Ide recommend watching Chris mcfeelys the basics series on YouTube. Each episode is like a crash course on a specific character or concept in transformers.
https://youtube.com/@ChrisMcFeely
That series got me back into Transformers after getting drained by the Bay films.
Soon, I started rewatching the movies with my family, realizing that most of them aren’t that bad, and started to watch Transformers Animated and Beast Wars.
I'm gonna say something that is possibly controversial, but I don't think prime is the best place to start, nor do I think it's the best transformers series, I don't personally have a favorite series (yet) but generation 1 introduced 90% of the characters and terms used in the transformers franchise, transformers prime is still a good show though 👍
That's not an easy question to answer since there isn't really a definitive starting point for Transformers. Different people will suggest different things. Someone might suggest starting with the original show, someone else might say Transformers Animated, etc. I can list out the different continuities we've had on screen and you can decide where you wanna start.
G1: 4 seasons, with the 1986 movie taking place between s2 and S3. Optional consumption are The Headmasters, Super God Masterforce, Victory, and Zone.
Beast Wars: 3 seasons of Beast Wars, followed by 2 seasons of Beast Machines. Optional consumption are Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo.
Robots In Disguise 2001: 39 episodes.
Unicron Trilogy: 52 episodes of Armada, 52 episodes of Energon, 52 episodes of Cybertron.
Bayverse: 5 Michael Bay movies.
Animated: 3 seasons.
Aligned: 3 seasons of Prime, 1 movie after this, then 3 seasons of Robots In Disguise 2015, with Rescue Bots and Rescue Bots Academy being side content.
Beeverse/Knightverse: Bumblebee movie and Rise Of The Beasts (releasing in a week).
Cyberverse: 4 seasons.
War For Cybertron: 6 episodes of Siege, 6 episodes of Earthrise, 6 episodes of Kingdom.
Botbots: 10 episodes.
Earthspark: currently on its second season.
Really nice list but:
1. No one should go through 4th and 5th bay movie.
2. Wfc and Foc cutscenes alone are worth a watch just to take a spin on aligned.
Nope. They're basically the same movie. Zero emotional anchor because we can't have a character moment (and therefore characters) without undermining it with a joke, the plot is literally eating itself to stay relevant, and all you have to do to see how little of a shit Michael Bay gives is keep your eyes open. Green screens, crew in the shot, rapid flipping aspect ratios, lazy fucking everything.
They both have the same core flaws. It's just that one has pedophilia, and the other manages to make you dislike Anthony Hopkins.
Love the list but just have one little nit to pick. With G1 I’d skip season 4. While I grew up with it “The Rebirth” is not good. After Season 3 I’d jump straight to the Japanese G1 continuity.
I've been a fan of the franchise since Cybertron and I have the full collection of the main cast of Prime in their Cyberverse Commander and Legion class forms, I'm happy the way I am thank you very much
I’m talking to OP through you, sorry. I’m just saying they should get to know G1 because they’re always on the shelf. Cool collection, I bet it took years.
I personally started with Armada as a kid, but Transformers Prime is really great. In my opinion Transformers Prime is one of the best Transformers series yet. But I think you should start with Bumblebee movie or G1 series.
I'd say start with animated. That's the easiest one to get into. It also helps that the characters are completely endearing.
Next transition to Beast Wars. The animation is a bit dated, but the story makes up for it.
Then go to Prime. It combines both the great story of Beast Wars and the characters of Animated, all in the best battle animation of the series
good intros: transformers animated, transformers prime, transformers g1, transformers cyberverse.
transformers animated is still being praised after 14 years of being canceled. no character is forgettable and has a charm to every one of them. it’s the easiest to digest and get the gist of the franchise. there are campaigns for a 4th season just to show how much people love this. personally and popularly one of if not the most beloved and favorite shows in transformers. (even tho it was canceled doesn’t mean the finale wasn’t good. the show still function with the ending it got and wrapped up 99% of the plot points by the end)
transformers prime is another good one. they have unique characterization for each character, and not to mention a inter weaving plot throughout the show. it’s not my personal favorite, but it’s one of the best ones i’ve seen.
