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Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading

2026-04-21T16:08:40Z

Chasd20: /* Covers (3) */

{{Comicstory|
|series=mtmte|issueno=11
|prev=Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism
|next=Before & After
|caption=
|image=MTMTE11Cover.jpg
|title="Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 21]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=November 2012
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=[[Juan Castro]], [[Alex Milne]] and [[John Wycough]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Shawn Lee]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#2012-2013|Current era (2012)]]
}}
'''Rewind's tale reaches its climax, as Orion Pax leads a daring heist for the Matrix.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:OutliersIntroduction.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
''On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], before the war... [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] and his team prepare for their attempt to steal the explosive replica of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] hidden within the body of [[Nominus Prime]] in the [[Primal Basilica]]. Incredulous, [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] refuses to get involved, but promises not to blow the whistle on Pax if he keeps Prowl's partner [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] out of the action. As Prowl departs, Chromedome and [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] return from the [[Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology|Academy of Advanced Technology]] with three of its students selected by Pax's senator friend to help in the heist, all "outliers" possessed of special powers: the technology-disrupting [[Tarn (G1)|Glitch]], the magnetic [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and the super-learner [[Skids (G1)|Skids]].''

Aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'', [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]]'s story takes a short break so [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] can check on the progress of the still-unresponsive [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] pilfers some especially hard "[[Nightmare Fuel]]" liquor from [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and begins dishing it out, jokingly getting Rung's name wrong and being warned by Ratchet that he particularly hates that. Everyone settles down as Chromedome gets back to his part of the story, describing his visit to the workshop of [[Iaconian Mechaforensic Division|Iacon Mechaforensics]] ballistics expert and [[Primal Vanguard]] fanboy [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], from whom he obtained a replica Matrix they could swap the bomb out for. Ratchet interrupts for a moment to recount an exchange between him, Roller and Pax that followed, as Roller attempted to warn Pax of various questionable activities his senator friend was involved in, including the recruitment and modification of ''other'' Autobots in addition to Pax himself, but Pax would not hear it.

In the ''Lost Light'' medibay, [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] balks at [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]'s diagnosis of [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s comatose state as the result of attempted suicide. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] attempts to restrain him as he grows angrier, accidentally gouging large dents in his arms that shock him into relaxing. Magnus proposes putting Red Alert in cold storage until their circumstances are more conducive to his mental well-being, and with [[Drift (G1)|Drift]]'s agreement, Rodimus sadly does so.

[[File:OrionSavesTheDay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7]]
The story of the heist continues, with Ratchet describing how each of the outliers used their special powers to help penetrate the Primal Basilica while Chromedome and Roller remained behind to guard the senator. Their approach hidden from the [[Sky Spy]] network thanks to Roller's hacking skills, Windcharger magnetically levitated the team over the heads of the [[Triorian Guard]] of [[Triple Changer]]s standing watch at the Basilica, while Glitch deactivated the security systems so that Skids could (indignantly) lower Pax into position with his grappling hook. Discovering that the Matrix-bomb was locked in place, Pax switched places with [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]], whose incredible hands picked the locks with ease. Things almost went south when Glitch patted Skids on his back, jamming his winch and causing Ratchet to drop the bomb, but Windcharger saved the day by magnetically preventing its fall. The theft successfully completed, the team departed, but, having not been contacted by Roller at the appointed time, Pax sped on ahead to investigate; Chromedome takes over the story to describe Pax's return, just in time to find that Senate thugs [[Kroma]], [[Macabre]] and the [[Heavies]] had attacked their safehouse.

[[File:Shadowplay3-SenatorWho.jpg|thumb|left]]
Pax took out one of the Heavies, but when Kroma held his gun against Roller's head and proposed an exchange, the senator agreed to go with him. The remaining Heavy, Anvil, remained behind to finish off Pax, but Pax used the Matrix-bomb to destroy his attacker, then unearthed Chromedome from the rubble to lead him to the [[Institute]], figuring Kroma had taken the senator there. Alas, they discovered it was deserted—because despite its name, it was not unique. The senator had potentially been taken to any one of hundreds of hidden facilities, lost to them.

Such is the end of the story: not a happy one, but an ending nonetheless. Tailgate has a few remaining questions, which Rewind answers: [[Proteus (G1)|Proteus]] did not keep his promise, and much to Tailgate's surprise, Orion Pax became Optimus Prime. Sadly, Rung remains non-responsive, but when alarms suddenly begin blaring throughout the ship, and everyone heads for battle stations, Skids decides to try one last thing: he leans close to Rung, and deliberately mispronounces his name several times. Quietly, the psychiatrist awakens and corrects him.

''On Cybertron, before the war... Orion Pax is approached by another of the senator's recruits, [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta]]. And elsewhere, in one of the many Institutes, two staffers talk about the newest victim of [[Shadowplay]]: a senator who is also being subjected to the head-and-hand replacement ritual known as [[empurata]]. A senator...''

''...named [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]].''
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]'' (2)
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (6)
* [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] (7)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (9)
* [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (10)
* [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (11)
* [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (12)
* [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] (13)
* ''[[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]]'' (14)
* ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'' (15)
* ''[[Siren (G1)|Siren]]'' (16)
* ''[[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'' (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]]'' (19)
* ''[[Atomizer]]'' (20)
* ''[[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]]'' (21)
* ''[[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]]'' (22)
* ''[[Xaaron (G1)|Xaaron]]'' (23)
* ''[[Dipstick]]'' (24)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (28)
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (29)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (30)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (31)
* [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (32)
{{!}}}
|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'' (1)
* ''[[Roller (IDW)|Roller]]'' (3)
* ''[[Tarn (G1)|Glitch]]'' (4)
* ''[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'' (5)
* ''[[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'' (8)
* ''[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]]'' (18)
* [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (25)
* ''[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'' (26)
* ''[[Crosscut (IDW)|Crosscut]]'' (27)
* ''[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'' (33)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* ''[[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]]'' (34)
* ''[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]]'' (35)
* ''[[Heavies]]'' (36-37)
* ''[[Kroma]]'' (38)
* ''[[Macabre]]'' (39)
* ''[[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta]]'' (40)
* ''Institute staff'' (41-42)
* ''[[Lobe]]'' (43)
* ''Lobe's assistant'' (44)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"Sorry, '''Swerve''', I need the secret password." 
"Sigh. 'Whirl is a million billion times tougher than [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]].'" 
"You may enter." 
"Jeez, '''Whirl''', even I think that password's immature, and I glued Tailgate to his recharge slab the other day..."
:—'''Whirl''' and '''Swerve'''

"I should have said this '''earlier''', but—as a trainee theoretician who can master virtually any skill, I'm kind of '''insulted''' that you brought me along for my '''grappling hook'''."
:—'''Skids'''

"Okay, they've wired it in like a tamper-proof fuel pump. A '''440'''—the mother of all fuel pumps. If I put a finger wrong, it'll '''explode.'''" 
"In that case don't do anything. Not even '''you''' can disable a 440 by hand." 
"Pax, I think you're amazing, but that is the most ham-fisted attempt at reverse psychology I've ever heard."
:—'''Ratchet''' and '''Orion Pax'''

"The Matrix is just '''hovering''' there!" 
"You can thank Windcharger and his magic arms for that." 
"You're lucky I got tired of waiting." 
"His magic arms and his low boredom threshold."
:—'''Ratchet''', '''Orion Pax''', and '''Windcharger'''

"Ooh! Ooh! What about '''Orion Pax?''' What happened to him?" 
"Orion Pax...?" 
"He was '''great!''' I really liked him. 'I trust him, Roller. End of conversation.' '''I'm''' gonna start saying stuff like that." 
"Tailgate—Orion Pax became '''Optimus Prime.''' They're the same person. I thought you '''knew''' that." 
"'''What?!''' ''(holds up picture of Prime)'' You mean '''this''' is Orion Pax? Well, I'm '''floored'''. I did '''not''' see that coming."
:—'''Tailgate''' and '''Rewind'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Notice how Chromedome is never referred to by name on the first page; from [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|part 1]], we know he had a different name before he was "Chromedome", and here, he's only referred to as Prowl's "partner" (in turn indirectly furthering the obvious "romantic" implication between the two characters). This is because it's an impartial flashback, not part of Rewind's story (since it's a conversation between two characters not on the ''Lost Light''); he is called "Chromedome" elsewhere during the story since Rewind asked him to minimize confusion by doing so back in part 1.
* Having said something similar to Prowl four million years in the past in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|issue #9]], Chromedome remarks that he is unable to make the derisive "Pfft" noise Swerve utters. Logically, that'd be because he doesn't have any lips!
* This is the third true story that Rewind organised. His first group was Blaster, Sunstreaker, Siren, Gears, and Perceptor; his second was Xaaron, Dipstick, Atomizer, Slapdash, and Sprocket. The implications are that the members of each group were at least peripherally involved in their own major incident, once upon a time, much like the current storytelling team. (Roberts has since admitted that there's no rhyme or reason behind the character choices except to make us go "what the heck did ''they'' all do together?!".<ref>[http://theunderbase.libsyn.com/the-underbase-deconstructs-shadowplay "The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay"], 1:04:20</ref>)
* When last seen, Atomizer carried a crossbow, which Ultra Magnus said he was going to confiscate. As Atomizer is now carrying a regular bow and quiver instead, we can assume Magnus followed through.
* In his younger days, Skids had a miniature Matrix "[[tattoo]]ed" on his cheek, just as [[Springarm]] did in "[[Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory]]". Pax remarks on the similarity. This apparent religiosity is a marked contrast to the nihilism the modern Skids expresses.
* The Primal Vanguard is the detachment to which Tailgate claimed to belong and which has been mentioned a few times in ''More than Meets the Eye''. The user of the bomb disposal kit Ironfist is so excited about is not named, leading fans to conclude that it was Tailgate himself, but [[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|later revelations]] would prove this to be a splendid piece of misdirection by Roberts.
* Ironfist's looking a little different than he will when we chronologically see him next in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Based on the helmet we can see in the background of his lab, he obviously modified his own noggin to look like a Primal Vanguard helmet.
* Ironfist shows Chromedome the image of a robot named Crosscut, trapped in the [[Forever Glass]] of [[Moldavite VI]]. This could be potentially the ''fourth'' Crosscut to exist—there's the [[Crosscut (G1)|Japanese-original Autobot]], the [[Crosscut (Marvel)|Marvel Decepticon]], an unnamed member of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] that the Decepticon Crosscut is often mistaken for (according to his profile in the ''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' hardcover), and now this guy. It is, of course, extremely possible that this Crosscut could be one of the others; being that this is Roberts, who doesn't toss this stuff around casually, it's almost a certainty.
* We see that Ironfist has always had a fondness for writing about his heroes; his ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs had a predecessor in his monographs about the Primal Vanguard. We couldn't ''possibly'' imagine what it's like to write endlessly about our hobbies in minute detail, no sir.
* Pax's senator friend is noted to be on speaking terms with the [[Omega Guardian]]s, the enigmatic protectors of the [[Epistemus|Magnificence]] who have only previously appeared in ''[[Spotlight: Hot Rod]]''.
* This is the second story to mention the substance [[propex]]. In issue #8, Grimlock's body was preserved in a "weak propex solution".
* The Heavies, previously seen in Whirl's flashback in issue #6, reappear, as does Whirl's cellmate from last issue—one of the senate thugs who menaced Orion Pax in "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]", whose name is revealed to be Kroma. One of the Heavies is named "Anvil"; we'd hazard a guess the other's "Hammer".
[[File:Kroma macabre heavies shadowplay conclusion.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7]]
* When Kroma, Macabre, and the Heavies arrive to kidnap the senator, Kroma quips that they are acting on the "best tip-off ever". This would be explained 26 issues later in "[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet]]", where we learn that the Heavies encountered a [[time travel]]ling Whirl, Rewind, and Chromedome a year earlier (from their perspective) during the events of "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]". Whirl was all set to kill the Heavies for their part in his oppression and eventual empurata by the [[Functionism|Functionists]], leading Chromedome to explain in front of them that they couldn't die because they had to return in a year's time to abduct Shockwave.
* Following a crack made early in the issue by Skids about the Academy of Advanced Technology never being referred to by its full name, we find out at the end of the story that it's the ''Jhiaxian'' Academy, after [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. This indicates that it's the "J.A.A.T." mentioned last issue, and is a ''big'' clue to the true identity of the senator, as we've known since ''[[Spotlight: Doubledealer]]'' that Shockwave was a student of Jhiaxus's, obviously having studied under him at the academy before he left Cybertron.
* "Empurata", first mentioned in issue #6 and a few times since, is at last revealed to be a process by which criminals have their heads and hands removed and replaced. Whirl's reference to its persuasive power in issue #6, coupled with his lament about the loss of his hands last issue, now make a horrifying amount of sense. Glitch would also appear to have suffered through the process.
* [[Lobe]] was first mentioned as a Mechaforensic cybersurgeon in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|part one]], asking for [[Sherma]]'s brain module as part of an experiment. Now we know he's one of the Institute's top brainwashers and that Sherma was killed by the Senate for being a closet dissident... They really ''are'' everywhere!
{{--}}

===Transformers references===
* The [[power booster rod]] was an Autobot tool famous for being stolen by the human criminal the [[Mechanic]] in [[Funeral for a Friend!|issue #26]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel comic]]. Chromedome can be seen idly using it for its intended purpose of easily lifting heavy items.
* The Primal Basilica is decorated with statues of the [[Guiding Hand]] and the [[Aligned continuity family]] design of [[Prima]].
* In addition to [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] himself, one of the Triorian Guard is another guy sharing Blitzwing's body, coloured like his ''[[Diaclone]]'' toy. We'll assume that it's (an) [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]].
* Kroma and the Heavies are accompanied by Decepticon assassin [[Macabre]], made famous by his one-shot appearance in the Marvel UK epic, ''[[Target: 2006]]''. We've already seen, through ''Last Stand of the Wreckers'', that he'll go on to lead [[Squadron X]] in IDW continuity.
* Among Ironfist's memorabilia is a spare drill belonging to [[Borebit]], an Autobot from [[The Bridge to Nowhere!|issue #18]] of the original Marvel comic.
* Orion Pax's police station explodes at the time "Arc [[113 (disambiguation)|1-13]]".

===Real-life references===
[[File:Nightmare fuel shadowplay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
* Shockwave has an academy for unusual, superpowered students who the wider world hates and fears: an ''[[X-Men]]'' nod. And if that's not blatant enough for you, Pax's next line is, "Is he [[Wolverine (Marvel)|the one with the claws?]]"
* "[[tvtropes:Main/NightmareFuel|Nightmare Fuel]]" is a term coined by ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' and popularized by the website [[tvtropes:|TV Tropes]] to describe horrifying scenes in fiction. Swerve has nabbed it from Trailbreaker's personal stash; a reference to Trailbreaker's fondness for strong "alcohol" that we saw back in [[Interiors|issue #6]], itself a reworking of the fuel-inefficient traits described in his original bio. The [[Pretender]] [[Skullgrin]] is pictured on the bottle's label.
* Speaking of alcohol, Siren blurting out "BRILLIANT!" in response to the most basic sliver of information is a reference to the {{w|Guinness Brewmasters}} ad campaign.
* Tailgate has to make a "who's who" page to keep track of everyone in the story, just like the "Meet the Crew" features in the back of every issue of ''More than Meets the Eye''.

===Trivia===
* "Shadowplay" runs through three related genres in each of its three parts: this one is the heist story.<ref>[http://theunderbase.libsyn.com/the-underbase-deconstructs-shadowplay "The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay"], 07:43 - 08:00</ref>
* The heist this issue is about was alluded to in a conversation between Skids and Chromedome back in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
* Obviously, Shockwave isn't one of the main characters in ''More than Meets the Eye'' and was more prominent in ''Robots in Disguise''. As James Roberts says though, both titles are telling the same wider story of the Transformers universe and he believes it makes the twist more effective if Shockwave's origin is in the 'wrong' place.<ref>[http://www.fullmetalhero.com/t14540/ Moonbase2's second interview with James Roberts - 01:39:20 to 59:30]</ref>
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] is among the outliers, unnamed but rather obviously identifiable from his description as a truck who generates forcefields. When talking about Trailbreaker on the following page, Swerve calls him "Trailcutter", an alternate name developed by [[Hasbro]] after the loss of the trademark to the original, and noted in the [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|''More than Meets the Eye'' annual]] to be an alternate name the character uses in-universe. The origin of this second name would later be revealed in the character's [[The Reluctant Specialist|self-titled ''Spotlight'' issue]].
* At the request of James Roberts, colorist Josh Burcham purposely gave the Senator the hues of Ultra Magnus (both in this issue and the previous) to serve as a red (and blue and white, hyuk hyuk) herring.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-comics-discussion/716601-transformers-more-than-meets-eye-11-discussion-spoilers-29.html#post8649838 Forum post by Alex Milne]</ref>

===Crew Manifest===
* The still-living Red Alert is "boxed" and put into cold storage.
* 5 deaths, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders), and 1 boxed since the launch.

===Soundtrack===
For the entire three-part "Shadowplay" story:
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtckSsQ_Au0 "Comforting Sounds"] by {{w|Mew (band)|Mew}}

For this issue:
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A88N8CVcnR8 "No Fear of Falling"] by {{w|I Am Kloot}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81LpJPXo_qs "Atmosphere"] by {{w|Joy Division}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb59lMEtHL4 "Plainsong"] by {{w||The Cure}}

===Foreign localization===
'''Japanese'''
* ''Title:'' "'''Shadowplay (Saishūkai): Aru Uchi Kubi'''" (シャドウプレイ (最終回): ある打ち首, "Shadowplay (Conclusion): A Certain Beheading")

'''Swedish'''
* ''Title:'' "'''Skuggspel (Sista delen): En föraktfull halshuggning'''" ("Shadowplay (Final Part): A Disdainful Beheading")

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Orion Pax is lowered into the Primal Basilica, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
* '''Cover B:''' Ratchet reflected in the Matrix, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover RI:''' Rodimus stands over the injured Red Alert, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]]

<gallery>
File:MTMTE11Cover.jpg|Skids and Ratchet are in the original art, but are hidden under the logo.
File:MTMTECover11B.jpg|And yes, it functions as a mirror, too!
File:MTMTE11_cvrRI.jpg|Red lost his head.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[The End of the Beginning of the World|#11]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' #86
* ''Tales of the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' Volume 1
* IDW ''[[My Little Pony|My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' comic
* ''Dorothy of Oz'' Prequel
* ''[[Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and issues #9–11.
** Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
** Collects ''More Than Meets the Eye'' volumes 1–5.
** Bonus material unknown at this time.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: [[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Thundercracker]], [[The Question|Bumblebee]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Megatron|Megatron]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012, issues #9–11 & #12–13 & "[[Signal to Noise]]", and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Primus: All Good Things|Annual 2012]] & issues [[Syndromica (2)|#10]]–[[The End of the Beginning of the World|11]].
** Bonus material unknown at this time.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 55: Shadowplay''''' ([[January 9]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #7–13 and Annual 2012.
** Bonus material includes the second of a new three-part interview with Roberts, early pages of scripts, design sketches from Alex Milne, a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''Transformers: Kaos och skuggor''''' ([[November]], [[2020]])
** Collects [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'' (2009)]] issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]]–[[Chaos Part One: Lamentations|24]], [[Chaos Part Two: Numbers|#26]], [[Chaos Part Three: Kings|#28]] & [[Chaos Part Four: Genesis|#30]], ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'', and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #9–13.
** Swedish reprint. Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' – cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE boxset.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3''''' – cover art by Marcelo Matere and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v55.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 55: Shadowplay''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Whirl) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:MTMTE SWE 02.jpg|'''''Kaos och skuggor''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]].
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays

2026-03-02T16:41:27Z

Chasd20: /* Other trivia */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=36
|prev=The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue
|next=Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet
|image=MTMTE36 regcvr.jpg
|title="Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[December 17]], [[2014]]
|coverdate=December 2014
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2014)]]
}}
'''A squad of ''Lost Light''ers led back through time by Rodimus aids Orion Pax's team of outlaws in defending a hot spot against the machinations of the Senate.'''

==Synopsis==
Four million years ago, in the [[Alyon]] region of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]], [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], and their gang of [[Outlier (group)|outliers]] defend a recently ignited [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]] against repeated incursions from [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s [[Elite Guard]]. As the Guardsmen flee from their latest failed attempt, Roller decides to help them on their way by transforming to [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] and ramming them—but after doing so, his trailer section unexpectedly erupts with light, and opens to reveal [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], and [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]]!

''A short time earlier—relatively speaking—aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' in the present day, Rodimus gathers his team together and explains, with help from [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], that [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] has travelled into the past to kill Orion Pax. After travelling to [[Messatine]] as an apparent calibration exercise for his time machine, Brainstorm has now relocated himself to Cybertron; using autobiographical data on Optimus Prime from Rewind's database, the team concludes that he will be in Alyon, and they prepare to depart, with [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] gleefully raiding Brainstorm's armory for the mission.''

[[File:Trailbreaker all our parlous yesterdays.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
After a few moments of tense confusion, Rodimus's team establishes a cover story for themselves, pretending to be reinforcements teleported in to help Pax by [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta]]. Recognizing Chromedome from their previous meeting, Pax accepts the team and brings them back to his squad's dugout, where he explains their belief that Sentinel and the Senate are attempting to destroy the hot spot—the first to ignite in a million years, and curiously shaped like a hand—in order to prevent the [[Functionist Council]] from exploiting it as proof of [[Primus]] and strengthening their waning hold over the public. Cyclonus observes a mysterious platform floating over the hot spot, which Pax explains is apparently a monitoring station that arrived the previous evening; their conversation is chimed in on by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], who has just risen from the camp's [[recharge slab]].

As everyone talks amongst themselves, Rodimus, taken aback by Trailbreaker's appearance, secretly takes him aside and, without telling him anything ''outright'', warns him of the circumstances of his future death on [[Ofsted XVII]] in order to prevent it from happening. Rung talks with Roller, tasting the "[[K-Juice|juicebox]]" the heavyweight 'bot always carries with him, only to realize Roller has added the [[circuit speeder]] [[C32]] to the drink. Roller solemnly claims he requires the boost to keep up with the Outliers, and that Pax only keeps him around because they're friends. [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] calls via the "[[time phone]]" communicator Rodimus has brought with him, but as Rodimus is busy with Trailbreaker, Orion is the one who answers. Pretending to be his younger self, Megatron has a conversation with the young police officer, whose optimism for the future is a mixed source of both affirmation and tragic amusement to Megatron. Rodimus returns from his talk with Trailbreaker and takes up the call, receiving a status update from Megatron that indicates a notable amount of background radiation is leaking through the [[quantum generator]]s from the past to the present. This causes Rodimus to believe that the senate's "monitoring station" is actually bombarding the hot spot with radiation in an attempt to sterilize it, but when he reveals this to the group, Rewind is able to use his database—altered to contain data from [[Functionist Universe|the alternate timeline]] that Brainstorm has created—to uncover the full story. The Senate are not trying to ''sterilize'' the hot spot with radiation: they're trying to ''mutate'' it, to find a way to artificially create outliers.

[[File:AllOurParlousYesterdays-Roller.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
Now aware of the true threat, everyone heads outside, where Orion has Trailbreaker shield the hot spot with a forcefield. In response, the floating platform unveils a weapons array and opens fire on them. While Whirl and Cyclonus take to the air to combat the platform, Roller storms into the middle of the hot spot, risking his life to use a small mobile teleporter to send each [[spark]], one by one, to a safehouse in [[Nyon]]. Amid the chaos, Perceptor calls Rodimus with the news that Brainstorm has time-jumped again, further into the past; Rodimus refuses to let his team be sent after the renegade scientist yet, intent on seeing the sparks saved. In preparation, though, he checks with Chromedome on the modifications he has been making to his [[mnemosurgery]] needles—which will allow him to wipe the last few sub-cycles of a 'bot's memories via a simple handshake—and orders him not to touch Trailbreaker. Just then, Roller is caught by a blast from the weapons platform, and Orion determines to end things immediately: he has Trailbreaker wrap a forcefield tight around him, then has [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] magnetically hurl him into the air, right through the weapons platform, crippling it and causing it to explode.

A short time later, the remaining sparks have all been teleported to safety, but Roller is still missing despite Pax's insistence that they continue searching for him. Their greater mission unable to be put off any longer, Rodimus's team says farewell, with a handshake from Chromedome wiping each 'bot's memory of the encounter. Trailbreaker refuses to let them leave without a handshake of his own, though, so despite the alarmed Rodimus's attempt to stop him, he too loses his memories, including the life-saving warning Rodimus gave him. Rodimus's team are forgotten as soon as they have time-jumped away... but they are not the only ones forgotten, as Trailbreaker picks up Roller's discarded juicebox, and, unable to remember the fate of its owner, suggests they all go for a drink.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] (4)
* [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (6)
* [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (7)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (9)
* [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (10)
* [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] (11)
* [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] (12)
* [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (13)
* [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (14)
* [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (15)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (16)
|c4=
'''Present day'''
* [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] (8)

'''Past - 1st Cycle 502'''
* [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] (1)
* [[Tarn (G1)|Damus/Glitch]] (2)
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (3)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (5)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hold on. Let's be '''absolutely clear''' about this. You're just given me permission to take '''whatever I like''' from Brainstorm's forbidden toy box? Even the '''experimental stuff'''—the stuff that '''unsettles''' people?" 
"No, I--" 
"''Shhh.'' On second thought, let's keep it '''ambiguous.'''"
:—'''Whirl''' and '''Rodimus'''

"How '''was''' Messatine?" 
"I worry it '''changed me.'''" 
"I'm sure it did. We're all of us the sum of our experiences." 
"Yes, but "the sum" implies an accumulation—an '''aggregation.''' What if something gets '''taken away?''' And how would you know if it has?" 
"I'm not sure I follow." 
"I know who I am, Orion, but I don't necessarily know who I '''was.''' I find it hard to compare the two."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Megatron'''

"If I may... before you go..." 
"What?" 
"You sound '''lost.'''" 
"Lost? Oh, it's far worse than that. Ha! No, no. No, I know '''exactly''' where I'm going. I don't know if I could turn back now even, if I wanted to." 
"You could always join us. Join me. Why is that funny?" 
"It's not funny at all. It's '''tragic.'''" 
"Well then? Will you join us?" 
"I think so. Eventually."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Megatron'''

"If you're going to kill '''newborns''' you'd want to do it '''discreetly.'''" 
"Cyclonus! That's an '''awful''' thing to say!" 
"I'm not '''endorsing''' it!" 
"It's still awful."
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Tailgate'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* ''Elegant Chaos'' is the third part of a trilogy of flashback stories, following ''Chaos Theory'' and ''Shadowplay''.<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview] 36:00 to 36:07</ref>
* The past era seen in this issue falls between "Shadowplay" (issues [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]-[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|11]]) and ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron: Origin]]''. As noted at various points during the issue, Pax is now working with Zeta and on the run from [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] following the events of "Shadowplay", while Megatron has been relocated from [[Messatine]] (seen in [[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]) to [[Mining Outpost C-12|Croteus 12]], ahead of the events of ''Megatron: Origin''.
* [[Empurata]] victim Glitch (here revealed to have the real name of "Damus") has had his claw-hands replaced with proper ones since we last saw him in issue #11.
* Roller is sucking on a [[Kremzeek]] juice box, which we saw him doing back in [[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|issue #10]]; originally an idea for that issue by artist Alex Milne, James Roberts liked it so much he decided to work it into the development of Roller's character.
* The Elite Guardsmen that Pax and Windcharger wrestle with have the same design as the unpleasant fellow that Megatron kills in [[Megatron Origin issue 1|''Megatron: Origin'' #1]] as well as [[Gasket]]'s killers from [[The Transformers: Drift|''Drift'' #2]].
* As restated this issue, we learned last month that Brainstorm's time machine is coded to work only with his spark type. We've never been told Brainstorm's type, but most of the characters assembled are "Vitreous-Positive"; we learned that Rewind, Chromedome and Whirl shared this type in [[Before & After|issue #12]], and that Riptide shared it in [[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]. Rodimus and Rung's types are unknown, ''but'', as we also learned in issue #31, Tailgate and Cyclonus are "Ferrum-Negative". This means that characters of at least ''two'' spark types have somehow used the machine—keep that in mind in [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Part 3]]...
* Chromedome and Brainstorm's shared history at the [[Institute|New Institute]] has been touched upon before in [[Remembrance Day|issue #14]] and [[The Reluctant Specialist|''Spotlight: Trailcutter'']].
* Riptide expresses his dislike of exams, as introduced in issue #31.
* Rodimus makes a crack about "brain bullets"; this was a recurring phrase in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', in reference to [[cerebro-sensitive bullet]]s.
* Upon seeing the Autobot symbol, Pax assumes Rodimus and the others work for the Senate; the Senate's enforcers were using the symbol as their own in ''Megatron: Origin'', though ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]'' would later retcon it into being a symbol from ancient Cybertronian history.
* Pax met Chromedome in issue #10, though issue #14 would later reveal Chromedome was then known as Tumbler. This issue reveals the cause of Chromedome and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s "break-up", as Prowl decided to join Sentinel's security forces; Prowl was shown to be among the security forces in ''Megatron: Origin'' #1.
* The Skids of the past is quick to identify the hand-shaped hot spot as "the hand of Primus, pressing the planet into shape"—further evidence of the young theoretician's religiosity, previously evidenced back in issue #11 by the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] [[tattoo]] on his cheek, still visible in this issue.
* Pax remembers Megatron as "Megatron with an R"; when they first met in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1]]", Pax mistakenly believed his name was "Megaton" and was quickly corrected.
* Tailgate's strong reaction to the subject of killing "newborns" is apt, since he could be considered one himself. He might be one of the oldest members of the crew chronologically, but before joining the Lost Light he'd only spent about two weeks online.
* The plot to artificially create Outliers by irradiating sparks seems like a classic sci-fi insane mass-killing trope. That is, until [[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|issue #49]]!
* The rescued sparks are sent to a clinic in Nyon to be nurtured. Given that ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' told us that Rodimus hails from Nyon, and further, that [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]] told us he was around 4 million years old (4.2, "give or take"), and described him "waking up" in Nyon—an odd way of describing the birth of a spark which now makes more sense—the implication, then, seems to be that Rodimus himself is one of the saved sparks. This would imply the use of the old paradoxical time travel storytelling trick where, in going back to undo a change to their timeline, our heroes perform actions that are and somehow ''always were'' part of the established timeline. See our notes about Roller under "trivia", below for more; this is also in-line with both what we saw in issue #34, when Brainstorm's appearance in the past caused the evacuation of Messatine, freeing Megatron from Senate clutches, and [[Syndromica (2)|''Robots in Disguise'' #10]], which saw Orion Pax realise he was powerless to change events that had already transpired.
* The whereabouts in the past of several members of the "Time Team" were addressed above, but in full:
** Chromedome: Recently split from Prowl over his decision to join Sentinel Prime's security forces.
** Cyclonus: Trapped in the [[Dead Universe]] with the crew of the first ''Ark'' {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}
** Rewind: Unconfirmed, but he and [[Dominus Ambus]] may have already left Cybertron to search for [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] {{storylink|Before & After}}
** Riptide: A warborn [[M.T.O.]], Riptide hasn't been constructed cold yet. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}
** Rodimus: Unconfirmed (see previous note)
** Rung: Apparently shortly after Messatine, when he interrupted [[Froid]] and [[Trepan]]'s [[shadowplay]] on Megatron {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
** Tailgate: Lying unconscious under the [[Mitteous Plateau]] {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
** Whirl: Imprisoned in [[Garrus-1]] on Luna 2 {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

===Transformers references===
* As noted above, we've seen Kremzeek drinks in IDW continuity before, but they originated with [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Generation One comics]], specifically [[Skyfire (issue)|issue #4 of the 2004 ongoing]].
* The Senate's security forces are named the "[[Elite Guard]]" this issue, after the group from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'', headed by that universe's [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]].

===Real-life references===
* This arc is named after the Julian Cope song, "An Elegant Chaos" (also part of this issue's soundtrack, see below). The song was part of Cope's album, ''{{w|World Shut Your Mouth (album)|World Shut Your Mouth}}'', which also lent its title to the opening three-parter of ''More than Meets the Eye'' season 2.
* When they originally appeared, the Outliers drew a clear parallel with [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s [[X-Men]], being super-powered "mutants" secretly taught to use their abilities at a school. In what is surely another nod this issue, Windcharger "throws" Orion Pax in a manner similar to the classic X-Men manoeuvre, the [[Fastball Special]].

===Other trivia===
* When Rodimus is discussing the threat to the hot spot with Orion Pax, he refers to "fessile" radiation. Roberts chose the word deliberately. <ref>{{citesocial|quote=Deliberately close to but different|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/1797014792240021827|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=6|day=1}}</ref>
* A dropped scene would have had Zeta negotiating with Sentinel Prime, with Zeta saying he could get Pax's resistance fighters to stand down in exchange for him getting some influence in the Senate.<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview] 1:14:03 to 1:15:04</ref>
* When Chromedome shakes Glitch's hand, there are fewer concentric circles. Without realizing it, Glitch is interfering with the memory wipe. Originally we were to learn Glitch's memories weren't wiped with no one believing him, but this subplot was never elaborated on. <ref>Roberts, James The MTMTE Scriptbooks / Vol. 1: Elegant Chaos 2025</ref>
* By this point in ''More than Meets the Eye'''s run, fans had come up with the popular theory that, underneath his mask, [[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]] of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] was really Roller. There wasn't really any evidence for the theory within the text of the comic; it was based on the circumstantial fact that Roller was a big guy whose present-day status was unknown. But suddenly, this issue is absolutely ''lousy'' with not-remotely-subtle hints that indicate the theory was correct—''so'' many that, why, a savvy reader might be inclined to think their leg was being deliberately pulled! But nobody ever accused ''Transformers'' fans of being savvy; the truth of the matter would eventually be revealed in [[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|issue #55]]. These hints include:
** Roller is a Point One Percenter; Tarn was implied to be one in issue #14 (and later confirmed in #39)
** Roller is seen crushing an Elite Guardman's head with a look of virtual disinterest; Tarn did the same to the alternate [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] in [[slaughterhouse|issue #32]]
** Roller has an addictive personality; Tarn is addicted to [[Transformation|transforming]]
** Roller feels outclassed by the Outliers, a good reason for him to undergo the upgrades that put him on the level of [[Phase Sixer]]s, as noted in issue #14
** Orion encourages Roller to read Megatron's works this issue; Tarn is intimately familiar with Megatron's writings
** Roller is familiar with Megatron's slogan "You are being deceived" which Tarn later quotes when confronted with the [[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]]' "coffin"
** The left side of Roller's face is noticeably damaged this issue; Tarn has scarring around his left eye visible through his mask in closeups in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]] and [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
** And the big one, Roller is forgotten and "abandoned" by Orion Pax and his friends as a result of them being mind-wiped, setting up the possibility of him falling in with the opposite side.

===Soundtrack===
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDwgduDrtpY Fontanelle]" by {{w|Clem Snide}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So! Songs for MTMTE #36! First up, 'Fontanelle' by Clem Slide: https://t.co/PgT4DEthue|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/543572133692321792|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2014|month=12|day=13}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2soLr-1tXY An Elegant Chaos]" by {{w|Julian Cope}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=MTMTE #36's second song is the one from which the new story arc takes its name: 'Elegant Chaos' by Julian Cope: https://t.co/NokQAFgJb6|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/543573294197522432|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2014|month=12|day=13}}</ref>

===Foreign Localization===

'''Swedish'''
* ''Title:'' "'''Sofistikerat kaos del 1: Alla dessa vanskliga dagar som flytt'''" ("Sophisticated Chaos Part 1: All These Parlous Days Gone By")
* The "Sophisticated Chaos" arc title uses the same logo as the 2011 [[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]] storyline in this and the following two parts.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Regular cover:''' Roller, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' Orion Pax broods, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''30th Anniversary cover:''' The second half of 30th anniversary celebration image by [[Alex Milne]] and Josh Perez, which connects to the 30th Anniversary cover to [[Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|''Robots in Disguise'' #36]] to complete the picture. The full image is a cross-continuity mash-up featuring thirty characters; this cover includes [[Unicron]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], [[Sky-Byte (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Sky-Byte]], [[Hot Shot (Animated)|''Animated'' Hot Shot]], [[Dinobot (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Dinobot]], [[Bulkhead (Animated)|''Animated'' Bulkhead]], [[Devastator (G1)|G1 Devastator]], [[Impactor (G1)|IDW Impactor]], [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|IDW Galvatron]], [[Megatron (G1)|''Generation 2'' Megatron]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|IDW Shockwave]], [[Knock Out (Prime)|''Prime'' Knock Out]], [[Blackout (Movie)|live-action Blackout]], [[Drift (G1)|IDW Drift]], [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|IDW Rodimus]], [[Lio Convoy|''Beast Wars II'' Lio Convoy]], and [[Ratchet (WFC)|''Prime'' Ratchet]].
* '''SacAnime Exclusive cover:''' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] arm-wrestles with [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|''Beast Hunters'' Optimus Prime]], by [[Tony Fleecs]]

<gallery>
File:MTMTE36 regcvr.jpg|Roller sips his little drink before he bludgeons someone to death.
File:MTMTE36 subcvr.jpg|Orion Pax does his best [[Batman]].
File:MTMTE36 cvrRI.jpg|This is madness!
File:MTMTE36 cvrRE.jpg|Over the Top!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''More than Meets the Eye'' #37
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|#36]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|Drift - Empire of Stone]]'' [[Drift - Empire of Stone issue 2|#2]]
* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Form Follows Function|#4]]
* IDW ''Transformers'' graphic novel library
* ''[[Angry Birds Transformers (comic)|Angry Birds Transformers]]''
* Two new Micro-Comic Fun Packs!
* IDW ''Garbage Pail Kids'' comic (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #34–38.
** Bonus material includes covers of each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8]]''''' ([[December 5]], [[2018]]) ISBN 1684053722 / ISBN 978-1684053728
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #35–38 & #39–40, [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'' (2012)]] issues [[Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|#35]]–[[The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati|38]], ''[[The Transformers: Punishment|Punishment]]'' issues [[City of Steel (issue)|#1]]–[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|5]], and ''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|Drift - Empire of Stone]]'' issues [[Drift - Empire of Stone issue 1|#1]]–[[Drift - Empire of Stone issue 4|4]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 63: Elegant Chaos''''' ([[June 12]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #35–42.
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''Transformers: Du sköna nya värld''''' ([[November]], [[2022]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #28–38 & #40.
** Swedish reprint. Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' – cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V8.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 8''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v63.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 63: Elegant Chaos''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Trailbreaker) and Alex Milne (retro)
File:MTMTE SWE 04.jpg|'''''Du sköna nya värld''''' – cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tformers.com/idw-comics-preview-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-36-elegant-chaos-part-1/25409/news.html Preview]

Lockdown (RID)

2024-08-20T17:34:43Z

Chasd20:

{{faction|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Lockdown}}
:''Lockdown is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|Adventure]] portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[File:Adventure Lockdown Package Art.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Eventually I decided, slag it, I'll just stick with the Decepticon thing.]]

Fearsome and renowned throughout the cosmos, '''Lockdown''' (ロックダウン ''Rokkudaun'') leads an army of self-duplicating [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]], which he boasts can raze cities to rubble with their sheer numbers. He is also known on many planets as an arms dealer, trafficking weapons and technology through the black markets, with nobody the wiser to their origin or former owners. It is in this enterprise that he has many business partners, chief among them [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]].<ref>''Adventure'' Lockdown toy bio</ref>

Truly, in whatever form his ambition takes, Lockdown will prove to be a formidable foe for the [[Autobot]]s.

==Fiction==
===''Adventure'' side story===
Lockdown worked with [[Runabout (RID)|Runabout]], [[Runamuck (RID)|Runamuck]] and his Insecticons to capture [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]], who he planned to disassemble for parts. When the other Decepticons were distracted by an Autobot rescue team, Magnus broke out of his bonds and confronted his captor, though the arrival of the other Autobots interrupted their potential duel. Lockdown battled the team but was blasted by [[Dogfight (RID)|Dogfight]]'s weapon mode and defeated. {{storylink|Return! The Most Evil Duo}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''Adventure''===
[[File:Transformers-Adventure-TAV15-Lockdown.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Lockdown''' (Deluxe, [[2015]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''TAV15'''
:*''Release date'': [[May 30]], 2015
:*''Accessories'': Hook attachment, engine block/EMP generator

: Part of the third wave of Takara's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#TakaraTomy Adventure toyline|Adventure]]'' product (their version of the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)| Robots in Disguise]]'' series), Lockdown is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' Deluxe Class [[Lockdown (Animated)#Toys|Lockdown]], transforming into an amalgam of a 1980s Corvette and a 1960s Cougar, with lots of spikes and a cow-catcher on his bumper. In car mode, pressing down on his engine block/EMP generator flips out twin cannon barrels. A hook can also be flipped from the center of his bumper.

: In robot mode, the entire engine block/center hood assembly pops off to form a "replacement" hook-hand gauntlet that can be used on either arm. The engine block can be removed and attached to ''Animated'' [[Ratchet (Animated)#Toys|Deluxe Ratchet]]'s left arm via the "war wound" socket.

==Notes==

*Lockdown was originally considered to be an ex-member of the [[Star Seeker|Star Seekers]], having been left for dead and repaired himself with parts from other Cybertronians. <ref> https://x.com/PlayWithThisToo/status/1606365846443524100</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Decepticons]]

Star Seeker

2024-08-20T17:32:16Z

Chasd20:

{{factions|starseeker}}
[[File:Symbol star seeker reg.png|upright=1.4|thumb|What're we up to now, three Autobot/Decepticon symbol fusions? We've lost count.]]
The '''Star Seekers''' (aka '''Star Raiders''') are a crew of space pirates. They are headed by [[Thundertron]], who due to his hate of Cybertronians, leads them in their spacecraft, the ''[[Tidal Wave (Prime)|Tidal Wave]]'', to hunt down any and all Cybertronians they can find.

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Thundertron led his crew on the trail of a [[Ark (WFC)|Cybertronian ship]], landing on [[Velocitron]]. Facing opposition from [[Override (Prime)|the planet's leader]], Thundertron grew angry and ordered his men to attack.

Continuing their travels, they took a [[space bridge]] to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. Discovering not only the ''Ark'' but [[Trypticon (WFC)|another Cybertronian ship]], Thundertron met [[Wreck-Gar (Prime)|Wreck-Gar]] while the Cybertronians fought each other. Forcing Wreck-Gar and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] to repair the ''[[Tidal Wave (Prime)|Tidal Wave]]'' and install a space bridge on it, Brimstone and Cannonball killed [[Arclight (Junkion)|Arclight]] on Thundertron's orders to make a point. Following the repair and installation, the Star Seekers attacked the Cybertronians. After acquiring the [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]], the pirates affixed it to their vessel.

The Star Seekers gained a member for the crew with the addition of Axer, who feigned hatred for Cybertronians to live and join the crew. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

Some time after the battle on Junkion, the Star Seekers reunited with their fleet and used [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] technology to mimic the frequency of the ''Ark'' and lure the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' into a trap where they would destroy it with the Requiem Blaster. Once the trap had been sprung, [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] proposed an alliance between the two factions, with him in charge, before both sides came to blows. The more nimble ''Nemesis'' took advantage of the Requiem Blaster's high energy consumption rate to have the pirates detach the weapon before it moved in for the kill, damaging the ''Tidal Wave'' to the point of retreat. As the Star Seekers fled, Thundertron swore that he and Megatron would cross blades again, an opinion that the Decepticon leader did not share, overriding pursuit of the pirates in favour of continuing to hunt the [[Autobot]]s. {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution|Retribution}}

'''Known Members:'''
*[[Axer (Prime)|Axer]]
*[[Brimstone (Prime)|Brimstone]]
*[[Cannonball (Prime)|Cannonball]]
*[[Sandstorm (Prime)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Starquest]]
*[[Thundertron]] (leader)

===''Wings Universe''===
The Star Seekers rescued [[Tornado]] and [[Ferak]] from Autobot pursuers and enlisted them as part of their crew, the Decepticon duo joining them on a series of epic space adventures as the pirates gathered enough resources for a heist. Once all the necessary supplies had been gathered, the ''Tidal Wave'' [[time travel]]ed to the year [[2984]] whereupon Cannonball intended to siphon away the [[energon]] reserves of a now peaceful and defenceless [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

Recruiting the Decepticon [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]], the Star Seekers travelled to the [[Galadria Space Bridge Outpost]] in the [[Delta Prysmos Sector]] to use the [[space bridge]] to enter [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s head, intending to use the deceased god's systems to drain the planet. As they schemed, the pirates were confronted by the [[Cybertronian Knight]]s who revealed that Cybertron was now [[technorganic]] and no longer ran on pure energon as a result. Feeling like plonkers, the pirates were taken into custody. {{storylink|Hoist the Flag}}

After breaking free of the prison, the Star Seekers began a new quest for the [[spark]] of the immortal [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] heading to the planet [[Shut-Up-Tornado-I'm-Trying-To-Think]] in the [[Unknown Sector]] where they found but a decrepit [[Quintesson]] who asked for passage off the planet in exchange for Starscream's location. In short order it was revealed that Starscream's spirit had possessed the Quintesson, abandoning its body for Cannonball's, reformatting it to suit his needs. Backed by Flamewar, Starscream took control of the ship, the Decepticons stranding a third of the Star Seekers, along with Cannonball's own spark, on Shut-Up-Tornado-I'm-Trying-To-Think. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur}}

'''Known Present Members:'''
{| style="margin-left:-0.25em;" width="100%"
|width="25%" valign="top"|
*[[Cannonball (G1)|Cannonball the 5th]] (captain)
*[[Arms Minicon]]s
**[[Pillage]]
**[[Plunder]]
*[[Axer (G1)|Axor]]
*[[Brimstone (G1 Star Seeker)|Brimstone]]
*[[Chairman]]
*[[Eclipse (G1)|Eclipse]]
*[[Ferak]]
|width="25%" valign="top"|
*[[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]]
*[[Shokaract|Hunter]]
*[[Izzerkilod]]
*[[Navigator (Star Seeker)|Navigator]]
*[[Olin Zarak]] / [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]
*[[Rockhopper]]
*[[Thunderlane (G1)|Thunderlane]]
*[[Tornado]]
*[[Vez]]
|width="25%" valign="top"|[[Dread Pirate Crew]] Pounce-types:
*[[Cutback]]
*[[Drydock (G1)|Drydock]]
*[[Neurotoxin]]
*[[Rolling Thunder (G1)|Rolling Thunder]]
*[[Stormcharge]]
*[[Wheellock]]
|width="25%" valign="top"|Dread Pirate Crew Wingspan-types:
*[[Boltcaster]]
*[[Lockpick]]
*[[Skyduster]]
*[[Thunderclap (G1)|Thunderclap]]
*[[Turbolift]]
|}

'''Known Past Members:'''
*[[Cannonball (G1)|Cannonball the 3rd]]
*[[Cannonball (G1)|Cannonball the 4th]]
*[[Gallows]]
*[[Guillotine]]
*[[Prism Glider]]
*[[Star Dasher]]

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
After the technologically superior [[Human Confederacy]] had declared the Great War over, {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}} the Decepticon [[Star Dasher]] signed on to the Star Seekers. The group enjoyed a successful career until they ran afoul of some [[Nebulan]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] who dragged the Star Seekers back to Cybertron, ending their plundering. {{storylink|Safe Spaces}}

'''Known Past Members:'''
* [[Cannonball (G1)|Cannonball the 3rd]]
* [[Bilge (BWU)|Bilge]]
* [[Nebulon (Headmasters)|The Nebulon]]
* [[Neurotoxin]]
* [[Pillage]]
* [[Star Dasher]]
* [[Tornado]]

==Games==
===''Transformers Online''===
Thundertron and the Star Seekers recruited robots that turn into animals from another planet,<ref>http://tf.91.com/guide/map/map.shtml</ref> and they hunt Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Online (2012 video game)|Transformers Online}}
{{charstubgame}}

==Notes==
*As originally conceived, the Star Seekers consisted of Thundertron, captain of the ''Tidal Wave'', and his crew: [[Cosmos (RID)|Cosmos]], [[Cannonball (Prime)|Cannonball]], [[Axer (Prime)|Axer]], [[Sandstorm (Prime)|Sandstorm]], [[Brimstone (Prime)|Brimstone]], [[Chromia (Prime)|Chromia]], [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]], [[Crumplezone (Prime)|Crumplezone]] (an Aligned version of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]), [[Oilslick]], a character based on the [[Tako Tank]], and a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=In the concept around Thundertron [...] he had a ship that he got away on, which was the ''Tidal Wave'' [...] The crew that we had planned for ''Tidal Wave'' was a Junkion [...] Cosmos [...] Cannonball was on that list. We had Chromia, I believe? Dreadwing... [...] Is that the green guy from ''Cybertron''? [...] Yeah, Crumplezone, Crumplezone was in our pitch. [...] Oil Slick, I think, the ''Animated'' kind of bubble-headed Mr. Freeze looking dude, he was also on that short list. [...] The giant Tako-squid-thing from that ''Beast Wars Neo'' set with the bike [...] that guy was in there too.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGOC47Wrt5Y&t=1132s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=LIVE: Cybertron Starscream/Cannonball thoughts|year-2024|month=03|day=23}}</ref> This roster was compiled for internal presentations for the Aligned continuity, and the same pitch was later repurposed for the ''Transformers Online'' MMO.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Now that says MMO, but that was actually us reusing the presentation for a different presentation for an MMO, but originally this was built for the Aligned continuity. So there's the Tako guy, Axer was on the list, there's the Junkion, Sandstorm...|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGOC47Wrt5Y&t=1391s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=LIVE: Cybertron Starscream/Cannonball thoughts|year-2024|month=03|day=23}}</ref> [[Lockdown (RID)|Lockdown]] was also considered as an ex-Star Seeker who was left for dead and had repaired himself with parts from other Cybertronians <ref> https://x.com/PlayWithThisToo/status/1606365846443524100 </ref>
*[[Rik Alvarez]] has said ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' would have introduced "pirates" if it had continued.<ref>Rik Alvarez panel, slide show on ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)#Season 3: Beast Hunters|Beast Hunters]]'' - [http://sunnybutte.tumblr.com/post/131368170623/and-if-you-were-wondering-why-beast-hunters-was See fan photos]</ref>
*The ''Wings Universe'' Star Seekers almost included the Generation 1 Insecticon [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]], who would have had a toy redecoed from [[Kickback (FOC)|''Generations Fall of Cybertron'' Kickback]].<ref>[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/bc14br.html BotCon 2014 attendee report by griffin]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léitíng Nù''' (China, 雷霆怒, "Thunder Fury")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Pirates]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Star Seekers| ]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]

Dreadwing (Prime)

2024-08-20T11:15:32Z

Chasd20:

{{faction|decepticon|primusvanguard}}
{{disambig3|Dreadwing}}
:''Dreadwing is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]] portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].''

[[File:PrimeDreadwingTVAichiPromoRender.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|[[Depth Charge (BW)|It's not revenge I'm looking for. It's justice.]]]]
'''Dreadwing''', a split-[[Spark]] [[twin]] of [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], was the captain of an army of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s, and is an expert in [[Dreadwing's bombs|explosives]]. Like Skyquake, Dreadwing is intensely loyal to Megatron, though his loyalty to his twin may be stronger. However, unlike his brother, Dreadwing is better at keeping his temper in check, [[Regeneration (Prime)|most of the time]].

In addition to his calculating tactics, cool-minded leadership, and fierce loyalty, Dreadwing has outwardly shown a sense of ''integrity'' not normally characterized by the Decepticon agenda. During situations of dwindling odds, Dreadwing considers ''all'' possibilities within battle, and is wary of the potential consequences of hasty decisions. He will even fight alongside the Autobots if surviving the situation calls for it. In order to secure a favorable outcome or the welfare of his [[Megatron (WFC)|sovereign lord]], the dreaded seeker will ''save face,'' or indeed the sparks of a few Autobots, if it means a clean victory and living to battle another day...

{{bigquote|No one is perfect, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], but like his departed twin, Dreadwing understands honor.|Megatron|"[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Prime'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Tony Todd]] (English), [[Masami Iwasaki]] (Japanese)|[[Ronald Nitschke]] (German), [[Juan Carlos Tinoco]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Ángel Amorós]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Juhani Rajalin]] (Finnish), [[Patrick Descamps]] (French), [[Giorgio Bonino]] (Italian), [[Tatá Guarnieri]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}

[[File:LooseCannons-Dreadwingjet.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Your daystar burns me! I demand frozen treats!]]

Dreadwing felt his brother's [[Masters & Students|death]], and headed for Earth in the ''[[Sky Claw]]'' to investigate, but stopped off to kill [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]] on his way. He was followed by [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]], whom had almost been killed in the explosion that killed Seaspray and wanted to avenge his fellow [[Wreckers|Wrecker]], and soon they landed on Earth. They had a brief battle, which appeared to be in Dreadwing's favor before more Autobots showed up, so he scanned a new [[alternate mode]] and flew away. Using a beacon to let his fellow Decepticons track his position, he soon boarded the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' and reported to [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. After being filled in on his brother's death, Dreadwing was keen for some avenging, however Megatron ordered him to leave it be. Dreadwing disobeyed, and lured Wheeljack and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] into a trap. Using Bulkhead as bait, Dreadwing intended to kill Wheeljack and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] in a cargo port, and while waiting informed Megatron of his plan when he discovered him gone. However, the Autobot leader was tougher than Dreadwing anticipated, and he was soon forced to disarm the [[Dreadwing's bombs|bomb]] he'd planted on Bulkhead after failing to call Optimus's bluff, but retreated back to the ''Nemesis'', where he decided to leave vengeance for another time and pledged his loyalty to Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

[[File:Crossfire-AirachnidBreakdownDreadwing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|[[Christian Potenza|Someone's about to get voted off the island]].]]

Megatron assigned Dreadwing the task of ridding them of [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], offering him the [[second-in-command]] post if he succeeded. Dreadwing took [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] along on the mission with him as backup. Unfortunately Breakdown's temper resulted in Airachnid attacking them and webbing Dreadwing to a tree. With the apparent loss of Breakdown and no sign of his remains or Airachnid, Dreadwing returned to the ''Nemesis'' to face a disappointed Megatron. When Airachnid goaded Megatron to finish the job himself, Dreadwing offered to accompany him, but Megatron ordered him to remain behind. However Dreadwing followed him with a squad of [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]], and after a standoff, was able to rescue his leader from the Autobots after giving his word not to shoot if they released their leader. However Megatron did not give his and had his troops open fire on them as he and Dreadwing made their getaway. Though Dreadwing had disobeyed his orders, Megatron noted that he would make a fine second in command. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}

After the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' crashed and Megatron brought it back online with [[Dark Energon]], the newly-awoken intelligence in the ship went rogue. Dreadwing, along with the rest of the Decepticons, attempted to find a way to shut the ship down, but was put into stasis-lock. He remained in that state until the kids removed the Dark Energon from the ship's power core. {{storylink|Flying Mind}}

[[File:Triangulation-DreadwingwithcapturedStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|"I know how you're feeling. You don't know whether to kiss me or...kill me." "Ooooooh yes I do."]]
Dreadwing headed to [[Antarctica]] with four Vehicons in search of a relic. After capturing and taking Starscream prisoner, he discovered that the relic had already been taken from its location, and assumed the Autobots were responsible. However Optimus Prime arrived demanding the relic, and during the inevitable battle, Dreadwing was left buried under tons of ice thanks to Prime. He eventually dug his way out and tracked down Optimus and the traitor to a human facility that had taken possession of the relic. But while he battled with Optimus, Starscream donned the [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Armor]] and attacked them. Forced to team up with Prime, Dreadwing attempted to destroy the Armor with one of his explosives, which failed, before Prime gave him an idea, and planted explosives around Starscream, which on detonation sent him falling through the ice. With the loss of the relic, Dreadwing opted to return to the ''Nemesis'', vowing to finish Prime another day. {{storylink|Triangulation}} Megatron was displeased at his failure. {{storylink|Triage (episode)|Triage}} Dreadwing watched as [[Hardshell]] and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] had an argument in the wake of the missions. {{storylink|Hurt}}

Dreadwing was on the ''Nemesis'' bridge when Optimus attacked the warship with the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Legacy (episode)|Legacy}} While he was keen to take on the Autobots, he instead accompanied Megatron on a trip through the [[space bridge]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. There, the pair broke into a tomb and retrieved the arm of Liege Maximo. After the arm was grafted on to Megatron, Dreadwing watched his leader use the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] to create the [[Dark Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}

[[File:HardKnocksDreadwing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I'm ready for my close up!]]
Megatron intentionally requested Dreadwing to retrieve the second [[Omega Key]], but chose Knock Out instead. Dreadwing was then sent to retrieve the third Omega Key and mined a whole bunch of trees as a trap for the Autobots. Bulkhead and [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] escaped the trap and the larger Autobot goaded Dreadwing into fighting him. Though Dreadwing attempted to take Bulkhead out with a [[Dreadwing's bombs|bomb]], Bulkhead turned the tables and it was Dreadwing who was knocked out with his own explosives. Megatron was once again unhappy at Dreadwing's failure. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}}

[[File:PatchDreadwing.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Do I look epic enough? Or do I need some more lightning in the background?]]
After losing their Omega Keys to the Autobots, Dreadwing conferred with Megatron about locating the Autobot's base, when they found Starscream on the ''Nemesis'' bridge. His first instinct was to pull out his gun, but Megatron motioned for him to lower it. {{storylink|Inside Job}} As Megatron considered Starscream's request to rejoin the Decepticons, he ordered Dreadwing to remove Knock Out from the wall so that they could use a [[cortical psychic patch]] to interrogate Starscream. Dreadwing later arrived and stopped Knock Out from prematurely disconnecting the link. He watched Starscream's memories, and learned that Skyquake was not lying in peace, but had been turned into an [[Terrorcon (Prime)|undead zombie]] by Starscream and was wandering around in an [[Shadowzone (dimension)|alternate dimension]]. Shaken by the revelation of Skyquake's fate, and Megatron's decision to allow Starscream to return, Dreadwing stepped outside the ship to scream at the sky. {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}}

[[File:DreadAttacksScream-Regeneration.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|This couldn't possibly end up with another Rocket Man joke!]]
Disillusioned with the Decepticon cause, Dreadwing stole the Forge of Solus Prime and delivered it to Optimus, his only request that Optimus put it to good use. Optimus tried to recruit him once more, but Dreadwing did not consider betraying the Decepticons and joining the Autobots to be equal, and so declined. Returning to the ''Nemesis'', he was confronted by Megatron, who stressed the need for the Decepticons to remain united. Taking that to heart, his first act was to attack Starscream, swearing revenge for the desecration of his brother. Megatron arrived to put a stop to it, but Dreadwing refused to back down, forcing Megatron to blast a hole through his first lieutenant's chest with Dreadwing's own discarded blaster. Megatron then warned Starscream to ''never'' make him regret killing his former second-in-command. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Go!'' toy bio=====
Following his death, Dreadwing was resurrected by Knock Out, but returned not as his usual level-headed self, but a raging berserker filled with nothing but hatred towards the Autobots who took his brother's life. One of the Autobots targeted by the returned Dreadwing was [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]]. {{storylink|#Adventure|''Adventure'' Dreadwing}}

=====Takara ''Legacy'' toy bio=====
Dreadwing emerged into the [[Legacy World]] from Prime Spacetime in search of [[Skyquake (Prime)|his brother]]. {{Storylink|#Legacy|TL-57 Dreadwing bio}}

====Eaglemoss ''Prime'' comic====
{{charstubfiction}}

===Hasbro ''Prime'' toy bios===
For years, Dreadwing had to live in Starscream's shadow. With the traitor gone, he was looking forward to taking his place! Dreadwing was better at the job too: strong and intelligent enough that with control of the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon hordes]], the Autobots' very survival was in question. {{storylink|Dreadwing_(Prime)#Prime|Voyager Dreadwing packaging bio}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
Dreadwing heard of Megatron's apparent death, and immediately assumed Starscream was to blame. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 7}} He then hunted down Starscream to his hideout, intent on bringing him to justice, but Starscream offered a valid excuse that Dreadwing could only accept. He then ordered Starscream to help him find Megatron. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 14}}

===Precursor World===
A [[Primus Vanguard|Warrior of the Seven Lights]] resembling Dreadwing was a member of the [[Blue Order]] of the [[Primus Vanguard]]. When the traitorous [[Straxus (G1)#Precursor World|Straxus twins]] unleashed a rage virus to destroy the corps from within, he was slain in the ensuing brawl. Vanguard supreme leader [[Primus#The old universe|Primus]] later loaded the Warrior's lingering [[spark]] into his [[Golden Noah]] in an attempt to ferry his soul to the [[G1 World|next world]]. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}} Unfortunately, this did not work. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Prime - The Game''===
[[File:Dreadwing PrimeTheGame.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Milestone Media's Biggest Fan.]]
{{voiceactor|[[Fred Tatasciore]] (English)|[[Javier Gámir]] (Castilian Spanish)}}

After [[Thunderwing (Prime)|Thunderwing]] was taken into custody aboard the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'', Dreadwing was among the Decepticons sent out across the [[Earth]] to find the parts of him that remained missing. Deep in rocky terrain, Dreadwing faced both [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], and would have escaped successfully with a missing Thunderwing component if Bumblebee had not leapt onto Dreadwing's jet mode while in the air and torn out his circuitry.

Dreadwing, now grounded, fought Bumblebee, leaving strategically placed bombs and maneuvering around the Autobot using what limited flight powers he had left. Ultimately, he was subdued and buried under a rockslide, and [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] left with Dreadwing's found Thunderwing component. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}

===''Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike''===
Dreadwing swore that he would defeat Optimus for the honor of the Decepticons, and duked it out against the Autobot leader in aerial combat. He admitted defeat after Optimus bombarded him with enough fire power, and flew off, swearing that he would return to fight another day. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike|Decepticon Strike}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[File:PrimeCyberversetoy-DreadwingCommander.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]'s Son Strikes!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Dreadwing''' (Cyberverse Commander Class, 2012)}}</ul>
:*''Series / Number'': '''2 / 005'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''EZ-12'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[May 26]], 2012
:*''Accessories:'' Sword, cannon
:*''Known designers'': [[Joe Kyde]] (Hasbro)

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 2|Series 2 ''Cyberverse'']] Commander Class toys, Dreadwing transforms into a modified {{w|F-35 Lightning II|Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II}} fighter jet. He features translucent plastic on the center of his jet/his back and on his cockpit-chest, allowing him to be illuminated by the larger Cyberverse sets. He comes with two translucent yellow weapons, a sword and a cannon, and both weapons feature multiple [[C joint|3 mm post]]s, with the cannon additionally featuring three 3mm post-holes. This allows them to be held with his hands or mounted onto his arms and wings in different ways, store on Dreadwing's back, combine with each other to form a bayoneted cannon, as well as combine with other Cyberverse weapons.

: His packaging [[stock photography]] depicts his jet mode as mis-transformed, with the arms not being pegged into his legs and instead being awkwardly bent and left jutting out from the front of his wings, and with his weapons being held by his hands instead of mounting underneath his wings.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed into [[Skyquake (Prime)#Cyberverse|Skyquake]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/CommDreadwing/dreadwing.htm More information on Cyberverse Dreadwing at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|Voyager}}
[[File:Prime voyager dreadwing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Chucky Sol, I am your Blue Angel of Death. (''Hasbro version'')]]
[[File:Prime-toy Dreadwing Takara.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|(''Takara version'')]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Dreadwing''' (Voyager Class, 2012)}}</ul>
:*''Series / Number'': '''01 / 005'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''AM-22'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': [[October 27]], 2012
:*''Accessories'': Blaster cannon/light-up "Magnetar pulse blaster" & sword (Hasbro only), "Jigu" Arms Micron (TakaraTomy only)

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#RID|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' Voyager Class toys, Dreadwing now comes with ''different'' sword and blaster cannon accessories, both of which can be mounted (via [[5 mm post]]s) onto ports on his forearms, hands, wings, and back, as well as behind the cockpit canopy. The sword itself features an additional peg on its hilt, and the cannon has a peg-hole on its translucent side and on the tip of its barrel. The cannon can transform into a longer-barreled "Magnetar pulse blaster" that's illuminated at the barrel by a red LED as a sort of "Energon glow". As with other ''Robots in Disguise'' Voyager Class toys, the deployed weapon cannot lock into place.

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Dreadwing, part of the seventh wave of ''Prime'' product in Japan, has some significant differences from the [[Hasbro]] release. Many of his detail [[paint operation]]s have been replaced with customer-applied [[sticker]]s, his blue is lighter and metallic, his gray is darker, and he does not come with the Hasbro version's weapons. Instead, he has his [[Arms Micron]] partner [[Jigu]], who transforms from a robot shark into a weapon vaguely resembling his in-show cannon.

: Dreadwing and Skyquake's very similar looking left and right robot mode feet are notorious for being incorrectly added to the figure during factory assembly, resulting in a left foot on a right leg, a right foot on a left leg, two left feet, or two right feet. Not having the right foot on the right leg and left foot on the left leg causes him to not stand properly because each foot is designed on the bottom to sit at a specific slanted angle. Both feet look very similar to one another, however they can be identified by finding the corresponding "L" and "R" on each one. If placed on a flat surface to be viewed, one will notice that both feet have subtle slants to their stance.

:All versions of this mold have a spot that's ''very'' prone to breakage: the thruster / stabilizer fin assembly which folds up onto his back has a joint that can crack and break the whole assembly off—even on brand new figures! This can be avoided by gluing it in vehicle mode configuration- while it loses functionality it is not detrimental to his robot mode.

: This mold was also redecoed into [[Skyquake (Prime)#Voyager|Skyquake]] and ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Megaplex#Timelines|Megaplex]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/Dreadwing/dreadwing.htm More information on Voyager Dreadwing at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|BHDeluxe}}
[[File:BHtoy Deluxe Dreadwing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Yes.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Dreadwing''' (Deluxe Class, [[2013]])}}</ul>
:*''Series / Number'': '''2 / 011'''
:*''Accessories:'' Cannon, two missiles, & axe (combine to form Dread Assault Cannon)
:*''Known designers'': [[Andrew Scribner]] (deco artist)

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#BH|Prime: Beast Hunters]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Dreadwing transforms into a heavily modified Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, and features a bird motif, such as his wings transforming into peacock-like "feathers".

: He now comes with a spring-loaded [[missile]] launcher that can fire either of the two included missiles, as well as a chainsaw axe that can be combined with the launcher to form the "[[Dread Assault Cannon]]". In vehicle mode, the missiles can attach to clips on his wings, and the axe is shoved through a 5mm port located on his jet underside. The weapons can also mount onto additional ports on his hands, legs, arms, and fuselage/robot back.

: His [[instructions]] forget to mention that his shoulder-pads have to be hinged over to the cockpit to form the intakes. They also include the [[Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 14|fourteenth chapter]] of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' series.

: This mold was also the basis of the non-toy ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' incarnation of [[Windrazor (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Windrazor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Dreadwing/dreadwing.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Dreadwing at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Adventure''===
[[File:Takara_adventure_dreadwing.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Batman]] all the way, baby.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Dreadwing''' (Deluxe, [[2015]])}}</ul>
:*''ID number'': '''TAV-12'''
:*''Release date'': [[March 21]], 2015
:*''Accessories'': Axe

: Part of the first wave of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Japan|Adventure]]'' toyline, Dreadwing is a redeco of ''Beast Hunters'' Deluxe Class Dreadwing, replacing much of the gray plastic, such as the head, wings, and intakes, with blue and black, returning him to a more show-like coloration all around. He also has various changes in paint operations, most noticeably featuring gold in place of yellow and removing the yellow entirely from his back "feathers".

: This release only comes with the axe, now molded in black, and lacks ''Beast Hunters'' Dreadwing's cannon and missiles.
{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Leader-Dreadwing.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Though illin', that gun hasn't gatled in its life!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Prime Universe Dreadwing''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Cannon, Energon clip/sword
:*''Known designers'': [[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Hisashi Yuki]] (TakaraTomy)<ref>[[June 20]], [[2023]]'s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjLY0uamTKM Hasbro Pulse Transformers Fanstream] on YouTube, with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Mark Maher]], [[Evan Brooks]], and [[Rich Pellegrino]]</ref>

: Released in the sixth wave of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' Leader Class toys, ''Legacy: Evolution'' Dreadwing is a redeco (and technical retool) of his brother [[Skyquake (Prime)#Legacy|Skyquake]], transforming into a massive fighter jet of entirely made-up model. Both modes are an amalgamation of his/Skyquake's ''Prime'' cartoon appearance and [[Skyquake (G1)|Generation 1 Skyquake]], though the transparent red against the dark blue also invokes ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Dreadwing (G2)#Toys|Dreadwing]]. His jet mode features three retractable landing gear and an openable cockpit canopy. The jet mode also retains the slots on the top that allow [[Needlenose (G1)#Legacy|Needlenose]] to attach as noted in the instructions. Skyquake's chaingun barrel has been replaced with a new 5mm compatible cannon barrel, and the main body still has the same "Energon clip" [[Evo-Fusion]] attachment that can be used separately as a sword.

