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With season 1 of of the latest Transformers show, Transformers: EarthSpark, having just wrapped up, and with all the mainstream American Transformers show having been reviewed beforehand, it's about time that I rank all 16 of the animated Transformers shows from least favorite to most favorite.

As a reminder of where I stand with Transformers is that I have been a fan for a good bit of my adolescence thanks to both Transformers: Animated and the Michael Bay films namely the first one and from then, I explored more of the franchise with the many shows of past and present as they came and while there are so far only a few that I would call bad, the lineup of shows for this franchise at least for me are ones that I am mostly positive on with some being much better and more awesome than others of course and even the bad ones in this franchise aren't as terrible as some of the worst shows that I've seen. And I know that EarthSpark has been confirmed to have two seasons with the first just having ended and the second coming soon so depending on what the future holds, this ranking could change in like half a year at most, but we'll mainly just focus on what we currently got. So, let's roll out as we briefly rank the shows of the Transformers thus far.

The Transformers Shows Ranked

16. Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy
Now to be frank, this show is not awful or a show that does anything overly egregious or offensive (say for maybe how they characterized Beast Megatron) but the reason for its low placement is because of all the Transformers shows I've seen, this one is by far the most forgettable and boring. Transformers is many things but it should not be boring. The show takes itself way too seriously and has little to no levity to the story, the characters here are so dull and not helped by the very subpar voice acting that ranges from bored and monotone to melodramatic and ill-fitting for certain characters, The visuals are so dreary and dull, and the plot of the show through its three chapters feels like it moves at a snail's pace. While I can appreciate some of the ambition this trilogy was clearly going for with it being a more gritty take on the story, it severely lacked that fun aspect which made it not as enjoyable as I would've liked. Again, the worst thing a show or movie can be is boring and unfortunately WFC is a prime (no pun intended) example of it and while it's watchable on its best day, it fails to leave much of an impact and thus its the least remarkable series of the franchise, and is one that is already fading from my memory as we speak. If Any of you like it, then that's cool, it just wasn't for me.

15. Transformers: Energon
Now on one hand, Energon objectively speaking is a worse and more problematic series than WFC and is certainly the worst of the Unicron Trilogy, but on the other hand, it's at least more memorably bad whereas WFC is mostly just dull. Energon has a laundry list of problems like terrible and inconsistent dubbing, stiff and rough 3D animation on the Transformers that make the action mostly clunky and awkward, the story being a jumbled mess and isn't enough for a 52 episode show with how the main plot gets resolved twice early and midway through but then the show crafts a new plot for thirteen more episodes just to reach the 52 episode quota, some baffling and terrible creative decisions like what they did with Starscream from Armada, and characters that range from bland like some of the Autobots to annoying like Kicker. Admittedly the show does have some saving graces sprinkled here and there like some standout characters like Inferno, some gorgeous hand drawn animation for the humans and whenever the Transformers do a cool action scene in 2D in the only few instances where the action looks good and should've been the style throughout, and even with how much of a train wreck the show is, it sometimes can cross into being so bad, it's entertaining for how hilariously inept it is. If anything, Energon is a terrible Transformers show no doubt but it can make for a fun watch if you're looking for a show to Riff On with friends and even though it's not good, it's at least funny bad and I'll take that over a show that's boring bad or insulting bad.

Or just check out my old rewrite of the show from a while back.

Now again, those two are the only Transformers that I would call bad shows but more mediocre bad than anything else and far from the worst shows I've seen.

From this point up, we are getting into the Transformers shows that I have mostly positive feelings on that range from decent to good to some of my all time favorites, starting with.....

14. Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001)
What I would the transitional period between the G1/Beast Era of the 1980s and 1990s and the Unicron Trilogy anime Era of the 2000s, with it being a sort of generational Mashup of the G1 and Beast Era all in the first Dubbed anime of the franchise and having a much more comedic and light hearted tone compared to other Transformers shows. For what the show is, I feel it did its job well in giving us the first anime spin of the brand in addition to having some standout characters who can range from cool and memorable like the evil Decepticon Scourge who inspired Nemesis Prime and the haiku heavy Predacon shark Sky-Byte which are both fan favorites for a reason to some funny and comedic characters like Autobot Sideburn with his simping of red sports cars and the Predacon Trio of Dark Scream, Gaskunk and Slapper with their Team Rocket like dynamic. Some of the action is decent if a bit heavy with stock footage and characters shouting attack phrases and even if the show can be a cheesy for some and a bit repetitious with some of the anime tropes and running gags like with Kelly never catching a break as well as Koji being one of the least reputable human characters, Robots in Disguise 2001 is a mostly fun light hearted anime that can deliver some simple entertainment but it doesn't provide much as far as character arcs or story.

13. Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy
Rescue Bots Academy is definitely a show targeted for younger kids much like its predecessor series, but even at that, it's a charming, cute and well made little series that can make for a fun little watch. The main five recruits make for decent role models for kids to connect with as they learn to train and better themselves to become Rescue Bots for a new generation with the original Rescue Bots, an older Cody Burns and some legacy characters acting as teachers and providing some advice and life lessons that not only help the recruits but could also speak out to viewers who struggle or still struggle with mistakes. Aside from its placement in the Aligned continuity being rather questionable as a sequel to Rescue Bots and even if I'm far from being the show's target audience, RBA is a show that has enough charisma to make it a show that can be enjoyed by viewers regardless of their age.

