TRANSFORMERS: THE BASICS on the BEAST ERA 

I wish Hasbro would repeat the formula used for Beast Wars. I'm not saying that they should redo Beast Wars (although I certainly wouldn't protest), but they should throw the rulebook out and try something fresh and controversial like they did back then. All the series now are just the same basic setup again and again, and it's getting a little stale. Yeah, Bumblebee's cool and all, but do we need another 57 toys of him to come out this year? Give us something new. Give us something fresh. Give us something weird.

"In the beginning, came the beasts, and all that creeped, crawled and cried, but nature lies! They're robots in disguise!

I think that the main reason that 'Beast Machines' failed was due to the character designs -- none of them look "cool." Even the transformations were just sort of glossed over in the show, and as a result the toys didn't resemble their digital counterparts very closely, adding to the disappointment. Plus, they took the noble, cool-looking flying wolf-knight Silverbolt and turned him into an angry, disgusting samurai bird, so I for one could never love the series as much as Beast Wars, even though it had the more interesting story.

Ron Perlman as Primal well That's just Prime

Long after Beast Wars was seen on television I decided to re watch the whole show. Even as grown man I couldn't help but cry at Dinobots death. He will be remembered, always.

As a kid of the '90s, Beast era was MY introduction to Transformers!

I loved Rattrap and Dinobot in beast wars. Watching Dinobot die while giving one last jab at Rattrap made me cry.

Beast Wars was my introduction to Transformers. I think the deeper story and character focus was more of a Mainframe thing at the time considering they had also made the series Reboot and Shadow Raiders.

I wasn't allowed to watch _Beast Wars_ as a kid, so 2008's _Transformers: Animated_ was my introduction to franchise, but I'm so happy I went back and watched all of _Beast Wars._ And you know what, I can actually appreciate a good chunk of _Beast Machines._ Like, okay, seeing my favorites Rhinox and Silverbolt as _very_ different bots (even after their brainwashing was "reversed") was a bit frustrating, but the animation and sound were nice. It's really cool to see the Beast Era characters reimagined into the more "vehicle heavy" franchises. I love _Animated's_ take on Waspinator, and I'm sure I'll love their appearances in IDW once I get around to reading them.

Beast Wars today is still my favorite Transformers series, had great characters and an interesting story, wish people could look over the animation and give it a chance. awesome vid dude

OH MY GOD I LOVED this show when I was a little kid! I had so many of them, I remember my mom bought me one every paycheck and she'd get me the giant ones for my birthday and Christmas like Optimal Optimus, Depth Charge, Rampage, and Tigerhawk! I would still be playing with them today if I had any of them still.

Am I the only one who wants to know more about their plans for TransTech or even see it done in the modern era?

Beast machine design ARE TERRIBLE

Tigatron has been and will always be my favorite Transformer. Just started rewatching Beast Wars to relive the fun from my youth.

these videos are the best saturday morning cartoon

Season 2 of Beast Wars is still the best Transformers we've ever had on screen.

I have to say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this channel. I was a g1 guy who hated beast era & still have a hard time with it, but because of these videos I’m slowly coming around. I was die-hard g1 & I know as much about that era as u do, but since I hated g2 & grew out of comics I& by time the beast era was over I was a grown up I missed a lot. Didn’t know a lot. Idk I love this channel. Thanks peeps!

Die cast construction: It's a lost art.

Wothout beast wars i woulnt be the transformers nutter i am today. It was my absolute favourite show as a child.

So, a fun fact about this episode - it started out as being specifically a Beast Wars-dedicated episode, but I found I couldn't do proper justice to the cartoon's cast and stories while also working in all the information on the franchise's origins, toyline, and legacy, so I decided to switch it up to a Beast Era overview. We've got Beast Wars Uprising coming up in a few episodes' time, but a dedicated BW toon episode is now an easier prospect, and if you're hungry for more info about all the different cartoons and comics in this video, they're all bound to receive their own dedicated Basics episodes in the fullness of time!

Damn! I scour the wiki all the time to learn new and interesting facts and even though I understand all the basis information, these videos still feel fresh and brand new! There is just something about the way you make these that make them seem revelatory. From a younger yet still very invested fan, I offer the greatest thanks!

Who’s here after hearing about the new transformers beast movie

Man Transmutate was such a great episode and a really bold thing to try and talk about in show that existed to sell toys to kids. The writing in this was some of the best in any piece of transformers media.

Awesome video, I loved the Beast Era it was such an cool time in Transformers history. I remember when I saw the first advertisement for the figures on TV, I was so excited because I honestly thought that Transformers came to an end again after not seeing any more G2 figures on the shelves. I will admit, at first I was like "WTH" why are they all animals and what was with the odd names, and even after getting the two pack with the comic, I really loved the figures but still thought the concept was odd. Then came the animated show for Beast Wars and after that I was hooked. And I have said this before but it is one of the best written Transformers show ever, and even though some didn't like it, so was Beast Machines. The other high point of the Era was the figures, they were so "out there" , very abstract and just plain original, it is sad to think we may never see designs like them again.

I don't know why Beast machines gets so much hate. Great writing, intelligent story arc, a fairly mature theme. I loved it then, and I still love it now.

Magic!

As someone who's 13 and watched Beast Wars just now, I gotta say.... Holy shit. It's amazing. I just didn't expect so many dirty jokes from it, lol.

I if I could say something to the beast era it would be “thanks for saving the franchise”

Ok the guy who played Hellboy as Optimus primal. Ok that's awesome.

I don't know if maybe you've already done one, but would you consider doing a "The Basics on Fuzors" video? Fuzors were one of the cooler ideas to come out of the Beast Era, in my opinion, and I'd love to have a video breaking down the various (largely toyline exclusive) characters who fell into this hybrid beast. You could even explore their even shorter-lived Beast Machines follow-up faction, the Mutants; former Fuzors who reacted so badly to Megatron's mode-lock virus that they ended up losing their robot mode and instead changing between two separate beast odes.

Theres no words to be said ur a legend thank you so much for this.

My favorite Series. I really love the Gathering comics

I hope you cover Blackarachnia sometime soon, I really enjoy the information you provide on these guys. And I love your voice!

I want to see the return of Lio Convoy and Big Convoy

I don't know if I've said it anywhere already, but I love this "basics" series. Very well done!

I was born in 1991 just when G2 line was getting in the end and till dawn of the Beast Wars line came. I even saw BW Transmetal TV commercials and BW toys.

I like Beast Wars when it first came out. I can take each new thing and like it for its differences and look for the similarities at the same time. I enjoy the idea of Transformers turning into animals as well as much as I like them turning into vehicles. I had no problem with either way. Whether it's Optimus Prime or Optimus primal he's still the greatest leader of all time.

I love Transformers:Beast Wars! Sadly, Rhinox never became transmetal like his toy depicted.

That's right where I got into transformers. Had a lot of G2 from the intro and a couple of beast wars :-D

"The Beast Wars are over Optimus you loose ahaha ahaha!!" "No! NOOOO!!!! MEGATROOOOOOOONNNNNN!!!!!!"

Ron Perlman? As in In Hellboy and pacific Rim, etc. I hope he can try to give them some voice direction advice so that they can get help with the way that Machinima Show is doing their characters' voice lines. :/

I was shocked by the sheer hatred TF fans has for Beast Wars. I loved how it created a huge new fan base and the animated series was brilliant. As this video shows the TF ‘Beast era’ it was really, really great. I loved both the toy range and animated series. 1996-2001 was a brilliant era. I loved the era and find them far more better than Robots in Disguise that follows in 2000-2.

This was my era of of Transformers, and it had a big impact on views of Transformers as a whole for years to come. For instance since Beast Wars introduced the idea that the Beast Modes protected their robot forms from overexposure so I thought that was the case with EVERY Transformers series until Transformers Energon. I really loved Beast Machines as a kid (though not as much as Beast Wars) but I have to admit it had its problems, most of the characters were REALLY ugly and uncomfortable to look at and even as a kid I noticed a lot of them didn't match their toys. Maybe if they had tried to be less ambitious with their character designs and tried to match the toys more closely the show would have been better recieved.

