How Do You Watch the Transformers Movies in Order?

The Transformers watch order

There are nine Transformers feature films: seven live-action films and two animated ones. Release dates, runtimes, directors, and ratings in this guide come from Wikidata ^[1].

Live-action films in release order

1. Transformers (2007)
2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
3. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
4. Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
5. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
6. Bumblebee (2018)
7. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

Live-action films in story order

1. Bumblebee (set in 1987)
2. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (set in 1994)
3. Transformers (2007)
4. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
6. Transformers: Age of Extinction
7. Transformers: The Last Knight

TechRadar and TheWrap both place Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts first in story order, because they are set in 1987 and the mid-1990s (TechRadar gives 1994), before the 2007 film ^{[2] [3]}. That makes Rise of the Beasts both a sequel and a prequel: it came out last but takes place second.

Where do the animated Transformers movies fit?

We list both animated films outside the live-action timeline.

• The Transformers: The Movie (1986) was a theatrical sequel to the original animated TV series, and TechRadar notes that it has no ties to the live-action films ^[2]. TheWrap points out its voice cast, including Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Frank Welker as Megatron, and notes that it was Orson Welles' final film; he voiced Unicron ^[3]. TheWrap also describes it as a cult classic for Transformers fans.
• Transformers One (2024) is an animated prequel directed by Josh Cooley ^[1]. We list it separately from the live-action timeline rather than guessing a place in it.

Both animated films are rated PG, while all seven live-action films are rated PG-13 ^[1]. If you are choosing for younger viewers, the animated films are the gentler starting point.

Which order should you watch the Transformers movies in?

For a first viewing, we suggest release order. The five Michael Bay films run in sequence, each set a few years after the last ^[2], and TheWrap describes the first three as loosely a trilogy and the next two as a pair ^[3]. Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts are easier to appreciate once you know the characters they lead into.

Story order makes sense for a rewatch. Starting with Bumblebee gives the series a smaller, more personal opening before the scale grows. The catch is that the jump from Rise of the Beasts to the 2007 film is a big shift in tone and style, since the earlier-set films were made more than a decade later.

Do you need to watch all the Michael Bay Transformers movies?

Not if you only want the highlights. Michael Bay directed the first five live-action films, from 2007 to 2017 ^[1]. Each one is long: all five run between 143 and 165 minutes.

Two shortcuts work well:

• Start fresh with Bumblebee. Directed by Travis Knight, it works as a stand-alone story and is the shortest live-action entry at 113 minutes.
• Watch the first film, then jump to Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts. You get the original introduction plus the two newer films, without the full Bay-era run.

What are the newer Transformers films about?

Michael Bay directed the first five live-action films and stayed on as a producer of the two newer ones ^[3]. Here is what the two prequels set up, at premise level:

• Bumblebee (2018) is set in the late 1980s. The yellow Autobot is sent to scout out Earth while the Autobots are losing the war with the Decepticons on Cybertron, and he is the first of his group to land here ^[3].
• Rise of the Beasts (2023) moves the story to the mid-1990s, between Bumblebee and the 2007 film ^[2].

Both newer films work as entry points because they start before the Bay-era story begins.

Do any Transformers films flash back further?

Yes, though they do not change the watch order. TheWrap notes that Age of Extinction introduces the prehistoric Dinobots, and that The Last Knight has a subplot about the Knights of Iacon, a group of Transformers active around the age of King Arthur ^[3]. Those are backstory elements inside films set in the present day, so both films stay late in story order. If you are watching chronologically, you do not need to move them.

Who stars in each era of the Transformers movies?

The live-action series changes its human leads every few films, which is another reason the eras feel distinct. According to TheWrap ^[3]:

• The first three films (2007 to 2011) were led by Shia LaBeouf.
• The fourth and fifth films (2014 and 2017) starred Mark Wahlberg and can be watched as a pair.
• Bumblebee (2018) introduced the franchise's first female lead, Hailee Steinfeld.
• Rise of the Beasts (2023) stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback.

One voice ties all of them together: Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime in all of the live-action films, as he did in the 1986 animated film ^[3].

TheWrap also notes that none of the storylines tie heavily into each other ^[3]. In practice, that means you can jump in at the start of any era without much confusion, which is why we suggest Bumblebee as an easy entry point.

Transformers runtimes and ratings

Film	Year	Director	Runtime (min)	Rating
The Transformers: The Movie	1986	Nelson Shin, Margaret Nichols	85	PG
Transformers	2007	Michael Bay	143	PG-13
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen	2009	Michael Bay	149	PG-13
Transformers: Dark of the Moon	2011	Michael Bay	154	PG-13
Transformers: Age of Extinction	2014	Michael Bay	165	PG-13
Transformers: The Last Knight	2017	Michael Bay	154	PG-13
Bumblebee	2018	Travis Knight	113	PG-13
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts	2023	Steven Caple Jr.	127	PG-13
Transformers One	2024	Josh Cooley	104	PG

The five Bay films alone run 765 minutes, about 12 hours 45 minutes. All seven live-action films together run 1,005 minutes, about 16 hours 45 minutes, and adding both animated films brings the total to 1,194 minutes, about 19 hours 54 minutes.

Which Transformers movies are best for kids?

The ratings split cleanly by format. According to Wikidata, both animated films, The Transformers: The Movie (1986) and Transformers One (2024), are rated PG, while all seven live-action films are rated PG-13 ^[1].

For younger viewers, we would start with Transformers One, which needs no background, or Bumblebee, the shortest live-action entry at 113 minutes. The five Michael Bay films are long, loud, and action-heavy, so they suit older kids and teens better. Check each rating before a family movie night, and preview anything you are unsure about.

Transformers One is also the only film on this list set entirely among the robots themselves, so it works well for viewers who care more about the characters than the human side of the story.

Is there a new Transformers movie coming?

Transformers One (2024) is the most recent film in this guide, and we have not confirmed an official title and date for the next one; we will add it once the studio announces it.

If you enjoy big-scale robot and creature action, the Godzilla watch order is a natural next series, and the Marvel watch order and the Fast and Furious watch order are two more long action franchises to work through.