12. Transformers: BotBots
One of the most unique and out of the box additions to the franchise in both style and tone, being the first show in the franchise that is purely a comedy and of course in today's media climate, whenever an mainly action centered IP gets a show that is of a comedic tone, it's almost guaranteed to get some people talking and not in a good way and is usually given the Teen Titans Go treatment. However because the show is based on the more smaller and wilder BotBots line, the comedic tone I feel works in its favor than if it were traditional Transformers and seeing that it is its own thing from the wider franchise, it's allowed to do its own thing and craft its own identity. And even if the show is for the most part an episodic comedy, there is a narrative to the show surrounding the Lost Bots and their uphill battle for acceptance but finding kinship amongst each other, nothing too deep of a story but it's there and more than what most shows of this tone have. Despite a few frustrating elements like some of the minor BotBots being unnecessarily mean spirited and stubborn at times and a few jokes that miss the mark, BotBots is a cute little mini series that I hope gets another season considering the final scene the show ends on, but the chances might be unlikely but only time will tell on that one. Regardless, BotBots was better than anticipated given its departure from the norm and in my opinion, it succeeds in that department even if it's nothing groundbreaking just a bite sized fun comedy with tiny robots.

11. The Transformers (Generation 1)
I know that having the original that started it all placed here at #11 might come off as blasphemous to some of the more hard-core die hard Transformers fans but please hear me out. Is Generation 1 the series responsible for bringing Transformers into popular culture and into the mainstream? Yes. Does it introduce many iconic characters, aspects and elements that years later are still just as relevant in the franchise today as they were back in the 80s? Absolutely. Does it have a legacy in being the classic original Transformers cartoon? You're darn right it does. But even with its importance to the franchise as a whole, it's a very flawed series that regardless of which side you stand with the series are valid. It does introduce so many memorable characters that would go on to be iconic fan favorites, but it features and introduces a bit too many characters to keep track of and as it goes, more are brought in. The animation is standard television animation of the 1980s but there are some glaring animation and technical goofs that occur. And even if you are a fan of it, you cannot deny that it was at its core purely made to advertise the toys and thus why there are so many characters with not much personality beyond the main ones on both sides. And personally while I see the iconic status of it, it's unfortunately a show that I was behind my time and thus it lacks the nostalgic aspect for me to truly value it. But in terms of what the series does right, the voice acting is top notch and iconic as it gave us the iconic vocal performances of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the show is still fun in that nostalgic 80s fashion and to give credit where it is due, it was definitely responsible for giving us the template of what Transformers is in pop culture, even though I feel that the iterations that came after its time do more with the concept. So all in all, G1 is a flawed classic of the franchise and one that I feel can be overrated at times by some of the diehards, but it is still a classic nonetheless and is still worthy of its legacy as the original Transformers cartoon because of what it established, even if it has its flaws with some more glaring than others.

10. Transformers: Cybertron
A bit of an odd one in the franchise for the fact that it was originally designed as it's own standalone continuity in Japan but when translated to the states, it was then retooled into being a sequel to Armada and Energon, thus making it the third part of the Unicron Trilogy. And when viewing as part of the trilogy, it's quite confusing as it was never Conceived as such sue to there being multiple things that don't exactly add up with the canon of the previous series with stuff like the Autobots acting as if this is their first time on Earth and needing to stay hidden despite their human alliance in the last, characterizations that barely resemble how they were previously, among a few other inconsistencies. But when viewed as it's own standalone series as it was initially, it's a pretty decent Transformers anime that delivers on some good characters especially some of the new human characters surprisingly enough and the addition of Vector Prime, some cool worldbuilding with the Cyber Planets and the main maguffin the Cyber Keys, and some exciting action that really leans hard on the anime like nature of the show with the fight scenes, even more than even the previous shows in the trilogy. Despite still having the awkward and sometimes distracting style mix of the simple 2D anime humans and the more physical 3D Transformers, some filler throughout parts of the story and it's questionable and artificial placement in the Unicron Trilogy, Cybertron is still a decent and sometimes exciting Transformers anime that can deliver on some solid anime action and characters.

9. Beast Machines: Transformers
The often forgotten sequel to the groundbreaking Beast Wars series and is one of the more divisive shows of the franchise, for reasons that are understandable on both sides. The show I feel does a fairly good job in being a bit more darker of a series than Beast Wars which gives it the distinction from its predecessor and is certainly one of the darkest Transformers shows and the animation while still dated by today shows some technological upgrades with the visuals. The soundtrack is a cool cyberpunk track that sets the mood of the show well, and even some of the character arcs we get with Optimus Primal and a few others are pretty engaging, in addition to making Megatron a more threatening and even scary Villain who runs Cybertron like a dark futuristic dictatorship with the Maximals acting as this underground resistance against his tyranny. On the flip side, the characterizations of the familiar characters can be off-putting for some with how drastically their personalities are with some better than others, the new designs of the Maximals while narrative wise make sense can look pretty uncanny at first glance with their more humanoid features and looking less like robots, some of the new characters range from cool like the Vehicon generals to annoying like Nightscream and the show has a rather odd spiritual undertone to it with its theme of organic vs technological given that the franchise is usually about alien robots but to its credit, they at least do a decent job in weaving it into the lore with the Oracle and by the end, the show delivers an unforgettable finale to not just the Beast Era but to the entire Generation 1 continuity. Beast Machines is nowhere near the status of its predecessor for sure and by the end is a mixed bag of a series with some interesting ideas and though it has things that are definitely going to divide many people, I firmly believe Beast Machines is a decent sequel that is worth checking out but overall is mid among the franchise, but on the upper half of mid.

