s Ambition” “Yunikuron no Yabō” (ユニクロンの野望) | September 1, 1999 |
| 32 | “Fight! Cybertron” “Tatakae! Saibatoron” (戦え！サイバトロン) | September 8, 1999 |
| 33 | “End of Cybertron!?” “Saibatoron no Saigo!?” (サイバトロンの最期！？) | September 15, 1999 |
| 34 | “Last Battle” “Saigo no Tatakai” (最後の戦い) | September 22, 1999 |
| 35 | “Graduation Ceremony!!” “Sotsu Gyōshiki!!” (卒業式！！) | September 29, 1999 |
Robots in Disguise (2000 – 2001)
Robots in Disguise (also: RID) was the fourth generation of the franchise, but it was as (un)successful as Generation 2; it was initially named Transformers: Car Robots, but the name was changed ultimately. This Japanese series was initially envisioned as a stand-alone reboot of the series and despite having similar visuals as the G1 series, it was not meant to be connected to it. Still, later on, this was retconned and Robots in Disguise was made part of the Japanese G1 continuity (see above), while remaining separate from the Western Generation 1 continuity. Here is how you should watch it:
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Battle Protocol!” “First Deployment! Fire Convoy” (初出動! ファイヤーコンボイ) | April 5, 2000 |
| 2 | “An Explosive Situation” “High Speed Battle! Gelshark” (高速バトル! ゲルシャーク) | April 12, 2000 |
| 3 | “”Bullet Train to the Rescue” “Unite! Bullet Train Robo” (合体せよ! 新幹線ロボ) | April 19, 2000 |
| 4 | “Spychangers to the Rescue” “Ninja Robo! Enter the Spychangers” (忍者ロボ! スパイチェンジャー参上) | April 26, 2000 |
| 5 | “The Hunt for Black Pyramid” “Resolute Jump! Mach Alert” (決死のジャンプ! マッハアラート) | May 3, 2000 |
| 6 | “The Secret of the Ruins” “Gigatron’s Raid!” (ギガトロンの襲撃!) | May 10, 2000 |
| 7 | “Sideburn’s Obsession” “Speedbreaker’s Crisis!” (スピードブレイカーの危機!) | May 17, 2000 |
| 8 | “Secret Weapon: D-5” “Mysterious Weapon! D5” (謎の兵器! D5) | May 24, 2000 |
| 9 | “Mirage’s Betrayal” “Counterarrow’s Betrayal!?” (カウンターアローの裏切り!?) | May 31, 2000 |
| 10 | “Skid Z’s Choice” “Out of Control! Indy Heat!!” (爆走! インディーヒート!!) | June 7, 2000 |
| 11 | “Tow-Line Goes Haywire” “Parking Violation! Wrecker Hook” (駐車違反だ! レッカーフック) | June 14, 2000 |
| 12 | “The Ultimate Robot Warrior” “The Ultimate Extreme! The Large Buddha Statue Transformer” (究極! 大仏トランスフォーマー) | June 21, 2000 |
| 13 | “Hope for the Future” “Gigatron’s Ambitions Revealed!” (ギガトロンの野望を暴け!) | June 28, 2000 |
| 14 | “The Decepticons” “Friend? Foe!? Black Convoy” (敵? 味方!? ブラックコンボイ) | July 5, 2000 |
| 15 | “Commandos” “Quintuple Merge! Baldigus” (5体合体! バルディガス) | July 12, 2000 |
| 16 | “Volcano” “En Garde! Two Convoys!” (対決! ふたりのコンボイ) | July 19, 2000 |
| 17 | “Attack from Outer Space” “Aiming from Space! Shuttler!!” (宇宙から狙え! シャトラー!!) | July 26, 2000 |
| 18 | “The Test” “Awaken to Righteousness! Black Convoy” (正義に目覚めよ! ブラックコンボイ) | August 2, 2000 |
| 19 | “The Fish Test” “Secret Strategy! Gelshark” (秘密作戦! ゲルシャーク) | August 9, 2000 |
| 20 | “Wedge’s Short Fuse” “Hot-Blooded Warriors! Buildmasters” (熱血戦士! ビルドマスター) | August 16, 2000 |
| 21 | “Landfill” “Quadruple Merge! Build King” (四体合体! ビルドキング) | August 23, 2000 |
| 22 | “Sky-Byte Saves the Day” “Friend of Righteousness? Gelshark” (正義の味方? ゲルシャーク) | August 30, 2000 |
| 23 | “A Test of Metal” “Targeted Buildmasters” (狙われたビルドマスター) | September 6, 2000 |
| 24 | “Ultra Magnus” “Enter! God Magnus” (登場! ゴッドマグナス) | September 13, 2000 |
| 25 | “Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!” “Forced Fusion! God Fire Convoy” (強制合体! ゴッドファイヤーコンボイ) | September 20, 2000 |
| 26 | “Lessons of the Past” “Assemble! New Troops” (集結せよ! 新戦士たち) | September 27, 2000 |
| 27 | “The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus” “Stalemate! 3 Car Robo Brothers” (絶体絶命! カーロボ3兄弟) | October 4, 2000 |
| 28 | “Power to Burn!” “Invoke! Double Matrix” (発動! ダブルマトリクス) | October 11, 2000 |
| 29 | “Fortress Maximus” “Arise! Cybertron City” (浮上! サイバトロンシティ) | October 18, 2000 |
| 30 | “Koji Gets His Wish” “JRX versus Baldigus” (JRX 対 バルディガス) | October 25, 2000 |
| 31 | “A Friendly Contest” “Gelshark’s Trap” (ゲルシャークの罠) | November 1, 2000 |
| 32 | “Peril from the Past” “The Final Key? Farewell, Ai” (最後の鍵? さよならアイ) | November 8, 2000 |
| 33 | “Maximus Emerges” “Stolen Plasma” (奪われたプラズマ) | November 15, 2000 |
| 34 | “The Human Element” “The Mystery of Brave Maximus” (ブレイブマキシマスの謎) | November 22, 2000 |
| 35 | “Mystery of the Ultra Magnus” “Gelshark’s Blues” (ゲルシャークの憂鬱) | November 29, 2000 |
| 36 | “Mistaken Identity” “Black Convoy’s Ambition” (ブラックコンボイの野望) | December 6, 2000 |
| 37 | “Surprise Attack!” “Brave Maximus’s Rise!” (ブレイブマキシマスの起動!) | December 13, 2000 |
| 38 | “Galvatron’s Revenge” “Counterattack! Devil Gigatron!” (逆襲! デビルギガトロン!) | December 20, 2000 |
| 39 | “The Final Battle” “Final Battle! Fire Convoy” (最後の戦い! ファイヤーコンボイ) | December 27, 2000 |
Unicron Trilogy (2002 – 2006)
Transformers saw a proper return to its roots in 2002, when the Unicron Trilogy began airing. It was named like that because of the big role Unicron, the franchise’s ultimate villain, played in all of the three animated series that comprise the trilogy. The trilogy was a big success for the franchise, not only because it properly rebooted the original G1 characters, but also because of its dark tone, great narration and great animation.
It was the first American-Japanese co-production of a Transformers series, which explains the heavy anime influence it has. It is usually divided into three parts – Armada, Energon and Cybertron. Despite being a co-production, the series aired in the United States first.
