Do you need to watch the Transformers Movies before Rise of the Beasts? This is a valid question because there have been six live-action films since the original debuted in 2007. In addition, the last movie in the live-action Transformer franchise was also called a reboot, which adds even more to the confusion. Here is everything you need to know about what to watch before seeing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
What Should You Watch Before Seeing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the continuous sequel to Bumblebee (2018) and the prequel to Transformers (2007) because the events will lead directly into the 2007 film. This means you should watch Bumblebee before seeing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and then Transformers (2007) after seeing Rise of the Beasts.
To go even deeper into the Transformers movies timeline, Bumblebee was set in 1987, Rise of the Beasts in 1994, and Transformers in 2007. This means that the three movies create a cohesive storyline that you should watch. The rest of the films are not required to understand Rise of the Beasts but are a worthwhile watch if you want some fun action and amazing special effects.
Related: Best Transformers Movies Watch Order (Chronological and Release)
That is all you need to watch from the live-action Transformer movies. However, if you want to understand the newly introduced characters, and their motivations, from the Rise of the Beasts, I recommend watching the Beast Wars: Transformers cartoon that premiered in 1996. This is because Rise of the Beasts is loosely based on Beast Wars and will feature the Maximals, Terrorcons, and Predacon Transformer species.
You can watch entire Beast Wars: Transformers cartoon episodes on the Transformers Official YouTube page. I have found that season 1 was geared more towards kids, but seasons 2 and 3 get deep into the serialization and have unique stories, so stick through the cheesy CGI and silly stories in season 1 because the wait is worth it for the last two seasons.
