Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)

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With sales of the Generation 2 toyline proving unremarkable by 1995, Hasbro faced a choice: end the Transformers brand for a second time, or completely revamp the concept. They chose the second option, and Beast Wars: Transformers was the result. The toys were initially developed and distributed by Hasbro's Kenner division, but with the massive success of Beast Wars, the parent company eventually reclaimed control of the brand. Beast Wars packaging was branded "Kenner" until the 1998 Transmetals 2 packaging sported "Hasbro" logos again. The European multilingual packaging variants already shifted back to "Hasbro" with the Fuzors and Transmetals.

The new franchise consisted entirely of robots who transformed into beasts: insects, mammals, and more. The traditional factions of Autobot and Decepticon were replaced with heroic Maximals and evil Predacons. Most radically, the beast modes were intended to represent fully natural and organic animals, as opposed to the "mechanical beasts" represented by the likes of Generation 1's Dinobots and Terrorcons.

In the beginning, came the beasts, and all that creeps, crawls and flies. But nature lies, they're robots in disguise!

Transmetals! They're extreme!

Transmetals 2! They're extremely extreme!

The Beast Wars toyline brought poseability to full fruition. Whereas Generation 2 marketed a handful of toys as "super poseable", Beast Wars made it standard for virtually every toy. Heavy use of ball joints gave the figures unprecedented degrees of freedom — often greater than that of a normal, non-transforming action figure. Poseability — a rarity in the days of G1 — became commonplace and expected after Beast Wars.

Concealed parts and weapons also became standard during Beast Wars. Again, Generation 2 had introduced a number of toys whose kibble had a place to store when not in use, but it was Beast Wars that made it a universal feature.

Beast Wars also introduced a standardized system of price points to Transformers: $5 Basics, $10 Deluxes, $15 Megas, and $20 Ultras. The price for Basics eventually rose to $7, but the system remained largely unaltered through the end of Beast Machines. Portions of the system continue to be used today (the Basics were "Scouts" during Cybertron, and the Mega has been replaced with the $20, slightly-larger "Voyager".) A rarely-seen, extra-large Super class was introduced with the Optimal Optimus toy in 1998.

The toyline evolved over its three and a half year run. 1996–97 featured purely-organic beasts exclusively. 1998 was dominated by two sublines: Fuzors, whose beast modes combined aspects of two different animals, and Transmetals, which featured metallic-finished chrome and sleekly mechanical beast modes. In 1999, the Transmetals 2 were the primary offering, featuring asymmetrical and often bizarrely patchwork fusions of mechanical and organic in both modes.

Beast Wars largely ended as a toyline when Hasbro elected to revamp the franchise and re-introduce vehicular Transformers, leading to the Beast Machines toyline. Though a new franchise, Beast Machines continued many aspects of the Beast Wars toyline including a number of major characters, the Maximal faction, and beast forms that combined mechanical and organic aspects. Furthermore, the Beast Wars title would continue to grace sporadic toys such as store exclusives, convention exclusives, a 10th anniversary line in 2006, and another 10th anniversary line for Japan in 2007.

1996

Basic Beasts

File:Rattrapbeastwarsbasic.jpg

Rattrap

Wave 1

• Iguanus (frilled lizard)
• Rattrap (rat)
• Razorbeast (razorback)
• Terrorsaur (Pteranodon)

Wave 2

• Armordillo (armadillo)
• Insecticon (stag beetle)
• Snapper (snapping turtle)

Deluxe Beasts

File:BeastWars Dinobot 1996 toy.jpg

Dinobot

Wave 1

• Cheetor (cheetah)
• Dinobot (Velociraptor)
• Tarantulas (tarantula)
• Waspinator (wasp)

Wave 2

• Rhinox (rhinoceros)
• Wolfang (wolf)

Wave 3

• Blackarachnia (black widow spider)
• Buzz Saw (wasp)
• Tigatron (white tiger)

Mega Beasts

• Polar Claw (polar bear)
• Scorponok (scorpion)

Ultra Beasts

Ultra-class Megatron. In 1996, this was seriously the most complex Transformer ever.

• Megatron (Tyrannosaurus rex)
• Optimus Primal (gorilla)

Comic 2-Pack

• Optimus Primal (fruit bat) vs Megatron! (crocodile)

Exclusives

Manta Ray

McDonald's Happy Meal

• Beetle (beetle)
• Manta Ray (manta ray)
• Panther (panther)
• Rhino (rhinoceros)
• Under-3 (lion head)

BotCon 1996

• Onyx Primal (bat)

1997

Basic Beasts

File:Airazorbwtoy1.jpg

Airazor

Wave 1

• Airazor (falcon)
• Razorclaw (fiddler crab)

Wave 2

• Claw Jaw (Humboldt squid)
• Drill Bit (Boll weevil)

Wave 3

• Lazorbeak (Pteranodon)

Wave 4

• Powerpinch (earwig)
• Snarl (Tasmanian Devil)
• Spittor (poison arrow frog)

Deluxe Beasts

File:BWBantorToy.jpg

Bantor

Wave 1

• Cybershark (hammerhead shark)
• Jetstorm (dragonfly)

Wave 2

• Bonecrusher (American bison)
• Manterror (praying mantis)

Wave 3

• Grimlock (Velociraptor)

Wave 4

• K-9 (German Shepherd)
• Retrax (pill bug)

Mega Beasts

Inferno

Wave 1

• Inferno (fire ant)

Wave 2

• B'Boom (mandrill)

Wave 3

• Transquito (mosquito)

Ultra Teams

File:Magnaboss-bw-toy.jpg

Magnaboss

• Magnaboss, includes:
  • Ironhide (African elephant)
  • Prowl (lion)
  • Silverbolt (bald eagle)
• Tripredacus, includes:
  • Cicadacon (cicada)
  • Ram Horn (rhinoceros beetle)
  • Sea Clamp (lobster)

MicroVerse

• Arachnid (spider/Predacon base)
• Orcanoch (orca whale/Maximal base)

Exclusives

BotCon 1997

• Fractyl (Pteranodon) & Packrat (rat)

1998

Basic Fuzors

Quickstrike

Wave 1

• Air Hammer (hammerhead shark/hawk Fuzor)
• Quickstrike (scorpion/cobra Fuzor)

Wave 2

• Noctorro (bull/bat Fuzor)
• Terragator (alligator/terrapin Fuzor)

Wave 3

• Bantor (baboon/tiger Fuzor)
• Buzzclaw (praying mantis/lizard Fuzor)

Deluxe Fuzors

Torca

Wave 1

• Silverbolt (wolf/eagle Fuzor)
• Sky Shadow (iguana/dragonfly Fuzor)

Wave 2

• Injector (lionfish/hornet Fuzor)

Wave 3

• Torca (orca whale/elephant Fuzor)

Deluxe Transmetals

File:Transmetal rhinox toy.jpg

Transmetal Rhinox

Wave 1

• Cheetor (Transmetal cheetah)
• Rhinox (Transmetal rhinoceros)
• Tarantulas (Transmetal tarantula)

Wave 2

• Rattrap (Transmetal rat)
• Waspinator (Transmetal wasp)

Wave 3

• Airazor (Transmetal falcon)
• Terrorsaur (Transmetal Pteranodon)

File:BW Megatron Transmetal.jpg

Transmetal Megatron

Mega Transmetals

Wave 1

• Megatron (Transmetal Tyrannosaurus rex)
• Optimus Primal (Transmetal gorilla)

Wave 2

• Scavenger (Transmetal fire ant)

Ultra Transmetals

Rampage

• Depth Charge (Transmetal manta ray)
• Rampage (Transmetal crab)

Super Transmetals

• Optimal Optimus (Transmetal gorilla)

VHS packs

Regular

• Airazor (falcon)
• Razorclaw (fiddler crab)

European exclusive

• Claw Jaw ("Transmetal" Humboldt squid)
• Spittor ("Transmetal" poison arrow frog)

These two VHS packs featured English/German/Italian trilingual packaging (a unique combination for the line), although it's unknown if they actually saw release outside the United Kingdom.

Exclusives

BJ's Wholesale Club

• Dinobot (Velociraptor) and Tigatron (white tiger)
• Rhinox (rhinoceros) and Blackarachnia (black widow spider)
• Wolfang (wolf) and Buzz Saw (wasp)

These two-packs include 1996 Deluxe Beasts, identical to their original releases. The two carded toys are joined together by a larger piece of cardboard.

McDinobot. Not to be confused with MG-Dinobot.

