Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)

This article is about the real-world franchise. For the historical event within the fiction, see Beast Wars (event). For a list of other meanings, see Beast Wars (disambiguation).

Generation 1 continuity family « Beast Wars » Toyline 10th Anniversary toyline Various merchandise Commercials Cartoon Comics Video games Uprising

Beast Wars is a Transformers franchise that began in 1996, following the end of Generation 2. It was a massive reinvention of the brand, featuring robots that changed into realistic, organically styled animals instead of the traditional vehicles or mechanical beasts. The accompanying cartoon was another visual break, being the first fully-CGI Transformers series. It also did the seemingly unthinkable and replaced the original two factions, the Autobots and Decepticons, with the Maximals and the Predacons. Though originally decried by fans, Beast Wars dramatically reinvigorated the brand, the sales of which had been flagging under the Generation 2 franchise.

"Beast Wars" is also frequently used as a catchall term for the Beast Era in which Beast Wars and other series occur.

“	In the beginning came the beasts, and all that creeps, crawls and flies - but nature lies, they're robots in disguise!	”
—Commercial narrator Victor Caroli ushers in the new era

“

Their ancestors waged war across the galaxy. The conflict continues as two opposing factions renew their struggle for control of the universe. Once again, on a new battleground, "The Beast Wars" have begun...

”

Franchise elements

The Beast Wars franchise features the following primary components:

• A toyline — (1996–2000)
• A cartoon series — (1996–1999) called Beasties in many Canadian markets to appear less violent. Ha.
• A video game for PC and PlayStation based on Beast Wars (specifically, the original organic exterior versions).
• A video game for the Nintendo 64 based on Beast Wars (specifically, the Transmetal versions).
• A video game for the PlayStation, with the same name and general concept as the N64 game, but significant differences.
• A video game for the Game Boy Color based on Beast Wars, Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo.
• Several later comic series that retcon the cartoon and Japanese series.

Japanese release

Japanese Generation 1 continuity « Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers » Toyline Cartoons Comics Video games Commercials

In Japan, the first season of the North American cartoon was aired with a markedly "kiddified" dub, accompanied by releases of the concurrent toys. Then two cel-animated series unique to Japan were aired, with their own toylines and manga. After those finished, the remaining two North American CGI seasons were aired and toys released under the name "Beast Wars Metals".

While the Japanese-produced Beast Wars animated productions used cel animation, the toys' box art was rendered in a similar style to the original Mainframe cartoon, whereas the Western releases of the toys were the opposite, featuring hand drawn box art.

Continuations and addenda

There are several 'expanded' Beast Wars storylines featuring events taking place 'just offscreen' of the cartoon series. Though the events of cartoon series are understood to occur just as had been portrayed, the context may be different, taking place in different time periods, etc. These contradictory stories all co-exist within the vast Transformers Multiverse.

Most of these exist mainly through Beast Wars comics.

Highlights include:

• From 1997 to 2004, 3H featured a series of comics, toy-exclusives and text stories set in the same continuity as the Beast Wars and Beast Machines cartoon series, continuing into the Transformers: Universe series.
• IDW Publishing has produced 2 series and a profile sourcebook This continuity is notable for including toys and events from several Japanese Beast Wars series. (See Beast Wars timeline (IDW))
• Fun Publications Timelines imprint (2005–2016) has published several Beast Wars comics and text stories.
• In addition, the Fun Publications-exclusive Wings Universe, a nearly unaltered version of the North American G1 cartoon, also contains "Dawn of Future's Past", Beast Wars, and Beast Machines in its continuity.

Prehistoric Earth

The Beast Wars' exact time period was never specified within the show. Early on, Rhinox stated that they did not have the ability to determine how far in time they had traveled. Geographic location was equally vague: evidence in many episodes suggests African savannah, but characters would easily walk to snowy tundra or tropical rainforests, or fly to what may have been North America, as episode plots required. Both Megatron and Optimus Primal at times would say that the Great War between Autobots and Decepticons was four million years in the future - but they said this only after discovering the Ark. In the years after the cartoon ended several official dates have been given:

• 3,000,000 years ago — "Sixtrain! Activate Red Mode!!" — (2003) — (August, 2003)
• 180,000 BC — "Primeval Dawn Part 2" — (July, 2004)
• 70,000 BC — Beast Wars: The Gathering #2 — (March, 2006)

Each of these dates applies to a different continuity, so they do not conflict with one another. The Maximals and Predacons in those dimensions simply crashed at different times, but had otherwise identical adventures. (Generally with different events taking place 'offscreen' unique to each expanded continuity.)

Earth's geology and biology seen in the cartoon does not cleanly fit any of those eras, mostly due to the extremely rapid evolutionary development of the anthropoids.