If you want to check it out, you should do it like this:
Transformers: Armada (2002-2003)
Note: The air dates are the dates when the episode debuted, regardless of country. Some of the episodes debuted in the United Kingdom or Canada before they were aired in the United States.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “First Encounter” | August 23, 2002 |
| 2 | “Metamorphosis” | August 23, 2002 |
| 3 | “Base” | August 23, 2002 |
| 4 | “Comrade” | September 20, 2002 |
| 5 | “Soldier” | September 27, 2002 |
| 6 | “Jungle” | October 4, 2002 |
| 7 | “Carnival” | October 11, 2002 |
| 8 | “Palace” | October 18, 2002 |
| 9 | “Confrontation” | October 25, 2002 |
| 10 | “Underground” | November 1, 2002 |
| 11 | “Ruin” | November 15, 2002 |
| 12 | “Prehistory” | November 22, 2002 |
| 13 | “Swoop” | November 29, 2002 |
| 14 | “Overmatch” | December 13, 2002 |
| 15 | “Gale” | December 20, 2002 |
| 16 | “Credulous” | December 27, 2002 |
| 17 | “Conspiracy” | January 20, 2003 |
| 18 | “Trust” | January 21, 2003 |
| 19 | “Vacation” | January 22, 2003 |
| 20 | “Reinforcement” | January 23, 2003 |
| 21 | “Decisive Battle” | January 24, 2003 |
| 22 | “Vow” | January 25, 2003 |
| 23 | “Rebellion” | January 26, 2003 |
| 24 | “Chase | January 27, 2003 |
| 25 | “Tactician | January 28, 2003 |
| 26 | “Link Up” | January 29, 2003 |
| 27 | “Detection” | March 1, 2001 |
| 28 | “Awakening” | March 8, 2003 |
| 29 | “Desperate” | March 15, 2003 |
| 30 | “Runaway” | March 22, 2003 |
| 31 | “Past, Part 1” | March 29, 2003 |
| 32 | “Past, Part 2” | April 5, 2003 |
| 33 | “Sacrifice” | April 12, 2003 |
| 34 | “Regeneration” | April 19, 2003 |
| 35 | “Rescue” | April 26, 2003 |
| 36 | “Mars” | May 3, 2003 |
| 37 | “Crack” | May 10, 2003 |
| 38 | “Threaten” | August 18, 2003 |
| 39 | “Crisis” | August 19, 2003 |
| 40 | “Remorse” | August 20, 2003 |
| 41 | “Depart” | September 5, 2003 |
| 42 | “Miracle” | September 12, 2003 |
| 43 | “Puppet” | September 19, 2003 |
| 44 | “Uprising” | September 25, 2003 |
| 45 | “Dash” | September 26, 2003 |
| 46 | “Drift” | September 27, 2003 |
| 47 | “Portent” | September 28, 2003 |
| 48 | “Cramp” | September 29, 2003 |
| 49 | “Alliance” | September 30, 2003 |
| 50 | “Union” | October 1, 2003 |
| 51 | “Origin” | October 2, 2003 |
| 52 | “Mortal Combat” | October 3, 2003 |
Transformers: Energon (2004)
Note: This series debuted in Japan.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Cybertron City” | January 9, 2004 |
| 2 | “Energon Stars” | January 16, 2004 |
| 3 | “Scorpinok” | January 24, 2004 |
| 4 | “Megatron’s Sword” | January 30, 2004 |
| 5 | “The New Cybertron City” | February 6, 2004 |
| 6 | “Megatron Resurrected” | February 13, 2004 |
| 7 | “Megatron Raid” | February 20, 2004 |
| 8 | “Starscream, The Mysterious Mercenary” | February 27, 2004 |
| 9 | “Battle of the Asteroid Belt | March 5, 2004 |
| 10 | “Energon Tower | March 12, 2004 |
| 11 | “The Legend of Rodimus | March 19, 2004 |
| 12 | “Crisis in Jungle City | March 26, 2004 |
| 13 | “Kicker Beware! | April 2, 2004 |
| 14 | “Energon Grid | April 9, 2004 |
| 15 | “Rodimus: Friend or Foe? | April 16, 2004 |
| 16 | “Go For Unicron! | April 23, 2004 |
| 17 | “The Return of Demolishor | April 30, 2004 |
| 18 | “A Tale of Two Heroes” | May 7, 2004 |
| 19 | “Battle Stations | May 14, 2004 |
| 20 | “Alpha Q: Identity | May 21, 2004 |
| 21 | “Shockblast: Rampage” | May 28, 2004 |
| 22 | “Survival Instincts | June 4, 2004 |
| 23 | “Each One Fights…” | June 11, 2004 |
| 24 | “Unicron Unleashed” | June 18, 2004 |
| 25 | “Open Fire!” | June 25, 2004 |
| 26 | “Ripped Up Space” | July 2, 2004 |
| 27 | “Team Optimus Prime“1 | July 9, 2004 |
| 28 | “Protection” | July 16, 2004 |
| 29 | “Imprisoned Inferno” | July 23, 2004 |
| 30 | “Jungle Planet” | July 30, 2004 |
| 31 | “Bulkhead” | August 6, 2004 |
| 32 | “Farewell Inferno” | August 13, 2004 |
| 33 | “Scorpinok’s Scars”2 | August 20, 2004 |
| 34 | “Crash Course” | August 27, 2004 |
| 35 | “Omega Supreme” | September 3, 2004 |
| 36 | “A Heroic Battle” | September 10, 2004 |
| 37 | “The Power” | September 17, 2004 |
| 38 | “Optimus Supreme” | September 24, 2004 |
| 39 | “Unicron Perishes” | October 1, 2004 |
| 40 | “Ambition” | October 8, 2004 |
| 41 | “Wishes” | October 15, 2004 |
| 42 | “Galvatron!” | October 22, 2004 |
| 43 | “Break Through” | October 29, 2004 |
| 44 | “Distribution” | November 3, 2004 |
| 45 | “The Omega Train | November 5, 2004 |
| 46 | “Decepticon Army” | November 12, 2004 |
| 47 | “Ironhide Team” | November 19, 2004 |
| 48 | “Formidable” | November 26, 2004 |
| 49 | “Galvatron Terror” | December 3, 2004 |
| 50 | “Destructive Power” | December 10, 2004 |
| 51 | “Spark” | December 17, 2004 |
| 52 | “The Sun” | December 24, 2004 |
1 This episode was just a clip show.
2 This episode was never aired outside Japan. The reason for the decision is unclear, but according to Heather Ann Puttock of Voicebox, English voices weren’t even recorded for this episode. This is why the American dub of the anime has only 51 episodes.
Transformers: Cybertron (2005)
Note: This series debuted in Japan, but had some interventions when it was broadcast in the West. Namely, the Japanese producers wrote Cybertron as a stand-alone series, rather than a sequel to Energon and the final chapter of the Unicron Trilogy. The Japanese version aired as the producers intended, but the western producers wanted to establish a connection so they changed some of the dialogue throughout the show and added some (very small quantity) additional animation to establish a link. This has no effect on the watching order, though.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Fall of the Holy Land, Seibertron?!” “Fallen” (聖なる故郷 セイバートロン星崩壊！？) | January 8, 2005 |
| 2 | “Encounter with the Transformers” “Inferno”(トランスフォーマーとの遭遇) | January 15, 2005 |
| 3 | “Protect the Secret Base!” “Haven” (秘密基地を守れ！) | January 22, 2005 |
| 4 | “We’ll Teach You How to Live on Earth” “Hidden” (地球での暮らし方教えます) | January 29, 2005 |
| 5 | “Find the Chip Square!” “Landmine” (チップスクエアを探せ！) | February 5, 2005 |
| 6 | “The Amazing Planet of Speedia” “Space” (驚異の惑星スピーディア) | February 12, 2005 |
| 7 | “Nitro Convoy, the Fastest Hero” “Rush” (最速の勇者ニトロコンボイ) | February 19, 2005 |
| 8 | “Fierce Fighting! Starscream” “Speed” (激闘！スタースクリーム) | February 26, 2005 |
| 9 | “Save the City of the People!” “Collapse” (人間の街を救え！) | March 5, 2005 |
| 10 | “Vector Prime’s Decision” “Time” (ベクタープライムの決断) | March 12, 2005 |
| 11 | “Beast Planet Animatros” “Search” (魔獣惑星アニマトロス) | March 19, 2005 |
| 12 | “Flame Convoy, the Monstrous Dragon King” “Deep” (怪竜王フレイムコンボイ) | March 26, 2005 |
| 13 | “The Fight of Atlantis” “Ship” (アトランティスの攻防) | April 2, 2005 |
| 14 | “The Great Race Begins!” “Hero” (グレートレース開始！) | April 9, 2005 |
| 15 | “Bud and Hop’s City Trip” “Race” (バドとホップの都会旅行) | April 16, 2005 |
| 16 | “Beast Reincarnation! Liger Jack” “Detour” (野獣転生！ライガージャック) | April 23, 2005 |
| 17 | “Link-Up! Liger Convoy” “Savage” (リンクアップ！ライガーコンボイ) | April 30, 2005 |
| 18 | “Scorching Dead Heat” “Sand” (灼熱のデッドヒート) | May 7, 2005 |
| 19 | “The Planet Cup of Glory” “Champion” (栄光のプラネットカップ) | May 14, 2005 |
| 20 | “Mortal Showdown Beyond the Aurora” “Ice” (オーロラの彼方の死闘) | May 21, 2005 |
| 21 | “Fight! Liger Jack” “Honor” (戦え！ライガージャック) | May 28, 2005 |
| 22 | “Lori, to the Beast’s Planet” “Primal” (ローリ、魔獣の星へ) | June 4, 2005 |
| 23 | “Decisive Battle! Animatros” “Trust” (決戦！アニマトロス) | June 11, 2005 |
| 24 | “The Return of the Monsters” “Trap” (怪物たちの復活) | June 18, 2005 |
| 25 | “Guardian of the Earth Live Convoy” “Invasion” (地球の守護神ライブコンボイ) | June 25, 2005 |
| 26 | “The Third Planet Force” “Retreat” (3つ目のプラネットフォース) | July 2, 2005 |
| 27 | “The Countdown to the Doom of the Universe” “Revelation” (宇宙滅亡へのカウントダウン) | July 9, 2005 |
| 28 | “The Reincarnation of the Vanguard Team!” “Critical” (転生！バンガードチーム) | July 16, 2005 |
| 29 | “The Awesome Guy From Outer Space” “Assault” (宇宙から来たスゴい奴) | July 23, 2005 |
| 30 | “The King of Ambition, Ill Will Unleashed” “Starscream” (野望の王 邪心全開) | July 30, 2005 |
| 31 | “High Speed Mobile Unit Sonic Convoy” “United” (高速機動合体ソニックコンボイ) | August 6, 2005 |
| 32 | “Transcendental Transformation! The Liberating Power” “Cybertron” (超絶変形！解放される力) | August 13, 2005 |
| 33 | “The Resurrected Giant God” “Balance” (よみがえった巨大神) | August 20, 2005 |
| 34 | “Counterattack from the Darkness” “Darkness” (暗黒からの逆襲) | August 27, 2005 |
| 35 | “The Maze of Atlantis” “Memory” (アトランティスの迷路) | September 3, 2005 |
| 36 | “The Great Escape Operation” “Escape” (それゆけ脱出大作戦) | September 10, 2005 |
| 37 | “And So, It’s Time to Depart” “Family” (そして、旅立ちの時) | September 17, 2005 |
| 38 | “Clash of Crushing Ambitions!” “Titans” (激突！砕け散る野望) | September 24, 2005 |
| 39 | “Ultra Space-Time Tunnel Breach” “Warp” (超時空トンネル突破) | October 1, 2005 |
| 40 | “Megalo Convoy of Gigalonia” “Giant” (ギガロニアのメガロコンボイ) | October 8, 2005 |
| 41 | “The Descent of Master Galvatron” “Fury” (マスターガルバトロン降臨) | October 15, 2005 |
| 42 | “To the Underworld!” “City” (地下世界へＧＯ！！) | October 22, 2005 |
| 43 | “Showdown! Lori vs. Chromia (Ambush)” “Fallen” (対決！ローリＶＳクロミア) | October 29, 2005 |
| 44 | “The Secret of Planet X” “Challenge” (プラネットＸの秘密) | November 5, 2005 |
| 45 | “A Small Town With Big Stars” “Scourge” (大きな星の小さな町) | November 12, 2005 |
| 46 | “The Last Planet Force” “Optimus” (最後のプラネットフォース) | November 19, 2005 |
| 47 | “The End of Great Ambition” “Showdown” (大いなる野望の果て) | November 26, 2005 |
| 48 | “The Eternal Watcher of Time and Space” “Guardian” (永遠の時空監視者) | December 3, 2005 |
| 49 | “The Cybertron Mass Gathering” “Homecoming” (サイバトロン大集結) | December 10, 2005 |
| 50 | “The Light of Hope at the End” “End” (終末の時、希望の光を) | December 17, 2005 |
| 51 | “Galaxy Convoy VS Master Galvatron: Final Battle!” “Unfinished” (ギャラクシーコンボイVSマスターガルバトロン 最終決戦！) | December 24, 2005 |
| 52 | “A New Journey” “Beginning” (新たなる旅立ち) | December 31, 2005 |
Live-action films (2007 – present)
In 2007, Hasbro finally launched a live-action film series based on the Transformers franchise. At the time of writing this article, the series consists of six films – five from the main continuity, and a spin-off/soft reboot film focused on Bumblebee. Initially, the series was quite well-received, mostly due to its use of CG animation in designing the Transformers, their transformations and the action sequences.
It was even nominated for several technical Oscars. Still, the fact that Michael Bay directed the franchise and that the story became more ridiculous with every installment sent the series on a downward spiral from being an Oscar-contender to becoming a Golden Raspberry-winner. The franchise is still active, but with the produces pondering some changes to make it more relevant once again.
As for the best watching order, here it is:
Bumblebee (2018)
| 1 | Bumblebee | December 21, 2018 |
Despite being the most recent instalment in the franchise, Bumblebee is chronologically the first one, detailing why and how the Transformers actually arrived on Earth, as shown in the 2007 movie. This is why we think that you should – if you haven’t seen any of the movies – start with this one.
On Cybertron, the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are on the verge of losing the Great Cybertronian War to their enemies, the Decepticons, who had begun making preparations to leave the planet. The Decepticons led by Shockwave, Soundwave and Starscream ambush them during the evacuation, and Optimus sends a young scout, B-127, to Earth in order to set up a base of operations where the Autobots can regroup.
B-127 reaches Earth alone in 1987, crash-landing in California and disrupting a training exercise being conducted by Sector 7, a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Sector 7 agent Colonel Jack Burns presumes B-127 to be a hostile invader and attacks, driving B-127 into the forest, where he is then ambushed by the Decepticon Blitzwing. When B-127 refuses to reveal Optimus’ whereabouts, Blitzwing spitefully tears out his voice-box and damages his memory core. B-127 manages to destroy Blitzwing before collapsing from his wounds. Before entering stasis, B-127 scans and transforms into a yellow 1967 Volkswagen Beetle.
Transformers (2007)
| 1 | Transformers | July 3, 2007 |
When you’re done with Bumblebee, you can start watching the movies in the order they were filmed, since they follow the narrative chronologically from that point; Bumblebee is the only installment that went back in time with its narrative.
High-school student Sam Witwicky buys his first car, who is actually the Autobot Bumblebee. Bumblebee defends Sam and his girlfriend Mikaela Banes from the Decepticon Barricade, before the other Autobots arrive on Earth. They are searching for the Allspark, and the war on Earth heats up as the Decepticons attack a United States military base in Qatar. Sam and Mikaela are taken by the top-secret agency Sector 7 to help stop the Decepticons, but when they learn the agency also intends to destroy the Autobots, they formulate their own plan to save the world.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
| 1 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | June 24, 2009 |
The week Sam Witwicky starts college, the Decepticons make trouble in Shanghai. A presidential envoy believes it’s because the Autobots are around; he wants them gone. He’s wrong: the Decepticons need access to Sam’s mind to see some glyphs imprinted there that will lead them to a fragile object that, when inserted in an alien machine hidden in Egypt for centuries, will give them the power to blow out the Sun. Sam, his girlfriend Mikaela Banes, and Sam’s parents are in danger. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are Sam’s principal protectors and they have to do everything they can to protect him, and with him – the world.