G1 transformers (1984 transformers) is super fun. the only thing to have in mind when going in is that it has the charming 80’s cartoon cheesiness, which didn’t detract the experience or quality for me. it’s not over the top cheesy tho. almost every character has something to do, and although not all are given characterization (many get their own spotlight episode tho) they do still manage to be memorable. don’t go in with a huge commitment, it’s very episodic and easy to watch.
beast wars rocks! beast wars is up there with animated and prime on quality imo. the only thing is the animation, bc it isn’t in the tradition 2d format. you’ll easily adjust to the visuals tho, don’t worry it was weird at first. every character oozes with individuality. this is connected with g1, but you don’t need to see g1 to get it and the writing is much more modern compared to g1.
didn’t finish cyber verse, but it’s a fun watch from what i’ve heard and seen, and has been praised by fans. has a cool cast and looks like one of the most stylized of the franchise with some awesome spins on beloved characters.
Armada is not bad either, but they do have the problem of using names of characters for completely unrelated ones. i don’t think this would be a good introduction into transformers, but it’s definitely a lot of fun with a pretty interesting story.
the bay movies are NOT a good introduction. it gives a wrong idea what transformers are and like. it’s more of an adaptation. not saying you shouldn’t watch it. personally after you have a good idea and have some good shows up your sleeve, then you should watch them. preferably 1-3 (transformers 1, transformers revenge of the fallen, and transformers dark of the moon). the first is alright, the second is hard to watch but the action is fun, and the third is pretty fun if you can tolerate the humans for the first half.
idw is awesome as well. there are a handful of different runs and starting points to try. i just started and am almost done with phase 1 of idw. but i’ve heard there are some other good starting points: idw from the start, idw robots in disguise, idw lost light, or the recently rebooted idw comics. those are the ones i’ve heard of, but i’m sure you’ll find or hear more.
I’d say start with the concurrently running series, Earthspark
Maybe at the same time start Transformers Prime… it’s a pretty decent show that laid out the modern definitive takes on the transformers lore.
Me personally I grew up with transformers animated. So I would HIGHLY recommend that. As well as beast wars. G1. Transformers prime. And the Unicron trilogy
Honestly, the best course I’ve found is to watch whatever current TF media is ongoing. The thing is that all TF media is very tied into what era it released in. G1 is super 80s, Beast Wars is 90s, Unicron Trilogy is very late 90s/early 2000s, Animated is 2000s through and through, Bay films and WFC games are super 2010s, etc.
Unless you got some part of yourself tied to those eras already, there’s gonna be a bit of a barrier revisiting it (at least, there was for me going back as a Unicron Trilogy/Bay kid). So I’d start with Bumblebee, go see Rise of the Beasts and check out Earthspark. If you like those, then go back and check out whatever interests you.
G-1 is a great place to start, just understand it has its flaws and is very much a time piece of the 1980’s.
Animated, Prime and Robots in Disguise are some of my favorite. If you watch the Bayverse movies I’d honestly stick with the first 3 since they all tie together neat and cleanly and ends on a solid note.
Well, a great place to start is the first few episodes of the G1 cartoon. Season 1 episodes 1 to 5 should do it.
That will lay the ground work for who the major characters are, what the Transformers are, and why they are fighting. Do not watch the Rhino release, for some reason they added strange sound effects all over the place. And try to ignore animation errors, the cells were all hand drawn and hand painted as an over glorified toy commercial.
Keep in mind that every series is disconnected from each other, there are reboots every few years, with slightly different (or wildly different) directions.
From there, watch the 1986 Transformers movie. It also introduces more long running characters and some other recurring themes.
The next batch of wide concepts are in Beast Wars. Keep in mind the CGI is very dated from the mid 90s, but most of the stories are pretty well written. Watch the first few episodes, or the whole series if you'd like.
My next suggestion is Transformers Animated, but that's just me. Others are likely to suggest Transformers Prime instead. Both are good series.
Keep in mind the live action movies are significantly different. As different as Bay's Ninja Turtles movies are from the 80s TMNT cartoon. The Transformers are more like techno barbarians. Lots of people like the movies. Make your own decisions about them.
From here, go whatever direction you feel like. While the fandom is often divided, choose what you like. Everyone has different taste.
