Let's face it, few television shows have been running for 40 years, and while the Transformers franchise hasn't been running one specific, consistent show throughout that time, they all revolve around generally a main cast of characters and the idea of the evil Decepticons or Predacons trying to best the heroic Autobots or Maximals. That cast may have different abilities, powers, and stature, but they are generally fighting for energy for their home planet of Cybertron.
Update July 17, 2023: In honor of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hitting PVOD, this article has been updated to include even more entries in the Transformers franchise for anyone looking to get their Transformers fix.
As you can imagine, with so many years and iterations, there were bound to be some Transformers shows that were hits and some that are misses in the franchise's line-up. The prolific franchise has even spawned its own 24-hour channel on Pluto TV. Since the dawn of the 21st century, Transformers has been going stronger than ever. Thanks to the successful live-action movie, there has been some form of a Transformers animated series on at some point in time, welcoming a new generation of fans into the fold. Everyone has their first Transformers experience, and with so many series, it is likely that one was someone's first entry point into the franchse. These are all the Transformers series, ranked.
20 Transformers: Zone
Actually meant to be the creation of another Transformers series, Zone only lasted one episode and was only released in Japan. The show was meant to be an extension of G1 through one of the three G1 series released in Japan, being a direct sequel more specifically to Victory. The premise was the Nine Great Decepticon Generals being revived by the Dark Emperor to crush the Autobots for good, but Dai Atlas, a new hero, rose from their ranks and lit their darkest hour — wait, wrong series to quote that.
19 Transformers: Rescue Bots
Much like candy and soda makers cramming sugar down consumers' throats at an early age to get them hooked, Hasbro followed the lead and created Rescue Bots. The show ran for four seasons from 2011-2016 and was aimed at a much younger audience than other entries on this list, but it does succeed in introducing a young audience to Transformers robots, and it does mention Autobot leader Optimus Prime on several occasions — so, that counts for something, right?
18 Transformers: BotBots
Transformers: BotBots first aired on Netflix in 2022 and is an ongoing show that many children enjoy. While part of the larger Transformers universe, it is a rather distant spin-off as no major characters like Optimus Prime or Bumblebee appear. It is a more kid-friendly entry point for the franchise. It is a fun show for children, even though older Transformer fans might not like it all that much. It features characters such as Burgertron, Dim-lit, Bonz-eye, Clogstopper, Kikmee, and many more.
17 Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001)
The Transformers franchise has run so long, they have even had to use the same name in two wildly different shows. Running for one season, the first iteration of Robots is Disguise didn't score well overall with fans due to confusion on a specific place in the timeline. There were no real nods to where it stood except a vague reference or two to "Cybertronian Mythology." It has since been treated as a standalone. The series did introduce us to a very memorable and lovable character that is still popular among fans today, however, in the form of the Sky-Byte, the Cyber Shark!
16 Transformers: Energon
The middle installment of the highly regarded and highly criticized Unicron Trilogy, Energon was by far the weakest of the three Transformers series. Energon ran for one season in 2004 and was loosely connected to the events of its predecessor, Armada. The link is not clear, however, as, in the latter, the Autobots and Decepticons can fight each other on a one-on-one basis with the help of mini-cons. In Energon, however, the Autobots combined with each other on a much larger level than before, which created the notion that a single Autobot could not defeat a Decepticon on their own. This didn't resonate well with fans of the franchise.
15 Prime Wars Trilogy
Created by the same people that brought you Red vs. Blue, Rooster Teeth, before later being produced by Machima, Prime Wars tried to do something different. The show was a much darker version of Transformers and maybe gave Game of Thrones vibes letting audiences know not to get to attached to your favorite character. If you liked a character in the show, they probably died. It ran from 2016 to 2018 online, and the show was intended to be a sequel to G1 but doesn't quite mesh with the timeline as Starscream was still alive, and, not only that, the Autobots trusted him. Megatron was also involved in the show, claiming he had fought off the darkness of Unicron's embodiment, Galvatron, and reverted to his former self, which had never been mentioned before. Audiences were, however, introduced to Windblade, the now-popular female Transformer, who went on to co-star alongside Bumblebee in Cyberverse.
14 Beast Wars II
Not even close to capturing the original glory of Beast Wars, Beast Wars II aired only in Japan. The series ran 43 episodes and spawned a "movie," which was really an extended episode. The show was aimed at a younger audience of Transformers fans and did very little to take itself seriously, but the action in the series in pretty well done, which cements its placement in this list a little higher than some other selections.
13 Beast Wars Neo
A direct sequel to Beast Wars II, Neo ran for one season in Japan and followed the same animation style as its predecessor. The show followed the events of its parent series with a search party gimmick as the Maximals were tasked with finding their leader only to meet some resistance by the Predacons. Later, the two sides teamed up to fight Unicron, who did not appear in Chaosbringer form as he had in previous iterations.
12 Transformers: Go!
Transformers: Go! also known as Triple Combination: Transformers Go! is a toyline and anime series that was exclusive to Japan. The series was mostly created to promote some new characters available in the toy line and had a total of 10 episodes and ran from 2013 to 2014. In this series, the demon emperor of the Predacons, called Dragotron, is unearthed from his slumber. To stop them, Isami Tatewaki and Tobio Fuma revive the Swordbot Samurai and Swordbot Shinobi teams. People seemed to really enjoy the series even though it had a short airtime. The story was gripping, and the animation was great as well.
11 Earthspark
Currently running on Nickelodeon, Earthspark is firmly in the middle of the list for one reason: it is still finding itself. Time will tell if this series will ultimately be higher or lower on this list, but middle of the pack is fair for its current situation. The show follows a post-Great War perspective, where Megatron and Optimus are both on the same side, at least for now. This happened in Prime Wars Trilogy as well and is always interesting when it occurs.
It has resonated very well with the fandom so far and has even made callbacks to G1. In the first episode, we see flashbacks that included sharp animation stills of historic Cybertronians. The action is solid, and the story seems to be coming together nicely, but Earthspark just hasn't had time to flesh itself out enough, so for now, here it is.
10 War For Cybertron Trilogy
This may be a highly criticized placement on this list as the show left fans of the franchise divided, but it did something that has rarely been done. Airing on Netflix from 2020 to 2021, the production took a chance and explored the early days of the Great War. Siege, Earthrise, and Kingdom succeeded in what it set out to do with an original take on the franchise and going into territory that just hasn't been explored. When we first see the Autobots and Decepticons in G1, we see Wheeljack and Bumblebee scraping for energon, and, before you know it, it's 4 million years later on Earth. That's a lot of territory before and after to explore.
Additionally, as well as frankly, the criticisms of the show just aren't valid. The show was marginally criticized for a sub-par voice cast, but in our interview with showrunner F.J. Desanto, he explains it came down to budget, saying, "If I hire Peter Cullen, there goes half my budget." This is an example where the fan base as a whole may need to step back and examine more than what supposedly met the eye.
9 Beast Machines
A direct sequel to Beast Wars, Beast Machines ran from 1999 to 2000 and offered a unique animation design, with more clear and crisp improvement over some of the shaky CGI that presented itself in Beast Wars. However, some of the character designs and techo-organic transformations just failed the eye test as a product of actual design. The story did dive into where things were left off in the previous series, but the overall flow and action seemed repetitive at times. Still, the series had stellar voice acting along with the animation and story and did quite well for itself to accomplish the story it was trying to tell.
8 Robots in Disguise 2015
Running from 2015 to 2017, RID 2015, as it's now known, offered another unique perspective on the franchise highlighting a team that is mainly led by fan-favorite character Bumblebee, with Optimus Prime's presence being felt, but physically not joining the show until later, outside of visions. The show was a sequel to Transformers Prime in story but not in tone, as RID 2015 was mainly geared toward a younger audience. The show revolved around the Bee-led team and their efforts to thwart a Decepticon presence on Earth from a crashed prison ship and was very good at portraying some lesser-known characters while creating new images and expanding the overall mythos of the franchise.
7 Transformers Armada
The first installment of the Unicron Trilogy aired from 2002 until 2003. Armada was geared towards a wider audience and introduced new character designs and, in some cases, new names to already established characters in the franchise. The audience is introduced to Mini-Cons, micro Transformers that can enhance an individual Transformer's abilities or, in some cases, can combine themselves into much deadlier weapons such as the dreaded Star Saber.
