A 1996 [[Transformers]] series that served as a massive departure from the series' norm at the time. It was fully animated in [[3D]], focused on [[animal]] alt forms rather than vehicles, and featured two new factions - the benevolent [[Maximal|Maximals]] and evil [[Predacon|Predacons]]. The series opens with the two groups crash landing on prehistoric Earth, and scanning nearby animals to use as their alt forms. The series is especially well regarded by fans and critics alike, and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998.

The Japanese dub of the series split the show into two parts, the second being titled [i]Beast Wars Metals[/i]. The localization is notorious for taking immense liberties with, and at times ignoring elements of the source material, to the point of it being considered a gag dub by most fans. 

The series was followed up by [[Beast Machines]], and had two Japan-exclusive spinoffs in [[Beast Wars II]] and [[Beast Wars Neo]].

This tag is for the original 1996 cartoon and it's related media only. For the entire beast subset of Transformers series, see [[Beast Wars]].

h4. Characters

h6. [[Maximal]]s

* [[Optimus Primal]]
* [[Cheetor]]
* [[Rattrap]]
* [[Rhinox]]
* [[Dinobot (beast wars)|]]
* [[Tigatron]]
* [[Airazor]]

h6. [[Predacon]]s

* [[Megatron]]
* [[Scorponok]]
* [[Waspinator]]
* [[Tarantulas]]
* [[Terrorsaur]]
* [[Blackarachnia]]
* [[Inferno_(beast_wars)|]]
ビーストウォーズ ビーストウォーズ_超生命体トランスフォーマー