Title sequence

Mooooooom! Crosshairs and Pinpointer are making a title sequence!

A title sequence is the animation that accompanies the theme song or opening narration of a television series, introducing the audience to the show's characters and storyline on a visual level. Title sequences are some times comprised of original animation commissioned solely for the sequence, a collection of clips from actual episodes, or a mixture of both. Often times, the original animation commissioned for the title sequence is of vastly superior quality to the animation seen in the actual program. Often times, but not always. These sequences can range from thirty seconds to a minute and thirty seconds, depending on the length of the theme song or opening narration.

Generation 1 (US)

Theme song: The Transformers by Anne Bryant and Ford Kinder.

Each season of the Generation 1 cartoon boasted an original title sequence with varying performances of the original Transformers theme song. Seasons 1 and 2 each offered original performances of the theme song, while from season 3 onward, a third and final version was performed and used exclusively.

Season 1

Animation: Toei

The Autobot and Decepticon insignias fly by as Optimus Prime and several of his troops transform. After the title flips to different faction colors, the Seekers transform and fire upon several Autobot cars. Optimus Prime and Megatron join the battle. Skywarp clashes with Jazz and judo flips him, though Jazz transforms to car mode, lands, drives back and returns to robot mode, punching Skywarp in the face. Soundwave unleashes several of his cassette troops while Megatron transforms to gun-mode and fires on the Autobots. Both sides then fly into the air and behind a mountain, where the title pops out.

Season 2

Animation: Toei

The Autobot and Decepticon insignias go flying out from space and across the landscape of Cybertron before the scenery changes to that of Earth. The "Transformers" title then appears and is snatched in the jaws of Grimlock where it morphs into Thrust. Grimlock releases Thrust as the rest of the Dinobots transform and fire upon Blitzwing. Blitzwing transforms to tank mode and makes the mistake of firing upon Omega Supreme, who transforms to robot modenad squashes him beneath his heel. Scrapper picks up the remains of Blitzwing and Omega fires on the approaching Astrotrain, who transforms to space shuttle mode just as the tracks drop off into a pit of lava. Down in the lava, the Insecticons are swimming about for some reason. The lava then changes into a Tron-like grid where Optimus Prime and Megatron clash before sinking into a pit as the title explodes onto the screen.

Season 3 ("Five Faces of Darkness")

Animation: AKOM

This title sequence was used only for the "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes.

The Autobot and Decepticon insignias glide across the landscape of Cybertron, passing over several battered Decepticons, dogpiling ontop of a single Energon cube. As the Decepticons fight over the Energon, Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike choose this strategic time to blast their helpless foes with laser fire. Rodimus Prime then drives up and transforms to robot-mode within a wall of flames as the title appears on his chest. The scene shifts to Thrull, where Galvatron emerges from his plasma bath and fires on a nearby planet, destroying it. Beneath the planet, back on Cybertron, Daniel is confronted by Trypticon, only to be rescued by Metroplex. Then, on Quintessa, Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike are dropped into a Sharkticon pit and swim away in fear from one of the approaching beasts. The faction insignias then go racing again through space, this time to the planet Goo, where the Autobots are stuck in slime. Springer transforms to helicopter mode and rescues everyone but Rodimus Prime, who gets sucked into a giant spaceship. Rodimus blasts his way out of the ship as several letters scramble together to form the title.

Season 3

Animation: AKOM

A vector grid forms the disembodied head of Unicron, orbiting Cybertron. Ratbat flies through his eye as the scene shifts to the landscape of Cybertron and an entire army of Blitzwings in tank mode. One of them fires a blast at the audience which blows up the title. Out in space, Sky Lynx is chasing a unit of Sweeps and a miscolored Cyclonus through a field of space debris. Amid the debris is a TV set that shows Metroplex battling Trypticon. Grabbing Trypticon by the shoulders, Metroplex whirls him around into a crudely drawn tornado. That tornado then becomes the rings of Saturn, upon which are driving Blurr and Wheelie. Wheelie's spinning tire becomes the barrel of Galvatron's cannon, aimmed directly at the audience. The Decepticon insignia on his chest then rises up, becomes an Autobot insignia and then situates itself onto the chest of Blaster, who is engaged in a battle of Earth. Blaster transformers to boombox mode and emits several soundwaves. Those soundwaves then become the ripples in a pool of water filled with Sharkticons. A Sharkticon swims toward the audience and the darkness in its mouth becomes a space background and a platform. Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Kup (with Springer's head) come running over the platform and toward the audience. The platform is then revealed to be the title.

Season 4

Animation: Toei, AKOM

The animation for this title sequence is comprised of animation commissioned for several Transformers toy commercials as well as a few clips recycled from the season 3 title sequence.

Rodimus Prime and Blurr race across a wall and through an electrical field where they meet a distraught Kup. Scorponok then unites beautifully with his head. Elsewhere, the Technobots unite into Computron. Flywheels then transforms to robot mode and fires. Blitzwing appears with the title in front of his cannon in tank mode and blows it up (recycled season 3 footage). Above Cybertron, Triggerhappy and Blowpipe fire and land on the ground. Triggerhappy is immediately tackled by Sureshot. Spoilsport and Blowpipe transform out of gun-mode and clash. As they do, Crosshairs and Pinpointer arrive in vehicle mode and transform, only to immediately be tackled by Misfire and Aimless. On another planet, ship-mode Fortress Maximus blasts the approaching Terrorcons. The scene shifts to the barrel of Galvatron's cannon as his Decepticon insignia rises and becomes Blaster's Autobot insignia (recycled season 3 footage). Back on Cybertron, Sureshot and Triggerhappy are still going at it. On Earth, Metroplex transforms from battlestation mode to robot mode as he's fired upon by Bruticus. The scene shifts to the platform in outer space, as Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Kup (with Springer's head) run across it, revealing it to be the title (recycled season 3 footage).

Generation 2

Animation: ?

Rather than sport a theme song, the Generation 2 series featured new CG-animation accompanied by narration.

Optimus Prime drives over a bridge on some alien planet with two moons in the sky and transforms to robot mode as the narrator describes him as "More than meets the eye, he's a robot in disguise!" Optimus is then strafed by Ramjet in jet-mode. The narrator describes him and the Decepticons as "Going ballistic to destroy the Autobots". Ramjet transforms to robot mode and fires a missile into Prime's chest, damaging it, and then shoves him against the side of a cliff. Prime kicks Ramjet away and before he can stand back up, punches the fallen Ramjet square in the face (way to fight fair, Prime). Prime then begins stomping on the defeated Ramjet repeatedly with his foot while triumphantly firing his rifle into the sky (jeez, man). The narrator then explains to the audience the "Magic of the Cybernet Space Cube" and introduces the "computer enhanced stories of the Transformers".

Generation 1 (Japan)

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

Animation: Toei

Theme song: "TRANSFORMER" by Satoko Shimonari

The Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers title sequence in Japan consisted of the animation used for the US season 1 sequence with additional clips from "More than Meets the Eye" to pad out the full minute and twenty second length.

The Autobot and Decepticon insignias fly by as Prime, atop the Autobot one, transforms from truck to robot mode. The Japanese title then appears floating in space. The Seekers fly down and transform to robot mode, attacking several Autobot cars who transform to robot mode and fire back. Prime and Megatron join the battle as the two sides clash. Skywarp judo-flips Jazz, who transforms to car-mode as he lands, drives back, transforms to robot mode and punches Skywarp in the face. Soundwave unleashes several of his cassette warriors as Megatron transforms to gun-mode and fires upon the Autobots (recycled from US season 1 title sequence). Prime then commands a full line-up of Autobots to transform and they roll out over the desert (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3"). Underwater, Rumble causes an earthquake that begins destroying a dam. On top of the dam, Prime and Megatron battle with Energon-axe and Energon-mace, only for Prime to be knocked off the ledge (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"). At the ruby crystal mines of Burma, an explosion sends truck-mode Prime tumbling down the side of a mountain (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"). Out in the desert, Prime transforms from truck mode to robot mode and rushes toward the audience. Megatron transforms to gun-mode and is caught by Skywarp as Soundwave unleashes several of his cassette warriors (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3"). A trio of Air Warriors transform to jet-mode and fly off (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"). On Cybertron, Bumblebee transforms to his pre-Earth saucer-mode (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1"). In the desert, Soundwave and Rumble watch as Starscream transforms to jet-mode and flies off into the distance (recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1"). The Autobots and Decepticons then go flying behind a mountain. In the US version where the words creating the title would have popped out from behind the sides of the mountain, the Japanese title pops out from over top of the mountain (recycled from US season 1 title sequence).

Scramble City

Animation: Toei

Theme song: "TRANSFORMER" by Satoko Shimonari

Beast Wars (US)

Animation: Mainframe Entertainment

Beast Wars (Japan)

Beast Wars

Animation: Mainframe Entertainment

Beast Wars Metals

Animation: Mainframe Entertainment

Beast Machines

Animation: Mainframe Entertainment