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ReferencedBy / Transformers
"Autobucks, transform and trot out!"

These Transformers references are More than Meets the Eye!

    open/close all folders 

    Advertising 
  • Amusingly, Movie Bumblebee is prone to making cameos in a lot of commercials (specifically in his design from either his film or Rise of the Beasts). These include:
    • Walmart: In their Super Bowl 2019 commercial, Famous Cars, Bumblebee appears among many other movie cars that have come to pick up groceries from Walmart.
    • Paramount+: As part of their Mountain of Entertainment Crossover campaign, Bumblebee is present in a couple of the promos. Notably, he takes part in a recreation of the famous water bucket scene from Flashdance and as one of the many students in Mr. Garvy's class. Scourge also appears in a commercial where he becomes the resident Butt-Monkey when his Arm Cannon refuses to work.
    • A 2025 commercial for The General Insurance features Bumblebee alongside the General himself.
    • A 2025 United Airlines commercial features Bumblebee alongside Peppa Pig and her family, Crash Bandicoot, and Thrall about to board one of the company's planes.
    • A 2012 commercial for Barclaycard features Bumblebee as one of many toys trying to promote themselves as "the perfect toy" to be taken home for the holidays.
    • A Direct Line commerical from 2020 would feature Bee rushing to the rescue from an auction to save a family after their car broke down, only to be rebuked when they tell him they already called the namesake insurance firm. Another commercial from the campaign has Optimus, now with more free time on his hands, going on various vacations around the world.
  • A couple of commercials for Sky's broadband service features the characters in brief appearances:
    • Optimus, as seen in his Age of Extinction form, pops in during a tie-in promo for the service's promotion of Paramount Plus.
    • In their "Collector" campaign, one of the commercials features a young boy collecting robots (and Iron Man) to watch later on. One of these is Megatron, as depicted in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, who gives an Oh, Crap! look once he realizes he's about to be sucked into the campaign's trademark portal.
  • A 1985 commercial for Pepsi features a Coke machine with a head resembling Soundwave duking it out with a Pepsi machine resembling a Gundam.
  • A 1986 holliday commercial for Energizer features a very brief appearance by a boxed Sky Lynx figure.
  • A This Is SportsCenter commercial features Calvin Johnson transforming into a vending machine, playing off his "Megatron" nickname. For extra bonus points, the transforming sound is lifted straight from the original cartoon.

