I first saw this show growing up in the 90s, and I almost certainly did not fully understand it. The combination of animals, robots, and big explosions likely kept me hooked. But about a year ago I was drawn back into watching again. The plot is incredible! I have never been a Transformers fan, but this series has me hooked.Yes, the first season is a bit slow, and yes, some of the names of the original characters are cheesy, but the twisting plot, sophisticated writing, and developing characters are leagues beyond the average animated series; indeed, they are fantastic by any standard. Even the episodes that ignore the main plot arcs have a tendency to exceed the philosophical expectations I bring to a show I watched at age 7.What really makes this show shine is its ability to appeal to me almost 15 years later! I find myself returning to Beast Wars every once in a while to relive the emotions they evoke.As for the animation, it seems low-quality by today's standards, but at the time it was nothing less than remarkable. It even won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Animation.

If you were a child of the 90's,chances are you knew of the show,and if you a fan today,it is very easy to see why.Beast Wars:Transformers is the sequel series to the original cartoon.It takes place 500 years after the events of Generation 1(the original series),but takes place on prehistoric Earth.How is this possible?Well,let me explain.In season 1,the Maximals(the good guys who have descended from the Autobots,the good guys of the original series)and the Predacons(the villains,who have descended from the original series' villains,the Decepticons)fly through a transwarp in space while their ships are battling and end up shooting each other down,crashing to Earth below. The Maximals and Predacons must now take on new disguises so their systems won't shut down from Energon(their energy source overload,due to the fact the planet is rich in it.The Maximals are lead by the heroic Optimus Primal,whose beast mode is that of a gorilla.His team is made of Cheetor(a cheetah,male),Rattrap(a rat,male),Rhinox(a rhino,male),Dinobot(a velociraptor,male),Tigatron(a white tiger,male),and Airrazor(a falcon,female).The Predacons are lead by the evil Megatron(a t-rex);his team is made up of Waspinator(a wasp,male),Terrorsaur(a pterodactyl,male),Scorpnox(a scorpion,male),Tarantulus(a tarantula,male),Inferno(a fire ant,male),and Blackarachnia(a black widow,female)The Maximals are in a battle for their survival for most of the season not only against the Predacons,but against some strange aliens as well.Season 2 is a time of change.The season begins with the death of Optimus Primal.Then,something incredible happens.Cheetor and Rattrap are given new bodies that don't suffer from Energon overload and have their own transportation modes.Sadly,Megatron and Tarantulus also have new features of their own as well.New transfomers also join:Ouickstrike,(scorpion/cobra,male)joins the Predacons,along with Rampage(crab,male),while the noble Silverbolt(eagle/wolf/male)joins the Maximals.Optimus Primal returns later in the season,now given a new body of his own.The focus of this season is on Megatron and why he flew to Earth in the first place.Characters die in this season:Predaons Terrosaur and Scorpnox die as early in the first episode of the season,and the honorable Dinobot gives his life to save the human race from a grim fate by Megatron.Season 3,the final season,begins with a bang. And what a bang it is! The Maximals are being erased from existence by Megatron attempting to destroy Optimus Prime before the events of the original series began!.Although the attempt is a failure,Optimus Prime is badly damaged and in order to save him,Optimus Primal stores his Spark(pretty much the soul and spirit of the transformers)inside himself.Due to this,Primal evolves into Optimal Optimus,stronger,bigger,and capable of so much more than his previous self.Optimus Prime is soon restored,and the Spark returned,but Primal retains his new body.The rest of the season lies with the Maximals and their attempts to protect their ancestors and the timeline from Megatron and his evil plans.New members join both teams:the Maximals find assistance in Depth Charge(manta ray,male),a enforcer sent to bring Rampage in for different crimes.The Predacons clone Dinobot,who shares a Spark with Rampage.Blackarachnia leaves the Predacons and joins the Maximals,due to her shared feelings for Silverbolt.Cheetor and Megatron get new bodies and the aliens,whose experiments have been found and explored by both sides for years decide to intervene in an attempt to fix the timeline by sending Tigerhawk(tiger/hawk,male),a combination of the Sparks of Tigatron and Airrazor(they were abducted by the aliens in Season 2).It all leads to an exciting series finale in which Megatron attempts to fly back to Cybertron(their home planet)in an attempt to rule it once and for all.I hope I didn't wear you out with that,but this is a very complex series,filled with great story lines,awesome characters,and exciting action.If you have never seen it,I think you should try it out.All three seasons are available on DVD. I hope you enjoy.

I watched this show loyally when it was on air and years later i unregretably bought all 3 seasons on DVD. I was a fan wen i was 11 and I'm still a fan when I'm 18. The show is for all ages, kids enjoy the action and cool graphics while adults can enjoy the quirky references and great storyline. Now the story is based on the previous Transformers show but you don't have to know it to easily follow along. I'm not even a fan of Transformers, but i feel instantly in love with Beast Wars, every reference to Transformers can be understood without previous knowledge.I think the reason its such a good show is the character and story development. Each character has their own personality, agenda, and past. They are all so different and real, you can really relate. Since you get attached to the characters you get engulfed in the story, which is always full of great twists and clever plots. Everything is well written and thought out.Overall i definitely recommend this show: funn, clever, sarcastic, visually pleasing, just all around great!

Beast Wars had so many great moments that rivals even the original Transformers. Dinobot's memorable death, Waspinator possessed by Starscream, a three episode appearance by Ravage, and cameos by Optimus Prime himself. When this show premiered in 1996 previous Transformers fans had their doubts (and who wouldn't when the Maximals leader's name was Optimus Primal?). However after a few episodes it was clearly over with old fans. This show never once slouched at any point. Sure their was certain characters who hardly had development (Terrorsaur, Scorponok, Tigerhawk etc.) but many other characters made up for them (Dinobot, Optimus Primal, Rattrap etc.). I own Season 2 and 3 on DVD. The shows are flawless and always packed with action. Something you don't see on Transformers shows these day.Not only did this succeed as a brilliant TV show but the toy line was awesome. Sure Transmetals were made as a marketing plan but every toy seemed to be so well thought out and detailed. It's unfortunate that it's follow up (Beast Machines) did not receive the same success.So basically the entire thing of Beast Wars managed to keep themselves flawless. An amazing show that will never be forgotten.