: Unfortunately, Dreadwing retains all the same design and instruction problems that plagued Skyquake, including said instructions still asking for the canopy to do the impossible and slide through another solid piece. The grooves that the wings slot into are deeper though, seemingly fixing the drooping issue.

: If one desires a more show accurate look, a semi-convincing [[fan mode]] can be achieved via swapping his arms at the bicep swivel, swinging his wings around to the faux cockpit, rotating his waist, and finally rotating then sliding his head into place.
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Prior to his debut in the ''Prime'' cartoon, Dreadwing was originally planned to be a member of the [[Star Seeker|Star Seekers]]. <ref>{{citesocial|quote=In the concept around Thundertron [...] he had a ship that he got away on, which was the ''Tidal Wave'' [...] The crew that we had planned for ''Tidal Wave'' was a Junkion [...] Cosmos [...] Cannonball was on that list. We had Chromia, I believe? Dreadwing... [...] Is that the green guy from ''Cybertron''? [...] Yeah, Crumplezone, Crumplezone was in our pitch. [...] Oil Slick, I think, the ''Animated'' kind of bubble-headed Mr. Freeze looking dude, he was also on that short list. [...] The giant Tako-squid-thing from that ''Beast Wars Neo'' set with the bike [...] that guy was in there too.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGOC47Wrt5Y&t=1132s|name=Aaron Archer|site=''The Toy Armada''|title=LIVE: Cybertron Starscream/Cannonball thoughts|year-2024|month=03|day=23}}</ref>
*Perhaps coincidentally, the ''Prime'' Dreadwing mold was almost used as one of the Star Seekers for [[BotCon 2014]].<ref>[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/bc14br.html BotCon 2014 attendee report by griffin]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dreadwing''' (ドレッドウイング ''Doreddouingu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hàiyì''' (骇翼, "Dreadwing")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Aligned Seekers]]
[[Category:Blue Order]]
[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Demolitions specialists]]
[[Category:Legacy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Decepticons]]

Shellformer

2024-06-10T19:34:35Z

Chasd20: /* Notable shellformers */

[[File:BWN-toy DeadEnd.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|A Shellformer that forms a ''shell''.]]
'''Shellformer''' is a fandom term (most often used derisively) for a [[Toy|Transformer]] that transforms by "peeling" [[kibble|pieces of one form]] to reveal the other form inside. Literally, the majority of the [[alternate mode]] is a "shell" that closes completely (or close enough) around the robot parts, with the [[robot mode]] having very little genuine integration of the alternate mode parts. Sometimes, the term '''panelformer''' is used as a synonym.

Shellforming is often the result of a design failing to include appropriate parts integration to support an aesthetically pleasing alt mode, and is often the result of attempts to produce a "realistic" [[beast mode]]. Sometimes, however, it may be an intended part of the design. For example, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Crosshairs (AOE)#Generations|Deluxe Class Crosshairs]] uses the panels that form the majority of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] to create the appearance of a [[Transformer clothing#Trenchcoats|trenchcoat]].

Meanwhile, toys such as One Step Changers and Turbo Changers use very simple transformations, often involving shellforming, to make them easy and fun to transform for young children. Like the previous Crosshairs example, this would fall under the category of being a feature rather than clumsy design.

In some of the most extreme cases, such as the ones pictured on this page, one can remove almost the entirety of the alternate mode parts and still have a complete, fully-functional robot figure left over. The ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' line is probably most notorious for this, with many original molds featuring large chunks of beast mode paneling hanging off completely mechanical robot bodies.

Also see: [[kibble]].

Shellformers should not be confused with the [[Pretender]]s.
{{--}}
==Notable shellformers==
<center><gallery>
File:G1Scourge Toy1986.jpg|[[Scourge (G1)#Generation 1|Scourge]]
File:BW-toy Rattrap.jpg|[[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Most of the first]] [[Terrorsaur (BW)#Beast Wars|year of Beast]] [[Razorbeast#Toys|Wars Basic]] [[Armordillo#Toys|Class figures.]]
File:Bwmegatron_toy.jpg|Ultra Class [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron]]
File:BW_terragator_toy.jpg|Basic Class [[Terragator#Beast Wars|Terragator]]
File:BW Retrax Toy.jpg|[[Retrax#Beast Wars|This figure is probably 90% kibble.]]
File:Under3.jpg|[[Under-3]]
File:Bigconvoy shell.jpg|[[Big Convoy#Toys|The weather is too hot, so I take off my woolly fur coat.]]
File:BWN-toy Break.jpg|[[Break|The robot is the prize inside. No refunds.]]
File:BWN-toy_MachKick.jpg|[[Mach Kick|Beast Wars Neo Mach Kick]]
File:RID Side Burn Toy.jpg|[[Side Burn (RID)#Robots In Disguise|Car Robots Speedbreaker/Robots in Disguise Side Burn]]
File:RID-toy_SkyByte.jpg|[[Sky-Byte (RID)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Car Robots Gelshark/Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte]]
File:Energon_Mirage_toy.jpg|[[Tidal_Wave_(Armada)#Energon|<s>Pretty Soldier Sailor''</s> Mirage.]]
File:Cyb-toy ThunderblastDecep.jpg|[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]]
File:Megatronclassicstoy.jpg|Voyager Class [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Megatron]]
File:SWTFtoy-VaderDeathStar.JPG|[[Darth Vader]]/[[Death Star]]
File:SWTF-toy LukeSnowspeeder.JPG|[[Luke Skywalker]] (snowspeeder)
File:NikemusPrime.jpg|[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Nikemus Prime]], [[Megatron_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Nikeatron]] and unreleased [[Starscream_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Nikescream]].
File:Movie TranScanning Bumblebee toy.jpg|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Trans-Scanning Bumblebee]]
File:TransScanningOptimusPrime.jpg|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Trans-Scanning Optimus Prime]]
File:Ani-toy WreckGar.jpg|[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]]
File:ROTF HumanAlliance Sideswipe Epps.jpg|[[Human Alliance]] [[Sideswipe (Movie)#Human Alliance|Sideswipe]]
File:ROTF-toy_RollbarScout.jpg|[[Rollbar (ROTF)#toys|Revenge of the Fallen Rollbar]]
File:ROTF Brawn Deluxe.jpg|Deluxe Class [[Brawn (ROTF)|Brawn]]
File:DOTMtoy-SentinelPrimeVoyager.jpg|Voyager Class [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#Voyager Class toys|Sentinel Prime]]
File:DOTM Cyberverse Topspin toy.jpg|[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Legion Class [[Topspin (DOTM)#Cyberverse|Topspin]]
File:Prime-toy_GariKunCola.jpg|[[Gari Robo-kun#Toys|Gari Robo-kun]]
File:AOEtoy-FirstEditionOptimusPrime.jpg|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#.22First_Edition.22_toys|First Edition Optimus Prime]]
File:TF4-Voyager-Galvatron.JPG|Voyager Class [[Megatron_(Movie)/toys#Generations|Galvatron]]
File:GenerationsAOECrosshairsDeluxe.jpg|Deluxe Class [[Crosshairs (AOE)|Crosshairs]]
File:Takara-lost-age-series-battle-command-optimus-prime.jpg|Lost Age Series [[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/toys#Lost_Age_Series|Battle Command Optimus Prime]]
File:TF-RID-Combiner-Force-1-Step-Bumblebee.jpg|One-Step Changer [[Bumblebee (WFC)#toys#CombinerForce1Step|Bumblebee]]
File:TF-TLK-Turbo-Changer-Drift.jpg|Turbo Changer [[Drift (AOE)#TurboChanger|Autobot Drift]]
File:Cyberverse-Ultra-Shadow-Striker.jpg|Ultra Class [[Shadow_Striker_(Cyberverse)#Ultra_Class|Shadow Striker]]
File:Studio Series-MV5-Deluxe-Class-WWII-Bumblebee.jpg|Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee_(Movie)/toys#SS26|WWII Bumblebee]]
File:WFCS-Voyager-Starscream.jpg| [[Starscream_(G1)/toys#War_for_Cybertron:_Siege|Siege Starscream]] and all his [[Seeker_(body-type)#War_for_Cybertron:_Siege|redeco]]s.
File:Masterpiece-MP-43-Megatron-(Beast-Wars).jpg|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|''Masterpiece'' Beast Megatron]]
File:TF-Generations-WFC-E-Deluxe-Arcee.jpg|[[Arcee_(G1)/toys#War_for_Cybertron:_Earthrise|''Earthrise'' Deluxe Class Arcee]]
File:TF-Cyberverse-2018-Deluxe-Arcee.jpg| [[Arcee_(Cyberverse)#Toys|''Cyberverse'' Deluxe Class Arcee]]
File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg| [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|''War for Cybertron'' Unicron]]
File:Studio-Series-86-Scourge.jpg|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|''Studio Series'' Scourge/Sweep]]
File:TF-Studio-Series-86-Deluxe-Arcee.jpg|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Studio Series|''Studio Series 86'' Arcee]]
File:TF-Studio-Series-Deluxe-TLK-Crosshairs.jpg|[[Crosshairs (AOE)#Studio Series|''Studio Series'' Crosshairs]]
File:TF-Legacy-Deluxe-Shadow-Striker.jpg|[[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)#Legacy|''Legacy: Evolution'' Shadow Striker]]
</gallery></center>

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Scourge (ROTB)

2024-06-10T19:30:52Z

Chasd20: /* Notes */

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy [[Freezer]] and [[Novakane]], a pair of fearsome [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweep]]s, from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Juan Antonio Bernal]] (Spain Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:Beautiful world.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|ki-ki-ki ma-ma-ma-monkey]]
Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe. Throughout his time under the sway of the chaos bringer, he had often traveled to various other regions in space and fought countless Transformers of different factions, taking their [[insignia]]s as trophies and placing them all over his body.

[[File:Scourge about to blast bee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I'll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don't care ''whose.'']]
As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s, was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his insignia to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the [[East River]] in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweeps]] [[Freezer]] and [[Novakane]] to sniff out [[Elena Wallace]] and [[Noah Díaz]], who were in possession of the Key, Scourge engaged with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

[[File:ROTB-Scourgealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|So cool you only see it twice.]]
Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying Freezer to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her in act of mercy. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

[[File:ROTB Scourge unmasked.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|''I once had strings, but now I'm free... There are no strings on me...'']]

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Sweeps, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched Novakane to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[Exosuit|exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal. Scourge's [[Terrorcon landing craft|ship]] was later recovered for study by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]].{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "[[Mission at the Museum]]" and "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])}}</ul>
:*''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
:*''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
:*''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm, "Attack at the Museum" backdrop
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into an unlicensed approximation of an armoured Peterbilt 359 in 31 steps, with his cannon cleverly forming the plow and barrel on his truck bed. His left arm detaches at the elbow to swap with the cannon. When not in use, the arm can store on his back while the cannon attaches behind his waist. Scourge is compatible with [[Freezer#Studio Series|Core Class Freezer]] or [[Novakane#Studio Series|Novakane]], who become hand-held blasters or mount on the truck bed. He features black-painted pins and screws to maintain his dark color scheme, and comes with an "Attack at the Museum" backdrop.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on an [https://www.instagram.com/p/CtumV1EPO0j/ early concept design].

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. Shaving the ridge on the hexagon will fix this, but exercise caution when transforming the figure. His neck has a tendency to pop off very easily at the base, due to the shortness of the post it's attached to compared to the surrounding plastic. His head is on a separate ball joint on the top of his neck, so it can be beneficial to use superglue on the defective post to keep his head attached with minimal loss of articulation. Some copies also have loose smokestacks.

:On the TakaraTomy release of this figure, the grill piece is molded to use a friction peg connection, whereas the Hasbro version uses a pin connection.<ref>[https://twitter.com/tfmysticalabyss/status/1695708859669848465 Twitter post showing the difference between Hasbro and TakaraTomy's versions of SS Scourge]</ref> This version also advertises the Freezer/Novakane combination on the box.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on SS-101 Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|They’ve got my trailer, I need that flight tech-*cough* Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)}}</ul>
:*''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
:*''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
:*''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2023)}}</ul>

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge (Exclusive A)''' (2023)}}</ul>
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Scourge.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection as one of two chase items.
{{-}}

===''Pop!''===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (2023)}}</ul>
:*''ID number:'' '''1377'''

:Released as part of a ''Rise of the Beasts''-themed batch of the ''Pop! Movies'' segment, [[Funko Pop!|Funko]]'s ''Pop!'' Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.
{{--}}

===Yolopark===
[[File:YOLOPARKAMKSeiresScourge.jpg|250px|thumb]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (2023)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Electromagnetic Claw, Arm Cannon, Arm Blade, Alternate face, Mask

:Part of Yolopark's second wave of AMK Series model kits, Scourge comes in pre-assembled modules as opposed to traditional model kit runners. This allows him to be assembled quickly and easily without tools.

:Scourge’s mask is removable as seen in the film and he comes with an alternate face piece if one wishes to display him without the peg hole for the mask. Additionally, he also comes with the claw, blade, and cannon he used in the film.

:Unlike previous kits, Scourge’s hand is fully articulated, eliminating the need for alternate hands.
{{-}}

===Blokees===
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-ter|'''Scourge''' (2024)}}</ul>
{{toystub}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she's ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's drones are named [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweeps]] in reference to the [[Sweep (G1)|henchmen]] of the [[Scourge (G1)|original Scourge]].
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).
**At minimum, Scourge has 22 insignias from the various factions listed above on his truck grille. In robot mode however, he appears to have (approximately) 26 spread across his shoulders, biceps & forearms, including an [[Elite Guard|Autobot Elite Guard]] insignia. There are an estimated 62[https://youtu.be/Co72nQwPzSg] cumulative insignia spread across his body through both modes:
***20 Autobots
***13 Decepticons
***9 Maximals
***9 Predacons
***5 Mercenaries
***2 Elite Guards
***4 Wreckers
**Scourge also had at least two additional Terrorcon insignias on the chest/front grill of his Studio Series toy, but was never seen in the final film.
*Before the Terrorcon insignia was finalized, early concept art of Scourge used the Mercenary<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuFi11Hy14X/?img_index=3|name=Eddie Del Rio|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=06|day=29}}</ref> and Decepticon insignia as placeholders for his mask.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also, to clear up any confusion as to why he has a Decepticon mask instead of the Terrorcon one that was in the movie. It was a temp placement. I was waiting on the Terrorcon logo to be designed while I was working on him. He was never supposed to be Tarn.|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuaR213yn3I/?img_index=1|name=Eddie Del Rio|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=07}}</ref>
*Scourge's toys feature inaccurate colors compared to the movie. The CG model in the film features a very dark brown/silver, rusted color scheme, and the only toy that almost hits the mark is his ''Studio Series'' figure (which is really only missing more rust details, amongst other things). Presumably for marketing purposes like [[Dinobot (AOE)|those before him]], the rest of his toys range from varying shades of brown/caramel to a dull green.
*Earlier cuts of ''Rise of the Beasts'' featured some extra dialogue that seemed to suggest that Scourge was originally going to be an unwilling servant of Unicron, not unlike [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiānzāi''' (天灾, "Scourge")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Studio Series Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]

Design flaw

2024-06-10T19:25:23Z

Chasd20:

A '''design flaw''' is a physical problem with a [[toy]] that is either directly rooted in its design itself or the transition from a two-dimensional design to a three-dimensional object.

Generally, ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' toys are marvels of modern toy engineering. They can be [[transformation (toys)|changed]] from [[alternate mode|one form]] into another, and yet they still manage to be both great vehicle or animal toys ''and'' great action figures.

Despite that, sometimes there are problems. Because of the complexities in design, there are some common ways that toys don't work the way they were intended. Sometimes a toy's features aren't quite finished, or don't really work how they're supposed to. Some toys also have common breakage points or parts that wear down in predictably consistent ways. Sometimes the way a toy transforms can cause it to break. Sometimes [[plastic|the materials]] weren't meant to last for decades. Sometimes toys just plain aren't what they're supposed to be. That's what design flaws are all about.

This phenomenon should not be confused with [[misassembly]] or one-off molding errors, in which toys leave the factory in a condition not in accordance with the design. Those issues should be caught in [[quality control]].

==Clearance issues==
[[File:BH CV Hun-Gurrr Claws comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|All the way, baby.]]
Some toys have joints that don't work the way they are intended to. Sometimes the parts just can't go all the way, ending up with misaligned parts. Sometimes joints are even entirely useless, allowing for minimal articulation at best... because adjacent parts get in the way of the articulated part. For some reason, heads are particularly prone to this kind of problem.

* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Steamhammer (Energon)|Steamhammer]], in theory, has an articulated head, but there is absolutely no configuration where it could possibly move, because the [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] treads are in the way.
* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]] has a similar problem. The ridges on his chest (the air vents on the vehicle mode hood) hinder any rotation of the head.
* Likewise, [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|movie]] [[Fast Action Battlers]] [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys|Ironhide]] has a head that sits on a ''ball joint'', but the only purpose it serves is allowing for the head to pop off, because the plastic parts behind the head hinder any movement.
* Movie [[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]] is only minimally better, with the ridges on his chest limiting the possible head articulation to a few degrees in each direction.
* Movie Deluxe Class [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] is about as bad as Swindle.
* Movie Deluxe Class [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] has the same problem with his waist. Articulation is limited to a few degrees in each direction thanks to an immovable piece of plastic on his back getting in the way.
* Movie Voyager Class [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys|Autobot Ratchet]] has articulated thumbs that can't move because plastic parts of the wrists get in the way.
* Movie Voyager Class [[Blackout (Movie)#Toys|Blackout]] and [[Evac (Movie)|any other]] [[Grindor (ROTF)|use of]] [[Whirl (ROTF)|the mold]] has issues residing in the shoulders; there is not enough clearance for them to move past the cockpit assembly due to the tabs catching on the inner molded details. This means that the pieces have to be flexed past eachother, which can often results in the mushroom-pins/hinges to be stripped from their sockets, leading to incredibly loose shoulder joints or in the worst case, they'll be torn off completely.
* [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] Deluxe Class [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide's]] head rests on a piece of plastic that can't be aligned properly with the torso because of plastic parts getting in the way of the hinge, making him incapable of looking straight forward.
* [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|ROTF]] Leader Class Optimus Prime's arm panels that form the front nose of the truck are hindered by the tanks on his arm panels when converting into vehicle mode, the tanks have to be rotated up and squeezed between the doors in order to gain clearance. This seems to be fixed with the Takara DOTM Jetwing and Striker Optimus Prime molds, as the swords are removed and allow the blade-like shoulder parts to flip the opposite way, allowing the arm panels to move farther and gain more clearance.
* [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] [[Sea Spray (TF 2010)|Sea Spray's]] hands can rotate about 45 degrees sideways at maximum at the wrists, because plastic parts of the forearms get in the way.
* On a more broad note, a characteristic of the [[Titanium Series]] transformable figures involved joints that bent in oddly or arbitrarily limited ways, such as 45 degrees backward at the knee, but 90 degrees ''forward''.
* Initial shipments of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Legion Class [[Hun-Gurrr (Prime)|Hun-Gurrr]] were unable to fold the claws over all the way in both directions due to problems with the plastic tolerances. This was amended by a running change, which also affected international releases of the figure. (All subsequent releases of the sculpt came with the corrected claws.)
* 2012's [[Sideswipe (WFC)#Generations|''Generations'' Sideswipe]] was retooled from [[Jazz (WFC)#Generations|Generations Jazz]], though the changes made to reshell the figure into Sideswipe don't extend far enough to latch into place, leaving his upper torso perpetually unstable.
* ''[[Combiner Wars]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Combiner_Wars|Optimus Prime]] has heavy ratcheted hips to support the weight of his combined mode. However, the "stopping points" on the ratchets are rather far apart; consequently, it's difficult to get his legs in any position between "poker-straight" and "heavily splayed out." This is especially noticeable as his feet are designed with a slight slant, suggesting an "intended" pose where they're slightly far apart, but the toy isn't actually capable of assuming that intended pose for very long before the springs take over and splay him out again. The problem persisted in early releases of [[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]], but a [[running change]] repositioned the ratchet teeth to make them function properly, which carried over into all future versions.
* ''[[Earthrise]]'' [[Doubledealer#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Doubledealer]]'s tail feather section has a ridge where the intended movement is, making it somewhat hard to move.
* ''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Megatron (WFC)/toys#Studio Series|Gamer Edition Megatron]] has tabs on the back of his knees that severely limit their articulation. Bafflingly, these tabs serve no purpose in either mode and can be cut off without any negative consequence.
* ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Legacy: United|Legacy: United]]'' [[Sandstorm (G1)#Legacy|Sandstorm]]’s chest assembly has a tendency to come unpegged easily due to the hinge being too long and pushing it away from the inside, in addition to many tabs being too small or too short.

==Square peg, round hole==
Some toys that are designed to have parts connect to other parts by plugging a [[peg]] into a corresponding peg hole have problems due to the length, size or shape of the pegs, resulting in the parts not connecting properly. This mostly affects accessories such as weapons.

* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime's]] [[ion blaster]] sports a peg that is supposed to plug into the hole in one of his fists. However, the weapon's handle (which has an entirely aesthetic purpose) and the forearms get into each other's way, and since the peg is too short, Optimus can't hold his weapon both tight and straight at the same time. This was fixed by a [[variant|running change]] that saw the fist holes elongated upwards, but the problem re-emerged with some [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]] of the toy.
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] has a similar problem to Optimus Prime involving his sword. The crossguard and his dino mode front feet make it so he can only hold it upright if the flat is facing forward; the only way for him to actually swing it to use the edge is if he wields it reverse-grip.
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Devastator (G1)/toys|Devastator]]'s combined form suffers from several issues in the toy's design, mainly down to pegs and holes lining up, leaving some components on a hair trigger connection. The most notable of these is the chest plate, which has the friction clip barely reaching its correct spot on Hook, making it lean towards the right. There is also clearly a tab on the chest plate made to go into Long Haul's grill, but due to how far his chest sticks out, it can't reach it at all. With hardly anything holding the chest plate on, it is likely to fall off if bumped. The connector that houses Devastator's head also has its posts and holes misaligned with the respective connectors on Long Haul leaving the combined torso with a slight permanent twist to the right as well. It's no wonder the Scramble City combiner design became the "standard" in later years.
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl's]] hood is designed to fold down completely flush against his chest, but cannot make it all the way because the support bar on the left steering link bracket in the hood collides with the corresponding part of the rocker panel that folds into the chest (The right bracket is essentially mirrored, but shifts the support bar a few millimeters, and as a result has no such clearance issue).
* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Deluxe Class [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] isn't quite as bad... but his claw weapons' pegs were shortened some time shortly between stock photography and release, making it very difficult to plug the claws into his hands tightly.
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]] Deluxe Class [[Brawl (Movie)#Deluxe Class|Decepticon Brawl's]] arms are connected to the torso at the shoulders by diamond-shaped pegs, but the pegs are ever so slightly too big for the corresponding peg holes, resulting in the arms having a tendency to detach from the torso at the slightest touch. This was fixed for the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Deep Desert Brawl [[redeco]] of the sculpt.
* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] and his [[redeco]]s have a problem with the peg that connects the jet nosecone to the pelvis in [[robot mode]] (the official one according to the [[instructions]]) as well as in [[Superion Maximus]] mode: The corresponding peg hole has a cavity on one side, resulting in the peg not locking in place securely. Meanwhile, a problem similar to the one with movie Deluxe Brawl occurs with a second peg hole that can be used for an alternate (non-official, though possibly intended by the designers but ignored by the instructions), shorter robot mode for Storm Jet, where the pegs tends to pop out of the peg hole due to too much pressure.
* Deluxe Class [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Wreck-Gar]] from the ''Reveal the Shield'' [[subline imprint]] of the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]] has a minor problem with the tabs that connect his torso to the shoulders, which are just a tiny bit too long, resulting in the shoulders not locking in all the way, causing a small gap. It's more evident on his left shoulder than on the right one.<ref name="shoulders">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/reveal-the-shield/wreck-gar/2281/1/62/ Reveal the Shield Wreck-Gar with particularly poorly connecting shoulders] at Seibertron.com.</ref>
* ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Commander [[Powerglide (DOTM)|Powerglide]] has diamond-shaped pegs that connect his shoulders to the torso, and a rectangular peg that connects the crotch to the rest of the torso. None of the pegs plug in tightly, resulting in a slightly unstable robot mode.
* Many, many [[Titan Master]]s, especially in early waves, suffered from problems of this sort. The intended design is that the neck sockets use a clamp mechanism to hold the head in place, but a large number had clamps that simply weren't tight enough. Poor [[quality control]] shares the blame here, but even then, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] seemed to be pretty much universally unable to keep their heads in place. Some fans have found the problem to be alleviated by altering the orientation of the Titan Master; for instance, plugging it in backwards, or even sideways.
* ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' [[Grapple (G1)#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Grapple]] has pegs on the base of his crane arm attachment that are much too thick for the hexagonal pegholes on the bottom of his soles meant to secure the vehicle mode, causing them to break when attempting to unpeg them during transformation to robot mode. This issue was fixed when the mold was retooled into ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' [[Inferno (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Inferno]], as well as redecoed into [[Hauler#Legacy|Hauler]].

==Strong spring, weak peg==
Some toys have metal springs that power a [[gimmick]] or help during the [[transformation]] (as part of, or similar to, an [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]] mechanism). When not deployed (i.e., the spring is under pressure), the relevant parts are usually held in place by tabs. Sometimes the pegs are slightly too small, resulting in too much plastic clearance. As a consequence, the parts in question are not held in place securely, and the mechanism is likely to be deployed unintentionally.

* This happens quite a lot with spring-powered missile launchers, resulting in the missiles being fired at the slightest touch. In some extreme cases, it's almost impossible to lock the missile in place without it being instantly fired back out.
* The [[Power Core Combiners]] are also prone to this. The limb drones use an auto-transformation mechanism that is activated by the same peg used to connect them to the torso robot. However, the transformed "limb" mode is the position that puts pressure on the spring; and due to too much plastic clearance between the connector pegs and the limbs, the drones—specifically the arms, which aren't held in by gravity like the legs are—have a tendency to transform back into their [[alternate mode]]s, detaching from the connector pegs in the process.
* ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' "[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]" [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Generations|Cybertronian Optimus Prime's]] gun can be folded up to a more "compact" form, with a spring mechanism converting it back into its primary weapon mode. The only thing that keeps the spring mechanism from deploying in the compact form is a very small plastic tab.
*[[Titans Return]] [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon's]] leg ratchets are extremely strong to the point where the plastic inside starts bending, eventually leading to very floppy legs.

==Wear-based looseness==
It's perhaps unfair to include this as a ''design flaw'', but it should be touched upon. When a toy is played with frequently, the plastics or metals will wear against each other, causing the friction that keeps the joints tight to lessen. This will lead to looseness in the toy's joints. The easiest way to avoid this common malady is simply not to play with a toy. Looseness is often not much of a problem with toys kept on display. A loose-armed [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] will look much the same as a tightly jointed Optimus Prime. However, looseness can be more of a problem for other toys, preventing them from standing or holding together in their alt mode.

Some toys are particularly prone to looseness not just due to wear but also to design. Heavy parts on weak joints are a common problem here, leading to incredibly weak joints that are loose and difficult to use how they were intended.

===Ball joints===
[[Ball joint]]s, which rely entirely on friction to work, are a common victim of wear-based looseness. This can be particularly bad for toys with ball-jointed hips, ankles or legs, making them nearly impossible to stand. Looseness in ball joints can also make it easy to lose parts, such as arms, legs, or kibble panels...oh, or heads...or, uhh...well, just about anything on a ball joint.

* Almost all of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' is afflicted with this problem. Woe to all those kids who grew up on ''Beast Wars''. Good luck having complete toys.
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Cyberjet]]s can be nigh-impossible to stand with just a little joint wear, but it's their arms that tend to get especially floppy.
* The original ''[[Titanium Series]]'' six-inch [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is known to be so loose that he has a hard time even staying together, much less holding a pose. The use of [[die-cast]] only exacerbates the problem.
* [[Skullcruncher (G1)#Generations|''Titans Return'' Skullsmasher]] has horribly loose balljoints for thigh joints right out of the package, making it nearly impossible for the figure to stand upright.

===Retractable thighs===
A common method of transformation in [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] was for the thighs of the toy to retract into the lower legs (or, more accurately, for the lower legs to push up over the thighs) when in vehicle or [[beast mode]], then for the thighs to extend while in robot mode. It doesn't take an enormous amount of wear for the thighs to loosen, and then they won't be able to stay extended in robot mode. When that happens, you'll either have a very short-legged version on display or you'll have to shove a wedge of paper down into the joint to increase the friction to let the thighs stay extended.

This problem can be particularly compounded when a toy has a really heavy upper body. A toy with electronics or [[die-cast]] metal in the torso will be much more likely to collapse its own knees just due to weight, time, and wear and tear on the toy.

* Generation 1 [[combiner|Special Teams]] toys are particularly prone to this, especially the smaller [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]].
* [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] represents a reversal of this problem: it is quite easy to overextend his lower legs in such a way that they can never fully compress back into vehicle mode again.
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] is particularly problematic due to his heavy upper body and nothing to actually lock the legs into place once extended.
* [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] is also prone to this problem.
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] suffers from it too - his thighs are thick slabs of die-cast, making them incredibly heavy for such parts and straining the tabs that are supposed to hold them in place for robot mode.
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Laser Optimus Prime]] has a massively heavy upper body and weak knees. It's incredibly common for him just to collapse into Stumptimus Prime.
* ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Soundwave]]'s entire leg assembly is made of multiple retractable components that lack the ability to lock together securely. Put a heavy die-cast metal chest on top of that and you end up with a toy that will never stand up on its own no matter how pristine it is.

==Clipping issues==
Sometimes when designing a Transformer, the designers will forget that these things have to work in 3D space. Parts will have to bend around each other or pass through the same space during transformation. Often, if you don't do steps in the right order, this will lead to parts breaking or snapping. This is particularly problematic when you give the designers the freedom of things like ball joints, where you can use their flexibility to transform the toy, leading not just to breakages but to toys that are incredibly difficult and frustrating to transform.

===Parts breaking off other parts===
Especially around late Generation 1, there were a few toys which required transforming their parts in the right order. If you didn't, you risked breaking your toy when the parts pushed against each other, causing stress or wear. This problem is a lot less common with modern Transformers, which use parts that are designed to pop off rather than simply break if the stresses are too great.

* Generation 1 [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]]'s [[interstellar shuttle]]'s wings are known to snap quite regularly. This is particularly a problem for his ''left'' wing because of the way the base is designed. If you attempt to fold Skystalker's wing down from base mode into its shuttle position '''before''' you've folded in the grey box next to it, it's very easy to snap the wing due to the edge of the box just touching the wing. The edge of the box is even curved, giving you the visual impression that it won't be a problem. But it will be a problem, as attested to by eBay's endless supply of one-winged Skystalker bases.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] has tabs in his wrists that prevent them from extending into a straight position. Unfortunately, these same tabs act as levers so that if you try to force the hands into a straight position, you will simply snap his wrists. Ouch.
* [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Octane|Tankor's]] head rests on a retractable section, but even when extracted all the way up, the surrounding torso still gets in the way of his head rotation, gradually chipping off plastic from the lower section of his helmet. This is ''almost'' a clearance issue as detailed above; however, the head ''can'' just barely rotate, it merely scratches off plastic in the process.

==Common failure points==
Some toys have flimsy plastic, others have joints that are too tight, and still others have metal pieces wearing on poor plastic pieces. Whatever the case, there are often Transformers with predictable, easily identifiable breakage points. Let's have a look at a few types.

===Breakable joints===
Joints are very important to Transformers. They're required both for articulation and to allow the toy to change from one form to another. Usually, articulation isn't much of a problem, but sometimes transformation puts a massive amount of pressure on a small joint that's just not able to keep up with the strain of moving large parts of the toy from one place to another. You'll see eBay littered with toys that are victims of these sorts of joints, the same toy breaking over and over in the same place due to the stresses on a joint.

* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] is particularly bad, with his entire body rotating around a flimsy little waist joint that likes to snap. Loves to snap. Delights in snapping. Reportedly, the [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]] of Metroplex has made this joint a little bit more robust.
* ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron's]] turret has a gearing flaw on the inside. Namely, the ratcheting joint simply...breaks, eventually. The "ratchet" is actually a ''very'' small and flimsy gear that is attached to the rotating handle. When the handle is locked in place, high stress is placed on the gear and tends to make it snap somewhere between the teeth, becoming loose or falling off to rattle around inside Megatron. It's not uncommon for the gear to break even under regular, unlocked circumstances. This affects all redecoes of the mold, as they came out in rapid succession and this particular flaw presents over time.
* All four [[Action Master Elite]] figures ([[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Spreem]], [[Windmill (G1)|Windmill]], [[Turbo Master]] and [[Double Punch]]) are prone to roughly the same problem as ''Armada'' Megatron, in that the gears used to drive their gimmicks are not made of strong enough plastic to last very long. Many an Elite can be found with a half a neon plastic gear rattling around inside. To a lesser extent, this can also affect the [[Lightformer]]s and [[Trakkon]]s depending on how much play their turrets endure.
* This same problem is also usually the culprit when ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Blast Punch Optimus Primal's]] gimmick ceases working correctly.
* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Cliffjumper (Energon)|Cliffjumper]], [[Beachcomber (Energon)|Beachcomber]], and ''Super Link'' Overdrive's joints that hold the armatures for the vehicle bumper halves/robot feet to the legs are ''very'' thin on the top-side. Due to the heavy-duty molded detents on the ends of the armatures that form the joints themselves, the thin plastic parts have to flex to make room for the pseudo-ratcheted "teeth" to pass through, resulting in a loud, audible snap, and a forming of a large split in the thin plastic, when simply moving it with little-to-no force.
* Similarly, the pale gold shoulder fronts/panels on ''Energon'' [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] (and any other use of the mold) are prone to breaking due to the friction on the joints and how thin the plastic is. This causes the panels to snap apart between the connection points; particularly if one attempts to transform Scorponok into his jet mode. Initial versions of the figure featured the shoulder panels assembled in a way that creates more friction than is needed due to the "sharper" corners at the bottom joint being placed against the torso, preventing the movement needed. Ultimately, this running change didn't end up preventing the breakage, but it did help alleviate some of the stress on the joint.
* ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Scalpel (ROTF)|Scalpel]]'s leg sockets are a frequent breakage point due to the stress put on the relatively weak plastic used for them. Many Scalpels have their sockets either cracked or fully broken ''prior'' to opening the packaging.
* ''[[Power Core Combiners]]'' [[Mudslinger (PCC)|Mudslinger]] has an issue with the peg-and-socket swivels used on his thigh rotation. The peg is slightly too big for the socket, and the socket is made of relatively thin plastic, resulting in breakage; in some cases within hours of opening the toy.
* ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Reveal the Shield]]'' [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] features rubber handles for his motorcycle mode that are supposed to be folded back via an [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]]-style mechanism during the transformation. However, the thick rubber is very strong, much stronger than the joints the handles are attached to. ''Not'' using the Automorph mechanism is a quick way to break the joints; but even using it can eventually result in breakage. The only somewhat safe way to avoid permanent damage to the toy is to cut off the rubber tabs that hold the handles firmly in place in vehicle mode. Cutting the nubs off has been the only consistent fix to prevent breakage, which was actually done by Hasbro for subsequent uses of the sculpt.
* The original production run of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Deluxe Class [[Skids (G1)#Generations|Autobot Skids]] came with [[misassembly|misassembled]] hip pieces; swapping out the pieces requires caution, as the [[ball joint]]s that connect the crotch to the legs have a tendency to snap off under stress. Subsequent shipments of the figure were assembled correctly.
* Leader-class ''Generations'' [[Jetfire (G1)#Generations|Jetfire]] and his various redecos have very small hinges on the strut that forms the codpiece. These have metal pins holding them in place, and due to the corners of the adjacent parts used to make it click into place, these joints are under a lot of stress during transformation. The pins also have a tendency to shift, so that the rough texture of one end is holding both the strut and the piece it connects to at the same time, requiring extra force to move if not corrected.
* ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s joint for deploying [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'s head is susceptible to breakage, this was fixed for the [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] version of the mold.
* ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s lower front waist is susceptible to breakage, thanks to the [[Gold Plastic Syndrome#Unite Warriors|swirly gunmetal-colored plastic]] and the very tight waist swivel.
* The plastic parts on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#MP44|Optimus Prime]]'s (MP-44) lower knee joint's ratchets tend to build stress during movement and eventually break.

===Hands with stress marks===
Some toys come with handheld weapons that are slightly too large for their hands. For "closed fist"-shaped hands with fist holes for the weapons, this isn't quite as much of a problem; it gets more problematic with the recent introduction of half-open hands with round cavities for the weapons. Sculpted finger "joints" that are aligned in a straight line are an obvious weak point:

* The hands of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bludgeon (ROTF)#Voyager|Bludgeon]] (and his redecos/retools) can be prone to stress marks and even breakage because of the size of the katana's handle, although the soft plastic used for the sword helps mitigates this somewhat. (You'll probably end up with the fingers ''gouging notches'' on the sword, instead.)
* ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s thumbs can snap rather easily if you insert the handle part of the traffic light/flail into his hands one too many times. Making him hold the string part only during play can prevent this, but that would leave Prowl without a secure grip on his weapon.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]'s thumbs can snap right off because of the thickness of her swords's handles.
* Both ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Reveal the Shield]]'' "Laser" [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Wreck-Gar]] are prone to showing stress marks inside their hands after having their melee weapons inserted only a few times.

===Clear plastic breakage===
Translucent and transparent plastics (MABS) tend to be noticeably more brittle than the opaque ABS plastic used for most toys. This becomes a problem if the plastic is used in a part that has to endure regular stress, such as joints, and can even be exacerbated with age. Common especially for ''[[Diaclone]]''-based toys, which have hinged clear plastic parts that are very well known for snapping or breaking.

* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl's]] roof is particularly prone to this problem.
* A number of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toys, such as Deluxe [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Skydive (BM)|Skydive]], use clear plastic for tightly pinned joints. These generally break without careful use. Ultra-Class [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] in particular is very difficult to find intact, being largely constructed out of translucent plastic that became very brittle with age.
* [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl's]] clear plastic car doors are mounted on ball joints. Unfortunately, clear plastic is not usually malleable enough to withstand constant pressure and tends to break, especially if the door is accidentally dislodged from the joint.
* The joint that connects the windshield to the back of some early versions of [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|movie]] Voyager Class [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]s were made of clear plastic, which resulted in numerous breakage issues. Later releases fixed this by changing the material of the joint to sturdier opaque plastic.
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]] Deluxe Class [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]] used clear plastic for his [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]] gears, which often tended to come broken right out of the packaging.
* The [[2008]] ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Swindle (Animated)#Toys|Swindle]] figure uses translucent plastic for his shoulder and hip joints, which suffer from constant physical stress and are highly prone to breaking. Due to this, finding a fully intact copy of the figure is very difficult.
* The aforementioned [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] ''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' Deluxe Class [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Wreck-Gar]] figure is also prone to fractures in his helmet-horns.
* Both the [[2017]] ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' and [[2021]] ''[[Studio Series]]'' releases of [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Jazz]] featured vehicle shells molded in translucent plastic painted white, which were found to inevitably break down over time even if not transformed.

===Inferior glue===
Some toys have parts attached to the rest of the toy not by pegs, screws, joints or struts, but with ''glue''. Depending on the quality of the glue, this can be an open invitation to easy breakage.

* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl's]] wing mirrors are glued onto the doors. Trying to open a door by pulling on the mirror could easily result in the mirror snapping off.
* ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Prowl's]] blue windshield segments are held on with a rather peculiar rubbery glue that will expand and pop off the windshield segments in warmer climates over time. No permanent damage is done, thankfully. Poor Prowl can't catch a break.
* The ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline)|Bumblebee]]'' Speed Series [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SpeedCamaro|Camaro Bumblebee's]] hands is somewhat prone to breakage due to lightly-applied glue.
* Some samples of ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Cromar#Generations Selects|Cromar]] have had badly glued-together heads, resulting in a head that, when an attempt to turn it is made, splits in half and falls off. Since a 180-degree rotation of the head is a transformation step for that mold...yeah.

===Plasticizer breakdown===
A predictable long term problem that presents in various gross ways, PVC breakdown is when the plasticizer that keeps PVC plastic "rubbery" expires or seeps out over time <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer Wikipedia's detailed rundown on plasticizers]</ref>. Unlike other examples on this page, PVC breakdown presents in various ways almost by the decade. Curiously, Beast Wars and Beast Machines era rubberized plastics appear exempt from breakdown... so far.

* Tires and other parts "drying out" and splitting or crumbling over time is frequent across several lines, especially if the toys were stored in hot conditions. Split tires were especially common in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001's ''Robots in Disguise'']], with crumbling PVC parts showing up as early as 1993's G2 [[Color Changer]] water pumps and as late as 2007's Legends [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]].

* ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Pretender]] soft plastic parts, particularly [[Pretender Monster]] shells and regular [[Pretender]] arms, eventually start turning splotchy and greasy over time. While this doesn't affect the inner robots, it can have the knock-on effect of taking the ink off stickers directly touching the plasticizer. Also, it's probably just not a great idea for human skin to be in contact with 30+ year old chemical seepage often. This style of PVC breakdown has become rare, but occasionally pops up in some later releases, notably the hoses and missile tips on the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Destructicon (RID)|Destructicons]], which become extremely sticky.

* Starting around 2008's [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'']] line to present, rubberized parts no longer seep liquid residue, but instead develop a "dusty" appearance over time. This dust can be wiped off, but will be back within a few weeks. In some cases, this chemical reaction can lead to the PVC melting into the surrounding plastic, with [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Bludgeon]]'s shoulder treads being the poster child for it. Bludgeon just can't catch a break with this PVC stuff.

* Less a design flaw and more a common oversight, [[Fire Blast effect]] accessories ''will'' bond to and remove the paint on anything they touch over time in a similar way to Bludgeon's treads and should be stored separately.

==Isolated incidents==
Sometimes certain joints on figures can just break for what seems like no reason, and on no figure in particular. In most instances it is openly obvious why something broke, which usually links back to the way a type of joint is designed. These cases are particularly annoying for collectors going back and collecting older figures, only to find that the particular specimen they bought happened to be a figure with joints that are the equivalent of a ticking time-bomb, due to some unforeseen circumstances, leading them to have to spend even ''more'' money for a replacement. These "isolated" design flaws, generally stem from [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] experimenting with cost-efficient techniques for joints that don't require as many parts, such as the springless [[Ratchet (mechanism)|ratchet]] example below.

We must preface that the listed joints are only known to cause issues in ''some'' instances, due to the designers overlooking potential issues that could occur with designs. This is '''''not''''' a list of things that are guaranteed to break on every single toy that has one of these listed joints.

===Springless ratchet joints===
This particular design flaw can be commonly found on figures released in the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' mega-brand around the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'', ''[[Studio Series]]'', and ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]''/''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' eras. The way these particular ratchets are formed is much different to the ratchets of toys from, say—the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], where springs, pins, rivets and such were all included to make a ratchet function. In these particular eras—excluding some of the larger Titan Class figures—most of these ratchet joints work exclusively via a plastic-on-plastic system that uses less parts, where the teeth are typically located on the wheel-shaped inner-joint, that interacts with one or more tiny, plastic, hollow rectangle-shaped pieces, that have a little triangular point on the side, which sit inside designated slots inside the shell-halves that form a limb chunk (such as a lower leg or a shoulder).

:'''Function:''' When articulating the joint, the triangular point on the rectangle part is pressed in by the toothy wheel, causing the piece to flex or bend in on itself. Then, when it makes it to the next dip in the toothy wheel, it "springs" back to its original state, locking the joint in its new position.

:'''Flaw:''' Because these pieces are like a rectangular ring, and the plastic is so thin, the friction of the joint is sometimes enough to snap these little pieces, because they've been bent to their limit; this in turn, breaks the ratchet entirely. Some of these little rectangular pieces aren't always a full ring either, and are instead molded in the shape of a brace/curly bracket (aka one of these symbols: '''{ }''' ), which gives them even more of a chance of breaking due to there being less "springy" resistance present; basically, the moment the ratchet is activated and the piece bends, it has the potential to just snap, due to there being no "base" to provide the spring-back momentum needed for it to function.

:'''Potential remedies:''' To help prevent some of these breakages, some "[[IP infringement|third party]]" companies that make unofficial "upgrade kits" for toys will include little rubber or foam rectangles in their sets that are made to wedge inside the hollow part of the rectangular rings to help reinforce them, while simultaneously tightening the ratchets. This will not help if one of these rings has already been broken, however.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Toys]]

Design flaw

2024-06-10T19:16:03Z

Chasd20:

A '''design flaw''' is a physical problem with a [[toy]] that is either directly rooted in its design itself or the transition from a two-dimensional design to a three-dimensional object.

Generally, ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' toys are marvels of modern toy engineering. They can be [[transformation (toys)|changed]] from [[alternate mode|one form]] into another, and yet they still manage to be both great vehicle or animal toys ''and'' great action figures.

Despite that, sometimes there are problems. Because of the complexities in design, there are some common ways that toys don't work the way they were intended. Sometimes a toy's features aren't quite finished, or don't really work how they're supposed to. Some toys also have common breakage points or parts that wear down in predictably consistent ways. Sometimes the way a toy transforms can cause it to break. Sometimes [[plastic|the materials]] weren't meant to last for decades. Sometimes toys just plain aren't what they're supposed to be. That's what design flaws are all about.

This phenomenon should not be confused with [[misassembly]] or one-off molding errors, in which toys leave the factory in a condition not in accordance with the design. Those issues should be caught in [[quality control]].

==Clearance issues==
[[File:BH CV Hun-Gurrr Claws comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|All the way, baby.]]
Some toys have joints that don't work the way they are intended to. Sometimes the parts just can't go all the way, ending up with misaligned parts. Sometimes joints are even entirely useless, allowing for minimal articulation at best... because adjacent parts get in the way of the articulated part. For some reason, heads are particularly prone to this kind of problem.

* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Steamhammer (Energon)|Steamhammer]], in theory, has an articulated head, but there is absolutely no configuration where it could possibly move, because the [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] treads are in the way.
* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]] has a similar problem. The ridges on his chest (the air vents on the vehicle mode hood) hinder any rotation of the head.
* Likewise, [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|movie]] [[Fast Action Battlers]] [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys|Ironhide]] has a head that sits on a ''ball joint'', but the only purpose it serves is allowing for the head to pop off, because the plastic parts behind the head hinder any movement.
* Movie [[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]] is only minimally better, with the ridges on his chest limiting the possible head articulation to a few degrees in each direction.
* Movie Deluxe Class [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] is about as bad as Swindle.
* Movie Deluxe Class [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] has the same problem with his waist. Articulation is limited to a few degrees in each direction thanks to an immovable piece of plastic on his back getting in the way.
* Movie Voyager Class [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys|Autobot Ratchet]] has articulated thumbs that can't move because plastic parts of the wrists get in the way.
* Movie Voyager Class [[Blackout (Movie)#Toys|Blackout]] and [[Evac (Movie)|any other]] [[Grindor (ROTF)|use of]] [[Whirl (ROTF)|the mold]] has issues residing in the shoulders; there is not enough clearance for them to move past the cockpit assembly due to the tabs catching on the inner molded details. This means that the pieces have to be flexed past eachother, which can often results in the mushroom-pins/hinges to be stripped from their sockets, leading to incredibly loose shoulder joints or in the worst case, they'll be torn off completely.
* [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] Deluxe Class [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide's]] head rests on a piece of plastic that can't be aligned properly with the torso because of plastic parts getting in the way of the hinge, making him incapable of looking straight forward.
* [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|ROTF]] Leader Class Optimus Prime's arm panels that form the front nose of the truck are hindered by the tanks on his arm panels when converting into vehicle mode, the tanks have to be rotated up and squeezed between the doors in order to gain clearance. This seems to be fixed with the Takara DOTM Jetwing and Striker Optimus Prime molds, as the swords are removed and allow the blade-like shoulder parts to flip the opposite way, allowing the arm panels to move farther and gain more clearance.
* [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] [[Sea Spray (TF 2010)|Sea Spray's]] hands can rotate about 45 degrees sideways at maximum at the wrists, because plastic parts of the forearms get in the way.
* On a more broad note, a characteristic of the [[Titanium Series]] transformable figures involved joints that bent in oddly or arbitrarily limited ways, such as 45 degrees backward at the knee, but 90 degrees ''forward''.
* Initial shipments of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Legion Class [[Hun-Gurrr (Prime)|Hun-Gurrr]] were unable to fold the claws over all the way in both directions due to problems with the plastic tolerances. This was amended by a running change, which also affected international releases of the figure. (All subsequent releases of the sculpt came with the corrected claws.)
* 2012's [[Sideswipe (WFC)#Generations|''Generations'' Sideswipe]] was retooled from [[Jazz (WFC)#Generations|Generations Jazz]], though the changes made to reshell the figure into Sideswipe don't extend far enough to latch into place, leaving his upper torso perpetually unstable.
* ''[[Combiner Wars]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Combiner_Wars|Optimus Prime]] has heavy ratcheted hips to support the weight of his combined mode. However, the "stopping points" on the ratchets are rather far apart; consequently, it's difficult to get his legs in any position between "poker-straight" and "heavily splayed out." This is especially noticeable as his feet are designed with a slight slant, suggesting an "intended" pose where they're slightly far apart, but the toy isn't actually capable of assuming that intended pose for very long before the springs take over and splay him out again. The problem persisted in early releases of [[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]], but a [[running change]] repositioned the ratchet teeth to make them function properly, which carried over into all future versions.
* ''[[Earthrise]]'' [[Doubledealer#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Doubledealer]]'s tail feather section has a ridge where the intended movement is, making it somewhat hard to move.

==Square peg, round hole==
Some toys that are designed to have parts connect to other parts by plugging a [[peg]] into a corresponding peg hole have problems due to the length, size or shape of the pegs, resulting in the parts not connecting properly. This mostly affects accessories such as weapons.

* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime's]] [[ion blaster]] sports a peg that is supposed to plug into the hole in one of his fists. However, the weapon's handle (which has an entirely aesthetic purpose) and the forearms get into each other's way, and since the peg is too short, Optimus can't hold his weapon both tight and straight at the same time. This was fixed by a [[variant|running change]] that saw the fist holes elongated upwards, but the problem re-emerged with some [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]] of the toy.
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] has a similar problem to Optimus Prime involving his sword. The crossguard and his dino mode front feet make it so he can only hold it upright if the flat is facing forward; the only way for him to actually swing it to use the edge is if he wields it reverse-grip.
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Devastator (G1)/toys|Devastator]]'s combined form suffers from several issues in the toy's design, mainly down to pegs and holes lining up, leaving some components on a hair trigger connection. The most notable of these is the chest plate, which has the friction clip barely reaching its correct spot on Hook, making it lean towards the right. There is also clearly a tab on the chest plate made to go into Long Haul's grill, but due to how far his chest sticks out, it can't reach it at all. With hardly anything holding the chest plate on, it is likely to fall off if bumped. The connector that houses Devastator's head also has its posts and holes misaligned with the respective connectors on Long Haul leaving the combined torso with a slight permanent twist to the right as well. It's no wonder the Scramble City combiner design became the "standard" in later years.
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl's]] hood is designed to fold down completely flush against his chest, but cannot make it all the way because the support bar on the left steering link bracket in the hood collides with the corresponding part of the rocker panel that folds into the chest (The right bracket is essentially mirrored, but shifts the support bar a few millimeters, and as a result has no such clearance issue).
* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Deluxe Class [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] isn't quite as bad... but his claw weapons' pegs were shortened some time shortly between stock photography and release, making it very difficult to plug the claws into his hands tightly.
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]] Deluxe Class [[Brawl (Movie)#Deluxe Class|Decepticon Brawl's]] arms are connected to the torso at the shoulders by diamond-shaped pegs, but the pegs are ever so slightly too big for the corresponding peg holes, resulting in the arms having a tendency to detach from the torso at the slightest touch. This was fixed for the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Deep Desert Brawl [[redeco]] of the sculpt.
* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] and his [[redeco]]s have a problem with the peg that connects the jet nosecone to the pelvis in [[robot mode]] (the official one according to the [[instructions]]) as well as in [[Superion Maximus]] mode: The corresponding peg hole has a cavity on one side, resulting in the peg not locking in place securely. Meanwhile, a problem similar to the one with movie Deluxe Brawl occurs with a second peg hole that can be used for an alternate (non-official, though possibly intended by the designers but ignored by the instructions), shorter robot mode for Storm Jet, where the pegs tends to pop out of the peg hole due to too much pressure.
* Deluxe Class [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Wreck-Gar]] from the ''Reveal the Shield'' [[subline imprint]] of the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]] has a minor problem with the tabs that connect his torso to the shoulders, which are just a tiny bit too long, resulting in the shoulders not locking in all the way, causing a small gap. It's more evident on his left shoulder than on the right one.<ref name="shoulders">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/reveal-the-shield/wreck-gar/2281/1/62/ Reveal the Shield Wreck-Gar with particularly poorly connecting shoulders] at Seibertron.com.</ref>
* ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Commander [[Powerglide (DOTM)|Powerglide]] has diamond-shaped pegs that connect his shoulders to the torso, and a rectangular peg that connects the crotch to the rest of the torso. None of the pegs plug in tightly, resulting in a slightly unstable robot mode.
* Many, many [[Titan Master]]s, especially in early waves, suffered from problems of this sort. The intended design is that the neck sockets use a clamp mechanism to hold the head in place, but a large number had clamps that simply weren't tight enough. Poor [[quality control]] shares the blame here, but even then, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] seemed to be pretty much universally unable to keep their heads in place. Some fans have found the problem to be alleviated by altering the orientation of the Titan Master; for instance, plugging it in backwards, or even sideways.
* ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' [[Grapple (G1)#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Grapple]] has pegs on the base of his crane arm attachment that are much too thick for the hexagonal pegholes on the bottom of his soles meant to secure the vehicle mode, causing them to break when attempting to unpeg them during transformation to robot mode. This issue was fixed when the mold was retooled into ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' [[Inferno (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Inferno]], as well as redecoed into [[Hauler#Legacy|Hauler]].

==Strong spring, weak peg==
Some toys have metal springs that power a [[gimmick]] or help during the [[transformation]] (as part of, or similar to, an [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]] mechanism). When not deployed (i.e., the spring is under pressure), the relevant parts are usually held in place by tabs. Sometimes the pegs are slightly too small, resulting in too much plastic clearance. As a consequence, the parts in question are not held in place securely, and the mechanism is likely to be deployed unintentionally.

* This happens quite a lot with spring-powered missile launchers, resulting in the missiles being fired at the slightest touch. In some extreme cases, it's almost impossible to lock the missile in place without it being instantly fired back out.
* The [[Power Core Combiners]] are also prone to this. The limb drones use an auto-transformation mechanism that is activated by the same peg used to connect them to the torso robot. However, the transformed "limb" mode is the position that puts pressure on the spring; and due to too much plastic clearance between the connector pegs and the limbs, the drones—specifically the arms, which aren't held in by gravity like the legs are—have a tendency to transform back into their [[alternate mode]]s, detaching from the connector pegs in the process.
* ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' "[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]" [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Generations|Cybertronian Optimus Prime's]] gun can be folded up to a more "compact" form, with a spring mechanism converting it back into its primary weapon mode. The only thing that keeps the spring mechanism from deploying in the compact form is a very small plastic tab.
*[[Titans Return]] [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon's]] leg ratchets are extremely strong to the point where the plastic inside starts bending, eventually leading to very floppy legs.

==Wear-based looseness==
It's perhaps unfair to include this as a ''design flaw'', but it should be touched upon. When a toy is played with frequently, the plastics or metals will wear against each other, causing the friction that keeps the joints tight to lessen. This will lead to looseness in the toy's joints. The easiest way to avoid this common malady is simply not to play with a toy. Looseness is often not much of a problem with toys kept on display. A loose-armed [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] will look much the same as a tightly jointed Optimus Prime. However, looseness can be more of a problem for other toys, preventing them from standing or holding together in their alt mode.

Some toys are particularly prone to looseness not just due to wear but also to design. Heavy parts on weak joints are a common problem here, leading to incredibly weak joints that are loose and difficult to use how they were intended.

===Ball joints===
[[Ball joint]]s, which rely entirely on friction to work, are a common victim of wear-based looseness. This can be particularly bad for toys with ball-jointed hips, ankles or legs, making them nearly impossible to stand. Looseness in ball joints can also make it easy to lose parts, such as arms, legs, or kibble panels...oh, or heads...or, uhh...well, just about anything on a ball joint.

* Almost all of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' is afflicted with this problem. Woe to all those kids who grew up on ''Beast Wars''. Good luck having complete toys.
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Cyberjet]]s can be nigh-impossible to stand with just a little joint wear, but it's their arms that tend to get especially floppy.
* The original ''[[Titanium Series]]'' six-inch [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is known to be so loose that he has a hard time even staying together, much less holding a pose. The use of [[die-cast]] only exacerbates the problem.
* [[Skullcruncher (G1)#Generations|''Titans Return'' Skullsmasher]] has horribly loose balljoints for thigh joints right out of the package, making it nearly impossible for the figure to stand upright.

===Retractable thighs===
A common method of transformation in [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] was for the thighs of the toy to retract into the lower legs (or, more accurately, for the lower legs to push up over the thighs) when in vehicle or [[beast mode]], then for the thighs to extend while in robot mode. It doesn't take an enormous amount of wear for the thighs to loosen, and then they won't be able to stay extended in robot mode. When that happens, you'll either have a very short-legged version on display or you'll have to shove a wedge of paper down into the joint to increase the friction to let the thighs stay extended.

This problem can be particularly compounded when a toy has a really heavy upper body. A toy with electronics or [[die-cast]] metal in the torso will be much more likely to collapse its own knees just due to weight, time, and wear and tear on the toy.

* Generation 1 [[combiner|Special Teams]] toys are particularly prone to this, especially the smaller [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]].
* [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] represents a reversal of this problem: it is quite easy to overextend his lower legs in such a way that they can never fully compress back into vehicle mode again.
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] is particularly problematic due to his heavy upper body and nothing to actually lock the legs into place once extended.
* [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] is also prone to this problem.
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] suffers from it too - his thighs are thick slabs of die-cast, making them incredibly heavy for such parts and straining the tabs that are supposed to hold them in place for robot mode.
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Laser Optimus Prime]] has a massively heavy upper body and weak knees. It's incredibly common for him just to collapse into Stumptimus Prime.
* ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Soundwave]]'s entire leg assembly is made of multiple retractable components that lack the ability to lock together securely. Put a heavy die-cast metal chest on top of that and you end up with a toy that will never stand up on its own no matter how pristine it is.

==Clipping issues==
Sometimes when designing a Transformer, the designers will forget that these things have to work in 3D space. Parts will have to bend around each other or pass through the same space during transformation. Often, if you don't do steps in the right order, this will lead to parts breaking or snapping. This is particularly problematic when you give the designers the freedom of things like ball joints, where you can use their flexibility to transform the toy, leading not just to breakages but to toys that are incredibly difficult and frustrating to transform.

===Parts breaking off other parts===
Especially around late Generation 1, there were a few toys which required transforming their parts in the right order. If you didn't, you risked breaking your toy when the parts pushed against each other, causing stress or wear. This problem is a lot less common with modern Transformers, which use parts that are designed to pop off rather than simply break if the stresses are too great.

* Generation 1 [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]]'s [[interstellar shuttle]]'s wings are known to snap quite regularly. This is particularly a problem for his ''left'' wing because of the way the base is designed. If you attempt to fold Skystalker's wing down from base mode into its shuttle position '''before''' you've folded in the grey box next to it, it's very easy to snap the wing due to the edge of the box just touching the wing. The edge of the box is even curved, giving you the visual impression that it won't be a problem. But it will be a problem, as attested to by eBay's endless supply of one-winged Skystalker bases.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] has tabs in his wrists that prevent them from extending into a straight position. Unfortunately, these same tabs act as levers so that if you try to force the hands into a straight position, you will simply snap his wrists. Ouch.
* [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Octane|Tankor's]] head rests on a retractable section, but even when extracted all the way up, the surrounding torso still gets in the way of his head rotation, gradually chipping off plastic from the lower section of his helmet. This is ''almost'' a clearance issue as detailed above; however, the head ''can'' just barely rotate, it merely scratches off plastic in the process.

==Common failure points==
Some toys have flimsy plastic, others have joints that are too tight, and still others have metal pieces wearing on poor plastic pieces. Whatever the case, there are often Transformers with predictable, easily identifiable breakage points. Let's have a look at a few types.

===Breakable joints===
Joints are very important to Transformers. They're required both for articulation and to allow the toy to change from one form to another. Usually, articulation isn't much of a problem, but sometimes transformation puts a massive amount of pressure on a small joint that's just not able to keep up with the strain of moving large parts of the toy from one place to another. You'll see eBay littered with toys that are victims of these sorts of joints, the same toy breaking over and over in the same place due to the stresses on a joint.

* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] is particularly bad, with his entire body rotating around a flimsy little waist joint that likes to snap. Loves to snap. Delights in snapping. Reportedly, the [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]] of Metroplex has made this joint a little bit more robust.
* ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron's]] turret has a gearing flaw on the inside. Namely, the ratcheting joint simply...breaks, eventually. The "ratchet" is actually a ''very'' small and flimsy gear that is attached to the rotating handle. When the handle is locked in place, high stress is placed on the gear and tends to make it snap somewhere between the teeth, becoming loose or falling off to rattle around inside Megatron. It's not uncommon for the gear to break even under regular, unlocked circumstances. This affects all redecoes of the mold, as they came out in rapid succession and this particular flaw presents over time.
* All four [[Action Master Elite]] figures ([[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Spreem]], [[Windmill (G1)|Windmill]], [[Turbo Master]] and [[Double Punch]]) are prone to roughly the same problem as ''Armada'' Megatron, in that the gears used to drive their gimmicks are not made of strong enough plastic to last very long. Many an Elite can be found with a half a neon plastic gear rattling around inside. To a lesser extent, this can also affect the [[Lightformer]]s and [[Trakkon]]s depending on how much play their turrets endure.
* This same problem is also usually the culprit when ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Blast Punch Optimus Primal's]] gimmick ceases working correctly.
* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Cliffjumper (Energon)|Cliffjumper]], [[Beachcomber (Energon)|Beachcomber]], and ''Super Link'' Overdrive's joints that hold the armatures for the vehicle bumper halves/robot feet to the legs are ''very'' thin on the top-side. Due to the heavy-duty molded detents on the ends of the armatures that form the joints themselves, the thin plastic parts have to flex to make room for the pseudo-ratcheted "teeth" to pass through, resulting in a loud, audible snap, and a forming of a large split in the thin plastic, when simply moving it with little-to-no force.
* Similarly, the pale gold shoulder fronts/panels on ''Energon'' [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] (and any other use of the mold) are prone to breaking due to the friction on the joints and how thin the plastic is. This causes the panels to snap apart between the connection points; particularly if one attempts to transform Scorponok into his jet mode. Initial versions of the figure featured the shoulder panels assembled in a way that creates more friction than is needed due to the "sharper" corners at the bottom joint being placed against the torso, preventing the movement needed. Ultimately, this running change didn't end up preventing the breakage, but it did help alleviate some of the stress on the joint.
* ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Scalpel (ROTF)|Scalpel]]'s leg sockets are a frequent breakage point due to the stress put on the relatively weak plastic used for them. Many Scalpels have their sockets either cracked or fully broken ''prior'' to opening the packaging.
* ''[[Power Core Combiners]]'' [[Mudslinger (PCC)|Mudslinger]] has an issue with the peg-and-socket swivels used on his thigh rotation. The peg is slightly too big for the socket, and the socket is made of relatively thin plastic, resulting in breakage; in some cases within hours of opening the toy.
* ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Reveal the Shield]]'' [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] features rubber handles for his motorcycle mode that are supposed to be folded back via an [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]]-style mechanism during the transformation. However, the thick rubber is very strong, much stronger than the joints the handles are attached to. ''Not'' using the Automorph mechanism is a quick way to break the joints; but even using it can eventually result in breakage. The only somewhat safe way to avoid permanent damage to the toy is to cut off the rubber tabs that hold the handles firmly in place in vehicle mode. Cutting the nubs off has been the only consistent fix to prevent breakage, which was actually done by Hasbro for subsequent uses of the sculpt.
* The original production run of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Deluxe Class [[Skids (G1)#Generations|Autobot Skids]] came with [[misassembly|misassembled]] hip pieces; swapping out the pieces requires caution, as the [[ball joint]]s that connect the crotch to the legs have a tendency to snap off under stress. Subsequent shipments of the figure were assembled correctly.
* Leader-class ''Generations'' [[Jetfire (G1)#Generations|Jetfire]] and his various redecos have very small hinges on the strut that forms the codpiece. These have metal pins holding them in place, and due to the corners of the adjacent parts used to make it click into place, these joints are under a lot of stress during transformation. The pins also have a tendency to shift, so that the rough texture of one end is holding both the strut and the piece it connects to at the same time, requiring extra force to move if not corrected.
* ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s joint for deploying [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'s head is susceptible to breakage, this was fixed for the [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] version of the mold.
* ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s lower front waist is susceptible to breakage, thanks to the [[Gold Plastic Syndrome#Unite Warriors|swirly gunmetal-colored plastic]] and the very tight waist swivel.
* The plastic parts on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#MP44|Optimus Prime]]'s (MP-44) lower knee joint's ratchets tend to build stress during movement and eventually break.

===Hands with stress marks===
Some toys come with handheld weapons that are slightly too large for their hands. For "closed fist"-shaped hands with fist holes for the weapons, this isn't quite as much of a problem; it gets more problematic with the recent introduction of half-open hands with round cavities for the weapons. Sculpted finger "joints" that are aligned in a straight line are an obvious weak point:

* The hands of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bludgeon (ROTF)#Voyager|Bludgeon]] (and his redecos/retools) can be prone to stress marks and even breakage because of the size of the katana's handle, although the soft plastic used for the sword helps mitigates this somewhat. (You'll probably end up with the fingers ''gouging notches'' on the sword, instead.)
* ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s thumbs can snap rather easily if you insert the handle part of the traffic light/flail into his hands one too many times. Making him hold the string part only during play can prevent this, but that would leave Prowl without a secure grip on his weapon.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]'s thumbs can snap right off because of the thickness of her swords's handles.
* Both ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Reveal the Shield]]'' "Laser" [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Wreck-Gar]] are prone to showing stress marks inside their hands after having their melee weapons inserted only a few times.

===Clear plastic breakage===
Translucent and transparent plastics (MABS) tend to be noticeably more brittle than the opaque ABS plastic used for most toys. This becomes a problem if the plastic is used in a part that has to endure regular stress, such as joints, and can even be exacerbated with age. Common especially for ''[[Diaclone]]''-based toys, which have hinged clear plastic parts that are very well known for snapping or breaking.

* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl's]] roof is particularly prone to this problem.
* A number of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toys, such as Deluxe [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Skydive (BM)|Skydive]], use clear plastic for tightly pinned joints. These generally break without careful use. Ultra-Class [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] in particular is very difficult to find intact, being largely constructed out of translucent plastic that became very brittle with age.
* [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl's]] clear plastic car doors are mounted on ball joints. Unfortunately, clear plastic is not usually malleable enough to withstand constant pressure and tends to break, especially if the door is accidentally dislodged from the joint.
* The joint that connects the windshield to the back of some early versions of [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|movie]] Voyager Class [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]s were made of clear plastic, which resulted in numerous breakage issues. Later releases fixed this by changing the material of the joint to sturdier opaque plastic.
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]] Deluxe Class [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]] used clear plastic for his [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]] gears, which often tended to come broken right out of the packaging.
* The [[2008]] ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' [[Swindle (Animated)#Toys|Swindle]] figure uses translucent plastic for his shoulder and hip joints, which suffer from constant physical stress and are highly prone to breaking. Due to this, finding a fully intact copy of the figure is very difficult.
* The aforementioned [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] ''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' Deluxe Class [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Wreck-Gar]] figure is also prone to fractures in his helmet-horns.
* Both the [[2017]] ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' and [[2021]] ''[[Studio Series]]'' releases of [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Jazz]] featured vehicle shells molded in translucent plastic painted white, which were found to inevitably break down over time even if not transformed.

