I skipped the first season, and I'm a little confused on some things.

So there are Autobots and Decepticons, then Maximals and Predacons. So they're are two Optimus Prime's and Megatrons?

Did the two sub-factions ever co-exist on Cybertron?

 

We don't know if they ever coexisted, or how exactly the transition to Maximals and Predicons took place. Different ancillary materials have given different answers over the years.

All you need to know is that at some point over the centuries, the Autobots and Decepticons transitioned into the Maximals and Predicons respectively, which may or may not have been tied in to whatever armistice exists in the series. You may be missing that from the first season as well; both factions are, in theory, at peace, being overseen by Predacon and Maximal councils working in tandem, or with the Maximals overseeing even the Predacon leaders.

Predacon leadership wants to strike back at some undetermined time in the future, viewing Megatron and his crew as dangerous rogues.

And yes, this is a different Megatron and different Optimus. No relation to the originals.

 

This is more my speculation... take it with a grain of salt.... but as the Transformers, that is the G1 transformers, downsized to save power as Micromasters, then over million of years they transitioned to Maximals and Predicons. That is smaller transformers.
As mentioned, this Megatron is not G1 Megatron and is considered a terrorist to both groups. Optimus Primal is not Optimus Prime.

 

The most commonly accepted reason for the changes is often that they upgraded to smaller forms over time to save power (as mentioned, Micromasters). Exactly how either faction came to be is rather vague, but according to the comics, former Predacon Sub-Group leader Razorclaw wasn't happy with the Decepticon defeat and the Autobots taking control of Cybertron, which subsequently lead to Maximal rulers. Razorclaw is presumably the founder of the Predacons as a faction, having named it after his old team. He most likely put it together by recruiting retired Decepticons and their descendants (who were most likely treated very badly, or at least believed they were). According to Blackarachnia in season one, the Great War ended three centuries earlier (in their true time period). Starscream had also appeared in season one, where he alluded to his destruction (though he had lied and said Unicron destroyed him. Blackarachnia called him out on it and revealed it was Galvatron that destroyed him). So, just from season one we learned that the Maximals and Predacons knew that the Autobots and Decepticons existed, but as far as I can remember, they never went into what connections there were between them until season two, soooo...yeah.

 

As posted by others, after the great war ended and the Autobots won, the planet Cybertron was in dire straits. During the G1 run we learn (in the comics) that the energon shortage on Cybertron is such that transformers became smaller to conserve energon. (step 1)

It's also reasonable to assume that their time on Earth had taught them that their mechanical life and forms are not common on all planets (the early Marvel run # 1 or 2 clearly states that the Transformers were not familiar with organic life). The pretender technology was likely used to create the possibility of organic altmodes. (step 2)

All this led to the post war emergence of two new factions from the old. From the Decepticons came the Predacons. Possibly created by Razorclaw and with known Decepticons in their rank, Ravage. However, Optimus Primal makes a comment in "The Agenda" that indicates that a pardoned Decepticon that upgrades into a Predacon isn't that common, suggesting that there are still Decepticons on Cybertron.

The Maximals come from the Autobots, but even less is known about that. In the 3H comics (Wreckers) some Autobots underwent the Maximal upgrade program (becoming smaller and more energy efficient). IF this is it...we don't know. In one of the alien eps (Other Victories, I think), Megatron states that he will conquer the Maximals and the Autobots, suggesting the continued existence of Autobots on Cybertron.


Optimus Primal is not Optimus Prime. He likely took his name based on some similarity in appearance (head) and probably out of respect.

BW Megatron also is not G1 Megatron. He, however, took his name from the Covenant of Primus that prophecised his actions during the beast wars...so in a way it's a self fullfilling prophecy. The original Megatron possibly also took his name from the same covenant.

 

Try give the first season a go, there's a lot of character development there.  

 

+ they're smaller than their G1 counterparts!

 

Why would you skip the first season?

 

I couldn't get into it. Maybe later I'll go back and watch some episodes but yeah I'm still in the very short Season 3

 

are some of the unanswered questions on here not explained in Beast Wars II, or is that another story altogether?

 

The downgrade because of energy thing I dunno if I can get behind in Beast Wars. I assume they've solved their energy crisis by the time we see Cybertron again as loads of buildings are lit up and have neon signage on them. Not the habit of a society so desperate to conserve energy that they actually made the bodies of their population smaller. I guess they made everyone smaller and then discovered a new source of energy and decided to stay small.

The Shell Yards still contain some larger G1-esque bodies though. Is it implied that the sparks were ripped out of those back in the downgrade or was it BW Megatron that had a hand in it when he returned just before BM? You'd think after three-hundred-odd years the Cybvertronians would've cleared away and recycled all those old large metal shells.

 

Well it was heavily implied that the larger bots were still around, just in fewer numbers.

 

Completely different story with a completely different cast of characters. Some of its details on how Cybertronian government, etc., work actually contradict the American cartoon, since it was produced between seasons one and two without much back-and-forth between Hasbro and Takara (as far as I understand).

Even its setting is dubious. I think (but don't quote me on this), that the series doesn't really say much about it, but later Takara timelines have retconned it into a far-flung future beyond even Beast Wars.

Of course that doesn't sit so well with the ending of Beast Machines. Getting Takara's G1 continuity shows to line up with Hasbro's is just all kinds of cray.

So, no. It doesn't clear anything up. It just adds a lot more confusing nonsense.

Also, you ... you do know you can look things like that up on TFWiki, right? It's this amazing vault of transforming robot knowledge that can tell you so much more about different series than asking people on a forum. And more concisely, too.

I find that pretty debatable. Don't the Maximals and Predacons kind of talk about the Autobots and Decepticons as if they're far-flung, ancient ancestors a few times? Plus, having all those radically different sized robots would be hell on making buildings, ships, etc.

You do have Optimus' line about only certain Decepticons being rebuilt as Predacons, but that could mean any number of things.

On the specific instance of "large bots" in Beast Machines: I remember seeing G1-esque bodies in Beast Machines, but I don't remember ever seeing that they were bigger. In fact, aren't there some in a sort of graveyard the same size as the undead body Megatron pulls together at one point? I always just assumed they were Maximals and Predacons who hadn't taken organic-looking alt-modes yet, and simply resembled G1 characters because of CGI model reuse.

If they're still around, I'd say it would be in very, very limited numbers.

 

Hey, I skipped all Marvel Movies and just watched Infinity War, what's an Iron Man?

 

A man called Tony wears a fancy metal suit to become a superhero. Without it he is Stark naked, but still a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

 

Yeah, you've missed out on a ton of set-up and skipped straight to the payoff.

Did you skip the premiere of S3 too, where Optimus Primal and BW Megatron were interacting with their G1 counterparts?

The other thing that I don't think anyone has touched on yet is that yes, while the Maximals and Predacons apparently lived in some measure of peace before BW Megatron stole the disc, they may not have been social equals (if we take BW Megatron at his word), and there are definitely differences in the governing bodies for the two parties (The Maximal Elders and the Tripedacus Council). The alternative is that they're more or less equals and Megatron just resents the Predacons not holding total power.

 

Zombie thread!

 

It took you six years to come up with that?

 

Wow, I totally didnt catch that. AND HOW. Was wondering why the OP had Beast Hunters in their sig, didn't think that had retained much of a following.

For reference, this thread was started when the FIRST Avengers movie came out.

 

That's not how time works.