The classic animated series Transformers is now 40 years old, and so is the Transformers franchise as a whole. Now affectionately regarded as the cartoon that started it all, it introduced legions of viewers to iconic names like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, Starscream and more. Running for four “full seasons,” the series defined what many associate with the Transformers brand to date.

Although all four seasons are part of the original Transformers show, each one is quite different from the other. This leads to divergences in the characters that are focused on, as well as the overall quality. While not every episode or season was a winner, it’s unlikely that Transformers The franchise as fans know and love it would be anywhere without the iconic Generation 1 cartoon.

4 The truncated season 4 is the most controversial season of The Transformers

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Composed of three episodes, the “fourth season” of Transformers consisted only of a three-part storyline called “The Renaissance.” In this chain of events, the Autobots and Decepticons find themselves on the alien planet of Nebulon, where they encounter the good and evil factions of the green-skinned Nebulans. The heroic Nebulans ally themselves with the Autobots, while the evil “Hive” teams up with the Decepticons. Using a process known as “binary bonding” in the comics, armored suits and cyborg reconfigurations are used to transform these Nebulans into Directors and Target Masters.

Among them are the gigantic Decepticon “Titan” director known as Scorponok (the binary “Transtector” of hive leader Zarak) and his Autobot counterpart, Fortress Maximus (who unites the pacifist Autobot Cerebros with the Autobots’ human ally Spike Witwicky). While it was certainly nice to see all of these characters and concepts come to fruition in the animated series, this final season of Transformers It was definitely a disappointment. The series was canceled, meaning that the originally planned plot was reduced to a three-part season finale. As a result, characters from an entire year of the series had to be introduced in just three episodes.

Not only were these the normal Headmasters and Targetmasters (whose heads or weapons transformed into little Nebulan robots), but also the Headmaster Titans, the Triple Headmaster Horrorcons, the Autobot and Decepticon clones, and the Decepticon Hex-Changer, Sixshot. It was an absolute disaster that cemented the idea that the cartoon was only there to sell toys. Given how quickly attention had to shift to these characters, Season 4 barely achieved that goal. In Japan, the events of Season 4 of Transformers were ignored, with several Japanese exclusives Transformers anime produced to replace them.

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Starting with the mini-series “More Than Meets the Eye,” Transformers Season 1 introduced the foundations and status quo of the series and brand. The story featured a fleet of Autobots and Decepticons crash-landing on Earth, where their war began again. Fighting for resources such as Energon, both factions bolstered their ranks with different subgroups while allying with or terrorizing humans.

In addition to mainstays like Optimus Prime and Decepticon leader Megatron, the first season featured many classic G1 characters who have since become equally beloved and ubiquitous parts of the franchise. These included the airborne Autobot Jetfire, the combined might of Devastator and the Constructicons, and the prehistoric terror of the violent but valiant Dinobots.

Transformers Season 1 was mostly episodic, with a few ongoing storylines throughout its run. It’s undoubtedly a product of its time, with character development being lax for much of its sprawling cast. Still, the basic quirks and personalities of many of the robots in disguise were set in stone, whether it was the Dinobots’ harsh nature, Starscream’s treacherous antics, the Insecticons’ hypocritical mindsets and speech patterns, or Soundwave’s cold, robotic loyalty. For these reasons, it’s both important and entertaining, as it provides a glimpse of the franchise at its most raw.

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In many ways, the second season of Transformers took what made the first season work and multiplied it. Fan favorites like the Dinobots were featured more prominently than ever, and they were joined by various new “toys.” These included the Mini-Bots Warpath, Powerglide, Seaspray, and Cosmos, all of whom either had unique personalities or played pivotal roles among the Autobots. The Autobots and Decepticons had their own new Combiner teams, with one of these teams—the Combaticons—born out of Starscream’s betrayal and ingenuity. This built on character elements introduced in the first season, showing that the series was not simply a “toy commercial.”

More importantly, integral parts of the series’ mythos were added in the second season of Transformers. This included the origins of Optimus Prime, the nature of Vector Sigma’s key, and the tragic former friendship between the Constructicons and the seemingly simplistic Autobot Omega Supreme. The series also featured more episodes and storylines tied to the Transformers’ homeworld of Cybertron. Once again, this meant that some characters were simply there because they had corresponding toys that had just been released. Perhaps the biggest example of this was the Throttlebots, who had no real purpose or special gadgets. Even with these issues, Season 2 of Transformers It was the pinnacle of what many fans remember about the series.

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Taking place after the events of Transformers: The Movie (which itself took place decades after season 2), season 3 of Transformers is perhaps the most controversial of the series. After all, the cast was almost entirely comprised of characters introduced in the films, whether it was the Autobots’ new leader, Rodimus Prime, or Galvatron, Megatron’s new maniacal form. Set in the future of 2005, even the basic status quo was different, with the Autobots and Earth’s human delegates (including an adult Spike and his wife, Carly) frequently interacting with alien worlds and nations.

The Autobots were now the “strong” faction, with the Decepticons on the run and residing on the Husks’ hollow world known as Chaar. It was a much different dynamic, but it kept the series fresh as a result. Season 3 of Transformers was much darker and more serious, almost resembling a cyberpunk series at times. This was reinforced by the new score, which emulated the dark electronic music Vince DiCola had composed for Transformers: The filmThe shocking origin of the Transformers has been revealed, linking them to new villains also seen in the film.

New Combiners and Titans were introduced, while the characters from the film were more developed than ever. Chief among them was Rodimus Prime, who struggled with the guilt he felt over replacing Optimus Prime. Similarly, Kup had to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder derived from a monster named Chaos, while Galvatron was enraged to such a level that the other Decepticons briefly tried to force him onto a corrupt “therapeutic” planet. The deadly Decepticons even took advantage of the Autobot leader’s insecurity, with Scourge briefly stealing the Autobots’ Matrix of Leadership. This was after a zombified version of Optimus Prime was used to trick the Autobots, though he returned once and for all in the season finale.

Season 3 had its flaws, some of which stemmed from the new tone. Daniel Witwicky and the maligned Autobot Wheelie essentially replaced Spike and Bumblebee when the audience inserted them, and their antics were both annoying and at odds with the rest of the season. Grimlock became a much more awkward caricature than he had been in the first two seasons. Similarly, the show couldn’t make up its mind and was too reactionary in its reception of Rodimus Prime, leading to Optimus’ return before the curtain. Despite these issues, Transformers Season 3 was narratively and thematically the strongest of the entire series, laying the foundation for shows such as Beast Wars: Transformers and other well-written entries in the franchise.

Transformers

Two opposing factions of transforming alien robots engage in a battle where the fate of Earth hangs in the balance.

Release date

September 17, 1984

Casting

Peter Cullen, Dan Gilvezan, Casey Kasem, Christopher Collins

Seasons

4

Creator

Takara Tomy and Hasbro