This video needs an update now that Transformers Rise of the Beasts is coming out this year in 2023.

Look at those volasa-rotor blades Edit: Could you do your next episode on Blitzwing if you could that would be awesome since he my favorite character

Beast Wars and the cartoon show Reboot was 2 of the biggest shows i watched growing up.

I think the main issue with beast machines is they just looked really gaudy. I understand where they are coming from with nature vs machine, but really they could have just g1 decepticons designs with slight tweaks. While the autobots are essentially animals with a laser gun, because aesthetically Mother Nature is really good at picking designs that work in a process called convergent evolution.

Best series, I just remember getting pumped to see what kind of animal those pods would scan when they fell to earth,hype!!

Beast Wars was amazing! Great video and research, thank you 😊

This makes my Saturday morning worth while. Love the content, keep it up.

Well that's just prime

the first time in history ta say fuck the rules we're doing our way

War for Cybertron Kingdom, anyone?

Imagine a Beast Wars series done by Big Finish Productions that fills in the narrative gaps and tie together all four of the show's together in a cohesive matter. Maybe produce Dark Glass with the original cast as a missing tale.

Beast Wars may not have looked like much at its beginning, but like any Transformers cartoon series, it proved that it really was a Transformers show... because it proved that it really was *more than meets the eye.* ;)

Wow those old commercials. I have like 90% of those toys shown. Mostly in a box somewhere. There was only like 3 I never got

Tomarrow transfomars Netflix seasons 3 release

I was born in this Era. (Cheetor was and is my favorite)

As much as a like Primal I'm still so mad he won the Power of the Primes vote since i think he would get a new toy soon enough regardless of the vote when honestly Star Saber really needs a new figure

After watching transformers war for cybertron kingdom... I needed to watch this

We need a new beast era

Not going lie those old toys look pretty cool, kid me would have begged my mom for that but unfortunately I was two generations too late.

This series deserves much more love and it's beyond time Hasbro realized that we want MORE

i own the 3 timeline figs, depth charge ,Rampage ,and transmutate. and trust me when I say Rampage was the bane of my existence, until I got lucky finding someone on eBay selling for a fair price with transmutate is bonus.

Dinobot was my all time favorite Predacon/Maximal. He was also the second Transformer that I actually felt something for when he was destroyed.

My 3rd favorite transformers show. just beaten by animated and prime. :)

I grew up with the G1 Transformers cartoon series, but only that (cartoon and toys only, no comics). During the time that G2 tried to be a thing my family had moved to a new town (with considerably fewer retail options) and I had stopped keeping up on it. Then the CGI cartoon happened, and ... well: Beast 'formers are *best* 'formers. BW's fresh take on the franchise paired very well with my distance from it, and the CGI cartoon was inimitable. Beast Machines at least tried to be worthwhile, but _its_ take on the franchise was (and still is) controversial. I have since not watched any of the later series's cartoons significantly (nor still, read any of the comics), and I have since mostly just occasionally 'checked in' with whatever the current toy line is from time to time.

The weird thing is that in my opinion, TF as a saga is coasting. The toys are interesting, but still... meh. And the cartoons are far from great. I think the TF series needs a new 'era' that's not botched by Michael Bay or obscured because people don't want to read comics. Anyone agree?

We seriously need a new Beast Wars.

You did not even mention the ones in Forged to Fight :( only Rhinox, Waspinator and Optimus Primal are the Beast-era bots as of now. Great vid btw :)

i didnt realize that it was only 300 years between the G1 era and the beast era. that seems so short. considering how long transformers live for, i would have thought 3 million would have sounded better

I loved watching beast wars was one of the best shows ever

It also looks like that Beast Wars could be getting a Reboot on Netflix

😊I'm a big mild autistic 🇭🇹n-🇺🇸n fan of Beast Wars Transformers on (UPN/My Network TV) WBFS-📺 Ch .33 in Miami, Florida for 22 years, before I went to Cutler Ridge Middle 🏫. And I bought (1:00) 4 Hasbro Maximal action toy figures: Cheetor, Rhinox, Polar Claw, & Amadillian, & 1 Predacon action figure:Buzzsaw. The best!☺

Damn straight the Beast era was awesome! I just recently bought the entire Beast Wars collection, happy to be able to watch stuff again that I used to watch when I was a kid

Till this day I'm still waiting for a new Terrorsaur toy.

thank you so much for making this

I have the optimus primal and rat-trap first transmutable run, where optimals feet became a snowboard, I haven't touched rat-trap in awhile as he was really my moms toy, I just remember his haunches being wheels

Even though I know all of the stuff you cover, I still love to watch these videos. They are done so well!

I wished both of Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo episodes are all in english dubbed on RU-vid or released onto Complete DVD collection just like the CGI original Beast Wars Series 1996.

I REALLY HOPE NEXT ARE THE BASICS ON FEMALE CYBERTRONIANS.

Now I'm excited for War for Cybertron: Kingdom

The thing about Beast wars that intrigued me most was the more extensive look into relations between cybertronians. Their ability to love, and chose their allegiance. I know Jetfire/Skyfire is the first to show this in G1 but it was never really touched upon again until Beast wars. It also makes me like Jetfire a lot. Blackarachnia is probably my favorite BW character. And I am curious how their procreation works exactly. I mean they said that they are the descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons. But all we saw in G1 was that either they get created Dinobots and Technobots or inanimated robots given life by vector sigma like the Stunticons and Aerialbots. Which does not exclude one or the other as a side. Having a direct lineage like what happened when Megatron shot Primes face clear off, which would "erase" all maximals because of their direct lineage to Prime. With Blackarachnia who was a pred/maximal protoform also kicking the bucket if he died.It makes me curious if they make life from their own spark? Something like that.

Anyone else here because of rise of the beasts and wanna refresh on beasts wars? Lol

I'm a G1 nut through and through and when Beast wars came out I didn't give it any attention. This video has given me the poke I needed to have another, closer look at the series. Thanks man!

Beast Wars is amazing. Beast Machines....not so much. It had a few good elements, but a lot of it was a mess. Rhinox turned evil just because?? Yeah, OK. And that spiritualism stuff was also poorly handled.

Love love love love love this show

What is maximal logo based on And I know predacons is based of waspinstor sp why wasn’t he the leader cause after all WAZZZZZPINATOR RUUULLLES

This was my G1

Watching this while looking at my WFC kingdom megatron 😁

BEAST WARS!!!

Waspinator: *buzzing* "Waspinator, terrorize!" *buzzing* "why does the universe hate Waspinator!?"

was the beast era the first to reuse character names for characters that were supposed to be completely new unrelated characters? i remember when they revealed that Megatron wasn't related to the original, he was just someone who hero worshiped him, like if some kid today started calling himself Mussolini. it blew my young mind

Those transtech designs look AMAZING.

The best of all the series. I liked Beast Machines too. Don't quite understand why people dislike it. Maybe they are forced to by the ROYALTY!

DiamondBolt is not gonna be happy that Optimus Primal was voted to have the Matrix of leadership

Beast Wars is one of the best scripted Transformers shows. I grew up with G1, and when BW came out, I hated that robots turned into animals. I remember it just came out after the Reboot series, and CG animation was still a little bit weird at that time. However, after a friend told me I should look it up, man, I was wrong. The series is fantastically well done in terms of charaters and story. I don't know, but Transformers needs another series put with care like that. In recent years, I liked Tranformers Prime, but it ended.

lets be real, beast machines did bad because it visually looked bad. the characters looked long and silly and kinda ugly and the color palette was too dark. Taking away rhinox was just an extra kick to the balls. The plot was fine. while rewatching the first season of beast wars it was fun to realize - everything is cheetor's fault 90% of the time. And the episodes always starts with Optimus being like "cheetor, try not to be an asshole," and then cheetor is like "ugh, no one respects me" then goes off the mess around and immediately screws up everything. claaaaassic cheetor

WHOS HERE AFTER BEAST WARS IS CONFIRMED FOR THE NEXT TRANSFORMERS MOVIE ??? LETS GO !!

War for cybertron season 3 is going to be beast wars