8. Transformers: Rescue Bots
A show that despite being made for much much younger kids, Rescue Bots is a universally likeable and fun little series that can even appeal to others outside of just toddlers. It's one of the few shows that deviates from the usual Autobot and Decepticon war while still having characters like Optimus and Bumblebee appear as secondary characters, with the main focus and heart of the story being the dynamic of the Rescue Bots and their human partners The Burns Family as they help their island town of Griffin Rock on a daily basis while also learning valuable life lessons and teamwork etiquette, helped by how the characters make for good role models and a great team and family that can make this show have some educational value without it feeling preachy. Beyond all that, the action even for a kids show can have genuine moments of suspense and excitement and make good use of each of the Rescue Bots' abilities. The one minor gripe with the show is regarding it being in the same Aligned universe as Prime, considering how the two shows are worlds apart in terms of tone and thus creates a bit of a disconnect between the two if we are to believe this is all one universe. Outside of that, Rescue Bots is a pretty good and enjoyable show that serves as a nice starting point for kids to get into Transformers as well as also being a show that makes for a nice relaxing palette cleanser after many shows of seeing the Bots and Cons at each other's necks in war.

7. Transformers: EarthSpark
Now keep in mind that we're only still one season into this show so this show has the potential to move up on the list overtime depending what season 2 offers. But with the first season as is, this is definitely one of the most refreshing and unique stories we've recently gotten in a Transformers series with the show mainly revolving around the Malto family and their newfound bond with new Earthborn Transformers called Terrans and a whole conspiracy surrounding the alliance of Cybertronians and humans after the war has long ended. It takes some interesting and wild new directions that can be genuinely unexpected, has characters, new and legacy characters including a new Heroic take on Megatron that make the show engaging and also heartfelt with the family theme with the human characters having a more crucial role in the story as much as the Transformers, has amazing voice acting with Alan Tudyk making for a surprisingly good Optimus, has some visually engaging and highly dynamic action and animation in said action, and as it went on, the show progressed in terms of being thrilling, emotional, engaging and even dark at certain points. In addition, even if I'm not of that community, I do like and appreciate how this show openly addresses unique groups and providing some welcoming and positive role models for them in a tasteful manner that isn't agenda heavy or "woke" as the conservative trolls like to insecurely claim it is, and in that aspect, I respect this show for being bold with acknowledging that side of its viewers, giving it a more diverse appeal. While there may be a couple of things that aren't perfect such as the villain Mandroid who up until the end of the season was nothing special as far as villains went and with it being a very new show that is still very early to call it one of the best, EarthSpark definitely has a promising start to something that if the cards are played right has the potential to be something grand that I look forward to.

6. Transformers: Cyberverse
A show that I would best describe as a modern day Generation 1 with how it has a huge ensemble cast of Autobots and Decepticons, most being well known legacy characters and some obscure new ones that are stand outs being that this is their first major appearance and even with the large cast, the show is able to come up with episodes and dynamics that can give them time to shine as characters be it legacy characters like Hot Rod or obscure ones like Rack'N'Ruin. I really love the show's 3D/2D mixed animation style and how it looks visually unique and how the show takes aspects from the franchise mythos and is able to craft its own take on this universe with some engaging new stories in addition to seeing familiar elements and characters brought back in a new coat of paint with some interpretations of characters being surprise standouts for me. The only gripe with the show is how the eleven minute runtime for most of the episodes squander a bit of efficient story potential as the runtime limits the amount of character and story that could easily be better with more time, which is why I feel the episodes work best together whenever we get to some of the more plot driven parts of the show and why the specials that make up the conclusion are some of the best of the show. But aside from that little setback, this is a show that I Kicked myself in the ass for not watching sooner than I Finally did because of how good of a show Cyberverse is, but better late than never.

5. Transformers: Armada
What I still stand by being not only the best show in the Unicron Trilogy but also is likely the best Transformers anime. Now it is far from perfect as it does stumble a bit with a bit of a slow beginning half of the show and a few mediocre at best characters, however as the show went on, the story and characters especially became more engaging and interesting with one of the biggest breakout stars of this anime being this conflicted and noble take on Starscream who gets the best character arc amongst the cast. The action is pretty exciting and even gripping in parts and greatly assisted by the show's rocking score and the interesting dynamics with the Autobots and Decepticons that can lead to some engaging drama and character moments as we lead up to an exciting saga of episodes with Unicron as the big evil the two factions have to confront with some genuinely epic and even emotional moments scattered in that are best seen than heard. All of that helps make Armada stand out as surprisingly solid series and for as much as I get different types of enjoyment from the two series that followed after even though they're not as good as this, I do feel like Armada's legacy would highly benefit had it been a one and done story. But as is, Armada is a show that proves how amazing a show could get once you give it time to unfold.

4. Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Now For the longest time, this has been a series that I know is not as good as Prime which it acts as a sequel to, but I never for the life of me understood the level of disdain some have towards this show. Now it has some imperfections like Optimus was totally unneeded here as he has little to nothing to do that adds to his arc that he already had previously, the show is a bit more lighthearted, there were some missed opportunities from Prime that could've been brought in here and like I said, Prime is just by comparison the more tighter show. But even with those setbacks, I still think this show is pretty entertaining and way over-hated. I like how the show focuses on Bumblebee and his drive of becoming a leader to this little ragtag group of misfits as his team and the show centering on him and these new characters learning to work together and become a solid team as they drive to stop some Decepticon inmates loose on Earth while based in a scrap yard. For what it offers, RiD has some fun and even exciting action, some funny moments here and there that don't overstay their welcome, fun new characters like Strongarm, Sideswipe, Fixit and a very unique take on Grimlock plus father and son Denny and Russel who make for good new human allies, seeing returning characters from Prime like Soundwave, Starscream and Bulkhead and other connections to Prime were nice little fanservice moments for fans of Prime, and even if the show is a bit formulaic with its premise, I think that the characters undergo some interesting development and growth as individuals and as a team plus the addition of some various story arcs throughout that it made the journey more fun. So while its definitely not as good as Prime and while I can agree on some things that could've been better with it, I feel RiD does enough good stuff as a companion piece to it that I feel it deserves more love and more credit for what it does right as it is rather misunderstood and a Transformers show that I am proud to be a member of the party in support of it.

3. Beast Wars: Transformers
Whereas G1 in my opinion is a flawed classic in the franchise despite its legacy, Beast Wars is a near flawless classic in the franchise worthy of its legacy. Beast Wars, along with Reboot, for its time was highly revolutionary for being one of the first fully computer animated shows of its time and though the visuals and graphics are a bit dated by today's standards, they truly were one of a kind and an achievement back then. Beyond the technological achievements, the show also crafts an engaging, action packed and even mature narrative regarding the descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons, The Maximals and Predacons in a war on prehistoric Earth and introduced a memorable cast from both factions like Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Megatron, Dinobot, Waspinator, Rattrap, Rhinox, just to name a few and each are iconic in their own right. The show has a nice mix of action, drama, story, bits of comedy and even some hard hitting emotional moments as well, and for certain people, this was their preferred Transformers and its not hard to see why Beast Wars has had such a strong following. While it's animation may be for a lack of better term primitive today, it's characters and story still hold up and are still engaging to this day and help make Beast Wars stand out as a proven classic from the 90s.

And these next two are the Transformers shows that use to always switch back and forth for me depending on what day you ask me in terms of which one I like more as my pick for favorite or best Transformers show because of them both being great in their own unique ways that picking which one to be number one and which to be number two was in the past no easy feat and but as of right now....

2. Transformers: Prime
Now this was a show that I took a while to get into at first for a long reason unrelated to the show itself that I won't get into here, but when I actually did sit down and watched the show, for a time since, Prime was my favorite Transformers show because of how it was such a well made and more daring series in the franchise at that time and gave a fresh new mature take on the mythos and the characters. Taking some influence from the live action films at the time and the first series of the Aligned continuity, Prime is able to be a bit more daring and adult with its storytelling while still keeping within family friendly boundaries which allowed the show to have a tone that could appeal to both kids and adults. The show takes care in making its main cast of Autobots likeable and human despite being robots and characters that you root for and get emotional for and making the Decepticons Legitimately threatening villains that raise the stakes, in a story that raises the stakes with each season with a stellar stacked voice cast including the return of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker as Optimus Prime and Megatron and presented in some stunning computer animation which deliver on some gripping, exciting and even visceral action and with an unforgettable score to enhance the emotion and mood throughout the show. Aside from some small nitpicks like some storylines that aren't as exciting as the more major ones and some alternative opportunities for certain characters that could've made the show more stronger, Prime is definitely a great Transformers show that reimagines the story in a brilliantly bold, daring and mature way that makes it one I would definitely recommend for older viewers looking for a gripping narrative based show in the Transformers mythos.

And by process of elimination....

1. Transformers: Animated
This show, in addition to the 2007 film , is what got me into Transformers and have made me the fan I am now. Out of all the Transformers shows we've gotten over the years, Animated really stands out among them as there's no other Transformers show like it. This is probably one of the most visually unique and creative takes on the Transformers mythos with how it cleverly reimagines the characters in ways never seen before by having Optimus be depicted as a Cybertronian every man rather than the iconic Autobot leader we're all familiar with and having him be amongst a small Rag Tag Group of misfits Autobots stationed on Earth in a futuristic robot run Detroit and seeing their drive to become the Heroic Autobots we know in order to confront the Decepticons who here are presented as big and formidable threats. The show manages to borrow many familiar elements and characters from the franchise's past and put a unique and memorable spin on them in addition to adding in original elements of it's own which helps add to this take on the world and helping it stand out amongst other Transformers shows and are beautifully visualized thanks to the late Derrick J. Wyatt whose style was one of a kind and has yet to emulated, and help make each Transformers character distinctive and unique with their designs in addition to giving the fights and action scenes some stylistic flare. The Cast for the show is truly spectacular, with the Autobots being fun and enjoyable leads, Sari being probably one of the best human characters in the franchise, the Decepticons are as entertaining as they are threatening and the voice cast perfect gives life to each character and their personalities. However like most great shows, Animated was unfortunately hit with Network mistreatment which led to it being canceled after three seasons with the large fan base to this day demanding for a revival and fourth season. And even though I would love for the show to make a comeback even if it's highly unlikely now that we unfortunately lost Wyatt, I am mostly satisfied more than most canceled shows as Animated did get a conclusive enough ending by the end of its run regarding its important main characters and their story. Tranformers: Animated is an instant classic amongst the Transformers community and is one with the largest following due to how it succeeded in bringing a fresh new spin on the franchise, and giving a vastly different and unique experience for a Transformers story and reimagining it for a new generation and for people like me, created new fans in the process and for all those reasons, Transformers: Animated is as of right now my pick as the best Transformers cartoon.

So please let me know what is your personal ranking on the Transformers shows and please let me know why so we can respectfully discuss it as Transformers fans and until next time....

Till All Are One!

Description
With season 1 of of the latest Transformers show, Transformers: EarthSpark, having just wrapped up, and with all the mainstream American Transformers show having been reviewed beforehand, it's about time that I rank all 16 of the animated Transformers shows from least favorite to most favorite.

As a reminder of where I stand with Transformers is that I have been a fan for a good bit of my adolescence thanks to both Transformers: Animated and the Michael Bay films namely the first one and from then, I explored more of the franchise with the many shows of past and present as they came and while there are so far only a few that I would call bad, the lineup of shows for this franchise at least for me are ones that I am mostly positive on with some being much better and more awesome than others of course and even the bad ones in this franchise aren't as terrible as some of the worst shows that I've seen. And I know that EarthSpark has been confirmed to have two seasons with the first just having ended and the second coming soon so depending on what the future holds, this ranking could change in like half a year at most, but we'll mainly just focus on what we currently got. So, let's roll out as we briefly rank the shows of the Transformers thus far.

The Transformers Shows Ranked

16. Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy
Now to be frank, this show is not awful or a show that does anything overly egregious or offensive (say for maybe how they characterized Beast Megatron) but the reason for its low placement is because of all the Transformers shows I've seen, this one is by far the most forgettable and boring. Transformers is many things but it should not be boring. The show takes itself way too seriously and has little to no levity to the story, the characters here are so dull and not helped by the very subpar voice acting that ranges from bored and monotone to melodramatic and ill-fitting for certain characters, The visuals are so dreary and dull, and the plot of the show through its three chapters feels like it moves at a snail's pace. While I can appreciate some of the ambition this trilogy was clearly going for with it being a more gritty take on the story, it severely lacked that fun aspect which made it not as enjoyable as I would've liked. Again, the worst thing a show or movie can be is boring and unfortunately WFC is a prime (no pun intended) example of it and while it's watchable on its best day, it fails to leave much of an impact and thus its the least remarkable series of the franchise, and is one that is already fading from my memory as we speak. If Any of you like it, then that's cool, it just wasn't for me.

15. Transformers: Energon
Now on one hand, Energon objectively speaking is a worse and more problematic series than WFC and is certainly the worst of the Unicron Trilogy, but on the other hand, it's at least more memorably bad whereas WFC is mostly just dull. Energon has a laundry list of problems like terrible and inconsistent dubbing, stiff and rough 3D animation on the Transformers that make the action mostly clunky and awkward, the story being a jumbled mess and isn't enough for a 52 episode show with how the main plot gets resolved twice early and midway through but then the show crafts a new plot for thirteen more episodes just to reach the 52 episode quota, some baffling and terrible creative decisions like what they did with Starscream from Armada, and characters that range from bland like some of the Autobots to annoying like Kicker. Admittedly the show does have some saving graces sprinkled here and there like some standout characters like Inferno, some gorgeous hand drawn animation for the humans and whenever the Transformers do a cool action scene in 2D in the only few instances where the action looks good and should've been the style throughout, and even with how much of a train wreck the show is, it sometimes can cross into being so bad, it's entertaining for how hilariously inept it is. If anything, Energon is a terrible Transformers show no doubt but it can make for a fun watch if you're looking for a show to Riff On with friends and even though it's not good, it's at least funny bad and I'll take that over a show that's boring bad or insulting bad.

Or just check out my old rewrite of the show from a while back.

Now again, those two are the only Transformers that I would call bad shows but more mediocre bad than anything else and far from the worst shows I've seen.

From this point up, we are getting into the Transformers shows that I have mostly positive feelings on that range from decent to good to some of my all time favorites, starting with.....

14. Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001)
What I would the transitional period between the G1/Beast Era of the 1980s and 1990s and the Unicron Trilogy anime Era of the 2000s, with it being a sort of generational Mashup of the G1 and Beast Era all in the first Dubbed anime of the franchise and having a much more comedic and light hearted tone compared to other Transformers shows. For what the show is, I feel it did its job well in giving us the first anime spin of the brand in addition to having some standout characters who can range from cool and memorable like the evil Decepticon Scourge who inspired Nemesis Prime and the haiku heavy Predacon shark Sky-Byte which are both fan favorites for a reason to some funny and comedic characters like Autobot Sideburn with his simping of red sports cars and the Predacon Trio of Dark Scream, Gaskunk and Slapper with their Team Rocket like dynamic. Some of the action is decent if a bit heavy with stock footage and characters shouting attack phrases and even if the show can be a cheesy for some and a bit repetitious with some of the anime tropes and running gags like with Kelly never catching a break as well as Koji being one of the least reputable human characters, Robots in Disguise 2001 is a mostly fun light hearted anime that can deliver some simple entertainment but it doesn't provide much as far as character arcs or story.

13. Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy
Rescue Bots Academy is definitely a show targeted for younger kids much like its predecessor series, but even at that, it's a charming, cute and well made little series that can make for a fun little watch. The main five recruits make for decent role models for kids to connect with as they learn to train and better themselves to become Rescue Bots for a new generation with the original Rescue Bots, an older Cody Burns and some legacy characters acting as teachers and providing some advice and life lessons that not only help the recruits but could also speak out to viewers who struggle or still struggle with mistakes. Aside from its placement in the Aligned continuity being rather questionable as a sequel to Rescue Bots and even if I'm far from being the show's target audience, RBA is a show that has enough charisma to make it a show that can be enjoyed by viewers regardless of their age.

12. Transformers: BotBots
One of the most unique and out of the box additions to the franchise in both style and tone, being the first show in the franchise that is purely a comedy and of course in today's media climate, whenever an mainly action centered IP gets a show that is of a comedic tone, it's almost guaranteed to get some people talking and not in a good way and is usually given the Teen Titans Go treatment. However because the show is based on the more smaller and wilder BotBots line, the comedic tone I feel works in its favor than if it were traditional Transformers and seeing that it is its own thing from the wider franchise, it's allowed to do its own thing and craft its own identity. And even if the show is for the most part an episodic comedy, there is a narrative to the show surrounding the Lost Bots and their uphill battle for acceptance but finding kinship amongst each other, nothing too deep of a story but it's there and more than what most shows of this tone have. Despite a few frustrating elements like some of the minor BotBots being unnecessarily mean spirited and stubborn at times and a few jokes that miss the mark, BotBots is a cute little mini series that I hope gets another season considering the final scene the show ends on, but the chances might be unlikely but only time will tell on that one. Regardless, BotBots was better than anticipated given its departure from the norm and in my opinion, it succeeds in that department even if it's nothing groundbreaking just a bite sized fun comedy with tiny robots.

11. The Transformers (Generation 1)
I know that having the original that started it all placed here at #11 might come off as blasphemous to some of the more hard-core die hard Transformers fans but please hear me out. Is Generation 1 the series responsible for bringing Transformers into popular culture and into the mainstream? Yes. Does it introduce many iconic characters, aspects and elements that years later are still just as relevant in the franchise today as they were back in the 80s? Absolutely. Does it have a legacy in being the classic original Transformers cartoon? You're darn right it does. But even with its importance to the franchise as a whole, it's a very flawed series that regardless of which side you stand with the series are valid. It does introduce so many memorable characters that would go on to be iconic fan favorites, but it features and introduces a bit too many characters to keep track of and as it goes, more are brought in. The animation is standard television animation of the 1980s but there are some glaring animation and technical goofs that occur. And even if you are a fan of it, you cannot deny that it was at its core purely made to advertise the toys and thus why there are so many characters with not much personality beyond the main ones on both sides. And personally while I see the iconic status of it, it's unfortunately a show that I was behind my time and thus it lacks the nostalgic aspect for me to truly value it. But in terms of what the series does right, the voice acting is top notch and iconic as it gave us the iconic vocal performances of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the show is still fun in that nostalgic 80s fashion and to give credit where it is due, it was definitely responsible for giving us the template of what Transformers is in pop culture, even though I feel that the iterations that came after its time do more with the concept. So all in all, G1 is a flawed classic of the franchise and one that I feel can be overrated at times by some of the diehards, but it is still a classic nonetheless and is still worthy of its legacy as the original Transformers cartoon because of what it established, even if it has its flaws with some more glaring than others.

10. Transformers: Cybertron
A bit of an odd one in the franchise for the fact that it was originally designed as it's own standalone continuity in Japan but when translated to the states, it was then retooled into being a sequel to Armada and Energon, thus making it the third part of the Unicron Trilogy. And when viewing as part of the trilogy, it's quite confusing as it was never Conceived as such sue to there being multiple things that don't exactly add up with the canon of the previous series with stuff like the Autobots acting as if this is their first time on Earth and needing to stay hidden despite their human alliance in the last, characterizations that barely resemble how they were previously, among a few other inconsistencies. But when viewed as it's own standalone series as it was initially, it's a pretty decent Transformers anime that delivers on some good characters especially some of the new human characters surprisingly enough and the addition of Vector Prime, some cool worldbuilding with the Cyber Planets and the main maguffin the Cyber Keys, and some exciting action that really leans hard on the anime like nature of the show with the fight scenes, even more than even the previous shows in the trilogy. Despite still having the awkward and sometimes distracting style mix of the simple 2D anime humans and the more physical 3D Transformers, some filler throughout parts of the story and it's questionable and artificial placement in the Unicron Trilogy, Cybertron is still a decent and sometimes exciting Transformers anime that can deliver on some solid anime action and characters.

9. Beast Machines: Transformers
The often forgotten sequel to the groundbreaking Beast Wars series and is one of the more divisive shows of the franchise, for reasons that are understandable on both sides. The show I feel does a fairly good job in being a bit more darker of a series than Beast Wars which gives it the distinction from its predecessor and is certainly one of the darkest Transformers shows and the animation while still dated by today shows some technological upgrades with the visuals. The soundtrack is a cool cyberpunk track that sets the mood of the show well, and even some of the character arcs we get with Optimus Primal and a few others are pretty engaging, in addition to making Megatron a more threatening and even scary Villain who runs Cybertron like a dark futuristic dictatorship with the Maximals acting as this underground resistance against his tyranny. On the flip side, the characterizations of the familiar characters can be off-putting for some with how drastically their personalities are with some better than others, the new designs of the Maximals while narrative wise make sense can look pretty uncanny at first glance with their more humanoid features and looking less like robots, some of the new characters range from cool like the Vehicon generals to annoying like Nightscream and the show has a rather odd spiritual undertone to it with its theme of organic vs technological given that the franchise is usually about alien robots but to its credit, they at least do a decent job in weaving it into the lore with the Oracle and by the end, the show delivers an unforgettable finale to not just the Beast Era but to the entire Generation 1 continuity. Beast Machines is nowhere near the status of its predecessor for sure and by the end is a mixed bag of a series with some interesting ideas and though it has things that are definitely going to divide many people, I firmly believe Beast Machines is a decent sequel that is worth checking out but overall is mid among the franchise, but on the upper half of mid.

8. Transformers: Rescue Bots
A show that despite being made for much much younger kids, Rescue Bots is a universally likeable and fun little series that can even appeal to others outside of just toddlers. It's one of the few shows that deviates from the usual Autobot and Decepticon war while still having characters like Optimus and Bumblebee appear as secondary characters, with the main focus and heart of the story being the dynamic of the Rescue Bots and their human partners The Burns Family as they help their island town of Griffin Rock on a daily basis while also learning valuable life lessons and teamwork etiquette, helped by how the characters make for good role models and a great team and family that can make this show have some educational value without it feeling preachy. Beyond all that, the action even for a kids show can have genuine moments of suspense and excitement and make good use of each of the Rescue Bots' abilities. The one minor gripe with the show is regarding it being in the same Aligned universe as Prime, considering how the two shows are worlds apart in terms of tone and thus creates a bit of a disconnect between the two if we are to believe this is all one universe. Outside of that, Rescue Bots is a pretty good and enjoyable show that serves as a nice starting point for kids to get into Transformers as well as also being a show that makes for a nice relaxing palette cleanser after many shows of seeing the Bots and Cons at each other's necks in war.

7. Transformers: EarthSpark
Now keep in mind that we're only still one season into this show so this show has the potential to move up on the list overtime depending what season 2 offers. But with the first season as is, this is definitely one of the most refreshing and unique stories we've recently gotten in a Transformers series with the show mainly revolving around the Malto family and their newfound bond with new Earthborn Transformers called Terrans and a whole conspiracy surrounding the alliance of Cybertronians and humans after the war has long ended. It takes some interesting and wild new directions that can be genuinely unexpected, has characters, new and legacy characters including a new Heroic take on Megatron that make the show engaging and also heartfelt with the family theme with the human characters having a more crucial role in the story as much as the Transformers, has amazing voice acting with Alan Tudyk making for a surprisingly good Optimus, has some visually engaging and highly dynamic action and animation in said action, and as it went on, the show progressed in terms of being thrilling, emotional, engaging and even dark at certain points. In addition, even if I'm not of that community, I do like and appreciate how this show openly addresses unique groups and providing some welcoming and positive role models for them in a tasteful manner that isn't agenda heavy or "woke" as the conservative trolls like to insecurely claim it is, and in that aspect, I respect this show for being bold with acknowledging that side of its viewers, giving it a more diverse appeal. While there may be a couple of things that aren't perfect such as the villain Mandroid who up until the end of the season was nothing special as far as villains went and with it being a very new show that is still very early to call it one of the best, EarthSpark definitely has a promising start to something that if the cards are played right has the potential to be something grand that I look forward to.

6. Transformers: Cyberverse
A show that I would best describe as a modern day Generation 1 with how it has a huge ensemble cast of Autobots and Decepticons, most being well known legacy characters and some obscure new ones that are stand outs being that this is their first major appearance and even with the large cast, the show is able to come up with episodes and dynamics that can give them time to shine as characters be it legacy characters like Hot Rod or obscure ones like Rack'N'Ruin. I really love the show's 3D/2D mixed animation style and how it looks visually unique and how the show takes aspects from the franchise mythos and is able to craft its own take on this universe with some engaging new stories in addition to seeing familiar elements and characters brought back in a new coat of paint with some interpretations of characters being surprise standouts for me. The only gripe with the show is how the eleven minute runtime for most of the episodes squander a bit of efficient story potential as the runtime limits the amount of character and story that could easily be better with more time, which is why I feel the episodes work best together whenever we get to some of the more plot driven parts of the show and why the specials that make up the conclusion are some of the best of the show. But aside from that little setback, this is a show that I Kicked myself in the ass for not watching sooner than I Finally did because of how good of a show Cyberverse is, but better late than never.

5. Transformers: Armada
What I still stand by being not only the best show in the Unicron Trilogy but also is likely the best Transformers anime. Now it is far from perfect as it does stumble a bit with a bit of a slow beginning half of the show and a few mediocre at best characters, however as the show went on, the story and characters especially became more engaging and interesting with one of the biggest breakout stars of this anime being this conflicted and noble take on Starscream who gets the best character arc amongst the cast. The action is pretty exciting and even gripping in parts and greatly assisted by the show's rocking score and the interesting dynamics with the Autobots and Decepticons that can lead to some engaging drama and character moments as we lead up to an exciting saga of episodes with Unicron as the big evil the two factions have to confront with some genuinely epic and even emotional moments scattered in that are best seen than heard. All of that helps make Armada stand out as surprisingly solid series and for as much as I get different types of enjoyment from the two series that followed after even though they're not as good as this, I do feel like Armada's legacy would highly benefit had it been a one and done story. But as is, Armada is a show that proves how amazing a show could get once you give it time to unfold.

4. Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Now For the longest time, this has been a series that I know is not as good as Prime which it acts as a sequel to, but I never for the life of me understood the level of disdain some have towards this show. Now it has some imperfections like Optimus was totally unneeded here as he has little to nothing to do that adds to his arc that he already had previously, the show is a bit more lighthearted, there were some missed opportunities from Prime that could've been brought in here and like I said, Prime is just by comparison the more tighter show. But even with those setbacks, I still think this show is pretty entertaining and way over-hated. I like how the show focuses on Bumblebee and his drive of becoming a leader to this little ragtag group of misfits as his team and the show centering on him and these new characters learning to work together and become a solid team as they drive to stop some Decepticon inmates loose on Earth while based in a scrap yard. For what it offers, RiD has some fun and even exciting action, some funny moments here and there that don't overstay their welcome, fun new characters like Strongarm, Sideswipe, Fixit and a very unique take on Grimlock plus father and son Denny and Russel who make for good new human allies, seeing returning characters from Prime like Soundwave, Starscream and Bulkhead and other connections to Prime were nice little fanservice moments for fans of Prime, and even if the show is a bit formulaic with its premise, I think that the characters undergo some interesting development and growth as individuals and as a team plus the addition of some various story arcs throughout that it made the journey more fun. So while its definitely not as good as Prime and while I can agree on some things that could've been better with it, I feel RiD does enough good stuff as a companion piece to it that I feel it deserves more love and more credit for what it does right as it is rather misunderstood and a Transformers show that I am proud to be a member of the party in support of it.