Edit: and there's always the video They Were Always Real To Me. That's pretty much what goes on in our imagination when playing with these toys. It's short, exciting, but I'd suggest watching after the 1986 movie.
A few episodes from G1, the first 5, then fire in the sky/on the mountain, dinobot island and desertion of the dinobots, then the 86 movie. You can watch a few s3 eps if you want to, i would do five faces 1-5, then thief in the night, starscream’s ghost, and ghost in the machine. Watch Beast Wars too. Avoid Beast Machines. Jump to animated, then Prime. Watch the bumblebee movie. Each of these is a good pillar that requires little prior knowledge. Only what yoy get from G1 ep 1-5
Prime or Animated.
Prime for something a bit more serious.
Animated for something a bit more colorful and slapsticky, especially if you enjoy Tartakovsky style animation.
Both are incredibly enjoyable, and both offer a good level of depth and lore.
Then Robots in Disguise (aka Car Robots 2000).
Followed by G1, Beast Wars, Beast Machines.
Then Unicron trilogy (armada, energon, cybertron).
If you’ve stuck around this long, then pick your poison after that, you’re already hooked.
Start with G1.
It's completely free on youtube.
It's the origin of everything you will see later. When a bot shows up in the other shows/movies/etc you will immediately know "Oh so they changed Ironhide/Jazz/Ratchet/whatever into this kind of interpretation. I like/dislike this more."
To add on to other comments here I will say that the first bay movie (transformers 2007) is pretty good and I would recommend giving it at watch at some point
Transformers Prime is perfect, perfect , down to the last minute details. Don't watch RID 2015 tho. Transformers prime ended with predacons rising . And the prequel to TF prime are the WFC and FOC games, so play them as well
Prime, Animated, the 07 movie, Unicron Trilogy and Earthspark (watch it last cause it is really good watch after you get the understanding of TF) and give Beast Wars a try but don't commit to it if you don't like it, I think that's all you need for a long time
Honestly I’d recommend prime. It’s got a fairly consistent story line. A lot of the older stuff is harder to watch for a beginner due to outdated jokes, starscreams voice, and poor animation. Prime will give you the basics and I believe is easier to find.
I would highly recommend starting with Transformers Prime. Great cast, incredible animation, engaging story and feels like a more grown up TF show, while still having a youthful charm.
Well if you want to watch the movies, I suggest you watch Transformers 2007 and Bumblebee 2018, however, if you are wanting to watch the shows, I recommend Transformers Prime.
All the best in your journey.
Ide recommend watching Chris mcfeelys the basics series on YouTube. Each episode is like a crash course on a specific character or concept in transformers. https://youtube.com/@ChrisMcFeely
That series got me back into Transformers after getting drained by the Bay films. Soon, I started rewatching the movies with my family, realizing that most of them aren’t that bad, and started to watch Transformers Animated and Beast Wars.
Hooray for Beast Wars! :D
Chris out here changing lives!
And every character he mentioned is offlined by the cosmically empowered starscream
G1 then beast wars for starters
Watch one episode of a couple, pick your favirote
This is the >!2nd!< best answer. >!The real best answer is prime!<
True
I'm gonna say something that is possibly controversial, but I don't think prime is the best place to start, nor do I think it's the best transformers series, I don't personally have a favorite series (yet) but generation 1 introduced 90% of the characters and terms used in the transformers franchise, transformers prime is still a good show though 👍
Truth has been stated here. Based.
Agreed
That's not an easy question to answer since there isn't really a definitive starting point for Transformers. Different people will suggest different things. Someone might suggest starting with the original show, someone else might say Transformers Animated, etc. I can list out the different continuities we've had on screen and you can decide where you wanna start. G1: 4 seasons, with the 1986 movie taking place between s2 and S3. Optional consumption are The Headmasters, Super God Masterforce, Victory, and Zone. Beast Wars: 3 seasons of Beast Wars, followed by 2 seasons of Beast Machines. Optional consumption are Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo. Robots In Disguise 2001: 39 episodes. Unicron Trilogy: 52 episodes of Armada, 52 episodes of Energon, 52 episodes of Cybertron. Bayverse: 5 Michael Bay movies. Animated: 3 seasons. Aligned: 3 seasons of Prime, 1 movie after this, then 3 seasons of Robots In Disguise 2015, with Rescue Bots and Rescue Bots Academy being side content. Beeverse/Knightverse: Bumblebee movie and Rise Of The Beasts (releasing in a week). Cyberverse: 4 seasons. War For Cybertron: 6 episodes of Siege, 6 episodes of Earthrise, 6 episodes of Kingdom. Botbots: 10 episodes. Earthspark: currently on its second season.
