The wildly successful Transformers series is due to return to theatres with Rise of the Beasts. The franchise is among the most successful and recognizable in all of media. From toys, comics, movies, games, and television shows. Originally designed to sell toys, the changing robots surprisingly exploded well beyond anybody’s wildest imagination. Today, in celebration of the new film, we are taking a look at ten of the best shows in the franchise. From simple and childish to dark and gritty, here are the best shows that are more than meets the eye.
10. Energon
In the early 2000s, what is now known as the Unicron Trilogy aired. The trilogy consisted of three separate shows that take place in the same continuity. The second series was Transformers: Energon. To many, this show is the weakest of the trilogy, although it still has plenty of fans. While the previous show was 2d, this series blended cell shading with 3D animation. In fact, this was the first Japanese-produced show in the Transformers series to be CG. The series focused on specific powers for the characters. Autobots were able to combine with other Autobots of the same size, while Decepticons were able to use Energon to power up.
9. Earthspark
Earthspark is still continuing but has yet to find its footing. Seeing how new the series is, it definitely shows potential in being a great addition to the franchise. Marketed to a younger audience, Earthspark follows a species of Earth-born robots known as Terrans. The Terrans are mentored by Bumblebee, and help the Autobots protect Earth from remaining rogue Decepticons. The series takes place years after a civil war and sees Megatron actually working alongside the Autobots. Having only run for one season so far, the series definitely has room to grow. For younger viewers wanting to get into the franchise before Rise of the Beasts, this is a great place to start.
8. Prime Wars Trilogy
As lifelong fans of the Transformers series know, it isn’t always childish fun and games. In fact, it is often times bleak and serious. An excellent case in point is what is known as the Prime Wars Trilogy.  The series consists of three seasons, Combiner Wars, Titans Return, and Power of the Primes. The series was produced by Hasbro and Machinima. Prime Wars was a web series that serves as an alternate continuation of the original G1 series. The show streamed on Verizon’s g90 streaming format and is currently available in its entirety on the Rooster Teeth site. Several voice actors from the original series return, such as Peter Cullen and Judd Nelson. This darker series hasn’t been seen by many, but it is highly regarded by those who have.
7. War for Cybertron Trilogy
Rooster Teeth and Hasbro once again joined forces, this time with Netflix, to bring fans the Transformers: War for Cybertron trilogy. Like Prime Wars, War for Cybertron consisted of three seasons that aired on Netflix between July 30, 2020, and July 29, 2021. The series was produced by Rooster Teeth, meaning many of the original voice actors were unable to appear due to budgetary reasons. Outside of the voice work, most fans think highly of this series. Once again, the tone is dark and shows audiences that these characters can be taken seriously as well as laughed at. The entire series is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
6. Armada
Armada is the first chapter in the aforementioned Unicron Trilogy. The show was produced by Hasbro in association with its Japanese counterpart, Takara. The show’s major gimmick was the introduction of the Mini-Cons. With help from the Autobots, the Mini-Cons are able to escape Cybertron as the planet becomes engulfed with war. Their ship is attacked by the Decepticons, causing half the vessel to crash on Earth while the other becomes embedded in the Moon. 4,000 years later, humans unknowingly activate the ship, alerting both Autobots and Decepticons to their location. The war is brought to Earth, as the two factions search for the remaining Mini-Cons before the other can.
5. Cybertron
The third and final series in the Unicron Trilogy is Cybertron. While initially conceived as a direct follow-up, the show was eventually produced to be a stand-alone series. In the English dub, several references were made in an attempt to better connect it to the previous two shows. All of the robots in the show are computer generated, while backgrounds and human characters are cell-shaded. The destruction of Unicron causes a massive black hole that threatens the universe. The Autobots come into possession of a map containing the location of the Cyber Planet Keys. The Keys hold the power to stop the black hole, but the Decepticons seek it for other means.
4. Animated
Following the success of the 2007 Transformers film, a new series was produced to cash in. Unconnected to the films, Transformers Animated was still a huge success for the franchise. the show ran for three seasons from 2007 to 2009. The show sees Optimus Prime and the Autobots as a maintenance crew. The Autobots discover the Allspark on an asteroid and are intercepted by the Decepticons led by warlord Megatron. In the struggle, the two factions land on Earth, with Megatron being separated into several pieces. Years later, the Autobots become Earth’s defenders while the Decepticons look to rebuild Megatron and find the Allspark.
3. Beast Wars
The upcoming Rise of the Beasts film is primarily based on this series. Beast Wars is the first CG animated project in the series and is also one of the first fully CG shows ever. The show is set 300 years after the events of the original G1 series. Descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons are now known as Maximals and Predacons, respectively. Instead of transforming into vehicles, these robots change into animals. The show ran from 1996 to 1999. This was the first of the Beast Wars series, with several sequel shows following later. This is one of the more fondly remembered shows in the franchise and is a pioneer in computer-generated animation. When preparing for Rise of the Beasts, this is primary viewing.
2. The Transformers
This is where it all began. Known by fans as Generation 1 or G1, this is the show that introduced audiences to the popular franchise. Originally intended to promote toys, the show exploded in popularity and gave birth to a legendary franchise. The show ran for four seasons and received a theatrical movie set in between the second and third seasons. To this day, this is known as one of the best-animated shows from the 80s. Despite animation mistakes prevalent with many shows of the era, it is still a fun time with a thrilling story. Furthermore, the movie is known as one of the greatest pieces of Transformers media even to this day. For fans looking to start out, the beginning is the best place to do so.
1. Prime
For many, this show is certainly the greatest of the entire franchise. Prime was created by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the screenwriters of the first two live-action films. The show is made for a more mature audience, with darker themes and intense violence. The plot is standard fare for the franchise. The war between the Autobots and Decepticons ends up on Earth, with the two factions fighting for control of the planet. The show features several voices from the aforementioned media. This includes Peter Cullen and Frank Welker as Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively. For fans looking for a fix before Rise of the Beasts, this show could give them all they need.
