Plot
Building on the highly successful franchise about kid hero Ben Tennyson, Ben 10 introduces a re-imagined Ben, his cousin Gwen, and Grandpa Max, as they travel the country during summer vacation. When Ben finds the Omnitrix, a mysterious watch that transforms him into 10 different aliens, a world of extraterrestrial superpowers opens up to him. The series is produced by Cartoon Network Studios and created and executive produced by Man of Action Entertainment (Big Hero 6, Generator Rex and the original four Ben 10 shows in their shared continuity), with John Fang (Mixels, Generator Rex) on board as supervising producer.
Season 1 (2017)
Ten-year-old Ben Tennyson has spent his summer vacation traveling across the country with his cousin Gwen and Grandpa Max, in an RV nicknamed the Rustbucket. However, after coming across a strange high-tech watch known as the Omnitrix, which enables him to transform into 10 alien heroes, he finds himself in the position of a superhero. At each place his family stops, Ben goes from trying to find a source of entertainment to doing battle against supervillains such as the mad scientist Dr. Animo, the dark sorcerer Hex, the psychotic clown Zombozo, the technology-loathing Steam Smythe, the emotionless Weatherheads, amongst other threats both big and small. Despite having lots to learn, he hones his hero skills with Gwen and Max's help.
While battling one of Animo's mutant creations during a trip to Portland, Ben unlocks an 11th alien he names Gax, a Chimera Sui Generis with laser vision and great strength. However, unlocking this form seems to have an odd effect on the Omnitrix, leaving him unable to control his transformations. To determine the source of this issue, Max calls in his old friend Phil. Ben finds himself under attack from three alien bounty hunters: Tetrax, Kraab, and Sixsix. While he's able to fend them off, he meets a mysterious aged Chimera Sui Generis calling himself "Vil", who trains Ben to use Gax's powers. However, it turns out "Vil" and Gax are the two halves of the alien conqueror Vilgax, who absorbs Gax's power to restore himself to full strength. The bounty hunter trio were hired to prevent Vilgax from reforming and thus team up with Ben to prevent Vilgax from destroying the Omnitrix. However, Vilgax wins this battle, dispatching the hunters and leaving Ben rapidly changing between his alien forms and unable to return to human form.
Vilgax intends to use lava from Mount Megalodon to recharge his ship and restart his conquering spree. Ben, regardless of his current state, engages Vilgax in battle; while initially hampered by his inability to predict which form he'll become next, Ben is able to turn the tides and defeat Vilgax by using Upgrade to upgrade the Omnitrix, supposedly sacrificing the Galvanic Mechamorph.
Season 2 (2018)
The Tennysons continue to visit some of America's greatest tourist spots, as Ben continues to take his hero career to new heights. As his enemies grow stronger, Ben is aided by the appearance of new "Omni-Enhanced" versions of his alien forms, who possess a strange blue energy that packs a major punch in battle. He also has unlocked a new alien hero whom he dubs "Shock Rock", who is composed of the same blue energy.
Meanwhile, Vilgax, still seeking a method to escape Earth, forms alliances with some of Ben's enemies to harness the Omnitrix's power. Team Tennyson make it their mission to defeat Vilgax and stop his devious machinations from seeing light.
However, following a battle with Vilgax's war-bot, Ben learns that his new forms are a sign of a bigger threat. Shock Rock is a Fulmini, whose DNA pod replaced Upgrade following his sacrifice. The Fulmini Empire and their leader, the High Override, have been manipulating Ben to invade Earth and use the Omnitrix as a gateway. Ben and Vilgax team up, entering the Omnitrix and allying with Glitch, a fusion between Ben and Upgrade's DNA. Though the High Override banishes Vilgax to the Null Void and turns Ben into his mind controlled warrior, Team Tennyson are able to free Ben from his control and purge the Fulmini from the Omnitrix, causing it to reboot. Glitch survives the reboot by escaping the Omnitrix, joining the family.
Season 3 (2019)
After a serious battle with the High Override, Glitch merges with the Rustbuggy and becomes part of the Tennyson family. Ben gets frustrated when the Omnitrix reboots for a week, but it activates just as the Tennyson family is about to do some world traveling. Phil has created a helicopter called the "Omni-Copter" for the Tennyson Trio so they can travel around the world. Ben also gains access to three new aliens: Rath, Slapback, and Humungosaur, who replace Grey Matter, Overflow, and Wildvine. With Vilgax in the Null Void, Ben has a new enemy to fight: Kevin Levin, who has a variant of the Omnitrix called the Antitrix that gives him access to altered versions of Ben's aliens. Meanwhile, a mysterious villain called the Forever Knight gathers several of Ben's villains to help him go back in time and prevent aliens from making contact Earth.
Throughout the season, the Forever Knight tests Team Tennyson's enemies to determine those he needs for this goal: the final roster consists of Kevin, Charmcaster, Vin Ethanol, Billy Billions, Simon Sez, and a disillusioned Ben. Kevin, angry at the Forever Knight for discarding him during their plan's final stage, teams up with Gwen to help Ben prevent the Forever Knight from altering history. In the end, both Kevin and the Knight end up trapped in the void within time and space.
Ben and Gwen make it back to the present and head back to America aboard the Omni-Copter alongside Grandpa Max, Phil, Vin, and Simon, the latter two being convinced to join Team Tennyson. Also, Billy and Charmcaster get taken into custody, and the Forever Knight's helmet emerges from the portal on its own.
Season 4 (2020)
In the start of Season 4, Ben unlocks the "Omni-Kix" feature on the Omnitrix, thus giving his aliens robotic armor; and later unlocks the alien Jetray, who replaces Stinkfly. He also reunites and occasionally teams up with a reluctant Kevin 11, following his surprising return from the time tunnel Forever Knight was trapped in. Ben also unlocks new aliens such as Way Big and Goop with the help of a Galvan named Azmuth.
Specials (2021)
Ben 10,010
In an Alternate Future, an alien horde known as the Xerge attacks the Earth, forcing President Gwen to bring her retired cousin, Ben 10,000 out of retirement to fight this invasion. In response, Ben 10,000 travels back in time to recruit his younger self to fight alongside them.
Ben Gen 10
As Ben finds out his summer vacation is beginning to end, he meets Generator Rex, a E.V.O (Exponentially Variegated Organism) with the power to create machines from his body and control technology, and his friend Bobo Haha, an E.V.O. monkey. When a fight breaks out between them, Rex accidentally damages the Omnitrix, which begins leaking out all of its DNA storages, turning humans into aliens. Hex begins to control them with his powers, while the agency Providence plans to eliminate them all, so Ben and Rex must work together to repair the Omnitrix and restore everyone back to normal.
Alien X-Tinction
The Tennyson family is attacked by a dimensional-hopping alien named Alien X, who has been going around other worlds and stealing the Omnitrices of their respective Bens. An alternate version of Max shows up to help them, along with alternate universe counterparts of Ben and Gwen, who team up to stop Alien X from taking over the Multiverse.
Production
Cartoon Network announced on June 8, 2015, that Ben 10 was to be relaunched with a new revival television series.[2][4] In June 2016, the network began to release information about the show.[5] Its sneak peek was released at the 2016 SDCC on July 21, 2016. The series had its world premiere on October 1, 2016, in Australia.[1] In March 2017 at the Cartoon Network's 2017 Upfront, it was announced that the series would premiere in the United States on April 10, 2017, and that it would be possible to watch episodes of the series on the Cartoon Network app ahead of its television premiere.[6][7]
Building on the franchise about the kid hero Ben Tennyson, Ben 10 introduces a re-imagined Ben (in his 10-year-old form), his cousin Gwen, and Grandpa Max, as they travel the country during summer vacation. When Ben finds the Omnitrix, a mysterious watch that transforms him into 10 different aliens, a world of extraterrestrial superpowers opens up to him.[1] Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the series is created and executively produced by Man of Action, with John Fang on board as supervising producer but also as executive producer.[2] It is animated by Sunmin Image Pictures and Mua Film.
On May 22, 2017, the series was renewed for a second season[8][9] which premiered on February 19, 2018. On March 8, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season[10] which premiered on February 23, 2019. On January 10, 2019, the series was renewed for a fourth season,[11] which premiered on January 19, 2020.
On February 17, 2021, it was announced there would be three 44-minute specials.[12]
Ratings
In the United States, the series has been viewed by 41 million viewers across multiple platforms.[13]
In the EMEA, the series has reached more than 27 million viewers.[14] It reached 1.2 million viewers and 9% of boys on CITV in the UK. It was watched by half of the boys in South Africa, Romania, Spain and Portugal, more than 30% of boys in Hungary, Poland, and Sweden, and has also received high ratings in France and Italy.[15][16]
Other media
Home media
Ben 10 (2016) home video releases
| Season |
Volume no. |
Title |
Episodes |
Total running time
(minutes) |
Disc(s) |
Release date
|
| Region 1 |
Region 4
|
|
1
|
2016–17 |
The Complete First Season |
40 |
440 |
3 |
— |
December 13, 2017[17]
|
| 1 |
Villain Time |
20 (1–20) |
220 |
1 |
February 13, 2018[18] |
—
|
| 2 |
Omni-Tricked |
20 (21–40) |
September 18, 2018[19] |
—
|
|
2
|
2017–18 |
3 |
Out to Launch |
18 (41–58) |
198 |
February 12, 2019[20] |
—
|
| The Complete Second Season |
40 |
440 |
3 |
— |
February 20, 2019[21][22]
|
|
— |
|
Ben 10 Versus the Universe: The Movie |
6 |
120 |
1 |
October 27, 2020[citation needed] |
—
|
Printed media
In October 2017, Panini UK partnered with Cartoon Network and launched a magazine for the series with an original 8-page comic strip every month written by Jason Quinn with art by Russ Leach.[23]
Toys and merchandise
In June 2015, a toy line for the series was announced to be released in the fall of 2017 by Playmates Toys.[24] It was released in the United States at Toys R Us in June 2017 and in all other retailers in August.[25]
In July 2017, toys were released by Playmates Toys, with Flair distributing them in the UK and Giochi Preziosi Group releasing them everywhere else in the EMEA.[14] Cartoon Network has partnered with various licensing partners across the EMEA to release merchandise ranging from apparel to accessories to publishing.[26]
Video games
A video game based on the series was released worldwide on November 10, 2017 (for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One). It was published by Outright Games and distributed by Bandai Namco Entertainment in the EMEA. In the game, players must help Ben defeat three of his greatest enemies: Zombozo, Queen Bee, and the Weatherheads.[27] On March 3, 2020, it was announced that a second game was in development and was released on October 9, 2020.[28] It was called Ben 10: Power Trip.
Ben 10 Challenge
Ben 10 Challenge is a live-action game show produced by the Spanish production company La Competencia Productions in Madrid for Turner EMEA. It follows two teams of people who compete in challenges and get tested on their Ben 10 knowledge. Versions were created for France, Germany, Italy, the Middle East, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, with the Spanish version also airing in Portugal dubbed.[29] The English version premiered in the UK and Ireland on October 13, 2017, and in Africa on December 23, 2017.[30][31]