    Anime & Manga 
  • One of the maid cafes in Akiba Maid War is named Invader Café Destronnote , which serves under the employ of Creatureland's rival Maidalien and is home to Nagomi's friend Nerula.
  • Many of the robot designs in the Brave Series were lifted from Transformers (most notably four of the Geisters from Brave Exkaiser being four of the Dinobots), as Takara had a hand in the creation of both.
  • One of the Full Metal Panic! short stories describes a fight between Optimus Prime and Megatron having been taped over by a distress call.
  • The first opening animation to the Hayate the Combat Butler anime has a silhouetted Optimus Prime (using his G1 design) getting blown to pieces alongside Tetsujin-28 and the RX-78-2 Gundam by the series' titular protagonist.
  • During Episode 4 of I'm Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!?, a group of figures resembling the Masterpiece figures of Beast Wars Optimus Primal, Megatron, Cheetor, Dinobot, and Blackarachnia can be seen with other figures in a toy store in Akihabara. Notably, Dinobot is colored like Tigatron.
  • Japan Animator Expo: In the short "Cassette Girl" by Studio TRIGGER, the Media Police robot fought by the protagonist and her Mini-Mecha resembles a black-colored version of Optimus Prime (alternatively Nemesis Prime or RID 2001 Scourge).
  • In the English dub of Knight's & Magic, Ernesti often tells the Silver Phoenix Knights to "roll out" before heading into battle, referencing Optimus Prime's catchphrase.
  • Little Witch Academia: In Episode 8, one of the imaginary Sucys Akko sees in Sucyland - the one which represents her desire to have plastic surgery - undergoes a transformation sequence in which her face morphs into a style reminiscent of the bots in the Bayverse films.
  • Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt features a cameo by the alt mode of Bumblebee from the War For Cybertron video game.
  • Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
    • Episode 7-A, "Trans-homers", is one glorified shout out to Transformers, mostly towards the G1 cartoon and live-action movies. For bonus points, both the sub and dub try to harken back to the original voice cast in different ways, with the former using the original voice actors for both the Optimus and Megatron lookalikes and the dub using sound-alikes. Amusingly, one of the shots in the segment's climactic battle was homaged by Trigger in the opening for the short they made for the franchise's 40th anniversary.
    • This is turned around in the More Than Just a Geek Spark art book, which has the Anarchy Sisters cosplaying as Shattered Glass Optimus and Megatron.
    • In Episode 16-C, "Shoot for Yesterday", the Autobot blaster sound can be heard during a scene transition.
    • During Episode 17, "The Brothers from Heaven", the Angel Brothers' truck splits in half to become two identical trucks, leading the cast to compare it to a Transformer.
    • In Episode 23-A, "The Sex From Another World", when Panty gets her head shot off by Brief, her head immediately grows a set of spider limbs much like that of Bayverse Frenzy.
  • The Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl episode "Leading a Stray!" features Team Rocket piloting a transforming excavator that turns into a robot. The transformation sequence, with its obvious CGI animation and the final shot having the Team Rocket logo appearing in the corner of the screen, is clearly patterned after the ones from Transformers: Cybertron.
  • Pop Team Epic:
    • One strip features a couple of sentient ice cream creatures. One of them, named Star Ice Cream, reveals himself as an Expy of G1 Starscream, transforming in robot mode and claiming he's the new ruler of Ice Cream Land.
    • A strip features Popuko riding a bull while singing "Honoo no Overdrive", the original theme song for Transformers: Robots in Disguise.
    • The main sequence of Episode 4 of the anime adaptation ends with Pipimi transforming into a jet in a manner highly similar to the live-action Transformers films. Doubling as a Casting Gag, Tesshō Genda (the regular Japanese dub voice of Optimus Prime, as well as G1 Omega Supreme and Unicron Trilogy Primus) voices Popuko in the male version of the episode. In a case of Hilarious in Hindsight, Pipimi's alternate mode and the episode's end card homages Top Gun, which became prophetic when Hasbro released Maverick, a tie-in character for the film's sequel.
  • Pui Pui Molcar: A recurring reference is a poster for Molformers, itself based on a poster for Bumblebee.
  • SSSS.GRIDMɅN is absolutely riddled with Transformers references, many of which are surprisingly directed towards Transformers: Shattered Glass. See its page for more details. In a surprising recursion, official Transformers media would acknowledge this with the character of Purple Wicked Convoy, a version of Shattered Glass Optimus Prime who commands monsters on the behalf of a mysterious benefactor much like Akane Shinjo (whose design is modeled after Shattered Glass Optimus).
  • Teekyuu: The Idiosyncratic Episode Naming goes "X With Senpai" with X referencing a famous movie. Episode 15 references Transformers (2007).
  • Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: In Episode 13, one of the gunmen in Kittan's crew is holding Optimus Prime's Ion Blaster.
  • Time Stop Hero: In an omake, Kuzuno Sekai's golem Gankichi unfolds to reveal a beautiful woman inside. He comments that he didn't know Gankichi was a Transformer.

    Asian Animation 
  • In Season 4 Episode 19 of Happy Friends, Big M. and Little M. pretend to be characters in a television to avoid catching Careless S.'s suspicion. At one point they pretend to be transforming robots, with the music playing in the background - the theme song for The Transformers, the original 80's cartoon - making it obvious they're supposed to be Transformers.

    Comic Books 

    Comic Strip 
  • Twisted Toyfare Theatre features regular appearances from the characters.
    • Hulk and Spider-Man go to Hooters to see the Autobots in "Give A Hoot", only for the resturant to pull a Bait-and-Switch and feature the Guardians and Cy-Kill instead. Megatron, masqurading as the Punisher's gun attacks, and Hulk ends up killing Leader-1 under his own weight and the two join the Lizard in eating wings in celebration.
    • Ponch and Jon boot Bumblebee during their rounds in "CHiPs Ahoy", making him the unintnetional Sole Survivor when a Decepticon attack destroys the Ark.
    • "Risky Business" has Cobra Commander, Megatron, Skeletor and Gargamel play ''Risk" and reminice on their villain schemes.
    • Optimus Prime in truck mode is used by Marvel Legends Magneto and Sabertooth to chase after Man-Thing and Alan Moore in "I Am Legend, Part 1" in homage to the revine chase in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
    • A Quinteson judge oversees the case between Daredevil and Ben Affleck over the former's film adaptation in "The Daredevil's Advocate", rulling in favor of Dearedevil after watching Reindeer Games.
    • "Christmas on Infinite Earths" features an interlude on Cybertron where Hot Rod is Driven to Suicide when he finds out everything, including the Christmas tree transforms into the Autobots and Overlord. His attempt is foiled when his gun turns into Megatron, who asks if anyone's up for egg nog.
    • "Probes & Cons" has an Imperial Probe Droid knock up Jetfire's wife Sil.

    Films — Animation 

    Films — Live-Action 
  • Big features a scene involving a transforming Empire State Building, inspired by the franchise's use of "citybots". The idea for the toy is quickly shut down by Josh, who suggests a transforming prehistoric bug instead.
  • Boogie Nights rather infamously is known for a scene in which Dirk Diggler (played by Mark Wahlberg pre-Age of Extinction) sings "The Touch" from the original movie.
  • Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022) not only features a cameo from Blaster from the original cartoon near the beginning of the film. Sweet Pete's One-Winged Angel form includes the left leg of live-action Optimus Prime (as seen in Bumblebee) and the fusion cannon of Megatron styled like a Bullet Bill Blaster.
  • Tommy Wiseau is shown owning a Nautilator figure (with decals unapplied) in the film version of The Disaster Artist.
    "Don't look at Robot Crab, he's shy."
  • A Six Shot figure in jet mode can be seen in The Great Outdoors being played with by one of Roman's kids.
  • Ninja Terminator uses a Mechabot-1/Omegatron (the toy that Hasbro would later release in different colors as G1 Omega Supreme) as a robot messenger sent by the villains.
  • Bracer Phoenix from Pacific Rim: Uprising is a green heavy hitter that is later equipped with a wrecking ball, much like Bulkhead.
  • Clips from the episode "War of the Dinobots" from the original cartoon can be seen in The Professional as Mathilda's family is killed by Stanfield and his men.
  • Spaceballs
    • Yogurt show off various (fictional) pieces of Spaceballs merch, two of which (Spaceballs the Coloring Book and Spaceballs the Lunchbox) are actually Transformers merch.
    • Later in the film, Barf describes Spaceball 1's transformation into Mega Maid as "a Transformer".
  • A clip from the Armada anime shows up briefly in Son of the Mask.
  • When Michelangelo makes his way through a Day of the Dead parade in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, he meets a Bumblebee cosplayer who praises the "costume" Mikey's wearing.
  • The original Top Gun features some quick appearances from a Starscream toy in jet mode (albeit without the Decepticon insignia stickers) that Goose gives to his son Rooster.note  Hasbro would eventually return the favor by making a tie-in Transformer for its sequel, named Maverick. And yes, he comes with a volleyball.
  • A Galvatron figure can be seen among the toys Luke brings with him into the treehouse in the 1990 film version of The Witches.

    Literature 
  • In The Pants Project, Liv likes the word "transgender" because it makes him think of Transformers.

    Live Action TV 
  • The original cartoon would place 39 in Channel 4's "100 Greatest Cartoons", with several of the talking heads (including Seth MacFarlane, who introduces the entry) talking about the show's place in pop culture history.
  • 30 Rock: In "Unwindulax", a presidential campaign ad endorsing Mitt Romney features the only two black celebrities they could convince to be in the ad: Don Cheadle (who’s visibly uncomfortable) and the live-action film incarnation of Jazz.
  • In the Brooklyn Nine-Nine episode, "Chasing Amy", Jake claims that he knows the name of every Transformer, with him specifically namedropping Grimlock and the Dinobots. The end of the episode however shows him failing at a trivia game as he blanks out over an easy question about the franchise (i.e., He forgets to answer "Decepticons" when asked about the evil faction in Transformers), with the next episode opening up with him bemoaning his embarrassment.
  • A episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air has Geoffrey buy various gifts for his son Frederick, including Transformers: Beast Wars toys (specifically Razorbeast and Megatron). Just as Uncle Phil tells Geoffrey that people who are Frederick's age don't play with toys, Will walks in and proves him wrong.
    Will: Oooh! Transformers! I've been looking for Razorbeast since, like, October.
    • Fun Fact: Both figures were actually Will Smith's toys, as he was collecting Transformers as a hobby during production of the show.
  • A figure of War For Cybertron: Kingdom Ark appears in episode 3 of Fubar.
  • The Goldbergs: the B-plot of "The Darryl Dawkins Dance" has Adam getting traumatized by the death of Optimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie and subsequently trying to film his own version of the movie where he doesn't die, with his grandpa playing Optimus Prime.
  • A G1 Trypticon toy can be seen in the background of Matthew's room in the second part of the Goosebumps (1995) Chillogy three-parter.
  • VH1's I Love the 80s series would cover the franchise in its first go-around when it hit 1984 (natch). Henry Rollins even provides a Hilarious in Hindsight moment by bringing up transgender Transformers during the segment.
  • In the ILM documentary Light & Magic for Disney+, a brief clip of the Bonecrusher vs Optimus Prime fight from the 2007 film can be seen in the Title Sequence, transitioning from the initial animation stage to final rendered product.
  • Episode 6 of The Masked Singer's 11th season would be themed around the franchise as a tie in to the franchise's 40th anniversary. Complete with appearances by both Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's walkaround costumes from the Universal Studios ride.
  • An episode of My Two Dads features a subplot in which a Six Shot toy is played with Joey, inventing new alternate modes along the way.
  • J.D. can be seen painting of nursery mural of G1 Optimus (in his Powermaster body; referred to by Carla as "The Big Ugly One"} fighting Megatron in the Scrubs episode "His Story III".
  • Sesame Street: Elements of Episode 4261 ("Shape-O-Bots") parody Transformers. The Shape-O-Bots sing a parody of the series' theme song (written by Russell Velázquez and Joey Mazzarino), and two of the Anything Muppets that run into Andy Samberg are based on Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, who starred in the movies from the 2000's.
  • Stranger Things has a cameo from an Ultra Magnus figure in "Suzie, Do You Copy?" as one of the toys leading Eleven to the living room, albeit in 1985 which is a year before the toy's actual release.
  • The Toys That Made Us: Not only do Transformers toys feature prominently in the various backgrounds of the show, but the franchise got an episode dedicated to it for the second season. The franchise is brought up again in the episode on Power Rangers when discussing Hasbro's purchase of the latter franchise and the possibility of the two lines having a Crossover is brought up.

    Music 

    My Little Pony 
As a fellow Hasbro franchise, My Little Pony has featured a few Company Cross-References to Transformers.
  • As part of the 2015 International Day of Friendship, Hasbro showcased custom pony versions of Prime Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, though these were not for sale. Five years later however, they would release a pony version of G1 Optimus called My Little Prime that was available for retail as part of a series of crossovers between My Little Pony and other franchises they had the rights to.
  • The second issue of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (IDW) shows an Optimus Prime plush in the possession of a cave troll.
  • Early on in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls 1, the iconic transformation sound is heard when Pinkie Pie unfolds herself.
  • The transformation sound is reused again in My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) when Grubber unfolds his loudspeaker.
  • In the second volume of My Little Pony: The Manga, Doctor Hooves mentions having once saved a Cybertronian version of Fluttershy from the Quintessons. In the third volume, the Matrix of Leadership is one of the items Discord finds during a scavenger hunt organized by Fluttershy.
  • My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale features a Show Within a Show called Trotformers, with Autobuck leader Optimare Prime reusing the My Little Prime toy design.

