Phenyl osazone (L(NHPh)H2), phenyl osazone anion radical (L(NHPh)H2(•-)), benzoyl osazone (L(NHCOPh)H2), benzoyl osazone anion radical (L(NHCOPh)H2(•-)), benzoyl osazone monoanion (L(NCOPh)HMe(-)), and anilido osazone (L(NHCONHPh)HMe) complexes of ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, and iridium of the types trans-[Os(L(NHPh)H2)(PPh3)2Br2] (3), trans-[Ir(L(NHPh)H2(•-))(PPh3)2Cl2] (4), trans-[Ru(L(NHCOPh)H2)(PPh3)2Cl2] (5), trans-[Os(L(NHCOPh)H2)(PPh3)2Br2] (6), trans- [Rh(L(NHCOPh)H2(•-))(PPh3)2Cl2] (7), trans-[Rh(L(NHCOPh)HMe(-))(PPh3)2Cl]PF6 ([8]PF6), and trans-[Ru(L(NHCONHPh)HMe)(PPh3)2Cl]Cl ([9]Cl) have been isolated and compared (osazones = bis-arylhydrazones of glyoxal). The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses and IR, mass, and (1)H NMR spectra; in addition, single-crystal X-ray structure determinations of 5, 6, [8]PF6, and [9]Cl have been carried out. EPR spectra of 4 and 7 reveal that in the solid state they are osazone anion radical complexes (4, gav = 1.989; 7, 2.028 (Δg = 0.103)), while in solution the contribution of the M(II) ions is greater (4, gav = 2.052 (Δg = 0.189); 7, gav = 2.102 (Δg = 0.238)). Mulliken spin densities on L(NHPh)H2 and L(NHCOPh)H2 obtained from unrestricted density functional theory (DFT) calculations on trans-[Ir(L(NHPh)H2)(PMe3)2Cl2] (4(Me)) and trans-[Rh(L(NHCOPh)H2)(PMe3)2Cl2] (7(Me)) in the gas phase with doublet spin states authenticated the existence of L(NHPh)H2(•-) and L(NHCOPh)H2(•-) anion radicals in 4 and 7 coordinated to iridium(III) and rhodium(III) ions. DFT calculations on trans-[Os(L(NHPh)H2)(PMe3)2Br2] (3(Me)), trans-[Os(L(NHCOPh)H2)(PMe3)2Br2] (6(Me)), and trans-[Ru(L(NHCONHPh)HMe(-))(PMe3)2Cl] [9(Me)](+) with singlet spin states established that the closed-shell singlet state (CSS) solutions of 3, 5, 6, and [9]Cl are stable. The lower value of M(III)/M(II) reduction potentials and lower energy absorption bands corroborate the higher extent of mixing of d orbitals with the π* orbital in the case of 3 and 6. Time-dependent (TD) DFT calculations elucidated the MLCT as the origin of the lower energy absorption bands of 3, 5, and 6 and π → π* as the origin of transitions in 4 and 7.