===Inferior glue===
Some toys have parts attached to the rest of the toy not by pegs, screws, joints or struts, but with ''glue''. Depending on the quality of the glue, this can be an open invitation to easy breakage.

* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl's]] wing mirrors are glued onto the doors. Trying to open a door by pulling on the mirror could easily result in the mirror snapping off.
* ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Prowl's]] blue windshield segments are held on with a rather peculiar rubbery glue that will expand and pop off the windshield segments in warmer climates over time. No permanent damage is done, thankfully. Poor Prowl can't catch a break.
* The ''[[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline)|Bumblebee]]'' Speed Series [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SpeedCamaro|Camaro Bumblebee's]] hands is somewhat prone to breakage due to lightly-applied glue.
* Some samples of ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Cromar#Generations Selects|Cromar]] have had badly glued-together heads, resulting in a head that, when an attempt to turn it is made, splits in half and falls off. Since a 180-degree rotation of the head is a transformation step for that mold...yeah.

===Plasticizer breakdown===
A predictable long term problem that presents in various gross ways, PVC breakdown is when the plasticizer that keeps PVC plastic "rubbery" expires or seeps out over time <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer Wikipedia's detailed rundown on plasticizers]</ref>. Unlike other examples on this page, PVC breakdown presents in various ways almost by the decade. Curiously, Beast Wars and Beast Machines era rubberized plastics appear exempt from breakdown... so far.

* Tires and other parts "drying out" and splitting or crumbling over time is frequent across several lines, especially if the toys were stored in hot conditions. Split tires were especially common in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001's ''Robots in Disguise'']], with crumbling PVC parts showing up as early as 1993's G2 [[Color Changer]] water pumps and as late as 2007's Legends [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]].

* ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Pretender]] soft plastic parts, particularly [[Pretender Monster]] shells and regular [[Pretender]] arms, eventually start turning splotchy and greasy over time. While this doesn't affect the inner robots, it can have the knock-on effect of taking the ink off stickers directly touching the plasticizer. Also, it's probably just not a great idea for human skin to be in contact with 30+ year old chemical seepage often. This style of PVC breakdown has become rare, but occasionally pops up in some later releases, notably the hoses and missile tips on the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Destructicon (RID)|Destructicons]], which become extremely sticky.

* Starting around 2008's [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'']] line to present, rubberized parts no longer seep liquid residue, but instead develop a "dusty" appearance over time. This dust can be wiped off, but will be back within a few weeks. In some cases, this chemical reaction can lead to the PVC melting into the surrounding plastic, with [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Bludgeon]]'s shoulder treads being the poster child for it. Bludgeon just can't catch a break with this PVC stuff.

* Less a design flaw and more a common oversight, [[Fire Blast effect]] accessories ''will'' bond to and remove the paint on anything they touch over time in a similar way to Bludgeon's treads and should be stored separately.

==Isolated incidents==
Sometimes certain joints on figures can just break for what seems like no reason, and on no figure in particular. In most instances it is openly obvious why something broke, which usually links back to the way a type of joint is designed. These cases are particularly annoying for collectors going back and collecting older figures, only to find that the particular specimen they bought happened to be a figure with joints that are the equivalent of a ticking time-bomb, due to some unforeseen circumstances, leading them to have to spend even ''more'' money for a replacement. These "isolated" design flaws, generally stem from [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] experimenting with cost-efficient techniques for joints that don't require as many parts, such as the springless [[Ratchet (mechanism)|ratchet]] example below.

We must preface that the listed joints are only known to cause issues in ''some'' instances, due to the designers overlooking potential issues that could occur with designs. This is '''''not''''' a list of things that are guaranteed to break on every single toy that has one of these listed joints.

===Springless ratchet joints===
This particular design flaw can be commonly found on figures released in the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' mega-brand around the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'', ''[[Studio Series]]'', and ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]''/''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' eras. The way these particular ratchets are formed is much different to the ratchets of toys from, say—the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], where springs, pins, rivets and such were all included to make a ratchet function. In these particular eras—excluding some of the larger Titan Class figures—most of these ratchet joints work exclusively via a plastic-on-plastic system that uses less parts, where the teeth are typically located on the wheel-shaped inner-joint, that interacts with one or more tiny, plastic, hollow rectangle-shaped pieces, that have a little triangular point on the side, which sit inside designated slots inside the shell-halves that form a limb chunk (such as a lower leg or a shoulder).

:'''Function:''' When articulating the joint, the triangular point on the rectangle part is pressed in by the toothy wheel, causing the piece to flex or bend in on itself. Then, when it makes it to the next dip in the toothy wheel, it "springs" back to its original state, locking the joint in its new position.

:'''Flaw:''' Because these pieces are like a rectangular ring, and the plastic is so thin, the friction of the joint is sometimes enough to snap these little pieces, because they've been bent to their limit; this in turn, breaks the ratchet entirely. Some of these little rectangular pieces aren't always a full ring either, and are instead molded in the shape of a brace/curly bracket (aka one of these symbols: '''{ }''' ), which gives them even more of a chance of breaking due to there being less "springy" resistance present; basically, the moment the ratchet is activated and the piece bends, it has the potential to just snap, due to there being no "base" to provide the spring-back momentum needed for it to function.

:'''Potential remedies:''' To help prevent some of these breakages, some "[[IP infringement|third party]]" companies that make unofficial "upgrade kits" for toys will include little rubber or foam rectangles in their sets that are made to wedge inside the hollow part of the rectangular rings to help reinforce them, while simultaneously tightening the ratchets. This will not help if one of these rings has already been broken, however.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Toys]]

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)

2023-09-17T11:34:57Z

Chasd20: /* Changes before, during, and after production */

{{nav-rotb}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Bumblebee (film)
|next=
|title=''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''
|image=Transformers Rise of the Beasts Theatrical Poster.jpeg
|caption=So for now, let the battle be here, on this strange, primitive world. And let it be called... Beast Wars!
|production companies=[[Skydance Media]] [[Entertainment One]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] [[New Republic Pictures]] [[Michael Bay|Bay Films]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Brian Goldner]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[Bradley J. Fischer]] [[Valerii An]] [[David Ellison]] [[Dana Goldberg]] [[Don Granger]]
|associate producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Duncan Henderson]]
|story by=[[Joby Harold]]
|screenplay by=[[Joby Harold]] [[Darnell Metayer]] [[Josh Peters]] [[Erich Hoeber]] [[Jon Hoeber]]
|directed by=[[Steven Caple Jr.]]
|cinematography by=[[Enrique Chediak]]
|edited by=[[Stuart Levy]] [[Brett M. Reed]]
|music by=[[Jongnic Bontemps]]
|release date=[[June 9]], [[2023]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=127 minutes <ref>https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/C0D78E2B005A16FE</ref>
|budget=$200 million
|box office=$438.9 million<ref>https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5090568/</ref>
}}
'''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''' is the seventh film in the [[live-action film series]], serving both as a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' and a tribute to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''. The film is directed by [[Steven Caple Jr.]] and written by [[Joby Harold]], [[Darnell Metayer]], [[Josh Peters]], [[Erich Hoeber]], and [[Jon Hoeber]]. Originally expected to be released on [[June 28]], [[2019]],<ref name="toyfairreveal">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/12/transformers-5-transformers-6-bumblebee-spin-off-movie-revealed-309503 Transformers 5, Transformers 6 And Bumblebee Spin-Off Movie Revealed] ToyFair news at TFW2005</ref> the film was delayed multiple times until finally being released on [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release"/>

When [[Noah Díaz]], a struggling young man trying to provide for his family, is roped into a conflict between the marooned [[Autobot]]s and the recently arrived [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], he must learn to work with weary Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] so they, with the help of the wise [[Maximal]]s and the unadventurous researcher [[Elena Wallace]], can stop the arrival of the planet-eater [[Unicron]].

{{quote|Maximals..!}}
{{quote|Autobots..!}}
{{quote|Roll out!|[[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]}}

==Synopsis==
[[File:ROTBcap-Unicronringedplanet.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|This is one unusual planet... whatever it is.]]

Somewhere in time and space, the dark god [[Unicron]] and his minions invade a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle world]] populated by [[Maximal]]s. Unicron, seeking a way to cross galaxies, sends his [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] herald [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] to retrieve the [[Transwarp Key]], an advanced device that can open portals in space-time. Although the Maximals attempt to fight back, their leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] entrusts [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and a small group of Maximals—[[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], and [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]]—with the Transwarp Key and orders them to keep the artifact from Unicron. As Primal and his followers use the key to escape their doomed planet and flee to prehistoric [[Earth]], Scourge kills Apelinq after a brief fight and takes his [[insignia]] as a trophy.

Thousands of years later, in June [[1994]], ex-military electronics expert [[Noah Díaz]] attempts to find a job to support his sick brother [[Kris Díaz|Kris]]. However, after another failed interview, his friend [[Reek]] convinces him to steal an expensive car from a nearby hotel. However, the "car" turns out to be the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] in disguise, who takes the terrified Noah on a joyride through the streets of [[New York City]]. At the same time, a museum on Ellis Island comes into possession of an unusual stone falcon with a Maximal insignia. After closing hours, museum intern [[Elena Wallace]] investigates the statue and accidentally breaks it open to reveal half of the Transwarp Key. The artifact releases an energy pulse that attracts the attention of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots, who have been stranded on Earth since their evacuation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] [[Bumblebee (film)|seven years prior]]. Prime summons the nearest Autobots—[[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], and Mirage, who arrives at the meeting spot with Noah in tow. Although Optimus distrusts humans, he believes that they can use the Transwarp Key to return home and liberate their homeworld; eventually, Mirage hatches a scheme to sneak into the museum and have Noah steal the key for them.

[[File:Scourge about to blast bee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|A treacherous, underhanded sneak attack! I like you, pussycat, yes.]]

Unbeknownst to the Autobots, the accidental activation of the Transwarp Key summons the Terrorcons to Earth. Noah meets Elena inside the museum, but cannot convince her to turn over the relic before the Terrorcons attack; despite Prime's best efforts, Scourge successfully overpowers the Autobot leader, steals the Transwarp Key, and mortally injures Bumblebee before Airazor arrives to help drive the villains away. Airazor explains that the Maximals have been on Earth for millennia, and deliberately split the Transwarp Key in half to prevent Unicron or his followers from using it. The loss of Bumblebee only further galvanizes Optimus's resolve that they must reassemble the key and return home; Noah, fearful of Unicron's arrival, tells Elena that they must destroy the key to protect their own homeworld.

[[File:ROTB-Maximalstandoff.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Moderate your conflict circuits, Maximals.]]

Elena deduces that the other half of the key is located in a hidden temple in [[Peru]], and Prime recruits the airborne Autobot [[Stratosphere]] to take them there. Near the city of [[Cusco]], the Autobot [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] guides them to the temple, located beneath a [[Convent of Santo Domingo|local monastery]]. A festival prevents the Autobots from moving through the city inconspicuously; as a result, Noah and Elena must make the journey on foot. The pair discover a hidden mechanism that leads to a hidden temple with a stone sarcophogus but find that the other half of the key is no longer inside it. The Terrorcons attack again, and although the Autobots are able to evade the villains, the conflict ends with Scourge infecting Airazor with a portion of Unicron's dark energy. On the other side of the temple, Noah and Elena encounter Optimus Primal and the other two Maximals, who, after a brief standoff that was defused by Airazor, agree to join forces with the Autobots. Optimus Primal explains that they entrusted the Transwarp Key to a tribe of humans who live near the [[energon]]-rich valley that Primal and his followers inhabit—while Optimus Prime distrusts humanity, Primal has lived among them for millennia, and has come to view them as friends and even allies.

The next morning, however, Scourge's corruption finally overtakes Airazor; in the ensuing battle, Primal is forced to crush her spark and put her offline to save Elena. Amidst the chaos, Noah makes an attempt to destroy their half of the Transwarp Key until Optimus convinces him to stand down. However, amidst the chaos, Scourge and the Terrorcons steal the other half of the key and relocate to a nearby volcano, which they reshape into a massive portal that will summon Unicron to Earth.
Having found some common ground between their two races, Optimus Prime and Noah agree to work together; while the Autobot-Maximal alliance battle Unicron's minions, Noah and Elena attempt to sneak into the Terrorcon base and deactivate the [[Unspace|transwarp]] device with a manual shutdown code based on Elena's studies of the Maximal language. Mirage attempts to distract Scourge so that the humans can complete their mission, but the Terrorcon leader gravely injures him; with the last of his strength, Mirage reshapes his body into an [[exosuit]] for Noah. As Unicron begins pushing his way through the portal to Earth and sending down reinforcements in the form of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s, the energy pulses released by the key ignite the nearby energon deposits and restore Bumblebee to life. As Bumblebee joins the fight, Optimus Prime gains the upper hand and finally kills Scourge, but not before the Terrorcon damages the console and leaves the heroes unable to close the portal. With no other options, Prime destroys the key and triggers a devastating implosion, but Noah and Primal successfully rescue the Autobot leader from falling into the collapsing vortex.

In the aftermath, the surviving Maximals remain in Peru, while the Autobots return to America. Elena is recognized for her archeological discovery, while Noah applies for another security job—but discovers that the job opportunity is actually a front for a clandestine government organization codenamed "[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]," who promise to cover his brother's treatment going forward.

Some time later, Noah has used spare Porsche parts to cobble together a new body for Mirage, and reveals his existence to a bewildered Reek.

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
;Autobots
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] ([[Pete Davidson]])
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] ([[Liza Koshy]])
* [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] ([[Cristo Fernández]])
* [[Stratosphere]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

;Maximals
* [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] ([[Ron Perlman]])
* [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] ([[Michelle Yeoh]])
* [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]] ([[Tongayi Chirisa]])
* [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] ([[David Sobolov]])
* [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] (David Sobolov)

|h2=[[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s|c2=
;Terrorcons
* [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] ([[Peter Dinklage]])
* [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] ([[Michaela Jaé Rodriguez]])
* [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] (David Sobolov)
* [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweep]]s
** [[Freezer]]
** [[Novakane]]

;Predacons
* [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
* [[Noah Díaz]] ([[Anthony Ramos]])
* [[Elena Wallace]] ([[Dominique Fishback]])
* [[Breanna Díaz]] ([[Luna Lauren Velez]])
* [[Kris Díaz]] ([[Dean Scott Vasquez]])
* [[Reek]] ([[Tobe Nwigwe]])
* [[Jillian Robinson]] ([[Sarah Stiles]])
* [[Bishop (ROTB)|Bishop]] ([[Aidan Devine]])
* [[D. Greene]] ([[Leni Parker]])
* [[Amaru]] ([[Lucas Huarancca]])
;[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]
* [[Agent Burke]] ([[Michael Kelly (actor)|Michael Kelly]])

|h4=Others|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[Colman Domingo]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==Quotes==
"There’s a legend that precedes the dawn of our civilization: a vile god so large, so powerful, that it consumed entire planets as fuel. Few believed such a thing could be true, until the day we saw Unicron with our own eyes…"
:—'''Optimus Primal's''' opening narration.

"I'll hold him off, buy you some time." 
"Then I'm staying with you." 
"This is my fight. Listen, if Unicron were to get the key, he could open a portal through [[Transwarp Drive|time and space]], with no end to the worlds he could destroy. It is now your time to lead the [[Maximal]]s... Optimus Primal."
:—'''Apelinq''' passing the torch to '''Optimus Primal'''.

"So you're this planet's... ''great'' warrior. You have such a beautiful world, filled with an abundance of life. Savory."
:—'''Scourge''' waxes poetic to Apelinq.

"Okay, what are the rules?" 
"Bros before hoes." 
''[Noah glares at Kris]'' 
''(sigh)'' "Don't be a problem. Don't go looking for a problem—" 
"Or else we're gonna have a problem."
:—'''Noah''' and '''Kris''' clarify the rules.

"I ain't breaking into a museum for some space robots." 
"But what about for friendship?" 
''[Noah stares at Mirage incredulously]'' 
"Uh, uh—or or ''or'', what about for cash?"
:—'''Noah''' wants out. '''Mirage''' wants him in.

''"You can't handle the truth!"'' 
"I do not want you going to that drive-in theater anymore."
:— '''Bumblebee's''' references grate on '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Stop following me!" 
"I'm not following you, I'm just escaping in the same direction!"
:—'''Elena''' and '''Noah''' run from the pursuing Sweeps.

"And you call yourself a Prime...Primus would be ''ashamed.''"
:—'''Scourge''' isn't too impressed with Optimus Prime.

"I'm going to take back Scourge's key, and then...''take off his head.''"
:—The origins of '''Optimus Prime's''' "GIVE ME YOUR FACE" phase.

"I love your fire, Prime, but you're going to die on this speck of dust." 
"I can think of no better place to bury you!"
:—'''Scourge''' has gotten on '''Optimus Prime's''' last nerve

"He is not ''the'' Optimus Prime I imagined." 
"Well, he has lost so much." 
"Many more will perish if the key falls into the wrong hands." 
"If you had another chance to save our home, would you act any differently?"
:—'''Optimus Primal''' and '''Airazor'''

"I am sorry, Noah." 
"You were looking out for your own. I can't even be angry at you for that." 
"On my homeworld, we believe that the battle with darkness will continue [['Til all are one|'til all are one]]. I lost sight of that. You fought for yours as I fought for mine, when we should've been fighting the darkness together." 
"Well, I ain't done fighting yet."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Noah''' have a moment as Unicron approaches.

"''I have come here to kick ass!''"
:—'''Bumblebee''' announces his return with a clear message.

"Time to show you the real power of a Prime!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' lays the smackdown on Scourge. An ass kicker cometh.

"Don't, Prime. I can give you everything you want." 
"Then DIE!"
:—'''Unicron's''' temptation falls flat in '''Optimus Prime's''' face.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We have lost the Transwarp Key, and with it, our ability to go home. But we have gained an ally in our battle against the forces of evil. Forces too powerful for any of us to defeat on our own, but together, we might just have a chance."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration. We missed them.

"I am Noah Díaz. What is there to know about me? I was raised out in Brooklyn. I got a little bro who calls me Sonic, and if I gotta help save the universe in order to help save the people I love, well then that's what I'm gonna do."
:—'''Noah''' does his own closing narration.

==Continuity notes==
''Rise of the Beasts'' is a direct sequel to 2018's ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' film, taking place seven years after its events, in 1994. The plot of the film has little impact on this one, beyond it being established that the Autobots have been stranded on Earth since arriving at its end. While waiting for Noah to infiltrate the museum, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee have a conversation that alludes to Bee's time with [[Charlie Watson]].

More notably, ''Rise of the Beasts'' serves to continue the heated debate among fans over whether or not the ''Transformers'' live-action film series has been rebooted, after reshoots to ''Bumblebee'' that served to distance it from the earlier films directed by [[Michael Bay]] introduced some significant discontinuities with Bay's films (2017's ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' in particular). Though fans were quick to jump on the idea that this meant the film was a total, hard reboot of the movie universe, Paramount has not committed to that idea; ''Rise of the Beasts'' was not promoted as a reboot any more than ''Bumblebee'' was, and many reviews of and articles about the film have casually referred to it as a prequel. Some web outlets would even run articles commenting on Paramount's hazy stance on the movie's (and ''Bumblebee'''s) place in continuity.<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/transformers-7-bumblebee-reboot-mistake "Rise of the Beasts Is Repeating Bumblebee's Worst Mistake" on CBR.com]</ref><ref>[https://movieweb.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-is-a-reboot/ "Why Does Paramount Keep Pretending Rise of the Beasts Is Not a Reboot?" on MovieWeb.com]</ref>

In-keeping with this, in the run-up to the film's release, like [[Travis Knight]] before him, director Steven Caple Jr. was reluctant to declare the film a full and total continuity reboot, stating that it is a "refresher" and a "new direction," that is nonetheless preserving many elements of the films that have gone before.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's a reboot for sure. The Bayverse... you can still watch the Bayverse and be on your own verse, so to speak. With us, we're definitely like, we want this to work, you know? We want people to... it's a refresher, so we can call reboot in terms of like, where we were starting. But yeah so definitely a new direction for sure. There's some things you could probably connect to it, clearly Bee is like a huge connection to all the movies, you know what I mean? In terms of his car, his design, a Camaro, and things like that, but... it's a very small one, in terms of the big ideas that we have. And so you guys will see definitely where we're going at the end of this film, which is crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfMFxvT_-Q&t=2452s|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=The Alfonso Nation|title="BAYVERSE vs REBOOT" & Wheeljacks Design | ROTB DIRECTOR STEVEN CAPLE JR Interview!|year=2023|month=05|day=27}}</ref> Longtime producer [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] has taken a more explicit stance, repeatedly denying that the film is a reboot and stating that it is a prequel that shows how Optimus Prime grows to become the character seen in the Bay films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hey you know if you look at it from a timeline point of view, it follows ''Bumblebee''... but it is a prequel, in that it's before all the previous movies. So it sort of exists in its own way. What I don't think it is, is a reboot, because it's still our characters. One of the things that Steven brought to the table right from the beginning, which was so great, was the idea that when we meet Optimus Prime, he's different than what we think of him, and we're watching him grow up—if you would—as a leader. And for me that was one of the most exciting parts of the movie, and what was interesting was watching it with audiences, and at first they were uncomfortable a little bit, like, "wait, that's not exactly the Optimus... he should like humans!" You know? So I think it gives the movie a really interesting point of view, and that therefore it stands alone in that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11sKGYcq9k&t=871s|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=a panel at the premiere of ''Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=05|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=But what's interesting is, and you will appreciate this as a fan, at the end of ''Bumblebee'', Optimus comes to Earth. What he's experienced is failure, probably for the first time in his life, right? He's had to retreat, he's leaving the planet Cybertron. What's happened to him from that experience? When we meet him in 2007, he's a particular person, if you would. In 1994, he's not the same person. He still has growth to do between ‘94 and 2007. So the character arc for Optimus in this, and the fun for the audience is, when you first meet Optimus – and we've had this experience because we've watched it with audiences and we've heard them talk about it – they're like, “It's definitely Optimus, but there's something a little different…” At first, they're like, “Wait, what, who… what Optimus is this?” And by the end of the movie, Optimus has become the guy that you've recognized from the Bay movies. Emotional.|link=https://collider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-michael-bay-movies-producer-comments/|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=Collider|title='Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Producer on How It Differs From Michael Bay's Movies|year=2023|month=05|day=24}}</ref> At the same time, di Bonaventura has also conceded that they were "kicking the can down the road" when it came to continuity concerns, preferring to worry about it in the future, and that the films "maybe have" contradicted Bay's movies despite efforts not to.<ref>[https://www.fandom.com/articles/transformers-rise-beast-wars-optimus-prime Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Shows a Different Side of Optimus Prime" on Fandom.com]</ref> These particular claims line up with statements made by Caple after the film's release, in which he stated he is "not worried" about continuity, and is just focused on making the best choices for each individual movie's story. He cites 2007's ''Transformers'' and ''Dark of the Moon'' as "his classics," and says he would "love to stay within that line," but does not feel compelled to adhere much to ''Age of Extinction'' and ''The Last Knight,'' since he views their stories as the result of creators "freestyling," and doubts that "anyone knew exactly where they were going with [them]."<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/rise-of-the-beasts-director-confirms-that-continuity-is-not-a-concern-within-the-transformers-film-franchise/47813/ Extract from an interview with Caple Jr. on the ''Empire Spoiler Specials'' podcast, via Seibertron.com]</ref> And that's... probably about as good an answer as we're going to get right now.

Whichever approach you subscribe to, it's pretty clear the decision to set the film in 1994 was one primarily made to avoid having to directly deal with the timeframe of the Bay movies in any capacity, and tell a new story free of their immediate baggage — the "can-kicking" Lorenzo spoke of. For what it's worth, the film takes some steps to preserve the broad continuity of at least the first Bay film; the Transwarp Key's energy is explicitly stated to operate on a frequency that humans cannot perceive, meaning that they literally cannot ''see'' the huge sky-beam or the portal. As such, the film ends with the general population of Earth (beyond secret forces within the US government) still entirely unaware of the Transformers' existence, as was the case when the 2007 film began. As the time-gap between these "prequels" and the first movie narrows, though, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine them fitting together without a lot of hand-waving away of specific details, unless future movies actually start making active attempts to address this.

In terms of active contradictions to established continuity, ''Rise of the Beasts'' appears to take the same approach as ''Bumblebee'' and ignores the events of ''The Last Knight'' by depicting Unicron as a separate planet, rather than the Earth itself, as he appeared in that film. However, it's probably important to note that the film lightly implies that the Maximals are time-travellers from the future (see "Transformers references" for more details), which would mean that the Unicron who appears in this film is also from the future. Thus it ''could'' be argued that his appearance here doesn't technically contradict ''The Last Knight''—but of course, that would mean he was trying to eat his own past self.

==Transformers references==
*The Maximals are broadly depicted the same as they were in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon: as a "highly-advanced race" of beast-mode Transformers who use transwarp technology to travel to other planets and interact with their native species, whose travels bring them to ancient Earth. Steven Caple Jr. has noted that earlier drafts of the screenplay explicitly depicted the Maximals as time-travellers from the future, as they were in the cartoon, and while the concept is so toned down for the finished movie that it probably won't even occur to general audiences, several references to the idea are still made on-screen. Transwarp technology is stated to open portals in time as well as space; Airazor states that the Maximals are "from both [the Autobots'] past and future"; and Optimus Primal says that he is named after the "legendary" Optimus Prime, which all combine to suggest that the Maximals originate from the future.
*The idea of the Maximals hailing from a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle planet]] originates in [[IDW Publishing]]'s comic books, which depicted many ''Beast Wars'' characters as the residents of the planet Eukaris. The planet is implied to be one of many colonised by Transformers in ages past using space bridges generated by the Transwarp Key, before the planets became separated and the key "lost." This concept of a great era of Cybertronian expansion that led to the foundation of lost colonies on other planets where Cybertronian life evolved in new and different directions dates back to 2005's [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]], and became a recurring element in ''Transformers'' series in the 2010s and beyond after it was incorporated into the lore of the [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]].
*Unicron's armies being named the "Terrorcons" hearkens back to both 2004's ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and 2010's ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', which both featured the power of Unicron being used to create armies of warriors known as Terrorcons. In particular, the corrupted Airazor's rusted appearance resembles the ''Prime'' Terrorcons, which were also rusted, dilapidated, shambling bots controlled by the will of another.
*Though not identified by name onscreen, Unicron's army includes multiple duplicates of a robotic scorpion identified by the movie's toyline as "Predacon Scorponok." The idea of "Scorponok" being a mass-produced "species" of robots has recently been seen in the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|''War for Cybertron'' cartoon]], where both [[Scorponok (G1)|Generation 1 Scorponok]] ''and'' [[Scorponok (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Scorponok]] were treated this way.
*The Maximals vow to keep the Transwarp Key hidden and safeguard life "no matter the cost," evoking Optimus Prime's iconic line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost."
*Optimus Prime's design features alterations from his earlier ''Bumblebee'' appearance that are influenced by his appearance in the first three Bay films; he has silver hands, feet, sun visors, angled chest windows, retractable orange [[Dual Energon Swords|Energon swords]], a handheld orange [[Energon-axe]] (which transforms out of his arm, coincidentally similar to the [[Optimus Prime (ES)|''Earthspark'' version]]), and a mask-less face sporting similar details. Arcee also transforms into a {{w|Ducati}} motorcycle, like her ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' character.
*Scourge combines aspects of his [[Scourge (G1)|Generation 1]], [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'']] and [[Scourge (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'']] namesakes; he's a herald of Unicron and has an army of [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] like G1 Scourge, transforms into a black Optimus Prime-like truck like ''RID'' Scourge and hails from a colony world like ''Cybertron'' Scourge. The various insignias he wears as trophies include the symbols of the [[Decepticon]]s, [[Autobot]]s, [[Maximal]]s, [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s, [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] and [[Wreckers]]. His designer Eddie Del Rio also admitted on his Instagram to pulling inspiration from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] for his robot mode (and stealing insignias like trophies is well in character for the old bounty hunter as well).
*More obscure characters appear such as Apelinq, who originates from a [[Apelinq (BM)#Toys|BotCon 2000 toy]] and tie-in [[3H Productions]] comics, and Stratosphere, returning from the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toyline and last seen in the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|console video game]], albeit with a new, original design and characterization.
*When [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] lands at the Museum following the carnage, she makes some [[Starscream (Movie)|very familiar warbling noises]] when she moves.
*The two music tracks used in Unicron's scenes feature segments taken from [[Vince DiCola]]'s "Unicron's Theme" in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Scourge stands and talks to Unicron's face from inside his body, similar to a scene with their characters from the Generation 1 episode, "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]".
*The symbols Elena studies are Maximal [[Cybertronix]], from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon. The access code Elena assembles doesn't translate to anything, and simply reads "XQB," but the text on the side of the Transwarp Key (written in a combination of mirrored and upside-down symbols) reads: "He Who Opens The Door."
*The authors of the paper Elena reads about Peru's unexplained glyphs are Asahi Takara and Daniel H. Tomy, a reference to [[TakaraTomy]], Hasbro's longtime business partner in Transformers toys.
*After meeting Optimus Prime for the first time, Noah incorrectly calls him "Optimal". "Optimal Optimus" is the name of the original [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimus Primal's Transmetal 2 body]].
*When proposing different alternate modes to Noah, Mirage briefly turns into an F1 car, a reference to [[Mirage (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]]'s alternate mode. He also turns into a Lamborghini Countach, which was just a really cool, sexy car, but also famous in ''Transformers'' lore for being the alternate mode of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Generation 1 Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]. He then claims that he can also turn into a Ferrari, the alternate mode of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Dino]], whose name in media outside of that movie was "Mirage".
*Mirage is incredulous over the news that musician [[Mark Wahlberg]] is leaving his band, the Funky Bunch, and going into acting—a good-natured jab at the actor's [[Cade Yeager|leading role]] in the earlier ''Transformers'' movies, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' and ''The Last Knight''.
*Scourge name-drops [[Primus]] as he taunts Optimus Prime, the first reference to the Transformers' creator god in any of the live-action movies.
*Scourge injures Prime's left flank in the museum battle, which mirrors the injuries [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] gave to the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie.'' Prime even grasps the wound in the same way his predecessor did.
*Airazor explains that Unicron imbues his heralds with a "dark energy," which increases their power, but also has a corrupting effect—almost certainly a reference to [[Dark Energon]], the life-energy of Unicron introduced in the Aligned continuity.
*Unicron psychically tortures Scourge from afar in the same way he did [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
*When Optimus Primal talks to Optimus Prime about how the Maximals trust the humans, he says there's "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more to them than meets the eye]]".
*Optimus states the Cybertronian belief that "the battle with darkness" will continue: "[['Til all are one]]." This phrase, and the idea of a day prophesied in Cybertron legend when it will come to pass, originates with ''The Transformers: The Movie,'' and is here used to thematically connect with the shared struggle of the Autobots, Maximals, and humans.
*When the heroes are lining up for the final battle, brown fins briefly pop out of the sides of Wheeljack's head, evoking his [[Wheeljack (G1)|Generation 1 design]].
*As the heroes charge towards the Terrorcon army, Optimus Primal commands Rhinox and Cheetor to "Maximize!", which was the Maximal [[activation code]] from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
*Optimus Primal briefly fights with his double bladed scimitar from his [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|original toy]].
*In the final battle, when Unicron sends an army of Sweeps to reinforce his minions on Earth, they make their descent in the form of yellow-and-black orbs, which appears to be a nod to Unicron's [[Mini-Con]] from ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the yellow-and-black sphere, [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]].
*The armored suit Mirage forms over Noah is conceptually an homage to the Generation 1 [[exosuit]]s, while its overall design hews closer to [[Kicker Jones]]' battlesuit from ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''.
*In a glorious homage to [[Transformers (film)|the 2007 movie]], the musical highlight of [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" plays as Optimus, Noah, and Primal escape the collapsing transwarp portal's suction.
* Optimus Prime's final speech is set to a remixed version of the track "No Sacrifice, No Victory" from the 2007 movie's score, which was also reprised for the endings of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''.
*[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Transformers have frequently crossed over in comics and the occasional toyline over the years, though this marks the first time the two have co-existed in a feature film. Notably, the G.I. Joe insignia on Burke's business card is the version introduced in the film ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra''.
*Before the assault on the Transwarp Gate, Wheeljack says “It sounds like we’re all going to die.” A possible reference to the infamous quote from the Maximal [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]].

==Real-life references==
*A TV screen briefly shows news coverage of the {{w|Murder trial of O. J. Simpson#Bronco chase|O.J. Simpson white Ford Bronco car chase}}, which places the events of the film near [[June 17]], 1994.
*Throughout the film, Noah and Kris use the codenames "[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]" and "{{w|Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog)|Tails}}" (and in one instance, Mirage is referred to as "{{w|Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles}}"), a nod to the characters from the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' videogame series.
*Kris wears a shirt of the ''Mighty Morphin' [[Power Rangers]]'', another property owned by Hasbro. A poster of said series also appears on his wall.
*Kris is heard playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his [[Game Boy]]. However, see "Anachronisms".
*Kris attempts to comfort Noah after his unsuccessful interview by relating his struggle to [[Superman|Superman's]] difficulty finding a job before being hired by the {{w|Daily Planet}}.
*When Mirage compliments Noah after the car chase, he quotes the line "I like it a lot" from ''Dumb and Dumber''. However, see "Anachronisms".
*Also in the aftermath of the chase, he refers to the 1988 movie ''{{w|Big (film)|Big}}'' during his impression of Optimus Prime.
*Noah calls Mirage {{w|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.}} for obvious reasons. He also makes a reference to [[Indiana Jones]] when discovering the hidden temple in Peru.
*Bumblebee drops various voice lines from famous real-life films throughout the whole movie, including ''{{w|Die Hard}}'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', ''{{w|They Live}}'', ''{{w|A Few Good Men}}'' and ''{{w|Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface}}.''
*While fleeing in the museum, Elena sings Zhané's song "{{w|Groove Thang}}" to try to calm herself down.
*As they rendezvous with the other Autobots for the trip to Peru, Mirage announces that "[[Wu-Tang Clan|Wu-Tang]] is in the building."
*Elena sings the TLC song "{{w|Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls}}" to herself during the flight to Peru. However, see "Anachronisms".
*The {{w|Inti Raymi}} festival taking place when the Autobots arrive in Peru is a real festival that takes place on [[June 24]], further tying the film's events to that month.
*During the mountain road car chase at Peru, the shot of Scourge's insignia-covered grille reflected in Prime's rearview mirror homages a famous shot from [[Steven Spielberg]]'s 1971 film ''{{w|Duel (1971 film)|Duel}}.''
*When meeting Primal, Elena brings up the {{w|Nazca Lines}} and the archeological site at {{w|Tikal}}, asking if the Maximals were responsible for creating them. [[Order of the Witwiccans|In this case]], however, Primal takes no credit for human ingenuity.
*Mirage calls Optimus Primal "{{w|Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong}}".
*At the end of the film, Elena appears on the CBS news program ''[[60 Minutes]]''; host [[Lesley Stahl]] makes a cameo appearance as herself during the segment.
*The award on the wall that serves as the hidden switch to access the G.I. Joe base reads "Real Hero Award" with the image of an American flag, referencing the subtitle of the 1980s ''G.I. Joe'' franchise: "A Real American Hero".

==Errors==
===Filming, animation, and technical errors===
*When Scourge kills Apelinq, he welds his Maximal insignia to his right shoulder, but throughout the rest of the film, Apelinq's insignia is gone. In the same scene, Scourge says "They never learn...", but his mouth is not moving.
*A recurring error sees the CGI models for Freezer and Novakane, which were supposed to have unique head injuries for each character, being switched around at random at various points in the movie. A very noticeable example of this happens when Scourge deploys a single Sweep in Peru whose model has an intact head with just a pair of scars on its forehead, but is moments later replaced by the model with a much bigger wound and a missing left antenna. Several other Sweeps of varying sizes also reuse these models during the final battle, completely taking away the intended uniqueness of each head design.
*When Reek yells down the street as Noah and Kris depart, his dialogue does not match his lips.
*When Optimus Prime is about to throw his axe at Scourge, there is some distance between the two. However, in the next shot they are within just meters of each other.
*When Scourge says "Now, to add a Prime to my collection", his claw is both folded in on his arm and deployed at the same time.
*When Mirage attempts to eavesdrop on Noah and Kris' conversation, he is barely tall enough peer into the balcony while standing on a car. However, a minute later when Kris promises him to keep Noah safe he is somehow tall enough to comfortably look into the balcony without anything to stand on.
*The doors that go onto Wheeljack's back are unmarked brown in the scene of him transforming from van mode, but feature text on them in the very next cut where he is in robot mode.
*When Wheeljack audibly gasps at Noah assuming he can speak Spanish, his mouth is not moving.
*When Mirage and Optimus Prime turn into a street in Cusco, there is another Optimus Prime truck in the background. This can only be seen if you pause at the right moment.
*As Optimus decks Scourge during the Peru chase, Scourge seems to suffer a wardrobe malfunction as a rogue wheel not located anywhere on his torso springs out of his right armpit.
*Additionally, there are times when vehicles just disappear during the Switchback chase;
**Scourge's truck conveniently takes a lot of time to round a corner Optimus has just turned, despite being only feet behind him
**Mirage is no longer visible next to Nightbird when Battletrap pulls his 180 turn stunt.
*When Wheeljack is recovering from being attacked by Rhinox, his mouth is not moving as he says "Ay-ay-ay."
*As the heroes are walking through the jungle, the scene cuts to Elena while she is saying "So, what are you?", which does not match her lips.
*As Optimus Prime looks up at Unicron arriving at the mouth of the portal, Arcee can be seen scuttling about blasting Sweeps; except her blasters produce no laser effects.
*From the time Bumblebee acquires his offroad Camaro, his wheels are inconsistent between his robot and vehicle modes, with some shots showing his normal Camaro's wheels instead of the offroad ones. It is most visible for the wheels on his shoulders.
*Scourge's mouth is not moving as he proclaims "Unicron will prevail!" before shooting the transwarp control panel.
*Elena audibly whimpering in Bumblebee as he drives through hoards of Sweeps does not match her lips.

===Continuity errors===
*The fight between Optimus and Scourge outside the museum has some very inconsistent physics:
**Scourge slams Optimus against a nearby obelisk, the impact somehow doesn't make the structure collapse although the Autobot leader is made of materials much harder than stone or bricks and having much more physical mass. Scourge then punches Prime in the face, again, against the obelisk which might suggest the structure is durable enough to hold a full blow thrown by a highly-advanced mechanical being.
**Yet Scourge breaks it with his bare hands with little effort shortly after in order to hit Optimus again.
**''Yet'' the obelisk is still heavy and hard enough to beat Prime to the ground.
**'''''Yet''''' the impact doesn't leave any visible damage to Optimus while the object itself crumbles like being made of LEGO bricks.
**[[B.O.T. (episode)|Argh.]]
*After Scourge incapacitates Bumblebee, he plucks his Autobot badge off with a normal left hand. In the following shot, however, his left hand is transformed into his giant claw and he is no longer holding the badge.
*During the chase out of Cusco, when Optimus Prime reaches the bend, the Terrorcons are very close behind him. However, when he transforms into robot mode, they are suddenly much further back.
*When Stratosphere transforms in Peru, it starts with him facing away from Optimus Prime. However, in the next shot he's now facing towards him.
*When Scourge walks away with the second half of the key, his left arm switches from the claw to the cannon between shots.

===Geographic discontinuities===
*There ''is'' a museum on Ellis Island... however, it's a [https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/national-immigration-museum/ museum that documents the turn-of-the-century immigrant experience], and not the generalized natural history museum shown in the film. Notably, the actual museum is composited out of the movie's establishing shots so that the made-up museum setpiece can replace it.
*Elena states that she has never left New York. Ellis Island, her place of work, is almost completely owned by the state of New Jersey, discounting a small portion that was the island's original size that is still a part of New York. Even discounting that, the waters surrounding the island are wholly owned by the Garden State.
*When the Autobots arrive at Cusco, they land at the citadel of [[Sacsayhuamán]], an Inca fortress on the northern outskirts of the city, and the site is deserted. Even on a normal day, it should be crawling with tourists, but the Autobots are specifically said to arrive during the [[Inti Raymi]] festival... whose central activity is a recreation of an Inca ceremony ''at'' Sacsayhuamán.
*The fight with the corrupted Airazor takes place at Machu Picchu, which nobody is witness to, as again it is completely deserted. It should be crawling with tourists, the staff that works at the site, the guests and staff of the lodge located right next to the complex, or the population of the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain.

===Anachronisms===
*Though the "you died!" music and mention of Bowser imply Kris is playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his Game Boy, that game wouldn't see a release on the system until 1999's ''[https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_Bros._Deluxe Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]'' on the Game Boy Color. The only Mario platformers released for Game Boy by 1994 were the ''Super Mario Land'' games, which featured different antagonists and music.
*The F1-styled car Mirage turns into is based on a design chassis that would be introduced over the course of the second half of the 90s.
*Elena sings "Waterfalls" by TLC to calm herself down. Assuming the film takes place in June, it would still be a few months until the November 1994 release of the album ''CrazySexyCool'', which the song first appeared on.
*Similarly, Mirage quotes a line from ''Dumb and Dumber'', a film that would not release until December 1994.
*A green car that was smashed and thrown in the Museum scene was a B5.5 Volkswagen Passat which would not be released until 2001.
*The promo for ''60 Minutes'' uses the program's contemporary imaging, including the use of the current CBS News logotype above that of the show.

==Music==
A score album, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', was released alongside the film on June 9, 2023. Paramount also compiled a Spotify Playlist, ''[[Transformers Rise of the Beats]]'', featuring songs that appeared in the film.

==Reception==
{{quote|Thanks to some genuine human drama between the set pieces and palpable affection for the title characters, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is one of the franchise's more enjoyable outings.|Critics Consensus|[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_rise_of_the_beasts Rotten Tomatoes]}}

Coming off the back of the generally well-received ''Bumblebee'', ''Rise of the Beasts'' received mixed reviews. While critics largely praised the old-school adventure film sequences and the performances of the human leads, most criticism was directed at the film's protracted final battle scene and its overuse of computer-generated imagery—in particular, some critics juxtaposed the film's tamer action scenes against the madcap, sometimes over-the-top practical effect-based destruction employed by [[Michael Bay]] during his time in the director's chair. As of writing, the film holds a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience score sits at a much higher 91%.

In the US and Canada, ''Rise of the Beasts'' opened to a strong $60.5 million start—higher than both ''The Last Knight'' and ''Bumblebee'' <ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/06/box-office-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-spider-man-spiderverse-1235412771/ "'Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts' Conquers 'Spider-Verse' With $60M+ Opening, But Animated Pic's Second Weekend Hold Strong -- Box Office"]</ref>—but suffered a brutal 66.1 percent drop in its second weekend, where it lost out to ''{{w|The Flash (film)|The Flash}}'', ''{{w|Elemental}}'', and ''{{w|Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse|Across the Spider-Verse}}''.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-flash-box-office-disappoint-pixar-elemental-flop-1235647927/ "'The Flash' Disappoints With $55 Million Debut, Pixar's 'Elemental' Flops With $29.5 Million in Battle of Box Office Lightweights"]</ref><ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2023W24/?ref_=bo_we_nav Domestic 2023 Weekend 24]</ref> A week later, the film took in a comparatively dismal $11 million.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/06/box-office-the-flash-no-hard-feelings-jennifer-lawrence-1235422274/ 'Spider-Verse' Swinging Ahead Of 'Elemental' After Game Of Chicken; 'Flash' Edging Out 'No Hard Feelings' -- Saturday PM Box Office]</ref> The film's domestic theatrical run came to a close in August 2023 with approximately a $439 million worldwide gross, marking the lowest-grossing instalment in the franchise.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-franchise-box-office-low/]</ref>

Despite the lower-than-expected box office performance, Hasbro seems to regard the film as an overall success and noted it as one of the top box office performers of the year in a subsequent investor presentation.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/08/03/tfw2005-coverage-of-hasbro-2023-q2-earnings-conference-call-492111 TFW2005 Coverage Of Hasbro 2023 Q2 Earnings Conference Call</ref> This optimism might come down to the fact that the summer 2023 movie slate was ''particularly'' packed; this, combined with a post-COVID shift in media demographics, means that pretty much every summer movie that wasn't ''{{w|Barbie (film)|Barbie}}'' or ''{{w|Oppenheimer (film)|Oppenheimer}}'' underperformed to some degree.

==Development details==

[[File:TRANSFORMERS-2022.jpg|thumb|250px]]

* March 27, 2015 — [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" with the intention of building a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[http://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Goldsman goes on to hire a number of writers over the next few months: [[Steven DeKnight]] (''Daredevil''),<ref>[http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-cinematic-universe/35696/transformers-cinematic-details-more-writers-over-10-films Transformers cinematic details]</ref> [[Robert Kirkman]] (''The Walking Dead''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-writers-robert-kirkman-zak-penn-art-marcum-matt-holloway-jeff-pinkner-1201430601/ 'Transformers' Spinoff & Sequel Scribes Set] on Deadline.com</ref> [[Art Marcum]] and [[Matt Holloway]] (''Iron Man''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Christina Hodson]] (''Shut In'', ''The Fugitive''),<ref name="hodsonbeer">[http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/446175-christina-hodson-and-lindsey-beer-join-transformers-writing-team Christina Hodson and Lindsey Beer Join the Transformers Writing Team]</ref> [[Lindsey Beer]] (''Dig''),<ref name="hodsonbeer" /> [[Zak Penn]] (''Pacific Rim 2''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Jeff Pinkner]] (''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'', ''Lost''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]] (''Ant-Man''),<ref name="barrerferrari">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-ant-man-andrew-barrer-gabriel-ferrari-cybertron-1201433402/ 'Ant-Man' Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari Join 'Transformers' Writers Room] on Deadline</ref> [[Ken Nolan]] (''Black Hawk Down''), and [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]].<ref name="nolandworet">[http://www.slashfilm.com/transformers-writers-room/ Akiva Goldsman Teases 'Transformers' Franchise Plans]</ref> Involved in the pitching process are [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Michael Bay]], [[Brian Goldner]], [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]], [[Mark Vahradian]], and [[Don Murphy]].<ref name="deadlinereveal">[http://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref>
* October 3, 2015 — During his keynote speech at the MIP Junior Conference, [[Allspark (company)|Allspark]]'s [[Stephen J. Davis]] notes that the writing team has come up with film concepts for Transformers 5, 6, 7, and 8.<ref name="stephendaviskeynote">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_P2fw_DlS4&t=812 Stephen Davis's keynote speech] at MIPJunior.</ref>
* February 12, 2016 — At [[Toy Fair 2016]], Hasbro reveals the projected release date of Transformers 7, along with the dates for the two preceding films.<ref name="toyfairreveal" />
* September 23, 2017 — At Licensing Europe 2017, Hasbro announces Transformers 7 will have an "entirely new, exciting storyline".<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/09/23/2019-transformers-movie-feature-entirely-new-storyline-349463 2019 Transformers Movie To Feature An Entirely New Storyline] on TFW2005</ref>
* February 16, 2018 — Hasbro clarifies at [[Toy Fair 2018]] that the film will be a reset of the franchise and has been delayed indefinitely until a new creative team is in place.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/02/16/transformers-cinematic-universe-current-movie-series-rebooted-358641 Transformers Cinematic Universe Is Over: Current Movie Series To Be Rebooted] on TFW2005</ref>
* May 24, 2018 — Paramount drops the film from their release schedule.<ref>[http://collider.com/transformers-7-cancelled/amp/ Paramount Officially Pulls the Next 'Transformers' Sequel from Their Release Date Schedule] on Collider</ref>
* March 15, 2019 — di Bonaventura states a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' is in development.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/two-sequels-in-transformers-live-action-franchise-confirmed-in-development/43083/ Two Sequels in Transformers Live Action Franchise Confirmed in Development] on Seibertron</ref>
* March 18, 2019 — di Bonaventura claims that the next main ''Transformers'' film will be a reboot closely tied to the ''Bumblebee'' sequel, rather than a direct sequel to ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''. Either way, Paramount will pick the best script for ''Transformers 7'' and release that first.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bumblebee-producer-says-next-transformers-movie-wi/1100-6465652/ Bumblebee Producer Says Next Transformers Movie Will Be A Reboot] on GameSpot</ref>
[[File:Stevencaplejr autobot cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Hey, you think ''that's'' speed? You ain't seen the Golden Rocket.]]
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Then we will create ''alternate forms'', based on the most powerful local creatures!]]
* January 27, 2020 — Variety reports two ''Transformers'' films are being penned, to be produced simultaneously: one written by [[James Vanderbilt]], another to be written by [[Joby Harold]].<ref>[https://variety.com/2020/film/news/transformers-franchise-revamp-bumblebee-james-vanderbilt-joby-harold-1203482496/ ‘Transformers’ Franchise Gets a Revamp With Two Separate Films in the Works] on Variety</ref> Deadline reports that Vanderbilt's script is for a spin-off film based on ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', while Harold's script continues the story from the ''Bumblebee'' film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/01/transformers-movies-paramount-1202843234/ Dual ‘Transformers’ Movies In The Works At Paramount] on Deadline</ref>
* May 2, 2020 — [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms that a new Transformers live-action movie is slated to release on [[June 24]], 2022. However, only one between Harold's ''Bumblebee'' sequel and Vanderbilt's ''Beast Wars'' film will make it to production first.
* August 21, 2020 — New Republic Pictures is announced as a new co-financier for Paramount in a ten-picture deal in the wake of the success of 2019's ''Rocketman''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/08/paramount-pictures-new-republic-pictures-10-picture-cofinancing-deal-top-gun-maverick-1203018250/ New Republic Pictures Signs 10-Pic Co-Fi Deal With Paramount Pictures; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Among Films] on Deadline</ref>
* November 16, 2020 — [[Steven Caple Jr.]] is announced as the director.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/11/transformers-director-steven-caple-jr-1234613830/ Transformers’: ‘Creed 2’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Tapped To Direct Next Installment In Paramount And Hasbro Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* April 1, 2021 — [[Anthony Ramos]] is in talks for a starring role.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-7-cast-anthony-ramos/ Exclusive: Anthony Ramos in Talks to Star in New 'Transformers' Movie] at Collider</ref>
* April 29, 2021 — [[Dominique Fishback]] is in final negotiations to star in the film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/04/transformers-dominique-fishback-anthony-ramos-paramount-eone-and-hasbro-franchise-1234746855/ 'Transformers': Dominique Fishback Lands Lead Role Opposite Anthony Ramos In Next Installment For The Paramount Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* June 13, 2021 — A casting call sheet for filming in Montreal reveals that the film is set in [[1992]].<ref>[https://www.transformersfr.com/t5190p250-parlons-des-films-transformers-a-venir#190206 Rumeur ― le "7ème Film Transformers en prise de vue réelle" se déroulerait en 1992] on transformersfr.com</ref>
* June 22, 2021 — A Paramount virtual event is held in which the movie's title, premise, and few of the characters and cast are unveiled (revealing it to be both the ''Bumblebee'' and ''Beast Wars'' films in one).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Currently attending a Paramount virtual event about the next #Transformers film. Report to follow!|link=https://twitter.com/search?q=(from%3ABWTF_Ben)%20until%3A2021-06-23%20since%3A2021-06-22|name=Ben Yee|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|link=https://bwtf.com/news/rise-of-the-beasts-character-descriptions|name=Ben Yee|site=BWTF|title=Movie News: "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" Character Descriptions|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref> The film's logo and official premise are also unveiled on official Transformers social media accounts.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The battle on Earth is no longer just between Autobots and Decepticons… Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in theatres June 24, 2022.|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1407422768602181632|name=@transformers|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref>
* June 28, 2021 — [[Ron Perlman]] is announced to be reprising his role as Optimus Primal from ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]''. [[Darnell Metayer]] and [[Josh Peters]] are confirmed as writers, inspired by Joby Harold's earlier draft.<ref>{{citesocial|quote='''Ron Perlman''' has been tapped to voice Optimus Primal in '''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''', Collider has exclusively learned. [...] ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be led by rising stars '''Anthony Ramos''' (''In the Heights'') and '''Dominique Fishback''' (''Judas and the Black Messiah''), and '''Steven Caple Jr.''' (''Creed II'') is directing from a script by '''Darnell Metayer''' and '''Josh Peters''', who worked off an earlier draft by '''Joby Harold'''.|link=https://collider.com/ron-perlman-optimus-primal-voice-transformers-7-rise-of-the-beasts/|name=Jeff Sneider|site=Collider|title=Exclusive: 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Adds Ron Perlman as Voice of Optimus Primal|year=2021|month=06|day=28}}</ref>
* July 11, 2021 — Rapper [[Tobe Nwigwe]] announces on Instagram that he's been cast in the movie.<ref>[https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/music/houston-s-tobe-nwigwe-earns-emmy-nom-16317174 Houston’s Tobe Nwigwe earns Emmy nom, 'Transformers' role] from the Houston Chronicle</ref>
* October 6, 2021 — Caple Jr. reveals the vehicle modes for the Autobot and Terrorcon cast through his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The squad is out…|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsm_wyLory/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* October 20, 2021 — Filming is completed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=That’s a wrap 🎬|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOw5z2r9TP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 21, 2021 — Cuscopolita reports on the vehicles with the film's Peru crew, confirming the unidentified vehicles as [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] and [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]].<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.facebook.com/cuscopolitamagazine/videos/1941112319403899|name=Cuscopolita|site=Facebook|title=Exclusiva con los Transformers|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 22, 2021 — Ramos makes a guest appearance on [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]], confirming Cheetor, his favorite ''Beast Wars'' character, will be in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I am a ''Transformers'' fan, ''Beast Wars'' fan, Cheetor is my #1 favorite of all time, so it's dope to have Cheetor, to be in this movie with Cheetor, it's gonna be crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjtxJqrv-bI&t=6051s|name=Anthony Ramos|site=YouTube|title=Hasbro PulseCon 2021 - DAY ONE|year=2021|month=10|day=22}}</ref>
* November 10, 2021 — Paramount announces the film has been delayed to [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release">{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has moved back a year and will now bow June 9, 2023. It previously was slated for June 24, 2022.|link=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-transformers-movie-release-date-1235045937/|name=Aaron Couch|site=The Hollywood Reporter|title=‘Star Trek,’ ‘Transformers’ Movies Pushed Back at Paramount|year=2021|month=11|day=10}}</ref>
* February 15, 2022 — Paramount confirms that ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be the first entry in a trilogy of films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be released theatrically in 2023 and is the first of three new installments. A new animated series from @Nickelodeon arrives this fall. And in 2024, the franchise expands further with a CG animated Transformers theatrical film. #ParamountPlus|link=https://twitter.com/paramountplus/status/1493706271207292928|name=Paramount+|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=02|day=15}}</ref>
* October 11, 2022 — Caple Jr. reveals through Instagram that [[Pete Davidson]] is the voice of Mirage, and [[Michelle Yeoh]] is the voice of Airazor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sneak peek of Pete voicing Mirage & @michelleyeoh_official blessing us as the voice of Air Razor|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjlx3PPPC_J/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=11}}</ref>
* October 21, 2022 — [[Tobe Nwigwe]] states on an Instagram post that they are doing some re-shoots for ''Rise of the Beasts'', including featuring his character in additional scenes.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The head people from ''Transformers'' said I did so good in my part they wanna add me to some more scenes. So I gotta go shoot some more stuff for ''Transformers''.|link=https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj9PnevsVb1/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=21}}</ref>
[[File:ROTBTeaserPoster.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
* December 1, 2022 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWWDskI46Js official teaser trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with São Paulo's CCXP convention, giving audiences a first glimpse of the film and its various characters, including Mirage, Arcee, Scourge and the Maximals. Multiple voice cast members are also announced.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2022/12/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-peter-dinklage-liza-koshy-john-dimaggio-cast-1235186104/]</ref>
* December 2, 2022 — [[Jongnic Bontemps]] is announced as the film's score composer.<ref>[http://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/12/02/jongnic-bontemps-to-compose-music-for-steven-caple-jr-s-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts/]</ref>
* December 16, 2022 — Caple Jr. shares a clip of Peter Cullen performing on his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=🐐|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPM80yPcsP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=12|day=16}}</ref>
* December 26, 2022 — Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal make a "guest" appearance on the 2022 [[Nickelodeon]] Nickmas NFL game, showcasing both modes and their transformations.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5X0F_AvY8Q YouTube upload] of a recording for Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal on the 2022 Nickmas NFL game</ref>
* January 31, 2023 — [[Sam Smith]] reveals toy concept art for a new character from the film, [[Freezer]].<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFlXXNOly1/</ref>
* February 12, 2023 — Paramount airs a 30-second TV spot detailing Mirage's Porsche 911 vehicle mode for Super Bowl LVII in collaboration with Porsche.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/02/2023-super-bowl-movie-trailers-the-flash-fast-x-transformers-ant-man-expected-1235247160/ Super Bowl Movie Trailer Spots Will Include ‘The Flash’, ‘Fast X’, ‘Transformers’ & ‘Ant-Man’ — Deadline]</ref>
* April 2, 2023 — During the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Final Four on CBS, Paramount aired a first-of-its-kind mixed reality TV spot that showed off Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal appearing on a 90s basketball court that transformed from the court the actual basketball match was being played on. A few brief clips from the first trailer were also shown.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeIfpbUAHg]</ref>
* April 6, 2023 — Actor [[Tongayi Chirisa]] announces on Instagram that he is the voice of Cheetor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So there is a story to this!!! Per the usual standard .. I had to sign an NDA, so I had NO IDEA what I was reading for.. it was only when I was in the booth to do my voice over that it dawned on me that I was reading for TRANSFORMERS Like what!!!🤯🤯🤯🤯 I totally geeked out in the moment.. Man, to say this is mad exciting is an understatement... So thankful. So honored, so blessed!!!! Massive shout out and THANK YOU to @stevencaplejr for putting your boi on! Appreciate you, fam!!! @transformersmovie..🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!! Welcome, y'all. I am your transformer #CHEETOR!!!! Let's goooo!!!!!! #NdezvaMwari #Yeshua #smallbeginnings #ontherise|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqs_PQ1J_s6/|name=Tongayi Chirisa|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=04|day=06}}</ref>
* April 14, 2023 — To promote the film, Optimus Prime introduces Tobe Nwigwe's performance of "[[On My Soul]]" at {{w|Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival|Coachella}}.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Calling all Autobots. @TobeNwigwe and #OptimusPrime have rolled out to #Coachella. #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeasts|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1647069845731803136|name=Transformers|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* April 27, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnqEauWQZM official trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures, revealing more of the movie and Unicron's role in the plot, as well as delivering a first, brief look at the Predacons.
* May 6, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxore0Gxwpc first clip] is showcased at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, showing the Autobots' first interaction with the Maximals.
* May 12, 2023 — The website Puliwood reveals the film's Hungarian dub cast...including the voice of [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], a character that had not yet been announced to be appearing in the film.<ref>[https://www.puliwood.hu/ismertetok/exkluziv-ilyen-szinkronhangokkal-jon-a-transformers-a-fenevadak-kora-325900.html EXKLUZÍV: ilyen szinkronhangokkal jön a Transformers: A fenevadak kora]</ref>
* May 27, 2023 — The film's world premiere is held at Marina Bay Sands in [[Singapore]].
* June 5, 2023 — David Sobolov confirms on Instagram that he is also voicing Apelinq in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CtIhCcwu4Ld/|quote=#transformers #riseofthebeasts fans… I just saw our epic premiere in Brooklyn! Tonight, I’m excited to reveal that I am the voice… of Apelinq!|name=David Sobolov|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=06|day=05}}</ref>
{{--}}

===Changes before, during, and after production===
[[File:ROTB-concept-Rampage.jpg|thumb|250px|I prefer to beat my enemies the old-fashioned way: brutally!]]
* An early cut of the film opened with a different prologue, in which a Decepticon named [[Transit (ROTB)|Transit]], dispatched from a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron to hunt down Optimus Prime, battles and is killed by Optimus, who dumps his body in the Hudson River alongside numerous other Decepticons who have tried to do the same in the past few years. The scene was dropped due to test audiences finding it too dark, but [[John DiMaggio]] remains credited as the voice of Transit even in the finished film. Most of the visual effects for the scene were completed, and it was included (sans the river-dumping part) as a bonus feature with the movie's home media release.
**The scene was replaced for the finished film with Unicron's attack on the Maximal homeworld, which in the earlier cut was recounted by Airazor with hologram visual-aids during the scene when she meets the Autobots mid-movie.
* Cheetor and Rhinox were initially intended to be introduced slightly earlier, encountering Elena and Noah in the underground cavern. In scenes interspersed with the Autobots' and Terrorcons' running battle on the hilltop road, Cheetor was to be the one who took down Freezer as he menaced the two humans, after which Noah's gauntlet would accidentally fire a shot at the Maximal, causing him and Rhinox to chase them through the cave. Cut in favor of making the Autobot/Terrorcon battle one unbroken scene, the alternate version was included as a bonus on the home media release.
* Concept art sketches show [[:File:Rampage-face.jpg|a movie version]] of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was originally supposed to appear as [[:File:ROTB-Rampage-concept.jpg|a deceased corpse]] during the underground cavern sequence of the movie. Although scrapped for the final cut, [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu44E6aoECC/ a full 360° CGI model] for the character was created.
* Multiple changes were made to the film's ending, which originally had a much darker tone like the scrapped opening. Originally, Mirage wasn't planned to survive the final battle, and Optimus would have been sucked into the portal after destroying the Transwarp Key and wind up floating in space before Unicron in the post-credits scene. Reactions by the audience in test screenings convinced Caple to change the ending to something a bit more hopeful, wanting to let the good guys get a solid win.<ref name=AltEnding>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-ending-1235512382/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Talks That Ending, Hailee Steinfeld and Test Screening Changes — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> The scene of Prime and Unicron was included as an extra with the home media release.
* Two versions of the final scene were filmed: one in which Agent Burke's business card reveals him to be part of [[Sector Seven]], and the version used in the film, in which he's part of G.I. Joe. According to Caple, the Sector Seven version was filmed only as misdirection, and the G.I. Joe version was always the one he intended to use.<ref name=Joe/>
* Other deleted/extended scenes included on the home media release include: Elena's moment of panicked disbelief (prominently showcased in the movie's trailer) shortly after the museum battle; Noah speaking with his mother when he returns home after the museum battle; a wholesomely cute moment between Elena and Airazor before Mirage and Noah join the group to depart for Peru, in which Airazor explains the Maximal insignia; and a short scene of Optimus Primal about to hand the Transwarp Key over to Optimus Prime, before they are interrupted by Airazor's rampage.
* Additional cuts not represented in the extras from throughout the film included: a scene of Bumblebee showing a polaroid of himself and [[Charlie Watson]] to Optimus Prime as they wait outside the museum, to emphasise that some humans are trustworthy; innuendos between Arcee and Wheeljack that hint at a romantic attraction between the two; some dialogue from Scourge emphasising that (not unlike Galvatron in the original animated movie) he is an unwilling servant of Unicron; a scene of Wheeljack lending his glasses to Optimus Prime to use like a telescope; and an alternate plan to destroy the Transwarp Key in the final act that involves using the deceased Airazor's spark as a bomb, only for the bomb to be lost, leaving Elena to figure out the codes.
* During production, the Scorponok drones initially had a troll-like robot mode, and dozens of them would have merged into a massive Scorponok [[combiner]] that towered over the Autobots and Maximals in the final battle. Although their [https://www.instagram.com/p/CviIb7PPcnQ/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==/ 3D] [https://www.instagram.com/p/CvImy9eS47T/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==/ models] were made, they were ultimately cut out.
* Concept art was created for a fourth Terrorcon who ultimately never made it to the final film. This character was referred to with the working name “[[:File:Bloodhound.jpeg|'''Bloodhound''']]” <ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuheJkfxGeW/|quote=Early ideas for #bloodhound. He was my first task so I mostly carried over the process used on #bumblebee back in 2017. Swipe and you can see the rough sculpts I did in VR to capture attitude/proportion/etc. Then I would paint in details with photoshop. By the end of the show I was blocking in VR then jumped straight to zbrush/maya as it took roughly the same amount of time to sculpt everything.|name=Shane Baxley|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=10}}</ref> and would have transformed into a demonic-looking Oldsmobile 442. <ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuPeUkzROiu/|quote=BLOODHOUND! This was the first #terracon Haworth had me do using an #oldsmobile442 which I think @stevencaplejr has in his garage? Unfortunately the scenes with this guy got cut - but he still got #imdb credit 🤣🤙🏻 #transformers #riseofthebeasts|name=Shane Baxley|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=03}}</ref>
{{--}}

==Notes==
* In a first for the franchise, the lead human actors, multiple writers, the composer, and the director are all people of color.
* This is the first movie in the series not to be worked on by [[Industrial Light & Magic]]; this time around the CG effects were done by [[Moving Picture Company]] and [[WetaFX]].
* Steven Caple Jr. was initially sceptical of working on a ''Transformers'' movie, which at that point in development was being called ''Bumblebee 2'', because he was uncertain about jumping right into another sequel after directing ''{{w|Creed II}}''—however, the incorporation of elements inspired by ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', which Caple Jr. had been a fan of, helped sway him. Upon joining the project, he pitched several revisions, drawing from his enthusiasm for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' by adding [[Unicron]] (and the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s) and Noah's exosuit, along with a prologue on the [[Maximal]]s' homeworld and a new arc for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] centred around his initial misanthropy.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The first time that- I did ''Creed 2'', and the first time the studio ever knocked on my door, it was for ''Bumblebee 2''. And I was like, "I don't want to do- I just came out from ''Creed 2'', I don't want to do a sequel..." you know? And so a year had gone by—or maybe two, right before COVID—and they said, "we found out the story we want to tackle: we want to bring in ''Beast Wars''." I was like, "I know all about ''Beast Wars'', I'm down for ''Beast Wars''." And so they developed a script on their own, they passed it to me—2020, October 5th, I remember the date—and I jumped right in and I kind of did my own version of the pitch, I said: "I love where you guys are going, you guys want to do New York, you guys want to do the 90s, you want to do Peru, but here's what I'll do, with the characters..." So I changed up Optimus Prime, I gave him a whole pitch on how I would start him with like, not loving humans at first, and not besiding Noah right off the rip, they're gonna have friction between the two... Gave 'em a pitch for Optimus Primal, where they start off in the top of the movie, and I gave them a new Unicron- I mean a new villain, which was Unicron and the Terrorcon squad. I just felt like, as a fan, we've been tiptoeing around Unicron, and all the other films kind of like hinted towards him towards the end, and I just really want to expand the universe and I felt like he was that perfect source to do so, because he tells us there's another world out there, there's more Transformers out there, it's not just Autobots and Decepticons. And then of course the [[exosuit]], that was my idea, it was homage to the 80s cartoon, so... It was a bit of that, pitched it to 'em and they loved the heart, they love where I was going with the direction of the characters, and yeah, they kind of gave me the key to play!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxUukVwKLCc|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Collider|title=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Interview: Director Reveals Big Change to Film|year=2023|month=06|day=06}}</ref>
* [[Tobe Nwigwe]]'s character of [[Reek]] was based Steven Caple Jr.'s friend Tarik Jackson, who passed away before shooting began in 2021.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The way I got the ''Transformers'' role was insane. [...] One of [Steven Caple Jr.'s] best friends was a fan of the music, and his best friend, right, like, as they was getting ready to start shooting the movie... passed. Passed, yeah. And he had Paramount Studios reach out to me to try to play a specific- the best friend role in ''Transformers''. They kind of emulated who his best friend was in real life. He told Paramount [...] "reach out to Tobe and if he send anything back that's even ''halfway'' decent... I want to use him." But because I had never done no acting ever in my life, I just had this script right here, and just read it like I was acting, and just recorded myself on the iPhone and I was like, "yo there's no way in hell..." [...] I did that, sent that in, and they liked it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAoWTKh3R8&t=2638s|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Sway's Universe|year=2023|month=01|day=23}}</ref>
*The fourth-wall-breaking [[Mark Wahlberg]] namedrop was ad-libbed by [[Pete Davidson]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We wanted to break the fourth wall. In all fairness, Pete Davidson made that up in the booth, and we laughed so hard, we're like in tears, and we're like there's no way we could not use this. We had ad-libbed a whole bunch of stuff. One was on, "Beanie Babies was weird", and he was like, what about Marky Mark leaving the Funky Bunch? And we were just in tears. And then we showed the studio and everybody loved it and was like, "let's just break the fourth wall. Do it."|link=https://gizmodo.com/breaking-the-fourth-wall-in-transformers-rise-of-the-b-1850514340|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=io9|title=Breaking the Fourth Wall in ''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref>
* During the production of the film, Ramos had to acquire a driver's license at Caple Jr.'s behest.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DDi5f1SL4oESslcZLjhhG|name=Anthony Ramos|site=the Spout Podcast|year=2021}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had a two-week window to get an appointment at the DMV, and the DMV was initially uncooperative. Finally, after much haggling, I was able to secure an appointment. I took the test in my mother's car after a few months of practice with an instructor. Fortunately, I was able to pass.|link=https://theplaylist.net/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-anthony-ramos-talks-representation-in-franchises-getting-his-drivers-license-for-the-film-interview-20230607/|name=Anthony Ramos|site=The Playlist|title='Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts': Anthony Ramos Talks Representation In Franchises & Getting His Driver's License For The Film [Interview]|year=2023|month=06|day=07}}</ref>
* During an interview with a fan, voice actor David Sobolov revealed that Caple Jr. would create storyboards using Transformers toys. Awesome!<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdsfclO5etE&t=1106 "ROTB UNICRON IS THRILLING!" | Interview with DAVID SOBOLOV (Rhinox + Battletrap)! - YouTube]</ref>
* According to Caple Jr., Optimus's unmasked face was modeled after Peter Cullen's.
* As a result of Transit's removal, this is the first live-action film to not feature the Decepticons in any capacity.
* To keep the secret of the ''G.I. Joe'' tease at the end of the movie, most copies of the script and the version of the scene shot for test screenings all used [[Sector Seven]] instead. Michael Kelly also didn't know the big twist with his character until he arrived on set. Caple Jr. even had only a single ''G.I. Joe'' business card printed, on the day of filming, and took it from the set himself afterwards for safekeeping!<ref name=Joe>{{citesocial|quote=There was one version of the script that mentioned the G.I. Joe reveal. All other copies, including the one in the studio's possession, described the military organization as Sector 7. "That way no one could leak the script," Caple notes. [...] Caple says they shot two versions of Kelly's scene, one where Burke's business card reads Sector 7 and one where the card reads G.I. Joe, so audiences in test screenings wouldn't know the true reveal. There was only one copy of the G.I. Joe business card, and Caple took that himself from set for safe keeping. "I was like, 'I'm taking this. I don't want this to be found on the floor,'" he says. "I actually didn't have them printed out until that day [on set]. We were very cautious of it, man. We were really trying to be as secretive as possible."|link=https://ew.com/movies/transformers-g-i-joe-crossover-plans/|name=Nick Romano|site=Entertainment Weekly|title=Inside the top-secret plans for Transformers and G.I. Joe|year=2023|month=06|day=12}}</ref>
*This is the first live-action Transformers movie where the Japanese dub wasn't sound directed by [[Keiichirō Miyoshi]] but instead it is directed by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]] who had been responsible for the original Beast Wars cartoons dubs localization.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Beast Kakusei''''' (トランスフォーマー/ビースト覚醒 ''Toransufōmā Bīsuto Kakusei'', "Transformers: Beast Awakening")
* ''Cantonese:'' '''''Bin3jing4 Gam1gong1: Kwong4sau3 Gwat6hei2''''' (變形金剛：狂獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Réveil des Bêtes''''' (Canada, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''German:'' '''''Transformers: Aufstieg der Bestien''''' ("Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers: A fenevadak kora''''' ("Transformers: The Age of the Beasts")
* ''Italian: '' '''''Transformers: Il Risveglio''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening")
* ''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Wàn Shòu Juéqǐ''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛：萬獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Chāonéng Yǒngshì Juéqǐ''''' (China, 变形金刚：超能勇士崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beast Wars")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Despertar das Feras''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Despertar de las Bestias''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Voskhozhdeniye Zverobotov''''' (Трансформеры: Восхождение Звероботов, "Transformers: Rise of the Beastbots")
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Chas Zvirobotiv''''' (Трансформери: Час Звіроботів, "Transformers: Time of the Beastbots")

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Real world films]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts| ]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts media]]

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2023-08-23T20:39:17Z

Chasd20: /* Rise of the Beasts */

Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

Some of these myths have since been mostly forgotten as the fandom moved on, but are being preserved here for historic purposes. Others still persist to this very day, and may even evolve into fully-fledged conspiracy theories.

