TRANSFORMERS: THE BASICS on TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED

Get ready to transform and roll out with The Basics on the creation and legacy of one of the most-loved Transformers cartoons, TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED!

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

[ChrisMcFeely]

Well, the "um actually" crowd is out in force today so I guess I have to pin this. Yes, there was a character named "Bulkhead" in "Transformers: Energon." He's a completely different character who has nothing to do with TFA Bulkhead, who was designed - as described in the video - as his own entity from the ground up.

[madskillz]

Weird Al becoming the voice of Wreck Gar.
'I am Wreck Gar, I dare to be stupid!'

So many layers, I love it.

[hanyoukimura]

If Invader Zim has taught us anything, it's never too late to get the gang back together for a comeback.

[kainthedragoon]

In the end Transformers Animated was off lined by a cosmically powered Starscream

[DragonTail]

My daughter was tiny when TF: A started, and it was my first real chance to share Transformers with her. She fell instantly in love with the series and its characters and we'd spend hours watching the show, drawing pictures of the cast and playing with the Bumper Battler toys. Bulkhead was her immediate favourite, I'd eventually figure out it was because he was original to "her" show rather than being a carry-over from "Daddy's Transformers". Two years ago, she and I were in Japan on holiday and we found the Tamara version of Optimus Prime in a collectibles store, MISB. To my utter delight she bought it immediately, with the sort of excitement and reverence we'd show a MISB G1 Optimus, and has made it the centrepiece of her collection. So as much as I love TF: A on its own merits, the major reason I adore it is because I got to share it with my daughter.

[HORRIOR]

Making the Decepticons larger, stronger, and more well armed than Autobots, is something more Transformers series should do. It makes them more threatening, the victories of the Autobots more meaningful, and shows the difference between the two factions. Unlike say… Cyberverse, where an entire SQUAD of Seekers cant take down one autobot.

[Cyclownus]

Transformers Animated definitely deserves a Season 4.

[Exdeathmore]

A funny thing to note is that Spongebob and Patrick's voice actors both had roles in the show as Starscream and Bulkhead, respectively.

[aarononeil]

Really hoping this show gets the Clone Wars/Young Justice treatment of being brought back to wrap up the show and story properly. I know it's probably not as big as either of those but it's just as if not more important to me.

[IAmEvilTree]

I came to watch this again after hearing the news. R.I.P. Derrick J. Wyatt.
Animated was a breath of fresh air and ideas. The stylized character designs, the post war setting, the focus on characters, Animated brought in many new fans and rekindled a love for Transformers in others (me being one of them). My thoughts are with his family and friends, thank you for everything.

[Big_E_Soul_Fragment]

The greatest threat to any good franchise: corporate bullshitry.

[JunkJester]

Fun Fact: After TFA wrapped up at the end of Season 3, Derrick J. Wyatt would continue working for Cartoon Network, becoming the lead writer and artist for another show, Ben 10: Omniverse, which explains why Omniverse and TFA have such similar art styles.

[JonathanThest]

Rest in Piece, Derek J Wyatt. Your contribution to the most influential pieces of my childhood will never be forgotten.

[YihouTomaru]

Animated’s take on the Seeker’s was actually really nice along with the Origin for Blackarachnia

[big_lolo_]

My greastest memory of Trandformers Animated came when Omega Supreme first came online. We were at my Aunts house in Houston when my dad, (who was a transformers fan) heard the ship boot up and his eyes lit up. Me and him both knew that the ship was Omega when the voice spoke. We lost my Aunt in 2017 and this is one of my greastest memories at her house

[Skullgrin]

It's funny.


I can remember the hate for this back when it was announced being as hyperbole as it was towards shows like Beast Wars, especially since people were really harsh towards in the design aesthetic of this series. But when you see how their toys look and how accurate they are to the show and how their lines work and the rest of it, that's really a good sign that this series is in the right track with it's design idea. As for the show itself it really set the bar high on what a Transformers show can be with really good writing and characterisation, but it's a shame that this series was cancelled at the height of it's popularity because it really looked like it was building up to what would have been a big curtain call had we seen it. Now it only remains a dream, but we were lucky to get this at the right time despite all the unanswered questions that were left hanging around in the air.


As always Chris, great stuff.

[Daedalus-BC]

My mother first saw Animated at this year's TFNation. It just took the ending two-part episode to make her a massive Bulkhead fan.

[captainfordo]

The finale made me cry as hell, especially Prowl's sacrifice and the ending celebration. R.I.P. Transformers Animated, you might have ended, but your legacy will still live on for generations as one of the best Transformers shows ever.

[brianlevine]

"Animated" is right up there with "Beast Wars" and "Prime" as one of my favorite Transformers series. While I'll admit some of the animation was a bit inconsistent and I didn't care for most of the human villains (excluding Meltdown and maybe Headmaster), it still had creative new takes on beloved characters, likable new characters, an intriguing story, plenty of great action, and amazing references to preceding Transformers media without having it overshadow the overall show. I'll also admit I like the show's art style, partly because it gives the show a 'lean, mean, fighting machine' look to it, and also because I've had a soft spot for Derrick Wyatt's overall art style after seeing the 2003 "Teen Titans" cartoon.

I still wish we had a fourth season, since there were a few plot points that needed some closure, like the rest of Sari's origins and the whereabouts of Blackarachnia and Waspinator. However, given how Season 3 ended, it at least went out on a high note.

My favorite characters in this incarnation have to be Optimus, Prowl, Grimlock, Sari, Meltdown, Blitzwing, and Starscream.

[foreignwun]

If invader Zim can come back after 14 years, I feel Animated can come back after 11.