Let’s face it, few television shows have been running for 40 years, and while theTransformersfranchise 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 differentabilities, powers, and stature, but they are generally fighting for energy for their home planet of Cybertron.
Update August 23, 2025: In honor ofTransformers: Rise of the Beastshitting 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’re able to imagine, with so many years and iterations, there were bound to be someTransformersshows that were hits and some that are misses in the franchise’s line-up. The prolific franchise has even spawned its own 24-hourchannel 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 theTransformersseries, ranked.
20Transformers: Zone
Actually meant to be the creation of anotherTransformersseries,Zoneonly 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 toVictory. 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.
19Transformers: 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 createdRescue 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 toTransformersrobots, and it does mention Autobot leader Optimus Prime on several occasions — so, that counts for something, right?
18Transformers: BotBots
Transformers: BotBotsfirst 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.
17Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001)
TheTransformersfranchise 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 ofRobots is Disguisedidn’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!
Related:Every Transformers Live-Action Movie, Ranked
16Transformers: Energon
The middle installment of the highly regarded and highly criticized Unicron Trilogy,Energonwas by far the weakest of the threeTransformersseries.Energonran 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. InEnergon, 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.
15Prime Wars Trilogy
Created by the same people that brought youRed vs. Blue, Rooster Teeth, before later being produced by Machima,Prime Warstried to do something different. The show was a much darker version ofTransformersand maybe gaveGame of Thronesvibesletting 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 inCyberverse.
14Beast Wars II
Not even close to capturing the original glory ofBeast Wars,Beast Wars IIaired 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 ofTransformersfans 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.
13Beast Wars Neo
A direct sequel toBeast Wars II,Neoran 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.
12Transformers: Go!
Transformers: Go!also known asTriple 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.
11Earthspark
Currently running on Nickelodeon,Earthsparkis firmlyin 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 inPrime Wars Trilogyas 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, butEarthsparkjust hasn’t had time to flesh itself out enough, so for now, here it is.