3. Beast Wars: Transformers
Whereas G1 in my opinion is a flawed classic in the franchise despite its legacy, Beast Wars is a near flawless classic in the franchise worthy of its legacy. Beast Wars, along with Reboot, for its time was highly revolutionary for being one of the first fully computer animated shows of its time and though the visuals and graphics are a bit dated by today's standards, they truly were one of a kind and an achievement back then. Beyond the technological achievements, the show also crafts an engaging, action packed and even mature narrative regarding the descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons, The Maximals and Predacons in a war on prehistoric Earth and introduced a memorable cast from both factions like Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Megatron, Dinobot, Waspinator, Rattrap, Rhinox, just to name a few and each are iconic in their own right. The show has a nice mix of action, drama, story, bits of comedy and even some hard hitting emotional moments as well, and for certain people, this was their preferred Transformers and its not hard to see why Beast Wars has had such a strong following. While it's animation may be for a lack of better term primitive today, it's characters and story still hold up and are still engaging to this day and help make Beast Wars stand out as a proven classic from the 90s.

And these next two are the Transformers shows that use to always switch back and forth for me depending on what day you ask me in terms of which one I like more as my pick for favorite or best Transformers show because of them both being great in their own unique ways that picking which one to be number one and which to be number two was in the past no easy feat and but as of right now....

2. Transformers: Prime
Now this was a show that I took a while to get into at first for a long reason unrelated to the show itself that I won't get into here, but when I actually did sit down and watched the show, for a time since, Prime was my favorite Transformers show because of how it was such a well made and more daring series in the franchise at that time and gave a fresh new mature take on the mythos and the characters. Taking some influence from the live action films at the time and the first series of the Aligned continuity, Prime is able to be a bit more daring and adult with its storytelling while still keeping within family friendly boundaries which allowed the show to have a tone that could appeal to both kids and adults. The show takes care in making its main cast of Autobots likeable and human despite being robots and characters that you root for and get emotional for and making the Decepticons Legitimately threatening villains that raise the stakes, in a story that raises the stakes with each season with a stellar stacked voice cast including the return of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker as Optimus Prime and Megatron and presented in some stunning computer animation which deliver on some gripping, exciting and even visceral action and with an unforgettable score to enhance the emotion and mood throughout the show. Aside from some small nitpicks like some storylines that aren't as exciting as the more major ones and some alternative opportunities for certain characters that could've made the show more stronger, Prime is definitely a great Transformers show that reimagines the story in a brilliantly bold, daring and mature way that makes it one I would definitely recommend for older viewers looking for a gripping narrative based show in the Transformers mythos.

And by process of elimination....

1. Transformers: Animated
This show, in addition to the 2007 film , is what got me into Transformers and have made me the fan I am now. Out of all the Transformers shows we've gotten over the years, Animated really stands out among them as there's no other Transformers show like it. This is probably one of the most visually unique and creative takes on the Transformers mythos with how it cleverly reimagines the characters in ways never seen before by having Optimus be depicted as a Cybertronian every man rather than the iconic Autobot leader we're all familiar with and having him be amongst a small Rag Tag Group of misfits Autobots stationed on Earth in a futuristic robot run Detroit and seeing their drive to become the Heroic Autobots we know in order to confront the Decepticons who here are presented as big and formidable threats. The show manages to borrow many familiar elements and characters from the franchise's past and put a unique and memorable spin on them in addition to adding in original elements of it's own which helps add to this take on the world and helping it stand out amongst other Transformers shows and are beautifully visualized thanks to the late Derrick J. Wyatt whose style was one of a kind and has yet to emulated, and help make each Transformers character distinctive and unique with their designs in addition to giving the fights and action scenes some stylistic flare. The Cast for the show is truly spectacular, with the Autobots being fun and enjoyable leads, Sari being probably one of the best human characters in the franchise, the Decepticons are as entertaining as they are threatening and the voice cast perfect gives life to each character and their personalities. However like most great shows, Animated was unfortunately hit with Network mistreatment which led to it being canceled after three seasons with the large fan base to this day demanding for a revival and fourth season. And even though I would love for the show to make a comeback even if it's highly unlikely now that we unfortunately lost Wyatt, I am mostly satisfied more than most canceled shows as Animated did get a conclusive enough ending by the end of its run regarding its important main characters and their story. Tranformers: Animated is an instant classic amongst the Transformers community and is one with the largest following due to how it succeeded in bringing a fresh new spin on the franchise, and giving a vastly different and unique experience for a Transformers story and reimagining it for a new generation and for people like me, created new fans in the process and for all those reasons, Transformers: Animated is as of right now my pick as the best Transformers cartoon.

So please let me know what is your personal ranking on the Transformers shows and please let me know why so we can respectfully discuss it as Transformers fans and until next time....

Till All Are One!