    Tabletop Games 
  • BattleTech: Technical Readout 3055 introduced a new mech named the Grand Titan, which was noted due to its artwork resembling Optimus Prime. When new artwork was created for the revised Technical Readout 3055 Upgrade, the Grand Titan now has "Roll Out◊" stenciled on one shoulder.
  • Heroscape: The backstory for the Soulborgs of Alpha Prime is basically Astro Boy meets Transformers. They trace their origin to a grief-stricken scientist who lost his child to a fatal accident. Only rather than simply creating a robotic Replacement Goldfish and calling it a day, he transferred his child's soul into the robot body, creating the first Soulborg. In time, the Soulborgs overtook their world and caused a Forever Robot War between different factions of themselves - some heroic and others villainous - and the former organic inhabitants.
    • In regards to factions, the heroic Omnicrons mirror the Autobots and the villainous Zetti Combine mirror the Decepticons, with the addition of a third neutral faction called the Gladiatrons.
    • Alpha Prime being a formerly organic Cybertron analogue with pockets of organic life still around elicits a striking parallel to Cybertron as depicted in Beast Machines.
    • Major Q10 bears an alarming resemblance to Bayverse Ironhide, being a heroic giant robot with a black and grey color scheme and has two heavy-duty cannons mounted on his arms. It does not help that he debuted in Swarm of the Marro, which came out roughly a month after the film.
  • Mekton Zeta Plus:
    • The description for "Dimensional Storage" asks "Where does the trailer go when a semi-truck transforms?", referencing how Optimus Prime's trailer vanishes every time he transforms.
    • "Transformation: Gizmo" allows mecha to transform into mundane devices, one of the examples being a cassette deck (Blaster and Soundwave)
    • "Transformation: Gun" was added specifically to replicate Megatron. It even costs less if the mecha needs to be weilded by another mecha in gun mode.
  • In Warhammer Fantasy, the respective mounts of Lizardmen special characters Kroq-gar, Mazdamundi, and Tik’tak’to are named Grymloq (a tyrannosaurus rex), Zlaaq (a triceratops), and Zwup (a pteranodon), after the Dinobots Grimlock, Slug, and Swoop.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh! has made a few references to the series:
    • While most of the Vehicroids are cartoony Sentient Vehicles, Armoroid is a giant robot that transforms into a space shuttle and overall resembles a mix of Astrotrain, Armada/Energon Jetfire, and Galaxy Shuttle.
    • The Morphtronic archetype is based on Transformers with appliance-based alt-modes, such as Soundwave, Perceptor, Reflector, and the Real Gear Robots.
    • Melchid the Four-Face Beast resembles a Quintesson minus one face and the tentacles.

    Toys 
  • Harmony Gold's officially licensed Macross toyline by Kitzconcept would pay homage to G1 Jetfire's series of origin by releasing a limited-edition VF-1S Super Valkyrie in the character's color scheme under the name "God of Flame". A stark contrast to the company's previous stance on the character's existence.note 
  • The short-lived Hasbro toyline XEVOZ included a character called “Trans-scorcher”, who was capable of turning into a futuristic vehicle.

