Television series
Centurions
A 1986 syndicated action cartoon where three specialists morph into armored exoframes to battle a cyborg villain and his army. It's pure Saturday-morning spectacle: transformations, vehicle modes, escalating threats, and that specific 80s animation style that treats sci-fi hardware with absolute seriousness. For kids who loved the concept of customizable combat gear, and adults who remember when that felt genuinely cool.
If you liked this
Mask2015
Vehicles that transform into combat machines, a globe-trotting team fighting a shadowy organization, and the same Saturday-morning energy. If Centurions' exoframes grabbed you, M.A.S.K.'s gimmick—masks that grant superpowers—hits the same dopamine button.
But The animation is jankier and the pacing even more episodic. Some episodes resolve too quickly to feel earned, and the writing can be thin.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors1985
Another 1985 gem with the same DNA: a team of specialists in transforming vehicles fighting an evil empire across varied terrain. The toy-driven premise never gets in the way of surprisingly genuine adventure and stakes that escalate episode to episode.
But The main villain is inconsistent and sometimes ineffectual. If you need a credible threat, some episodes undermine the danger.
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America2021
The obvious ancestor and still superior. Robots that transform into vehicles, serialized storytelling that builds across a season, character development that emerges from repeated conflict, and an 80s sci-fi aesthetic that defined the era. Centurions is what happens when you make this concept human-scale.
But Early episodes are rough; production values are all over the place. The first season especially feels like the show finding its footing. And it's 98 episodes—a commitment.
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The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Bubblegum Crisis1987
Identical premise—a small team in powered exoskeletons defending civilization—but executed in a completely different medium and register. Centurions is what kids watched; Bubblegum Crisis is what teenagers snuck.
Four women in Tokyo pilot powered armor suits (hardsuits) to fight rogue robots and corrupt corporations. It's anime, grittier and sexier than Centurions, but structurally identical: specialized team, custom exoskeletons, episodic missions with accumulating threat. The animation is leagues ahead. This is what the concept looks like with actual artistry behind it.
But Only six episodes, so you're left wanting more. And it's aggressively 80s cyberpunk—neon, synthesizers, and a harder edge. If you want Saturday-morning innocence, this has none.
More like this (5)
Exosquad1993
Soldiers in powered exoskeletons fighting an alien occupation. By 1994, the animation is crisper and the storytelling more sophisticated, but the core appeal is identical: specialized suits, tactical team play, and sci-fi hardware taken seriously. A spiritual descendant that improves on the formula.
But It's aimed at slightly older kids, so the tone is heavier and less purely fun. Some find it ponderous compared to 80s zaniness.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe1983
Adam Prince transforms into He-Man, joining a team to fight Skeletor's forces. Yes, it's fantasy not sci-fi, but the template is identical: transformation sequences, a core team of specialists, episodic battles that build toward larger threats. Foundational.
But Genuinely crude animation and repetitive scripts. The formula shows its seams; you'll notice the same beats recycled across episodes.
SilverHawks1986
Released the same year, same syndication circuit. Cyborg law enforcers with bird-themed armor fighting crime in space. Insanely detailed character designs, a cohesive aesthetic, and the same toy-driven DNA executed with slightly more craft.
But Darker and more aggressive than Centurions; if you want lighter adventure, this skews harder. And the premise—converting humans into cyborgs—is more unsettling once you think about it.
Blackstar1981
An Earth astronaut stranded on an alien world uses a power amulet and gathers allies to fight an evil sorcerer-tyrant. Earlier than Centurions but working the same vein: a capable protagonist, a core team, escalating stakes, and a commitment to the invented world's internal rules.
But The animation is stiff and the dialogue sometimes baffling. It feels older in ways that don't always charm. Pacing is uneven.
Star Cops1987
Both are about small teams of specialists deployed globally (or beyond) to handle escalating sci-fi threats. Centurions is the action version; Star Cops is what happens when you take the premise seriously as drama.
A live-action British sci-fi series about an international police force investigating crimes on and around the Moon. Not an action cartoon, but same core logic: a specialized team handling threats in a sci-fi setting, problem-solving over spectacle, genuine character work. Criminally obscure and gorgeously designed.
But It's slow, talky, and more interested in mystery and procedure than action. If you want transformation sequences and explosions, this is the opposite. British TV budget shows.
Recommended by
Defenders of the Earth, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords