Ben 10 (2016 TV series) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Ben 10

Genre	Action Adventure Science fantasy Superhero
Created by	Man of Action
Based on	Ben 10 by Man of Action
Voices of	Tara Strong Montserrat Hernandez David Kaye Dee Bradley Baker Greg Cipes John DiMaggio Todd Haberkorn David Hornsby Josh Keaton Max Mittelman Daryl Sabara Roger Craig Smith David Sobolov Travis Willingham
Theme music composer	Andy Sturmer
Composer(s)	Kevin Manthei
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	172 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Man of Action John Fang Jennifer Pelphrey Tramm Wigzell Brian A. Miller Rob Sorcher
Producer(s)	Shareena Carlson
Running time	11 minutes 22–55 minutes (specials)
Production company(s)	Cartoon Network Studios
Distributor	Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Release
Original network	Cartoon Network
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1
First shown in	Australia
Original release	October 1, 2016 (2016-10-01) – present (present)
Chronology
Preceded by	Ben 10: Omniverse
Related shows	Ben 10

Ben 10 is an American animated TV show about superheroes and action. It's a new version, or reboot, of the original Ben 10 series from 2005. This show acts like it's happening in a parallel world. It first aired in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia-Pacific regions on October 1, 2016. In the United States, it started on April 10, 2017.

A movie based on the series, Ben 10 Versus the Universe: The Movie, was announced in February 2020 and came out on October 10, 2020.

The Story of Ben 10

This show continues the popular story of kid hero Ben Tennyson. It shows a new version of Ben, his cousin Gwen, and their Grandpa Max. They are traveling across the country during their summer vacation. Ben finds a mysterious watch called the Omnitrix. This watch lets him change into 10 different aliens! This discovery opens up a whole world of amazing alien superpowers for him. The series is made by Cartoon Network Studios. It was created and produced by Man of Action Entertainment, who also made Big Hero 6 and the first four Ben 10 shows.

Season 1 (2017): Ben Finds the Omnitrix

Ten-year-old Ben Tennyson is on summer vacation, traveling with his cousin Gwen and Grandpa Max in their RV, the Rustbucket. Ben finds a strange, high-tech watch called the Omnitrix. It lets him turn into 10 different alien heroes! This makes him a superhero. Everywhere his family stops, Ben ends up fighting supervillains. These include the mad scientist Dr. Animo, the dark wizard Hex, and the scary clown Zombozo. He also faces Steam Smythe and the emotionless Weatherheads. Ben learns how to be a hero with help from Gwen and Max.

During a trip to Portland, Ben unlocks an 11th alien he calls Gax. Gax is a powerful squid-like alien with laser vision. But unlocking Gax makes the Omnitrix act strangely. Ben can't control his transformations anymore. Grandpa Max calls his old friend Phil for help. Ben is then attacked by three alien bounty hunters. He later meets a mysterious old alien who calls himself "Vil." Vil trains Ben to use Gax's powers. It turns out "Vil" and Gax are actually two parts of the evil alien conqueror Vilgax. Vilgax absorbs Gax's power to become strong again. The bounty hunters team up with Ben to stop Vilgax from destroying the Omnitrix. But Vilgax wins this fight, and Ben keeps changing between aliens without being able to turn back into a human.

Vilgax plans to use lava to power his ship and start conquering planets again. Ben, even though he can't control his forms, fights Vilgax. At first, it's hard because he doesn't know which alien he'll become. But Ben manages to defeat Vilgax by upgrading the Omnitrix with his alien form, Upgrade. This seems to make Upgrade disappear.

Season 2 (2018): New Powers and New Threats

The Tennysons keep visiting famous places in America. Ben continues to improve his hero skills. As his enemies get stronger, Ben gets new "Omni-Enhanced" versions of his aliens. These forms have strange blue energy that makes them super powerful. He also unlocks a new alien hero named "Shock Rock," who is made of this blue energy.

Meanwhile, Vilgax is still stuck on Earth and wants to escape. He teams up with some of Ben's enemies to try and steal the Omnitrix's power. Team Tennyson must stop Vilgax's evil plans.