==General misconceptions==
*'''''Transformers'' is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that was brought back into vogue with the 2007 movie.'''

: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that ''Transformers'' went away some time around 1986 (or 1987, or 1988—pick your year). People who stumbled across a newer incarnation of the ''Transformers'' franchise before 2007 commonly assumed that it had only recently popped back up as an attempt to cash in on '80s nostalgia. From 2007 onwards, people who were (obviously) aware of the [[live-action film series]] commonly believed that it was the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]] that brought the franchise back from limbo. Neither assumption is correct.

:In fact, the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] has been continuous since 1984 (there was a brief gap between 1990 and 1993 as far as the United States market was concerned, but the brand still continued with new products in other markets). It includes many [[Franchises|lines of toys, cartoons and comics]] that span almost four decades, with no sign of stopping, as Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when its target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction.

:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise long before its initial US cancellation (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in popularity, quality and/or sales, since it's not what they remember.

:It ''is'' true that ''Transformers'' hit a low point of popularity in the early 1990s, with the cancelation of Generation 1 and the unremarkable sales of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. But the successor ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' line re-established the brand for a new generation beginning in 1996, and ''Transformers'' has been a dominant toy franchise ever since. While it's true that the live-action movies caused a major hike in popularity for the brand, they didn't revive a long-forgotten franchise; rather, they merely turned a steadily successful toy series into a major worldwide multimedia phenomenon.
{{-}}

*'''Generation 1 obviously has the best toys, cartoons and characters.'''

:Casual fans likewise tend to assume automatically that the original 1980s iteration of ''Transformers'' is the best and most successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.

:While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over (if not for warm-fuzzy nostalgia-feels in 80s kids). In factors such as realistic alternate forms, durability, articulation, action features, and complexity, various later toylines have all exceeded Generation 1. And while fiction can't be measured objectively, many fans will swear up and down by some of the later incarnations of ''Transformers''.

:Arguably, ''Transformers'' is in an endless cycle of creating [[true fan|new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest"]].
{{-}}

[[File:SteamhammerEnergonUniverse.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Not literally a waste of packaging material.]]
*'''"Repackaged" toys are ''literally'' unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of the old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to stores.'''

:Every so often, a ''Transformers'' toy line features seemingly identical toys in multiple different [[packaging]] versions, such as multi-packs containing toys that were previously available separately. In addition, some toy lines also feature [[rebranding|rebranded]] items, namely toys that were originally released under one line, but are later re-released as part of another line with virtually no changes to the toy itself, only the packaging it is available in. The final stages of the original ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line took the concept of "rebranding" to a new level, featuring numerous straight re-releases of toys from the since-ended ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' lines, among many others. Since then, it has been repeated with the 2006 ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, the 2008 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' line and many others. Because a common [[fandom]] term for those releases is "repackages", a popular misconception claims that those toys are ''literally'' "repackages": namely, unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of their old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to (different) stores. (The same train of thought also—very rarely—suggests that "repaints", another common fan term for [[redeco]]s, are ''literally'' "[[repaint]]s", i.e. existing toys painted over in new colors, rather than new production runs from the same toolings using new plastic colors.)

:Needless to say, this theory is dubious for various reasons. Generally, old unsold toys are ''not'' sent back to Hasbro. They either [[Shelfwarmer|remain in the store]] until someone finally decides to buy them, or the store somehow dumps them, such as by selling them off to closeout chains. And even ''if'' Hasbro did regularly get sent back huge shipments of unsold toys, they'd be highly unlikely to go through the effort (and additional cost) of literally repackaging them. Hasbro confirmed this in January of 2009, stating that due to the toys being manufactured in Asia, it would be a waste of time and money to repackage them only to sell them at the same price-point.<ref>[http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1934 SirStevesGuide.com, Tri-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - January 30th]</ref> Thus, they are ''not'' repackaged old product, but new production runs of previous product. These days, this misconception should be much easier to dispel: Every toy now features a manufacturing date stamp etched into the figure, as well as a product code [[tampograph]]ed onto the figure, thus proving that a figure was manufactured more recently than its superficially identical predecessor.

{{-}}
[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The similarities are astounding. Especially those that aren't there.]]
*'''A new toy that is vaguely reminiscent of an older toy is a retool of said toy.'''

:Hasbro likes to [[redeco]] toys a lot (usually to recoup the R&D costs for developing the original [[mold]]). They also like to release redecos of toys from older lines in newer lines. In some instances, Hasbro also don't just redeco a toy, they [[retool]] it (or create new toolings for new parts that replace parts of the old version of the toy)—sometimes to improve a feature or fix an error, but sometimes also to give the toy new features or [[gimmick]]s, or simply to make it different enough from the original version so owners of the original version would be interested in buying the "retool" as well.

:Some of those retools are comparably minor (such as [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 Movie line]]), whereas others can be pretty elaborate. Sometimes the retools are so elaborate that the line between "retool" and "new [[mold]]" gets blurred. The most drastic instances in this regard would be [[K-9]] from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (based on [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] from the same line) and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] from ''Cybertron'' (based on the original ''Cybertron'' Crumplezone toy), both of which have most, if not ''all'' of their parts entirely retooled. Another borderline case would be the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]]s [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]], which were released around the same time and are based on the same basic design, share a similar body structure and have very similar [[alternate mode]]s.

:However, sometimes fans ''definitely'' get too far decrying a new toy a "retool" (or "remold"). Toys that share some superficial design similarities, coupled with similar transformation schemes, are often mistaken for retools even though they're simply that: Similar toys based on the same general design, maybe even directly influenced by the older toy, but nothing more. For more examples, see: [[retool#Not actually a retool|retool]].

{{-}}
*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works—and they're sooooooo not doing that.

{{-}}{{anchor|Older collectors}}
*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most ''Transformers'' product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like ''Alternators'' or ''Classics'' and its successors with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy [[Transformer]]s for them. The bulk of ''Transformers'' product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if a company like Hasbro wants to stay in business and keep making money (and by extension, more toys), it must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors—enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the [[fandom|fans]] speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or [[Ruined FOREVER|awful]].
{{-}}

===Takara vs. Hasbro===
[[File:Cybertrontoy hasbro and takara vector primes.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Vector Prime]] features different color applications dependent on whether it was released in [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] or [[Hasbro]]'s market.]]
*'''Takara (alternatively, Hasbro) are ''solely'' responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing (all, or certain specific) ''Transformers'' toys.'''

: This was true only for the original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toys]], and possibly also the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toys]]. Most of the toys from 1984 to 1986 were imported (and, occasionally, slightly altered) versions of already-existing Japanese toys originally designed and released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Following that, Takara developed new toys both for the Japanese and the Western market, now specifically with ''Transformers'' in mind. The primary exceptions are a handful of toys licensed from other Japanese companies (Jetfire, Whirl, and Roadbuster, for example), and the 1986 toys for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]], which were mostly based on designs by [[Floro Dery]].

: However, ever since 1988,<ref name="dunsay">[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/images/full/BC04Dunsay.jpg BotCon 2004 program guide interview with George Dunsay]</ref> most "main" line toys released both in Japan and the Western hemisphere (such as the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'', the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 Movie line]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]/[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'') have been designed and developed in cooperation between [[Hasbro]] (or its subsidiary [[Kenner]]) and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] (now TakaraTomy). (For the specifics of this joint venture development process, see the article about [[toy]]s.)

: Still, numerous reasons have led some people to assume incorrectly that ''all'' ''Transformers'' toy lines were ''solely'' developed by only one of the two companies:

:*The Western public and mainstream media, naturally, tend to be unaware of the existence of Takara (TakaraTomy these days). It's therefore logical to assume that Hasbro, the company responsible for distributing Transformers toys outside Japan, is also solely responsible for developing and manufacturing the toys. The fact that Hasbro regularly chooses not to mention their Japanese business partner in official press releases and interviews hasn't exactly helped matters, either.

:*On the other hand, Western anime fans are used to Japanese companies being solely responsible for designing robot toys, which are then imported and sold by Western companies. For lack of better knowledge, those people then simply assume the same also applies to ''Transformers'' toys — namely, that Takara does ''all'' the design and engineering work on their own, and Hasbro is merely the Western ''distributor'' of those toys. The fact that the back of Hasbro's packaging for ''Transformers'' toys sports a small note saying "Manufactured under license from Takara Co., Ltd." (changed to "TOMY Company, Ltd." on more recent toys) is occasionally cited as "proof" that Takara is the sole manufacturer of ''Transformers'' toys as well. A long paper trail of evidence to the contrary<ref name="Hasbro Tour">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/gallery.php?event_id=70&size=0&start=272 Exemplary rundown] of the development process of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]], shown during the Hasbro tour at [[BotCon 2007]]. Of course, Hasbro just replaced the name "Takara" in some of the steps with "Hasbro" in order to convince fans that... yeah, riiiight.</ref> has not been able to convince those people of the flaws in their conspiracy theory — rather, some of them have even postulated the existence of a so-called "Hasbro PR machine", whose sole purpose is to convince ''Transformers'' fans that Hasbro has a larger part in the development of ''Transformers'' toys than is actually the case.<ref name="Propaganda">[http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,88668 ToyBoxDX thread with anime fanboys arguing that "Takara is an enormous toy '''manufacturing''' company. Hasbro doesn't manufacturer anything. The sole reason for its existence is for marketing the products of their partners and wholly-owned subs. Just to be clear here - Takara is bigger than Hasbro."] They wouldn't even believe that [[Joe Kyde]] actually worked at Hasbro. No kidding.</ref>

: That being said, there ''are'' indeed a few toys originally developed by either Hasbro or Takara without the other one's involvement, and then later picked up by the other company, but they're fewer than usually assumed: For Takara, those include the new molds for ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1998 (Beast Wars II)|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1999 (Beast Wars Neo)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'', plus various mostly short-lived, collector-aimed, niche market lines (such as the new ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' molds, the ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'', the ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' toys etc.); for Hasbro, those are mostly either toys originally based on fiction-based franchises that did not originate with Hasbro (such as ''[[Animorphs]]'' or the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars Transformers]]'' and their later successor, ''[[Transformers: Crossovers]]''), cross-brand lines ''within'' Hasbro where the Transformers toys only make up one part of the overall lineup (such as the [[Titanium Series]] and the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] figures) and a few very rare "main" line Transformers toys such as [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]], [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]], [[Alpha Quintesson]], [[Kicker Jones#Toys|Energon Kicker]] and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''.
{{-}}

*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''
[[File:RMConvoy toy.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Let's never forget that Takara made ''this''.]]
: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.

:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the U.S. [[for safety reasons]]. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically). In the various forms of [[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Overview|CHUG]], Takara releases also consistently boast more paint applications (for example, many ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' figures had painted rims, while their ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' counterparts went without), something that was ironically reversed in their version of the [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Takara Prime toyline|''Prime'' toyline]].

:*"More [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada''{{'}}s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#2005 (Beast Wars Returns)|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not accurate to the original toys. On the other hand, Takara sometimes has a tendency to go ''massively'' overboard in their ever-growing desire for "show-accurate" decos even on toys that haven't even been designed with the original [[character model|animation model]]s in mind, leading to weird blocks of color meant to represent major details from the show models that simply do not exist in any way on the toys' sculpts. Just ask ''Unite Warriors'' [[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Firebolt]], [[Slingshot (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Sling]] and [[Drag Strip (G1)#Unite Warriors|Drag Stripe]].

:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two [[sword]]s, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun mode Megatron in the ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Super Link]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well. ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Rod]] came with two missile launchers and missiles not included with ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe .282008.29|Hot Shot]] due to budget constraints, and featured the original tooling for the rear bumper for their inclusion. In contrast, ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Lambor]] was ''lacking'' the supercharger engine accessory ''Universe'' Sideswipe came with—[[Hisashi Yuki]], the toy's designer, claims the intent was for only Sunstreaker to have it, with it being meant to differentiate the two, but Hasbro chose to give it to both.<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009 Volume 1|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref>

:*"Sweeter exclusives" is more or less a mix of "the grass is always greener" and some occasional hits. The truth is, there ''are'' a lot of popular molds, characters, and entire toylines that only show up on Japanese shores or as part of special promotions. However, a similar number of such releases stay in international territories and never reach Japanese fans. American fans who are willing to pay import fees simply don't tend to notice when Japanese fans miss out unless they pay ''very'' close attention to what's being released there, and due to the simple way that news and hype works, flawed Japanese exclusives tend to simply fly under the radar.

:*"Tighter [[quality control]]" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's: Pretty much everything for both markets is made in China—in fact, according to Hasbro [[Australia]] representatives and Hasbro designer [[Eric Siebenaler]], ''all'' of the Transformers toys jointly developed between Hasbro and Takara/TakaraTomy are manufactured at factories contracted to the Japanese toy company. This means Takara is (at least indirectly) responsible for whatever quality control problems occur with Hasbro-released toys. Takara's standards of quality control for their domestically-released toys are just as likely to let mistakes creep through. Just ask any buyer of ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Thundercracker]] how well his weapons stay attached to the arms. And let's not even get started on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy's]] first production run.

:*The fields in which Takara genuinely excels Hasbro are comparably minor: Takara's [[stock photography]] generally tends to be more impressive than Hasbro's, without obvious mistransformations and awkward poses, and at the same time looks more representative of the actual toy due to less reliance on blatant digital touch-ups. Likewise, Takara's [[instructions]] tend to be more detailed and useful than Hasbro's.
{{-}}

*'''Hasbro lost the rights to a lot of G1 Transformers names. That is why you see toys named "Autobot Jazz" or "Decepticon Brawl" these days. Takara is more competent than Hasbro and doesn't need to change their toys' names.'''

:That's not quite how name rights —aka [[trademark]]— work. There are indeed instances where another company has snatched a trademark, making it unavailable for Hasbro's use. The reason is because trademarks need to be consistently used in commerce (roughly once every year or so), or it could be considered "abandoned", making it open for grabs should another company try to claim it. "[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Hot Rod]]" was unavailable to [[Hasbro]] because Mattel held several similar trademarks, "[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]" was too similar to Gendron's "Toledo 'Blue Streak'" trademark, and a company named Lanard held the trademark "Shockwave" until 2005. This prompted Hasbro to use substitute names for toys based on these characters, such as "Rodimus Major" and "Rodimus" for Hot Rod, "Silverstreak" for Bluestreak and "Shockblast" for Shockwave (Hasbro has since managed to reacquire all three aforementioned trademarks).

:Meanwhile, the names with prefixes such as "Autobot" or "Decepticon"? Those are usually non-compound single real words from the English language. Hasbro's legal department considers them too "generic" to be easily defensible as trademarks, hence the addition of prefixes such as "Autobot Jazz", "Decepticon Brawl "or "Constructicon Devastator" for better protection. This does ''not'' work with names already trademarked by another company–otherwise, [[Bandai]] could release a toy named "Gunpla Optimus Prime" tomorrow, and Hasbro couldn't do anything about it.

:For a while, it seemed like these trademark quibbles were limited to Hasbro, and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was somehow exempt due to a different market situation. However, the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' line saw the emergence of quite a few "Cybertron", "Destron" and "[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuntron]]" prefixes, implying that the trademark situation on the Japanese market was changing, and starting with the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|''Movie'' line]], TakaraTomy (now adopting Hasbro names instead of their established Japanese-market names) began to use "Autobot" and "Decepticon" prefixes. With ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers United|United]]'', TakaraTomy even used prefixes for names Hasbro has been able to use ''without'' prefixes.

{{-}}

==Generation 1 Misconceptions==
===Toys===
====Generation 1 (1984-1990)====
{{anchor|BlueBluestreak}}
[[File:G1 Bluestreak boxart.jpg|upright=1|thumb|You had this as a kid. The picture, that is. Not the toy.]]
*'''A super-rare blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

:The very earliest [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy [[catalog]]s used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[Instructions|instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[Package art|box art]]; which was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.

:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''{{w|ToyFare}}'' magazine had a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.

:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one. After literal decades of no samples ever being found, it is certain that this holy grail is just a legend.

: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in —[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], for example— yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner, perhaps because his name is ''Blue''streak, so he had to have been blue, right?
{{-}}

{{anchor|JapaneseCopyright}}
*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''

:Some ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974, 1983" or variations thereof stamped on them, with the actual ''Micro Change'' releases of the earlier figures even featuring blatant a "©Takara 1974" printed on the front of their packaging, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]]". Likewise, the ''[[Diaclone]]''-derived toys also have two dates as part of their copyright markings, with the earlier one being invariably "1980".

:In reality, though, the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s. Those confusing double copyright dates are a result of the way Japanese IP law worked at the time. The earlier copyright date in question refers to the year the toyline in general, as well as its fictional backstory, was first launched (1974 in the case of the original ''[[Microman]]'' franchise, 1980 in the case of Diaclone), while the second one refers to the date the toy itself was created.
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{{anchor|Smokescreen38}}
[[File:G1 Smokescreen toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|They really did a number on him.]]
*'''The racing number on Diaclone and Generation 1 Smokescreen's doors was changed to "38" for legal reasons, just like "Martinii", "Citanes", "Marlboor" and "Alitalla".'''

:Several of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' figures that would end up serving as the basis for the ''Transformers'' "[[Autobot Cars]]" were based on very specific real-life racing vehicles. Most of them featured sponsor decals, some of which advertized alcoholic beverages or cigarette brands. All of those sponsoring decals were subject to minimal modifications for their ''Diaclone'' releases, which were then carried over to their ''Transformers'' counterparts: Instead of "Martini" (a cocktail brand), the decals on No.14 "Porsche 935 Turbo" (which became the Autobot [[Jazz (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Jazz]]) were changed to "Martinii", with two "i"s at the end; the decals on No.16 "F-1 Ligier JS11" (which became the Autobot [[Mirage (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mirage]]) read "Citanes" rather than "Gitanes" (a French brand of cigarettes), with a "C" instead of a "G"; one version of No.18 "Lancia Stratos Turbo" (which initially wasn't released as a Transformer, but later served as the inspiration for [[Exhaust]]) advertized a fictional company named "Marlboor" (which later became an [[Marlboor Dynamic|actual thing]]), rather than the real cigarette brand "Marlboro"; and the other version of the Lancia Stratos (which became the Autobot [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Wheeljack]]) didn't advertize the airline Alitalia, but a barely noticeable "Alitalla", with a double "l".

:It stands to reason, then, that the racing number "38" on No.11 "Fairlady Z Racing Type" (which became the Autobot [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Smokescreen]]) was similarly modified from the number "83" that is commonly seen in historic photos of the Electramotive Datsun 280ZX driven by Don Devendorf and Tony Adamowicz.

:In reality, though, the real life car ''has'' raced under both numbers, although admittedly, "38" ''is'' the more obscure number for this car compared to "83" since it was only used once, for the "6 Hours of Fuji" race on October 3, 1982.<ref name="38-1">[http://www.a2zracer.com/page84.html "Electramotive Years 1982"] at a2zracer.com.</ref><ref name="38-2">[https://teamobscurityracing.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/formula-silhouette-photo-find/ "Formula silhouette photo find."] at AusZoku.</ref><ref name="38-3">[https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Don-Devendorf-USA.html "All Results of Don Devendorf"] at Racing Sports Cars.</ref> Since that was the only time that particular car had participated in a race in Japan that year, this would explain why Takara might have considered that number to be more relevant for a Japanese audience.
{{-}}

{{anchor|Soundwavebuttons}}
[[File:G1toy tfc soundwave and soundblaster.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Individual buttons. It's a lost art.]]
*'''The reissue Soundwave toys released by Takara are reverse-engineered from Soundblaster because the original molds are lost.'''

:Both the ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' and ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Soundwave]] releases have different tape buttons and hinges than the ones found on the vintage Hasbro release. While the vintage Hasbro Soundwave had inset controls and an internal tape deck hinge, the Takara reissues have a large button block that serves as a pivot point for an external tape deck hinge. The supposed reason for this is the mold for the original versions of the buttons and door are lost or worn out, so a new single tape door was made to work with the Soundblaster mold.

:In fact, the buttons and hinge used on the reissue Soundwaves were originally a [[retool]]ed running change [[variant]] of Takara's original 1985 release of Soundwave. The further Soundblaster retool was based on the later Japanese version of Soundwave, as were the reissues. Presumably, the original mold in its original condition ''is'' lost - but this happened ''long'' before Takara retooled Soundwave into Soundblaster.
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{{anchor|MBOptimusPrime}}
[[File:Jetfire-MB-comic.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Oddly enough, Optimus Prime can still be seen in the background.]]
*'''Optimus Prime's toy was originally not released in Europe due to a trademark conflict.'''

:When Hasbro subsidiary [[Milton Bradley]] launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line]] on the European continent in 1985, many prominent characters were missing, among them [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]]. Bizarrely, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was branded as the Autobot leader, and depicted as such in [[The Transformers (Milton Bradley comic)|a pack-in mini-comic]]. Furthermore, Dutch publisher [[Junior Press]] initially renamed Optimus Prime into "Jetfire" for all his appearances in their translated versions of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comic]]. Optimus Prime's toy was eventually released with the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'', and the Junior Press comics subsequently referred to him by his correct name.

:The reason for Optimus Prime's initial omission from the MB line-up was claimed to be due to a [[trademark]] conflict with Swedish kitchen utensil manufacturer "[http://www.optimusstoves.com/ Optimus]". Though initially accepted by the fandom, this claim doesn't hold up under scrutiny. A manufacturer of kitchen utensils ''usually'' does not operate in the "toys" field, thus making a trademark conflict unlikely to begin with. An editor's note in the Junior Press comic trying to explain the "Optimus"/"Jetfire" name situation claimed that the ''Transformers'' were originally ''two'' toy lines by different manufacturers in the United States, and MB had only released ''one'' of them in the Netherlands, while the "[[copyright]]" to the name "Optimus Prime" belonged to the other manufacturer. Which is of course horsehockey. Many years later, this editor's note (including the incorrect use of the term "copyright" rather than "trademark") was cited by a Dutch fan who added his own speculation (without marking it as such), thus spawning the urban myth that was subsequently accepted by the fandom.<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at The Complete Transformers Variants Page</ref>

:A much more likely explanation lies in that French company [[Joustra]] released their own version of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in many of the same markets as Milton Bradley's ''Transformers''. The theory suggests that because of Joustra's exclusive contract with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], any toys from their ''Diaclone'' line-up were initially off-limits for Milton Bradley's ''Transformers'' line-up.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref> A related theory suggests that Joustra's parent company, Ceji, got into financial trouble at the time, prompting them to sign a deal with Milton Bradley allowing them to use their existing (but still unsold) ''Diaclone'' stock released in ''Transformers'' packaging, which could explain why the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'' matches up almost perfectly with Joustra's ''Diaclone'' line-up.<ref name="mijofour">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-4/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 4" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>
{{-}}

{{anchor|OverbiteSparkabots}}
[[File:JawbreakerComic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|UK comic exclusive name variant!]]
[[File:Model sheets G1 Guzzle Fizzle Overbite Snaptrap.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Sparklercons? Firebots? Firesparklers? [[BotCon|Botcon]]s?]]
*'''The Generation 1 Seacon Overbite was released under the name "Jawbreaker" in some European markets, and the Sparkabots were sold as "Sparkler Mini-Bots".'''

:In [[Enemy Action!|issue 152]] of the Marvel UK comics, the first appearance of the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] was called "Jawbreaker", a name repeated in his appearance in [[Salvage!|issue 160]] and in an "A to Z" profile in "[[Transformers Annual 1989]]". Likewise, the [[Sparkabot]]s were consistently referred to as "Sparkler mini-bots" (spelled with a hyphen, and a capital letter only for the word "Sparkler") in the introductory paragraphs for several issues) beginning with their first Marvel UK appearance in, once again, issue #152. In the early days of online fandom, American fans concluded that this had to mean that those toys had been released under different names in Europe—which is not ''entirely'' unfounded, as Transformers often got renamed in Canada and Italy, and many toys released in Europe after the line had been canceled in the US had multiple concurrently used names, depending on which countries the packaging they were sold in was intended for.

:However, existing specimens of packaged toys confirm that the Seacon toy was indeed called "Overbite" as per normal for all its European releases. This was further corroborated by the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] in [[City of Fear!|issue #164]] of the UK comic, which featured a question by a confused (British) reader regarding the discrepancy between the toy's name and the character's name in his UK comic appearances (resulting in a made-up-on-the-spot explanation from the Marvel staff to reconcile both names). Adding to the confusion was the letters page in [[A Savage Circle|issue #327]] from late 1991, which stated that Jawbreaker was his British name and Overbite his American name. By this time, the toy was no longer on sale, and the character had long disappeared from the comic. Apparently whoever answered the letters at this point was not very well-informed, and thus contributed to, or possibly even ''started'' the myth the begin with.

:Meanwhile, things were even more confusing in other parts of Europe: Contemporary toy ads from the Netherlands applied the name "Sparkler mini-bots" to the ''[[Firecon]]s''<ref name="ads">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/posts/2012/05/01/transformers-toy-ads-from-the-1980′s-part-2/ "Transformers toy ads from the 1980's – Part 2"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>, while a [[multilingual packaging|bilingual]] [[pack-in material|pack-in]] [[catalog]] included with the 1988 toys available in European French/Dutch packaging used "Sparkler mini-bots" as a super-category for ''both'' the Sparkabots ''and'' the Firecons. Meanwhile, in Germany, [[Condor Verlag]] not only published translated versions of both Marvel US and Marvel UK comics in its ''[[Transformers Comic-Magazin]]'', but also featured additional text stories that were unique to Condor, which were all over the place when it came to naming the subgroups, alternating between "Sparkabots" and "Sparkler Minibots" (though consistently spelled without a hyphen) for the Autobot subgroup, while sometimes "Sparkler Minibots" was also used used as a super-category for both the Sparkabots ''and'' the Firecons. And then the text story from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 22|issue #22]] (which was mostly recycled from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 5|issue #5]], which just called the Autobot subgroup "Sparkabots") suddenly mentioned a Decepticon subgroup named "''Sparkler-Cons''", and then referred to the "Sparkler Minibots" as a ''Decepticon'' subgroup that existed ''alongside'' the Firecons, ''explicitly'' opposing the Autobots' Sparkabots. (Interestingly, the story from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|issue #2]] also referred to the Seacon as "Overbite".)

:So, why ''did'' the UK stories identify the character as "Jawbreaker", and the Sparkabots as "Sparkler mini-bots", for that matter? The answer was unknown until 2016, when a couple of early internal [[character model|model sheets]] were offered on [[eBay]]: Overbite's model sheet has his name crossed out, with "Jawbreaker" written below it. Likewise, the Sparkabots were identified as "Sparkler Mini-Bots", while both Overbite/Jawbreaker and Seacon leader [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] were mistakenly categorized under "''Sparkacons''/Sparkabots/Firecons".<ref name="modelsheets">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/93711-more-unseen-tftm-designs-plus-some-early-colors-and-some-show-design/?p=3191211 Early model sheets] at The Allspark.</ref> At [[BotCon]] 2022, Marvel UK writer [[Simon Furman]] confirmed that he had been provided with these model sheets, with the non-final names on them, as reference materials. The Overbite toy's instructions, as well as his on-packaging [[bio]], still refer to his ''weapon'' as a "jawbreaker cannon" (spelled with a lowercase "j", thus implying that it was meant as a mere descriptive term, rather than an official ''name''), and he himself is also called "Jawbreaker" at one point in the [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] assembly instructions, while his weapon mode for Piranacon is named "Jawbreaker weapon". The ''[[The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Universe]]''-style profile page for Overbite published in issue [[Skin Deep|#59]] of the Marvel US series calls his weapon a "jawbreaker cannon", as well as the aforementioned "A to Z" profile from the 1989 UK Annual, also call his weapon a non-capitalized "jawbreaker cannon".

:By the time the Sparkabots's sole apperance in [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|issue #46]] of the US series and the Seacons' appearances in issues [[Club Con!|#47]] and [[Cold War!|#49]] were reprinted in the UK title (in issues #192-193, #194-195 and #206-207, respectively), Marvel UK had seemingly become fully aware of the naming discrepancy. Thus, Overbite's name was left unchanged in order to maintain consistency with the toy's name, rather than having it changed to conform to the character's earlier UK appearances. Additionally, the introductory paragraphs for issues #192 and #193 used the US name "Sparkabots" (which wasn't even used in the story itself), while issue #195's introductory paragraph also referred to the Seacon by the name "Overbite". For whatever reason, the aforementioned A to Z from the 1989 Annual, which was published about five months after the first letter that pointed out the naming discrepancy was published in issue #164 of the main series, still used the outdated name. One year later, Simon Furman had presumably received more accurate information, and thus Overbite referred to himself by his correct name, rather than "Jawbreaker", in one of his last appearances in a UK-exclusive story, "[[Dreadwing Down!]]" from ''[[Transformers Annual 1990]]''.
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{{anchor|UKexclusives}}
[[File:Euro Classic Fireflight Breakdown.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Hardly "exclusive" to one particular country.]]
*'''Some toys were exclusively (or predominantly) available only in the United Kingdom/Netherlands.'''

:During the early days of the Transformers online fandom, most of the active European fans in English-language forums were based in the UK and Netherlands. So when information about non-US toys (or toy variants) was spread, there simply were no fans from Germany or France around to confirm that the toys in question had also been officially available in their respective countries. (Although to be fair, it's quite possible that some toys, such as the [[Milton Bradley]]-branded Generation 1 toys, were indeed released in bigger quantities in the Netherlands than in Germany or France.)<ref name="mbpart6">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>

:As a result, numerous toys like the red [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|Tracks]] and [[IGA]] Mexican-market Transformers (imported under [[parallel import|dubious circumstances]]) got labeled as "Netherlands-only", when they actually saw release in at least a half-dozen countries. Meanwhile, post-US-cancellation Transformers like the [[Action Master Elite]]s, "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" reissues, [[Turbomaster]]s, [[Obliterator]]s, etc, were (and sometimes still are) often referred to as "UK exclusives", even though all of them were available in multiple countries, including Canada and Australia!

:In reality, there are ''very'' few toys actually exclusive to a single European country. The first ''genuine'' "UK exclusives" were a set of multi-packs from the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|''Transformers'' live action movie]] [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|toyline]], but the toys themselves were identical to the US releases. Meanwhile, other multi-packs or minor variants of toys from the 2007 movie toyline that were available in the UK but not the US were also available in other places, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or other European countries again.
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{{anchor|GreenTrailbreaker}}
*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''

:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)/toys|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989, as mentioned above) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. But like the "Blue" Bluestreak, no samples of an actual green version of the Trailbreaker mold actually sold ''as'' "Trailbreaker" have been found.
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{{anchor|Beastformers}}
*'''Various misconceptions about ''Beastformers.'''

: While it has been common knowledge since the early days of online fandom that the Hasbro ''Battle Beasts'' toys were sold in Takara's markets in 1987 under the ''Transformers'' banner as ''[[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]]'', many of the details of ''how'' they were sold were misreported. Given it's a somewhat niche piece of Generation 1 history, the early online fandom's general lack of access to Japanese sources, ''and'' the fact that few/no Japanese sources kept track of the rather complicated release history of the toys (outlined on their own page, linked above), it's not hard to see how some of this propagated and persisted for decades since.

: For a while, it was often said that the Beastformers had Autobot/Decepticon [[rubsign]]s, as the characters had been split up into Autobot/Decepticon-allied sides. But the Beastformers had the same Fire/Wood/Water rubsigns as their Hasbro counterparts (their rubsigns were also significantly smaller than those on the Transformers!), it's just that the ''Transformers'' media they (briefly) appeared in made no mention of this play gimmick for whatever reasons; the packaging certainly made note of it.

: Not all of the ''Beastformers'' toys were actually released under the ''Transformers'' umbrella, at least directly. This is an easy one to see how it got spread, as all of Takara's ''Transformers'' catalogs and advertisements in 1987 showed the entire lineup of 76 figures found in ''Battle Beasts''. Even many of Takara's ''modern'' retrospectives do this! But in reality, only 54 figures and only one of the vehicles, the [[Red Phoenix#Toys|Red Phoenix]] [[Fortress (Beastformers)|Fortress]], actually came in ''Transformers''-branded boxes. In 1988, ''Beastformers'' was spun off into its own series without the ''Transformers'' branding as a sequel set after the war with the Cybertronians, and even really played up the Fire/Wood/Water gimmick. It is in this line that 20 of the missing 22 figures (yes, there are two ''Beastformers'' shown in numerous sources that ultimately were never released in Japan), the remaining five vehicles, as well as the entire run of [[Laser Beast]]s, finally reached Japanese toy shelves. Many of the toys from the ''Transformers''-branded part of the line were re-released in this sequel series, but not ''all'' of them... though again, Takara's marketing materials continued to show all 76. Confused? We don't blame you.

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====''Generation 2''====
{{anchor|G2insignias}}
*'''The ''Generation 2'' Autobot and Decepticon insignias were originally created by Hasbro UK, whose license for using the original faction insignias owned by Hasbro US had expired.'''
[[File:G2AutobotInsignia.png|thumb|upright=1.0|Probably ''not'' the result of a dispute between Hasbro US and Hasbro UK.]]
:The first half is ''maybe'' true, the second half certainly isn't. While the new Autobot and Decepticon faction [[insignia]]s were popularized by the ''Generation 2'' line, said line didn't start in Europe until 1994, a year later than in the US. Instead, the ''Transformers'' brand had continued in Europe even after its cancellation in the United States in 1990 (see the page for the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European toyline]] for more details), and new European-"exclusive" figures were still being released in 1993, many of which were later re-released in [[rebranding|rebranded]] ''Generation 2'' packaging in Europe in 1994, while some of them were also made available (including some color, name and faction changes) under the ''Generation 2'' line in the United States in 1993. It was those designed-for-Europe 1993 pre-''Generation 2'' figures that had first featured the new Autobot and Decepticon insignias on their packaging, and a popular myth claims that they had become a necessity for the European market due to Hasbro UK and Hasbro US being legally considered distinct entities under international law, and Hasbro UK alternatively didn't want to continue paying their parent company the fee for being allowed to use these symbols, or the license for using them had expired.<ref name="euhist">[https://tfarchive.com/fandom/features/thirtieth-anniversary/?s=countdown-04-european-history "European History"] at The Transformers Archive.</ref>

:The holes in this theory are legion: First of all, Hasbro US ''didn't actually register the original Autobot and Decepticon insignias as trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office until 2002''. That was also the same year when those insgnias were first claimed as trademarks on the toys' packaging. How, then, could Hasbro US, assuming it was indeed a distinct legal entity, enforce those insignias as trademarks by 1993, let alone ''internationally''? Why exactly would the UK Patent Office be enforcing the trademarks of a (supposedly) foreign company that didn't do business in the UK? In fact, why would ''anyone'' be enforcing trademark claims against Hasbro UK on behalf of Hasbro US? And why would this only affect the faction insignias? Wouldn't the names "Transformers", "Autobot" and "Decepticon" be equally subject to those alleged licensing fees?

:A much more likely explanation is that the faction insignias were changed for the same reason the "Transformers" title logo was changed to a new version (both in the US and Europe) in 1989, along with a major redesign of the toys' packaging, and why there had been another change to the packaging design and "Transformers" title logo for the European releases in 1992: To "refresh" the overall presentation of the brand, making everything look "new" and different for marketing reasons. Now whether the new insignias were originally created by Hasbro US for the ''Generation 2'' line and were simply applied to the European 1993 toys first for the sake of consistency, or whether they had indeed been created by Hasbro UK and Hasbro US just liked them so much they decided to adopt them for the ''Generation 2'' line, is up for debate.
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{{anchor|KBG2Devastator}}
*'''The orange ''Generation 2'' Constructicons were exclusive to KB Toys.'''
[[File:G2Devastator toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Its a exclusive!?{{sic}}]]
:In 1993, Hasbro reissued the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] under the ''Generation 2'' line. The initial (and more common) versions saw the original ''Generation 1'' figures' green plastic changed to yellow, while a later, rarer version featured an orange plastic color for the entire team instead. A popular rumor, which is also propagated by many an [[eBay]] seller, claims that the orange versions were [[exclusive|exclusively]] available at [[KB Toys]] (formerly "Kay Bee") in the United States.

:No substantial evidence supporting this rumor has ever surfaced. It should be pointed out, though, that store exclusives were still fairly uncommon prior to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', with the only confirmed example being the [[Classic Pretender]]s being sold without their [[Pretender]] shells under the name "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", exclusive to [[Kmart]].

:Since the packaging for the orange versions is identical to that used for the yellow versions, down to the UPC barcodes, it is very likely that Hasbro didn't actually consider the orange versions as separate products, but as mere [[variant#Running changes|running change color color variants]], just like the ''Generation 2'' versions of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s had been available in there different colors each.

:Also, since some people insist having purchased the orange Constructicons at other stores such as Mills Fleet Farm, the most likely explanation is that KB Toys was merely the chain that ordered the largest bulk of them, thus leading to the faulty perception that they were "only" available at KB Toys. Additionally, one has to understand that in the early days of the online Transformers [[fandom]], when the latter consisted entirely of the text-only usenet news group [[alt.toys.transformers]] and long before official announcements of new toys by Hasbro via social media, it was anything but uncommon for people to assume every other newly-found figure to be "exclusive" to whatever chain they were first discovered at by default.

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====''Alternators''====
{{anchor|AltYellowTracks}}
*'''A yellow version of ''Alternators'' Tracks was released to North American stores (but then recalled by Hasbro).'''
[[File:YellowTracks.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|Only in Japan, baby.]]
:When [[Hasbro]] (and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) originally announced the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' version of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in 2004, the toy's [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode's]] primary color was yellow. This caused the ire of a significant portion of the fandom, which insisted that the toy had to be ''blue'', like its [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] predecessor.

:Hasbro eventually confirmed at [[OTFCC 2004]] that the initial idea had been to release the toy in yellow first, and then later as a running change [[variant]] in blue, like Takara would ultimately do. However, Hasbro had encountered problems at the test shot stage, where it became evident that some of the toy's innards were shining through the yellow plastic. As a result, plans for a release of the yellow version were scrapped, and it was decided to release the blue version from the get-go.

:Rumors started circulating that some stores (usually [[Walmart]]) had indeed received a shipment of the toy, but were then asked by Hasbro to send back the entire batch. Naturally, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up these claims. And while toys may occasionally be recalled [[for safety reasons]], it's highly doubtful that "aesthetics" would be enough of a reason to warrant an expensive product recall.
:The only "packaged" versions of a yellow ''Alternators'' Tracks we ever got to see were internet pranks of the "yellow ''Binaltech'' Tracks in photoshopped Hasbro box" variety. Which, of course, didn't help matters at all.
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{{anchor|AltWindchargerbarrel}}
*'''Hasbro omitted ''Alternators'' Windcharger's gun barrel for safety reasons.'''
[[File:WindchargerOverdrive.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Castrated at the request of Honda.]]
: When the first stolen [[Prototype|test shots]] of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] surfaced in 2004, the toy sported an extraordinarily long gun barrel (which doubled as the [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]'s drive shaft). The toy was ultimately released without the barrel, which was not shown or mentioned anywhere on the packaging or in the instructions. Indeed, Windcharger's weapon accessory was officially identified as a "shield" on the back of the packaging (in addition to the actual, ragtop roof shield). [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], on the other hand, later released their own ''Binaltech'' version of the toy (named [[Overdrive]]) with the full barrel, prominently shown in the official promotional photos.

:The initial fan theory upon seeing the barrel-less toy was that Hasbro had gutted it for safety reasons, under the notion that the long barrel might pose a choking hazard. Even though this was refuted by actual experts on toy safety standards, the rumor still persisted. An official response from Hasbro's customer service department to an e-mail inquiry (published on a fan site's message board) confirmed that the reason for the barrel's omission was "so the accessory would not look like a weapon".<ref name="Windcharger gun barrel">"http://forums.tformers.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=13088 Response from Hasbro's customer service department regarding the lack of Alternators Windcharger's gun barrel.</ref> Eventually, Hasbro (in the presence of Takara representatives) would confirm the full story at [[BotCon 2005]]: It had indeed been Honda, specifically their North American branch, that had asked to remove the gun barrel and all references to "weapons" from the toy, its packaging and included paperwork. Honda's Japanese department, on the other hand, had no such concerns, which is why Takara were able to release the ''Binaltech'' version with the barrel intact.

:Despite this official statement by Hasbro, the myth still persists, and has actually since evolved into a conspiracy theory, which postulates that Hasbro ''deliberately lied'' to its fans in order to shift blame to Honda rather than admitting to have made that decision themselves in order to conform to safety standards. Which is mindbogglingly absurd.
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====''Masterpiece''====
*'''''Masterpiece'' Convoy 1.0 has more diecast parts than 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/''Masterpiece'' Convoy is made almost entirely out of diecast/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is made entirely out of plastic.'''
:This misconception was started by now defunct Hong Kong-based online retailer Action-HQ<ref name="plasticahq">[http://tformers.com/transformers-20th-anniversary-optimus-prime-plastic/2150/news.html "20th Anniversary Optimus Prime Plastic?"], November 2003.</ref> and ''might'' have been extrapolated from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toys, which are made entirely out of plastic (except for the rubber tires) for their Hasbro releases, whereas their Japanese ''Binaltech'' counterparts feature a few parts made out of [[die-cast|die-cast metal]].

:In fact, however, the amount of die-cast metal parts versus injection-[[mold]]ed plastic parts is the same between 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and his Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Convoy counterpart. The only differences between the two toys (not counting the packaging) are the shortened smokestacks for Hasbro's 20th Prime and the addition of painted battle damage that is missing from the Takara version.

====''Transformers Collection''====
[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue2 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|A solicitation of then upcoming Takara reissues? Not really.]]
*'''Takara's ''Transformers Collection'' had something to do with Dreamwave.'''
:In 2002, Takara launched their series of [[Generation 1 reissues]] named ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'', also commonly referred to as "bookbox reissues" or even "Dreamwave reissues" among fans. The reason for that is simple: The [[package art]], especially for early releases such as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] or [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], was directly taken from the covers of and promotional posters for [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] first ''[[Prime Directive|Generation One]]'' mini-series drawn by [[Pat Lee]]. A common misconception among fans at that time was that Takara was coordinating their reissues with Dreamwave. Some even tried to predict upcoming reissues based on the existing Dreamwave covers. Yet [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]] never materialized.

:In fact, probably the main reason why Takara recycled Pat's Dreamwave artwork of those characters for the [[packaging]] of their reissues was its coincidental availability: The artwork had already been created and paid for, so why commission new art when they could just use what already exists? Furthermore, only about half of the TFC reissues actually sported "Dreamwave" package art, whereas the rest ''did'' use newly-commissioned art drawn by Japanese artist [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who has never in his life worked for Dreamwave and had been drawing in this style long before Pat Lee rose to his brief "superstar artist" fame.
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====''Generations''====
*'''The "Generation 1" characters featured in ''[[Studio Series]]'' are branded under the "''Studio Series'' 86" subline.'''
:This myth originates from leaked Walmart listings appending "86" to the end of the toyline's name, which led to the misunderstanding that the ''The Transformers: The Movie'' characters sold in ''Studio Series'' are branded differently from the rest of the line (an unaware editor on {{SITENAME_SHORT}} may have helped propagate this misconception).

:Aside from having the "86" prefix on their ID numbers, the ''Studio Series'' G1 characters are branded exactly the same as the live-action film characters sold alongside them. However, the term "''Studio Series'' 86" has stuck around as [[fandom]] terminology for those wanting to distinguish between the two continuities sold within the same toyline.

===Fiction===
====''The Transformers cartoon''====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''
[[File:TFG1.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Toransufōmā!]]
: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the original ''Transformers'' cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.

: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out to [[Toei|Japanese]] (and later also [[AKOM|Korean]]) [[TMS Entertainment|studios]], the writing and original voice recording of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' was entirely done in America.

: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, the fact that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime and the ''Transformers''' obvious Japanese influences. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]] and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.

: This is in part related to the misconception that '''all''' ''Transformers'' toys are ''solely'' designed, developed and manufactured by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], and all [[Hasbro]] ever does is to put them in new packaging and distribute them in the Western market (see above). Because this is true for other Japanese robot toylines, and therefore it must also apply to ''Transformers''.

: However, there's actually a ''little'' bit of truth to this misconception; since the G1 cartoon is an animated series made by Japanese studios, one could feasibly call it an anime; as "anime" is only a word to describe any form of animation in Japan, much like the word "cartoon" is here in the West, and ''not'' a term for a specific genre.
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*'''Jazz was written out of the series due to the death of his voice actor.'''
: [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] conspicuously survives the events of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', yet went on to make no speaking appearances in the third season of the cartoon. As his voice actor, [[Scatman Crothers]], passed away of lung cancer in 1986, it is common for fans to assume that the latter caused the former. This isn't hurt by the fact that fellow Autobot and film survivor [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] also vanished due to issues involving [[Casey Kasem|his own voice actor]], nor by the fact that one of Jazz's only appearances involved him seemingly being referred to as "[[Munka Spanka]]."

: However, the dates simply don't match up: Crothers's death happened on November 22, long after the third season had begun airing. In fact, by that point, the only remaining episodes were the two parts of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", both of which aired months after the rest of the season. Add in the fact that any dialogue for the episodes would have been recorded months in advance, and the idea that Crothers dying affected the writing process becomes borderline impossible. The more likely answer is that Jazz stopped appearing, like much of the Season 1 and 2 cast, because his toy was no longer on shelves.
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*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''
: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.

: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.

: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up. In all likelihood the rumor was probably a {{w|Chinese whispers|Chinese Whisper}} from the fact that the laughably-bad English language [[Omni Productions]] dub was screened on UK satellite TV during the 1990s.
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*'''Transformers were meant as a "genderless" race. Arcee and the other female Transformers were added to the brand because feminists complained about the Transformers all being male.'''
: When [[Bob Budiansky]] was assigned to work out the character details for the toys, he initially intended some of them to represent female characters, like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. However, he was not given permission by [[Hasbro]] to include females because the company feared it would have a negative impact on the sales of those toys.<ref>[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954 Rusting Carcass interview]</ref> Budiansky complied, and in later years, would even pen [[Recipe for Disaster!|a story]] for the Marvel comic in which the Transformer race was stated to have no concept of gender.

:[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The cartoon]] was a different story. Since television requires a bigger investment than comics, but also offers the potential for a much better payoff, it is of interest for a TV network to broadcast material that reaches the highest possible demographic. To this end, very early in its development, writer [[Jeffrey Scott]] penned a [[production bible]] which included original female Transformer characters as part of an effort to sell the series to TV Network CBS. When it was decided to produce the series for syndication rather than for a network, new story editors [[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]] dropped this idea, and the series went on to star an exclusively-male cast of robots. However, in late 1984, while working on the early story development for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', writer [[Ron Friedman]] argued for the inclusion of a female Autobot in the story, on the basis that he "had a daughter who love[d] this stuff." Friedman won his argument, Arcee was added to the movie, and in 1985, female Autobots were incorporated into the series in advance of the film's release, with the introduction of [[Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]] in the episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]."

:In other Transformers cartoons, [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] and the English dub gender flip of [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] have also been added to their respective series because of network demands, whereas [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were a request from the writers to Hasbro.

: Despite persistent stories, there is no documented instance of feminists demanding the inclusion of female Transformers (and likely, they've got something better to do than complain about another generic boys show like there are hundreds of). There is, however, a comic story called "[[Prime's Rib!]]" which presents Arcee's introduction to the Autobot ranks as an attempt by Optimus Prime to appease [[Feminist mob|human feminists]]. While the story is obviously satire, through hearsay it has become believed by some that it is what actually happened.
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====''The Transformers: The Movie''====
*'''Some portions of Unicron's dialogue were recorded by an actor other than Orson Welles.'''
: A common rumor in the Western fandom claimed that Unicron's final lines ("Destiny... you cannot destroy my.. destiny!") were recorded by [[Leonard Nimoy]], based on claims that those lines sounded "different" from the rest of [[Orson Welles]]' lines.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/trivia IMDB.com reference to the Leonard Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor.]</ref> Compounding the rumor is the fact that Welles died shortly after recording his ''TF:TM'' lines<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/This-Orson-Welles/dp/030680834X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6174389-3113623?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182349938&sr=8-1 According to one biography, Welles recorded his ''TF:TM'' lines on October 5, 1985 and died five days later.]</ref> (and indeed, one version of the rumor has Welles actually dying ''before'' completing his lines). Despite being debunked repeatedly (including by [[Susan Blu]] and [[Wally Burr]], both of whom should know), this one still pops up from time to time.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/387399-leonard-nimoy-officially-announced-voice-sentinel-prime-13.html#post5858748 Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor repeated by TFW2005 user "RedAlert Rescue".]</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2007/07/when_orson_welles_was_a_transformer.single.html Slate.com discusses the Unicron rumor.]</ref>
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*'''Brawn was killed in the movie by a single shot to the shoulder.'''
[[File:TFTM - Brawn's death.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Brawn can't shoulder the blame on this one.]]
:A long-running joke in the fandom is that the tough-as-nails Brawn was killed by taking a single shot to his shoulder. While it's true Brawn was killed by a single shot from Megatron in gun mode, there is a single frame showing the shot actually hitting him in the upper flat portion of his chest, with the massive explosion that follows obscuring exactly where he was hit. In the following shot as he falls, a entry wound can be seen lower on his chest, with a large exit wound seen on his back.
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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie''/Scatman Crothers coined the term "ginormous", which has since been added to several dictionaries.'''
: In ''The Transformers: The Movie'', [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], voiced by [[Scatman Crothers]], described [[Unicron]] as "a ginormous, weird-looking planet". The word "ginormous", a portmanteau of "gigantic" and "enormous", was officially added by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary in 2007.<ref name="webster">[http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords07.htm Merriam-Webster adding the word "ginormous]</ref>

: Some fans believe that Crothers had coined the term, which is incorrect for several reasons. Even putting aside the notion that under this theory, Crothers is assumed to have ad-libbed the line (rather than simply reading it from [[Ron Friedman]]'s script), the term has actually been around for much longer, being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a "British informal" word that has existed since at least the 1940s, and was originally military slang.<ref name="oxford">[http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ginormous Oxford dictionary entry for "ginormous"]</ref>
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*'''Scourge was the one who asked Galvatron "You want me to gut Ultra Magnus?"'''
:During the Decepticons' second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] rode inside [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus's]] cockpit, piloting him in vehicle mode. At one point, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] flew up alongside them, also in vehicle mode, and his robot mode head popped up when the line "You want me to gut Ultra Magnus?" was spoken to Galvatron. Ever since the movie's release, fans have debated over who said this line, with the majority insisting it was Scourge.<ref>The fact that Scourge's sole line in the movie ("But remember, we belong to ''[[Unicron/Generation 1|him]]!'') was spoken in a much higher-pitched voice than the deeper-pitched Scourge would have during Season 3 of the cartoon also led many to mistakenly believe that line was spoken by a [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] instead of Scourge himself.</ref> The [[Transformers: The Animated Movie|IDW adaptation of the movie]] even gave the line to Scourge in its [[To the Death—and Beyond!|second chapter]]. However, a closer examination of the voice who spoke it reveals that it was actually [[Roger C. Carmel]] (Cyclonus's actor), not [[Stan Jones]] (Scourge's actor). The voice is similarly guttural to how Carmel sounded when voicing the [[Quintesson Prosecutor]] later in the movie, and to how he would sound when voicing Cyclonus in certain episodes of the subsequent third season of the cartoon (such as when Cyclonus spoke the line "Your contributions will not be in vain, brothers," in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"). The movie's [https://www.tfraw.com/p/transformers-movie-dialog-script.html final dialogue script] even confirms that it was Cyclonus who spoke the line. Though to be fair, the line itself makes very little sense for Cyclonus to have said it, since Galvatron piloting him meant he was already being used to do the very thing he asked Galvatron if he should do. A look at the movie's [https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html storyboards] sheds a little light on this, as it does attribute the line to Scourge, suggesting it was originally supposed to have been spoken by him, but the line ultimately went to Cyclonus instead.
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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''
:It is true that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was not released in Japan at the same time it was released in [[Hasbro]]'s markets, with Japanese fans instead getting the ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]'' OVA prior to the release of the third season of the show (second for Japan). But ''The Movie'' ultimately made it to Japanese theaters in August 1989. The various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction (such as who [[Prowl (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|didn't]] [[Wheeljack (G1)#Victory cartoon|survive]] the movie) are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of the film. This also led to a similar rumor that ''Scramble City'' was an out-and-out ''replacement'' for the film, similar to how ''The Headmasters'' replaced "The Rebirth." Actually viewing the OVA reveals that it has nothing to do with the events of ''The Movie'', other than that both feature [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and take place between the second and third seasons; at no point does it significantly contradict the film, and pretty much the only third-season change the film explains is where [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] came from. There were indeed attempts to summarize what had happened in the movie, including a narration added to "Five Faces of Darkness" and scans in ''[[TV Magazine]]'', but ''Scramble City'' served much more as an advertisement for its subline than a major turning point of the continuity.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800</ref>
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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title "Matrix Forever".'''
:"[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix|Matrix Forever]]" is actually the shortened and slightly mistranslated title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed "Matrix Forever".<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29</ref>
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====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
[[File:ExplosionMarsMegaZarak MarsExplodes.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"What will you do?" "Rebuild it. Just the way it was, brick for brick."]]
*'''Mars was destroyed in ''The Headmasters''. Therefore, all of its later Japanese G1 appearances are continuity errors.'''
:The planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] was blown up by the Decepticons in the [[Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears|fifteenth episode]] of the ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]'' cartoon. Yet, it made later appearances in both the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoons as a fully-intact, definitely-not-destroyed planet. For decades, fans in the West took these later appearances of Mars following its destruction to be, well, a glaring continuity error. However, it actually isn't.

:In the [[The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)|final episode]] of ''The Headmasters'', the Autobots succeeded in finally driving the Decepticons off the Earth for good, and prepared to leave the planet themselves. When saying goodbye to the [[Witwicky (surname)|Witwicky]]s, the Autobot leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] stated that, among many other tasks ahead of them, the Autobots planned to rebuild Mars as part of their efforts to bring peace to the universe. Evidently, they succeeded, given Mars's aforementioned later appearances.

:The Western fandom's perception that Mars's appearances post-''The Headmasters'' were in error stemmed from the fact that, in all official ''and'' unofficial English-subtitled releases of ''The Headmasters'', Fortress's line about rebuilding Mars was completely overlooked and left out of the subtitle translations. It ''was'', however, mentioned in the English dub produced by [[Omni Productions]], but for the longest time, that was believed to have been an invention of the dub, rather than a (surprisingly) accurate translation of the Japanese dialogue.

:In truth, Mars being rebuilt was mentioned in the Japanese dialogue from the very beginning, and the Western fandom at large simply failed to notice.
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*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''
:[[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] of ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Victory|Victory]]'' has his function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of his on-package [[bio]] misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe. This was naturally extended to his partner, [[Blue Bacchus]], whose function is "Space Gunman."
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*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''
:[[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Zone|Zone]]'' portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522" />
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{{anchor|Robotmasters}}
[[File:RobotMasters relation chart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Only those from the Beast Era and ''Victory'' travel through the Blastizone.]]
*'''''Robotmasters'' is a multiversal crossover with characters dimension-hopping into Generation 1 from other universes.'''
:Takara's ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' series was released in [[2004]] to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' brand. As such, it featured a big crossover storyline that brought together several famous characters from across the brand's history: Characters from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory|Victory]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II|Beast Wars II]]'' traveled through time and space across a dimensional fissure known as the [[Blastizone]], arriving on Earth in the year 2004 to team up with Generation 1 characters. This all happened around the same time as Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' series, which similarly featured its own big crossover story that saw characters from across the [[multiverse]] coming together from different universes to fight a [[Universe War|war]] over Unicron's return.

:Since the toylines of both ''Robotmasters'' and ''Universe'' consisted primarily of redecos of existing toy molds, and because both series were big crossover events that brought together different characters from different series across time and space, fans in the West considered ''Robotmasters'' to be the Japanese equivalent of ''Universe'', and so initially mistook the events of ''Robotmasters'' for a multiversal conflict analogous to that of ''Universe'', with some of its characters crossing over from other realities. Namely, both [[Tow-Line (RID)|Wrecker Hook]] and [[Sideways (RM)|Double Face]] were key suspects of ''Robotmasters'' characters speculated to have come from other universes (but that is a whole other [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)#The continuity kerfuffle|can]] of [[Circular reporting#Sideways|worms]]).

:However, a closer examination of the ''Robotmasters'' fiction reveals all this to have ''not'' been the case at all. Unlike ''Universe'', ''Robotmasters'' did not actually feature any dimension-hopping whatsoever. Both the [[Robotmasters (comic)|comic series]] and the relation chart (pictured right) found on [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618040111/www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/robotmasters/main2.htm Takara's official website] specified which particular characters did and did not travel through the Blastizone, and the only ones who did were just time-travelers: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Psycho-Orb]], [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], [[Ginrai (robot)|Victory Leo]], [[Gigant Bomb]], and [[Lio Convoy]]. None of the other ''Robotmasters'' characters were ever indicated to be anything but native to the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Japanese Generation 1 universe]] in the years 2004–2005 (''including'' the aforementioned Wrecker Hook and Double Face).

:Oddly though, the [[Robotmasters (3D diorama comic)|''Robotmasters'' 3D diorama comics]] didn't even feature the Blastizone or any other signs of spacetime travel. All of the time-displaced warriors from ''Beast Wars'', ''Victory'', and ''Beast Wars II'' were just already there in the present, with no explanation given for how any of them got there. Even the [[Robotmasters Vol. 11|final chapter's]] guest appearance of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]—the sole anomalous instance that ''could'' have been considered a universe-hop in ''Robotmasters'' fiction—was completely unexplained: He just showed up without any kind of portal or means of arrival, as if he, bizarrely, was also just a native to the ''Robotmasters'' world (From a real-world standpoint, his appearance was simply to advertise his then-new ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Hybrid Style|toy]]).
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====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''
: This rumor is only partly true. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]] used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs depict [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice;<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM YouTube: Doublage de France: Combaticons et Égo]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo Doublage Québécois: Égo et Dr. Croc-en-ville]</ref> however, the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080612225831/http://www.bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes</ref> All the same is also true for [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] in the movie.
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*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''
: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] until 1989. ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.
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*'''An Earthforce story was written to promote the non-combining Constructicon toys.'''
:The comic story "[[Desert Island Risks!]]" from issue 264 of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|G1 comic]] reveals that the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] have somehow lost their ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. As a result, they try to build another Devastator as a new robot.

:Some fans mistakenly believe that this is somehow related to a re-release of the Constructicons (now in yellow) that were available in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|Europe]] after the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' toyline had ended in the USA. Those Constructicons omitted the extra parts necessary to form Devastator; and furthermore, [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (neither of them officially named in this version; all six toys came on multi-purpose cardbacks simply named "Constructicon") were [[retool]]ed to omit the tabs that were necessary for combining them (and [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]) when forming Devastator. Since the toys couldn't combine into Devastator anymore, fans believe that the [[Earthforce]] comic story was intended to serve as an "explanation" for this.

:The problem with this theory, however, is that the yellow "Euro" Constructicon toys were released in 1992; the comic story, however, had already come out in early 1990. If anything, "Desert Island Risks!" was based on the [[Action Master]] version of Devastator, which no longer consisted of six individual Constructicons. (Also, the individual Constructicons don't even ''appear'' in the story.)
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===Early internet misconceptions===
*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime was the first, ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.'''
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1984—the original.]]
[[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1988—the Powermaster version.]]

:This one claims that the [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy, originally released in 1988, is the ''original'', first Optimus Prime toy ever released, rather than the ''earlier'', non-Powermaster toy, which is an entirely different mold and was originally available in 1984. This phenomenon is particularly common in [[eBay]] auctions, where Powermaster Optimus Prime toys are frequently advertised as "ORIGINAL Optimus Prime".

:The reasons for this misconception are obvious: Numerous people arrived late to the party—that is, became fans of the original ''Transformers'' line after the ''real'' original Optimus Prime toy had vanished off the shelves in 1986 (the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was still shown in reruns on TV). Any of them looking for a toy of the iconic [[Autobot]] leader would only find the Powermaster toy on store shelves starting in 1988. Fast-forward to 20 years later, and people who weren't really paying a lot of attention to the brand for the past few years, now looking to sell off their childhood toys, would naturally conclude that the toy they got as a kid was the ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.

:The phenomenon is even more widespread in countries such as Germany, where the cartoon wasn't officially shown on TV until 1989(!). By that point, the ''original'' toy, which had originally been released by [[Milton Bradley]] in the European market in 1985, was long gone off the shelves. Thus, the only Optimus Prime toy available to kids who had only just become fans because of the cartoon was the Powermaster version. Admittedly, [[parallel import|gray import]]s of the Mexican version of the ''original'' toy by [[IGA]] were also available in European stores around this time, and Hasbro themselves would release the original toy again two years later as part of their European-exclusive [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues. However, the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was still a lot more widespread.
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*'''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime was the Optimus Prime toy available in the 1980s/Alternators are the same toys that were available in the 1980s.'''

[[File:TF-Masterpiece-MP-1-Convoy.jpg|125px|thumb|Sadly, this didn't exist until 2003.]]
:This misconception usually comes from people who, upon seeing the 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy (which was originally released in 2003/2004), honest-to-god swear it's the toy they had when they were a kid. Similarly, there are also people who believe that the toys from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line are the same toys they had as kids, when they're most likely confusing them with the original Autobot Cars, which are about half the size.

:The reasons for this aren't too hard to guess: People were a lot smaller when they were kids, so obviously the original Transformers toys seemed a lot larger to them. Since these fans didn't repeatedly hold or play with their Transformers while growing up, they weren't constantly adjusting to the toys' size in relation to their own. This resulted in blurred memories of outright ''gargantuan'' Transformers toys available in the 1980s. (One might wonder how tall those people would remember [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] being.)

:When confronted with the original toys—now relatively small because the fans have grown up—these people often reject them, insisting the "original" toys were ''larger'' (occasionally even accusing the ''real'' original toys of being downsized [[knockoff]]s). Showing them the Alternators or 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, on the other hand, will bring back warm (albeit incorrect) memories.
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*'''"Bumblejumper" is just a yellow Cliffjumper.'''
[[File:G1-toy Bumper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Bumblejumper", who later would be known as "Bumper".]]
:In 1984, Hasbro released three different similar-form toys as part of the [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] assortment: [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], and a [[Bumper (G1)|third unnamed toy]] that was not advertised in any capacity, sold ''only'' on Cliffjumper cards (at least, no samples on a Bumblebee card have ever surfaced). This third mold was a "leftover" from the ''[[Micro Change]]'' line, based on a Mazda Familia 1500XG sedan, and was very quickly phased out (resulting in him becoming the first of the "holy grail" super-costly Transformers on the secondary market). The exact nature of how and why this toy got released is still a mystery. Fans took to calling this third mystery mold portmanteau names such as "Bumblejumper", "Cliffbee", and "Bumper"; that last one eventually becoming his official name when he appeared in the ongoing [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation One'' Volume 1]] comic series by [[Dreamwave Productions]].

:Adding to the confusion is that both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were available in two color schemes: their fiction-supported colors (Bee in yellow, Cliff in red) and in reversed colors (Bee in red, Cliff in yellow) up through 1985. And since Cliffjumper and Bumper are both similarly boxy in vehicle form, and Bumper was only available in yellow, and only on Cliffjumper cards for a very short time, and was not in any catalogs and had no name and didn't appear in any cartoons or comics...

:Further adding to the mistaken memory pile is [[Hubcap (G1)#toys|Hubcap]], a yellow [[retool]] of Cliffjumper released in 1986. Fun!
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*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Patience. You just have to wait 22 years.]]
:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], with a [[character model]] that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model, and many later toys have aspects of the cartoon model too.)
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*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Unicron Proto.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously, aren't you glad your poor parents didn't have to waste like a hundred bucks on this back in '86?]]
:No toys of [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] were available (or even produced beyond [[prototype]]) until 2003. In fact, the mere ''existence'' of those prototypes wasn't actually officially confirmed until many years later. The first [[Unicron/toys|official Unicron toy]] to be released came out as part of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line in 2003 and was a brand new mold, not based on an old, unused prototype.

:The fictional existence of a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day God would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.

:What could also have attributed to this misconception was the voice actor for Unicron himself, Orson Welles. He died before the movie's release and the part in the 1986 movie was his last before his death in 1985. He loathed the part and could not even remember his character's name; he was quoted as saying, "I play a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys," mistakenly assuming there was a toy for him.
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*'''In 2005, a crazy old man claimed he had created the original ''Transformers'' toys.'''
[[File:Henry Orenstein old.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Arguably one of the most fascinating people involved with the creation of the ''Transformers'' brand.]]
:In 2005, the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]] learned, by way of a newspaper article posted by an internet fan site, of the existence of [[Henry Orenstein]], a former toymaker. Although the main focus of the article was Orenstein's then-current achievements in the field of poker, it also implied that Orenstein had "created" the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys, and even featured a photo that depicted a somewhat confused-looking Orenstein holding [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]]. Many fans subsequently assumed that this was a deluded old man who believed he had created the concept of ''Transformers'' toys, even though the fandom knew full well by this point that the original toys were originally created in Japan. His status as the "creator" of the ''Transformers'' toy line was subsequently repeated in several other articles about the man, last with the news of his passing in 2021.

