Ben 10

• 1. A Watch From Space

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  Ben 10 starts with a boy and a wristwatch that was never made on Earth. The boy is Ben Tennyson. The watch is the Omnitrix, a high-tech device of extraterrestrial origin. Inside it is stored the DNA of many alien species, and Ben can turn into any of them at will. At first the watch offers ten alien transformations. Over time Ben learns to unlock more.

  The idea was conceived by a creative group called Man of Action. The franchise is owned by The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division of Warner Bros. Discovery. Its main output has been animated series produced by Cartoon Network Studios.

  So how did one gadget on one boy's wrist carry so many shows, films, games and toys? Why do other programs keep borrowing it for jokes? And what happens next, now that the cameras have gone quiet?

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• 2. Two Continuities

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  Five concluded series, adding up to 393 episodes as of 2025, sit in two separate continuities. The classic continuity is four shows telling one connected story. Ben 10 ran from 2005 to 2008. Ben 10: Alien Force followed from 2008 to 2010, then Ben 10: Ultimate Alien from 2010 to 2012, and Ben 10: Omniverse from 2012 to 2014.

  The fifth series is a reboot that carries the original title, Ben 10. It aired from 2016 to 2021 and starts fresh in a new continuity. Its ending was unusual. The April 2021 specials served as the reboot's finale and as a crossover joining both continuities. The finale special ran 44 minutes and brought the reboot together with the first four series. The franchise also crossed over with a Cartoon Network series called Generator Rex.

  The people at the center of it all are Ben Tennyson, his cousin Gwen Tennyson and Grandpa Max Tennyson. Kevin Levin and Rook Blonko round out the main cast. Against them stand Vilgax, Aggregor, Doctor Animo, Eon, Hex and Khyber.

  Vilgax, Ben's archenemy, would eventually step out of the cartoon entirely and into video games.

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• 3. Five Feature Films

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  On the 10th of August 2007, Secret of the Omnitrix became the first of three animated films. Sebastian O. Montes III and Scooter Tidwell directed it. It ran 67 minutes and was produced by Cartoon Network Studios. Cartoon Network distributed it.

  Destroy All Aliens arrived on the 23rd of March 2012 with a 69-minute runtime. Victor Cook directed. The production credits list Tiny Island Productions, Cartoon Network Asia and Cartoon Network Studios. Versus the Universe followed on the 10th of October 2020. It runs 72 minutes, was directed by Arthur Henrique Nazareth and John McIntyre, and was distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

  The live-action side began on the 21st of November 2007 with Race Against Time. Alex Winter directed it. Trouper Productions made it together with Cartoon Network Studios, and Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network distributed it. Its running time was 67 minutes.

  Alien Swarm followed on the 25th of November 2009, running 69 minutes with Gideon Amir listed as producer. Cartoon Network distributed it.

  The visual effects of those two live-action films would soon be judged by industry awards panels.

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• 4. The Awards Trail

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  In 2007, the 34th Daytime Emmy Awards listed Thomas Perkins for Outstanding Individual in Animation on the original series. The same year, a sound team including Otis Van Osten appeared under the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in Television Animation. Their work was on the episode "Ben 10,000". At the 35th Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008, the original series was listed for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Producers named include Brian A. Miller, Sam Register, Jennifer Pelphrey, Alex Soto, Donna Smith and Tramm Wigzell.

  Race Against Time drew attention in 2008 at the 29th Young Artist Awards. Graham Phillips was listed as Ben Tennyson, Haley Ramm as Gwen Tennyson and Tyler Patrick Jones as Cash Murray. At the 6th Visual Effects Society Awards, the film's Grey Matter sequence was listed under Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial.

  Alien Force returned to the Daytime Emmys in 2009, at the 36th ceremony. It was listed for sound mixing, sound editing and Outstanding Special Class Animated Program. Alien Swarm took its turn in 2010, appearing at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards for special visual effects. It also appeared at the 8th Visual Effects Society Awards and the 15th Art Directors Guild Award. The franchise as a whole has taken home three Emmy Awards.

  Ultimate Alien earned a 2011 listing at the 64th Writers Guild of America Awards, for Len Uhley's writing on the episode "Moonstruck". Omniverse closed the trail in 2013. Chap Yaep, Steven Choi and Derrick Wyatt were listed for an Annie Award in character design for "The More Things Change Part 2". The 40th Daytime Emmy Awards then listed the series for sound mixing and sound editing in animation.

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• 5. Playing As Ben

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  The first Ben 10 game was released for the HyperScan on the 23rd of October 2006. Semi Logic Entertainments developed it, and it ran on that console only. The franchise's first official video game, Protector of Earth, came a year later, on the 30th of October 2007. High Voltage Software handled the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Wii versions. 1st Playable Productions made the Nintendo DS version, and D3 Publisher published it.

  Twelve games have been released in all. Ben 10: Alien Force arrived on the 28th of October 2008 from Monkey Bar Games. Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks came from Papaya Studio on the 27th of October 2009. The Rise of Hex followed on the 31st of May 2010 from Black Lantern Studios, with Konami listed alongside it.

  Ben 10 Ultimate Alien: Cosmic Destruction launched on the 5th of October 2010. Papaya Studio built most versions, Griptonite Games built the DS version, and D3 Publisher published it. Ben 10: Galactic Racing, a racing title, came out on the 18th of October 2011. Monkey Bar Games and Tantalus Media developed it for different platforms.

  Omniverse, from Vicious Cycle Software, launched on the 13th of November 2012. D3 Publisher handled North America, while Bandai Namco Games handled Europe and Australia. Ben 10: Omniverse 2 followed on the 9th of November 2013 from High Voltage Software.

  One title was a smaller affair. Ben 10: All Out Attack! reached J2ME phones on the 4th of November 2008 from Massively Mobile, LLC. Cartoon Network published it. A game for the reboot came from Torus Games on the 10th of November 2017, and Power Trip from PHL Collective on the 9th of October 2020.

  The twelfth and last entry on that list is a Minecraft expansion released on the 2nd of June 2021. Mojang Studios, Blockception Ltd and Xbox Game Studios are credited.

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• 6. Guest Spots In Games

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  Titanic Kungfubot Offensive turned famous Cartoon Network characters into robots. Big Chill, Swampfire, a DNAlien, Kevin, Vilgax, Rath, Armodrillo, Ultimate Humongousaur, Ultimate Echo Echo and Ultimate Big Chill became playable. Cartoon Network later updated the game to promote the Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United special. The update added new bots called Shocksquatch and Clockwork, both aliens Ben can use.

  In Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, Ben's design was swapped for his Alien Force look when the original series ended. There he serves as a Guide who offers exclusive missions and items. In the browser game Cartoon Network Universe: Project Exonaut, Ben's aliens, Gwen and Vilgax appear as exosuits, which protect the player and grant powers. The planet Kylmyys, home of Big Chill, and the Perplexhedron serve as battle arenas. Ultimate Kevin and Alien X are newer exosuits, and Gold versions of Rath, Mojo Jojo, Marceline and Manus also appear.

  Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion makes Ben a playable fighter. His aliens are Swampfire, Humongousaur, Big Chill and AmpFibian. Vilgax is playable for the first time. Gwen and the Vreedle Brothers act as summons. Bellwood and the Null Void serve as arenas. The console version, Punch Time Explosion XL, makes Kevin playable on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii, and adds a young Ben. Ultimate Kevin appears as a boss.

  Outside Cartoon Network's own games, Brawlhalla offers Ben as crossover skins for certain characters, showing Heatblast, Diamondhead and Four Arms. In the Minecraft Bedrock Edition expansion, players team up with Ben, Gwen and Max Tennyson against an alien invasion. They transform into aliens and face villains from the 2016 reboot.

  The latest arrival is in Fortnite Battle Royale. Ben and Gwen Tennyson became purchasable outfits on the 24th of April 2026, in Chapter 7 Season 2, using their Ultimate Alien appearances.

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• 7. Toys And Comics

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  Six Lego construction sets turned Ben's aliens into bricks. They depicted Spidermonkey, Humungousaur, Swampfire, Chromastone, Jet Ray and Big Chill. Bandai manufactured toys from the first four series. Playmates Toys took over for the 2016 reboot.

  The series received three McDonald's Happy Meal promotions internationally, plus one in America in August 2011. Those toys were translucent figures of Omnitrix and Ultimatrix aliens and their Ultimate forms, each with a small photo of Ben inside. The Alien Force promotion was four rings, one each for Goop, Jetray, Alien X and Chromastone, with features linked to their powers.

  The shelves held plenty more: board games, card games such as Top Trumps, bedding, coloring books, footwear, and watches modeled on the Omnitrix and the Ultimatrix. All four original shows were released on DVD.

  In comics, DC Comics published Cartoon Network Action Pack from 2006 to 2012. It showcased Ben beside Samurai Jack, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Secret Saturdays and Generator Rex. Some issues connected to the franchise and others were non-canon. In February 2013, IDW Publishing announced a partnership with Cartoon Network. It ultimately produced a four-issue Ben 10 series, written by Jason Henderson and Gordon Purcell, published between November 2023 and February 2024.

  In July 2024, Dynamite Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Brands and Experiences announced new Ben 10 comics. The first issue was released on the 6th of May 2026.

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• 8. Cameos And What Comes Next

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  In the MAD episode "Ben 10 Franklin", Benjamin Franklin is flying his kite when lightning strikes him and he gains the Omnitrix. He uses Swampfire to sign the Declaration of Independence and Humongousaur to defeat the British. He also uses Humongousaur to smash a junior high school bully's house in revenge. MAD also parodied Cowboys & Aliens with the title "Cowboys & Alien Force". Its Jake wears Ben's pants and hat, with the Omnitrix on his wrist.

  In the South Park episode "You're Getting Old", Cartman receives a "Ben 10 Wrist Rocket" among his presents. Robot Chicken shows Ben at his 14th birthday party, complaining about gifts from Azmuth. On Peep Show, in the episode "Man Jam", Jeremy jokingly calls a rival "Ben 10" over the phone. Teenage Ben also appeared in The Official BBC Children in Need Medley in 2009. In the Jellystone! special "Crisis on Infinite Mirths", 10-year-old Ben becomes Stinkfly to fight Floral Rugg of The Hillbilly Bears.

  The Secret Saturdays, another Cartoon Network series, nodded back. In the episode "Van Rook's Apprentice", the villains Enoch, Hex and Animo make brief cameos. Dr. Arthur Beeman, the show's UFOlogist, also references Galvan Prime and Wildvine's species.

  Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge, a game show developed by the UK-based company Twenty Twenty, tests children with trivia questions. Mandy Morris produced it and Daniel Marlowe was executive producer. It has aired in places as far apart as Spain, Poland, Turkey, Chile and the Middle East, and in the United States.

  On the future, Duncan Rouleau says Cartoon Network has plans in the works and hoped for announcements by the end of 2021. As of 2025, none has come. Many options were under development, he says, while platforms shifted from cable to streaming and Warner Bros. franchises were consolidated. Along with "a thousand other factors", these shape where, how and when the next chapter will settle.

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