McDonald's Happy Meal

• Blackarachnia (Transmetal black widow spider)
• Dinobot (Transmetal Velociraptor)
• Scorponok (Transmetal scorpion)

BotCon 1998

• Antagony (fire ant)
• Vice Grip (earwig)

1999

Basic Transmetals 2

Transmetal 2 Spittor

Wave 1

• Optimus Minor (Transmetal 2 spider monkey)
• Scarem (Transmetal 2 stag beetle)
• Sonar (Transmetal 2 bat)

Wave 2

• Spittor (Transmetal 2 poison arrow frog)
• Stinkbomb (Transmetal 2 skunk)

Wave 3

• Nightglider (Transmetal 2 flying squirrel)

Deluxe Transmetals 2

Ramulus

Wave 1

• Cheetor (Transmetal 2 cheetah)
• Dinobot (Transmetal 2 Velociraptor)
• Ramulus (Transmetal 2 ibex)

Wave 2

• Prowl (Transmetal 2 owl)
• Scourge (Transmetal 2 locust)

Wave 3

• Iguanus (Transmetal 2 frilled lizard)
• Jawbreaker (Transmetal 2 spotted hyena)

Mega Transmetals 2

Wave 1

• Cybershark (Transmetal 2 great white shark)

Wave 2

• Blackarachnia (Transmetal 2 black widow spider)

Ultra Transmetals 2

File:BWdragonmegs toy.jpg

Transmetal 2 Megatron

Wave 1

• Megatron (Transmetal 2 dragon)

Wave 2

• Tigerhawk (Transmetal 2 tiger/falcon Fuzor)

Fox Kids Tarantulas

Fox Kids Deluxe Classics

Wave 1

• Jungle Roar Cheetor (cheetah)
• Live Wire Dinobot (Velociraptor)
• Energon Surge Rhinox (black rhinoceros)
• Power Flight Waspinator (hornet)

Wave 2

• Mech-Tech Cheetor (Transmetal cheetah)
• Steel Force Tarantulas (Transmetal tarantula)

Initial Hasbro solicitations gave the toys in the Fox Kids assortment "power up"-style descriptors, but these did not make it to their final packaging.

Exclusives

Walmart

• Rattrap (Transmetal rat)

BotCon 1999

• Windrazor (wolf/eagle Fuzor)
• Sandstorm (scorpion)

2000

Deluxe Beasts

2000's Deluxe assortment featured a mixture of Fox Kids-branded redecoes, with large "NEW!" call-outs, and Mutants, which sported a unique Mutant Beast Wars logo.

File:Rattrap transmetal2000.jpg

Fox Kids Rattrap

Mutant Razor Claw

Wave 1

• Rattrap (Transmetal rat, Fox Kids redeco)
• Rhinox (Transmetal rhinoceros, Fox Kids redeco)

Wave 2

• Poison Bite (barracuda/scorpion Mutant)
• Razor Claw (Velociraptor/wolverine Mutant)

Wave 3

• Airazor (Transmetal falcon, Fox Kids redeco)
• Icebird (polar bear/snowy owl Mutant)

Wave 4

• Soundwave (alligator/bat Mutant)
• Waspinator (Transmetal hornet, Fox Kids redeco)

Exclusives

BotCon 2000

• Shokaract (Transmetal crab)

2001

File:TripredacusAgent toy.jpg

Tripredacus Agent (Ravage)

Exclusives

Walmart

• Tripredacus Agent (Transmetal 2 black jaguar)

BotCon 2001

• Tigatron (Transmetal white tiger, BotCon 2001)

Innovations and lasting effects

• Beast Wars made ball joints, first used on a wider scale by the Generation 2 Cyberjets, a regular feature of Transformers toys.
• Beast Wars was also the first toy line to commonly integrate the robots' weapons and accessories into the alternate mode, thus avoiding extraneous kibble (in the original meaning of the term) and/or obvious attached weapons and accessories.
• As noted above, Beast Wars finally established standardized size classes/price points and multiple assorted waves of the same price point per year.
• Furthermore, Beast Wars made redecos and retools of toys from previous waves a lot more prevalent than had been the case in previous lines.
• Lastly, Beast Wars packaging introduced the use of twist ties, to the anger of a lot of fans.

Notes

The Universe (2008) toyline includes toys marked as "Beast Wars series".

Foreign names

• French: Ani Mutants (France), Guerre Bêtes (Canada)
• Italian: Biocombat
• Spanish: Guerra Bestias (America)