The show is very fondly remembered, and many fans argue that Armada Starscream, in particular, is the best version we have seen of the character to date. Compared to the cowardly but menacing version we get most of the time, Armada's take on the character adds honor and courage to the Decepticon, who, late in the series, teams up with the Autobots.
6 Transformers Cybertron
Running throughout 2005, Cybertron has one of the best animation styles of the entire franchise, save for Transformers Prime. Clear, cell-shaded CGI helps create robots and action that virtually leaped off the screen. Additionally, a very diverse cast of characters is introduced throughout the show, something not many series had done since G1 wrapped up in the 90s. The show, once again, re-imagined fan favorites and introduced new ones, such as Vector Prime and Override, characters that are still in production and sought after today. The series combined great designs with a really well-fleshed-out story to end the Unicron Trilogy in a very successful manner.
5 Transformers Cyberverse
Running from 2018 to 2021, Cyberverse started out as a unique story before evolving into what you would expect from a Transformers show: war and action. Bumblebee once again takes center stage as he, with the help of fan-favorite Windblade, struggles to reclaim his memories of events that led him to Earth. The show eventually grows into a somewhat darker tone, with Transformers characters being killed off in somewhat brutal ways, including acid being poured over the head of a titan. Cyberverse does succeed in having something for every generation of fans of the franchise before an all-out war in the single episode fourth season.
4 Transformers Animated
An incredibly unique take on the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, Animated, which ran from 2007 to 2009, re-imagined some of the most popular heroes in the franchise as, well, weaklings. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, new addition Bulkhead, and others were ordinary workers with no real fighting skills when they are thrown into the battle with the much larger and more powerful Decepticons.
The show introduced more characters, such as Shockwave as spy and traitor Longarm Prime, the Dinobots, Swindle, and others as it went along, and the expanded story provided great action and a wonderful payoff that appealed to kids on the surface, but it did grow darker in later seasons, like how Blurr was killed off...yikes.
3 Beast Wars
Running from 1996 to 1999, Beast Wars may have saved the franchise (via MSN). Not much had been done with the property after G1, and Hasbro seemed to place their faith in the franchise in a completely new direction: Transformers that turn into animals. A very complex yet concise story aided the show, which was done using early CGI. Additionally, the show was constantly making callbacks to the original series, something that aided its familiarity with fans. Maximals and Predacons were from the future, and the audience knew it.
The villain was clearly using the name Megatron, yet we knew it wasn't THE Megatron. It felt...different, yet the same. The story had silly moments, but occasionally the bad guys won, which didn't happen prior to this. Beast Wars tread into unknown waters, and it succeeded, so much so that audiences got to see many of the characters in the recently released film Rise of the Beasts.
2 G1
The series that started it all, running in the U.S. in 1984 for 98 episodes there, before continuing in Japan until 1990, Generation One introduced kids everywhere to a hero that every parent and child seemed to love: Optimus Prime. His valiant Autobots fought the evil Decepticons at every turn, and upon his death in the 1986 film, parents everywhere flipped out. Letter campaigns were launched to save the beloved hero or bring him back, and in a time before the internet, the campaign worked. Optimus was revived, and the show found itself again.
Ripe with delightful animation errors and plot holes, G1 was typical 80s at its best and worst, and even was able to compile a list of very influential episodes such as "The Golden Lagoon." A very diverse cast of characters, numbering over 100, made this show truly something special, and it captured the imagination of children everywhere, creating a franchise that is top 15 in gross revenue to this day.
1 Transformers Prime
How is G1 not number one? Simple: the fans. Running from 2010-2013, many regard Prime as the best series the franchise has to offer, and for good reason. The show took an incredibly dark tone, and it worked. With sharp CGI, great story telling, relatable, familiar characters, fresh takes on character designs, and more, the show took risks that combined certain new takes from Michael Bay films and combined them with Transformers lore, and the product was successful and fresh.
Combined with a fresh score to accompany the action, the show evolved into something special over its run and, to this day, marks the how, what, and why a Transformers show should be: dark, fun, and imaginative. Prime got many things right versus very few things wrong, and that resonated with older fans everywhere, as well as fans the show itself created.