Remembering 10 Of the Greatest Beast Wars Figures That Should Be Revived For Its 25th Anniversary

In 1996, the Transformers franchise was revitalised through the experimental Beast Wars series, which introduced new kinds of Transformers that turned into realistic animals, and the rise of one of the very first fully CGI animated series.

Beast Wars completely changed the Transformers brand and molded it into the juggernaut we know today. As part of the celebrations, Hasbro has reintroduced the Beast Wars characters through the Transformers War for Cybertron: Kingdom toyline and animated series, where classic characters like Cheetor and Blackarachnia get all-new toys.

All pictures in this article are sourced from the ever excellent Seibertron.com, TFwiki and TFU.info.

Magmatron

The villain for the Japanese-only Beast Wars Neo anime is one of the most interesting toys made at the time. He is essentially a Transformer that is made up of three separate dinosaurs. Magmatron was released during the Beast Machines days and even made an appearance in the 10th anniversary Beast Wars comic book. So maybe it's time to bring back this fearsome Predacon leader.

Galvatron and Lio Convoy

Another pair of toys from another Japanese-only Beast Wars sequel, Lio Convoy and Galvatron from Beast Wars II were the leaders of their own team of Maximals and Predacons respectively, and were a little cooler compared to their Beast Wars counterparts as one turns into a white lion while the other transforms into a triple-changing dragon/drill tank.

Lio Convoy, in particular, is a really popular character, and is featured in all kinds of new toys, including the collector grade Masterpiece figure. But his official toy has never seen a proper release outside of Japan.

Inferno

Now we’ll shift to proper Maximals and Predacons from the original Beast Wars TV show and toy line that you may be familiar with, starting with the loyal to a fault, red ant Predacon, Inferno. This giant insect was incredibly show-accurate, with his bright red colouring and swiss army knife-level of features making it a really fun toy. Inferno was apparently a “shelf warmer” during Beast Wars’ heyday, meaning that it wasn’t the most popular toy at the time, but his ongoing legacy through the cartoon may just change that in 2021.

Depth Charge

The stoic manta ray-based Maximal appeared at the start of season three of Beast Wars, and was a pretty single-minded warrior, who only looked to fight the elusive Protoform X. While he may not play nice with the rest of Optimus Primal’s crew, his Batman-like persona makes him one of the most memorable inclusions of that season. On top of that, a manta ray-based Transformer is pretty rare, and it would be nice to go back to that concept.

Transmetal Tarantulas

The mad scientist of the Predacons has made comebacks in the various Transformers comic books, and it is about time his best look and upgrade should make a comeback as well. Being a Transmetal means that on top of transforming between beast and robot, Tarantulas could also transform into a motorcycle as well. This version of the character is a lot more unique and cool compared to his original body, and is a better representation of Tarantulas as a character.

Scorponok

Another one of Megatron’s original brutes in the first season of Beast Wars, Scorponok was named after the Decepticon Headmaster leader of the same name, though this Scorponok isn’t really known for his fearsome might. Nonetheless, Beast Wars Scorponok’s original figure was a toy that’s chock full of gimmicks, from missile launchers, stabbing tail action, and most memorably, a deployable bee drone from Scorponok’s claws.

Rampage

The aforementioned Protoform X, Rampage was a giant crab that could also transform into a tank. He was a beast in every sense of the word, but he also had a gentle side to him, as seen in the memorable “Transmutate” episode, which was explored in the Beast Wars: Uprising comic books. Rampage is probably the most layered character in the Predacon force and as a fan-favourite, he should definitely be brought back for the 25th anniversary.

Silverbolt

Speaking of fan-favourite, this is one Maximal that has been waiting for a return to the spotlight for a while now. Unlike the G1 version of Silverbolt, Beast Wars Silverbolt is a gallant knight in shining armour, who is able to turn into a Fuzor, which is a fusion of two animals. Silverbolt was iconic for transforming into a gryphon-like wolf and eagle hybrid, and he was armed with two blades at his disposal. His troubled romantic relationship with Predacon Blackarachnia was also a highlight of season two.

Magnaboss and Tripredacus

The only combiners made during the Beast Wars era, Magnaboss was a Maximal titan that was made out of a lion, eagle, and elephant, while his Predacon counterpart was made out of a cicada, a beetle, and a lobster.

While the Tripredacus council had a minor role in Beast Wars, the pair made their official TV debut through the aforementioned Beast Wars II, though they were both cast as Maximals instead. These combiners were notorious for their complexity, and bears revisiting.

Transmetal Optimus Primal and Megatron

Lastly, we have the upgraded versions of Optimus Primal and Megatron that both debuted in season two. While their initial forms are iconic enough to be revisited numerous times, the Transmetal versions have been overlooked somewhat. Just like other Transmetal characters, they both featured third modes, with Primal having a built-in hoverboard while Megatron having VTOL-like thrusters.

These versions of the Maximal and Predacon leaders are emblematic of their growth as leaders, with both of them receiving these more powerful upgrades right as the war was heating up. This was also the form these two had when they met their 1980s G1 counterparts during the finale of season two, so they definitely look like a good fit when displayed with the rest of the Transformers line.