:The ''fact'' is that Orenstein had worked for [[Hasbro]] during the 1980s, and was the person who had convinced [[George Dunsay]], then Hasbro's Vice President of R&D, to acquire the rights to a (more or less) innovative type of Japanese toys, which would eventually become known as the original ''Transformers'' toys. Aside from that and the original patent for the [[rubsign]]s, which he shares with Dunsay, Orenstein has made no known contribution to the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. Obviously, the writer of said newspaper article had only marginal knowledge of the history of the ''Transformers'' brand, was told what was most likely nothing more than an anecdote by Orenstein (his biography, by the way, is so fascinating that his involvement with the ''Transformers'' brand is arguably one of the ''less'' noteworthy details), and subsequently inflated it massively with hyperbole, possibly in an attempt to gain more attention to his article due to the popularity of the brand, even before the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The only question is, where did the photographer get the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toy from?
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*'''The Decepticons' undersea base in the Generation 1 cartoon was the ''Nemesis'', the ship that originally brought them to Earth.'''
[[File:G1 cartoon Decepticon underwater base.JPG|upright=1.15|thumb|This wrecked ''Victory'' was never the ''Nemesis''.]]
:In the [[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|three-part pilot mini-series]] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], the Decepticons traveled to Earth aboard a starship that, years later, would be given the name of ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' by the [[Nemesis Part 1|final two]] [[Nemesis Part 2|episodes]] of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]]. For the rest of the Generation 1 cartoon's first two seasons, the Decepticons were stationed on Earth in an [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|underwater headquarters]] that was originally another spacecraft that they had constructed on Earth during the pilot mini-series. The ship was supposed to take the Decepticons back to Cybertron, but it crashed into the ocean after a battle aboard its bridge. This ship would later be named ''[[Victory (G1)|Victory]]'' in [[2009]].

:However, a combination of faulty memories, lack of proper access to full the G1 cartoon during the early 2000s, and the ''Nemesis'' being found at the bottom of the sea in ''Beast Wars'', led a good number of fans to misremember the Decepticons' underwater base as having originally been the ''Nemesis'' instead of the ''Victory''. It certainly didn't help that the ''Victory'' originally had no name for twenty-five years, and that its design was always rather similar to that of the ''Nemesis''. Nonetheless, the ''Nemesis'' eventually did show up in the second season episode "[[Microbots]]" as a completely separate vessel from the undersea base, buried inside a mountain in [[South America]], complete with Megatron confirming it to be the very same ship that originally brought him and his Decepticon crew to Earth.

:And yet, this misunderstanding persisted just long enough to influence a few pieces of ''Transformers'' media of the 2000s. Namely the [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1 comics]] published by [[Dreamwave Productions]], and [[Redemption Center|one story]] from the ''[[Transformers Legends (book)|Transformers Legends]]'' anthology book featured the ''Nemesis'' as the Decepticons' Earth-based undersea headquarters.
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*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''
:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.

:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along with some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995—years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.
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[[File:TFTM dead gray Prime.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Traumatizing enough as it is, frankly.]]
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. At least one poster claimed to have uncut reels of the original film showing a number of violent scenes,<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/07464cbfbb5d0cc9/8aee0b30765b2b4a?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a THE UNCUT JAPANESE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE]</ref> but, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to provide any form of proof.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/799fec40c1aa285e/6af42e4099affa04?hl=en# Doth the Canadian protesteth too much?]</ref> So have ended all claims of uncut footage from the film.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequence, there is a very distinct series of notes that appears nowhere else in the song and is not in the onscreen version. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light. The myth could be related to the death of Starscream, a few scenes later, where Starscream '''does''' indeed crumble to dust after being shot by Galvatron; time and distance could lead fans to confuse the two scenes.

:These claims should not be confused with the extra storyboarded scenes and early script revisions which have come to light over the years, which do in fact contain a lot more violence. But no evidence exists that any of these sequences, even those that made it to storyboard, were ever animated. Especially given the expense of producing full animation.

::''See also: [[The Transformers: The Movie#Edits]].''
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*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''
:There are a few instances of Japanese fiction (and advertising) that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] prior to the release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. All of them were ultimately ignored by the "primary" fiction, namely the (dubbed) third season of the cartoon (named ''Transformers: 2010'' in Japan) and the accompanying manga, which followed the Western story concept of Galvatron being a reformatted [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]].

:The [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|second issue]] of ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]'' [[manga]] depicts [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] commanding [[Megatron Corps|a legion of automatons]] created in [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans misinterpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing. This even extended into ''[[The Battlestars]]'', where the appearance of Super Megatron solidified the idea to those fans; after all, surely if he were upgraded from Galvatron, he would be named Super Galvatron, right? One particularly sturdy rumor claimed that he was trying to hunt Galvatron down (possibly conflating him with [[Gilthor]]).<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179</ref>
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*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''
:The [[Autobot]]s were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons ([[Decepticon]]s) must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also used slightly different spellings for the faction, "Cybertron" (literally: サイバトロン, "Sa-i-ba-to-ro-n"), and the planet, (literally: セイバートロン, "Se-i-baa-to-ro-n"), commonly interpreted as "Seibertron" by Western fans, in order to avoid confusion, even though both words originally started out based on the English name "Cybertron".<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 The Transformers Archive essay about various urban legends surrounding the Transformers franchise]</ref>

:This rumor presumably originates from an article a Thomas Wheeler had written for ''Attic's Collectible Toys and Values Monthly'' during the hiatus between the [[The Transformers (toyline)|G1]] and [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|G2]] toylines. According to that article, Hasbro chose not to follow this element of the story because of the similarity between the term "Destron" and ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''{{'}}s "[[Destro]]" character. Of course, seeing as the story originated in America to begin with and was only dubbed into Japanese later on, this doesn't make a lot of sense. In later years, Wheeler wrote toy reviews for Master Collector's website, which occasionally also display a certain lack of knowledge about various toys and the ''Transformers'' brand's overall history, so it doesn't seem entirely out of place for him.

:Interestingly, an earlier draft for "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]" ''would'' have established the Decepticons as "evil machines from another world"<ref name="dotd2draft">{{citesocial|quote=the original script for 'Desertion Of The Dinobots' had the Decepticons described as coming from another planet other than Cybertron. (1985) https://t.co/FJcCqm5Gdl|link=https://twitter.com/TF_Moments/status/1561586703265153024|name=TF_Moments|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=08|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>, but this was not used in the final episode, which simply stated that "Decepticons, lusting for power, began a terrible war". "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" then established the ''true'' origin of the Cybertronian race, which was kept unchanged for the Japanese dub.
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==Beast Era Misconceptions==
===Toys===
*'''Beast Wars didn't originally have the Transformers branding.'''
[[File:BW Waspinator packaging variants.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Let's play the "spot the ''Transformers'' logo" game.]]
:While the early design of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' toy packaging had the ''Transformers'' brand name in a smaller typeface than the main ''Beast Wars'' logo, the toy range was ''always'' officially titled ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' in the United States from day one (while the back of the packaging typically added a definite article, ''Beast Wars: '''The''' Transformers'', presumably in order to keep the [[trademark]] for the original toyline). The ''Beast Wars'' name was first reduced in size with the shift from rock bubble to smooth bubble cards, and again in 1998 with the release of the [[Transmetal]]s and [[Fuzor]]s subranges, which also saw the order of the two parts reversed to ''Transformers: Beast Wars'', thus considerably increasing the prominence of the ''Transformers'' title.

:In Canada and Latin America, the use of [[multilingual packaging|trilingual packaging]] necessitated that the triple ''Beast Wars/Guerre des Bêtes/Guerra de Bestias'' title was rendered in a smaller font than on United States packaging to begin with, resulting in the ''Transformers'' name being more prominent as well. The order of the two parts was switched analogously with United States packaging.

:In Europe, things were a little less cut-and-dry: Initially, early production runs of trilingual English/Spanish/Italian packaging featured only the ''Beast Wars'' title in around the same size featured on United States packaging at the time, while the ''Transformers'' branding was placed in the lower right corner of the packaging. In the case of carded figures, that meant it was hidden far away from the ''Beast Wars'' title, while on boxed figures, it was simply much smaller than, and not at all aligned with, the main title. On top of that, it was rendered in red on an already red background (and, for some reason, also included a ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''-style [[Autobot]] [[insignia]]!). The same was done with early trilingual French/Dutch/German packaging, which featured the double title ''Beast Wars/Ani Mutants''.

:Eventually, English/Spanish/Italian also adopted a second title, becoming ''Beast Wars/Biocombat'', and the ''Transformers'' name was placed directly below it, with the color changed from red to white and the ''Generation 2'' Autobot insignia dropped, just like on American packaging. Unlike English/Spanish/Italian packaging, this packaging design was continued all the way through 1997. Finally, the introduction of the Transmetals and Fuzors subranges in 1998 also saw another change: While English/Spanish/Italian packaging simply reduced the size of the entire title on Basic and Deluxe blister cards, but still kept the ''Transformers'' portion as the secondary title for the remainder of the toyline's run, French/Dutch/German packaging followed the example of American packaging and moved the ''Transformers'' name on top, while keeping the title itself in the same font size also featured on each packaging's English/Spanish/Italian counterpart.

:Lastly, when British commercial broadcaster ITV aired the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' television series]] on their morning show (GMTV), the ''Transformers'' name was edited out of the title sequence entirely.
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===Fiction===
====Japanese ''Beast Wars''====
*'''Preface'''
:To give a better idea of how the following misconceptions came about, many of them stem from how little access the Western fandom had to understandable forms of the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' media at the time. After all, when the series were first released, the internet was still a relatively "new" thing, where [[alt.toys.transformers|USENET forums]] were still a major outlet for fan information and websites were... rudimentary. For about two decades since that time, the most that the West had access to were a small number of fan-subtitled episodes of ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', a fansubbed version of the theatrical feature segment ''[[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!]]'', a translation of the first ''Beast Wars II'' [[Catalog#Beast Wars II|toy catalog]], and second-hand accounts from those who had seen the untranslated episodes of either series or had read each's respective [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|manga]] [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|series]]. Over time, those who lacked an understanding of the Japanese language would misinterpret much of these series' specifics. The following are a few of the most well known misunderstandings.
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[[File:Optimusx2.JPG|thumb|Well, that's just Prime.]]
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''
:In hindsight, it sure seems like this was originally going to be the case. When the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' toyline first debuted in the West, both [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] were identified in their earliest toy bios as being new iterations of Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], respectively. This was most evident in the bios of the very first toys of the two: the Basic class bat Optimus Primal and crocodile Megatron toys. But when the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] started up later, it did away with that idea entirely, by firmly establishing that the two leaders were instead completely separate individuals from their Generation 1 namesakes.

:When ''Beast Wars'' was first brought over to Japan, Takara evidently thought that the original notion was still in effect: Optimus Primal was renamed "Convoy", the same Japanese name as Optimus Prime, and the [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] factions were given the same Japanese names as those of the Autobot and Decepticon faction—"Cybertron" and "Destron", respectively. Optimus and Megatron's Ultra and Basic class toys were each given Japanese bios loosely based on their respective Basic class toys' English bios, with their Ultra class toy bios even giving them the same functions as their Generation 1 namesakes ([[Supreme Commander]] and [[Emperor of Destruction]], respectively); the one for Optimus even indicated him to be the very same Optimus of old. Both of their Basic class toys were even given special redecos with new bios that ''explicitly'' claimed the two had previously been a tractor trailer and a Walther P-38, the very same altmodes of the Generation 1 Optimus Prime and Megatron.

:When the first season of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon began airing in Japan, it was initially ambiguous on the matter, never actually saying one way or the other if Optimus and Megatron were meant to be new characters like their English counterparts, or the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes. This was because, despite the ''many'' adlibs that were added to the Japanese dub, it was still largely dubbed in accordance to the English version, which rarely ever touched upon the subject in its first season (because it never ''needed'' to, since it was abundantly clear in that version that Optimus Primal and Megatron were not their G1 namesakes). This initial ambiguity would later prove to be the Japanese dub's saving grace from what all came next.

:When Takara made the first Japanese-original spin-off series, ''Beast Wars II'', Optimus Primal made a few guest appearances in both its [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|manga]] and its [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!|movie]]. A short bio for him was printed at the end of the [[Free the Captured Matrix!|third chapter]] of the manga, which described Optimus as "A fierce fighter who has fought against the Destron army for thousands of years."<ref>数千年にわたり、デストロン軍と戦いつづけで猛者。コンボイの称号を与える軍の評議会の一員でもある。エネルゴン探索の任務遂行中に消息をたったともいわれていたが...!?</ref> The same chapter also depicted him as a sitting member of [[Convoy Council|council]] that oversaw the military operations on Cybertron, presenting Primal in a lofty position of authority. Then, three months later, Optimus made a big-screen animated appearance in ''Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!'', in which he was presented as a "legendary Supreme Commander", complete with his own [[Matrix (disambiguation)|Matrix]]; a ''stark'' contrast to his American cartoon depiction as merely the young and untested captain of a lowly science vessel. Likewise, the Predacon leader [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] referred to a "Megatron" as "the greatest and most vicious legendary Transformer in history." But, it was never clarified if this grandiose description was in reference to Generation 1 or ''Beast Wars'' Megatron... likely because, at the time, the movie treated the two as if they were the same person, just as it seemed to do for Optimus.

[[File:G1Megatron MasterBlaster stasislock.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|Hello there, past self who is a completely different individual.]]
:Despite this initial impression, however, new information would come to light in ''Beast Wars Metals'', the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's second and third seasons. These two seasons had been held back from airing on Japanese television until after both had been completed by [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]], and thus did not reach Japanese audiences until after ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' had come and gone. In short, ''Metals'' remained consistent with the original English version by treating the Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars'' namesakes as separate characters: The Japanese dub of "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]" even had ''Beast Wars'' Megatron refer to Generation 1 Megatron as "My ancestor Megatron" (我先祖のメガトロン, ''Waga senzo no Megatron'') when relating the history of the Golden Disk to Ravage.

:Consequently, ''Metals'' choosing to remain faithful to the English version on this matter suddenly rendered all of the above Japanese-original media that had previously linked ''Beast Wars'' Megatron and Optimus Primal to their Generation 1 counterparts no longer applicable for the cartoon's continuity. The first-year toy bios were relegated to a [[micro-continuity]], while the ''Beast Wars II'' manga was always its own continuity separate from its counterpart cartoon to begin with. Though, both it and the subsequent [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|''Beast Wars Neo'' manga]] were followed by a [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|''Beast Wars Metals'' manga]] whose [[Beast Wars Metals issue 6|final chapter]] would link it back to the ''Beast Wars II'' manga, while also retaining the American cartoon's depiction of the ''Beast Wars'' and Generation 1 Optimuses and Megatrons as separate individuals, despite all the aforementioned implications made previously about Optimus Primal in the ''Beast Wars II'' manga. So... it's not perfect.

:As for the "legendary" status of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus and Megatron in the animated movie, that can easily be brushed aside as merely an aspect of long-running Japanese children's series that have multiple shows (e.g. – ''Kamen Rider'', ''Super Sentai'', etc.), in that the main hero of a previous series is treated with awe and reverence by the cast of the next series in any crossover team-ups. Optimus Primal was the leader of the good guys from the series preceding ''Beast Wars II'', so the cast of that series revered him with due respect. Later, the cast of ''Beast Wars Neo'' did the same for Lio Convoy of ''Beast Wars II'', calling him a "legendary warrior" in [[Illusion? Lio Convoy|Episode 29]]. Heck, even [[Big Convoy]] was called a "legendary warrior" multiple times in ''Neo'', even as early as the [[Big Convoy, Move Out|first episode]]. To put it simply, being "legendary" in Japanese ''Beast Wars'' fiction isn't as special as it sounds.

:Incidentally, it would later be confirmed that the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon actually took place eons ''after'' the later-made ''Beast Wars'' sequel series ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' (see below for more). This meant that ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron actually ''were'' figures of the distant past from the ''Beast Wars II'' cast's point-of-view. In hindsight, this legendary status of the two in the movie fits rather well with how, in ''Beast Machines'', Megatron singlehandedly conquered all of Cybertron and "viciously" captured the sparks of its entire population, while Optimus "legendarily" saved the whole planet from Megatron at the cost of his own life. As Japan would not receive that series until [[2004]]—six years after the movie's release—this all proved rather fortuitous in the end.
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*'''Optimus Primal was sent to Planet Gaia in the ''Beast Wars II'' movie when he flew into the alien machine at the end of "Other Voices, Part 2".'''
:The ''Beast Wars II'' feature film, ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]'', was initially released in Japanese theaters before the second season of the American ''Beast Wars'' cartoon first aired in Japan. During the ''Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!'' segment of this film, Optimus Primal made a guest appearance to team up with the cast of ''Beast Wars II''. At the end of the segment, he declares that he must "return to Energoa"; this was the name given to prehistoric Earth in the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, before its true identity as Earth was revealed. This meant that he had been transported to Planet [[Gaia]]—future Earth—from prehistoric Earth during the time of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]].

:The final episode of the first season of ''Beast Wars'', "[[Other Voices, Part 2]]", ends with Optimus Primal flying up into the [[Vok]]'s [[Planet Buster|planet-destroying weapon]], sacrificing himself to save the planet. [[Aftermath|Three]] [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)|episodes]] [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)|later]], he is restored to life after a difficult resurrection process. Since Primal's appearance in the movie was screened in Japan between the Japanese airings of Seasons 1 and 2 of ''Beast Wars'', some took this release order as a literal chronology for Optimus Primal's Japanese cartoon appearances, thinking that his final moment in "Other Voices, Part 2" was the exact moment he was pulled into the future and brought to Gaia. A statement given in the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers Film Book]]'' even seemed to confirm this theory.<ref>Page 7: エイリアンマシンに激突した際、時空を超えて惑星ガイアにやってきた。("When he crashed into the [[Planet Buster|Alien Machine]], he crossed space-time and came to the planet Gaia.")</ref>

:Some even took his presence in the movie as an explanation for why the Maximal [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] had great difficulty locating Primal's [[spark]] within "the other side of the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]]" in "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]", as if to mean that it ''wasn't'' there at the time. ''Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!'' is even bookended by sequences that recap the events of Primal's death and rebirth in ''Beast Wars''. And most of all, when Optimus is brought to Gaia, he initially appears in a glowing, yellow, ghost-like form, which ''wasn't'' the case for the story's main antagonist, [[Majin Zarak]], who had arrived on Gaia through the exact same means as Optimus. He even returns to this glowing, yellow, spectral form upon his departure near the end of the movie.

:However, despite the longevity of this theory, the opening narration of the very next part of the movie—the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' season 2 episode "[[Bad Spark]]"—actually seems to debunk it by essentially reiterating what was true of Primal's fate in the English version of ''Beast Wars''. In this narration, Rhinox and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] claim that Optimus Primal did indeed die in the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion at the end of "Other Voices, Part 2", and that Rhinox had brought his spark back from the dead in "Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)".

:While this apparently renders the ''Film Book''{{'}}s statement in error, it does seem like there was originally ''some'' intention for it to be true, given Primal's arrival and departure in the movie depicting him in his aforementioned ghostly form. But, while a neat idea, it raises too many questions and relies on too many assumptions in order for it to sensibly fit with Primal's onscreen resurrection. And since Rhinox and Rattrap claim otherwise, this would mean that Optimus was brought to the future from a different point during the Beast Wars, ''before'' the end of Season 1 due to Primal having his Season 1 body in the movie. Exactly when during Season 1, however, has never been disclosed.
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{{anchor|JBWchronology}}
[[File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|thumb|Everything you know is a lie!]]
*'''The characters of the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoons hail from the same time-period as the cast of ''Beast Wars'', at a point set prior to ''Beast Machines''.'''
:It's almost not fair to call this one a misconception: By all appearances, this ''was'' the original intent for the Japanese-original ''Beast Wars'' shows. The first catalog packed in with the ''Beast Wars II'' toys presented Lio Convoy and Galvatron as contemporaries of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron, which was also reflected in both the ''Beast Wars II'' manga and [[Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|handheld video game]]. Likewise, the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon initially gave no reason to doubt that this also applied to its story, and ''Beast Wars Neo'' even featured a [[Convoy Council|military council]] that could have very well been the Japanese version of the [[Maximal High Council|High Council]] of [[Maximal Elder]]s.

:But then, months into its run, the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon's [[Emissary of the Fourth Planet|thirty-sixth episode]] stated that humanity hadn't lived on Gaia for "tens of thousands of years." Before, the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon had [[Dark Designs|established]] that its cast hailed from only three centuries after the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the end of which vintage Japanese G1/G2 fiction had placed in the 21st Century, when Earth was still populated by humans. ''Beast Wars Neo'' would then further treat the Great War as having ended with the destruction of Unicron in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', which was set in the year [[2005]]. As a result, this made it was impossible for the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' cartoons to take place in the same home-time as the American ''Beast Wars'' cast, and thus meant that the two Japanese series were, instead, set ''long'' after that time period.

:Furthermore, the [[Big Convoy, Move Out|first episode]] of ''Beast Wars Neo'' opened with a depiction of the Maximals and Predacons ''unambiguously'' at war with each other. Said war had apparently been going on for a long time, too, given that Maximal commander [[Big Convoy]] was described throughout the series as a legendary "One-Man Army" with a lengthy history of having singlehandedly won countless battles prior to the series' beginning. This not only conflicted with the [[Beast Wars (Part 1)|first episode]] of the American ''Beast Wars'' series stating that the Maximals and Predacons were currently at peace with each other and had been for centuries, but would be further contradicted by [[The Agenda (Part 1)|a later episode]] (which, admittedly, had yet to air in Japan at the time of ''Neo''{{'}}s initial broadcast) referring to this peace as the "[[Pax Cybertronia]]".

:Of course, as it was nearly twenty years before either series had been translated in full, western fans didn't really ''know'' about any of this at the time and, with only the catalog to go on, continued to assume that its story held true for the Japanese cartoons. It was only in 2006/2007, when TakaraTomy published a massive [[Source:Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Generation 1/Beast Era timeline]], which adhered to the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon's dating for the series, that English-speaking fans at large first learned of this fact.

:Now, to be fair, ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' probably didn't ''intentionally'' deviate from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, but rather, just kinda goofed on the continuity, and history had to roll with it. That said, this did also fix another discrepancy: By coincidence, both ''Beast Wars Neo'' and ''Beast Machines'' (both produced around the same time) featured the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]], but depicted it in two radically different, very contradictory ways. ''Beast Wars Neo'' presented the computer as the publicly-known ruler of Cybertron, while ''Beast Machines'' depicted it as a long-lost legend, unheard of for years until it was reactivated as the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] in the series' [[The Reformatting|first episode]]. If ''Beast Wars Neo'' was meant to occur before ''Beast Machines'' (as was probably the intent), this didn't make any sense; but the timeline shuffle caused by ''Beast Wars II'' now helped these two different portrayals fit better together.

:It did create a ''new'' discrepancy, though: In ''Beast Wars Neo'', Cybertron was depicted with its traditional appearance as a metallic planet, while, at the end of ''Beast Machines'', it was converted into a [[technorganic]] form. In [[2019]], a ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Transformers Legends]]'' [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Blue Big Convoy)|pack-in comic]] fixed this last gap in the timeline, explaining how and why Cybertron was turned back into a metallic world eons after its [[Great Transformation|technorganic reformatting]].

:While these retcons have helped to tidy things up, the original understanding of the timeline has influenced several pieces of American Beast Era media over the years:
:*The Hasbro toy bio for [[Transmetal 2|Transmetals 2]] [[Cybershark]] referred to "a rogue band of Cybertronian space pirates" (an allusion to ''Beast Wars II''{{'}}s [[Seacon (BW)|Seacon Space Pirates]]) as his contemporaries, while the toy bio for ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' [[Magmatron]] all but explicitly pegged him as the same Magmatron from ''Neo'', mentioning his "[[Emperor of Destruction|emperor of destruction]]" title and his involvement in "an interplanetary quest for [[Angolmois Energy|energy capsules]]"; the latter of which was also placed, by the bio, before the events of ''Beast Machines''.<ref>The full first sentence of ''Dinobots'' Magmatron's bio: "Following an interplanetary quest for energy capsules, Magmatron returned to Cybertron to find an alarmingly growing population of Vehicon drones."</ref>
:*In both the ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]'' comic series and the prose story "[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]", characters from the two Japanese series appeared on Cybertron as contemporaries of the ''Beast Machines'' cast, at points set within a year after the planet's reformatting. The latter even described the [[Cyborg Beast]]s of ''Beast Wars II'' as "pre-reformatting".
:*The ''Beast Wars II'' Predacons [[BB (BW)|Max-B]] and [[Dirge (BW)|Dirge]] were featured in the [[Fun Publications]] ''Beast Wars'' prequels "[[Intimidation Game]]" and "[[Theft of the Golden Disk]]", respectively.
:*Finally, [[IDW Publishing]]'s two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series, ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]'', and the accompanying ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', likewise chose to depict the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' casts as contemporaries of the ''Beast Wars'' characters, but also ''further'' reshuffled the timeline by repositioning the events akin to ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' a few years ''before'' the home time-period of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, instead of during or after.

:Even after the release of the Japanese Generation 1/Beast Era timeline, new media set in other continuities have knowingly chosen to continue depicting characters from ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' (and even ''Car Robots'') existing side-by-side with the ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' cast, with such series as ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'', the ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Transformers Legends]]'' comics set in the "[[Legends World]]", and even IDW's second ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars|Beast Wars]]'' comic series each presenting all of them living together in societies and scenarios unique to those series.
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*'''The characters in ''Beast Wars II'' travel forward in time to Future Earth just like how the characters of ''Beast Wars'' travel back in time to Prehistoric Earth.'''
:Seemingly an offshoot of the above misconception, this appears to have been born out of a misinterpretation of a scene in the [[The New Forces Arrive!|first episode]]. When the Maximal starship ''[[Yukikaze (BW)|Yukikaze]]'' takes off into space, there is a shot where it vanishes in a flash of light and reappears elsewhere within the vicinity of Gaia. Some have mistaken this flash of light to mean that the ''Yukikaze'' traveled through [[unspace|transwarp space]] forward in time to arrive in the future, as if to echo the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''{{'}}s own time-jump to the past in ''Beast Wars''.

:This feels like an attempt to hold on to the belief of the ''Beast Wars II'' cast originating from the same home-time of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, while also aligning with the revelation of Gaia being Earth several tens of millennia after humanity left planet.

:In truth, however, what really happens during the scene in question is that the ''Yukikaze'' simply travels to Gaia with no time travel involved. The ship's disappearance and reappearance in a flash of light was merely the ship going to warp speed, just like many other spacecraft of science fiction.
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*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''
:[[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon, but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his earlier actions had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior—none of which could be used to accurately describe Apache at all.

:Amusingly enough, in the sixth installment of the ''Beast Wars II'' manga, ''Lio Convoy'' gets drunk for no apparent reason and ends up trashing Apache's room.
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[[File:BWNeo Unicron.JPG|thumb|Looks can be deceiving.]]
*'''In ''Beast Wars Neo'', Unicron was resurrected by possessing the corpse of Galvatron.'''
:This misunderstanding is pretty understandable. In [[Illusion? Lio Convoy|Episode 29]], the coveted [[Angolmois Energy]] is revealed to be the life energy of [[Unicron]], who is successfully resurrected in [[Unicron Revived!?|the very next episode]]. Yet, when he makes his debut, he appears in the form of Galvatron, who had seemingly perished in the [[Farewell! Lio Convoy|final episode]] of ''Beast Wars II''. At first glance, it looks as though Galvatron's corpse had been recovered and used as a vessel to house Unicron's Angolmois Energy, and those who did not understand the Japanese dialogue simply assumed this to be the case.

:However, the Japanese dialogue actually states otherwise. Unicron's resurrected form is not Galvatron's physical body, but is actually an energy body made of Angolmois Energy that Unicron has deliberately shaped into resembling the likeness of Galvatron. He takes this form in an initial attempt to trick Magmatron into thinking that he ''is'' Galvatron, impersonating the deceased Predacon leader before revealing his true identity. After which , he simply decided to continue using Galvatron's likewise as his energy body's default appearance, even using Galvatron's name when transforming between dragon and robot modes.

:Ironically, the misconception of Galvatron's body absorbing the Angolmois Energy as a resurrection vessel is almost exactly what Unicron wanted Magmatron to think, with the difference being that Unicron wanted Magmatron to think that the absorption was for Galvatron's revival instead of Unicron's.
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[[File:BWN Blentrons absorbed.jpg|thumb|Unicron absorbs the Blentrons for no reasons related to Angolmois Energy.]]
*'''The Blentrons are made of Angolmois Energy, and are later absorbed by Unicron to fully complete his resurrection.'''
:In [[End of the Maximals!?|Episode 33]] of ''Beast Wars Neo'', the resurrected Unicron reaches Planet Cybertron in his aim to posses [[Vector Sigma]] and turn Cybertron into his new physical body. However, before touching down on the planet, he battles his way through the entire Maximal space fleet, utterly annihilating it and exhausting much of his power in the process. In his weakened state, he is then nearly destroyed in a fight with Big Convoy. His loyal minions, the [[Blentron]]s, soon come to Unicron's aid and are promptly absorbed by their master.

:Since Angolmois Energy is Unicron's energy, fans who did not understand the Japanese dialogue simply misinterpreted the absorption of the Blentrons as if to say that they too were made up of Angolmois Energy, and that Unicron needed to absorb them to top off the last of his energy needed to complete his resurrection.

:In actuality, the three were absorbed because, in that moment, Unicron had been significantly weakened and needed to replenish his health. Otherwise, he would have been destroyed by Big Convoy's Mammoth Dynamite attack, which almost completely dissipated Unicron's energy body.

:The series didn't actually give any kind of backstory for the Blentrons. While they were creations of Unicron in the manga, no such origin was given in the show. Regardless, the idea of the three being made out of Angolmois Energy was certainly never stated or even suggested, having been born out of this misinterpretation of Unicron absorbing them to save his own life.
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====''Beast Machines''====
*'''A ''Beast Machines'' writer said, "Real heroes don't use guns."'''
:''Beast Machines'' was the first (but not the last) ''Transformers'' series to explicitly avoid all hand-held projectile [[weapon]]ry. While the [[Vehicon (BM)|villains]] still had traditional "blasters" mounted on their bodies, some of the [[Maximal|heroes]]' weapons were more esoteric (such as [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s energy-web attack, activated by putting her hands on the ground, or [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s gauntlets, powered by absorbing enemy fire). According to story editor [[Bob Skir]], this creative decision was agreed upon between the story editors, [[Fox Kids]], [[Mainframe Entertainment]], and [[Hasbro]],<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> and it is indeed reflected in the toys as well.

:Note that many Maximals had weaponry that was functionally no different from a "gun"—compare [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]]'s hip-mounted energy cannons, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s back-mounted sonic blaster, or Optimus Primal's chest-mounted energy disc launcher to [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s shoulder-mounted ray guns or [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s wrist-mounted energy... tossing thingies.

:On his website, Skir also elaborated on his own position as a writer choosing if or how to portray gun use, including this statement: "Our heroes use their wiles and resourcefulness, plus a few cool weapons. Guns? I've never been a fan of them myself, and do not write heroes who need them."<ref>[http://members.aol.com/zobovor/guns.html Article on the fan Dave "Zobovor" Edwards' personal site,] quoting Bob Skir's original gun statement.</ref> Some fans interpreted Skir as condemning ''all'' gun use, even in the real world, no matter the circumstances. This led to the misquote, "Real heroes don't use guns,"<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/be5e55a90df944bb/b748601b997b3508#b748601b997b3508 Alt.toys.transformers thread] with the misquote and attendant assumptions right at the start.</ref> which remains a notoriously persistent error in the fandom. Skir, responding to the controversy, said on his site that "there '''are''' heroes who '''do''' need guns (such as the [[Punisher]]). Spider-Man doesn't need guns. Neither does the [[Hulk]]. And neither do Optimus, Cheetor, Black Arachnia{{sic}}, et al."<ref name="Skir" />

:Notably, the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|series]] [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|immediately]] [[Movie (franchise)|following]] ''Beast Machines'' did return to classic hand-held gun use among both heroes and villains. However, the later ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' series once again eschewed guns, probably because of its younger target audience.
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==2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' misconceptions==
===Toys===
[[File:TF-Car-Robots-Logo.png|thumb|upright=0.7|right|Do you see a "2000" anywhere in this logo?]]
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''
:As information about the then-new [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref name="Transformers 2000">http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.
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===Fiction===
*'''Unlike the English version, Gigatron (Megatron) has multiple personalities, a different one for each of his modes.'''
:This seems to have arisen from how, in the Japanese version, Gigatron's bat and dragon modes each have their own unique-sounding voice and way of speaking. The Gigabat voice is higher-pitched, a bit dim-sounding, and speaks like how older people used to speak during Japan's Edo period, ending most of its dialogue with "deansu" (であんす). For the Gigadragon mode, Gigatron speaks with a much deeper, angrier, and overall more aggressive-sounding voice. Both of these differ from his much calmer and more "normal" sounding voice in robot mode (which he also used in each of his other modes), and are most noticeable in the first episode, in which Gigatron makes heavy use of both his Gigabat and Gigadragon modes.

:By contrast, the English ''Robots in Disguise'' version gave Megatron one voice for all of his modes, and rewrote his personality to be much more theatrical and ill-tempered. This in turn made his English voice sound like a combination of the two unique Japanese voices, combining the over-the-top aspects of the Gigabat voice with the seething aggression of the Gigadragon voice.
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==Unicron Trilogy misconceptions==
*'''''Armada'' Super Base Optimus Prime toys are known to catch fire.'''
:In a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwE7Hc6xWLM review of the toy posted in 2010], YouTube reviewer Baltmatrix claimed that the motorised auto-transformation feature in his Super Base Optimus Prime became stuck mid-transform, causing the toy to "burst into flames" and "set part of [his] house on fire." Baltmatrix's recounting of the incident was the only evidence it had happened: it wasn't captured on video, and the copy of the toy featured in the review was not the one it had happened to. In the decade since, fans have widely repeated the story uncritically, and along the way, the legend has become that the toy is "famous" for doing this, that multiple toys have done it, and that it's a fire hazard to have one in your home. Put simply: '''''no it's not, there has never been a single other report of this ever happening in the two decades the toys has existed.''''' And if the original story ''is'' true, the way Baltmatrix significantly mis-handles the figure in the review (failing to unpeg the sides of the trailer before activating the mechanism, thus leading to it becoming stuck) indicates it was the product of user error.

==Live-action film series misconceptions==
====''Transformers'' (2007)====
[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look! No 2007 movie!]]
*'''The movie series takes place in the Generation 1 timeline in Japan.'''
: This is another one of those instances where one TakaraTomy thing, very early in the life cycle of a new ''Transformers'' [[franchise]], will say one thing about said franchise, and then literally ''everything else ever'' will say another.

: When the live-action movie series was getting started, TakaraTomy went live with their "World of Transformers" website. The website timeline appeared to make the rather bizarre claim that the 2007 live-action movie also somehow took place in the Japanese Generation 1 continuity, between ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and ''Transformers 2010'' in the year 2007. However, this was ''not'' reflected by the site's accompanying flow-chart, and was established to not be the case by the [[Source:Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|''Kiss Players'' timeline]] (which noted that the movie-verse Autobots and Decepticons came from another universe when they appeared in [[Transformers: Beast Wars Diorama Story|''Beast Wars Diorama Story'']]). And of course, nothing else ever attempted to make the connection.
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*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''
: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''{{w|Disturbia (film)|Disturbia}}'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the {{w|Motion Picture Association of America}}. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.
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[[File:MovieCreditsNoBrawl.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Invisible credit.]]
*'''Brawl is named in the credits.'''

: The Decepticon tank, who was named "Devastator" in a subtitle in the movie, ended up being named "[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]" in [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|toy line]]. Both Hasbro and the screenwriters, [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]], have expressly favored the toy's name, referring to the name in the movie as an "error".

: Since the character has a "speaking" line in the movie, some fans claim that the voice actor is named in the ending credits, and the character's name is stated as "Brawl" there. In fact, however, there's no credit ''at all'' for the character, under either name, as he has no voice actor, his "speaking role" being little more than echo-y electronic gibberish.
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[[File:BanachekMustacheMan.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|One of these is not like the others.]]
*'''The Decepticons' hologram is Tom Banachek.'''

: Several Decepticons in the movie are seen using a holographic "pilot"/"driver" based on the same short-haired, mustache-clad human with an intense stare, only wearing different clothes to match their respective [[alternate mode]]s. Since [[Tom Banachek]], the head of [[Sector Seven]]'s Advanced Research Division, also sports a mustache, a short-cropped hairstyle and a pretty intense stare, many fans mistakenly believe that the Decepticons' hologram is meant to look like him.

: There are two problems with that. One, the Decepticons' hologram, dubbed "[[Moustache Man]]" in the credits, is played by real-life United States Air Force Major [[Brian Reece]], whereas Tom Banachek is portrayed by established actor [[Michael O'Neill]].

:Two... how would the Decepticons know who Banachek even ''was'' to model a hologram after him?
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====''Revenge of the Fallen''====
*'''Barricade's return?'''
:A common misconception among fans is that [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade's]] Saleen Mustang alternate mode was spotted on the set of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', possibly as part of the alleged "disinformation campaign" director [[Michael Bay]] repeatedly insisted he had initiated. In fact, however, a truck transporting three "Barricade" prop vehicles was spotted in Culver City, California, in March 2008, more than ''two months'' before principal shooting for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' started.<ref name="vehspotted">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/transformersnews.php?id=6980 Superhero Hype reporting on the spotting of Barricade vehicles in March 2008]</ref> There's been no indication that this had any significance other than moving the prop cars... someplace. Barricade would not make his reappearance until the ''next'' movie, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.

*'''Decepticon [blank space] popsicle!'''
[[File:ROTF Skids Mudflap popsicle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Our ice cream is uncensored.]]
:This rumor claims that a censored version of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' exists in which the rude "[[File:Symbol decept reg.png|15px]] suck my popsicle!" decal on the side of [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]]'s ice cream truck [[alternate mode]] is edited to remove the words "suck my", resulting in the somewhat nonsensical version "[[File:Symbol decept reg.png|15px]]           popsicle!" This version was supposedly shown in some theaters in several countries, even though other theaters in the those very same markets apparently showed the "uncensored" version.<ref name="popsicle">[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/decepticon-popsicle.254257/ Contemporary discussion] of the allegedly "censored" decal on the ice cream truck seen in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' at TFW2005.</ref>

:In reality, the most likely explanation for this is much more mundane: Whereas the Decepticon insignia and the word "popsicle" are both rendered in white, resulting in a high color contrast with the dark background of the decal, the words "suck my" are instead kept in dark red. Depending on the specific brightness and color contrast settings of a particular theater, this, combined with the overall darkness of the scene (which was shot "day for night"), could easily lead to those two words becoming pretty much "invisible" by pure coincidence, with no actual intention of "censorship" behind it.
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====''Dark of the Moon''====
*'''Optimus Prime let the Decepticons take over Chicago.'''
:Given the comparatively darker tone—and a decidedly more ruthless interpretation of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]—of the first five live-action films when compared to the majority of the ''Transformers'' franchise, one common criticism of ''Dark of the Moon'' was Prime's apparent complacency in the face of the Decepticon attack on [[Chicago]] after the destruction of the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]''—sometimes interpreted by some fans and critics as him "teaching Earth a lesson" after humanity unanimously agrees to exile Prime's Autobots in the hopes of appeasing [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]. This reading of the film seems to misinterpret Prime's line of "now your leaders will understand" and "we needed them to believe that we had gone" as Prime having engineered the entire crisis for his own political gain; the second line assuredly refers to the ''Decepticons'', as Optimus and company faking their deaths allowed the heroes to sneak to Chicago and catch Megatron's forces by surprise. Even without the script, Cape Canaveral and Chicago are ''very'' far apart; if we assume that the Autobots hightailed it to Chicago seconds after splashing down in the Atlantic, it would ''still'' take them about eighteen hours to get there, a time discrepancy that more or less matches up with the way events play out onscreen.
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====''Bumblebee''====
*'''''Bumblebee''''' '''and''' '''''Rise of the Beasts''''' '''are reboots that are separate from the rest of the "Bayverse"'''.
: ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' was initially conceived as a straight prequel to the ''Transformers'' films, chronologically falling between the [[World War II]] flashback sequences seen in ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' and the 2007 ''Transformers'' film. However, the movie was hastily retooled relatively late into production, tweaking the film's opening to show Bumblebee arriving on Earth in the 1980s, and, as a result, became more-or-less irreconcilable with both the information given by the ''The Last Knight'' and the various prequel comics that had gone before. Due in part to these reshoots—which were almost certainly added as a way to distance the film from the financial and critical failure that was ''The Last Knight''—some fans jumped on the idea that ''Bumblebee'' was now a "hard reboot" of the film series as a whole, similar to the {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe}}'s interpretation of [[Spider-Man]] vs. his prior two cinematic outings. Around the time of ''Bumblebee''{{'}}s release, both [[Hasbro]] and [[Paramount Pictures]] were fairly mum on just how it and the five prior Bay films would fit together moving forward: the closest we were given to a conclusive answer was that the film represented the start of a "new storytelling universe," <ref>[https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2467064/looks-like-bumblebee-is-officially-the-start-of-a-new-transformers-movie-universe "Looks Like Bumblebee is Officially The Start Of A New Transformers Movie Universe]</ref>, but Di Bonventura explained that this only meant that the creators had freedom to tell new stories that didn't necessarily follow the rules of the other films. Other fiction, such as the ''[[Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome]]'' comic included with the home media release of the film, continued to tie the events of ''Bumblebee'' to the rest of the live-action film series, putting another notch in the "prequel" column.

: The vaguery only continued in the lead-up to the subsequent film, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]'', which is set in 1994. Producer [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] was fairly adamant about its prequel status, claiming that ''Rise of the Beasts'' charts Optimus's growth into the character seen in the 2007 film.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-michael-bay-movies-producer-comments/ 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Producer on How It Differs From Michael Bay's Movies — Collider]</ref> Director [[Steven Caple Jr.]] was more on the fence; in one interview, he called it a "reboot for sure," only to moments later backpedal and instead call it a "refresher" and a "new direction," adding that you "could call it a reboot" but that that there were still aspects of it that could be tied to the existing films.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfMFxvT_-Q&t=2446s Steven Caple Jr. interview on The Alfonso Nation]</ref> The film itself splits the difference, with several allusions made to the other films, but the whole "[[Unicron]] is Earth" thing from ''The Last Knight'' going wholly unaddressed, despite Unicron playing a major role.

: When asked point-blank about this after the film released, Caple stated that while they tried to hew as close as they could to not mess up the Bay movies' events, knowing ''Bumblebee'' had previously taken its own liberties meant that he felt okay changing things in service of telling a better story and helping the prequels find their own way, something which Hasbro and Paramount fully agreed with.<ref>[https://www.insider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-director-timeline-inconsistencies-2023-6 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' producers cared more about telling 'the best story' than keeping the timeline consistent, says director — Insider]</ref> In particular, Caple stated he largely treats the original trilogy as gospel when it comes to continuity, but less so with ''Age of Extinction'' and ''The Last Knight'', feeling like the creative teams behind those movies had less idea where they were actually going with their stories at the time.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/rise-of-the-beasts-director-confirms-that-continuity-is-not-a-concern-within-the-transformers-film-franchise/47813/ Extract from an interview with Caple Jr. on the ''Empire Spoiler Specials'' podcast, via Seibertron.com]</ref> So basically, despite all the incongruities, Hasbro and Paramount are still treating ''Bumblebee'' and any subsequent films as being in continuity with the preceding entries, which makes total sense, as it means not alienating the audiences who ''did'' enjoy those movies. Plus, by continuing to set films before 2007, it not only minimizes the amount of prior knowledge the audience requires to enjoy the movie, but it means that they simply don't have to deal with the implications of the prequel timeline and the Bay movies' timeline intersecting.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-director-steven-caple-jr-1235484272/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. on Michael Bay’s Support, ’90s Rap Soundtrack and Reuniting with ‘Creed’ Directors — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> Indeed, di Bonoventura has described continuing to use the prequel setting as "kicking the can down the road" when it comes to confronting the pre-existing continuity, acknowledging that they've "maybe" contradicted things despite their best efforts.<ref>[https://www.fandom.com/articles/transformers-rise-beast-wars-optimus-prime Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Shows a Different Side of Optimus Prime" on Fandom.com]</ref> Ultimately, it's best just to enjoy the films on their own and not to sweat the continuity hiccups; after all, it's not like the Bay movies' stories were internally consistent with each other anyway. (If anything, just [[personal canon|ignoring]] ''The Last Knight'' pretty much fixes most of the issues on its own.)
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====''Rise of the Beasts''====

*'''All of the generic Terrorcons are named “Freezer”.'''

:When [[Freezer]] was first revealed during the marketing campaign for ''Rise of the Beasts'', it was initially believed that he was simply a type of mass-produced drone, similarly to the various types of [[Vehicon (disambiguation)|Vehicon]] from past Transformers series, with the name belonging to both the two smaller [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]] deployed by [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] and the vast horde of generics seen in the final battle. This was seemingly supported by a note in Scourge’s character profile on social media<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Helping him in his relentless pursuit, Scourge keeps a collection of six-legged Terrorcon Freezers — mechanical insectoids he can send out to sniff out his prey.|link=https://www.facebook.com/transformersmovie/photos/pcb.6313444875357573/6313441462024581/|name=Transformers|site=Facebook|year=2023|month=05|day=12}}</ref> and was generally believed to be the case for the first few weeks after the film’s release. However, when the film was released on home media, it was revealed in the “Villains” behind-the-scenes featurette that all of the generic Terrorcons were actually named “[[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweeps]]”, in a homage to the original Scourge’s [[Sweep (G1)|minions]], and that the name “Freezer” actually only belonged to one of Scourge’s smaller minions, with the second being named “[[Novakane]]”.

:This misconception may have also been the result of an animation error regarding the Sweeps’ designs. The CGI models indicate that Freezer and Novakane were meant to have unique head designs, with Freezer having two scars on his forehead and Novakane having his left antennae cut off. However, for one reason or another, the two designs wound up being used interchangeably, not only between the two smaller Sweeps, but also between many of the larger Sweeps as well.

:Interestingly, the tie-in book “[[Mission at the Museum]]” actually referred to the pair as Sweeps, but this was initially dismissed as a preliminary working name for Freezer, especially with the next book, “[[The Search Is On]]”, using his finalised name instead. However, the difference between the two Sweeps was later confirmed by the aforementioned featurette, a set of Chinese trading cards, and the eventual release of Novakane’s ''[[Studio Series]]'' toy, long after the reveal of Freezer. Based upon this information, it can be deduced that Freezer is the Sweep who chases the humans and dies in the Peruvian cave, while Novakane is the Sweep who survives until the final battle before meeting his end in the lava.
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*'''Rhinox doesn’t have any dialogue.'''

:Due to his very limited role, it is often believed that Rhinox did not have any dialogue in ''Rise of the Beasts''. However, he did get at least one line of dialogue when Optimus Prime decides to destroy the [[Transwarp Key]], saying “We’ll clear the way”. Furthermore, he is directly credited as being voiced by [[David Sobolov]].
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==''Animated'' misconceptions==
===Toys===
*'''Hasbro can't make new toys based on Animated characters without Cartoon Network's approval.'''
[[File:WMTheLegacyOfBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|This set should not be possible.]]
: While not rooted in any specific source, there has been a longstanding misconception that because they produced the cartoon and collaborated with Hasbro on the toy designs, [[Cartoon Network]] maintains partial (if not complete) ownership over the character designs in ''Transformers Animated'', and is thus the reason why no new toys of the characters were released for almost 15 years.

: In truth, Hasbro owns ''Animated'' lock, stock, and barrel. A quick glance at the legal jargon on the back of any ''Animated'' toy packaging will show Hasbro as the sole [[copyright]] holder listed. In fact, the only legalese mentioning Cartoon Network is the [[trademark]] for their own name and logo, due to printing "AS SEEN ON CN!" on the box. A handful of ''Animated'' toys were also released after the show ended via [[Fun Publications]], which also listed Hasbro as the sole copyright holder. Furthermore, toys of several ''Animated'' characters were also sold under different ''Transformers'' toylines concurrently with the ''Animated'' line itself, such as the [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#Universe (2008)|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Universe (2008)|Bumblebee]], [[Prowl (Animated)#Universe (2008)|Prowl]] and [[Starscream (Animated)#Universe (2008)|Starscream]] sold under the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'' line]], or the Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Transformers (2007)|Bumblebee]] sold as part of the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie toyline]]'s "The Legacy of Bumblebee" three-pack. Again, Cartoon Network is mentioned nowhere on the packaging. Similarly, Cartoon Network goes unmentioned in the copyrights for other merchandise like DVDs and tie-in comics. In Japan, the [[Blackarachnia (Animated)#Toys|''Animated'' Blackarachnia toy]] was even retooled years after ''Animated'' ended to create the [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Legends|''Legends'' toy for ''Beast Wars'' Blackarachnia]], again with no mention of Cartoon Network anywhere.

: The only place you'll find a Cartoon Network copyright is in the credits of the episodes themselves, but Hasbro appears to have long since bought out whatever rights Cartoon Network retained, hence their ability to freely upload ''Animated'' clips to their YouTube channels and make it available for streaming alongside their other ''Transformers'' cartoons on services like [[Tubi]] (very much unlike [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Production|the one show we know they ''don't'' have all the rights to]]). And in either case, as mentioned above, it wouldn't prevent them from making new toys using those characters or designs. A much more likely explanation is Hasbro simply wanting new toys to fit a certain aesthetic, one that ''Animated''{{'}}s designs don't quite fit. So instead, they simply choose to adapt the characters to fit the new medium, such as with [[Bulkhead (Prime)|''Prime'' Bulkhead]] or [[Clobber (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Clobber]]. The most overt case of this is the [[2015]] Japanese release of the [[Slipstream (Animated)#Legends|''Legends'' Slipstream toy]], retooled by TakaraTomy from the non-''Animated'' [[Windblade (G1)#Generations|''Generations'' Windblade toy]] to be more ''Animated''-like, and ''explicitly'' spelled out to be the ''Animated'' character via the [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 16|accompanying issue]] of the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]], which itself likewise featured multiple cameos by ''Animated'' characters.

: At [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022, Hasbro designer [[Evan Brooks]] confirmed that any rumors of ''Animated'' characters not being available for Hasbro's use are incorrect, and that Hasbro has all rights to all Transformers characters.<ref name="evansdcc">[https://news.tfw2005.com/2022/07/25/sdcc-hasbro-kotobukiya-show-floor-qa-461912 "SDCC Hasbro & Kotobukiya Show Floor Q&A"] at TFW2005</ref> This was proven pretty definitively with the release of [[Prowl (Animated)#Legacy|Prowl's ''Legacy'' toy]] the following year, once again absent any sort of Cartoon Network related branding, and thankfully seems to have put the misconception to rest for good.
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===Fiction===
*'''The Japanese dub of ''Transformers Animated'' presents it as a prequel to the live-action movies.'''

: This appears to have ''some'' basis: back in March 2010, the then-recent edition of ''[[TV Magazine]]'' published some early pre-release information about the Japanese dub of the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'' cartoon]]. Among the details announced was the name-change of [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] to "Ironhide", and changing his character to be closer in personality to [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] from the [[live-action film series|live-action movies]]. The article allegedly also claimed that because [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] was not Supreme Commander of the Autobots in ''Animated'', the cartoon would be "set chronologically before the live action movies".<ref name="tvmagani">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/animated-8/latest-edition-of-tv-magazine-reveals-new-transformers-animated-japan-details-169265/ TFW2005 reporting on ''TV Magazine'' article about the Japanese dub of the ''Transformers Animated'' cartoon], March 2010.</ref>

: In actuality, however, not much of this has been reflected in the dub itself: aside from the aforementioned renaming of Bulkhead into "Ironhide", there's nothing in the Japanese dub that ties the ''Animated'' cartoon any closer to the live-action movies than its American counterpart.

: While TakaraTomy chose to use the movie-style branding for ''Animated'' products, rendering the "Transformers Animated" logo in the gray steel look used for the movies, this appears to simply be a matter of wanting to associate the brand with the big successful money-making movie franchise rather than any reflection of fictional details.

{{-}}

==Aligned Continuity misconceptions==
===Toys===
*'''''Transformers: Prime'' was not initially planned to have any toys.'''
:The [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toy line]] for ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' was ''very'' delayed, debuting roughly a year after the associated cartoon had premiered. Previously, at a [[BotCon 2010]] panel about the then-upcoming ''Prime'' cartoon, a Hasbro representative had made a statement that they weren't talking about toys just then. ''Transformers'' fandom being [[Red Alert (G1)|what]] [[Breakdown (G1)|it is]], a widespread belief developed that Hasbro was never going to make ''Prime'' toys ''at all.'' As additional information gradually surfaced, this evolved into a rumor that ''Prime'' would only have a small number of toys, with some further speculating that they would also be limited to the Deluxe [[size class]] (since initially only Deluxes had been seen). The eventual revelation of a full ''Prime'' toyline caused the belief to evolve once more, with the new theory being that there wasn't ''originally'' going to be a ''Prime'' toyline, but Hasbro changed their minds due to demand.

:The reality, as usual, was much less apocalyptic. The statement from the Hasbro Studios panel was never intended to refer to anything except the panel itself—the people ''in that room'' weren't going to be discussing toys ''at that panel''. (In fact, [[Eric Siebenaler]] expressed excitement about [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]'s toy at the very same panel.) As for the delay in the line's launch, put simply, this was for appearance's sake. Hasbro wanted to establish ''Prime'' as a strong ''fictional'' franchise, rather than merely [[To sell toys|a glorified toy commercial]], and reasonably concluded that launching a toyline immediately would detract from that goal. There ''was'' a point when a few ''Prime'' toys were planned to be released under the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Transformers: Generations]]'' banner, but since ''Generations'' was at that time exclusively Deluxes, the aforementioned Bulkhead (a Voyager) indicates that this idea had already been abandoned when the rumors started.

:In short, this is just a matter of fans jumping to conclusions based on misinterpreted statements.
{{-}}

===Fiction===
*'''The High Moon Studios games are part of G1.'''
{{quote|We really did look very closely at Generation 1 stuff and tried to capture what for us was the essence of the characters.|[[Sean Miller]], Director Character and Animation|[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]}}
[[File:FOC-GameInformerPrimeBumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|It's the prequel to that version of G1 which never existed!]]
:With its designs aiming at a video gamer audience who grew up with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], the development team for ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' took a great deal of inspiration from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] for such things as characters and the design aesthetic for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]</ref> A [[Commercial#War for Cybertron|commercial]] even depicted Shockwave ordering Soundwave to play [[The Touch|a song]] made famous by the [[The Transformers: The Movie|original animated movie]]. Furthermore, War for Cybertron toys were sold as part of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline that featured Generation 1-styled characters. These factors led many to believe the game was actually part of Generation 1.

:To be fair, there was and is virtually no information available to the average fan that ''War for Cybertron'' is not part of Generation 1. Hasbro essentially folded ''War for Cybertron'' into the [[aligned continuity family|aligned continuity]], and informed dedicated fans of this fact through [[Hasbro Q&A|question and answer sessions]].<ref>"The official story of the original 13 and specifically Alpha Trion has not been explored fully in the modern continuity that Transformers War for Cybertron, Exodus, and Prime are a part of." [[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers]]</ref> The [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|''War for Cybertron'' comic adaptation]] and [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 online timeline] actually are adaptations from ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', which is the basis for the new modern continuity fiction.

:Canonically, both WfC and its sequel ''Fall of Cybertron'' are in the Aligned continuity, but beyond suggestions and mandatory changes from Hasbro, High Moon Studios didn't seem to care about Hasbro's declarations of canon. In the art book for the sequel to WfC, ''[[The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'', the only influences of the concept art and designs mentioned are G1 related. Dreamwave, the original cartoon, and other concepts and ideas from Generation 1 are cited, but the fact that Cliffjumper's head is based off of ''Prime'' Cliffjumper's is not mentioned, nor are the modifications to Optimus Prime's gun, Megatron's new body, [[Tox-En]], or the other assorted influences from ''Prime''.

:[[High Moon Studios]] often described the games as prequels to the G1 cartoon. More savvy fans would recognize that the game is generally irreconcilable with the cartoon (or any other Generation 1 continuity for that matter): the circumstances of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s rise to power would contradict "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", and Optimus's [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|predecessor]] does not possess the Matrix, unlike his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#The Transformers cartoon|cartoon counterpart]]. The Autobots left Cybertron because the [[Core]] shut down, not because energy sources were depleted, and characters like [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]], the [[Aerialbot (WFC)|Aerialbots]], and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] wouldn't be on Cybertron or even ''exist''. Additionally, the game draws inspiration from other continuities, including characters not from Generation 1 like [[Slipstream (WFC)|Slipstream]] and [[Demolishor (WFC)|Demolishor]]. The game does share a lot of similarities with Dreamwave's ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' series (where Jetfire and Trypticon are present), but it cannot take place in that continuity either.
{{-}}

==Companies==
===Marvel Comics===
*'''John Romita designed the Generation 1 character models.'''
:The rumor here comes about through a misreading of the credits to ''[[The Transformers Universe]]''. Legendary Marvel Comics artist John Romita, Sr. was listed as "Art Director", leading readers to assume that he was in charge of designing or developing the various [[character model]]s used in the series (and reprinted in said comic). However, Romita was actually the Art Director for Marvel Comics as a whole at the time. The majority of the character models were in fact done by [[Floro Dery]], who went uncredited.<ref>See [http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/01/11/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-85/ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed] for more information.</ref>

===TakaraTomy===
*'''Takara was taken over by Tomy.'''
[[File:Takaratomy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|We are one.]]
:In 2005, it was announced that Takara, longtime Japanese manufacturer/distributor of Transformers toys, and former competitor Tomy would merge into a new company, named [[TakaraTomy]], as of [[March 1]], 2006. Some fans misinterpreted the media coverage, believing that Takara had been bought out by rival Tomy. This was not helped by official press releases declaring Tomy the "surviving company", Tomy having the majority of shares, and the merged company simply going by the name "Tomy" outside Japan.

:The name issue is easily explained, as it was done for purely pragmatic reasons. "Tomy" is an internationally established brand, since the company already had divisions in many other countries prior to the merger, and distributed their toys under their own name there. Takara, meanwhile, had mostly abandoned its ventures into international markets years ago, and had its products distributed through other companies (such as [[Hasbro]]) instead. Therefore, the merged company decided to use the better-known name for its international business, while it would continue as "TakaraTomy" within Japan itself.

:Now, as for the specifics of the merger... Although the merger ratio was set at 0.356 of a Tomy share for each Takara share (including a split of Tomy's stock), and the companies announced a layoff of 15% of their combined workforce mostly on the Takara side, the term "merger" (as compared to "take-over") was prominently used in all the official announcements by the two companies, and twisting tiny details into a de facto "takeover" of Takara by Tomy is effectively splitting hairs.
{{-}}

*'''e-Hobby is owned by Takara (TakaraTomy).'''
:The [[e-HOBBY]] shop is owned by Part One, Ltd. Although the company has had close ties with Takara for decades, the online store also sells toys by other companies, primarily TakaraTomy's rival [[Bandai]].

:The online store ''directly'' owned by TakaraTomy, meanwhile, is [[TakaraTomy Mall]] (formerly Toy Hobby Market).

===IDW Publishing===
*'''Hasbro pays IDW to publish comics for them, and profit directly from the comics selling well.'''
:Presumably stemming from the fact that most Transformers ''cartoons'' are commissioned by Hasbro in order to advertise their toys, a lot of fans are under the impression that Hasbro pays IDW Publishing and other licensees to produce ''Transformers'' comics for them. This is the exact opposite of how licensed comics work; IDW pays Hasbro for the privilege of publishing ''Transformers'' comics, and IDW keeps all the profits outside of that licensing fee. As such, Hasbro doesn't have any particular investment in the comics selling well, other than their indirect effects on toy sales and potential negative press caused by "failing" comics; all that matters to Hasbro is that they sell well enough that IDW keep paying for the license.

*'''The [[Hasbro Universe]] was pushed on IDW by Hasbro.'''
:While Hasbro is mostly hands-off with IDW's comics, one of the terms of the license is that IDW needs to work with Hasbro to do [[To sell toys|occasional promotion]] for new and upcoming toys; this most obviously took place with events such as [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]], [[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]] and [[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]] — and, if we're being honest, has resulted in some of the less popular arcs from "phase 2" of IDW.<ref>[[James Roberts]] has apologised on multiple occasions for Dark Cybertron, which says a lot.</ref> As such, when IDW announced that they were bringing [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|several]] [[Rom|other]] [[Action Man|Hasbro-]][[M.A.S.K. (franchise)|owned]] [[Micronauts|franchises]] into their [[2005 IDW continuity|acclaimed Transformers universe]], a lot of fans assumed that this was the result of another Hasbro mandate, especially given their stated desire to have a "Transformers {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe|Cinematic Universe}}." It also bore a startling resemblance to the shuttered plans to use the [[Aligned continuity family]] to launch a shared universe, even sharing the name of [[Unit:E]]. However, the creative teams involved were open from the start about the decision being an internal one that IDW had to ask Hasbro for permission to do.

:Reportedly, the decision stemmed from IDW obtaining multiple additional Hasbro licenses, and [[Chris Ryall]] and [[Christos Gage]] suggesting that G.I. Joe appear in their ''ROM'' comic; this led to [[John Barber]] bringing up [[Andrew Griffith]]'s suggestion that IDW's ''G.I. Joe'' universe could fit "between" big ''Transformers'' events, which led to all of them suggesting to [[Cullen Bunn]] that the Earth that the [[Micronaut]]s visited be the ''ROM''/''Transformers''/''G.I. Joe'' one... and, well, it all spiralled from there. Hasbro were apparently very on board with the idea, but it was far from something that they pushed onto unwilling creators.

*'''The Hasbro Universe comics are responsible for the ending of the 2005 IDW continuity.'''
:Given that IDW announced that they were concluding their [[2005 IDW continuity|main continuity]] less than two years after the VERY controversial Hasbro Universe was first announced, a lot of fans were under the impression that the shared universe, and the relaunch of [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'']] and [[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye'']] into ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' and [[The Transformers: Lost Light|''Lost Light'']], were responsible for tanking sales to the point that IDW decided that it would be more profitable to reboot.

:However, the reason that those titles were relaunched in the ''first'' place is that their sales were on an unsustainable downwards spiral; and, other than a brief sales spike for the [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|first]] [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|issues]] of the relaunched series, the relaunch did pretty much nothing to the sales trends, which continued to decrease at the same level as they had from around the 51st issues to the relaunch.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/670-general-comics-discussion/page-60#entry3661883 Sales chart of the Phase 2 IDW ongoings]</ref> While the Hasbro Universe titles generally didn't sell ''great'', they didn't affect the sales of the ongoing ''Transformers'' series.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20121116134912/http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers, retrieved November 16, 2012] (archived)

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2023-08-20T13:06:15Z

Chasd20:

Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

Some of these myths have since been mostly forgotten as the fandom moved on, but are being preserved here for historic purposes. Others still persist to this very day, and may even evolve into fully-fledged conspiracy theories.

==General misconceptions==
*'''''Transformers'' is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that was brought back into vogue with the 2007 movie.'''

: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that ''Transformers'' went away some time around 1986 (or 1987, or 1988—pick your year). People who stumbled across a newer incarnation of the ''Transformers'' franchise before 2007 commonly assumed that it had only recently popped back up as an attempt to cash in on '80s nostalgia. From 2007 onwards, people who were (obviously) aware of the [[live-action film series]] commonly believed that it was the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]] that brought the franchise back from limbo. Neither assumption is correct.

:In fact, the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] has been continuous since 1984 (there was a brief gap between 1990 and 1993 as far as the United States market was concerned, but the brand still continued with new products in other markets). It includes many [[Franchises|lines of toys, cartoons and comics]] that span almost four decades, with no sign of stopping, as Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when its target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction.

:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise long before its initial US cancellation (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in popularity, quality and/or sales, since it's not what they remember.

:It ''is'' true that ''Transformers'' hit a low point of popularity in the early 1990s, with the cancelation of Generation 1 and the unremarkable sales of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. But the successor ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' line re-established the brand for a new generation beginning in 1996, and ''Transformers'' has been a dominant toy franchise ever since. While it's true that the live-action movies caused a major hike in popularity for the brand, they didn't revive a long-forgotten franchise; rather, they merely turned a steadily successful toy series into a major worldwide multimedia phenomenon.
{{-}}

*'''Generation 1 obviously has the best toys, cartoons and characters.'''

:Casual fans likewise tend to assume automatically that the original 1980s iteration of ''Transformers'' is the best and most successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.

:While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over (if not for warm-fuzzy nostalgia-feels in 80s kids). In factors such as realistic alternate forms, durability, articulation, action features, and complexity, various later toylines have all exceeded Generation 1. And while fiction can't be measured objectively, many fans will swear up and down by some of the later incarnations of ''Transformers''.

:Arguably, ''Transformers'' is in an endless cycle of creating [[true fan|new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest"]].
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[[File:SteamhammerEnergonUniverse.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Not literally a waste of packaging material.]]
*'''"Repackaged" toys are ''literally'' unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of the old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to stores.'''

:Every so often, a ''Transformers'' toy line features seemingly identical toys in multiple different [[packaging]] versions, such as multi-packs containing toys that were previously available separately. In addition, some toy lines also feature [[rebranding|rebranded]] items, namely toys that were originally released under one line, but are later re-released as part of another line with virtually no changes to the toy itself, only the packaging it is available in. The final stages of the original ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line took the concept of "rebranding" to a new level, featuring numerous straight re-releases of toys from the since-ended ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' lines, among many others. Since then, it has been repeated with the 2006 ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' line, the 2008 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' line and many others. Because a common [[fandom]] term for those releases is "repackages", a popular misconception claims that those toys are ''literally'' "repackages": namely, unsold toys sent back to Hasbro, taken out of their old packaging, put into new packaging and then sent back to (different) stores. (The same train of thought also—very rarely—suggests that "repaints", another common fan term for [[redeco]]s, are ''literally'' "[[repaint]]s", i.e. existing toys painted over in new colors, rather than new production runs from the same toolings using new plastic colors.)

:Needless to say, this theory is dubious for various reasons. Generally, old unsold toys are ''not'' sent back to Hasbro. They either [[Shelfwarmer|remain in the store]] until someone finally decides to buy them, or the store somehow dumps them, such as by selling them off to closeout chains. And even ''if'' Hasbro did regularly get sent back huge shipments of unsold toys, they'd be highly unlikely to go through the effort (and additional cost) of literally repackaging them. Hasbro confirmed this in January of 2009, stating that due to the toys being manufactured in Asia, it would be a waste of time and money to repackage them only to sell them at the same price-point.<ref>[http://www.sirstevesguide.com/index.php?categoryid=13&p2_articleid=1934 SirStevesGuide.com, Tri-Weekly Hasbro Q&A - January 30th]</ref> Thus, they are ''not'' repackaged old product, but new production runs of previous product. These days, this misconception should be much easier to dispel: Every toy now features a manufacturing date stamp etched into the figure, as well as a product code [[tampograph]]ed onto the figure, thus proving that a figure was manufactured more recently than its superficially identical predecessor.

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[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The similarities are astounding. Especially those that aren't there.]]
*'''A new toy that is vaguely reminiscent of an older toy is a retool of said toy.'''

:Hasbro likes to [[redeco]] toys a lot (usually to recoup the R&D costs for developing the original [[mold]]). They also like to release redecos of toys from older lines in newer lines. In some instances, Hasbro also don't just redeco a toy, they [[retool]] it (or create new toolings for new parts that replace parts of the old version of the toy)—sometimes to improve a feature or fix an error, but sometimes also to give the toy new features or [[gimmick]]s, or simply to make it different enough from the original version so owners of the original version would be interested in buying the "retool" as well.

:Some of those retools are comparably minor (such as [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 Movie line]]), whereas others can be pretty elaborate. Sometimes the retools are so elaborate that the line between "retool" and "new [[mold]]" gets blurred. The most drastic instances in this regard would be [[K-9]] from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' (based on [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] from the same line) and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]] from ''Cybertron'' (based on the original ''Cybertron'' Crumplezone toy), both of which have most, if not ''all'' of their parts entirely retooled. Another borderline case would be the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Mini-Con]]s [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]] and [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]], which were released around the same time and are based on the same basic design, share a similar body structure and have very similar [[alternate mode]]s.