Transformers: Cyber Missions (2010)
Cyber Missions is actually a CG animated web-series set within the live-action universe. It consisted of 13 episodes that followed the Autobots in their continued battles against the Decepticons with the help of the allies in N.E.S.T. The series was set between Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon. Here are the episodes:
| 3# | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | #1 | January 21, 2010 |
| 2 | #2 | February 7, 2010 |
| 3 | #3 | March 4, 2010 |
| 4 | #4 | March 27, 2010 |
| 5 | #5 | March 27, 2010 |
| 6 | #6 | March 27, 2010 |
| 7 | #7 | June 18, 2010 |
| 8 | #8 | June 30, 2010 |
| 9 | #9 | September 10, 2010 |
| 10 | #10 | September 8, 2010 |
| 11 | #11 | October 3, 2010 |
| 12 | #12 | September 29, 2010 |
| 13 | “Decepticons Attack” | September 29, 2010 |
Note: The episode order is correct, but due to lacking information about the exact air dates, the original air dates for the episodes might not be correct. Also, Episode 13 is the only one that got an official name.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
| 1 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | June 29, 2011 |
Picking up two years after the Egypt incident, the Autobots and their human allies discover a lost piece of Cybertronian technology which has been in human possession for several years. It is revealed that the artifact is part of an Autobot spacecraft which has crashed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon and carries a special technology and the legendary Sentinel Prime (Optimus Prime’s old mentor). However, Sam Witwicky discovers a conspiracy by the Decepticons who plot to use it for their own evil purposes. And Optimus Prime finds that they are up against a menace who plans to also use it to enslave humanity in order to restore Cybertron.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
| 1 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | June 27, 2014 |
Five years after defeating Sentinel Prime and Megatron in Chicago, the Autobots have gone into hiding after the government deemed all Transformers as threats, and thus, began to hunt them all down. The government have thus replaced the Autobots with their own Transformers using technology from the fallen Transformers. For a reward, Texas mechanic Cade Yeager finds a truck that turns out to be the leader of the Autobots known as Optimus Prime. As the government hunts down all Transformers, Cade and his family are involved in the business between a bounty hunter and Optimus.
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
| 1 | Transformers: The Last Knight | June 21, 2017 |
Three years after Optimus Prime left Earth, the Autobots are still a world threat and they are at war with the Decepticons. Cade Yeager finds a Talisman given from a dying Transformer. However, the U.S. Military and the Decepticons find Cade and the Autobots and are now on the run again. Cade meets a Transformer known as Cogman and tells him and Bumblebee to head to London with him. They meet with an English Lord known as Sir Edmund Burton and head to a Cybertronian Knights ship underwater. They encounter Optimus Prime, but he’s now evil and his master is Quintessa. Quintessa’s intention is to collide Cybertron and Earth so Cybertron can begin again. and it’s up to Cade, an English professor known as Vivian Wembley , Sir Edmund Burton, Cogman, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots to save the world.
Transformers: Animated (2007 – 2010)
Starting in 2007, Animated was an attempt on Hasbro’s side to completely unify the history of the franchise under a new, kid-friendly dome with modern animation and stories that would draw influence from all the previous iterations, but also the live-action films. The series aired on Cartoon Network and was a mild success for the franchise, airing until 2009. If you want to watch it, we have the proper watching order for you right here:
Season 1 (2007-2008)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | “Transform and Roll Out” | December 26, 2007 |
| 4 | “Home Is Where the Spark Is” | January 5, 2008 |
| 5 | “Total Meltdown” | January 12, 2008 |
| 6 | “Blast from the Past” | January 19, 2008 |
| 7 | “Thrill of the Hunt” | January 26, 2008 |
| 8 | “Nanosec” | February 9, 2008 |
| 9 | “Along Came a Spider” | February 16, 2008 |
| 10 | “Sound and Fury” | February 22, 2008 |
| 11 | “Lost and Found” | March 1, 2008 |
| 12 | “Survival of the Fittest” | March 8, 2008 |
| 13 | “Headmaster” | March 15, 2008 |
| 14 | “Nature Calls” | March 22, 2008 |
| 15–16 | “Megatron Rising” | March 29, 2008 April 5, 2008 |
Season 2 (2008)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Elite Guard” | April 12, 2008 |
| 2 | “The Return of the Headmaster” | April 26, 2008 |
| 3 | “Mission Accomplished” | May 3, 2008 |
| 4 | “Garbage In, Garbage Out” | May 10, 2008 |
| 5 | “Velocity” | May 17, 2008 |
| 6 | “Rise of the Constructicons” | May 24, 2008 |
| 7 | “A Fistful of Energon” | May 31, 2008 |
| 8 | “SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy” | June 7, 2008 |
| 9 | “Autoboot Camp” | June 14, 2008 |
| 10 | “Black Friday” | June 21, 2008 |
| 11 | “Sari, No One’s Home” | June 28, 2008 |
| 12–13 | “A Bridge Too Close” | July 5, 2008 |
Season 3 (2008)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | “Transwarped” | March 14, 2009 |
| 4 | “Three’s a Crowd” | March 21, 2009 |
| 5 | “Where Is Thy Sting?” | March 21, 2009 |
| 6 | “Five Servos of Doom” | April 4, 2009 |
| 7 | “Predacons Rising” | April 11, 2009 |
| 8–9 | “Human Error” | April 18, 2009 April 25, 2009 |
| 10 | “Decepticon Air” | May 2, 2009 |
| 11 | “This Is Why I Hate Machines” | May 9, 2009 |
| 12–13 | “Endgame” | May 16, 2009 May 23, 2009 |
Season 4 (cancelled)
Interestingly enough, Animated was supposed to have a fourth season that would have focused on the discovery of Energon deposits left by the Allspark across Detroit. The season has a complete episode list and synopses for each of the unproduced episodes, but the show was ultimately canceled. This is what the season would have looked like:
| Episode Title | Notes |
|---|---|
| “Trial of Megatron” | Envisioned as a three-part episode |
| “Turf War” | |
| “This is Why I Hate Organics” | |
| “Mirror, Mirror” | |
| “Gremlins in the Geers” | |
| “What a Tangled Web We Have” | |
| “S.T.E.A.M.” | |
| “It Came from (Planet) Cybertron” | |
| “Triple Threat” | |
| “Allspark-alypse Now!” | |
| “Process of Elimination” | |
| “Trukk vs. Munky” | |
| “Megatron Must Be Destroyed!” | Envisioned as a two-part episode |
Aligned Universe (2010 – present)
In 2010, the Transformers franchise went through another shakeup, when a new narrative continuity was created with the Prime series. The continuity used modern animation, but drew inspiration from earlier iterations. So far, there have been four animated series (with one still running), an OVA series and an animated movie, which makes this continuity one of the largest and longest-running continuities in the history of the franchise. This is why we have prepared a proper watching order for you:
Transformers: Prime (2010-2013)
Prime was the first series of the Aligned universe. It consists of three seasons and an animated movie, and follows the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime and aided by three human children, in their fights against the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron. The series was critically and commercially successful, winning several awards during its run. This is the complete watching order:
Season 1 (2010-2011)
| # | Episode Label | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Darkness Rising, Part 1” | November 29, 2010 |
| 2 | “Darkness Rising, Part 2” | November 30, 2010 |
| 3 | “Darkness Rising, Part 3” | December 1, 2010 |
| 4 | “Darkness Rising, Part 4” | December 2, 2010 |
| 5 | “Darkness Rising, Part 5” | December 3, 2010 |
| 6 | “Masters and Students” | February 11, 2011 |
| 7 | “Scrapheap” | February 18, 2011 |
| 8 | “Con Job” | February 25, 2011 |
| 9 | “Convoy” | March 4, 2011 |
| 10 | “Deus Ex Machina” | March 11, 2011 |
| 11 | “Speed Metal” | April 9, 2011 |
| 12 | “Predatory” | April 16, 2011 |
| 13 | “Sick Mind” | April 30, 2011 |
| 14 | “Out of His Head” | May 7, 2011 |
| 15 | “Shadowzone” | May 14, 2011 |
| 16 | “Operation: Breakdown” | June 18, 2011 |
| 17 | “Crisscross” | June 25, 2011 |
| 18 | “Metal Attraction” | July 9, 2011 |
| 19 | “Rock Bottom” | July 16, 2011 |
| 20 | “Partners” | July 23, 2011 |
| 21 | “T.M.I.” | September 10, 2011 |
| 22 | “Stronger, Faster” | September 17, 2011 |
| 23 | “One Shall Fall” | September 24, 2011 |
| 24 | “One Shall Rise, Part 1” | October 1, 2011 |
| 25 | “One Shall Rise, Part 2” | October 8, 2011 |
| 26 | “One Shall Rise, Part 3” | October 15, 2011 |
Season 2 (2012)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Orion Pax, Part 1” | February 18, 2012 |
| 2 | “Orion Pax, Part 2” | February 25, 2012 |
| 3 | “Orion Pax, Part 3” | March 3, 2012 |
| 4 | “Operation: Bumblebee, Part 1” | March 10, 2012 |
| 5 | “Operation: Bumblebee, Part 2” | March 17, 2012 |
| 6 | “Loose Cannons” | March 24, 2012 |
| 7 | “Crossfire” | March 31, 2012 |
| 8 | “Nemesis Prime” | April 7, 2012 |
| 9 | “Grill” | April 14, 2012 |
| 10 | “Armada” | April 21, 2012 |
| 11 | “Flying Mind” | April 28, 2012 |
| 12 | “Tunnel Vision” | May 5, 2012 |
| 13 | “Triangulation” | May 12, 2012 |
| 14 | “Triage” | May 19, 2012 |
| 15 | “Toxicity” | May 26, 2012 |
| 16 | “Hurt” | August 24, 2012 |
| 17 | “Out of the Past” | August 31, 2012 |
| 18 | “New Recruit” | September 7, 2012 |
| 19 | “The Human Factor” | September 14, 2012 |
| 20 | “Legacy” | September 21, 2012 |
| 21 | “Alpha Omega” | September 28, 2012 |
| 22 | “Hard Knocks” | October 5, 2012 |
| 23 | “Inside Job” | October 12, 2012 |
| 24 | “Patch” | October 19, 2012 |
| 25 | “Regeneration” | October 26, 2012 |
| 26 | “Darkest Hour” | November 2, 2012 |
Season 3 (2013)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Darkmount, NV” | March 22, 2013 |
| 2 | “Scattered” | March 29, 2013 |
| 3 | “Prey” | April 5, 2013 |
| 4 | “Rebellion” | April 12, 2013 |
| 5 | “Project Predacon” | May 17, 2013 |
| 6 | “Chain of Command” | May 24, 2013 |
| 7 | “Plus One” | May 31, 2013 |
| 8 | “Thirst” | June 7, 2013 |
| 9 | “Evolution” | June 28, 2013 |
| 10 | “Minus One” | July 5, 2013 |
| 11 | “Persuasion” | July 12, 2013 |
| 12 | “Synthesis” | July 19, 2013 |
| 13 | “Deadlock” | July 26, 2013 |
Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising (2013)
| 1 | Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising | October 4, 2013 |
This TV-movie, which aired in 2013, was the conclusion of the Prime saga, ending the series, but also giving it a new beginning in a way. The plot was set after the Autobots’ victory on Earth, when Unicron returns in possession of Megatron’s body with the intent on destroying Cybertron, forcing Autobots, Decepticons, and Predacons to form an unlikely alliance to counter this threat.
Transformers Go! (2013-2014)
Go! is a Japanese OVA series consisting of ten 13-minute OVA episodes that aired exclusively in Japan. It was the first Japanese Transformers series in eight years and was set within the Prime continuity, but it was a stand-alone series set in Japan. Since it came out before Robots in Disguise, we believe it’s better if you watched it directly after Prime. This is the correct watching order:
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Cubed Combination! Swordbot: Samurai!” | June 1, 2013 |
| 2 | “Triple Combination! Swordbot: Ninja!” | August 1, 2013 |
| 3 | “Pursue! The Legendiscs!” | August 1, 2013 |
| 4 | “The Invincible Swordsman – Ryoma Sakamoto!?” | September 1, 2013 |
| 5 | “Discover! The Legendiscs!” | October 1, 2013 |
| 6 | “Showdown! Benkei Musashibo!” | November 1, 2013 |
| 7 | “Enter! The New Warrior!” | January 1, 2014 |
| 8 | “Depart! Optimus Exprime!” | February 1, 2014 |
| 9 | “Final Battle! Link-Up Triple Combination DaiGekisou!” | April 1, 2014 |
| 10 | “Final Battle! Link-Up Triple Combination DaiKenzan!” | May 1, 2014 |
Note: The air dates are taken from IMDb. Since the information on there is not always 100% reliable, the exact air dates might not be fully correct. The Japanese Wikipedia lists different dates, but they are related to the DVD editions of each of the OVA episodes.
Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015-2017)
Despite sharing its name with the series from 2000, Robots in Disguise doesn’t have anything to do with it. Rather, it is a stand-alone sequel to Prime, featuring characters (most of whose voice actors reprise their roles) and storylines mostly self-contained from the events of its predecessor as well as an overall more lighthearted tone. Still, it was set in the same narrative continuity and should, thus, be watched after Prime and the Japanese OVA series. The series consists of three seasons, a miniseries and a series of online shorts, and we have the watching order for you:
Season 1 (2015)
Note: Episodes 1-13 debuted in China.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Pilot, Part 1” | December 31, 2014 |
| 2 | “Pilot, Part 2” | December 31, 2014 |
| 3 | “Trust Exercises” | December 31, 2014 |
| 4 | “More Than Meets the Eye” | December 31, 2014 |
| 5 | “W.W.O.D.?” | December 31, 2014 |
| 6 | “As the Kospego Commands!” | December 31, 2014 |
| 7 | “Collect ‘Em All” | December 31, 2014 |
| 8 | “True Colors” | December 31, 2014 |
| 9 | “Rumble in the Jungle” | December 31, 2014 |
| 10 | “Can You Dig It?” | December 31, 2014 |
| 11 | “Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting!” | December 31, 2014 |
| 12 | “Hunting Season” | December 31, 2014 |
| 13 | “Out of Focus” | December 31, 2014 |
| 14 | “Sideways” | June 20, 2015 |
| 15 | “Even Robots Have Nightmares” | June 27, 2015 |
