From Optimus Prime to Bumblebee to Megatron, the Transformers have entertained audiences through decades in the form of toys, TV shows, and movies. The live-action Transformers movies began in 2007 and have since then turned into a multi-million dollar franchise.
With several prequels and spinoffs in the mix, watching the Transformers movies can be confusing. Worry not as our streaming guide covers the exact chronological and release order in which you can watch them all.
How to watch the Transformers movies in chronological order
The Transformers movies directed by Michael Bay follow the same order as their release date but are preceded by prequels like Bumblebee (2018) and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023).
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Bumblebee (2018)
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Transformers (2007)
The central story revolves around the clash between the heroic robots referred to as the Autobots and the villainous Decepticons. While these two robotic races hail from the planet of Cybertron, the Autobots often take the shape of cars and are occasionally helped by human characters.
Bumblebee ranks first in the chronological order as it is set in the year 1987. As the title suggests, the prequel spin-off focuses on the Autobot Bumblebee’s appearance on Earth and his friendship with teenage driver Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld).
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts follows next with events set in 1994. It reintroduced Bumblebee with other classic Autobots and the beast-sized robots Maximals. While the Decepticons were missing this time, the Autobots, Maximals and human heroes teamed up against another race of villainous robots called Terrorcons.
Next up in the Transformers timeline are the Michael Bay-directed movies that can be divided into two mini-franchises. One is the trilogy from Transformers (2007) to Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2014). These movies starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox as allies of the Autobots and mainly focused on their clash against the Decepticons.
After 2014, the robots returned but the human cast was replaced with new characters in Transformers: Age of Extinction and Transformers: The Last Knight. In Age of Extinction, the Autobots encountered a new villain along with dinosaur-shaped Dinobots. In The Last Knight, the Transformers were revealed to have a connection with medieval knights. In both movies, Mark Wahlberg led the cast as inventor Cade Yeager.
Are the Transformers animated movies connected to the live-action franchise?
Many live-action Transformers movies are in development along with some animated ones like the upcoming Transformers One. This 2024 release covers the early years of Autobots and Decepticons when their planet Cybertron hadn’t been destroyed yet. This is the second animated Transformers movie to get a theatrical release after The Transformers: The Movie (1986).
Both movies are standalone stories and not connected to the live-action franchise.
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The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
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Transformers One (2024)
How to watch the Transformers movies in release order
The list below mentions all the Transformers movies in order of their release date. While the first five movies were directed by Michael Bay and followed a connected story, prequel spin offs like Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts cover new narratives. Have a look at all the options and offers to stream, buy or rent the Transformers movies in India. So, what are you waiting for? To quote Optimus Prime, “Autobots Roll Out!”