"Other" Beast Wars

• The initial toys and the mini-comic packed with the basic Optimus Primal VS Megatron two-pack toy strongly implied that Beast Wars was a continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict on present day Earth, with Primal and Megatron simply new forms of Optimus Prime and the original Megatron. This setting was abandoned when the 1996 cartoon established its futuristic setting. This remains an intriguing micro-continuity.
• The war fought between the Maximals led by Lio Convoy and the Predacons led by Galvatron in the Japanese Beast Wars II series has been termed the "Second Beast Wars" by Transformers I.Q.
• A version of the Beast Wars occurred in the past of one Unicron Trilogy micro-continuity. The text story "Fire in the Dark" in the 2004 Transformers Legends anthology is set in this version of Beast Wars.
• The 2007 live-action movie franchise has a version of the Beast Wars in its past.
• The Animated franchise had its own Beast Wars as a campaign of the Great War fought on the planet Animatron.
• The 2013 Collectors' Club Magazine comic arc Beast Wars Shattered Glass features a group of Autobots and a group of Decepticons from the "Classicsverse" crashing on prehistoric Shattered Glass Earth and fighting as "Maximals" and "Predacons". The arc then concludes with the Shattered Glass reality's own Axalon and Darksyde being pulled from the future to prehistoric Earth.
• 2014's Beast Wars: Uprising depicts the Maximals and Predacons as creations of the Builders, former Autobots and Decepticons too decrepit to carry on their war. Pitted against one another in dystopic gladiatorial combat, the Maximal Guardian of Order Lio Convoy eventually sparks a rebellion against their hedonistic ancestors.
• In 2015, the Facebook edition of "Ask Vector Prime" described the Beast Wars of Aurex 615.03 Epsilon. This solar system-spanning conflict took place in Alpha Q's universe; both sides wound up adopting bizarre beast modes that varied by planet. Ask Vector Prime, 03/06/2015 Ask Vector Prime, 23/09/2015
• In 2017, Revolutionaries #5 introduced a very Beast Wars-like backstory into the 2005 IDW continuity, featuring a crew of bestial Transformers searching for Energon and crash-landing on prehistoric Earth aboard the Axalon. This sequence of events, however, spins into a version of the Hearts of Steel tale, with the survivors of the crash (brainwashed by Shockwave) eventually waking up in the 19th century and adopting steam-powered vehicle modes.

A dramatic change

The major change in direction for Transformers followed organizational changes within Hasbro. Hasbro had acquired rival toy manufacturer Kenner as part of their 1991 Tonka acquisition, and in 1995 they transferred their boys' toy lines from the Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island to Kenner's offices in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kenner was asked to revitalize the brand with new ideas, and that is exactly what they did.

Then lead designer Chris Gross inadvertently kicked off the Beast Wars concept when he proposed a stylistic change from hard-edged, blocky robots to Guyver-inspired "organic" machines. The "Beast Masks" on the first few Beast Wars toy designs were conceived of as a way of easing the transition from traditional Transformers into Beast Wars by showing that there was a robot within the beast, not just an animal that transforms into some kind of monster. The Beast Wars line title was inspired by a past toyline of Kenner's, namely the Future War line of Terminator toys. It was chosen based on the idea that it portrayed a "visceral conflict". The show would not have been made unless a drastically new concept from the original Transformers was created, as G1 was considered a stale property at the time.

Reception

Beast Wars was the first complete reinvention of the Transformers brand, discarding the previous setting/characters/factions to create a new story, set several hundred years in the future. Transformers in the Beast Era are much smaller (often human-sized) and transform into 'fleshy' non-robotic animals. Initially met with outrage by many fans (for a variety of reasons) Beast Wars would eventually become highly regarded, largely due to the exceptional quality of the cartoon series. It is now not unusual for even longtime 1980s The Transformers fans to consider Beast Wars to be their favorite Transformers franchise. This is perhaps best shown by the fact that, fifteen years later, the first two fan-chosen characters to enter the Transformers Hall of Fame were Dinobot and Waspinator.

20th Anniversary

After the Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary toyline and the bombastic celebration Hasbro threw for the Transformers brand in 2014 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the franchise, the Thrilling 30, the fandom waited with bated breath to see how Hasbro would handle 2016, the 20th anniversary of Beast Wars.

Alas, there was little fanfare from Hasbro proper. The one nod to the anniversary was the last-2015 release of the Year of the Monkey Optimus Primal, which did sport a celebratory logo.

Hasbro licensee Fun Publications paid more heed. They themed BotCon 2016 around Beast Wars and released several Beast Wars: Uprising prose stories, one of which included its own Chilling 20 logo as a joke.

TakaraTomy also released a bit of Beast Wars themed product in 2016. Exclusive versions of Rattle, Rhinox, and Waspeeter were available at Transformers Fes2016. They released a Masterpiece Optimus Primal for October 2016. E-HOBBY also released a new Convobat in December 2016. All in all, it was a rather lackluster showing for the sub-line which reinvigorated the brand.

25th Anniversary

The twenty-fifth anniversary in 2021 was met with significantly more fanfare, which featured the debut of the Beast Wars-themed third chapter of the War for Cybertron Trilogy toyline and cartoon, a new ongoing Beast Wars comic from IDW Publishing, and the announcement of the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts film, featuring Beast Wars characters.

Notes

• On April 4, 2019, Lorenzo di Bonaventura listed a live-action adaptation to Beast Wars as a potential future entry to the live-action film series. This would eventually manifest as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.