| 16 | “Some Body, Any Body” | July 4, 2015 |
| 17 | “One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing” | July 11, 2015 |
| 18 | “Deep Trouble” | July 18, 2015 |
| 19 | “The Champ” | July 25, 2015 |
| 20 | “The Trouble with Fixit” | August 1, 2015 |
| 21 | “Lockout” | August 8, 2015 |
| 22 | “Similarly Different” | August 15, 2015 |
| 23 | “The Buzz on Windblade” | August 22, 2015 |
| 24 | “Ghosts and Impostors” | August 29, 2015 |
| 25 | “Battlegrounds, Part 1” | September 5, 2015 |
| 26 | “Battlegrounds, Part 2” | September 12, 2015 |
Online shorts (2015)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Fixit Jam” | April 29, 2015 |
| 2 | “To Catch a Phrase” | May 13, 2015 |
| 3 | “Sticky Situation” | May 26, 2015 |
| 4 | “Carjacked!” | June 23, 2015 |
| 5 | “Perfect” | June 23, 2015 |
| 6 | “Knock, Knock!” | October 28, 2015 |
| 7 | “The Power of Dibs” | October 28, 2015 |
| 8 | “Back and Forth” | November 6, 2015 |
| 9 | “The Tragedy of Slipstream” | November 6, 2015 |
| 10 | “A Level Playing Field” | November 6, 2015 |
| 11 | “Two Plus Two Equals More” | November 6, 2015 |
Season 2 (2016)
Note: Episodes 7-13 debuted in the United Kingdom.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Overloaded, Part 1” | February 20, 2016 |
| 2 | “Overloaded, Part 2” | February 27, 2016 |
| 3 | “Metal Meltdown” | March 5, 2016 |
| 4 | “Suspended” | March 12, 2016 |
| 5 | “Cover Me” | March 19, 2016 |
| 6 | “Brainpower” | March 26, 2016 |
| 7 | “Misdirection” | March 27, 2016 |
| 8 | “Bumblebee’s Night Off” | April 2, 2016 |
| 9 | “Impounded” | April 3, 2016 |
| 10 | “Portals” | April 9, 2016 |
| 11 | “Graduation Exercises” | April 10, 2016 |
| 12 | “Decepticon Island, Part 1” | April 16, 2016 |
| 13 | “Decepticon Island, Part 2” | April 16, 2016 |
Miniseries (2016)
Note: The series debuted in Canada.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “History Lessons” | September 10, 2016 |
| 2 | “Strongarm’s Big Score” | September 17, 2016 |
| 3 | “Pretzel Logic” | September 24, 2016 |
| 4 | “Mighty Big Trouble” | October 1, 2016 |
| 5 | “Mini-Con Madness” | October 8, 2016 |
| 6 | “Worthy” | October 15, 2016 |
Season 3 (2017) – Combiner Force
Note: Episodes 1-4 debuted in France; episodes 11-13 and 25-26 debuted in the United Kingdom; episodes 14-17 debuted in Canada.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “King of the Hill, Part 1” | April 25, 2017 |
| 2 | “King of the Hill, Part 2” | April 25, 2017 |
| 3 | “Defrosted” | April 25, 2017 |
| 4 | “Blurred” | April 25, 2017 |
| 5 | “Sphere of Influence” | May 20, 2017 |
| 6 | “Bee Cool” | May 27, 2017 |
| 7 | “The Great Divide” | June 3, 2017 |
| 8 | “Get a Clue” | June 10, 2017 |
| 9 | “Out of the Shadows” | June 17, 2017 |
| 10 | “Disordered Personalities” | June 24, 2017 |
| 11 | “Guilty as Charged” | July 15, 2017 |
| 12 | “The Golden Knight” | July 16, 2017 |
| 13 | “The Fastest Bot Alive!” | July 22, 2017 |
| 14 | “Railroad Rage” | August 5, 2017 |
| 15 | “Combine and Conquer” | August 12, 2017 |
| 16 | “Moon Breaker” | August 19, 2017 |
| 17 | “Exiles” | August 26, 2017 |
| 18 | “Breathing Room” | September 16, 2017 |
| 19 | “Prepare for Departure” | September 23, 2017 |
| 20 | “Prisoner Principles” | September 30, 2017 |
| 21 | “Collateral Damage” | October 7, 2017 |
| 22 | “Something He Ate” | October 14, 2017 |
| 23 | “Sick as a Bot” | October 21, 2017 |
| 24 | “Five Fugitives” | October 28, 2017 |
| 25 | “Enemy of My Enemy” | October 29, 2017 |
| 26 | “Freedom Fighters” | November 4, 2017 |
Transformers: Rescue Bots (2012-2016)
Rescue Bots is a series set within the Aligned Universe, but it has no connection to the previous series, which is why we have listed it here, as a separate entry. It was a more kid-friendly show with different animation and is generally considered to be a less important installment in the franchise. Nevertheless, it is one of the longest Transformers shows. Here is how you should watch it:
Season 1 (2012)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Family of Heroes” | February 18, 2012 |
| 2 | “Under Pressure” | February 18, 2012 |
| 3 | “Hotshots” | February 25, 2012 |
| 4 | “Flobsters on Parade” | March 3, 2012 |
| 5 | “The Alien Invasion of Griffin Rock” | March 10, 2012 |
| 6 | “Cody on Patrol” | March 17, 2012 |
| 7 | “Four Bots and a Baby” | April 14, 2012 |
| 8 | “Walk on the Wild Side” | April 21, 2012 |
| 9 | “Christmas in July” | April 28, 2012 |
| 10 | “Deep Trouble” | May 5, 2012 |
| 11 | “Return of the Dinobot” | May 12, 2012 |
| 12 | “The Other Doctor” | May 19, 2012 |
| 13 | “The Reign of Morocco” | May 19, 2012 |
| 14 | “Small Blessings” | June 9, 2012 |
| 15 | “The Griffin Rock Triangle” | June 16, 2012 |
| 16 | “Rules and Regulations” | June 23, 2012 |
| 17 | “The Lost Bell” | June 30, 2012 |
| 18 | “Bumblebee to the Rescue” | July 7, 2012 |
| 19 | “You’ve Been Squilshed” | July 14, 2012 |
| 20 | “Countdown” | July 21, 2012 |
| 21 | “The Haunting of Griffin Rock” | July 28, 2012 |
| 22 | “Little White Lies” | August 4, 2012 |
| 23 | “Shake Up” | August 11, 2012 |
| 24 | “Rescue Boy” | August 11, 2012 |
| 25 | “It’s a Bot Time” | August 18, 2012 |
| 26 | “Bot to the Future” | August 18, 2012 |
Season 2 (2014)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Road Trip” | March 1, 2014 |
| 2 | “Sky Forest” | March 1, 2014 |
| 3 | “One for the Ages” | March 8, 2014 |
| 4 | “Tip of the Iceberg” | March 15, 2014 |
| 5 | “Spellbound” | March 22, 2014 |
| 6 | “A Virtual Disaster” | March 29, 2014 |
| 7 | “Prescott’s Bots” | April 5, 2014 |
| 8 | “Blame the Gremlins” | April 12, 2014 |
| 9 | “Feed the Beast” | April 19, 2014 |
| 10 | “What Lies Below” | April 26, 2014 |
| 11 | “What Rises Above” | May 3, 2014 |
| 12 | “Space Bots” | May 10, 2014 |
| 13 | “The Island of Misfit Tech” | May 17, 2014 |
| 14 | “The Vigilant Town” | May 24, 2014 |
| 15 | “Buddy System” | May 31, 2014 |
| 16 | “In Search of the Griffin’s Nest” | June 7, 2014 |
| 17 | “Bots and Robbers” | June 14, 2014 |
| 18 | “Rescue Dog” | June 21, 2014 |
| 19 | “Changes” | June 28, 2014 |
| 20 | “Movers and Shakers” | July 5, 2014 |
| 21 | “Odd Bot Out” | July 12, 2014 |
| 22 | “The Griffin Rock Express” | July 19, 2014 |
| 23 | “Double Villainy” | July 26, 2014 |
| 24 | “Rise of the Heroes” | August 2, 2014 |
Season 3 (2014-2015)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Land Before Prime” | November 1, 2014 |
| 2 | “Big Game” | November 1, 2014 |
| 3 | “Too Many Kades” | November 8, 2014 |
| 4 | “Phantom of the Sea” | November 15, 2014 |
| 5 | “Unfinished Business” | November 22, 2014 |
| 6 | “No Place Like Dome” | November 29, 2014 |
| 7 | “Bugs in the System” | December 6, 2014 |
| 8 | “Switcheroo” | December 13, 2014 |
| 9 | “The Riders of Midwinter” | December 13, 2014 |
| 10 | “Bot-Tastic Voyage” | December 20, 2014 |
| 11 | “Quarry vs. Quarry” | December 27, 2014 |
| 12 | “Chief Woodrow” | January 18, 2015 |