    Video Games 
  • The Humongous Mecha Liberty Prime from Fallout 3 is quite obviously named after Optimus Prime.
  • Final Fantasy XIV: One of the bosses in Alexander: Midas is a Forgekin Combining Mecha named Brute Justice, whose components are named after the Combaticons - Onslaughter, Vortexer, Swindler, Blaster, and Brawler.
  • The description for the “King Stitches” skin in Heroes of the Storm references Grimlock’s oft-referenced “catchphrase”.
  • Neopets ' Raverge Petpet is modeled on Ravage.
  • A toy truck resembling that of the G1 Optimus Prime figure shows up in Pajama Sam: Life Is Rough When You Lose Your Stuff!.
  • Pokémon: Registeel's cry sounds exactly like the classic transformation sound.
  • Roblox: The game Noobs vs Zombies: Realish has the Mad Shotgun weapon, which makes the user yell Glen's line from Transformers (2007), "DRINK YOUR PRUNE JUICE!" upon equipping. This carries over to its appearance in another game, item asylum.
  • The climax of Saints Row IV is a giant homage to The Transformers: The Movie, with “The Touch” playing in the background as both the Saint and Zinyak quote Optimus and Megatron’s famous “One shall stand, one shall fall” exchange.
  • Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution: The Bugkini Trio resemble Moe Anthropomorphisms of the original three Insecticons.
  • StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
    • In one of the early levels, you can find a civilian Hellion decoed in the red and blue flame paint job of Bayverse Optimus Prime.
    • One of the tie-in songs, "Terran Up The Night", calls the Terran Viking unit a Transformer and compares it to Starscream as well.
    • Speaking of which, both the Viking and Hellion/Hellbat say "Transform and Roll Out" as one of their lines.
    • An April Fools special showcased a joke unit called Terra-tron, a Combining Mecha formed from a Terran base with a voice reminiscent of Peter Cullen (the iconic voice of Optimus Prime). Said mecha quips lines such as “We are More than Meets the Eye”, “Merge to form Rampage” (the command used to form most Combiners, while Rampage has been a name used for multiple different Transformers) and “Terra-tron, Terrorize!” (the transformation phrase of the Predacons from Beast Wars). Lastly, the video's description lists its function as "Omega Supreme Defense", a nod to the Autobot Guardian Omega Supreme.
  • In Starfield, one of the dialogue options in one encounter is the Universal Greeting from the original G1 movie.
  • Team Fortress 2: A 2025 Scream Fortress cosmetic for the Engineer is called the "One-Man Convoy", which resembles Optimus Prime's head. The cosmetic's name is itself a nod to Optimus's former Japanese name, Convoy, while its publicity blurb references Optimus Primal's catchphrase, "[Well,] That's just Prime."
  • Total War: Warhammer:
    • In the trailer for Rise of the Tomb Kings, the scene of the Tomb Scorpion bursting out of sand to impale the one Dark Elf who escaped the tomb is an homage to the scene from Transformers (2007) of Scorponok bursting out of the sand to impale a hapless soldier.
    • One of N'Kari's quests is called "Peace through Tyranny", which is G1 Megatron's motto.

    Web Animation 

    Webcomics 

    Websites 
  • SCP Foundation:
    • When SCP-3634 is used to open a bottle of alcohol, anybody who drinks from it will immediately lose all impulse control and do or say whatever they're thinking about. The Foundation interviews the Big, Screwed-Up Family who owns it (after a disastrous Christmas party that ended in 56 injuries and 3 deaths). A man confesses that he threw his daughter out the window after she drank some champagne and started whining that her brother "wouldn't let her play with his stupid Transformer."
    • SCP-4496 is a figure of Maximal Randy from the Beast Wars Neo toyline. Regular versions of the figure suffer immensely from "Gold Plastic Syndrome", a phenomenon where the plastic is left extremely brittle and prone to breaking. 4496 is an anomaly due to a Transformers fan modifying it for another to leave it completely indestructible. The downside is that every time the figure is transformed, the damage it would have sustained from the process is instead transferred to any surrounding object, including people, leading to its original owner sustaining several injuries and having to pawn it off at a convention, which is where the Foundation discovered it.