After a battle with Vilgax's robot, Ben learns that his new forms are a sign of a bigger problem. Shock Rock is a Fulmini alien. His DNA replaced Upgrade's in the Omnitrix. The Fulmini Empire and their leader, the High Override, have been tricking Ben. They want to invade Earth and use the Omnitrix as a way in. Ben and Vilgax team up. They enter the Omnitrix and meet Glitch, who is a mix of Ben and Upgrade's DNA. The High Override sends Vilgax to a place called the Null Void. He also takes control of Ben. But Team Tennyson frees Ben and removes the Fulmini from the Omnitrix, which causes it to reset. Glitch survives the reset by leaving the Omnitrix and joins the family.

Season 3 (2019): World Travel and New Enemies

After a big fight with the High Override, Glitch combines with the Rustbuggy. He becomes a part of the Tennyson family. Ben is annoyed when the Omnitrix resets for a week. But it activates just as the Tennysons are about to travel the world! Phil creates a helicopter called the "Omni-Copter" for them to fly around the globe. Ben also gets three new aliens: Rath, Slapback, and Humungousaur. They replace Grey Matter, Overflow, and Wildvine. With Vilgax gone, Ben has a new enemy: Kevin Levin. Kevin has his own version of the Omnitrix called the Antitrix. It gives him altered versions of Ben's aliens. At the same time, a mysterious villain called the Forever Knight gathers several of Ben's enemies. He wants to go back in time and stop aliens from ever coming to Earth.

Throughout the season, the Forever Knight tests Ben's enemies. He picks the ones he needs for his plan. The final group includes Kevin, Charmcaster, Vin Ethanol, Billy Billions, Simon Sez, and a confused Ben. Kevin gets angry at the Forever Knight for ditching him. He teams up with Gwen to help Ben stop the Forever Knight from changing history. In the end, both Kevin and the Knight get stuck in a void in time and space.

Ben and Gwen return to the present. They fly back to America in the Omni-Copter with Grandpa Max, Phil, Vin, and Simon. Vin and Simon decide to join Team Tennyson. Billy and Charmcaster are arrested. The Forever Knight's helmet escapes the portal on its own.

Season 4 (2020): Omni-Kix Armor and More Aliens

At the start of Season 4, Ben unlocks the "Omni-Kix" feature on the Omnitrix. This gives his aliens cool robotic armor! Later, he unlocks the alien Jetray, who replaces Stinkfly. Ben also meets up with Kevin 11 again, who surprisingly returned from the time tunnel. Kevin is not always happy to help, but sometimes he does. Ben also unlocks new aliens like Way Big and Goop with the help of a smart alien named Azmuth.

Episodes

List of Ben 10 (2016 TV series) episodes

Characters in Ben 10

Main Characters

Ben Tennyson (voiced by Tara Strong) – A ten-year-old boy who is Gwen's cousin and Max's grandson. He wears the Omnitrix, a watch-like device that lets him change into many different alien creatures.
Gwen Tennyson (voiced by Montserrat Hernandez) – Ben's cousin. She is smart and clever, and she uses her skills to help stop villains. She has strong magical abilities that she is still learning to use.
Max Tennyson (voiced by David Kaye) – Ben and Gwen's grandfather. He is wise and helps them on their adventures.
Phil Billings (voiced by John DiMaggio) - An old friend of Max and the person who invented the Omni-Copter.
Glitch (voiced by Tara Strong) - A mix of Ben and Upgrade's DNA. He was accidentally created when Ben upgraded the Omnitrix. Glitch used to live inside the Omnitrix but was freed. In later seasons, Glitch becomes part of the Rustbuggy.
Azmuth (voiced by David Kaye) - A very old and smart alien called a Galvan. He is the one who created the Omnitrix.
Milleous (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - The leader of the frog-like Incursean aliens.
- Major Glorff (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - An Incursean official who works for Milleous.
Ben 10,000 (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - An older version of Ben from a future timeline.
- President Gwen (voiced by Montserrat Hernandez) - An adult version of Gwen from Ben 10,000's future. She is the President of the US.
- A.I. Max (voiced by David Kaye) - A hologram version of Max from Ben 10,000's future.
- Hitch (voiced by Tara Strong) - A robot version of Glitch from Ben 10,000's future.

Omnitrix Aliens (Ben's Transformations)

Four Arms (voiced by John DiMaggio) - A red, four-armed alien from the desert planet Khoros. He has super strength.
- Future Four Arms (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - A version of Four Arms used by Ben 10,000.
Heatblast (voiced by Daryl Sabara) - A fire-based alien from the star Pyros. He can control fire.
- Future Heatblast (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - A version of Heatblast used by Ben 10,000.
XLR8 (voiced by Josh Keaton) - A blue, fast alien from the stormy planet Kinet. He has super speed.
Diamondhead (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - An alien made of teal crystal from the planet Petropia. He can create crystal structures and shoot projectiles.
Cannonbolt (voiced by Travis Willingham) - An armored, pillbug-like alien from the planet Arburia. He can roll into a ball.
Upgrade (voiced by David Sobolov) - A purple, techno-organic alien from the moon Galvan B. He can merge with and upgrade technology.
Grey Matter (voiced by Todd Haberkorn) - A small, grey, frog-like alien from the planet Galvan Prime. He is very intelligent.
Overflow (voiced by Max Mittelman) - An armored, water-based alien from the planet Cascareau. He can control water.
Wildvine (voiced by David Hornsby) - A plant-based alien from the planet Flors Verdance. He can control plants.
Stinkfly (voiced by Greg Cipes) - A blue, dragonfly-like alien from the swamp planet Lepidopterra. He can fly and shoot goo.
Gax (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) - A green, squid-like alien from the planet Vilgaxia. He has laser vision and strong tentacles.
Shock Rock (voiced by David Kaye) - A stone-armored energy alien from the planet Fulmas. He can control blue electrical energy. He replaces Upgrade in Season 2.
Slapback (voiced by Todd Haberkorn) - A frog-like alien from the planet Ekoplekton. He can make copies of himself and change his density. He replaces Grey Matter in Season 3.
Rath (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A tiger-like alien from the planet Appoplexia. He has wrist claws and gets very angry. Ben gets him in Season 3, replacing Overflow.
Humungousaur (voiced by David Kaye) - A large, dinosaur-like alien from the planet Terradino. He is huge and has a tail mace. He replaces Wildvine in Season 3.
Jetray (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A red, manta ray-like alien from the planet Aeropela. He can fly, shoot lasers, and adapt to any environment. He replaces Stinkfly in Season 4.
Goop (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A goo-like alien controlled by an Anti-Gravity Projector. He is indestructible and can shapeshift.
Way Big (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - A massive, muscular alien born in a cosmic storm. He has super strength and can fire cosmic rays. He is Ben's biggest and most powerful alien.
Spidermonkey (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A blue, four-armed monkey-like alien. He has super agility and can shoot webs from his tail. He is only used by Ben 10,000.
Buzzshock (voiced by Tara Strong) - A small, black-and-white battery-like alien. He can control green electricity and possess machines. He is only used by Ben 10,000.
Surge (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - A small, purple X-shaped alien. He can float and is connected to his species' group mind.
- Future Surge (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - A version of Surge used by Ben 10,000.

Villains Ben Fights

Vilgax (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) – An alien warlord who wants to take the Omnitrix from Ben to conquer the universe. He is later trapped in the Null Void. He escapes and attacks Earth in the movie, where it's revealed he helped create the Omnitrix.
The High Override (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - The evil leader of the Fulmini aliens (Shock Rock's species).
The Forever Knight (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) - A mysterious armored knight who wants to change history and remove aliens from Earth.
Kevin Levin (voiced by Greg Cipes) - Ben's former school bully. He has his own version of the Omnitrix called the Antitrix, which gives him altered versions of Ben's aliens. He sometimes becomes a reluctant ally.
Xerge (voiced by Fred Tatasciore) - A race of small, purple X-shaped aliens who invade a future Earth.
Maurice (voiced by John DiMaggio) – A human-headed cockroach who loves money and dirt.
- Sydney (voiced by Travis Willingham) – A cockroach-headed human who works for Maurice.
Steam Smythe (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) – A man who dislikes modern life and uses steampunk gadgets.
Hex (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes) – A powerful sorcerer who wants to rule the world.
Doctor Animo (voiced by Dwight Schultz) – A mad scientist who wants to turn the world into a new age of evolution using his mutant animals.
Zombozo (voiced by John DiMaggio) – An evil clown who uses mind tricks and hypnotism.
- Frightwig (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) – A girl with prehensile red hair and agility.
- Acid Breath (voiced by Josh Keaton) – A circus freak who can create acid.
- Thumbskull (voiced by John DiMaggio) – A strong man with a nail-like growth on his head.
Lagrange (voiced by David Kaye) – An illegal racer with a French accent.
Charmcaster (voiced by Tara Strong) - Gwen's rival and a magician.
Billy Billions (voiced by Gunnar Sizemore) – A rich kid who uses high-tech robots.
Solar and Polar Twain (voiced by Todd Haberkorn and Tom Kenny) - Twin scientists who always argue.
Michael Morningstar (voiced by Drake Bell and Yuri Lowenthal) – A teen actor who is actually a vampire.
Xingo (voiced by Tom Kenny) - A purple fox cartoon character who can break physics rules.
Lord Decibel (voiced by David Kaye) – An evil DJ who can control sound and music.
The Weatherheads — A group of emotionless alien robots who can control weather.
- Gust-O (voiced by Eric Bauza and Jeff Bennett) — The leader who controls wind.
- Shock-O (voiced by David Kaye and Jeff Bennett) — The tallest member who controls electricity.
- Hail-O (voiced by Jeff Bennett) — The shortest member who controls ice.
- Sunny (voiced by Tara Strong) — The female leader of the Weatherheads who controls fire.
Null Void Inmates - Aliens trapped in the Null Void.
- Ectonurite Prisoner (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) - A ghost-like alien.
- Opticoid Prisoner (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) - A bat-like alien with many eyes.
- Piscciss Volann Prisoner (voiced by David Kaye) - A humanoid anglerfish alien.
- Vulpimancer Prisoner (vocal effects by Daryl Sabara) - A sightless dog-like alien.
- Loboan Prisoner (vocal effects by John DiMaggio) - A werewolf-like alien.

Antitrix Aliens (Kevin's Transformations)

Kevin's Antitrix aliens are voiced by Greg Cipes. Alien V and Anti-Vilgax are voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.

Quad Smack - Kevin's version of Four Arms, with purple skin and spiked armor.
Hot Shot - Kevin's version of Heatblast, who is larger and has an olive green chest.
Rush - Kevin's version of XLR8, who is green with grayish-green armor.
Crystalfist - Kevin's version of Diamondhead, made of purple crystal.
Wreckingbolt - Kevin's version of Cannonbolt, with spiked armor.
Bootleg - Kevin's version of Upgrade, who is blue with a red eye and spiked armor.
Dark Matter - Kevin's version of Grey Matter, who is larger and can create fire.
Undertow - Kevin's version of Overflow, who is bulkier and creates green slime.
Thornblade - Kevin's version of Wildvine, with thorny vines on his back.
Skunkmoth - Kevin's version of Stinkfly, who is larger and red with golden armor.
Bashmouth - A wolf-like alien who can create metal.
Alien V - A stronger version of Vilgax mixed with Celestialsapien DNA.
Anti-Vilgax - A mix of all of Kevin's aliens in Vilgax's body.
Humungoraptor - Kevin's version of Humungousaur, who is red and looks like a Tyrannosaurus.

Voice Actors

Main Voice Cast

Tara Strong as Ben / Glitch / Buzzshock / Charmcaster / Sunny and others
Yuri Lowenthal as Vilgax / Gax / Michael Morningstar (2nd time) / Ectonurite Prisoner
Montserrat Hernandez as Gwen / President Gwen
David Kaye as Grandpa Max / Shock Rock / Humungousaur / Azmuth / Shock-O (1st time) / Lord Decibel / Piscciss Volann Prisoner and others
John DiMaggio as Four Arms / Zombozo / Maurice / Thumbskull / Phil / Loboan Prisoner / Bobo Haha and others
Daryl Sabara as Heatblast / Vulpimancer Prisoner / Rex Salazar
Josh Keaton as XLR8 / Acid Breath / Sixsix and others
Roger Craig Smith as Diamondhead / Way Big / Forever Knight / Steam Smythe and others
Travis Willingham as Cannonbolt / Sydney / Tim Buktu / Kraab and others
Greg Cipes as Stinkfly / Kevin (and all his Antitrix aliens) and others
Dee Bradley Baker as Rath / Jetray / Goop / Spidermonkey / Oliver / Opticoid Prisoner and others
Todd Haberkorn as Grey Matter / Slapback / Tetrax and others
Max Mittelman as Overflow / Todd / J.T.
David Hornsby as Wildvine / Sewer Chef
David Sobolov as Upgrade / Vin Ethanol

Additional Voices

Carlos Alazraqui as Chinzilla and Minitaur
Ogie Banks as Ryan, Simon
Eric Bauza as Gust-O (1st Time)
Drake Bell as Michael Morningstar (1st time)
Jeff Bennett as Hail-O, Shock-O (later), Gust-O (later), Madcow, Wolfen Sheep
Keith David as Yawk
Debi Derryberry as Simon (1st Time)
Jessica DiCicco as Frightwig
Robin Atkin Downes as Hex
Tom Kenny as Xingo
Vanessa Marshall as Queen Bee, Woman
Rob Paulsen as Bruce, Coach Keene
Dwight Schultz as Dr. Animo
Gunnar Sizemore as Billy Billions
Cree Summer as Hippie Vendor/Shasta Fay, Captain Betts McCabe
Fred Tatasciore as the High Override, Hydromanders, Bob, Boblins, Ben 10,000, Four Arms (Ben 10,000 version), Heatblast (Ben 10,000 version), Xerge, Surge
Anna Vocino as Nanny Nightmare
Audrey Wasilewski as Maxine
Kath Soucie as the Malachi Sisters
Kari Wahlgren as Quinn, the Malachi Sisters, and Lucky Girl (TV Character)

Production Team

Collette Sunderman - Casting and Voice Director

Show Popularity (Ratings)

In the United States, the show has been watched by 41 million people across different platforms.

In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), the series reached over 27 million viewers. In the UK, it was watched by 1.2 million viewers on CITV. It was very popular with boys in South Africa, Romania, Spain, and Portugal.

Other Ben 10 Stuff

Books and Comics

In October 2017, Panini UK teamed up with Cartoon Network to launch a magazine for the series. It includes an 8-page comic strip every month.

Toys and Merchandise

In June 2015, it was announced that Playmates Toys would release a toy line for the series. The toys came out in the United States in June 2017 at Toys R Us and in other stores in August.

In July 2017, Playmates Toys released the toys, with Flair distributing them in the UK and Giochi Preziosi Group in other EMEA regions. Cartoon Network also partnered with companies to release other merchandise like clothes and accessories.

Video Games

A video game based on the series was released worldwide on November 10, 2017. It was available for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. In the game, players help Ben defeat three of his biggest enemies: Zombozo, Queen Bee, and the Weatherheads. A second game, called Power Trip, was announced in March 2020 and released in Fall 2020.

Ben 10 Challenge Game Show

Ben 10 Challenge is a live-action game show made in Madrid, Spain. It features two teams who compete in challenges and answer questions about Ben 10. Versions were made for many countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the UK. The English version first aired in the UK and Ireland on October 13, 2017.