:However, sometimes fans ''definitely'' get too far decrying a new toy a "retool" (or "remold"). Toys that share some superficial design similarities, coupled with similar transformation schemes, are often mistaken for retools even though they're simply that: Similar toys based on the same general design, maybe even directly influenced by the older toy, but nothing more. For more examples, see: [[retool#Not actually a retool|retool]].

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*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works—and they're sooooooo not doing that.

{{-}}{{anchor|Older collectors}}
*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most ''Transformers'' product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like ''Alternators'' or ''Classics'' and its successors with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy [[Transformer]]s for them. The bulk of ''Transformers'' product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if a company like Hasbro wants to stay in business and keep making money (and by extension, more toys), it must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors—enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the [[fandom|fans]] speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or [[Ruined FOREVER|awful]].
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===Takara vs. Hasbro===
[[File:Cybertrontoy hasbro and takara vector primes.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Vector Prime]] features different color applications dependent on whether it was released in [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] or [[Hasbro]]'s market.]]
*'''Takara (alternatively, Hasbro) are ''solely'' responsible for designing, developing and manufacturing (all, or certain specific) ''Transformers'' toys.'''

: This was true only for the original [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toys]], and possibly also the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toys]]. Most of the toys from 1984 to 1986 were imported (and, occasionally, slightly altered) versions of already-existing Japanese toys originally designed and released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Following that, Takara developed new toys both for the Japanese and the Western market, now specifically with ''Transformers'' in mind. The primary exceptions are a handful of toys licensed from other Japanese companies (Jetfire, Whirl, and Roadbuster, for example), and the 1986 toys for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]], which were mostly based on designs by [[Floro Dery]].

: However, ever since 1988,<ref name="dunsay">[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/images/full/BC04Dunsay.jpg BotCon 2004 program guide interview with George Dunsay]</ref> most "main" line toys released both in Japan and the Western hemisphere (such as the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'', the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 Movie line]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]/[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'') have been designed and developed in cooperation between [[Hasbro]] (or its subsidiary [[Kenner]]) and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] (now TakaraTomy). (For the specifics of this joint venture development process, see the article about [[toy]]s.)

: Still, numerous reasons have led some people to assume incorrectly that ''all'' ''Transformers'' toy lines were ''solely'' developed by only one of the two companies:

:*The Western public and mainstream media, naturally, tend to be unaware of the existence of Takara (TakaraTomy these days). It's therefore logical to assume that Hasbro, the company responsible for distributing Transformers toys outside Japan, is also solely responsible for developing and manufacturing the toys. The fact that Hasbro regularly chooses not to mention their Japanese business partner in official press releases and interviews hasn't exactly helped matters, either.

:*On the other hand, Western anime fans are used to Japanese companies being solely responsible for designing robot toys, which are then imported and sold by Western companies. For lack of better knowledge, those people then simply assume the same also applies to ''Transformers'' toys — namely, that Takara does ''all'' the design and engineering work on their own, and Hasbro is merely the Western ''distributor'' of those toys. The fact that the back of Hasbro's packaging for ''Transformers'' toys sports a small note saying "Manufactured under license from Takara Co., Ltd." (changed to "TOMY Company, Ltd." on more recent toys) is occasionally cited as "proof" that Takara is the sole manufacturer of ''Transformers'' toys as well. A long paper trail of evidence to the contrary<ref name="Hasbro Tour">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/gallery.php?event_id=70&size=0&start=272 Exemplary rundown] of the development process of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]], shown during the Hasbro tour at [[BotCon 2007]]. Of course, Hasbro just replaced the name "Takara" in some of the steps with "Hasbro" in order to convince fans that... yeah, riiiight.</ref> has not been able to convince those people of the flaws in their conspiracy theory — rather, some of them have even postulated the existence of a so-called "Hasbro PR machine", whose sole purpose is to convince ''Transformers'' fans that Hasbro has a larger part in the development of ''Transformers'' toys than is actually the case.<ref name="Propaganda">[http://toyboxdx.com/phorum/read.php?1,88668 ToyBoxDX thread with anime fanboys arguing that "Takara is an enormous toy '''manufacturing''' company. Hasbro doesn't manufacturer anything. The sole reason for its existence is for marketing the products of their partners and wholly-owned subs. Just to be clear here - Takara is bigger than Hasbro."] They wouldn't even believe that [[Joe Kyde]] actually worked at Hasbro. No kidding.</ref>

: That being said, there ''are'' indeed a few toys originally developed by either Hasbro or Takara without the other one's involvement, and then later picked up by the other company, but they're fewer than usually assumed: For Takara, those include the new molds for ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1998 (Beast Wars II)|Beast Wars II]]'', ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1999 (Beast Wars Neo)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'', plus various mostly short-lived, collector-aimed, niche market lines (such as the new ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' molds, the ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'', the ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' toys etc.); for Hasbro, those are mostly either toys originally based on fiction-based franchises that did not originate with Hasbro (such as ''[[Animorphs]]'' or the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars Transformers]]'' and their later successor, ''[[Transformers: Crossovers]]''), cross-brand lines ''within'' Hasbro where the Transformers toys only make up one part of the overall lineup (such as the [[Titanium Series]] and the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] figures) and a few very rare "main" line Transformers toys such as [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]], [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]], [[Alpha Quintesson]], [[Kicker Jones#Toys|Energon Kicker]] and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''.
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*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''
[[File:RMConvoy toy.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Let's never forget that Takara made ''this''.]]
: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.

:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the U.S. [[for safety reasons]]. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically). In the various forms of [[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Overview|CHUG]], Takara releases also consistently boast more paint applications (for example, many ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' figures had painted rims, while their ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' counterparts went without), something that was ironically reversed in their version of the [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Takara Prime toyline|''Prime'' toyline]].

:*"More [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada''{{'}}s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)#2005 (Beast Wars Returns)|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not accurate to the original toys. On the other hand, Takara sometimes has a tendency to go ''massively'' overboard in their ever-growing desire for "show-accurate" decos even on toys that haven't even been designed with the original [[character model|animation model]]s in mind, leading to weird blocks of color meant to represent major details from the show models that simply do not exist in any way on the toys' sculpts. Just ask ''Unite Warriors'' [[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Firebolt]], [[Slingshot (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Sling]] and [[Drag Strip (G1)#Unite Warriors|Drag Stripe]].

:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two [[sword]]s, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun mode Megatron in the ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Super Link]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well. ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Shot (G1)|Hot Rod]] came with two missile launchers and missiles not included with ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe .282008.29|Hot Shot]] due to budget constraints, and featured the original tooling for the rear bumper for their inclusion. In contrast, ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Lambor]] was ''lacking'' the supercharger engine accessory ''Universe'' Sideswipe came with—[[Hisashi Yuki]], the toy's designer, claims the intent was for only Sunstreaker to have it, with it being meant to differentiate the two, but Hasbro chose to give it to both.<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009 Volume 1|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref>

:*"Sweeter exclusives" is more or less a mix of "the grass is always greener" and some occasional hits. The truth is, there ''are'' a lot of popular molds, characters, and entire toylines that only show up on Japanese shores or as part of special promotions. However, a similar number of such releases stay in international territories and never reach Japanese fans. American fans who are willing to pay import fees simply don't tend to notice when Japanese fans miss out unless they pay ''very'' close attention to what's being released there, and due to the simple way that news and hype works, flawed Japanese exclusives tend to simply fly under the radar.

:*"Tighter [[quality control]]" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's: Pretty much everything for both markets is made in China—in fact, according to Hasbro [[Australia]] representatives and Hasbro designer [[Eric Siebenaler]], ''all'' of the Transformers toys jointly developed between Hasbro and Takara/TakaraTomy are manufactured at factories contracted to the Japanese toy company. This means Takara is (at least indirectly) responsible for whatever quality control problems occur with Hasbro-released toys. Takara's standards of quality control for their domestically-released toys are just as likely to let mistakes creep through. Just ask any buyer of ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Thundercracker]] how well his weapons stay attached to the arms. And let's not even get started on ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus Convoy's]] first production run.

:*The fields in which Takara genuinely excels Hasbro are comparably minor: Takara's [[stock photography]] generally tends to be more impressive than Hasbro's, without obvious mistransformations and awkward poses, and at the same time looks more representative of the actual toy due to less reliance on blatant digital touch-ups. Likewise, Takara's [[instructions]] tend to be more detailed and useful than Hasbro's.
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*'''Hasbro lost the rights to a lot of G1 Transformers names. That is why you see toys named "Autobot Jazz" or "Decepticon Brawl" these days. Takara is more competent than Hasbro and doesn't need to change their toys' names.'''

:That's not quite how name rights —aka [[trademark]]— work. There are indeed instances where another company has snatched a trademark, making it unavailable for Hasbro's use. The reason is because trademarks need to be consistently used in commerce (roughly once every year or so), or it could be considered "abandoned", making it open for grabs should another company try to claim it. "[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Hot Rod]]" was unavailable to [[Hasbro]] because Mattel held several similar trademarks, "[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]" was too similar to Gendron's "Toledo 'Blue Streak'" trademark, and a company named Lanard held the trademark "Shockwave" until 2005. This prompted Hasbro to use substitute names for toys based on these characters, such as "Rodimus Major" and "Rodimus" for Hot Rod, "Silverstreak" for Bluestreak and "Shockblast" for Shockwave (Hasbro has since managed to reacquire all three aforementioned trademarks).

:Meanwhile, the names with prefixes such as "Autobot" or "Decepticon"? Those are usually non-compound single real words from the English language. Hasbro's legal department considers them too "generic" to be easily defensible as trademarks, hence the addition of prefixes such as "Autobot Jazz", "Decepticon Brawl "or "Constructicon Devastator" for better protection. This does ''not'' work with names already trademarked by another company–otherwise, [[Bandai]] could release a toy named "Gunpla Optimus Prime" tomorrow, and Hasbro couldn't do anything about it.

:For a while, it seemed like these trademark quibbles were limited to Hasbro, and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] was somehow exempt due to a different market situation. However, the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' line saw the emergence of quite a few "Cybertron", "Destron" and "[[Stunticon (G1)|Stuntron]]" prefixes, implying that the trademark situation on the Japanese market was changing, and starting with the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|''Movie'' line]], TakaraTomy (now adopting Hasbro names instead of their established Japanese-market names) began to use "Autobot" and "Decepticon" prefixes. With ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers United|United]]'', TakaraTomy even used prefixes for names Hasbro has been able to use ''without'' prefixes.

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==Generation 1 Misconceptions==
===Toys===
====Generation 1 (1984-1990)====
{{anchor|BlueBluestreak}}
[[File:G1 Bluestreak boxart.jpg|upright=1|thumb|You had this as a kid. The picture, that is. Not the toy.]]
*'''A super-rare blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

:The very earliest [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy [[catalog]]s used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys|Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[Instructions|instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[Package art|box art]]; which was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.

:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''{{w|ToyFare}}'' magazine had a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.

:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one. After literal decades of no samples ever being found, it is certain that this holy grail is just a legend.

: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in —[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], for example— yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner, perhaps because his name is ''Blue''streak, so he had to have been blue, right?
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{{anchor|JapaneseCopyright}}
*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''

:Some ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974, 1983" or variations thereof stamped on them, with the actual ''Micro Change'' releases of the earlier figures even featuring blatant a "©Takara 1974" printed on the front of their packaging, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]]". Likewise, the ''[[Diaclone]]''-derived toys also have two dates as part of their copyright markings, with the earlier one being invariably "1980".

:In reality, though, the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s. Those confusing double copyright dates are a result of the way Japanese IP law worked at the time. The earlier copyright date in question refers to the year the toyline in general, as well as its fictional backstory, was first launched (1974 in the case of the original ''[[Microman]]'' franchise, 1980 in the case of Diaclone), while the second one refers to the date the toy itself was created.
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{{anchor|Smokescreen38}}
[[File:G1 Smokescreen toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|They really did a number on him.]]
*'''The racing number on Diaclone and Generation 1 Smokescreen's doors was changed to "38" for legal reasons, just like "Martinii", "Citanes", "Marlboor" and "Alitalla".'''

:Several of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' figures that would end up serving as the basis for the ''Transformers'' "[[Autobot Cars]]" were based on very specific real-life racing vehicles. Most of them featured sponsor decals, some of which advertized alcoholic beverages or cigarette brands. All of those sponsoring decals were subject to minimal modifications for their ''Diaclone'' releases, which were then carried over to their ''Transformers'' counterparts: Instead of "Martini" (a cocktail brand), the decals on No.14 "Porsche 935 Turbo" (which became the Autobot [[Jazz (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Jazz]]) were changed to "Martinii", with two "i"s at the end; the decals on No.16 "F-1 Ligier JS11" (which became the Autobot [[Mirage (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mirage]]) read "Citanes" rather than "Gitanes" (a French brand of cigarettes), with a "C" instead of a "G"; one version of No.18 "Lancia Stratos Turbo" (which initially wasn't released as a Transformer, but later served as the inspiration for [[Exhaust]]) advertized a fictional company named "Marlboor" (which later became an [[Marlboor Dynamic|actual thing]]), rather than the real cigarette brand "Marlboro"; and the other version of the Lancia Stratos (which became the Autobot [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Wheeljack]]) didn't advertize the airline Alitalia, but a barely noticeable "Alitalla", with a double "l".

:It stands to reason, then, that the racing number "38" on No.11 "Fairlady Z Racing Type" (which became the Autobot [[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Smokescreen]]) was similarly modified from the number "83" that is commonly seen in historic photos of the Electramotive Datsun 280ZX driven by Don Devendorf and Tony Adamowicz.

:In reality, though, the real life car ''has'' raced under both numbers, although admittedly, "38" ''is'' the more obscure number for this car compared to "83" since it was only used once, for the "6 Hours of Fuji" race on October 3, 1982.<ref name="38-1">[http://www.a2zracer.com/page84.html "Electramotive Years 1982"] at a2zracer.com.</ref><ref name="38-2">[https://teamobscurityracing.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/formula-silhouette-photo-find/ "Formula silhouette photo find."] at AusZoku.</ref><ref name="38-3">[https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Don-Devendorf-USA.html "All Results of Don Devendorf"] at Racing Sports Cars.</ref> Since that was the only time that particular car had participated in a race in Japan that year, this would explain why Takara might have considered that number to be more relevant for a Japanese audience.
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{{anchor|Soundwavebuttons}}
[[File:G1toy tfc soundwave and soundblaster.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Individual buttons. It's a lost art.]]
*'''The reissue Soundwave toys released by Takara are reverse-engineered from Soundblaster because the original molds are lost.'''

:Both the ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' and ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Soundwave]] releases have different tape buttons and hinges than the ones found on the vintage Hasbro release. While the vintage Hasbro Soundwave had inset controls and an internal tape deck hinge, the Takara reissues have a large button block that serves as a pivot point for an external tape deck hinge. The supposed reason for this is the mold for the original versions of the buttons and door are lost or worn out, so a new single tape door was made to work with the Soundblaster mold.

:In fact, the buttons and hinge used on the reissue Soundwaves were originally a [[retool]]ed running change [[variant]] of Takara's original 1985 release of Soundwave. The further Soundblaster retool was based on the later Japanese version of Soundwave, as were the reissues. Presumably, the original mold in its original condition ''is'' lost - but this happened ''long'' before Takara retooled Soundwave into Soundblaster.
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{{anchor|MBOptimusPrime}}
[[File:Jetfire-MB-comic.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Oddly enough, Optimus Prime can still be seen in the background.]]
*'''Optimus Prime's toy was originally not released in Europe due to a trademark conflict.'''

:When Hasbro subsidiary [[Milton Bradley]] launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line]] on the European continent in 1985, many prominent characters were missing, among them [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]]. Bizarrely, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was branded as the Autobot leader, and depicted as such in [[The Transformers (Milton Bradley comic)|a pack-in mini-comic]]. Furthermore, Dutch publisher [[Junior Press]] initially renamed Optimus Prime into "Jetfire" for all his appearances in their translated versions of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comic]]. Optimus Prime's toy was eventually released with the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'', and the Junior Press comics subsequently referred to him by his correct name.

:The reason for Optimus Prime's initial omission from the MB line-up was claimed to be due to a [[trademark]] conflict with Swedish kitchen utensil manufacturer "[http://www.optimusstoves.com/ Optimus]". Though initially accepted by the fandom, this claim doesn't hold up under scrutiny. A manufacturer of kitchen utensils ''usually'' does not operate in the "toys" field, thus making a trademark conflict unlikely to begin with. An editor's note in the Junior Press comic trying to explain the "Optimus"/"Jetfire" name situation claimed that the ''Transformers'' were originally ''two'' toy lines by different manufacturers in the United States, and MB had only released ''one'' of them in the Netherlands, while the "[[copyright]]" to the name "Optimus Prime" belonged to the other manufacturer. Which is of course horsehockey. Many years later, this editor's note (including the incorrect use of the term "copyright" rather than "trademark") was cited by a Dutch fan who added his own speculation (without marking it as such), thus spawning the urban myth that was subsequently accepted by the fandom.<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at The Complete Transformers Variants Page</ref>

:A much more likely explanation lies in that French company [[Joustra]] released their own version of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in many of the same markets as Milton Bradley's ''Transformers''. The theory suggests that because of Joustra's exclusive contract with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], any toys from their ''Diaclone'' line-up were initially off-limits for Milton Bradley's ''Transformers'' line-up.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref> A related theory suggests that Joustra's parent company, Ceji, got into financial trouble at the time, prompting them to sign a deal with Milton Bradley allowing them to use their existing (but still unsold) ''Diaclone'' stock released in ''Transformers'' packaging, which could explain why the second wave of MB-branded ''Transformers'' matches up almost perfectly with Joustra's ''Diaclone'' line-up.<ref name="mijofour">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-4/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 4" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>
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{{anchor|OverbiteSparkabots}}
[[File:JawbreakerComic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|UK comic exclusive name variant!]]
[[File:Model sheets G1 Guzzle Fizzle Overbite Snaptrap.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Sparklercons? Firebots? Firesparklers? [[BotCon|Botcon]]s?]]
*'''The Generation 1 Seacon Overbite was released under the name "Jawbreaker" in some European markets, and the Sparkabots were sold as "Sparkler Mini-Bots".'''

:In [[Enemy Action!|issue 152]] of the Marvel UK comics, the first appearance of the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] was called "Jawbreaker", a name repeated in his appearance in [[Salvage!|issue 160]] and in an "A to Z" profile in "[[Transformers Annual 1989]]". Likewise, the [[Sparkabot]]s were consistently referred to as "Sparkler mini-bots" (spelled with a hyphen, and a capital letter only for the word "Sparkler") in the introductory paragraphs for several issues) beginning with their first Marvel UK appearance in, once again, issue #152. In the early days of online fandom, American fans concluded that this had to mean that those toys had been released under different names in Europe—which is not ''entirely'' unfounded, as Transformers often got renamed in Canada and Italy, and many toys released in Europe after the line had been canceled in the US had multiple concurrently used names, depending on which countries the packaging they were sold in was intended for.

:However, existing specimens of packaged toys confirm that the Seacon toy was indeed called "Overbite" as per normal for all its European releases. This was further corroborated by the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] in [[City of Fear!|issue #164]] of the UK comic, which featured a question by a confused (British) reader regarding the discrepancy between the toy's name and the character's name in his UK comic appearances (resulting in a made-up-on-the-spot explanation from the Marvel staff to reconcile both names). Adding to the confusion was the letters page in [[A Savage Circle|issue #327]] from late 1991, which stated that Jawbreaker was his British name and Overbite his American name. By this time, the toy was no longer on sale, and the character had long disappeared from the comic. Apparently whoever answered the letters at this point was not very well-informed, and thus contributed to, or possibly even ''started'' the myth the begin with.

:Meanwhile, things were even more confusing in other parts of Europe: Contemporary toy ads from the Netherlands applied the name "Sparkler mini-bots" to the ''[[Firecon]]s''<ref name="ads">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/posts/2012/05/01/transformers-toy-ads-from-the-1980′s-part-2/ "Transformers toy ads from the 1980's – Part 2"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>, while a [[multilingual packaging|bilingual]] [[pack-in material|pack-in]] [[catalog]] included with the 1988 toys available in European French/Dutch packaging used "Sparkler mini-bots" as a super-category for ''both'' the Sparkabots ''and'' the Firecons. Meanwhile, in Germany, [[Condor Verlag]] not only published translated versions of both Marvel US and Marvel UK comics in its ''[[Transformers Comic-Magazin]]'', but also featured additional text stories that were unique to Condor, which were all over the place when it came to naming the subgroups, alternating between "Sparkabots" and "Sparkler Minibots" (though consistently spelled without a hyphen) for the Autobot subgroup, while sometimes "Sparkler Minibots" was also used used as a super-category for both the Sparkabots ''and'' the Firecons. And then the text story from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 22|issue #22]] (which was mostly recycled from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 5|issue #5]], which just called the Autobot subgroup "Sparkabots") suddenly mentioned a Decepticon subgroup named "''Sparkler-Cons''", and then referred to the "Sparkler Minibots" as a ''Decepticon'' subgroup that existed ''alongside'' the Firecons, ''explicitly'' opposing the Autobots' Sparkabots. (Interestingly, the story from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|issue #2]] also referred to the Seacon as "Overbite".)

:So, why ''did'' the UK stories identify the character as "Jawbreaker", and the Sparkabots as "Sparkler mini-bots", for that matter? The answer was unknown until 2016, when a couple of early internal [[character model|model sheets]] were offered on [[eBay]]: Overbite's model sheet has his name crossed out, with "Jawbreaker" written below it. Likewise, the Sparkabots were identified as "Sparkler Mini-Bots", while both Overbite/Jawbreaker and Seacon leader [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] were mistakenly categorized under "''Sparkacons''/Sparkabots/Firecons".<ref name="modelsheets">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/93711-more-unseen-tftm-designs-plus-some-early-colors-and-some-show-design/?p=3191211 Early model sheets] at The Allspark.</ref> At [[BotCon]] 2022, Marvel UK writer [[Simon Furman]] confirmed that he had been provided with these model sheets, with the non-final names on them, as reference materials. The Overbite toy's instructions, as well as his on-packaging [[bio]], still refer to his ''weapon'' as a "jawbreaker cannon" (spelled with a lowercase "j", thus implying that it was meant as a mere descriptive term, rather than an official ''name''), and he himself is also called "Jawbreaker" at one point in the [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] assembly instructions, while his weapon mode for Piranacon is named "Jawbreaker weapon". The ''[[The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Universe]]''-style profile page for Overbite published in issue [[Skin Deep|#59]] of the Marvel US series calls his weapon a "jawbreaker cannon", as well as the aforementioned "A to Z" profile from the 1989 UK Annual, also call his weapon a non-capitalized "jawbreaker cannon".

:By the time the Sparkabots's sole apperance in [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|issue #46]] of the US series and the Seacons' appearances in issues [[Club Con!|#47]] and [[Cold War!|#49]] were reprinted in the UK title (in issues #192-193, #194-195 and #206-207, respectively), Marvel UK had seemingly become fully aware of the naming discrepancy. Thus, Overbite's name was left unchanged in order to maintain consistency with the toy's name, rather than having it changed to conform to the character's earlier UK appearances. Additionally, the introductory paragraphs for issues #192 and #193 used the US name "Sparkabots" (which wasn't even used in the story itself), while issue #195's introductory paragraph also referred to the Seacon by the name "Overbite". For whatever reason, the aforementioned A to Z from the 1989 Annual, which was published about five months after the first letter that pointed out the naming discrepancy was published in issue #164 of the main series, still used the outdated name. One year later, Simon Furman had presumably received more accurate information, and thus Overbite referred to himself by his correct name, rather than "Jawbreaker", in one of his last appearances in a UK-exclusive story, "[[Dreadwing Down!]]" from ''[[Transformers Annual 1990]]''.
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{{anchor|UKexclusives}}
[[File:Euro Classic Fireflight Breakdown.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Hardly "exclusive" to one particular country.]]
*'''Some toys were exclusively (or predominantly) available only in the United Kingdom/Netherlands.'''

:During the early days of the Transformers online fandom, most of the active European fans in English-language forums were based in the UK and Netherlands. So when information about non-US toys (or toy variants) was spread, there simply were no fans from Germany or France around to confirm that the toys in question had also been officially available in their respective countries. (Although to be fair, it's quite possible that some toys, such as the [[Milton Bradley]]-branded Generation 1 toys, were indeed released in bigger quantities in the Netherlands than in Germany or France.)<ref name="mbpart6">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>

:As a result, numerous toys like the red [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|Tracks]] and [[IGA]] Mexican-market Transformers (imported under [[parallel import|dubious circumstances]]) got labeled as "Netherlands-only", when they actually saw release in at least a half-dozen countries. Meanwhile, post-US-cancellation Transformers like the [[Action Master Elite]]s, "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" reissues, [[Turbomaster]]s, [[Obliterator]]s, etc, were (and sometimes still are) often referred to as "UK exclusives", even though all of them were available in multiple countries, including Canada and Australia!

:In reality, there are ''very'' few toys actually exclusive to a single European country. The first ''genuine'' "UK exclusives" were a set of multi-packs from the 2007 [[Transformers (film)|''Transformers'' live action movie]] [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|toyline]], but the toys themselves were identical to the US releases. Meanwhile, other multi-packs or minor variants of toys from the 2007 movie toyline that were available in the UK but not the US were also available in other places, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Australia or other European countries again.
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{{anchor|GreenTrailbreaker}}
*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''

:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)/toys|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989, as mentioned above) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. But like the "Blue" Bluestreak, no samples of an actual green version of the Trailbreaker mold actually sold ''as'' "Trailbreaker" have been found.
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{{anchor|Beastformers}}
*'''Various misconceptions about ''Beastformers.'''

: While it has been common knowledge since the early days of online fandom that the Hasbro ''Battle Beasts'' toys were sold in Takara's markets in 1987 under the ''Transformers'' banner as ''[[Beastformers (franchise)|Beastformers]]'', many of the details of ''how'' they were sold were misreported. Given it's a somewhat niche piece of Generation 1 history, the early online fandom's general lack of access to Japanese sources, ''and'' the fact that few/no Japanese sources kept track of the rather complicated release history of the toys (outlined on their own page, linked above), it's not hard to see how some of this propagated and persisted for decades since.

: For a while, it was often said that the Beastformers had Autobot/Decepticon [[rubsign]]s, as the characters had been split up into Autobot/Decepticon-allied sides. But the Beastformers had the same Fire/Wood/Water rubsigns as their Hasbro counterparts (their rubsigns were also significantly smaller than those on the Transformers!), it's just that the ''Transformers'' media they (briefly) appeared in made no mention of this play gimmick for whatever reasons; the packaging certainly made note of it.

: Not all of the ''Beastformers'' toys were actually released under the ''Transformers'' umbrella, at least directly. This is an easy one to see how it got spread, as all of Takara's ''Transformers'' catalogs and advertisements in 1987 showed the entire lineup of 76 figures found in ''Battle Beasts''. Even many of Takara's ''modern'' retrospectives do this! But in reality, only 54 figures and only one of the vehicles, the [[Red Phoenix#Toys|Red Phoenix]] [[Fortress (Beastformers)|Fortress]], actually came in ''Transformers''-branded boxes. In 1988, ''Beastformers'' was spun off into its own series without the ''Transformers'' branding as a sequel set after the war with the Cybertronians, and even really played up the Fire/Wood/Water gimmick. It is in this line that 20 of the missing 22 figures (yes, there are two ''Beastformers'' shown in numerous sources that ultimately were never released in Japan), the remaining five vehicles, as well as the entire run of [[Laser Beast]]s, finally reached Japanese toy shelves. Many of the toys from the ''Transformers''-branded part of the line were re-released in this sequel series, but not ''all'' of them... though again, Takara's marketing materials continued to show all 76. Confused? We don't blame you.

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====''Generation 2''====
{{anchor|G2insignias}}
*'''The ''Generation 2'' Autobot and Decepticon insignias were originally created by Hasbro UK, whose license for using the original faction insignias owned by Hasbro US had expired.'''
[[File:G2AutobotInsignia.png|thumb|upright=1.0|Probably ''not'' the result of a dispute between Hasbro US and Hasbro UK.]]
:The first half is ''maybe'' true, the second half certainly isn't. While the new Autobot and Decepticon faction [[insignia]]s were popularized by the ''Generation 2'' line, said line didn't start in Europe until 1994, a year later than in the US. Instead, the ''Transformers'' brand had continued in Europe even after its cancellation in the United States in 1990 (see the page for the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European toyline]] for more details), and new European-"exclusive" figures were still being released in 1993, many of which were later re-released in [[rebranding|rebranded]] ''Generation 2'' packaging in Europe in 1994, while some of them were also made available (including some color, name and faction changes) under the ''Generation 2'' line in the United States in 1993. It was those designed-for-Europe 1993 pre-''Generation 2'' figures that had first featured the new Autobot and Decepticon insignias on their packaging, and a popular myth claims that they had become a necessity for the European market due to Hasbro UK and Hasbro US being legally considered distinct entities under international law, and Hasbro UK alternatively didn't want to continue paying their parent company the fee for being allowed to use these symbols, or the license for using them had expired.<ref name="euhist">[https://tfarchive.com/fandom/features/thirtieth-anniversary/?s=countdown-04-european-history "European History"] at The Transformers Archive.</ref>

:The holes in this theory are legion: First of all, Hasbro US ''didn't actually register the original Autobot and Decepticon insignias as trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office until 2002''. That was also the same year when those insgnias were first claimed as trademarks on the toys' packaging. How, then, could Hasbro US, assuming it was indeed a distinct legal entity, enforce those insignias as trademarks by 1993, let alone ''internationally''? Why exactly would the UK Patent Office be enforcing the trademarks of a (supposedly) foreign company that didn't do business in the UK? In fact, why would ''anyone'' be enforcing trademark claims against Hasbro UK on behalf of Hasbro US? And why would this only affect the faction insignias? Wouldn't the names "Transformers", "Autobot" and "Decepticon" be equally subject to those alleged licensing fees?

:A much more likely explanation is that the faction insignias were changed for the same reason the "Transformers" title logo was changed to a new version (both in the US and Europe) in 1989, along with a major redesign of the toys' packaging, and why there had been another change to the packaging design and "Transformers" title logo for the European releases in 1992: To "refresh" the overall presentation of the brand, making everything look "new" and different for marketing reasons. Now whether the new insignias were originally created by Hasbro US for the ''Generation 2'' line and were simply applied to the European 1993 toys first for the sake of consistency, or whether they had indeed been created by Hasbro UK and Hasbro US just liked them so much they decided to adopt them for the ''Generation 2'' line, is up for debate.
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{{anchor|KBG2Devastator}}
*'''The orange ''Generation 2'' Constructicons were exclusive to KB Toys.'''
[[File:G2Devastator toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Its a exclusive!?{{sic}}]]
:In 1993, Hasbro reissued the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] under the ''Generation 2'' line. The initial (and more common) versions saw the original ''Generation 1'' figures' green plastic changed to yellow, while a later, rarer version featured an orange plastic color for the entire team instead. A popular rumor, which is also propagated by many an [[eBay]] seller, claims that the orange versions were [[exclusive|exclusively]] available at [[KB Toys]] (formerly "Kay Bee") in the United States.

:No substantial evidence supporting this rumor has ever surfaced. It should be pointed out, though, that store exclusives were still fairly uncommon prior to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', with the only confirmed example being the [[Classic Pretender]]s being sold without their [[Pretender]] shells under the name "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", exclusive to [[Kmart]].

:Since the packaging for the orange versions is identical to that used for the yellow versions, down to the UPC barcodes, it is very likely that Hasbro didn't actually consider the orange versions as separate products, but as mere [[variant#Running changes|running change color color variants]], just like the ''Generation 2'' versions of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s had been available in there different colors each.

:Also, since some people insist having purchased the orange Constructicons at other stores such as Mills Fleet Farm, the most likely explanation is that KB Toys was merely the chain that ordered the largest bulk of them, thus leading to the faulty perception that they were "only" available at KB Toys. Additionally, one has to understand that in the early days of the online Transformers [[fandom]], when the latter consisted entirely of the text-only usenet news group [[alt.toys.transformers]] and long before official announcements of new toys by Hasbro via social media, it was anything but uncommon for people to assume every other newly-found figure to be "exclusive" to whatever chain they were first discovered at by default.

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====''Alternators''====
{{anchor|AltYellowTracks}}
*'''A yellow version of ''Alternators'' Tracks was released to North American stores (but then recalled by Hasbro).'''
[[File:YellowTracks.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|Only in Japan, baby.]]
:When [[Hasbro]] (and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) originally announced the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' version of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] in 2004, the toy's [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode's]] primary color was yellow. This caused the ire of a significant portion of the fandom, which insisted that the toy had to be ''blue'', like its [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] predecessor.

:Hasbro eventually confirmed at [[OTFCC 2004]] that the initial idea had been to release the toy in yellow first, and then later as a running change [[variant]] in blue, like Takara would ultimately do. However, Hasbro had encountered problems at the test shot stage, where it became evident that some of the toy's innards were shining through the yellow plastic. As a result, plans for a release of the yellow version were scrapped, and it was decided to release the blue version from the get-go.

:Rumors started circulating that some stores (usually [[Walmart]]) had indeed received a shipment of the toy, but were then asked by Hasbro to send back the entire batch. Naturally, no substantial evidence has ever surfaced to back up these claims. And while toys may occasionally be recalled [[for safety reasons]], it's highly doubtful that "aesthetics" would be enough of a reason to warrant an expensive product recall.
:The only "packaged" versions of a yellow ''Alternators'' Tracks we ever got to see were internet pranks of the "yellow ''Binaltech'' Tracks in photoshopped Hasbro box" variety. Which, of course, didn't help matters at all.
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{{anchor|AltWindchargerbarrel}}
*'''Hasbro omitted ''Alternators'' Windcharger's gun barrel for safety reasons.'''
[[File:WindchargerOverdrive.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Castrated at the request of Honda.]]
: When the first stolen [[Prototype|test shots]] of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] surfaced in 2004, the toy sported an extraordinarily long gun barrel (which doubled as the [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]'s drive shaft). The toy was ultimately released without the barrel, which was not shown or mentioned anywhere on the packaging or in the instructions. Indeed, Windcharger's weapon accessory was officially identified as a "shield" on the back of the packaging (in addition to the actual, ragtop roof shield). [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], on the other hand, later released their own ''Binaltech'' version of the toy (named [[Overdrive]]) with the full barrel, prominently shown in the official promotional photos.

:The initial fan theory upon seeing the barrel-less toy was that Hasbro had gutted it for safety reasons, under the notion that the long barrel might pose a choking hazard. Even though this was refuted by actual experts on toy safety standards, the rumor still persisted. An official response from Hasbro's customer service department to an e-mail inquiry (published on a fan site's message board) confirmed that the reason for the barrel's omission was "so the accessory would not look like a weapon".<ref name="Windcharger gun barrel">"http://forums.tformers.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=13088 Response from Hasbro's customer service department regarding the lack of Alternators Windcharger's gun barrel.</ref> Eventually, Hasbro (in the presence of Takara representatives) would confirm the full story at [[BotCon 2005]]: It had indeed been Honda, specifically their North American branch, that had asked to remove the gun barrel and all references to "weapons" from the toy, its packaging and included paperwork. Honda's Japanese department, on the other hand, had no such concerns, which is why Takara were able to release the ''Binaltech'' version with the barrel intact.

:Despite this official statement by Hasbro, the myth still persists, and has actually since evolved into a conspiracy theory, which postulates that Hasbro ''deliberately lied'' to its fans in order to shift blame to Honda rather than admitting to have made that decision themselves in order to conform to safety standards. Which is mindbogglingly absurd.
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====''Masterpiece''====
*'''''Masterpiece'' Convoy 1.0 has more diecast parts than 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime/''Masterpiece'' Convoy is made almost entirely out of diecast/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is made entirely out of plastic.'''
:This misconception was started by now defunct Hong Kong-based online retailer Action-HQ<ref name="plasticahq">[http://tformers.com/transformers-20th-anniversary-optimus-prime-plastic/2150/news.html "20th Anniversary Optimus Prime Plastic?"], November 2003.</ref> and ''might'' have been extrapolated from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toys, which are made entirely out of plastic (except for the rubber tires) for their Hasbro releases, whereas their Japanese ''Binaltech'' counterparts feature a few parts made out of [[die-cast|die-cast metal]].

:In fact, however, the amount of die-cast metal parts versus injection-[[mold]]ed plastic parts is the same between 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and his Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Convoy counterpart. The only differences between the two toys (not counting the packaging) are the shortened smokestacks for Hasbro's 20th Prime and the addition of painted battle damage that is missing from the Takara version.

====''Transformers Collection''====
[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue2 1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|A solicitation of then upcoming Takara reissues? Not really.]]
*'''Takara's ''Transformers Collection'' had something to do with Dreamwave.'''
:In 2002, Takara launched their series of [[Generation 1 reissues]] named ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'', also commonly referred to as "bookbox reissues" or even "Dreamwave reissues" among fans. The reason for that is simple: The [[package art]], especially for early releases such as [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] or [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], was directly taken from the covers of and promotional posters for [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] first ''[[Prime Directive|Generation One]]'' mini-series drawn by [[Pat Lee]]. A common misconception among fans at that time was that Takara was coordinating their reissues with Dreamwave. Some even tried to predict upcoming reissues based on the existing Dreamwave covers. Yet [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]] never materialized.

:In fact, probably the main reason why Takara recycled Pat's Dreamwave artwork of those characters for the [[packaging]] of their reissues was its coincidental availability: The artwork had already been created and paid for, so why commission new art when they could just use what already exists? Furthermore, only about half of the TFC reissues actually sported "Dreamwave" package art, whereas the rest ''did'' use newly-commissioned art drawn by Japanese artist [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who has never in his life worked for Dreamwave and had been drawing in this style long before Pat Lee rose to his brief "superstar artist" fame.
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====''Generations''====
*'''The "Generation 1" characters featured in ''[[Studio Series]]'' are branded under the "''Studio Series'' 86" subline.'''
:This myth originates from leaked Walmart listings appending "86" to the end of the toyline's name, which led to the misunderstanding that the ''The Transformers: The Movie'' characters sold in ''Studio Series'' are branded differently from the rest of the line (an unaware editor on {{SITENAME_SHORT}} may have helped propagate this misconception).

:Aside from having the "86" prefix on their ID numbers, the ''Studio Series'' G1 characters are branded exactly the same as the live-action film characters sold alongside them. However, the term "''Studio Series'' 86" has stuck around as [[fandom]] terminology for those wanting to distinguish between the two continuities sold within the same toyline.

===Fiction===
====''The Transformers cartoon''====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''
[[File:TFG1.JPG|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Toransufōmā!]]
: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the original ''Transformers'' cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.

: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out to [[Toei|Japanese]] (and later also [[AKOM|Korean]]) [[TMS Entertainment|studios]], the writing and original voice recording of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' was entirely done in America.

: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, the fact that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime and the ''Transformers''' obvious Japanese influences. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]] and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.

: This is in part related to the misconception that '''all''' ''Transformers'' toys are ''solely'' designed, developed and manufactured by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], and all [[Hasbro]] ever does is to put them in new packaging and distribute them in the Western market (see above). Because this is true for other Japanese robot toylines, and therefore it must also apply to ''Transformers''.

: However, there's actually a ''little'' bit of truth to this misconception; since the G1 cartoon is an animated series made by Japanese studios, one could feasibly call it an anime; as "anime" is only a word to describe any form of animation in Japan, much like the word "cartoon" is here in the West, and ''not'' a term for a specific genre.
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*'''Jazz was written out of the series due to the death of his voice actor.'''
: [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] conspicuously survives the events of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', yet went on to make no speaking appearances in the third season of the cartoon. As his voice actor, [[Scatman Crothers]], passed away of lung cancer in 1986, it is common for fans to assume that the latter caused the former. This isn't hurt by the fact that fellow Autobot and film survivor [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cliffjumper]] also vanished due to issues involving [[Casey Kasem|his own voice actor]], nor by the fact that one of Jazz's only appearances involved him seemingly being referred to as "[[Munka Spanka]]."

: However, the dates simply don't match up: Crothers's death happened on November 22, long after the third season had begun airing. In fact, by that point, the only remaining episodes were the two parts of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", both of which aired months after the rest of the season. Add in the fact that any dialogue for the episodes would have been recorded months in advance, and the idea that Crothers dying affected the writing process becomes borderline impossible. The more likely answer is that Jazz stopped appearing, like much of the Season 1 and 2 cast, because his toy was no longer on shelves.
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*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''
: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.

: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.

: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up. In all likelihood the rumor was probably a {{w|Chinese whispers|Chinese Whisper}} from the fact that the laughably-bad English language [[Omni Productions]] dub was screened on UK satellite TV during the 1990s.
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*'''Transformers were meant as a "genderless" race. Arcee and the other female Transformers were added to the brand because feminists complained about the Transformers all being male.'''
: When [[Bob Budiansky]] was assigned to work out the character details for the toys, he initially intended some of them to represent female characters, like [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. However, he was not given permission by [[Hasbro]] to include females because the company feared it would have a negative impact on the sales of those toys.<ref>[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954 Rusting Carcass interview]</ref> Budiansky complied, and in later years, would even pen [[Recipe for Disaster!|a story]] for the Marvel comic in which the Transformer race was stated to have no concept of gender.

:[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The cartoon]] was a different story. Since television requires a bigger investment than comics, but also offers the potential for a much better payoff, it is of interest for a TV network to broadcast material that reaches the highest possible demographic. To this end, very early in its development, writer [[Jeffrey Scott]] penned a [[production bible]] which included original female Transformer characters as part of an effort to sell the series to TV Network CBS. When it was decided to produce the series for syndication rather than for a network, new story editors [[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]] dropped this idea, and the series went on to star an exclusively-male cast of robots. However, in late 1984, while working on the early story development for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', writer [[Ron Friedman]] argued for the inclusion of a female Autobot in the story, on the basis that he "had a daughter who love[d] this stuff." Friedman won his argument, Arcee was added to the movie, and in 1985, female Autobots were incorporated into the series in advance of the film's release, with the introduction of [[Elita One]] and her [[Female Autobots]] in the episode "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]."

:In other Transformers cartoons, [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] and the English dub gender flip of [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] have also been added to their respective series because of network demands, whereas [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were a request from the writers to Hasbro.

: Despite persistent stories, there is no documented instance of feminists demanding the inclusion of female Transformers (and likely, they've got something better to do than complain about another generic boys show like there are hundreds of). There is, however, a comic story called "[[Prime's Rib!]]" which presents Arcee's introduction to the Autobot ranks as an attempt by Optimus Prime to appease [[Feminist mob|human feminists]]. While the story is obviously satire, through hearsay it has become believed by some that it is what actually happened.
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====''The Transformers: The Movie''====
*'''Some portions of Unicron's dialogue were recorded by an actor other than Orson Welles.'''
: A common rumor in the Western fandom claimed that Unicron's final lines ("Destiny... you cannot destroy my.. destiny!") were recorded by [[Leonard Nimoy]], based on claims that those lines sounded "different" from the rest of [[Orson Welles]]' lines.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092106/trivia IMDB.com reference to the Leonard Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor.]</ref> Compounding the rumor is the fact that Welles died shortly after recording his ''TF:TM'' lines<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/This-Orson-Welles/dp/030680834X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6174389-3113623?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182349938&sr=8-1 According to one biography, Welles recorded his ''TF:TM'' lines on October 5, 1985 and died five days later.]</ref> (and indeed, one version of the rumor has Welles actually dying ''before'' completing his lines). Despite being debunked repeatedly (including by [[Susan Blu]] and [[Wally Burr]], both of whom should know), this one still pops up from time to time.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/387399-leonard-nimoy-officially-announced-voice-sentinel-prime-13.html#post5858748 Nimoy-as-Unicron rumor repeated by TFW2005 user "RedAlert Rescue".]</ref><ref>[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2007/07/when_orson_welles_was_a_transformer.single.html Slate.com discusses the Unicron rumor.]</ref>
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*'''Brawn was killed in the movie by a single shot to the shoulder.'''
[[File:TFTM - Brawn's death.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Brawn can't shoulder the blame on this one.]]
:A long-running joke in the fandom is that the tough-as-nails Brawn was killed by taking a single shot to his shoulder. While it's true Brawn was killed by a single shot from Megatron in gun mode, there is a single frame showing the shot actually hitting him in the upper flat portion of his chest, with the massive explosion that follows obscuring exactly where he was hit. In the following shot as he falls, a entry wound can be seen lower on his chest, with a large exit wound seen on his back.
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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie''/Scatman Crothers coined the term "ginormous", which has since been added to several dictionaries.'''
: In ''The Transformers: The Movie'', [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], voiced by [[Scatman Crothers]], described [[Unicron]] as "a ginormous, weird-looking planet". The word "ginormous", a portmanteau of "gigantic" and "enormous", was officially added by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary in 2007.<ref name="webster">[http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords07.htm Merriam-Webster adding the word "ginormous]</ref>

: Some fans believe that Crothers had coined the term, which is incorrect for several reasons. Even putting aside the notion that under this theory, Crothers is assumed to have ad-libbed the line (rather than simply reading it from [[Ron Friedman]]'s script), the term has actually been around for much longer, being listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as a "British informal" word that has existed since at least the 1940s, and was originally military slang.<ref name="oxford">[http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/ginormous Oxford dictionary entry for "ginormous"]</ref>
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*'''Scourge was the one who asked Galvatron "You want me to gut Ultra Magnus?"'''
:During the Decepticons' second attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] rode inside [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus's]] cockpit, piloting him in vehicle mode. At one point, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] flew up alongside them, also in vehicle mode, and his robot mode head popped up when the line "You want me to gut Ultra Magnus?" was spoken to Galvatron. Ever since the movie's release, fans have debated over who said this line, with the majority insisting it was Scourge.<ref>The fact that Scourge's sole line in the movie ("But remember, we belong to ''[[Unicron/Generation 1|him]]!'') was spoken in a much higher-pitched voice than the deeper-pitched Scourge would have during Season 3 of the cartoon also led many to mistakenly believe that line was spoken by a [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] instead of Scourge himself.</ref> The [[Transformers: The Animated Movie|IDW adaptation of the movie]] even gave the line to Scourge in its [[To the Death—and Beyond!|second chapter]]. However, a closer examination of the voice who spoke it reveals that it was actually [[Roger C. Carmel]] (Cyclonus's actor), not [[Stan Jones]] (Scourge's actor). The voice is similarly guttural to how Carmel sounded when voicing the [[Quintesson Prosecutor]] later in the movie, and to how he would sound when voicing Cyclonus in certain episodes of the subsequent third season of the cartoon (such as when Cyclonus spoke the line "Your contributions will not be in vain, brothers," in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"). The movie's [https://www.tfraw.com/p/transformers-movie-dialog-script.html final dialogue script] even confirms that it was Cyclonus who spoke the line. Though to be fair, the line itself makes very little sense for Cyclonus to have said it, since Galvatron piloting him meant he was already being used to do the very thing he asked Galvatron if he should do. A look at the movie's [https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-4034-transformers-movie-sunbow.html storyboards] sheds a little light on this, as it does attribute the line to Scourge, suggesting it was originally supposed to have been spoken by him, but the line ultimately went to Cyclonus instead.
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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''
:It is true that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was not released in Japan at the same time it was released in [[Hasbro]]'s markets, with Japanese fans instead getting the ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]'' OVA prior to the release of the third season of the show (second for Japan). But ''The Movie'' ultimately made it to Japanese theaters in August 1989. The various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction (such as who [[Prowl (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|didn't]] [[Wheeljack (G1)#Victory cartoon|survive]] the movie) are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of the film. This also led to a similar rumor that ''Scramble City'' was an out-and-out ''replacement'' for the film, similar to how ''The Headmasters'' replaced "The Rebirth." Actually viewing the OVA reveals that it has nothing to do with the events of ''The Movie'', other than that both feature [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and take place between the second and third seasons; at no point does it significantly contradict the film, and pretty much the only third-season change the film explains is where [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] came from. There were indeed attempts to summarize what had happened in the movie, including a narration added to "Five Faces of Darkness" and scans in ''[[TV Magazine]]'', but ''Scramble City'' served much more as an advertisement for its subline than a major turning point of the continuity.<ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478</ref><ref>http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800</ref>
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*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title "Matrix Forever".'''
:"[[The Transformers: The Movie - Apocalypse: Be Eternal, Matrix|Matrix Forever]]" is actually the shortened and slightly mistranslated title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed "Matrix Forever".<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29</ref>
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====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
[[File:ExplosionMarsMegaZarak MarsExplodes.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"What will you do?" "Rebuild it. Just the way it was, brick for brick."]]
*'''Mars was destroyed in ''The Headmasters''. Therefore, all of its later Japanese G1 appearances are continuity errors.'''
:The planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] was blown up by the Decepticons in the [[Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears|fifteenth episode]] of the ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]'' cartoon. Yet, it made later appearances in both the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' cartoons as a fully-intact, definitely-not-destroyed planet. For decades, fans in the West took these later appearances of Mars following its destruction to be, well, a glaring continuity error. However, it actually isn't.

:In the [[The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)|final episode]] of ''The Headmasters'', the Autobots succeeded in finally driving the Decepticons off the Earth for good, and prepared to leave the planet themselves. When saying goodbye to the [[Witwicky (surname)|Witwicky]]s, the Autobot leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] stated that, among many other tasks ahead of them, the Autobots planned to rebuild Mars as part of their efforts to bring peace to the universe. Evidently, they succeeded, given Mars's aforementioned later appearances.

:The Western fandom's perception that Mars's appearances post-''The Headmasters'' were in error stemmed from the fact that, in all official ''and'' unofficial English-subtitled releases of ''The Headmasters'', Fortress's line about rebuilding Mars was completely overlooked and left out of the subtitle translations. It ''was'', however, mentioned in the English dub produced by [[Omni Productions]], but for the longest time, that was believed to have been an invention of the dub, rather than a (surprisingly) accurate translation of the Japanese dialogue.

:In truth, Mars being rebuilt was mentioned in the Japanese dialogue from the very beginning, and the Western fandom at large simply failed to notice.
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*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''
:[[Black Shadow (G1)|Black Shadow]] of ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Victory|Victory]]'' has his function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of his on-package [[bio]] misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe. This was naturally extended to his partner, [[Blue Bacchus]], whose function is "Space Gunman."
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*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''
:[[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Zone|Zone]]'' portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522" />
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{{anchor|Robotmasters}}
[[File:RobotMasters relation chart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Only those from the Beast Era and ''Victory'' travel through the Blastizone.]]
*'''''Robotmasters'' is a multiversal crossover with characters dimension-hopping into Generation 1 from other universes.'''
:Takara's ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' series was released in [[2004]] to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' brand. As such, it featured a big crossover storyline that brought together several famous characters from across the brand's history: Characters from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory|Victory]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers#Beast Wars II|Beast Wars II]]'' traveled through time and space across a dimensional fissure known as the [[Blastizone]], arriving on Earth in the year 2004 to team up with Generation 1 characters. This all happened around the same time as Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' series, which similarly featured its own big crossover story that saw characters from across the [[multiverse]] coming together from different universes to fight a [[Universe War|war]] over Unicron's return.

:Since the toylines of both ''Robotmasters'' and ''Universe'' consisted primarily of redecos of existing toy molds, and because both series were big crossover events that brought together different characters from different series across time and space, fans in the West considered ''Robotmasters'' to be the Japanese equivalent of ''Universe'', and so initially mistook the events of ''Robotmasters'' for a multiversal conflict analogous to that of ''Universe'', with some of its characters crossing over from other realities. Namely, both [[Tow-Line (RID)|Wrecker Hook]] and [[Sideways (RM)|Double Face]] were key suspects of ''Robotmasters'' characters speculated to have come from other universes (but that is a whole other [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)#The continuity kerfuffle|can]] of [[Circular reporting#Sideways|worms]]).

:However, a closer examination of the ''Robotmasters'' fiction reveals all this to have ''not'' been the case at all. Unlike ''Universe'', ''Robotmasters'' did not actually feature any dimension-hopping whatsoever. Both the [[Robotmasters (comic)|comic series]] and the relation chart (pictured right) found on [https://web.archive.org/web/20070618040111/www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/robotmasters/main2.htm Takara's official website] specified which particular characters did and did not travel through the Blastizone, and the only ones who did were just time-travelers: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Psycho-Orb]], [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], [[Ginrai (robot)|Victory Leo]], [[Gigant Bomb]], and [[Lio Convoy]]. None of the other ''Robotmasters'' characters were ever indicated to be anything but native to the [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Japanese Generation 1 universe]] in the years 2004–2005 (''including'' the aforementioned Wrecker Hook and Double Face).

:Oddly though, the [[Robotmasters (3D diorama comic)|''Robotmasters'' 3D diorama comics]] didn't even feature the Blastizone or any other signs of spacetime travel. All of the time-displaced warriors from ''Beast Wars'', ''Victory'', and ''Beast Wars II'' were just already there in the present, with no explanation given for how any of them got there. Even the [[Robotmasters Vol. 11|final chapter's]] guest appearance of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]—the sole anomalous instance that ''could'' have been considered a universe-hop in ''Robotmasters'' fiction—was completely unexplained: He just showed up without any kind of portal or means of arrival, as if he, bizarrely, was also just a native to the ''Robotmasters'' world (From a real-world standpoint, his appearance was simply to advertise his then-new ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Hybrid Style|toy]]).
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====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''
: This rumor is only partly true. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]] used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs depict [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice;<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM YouTube: Doublage de France: Combaticons et Égo]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo Doublage Québécois: Égo et Dr. Croc-en-ville]</ref> however, the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20080612225831/http://www.bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes</ref> All the same is also true for [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] in the movie.
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*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''
: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] until 1989. ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's]] death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.
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*'''An Earthforce story was written to promote the non-combining Constructicon toys.'''
:The comic story "[[Desert Island Risks!]]" from issue 264 of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|G1 comic]] reveals that the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] have somehow lost their ability to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. As a result, they try to build another Devastator as a new robot.

:Some fans mistakenly believe that this is somehow related to a re-release of the Constructicons (now in yellow) that were available in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|Europe]] after the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' toyline had ended in the USA. Those Constructicons omitted the extra parts necessary to form Devastator; and furthermore, [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (neither of them officially named in this version; all six toys came on multi-purpose cardbacks simply named "Constructicon") were [[retool]]ed to omit the tabs that were necessary for combining them (and [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]) when forming Devastator. Since the toys couldn't combine into Devastator anymore, fans believe that the [[Earthforce]] comic story was intended to serve as an "explanation" for this.

:The problem with this theory, however, is that the yellow "Euro" Constructicon toys were released in 1992; the comic story, however, had already come out in early 1990. If anything, "Desert Island Risks!" was based on the [[Action Master]] version of Devastator, which no longer consisted of six individual Constructicons. (Also, the individual Constructicons don't even ''appear'' in the story.)
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===Early internet misconceptions===
*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime was the first, ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.'''
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1984—the original.]]
[[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|1988—the Powermaster version.]]

:This one claims that the [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy, originally released in 1988, is the ''original'', first Optimus Prime toy ever released, rather than the ''earlier'', non-Powermaster toy, which is an entirely different mold and was originally available in 1984. This phenomenon is particularly common in [[eBay]] auctions, where Powermaster Optimus Prime toys are frequently advertised as "ORIGINAL Optimus Prime".

:The reasons for this misconception are obvious: Numerous people arrived late to the party—that is, became fans of the original ''Transformers'' line after the ''real'' original Optimus Prime toy had vanished off the shelves in 1986 (the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was still shown in reruns on TV). Any of them looking for a toy of the iconic [[Autobot]] leader would only find the Powermaster toy on store shelves starting in 1988. Fast-forward to 20 years later, and people who weren't really paying a lot of attention to the brand for the past few years, now looking to sell off their childhood toys, would naturally conclude that the toy they got as a kid was the ''original'' Optimus Prime toy.

:The phenomenon is even more widespread in countries such as Germany, where the cartoon wasn't officially shown on TV until 1989(!). By that point, the ''original'' toy, which had originally been released by [[Milton Bradley]] in the European market in 1985, was long gone off the shelves. Thus, the only Optimus Prime toy available to kids who had only just become fans because of the cartoon was the Powermaster version. Admittedly, [[parallel import|gray import]]s of the Mexican version of the ''original'' toy by [[IGA]] were also available in European stores around this time, and Hasbro themselves would release the original toy again two years later as part of their European-exclusive [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line of reissues. However, the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy was still a lot more widespread.
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*'''20th Anniversary Optimus Prime was the Optimus Prime toy available in the 1980s/Alternators are the same toys that were available in the 1980s.'''

[[File:TF-Masterpiece-MP-1-Convoy.jpg|125px|thumb|Sadly, this didn't exist until 2003.]]
:This misconception usually comes from people who, upon seeing the 20th Anniversary [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] toy (which was originally released in 2003/2004), honest-to-god swear it's the toy they had when they were a kid. Similarly, there are also people who believe that the toys from the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line are the same toys they had as kids, when they're most likely confusing them with the original Autobot Cars, which are about half the size.

:The reasons for this aren't too hard to guess: People were a lot smaller when they were kids, so obviously the original Transformers toys seemed a lot larger to them. Since these fans didn't repeatedly hold or play with their Transformers while growing up, they weren't constantly adjusting to the toys' size in relation to their own. This resulted in blurred memories of outright ''gargantuan'' Transformers toys available in the 1980s. (One might wonder how tall those people would remember [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] being.)

:When confronted with the original toys—now relatively small because the fans have grown up—these people often reject them, insisting the "original" toys were ''larger'' (occasionally even accusing the ''real'' original toys of being downsized [[knockoff]]s). Showing them the Alternators or 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, on the other hand, will bring back warm (albeit incorrect) memories.
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*'''"Bumblejumper" is just a yellow Cliffjumper.'''
[[File:G1-toy Bumper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Bumblejumper", who later would be known as "Bumper".]]
:In 1984, Hasbro released three different similar-form toys as part of the [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] assortment: [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], and a [[Bumper (G1)|third unnamed toy]] that was not advertised in any capacity, sold ''only'' on Cliffjumper cards (at least, no samples on a Bumblebee card have ever surfaced). This third mold was a "leftover" from the ''[[Micro Change]]'' line, based on a Mazda Familia 1500XG sedan, and was very quickly phased out (resulting in him becoming the first of the "holy grail" super-costly Transformers on the secondary market). The exact nature of how and why this toy got released is still a mystery. Fans took to calling this third mystery mold portmanteau names such as "Bumblejumper", "Cliffbee", and "Bumper"; that last one eventually becoming his official name when he appeared in the ongoing [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|''Generation One'' Volume 1]] comic series by [[Dreamwave Productions]].

:Adding to the confusion is that both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were available in two color schemes: their fiction-supported colors (Bee in yellow, Cliff in red) and in reversed colors (Bee in red, Cliff in yellow) up through 1985. And since Cliffjumper and Bumper are both similarly boxy in vehicle form, and Bumper was only available in yellow, and only on Cliffjumper cards for a very short time, and was not in any catalogs and had no name and didn't appear in any cartoons or comics...

:Further adding to the mistaken memory pile is [[Hubcap (G1)#toys|Hubcap]], a yellow [[retool]] of Cliffjumper released in 1986. Fun!
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*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Patience. You just have to wait 22 years.]]
:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], with a [[character model]] that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model, and many later toys have aspects of the cartoon model too.)
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*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''
[[File:Unicron Proto.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously, aren't you glad your poor parents didn't have to waste like a hundred bucks on this back in '86?]]
:No toys of [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] were available (or even produced beyond [[prototype]]) until 2003. In fact, the mere ''existence'' of those prototypes wasn't actually officially confirmed until many years later. The first [[Unicron/toys|official Unicron toy]] to be released came out as part of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line in 2003 and was a brand new mold, not based on an old, unused prototype.

:The fictional existence of a ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day God would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.

:What could also have attributed to this misconception was the voice actor for Unicron himself, Orson Welles. He died before the movie's release and the part in the 1986 movie was his last before his death in 1985. He loathed the part and could not even remember his character's name; he was quoted as saying, "I play a big toy who attacks a bunch of smaller toys," mistakenly assuming there was a toy for him.
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*'''In 2005, a crazy old man claimed he had created the original ''Transformers'' toys.'''
[[File:Henry Orenstein old.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Arguably one of the most fascinating people involved with the creation of the ''Transformers'' brand.]]
:In 2005, the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]] learned, by way of a newspaper article posted by an internet fan site, of the existence of [[Henry Orenstein]], a former toymaker. Although the main focus of the article was Orenstein's then-current achievements in the field of poker, it also implied that Orenstein had "created" the original ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys, and even featured a photo that depicted a somewhat confused-looking Orenstein holding [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]]. Many fans subsequently assumed that this was a deluded old man who believed he had created the concept of ''Transformers'' toys, even though the fandom knew full well by this point that the original toys were originally created in Japan. His status as the "creator" of the ''Transformers'' toy line was subsequently repeated in several other articles about the man, last with the news of his passing in 2021.

:The ''fact'' is that Orenstein had worked for [[Hasbro]] during the 1980s, and was the person who had convinced [[George Dunsay]], then Hasbro's Vice President of R&D, to acquire the rights to a (more or less) innovative type of Japanese toys, which would eventually become known as the original ''Transformers'' toys. Aside from that and the original patent for the [[rubsign]]s, which he shares with Dunsay, Orenstein has made no known contribution to the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]]. Obviously, the writer of said newspaper article had only marginal knowledge of the history of the ''Transformers'' brand, was told what was most likely nothing more than an anecdote by Orenstein (his biography, by the way, is so fascinating that his involvement with the ''Transformers'' brand is arguably one of the ''less'' noteworthy details), and subsequently inflated it massively with hyperbole, possibly in an attempt to gain more attention to his article due to the popularity of the brand, even before the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The only question is, where did the photographer get the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toy from?
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*'''The Decepticons' undersea base in the Generation 1 cartoon was the ''Nemesis'', the ship that originally brought them to Earth.'''
[[File:G1 cartoon Decepticon underwater base.JPG|upright=1.15|thumb|This wrecked ''Victory'' was never the ''Nemesis''.]]
:In the [[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|three-part pilot mini-series]] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], the Decepticons traveled to Earth aboard a starship that, years later, would be given the name of ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' by the [[Nemesis Part 1|final two]] [[Nemesis Part 2|episodes]] of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]]. For the rest of the Generation 1 cartoon's first two seasons, the Decepticons were stationed on Earth in an [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|underwater headquarters]] that was originally another spacecraft that they had constructed on Earth during the pilot mini-series. The ship was supposed to take the Decepticons back to Cybertron, but it crashed into the ocean after a battle aboard its bridge. This ship would later be named ''[[Victory (G1)|Victory]]'' in [[2009]].

:However, a combination of faulty memories, lack of proper access to full the G1 cartoon during the early 2000s, and the ''Nemesis'' being found at the bottom of the sea in ''Beast Wars'', led a good number of fans to misremember the Decepticons' underwater base as having originally been the ''Nemesis'' instead of the ''Victory''. It certainly didn't help that the ''Victory'' originally had no name for twenty-five years, and that its design was always rather similar to that of the ''Nemesis''. Nonetheless, the ''Nemesis'' eventually did show up in the second season episode "[[Microbots]]" as a completely separate vessel from the undersea base, buried inside a mountain in [[South America]], complete with Megatron confirming it to be the very same ship that originally brought him and his Decepticon crew to Earth.

:And yet, this misunderstanding persisted just long enough to influence a few pieces of ''Transformers'' media of the 2000s. Namely the [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1 comics]] published by [[Dreamwave Productions]], and [[Redemption Center|one story]] from the ''[[Transformers Legends (book)|Transformers Legends]]'' anthology book featured the ''Nemesis'' as the Decepticons' Earth-based undersea headquarters.
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*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''
:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.

:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along with some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995—years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.
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[[File:TFTM dead gray Prime.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Traumatizing enough as it is, frankly.]]
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. At least one poster claimed to have uncut reels of the original film showing a number of violent scenes,<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/07464cbfbb5d0cc9/8aee0b30765b2b4a?hl=en#8aee0b30765b2b4a THE UNCUT JAPANESE TRANSFORMERS MOVIE]</ref> but, unsurprisingly, was unwilling to provide any form of proof.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/799fec40c1aa285e/6af42e4099affa04?hl=en# Doth the Canadian protesteth too much?]</ref> So have ended all claims of uncut footage from the film.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequence, there is a very distinct series of notes that appears nowhere else in the song and is not in the onscreen version. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light. The myth could be related to the death of Starscream, a few scenes later, where Starscream '''does''' indeed crumble to dust after being shot by Galvatron; time and distance could lead fans to confuse the two scenes.

:These claims should not be confused with the extra storyboarded scenes and early script revisions which have come to light over the years, which do in fact contain a lot more violence. But no evidence exists that any of these sequences, even those that made it to storyboard, were ever animated. Especially given the expense of producing full animation.

::''See also: [[The Transformers: The Movie#Edits]].''
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*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''
:There are a few instances of Japanese fiction (and advertising) that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] prior to the release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. All of them were ultimately ignored by the "primary" fiction, namely the (dubbed) third season of the cartoon (named ''Transformers: 2010'' in Japan) and the accompanying manga, which followed the Western story concept of Galvatron being a reformatted [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]].

:The [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|second issue]] of ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]'' [[manga]] depicts [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] commanding [[Megatron Corps|a legion of automatons]] created in [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans misinterpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing. This even extended into ''[[The Battlestars]]'', where the appearance of Super Megatron solidified the idea to those fans; after all, surely if he were upgraded from Galvatron, he would be named Super Galvatron, right? One particularly sturdy rumor claimed that he was trying to hunt Galvatron down (possibly conflating him with [[Gilthor]]).<ref>http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179</ref>
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*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''
:The [[Autobot]]s were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons ([[Decepticon]]s) must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also used slightly different spellings for the faction, "Cybertron" (literally: サイバトロン, "Sa-i-ba-to-ro-n"), and the planet, (literally: セイバートロン, "Se-i-baa-to-ro-n"), commonly interpreted as "Seibertron" by Western fans, in order to avoid confusion, even though both words originally started out based on the English name "Cybertron".<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 The Transformers Archive essay about various urban legends surrounding the Transformers franchise]</ref>

:This rumor presumably originates from an article a Thomas Wheeler had written for ''Attic's Collectible Toys and Values Monthly'' during the hiatus between the [[The Transformers (toyline)|G1]] and [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|G2]] toylines. According to that article, Hasbro chose not to follow this element of the story because of the similarity between the term "Destron" and ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''{{'}}s "[[Destro]]" character. Of course, seeing as the story originated in America to begin with and was only dubbed into Japanese later on, this doesn't make a lot of sense. In later years, Wheeler wrote toy reviews for Master Collector's website, which occasionally also display a certain lack of knowledge about various toys and the ''Transformers'' brand's overall history, so it doesn't seem entirely out of place for him.

:Interestingly, an earlier draft for "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]" ''would'' have established the Decepticons as "evil machines from another world"<ref name="dotd2draft">{{citesocial|quote=the original script for 'Desertion Of The Dinobots' had the Decepticons described as coming from another planet other than Cybertron. (1985) https://t.co/FJcCqm5Gdl|link=https://twitter.com/TF_Moments/status/1561586703265153024|name=TF_Moments|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=08|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>, but this was not used in the final episode, which simply stated that "Decepticons, lusting for power, began a terrible war". "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" then established the ''true'' origin of the Cybertronian race, which was kept unchanged for the Japanese dub.
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==Beast Era Misconceptions==
===Toys===
*'''Beast Wars didn't originally have the Transformers branding.'''
[[File:BW Waspinator packaging variants.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Let's play the "spot the ''Transformers'' logo" game.]]
:While the early design of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' toy packaging had the ''Transformers'' brand name in a smaller typeface than the main ''Beast Wars'' logo, the toy range was ''always'' officially titled ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' in the United States from day one (while the back of the packaging typically added a definite article, ''Beast Wars: '''The''' Transformers'', presumably in order to keep the [[trademark]] for the original toyline). The ''Beast Wars'' name was first reduced in size with the shift from rock bubble to smooth bubble cards, and again in 1998 with the release of the [[Transmetal]]s and [[Fuzor]]s subranges, which also saw the order of the two parts reversed to ''Transformers: Beast Wars'', thus considerably increasing the prominence of the ''Transformers'' title.

:In Canada and Latin America, the use of [[multilingual packaging|trilingual packaging]] necessitated that the triple ''Beast Wars/Guerre des Bêtes/Guerra de Bestias'' title was rendered in a smaller font than on United States packaging to begin with, resulting in the ''Transformers'' name being more prominent as well. The order of the two parts was switched analogously with United States packaging.

:In Europe, things were a little less cut-and-dry: Initially, early production runs of trilingual English/Spanish/Italian packaging featured only the ''Beast Wars'' title in around the same size featured on United States packaging at the time, while the ''Transformers'' branding was placed in the lower right corner of the packaging. In the case of carded figures, that meant it was hidden far away from the ''Beast Wars'' title, while on boxed figures, it was simply much smaller than, and not at all aligned with, the main title. On top of that, it was rendered in red on an already red background (and, for some reason, also included a ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''-style [[Autobot]] [[insignia]]!). The same was done with early trilingual French/Dutch/German packaging, which featured the double title ''Beast Wars/Ani Mutants''.

:Eventually, English/Spanish/Italian also adopted a second title, becoming ''Beast Wars/Biocombat'', and the ''Transformers'' name was placed directly below it, with the color changed from red to white and the ''Generation 2'' Autobot insignia dropped, just like on American packaging. Unlike English/Spanish/Italian packaging, this packaging design was continued all the way through 1997. Finally, the introduction of the Transmetals and Fuzors subranges in 1998 also saw another change: While English/Spanish/Italian packaging simply reduced the size of the entire title on Basic and Deluxe blister cards, but still kept the ''Transformers'' portion as the secondary title for the remainder of the toyline's run, French/Dutch/German packaging followed the example of American packaging and moved the ''Transformers'' name on top, while keeping the title itself in the same font size also featured on each packaging's English/Spanish/Italian counterpart.

:Lastly, when British commercial broadcaster ITV aired the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' television series]] on their morning show (GMTV), the ''Transformers'' name was edited out of the title sequence entirely.
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===Fiction===
====Japanese ''Beast Wars''====
*'''Preface'''
:To give a better idea of how the following misconceptions came about, many of them stem from how little access the Western fandom had to understandable forms of the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' media at the time. After all, when the series were first released, the internet was still a relatively "new" thing, where [[alt.toys.transformers|USENET forums]] were still a major outlet for fan information and websites were... rudimentary. For about two decades since that time, the most that the West had access to were a small number of fan-subtitled episodes of ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', a fansubbed version of the theatrical feature segment ''[[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!]]'', a translation of the first ''Beast Wars II'' [[Catalog#Beast Wars II|toy catalog]], and second-hand accounts from those who had seen the untranslated episodes of either series or had read each's respective [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|manga]] [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|series]]. Over time, those who lacked an understanding of the Japanese language would misinterpret much of these series' specifics. The following are a few of the most well known misunderstandings.
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[[File:Optimusx2.JPG|thumb|Well, that's just Prime.]]
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''
:In hindsight, it sure seems like this was originally going to be the case. When the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' toyline first debuted in the West, both [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] were identified in their earliest toy bios as being new iterations of Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], respectively. This was most evident in the bios of the very first toys of the two: the Basic class bat Optimus Primal and crocodile Megatron toys. But when the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] started up later, it did away with that idea entirely, by firmly establishing that the two leaders were instead completely separate individuals from their Generation 1 namesakes.

:When ''Beast Wars'' was first brought over to Japan, Takara evidently thought that the original notion was still in effect: Optimus Primal was renamed "Convoy", the same Japanese name as Optimus Prime, and the [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] factions were given the same Japanese names as those of the Autobot and Decepticon faction—"Cybertron" and "Destron", respectively. Optimus and Megatron's Ultra and Basic class toys were each given Japanese bios loosely based on their respective Basic class toys' English bios, with their Ultra class toy bios even giving them the same functions as their Generation 1 namesakes ([[Supreme Commander]] and [[Emperor of Destruction]], respectively); the one for Optimus even indicated him to be the very same Optimus of old. Both of their Basic class toys were even given special redecos with new bios that ''explicitly'' claimed the two had previously been a tractor trailer and a Walther P-38, the very same altmodes of the Generation 1 Optimus Prime and Megatron.

:When the first season of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon began airing in Japan, it was initially ambiguous on the matter, never actually saying one way or the other if Optimus and Megatron were meant to be new characters like their English counterparts, or the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes. This was because, despite the ''many'' adlibs that were added to the Japanese dub, it was still largely dubbed in accordance to the English version, which rarely ever touched upon the subject in its first season (because it never ''needed'' to, since it was abundantly clear in that version that Optimus Primal and Megatron were not their G1 namesakes). This initial ambiguity would later prove to be the Japanese dub's saving grace from what all came next.

:When Takara made the first Japanese-original spin-off series, ''Beast Wars II'', Optimus Primal made a few guest appearances in both its [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (manga)|manga]] and its [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!|movie]]. A short bio for him was printed at the end of the [[Free the Captured Matrix!|third chapter]] of the manga, which described Optimus as "A fierce fighter who has fought against the Destron army for thousands of years."<ref>数千年にわたり、デストロン軍と戦いつづけで猛者。コンボイの称号を与える軍の評議会の一員でもある。エネルゴン探索の任務遂行中に消息をたったともいわれていたが...!?</ref> The same chapter also depicted him as a sitting member of [[Convoy Council|council]] that oversaw the military operations on Cybertron, presenting Primal in a lofty position of authority. Then, three months later, Optimus made a big-screen animated appearance in ''Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!'', in which he was presented as a "legendary Supreme Commander", complete with his own [[Matrix (disambiguation)|Matrix]]; a ''stark'' contrast to his American cartoon depiction as merely the young and untested captain of a lowly science vessel. Likewise, the Predacon leader [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] referred to a "Megatron" as "the greatest and most vicious legendary Transformer in history." But, it was never clarified if this grandiose description was in reference to Generation 1 or ''Beast Wars'' Megatron... likely because, at the time, the movie treated the two as if they were the same person, just as it seemed to do for Optimus.

[[File:G1Megatron MasterBlaster stasislock.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|Hello there, past self who is a completely different individual.]]
:Despite this initial impression, however, new information would come to light in ''Beast Wars Metals'', the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's second and third seasons. These two seasons had been held back from airing on Japanese television until after both had been completed by [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]], and thus did not reach Japanese audiences until after ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' had come and gone. In short, ''Metals'' remained consistent with the original English version by treating the Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars'' namesakes as separate characters: The Japanese dub of "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]" even had ''Beast Wars'' Megatron refer to Generation 1 Megatron as "My ancestor Megatron" (我先祖のメガトロン, ''Waga senzo no Megatron'') when relating the history of the Golden Disk to Ravage.

:Consequently, ''Metals'' choosing to remain faithful to the English version on this matter suddenly rendered all of the above Japanese-original media that had previously linked ''Beast Wars'' Megatron and Optimus Primal to their Generation 1 counterparts no longer applicable for the cartoon's continuity. The first-year toy bios were relegated to a [[micro-continuity]], while the ''Beast Wars II'' manga was always its own continuity separate from its counterpart cartoon to begin with. Though, both it and the subsequent [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (manga)|''Beast Wars Neo'' manga]] were followed by a [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|''Beast Wars Metals'' manga]] whose [[Beast Wars Metals issue 6|final chapter]] would link it back to the ''Beast Wars II'' manga, while also retaining the American cartoon's depiction of the ''Beast Wars'' and Generation 1 Optimuses and Megatrons as separate individuals, despite all the aforementioned implications made previously about Optimus Primal in the ''Beast Wars II'' manga. So... it's not perfect.

:As for the "legendary" status of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus and Megatron in the animated movie, that can easily be brushed aside as merely an aspect of long-running Japanese children's series that have multiple shows (e.g. – ''Kamen Rider'', ''Super Sentai'', etc.), in that the main hero of a previous series is treated with awe and reverence by the cast of the next series in any crossover team-ups. Optimus Primal was the leader of the good guys from the series preceding ''Beast Wars II'', so the cast of that series revered him with due respect. Later, the cast of ''Beast Wars Neo'' did the same for Lio Convoy of ''Beast Wars II'', calling him a "legendary warrior" in [[Illusion? Lio Convoy|Episode 29]]. Heck, even [[Big Convoy]] was called a "legendary warrior" multiple times in ''Neo'', even as early as the [[Big Convoy, Move Out|first episode]]. To put it simply, being "legendary" in Japanese ''Beast Wars'' fiction isn't as special as it sounds.

:Incidentally, it would later be confirmed that the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon actually took place eons ''after'' the later-made ''Beast Wars'' sequel series ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' (see below for more). This meant that ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron actually ''were'' figures of the distant past from the ''Beast Wars II'' cast's point-of-view. In hindsight, this legendary status of the two in the movie fits rather well with how, in ''Beast Machines'', Megatron singlehandedly conquered all of Cybertron and "viciously" captured the sparks of its entire population, while Optimus "legendarily" saved the whole planet from Megatron at the cost of his own life. As Japan would not receive that series until [[2004]]—six years after the movie's release—this all proved rather fortuitous in the end.
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*'''Optimus Primal was sent to Planet Gaia in the ''Beast Wars II'' movie when he flew into the alien machine at the end of "Other Voices, Part 2".'''
:The ''Beast Wars II'' feature film, ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]'', was initially released in Japanese theaters before the second season of the American ''Beast Wars'' cartoon first aired in Japan. During the ''Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!'' segment of this film, Optimus Primal made a guest appearance to team up with the cast of ''Beast Wars II''. At the end of the segment, he declares that he must "return to Energoa"; this was the name given to prehistoric Earth in the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, before its true identity as Earth was revealed. This meant that he had been transported to Planet [[Gaia]]—future Earth—from prehistoric Earth during the time of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]].

:The final episode of the first season of ''Beast Wars'', "[[Other Voices, Part 2]]", ends with Optimus Primal flying up into the [[Vok]]'s [[Planet Buster|planet-destroying weapon]], sacrificing himself to save the planet. [[Aftermath|Three]] [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)|episodes]] [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)|later]], he is restored to life after a difficult resurrection process. Since Primal's appearance in the movie was screened in Japan between the Japanese airings of Seasons 1 and 2 of ''Beast Wars'', some took this release order as a literal chronology for Optimus Primal's Japanese cartoon appearances, thinking that his final moment in "Other Voices, Part 2" was the exact moment he was pulled into the future and brought to Gaia. A statement given in the ''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers Film Book]]'' even seemed to confirm this theory.<ref>Page 7: エイリアンマシンに激突した際、時空を超えて惑星ガイアにやってきた。("When he crashed into the [[Planet Buster|Alien Machine]], he crossed space-time and came to the planet Gaia.")</ref>

:Some even took his presence in the movie as an explanation for why the Maximal [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] had great difficulty locating Primal's [[spark]] within "the other side of the [[Transformer afterlife|Matrix]]" in "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]", as if to mean that it ''wasn't'' there at the time. ''Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!'' is even bookended by sequences that recap the events of Primal's death and rebirth in ''Beast Wars''. And most of all, when Optimus is brought to Gaia, he initially appears in a glowing, yellow, ghost-like form, which ''wasn't'' the case for the story's main antagonist, [[Majin Zarak]], who had arrived on Gaia through the exact same means as Optimus. He even returns to this glowing, yellow, spectral form upon his departure near the end of the movie.

:However, despite the longevity of this theory, the opening narration of the very next part of the movie—the Japanese dub of the ''Beast Wars'' season 2 episode "[[Bad Spark]]"—actually seems to debunk it by essentially reiterating what was true of Primal's fate in the English version of ''Beast Wars''. In this narration, Rhinox and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] claim that Optimus Primal did indeed die in the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion at the end of "Other Voices, Part 2", and that Rhinox had brought his spark back from the dead in "Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)".

:While this apparently renders the ''Film Book''{{'}}s statement in error, it does seem like there was originally ''some'' intention for it to be true, given Primal's arrival and departure in the movie depicting him in his aforementioned ghostly form. But, while a neat idea, it raises too many questions and relies on too many assumptions in order for it to sensibly fit with Primal's onscreen resurrection. And since Rhinox and Rattrap claim otherwise, this would mean that Optimus was brought to the future from a different point during the Beast Wars, ''before'' the end of Season 1 due to Primal having his Season 1 body in the movie. Exactly when during Season 1, however, has never been disclosed.
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{{anchor|JBWchronology}}
[[File:PrimalLioConvoyCatalog01.jpg|thumb|Everything you know is a lie!]]
*'''The characters of the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoons hail from the same time-period as the cast of ''Beast Wars'', at a point set prior to ''Beast Machines''.'''
:It's almost not fair to call this one a misconception: By all appearances, this ''was'' the original intent for the Japanese-original ''Beast Wars'' shows. The first catalog packed in with the ''Beast Wars II'' toys presented Lio Convoy and Galvatron as contemporaries of ''Beast Wars'' Optimus Primal and Megatron, which was also reflected in both the ''Beast Wars II'' manga and [[Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle|handheld video game]]. Likewise, the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon initially gave no reason to doubt that this also applied to its story, and ''Beast Wars Neo'' even featured a [[Convoy Council|military council]] that could have very well been the Japanese version of the [[Maximal High Council|High Council]] of [[Maximal Elder]]s.

:But then, months into its run, the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon's [[Emissary of the Fourth Planet|thirty-sixth episode]] stated that humanity hadn't lived on Gaia for "tens of thousands of years." Before, the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon had [[Dark Designs|established]] that its cast hailed from only three centuries after the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the end of which vintage Japanese G1/G2 fiction had placed in the 21st Century, when Earth was still populated by humans. ''Beast Wars Neo'' would then further treat the Great War as having ended with the destruction of Unicron in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', which was set in the year [[2005]]. As a result, this made it was impossible for the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' cartoons to take place in the same home-time as the American ''Beast Wars'' cast, and thus meant that the two Japanese series were, instead, set ''long'' after that time period.

:Furthermore, the [[Big Convoy, Move Out|first episode]] of ''Beast Wars Neo'' opened with a depiction of the Maximals and Predacons ''unambiguously'' at war with each other. Said war had apparently been going on for a long time, too, given that Maximal commander [[Big Convoy]] was described throughout the series as a legendary "One-Man Army" with a lengthy history of having singlehandedly won countless battles prior to the series' beginning. This not only conflicted with the [[Beast Wars (Part 1)|first episode]] of the American ''Beast Wars'' series stating that the Maximals and Predacons were currently at peace with each other and had been for centuries, but would be further contradicted by [[The Agenda (Part 1)|a later episode]] (which, admittedly, had yet to air in Japan at the time of ''Neo''{{'}}s initial broadcast) referring to this peace as the "[[Pax Cybertronia]]".

:Of course, as it was nearly twenty years before either series had been translated in full, western fans didn't really ''know'' about any of this at the time and, with only the catalog to go on, continued to assume that its story held true for the Japanese cartoons. It was only in 2006/2007, when TakaraTomy published a massive [[Source:Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Generation 1/Beast Era timeline]], which adhered to the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon's dating for the series, that English-speaking fans at large first learned of this fact.

:Now, to be fair, ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' probably didn't ''intentionally'' deviate from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, but rather, just kinda goofed on the continuity, and history had to roll with it. That said, this did also fix another discrepancy: By coincidence, both ''Beast Wars Neo'' and ''Beast Machines'' (both produced around the same time) featured the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]], but depicted it in two radically different, very contradictory ways. ''Beast Wars Neo'' presented the computer as the publicly-known ruler of Cybertron, while ''Beast Machines'' depicted it as a long-lost legend, unheard of for years until it was reactivated as the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] in the series' [[The Reformatting|first episode]]. If ''Beast Wars Neo'' was meant to occur before ''Beast Machines'' (as was probably the intent), this didn't make any sense; but the timeline shuffle caused by ''Beast Wars II'' now helped these two different portrayals fit better together.

:It did create a ''new'' discrepancy, though: In ''Beast Wars Neo'', Cybertron was depicted with its traditional appearance as a metallic planet, while, at the end of ''Beast Machines'', it was converted into a [[technorganic]] form. In [[2019]], a ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Transformers Legends]]'' [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Blue Big Convoy)|pack-in comic]] fixed this last gap in the timeline, explaining how and why Cybertron was turned back into a metallic world eons after its [[Great Transformation|technorganic reformatting]].

:While these retcons have helped to tidy things up, the original understanding of the timeline has influenced several pieces of American Beast Era media over the years:
:*The Hasbro toy bio for [[Transmetal 2|Transmetals 2]] [[Cybershark]] referred to "a rogue band of Cybertronian space pirates" (an allusion to ''Beast Wars II''{{'}}s [[Seacon (BW)|Seacon Space Pirates]]) as his contemporaries, while the toy bio for ''[[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]'' [[Magmatron]] all but explicitly pegged him as the same Magmatron from ''Neo'', mentioning his "[[Emperor of Destruction|emperor of destruction]]" title and his involvement in "an interplanetary quest for [[Angolmois Energy|energy capsules]]"; the latter of which was also placed, by the bio, before the events of ''Beast Machines''.<ref>The full first sentence of ''Dinobots'' Magmatron's bio: "Following an interplanetary quest for energy capsules, Magmatron returned to Cybertron to find an alarmingly growing population of Vehicon drones."</ref>
:*In both the ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]'' comic series and the prose story "[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]", characters from the two Japanese series appeared on Cybertron as contemporaries of the ''Beast Machines'' cast, at points set within a year after the planet's reformatting. The latter even described the [[Cyborg Beast]]s of ''Beast Wars II'' as "pre-reformatting".
:*The ''Beast Wars II'' Predacons [[BB (BW)|Max-B]] and [[Dirge (BW)|Dirge]] were featured in the [[Fun Publications]] ''Beast Wars'' prequels "[[Intimidation Game]]" and "[[Theft of the Golden Disk]]", respectively.
:*Finally, [[IDW Publishing]]'s two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series, ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]'', and the accompanying ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', likewise chose to depict the ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' casts as contemporaries of the ''Beast Wars'' characters, but also ''further'' reshuffled the timeline by repositioning the events akin to ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' a few years ''before'' the home time-period of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, instead of during or after.

:Even after the release of the Japanese Generation 1/Beast Era timeline, new media set in other continuities have knowingly chosen to continue depicting characters from ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Neo'' (and even ''Car Robots'') existing side-by-side with the ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' cast, with such series as ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'', the ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Transformers Legends]]'' comics set in the "[[Legends World]]", and even IDW's second ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars|Beast Wars]]'' comic series each presenting all of them living together in societies and scenarios unique to those series.
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*'''The characters in ''Beast Wars II'' travel forward in time to Future Earth just like how the characters of ''Beast Wars'' travel back in time to Prehistoric Earth.'''
:Seemingly an offshoot of the above misconception, this appears to have been born out of a misinterpretation of a scene in the [[The New Forces Arrive!|first episode]]. When the Maximal starship ''[[Yukikaze (BW)|Yukikaze]]'' takes off into space, there is a shot where it vanishes in a flash of light and reappears elsewhere within the vicinity of Gaia. Some have mistaken this flash of light to mean that the ''Yukikaze'' traveled through [[unspace|transwarp space]] forward in time to arrive in the future, as if to echo the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''{{'}}s own time-jump to the past in ''Beast Wars''.

:This feels like an attempt to hold on to the belief of the ''Beast Wars II'' cast originating from the same home-time of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, while also aligning with the revelation of Gaia being Earth several tens of millennia after humanity left planet.

:In truth, however, what really happens during the scene in question is that the ''Yukikaze'' simply travels to Gaia with no time travel involved. The ship's disappearance and reappearance in a flash of light was merely the ship going to warp speed, just like many other spacecraft of science fiction.
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*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''
:[[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''Beast Wars II'' cartoon, but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his earlier actions had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior—none of which could be used to accurately describe Apache at all.

:Amusingly enough, in the sixth installment of the ''Beast Wars II'' manga, ''Lio Convoy'' gets drunk for no apparent reason and ends up trashing Apache's room.
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[[File:BWNeo Unicron.JPG|thumb|Looks can be deceiving.]]
*'''In ''Beast Wars Neo'', Unicron was resurrected by possessing the corpse of Galvatron.'''
:This misunderstanding is pretty understandable. In [[Illusion? Lio Convoy|Episode 29]], the coveted [[Angolmois Energy]] is revealed to be the life energy of [[Unicron]], who is successfully resurrected in [[Unicron Revived!?|the very next episode]]. Yet, when he makes his debut, he appears in the form of Galvatron, who had seemingly perished in the [[Farewell! Lio Convoy|final episode]] of ''Beast Wars II''. At first glance, it looks as though Galvatron's corpse had been recovered and used as a vessel to house Unicron's Angolmois Energy, and those who did not understand the Japanese dialogue simply assumed this to be the case.

:However, the Japanese dialogue actually states otherwise. Unicron's resurrected form is not Galvatron's physical body, but is actually an energy body made of Angolmois Energy that Unicron has deliberately shaped into resembling the likeness of Galvatron. He takes this form in an initial attempt to trick Magmatron into thinking that he ''is'' Galvatron, impersonating the deceased Predacon leader before revealing his true identity. After which , he simply decided to continue using Galvatron's likewise as his energy body's default appearance, even using Galvatron's name when transforming between dragon and robot modes.

:Ironically, the misconception of Galvatron's body absorbing the Angolmois Energy as a resurrection vessel is almost exactly what Unicron wanted Magmatron to think, with the difference being that Unicron wanted Magmatron to think that the absorption was for Galvatron's revival instead of Unicron's.
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[[File:BWN Blentrons absorbed.jpg|thumb|Unicron absorbs the Blentrons for no reasons related to Angolmois Energy.]]
*'''The Blentrons are made of Angolmois Energy, and are later absorbed by Unicron to fully complete his resurrection.'''
:In [[End of the Maximals!?|Episode 33]] of ''Beast Wars Neo'', the resurrected Unicron reaches Planet Cybertron in his aim to posses [[Vector Sigma]] and turn Cybertron into his new physical body. However, before touching down on the planet, he battles his way through the entire Maximal space fleet, utterly annihilating it and exhausting much of his power in the process. In his weakened state, he is then nearly destroyed in a fight with Big Convoy. His loyal minions, the [[Blentron]]s, soon come to Unicron's aid and are promptly absorbed by their master.

:Since Angolmois Energy is Unicron's energy, fans who did not understand the Japanese dialogue simply misinterpreted the absorption of the Blentrons as if to say that they too were made up of Angolmois Energy, and that Unicron needed to absorb them to top off the last of his energy needed to complete his resurrection.

:In actuality, the three were absorbed because, in that moment, Unicron had been significantly weakened and needed to replenish his health. Otherwise, he would have been destroyed by Big Convoy's Mammoth Dynamite attack, which almost completely dissipated Unicron's energy body.

:The series didn't actually give any kind of backstory for the Blentrons. While they were creations of Unicron in the manga, no such origin was given in the show. Regardless, the idea of the three being made out of Angolmois Energy was certainly never stated or even suggested, having been born out of this misinterpretation of Unicron absorbing them to save his own life.
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====''Beast Machines''====
*'''A ''Beast Machines'' writer said, "Real heroes don't use guns."'''
:''Beast Machines'' was the first (but not the last) ''Transformers'' series to explicitly avoid all hand-held projectile [[weapon]]ry. While the [[Vehicon (BM)|villains]] still had traditional "blasters" mounted on their bodies, some of the [[Maximal|heroes]]' weapons were more esoteric (such as [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s energy-web attack, activated by putting her hands on the ground, or [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s gauntlets, powered by absorbing enemy fire). According to story editor [[Bob Skir]], this creative decision was agreed upon between the story editors, [[Fox Kids]], [[Mainframe Entertainment]], and [[Hasbro]],<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> and it is indeed reflected in the toys as well.

:Note that many Maximals had weaponry that was functionally no different from a "gun"—compare [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]]'s hip-mounted energy cannons, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s back-mounted sonic blaster, or Optimus Primal's chest-mounted energy disc launcher to [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]'s shoulder-mounted ray guns or [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'s wrist-mounted energy... tossing thingies.

:On his website, Skir also elaborated on his own position as a writer choosing if or how to portray gun use, including this statement: "Our heroes use their wiles and resourcefulness, plus a few cool weapons. Guns? I've never been a fan of them myself, and do not write heroes who need them."<ref>[http://members.aol.com/zobovor/guns.html Article on the fan Dave "Zobovor" Edwards' personal site,] quoting Bob Skir's original gun statement.</ref> Some fans interpreted Skir as condemning ''all'' gun use, even in the real world, no matter the circumstances. This led to the misquote, "Real heroes don't use guns,"<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/be5e55a90df944bb/b748601b997b3508#b748601b997b3508 Alt.toys.transformers thread] with the misquote and attendant assumptions right at the start.</ref> which remains a notoriously persistent error in the fandom. Skir, responding to the controversy, said on his site that "there '''are''' heroes who '''do''' need guns (such as the [[Punisher]]). Spider-Man doesn't need guns. Neither does the [[Hulk]]. And neither do Optimus, Cheetor, Black Arachnia{{sic}}, et al."<ref name="Skir" />

:Notably, the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|series]] [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|immediately]] [[Movie (franchise)|following]] ''Beast Machines'' did return to classic hand-held gun use among both heroes and villains. However, the later ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' series once again eschewed guns, probably because of its younger target audience.
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==2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' misconceptions==
===Toys===
[[File:TF-Car-Robots-Logo.png|thumb|upright=0.7|right|Do you see a "2000" anywhere in this logo?]]
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''
:As information about the then-new [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref name="Transformers 2000">http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.
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===Fiction===
*'''Unlike the English version, Gigatron (Megatron) has multiple personalities, a different one for each of his modes.'''
:This seems to have arisen from how, in the Japanese version, Gigatron's bat and dragon modes each have their own unique-sounding voice and way of speaking. The Gigabat voice is higher-pitched, a bit dim-sounding, and speaks like how older people used to speak during Japan's Edo period, ending most of its dialogue with "deansu" (であんす). For the Gigadragon mode, Gigatron speaks with a much deeper, angrier, and overall more aggressive-sounding voice. Both of these differ from his much calmer and more "normal" sounding voice in robot mode (which he also used in each of his other modes), and are most noticeable in the first episode, in which Gigatron makes heavy use of both his Gigabat and Gigadragon modes.

:By contrast, the English ''Robots in Disguise'' version gave Megatron one voice for all of his modes, and rewrote his personality to be much more theatrical and ill-tempered. This in turn made his English voice sound like a combination of the two unique Japanese voices, combining the over-the-top aspects of the Gigabat voice with the seething aggression of the Gigadragon voice.
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==Unicron Trilogy misconceptions==
*'''''Armada'' Super Base Optimus Prime toys are known to catch fire.'''
:In a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwE7Hc6xWLM review of the toy posted in 2010], YouTube reviewer Baltmatrix claimed that the motorised auto-transformation feature in his Super Base Optimus Prime became stuck mid-transform, causing the toy to "burst into flames" and "set part of [his] house on fire." Baltmatrix's recounting of the incident was the only evidence it had happened: it wasn't captured on video, and the copy of the toy featured in the review was not the one it had happened to. In the decade since, fans have widely repeated the story uncritically, and along the way, the legend has become that the toy is "famous" for doing this, that multiple toys have done it, and that it's a fire hazard to have one in your home. Put simply: '''''no it's not, there has never been a single other report of this ever happening in the two decades the toys has existed.''''' And if the original story ''is'' true, the way Baltmatrix significantly mis-handles the figure in the review (failing to unpeg the sides of the trailer before activating the mechanism, thus leading to it becoming stuck) indicates it was the product of user error.

==Live-action film series misconceptions==
====''Transformers'' (2007)====
[[File:Japaneseflowchart.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Look! No 2007 movie!]]
*'''The movie series takes place in the Generation 1 timeline in Japan.'''
: This is another one of those instances where one TakaraTomy thing, very early in the life cycle of a new ''Transformers'' [[franchise]], will say one thing about said franchise, and then literally ''everything else ever'' will say another.

: When the live-action movie series was getting started, TakaraTomy went live with their "World of Transformers" website. The website timeline appeared to make the rather bizarre claim that the 2007 live-action movie also somehow took place in the Japanese Generation 1 continuity, between ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and ''Transformers 2010'' in the year 2007. However, this was ''not'' reflected by the site's accompanying flow-chart, and was established to not be the case by the [[Source:Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|''Kiss Players'' timeline]] (which noted that the movie-verse Autobots and Decepticons came from another universe when they appeared in [[Transformers: Beast Wars Diorama Story|''Beast Wars Diorama Story'']]). And of course, nothing else ever attempted to make the connection.
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*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''
: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''{{w|Disturbia (film)|Disturbia}}'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the {{w|Motion Picture Association of America}}. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.
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[[File:MovieCreditsNoBrawl.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Invisible credit.]]
*'''Brawl is named in the credits.'''

: The Decepticon tank, who was named "Devastator" in a subtitle in the movie, ended up being named "[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]" in [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|toy line]]. Both Hasbro and the screenwriters, [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]], have expressly favored the toy's name, referring to the name in the movie as an "error".

: Since the character has a "speaking" line in the movie, some fans claim that the voice actor is named in the ending credits, and the character's name is stated as "Brawl" there. In fact, however, there's no credit ''at all'' for the character, under either name, as he has no voice actor, his "speaking role" being little more than echo-y electronic gibberish.
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[[File:BanachekMustacheMan.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|One of these is not like the others.]]
*'''The Decepticons' hologram is Tom Banachek.'''

: Several Decepticons in the movie are seen using a holographic "pilot"/"driver" based on the same short-haired, mustache-clad human with an intense stare, only wearing different clothes to match their respective [[alternate mode]]s. Since [[Tom Banachek]], the head of [[Sector Seven]]'s Advanced Research Division, also sports a mustache, a short-cropped hairstyle and a pretty intense stare, many fans mistakenly believe that the Decepticons' hologram is meant to look like him.

: There are two problems with that. One, the Decepticons' hologram, dubbed "[[Moustache Man]]" in the credits, is played by real-life United States Air Force Major [[Brian Reece]], whereas Tom Banachek is portrayed by established actor [[Michael O'Neill]].

:Two... how would the Decepticons know who Banachek even ''was'' to model a hologram after him?
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====''Revenge of the Fallen''====
*'''Barricade's return?'''
:A common misconception among fans is that [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade's]] Saleen Mustang alternate mode was spotted on the set of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', possibly as part of the alleged "disinformation campaign" director [[Michael Bay]] repeatedly insisted he had initiated. In fact, however, a truck transporting three "Barricade" prop vehicles was spotted in Culver City, California, in March 2008, more than ''two months'' before principal shooting for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' started.<ref name="vehspotted">[http://www.superherohype.com/news/transformersnews.php?id=6980 Superhero Hype reporting on the spotting of Barricade vehicles in March 2008]</ref> There's been no indication that this had any significance other than moving the prop cars... someplace. Barricade would not make his reappearance until the ''next'' movie, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.

*'''Decepticon [blank space] popsicle!'''
[[File:ROTF Skids Mudflap popsicle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Our ice cream is uncensored.]]
:This rumor claims that a censored version of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' exists in which the rude "[[File:Symbol decept reg.png|15px]] suck my popsicle!" decal on the side of [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]]'s ice cream truck [[alternate mode]] is edited to remove the words "suck my", resulting in the somewhat nonsensical version "[[File:Symbol decept reg.png|15px]]           popsicle!" This version was supposedly shown in some theaters in several countries, even though other theaters in the those very same markets apparently showed the "uncensored" version.<ref name="popsicle">[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/decepticon-popsicle.254257/ Contemporary discussion] of the allegedly "censored" decal on the ice cream truck seen in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' at TFW2005.</ref>

:In reality, the most likely explanation for this is much more mundane: Whereas the Decepticon insignia and the word "popsicle" are both rendered in white, resulting in a high color contrast with the dark background of the decal, the words "suck my" are instead kept in dark red. Depending on the specific brightness and color contrast settings of a particular theater, this, combined with the overall darkness of the scene (which was shot "day for night"), could easily lead to those two words becoming pretty much "invisible" by pure coincidence, with no actual intention of "censorship" behind it.
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====''Dark of the Moon''====
*'''Optimus Prime let the Decepticons take over Chicago.'''
:Given the comparatively darker tone—and a decidedly more ruthless interpretation of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]—of the first five live-action films when compared to the majority of the ''Transformers'' franchise, one common criticism of ''Dark of the Moon'' was Prime's apparent complacency in the face of the Decepticon attack on [[Chicago]] after the destruction of the ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]''—sometimes interpreted by some fans and critics as him "teaching Earth a lesson" after humanity unanimously agrees to exile Prime's Autobots in the hopes of appeasing [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]. This reading of the film seems to misinterpret Prime's line of "now your leaders will understand" and "we needed them to believe that we had gone" as Prime having engineered the entire crisis for his own political gain; the second line assuredly refers to the ''Decepticons'', as Optimus and company faking their deaths allowed the heroes to sneak to Chicago and catch Megatron's forces by surprise. Even without the script, Cape Canaveral and Chicago are ''very'' far apart; if we assume that the Autobots hightailed it to Chicago seconds after splashing down in the Atlantic, it would ''still'' take them about eighteen hours to get there, a time discrepancy that more or less matches up with the way events play out onscreen.
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====''Bumblebee''====
*'''''Bumblebee''''' '''and''' '''''Rise of the Beasts''''' '''are reboots that are separate from the rest of the "Bayverse"'''.
: ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' was initially conceived as a straight prequel to the ''Transformers'' films, chronologically falling between the [[World War II]] flashback sequences seen in ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' and the 2007 ''Transformers'' film. However, the movie was hastily retooled relatively late into production, tweaking the film's opening to show Bumblebee arriving on Earth in the 1980s, and, as a result, became more-or-less irreconcilable with both the information given by the ''The Last Knight'' and the various prequel comics that had gone before. Due in part to these reshoots—which were almost certainly added as a way to distance the film from the financial and critical failure that was ''The Last Knight''—some fans jumped on the idea that ''Bumblebee'' was now a "hard reboot" of the film series as a whole, similar to the {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe}}'s interpretation of [[Spider-Man]] vs. his prior two cinematic outings. Around the time of ''Bumblebee''{{'}}s release, both [[Hasbro]] and [[Paramount Pictures]] were fairly mum on just how it and the five prior Bay films would fit together moving forward: the closest we were given to a conclusive answer was that the film represented the start of a "new storytelling universe," <ref>[https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2467064/looks-like-bumblebee-is-officially-the-start-of-a-new-transformers-movie-universe "Looks Like Bumblebee is Officially The Start Of A New Transformers Movie Universe]</ref>, but Di Bonventura explained that this only meant that the creators had freedom to tell new stories that didn't necessarily follow the rules of the other films. Other fiction, such as the ''[[Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome]]'' comic included with the home media release of the film, continued to tie the events of ''Bumblebee'' to the rest of the live-action film series, putting another notch in the "prequel" column.

: The vaguery only continued in the lead-up to the subsequent film, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]'', which is set in 1994. Producer [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] was fairly adamant about its prequel status, claiming that ''Rise of the Beasts'' charts Optimus's growth into the character seen in the 2007 film.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-michael-bay-movies-producer-comments/ 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Producer on How It Differs From Michael Bay's Movies — Collider]</ref> Director [[Steven Caple Jr.]] was more on the fence; in one interview, he called it a "reboot for sure," only to moments later backpedal and instead call it a "refresher" and a "new direction," adding that you "could call it a reboot" but that that there were still aspects of it that could be tied to the existing films.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfMFxvT_-Q&t=2446s Steven Caple Jr. interview on The Alfonso Nation]</ref> The film itself splits the difference, with several allusions made to the other films, but the whole "[[Unicron]] is Earth" thing from ''The Last Knight'' going wholly unaddressed, despite Unicron playing a major role.

: When asked point-blank about this after the film released, Caple stated that while they tried to hew as close as they could to not mess up the Bay movies' events, knowing ''Bumblebee'' had previously taken its own liberties meant that he felt okay changing things in service of telling a better story and helping the prequels find their own way, something which Hasbro and Paramount fully agreed with.<ref>[https://www.insider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-director-timeline-inconsistencies-2023-6 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' producers cared more about telling 'the best story' than keeping the timeline consistent, says director — Insider]</ref> In particular, Caple stated he largely treats the original trilogy as gospel when it comes to continuity, but less so with ''Age of Extinction'' and ''The Last Knight'', feeling like the creative teams behind those movies had less idea where they were actually going with their stories at the time.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/rise-of-the-beasts-director-confirms-that-continuity-is-not-a-concern-within-the-transformers-film-franchise/47813/ Extract from an interview with Caple Jr. on the ''Empire Spoiler Specials'' podcast, via Seibertron.com]</ref> So basically, despite all the incongruities, Hasbro and Paramount are still treating ''Bumblebee'' and any subsequent films as being in continuity with the preceding entries, which makes total sense, as it means not alienating the audiences who ''did'' enjoy those movies. Plus, by continuing to set films before 2007, it not only minimizes the amount of prior knowledge the audience requires to enjoy the movie, but it means that they simply don't have to deal with the implications of the prequel timeline and the Bay movies' timeline intersecting.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-director-steven-caple-jr-1235484272/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. on Michael Bay’s Support, ’90s Rap Soundtrack and Reuniting with ‘Creed’ Directors — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> Indeed, di Bonoventura has described continuing to use the prequel setting as "kicking the can down the road" when it comes to confronting the pre-existing continuity, acknowledging that they've "maybe" contradicted things despite their best efforts.<ref>[https://www.fandom.com/articles/transformers-rise-beast-wars-optimus-prime Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Shows a Different Side of Optimus Prime" on Fandom.com]</ref> Ultimately, it's best just to enjoy the films on their own and not to sweat the continuity hiccups; after all, it's not like the Bay movies' stories were internally consistent with each other anyway. (If anything, just [[personal canon|ignoring]] ''The Last Knight'' pretty much fixes most of the issues on its own.)
{{-}}

====''Rise of the Beasts''====

*'''All of the generic Terrorcons are named “Freezer”.'''

:When [[Freezer]] was first revealed during the marketing campaign for ''Rise of the Beasts'', it was initially believed that he was simply a type of mass-produced drone, similarly to the various types of [[Vehicon (disambiguation)|Vehicon]] from past Transformers series, with the name belonging to both the two smaller [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]] deployed by [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] and the vast horde of generics seen in the final battle. This was seemingly supported by a note in Scourge’s character profile on social media<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Helping him in his relentless pursuit, Scourge keeps a collection of six-legged Terrorcon Freezers — mechanical insectoids he can send out to sniff out his prey.|link=https://www.facebook.com/transformersmovie/photos/pcb.6313444875357573/6313441462024581/|name=Transformers|site=Facebook|year=2023|month=05|day=12}}</ref> and was generally believed to be the case for the first few weeks after the film’s release. However, when the film was released on home media, it was revealed in the “Villains” behind-the-scenes featurette that all of the generic Terrorcons were actually named “[[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweeps]]”, in a homage to the original Scourge’s [[Sweep (G1)|minions]], and that the name “Freezer” actually only belonged to one of Scourge’s smaller minions, with the second being named “[[Novakane]]”.

:This misconception may have also been the result of an animation error regarding the Sweeps’ designs. The CGI models indicate that Freezer and Novakane were meant to have unique head designs, with Freezer having two scars on his forehead and Novakane having his left antennae cut off. However, for one reason or another, the two designs wound up being used interchangeably, not only between the two smaller Sweeps, but also between many of the larger Sweeps as well.

:Interestingly, the tie-in book “[[Mission at the Museum]]” actually referred to the pair as Sweeps, but this was initially dismissed as a preliminary working name for Freezer, especially with the next book, “[[The Search Is On]]”, using his finalised name instead. However, the difference between the two Sweeps was later confirmed by the aforementioned featurette, a set of Chinese trading cards, and the eventual release of Novakane’s ''[[Studio Series]]'' toy, long after the reveal of Freezer. Based upon this information, it can be deduced that Freezer is the Sweep who chases the humans and dies in the Peruvian cave, while Novakane is the Sweep who survives until the final battle before meeting his end in the lava.
{{-}}

==''Animated'' misconceptions==
===Toys===
*'''Hasbro can't make new toys based on Animated characters without Cartoon Network's approval.'''
[[File:WMTheLegacyOfBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|This set should not be possible.]]
: While not rooted in any specific source, there has been a longstanding misconception that because they produced the cartoon and collaborated with Hasbro on the toy designs, [[Cartoon Network]] maintains partial (if not complete) ownership over the character designs in ''Transformers Animated'', and is thus the reason why no new toys of the characters were released for almost 15 years.

: In truth, Hasbro owns ''Animated'' lock, stock, and barrel. A quick glance at the legal jargon on the back of any ''Animated'' toy packaging will show Hasbro as the sole [[copyright]] holder listed. In fact, the only legalese mentioning Cartoon Network is the [[trademark]] for their own name and logo, due to printing "AS SEEN ON CN!" on the box. A handful of ''Animated'' toys were also released after the show ended via [[Fun Publications]], which also listed Hasbro as the sole copyright holder. Furthermore, toys of several ''Animated'' characters were also sold under different ''Transformers'' toylines concurrently with the ''Animated'' line itself, such as the [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys#Universe (2008)|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Universe (2008)|Bumblebee]], [[Prowl (Animated)#Universe (2008)|Prowl]] and [[Starscream (Animated)#Universe (2008)|Starscream]] sold under the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'' line]], or the Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Animated)/toys#Transformers (2007)|Bumblebee]] sold as part of the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie toyline]]'s "The Legacy of Bumblebee" three-pack. Again, Cartoon Network is mentioned nowhere on the packaging. Similarly, Cartoon Network goes unmentioned in the copyrights for other merchandise like DVDs and tie-in comics. In Japan, the [[Blackarachnia (Animated)#Toys|''Animated'' Blackarachnia toy]] was even retooled years after ''Animated'' ended to create the [[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Legends|''Legends'' toy for ''Beast Wars'' Blackarachnia]], again with no mention of Cartoon Network anywhere.

: The only place you'll find a Cartoon Network copyright is in the credits of the episodes themselves, but Hasbro appears to have long since bought out whatever rights Cartoon Network retained, hence their ability to freely upload ''Animated'' clips to their YouTube channels and make it available for streaming alongside their other ''Transformers'' cartoons on services like [[Tubi]] (very much unlike [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Production|the one show we know they ''don't'' have all the rights to]]). And in either case, as mentioned above, it wouldn't prevent them from making new toys using those characters or designs. A much more likely explanation is Hasbro simply wanting new toys to fit a certain aesthetic, one that ''Animated''{{'}}s designs don't quite fit. So instead, they simply choose to adapt the characters to fit the new medium, such as with [[Bulkhead (Prime)|''Prime'' Bulkhead]] or [[Clobber (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Clobber]]. The most overt case of this is the [[2015]] Japanese release of the [[Slipstream (Animated)#Legends|''Legends'' Slipstream toy]], retooled by TakaraTomy from the non-''Animated'' [[Windblade (G1)#Generations|''Generations'' Windblade toy]] to be more ''Animated''-like, and ''explicitly'' spelled out to be the ''Animated'' character via the [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 16|accompanying issue]] of the [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]], which itself likewise featured multiple cameos by ''Animated'' characters.

: At [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2022, Hasbro designer [[Evan Brooks]] confirmed that any rumors of ''Animated'' characters not being available for Hasbro's use are incorrect, and that Hasbro has all rights to all Transformers characters.<ref name="evansdcc">[https://news.tfw2005.com/2022/07/25/sdcc-hasbro-kotobukiya-show-floor-qa-461912 "SDCC Hasbro & Kotobukiya Show Floor Q&A"] at TFW2005</ref> This was proven pretty definitively with the release of [[Prowl (Animated)#Legacy|Prowl's ''Legacy'' toy]] the following year, once again absent any sort of Cartoon Network related branding, and thankfully seems to have put the misconception to rest for good.
{{-}}

===Fiction===
*'''The Japanese dub of ''Transformers Animated'' presents it as a prequel to the live-action movies.'''

: This appears to have ''some'' basis: back in March 2010, the then-recent edition of ''[[TV Magazine]]'' published some early pre-release information about the Japanese dub of the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'' cartoon]]. Among the details announced was the name-change of [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] to "Ironhide", and changing his character to be closer in personality to [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] from the [[live-action film series|live-action movies]]. The article allegedly also claimed that because [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] was not Supreme Commander of the Autobots in ''Animated'', the cartoon would be "set chronologically before the live action movies".<ref name="tvmagani">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/animated-8/latest-edition-of-tv-magazine-reveals-new-transformers-animated-japan-details-169265/ TFW2005 reporting on ''TV Magazine'' article about the Japanese dub of the ''Transformers Animated'' cartoon], March 2010.</ref>

: In actuality, however, not much of this has been reflected in the dub itself: aside from the aforementioned renaming of Bulkhead into "Ironhide", there's nothing in the Japanese dub that ties the ''Animated'' cartoon any closer to the live-action movies than its American counterpart.

: While TakaraTomy chose to use the movie-style branding for ''Animated'' products, rendering the "Transformers Animated" logo in the gray steel look used for the movies, this appears to simply be a matter of wanting to associate the brand with the big successful money-making movie franchise rather than any reflection of fictional details.

{{-}}

==Aligned Continuity misconceptions==
===Toys===
*'''''Transformers: Prime'' was not initially planned to have any toys.'''
:The [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toy line]] for ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' was ''very'' delayed, debuting roughly a year after the associated cartoon had premiered. Previously, at a [[BotCon 2010]] panel about the then-upcoming ''Prime'' cartoon, a Hasbro representative had made a statement that they weren't talking about toys just then. ''Transformers'' fandom being [[Red Alert (G1)|what]] [[Breakdown (G1)|it is]], a widespread belief developed that Hasbro was never going to make ''Prime'' toys ''at all.'' As additional information gradually surfaced, this evolved into a rumor that ''Prime'' would only have a small number of toys, with some further speculating that they would also be limited to the Deluxe [[size class]] (since initially only Deluxes had been seen). The eventual revelation of a full ''Prime'' toyline caused the belief to evolve once more, with the new theory being that there wasn't ''originally'' going to be a ''Prime'' toyline, but Hasbro changed their minds due to demand.

:The reality, as usual, was much less apocalyptic. The statement from the Hasbro Studios panel was never intended to refer to anything except the panel itself—the people ''in that room'' weren't going to be discussing toys ''at that panel''. (In fact, [[Eric Siebenaler]] expressed excitement about [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]'s toy at the very same panel.) As for the delay in the line's launch, put simply, this was for appearance's sake. Hasbro wanted to establish ''Prime'' as a strong ''fictional'' franchise, rather than merely [[To sell toys|a glorified toy commercial]], and reasonably concluded that launching a toyline immediately would detract from that goal. There ''was'' a point when a few ''Prime'' toys were planned to be released under the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Transformers: Generations]]'' banner, but since ''Generations'' was at that time exclusively Deluxes, the aforementioned Bulkhead (a Voyager) indicates that this idea had already been abandoned when the rumors started.

:In short, this is just a matter of fans jumping to conclusions based on misinterpreted statements.
{{-}}

===Fiction===
*'''The High Moon Studios games are part of G1.'''
{{quote|We really did look very closely at Generation 1 stuff and tried to capture what for us was the essence of the characters.|[[Sean Miller]], Director Character and Animation|[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]}}
[[File:FOC-GameInformerPrimeBumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|It's the prequel to that version of G1 which never existed!]]
:With its designs aiming at a video gamer audience who grew up with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]], the development team for ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'' took a great deal of inspiration from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] for such things as characters and the design aesthetic for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/12/21/transformers-art-video.aspx Gameinformer interview]</ref> A [[Commercial#War for Cybertron|commercial]] even depicted Shockwave ordering Soundwave to play [[The Touch|a song]] made famous by the [[The Transformers: The Movie|original animated movie]]. Furthermore, War for Cybertron toys were sold as part of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline that featured Generation 1-styled characters. These factors led many to believe the game was actually part of Generation 1.

:To be fair, there was and is virtually no information available to the average fan that ''War for Cybertron'' is not part of Generation 1. Hasbro essentially folded ''War for Cybertron'' into the [[aligned continuity family|aligned continuity]], and informed dedicated fans of this fact through [[Hasbro Q&A|question and answer sessions]].<ref>"The official story of the original 13 and specifically Alpha Trion has not been explored fully in the modern continuity that Transformers War for Cybertron, Exodus, and Prime are a part of." [[Hasbro Q&A/September 2010: Answers]]</ref> The [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|''War for Cybertron'' comic adaptation]] and [http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 online timeline] actually are adaptations from ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]'', which is the basis for the new modern continuity fiction.

:Canonically, both WfC and its sequel ''Fall of Cybertron'' are in the Aligned continuity, but beyond suggestions and mandatory changes from Hasbro, High Moon Studios didn't seem to care about Hasbro's declarations of canon. In the art book for the sequel to WfC, ''[[The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'', the only influences of the concept art and designs mentioned are G1 related. Dreamwave, the original cartoon, and other concepts and ideas from Generation 1 are cited, but the fact that Cliffjumper's head is based off of ''Prime'' Cliffjumper's is not mentioned, nor are the modifications to Optimus Prime's gun, Megatron's new body, [[Tox-En]], or the other assorted influences from ''Prime''.

:[[High Moon Studios]] often described the games as prequels to the G1 cartoon. More savvy fans would recognize that the game is generally irreconcilable with the cartoon (or any other Generation 1 continuity for that matter): the circumstances of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s rise to power would contradict "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", and Optimus's [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|predecessor]] does not possess the Matrix, unlike his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#The Transformers cartoon|cartoon counterpart]]. The Autobots left Cybertron because the [[Core]] shut down, not because energy sources were depleted, and characters like [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]], [[Cyclonus (WFC)|Cyclonus]], the [[Aerialbot (WFC)|Aerialbots]], and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] wouldn't be on Cybertron or even ''exist''. Additionally, the game draws inspiration from other continuities, including characters not from Generation 1 like [[Slipstream (WFC)|Slipstream]] and [[Demolishor (WFC)|Demolishor]]. The game does share a lot of similarities with Dreamwave's ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' series (where Jetfire and Trypticon are present), but it cannot take place in that continuity either.
{{-}}

==Companies==
===Marvel Comics===
*'''John Romita designed the Generation 1 character models.'''
:The rumor here comes about through a misreading of the credits to ''[[The Transformers Universe]]''. Legendary Marvel Comics artist John Romita, Sr. was listed as "Art Director", leading readers to assume that he was in charge of designing or developing the various [[character model]]s used in the series (and reprinted in said comic). However, Romita was actually the Art Director for Marvel Comics as a whole at the time. The majority of the character models were in fact done by [[Floro Dery]], who went uncredited.<ref>See [http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/01/11/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-85/ Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed] for more information.</ref>

===TakaraTomy===
*'''Takara was taken over by Tomy.'''
[[File:Takaratomy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|We are one.]]
:In 2005, it was announced that Takara, longtime Japanese manufacturer/distributor of Transformers toys, and former competitor Tomy would merge into a new company, named [[TakaraTomy]], as of [[March 1]], 2006. Some fans misinterpreted the media coverage, believing that Takara had been bought out by rival Tomy. This was not helped by official press releases declaring Tomy the "surviving company", Tomy having the majority of shares, and the merged company simply going by the name "Tomy" outside Japan.

:The name issue is easily explained, as it was done for purely pragmatic reasons. "Tomy" is an internationally established brand, since the company already had divisions in many other countries prior to the merger, and distributed their toys under their own name there. Takara, meanwhile, had mostly abandoned its ventures into international markets years ago, and had its products distributed through other companies (such as [[Hasbro]]) instead. Therefore, the merged company decided to use the better-known name for its international business, while it would continue as "TakaraTomy" within Japan itself.

:Now, as for the specifics of the merger... Although the merger ratio was set at 0.356 of a Tomy share for each Takara share (including a split of Tomy's stock), and the companies announced a layoff of 15% of their combined workforce mostly on the Takara side, the term "merger" (as compared to "take-over") was prominently used in all the official announcements by the two companies, and twisting tiny details into a de facto "takeover" of Takara by Tomy is effectively splitting hairs.
{{-}}

*'''e-Hobby is owned by Takara (TakaraTomy).'''
:The [[e-HOBBY]] shop is owned by Part One, Ltd. Although the company has had close ties with Takara for decades, the online store also sells toys by other companies, primarily TakaraTomy's rival [[Bandai]].

:The online store ''directly'' owned by TakaraTomy, meanwhile, is [[TakaraTomy Mall]] (formerly Toy Hobby Market).

===IDW Publishing===
*'''Hasbro pays IDW to publish comics for them, and profit directly from the comics selling well.'''
:Presumably stemming from the fact that most Transformers ''cartoons'' are commissioned by Hasbro in order to advertise their toys, a lot of fans are under the impression that Hasbro pays IDW Publishing and other licensees to produce ''Transformers'' comics for them. This is the exact opposite of how licensed comics work; IDW pays Hasbro for the privilege of publishing ''Transformers'' comics, and IDW keeps all the profits outside of that licensing fee. As such, Hasbro doesn't have any particular investment in the comics selling well, other than their indirect effects on toy sales and potential negative press caused by "failing" comics; all that matters to Hasbro is that they sell well enough that IDW keep paying for the license.

*'''The [[Hasbro Universe]] was pushed on IDW by Hasbro.'''
:While Hasbro is mostly hands-off with IDW's comics, one of the terms of the license is that IDW needs to work with Hasbro to do [[To sell toys|occasional promotion]] for new and upcoming toys; this most obviously took place with events such as [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]], [[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]] and [[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]] — and, if we're being honest, has resulted in some of the less popular arcs from "phase 2" of IDW.<ref>[[James Roberts]] has apologised on multiple occasions for Dark Cybertron, which says a lot.</ref> As such, when IDW announced that they were bringing [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|several]] [[Rom|other]] [[Action Man|Hasbro-]][[M.A.S.K. (franchise)|owned]] [[Micronauts|franchises]] into their [[2005 IDW continuity|acclaimed Transformers universe]], a lot of fans assumed that this was the result of another Hasbro mandate, especially given their stated desire to have a "Transformers {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe|Cinematic Universe}}." It also bore a startling resemblance to the shuttered plans to use the [[Aligned continuity family]] to launch a shared universe, even sharing the name of [[Unit:E]]. However, the creative teams involved were open from the start about the decision being an internal one that IDW had to ask Hasbro for permission to do.

:Reportedly, the decision stemmed from IDW obtaining multiple additional Hasbro licenses, and [[Chris Ryall]] and [[Christos Gage]] suggesting that G.I. Joe appear in their ''ROM'' comic; this led to [[John Barber]] bringing up [[Andrew Griffith]]'s suggestion that IDW's ''G.I. Joe'' universe could fit "between" big ''Transformers'' events, which led to all of them suggesting to [[Cullen Bunn]] that the Earth that the [[Micronaut]]s visited be the ''ROM''/''Transformers''/''G.I. Joe'' one... and, well, it all spiralled from there. Hasbro were apparently very on board with the idea, but it was far from something that they pushed onto unwilling creators.

*'''The Hasbro Universe comics are responsible for the ending of the 2005 IDW continuity.'''
:Given that IDW announced that they were concluding their [[2005 IDW continuity|main continuity]] less than two years after the VERY controversial Hasbro Universe was first announced, a lot of fans were under the impression that the shared universe, and the relaunch of [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'']] and [[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye'']] into ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' and [[The Transformers: Lost Light|''Lost Light'']], were responsible for tanking sales to the point that IDW decided that it would be more profitable to reboot.

:However, the reason that those titles were relaunched in the ''first'' place is that their sales were on an unsustainable downwards spiral; and, other than a brief sales spike for the [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|first]] [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|issues]] of the relaunched series, the relaunch did pretty much nothing to the sales trends, which continued to decrease at the same level as they had from around the 51st issues to the relaunch.<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/670-general-comics-discussion/page-60#entry3661883 Sales chart of the Phase 2 IDW ongoings]</ref> While the Hasbro Universe titles generally didn't sell ''great'', they didn't affect the sales of the ongoing ''Transformers'' series.

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20121116134912/http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers, retrieved November 16, 2012] (archived)

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)

2023-07-04T21:54:38Z

Chasd20: /* Errors */

{{nav-rotb}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Bumblebee (film)
|next=
|title=''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''
|image=Transformers Rise of the Beasts Theatrical Poster.jpeg
|caption=So for now, let the battle be here, on this strange, primitive world. And let it be called... Beast Wars!
|production companies=[[Skydance Media]] [[Entertainment One]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] [[New Republic Pictures]] [[Michael Bay|Bay Films]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Brian Goldner]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[Bradley J. Fischer]] [[Valerii An]] [[David Ellison]] [[Dana Goldberg]] [[Don Granger]]
|associate producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Duncan Henderson]]
|story by=[[Joby Harold]]
|screenplay by=[[Joby Harold]] [[Darnell Metayer]] [[Josh Peters]] [[Erich Hoeber]] [[Jon Hoeber]]
|directed by=[[Steven Caple Jr.]]
|cinematography by=[[Enrique Chediak]]
|edited by=[[Stuart Levy]] [[Brett M. Reed]]
|music by=[[Jongnic Bontemps]]
|release date=[[June 9]], [[2023]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=127 minutes <ref>https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/C0D78E2B005A16FE</ref>
|budget=$200 million
|box office=$285 million<ref>https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/?ref_=bo_nb_yld_tab</ref>
}}
'''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''' is the seventh film in the [[live-action film series]], serving both as a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' and a tribute to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''. The film is directed by [[Steven Caple Jr.]] and written by [[Joby Harold]], [[Darnell Metayer]], [[Josh Peters]], [[Erich Hoeber]], and [[Jon Hoeber]]. Originally expected to be released on [[June 28]], [[2019]],<ref name="toyfairreveal">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/12/transformers-5-transformers-6-bumblebee-spin-off-movie-revealed-309503 Transformers 5, Transformers 6 And Bumblebee Spin-Off Movie Revealed] ToyFair news at TFW2005</ref> the film was delayed multiple times until finally being released on [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release"/>

When [[Noah Diaz]], a struggling young man trying to provide for his family, is roped into a conflict between the marooned [[Autobot]]s and the recently arrived [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], he must learn to work with weary Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] so they, with the help of the wise [[Maximal]]s and the unadventurous researcher [[Elena Wallace]], can stop the arrival of the planet-eater [[Unicron]].

==Synopsis==
[[File:ROTBcap-Unicronringedplanet.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|This is one unusual planet... whatever it is.]]

Somewhere in time and space, the dark god [[Unicron]] and his minions invade a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle world]] populated by [[Maximal]]s. Unicron, seeking a way to cross galaxies, sends his [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] herald [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] to retrieve the [[Transwarp Key]], an advanced device that can open portals in space-time. Although the Maximals attempt to fight back, their leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] entrusts [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and a small group of Maximals—[[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], and [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]]—with the Transwarp Key and orders them to keep the artifact from Unicron. As Primal and his followers use the key to escape their doomed planet and flee to prehistoric [[Earth]], Scourge kills Apelinq after a brief fight and takes his [[insignia]] as a trophy.

Thousands of years later, in the year [[1994]], ex-military electronics expert [[Noah Diaz]] attempts to find a job to support his sick brother [[Kris Diaz|Kris]]. However, after another failed interview, his friend [[Reek]] convinces him to steal an expensive car from a nearby hotel. However, the "car" turns out to be the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] in disguise, who takes the terrified Noah on a joyride through the streets of [[New York City]]. At the same time, a museum on Ellis Island comes into possession of an unusual stone falcon with a Maximal insignia. After closing hours, museum intern [[Elena Wallace]] investigates the statue and accidentally breaks it open to reveal half of the Transwarp Key. The artifact releases an energy pulse that attracts the attention of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots, who have been stranded on Earth since their evacuation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] seven years prior. Prime summons the nearest Autobots—[[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], and Mirage, who arrives at the meeting spot with Noah in tow. Although Optimus distrusts humans, he believes that they can use the Transwarp Key to return home and liberate their homeworld; eventually, Mirage hatches a scheme to sneak into the museum and have Noah steal the key for them.

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeBumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|A treacherous, underhanded sneak attack! I like you, pussycat, yes.]]

Unbeknownst to the Autobots, the accidental activation of the Transwarp Key summons the Terrorcons to Earth. Noah meets Elena inside the museum, but cannot convince her to turn over the relic before the Terrorcons attack; despite Prime's best efforts, Scourge successfully overpowers the Autobot leader, steals the Transwarp Key, and mortally injures Bumblebee before Airazor arrives to help drive the villains away. Airazor explains that the Maximals have been on Earth for millennia, and deliberately split the Transwarp Key in half to prevent Unicron or his followers from using it. The loss of Bumblebee only further galvanizes Optimus's resolve that they must reassemble the key and return home; Noah, fearful of Unicron's arrival, tells Elena that they must destroy the key to protect their own homeworld.

Elena deduces that the other half of the key is located in a hidden temple in [[Peru]], and Prime recruits the airborne Autobot [[Stratosphere]] to take them there. Near the city of [[Cusco]], the Autobot [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] guides them to the temple, located beneath a [[Convent of Santo Domingo|local monastery]]. A festival prevents the Autobots from moving through the city inconspicuously; as a result, Noah and Elena must make the journey on foot. The pair discover a hidden mechanism that leads to a hidden temple with a stone sarcophogus but find that the other half of the key is no longer inside it. The Terrorcons attack again, and although the Autobots are able to evade the villains, the conflict ends with Scourge infecting Airazor with a portion of Unicron's dark energy. On the other side of the temple, Noah and Elena encounter Optimus Primal and the other two Maximals, who, after a brief standoff that was defused by Airazor, agree to join forces with the Autobots. Optimus Primal explains that they entrusted the Transwarp Key to a tribe of humans who live near the [[energon]]-rich valley that Primal and his followers inhabit—while Optimus Prime distrusts humanity, Primal has lived among them for millennia, and has come to view them as friends and even allies.

The next morning, however, Scourge's corruption finally overtakes Airazor; in the ensuing battle, Primal is forced to kill her to save Elena. Amidst the chaos, Noah makes an attempt to destroy their half of the Transwarp Key until Optimus convinces him to stand down. However, amidst the chaos, Scourge and the Terrorcons steal the other half of the key and relocate to a nearby volcano, which they reshape into a massive portal that will summon Unicron to Earth.
Having found some common ground between their two races, Optimus Prime and Noah agree to work together; while the Autobot-Maximal alliance battle Unicron's minions, Noah and Elena attempt to sneak into the Terrorcon base and deactivate the [[Unspace|transwarp]] device with a manual shutdown code based on Elena's studies of the Maximal language. Mirage attempts to distract Scourge so that the humans can complete their mission, but the Terrorcon leader gravely injures him; with the last of his strength, Mirage reshapes his body into an [[exosuit]] for Noah. As Unicron begins pushing his way through the portal to Earth and sending down an army of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]] as reinforcements, the energy pulses released by the key ignite the nearby energon deposits and restore Bumblebee to life. As Bumblebee joins the fight, Optimus Prime gains the upper hand and finally kills Scourge, but not before the Terrorcon damages the console and leaves the heroes unable to close the portal. With no other options, Prime destroys the key and triggers a devastating implosion, but Noah and Primal successfully rescue the Autobot leader from falling into the collapsing vortex.

In the aftermath, the surviving Maximals remain in Peru, while the Autobots return to America. Elena is recognized for her archeological discovery, while Noah applies for another security job—but discovers that the job opportunity is actually a front for a clandestine government organization codenamed "[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]," who promise to cover his brother's treatment going forward.

Some time later, Noah has used spare Porsche parts to cobble together a new body for Mirage, and reveals his existence to a bewildered Reek.

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
;Autobots
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] ([[Pete Davidson]])
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] ([[Liza Koshy]])
* [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] ([[Cristo Fernández]])
* [[Stratosphere]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

;Maximals
* [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] ([[Ron Perlman]])
* [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] ([[Michelle Yeoh]])
* [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] ([[David Sobolov]])
* [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]] ([[Tongayi Chirisa]])
* [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] (David Sobolov)

|h2=[[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s|c2=
;Terrorcons
* [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] ([[Peter Dinklage]])
* [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] ([[Michaela Jaé Rodriguez]])
* [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] (David Sobolov)
* [[Freezer]]

;Predacons
* [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
* [[Noah Diaz]] ([[Anthony Ramos]])
* [[Elena Wallace]] ([[Dominique Fishback]])
* [[Breanna Diaz]] ([[Luna Lauren Velez]])
* [[Kris Diaz]] ([[Dean Scott Vasquez]])
* [[Reek]] ([[Tobe Nwigwe]])
* [[Jillian Robertson]] ([[Sarah Stiles]])
* [[Bishop (ROTB)|Bishop]] ([[Aidan Devine]])
* [[Mrs. Greene]] ([[Leni Parker]])
* [[Amaru]] ([[Lucas Huarancca]])
;[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]
* [[Agent Burke]] ([[Michael Kelly (actor)|Michael Kelly]])

|h4=Others|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[Colman Domingo]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==Quotes==
"There’s a legend that precedes the dawn of our civilization: a vile god so large, so powerful, that it consumes entire planets as fuel. Few believed such a thing could be true, until the day we saw Unicron with our own eyes…"
:—'''Optimus Primal's''' opening narration.

"I'll hold him off, buy you some time." 
"Then I'm staying with you." 
"This is my fight. Listen, if Unicron were to get the key, he could open a portal through [[Transwarp Drive|time and space]], with no end to the worlds he could destroy. It is now your time to lead the [[Maximal|Maximals]]... Optimus Primal."
:—'''Apelinq''' passing the torch to '''Optimus Primal'''.

"So you're this planet's... ''great'' warrior. You have such a beautiful world, filled with an abundance of life. Savory."
:—'''Scourge''' waxes poetic to Apelinq.

"Benefits, to serving the almighty Unicron."
:—'''Scourge''' taking Apelinq's insignia and placing it on himself [[Lockdown (Animated)|as a trophy]].

"Okay, what are the rules?" 
"Bros before hoes." 
''[Noah glares at Kris]'' 
''(sigh)'' "Don't be a problem. Don't go looking for a problem—" 
"Or else we're gonna have a problem."
:—'''Noah''' and '''Kris''' clarify the rules.

"I ain't breaking into a museum for some space robots." 
"But what about for friendship?" 
''[Noah stares at Mirage incredulously]'' 
"Then what about for cash?"
:—'''Noah''' wants out. '''Mirage''' wants him in.

''"You can't handle the truth!"'' 
"I do not want you going to that drive-in theater anymore."
:— '''Bumblebee's''' references grate on '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Stop following me!" 
"I'm not following you, I'm just escaping in the same direction!"
:—'''Elena''' and '''Noah''' run from the pursuing Freezers.

"And you call yourself a Prime...Primus would be ''ashamed.''"
:—'''Scourge''' isn't too impressed with Optimus Prime.

"I'm going to take back Scourge's key, and then...''take off his head.''"
:—The origins of '''Optimus Prime's''' "GIVE ME YOUR FACE" phase.

"I love your fire, Prime, but you're going to die on this speck of dust." 
"I can think of no better place to bury you!"
:—'''Scourge''' has gotten on '''Optimus Prime's''' last nerve

"I am sorry, Noah." 
"You were looking out for your own. I can't even be angry at you for that." 
"On my homeworld, we believe that the battle with darkness will continue [['Til all are one|'til all are one]]. I lost sight of that. You fought for yours as I fought for mine, when we should've been fighting the darkness together." 
"But I ain't done fighting yet."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Noah''' have a moment as Unicron approaches.

"''I have come here to kick ass!''"
:—'''Bumblebee''' announces his return with a clear message.

"Time to show you the real power of a Prime!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' lays the smackdown on Scourge. An ass kicker cometh.

"Don't, Prime. I can give you everything you want." 
"Then DIE!"
:—'''Unicron's''' temptation falls flat in '''Optimus Prime's''' face.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We have lost the Transwarp Key, and with it, our ability to go home. But we have gained an ally in our battle against the forces of evil. Forces too powerful for any of us to defeat on our own, but together, we might just have a chance."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration. We missed them.

"I am Noah Diaz. What is there to know about me? I was raised out in Brooklyn. I got a little bro who calls me Sonic, and if I gotta help save the universe in order to help save the people I love, well then that's what I'm gonna do."
:—'''Noah''' does his own closing narration.

==Continuity notes==
''Rise of the Beasts'' is a direct sequel to 2018's ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' film, taking place seven years after its events, in 1994. The plot of the film has little impact on this one, beyond it being established that the Autobots have been stranded on Earth since arriving at its end. While waiting for Noah to infiltrate the museum, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee have a conversation that alludes to Bee's time with [[Charlie Watson]].

