Overview
BETA
Welcome to The Bestiary—your comprehensive collector’s guide and historical archive for the Beastformers toy line! Though small, the Beastformers community is a passionate and mighty one! Collectors across the globe are continuously buying, selling, trading, and collaborating with fellow fans who have been captivated by these incredible creatures.
All source material, unless otherwise credited, comes directly from my personal collection of Battle Beasts and Laser Beasts.
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented on this site, please keep in mind that the world of Beastformers is still full of mysteries. New discoveries and insights continue to surface, and as a result, some of the information on this site may change over time. I do not claim to be an authority on the subject; rather, this site reflects the best understanding currently shared within the Beastformers collecting community. My goal is simply to document, preserve, and share what we’ve learned so far, while remaining open to new findings and corrections. Accuracy matters deeply to me, and I’ll always strive to update and refine the information as new evidence comes to light.
This site is created by Beastformers collectors, for Beastformers collectors, and is in no way affiliated with Takara or Hasbro.
The Beastformers
Beastformers (ビーストフォーマー) are 2” anthropomorphic animal figures clad in cybertronic armor with two points of articulation. They were produced by Takara and Hasbro between 1987 and 1989 and can be divided into two categories: Battle Beasts and Laser Beasts.
The Battle Beasts
Battle Beasts (known as Beastformers in Japan) were released in three series, totaling seventy-six unique figures. Series One included twenty-eight figures, Series Two introduced twenty-four figures, and Series Three concluded the roster with an additional twenty-four figures. All three series were released in Japan and North America.* Although Europe did not see the release of Series Three, Series One and limited quantities of Series Two were released in several European countries. The following chart (fig. 1) illustrates the various logos used for each region:
Logo
Region
North America
France
Spain
Japan
Canada
Fig. 1
Each figure was stamped with an identification number, and came with a unique weapon with a corresponding number (fig. 2). In North America and Europe, the first two series of figures were packed in two-figure blister packs (fig. 3), and Series Three Figures in North America were later released in an eight-pack format (fig. 4). In Japan, figures were packaged individually in small boxes, and included a weapon and a figure card.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Courtesy of Killer Carp
Fig. 4
Courtesy of Killer Carp
The first two generations of Japanese boxed figures were marketed alongside Takara's Transformers toy line, which explains the “Formers” suffix in the name Beastformers. Figures were assigned to the Cybertron (Autobot) or Destron (Decepticon) factions based on their morphology, and packaged in red Cybertron (fig. 5) or purple Destron (fig.6) boxes. Most mammalian figures represented the Cybertrons, whereas reptiles, amphibians, fish, arachnids, and crustaceans represented the Destrons. A third style of packaging, green boxes (fig. 7), quickly replaced these first-generation boxes, and contained both Cybertron and Destron figures. Eventually, Takara abandoned the Transformers motif entirely and transition to the "jungle" boxes (fig. 8 and fig. 9). With the exception of two figures (Yellow Camelus and Scout Mouse), all seventy-six Beastformers were available in the numbered jungle boxes (fig. 9), which were the final variant of the single-figure packs.
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
The main gimmick of a Battle Beast is its heat-sensitive Battle Emblem. This tiny black square, commonly referred to as a “rub sign”, is typically located on the chest of each figure, and reveals one of three symbols when activated: fire, wood, or water (fig. 10).
Fire
Wood
Water
Fig. 10
“The battle game is a variation of the age-old paper, rock, and scissors pastime. Fire burns wood, wood floats on water, and water puts out fire.” -Hasbro
This simple battle mechanic added to the collectibility of the figures, especially since each figure’s Battle Emblem was random. A fourth symbol, the Sunburst, was eventually introduced through the Sunburst Warrior promotion in North America and Japan. This symbol would act as a “wildcard”, ensuring a guaranteed victory if revealed in battle! Although the Sunburst Warrior promotion was advertised on North American Series Two blister packs (fig. 11), there is no evidence that Sunburst Warrior figures were ever made available outside of Japan. Japan did, however, see the release of a Burstsun White Leo
(fig. 12).
Fig. 11
Sunburst Lion
Fig. 12
Later in the line, the classic mood-ring-style Battle Emblems were replaced with vibrant full-color Fire, Water, and Wood symbols (fig. 13) ; an exciting little upgrade for fans who spotted them!
Fire
Wood
Water
Fig. 13
The Battle Beasts/Beastformers line would also see the release of three Battle Chariots, three Transport Stations, two Premium Figure Sets, and a Bandolier.
On July 31, 1987, the Beastformers made their television debut in the Transformers: The Headmasters episode, Rebellion on Planet Beast.
Upload courtesy of Beastformers Blog
The Laser Beasts
Unlike their Battle Beasts predecessors, Laser Beasts (レーザービースト) only saw one wave of thirty-six figures. However, collectors often divide this “fourth wave” into three categories: the lower twelve, the middle twelve, and the upper twelve. These three tiers coincide with the regions in which they were released. Lower twelve figures saw a release across all regions, and are therefore considered the most common Laser Beasts. Figures in the middle twelve tier were not available in North America but were released in several European countries and Japan. Finally, the upper twelve figures were exclusive to Japan and are therefore some of the rarest and most coveted figures in the entire Beastformers lineup!
Like the Battle Beasts, each Laser Beast was stamped with a unique figure number (fig. 1). This number was also stamped on the figure’s weapon, which, in the case of all Laser Beasts, was a laser gun— hence their name, “Laser Beasts!”
Fig. 1
The Laser Beasts followed a similar packaging scheme to the North American Battle Beasts and Japanese Beastformers. Lower twelve figures were released under the name Shadow Warriors in North America, and were packaged in two-figure blister packs (fig. 2). These same figures were sold in limited European countries; however, they dropped the Shadow Warriors name and were called Les Dragonautes in France, or simply Battle Beasts in other European markets. In Japan, Laser Beasts were sold individually in numbered boxes
(fig. 3).
Fig. 3
Fig. 2
The middle twelve figures were sold as Battle Beasts: Battle Chargers in several European countries, and were packaged in blister packs (fig. 4). These packs included a figure, a weapon, a shield, and a vehicle.
To make matters even more confusing, six of these twelve Shieldbattlers were released in Japan as part of an exclusive set called The Shield Battler 6 set (シールドバトラー６). This set included six figures, their corresponding lasers and shields, and two vehicles. All middle twelve figures were available in Japan, in the form of individually boxed, numbered figures.
Fig. 4
Six of the upper-twelve Laser Beasts were packaged in individual numbered boxes, and included a bio card. Three of the remaining six figures (Skybat, Slag King, and Dino Gator) were released in Battle Chariot sets, and the final three figures (Skull Grotess, King Buster, and Salmomanther) were included in the Beast Planet's Greatest Confrontation Set
(ビースト星最大の対決セット). As previously mentioned, all upper-twelve figures were exclusive to Japan.
Like Battle Beasts, Laser Beasts follow the same fire, wood, and water gimmick. However, this time their symbols appear through light-emitting crystal shields on their chests (fig. 5). Light passes through a small aperture on a figure's back and illuminates the power within!
Fire
Water
Wood
Fig. 5