| 13 | “Did You See What I Thaw?” | February 28, 2015 |
| 14 | “The Attack of Humungado” | March 7, 2015 |
| 15 | “Thieves Like Us” | March 14, 2015 |
| 16 | “Time After Time” | March 21, 2015 |
| 17 | “Pirates Ahoy” | March 28, 2015 |
| 18 | “Turning the Tide” | April 11, 2015 |
| 19 | “The Last of Morocco” | April 18, 2015 |
| 20 | “The New Recruits” | April 25, 2015 |
| 21 | “Rescue Bots Academy” | May 2, 2015 |
| 22 | “A New Hero” | May 9, 2015 |
| 23 | “Four-Legged Hero” | May 16, 2015 |
| 24 | “Endangered Species” | May 23, 2015 |
| 25 | “More Than Meets the Eye” | May 30, 2015 |
| 26 | “I Have Heard the Robots Singing” | June 6, 2015 |
| 27 | “Now and Then” | June 13, 2015 |
| 28 | “Today and Forever” | June 13, 2015 |
Season 4 (2016)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “New Normal” | April 23, 2016 |
| 2 | “Bridge Building” | April 23, 2016 |
| 3 | “Arrivals” | April 30, 2016 |
| 4 | “Plus One” | May 7, 2016 |
| 5 | “Back to Virtual Reality” | May 14, 2016 |
| 6 | “Vanishing Returns” | May 21, 2016 |
| 7 | “Ghost in the Machine” | May 28, 2016 |
| 8 | “Enemy of My Enemy” | June 4, 2016 |
| 9 | “Mayor May Not” | June 11, 2016 |
| 10 | “All Spark Day” | June 18, 2016 |
| 11 | “Part Time Heroes” | June 25, 2016 |
| 12 | “The More Things Change…” | July 2, 2016 |
| 13 | “The More Things Stay the Same” | July 9, 2016 |
| 14 | “Hot Rod Bot” | July 23, 2016 |
| 15 | “King Burns” | July 30, 2016 |
| 16 | “Pizza Pi Party” | August 6, 2016 |
| 17 | “Uninvited Guest” | August 13, 2016 |
| 18 | “Camp Cody” | August 27, 2016 |
| 19 | “Once Upon a Time” | September 3, 2016 |
| 20 | “The Need for Speed” | September 10, 2016 |
| 21 | “Cody’s 11” | September 17, 2016 |
| 22 | “A Brush with Danger” | October 1, 2016 |
| 23 | “To Infinity…and Back” | October 8, 2016 |
| 24 | “Family Business” | October 15, 2016 |
| 25 | “Upgrades” | October 22, 2016 |
| 26 | “Transformations” | October 22, 2016 |
Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (2019-present)
Rescue Bots Academy is a sequel to Rescue Bots, set within the same universe and having the same tone and animation style. It is still running, with the second season being half-finished at the moment of writing this article. The episodes all last 11 minutes. Here is the list:
Season 1 (2019)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | “Recruits” | January 5, 2019 |
| 3 | “If at First…” | January 5, 2019 |
| 4 | “Tough Luck Chuck” | January 5, 2019 |
| 5 | “Whirl’d View” | January 12, 2019 |
| 6 | “Plan Bee” | January 12, 2019 |
| 7 | “The Bot Who Cried Rescue” | January 19, 2019 |
| 8 | “Mount Botmore” | January 19, 2019 |
| 9 | “Mission Inaudible” | January 26, 2019 |
| 10 | “Glitch” | January 26, 2019 |
| 11 | “Five Into Four” | February 2, 2019 |
| 12 | “Rescue Promo” | February 2, 2019 |
| 13 | “Blame Game” | February 9, 2019 |
| 14 | “Surprise, Medix!” | February 9, 2019 |
| 15 | “The TX3000” | February 16, 2019 |
| 16 | “Little Bot Peep” | February 16, 2019 |
| 17 | “Driving a Wedge” | February 23, 2019 |
| 18 | “The Big, Small Rescue” | February 23, 2019 |
| 19 | “Go, Team, Go!” | March 2, 2019 |
| 20 | “About a Rock” | March 2, 2019 |
| 21 | “Dog Stray Afternoon” | March 9, 2019 |
| 22 | “Lucky Ducky” | March 9, 2019 |
| 23 | “Flight School” | March 16, 2019 |
| 24 | “Battle of the Bots” | March 16, 2019 |
| 25 | “Screen Time” | March 23, 2019 |
| 26 | “Fright at the Museum” | March 23, 2019 |
| 27 | “Space Case” | September 7, 2019 |
| 28 | “All at Sea” | September 7, 2019 |
| 29 | “All Washed Up” | September 7, 2019 |
| 30 | “Who’s Teaching Who? “ | September 7, 2019 |
| 31 | “Balloon Up a Tree” | September 14, 2019 |
| 32 | “The Mystery of Dragon Mountain” | September 14, 2019 |
| 33 | “Hack Attack” | September 21, 2019 |
| 34 | “Life of the Party” | September 21, 2019 |
| 35 | “Tyrannosaurus Wrecked” | September 28, 2019 |
| 36 | “Dino Hard” | September 28, 2019 |
| 37 | “Buddy Cop” | October 5, 2019 |
| 38 | “Escape from Penguin Island” | October 5, 2019 |
| 39 | “All the Glitters” | October 19, 2019 |
| 40 | “Dig Fest” | October 19, 2019 |
| 41 | “Trick or Treat” | October 26, 2019 |
| 42 | “Monster Savings” | October 26, 2019 |
| 43 | “Tune Out” | November 2, 2019 |
| 44 | “Metal Munchers” | November 2, 2019 |
| 45 | “Bee Prepared” | November 9, 2019 |
| 46 | “Whirl’s Wise-Bot Quest” | November 9, 2019 |
| 47 | “Flying Hunk-A-Junk” | November 16, 2019 |
| 48 | “Into the Depths” | November 16, 2019 |
| 49 | “Milford Goes to the Dogs” | November 23, 2019 |
| 50 | “The Ice Wave” | November 23, 2019 |
| 51-52 | “Best Bots Forever” | November 30, 2019 |
Season 2 (2020-present)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Back to School” | March 21, 2020 |
| 2 | “Mission Dinobot” | March 21, 2020 |
| 3 | “In Training” | March 28, 2020 |
| 4 | “Medix Steps Up to the Bat” | March 28, 2020 |
| 5 | “Robo-Cody” | April 4, 2020 |
| 6 | “Heatwave’s Shiny Coat” | April 4, 2020 |
| 7 | “Acting Out” | April 18, 2020 |
| 8 | “Need to Know” | April 18, 2020 |
| 9 | “Trouble Cubed” | April 25, 2020 |
| 10 | “My Favorite Rescue” | April 25, 2020 |
| 11 | “The Great Energon Rush” | May 2, 2020 |
| 12 | “The Vault of the Primes” | May 2, 2020 |
| 13 | “Wild Ghost Chase” | May 9, 2020 |
| 14 | “Little Plot of Horrors” | May 9, 2020 |
| 15 | “Museum Mystery” | May 16, 2020 |
| 16 | “Partners” | May 16, 2020 |
| 17 | “Critical Condition” | May 23, 2020 |
| 18 | “Fun-Droids” | May 23, 2020 |
| 19 | “Power Up and Energize” | May 30, 2020 |
| 20 | “Shall We Dance?” | May 30, 2020 |
| 21 | “Mul-T-Change of Pace” | June 6, 2020 |
| 22 | “Five Little Rescue Bots” | June 6, 2020 |
| 23 | “Good Advice” | June 20, 2020 |
| 24 | “Campfire Fright” | June 20, 2020 |
| 25 | “Small Cogs” | June 27, 2020 |
| 26 | “Big Wheels” | June 27, 2020 |
| 27 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 28 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 29 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 30 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 31 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 32 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 33 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 34 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 35 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 36 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 37 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 38 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 39 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 40 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 41 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 42 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 43 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 44 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 45 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 46 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 47 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 48 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 49 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 50 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 51 | “TBA” | TBA |
| 52 | “TBA” | TBA |
Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy (2016 – 2018)
The Prime Wars Trilogy was a three-part web series that chronicled the future of the Transformers after the great war between the Autobots and Decepticons, with the main villain being Megatronus, a.k.a. The Fallen. Despite consisting of only twenty-eight 7-12-minute episodes, the trilogy was well received and is lauded for its animation, story and themes. If you’d care to watch it, here’s how you should do it:
Combiner Wars (2016)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Fall” | August 2, 2016 |
| 2 | “The Council” | August 9, 2016 |
| 3 | “The Duel” | August 16, 2016 |
| 4 | “Unforgotten” | August 23, 2016 |
| 5 | “Homecoming” | August 30, 2016 |
| 6 | “A War of Giants” | September 6, 2016 |
| 7 | “Darkest Hour” | September 13, 2016 |
| 8 | “Destruction’s Dawn” | September 20, 2016 |
Titans Return (2017-2018)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Aftermath and Rebirth” | November 14, 2017 |
| 2 | “Our Heroes Respond” | November 14, 2017 |
| 3 | “The Fight Begins” | November 21, 2017 |
| 4 | “Overlord and Emissary” | November 28, 2017 |
| 5 | “At the Last Second” | December 5, 2017 |
| 6 | “Desperate Actions” | December 12, 2017 |
| 7 | “Run for Our Lives” | December 19, 2017 |
| 8 | “In Good Hands” | December 26, 2017 |
| 9 | “Consumed” | January 2, 2018 |
| 10 | “All Things Must Pass” | January 9, 2018 |
Power of the Primes (2018)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “The Swamp” | May 1, 2018 |
| 2 | “Volcanicus” | May 8, 2018 |
| 3 | “Without Warning” | May 15, 2018 |
| 4 | “Primal” | May 22, 2018 |
| 5 | “Athenaeum Sanctorum” | May 29, 2018 |
| 6 | “Countdown” | June 5, 2018 |
| 7 | “Consequences” | June 12, 2018 |
| 8 | “Collision Course” | June 19, 2018 |
| 9 | “Megatronus Unleashed” | June 26, 2018 |
| 10 | “Saga’s End” | July 3, 2018 |
Transformers: Cyberverse (2018–2020)
Cyberverse was a recent Cartoon Network animated series that ran for a total of three seasons. It was set in its unique continuity with the character designs being mostly inspired by G1 Transformers, but more kid-friendly. The show generally had a much lighter tone and was aiming for a younger audience, unlike the G1 series that inspired it. The watching order is as follows:
Season 1 (2018) – Chapter One
Note: The air dates in the table are the actual debut dates of each episode, regardless of whether they were released online or in some other country before their original U.S. air date.
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Fractured” | August 27, 2018 |
| 2 | “Memory” | August 27, 2018 |
| 3 | “Allspark” | September 14, 2018 |
| 4 | “The Journey” | September 21, 2018 |
| 5 | “Whiteout” | September 28, 2018 |
| 6 | “Megatron Is My Hero” | September 30, 2018 |
| 7 | “Cube” | October 7, 2018 |
| 8 | “Terminal Velocity” | October 7, 2018 |
| 9 | “Shadowstriker” | October 14, 2018 |
| 10 | “MacCadam’s” | October 14, 2018 |
| 11 | “Sabotage” | October 26, 2018 |
| 12 | “Teletraan-X” | November 10, 2017 |
| 13 | “Matrix of Leadership” | November 10, 2017 |
| 14 | “Siloed” | November 17, 2017 |
| 15 | “King of the Dinosaurs” | December 2, 2017 |
| 16 | “The Extinction Event” | December 2, 2017 |
| 17 | “Awaken Sleeping Giants” | December 15, 2017 |
| 18 | “Eruption” | December 15, 2017 |
Season 2 (2019-2020) – Power of the Spark
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Sea of Tranquility” | September 7, 2019 |
| 2 | “Bad Moon Rising“ | September 14, 2019 |
| 3 | “The Visitor” | September 21, 2019 |
| 4 | “Bring Me the Spark of Optimus Prime” | September 28, 2019 |
| 5 | “Trials” | October 5, 2019 |
| 6 | “Dark Birth” | October 12, 2019 |
| 7 | “Parley” | October 19, 2019 |
| 8 | “Starscream’s Children” | October 26, 2019 |
| 9 | “Spotted” | November 2, 2019 |
| 10 | “Secret Science” | November 9, 2019 |
| 11 | “Infinite Vendetta“ | November 16, 2019 |
| 12 | “I Am the Allspark“ | November 23, 2019 |
| 13 | “Escape From Earth” | November 30, 2019 |
| 14 | “Party Down” | December 7, 2019 |
| 15 | “Wiped Out” | December 14, 2019 |
| 16 | “Ghost Town” | December 21, 2019 |
| 17 | “Perfect Storm” | December 28, 2019 |
| 18 | “The Crossroads” | January 4, 2020 |
Season 3 (2020) – Bumblebee: Cyberverse Adventures
Note: Episodes 1-17 were aired in the United Kingdom in February 2020 before they aired in the United States. Episodes 18-26 were simultaneously aired everywhere in the world.
| # | Episode List | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | “The Battle for Cybertron” | February 17, 2020 |
| 5 | “The Loop” | February 18, 2020 |
| 6 | “The Dead End” | February 18, 2020 |
| 7 | “The Sleeper” | February 18, 2020 |
| 8 | “The Citizen” | February 18, 2020 |
| 9 | “The Trial” | February 19, 2020 |
| 10 | “The Prisoner” | February 19, 2020 |
| 11 | “The Scientist” | February 19, 2020 |
| 12 | “The Alliance” | February 19, 2020 |
| 13 | “The Judge” | February 20, 2020 |
| 14-17 | “The End of the Universe” | February 20, 2020 February 21, 2020 |
| 18 | “Enemy Line” | May 3, 2020 |
| 19 | “Thunderhowl” | May 17, 2020 |
| 20 | “Wild Wild Wheel” | May 17, 2020 |
| 21 | “Alien Hunt! With Meteorfire and Cosmos” | May 24, 2020 |
| 22 | “Journey to the Valley of Repugnus” | May 24, 2020 |
| 23 | “Rack N’ Ruin N’ Ratchet” | May 31, 2020 |
| 24 | “Dweller in the Depths” | May 31, 2020 |
| 25 | “Silent Strike” | June 7, 2020 |
| 26 | “The Other One” | June 7, 2020 |
Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (2019 – present)
The most recent installment in the franchise is the War for Cybertron Trilogy, which is currently airing on Netflix with – at the moment of writing this article – season two (out of three) coming out soon. The trilogy is a fresh take on the origin of the conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons, but with a different twist to a well-known story.
The series has impressed both critics and fans alike, with Rotten Tomatoes saying: “Visually stunning, surprisingly deep, and still a lot of fun, War for Cybertron: Siege breathes new life into the Transformers franchise.” We can only agree.
As for the watching order (so far), here it is:
Siege (2020)
| # | Episode Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Episode 1” | July 30, 2020 |
| 2 | “Episode 2” | July 30, 2020 |
| 3 | “Episode 3” | July 30, 2020 |
| 4 | “Episode 4” | July 30, 2020 |
| 5 | “Episode 5” | July 30, 2020 |
| 6 | “Episode 6” | July 30, 2020 |
Earthrise (2020)
The second season – consisting also of 6 episodes – has been announced and is expected to air sometime during 2020.
Kingdom (TBA)
The exact air date of the third season of the War for Cybertron Trilogy is yet to be announced.