Since Michael Bay kicked off the live-action Transformers movies in 2007, the robots in disguise have been all over the big screen. Not only the Autobots and the Decepticons either, as 2023's Rise of the Beasts finally brought the Maximals into live-action.
After a few years of regular sequels, the franchise took some turns, even dipping back into animation, making charting the Transformers movies in order slightly trickier. In 2024, Transformers One took us to Cybertron long before Optimus Prime and Megatron put wheels down on Earth, re-imagining what turned the two icons into mortal enemies in an unending battle for supremacy.
Whether you're an '80s kid through and through or someone who just loves a bit of Bayhem, we've made the Transformers watch order as straightforward as possible, laying out the franchise in release date and chronological order. Once you're confident Bonecrusher and Starscream aren't anywhere to be seen, the only thing you'll need to worry about is what refreshments you'll want while watching.
For more watch guides, check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order and how to watch Pokemon in order. You can also read our Transformers One review here.
How to watch the Transformers movies in order – release date
There are currently seven live-action Transformers movies, with one animated movie releasing in September. The first, simply called Transformers, was released in 2007. A sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, landed in 2009 and was soon followed by Dark of the Moon in 2011.
Michael Bay then directed his fourth Transformers movie, Age of Extinction, in 2014 before bringing The Last Knight into cinemas in 2017. A prequel, Bumblebee, was released in 2019 and, finally, Rise of the Beasts released in cinemas on June 9, 2023.
The latest addition, Transformers One, arrived in 2024. It's a prequel that could lead to a separate timeline all its own, but for now it sits here, alongside the others.
On paper, the Transformers release date order looks like this:
- 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 (2019)
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
- Transformers One (2024)
How to watch the Transformers movies in order – chronological order
The Transformers timeline officially begins with Bumblebee in 1987. Rise of the Beasts takes place seven years later, while the remaining Transformers movies take place in the early 21st Century. There are various prologues and flashbacks that take place throughout but, here, we're focusing on the main underlying story told in each movie's 'present day.'
Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, and Dark of the Moon form one trilogy, while Age of Extinction and The Last Night are set after and form another saga. Each is part of the same shared timeline, however, and features repeat appearances from the likes of Optimus Prime, Megatron, and multiple human characters.
Transformers One is a prequel, set before any of the main film storylines. It's pretty removed from the live-action movies, but sits comfortably at the start in terms of chronology for now.
The Transformers movie chronology consists of:
- Transformers One
- Bumblebee (1987)
- Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (1994)
- Transformers
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- Transformers: Age of Extinction
- Transformers: The Last Knight
For more on our watch guides, check out how to watch Demon Slayer in order, and how to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion in order.
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