(Updated 09/17/2024)
There are seven live-action Transformers movies, which tell a loosely-connected story that spans decades. The first five movies are inarguably connected, and the most recent two entries are essentially prequels to those five… but fans still argue about whether or not they are truly related. And then there are two animated movies, including the new TRANSFORMERS ONE.
To make things more complicated, the Transformers movies do not use any sequel numbering in their titles and the animated movies are not necessarily related to the live-action films. So for people approaching the series fresh, it can be difficult to tell which movie comes next. Here's the best way to watch the Transformers movies in order.
The Transformers Movies Release Order
The best way to watch many movie series is in release order, and that's no different with the Transformers movies. Characters are built up and occasionally destroyed. Most get to enjoy full arcs. And we see technology develop in the depiction of the Transformers themselves.
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Transformers (2007)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Bumblebee (2018)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Transformers One (2024)
How to Watch the Transformers Movies in Chronological Order
If you'd like to watch the series in chronological order, this is the way to go:
Transformers One (2024)
The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Bumblebee (2018)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Transformers (2007)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
While this is the chronological order for the TRANSFORMERS movies, there are three subsets of stories. The two animated movies make up their own story, kind of, with TRANSFORMERS ONE as a good first-chapter prequel for basically all of the movies, whether live-action or animated.
BUMBLEBEE and RISE OF THE BEASTS are set in the '80s and '90s, respectively. Are they prequels to the other five films? Good question! The answer is: maybe. Quite a few inconsistencies suggest that those two movies are their own self-contained story… but at the same time, the other five movies regularly rewrote aspects of the tale when it suited any particular entry. So maybe we shouldn't be too concerned about a hyper-detailed breakdown of each story cycle, and just enjoy the movies as one large, loosely-connected series.
The Bayverse and Knightverse Transformers Movies
If you want to further break down the Transformers series, there are Bayverse and Knightverse movies, as fans reckon them. The Bayverse movies were directed by Michael Bay, while the Knightverse movies are, so far, directed by Travis Knight and Steven Caple, Jr.
The first three Bayverse movies form a pretty complete trilogy, with the "Battle for Chicago" sequence in DARK OF THE MOON standing as one of the high-water marks for the series overall.
The Bayverse movies are:
Transformers (2007)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
The Knightverse movies are:
Bumblebee (2018)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
All images courtesy of Paramount Pictures.