What would you say is the general moral of each individual Transformers show? (maybe even each season?) Can ignore some if you aren't knowledgeable on them. For example, I would say Animated is about being a leader, or how Robots in Disguise (2015) is about working as a team.

 

Armada's story moral I'd say was about acting out for the greater good. Like how we usually expect Megatron to get killed by Optimus Prime in some "final battle" typically. But instead, Megatron kills only himself to prevent Unicron from feasting upon the hatred of the war. And how Starscream died not as some backstabbing coward, but only to unify the autobots and decepticons for the true enemy.

 

Generally the message of Transformers is that in the face of evil, in the face of chaos, that good people with the means to defend the defenseless have a moral duty to do so. A duty to do so without sinking to the enemies level of selfishness or depravity.

RID15 is as mentioned, about working as a team. I'd also say it also carries a broader theme of unity and forgiveness, seeing through differences, and not abusing power/civic responsibility being important to freedom and unity.

• Denny and Russel are an estranged father and son. They work through their differences and become closer than ever.
• The Bee Team is a mishmash of different individuals from different backgrounds. They don't all get along either! But ultimately they respect each other and they get the job done. Bumblebee, a green over-eager cadet, a disillusioned street punk, two ex Decepticons (4 if you count the Minicons), and a handi-capable Minicon make for quite the odd mix.
• The Autobots accept Grimlock, a Decepticon, as an ally and equal.
• Strongarm learns not to enforce laws for enforcements sake and to instead consider the real practical reason for laws and who they're meant to protect and when.
• Drift learns to be a better mentor to his pupils. He becomes less harsh and more fatherly.
• Strongarm checks Windblade when she's close to abusing her power and getting a few innocent humans killed in order to make a capture.
• Optimus Prime himself is knocked down a peg and learns not to step on his old student's toes during their leadership dispute in S2.
• The difference between Grimlock and his other Dino-Decepticon brethren is illustrated with Scowl, showing how Grimlock has risen above Scowl's selfish destructive philosophy.
• Drift and Shadow Raker also punctuate these ideas.
• The Bee Team learns the error of 'fixing' their disabled friend, Fixit, although in a heavy handed slapstick way.
• The final boss of the show is a corrupted post war government sewing division and violence into the population. One of them has a moment of moral clarity and helps stop the other Decepticons from invading Earth. The Con-traitor expresses an earnest yearning for unity on Cybertron.
• Bumblebee's discussion with Steeljaw in that finale, noting Steeljaw's desire for a free Decepticon society, demonstrates that it isn't Steeljaw's cause that is the issue but his approach. He would just be another tyrant, Autobots CHOOSE their leaders.
• Finally, one of the final remarks made in the show is an earnest yearning expressed by Strongarm, of all bots, that Autobots and Decepticons can truly see through their differences, forgive, and unify.

Micron Legend (NOT ARMADA) and RID15 are the two most thematically focused Transformers shows imo. Beast Machines in in their league but the message of that show was really broad and mystical, sorta muddy, so it doesn't get a top spot for that reason.

 

Wouldnt Prime be about never giving up?

 

Animated is about not judging a book by its cover and that you shouldn’t allow yourself to be defined by societal norms.

 

Peace through tyranny?

 

beast machines is the most overt, what with the whole nature vs machine thing. cyberverse I would say culture and hope. beast wars, uh, learn from your ancestors?

 

I can’t remember his name, but a YouTube theorist made the argument that the 86 movie is about coming to terms with mortality.

 

Have we all forgotten? The true meaning behind Transformers TV and Movies is to sell Transformers toys, of course!

 

Energon - dont be like Kicker

 

Can "Decepticons, retreat!" be described as a moral?

 

G1 - Animation errors are charming.

 

Wow, laying out the themes like that makes me want to give RID15 another shot.

 

Transformers to me always being about seeing the good in everyone, and violence being a last resort.

 

Transformers is about war. At least that's how I feel.

Must be reading too much IDW.

 

It's one of our most underrated gems imo, it burns a little slow but it doesn't waste much time either. All of the character moments between Bee and his team, humor included, early S1 included, serve to inform the development of the Bee Team. The show is really about watching Bumblebee and his team come together over time.