Could anyone please explain to me different Transformer timeline?

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False Prophet
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Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2015 7:40 am

Could anyone please explain to me different Transformer timeline?

Armada and the Micheal Bay movies are the only exposures I have to Transformers, so I couldn't make heads or tails of the various continuties. Could anyone please explain them to me? And while you are at it, what are the differences between American and Japanese series respectively?
Henyo
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Re: Could anyone please explain to me different Transformer timeline?

I'm not that well versed into TF lore myself. buy i have watched my fair share of TF TV shows.

here's what i can share.

The original 80s cartoon and Beast Wars are in the same continuity.(the Maximals/Predacons are descendants of Autobots/Decepticons)
when the show was aired in japan it ignored some events from the cartoon which is then used by by the Japanese made TV anime sequels.
Armada, along with Energon and Cybertron form what is called the Unicron trilogy. called that because the main source of conflict/final boss it the Planet sized TF. on a side note, only energon is a direct sequel to Armada and Cybertron was a separate show in japan. the English version connected it to the other two.

the bayformers are separate. As is the Prime TV show and its sequel Robots in Disguise(which was used for an earlier OVA series) the games War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron are connected to Prime via the aligned continuity. though i read that there are some conflicting formation making them incompatible to each other later on.

the more recent Cyberverse and Netflix version of the franchise are also separate timelines/dimensions whatnots.

thats not even counting the separate lines of comics in America and UK.
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Mafty
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Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2020 10:43 am

Re: Could anyone please explain to me different Transformer timeline?

Its important to note that Transformers has always been tied to both Japan and America. In the 60s Hasbro had trouble selling GI Joe in Japan; so with the Home Office’s permission, the Japan branch modified the model into the Henshin(Transformation) Cyborg. It was a clear body with golden mechanical parts. Over the next 20 years the Cyborg model line changed to include bigger and bigger mechs( tying with the nascent giant robot boom of the 70s). By the 80’s the line turned into household products and vehicles that transformed. Eventually the model line was imported into America, where comic book artists were tasked with coming up with names and stories for the local product line. It was here the timeline somewhat divided; as both sides of the Pacific ended up with their own stories(Generation 1), which were somewhat similar timelines, with their own series.as Henyo mentioned America for instance got their own series of animation and movies: meanwhile Japan had their own home based series (Transformers Victory, Headmasters, Super God Master Force, Zone etc) which oddly enough occasionally featured characters from the American line (ie Melissa Fairborn).
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