Bumblebee (Transformers)

Character
Name:	Bumblebee
Occupation:	Autobot scout/warrior
Relationships:	varies by series
Fandom:	Transformers
Other:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Bumblebee is a major character from the Transformers franchise. He is an Autobot, often a scout or warrior.

Canon Background

Bumblebee appears in some, but not all, forms of Transformers canon. He was in the original series. Trademark issues were apparently behind his exclusion from Beast Wars, as the name Bumblebee, applied to a character who presumably would have been a bumblebee, wasn't distinctive enough to be a valid trademark; after that, he didn't appear in anything until the movies. Thanks to his popularity in the first movie, he was put into Transformers Animated, and has appeared in every new series since. Out-of-universe, all forms of Bumblebee were designed to appeal to children; because of this, he is often the character who interacts most with the human companion character. He is portrayed as mute in the movies and Transformers: Prime series, although in both of these cases he regains his voice.

Fandom

Bumblebee is the kid-appeal character, and thus is relatively unpopular in the older-skewing online fandom; while many fans still like him, he has a smaller fanbase than Optimus Prime or Starscream, for example. The most popular pairing involving Bumblebee is overwhelmingly Sam Witwicky/Bumblebee, which is obviously exclusive to the movie universe; after that, the most popular pairing is Bumblebee/Smokescreen, in the Transformers: Prime continuity.

Notable Bumblebee-Centric Fanworks

Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples.