Top 5 Best Transformers Headmasters Episodes
By Rob Queen
The cartoon titled “The Return of Optimus Prime” marked the conclusion of Season Three of the original Transformers cartoon. What followed depended on where you were on planet Earth. If you were in the USA, you got the three-part “Rebirth” cartoon, which introduced audiences to Headmasters and Targetmasters. If you were in Japan, you were given thirty-five episodes of The Headmasters cartoon. For those of you who have wondered what the best of the series is, here they are. The notes at the end of the list are there for you trivia aficionados out there.
NUMBER FIVE
Episode 17. SOS from Planet Sandra - The Autobots respond when an emergency request for energy comes from the other-dimensional planet Sandra, who has squandered their energy reserves and are on the cusp of extinction.
While Sandra is only a few years away from developing a new power source that would save its civilization, they need a bump to get them to that point.
Overall, this felt like an ep of the American version, complete with a message about good life, and deeper meaning about how wasteful civilizations can be.
There is also a good variety of roles in the episode, giving us a whole lot of transforming bots to marvel at.
NUMBER FOUR
Episode 2. The Mystery of Planet Master - After learning of the origins of the Headmasters and the planet Master, the Autobots race to recover the missing Matrix.
This was just one of those rare episodes that is a joyride from beginning to end. But while it is action packed, it does have its problems (“we’re on Cybertron, so let’s also suddenly be at our headquarters on Planet Athenia”)
Considering this series just started one episode prior, this manages to put a whole lot of attention on two classics: Blaster and Soundwave. While the final battle between them is a little too quick, it is nonetheless fun, as there were so few episodes in the original series where these two face off.
Sure, forcing Optimus Prime to go off on some mysterious quest deep in the heart of Cybertron felt like a forced story-telling convention, but the rest of the episode made up for it, especially as we get to see who Hardhead, Brainstorm, Wierdwolf, and the others all came from.
NUMBER THREE
Episode 8 and 9 - Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 and Part 2 - When Vector Sigma develops a powerful new alloy, the Decepticons initiate an all-out strike against Cybertron to claim it for their own.
I am treating these two episodes as one because they are essentially two halves of a complete whole.
The most prominent aspect of this is how unforgiving the series actually is to its Transformers. Sure, Optimus Prime is killed off again in Episode Three, but it is in this that the Decepticons actually succeed in destroying. Their. Home. Planet.
Not only that, Zarak, a mysterious character who has thus far only appeared in shadows, shows just how brutal his vision is. Since he has spent millions of years on Planet Master, a detachment from his race’s home planet is not all that surprising, but still. He blew up his own planet!
The super bomb at the end is rather querulous, as it makes a critical observer wonder why the Decepticons haven’t used it on the Autobots, but in a way, this episode was a way to wipe the slate clean, as it sees Galvatron’s death (he gets better!) and the departure of Rodimus Prime, Kup, and Blurr.
NUMBER TWO
Episode 24. Ultra Magnus’ Death – After collecting massive amounts of energy, the Decepticons return to earth to unleash Galvatron’s final plan.
Before they can be secure in their devastation, however, Sixshot is unleashed upon the Autobot populations of Sol 3. Whole platoons of generic-bots are wiped out before Sixshot goes toe to toe with Ultra Magnus.
The battle is cool, showing off a whole bunch of Combiner Teams, Trypticon versus Metroplex, and in a mighty reveal, a seventh form of the Decepticon ninja!
One of the oddest things about the episode is the fact that unlike every other death in the Headmasters cartoon, when Magnus dies, he does not fade to white. Instead, he retains the bright red, white and blue coloring he had in life. Is this proof that it was only the inner robot died and not the battle suit? Who can say?
NUMBER ONE
Episode 23. Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship - The Autobot and Decepticon clones enter the fray as both factions search for the hidden proton energy of Pirate Planet.
In a series that introduces a whole lot of new products, none do it so well as this. It begins with the Clones, squaring off against each other for a skull medallion.
Then, when they meet up with their sides, it becomes a race for the prize that the medallion is hiding. This has it all: mystery, puzzles, pirates, clones, and a final prize that in a surprising turn, is totally destructive.
Even best of all, when the twist comes at the end, it stands up to logic! Trust me, if there is any major fault in this series, it is the strength of action in the face of logic. Quite possibly because of this simple fact, this takes the number one spot.
Notes:
- Most teams are just that: a team known as a team. Not a single team is a focus in the entire series, nor is any one member spotlighted with anything even relating to a personality.
- Trainbots are known as Trainbots, but only their combined form, Raiden, is named at any point in the entire series.
- In the series, Mega Zarak is the name of Scorponok, while Scorponok is Zarak. Which means that Scorponok becomes the head of Mega Zarak. For anyone with the toy, or who has seen the US episodes “The Rebirth”, it can be confusing, as Zarak becomes the head of Scorponok.
- Fortress Maximus is only slightly less confusing: Fortress is the head of the body that is the commander of the Headmasters. This then combines with Battleship Maximus to become Fortress Maximus. Fortress Maximus is the Big Mode combined robot form of Fortress and Battleship Maximus.
- Arcee’s role in this is strictly non-combative; think of Uhura from Star Trek mixed with the role of a nurse. Blurr and Kup, mainstays in Season Three of the cartoon become redundant: they never transform, they never enter into combat, and are written out a third of the way through the series.
- Transformations are a combination of traditional US TF sounds and a more SFy synth version. Most Headmasters say “Head On!” when transforming into robot mode. In keeping with the anime traditions, they also tend to announce their moves, like saying “Transform!” when they transform and Fort Max declaring “Master Sword!” whenever he draws his sword.
- Transtector – It is what the Headmasters’ larger, transforming bodies are known as. First mentioned by name in Ep 14. The heads are the actual transformers, and they come from Planet Master (hence the reason everyone is a “Master”).
- Metroplex is known as several names: Metroplex, Scramble City, and Autobot City. Each one is used roughly interchangeably, almost as if each one were nicknames they have given the mighty Titan (see what I did there?). So Scramble City could be a sub-class, like calling someone “king.” Metroplex as part of the total city could account for his nickname of Autobot City. Kind of like how New York City accounts for all five of the boroughs and the general area outside of the city, including Long Island.
- Similarly, Trypticon is also known as Dinobase. I can actually imagine Sixshot, coming up with something like “Using a thing by its given name all the time serves to call too much attention to it. Subterfuge lies in hiding the source from common sight.” Leave it to a ninja to come up with something like this, especially a ninja headquarted within the Dinobase.
- Chaar is known as “Chaarbase.” Very strange name. Not a planet, no, an actual base. They’ve pimped the place out and made it comfortably habitable, and the actual HQ is a base. This rather makes sense, as it implies that there are other areas of Chaar that are named. Maybe Chaar-Bar, or Chaarmall, or Chaar-Diner, or even Radio-Chaar.
I assume one for masterforce and Victory are in the works?
. And it was more than just a quality fan dub, they replaced music, sound effects, and I think even looped a few frames or eliminated some to better match the dubbing. 
