TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS: What Is BEAST WARS?

Can you believe we only have 15 days to wait until the Transformers return to our screens. As you can probably tell… We’re rather excited. To get everyone pumped and ready for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, we’ve decided to revisit a classic show that has proven to be a wealthy source of inspiration for the 7th installment in the franchise. While this breakdown won’t answer any questions regarding what awaits our favourite Autobots in Rise of the Beasts, it may give us some subtle hints. So, it’s time to ask that all-important question…

What is Beast Wars?

To bring in a new wave of Transformers fans, audiences were introduced to the weird and bizzarely complex world of Beast Wars, which started out as a toyline and an animated series in 1996. Instead of the Autobots and Decepticons, Beast Wars gave us the Maximals and Predacons. Set 300 years after the original Transformers series, Beast Wars opens the mythology to all kinds of weirdness. However, one thing does remain the same… There are two factions once again at each other’s throat.

The Maximals and Predacons are actually descendants (from the future) of the Autobots and Decepticons. In that timeline, the Autobots eventually won the war against evil and reclaimed Cybertron. Many, many years after the great war, the Transformers upgraded to smaller and more energy conserving forms. They had evolved. Unfortunately, the peace did not last, and thus the war between the Maximals and Predacons ignited.

The war took the Maximals and Predacons across the galaxy and into the past. Yes, time travelling Transformers. When the Maximals and Predacons first crash-landed on earth, the primitive planet was teeming with energon. Now, to survive the immense exposure to this energy, the Maximals and Predacons were forced to take on organic forms. And there you have it. Transformers transforming into animals. It couldn’t be simpler…

This is where it gets tricky. When the Maximals discover that they’re on earth, everything changes. The Predacons, led by Megatron- named after the Decepticon version of Megatron- have their own secret weapon… A golden disc. This special disc was sent into space to study the solar system in 1977, shortly before the Autobots made their presence known. This particular disc contained information about Earth and its inhabitants. At some point the Decepticon leader got his hands on the disc and encoded his own message. This message ordered any Decepticon with time travelling technology (called transwarp) to travel back in time to kill the Autobots while the Ark and its occupants were incapacitated. Are you following? With Optimus dead, the Autobots will lose the war and the Decepticons will win, which will then lead to a future where the Predacons also win.

Although, it is worth mentioning that the Predacons seem to have a very limited role in Rise of the Beasts. Scourge and his Terrorcons, heralds of Unicron, are the main antagonists this time. With that in mind, it’ll be interesting to see how that impacts the film and its connection to the Beast Wars mythology.

Now, this is a very brief and abridged version of Beast Wars. The series ran for three seasons and contained over 50 episodes. But, the description above does a somewhat decent job of laying down the foundations. The next question to ask is how this fits into Transformers: Rise of the Beasts…

Beast Wars vs Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Much like the Michael Bay mythology, we’re probably going to see a very different version of the Maximals and Predacons. While their aesthetics may remain the same- although they appear much more robotic in the film- not everything will translate so easily to the live-action world.

Firstly, in Beast Wars the Maximals and Autobots do not cross paths. It seems as though these Maximals are already on earth and in the present day- 1994, but there is a chance that, much like the Dinobots in Age of Extinction, they’ve been in a deep hibernation, only to be woken up by Unicron’s arrival. However, there is something in the trailer that indicates that time travel could be an important factor… Optimus Primal states that “Of all the threats, from both your past and future, you’ve never faced anything like this.”

If the Maximals are from the future, then they’ll know about Optimus’ future battles. In the War For Cybertron Netflix series, Primal actually clashes heavily with Optimus due to the fact that he knows that Optimus is destined to transform into Nemesis Prime. That same logic can be applied here. With Unicron on his way, the Maximals could hold the key to beating the planet killer.

Then again, Rise of the Beasts could abandon this wibbly wobbly timey wimey narrative for something more suitable for the big screen. After all, what we’ve just discussed is quite a lot even for the most veteran Transformers fan. On the flip side, the time travel aspect could also explain a lot. What the Maximals are doing on Earth, whether this ties into anything relating to the Bayverse, and where Megatron is. In the original Beast Wars series, Megatron’s presence lingers… And let’s face it, the Autobots are nothing without the ruthless leader chasing them at any given chance.

Regardless of who and what, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts could be looking to adapt some key narrative beats from the 1996 show. While we are expecting things to be very different compared to the 27-year old bombastic show, Beast Wars may hold some of the answers to our many questions. With more films in the pipeline, whatever happens in Rise of the Beasts could have drastic ramifications that may bleed into the future. We’ll find out soon enough.

Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce whole new breeds of Transformers – the Maximals, Predacons and Terrorcons – to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons.

The upcoming sequel, directed by Steven Caple Jr, stars Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, and Luna Lauren Velez.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be unleashed in UK cinemas on June 8th, 2023.

Days until Transformers: Rise of the Beasts– 15 Days

Are you excited for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Don’t forget to check out more from the planet Cybertron right here.