The Correct Order To Watch The Transformers Franchise
"Transformers" has been a staple in pop culture for going on 40 years now. From the somewhat humble beginnings as a bunch of transforming toys turned popular cartoon series to eventually becoming a multi-billion-dollar film franchise, Optimus Prime and the gang have come a long way. Speaking of the movies, we now live in a world with seven live-action movies, as well as the animated one from the '80s, with even more on the way. That being the case, it might be a little tough for casual movie lovers to keep track of things. We're here to help.
We're going to go over the correct movie to watch the "Transformers" movies, either for those who simply want to watch them in the order they were released, or those who would prefer to watch them in chronological order. Either way, we've got you covered. We're also going to go over some recommended additional viewing for those who need more Autobots and Decepticons in their lives. Let's get into it.
The Transformers movies in production order
Hasbro originally brought the robots in disguise to life as toys but the popularity of the characters skyrocketed thanks to the "Transformers" animated series in the '80s. That gave way to the first movie in the series but, after that, it would be literal decades before director Michael Bay brought his blockbuster sensibilities to the series, turning it into the blockbuster behemoth we know today. From that point on, the movies have come steadily with very few extended interruptions. For those looking to watch the films in the order that they were originally released, that goes as follows:
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"Transformers: The Movie" (1986)
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"Transformers" (2007)
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"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009)
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"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011)
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"Transformers: Age of Extinction" (2014)
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"Transformers: The Last Knight" (2017)
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"Bumblebee" (2018)
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"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" (2022)
"Transformers" became an unexpectedly huge hit in 2007, taking in a stellar $708 million worldwide. That's what led Bay to direct four movie movies in the series which, to date, has earned more than $5 billion theatrically. That's to say nothing of the merchandise, comic books, theme park rides, and every other revenue driver that has been built off the backs of these films. That's why the movies are still going today.
The Transformers movies in chronological order
Now, when it comes to the Bay-directed entries, there was a pretty steep drop-off with audiences when "The Last Knight" came out. So, Paramount decided to change directions a bit by making a prequel focused on fan-favorite Bumblebee that hit theaters in 2018. The most recent entry in the series, "Rise of the Beasts," is also a prequel taking place in the same continuity as "Bumblebee." That's where things got a little out of wack so, for anyone who wishes to watch all of the films in chronological order, here's how to do that:
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"Transformers: The Movie" (1986)
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"Bumblebee" (2018)
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"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" (2022)
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"Transformers" (2007)
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"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009)
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"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011)
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"Transformers: Age of Extinction" (2014)
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"Transformers: The Last Knight" (2017)
The series has fallen from the high commercial highs that it experienced with entries like "Dark of the Moon" and "Age of Extinction," both of which made more than $1.1 billion at the global box office, this remains one of the most popular cinematic franchises of all time. Even if the budgets have to come down to them alive, odds are, we haven't seen the last of Optimus Prime duking it out with Megatron.
Suggested additional viewing
Once viewers have burned through all of the movies, they might feel an itch to get some more giant robot action in their lives. Yes, there are several "Transformers" TV shows that have aired over the years, and suggesting an order to watch all of those would be an entirely separate, more arduous undertaking. But I am here to offer some additional viewing that feels more cinematic in nature, even though we are talking about a TV show.
In 2020, Netflix released what was dubbed the "War For Cybertron Trilogy." Each installment consists of six episodes that, more or less, make up what essentially feels like a long movie. Taking place mostly on Cybertron much further back in the timeline, this plays like a large-scale prequel, only accomplished through animation for streaming audiences at a much lower cost. But that doesn't mean quality was sacrificed along the way, particularly from a storytelling standpoint. So, for those who are interested in adding this trilogy into the mix, here's the correct order to watch:
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"Transformers: War for Cybertron – Siege" (2020)
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"Transformers: War for Cybertron – Earthrise" (2020)
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"Transformers: War for Cybertron – Kingdom" (2021)
All three seasons of "Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy" are currently streaming on Netflix.