Beast Wars: Transformers
Series, 1996, Syndication, Set in Prehistoric Earth
Beast Wars: Transformers is #21 of 28 in release order and #21 of 28 in chronological order in the Saturday Morning Cartoons.
The story
Two spaceships, one manned by benevolent Maximals, the other by evil Predacons, crash-land on a pre-humanoid planet while en route to Earth. Their crews assume indigenous animal forms to protect themselves from an overabundance of natural energy, transforming into robots to do battle. Thus, the Beast Wars have begun...
Beast Wars: Transformers recap
Hundreds of years after the original Transformers, two small crews, the heroic Maximals and the villainous Predacons, crash-land on a planet full of raw energon. To survive it, they take animal forms. Optimus Primal, a gorilla, leads Rhinox, Rattrap, Cheetor and Dinobot, a raptor who defected from the Predacons. Megatron, a T. rex, leads Tarantulas, Waspinator, Scorponok and Blackarachnia. The show, one of the first fully CGI series, ran in syndication from 1996 to 1999. The first season ends with the discovery that the planet is prehistoric Earth, with the original Autobots and Decepticons asleep in their crashed ship, the Ark. Megatron tries to change history by killing Optimus Prime. Dinobot dies stopping Megatron from destroying early humans. Later episodes introduce transmetal bodies, alien Vok, new crew members like Silverbolt and Tigatron, and Megatron's cruel clone Rampage. In season 3 Megatron goes after the Ark itself.
Beast Wars: Transformers ending explained
The finale, "Nemesis", has Megatron take over the Decepticon warship Nemesis, buried in the planet, and attack the Maximals. The Maximals destroy it, capture Megatron and return to Cybertron in a new ship, with Megatron as prisoner. The original Autobots and Decepticons are left safely asleep in the Ark, so history stays on course. The story continues in the sequel Beast Machines (1999 to 2000), which begins with Megatron escaping and taking over Cybertron.
Where to watch Beast Wars: Transformers
Beast Wars: Transformers is streaming on Prime Video, Hoopla, Plex, and Tubi in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.1/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Pinky and the Brain, before Godzilla: The Series.
- Chronological order: after Pinky and the Brain, before Godzilla: The Series.
Cast
- Garry Chalk as Optimus Primal (voice)
- David Kaye as Megatron (voice)
- Scott McNeil as Dinobot / Rattrap / Waspinator (voice)
- Ian James Corlett as Cheetor (voice)
- Richard Newman as Rhinox (voice)
- Venus Terzo as Blackarachnia (voice)
- Alec Willows as Tarantulas (voice)
- Jim Byrnes as Inferno (voice)
- Blu Mankuma as Tigerhawk (voice)
- Pauline Newstone as Airazor (voice)
- Colin Murdock as Quickstrike (voice)
- Don Brown as Scorponok (voice)
Created by Bob Forward, Larry DiTillio.