    Web Video 

    Western Animation 
  • In the American Dad! episode “Bahama Mama”, one of the toys Steve plans on giving away is called a ”Trans-changer”, which bears a marked resemblance to Armada Hot Shot.
  • Amphibia: A figure of G1 Megatron can be seen in Marcy's mindscape in "All In".
  • Arthur
    • "Arthur Bounces Back" has a gag where Arthur makes a truck turn into a robot, then into a robotic version of his principal.
    • "My Dad, the Garbage Man" features Arthur asking the audience about how cool their dad would be if he was a Transformer in the Cold Open, complete with the obligatory Imagine Spot of Arthur's dad turning his arms into motorized shovels to dig for treasure.
    • "Buster and the Daredevils" also features transforming robot toys played by Arthur, Buster and Brain as book ends to the episode.
  • Lockdown’s hook and Grimlock's sword can be seen in Khyber’s ship in Ben 10: Omniverse, seeing as both shows were produced by Derrick J. Wyatt.
  • Clerks: The Animated Series: One episode has a montage at a dance club that briefly features a robot who looks suspiciously like G1 Cyclonus.
  • Dan Vs.: In "Dan Vs. Anger Management", the Universal Greeting is used as a meditation chant.
  • The Fairly OddParents!: "Beddy Bye" features a transforming street sweeper who breaks out into stand-up.
  • Family Guy
  • Garfield and Friends
  • The King of the Hill episode "Born Again on the Fourth of July" opens the episode by having Bobby watch a cartoon clearly inspired by Transformers featuring a jet that looks like Skyfire with the colors of White Base. A clip from this cartoon can also be glimpsed in "Bill Gathers Moss" as a movie being watched in theaters.
  • MAD
    • "TransBOREMores" takes a potshot at the live-action movie franchise and its regularly rotating MacGuffins so that Prime can invite other robots into Sam's house. This would be followed up with "TransBOREmores 3: Dark of the Blue Moon", in which the Smurfs find their way to Earth, and Sam and Optimus have to get them back to Smurf Village.
    • "Rejected Transformers" shows some rejected Transformers that didn't make the cut.
    • "I Love You, Iron Man" has Optimus make an appearance as Iron Man's friend.
    • "Transformin' Grill" has Optimus hawk a parody of the George Foreman grill.
    • "P.E.D.A.L" has Optimus speak out in People for the Ethical Defense of Autobot Lives.
    • "Super 80s" has a Cy-Kill expy lament his status as a GoBot, wishing he could be a Transformer instead.
    • "Transformal Wear" has Optimus advertise formal wear.
    • "Optimus Prime Suspect" has Optimus take on Helen Mirren's role in Prime Suspect.
    • "Real Veal" has Bumblebee seen in a robot boxing championship.
    • "F·I·E·N·D·S" has Megatron appear as one of the main cast.
  • Being a love letter to the Mecha Show genre, Megas XLR has multiple references to Transformers. See its page for more details.
  • Various vehicles in Olliver's Adventures resemble characters from the original cartoon; with three jets colored like Decepticons Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker showing up fairly often.
  • Paper Port: The rather convoluted plot of "Popular Mechanics" has Charlie donning a cruddy cardboard car costume in order to blend in with a group of Sentient Vehicles. The costume looks like a cruddy cardboard robot costume instead when Charlie stands up while wearing it, and he even says "Transformation!" when he crouches down so it actually looks like a car.
  • In The Powerpuff Girls episode "Jewel of the Aisle", the girls briefly watch a Beast Wars-inspired series called Mech-Animals.
  • Rick and Morty: The opening to "Amortycan Grickfitti" features the titular duo encountering a group of Changeformers outside a drive-in diner.
  • Robot Chicken makes many references to the franchise:
    • The first episode "Junk in the Trunk" has the now-infamous skit of Optimus Prime getting prostate cancer. With Prime returning later to berate the Human Torch for not having taken his prostate exam. Soundwave also makes an appearance in the "Where Are They Now?" skit from "Toy Meets Girl", where he's taken up the job of a porta-potty at a local fairway.
    • Season 2's "Dragon Nuts" has Devastator get kicked into the distance by Optimus after the Constructicons minus Hook and Scavenger get the flu in the "Omaha's Number 1 News Team" skit.
    • "The Sad Fate of Soundwave" in Season 3's "Werewolf vs. Unicorn" has the Decepticon spy's alt form mocked by two scientists before being sold on eBay. The episode "Monstourage" contains a sketch featuring a vibrating bed Transformer named Vibratron.
    • Season 4
      • "The Nerd of Oz" sketch from "Cannot Be Erased, So Sorry" features Optimus Prime in the Tin Man role. Saving Oz by using his disappearing trailer to kill the Witch's flying monkey army.
      • "Tell My Mom" features a segment where Movie Bumblebee is purchased by Sam before the focus shifts to another teen who buys Scooter.