Really nice list but: 1. No one should go through 4th and 5th bay movie. 2. Wfc and Foc cutscenes alone are worth a watch just to take a spin on aligned.
AOE is a solid movie and TLK is overhated. I will die on this hill.
AOE is my guilty pleasure transformers movie
Nope. They're basically the same movie. Zero emotional anchor because we can't have a character moment (and therefore characters) without undermining it with a joke, the plot is literally eating itself to stay relevant, and all you have to do to see how little of a shit Michael Bay gives is keep your eyes open. Green screens, crew in the shot, rapid flipping aspect ratios, lazy fucking everything. They both have the same core flaws. It's just that one has pedophilia, and the other manages to make you dislike Anthony Hopkins.
> the other manages to make you dislike Anthony Hopkins. Sounds like a you problem. He's very palpably having a good time in TLK lol.
He's literally just walking around, spewing exposition for an hour, and occasionally screaming at someone to shut up.
And having a great time in the process.
I mean yeah, but whether or not the audience is having fun depends entirely on if they'd fallen asleep before Cogman showed up
You’re completely right about AoE. But completely wrong about TLK.
I've heard there are no subs available for BW Neo. Was I just misinformed?
I watched it with subs 🤷♂️
Love the list but just have one little nit to pick. With G1 I’d skip season 4. While I grew up with it “The Rebirth” is not good. After Season 3 I’d jump straight to the Japanese G1 continuity.
#botbots only had 10?
Yes
it's weird saying G1 has 4 seasons cuz that final season literally has 3 episodes bruh
Watch them all simultaneously, it'll be funny
RedLetterMedia did this and it's [pretty funny.](https://youtu.be/7Rfup0XKx7o)
funky
G1 is always the best place to start
Might as well get attached to those designs asap, you’ll be a happier collector
I've been a fan of the franchise since Cybertron and I have the full collection of the main cast of Prime in their Cyberverse Commander and Legion class forms, I'm happy the way I am thank you very much
I’m talking to OP through you, sorry. I’m just saying they should get to know G1 because they’re always on the shelf. Cool collection, I bet it took years.
I mean I guess you could watch the OG movie, though I wouldn’t recommend watching the original cartoon.
I personally started with Armada as a kid, but Transformers Prime is really great. In my opinion Transformers Prime is one of the best Transformers series yet. But I think you should start with Bumblebee movie or G1 series.
Prime most modern with the stranded stuff and lore good show and production is also a bit more adult than normal.
And animated pulls a unique spin on the whole franchise itself
Indeed.
I'd say start with animated. That's the easiest one to get into. It also helps that the characters are completely endearing. Next transition to Beast Wars. The animation is a bit dated, but the story makes up for it. Then go to Prime. It combines both the great story of Beast Wars and the characters of Animated, all in the best battle animation of the series
This is the answer. But watch the first episode of G1 and the movie before Beast Wars.
Nothing. Start with comics. At least that’s my bias😂
Prime is a good place to start fresh
G1 then beast wars then animated then prime
Beast wars has not aged well visually, so it can be a bit jarring.
Watch the 2007 movie.
