History WesternAnimation / TransformersAnimated

** The one time Megatron fires his [[WeaponOfChoice fusion cannon]] before getting his body rebuilt, it makes the exact sound that [=G1=] Megs' cannon made.

* DarkSkinnedRedhead: Sari has red hair and dark skin.

* GrumpyBear: Ratchet is very grumpy.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** In the first episode, [[TheStarscream Starscream]] seemingly succeeds in killing Megatron and proceeds to declare himself the Decepticons’ new leader. Much to Starscream's surprise, the other Decepticons refuse to follow him and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere jump ship]] the moment he turns his back on them. Killing your boss doesn't automatically result in a KlingonPromotion, especially if you're unpopular amongst your peers.
** Unlike most versions, Starscream is ''not'' EasilyForgiven by Megatron for attempting to overthrow him. Megatron's first act upon returning is to immediately kill him.
** In the Season 2 finale, Starscream attacks Megatron with an army of clones. Despite [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] Starscream in previous battles, [[spoiler:Megatron gets completely overwhelmed due to their sheer numbers. Had it not been for Professor Sumdac's attempted DeusExMachina, Starscream would have killed Megatron.]]

** Another subtle nod to previous version was the casting of Music/WeirdAlYankovic as Wreck-Gar. In 'WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie'' Weird Al's song "Dare to be Stupid" was used as the Junkions theme.

* DecompositeCharacter: Played straight maybe; we're not quite sure what happened with Skywarp and Cyclonus. In Franchise/TransformersGeneration1, Cyclonus may or may not be an upgraded Skywarp (blame error-prone animation for a confusing TransformationSequence.) The ''Animated'' version, however? Skywarp is one of several clones of Starscream, each with one trait of the original taken UpToEleven. Skywarp represents his cowardice. As for Cyclonus, he's a brief cameo, but AllThereInTheManual tells us that his "internal chronometer" is way off, he is seeking someone named Galvatron (that's Megatron's upgraded form in G1 and several other series), and he has some circuitry in common with Starscream, particularly his (now disabled) self-preservation instinct. This hints without saying that Cyclonus is from the future and used to be Skywarp.

* NotImportantToThisEpisodeCamp: For the Prowl/Lockdown episode "A Fistful of Energon," Bumblebee and Sari apparently jaunted off to "[[BrandX Five Banners Roller Coaster Kingdom]]."

The show lasted three seasons and although somewhat cut short on production plans (they were hoping for a fourth season) the last episode was written to serve as a respectable GrandFinale, concluding the overall MythArc. Hasbro partnered with Discovery Communications to launch the Hub, the home of the next ''Transformers'' series, ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime Prime]]'' Cartoon Network stopped airing the show almost as soon as the finale aired. Plans for Season 4 involved helping Sari gain more development, as ExecutiveMeddling from Hasbro demoted her to a secondary recurring character in Season 3.

** Though he isn't named onscreen, the hobobot that Ratchet and Fanzone confront in "This Is Why I Hate Machines" is [[WesternAnimation/TransformersBeastWars Rattrap]] (or, er, Rattletrap).

** Some of them go ''double'' meta. Starscream's clones have color schemes similar to the Seekers of G1, but are also a sly dig at the fact that most Seeker toys are [[PaletteSwap repaints of Starscream]]. The triceratops Dinobot in G1 was named Slag (which became an UnusualEuphemism in WesternAnimation/BeastWars and later in this show) and this one is called Snarl. In the show Scrapper claims to have tried naming him Slag first, but the Dinobot took offense.

*** Tigatron Stadium - a nod to the WesternAnimation/BeastWars character, and to the late, great Tiger Stadium.

* NotSoHarmlessVillain: When most people heard that Waspinator was going to be in Season 3 most fans though he was going to be comic-relief like his WesternAnimation/BeastWars counterpart, not an ex-JerkAss who's been mentally [[BreakTheHaughty broken past repair]], a hulking monster twice the size of Prime, and a completely insane ImplacableMan (as, like in WesternAnimation/BeastWars, blowing him up just annoys him).

* AdultFear:
** "Along Came a Spider" sees Blackarachnia trying to lure Sari into handing over her key by pretending to be an adult that Sari is able to trust. When Optimus steps in, Blackarachnia kidnaps Sari before he can react.
** In "Survival of the Fittest", Sari is kidnapped and taken away in the middle of the night.
** Hinting towards the darker direction that Season 2 and beyond would take, Isaac Sumdac is captured by Megatron in the Season 1 finale, and for the entirety of Season 2, Sari becomes a walking AdultFear for the Autobots, who have to be her caretakers in her father's absence.
** When [[spoiler:Sari's true origins are revealed, Professor Sumdac's choice of raising her in isolation makes a lot more sense beyond "he's a very busy man" - he didn't want anyone to find out about her alien nature.]]

** From Season 2 onward, Starscream also becomes a Butt Monkey in this series. It starts with the infamous [[Funny/WesternAnimation "Starscream Death Montage"]] with [[spoiler:Megatron killing him over and over again (with the allspark fragment on his head being the only thing keeping him alive).]] All of his plans always fail and in the finale, [[spoiler: his clones (with one heavily implied to represent his self-loathing) betray him for Megatron.]] He spends the majority of Season 3 [[spoiler: as a disembodied head trapped with Megatron aboard Omega Supreme,]] and just when he [[spoiler: fnally gets a new body, [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Megatron blasts him (He recovers).]]]] And in the finale, [[spoiler: The allspark fragment that was keeping him alive is pulled out, thus killing him (although he would have been revived by Slipstream in a scene that was cut for time).]] And if you count the comic adaptation, he [[spoiler: gets humiliated and blackmailed by Professor Princess.]] One can't help but feel a bit sorry for him.

** When the Constructicons were born from the Allspark fragments, Scrapper noticed the "Mixmaster" brand on his partner, who decided it was too long and just be called Mix. Scrapper got his name from seeing a sign with "Scrap" written on it, but Mix thought it was too short and also adjusted it.

* MakeMeWannaShout: Starscream eventually develops an eerily appropriate sonic scream ability from the Allspark fragment in his head. It's never really explained how he does this, and it's never even brought up again after "[=TransWarped=]".
* MakeSureHesDead: After Starscream's first resurrection, Megatron kills him and tells Lugnut to make sure he's off-line. Lugnut confirms that his spark chamber is empty, and they promptly chuck the body into a river. Starscream gets back up anyway thanks to his Allspark fragment.

'''Bulkhead''': [[SeenItAll If I had to guess]]: a forklift, a [[MiniMecha Headmaster Unit]], [[AnimatingArtifact an Allspark fragment]], and a ''whole'' lotta trouble.

* {{Trainstopping}}: "Mission Accomplished". On top of it being out of control, Starscream had planted an unstable Allspark fragment on it.

** The busts in Yoketron's dojo are [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Springer, Devcon,]] [[ComicBook/TheTransformers Roadhandler,]], [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Kick-Off]], [[Anime/TransformersVictory Star Saber,]] [[ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor Tap-Out,]] [[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise Heavy Load,]] [[Anime/BeastWarsII Star Upper, Motorarm, Powerhug,]] [[Manga/TransformersZone Dai Atlas, Sky Garry, Grandus,]] [[ComicBook/TransformersGeneration2 Road Rocket]], and of course, [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Ultra Magnus]].

* GoodGuyBar: Maccadam's Old Oil House (which first appeared in the UK version of [[ComicBook/TheTransformers the Marvel comic book]]) is mentioned in Season 3. It used to be a TruceZone back before the Decepticons were exiled, and was reportedly the one place not even Megatron himself would bomb during the war. Sentinel has it closed down for being a "subversive gathering place".

** In "Transform and Roll Out, Part 2", the Autobots thought the robots and vehicles are the dominant species, just like in the first issue of Marvel Comics' ''[[Comicbook/TheTransformers Transformers]]''.

* BreakOutVillain: The Transformers created Lugnut, Lockdown, and Slipstream would all go on to appear in various future Transformers media outside of this continuity. Lockdown even being the main villain of ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction''.

* SkunkStripe: Isaac Sumdac has a white S-shaped stripe in his hair.
** LockedIntoStrangeness: He got it when [[spoiler: Sari was "born".]]

* MoralDissonance: Fanzone laughing off sending Swindle to his death in "S.U.V." [[spoiler: though he does get better]]; Bulkhead's unprovoked attack on who he believes to be Wasp (actually Bumblebee made to look like him) in "Where Is Thy Sting?"

* GoodEyesEvilEyes: Alongside the classic [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes of evil]] the Decepticons have going on, most Autobots seem to have white pupils while most Decepticons don't, giving their eyes a flat, soulless look.

* GodzillaThreshold: After [[spoiler:Sari goes through a fit of ExplosiveOverclocking, Ratchet manages to bypass the out-of-control circuits... until Megatron returns to Earth having commandeered Omega Supreme]]. Cue an OhCrap from the whole team:
-->'''Ratchet:''' ...there's nothing more I can do for [[spoiler:her]] now!
-->'''Optimus Prime:''' I know, but I may need you to UN-do something.
-->'''Prowl:''' You're not actually suggesting we unleash an [[spoiler:uncontrollable Sari on Omega Supreme]] are you?
-->'''Optimus Prime:''' I'm hoping we won't have to!

-->''' "Joe":''' Oh ''please'', what do I look like, Creator/ScottMcNeil?!? [[note]]David Kaye voices Animated Optimus, Grimlock and Lugnut, as well as "Joe". Scott [=McNeil=] previously voiced Rattrap, Dinobot, Silverbolt, and Waspinator on Beast Wars.[[/note]]

* TheVirus: Space barnacles, once they've been... altered(either by Megatron's body or Allspark energy) are shown to be highly infectious on some non-sentient robots as well as Bumblebee and Prowl in "Nature Calls".

* SealedEvilInACan: Megatron spends Season 1 as disembodied head trapped in Professor Sumdac's lab until he is freed by his lackeys during the season finale.

** [[spoiler: According to the second Almanac, the Elite Guard's ship "Steelhaven" is actually Sigma Supreme, the only other intact Omega Sentinel, given the same treatment.]]

* OutOfFocus: Captain Fanzone went from a major character in Season 1 to a rarely appearing recurring character by Season 3. Humans in general were pretty much written out of season 3, in an attempt to make the show less about them and more about the titular giant robots.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Starscream and Prowl both die(the former permanently) in the series finale.]]

* JobStealingRobot: Prometheus Black holds this view of Isaac Sumdac's creations in "Meltdown" (with the crowd at his "man vs. robot" fight agreeing with him). Captain Fanzone is a milder case, as he believes policework is meant for humans rather then robots.