Notice a pattern?

[Mako Crab]

Beast Wars / Transformers: Prime: A Comparison

Cast Size:

Maximals start with 5 regular members (Primal, Rhinox, Rattrap, Cheetor, Dinobot)

Autobots start with 5 regular members (Prime, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Arcee)

Predacons start with 5 (Megatron, Scorponok, Terrorsaur, Tarantulus, Waspinator)

Decepticons start with 5 (Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Knockout, Breakdown)


Season Cliffhangers:

Beast Wars Season 1
Third party (The Vok) makes its presence known. Communicates through the image of Unicron. Threatens to destroy the entire planet. Optimus Primal is destroyed. Rhinox embarks on a quest to get him back. Primal returns 3 episodes later in season 2.

TFP Season 1
Third party (Unicron) makes his presence known. Threatens to destroy the entire planet. Optimus Prime is lost (replaced with his former persona, Orion Pax). The Autobots embark on a quest to get Optimus back by restoring his memories. Prime returns 3 episodes later in season 2.


Beast Wars Season 2
Megatron acquires the access codes to the Ark from a disobedient subordinate. Once in possession of the Ark, unleashes a wave of energy that threatens to alter history. Maximals' main priority is to stop it at all costs.

TFP Season 2
Megatron acquires the keys to the Omega Lock from a disobedient subordinate. Once in possession of the Omega Lock, unleashes a wave of energy that threatens to cyber-form Earth. Autobots' main priority is to stop it at all costs.

Beast Wars Start of Season 3
The time storm is stopped, but the Maximals home is destroyed. They relocate to a new base inside the volcano where the Ark is located. The status quo is back in place by the end of Optimal Situation.

TFP Start of Season 3
The new Decepticon base, Darkmount, is destroyed, but the Autobots mountain base is too. The Autobots relocate to a military base, courtesy of Agent Fowler. The status quo is back in place by the end of Rebellion.

Coincidence?

[Sparky Prime]

You make some good points here, there are some interesting comparisons to be made. But I think you're reaching a bit to make some of these work...

Prime started out with only 3 Decepticons. Breakdown and Knockout didn't join the cast until episode 10. By comparison, Tigatron and Blackarachnia had already been added to the cast by the 10th episode of Beast Wars.

Unicron wasn't exactly threatening to destroy the Earth, Unicron was a part of the Earth. He wanted to destroy everything that was living on him.

Not all of the Autobot's agreed with Optimus Prime's decision to destroy the Omega Lock at all costs. Ratchet was angry with him that they didn't find another solution in order to use the Omega Lock to restore Cybertron.

[Mako Crab]

You make some good points here, there are some interesting comparisons to be made. But I think you're reaching a bit to make some of these work...

Prime started out with only 3 Decepticons. Breakdown and Knockout didn't join the cast until episode 10. By comparison, Tigatron and Blackarachnia had already been added to the cast by the 10th episode of Beast Wars.

The 3 sites I posted this too all jumped on the cast size thing. So okay. Whatever. But it was the plot structure that really interested me.

Unicron wasn't exactly threatening to destroy the Earth, Unicron was a part of the Earth. He wanted to destroy everything that was living on him.

The Autobots said that once Unicron fully awakened, he'd bust out of his Earthly prison and rip the Earth apart in the process. I think that qualifies. And even if he were just trying to wipe out all life on Earth's surface, that accomplishes the same goal as the planet buster.

Not all of the Autobot's agreed with Optimus Prime's decision to destroy the Omega Lock at all costs. Ratchet was angry with him that they didn't find another solution in order to use the Omega Lock to restore Cybertron.

True. But meanwhile, all the other Autobots were all-in. The small details differ, of course, but it's the big picture, the structure of the plot that caught my interest here.

One more that occurred to me!

Start of Season 3:
Both Primal and Prime gain new bodies that tower over everyone. And in both cases, their new forms were bestowed by Matrix power (and Forge of Solus power, but ya' know- it needed Matrix energy to work!).

And also how both Primal and Smokescreen were faced with saving the lives of their predecessor and accepting the mantle of responsibility that comes with the Matrix? They both handled the responsibility differently, but it was an issue for both.

Primal - Safeguarded the Matrix until Prime's life signs were stabilized. Then gave it back.

Smokescreen - Used the Matrix (and Forge) to heal Prime. Refused to take the Matrix. Gave it back.

Based on this pattern, I think I can make an educated guess as to how TFP will end.

Dinobot 2 is a clone created by Megatron . . .

Predaking is a clone created by Megatron . . .

I think you see where I'm going with this.

[Sparky Prime]

The Autobots said that once Unicron fully awakened, he'd bust out of his Earthly prison and rip the Earth apart in the process. I think that qualifies. And even if he were just trying to wipe out all life on Earth's surface, that accomplishes the same goal as the planet buster.

As I recall, when they said Unicron would rip apart the Earth in the process, it was fairly early on while they were still trying to understand what exactly was going on. I don't think they realize Unicron was actually a part of the Earth yet when they'd said that. And I'd say it makes a pretty big difference to a planet buster. Unicron isn't trying to bust the planet, because he is the planet.

Both Primal and Prime gain new bodies that tower over everyone. And in both cases, their new forms were bestowed by Matrix power (and Forge of Solus power, but ya' know- it needed Matrix energy to work!).

Optimal Optimus has been a thing of debate as to whether or not the Matrix had anything to do with the upgrade. Considering Megatron later used his namesake's spark to upgrade his body as well, that would suggest it was the spark itself and not the Matrix that changed his body.

And the Forge had it's own power source, it didn't use energy from the Matrix. Otherwise, it should still work after Optimus got the upgrade, seeing as the Matrix still has power.

And also how both Primal and Smokescreen were faced with saving the lives of their predecessor and accepting the mantle of responsibility that comes with the Matrix? They both handled the responsibility differently, but it was an issue for both.

Primal - Safeguarded the Matrix until Prime's life signs were stabilized. Then gave it back.

Smokescreen - Used the Matrix (and Forge) to heal Prime. Refused to take the Matrix. Gave it back.

Primal safeguarded Prime's spark, he never had the Matrix.

And Smokescreen never had the Matrix either. The only thing he did was put the Forge in Optimus' hand to fix himself up, despite Optimus opening his chest up, offering the Matrix to Smokescreen.

Dinobot 2 is a clone created by Megatron . . .

Predaking is a clone created by Megatron . . .

I think you see where I'm going with this.

Predaking was actually created by Shockwave, when he was stranded alone on Cybertron and had nothing better to do with his time but work on his research projects.

Like I said before, you point out some interesting parallels but I think you're reaching to make some of these seem like they're more similar than they really are.

[Mako Crab]

We're talking past each other here. I'm arguing structure, and you're arguing details. Of course some of the details will be different, but the structure of them is still similar.

[Sparky Prime]

I think those details goes to show how some of the situations you're describing are different in structure from one another. Sure, there is a degree of similarities in some of those story elements, but others I just don't see as being so similar as you're making them out to be.

[Tigermegatron]

NO.....

TFP/BH has always seemed like a "alternate universe TF Animamted cartoon series/toy line. as so many of the TFA characters/plots/stories/episodes/future season 4 plots have been HEAVILY USED in the TFP/BH cartoon series.