Here’s the second part of the Beast Wars review. Most of us know who these bots are but for those who may’ve forgotten, let’s start with the heroic Maximals. The Maximals are the good guys and descendant of the Autobots. Just like their ancestors, they fight for the good of Cybertron and the right of sentient beings.
Optimus Primal is the commander of the Maximals and their ship the Axalon. A brave and compassionate leader, Optimus named himself after a great hero of old: Optimus Prime. He can make rash decisions, but is compelled to defeat the Predacons. He dies briefly when he destroys an alien death ray, but is revived by Rhinox as a Transmetal giving him a hover board in beast mode. He later becomes Optimal Optimus, a large new Transmetal form he gained by briefly absorbing the spark of Optimus Prime. His beast mode is a silverback gorilla, and when he becomes Optimal Optimus, he gains both an assault aircraft form and a ground assault vehicle form.
Rhinox is Second-in-command and Optimus’ oldest friend as well as the chief scientist and mechanic of the team. He is not really a fighter and more of a strategist, but he can let it rip with his two chainguns. He prefers nature to technology at times. He is very intelligent and skilled in multiple forms of science and technology. It is interesting that the brains of the outfit is also the muscle. Rhinox is the only original Maximal to not gain a new body, but he plays a key role in defeating Megatron in the show’s finale. His beast mode is a rhinoceros.
Rattrap is the smart-alek and sometimes third-in-command of the Maximals. Often pessimistic and sarcastic, his trademark catchphrase is “We’re all gonna die”. Ironically, Rattrap is an expert survivalist, and he is, in fact, one of the only two Maximals who fought from the beginning of the Beast Wars and survived to the end of Beast Machines. Despite the fact he is the smallest Maximal, this works to his advantage several times in the series, and he makes up for it with his expertise in many different skills, such as stealth, espionage, sabotage, demolitions, hacking, and his wits. He often clashes with fellow Maximal Dinobot, calling him “Chopperface”, as he nicknames all his allies and some enemies. He forms a dynamic, but confrontational team with Dinobot, often working together with him toward good results, despite having the least trust in the former Predacon. Rattrap gains a Transmetal form, including a wheeled mode of his beast mode which is a rat.
Cheetor is the youngest member of the original Maximals. He is rather immature and reckless. He looks up to Optimus and tries to get onto his good list by achieving any mission given to him, but his reckless behavior can lead him into trouble. He matures over the course of the series, with each form he gains. He gained a Transmetal form first, also gaining a flight mode. He later gained a Transmetal 2 form after being shot into the overload of a Transmetal 2 generator, gaining a new Transmetal 2 form but a feral beast mode. His beast mode is a cheetah.
Dinobot was a former Predacon. He is a warrior who follows a strict code of honor. Betrayed by Megatron, he joined the Maximals, becoming an asset to their team, even though his tactical methods were rather extreme at times. He fights with a sword and rotating propeller blades, and shoots lasers from his eyes. Dinobot often fought with Rattrap, whom he named “Vermin” to counter Rattrap’s remark of calling him “Chopperface”. Dinobot’s loyalty is often changed by his own decisions, but he remained a Maximal to the end. Dinobot honorably sacrificed himself to protect the evolving human race from the Predacons, defeating the whole team but dying in the process. His presence would eventually be replaced by Transmetal Dinobot II, a less independent-minded clone, who served the Predacons, but also eventually reformed, providing the Maximals a final chance to win the Beast Wars. His beast mode is a Velociraptor.
Tigatron was the first Maximal protoform to crash-land on Earth, Tigatron gained a natural love for Earth and considered it as his home. Peaceful and wise, Tigatron does not really enjoy battle, as seen when his tiger friend Snowstalker is accidentally killed during a battle. He developed a close relationship with fellow Maximal Airazor, but both were kidnapped by the Vok and later fused together into Tigerhawk. His beast mode is a White tiger.
Airazor is the only female Maximal on the team, until the recruitment of Blackarachnia. Airazor’s spark nearly died at birth but she was saved by Rhinox and Cheetor, considering them her “uncle” and “brother”. She developed a close relationship with Tigatron during their time on Earth, but both were kidnapped by the Vok and later fused together into Tigerhawk. Her beast mode is a Peregrine Falcon.
Silverbolt is a Fuzor, a hybrid of a wolf and a golden eagle. His color scheme closely resembles the Aerialbot of the same name. He was tricked by Megatron into thinking he was a Predacon, but soon switched sides and became a Maximal. He follows a strong code of honor, and is stereotypically chivalrous, poetic, and noble, to the point that comes across as humorously cheesy. Silverbolt falls in love with Blackarachnia, whom he refers to as the “dark poison of my heart”. It is he who convinces her to join the Maximals, which she does eventually. Beast mode is a Gray Wolf/Golden Eagle hybrid.
Blackarachnia was a female Maximal protoform, reprogrammed into Predacon near the start of the series, but eventually became a Maximal, after she fell in love with Silverbolt. As a Predacon, she was crafty, cunning, and an agile fighter, and like her fellow spider ally, Tarantulas, she often worked separately from the others, plotting for her own benefits. After Megatron planned to target the Ark and destroy the Autobot leader inside, she changed sides, realizing the need to help the Maximals preserve history. While on the side of the Maximals, she longed to become a Transmetal II, in order to survive the Beast Wars. She achieves this by using the Transmetal II driver, the same device used to create Dinobot II. Her beast mode is a black widow spider.