      • "Due to Constraints of Time and Budget" has a skit parodying Jazz's death scene from the first live-action movie, seeing his remarks on him being Not Quite Dead fall on deaf ears.
    • Season 5
      • "Terms of Endaredevil" features three "sneak peeks" for Transformers 3 — The first has Optimus giving Sam a convoluted speech about the AllSpark and what it would do to Megatron; the second has Judy get knocked up on angel dust; the third featuring a pair of blatantly racist Indian Autobot taxis.
      • "Kramer Vs. Showgirls" has Bumblebee get off to a car being washed.
      • The "Nicky Passion" segment from "Malcolm X: Fully Loaded" has Megatron among the attendees, relating his issues with Starscream to Nicky.
      • "Beastmaster & Commander" features a sketch where the movie versions of Jazz, Bumblebee, and Optimus get their Earth names. The former two mock their leader for his name until he tells them about his drunk and abusive father, after which the two realize Prime's plight and cheer him up.
      • A quick skit from "The Godfather of the Bride II" references the rather questionable placement of the trigger to Megatron's gun mode when transformed into his robot mode.
    • Season 6
      • "Poisoned by Relatives" has a sketch with Megatron and Starscream hiding from the Autobots in a Prius dealership, to Megatron's disgust.
      • "In Bed Surrounded by Loved Ones" features a bit where Prime's trailer has sex with another man, refusing to respond to a rescue operation.
    • Season 7
      • "Panthropologie"'s "World War B" sketch features an appearance from Kre-O Bumblebee as one of the knockoff LEGO zombies. Ironically, This was produced around the same time Stoopid Buddy Studios would be hired by Hasbro to animate some official Transformers animation for them, starting with some of the Transformers Kre-O shorts.
      • "Noidstrom Rack" has the Zybots (a toyline made by Remco to cash in on the popularity of Transformers) try to help the Autobots, who rudely dismiss them. Megatron takes pity on the eager robots when they confront him and gives them a win.
    • Season 8
      • "Cake Pillow" features the Autobots and Maura from Transparent crossing over.
      • "Zero Vegetables" features a look into the Transformers 5 writing room as a naked Michael Bay makes script changes with his penis.
      • "Fridge Smell" has Optimus try to get out of jury duty with his motto and fail.
      • "Not Enough Women" has Soundwave unwind by listening to Creed, prompting his minions to flee in terror.
    • Season 9
      • "Factory Where Nuts Are Handled" has a sketch where Beast Wars Scorponok has to talk Megatron out of killing a panda bear. Said bear ends up being Polar Claw; who escapes before the Predacons, who are too busy burning a real panda alive convinced that is the Maximal in disguise in lava, notice.
      • "Gimme That Chocolate Milk" has the Nerd say the "Roll Out!" command just as he sticks a vacuum cleaner hose on his dick in the final sketch as payoff for imagining himself trying to get a BJ from a Transformer. It ends as well as you'd expect it to.
    • Season 10
      • "Fila Ogden in: Maggie's Got a Full Load" has Optimus engage in sex with a self-driving car during an Uber presentation.
  • The Simpsons
    • "Future-Drama" has a Couch Gag where the familynote  transform from car-to-robot, then sit on the couch.
    • "Apocalypse Cow" has Trans-Clownomorphs, a cartoon about transforming clown cars fighting evil pteranodons based on the original series. Even the show's logo is a homage to it.
    • "Treehouse of Horror XIX"'s "Untitled Robot Parody" segment is a full-on parody of the franchise, with Springfield caught in the crossfire of the battle of two warring robot armies. Two of them even resemble the G1 incarnations of Optimus Prime and Megatron (as formed from Homer and Ned's cars).
    • "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed" has a scene where Ned watches a movie with two Hebrew Transformers fighting each other until they stop and find time to read from Jewish scripture.
  • Smiling Friends: Figures of Armada Jetfire and Megatron, and G1 Rippersnapper can be seen in Shrimp's room in "Shrimp's Odyssey".
  • South Park
    • Optimus Prime is seen as one of the good guys in the "Imaginationland" trilogy.
    • Magazine covers with Optimus' likeness on it can be seen in "Sexual Healing" as Cartman and Kenny play the new Tiger Woods game.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) has a quick joke in "The Big Cufflink Caper!" where a transforming tractor robot is referred to as a "Transfarmer". The episode's writer and series script editor David Wise also wrote for the original Transformers cartoon and would recycle several plot elements from there into Turtles scripts.
  • Teen Titans Go!:
    • "The Night Begins to Shine" episodes give Cyborg the power to transform into a semi truck cab. He even quotes the famous "One shall stand, one shall fall" line.
    • The ending of "40%, 40%, 20%" is based on Rodimus Prime's final battle against Galvatron from the 1986 movie.

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