Big casts, short episodes, and a lot of familiar faces – this season feels like a return to classic form in the best (and occasionally clunkiest) ways. The shift away from a single character spotlight (looking at you, Bumblebee) opens up space for ensemble storytelling, giving room for old favourites and new names to shine. While the toy-driven elements are hard to miss because it is a show about toys, they’re used with surprising commitment. The story stumbles in places, especially with pacing and unclear character fates, but the scale and energy carry it through.
Synopsis
Transformers: Cyberverse Season 2 is a 3D-animated series about the Transformers. It is also known as Transformers: Cyberverse – Power of the Spark. Set in a new continuity, it follows the adventures of the heroic Autobots as they struggle to find the AllSpark and keep it same from the Decepticons. Episodes are 10 minutes long, and continuity is consistent. Also, there are many, many Transformers characters in the series, both old and new. It’s really quite fun to watch them, especially in such short segments.
Directors: Ehud Landsberg, Jean Texier
Writers: Randolph Heard, Gavin Hignight, Zac Atkinson, Mae Catt, Dan Salgarolo Cast:
Voice Cast
- Jeremy Levy (Bumblebee, Jetfire, Perceptor, Rack’n’Ruin, Whirl)
- Jessica DiGiovanni (Windblade, Cosmos)
- Jake Foushee (Optimus Prime)
- Travis Artz (Hot Rod)
- TJ Nelson (Cheetor)
- Ryan Andes (Grimlock, Shockwave, Iaconus, Doublecrosser)
- Billy Bob Thompson (Starscream, Wheeljack, Repugnus, Hammerbyte, Trypticon)
- Marc Thompson (Megatron, Sky-Byte, Sludge, Soundblaster, Bug Bite, Tarn)
- Deanna McGovern (Shadow Striker, Clobber)
- Saskia Marx (Clobber, Nova Storm)
- Tony Daniels (Teletraan-X, Lockdown, Kup, Astrotrain, Drift)
- Dick Terhune (Maccadam, Prowl, Quintesson Judge – Chaos, Scientist)
- Jaime Lamchick (Arcee, Acid Storm, Chromia, Nightbird)
- Marc Swint (Soundwave, Raddus)
- Lianne Marie Dobbs (Slipstream)
- Ben Bott (Thundercracker)
- Ryan Nicolls (Volcanicus, Dirge)
- Rich Orlow (Alpha Trion, Wildwheel, Thunderhowl, Meteorfire, Slug, Snarl)
- Laurie Hymes (Swoop)
- JC Ernst (Blurr)
- Xavier Paul (Dead End)
- Brian Levinson (Shrapnel)
- Tomas Virgadula (Thrust)
- Amy Birnbaum (Dust Up)
- Jennifer Johnson (Stormclash)
- Courtney Shaw (Skyburst)
- Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld (Victorion)
- Kymberly Tuttle (Pyra Magna)
- Linsay Rousseau (Elita-1)
- Michael Sinterniklaas (Bluestreak)
- Wayne Grayson (Smokescreen)
- Scott Williams (Jazz)
- Kaiser Johnson (Ironhide)
- Shawn Hawkins (Mirage)
- Greg Abbey (Sunstreaker, Roadbuster)
- Veronica Taylor (Red Alert)
- Andrew Rannells (Blaster)
- Ellie Main (Moonracer)
- Keith Silverstein (Omega Supreme)
- Eddy Lee (Squeeks)
A cast that feels G1 in tone and execution
So the end of Season 1 saw all the Autobots returning, and the Decepticon cast had already been built up over the course of Season 1. Season 2, of course, pits all these Autobots against all these Decepticons, giving us a sprawling cast of characters that feels so G1-ish. Gone is the focus on Bumblebee, but that’s understandable (and also, Bumblebee speaks properly, which is a bonus). Instead, we see different episodes focusing on different Transformers. Sometimes, it’s even an ensemble cast that we see! The fact that the cast size doesn’t seem artificially constrained (perhaps due to the animation style and cheaper cost) like previous series have, makes it feel G1 in scope, even if the stories are simpler.
Decepticons forever!
The Deception cast is also pretty awesome. You have favourites like Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream. But you also have newcomers like Slipstream and Shadow Striker. Then you have Decepticons who aren’t usually spotlighted, like Bludgeon and Clobber (aka Lugnut). It’s quite a joy to see such a strong Deception cast in the series, and that they’ve also incorporated a diverse (in every sense of the word) cast.
Toyetic but fun
Then there’s the whole Spark Armour gimmick running throughout the series. It’s quite toyetic (although come on guys, the toys could have been larger). Nevertheless, I was rather impressed that so many Spark Armour toys were actually shown on screen in Cyberverse. I thought it’d just be Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, and Megatron – the usual suspects. So being toyetic is a great thing here, because I’m making my Spark Armour Transformers fight each other like they do on the show.
Plot was a little drawn out
However, the AllSpark plot felt a little dragged out. I was okay with them searching for it… but then it got dragged out because another Deception stole it to make it his own… then they had to return the AllSpark to Cybertron. Yes, it’s just 18 episodes of about 10 minutes (thus about 3 hours?). But the pacing for the AllSpark plot wasn’t the greatest, and I felt they could have lengthened the quest to acquire the AllSpark, but shortened the mishaps that happened after.
Unclear deaths
And the Transformer deaths were unclear. It seems like the light going out in their eyes was a signal that the Transformers had passed on, but then we kept seeing them come back to life in the next episode. It was a little egregious at the beginning with the fake deaths. But later, when some Transformers actually die, I wasn’t quite sure what their fate was, thanks to how trivially the whole visual of “the lights going out in their eyes” had been treated earlier in the season. This, I didn’t quite realise an important Deception had died midway through the series, and that story beat was lost on me.
Should you watch this?
Overall, Transformers: Cyberverse Season 2 has been as close to G1 as I’ve seen in recent years, even though it’s ostensibly a kids’ show. The cast really helps to create that impression, especially since there’s no longer the super strong focus on Bumblebee. Yeah, there are some inconsistencies that could have been better handled. But you can overlook it when you see the armies of the respective factions battling each other in a large, epic fights.
Score: 4.0/5
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