Editing Transformers (section)

{{Short description|Japanese–American media franchise}}
{{hatnote group|{{About|the franchise|the electrical device|transformer|other uses|Transformers (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect2|The Transformers|Allspark (artifact)|the television show|The Transformers (TV series){{!}}''The Transformers'' (TV series)|the American former media production and distribution company|Allspark|the 2006 song by English band Editors|All Sparks}}}}
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{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox media franchise
| title = Transformers
| italic_title = no
| image = Transformers 2014 logo.png
| alt = Transformers franchise logo introduced in 2014
| caption = Franchise logo, 2014–present
| creator = {{ubl|[[Takara Tomy]]|[[Hasbro]]}}
| origin = [[Transformers (toy line)|''Transformers'']] (based on [[Diaclone]] and [[Microman|Micro Change]])
| years = 1984–present
| books = [[List of Transformers books|Complete list]]
| novels = 
| comics = [[Transformers (comics)|Complete list]]
| strips =
| magazines = 
| films = '''Animated'''{{plainlist|
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''
* ''[[Beast Wars II: Lio Convoy's Close Call!]]''
* ''[[Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising|Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising]]''
* ''[[Transformers One]]''
}}
'''[[Transformers (film series)|Live-action]]'''{{plainlist|
* ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen|Revenge of the Fallen]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon|Dark of the Moon]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction|Age of Extinction]]''
* ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight|The Last Knight]]''
* ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts|Rise of the Beasts]]''
}}
| tv = 
| atv = [[List of Transformers animated series|Complete list]]
| plays = 
| musicals = 
| games = 
| rpgs = 
| vgs = [[List of Transformers video games|Complete list]]
| radio = 
| soundtracks = [[List of Transformers audio releases|''Transformers'' audio releases]]
| music = 
| toys = 
| otherlabel1 = Related franchises
| otherlabel2 = 
| otherlabel3 = 
| otherdata1 = {{ubl|''[[Battle Beasts]]''|''[[G.I. Joe]]''|''[[GoBots]]''}}
| otherdata2 = 
| otherdata3 = 
| imagesize = frameless
}}
'''''Transformers''''' is a [[media franchise]] produced by Japanese toy company [[Tomy|Takara Tomy]] and American toy company [[Hasbro]]. It primarily follows the heroic [[Autobot]]s and the villainous [[Decepticon]]s, two [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|alien]] robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals. The franchise encompasses toys, animation, comic books, video games and films. As of 2011, it generated more than {{nowrap|¥2 trillion}} ({{nowrap|$25 billion}}) in revenue,<ref>{{cite news|title=政府、ハリウッドにアニメ・玩具セールス 国策会社設立|url=http://digital.asahi.com/articles/TKY201111020783.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402201834/http://digital.asahi.com/articles/TKY201111020783.html|access-date=31 May 2021|work=[[The Asahi Shimbun]]|date=2011-11-03|archive-date=April 2, 2012|language=Japanese|url-status=dead}}</ref> making it one of the [[List of highest-grossing media franchises|highest-grossing media franchises]] of all time.

The franchise began in 1984 with the [[Transformers: Generation 1|''Transformers'' toy line]], comprising transforming [[mecha]] toys from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman#Micro Change (1983)|Micro Change]]'' toylines rebranded for Western markets.<ref>{{cite news|title=The History of Transformers on TV|work=IGN|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/800/800768p3.html|access-date=2010-08-16}}</ref> The term "[[Transformers: Generation 1|Generation 1]]" (G1) covers both the animated television series ''[[The Transformers (TV series)|The Transformers]]'' and the comic book series of [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|the same name]], which are further divided into Japanese, British and Canadian spin-offs. Sequels followed, such as the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2|Generation 2]]'' comic book and ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers|Beast Wars]]'' TV series, which became its own [[Transformers: Beast Wars|mini-universe]]. Generation 1 characters have been [[Reboot (continuity)|rebooted]] multiple times in the 21st century in comics from [[Dreamwave Productions]] (starting 2001), [[IDW Publishing]] (starting in 2005 and again in 2019), and [[Skybound Entertainment]] (beginning in 2023). There have been other incarnations of the story based on different toy lines during and after the 20th century. The first was the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2000 TV series)|Robots in Disguise]]'' series, followed by three shows (''[[Transformers: Armada|Armada]], [[Transformers: Energon|Energon]]'', and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron|Cybertron]]'') that constitute a single universe called the "Unicron Trilogy".

A [[Transformers (film series)|live-action film series]] started in 2007, again distinct from previous incarnations, while the ''[[Transformers: Animated]]'' series merged concepts from the G1 continuity, the 2007 live-action film and the "Unicron Trilogy". For most of the 2010s, in an attempt to mitigate the wave of reboots, the "[[#Aligned Universe (2010–present)|Aligned Continuity]]" was established. In 2018, ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse]]'' debuted, once again, distinct from the previous incarnations. Another series, ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark]]'', debuted in 2022, again separate from previous continuities. The 2024 animated film, ''[[Transformers One]]'', once again takes place in a new continuity.

Although a separate and competing franchise started in 1983, [[Tonka]]'s ''[[GoBots]]'' became the [[intellectual property]] of Hasbro after their buyout of Tonka in 1991. Subsequently, the universe depicted in the animated series ''[[Challenge of the GoBots]]'' and follow-up film ''[[GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords]]'' was [[retroactive continuity|retroactively]] established as an [[Parallel universes in fiction|alternate universe]] within the ''Transformers'' multiverse.<ref>{{cite book|title=Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|last=Sorenson|first=Jim |author2=Forster, Bill|date=July 13, 2010|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]|isbn=978-1600106835}}</ref>