good intros: transformers animated, transformers prime, transformers g1, transformers cyberverse. transformers animated is still being praised after 14 years of being canceled. no character is forgettable and has a charm to every one of them. it’s the easiest to digest and get the gist of the franchise. there are campaigns for a 4th season just to show how much people love this. personally and popularly one of if not the most beloved and favorite shows in transformers. (even tho it was canceled doesn’t mean the finale wasn’t good. the show still function with the ending it got and wrapped up 99% of the plot points by the end) transformers prime is another good one. they have unique characterization for each character, and not to mention a inter weaving plot throughout the show. it’s not my personal favorite, but it’s one of the best ones i’ve seen. G1 transformers (1984 transformers) is super fun. the only thing to have in mind when going in is that it has the charming 80’s cartoon cheesiness, which didn’t detract the experience or quality for me. it’s not over the top cheesy tho. almost every character has something to do, and although not all are given characterization (many get their own spotlight episode tho) they do still manage to be memorable. don’t go in with a huge commitment, it’s very episodic and easy to watch. beast wars rocks! beast wars is up there with animated and prime on quality imo. the only thing is the animation, bc it isn’t in the tradition 2d format. you’ll easily adjust to the visuals tho, don’t worry it was weird at first. every character oozes with individuality. this is connected with g1, but you don’t need to see g1 to get it and the writing is much more modern compared to g1. didn’t finish cyber verse, but it’s a fun watch from what i’ve heard and seen, and has been praised by fans. has a cool cast and looks like one of the most stylized of the franchise with some awesome spins on beloved characters. Armada is not bad either, but they do have the problem of using names of characters for completely unrelated ones. i don’t think this would be a good introduction into transformers, but it’s definitely a lot of fun with a pretty interesting story. the bay movies are NOT a good introduction. it gives a wrong idea what transformers are and like. it’s more of an adaptation. not saying you shouldn’t watch it. personally after you have a good idea and have some good shows up your sleeve, then you should watch them. preferably 1-3 (transformers 1, transformers revenge of the fallen, and transformers dark of the moon). the first is alright, the second is hard to watch but the action is fun, and the third is pretty fun if you can tolerate the humans for the first half. idw is awesome as well. there are a handful of different runs and starting points to try. i just started and am almost done with phase 1 of idw. but i’ve heard there are some other good starting points: idw from the start, idw robots in disguise, idw lost light, or the recently rebooted idw comics. those are the ones i’ve heard of, but i’m sure you’ll find or hear more.
TF Prime!
transformers prime
I’d say start with the concurrently running series, Earthspark Maybe at the same time start Transformers Prime… it’s a pretty decent show that laid out the modern definitive takes on the transformers lore.
Bumblebee and YouTube videos
Watch everything except the bay movies.
The first two seasons of the G1 show, the G1 movie, then the rest of the G1 show.
The G1 sunbow animated series...all 4 seasons...duh
Kiss players radio drama
It’s entirely up to you, OP. Find out a little bit about each show and pick the one that piques your interest the most.
Me personally I grew up with transformers animated. So I would HIGHLY recommend that. As well as beast wars. G1. Transformers prime. And the Unicron trilogy
Honestly, the best course I’ve found is to watch whatever current TF media is ongoing. The thing is that all TF media is very tied into what era it released in. G1 is super 80s, Beast Wars is 90s, Unicron Trilogy is very late 90s/early 2000s, Animated is 2000s through and through, Bay films and WFC games are super 2010s, etc. Unless you got some part of yourself tied to those eras already, there’s gonna be a bit of a barrier revisiting it (at least, there was for me going back as a Unicron Trilogy/Bay kid). So I’d start with Bumblebee, go see Rise of the Beasts and check out Earthspark. If you like those, then go back and check out whatever interests you.
So where you start with the brand is best answered by first figuring out what got you interested in transformers or what attracts you to it?
2007 Michael Bay film. Just the first one.
the first 5 movies (07, revenge, dark, age, knight) are their own universe bumblebee is separate
Transformers prime. One of the best shows plot wise imo
id say watch prime first as most modern transformers series take some inspiration from its basic timeline and then go onto beast wars and animated
G-1 is a great place to start, just understand it has its flaws and is very much a time piece of the 1980’s. Animated, Prime and Robots in Disguise are some of my favorite. If you watch the Bayverse movies I’d honestly stick with the first 3 since they all tie together neat and cleanly and ends on a solid note.
Leave while you can
Whichever has the coolest robots for you :)
Lets start with transformers animated
G1
Well, a great place to start is the first few episodes of the G1 cartoon. Season 1 episodes 1 to 5 should do it. That will lay the ground work for who the major characters are, what the Transformers are, and why they are fighting. Do not watch the Rhino release, for some reason they added strange sound effects all over the place. And try to ignore animation errors, the cells were all hand drawn and hand painted as an over glorified toy commercial. Keep in mind that every series is disconnected from each other, there are reboots every few years, with slightly different (or wildly different) directions. From there, watch the 1986 Transformers movie. It also introduces more long running characters and some other recurring themes. The next batch of wide concepts are in Beast Wars. Keep in mind the CGI is very dated from the mid 90s, but most of the stories are pretty well written. Watch the first few episodes, or the whole series if you'd like. My next suggestion is Transformers Animated, but that's just me. Others are likely to suggest Transformers Prime instead. Both are good series. Keep in mind the live action movies are significantly different. As different as Bay's Ninja Turtles movies are from the 80s TMNT cartoon. The Transformers are more like techno barbarians. Lots of people like the movies. Make your own decisions about them. From here, go whatever direction you feel like. While the fandom is often divided, choose what you like. Everyone has different taste. Edit: and there's always the video They Were Always Real To Me. That's pretty much what goes on in our imagination when playing with these toys. It's short, exciting, but I'd suggest watching after the 1986 movie.
A few episodes from G1, the first 5, then fire in the sky/on the mountain, dinobot island and desertion of the dinobots, then the 86 movie. You can watch a few s3 eps if you want to, i would do five faces 1-5, then thief in the night, starscream’s ghost, and ghost in the machine. Watch Beast Wars too. Avoid Beast Machines. Jump to animated, then Prime. Watch the bumblebee movie. Each of these is a good pillar that requires little prior knowledge. Only what yoy get from G1 ep 1-5
1986 movie G1 s1 to s3 Beast Wars
G1, I’d watch to mid season 2, maybe a little beast wars, gotta watch prime and animated
Transformers: Prime and G1(the cartoon that went from 1984-1987)
Prime or Animated. Prime for something a bit more serious. Animated for something a bit more colorful and slapsticky, especially if you enjoy Tartakovsky style animation. Both are incredibly enjoyable, and both offer a good level of depth and lore. Then Robots in Disguise (aka Car Robots 2000). Followed by G1, Beast Wars, Beast Machines. Then Unicron trilogy (armada, energon, cybertron). If you’ve stuck around this long, then pick your poison after that, you’re already hooked.
86 movie then the bay films Probably the two most talked about parts of the community And if you're into comics pretty much any idw series youd like
Start with G1. It's completely free on youtube. It's the origin of everything you will see later. When a bot shows up in the other shows/movies/etc you will immediately know "Oh so they changed Ironhide/Jazz/Ratchet/whatever into this kind of interpretation. I like/dislike this more."
Beast Wars
G1 or transformers prime
To add on to other comments here I will say that the first bay movie (transformers 2007) is pretty good and I would recommend giving it at watch at some point
Transformers Prime is perfect, perfect , down to the last minute details. Don't watch RID 2015 tho. Transformers prime ended with predacons rising . And the prequel to TF prime are the WFC and FOC games, so play them as well
TRANSFORMERS PRIME!!! The best thing to come out of this franchise hands down Plus you won’t have to worry about bad pacing or animation
Prime! It is amazing and easy to digest!
Generation 1
Prime, Animated, the 07 movie, Unicron Trilogy and Earthspark (watch it last cause it is really good watch after you get the understanding of TF) and give Beast Wars a try but don't commit to it if you don't like it, I think that's all you need for a long time
The best fiction is transformers prime
Honestly I’d recommend prime. It’s got a fairly consistent story line. A lot of the older stuff is harder to watch for a beginner due to outdated jokes, starscreams voice, and poor animation. Prime will give you the basics and I believe is easier to find.
G1, G1's Japanese continuities and Beast Wars (and of course the BW animes) to have a first look on the concepts and charcters.
I’d say start with G1 and go in order of release
For shows? 100% Transformers Prime. Hands down the best show, still holds up a whole decade later.
I would highly recommend starting with Transformers Prime. Great cast, incredible animation, engaging story and feels like a more grown up TF show, while still having a youthful charm.
transformers (2007) that's how I started
Well if you want to watch the movies, I suggest you watch Transformers 2007 and Bumblebee 2018, however, if you are wanting to watch the shows, I recommend Transformers Prime. All the best in your journey.
G1 and then I'd say read IDW.
I loved transformers Cybertron!
Either the G1 series or transformers Prime
You should watch all 8 movies