Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)

This article is about the real-world franchise. For the historical event within the fiction, see Beast Wars (event).

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, whose sales 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

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.
• A video game for PC and PS based on Beast Wars.
• A video game for PS and N64 based on Beast Wars.
• A video game for 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

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 cell 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 complete reverse, featuring hand drawn box art (fueling speculation that the Japanese toys had their packaging done in Soviet Russia).

• Beast Wars
• 1998 — Beast Wars II
• 1999 — Beast Wars Neo
• Beast Wars Metals

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 1997–2004, 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–?) has published several Beast Wars comics and text stories.

Prehistoric Earth

The Beast Wars' time period (like its exact location,) was never established during the cartoon's original run. In the years after the cartoon ended several official dates have been given:

• 3,000,000 years ago — Reissue Sixtrain Booklet — (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 or "alternate dimension" within the Transformers Multiverse, 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.)

Though Earth's geology and biology seen in the cartoon does not fit any single era, the loose "window" of 70,000–180,000 B.C. seems to represent two extremes that are "about right."

"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.
• A version of the Beast Wars occurred in the past of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family. One 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.

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 Cincinnati, Ohio offices. Kenner was asked to revitalize the brand with new ideas, and that is exactly what they did.

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 Generation 1 fans to consider Beast Wars to be their favorite Transformers franchise.

Notes

• The Beast Wars line title was inspired a past line of Kenner's, namely Future War line of Terminator toys. It was chosen based on the idea that it portrayed a "visceral conflict".

• 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.

• 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. This initial concept would arise again a decade later with the Transformers live action character designs.

• 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. Hence, Beast Wars.