More notably, ''Rise of the Beasts'' serves to continue the heated debate among fans over whether or not the ''Transformers'' live-action film series has been rebooted, following reshoots to ''Bumblebee'' which served to distance it from prior continuity as directed by [[Michael Bay]]. Promotion for the film has delivered a lot of fuzzy statements and mixed messaging; it appears to be the perspective of director Steven Caple Jr. that it ''is'' a reboot of some description,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I feel like we have a lot to unravel, because this feels like a true reboot if you will, into the ''Transformers'' franchise, so we're about to see a lot more beyond the Decepticons moving forward.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPr_LLZx2HY&t=354s|site=Black Girl Nerds|title=Steven Caple Jr and Anthony Ramos on Rivalry and War in 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts'|year=2022|month=12|day=01}}</ref> but observes that they are preserving many elements of the films that have gone before.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's a reboot for sure. The Bayverse... you can still watch the Bayverse and be on your own verse, so to speak. With us, we're definitely like, we want this to work, you know? We want people to... it's a refresher, so we can call reboot in terms of like, where we were starting. But yeah so definitely a new direction for sure. There's some things you could probably connect to it, clearly Bee is like a huge connection to all the movies, you know what I mean? In terms of his car, his design, a Camaro, and things like that, but... it's a very small one, in terms of the big ideas that we have. And so you guys will see definitely where we're going at the end of this film, which is crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfMFxvT_-Q&t=2452s|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=The Alfonso Nation|title="BAYVERSE vs REBOOT" & Wheeljacks Design | ROTB DIRECTOR STEVEN CAPLE JR Interview!|year=2023|month=05|day=27}}</ref> Meanwhile, longtime producer [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] has repeatedly denied that it is a reboot, stating that the film shows how Optimus Prime grows to become the character seen in the Bay films,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hey you know if you look at it from a timeline point of view, it follows ''Bumblebee''... but it is a prequel, in that it's before all the previous movies. So it sort of exists in its own way. What I don't think it is, is a reboot, because it's still our characters. One of the things that Steven brought to the table right from the beginning, which was so great, was the idea that when we meet Optimus Prime, he's different than what we think of him, and we're watching him grow up—if you would—as a leader. And for me that was one of the most exciting parts of the movie, and what was interesting was watching it with audiences, and at first they were uncomfortable a little bit, like, "wait, that's not exactly the Optimus... he should like humans!" You know? So I think it gives the movie a really interesting point of view, and that therefore it stands alone in that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11sKGYcq9k&t=871s|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=a panel at the premiere of ''Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=05|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=But what's interesting is, and you will appreciate this as a fan, at the end of ''Bumblebee'', Optimus comes to Earth. What he's experienced is failure, probably for the first time in his life, right? He's had to retreat, he's leaving the planet Cybertron. What's happened to him from that experience? When we meet him in 2007, he's a particular person, if you would. In 1994, he's not the same person. He still has growth to do between ‘94 and 2007. So the character arc for Optimus in this, and the fun for the audience is, when you first meet Optimus – and we've had this experience because we've watched it with audiences and we've heard them talk about it – they're like, “It's definitely Optimus, but there's something a little different…” At first, they're like, “Wait, what, who… what Optimus is this?” And by the end of the movie, Optimus has become the guy that you've recognized from the Bay movies. Emotional.|link=https://collider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-michael-bay-movies-producer-comments/|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=Collider|title='Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Producer on How It Differs From Michael Bay's Movies|year=2023|month=05|day=24}}</ref> and many reviews of and articles about the film have casually referred to it as a prequel. Some web outlets would even run articles commenting on Paramount's indistinct stance on the movie's (and ''Bumblebee'''s) place in continuity.<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/transformers-7-bumblebee-reboot-mistake "Rise of the Beasts Is Repeating Bumblebee's Worst Mistake" on CBR.com]</ref><ref>[https://movieweb.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-is-a-reboot/ "Why Does Paramount Keep Pretending Rise of the Beasts Is Not a Reboot?" on MovieWeb.com]</ref>

Whichever approach you subscribe to, it's pretty clear the decision to set the film in 1994 was one primarily made to avoid having to directly deal with the timeframe of the Bay movies in any capacity, and tell a new story free of their immediate baggage. For what it's worth, the film takes some steps to preserve the broad continuity of at least the first Bay film; the Transwarp Key's energy is explicitly stated to operate on a frequency that humans cannot perceive, meaning that they literally cannot ''see'' the huge sky-beam or the portal. As such, the film ends with the general population of Earth (beyond secret forces within the US government) still entirely unaware of the Transformers' existence, as was the case when the 2007 film began. As the time-gap between these "prequels" and the first movie narrows, though, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine them fitting together without a lot of hand-waving away of specific details, unless future movies actually start making active attempts to address this.

In terms of active contradictions to established continuity, ''Rise of the Beasts'' appears to take the same approach as ''Bumblebee'' and ignores the events of the final Bay film, 2017's ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', by depicting Unicron as a separate planet, rather than the Earth itself, as he appeared in that film. However, it's probably important to note that the film lightly implies that the Maximals are time-travellers from the future (see "Transformers references" for more details), which would mean that the Unicron who appears in this film is also from the future. Thus it ''could'' be argued that his appearance here doesn't technically contradict ''The Last Knight''—but of course, that would mean he was trying to eat his own past self.

==Transformers references==
*The Maximals are broadly depicted the same as they were in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon: as a "highly-advanced race" of beast-mode Transformers who use transwarp technology to travel to other planets and interact with their native species, whose travels bring them to ancient Earth. Steven Caple Jr. has noted that earlier drafts of the screenplay explicitly depicted the Maximals as time-travellers from the future, as they were in the cartoon, and while the concept is so toned down for the finished movie that it probably won't even occur to general audiences, several references to the idea are still made on-screen. Transwarp technology is stated to open portals in time as well as space; Airazor states that the Maximals are "from both [the Autobots'] past and future"; and Optimus Primal says that he is named after the "legendary" Optimus Prime, which all combine to suggest that the Maximals originate from the future.
*The idea of the Maximals hailing from a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle planet]] originates in [[IDW Publishing]]'s comic books, which depicted many ''Beast Wars'' characters as the residents of the planet Eukaris. The planet is implied to be one of many colonised by Transformers in ages past using space bridges generated by the Transwarp Key, before the planets became separated and the key "lost." This concept of a great era of Cybertronian expansion that led to the foundation of lost colonies on other planets where Cybertronian life evolved in new and different directions dates back to 2005's [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]], and became a recurring element in ''Transformers'' series in the 2010s and beyond after it was incorporated into the lore of the [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]].
*Unicron's armies being named the "Terrorcons" hearkens back to both 2004's ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and 2010's ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', which both featured the power of Unicron being used to create armies of warriors known as Terrorcons. In particular, the corrupted Airazor's rusted appearance resembles the ''Prime'' Terrorcons, which were also rusted, dilapidated, shambling bots controlled by the will of another.
*Though not identified by name onscreen, Unicron's army includes multiple duplicates of a robotic scorpion identified by the movie's toyline as "Predacon Scorponok." The idea of "Scorponok" being a mass-produced "species" of robots has recently been seen in the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|''War for Cybertron'' cartoon]], where both [[Scorponok (G1)|Generation 1 Scorponok]] ''and'' [[Scorponok (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Scorponok]] were treated this way.
*The Maximals vow to keep the Transwarp Key hidden and safeguard life "no matter the cost," evoking Optimus Prime's iconic line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost."
*Optimus Prime's design features alterations from his earlier ''Bumblebee'' appearance that are influenced by his appearance in the first three Bay films; he has silver hands, feet, sun visors, angled chest windows, retractable orange [[Dual Energon Swords|Energon swords]], a handheld orange [[Energon-axe]] (which transforms out of his arm, coincidentally similar to the [[Optimus Prime (ES)|''Earthspark'' version]]), and a mask-less face sporting similar details. Arcee also transforms into a {{w|Ducati}} motorcycle, like her ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' character.
*Scourge combines aspects of his [[Scourge (G1)|Generation 1]], [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'']] and [[Scourge (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'']] namesakes; he's a herald of Unicron like G1 Scourge, transforms into a black Optimus Prime-like truck like ''RID'' Scourge and hails from a colony world like ''Cybertron'' Scourge. The various insignia he wears as trophies include the symbols of the [[Decepticon]]s, [[Autobot]]s, [[Maximal]]s, [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s, [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] and [[Wreckers]].
*More obscure characters appear such as Apelinq, who originates from a [[Apelinq (BM)#Toys|BotCon 2000 toy]] and tie-in [[3H Productions]] comics, and Stratosphere, returning from the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toyline.
*When [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] lands at the Museum following the carnage, she makes some [[Starscream (Movie)|very familiar warbling noises]] when she moves.
*The two music tracks used in Unicron's scenes feature segments taken from [[Vince DiCola]]'s "Unicron's Theme" in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Scourge stands and talks to Unicron's face from inside his body, similar to a scene with their characters from the Generation 1 episode, "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]".
*The symbols Elena studies are Maximal [[Cybertronix]], from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon. The access code Elena assembles doesn't translate to anything, and simply reads "XQB," but the text on the side of the Transwarp Key (written in a combination of mirrored and upside-down symbols) reads: "He Who Opens The Door."
*The authors of the paper Elena reads about Peru's unexplained glyphs are Asahi Takara and Daniel H. Tomy, a reference to [[TakaraTomy]], Hasbro's longtime business partner in Transformers toys.
*After meeting Optimus Prime for the first time, Noah incorrectly calls him "Optimal". "Optimal Optimus" is the name of the original [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimus Primal's Transmetal 2 body]].
*When proposing different alternate modes to Noah, Mirage briefly turns into an F1 car, a reference to [[Mirage (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]]'s alternate mode. He also turns into a Lamborghini Countach, which was just a really cool, sexy car, but also famous in ''Transformers'' lore for being the alternate mode of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Generation 1 Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]. He then claims that he can also turn into a Ferrari, the alternate mode of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Dino]], whose name in media outside of that movie was "Mirage".
*Mirage is incredulous over the news that musician [[Mark Wahlberg]] is leaving his band, the Funky Bunch, and going into acting—a good-natured jab at the actor's [[Cade Yeager|leading role]] in the earlier ''Transformers'' movies, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' and ''The Last Knight''.
*Scourge name-drops [[Primus]] as he taunts Optimus Prime, the first reference to the Transformers' creator god in any of the live-action movies.
*Scourge injures Prime's left flank in the museum battle, which mirrors the injuries [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] gave to the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie.'' Prime even grasps the wound in the same way his predecessor did.
*Airazor explains that Unicron imbues his heralds with a "dark energy," which increases their power, but also has a corrupting effect—almost certainly a reference to [[Dark Energon]], the life-energy of Unicron introduced in the Aligned continuity.
*Unicron psychically tortures Scourge from afar in the same way he did [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
*When Optimus Primal talks to Optimus Prime about how the Maximals trust the humans, he says there's "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more to them than meets the eye]]".
*Optimus states the Cybertronian belief that "the battle with darkness" will continue: "[['Til all are one]]." This phrase, and the idea of a day prophesied in Cybertron legend when it will come to pass, originates with ''The Transformers: The Movie,'' and is here used to thematically connect with the shared struggle of the Autobots, Maximals, and humans.
*When the heroes are lining up for the final battle, brown fins briefly pop out of the sides of Wheeljack's head, evoking his [[Wheeljack (G1)|Generation 1 design]].
*As the heroes charge towards the Terrorcon army, Optimus Primal commands Rhinox and Cheetor to "Maximize!", which was the Maximal [[activation code]] from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
*Optimus Primal briefly fights with his double bladed scimitar from his [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|original toy]].
*In the final battle, when Unicron sends an army of Freezers to reinforce his minions on Earth, they make their descent in the form of yellow-and-black orbs, which appears to be a nod to Unicron's [[Mini-Con]] from ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the yellow-and-black sphere, [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]].
*The armored suit Mirage forms over Noah is conceptually an homage to the Generation 1 [[exosuit]]s, while its overall design hews closer to [[Kicker Jones]]' battlesuit from ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''.
*In a glorious homage to [[Transformers (film)|the 2007 movie]], the musical highlight of [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" plays as Optimus, Noah, and Primal escape the collapsing transwarp portal's suction.
* Optimus Prime's final speech is set to a remixed version of the track "No Sacrifice, No Victory" from the 2007 movie's score, which was also reprised for the endings of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''.
*[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Transformers have frequently crossed over in comics and the occasional toyline over the years, though this marks the first time the two have co-existed in a feature film. Notably, the G.I. Joe insignia on Burke's business card is the version introduced in the film ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra''.
*When Reek and Noah are repairing Mirage at the end of the film, Reek says "Even Stevens," a possible allusion to [[Shia LaBeouf]], who starred in the [[Sam Witwicky|leading role]] in the first three ''Transformers'' movies and prior to that starred as the main character in the Disney Channel sitcom ''Even Stevens''.

==Real-life references==
*A TV screen briefly shows news coverage of the {{w|Murder trial of O. J. Simpson#Bronco chase|O.J. Simpson white Ford Bronco car chase}}, which places the events of the film near June 17, 1994.
*Throughout the film, Noah and Kris use the codenames "[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]" and "{{w|Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog)|Tails}}" (and in one instance, Mirage is referred to as "{{w|Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles}}"), a nod to the characters from the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' videogame series.
*Kris wears a shirt of the ''Mighty Morphin' [[Saban Entertainment|Power Rangers]]'', another property owned by Hasbro. A poster of said series also appears on his wall.
*Kris is heard playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his [[Game Boy]]. However, see "Errors".
*Kris attempts to comfort Noah after his unsuccessful interview by relating his struggle to [[Superman|Superman's]] difficulty finding a job before being hired by the {{w|Daily Planet}}.
*When Mirage compliments Noah after the car chase, he quotes the line "I like it a lot" from ''Dumb and Dumber''. However, see "Errors".
*Noah calls Mirage {{w|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.}} for obvious reasons. He also makes a reference to [[Indiana Jones]] when discovering the hidden temple in Peru.
*Bumblebee drops various voice lines from famous real-life films throughout the whole movie, including ''{{w| Die Hard}}'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', ''{{w| A Few Good Men}}'' and ''{{w| Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface}}.''
*Elena sings the TLC song "{{w|Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls}}" to herself during the flight to Peru. However, see "Errors".
*When meeting Primal, Elena brings up the {{w|Nazca Lines}}, asking if the Maximals were responsible for creating them. [[Order of the Witwiccans|In this case]], however, Primal takes no credit for human ingenuity.
*Mirage calls Optimus Primal "{{w|Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong}}".
*At the end of the film, Elena appears on the CBS news program ''[[60 Minutes]]''; host [[Lesley Stahl]] makes a cameo appearance as herself during the segment.
*The award on the wall that serves as the hidden switch to access the G.I. Joe base reads "Real Hero Award" with the image of an American flag, referencing the subtitle of the original G.I. Joe cartoon series: "A Real American Hero".

==Errors==
*When Scourge kills Apelinq, he welds his Maximal insignia to his right shoulder, but throughout the rest of the film, Apelinq's insignia is gone. In the same scene, Scourge says "They never learn...", but his mouth is not moving.
*Though the "you died!" music and mention of Bowser imply Kris is playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his Game Boy, that game wouldn't see a release on the system until 1999's ''[https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_Bros._Deluxe Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]'' on the Game Boy Color. The only Mario platformers released for Game Boy by 1994 were the ''Super Mario Land'' games, which featured different antagonists and music.
*When Reek yells down the street as Noah and Kris depart, his dialogue does not match his lips.
*Elena sings "Waterfalls" to calm herself down. Assuming the film takes place in the summer, as implied by the aforementioned coverage of the O.J. Simpson chase, it would still be a few months until the November 1994 release of the album ''CrazySexyCool'', which the song first appeared on.
*Similarly, Mirage quotes a line from ''Dumb and Dumber'', a film that would not release until December 1994.
*A green car that was smashed and thrown in the Museum scene was a B5.5 Volkswagen Passat which would not be released until 2001.
*After Scourge incapacitates Bumblebee, he plucks his Autobot badge off with a normal left hand. In the following shot, however, his left hand is transformed into his giant claw and he is no longer holding the badge.
*When the Autobots arrive at Cuzco, they land at the citadel of [[Sacsayhuamán]], an Inca fortress on the northern outskirts of the city, and the site is deserted. Even on a normal day, it should be crawling with tourists, but the Autobots are specifically said to arrive during the [[Inti Raymi]] festival... whose central activity is a recreation of an Inca ceremony ''at'' Sacsayhuamán.
*The doors that go onto Wheeljack's back are unmarked brown in the scene of him transforming from van mode, but feature text on them in the very next cut where he is in robot mode.
*When Wheeljack audibly gasps at Noah assuming he can speak Spanish, his mouth is not moving.
*During the chase out of Cuzco, when Optimus Prime reaches the bend, the Terrorcons are very close behind him. However, when he transforms into robot mode, they are suddenly much further back.
*When Wheeljack is recovering from being attacked by Rhinox, his mouth is not moving as he says "Ay-ay-ay."
*As the heroes are walking through the jungle, the scene cuts to Elena while she is saying "So, what are you?", which does not match her lips.
*The fight with the brainwashed Airazor takes place at Machu Picchu, which nobody is witness to, as again it is completely deserted. It should be crawling with tourists, the staff that works at the site, the guests and staff of the lodge located right next to the complex, or the population of the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain.
*When Scourge walks away with the second half of the key, his left arm switches from the claw to the cannon between shots.
*From the time Bumblebee acquires his offroad Camaro, his wheels are inconsistent between his robot and vehicle modes, with some shots showing his normal Camaro's wheels instead of the offroad ones. It is most visible for the wheels on his shoulders.
*Elena audibly whimpering in Bumblebee as he drives through hoards of Freezers does not match her lips.
*The promo for ''60 Minutes'' uses the program's contemporary imaging, including the use of the current CBS News logotype above that of the show.

==Music==
A score album, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', was released alongside the film on June 9, 2023. Paramount also compiled a Spotify Playlist, ''[[Transformers Rise of the Beats]]'', featuring songs that appeared in the film.

==Reception==
{{quote|Thanks to some genuine human drama between the set pieces and palpable affection for the title characters, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is one of the franchise's more enjoyable outings.|Critics Consensus|[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_rise_of_the_beasts Rotten Tomatoes]}}

==Development details==

[[File:TRANSFORMERS-2022.jpg|thumb|Why did it take so long?|250px]]

* March 27, 2015 — [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" with the intention of building a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[http://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Goldsman goes on to hire a number of writers over the next few months: [[Steven DeKnight]] (''Daredevil''),<ref>[http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-cinematic-universe/35696/transformers-cinematic-details-more-writers-over-10-films Transformers cinematic details]</ref> [[Robert Kirkman]] (''The Walking Dead''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-writers-robert-kirkman-zak-penn-art-marcum-matt-holloway-jeff-pinkner-1201430601/ 'Transformers' Spinoff & Sequel Scribes Set] on Deadline.com</ref> [[Art Marcum]] and [[Matt Holloway]] (''Iron Man''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Christina Hodson]] (''Shut In'', ''The Fugitive''),<ref name="hodsonbeer">[http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/446175-christina-hodson-and-lindsey-beer-join-transformers-writing-team Christina Hodson and Lindsey Beer Join the Transformers Writing Team]</ref> [[Lindsey Beer]] (''Dig''),<ref name="hodsonbeer" /> [[Zak Penn]] (''Pacific Rim 2''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Jeff Pinkner]] (''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'', ''Lost''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]] (''Ant-Man''),<ref name="barrerferrari">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-ant-man-andrew-barrer-gabriel-ferrari-cybertron-1201433402/ 'Ant-Man' Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari Join 'Transformers' Writers Room] on Deadline</ref> [[Ken Nolan]] (''Black Hawk Down''), and [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]].<ref name="nolandworet">[http://www.slashfilm.com/transformers-writers-room/ Akiva Goldsman Teases 'Transformers' Franchise Plans]</ref> Involved in the pitching process are [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Michael Bay]], [[Brian Goldner]], [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]], [[Mark Vahradian]], and [[Don Murphy]].<ref name="deadlinereveal">[http://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref>
* October 3, 2015 — During his keynote speech at the MIP Junior Conference, [[Allspark (company)|Allspark]]'s [[Stephen J. Davis]] notes that the writing team has come up with film concepts for Transformers 5, 6, 7, and 8.<ref name="stephendaviskeynote">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_P2fw_DlS4&t=812 Stephen Davis's keynote speech] at MIPJunior.</ref>
* February 12, 2016 — At [[Toy Fair 2016]], Hasbro reveals the projected release date of Transformers 7, along with the dates for the two preceding films.<ref name="toyfairreveal" />
* September 23, 2017 — At Licensing Europe 2017, Hasbro announces Transformers 7 will have an "entirely new, exciting storyline".<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/09/23/2019-transformers-movie-feature-entirely-new-storyline-349463 2019 Transformers Movie To Feature An Entirely New Storyline] on TFW2005</ref>
* February 16, 2018 — Hasbro clarifies at [[Toy Fair 2018]] that the film will be a reset of the franchise and has been delayed indefinitely until a new creative team is in place.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/02/16/transformers-cinematic-universe-current-movie-series-rebooted-358641 Transformers Cinematic Universe Is Over: Current Movie Series To Be Rebooted] on TFW2005</ref>
* May 24, 2018 — Paramount drops the film from their release schedule.<ref>[http://collider.com/transformers-7-cancelled/amp/ Paramount Officially Pulls the Next 'Transformers' Sequel from Their Release Date Schedule] on Collider</ref>
* March 15, 2019 — di Bonaventura states a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' is in development.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/two-sequels-in-transformers-live-action-franchise-confirmed-in-development/43083/ Two Sequels in Transformers Live Action Franchise Confirmed in Development] on Seibertron</ref>
* March 18, 2019 — di Bonaventura claims that the next main ''Transformers'' film will be a reboot closely tied to the ''Bumblebee'' sequel, rather than a direct sequel to ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''. Either way, Paramount will pick the best script for ''Transformers 7'' and release that first.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bumblebee-producer-says-next-transformers-movie-wi/1100-6465652/ Bumblebee Producer Says Next Transformers Movie Will Be A Reboot] on GameSpot</ref>
[[File:Stevencaplejr autobot cast.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Arcee (G1)|KARR]] [[GEEWUN|NOT BIKE!]]]]
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Actually, [[Megatron (Movie)#Dark of the Moon film|not the first time]] The Transformers meet {{w|Mad Max|Mad Max}}...]]
* January 27, 2020 — Variety reports two ''Transformers'' films are being penned, to be produced simultaneously: one written by [[James Vanderbilt]], another to be written by [[Joby Harold]].<ref>[https://variety.com/2020/film/news/transformers-franchise-revamp-bumblebee-james-vanderbilt-joby-harold-1203482496/ ‘Transformers’ Franchise Gets a Revamp With Two Separate Films in the Works] on Variety</ref> Deadline reports that Vanderbilt's script is for a spin-off film based on ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', while Harold's script continues the story from the ''Bumblebee'' film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/01/transformers-movies-paramount-1202843234/ Dual ‘Transformers’ Movies In The Works At Paramount] on Deadline</ref>
* May 2, 2020 — [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms that a new Transformers live-action movie is slated to release on [[June 24]], 2022. However, only one between Harold's ''Bumblebee'' sequel and Vanderbilt's ''Beast Wars'' film will make it to production first.
* August 21, 2020 — New Republic Pictures is announced as a new co-financier for Paramount in a ten-picture deal in the wake of the success of 2019's ''Rocketman''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/08/paramount-pictures-new-republic-pictures-10-picture-cofinancing-deal-top-gun-maverick-1203018250/ New Republic Pictures Signs 10-Pic Co-Fi Deal With Paramount Pictures; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Among Films] on Deadline</ref>
* November 16, 2020 — [[Steven Caple Jr.]] is announced as the director.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/11/transformers-director-steven-caple-jr-1234613830/ Transformers’: ‘Creed 2’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Tapped To Direct Next Installment In Paramount And Hasbro Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* April 1, 2021 — [[Anthony Ramos]] is in talks for a starring role.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-7-cast-anthony-ramos/ Exclusive: Anthony Ramos in Talks to Star in New 'Transformers' Movie] at Collider</ref>
* April 29, 2021 — [[Dominique Fishback]] is in final negotiations to star in the film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/04/transformers-dominique-fishback-anthony-ramos-paramount-eone-and-hasbro-franchise-1234746855/ 'Transformers': Dominique Fishback Lands Lead Role Opposite Anthony Ramos In Next Installment For The Paramount Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* June 13, 2021 — A casting call sheet for filming in Montreal reveals that the film is set in [[1992]].<ref>[https://www.transformersfr.com/t5190p250-parlons-des-films-transformers-a-venir#190206 Rumeur ― le "7ème Film Transformers en prise de vue réelle" se déroulerait en 1992] on transformersfr.com</ref>
* June 22, 2021 — A Paramount virtual event is held in which the movie's title, premise, and few of the characters and cast are unveiled (revealing it to be both the ''Bumblebee'' and ''Beast Wars'' films in one).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Currently attending a Paramount virtual event about the next #Transformers film. Report to follow!|link=https://twitter.com/search?q=(from%3ABWTF_Ben)%20until%3A2021-06-23%20since%3A2021-06-22|name=Ben Yee|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|link=https://bwtf.com/news/rise-of-the-beasts-character-descriptions|name=Ben Yee|site=BWTF|title=Movie News: "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" Character Descriptions|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref> The film's logo and official premise are also unveiled on official Transformers social media accounts.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The battle on Earth is no longer just between Autobots and Decepticons… Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in theatres June 24, 2022.|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1407422768602181632|name=@transformers|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref>
* June 28, 2021 — [[Ron Perlman]] is announced to be reprising his role as Optimus Primal from ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]''. [[Darnell Metayer]] and [[Josh Peters]] are confirmed as writers, inspired by Joby Harold's earlier draft.<ref>{{citesocial|quote='''Ron Perlman''' has been tapped to voice Optimus Primal in '''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''', Collider has exclusively learned. [...] ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be led by rising stars '''Anthony Ramos''' (''In the Heights'') and '''Dominique Fishback''' (''Judas and the Black Messiah''), and '''Steven Caple Jr.''' (''Creed II'') is directing from a script by '''Darnell Metayer''' and '''Josh Peters''', who worked off an earlier draft by '''Joby Harold'''.|link=https://collider.com/ron-perlman-optimus-primal-voice-transformers-7-rise-of-the-beasts/|name=Jeff Sneider|site=Collider|title=Exclusive: 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Adds Ron Perlman as Voice of Optimus Primal|year=2021|month=06|day=28}}</ref>
* July 11, 2021 — Rapper [[Tobe Nwigwe]] announces on Instagram that he's been cast in the movie.<ref>[https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/music/houston-s-tobe-nwigwe-earns-emmy-nom-16317174 Houston’s Tobe Nwigwe earns Emmy nom, 'Transformers' role] from the Houston Chronicle</ref>
* October 6, 2021 — Caple Jr. reveals the vehicle modes for the Autobot and Terrorcon cast through his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The squad is out…|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsm_wyLory/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* October 20, 2021 — Filming is completed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=That’s a wrap 🎬|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOw5z2r9TP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 21, 2021 — Cuscopolita reports on the vehicles with the film's Peru crew, confirming the unidentified vehicles as [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] and [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]].<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.facebook.com/cuscopolitamagazine/videos/1941112319403899|name=Cuscopolita|site=Facebook|title=Exclusiva con los Transformers|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 22, 2021 — Ramos makes a guest appearance on [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]], confirming Cheetor, his favorite ''Beast Wars'' character, will be in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I am a ''Transformers'' fan, ''Beast Wars'' fan, Cheetor is my #1 favorite of all time, so it's dope to have Cheetor, to be in this movie with Cheetor, it's gonna be crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjtxJqrv-bI&t=6051s|name=Anthony Ramos|site=YouTube|title=Hasbro PulseCon 2021 - DAY ONE|year=2021|month=10|day=22}}</ref>
* November 10, 2021 — Paramount announces the film has been delayed to [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release">{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has moved back a year and will now bow June 9, 2023. It previously was slated for June 24, 2022.|link=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-transformers-movie-release-date-1235045937/|name=Aaron Couch|site=The Hollywood Reporter|title=‘Star Trek,’ ‘Transformers’ Movies Pushed Back at Paramount|year=2021|month=11|day=10}}</ref>
* February 15, 2022 — Paramount confirms that ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be the first entry in a trilogy of films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be released theatrically in 2023 and is the first of three new installments. A new animated series from @Nickelodeon arrives this fall. And in 2024, the franchise expands further with a CG animated Transformers theatrical film. #ParamountPlus|link=https://twitter.com/paramountplus/status/1493706271207292928|name=Paramount+|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=02|day=15}}</ref>
* October 11, 2022 — Caple Jr. reveals through Instagram that [[Pete Davidson]] is the voice of Mirage, and [[Michelle Yeoh]] is the voice of Airazor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sneak peek of Pete voicing Mirage & @michelleyeoh_official blessing us as the voice of Air Razor|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjlx3PPPC_J/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=11}}</ref>
* October 21, 2022 — [[Tobe Nwigwe]] states on an Instagram post that they are doing some re-shoots for ''Rise of the Beasts'', including featuring his character in additional scenes.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The head people from ''Transformers'' said I did so good in my part they wanna add me to some more scenes. So I gotta go shoot some more stuff for ''Transformers''.|link=https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj9PnevsVb1/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=21}}</ref>
[[File:ROTBTeaserPoster.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
* December 1, 2022 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWWDskI46Js official teaser trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with São Paulo's CCXP convention, giving audiences a first glimpse of the film and its various characters, including Mirage, Arcee, Scourge and the Maximals. Multiple voice cast members are also announced.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2022/12/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-peter-dinklage-liza-koshy-john-dimaggio-cast-1235186104/]</ref>
* December 2, 2022 — [[Jongnic Bontemps]] is announced as the film's score composer.<ref>[http://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/12/02/jongnic-bontemps-to-compose-music-for-steven-caple-jr-s-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts/]</ref>
* December 16, 2022 — Caple Jr. shares a clip of Peter Cullen performing on his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=🐐|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPM80yPcsP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=12|day=16}}</ref>
* December 26, 2022 — Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal make a "guest" appearance on the 2022 [[Nickelodeon]] Nickmas NFL game, showcasing both modes and their transformations.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5X0F_AvY8Q YouTube upload] of a recording for Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal on the 2022 Nickmas NFL game</ref>
* January 31, 2023 — [[Sam Smith]] reveals toy concept art for a new character from the film, [[Freezer]].<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFlXXNOly1/</ref>
* February 12, 2023 — Paramount airs a 30-second TV spot detailing Mirage's Porsche 911 vehicle mode for Super Bowl LVII in collaboration with Porsche.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/02/2023-super-bowl-movie-trailers-the-flash-fast-x-transformers-ant-man-expected-1235247160/ Super Bowl Movie Trailer Spots Will Include ‘The Flash’, ‘Fast X’, ‘Transformers’ & ‘Ant-Man’ — Deadline]</ref>
* April 2, 2023 — During the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Final Four on CBS, Paramount aired a first-of-its-kind mixed reality TV spot that showed off Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal appearing on a 90s basketball court that transformed from the court the actual basketball match was being played on. A few brief clips from the first trailer were also shown.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeIfpbUAHg]</ref>
* April 6, 2023 — Actor [[Tongayi Chirisa]] announces on Instagram that he is the voice of Cheetor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So there is a story to this!!! Per the usual standard .. I had to sign an NDA, so I had NO IDEA what I was reading for.. it was only when I was in the booth to do my voice over that it dawned on me that I was reading for TRANSFORMERS Like what!!!🤯🤯🤯🤯 I totally geeked out in the moment.. Man, to say this is mad exciting is an understatement... So thankful. So honored, so blessed!!!! Massive shout out and THANK YOU to @stevencaplejr for putting your boi on! Appreciate you, fam!!! @transformersmovie..🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!! Welcome, y'all. I am your transformer #CHEETOR!!!! Let's goooo!!!!!! #NdezvaMwari #Yeshua #smallbeginnings #ontherise|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqs_PQ1J_s6/|name=Tongayi Chirisa|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=04|day=06}}</ref>
* April 14, 2023 — To promote the film, Optimus Prime introduces Tobe Nwigwe's performance of "[[On My Soul]]" at {{w|Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival|Coachella}}.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Calling all Autobots. @TobeNwigwe and #OptimusPrime have rolled out to #Coachella. #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeasts|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1647069845731803136|name=Transformers|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* April 27, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnqEauWQZM official trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures, revealing more of the movie and Unicron's role in the plot, as well as delivering a first, brief look at the Predacons.
* May 6, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxore0Gxwpc first clip] was showcased at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, showing the Autobots' first interaction with the Maximals.
* May 12, 2023 — The website Puliwood reveals the film's Hungarian dub cast...including the voice of [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], a character that had not yet been announced to be appearing in the film.<ref>[https://www.puliwood.hu/ismertetok/exkluziv-ilyen-szinkronhangokkal-jon-a-transformers-a-fenevadak-kora-325900.html EXKLUZÍV: ilyen szinkronhangokkal jön a Transformers: A fenevadak kora]</ref>
* May 27, 2023 — The film's world premiere is held at Marina Bay Sands in [[Singapore]].
* June 5, 2023 — David Sobolov confirms on Instagram that he is also voicing Apelinq in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CtIhCcwu4Ld/|quote=#transformers #riseofthebeasts fans… I just saw our epic premiere in Brooklyn! Tonight, I’m excited to reveal that I am the voice… of Apelinq!|name=David Sobolov|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=06|day=05}}</ref>
{{--}}

===Changes before, during, and after production===
* A Decepticon named [[Transit (ROTB)|Transit]] was a character who was planned to appear early in the film, dispatched from a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron to kill Optimus Prime, before himself being killed by Optimus and dumped into the Hudson River alongside numerous other Decepticons who have tried to do the same in the past few years. [[Steven Caple Jr.]] has indicated that the visual effects for much of the sequence were completed prior to its removal—a result of test audiences finding it too dark—and that he intends to release it as a deleted scene via the film's home media release or otherwise.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=One was this Decepticon scene, Transit, that I've been talking about, because Optimus Prime fights Transit at the beginning of the movie—or at least he ''used'' to—and you find out that Optimus Prime wants to go home. That's all he wants to do, and Cybertron's in deep trouble, and this guy Transit was telling him that "we're just here to kill you", AKA "Cybertron's already ours." And it was a really epic fight scene, and then you saw Optimus Prime dump his body in the Hudson River, and all these Decepticons are dead, and you see he's been hunting for the last few years.|link=https://twitter.com/colliderfrosty/status/1666216854996791298|name=Steven Caple Jr. in a Collider interview|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=6|day=6|(defunct=)}}</ref> The entertainment press reported that Transit was voiced by [[John DiMaggio]] for his removed appearance in the film.<ref>[https://ew.com/movies/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-everything-we-know/ "Everything we know about Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"] on Entertainment Weekly</ref> Despite not appearing in the final film, DiMaggio is still credited as Transit.
* Earlier drafts of the film more directly referenced the events of ''Bumblebee'', including a scene where Bumblebee shows Prime a photo he carries of himself and [[Charlie Watson]] to try and emphasize his belief that humans are good.<ref name=AltEnding>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-ending-1235512382/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Talks That Ending, Hailee Steinfeld and Test Screening Changes — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref>
* Multiple changes were made to the film's ending, which originally had a much darker tone like the scrapped opening. Originally, Mirage wasn't planned to survive the final battle, and Optimus would have been sucked into the portal after destroying the Transwarp Key and wind up floating in space before Unicron in the post-credits scene. Reactions by the audience in test screenings convinced Caple to change the ending to something a bit more hopeful, wanting to let the good guys get a solid win.<ref name=AltEnding/>
{{--}}

==Notes==
* In a first for the franchise, the lead human actors, multiple writers, the composer, and the director are all people of color.
* This is the first movie in the series not to be worked on by [[Industrial Light & Magic]]; this time around the CG effects were done by [[Moving Picture Company]] and [[WetaFX]].
* Steven Caple Jr. was initially sceptical of working on a ''Transformers'' movie, which at that point in development was being called ''Bumblebee 2'', because he was uncertain about jumping right into another sequel after directing ''{{w|Creed II}}''—however, the incorporation of elements inspired by ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', which Caple Jr. had been a fan of, helped sway him. Upon joining the project, he pitched several revisions, drawing from his enthusiasm for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' by adding [[Unicron]] (and the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s) and Noah's exosuit, along with a prologue on the [[Maximal]]s' homeworld and a new arc for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] centred around his initial misanthropy.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The first time that- I did ''Creed 2'', and the first time the studio ever knocked on my door, it was for ''Bumblebee 2''. And I was like, "I don't want to do- I just came out from ''Creed 2'', I don't want to do a sequel..." you know? And so a year had gone by—or maybe two, right before COVID—and they said, "we found out the story we want to tackle: we want to bring in ''Beast Wars''." I was like, "I know all about ''Beast Wars'', I'm down for ''Beast Wars''." And so they developed a script on their own, they passed it to me—2020, October 5th, I remember the date—and I jumped right in and I kind of did my own version of the pitch, I said: "I love where you guys are going, you guys want to do New York, you guys want to do the 90s, you want to do Peru, but here's what I'll do, with the characters..." So I changed up Optimus Prime, I gave him a whole pitch on how I would start him with like, not loving humans at first, and not besiding Noah right off the rip, they're gonna have friction between the two... Gave 'em a pitch for Optimus Primal, where they start off in the top of the movie, and I gave them a new Unicron- I mean a new villain, which was Unicron and the Terrorcon squad. I just felt like, as a fan, we've been tiptoeing around Unicron, and all the other films kind of like hinted towards him towards the end, and I just really want to expand the universe and I felt like he was that perfect source to do so, because he tells us there's another world out there, there's more Transformers out there, it's not just Autobots and Decepticons. And then of course the [[exosuit]], that was my idea, it was homage to the 80s cartoon, so... It was a bit of that, pitched it to 'em and they loved the heart, they love where I was going with the direction of the characters, and yeah, they kind of gave me the key to play!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxUukVwKLCc|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Collider|title=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Interview: Director Reveals Big Change to Film|year=2023|month=06|day=06}}</ref>
* [[Tobe Nwigwe]]'s character of [[Reek]] was based on a friend of Steven Caple Jr.'s, who passed away before shooting began in 2021.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The way I got the ''Transformers'' role was insane. [...] One of [Steven Caple Jr.'s] best friends was a fan of the music, and his best friend, right, like, as they was getting ready to start shooting the movie... passed. Passed, yeah. And he had Paramount Studios reach out to me to try to play a specific- the best friend role in ''Transformers''. They kind of emulated who his best friend was in real life. He told Paramount [...] "reach out to Tobe and if he send anything back that's even ''halfway'' decent... I want to use him." But because I had never done no acting ever in my life, I just had this script right here, and just read it like I was acting, and just recorded myself on the iPhone and I was like, "yo there's no way in hell..." [...] I did that, sent that in, and they liked it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAoWTKh3R8&t=2638s|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Sway's Universe|year=2023|month=01|day=23}}</ref>
*The fourth-wall-breaking [[Mark Wahlberg]] namedrop was ad-libbed by [[Pete Davidson]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We wanted to break the fourth wall. In all fairness, Pete Davidson made that up in the booth, and we laughed so hard, we're like in tears, and we're like there's no way we could not use this. We had ad-libbed a whole bunch of stuff. One was on, "Beanie Babies was weird", and he was like, what about Marky Mark leaving the Funky Bunch? And we were just in tears. And then we showed the studio and everybody loved it and was like, "let's just break the fourth wall. Do it."|link=https://gizmodo.com/breaking-the-fourth-wall-in-transformers-rise-of-the-b-1850514340|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=io9|title=Breaking the Fourth Wall in ''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref>
* During the production of the film, Ramos had to acquire a driver's license at Caple Jr.'s behest.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DDi5f1SL4oESslcZLjhhG|name=Anthony Ramos|site=the Spout Podcast|year=2021}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had a two-week window to get an appointment at the DMV, and the DMV was initially uncooperative. Finally, after much haggling, I was able to secure an appointment. I took the test in my mother's car after a few months of practice with an instructor. Fortunately, I was able to pass.|link=https://theplaylist.net/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-anthony-ramos-talks-representation-in-franchises-getting-his-drivers-license-for-the-film-interview-20230607/|name=Anthony Ramos|site=The Playlist|title='Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts': Anthony Ramos Talks Representation In Franchises & Getting His Driver's License For The Film [Interview]|year=2023|month=06|day=07}}</ref>
* During an interview with a fan, voice actor David Sobolov revealed that Caple Jr. would create storyboards using Transformers toys. Awesome!<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdsfclO5etE&t=1106 "ROTB UNICRON IS THRILLING!" | Interview with DAVID SOBOLOV (Rhinox + Battletrap)! - YouTube]</ref>
* According to Caple Jr., Optimus's unmasked face was modeled after Peter Cullen's.
* As a result of Transit's removal, this is the first live-action film to not feature the Decepticons in any capacity.
* To keep the secret of the ''G.I. Joe'' tease at the end of the movie, most copies of the script and the version of the scene shot for test screenings all used [[Sector Seven]] instead. Michael Kelly also didn't know the big twist with his character until he arrived on set. Caple Jr. even had only a single ''G.I. Joe'' business card printed, on the day of filming, and took it from the set himself afterwards for safekeeping!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=There was one version of the script that mentioned the G.I. Joe reveal. All other copies, including the one in the studio's possession, described the military organization as Sector 7. "That way no one could leak the script," Caple notes. [...] Caple says they shot two versions of Kelly's scene, one where Burke's business card reads Sector 7 and one where the card reads G.I. Joe, so audiences in test screenings wouldn't know the true reveal. There was only one copy of the G.I. Joe business card, and Caple took that himself from set for safe keeping. "I was like, 'I'm taking this. I don't want this to be found on the floor,'" he says. "I actually didn't have them printed out until that day [on set]. We were very cautious of it, man. We were really trying to be as secretive as possible."|link=https://ew.com/movies/transformers-g-i-joe-crossover-plans/|name=Nick Romano|site=Entertainment Weekly|title=Inside the top-secret plans for Transformers and G.I. Joe|year=2023|month=06|day=12}}</ref>
*This is the first live-action Transformers movie where the Japanese dub wasn't sound directed by [[Keiichirō Miyoshi]] but instead it is directed by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]] who had been responsible for the original Beast Wars cartoons dubs localization.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Beast Kakusei''''' (トランスフォーマー/ビースト覚醒 ''Toransufōmā Bīsuto Kakusei'', "Transformers: Beast Awakening")
* ''Cantonese:'' '''''Bin3jing4 Gam1gong1: Kwong4sau3 Gwat6hei2''''' (變形金剛：狂獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Réveil des Bêtes''''' (Canada, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''German:'' '''''Transformers: Aufstieg der Bestien''''' ("Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers: A fenevadak kora''''' ("Transformers: The Age of the Beasts")
* ''Italian: '' '''''Transformers: Il Risveglio''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening")
* ''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Wàn Shòu Juéqǐ''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛：萬獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Chāonéng Yǒngshì Juéqǐ''''' (China, 变形金刚：超能勇士崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beast Wars")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Despertar das Feras''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Despertar de las Bestias''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Voskhozhdeniye Zverobotov''''' (Трансформеры: Восхождение Звероботов, "Transformers: Rise of the Beastbots")
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Chas Zvirobotiv''''' (Трансформери: Час Звіроботів, "Transformers: Time of the Beastbots")

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Real world films]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts| ]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts media]]

Scourge (ROTB)

2023-06-29T16:20:48Z

Chasd20:

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|Right|thumb|250px|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome [[Freezer]]s from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{Spoiler|Rise of the Beasts|July 9}}

{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care ''whose.'']]

Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe.

As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by several [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]], was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his [[insignia]] to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the Hudson River in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like [[Freezer]] drones to sniff out [[Elena Wallace|two]] [[Noah Diaz|humans]] who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal Airazor arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])
**''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
**''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the [[Freezer|Core Class Freezer]] figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2022)

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).
*Prior to the film’s release, it was speculated by numerous fans that Scourge was actually a future version of Optimus Prime from the previous live-action films, reformatted and enslaved by Unicron, due to the obvious similarities to [[Nemesis Prime (disambiguation)|Nemesis Prime]] and RID Scourge. Outside of the vague implication that the Maximals and Terrorcons are time travellers, this theory was largely proven false by the film itself, though an alternate ending does seem to allude to it.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-ending-1235512382/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Talks That Ending, Hailee Steinfeld and Test Screening Changes — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]

Cybertronian colonies

2023-06-29T15:43:27Z

Chasd20: /* Rise of the Beasts film */

[[File:Cyberplanetkeys.JPG|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Not pictured: A colony.]]

Just as [[human]]s have felt the need to set up shop on distant continents and faraway islands, the [[Transformer]]s are a naturally expansionistic race. Their long history is frequently punctuated with interplanetary colonization efforts, aimed at creating a network of '''Transformer colonies''' scattered throughout the heavens. These planets are usually [[cyberforming|cyberformed]] to better accommodate Transformer life, but Cybertronians are well known for their adaptability, and have been known to adjust to planets utterly unlike their original birthworld of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

In many universes, these efforts have been forgotten by the modern day, buried by the harsh realities of interplanetary war or simply the march of time. In a classic example of {{w|allopatric speciation}}, the Transformers stranded on these distant worlds have subsequently adapted to their new homeworlds by developing cultures and physiologies entirely separate from their modern Cybertronian cousins.

==Conceptual history==
[[File:PlanetAntilla.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Antilla is not subtle.]]

The first evidence of Transformers living on planets other than Cybertron first surfaced in the episode "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]", which depicted a prior age of interplanetary colonization among the Transformers. Episode writer [[Paul Davids]] claimed to have named the planet "[[Antilla]]" after the Antilles, an island archipelago "discovered" during the early days of European colonization. His intent was to highlight a "lost age" of Transformer civilization, comparing the advanced technology of Antilla to the various myths of [[Atlantis]] and its advanced technology, although this didn't particularly factor into the episode itself. Meanwhile, the third-season episode "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]" introduced [[Paradron]], a distant planet home to descendants of many war refugees.

The continuing ''Transformers'' anime of the 80s dabbled in colonies further: ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]'' introduced most of its new characters as war refugees from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. Unable to be of use in the war due to their small size, [[Cyberdroid|said Cybertronians]] fled Cybertron only to crash-land on the harsh planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. To survive, they developed [[transtector]]s and in the modern-day joined the war with their super-science.

It was not until 2005 that ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Transformers: Cybertron]]'', the third installment of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], pushed the idea of "lost colonies" to the forefront of the fiction, establishing four planets—[[Earth]], [[Velocitron]] the Speed Planet, [[Gigantion]] the Giant Planet, and the [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]]—as central settings for the [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|toyline]] and tie-in [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|cartoon series]]. This series saw the introduction of [[space bridge]]s as the central mechanism by which these colonies were founded, and established the idea that Transformers stranded on different worlds had "evolved" into different varieties over the eons.

The development of the [[Aligned continuity family]] would go on to work in a similar origin story for its take on the colonies, incorporating the space bridges as the primary means by which ancient Transformers enacted their diaspora. Velocitron and Gigantion both received name-drops in ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', with the former world and its inhabitants playing a major role in the book's sequel, ''[[Transformers: Exiles|Exiles]]''. The third novel, ''[[Transformers: Retribution|Retribution]]'', would introduce a new colony world, the aquatic [[Aquatron]] before [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|''The Covenant of Primus'']] expounded on the early colonization efforts and introduced the new colonies of [[Archon]] and [[Neutronia]].

[[File:Windblade1 Caminus.jpg|thumb|left|300px|IDW's ''Windblade'' series introduced the [[Titan (group)|Titans]] as the driving force behind Transformer colonization.]]
In 2014, Hasbro introduced its first fan-built character, the [[Autobot]] [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], who made her debut in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] [[2005 IDW continuity|comic series]]. Since previous authors had already made clear that Cybertronians in this continuity were an exclusively "male" race (barring the special circumstances involving [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]), author [[Mairghread Scott]] introduced the colony world of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] as an alternative source of female Transformers, with the in-fiction explanation being that they had simply evolved differently in isolation from Cybertron. This would later be subtly [[retcon]]ned, introducing the idea that female Transformers were present on ''all'' the colonies because they had once existed on Cybertron (see [[Female Transformer]] for more on this). The IDW comics tied Transformer colonization efforts to the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s and introduced new planets, most prominently Caminus and [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], alongside Velocitron, while also reworking Jungle Planet into [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]].
{{-}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic=====
Following the loss of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], a group of Decepticons rediscovered the "budding" method of reproduction. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} The new generation soon lost interest in the Great War and decided to skip town. Rebranding themselves as the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], they went on to found the Cybertronian Empire, ruthlessly cyberforming any planet they came across and assimilating it into the [[Hub (G2)|Hub]]. {{storylink|War Without End!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

Sometime after [[1991]], [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|a group]] of Cybertronians were cleaning up [[Nexus Seven]] before a group of Autobots violently murdered them. The same group later did some sniffing and found ''seventeen'' other cyberformed worlds. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

======Ask Vector Prime======
In [[Primax 490.0 Gamma]], following [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s consumption of Cybertron, the [[Decepticon]]s occupied themselves conquering other planets such as [[Earth]] and [[Nebulos]].

Unicron, meanwhile, had discovered the Hub and proceeded to savagely attack it. The Cybertronians, now a force for good on account of [[Primus]]'s essence being suffused throughout the species, allied with the remaining [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, to defend their empire, succeeding thanks to the sacrifice of [[Liege Maximo]]. In the aftermath, the reformed Cybertronian Empire became a permanent force for good and a staunch ally of the [[Human Confederacy|Confederation of Terran Worlds]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/24}}

=====''Regeneration One''=====
Before the onset of the Great War, isolationist policies dominated Cybertron. Taking issue with this, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] exploited his role in the creation of the [[Underbase]] to download from it all the knowledge he would need to create a galaxy spanning empire and finally bring order to the universe. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

In late 2013, Jhiaxus dramatically returned to Cybertron with the Hub and offered to integrate Cybertron into it. Realizing that the sheer amount of planets that made up the structure meant Jhiaxus had committed untold genocides, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] adamantly refused, {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} sparking a brief war that ended in the Hub's collapse. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Transformers'' cartoon=====
Several Autobots fled Cybertron and the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] in [[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|''Vanguard''-class]] vessels, settling on other worlds to find peace. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} One such group, the [[Thirteenth Legion]] of Autobots, landed on the planet [[Antilla]]. Though they initially founded a thriving colony, their world was struck by the malignant virus known as [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], killing all life within the colony. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

According to [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], the planet [[Paradron]] was colonized by a group of pacifistic Autobots after the "Fourth Great War". The planet they chose to inhabit was hidden within a space vortex and possessed an [[energon]] core, granting its inhabitants almost unlimited energy and a safe refuge from the [[Decepticon]]s and other threats. The inhabitants of the world lived peacefully for many years until the arrival of the Decepticons in [[2006]] brought the war to their world. Unwilling to let the Decepticons seize the planet's energon supply, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] made the decision to destroy the planet. The survivors, led by [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm,]] were subsequently relocated to Cybertron. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

=====Japanese cartoon continuity=====
======''The Headmasters'' cartoon======
The planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] was colonized by a group of [[Cyberdroid]]s who fled the increasingly violent Great War. Though they initially found the world a harsh, unforgiving environment, they managed to develop [[Transtector]] technology to better cope with their new world, eventually turning it into a utopian paradise. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

After Master had found itself embroiled in the Great War once again, the Decepticons invaded the planet for its supply of [[G-Metal]]. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}}

======''Legends'' comic======
Hot Rod led the [[Micromaster]]s to found the colony [[Micro]]. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|G1 Mini-Con Chapter}}

======''Victory'' cartoon======
By the year [[2025]], Micro was a major strategic world, playing host to Autobot-Decepticon battles in the [[Victory War]]. {{storylink|Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior}} {{storylink|Unite! Liokaiser}}

======Ask Vector Prime======
[[Vehicon (planet)|Vehicon]] was a planet home to some technological civilization, designated the [[Tripuran]]s, that had disappeared by the time that the inhabitants of Cybertron discovered the planet. [[Reverse Convoy]] subsequently led a colonization team which explored the planet, which proved to be a paradise. They dubbed the planet "Vehicon" for the numerous automated factories that had been left behind by the Tripurans; the Cybertronians turned the infrastructure for their own use. Most astonishing about Vehicon was that its sole moon had apparently been collapsed into a singularity by the Tripurans, generating immense gravitational tides. Reverse Convoy's forces were able to utilize the tides to generate vast quantities of energon, turning Vehicon into one of Cybertron's most valuable energy producers. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/14}}

=====''Wings Universe''=====
In the 30th century, it was not uncommon for colonies to comprise members of a single faction. The [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] ship ''[[Rodimus Major]]'' was on its way to check up on one such [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] colony near the [[Dark Nebula]] when it disappeared into a spatial anomaly. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs, 2015/01/17}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
Using a fleet of [[Zod]] drones, the Decepticons of [[Primax 185.0 Beta]] conquered and colonized a sizeable portion of the Milky Way. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/04}}

According to [[Vector Prime]], the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s lived on the colony world [[Archon]] until it failed and they wound up in [[stasis lock]]. [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] discovered them and brought them to Earth, where they were revived and joined the Autobots. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/21}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
The Transformer race has gone through several waves of expansionism, some more imperialistic than others, and many at the expense of indigenous organic species.

[[File:FirstContact-lostcolonies.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"It was Era 1. The Primes, unique in their flawlessness, sought to expand their perfection across the galaxy. And it was for this purpose that The Arisen chose his first colony, the planet Earth."]]

In their travels across the galaxy, the [[Knights of Cybertron]] had contracted [[atrophosia]]. Seeking treatment, they made their way to [[Mederi]], the medical moon presenting itself as a "perfect Cybertron". Believing they had found a perfect world, and in such a state of bliss that their ailment was forgotten, the Knights settled on the world they dubbed "[[Cyberutopia]]", inscribing a map to the planet within the crystalline core of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], creating a legend of a perfect colony. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

The first known attempt at establishing an offworld presence occurred twelve million years ago, following the unification of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]]. Given the violent period of war that had preceded their reign, "[[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]" proposed turning the innate fury of all Cybertronians outward in a galactic expansion, the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. With [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]] as their flagship and the [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinels]] as vanguards, the Primes touched down on [[Antilla]], intending to conquer it for its resources. The [[Antillan]]s fought back but failed to match the invaders' power with a [[Unicron's creator|desperate scientist]] unleashing a [[Talisman (G1)|machine]] that sterilized the planet and warped it into [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} {{storylink|Our Finest}}

Subsequent [[Titan (group)|Titan]] expeditions, using [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]s within their bodies, were able to establish Cybertronian footholds on other worlds. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} As with Antilla, Cybertronian colonists would go on to quash civilizations of [[Native Devisen|technologically undeveloped inhabitants]] through aggressive [[cyberforming]]. At least five such worlds were colonized by the Transformers this way: [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], [[Arduria]], [[Velocitron]], and [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]]; over the eons, however, and certainly abetted by the subtle manipulations of "Onyx Prime", this gave way to a legend of ''thirteen'' such colonies, each affiliated with one of the Primes. These seven other planets had each felt the touch of the Thirteen in some way, {{storylink|Transformers: Historia|Historia}} and millions of years later the younger, present-day Shockwave would seed all thirteen planets with his [[Regenesis]] ores. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} {{storylink|Ceremony}}

On those colonies where Transformer-based life existed, their inhabitants maintained a concept of gender, whereas [[female Transformer]]s would eventually go extinct on Cybertron. {{storylink|All That Remains}}

The thirteen colonies are:
* '''[[LV-117]]''': The colony of [[Vector Prime]]. Inhabited by an organic race of shapeshifters, the temporally-displaced planet was seeded with [[Ore-1]], "Time."
*'''[[Gorlam Prime]]''': The colony of [[Quintus Prime]]. Formerly inhabited by humanoid organics, the machinations of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his experiments with the [[Dead Universe]] led to a period of artificially-accelerated progress that led the inhabitants to rapidly evolve into a Transformer-like species. Produced [[Ore-2]], "Death."
* '''[[Prion (planet)|Prion]]''': The colony of [[Micronus Prime]], and formerly home to a civilization of [[Mini-Con]]s. Produced [[Ore-3]], "Size."
* '''[[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]''': The colony of [[Solus Prime]], home of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], the religious [[Way of Flame]], and the [[Cityspeaker]]s. Produced [[Ore-4]], "Gravity".
* '''[[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]]''': The colony of [[Nexus Prime]], populated by [[Micromaster Combiner|Transformers who are born in pairs]]. Produced [[Ore-5]], "Combination".
*'''[[Arduria]]''': The colony of [[Alchemist Prime]], home to the [[Ardurian roc]]s, a species considered to be "cousins" of the Cybertronian race. Produced [[Ore-6]], "Cold".
* '''[[Antilla]]''': The colony of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], and the site of "first contact" between Cybertronians and the rest of the galaxy, becoming the setting of a devastating war between the Transformers and the native [[Antillan]]s. The planet was destroyed in the conflict and refashioned into [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Produced [[Ore-7]], "Change".
* '''[[Tsiehshi]]''': The colony of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]], a barren, uninhabited world where the tyrant once took refuge during the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]]. Produced [[Ore-8]], "Destruction."
* '''[[Velocitron]]''': The colony of [[Amalgamous Prime]], a desert world of intense temperatures. The Titan [[Navitas]], who settled the world, was converted into a mobile city and racetrack. Produced [[Ore-9]], "Space".
* '''[[Vigilem|Carcer]]''': The colony and living prison of [[Liege Maximo]]. A nomadic starship, it was overseen by a military dictatorship led by [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]. Produced [[Ore-10]], "Deception".
* '''[[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]]''': The colony of "Onyx Prime," inhabited by [[beast mode]] Transformers and guarded by his Titan, [[Chela]]. Produced [[Ore-11]], "Evolution".
* '''[[Elonia]]''': The colony and final resting place of [[Prima]] and his Titan [[Emissary (IDW)|Emissary]]; in the present day, it was inhabited by the [[Elonian]]s, and the capital of the [[Solstar Order]]. Produced [[Ore-12]], "Protection" with the ore becoming essential to the order of the [[Space Knight]]s.
* '''[[Earth]]''': The colony of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (possibly [[The Arisen]]). Associated with [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the planet has been a hotbed of Transformer activity for many years, with the native [[human]]s occasionally coming into conflict with the Cybertronian species. Produced [[Ore-13]], "Power."

In the Thirteen's absence, [[Nova Prime]], a former follower of Prima, rose to power and made plans to relaunch his former master's colonization efforts and conspired to enact what he called "the [[expansion]]", a galaxy spanning empire of Cybertronians, built through the power of [[combiner]]s. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} His plans hit an initial snag when [[Vector Sigma]] stopped igniting [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]s but he managed to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] as a new source of [[spark]]s. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} His plans were further delayed when he was pulled into the [[Dead Universe]] with all expansion plans being abandoned by those on Cybertron. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}}

In the [[Functionism|Functionist]] era that followed Nova's rule, Cybertron established mining colonies on alien worlds such as [[Messatine]] and [[Croteus 12]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 1|Megatron Origin #1}} {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}

During the height of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the Decepticons reached their zenith and enacted an imperialistic government through the formation of the [[Constellate]]—a collection of cyberformed worlds cleansed of their organic inhabitants and restructured to suit the needs of their Decepticon inhabitants. The Constellate was eventually abandoned as the war continued, with the Decepticons moving away from colonial subjugation of other lifeforms in favour of the [[infiltration protocol]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

Meanwhile, the neutral [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] led his pacifistic followers and associates in the [[Circle of Light]] offworld. Utilizing the power of [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}} the Titan whom [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] had entrusted to Dai Atlas, {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} the Circle founded the sanctuary planet [[Theophany]]. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

Following the end of the war, the Autobot [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] made contact with [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], one of the lost Titan colonies. He recruited the services of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], one of the planet's many [[Cityspeaker]]s, to tend to the sick [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], one of Caminus's siblings. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} In the wake of the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crisis, Windblade returned to Cybertron along with Metroplex. Metroplex began trying to search for some of the other colony Titans. {{storylink|A Long Way Down}} Windblade, merged with Metroplex's mind, caught glimpses of these other Transformer worlds, whose inhabitants had evolved into radically different forms during their long isolation from the rest of the universe. Windblade managed to strike a deal with [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]—in exchange for keeping [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]'s sabotage attempts a secret, she would repair Metroplex's space bridge, allowing Cybertron to once again reach out to its scattered colonies and giving Starscream the chance to rule over many worlds. {{storylink|Windblade issue 4|Windblade vol. 1 #4}}

Around this time, the [[Black Block Consortia]] discovered Prion's colony. Their hatred of mechanical races drove them to destroy the Transformer civilization had developed. The sole survivor, a young Transformer named [[Nickel]], joined the Decepticons after the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] arrived to investigate the remains. {{storylink|The Permanent Revolution}} {{storylink|White Heat}}

The official "first contact" ceremony between Cybertron and Caminus went less smoothly than expected, thanks to Starscream's political maneuvers involving a staged [[Combiner]] invasion of the planet. {{storylink|The Sum and Its Parts}} The political tensions soon boiled over, and the nascent "[[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner War]]" spilled over onto multiple colonies before things could be dealt with. In the aftermath, Cybertron and Caminus ratified the agreement that led to a democratic [[Council of Worlds]], a binding agreement that would allow Cybertron and its colonies to participate in a democratic parliament. {{storylink|All That Remains}} Subsequently, Starscream and Windblade used Metroplex's spacebridge to meet with representatives from other colonies—an adventure that led them to Velocitron, {{storylink|Race Against the Light}} Devisiun, Eukaris, {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|Windblade vol. 2 #6}} and [[Vigilem|Carcer]]. Representatives from each colony travelled to Cybertron to participate in this new government, which would give each world an equal voice. {{storylink|The Will of the Few}}

The opening of the brawl between the combiners took place on an [[Mystery colony planet|unknown planet]] within a trinary star system that bore a Cybertronian space bridge, distinctive of a colony world, but was seemingly inhabited by beings of [[Garnak]]'s race. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} {{storylink|All That Remains}}

Thereafter, colonist presence on Cybertron became more common. {{storylink|07:00:00}}

Following the invasion of Cybertron by the [[Iron Ring]], {{storylink|First Strike issue 6|First Strike #6}} [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] awoke and began devouring all of the Regenesis planets to assimilate the powers of their Ores. Once Caminus had been consumed, [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] realized that despite there having been thirteen Primes, they had only discovered ''twelve'' colonies. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} It was soon revealed, however, that Unicron itself had been forged from Antilla, and thus was the missing thirteenth colony. {{storylink|Our Finest}}

When Unicron had been felled, only Earth remained, becoming a new home for Cybertronians and [[Elonian]]s. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

====''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''====
Following [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s defeat, both humans and Cybertronians colonized the various planets and moons of the [[Solar System|Sol system]]. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

====''Of Masters and Mayhem''====
In the years prior to Cybertron's destruction at the hands of [[Thunder Mayhem]], Paradron was a rumored lost colony. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 69|Lifeline's profile in Club magazine #69}}

Paradron was rediscovered at some point, becoming the last known world to be inhabited by the Cybertronian species following Thunder Mayhem's ravaging of Cybertron. [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] brought [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] there for medical treatment. {{storylink|Insight}} The duo later departed the planet to seek other allies to fight Thunder Mayhem. {{storylink|Life Finds a Way}}

====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons====
According to Metroplex, the Titans carried Cybertronian life to planets suitable for colonization. Once the colony became self-sustaining, the Titans would leave to find another planet to repeat the process on. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} One of these colonies, Caminus had diplomatic ties with Cybertron, with certain Camiens having a say in the affairs of Cybertron's governing body. {{storylink|The Fall}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
The Cybertronian colonies were founded during the Age of Expansion. By [[Codexa]]'s account, the colonies owed themselves to the efforts of Cybertron's various [[Titan (group)|Titans]] who fought, sometimes sacrificial, wars of genocide against rival alien powers and species for their planets. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} Colonists travelled to their new worlds in ''Ark''-class vessels, their voyages escorted by Titans. {{storylink|Escape Part One}} Parties that existed "behind the barrier of quintessence" sought to silence Cybertron's expansion. Abducting the Cybertronian explorer [[Exarchon]], the aliens warped him into a warlord and sent him against his species. {{storylink|War's End Part Three}} The subsequent [[War of the Threefold Spark]] that Exarchon unleashed on Cybertron brought an end to the prosperous age of colonization. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}}

Under the terms of the post-war [[Nominus Edict]], new colonies were only to be founded if the [[Senate]] had come to a unanimous agreement on the subject. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} Senator [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] heavily criticized this aspect of the Edict, feeling it had been passed only so as to avoid the risk of antagonizing [[alien]] races. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}} Before he was due to replace [[Codexa]] as the chief archivist, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] desired to leave Cybertron for "a kilocycle or three" and visit the colonies. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} This walkabout ultimately convinced Orion to go into politics instead of following in his [[mentor]]'s footsteps. {{storylink|End of Time}}

Rare colonies established despite the Edict included [[Mayalx]], a dreary asteroid that hosted an energon production and transmission station which the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] had found themselves banished to, {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} and [[Probat (planet)|Probat]], a protectorate, still inhabited by [[Probat (species)|its native species]], that hosted an energon production facility. {{storylink|Wannabee, Part 1}}

Having a low opinion of the [[Reversionist]] faction, [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] felt that the lot of them ought to be shipped off to the most remote colony. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Four}} In teaching [[Rubble]] about the world, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] informed him that, while Cybertron was largely a peaceful world, violence between Transformers existed on colony planets. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} Among such violent acts was heads being bashed in from multiple traumatic impacts, something [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] noted when he examined Rubble's corpse, the newborn having died from such injuries. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}}

While this was happening, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] was on a tour of the colonies with his inner retinue, along with some alien ambassadors, but, upon hearing of the chaos on Cybertron, cut his tour short. {{storylink|Nautica: Home}}

As part of their plans for galactic expansion, the Decepticons infiltrated the colony world of [[Velocitron]], manipulating events to make the Decepticon [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] its new ruler. {{storylink|Tread & Circuits Part 4}}

====''Transformers/Ghostbusters''====
After the destruction of Cybertron, [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] picked up a Cybertronian signal from the planet Earth. Among his theories as to the signal's origin, he suspected that Earth could have been a lost colony. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}}

===Beast Era===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Colony Omicron]] was a [[Maximal]] colony active some three centuries after the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Protoform X was incarcerated at the colony but he escaped and destroyed it, along with every [[Transformer]]. The only survivor was the security chief, [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. Haunted by the massacre and survivor's guilt, Depth Charge spent four stellar cycles hunting down X. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
By the era of the [[Convoy Council]], the earlier colonization efforts had borne fruit, several Maximals and Predacons living on distant worlds. {{storylink|Bump the Physicist}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
The first chapter of the [[Book of Logos]] spoke of seven colonies; Chela, Navitas, Prion, Carcer, Vigilem, Tempo, and Caminus. {{storylink|Book of Logos}}

During the early stages of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], refugees from Cybertron colonized new worlds to escape the conflict. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} During the conflict's space-based phase, the Autobots forged the [[Autobot Commonwealth]] while the Decepticons controlled the [[Decepticon Empire|Decepticon Star Empire]]. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} This all came to and end in [[2031]] when the [[Human Confederacy]], tired of the Cybertronian civil war ravaging unaffiliated planets, forcibly ended the war and confined the Cybertronian species to Cybertron and nine colony worlds. In [[2033]], [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] tried to breach this ceasefire with an invasion fleet. The humans vaped the fleet and in retaliation, ''halved'' the number of allowed colony worlds. After a ten-day <s>piss off</s> evacuation period, the five disbarred Cybertronian colonies were sterilized by the [[Confederated Terran Colonial Fleet|CTCF]]. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

By the late 24th century, the only Cybertronian colony left was the penal planet [[Elba]]. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} After the [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s city mode was shot down over [[Metascan Omega]], some of the crew remained in what they dubbed "Dinosaur City" which soon grew into a Cybertronian-run multi-species trading post. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

===Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity===
====''Energon'' cartoon====
Omnitron was discovered by a [[Team Rodimus (Energon)|group]] of [[Transformer]]s who were fed up with the war. Under [[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]]'s leadership, they turned it into a thriving colony. Over time, the inhabitants evolved into the [[Omnicon]]s. {{storylink|Survival Instincts}}

====''Cybertron'' cartoon====
In ancient times, [[Primus]] gifted the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s to his children. After the first defeat of Unicron, the Cybertronians planned to found colonies to spread Primus's essence throughout the cosmos. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}} The Transformers founded least three major colonies, using a combination of space bridges and massive colonization ships—the ''[[Ogygia (Cybertron)|Ogygia]]'' colonized [[Velocitron]], the ''[[Hyperborea (Cybertron)|Hyperborea]]'' landed on [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]], and the ''[[Lemuria (Cybertron)|Lemuria]]'' formed the center of the gigantic construction site of [[Gigantion]]. {{storylink|Balance}}

It was intended that a space bridge network would connect these colonies to each other and the homeworld, but this project failed and the colonies lost contact with each other. The Transformers on these worlds developed in isolation until 2030, when the [[Unicron Singularity]] crisis necessitated the recovery of the Cyber Keys. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

Once the crisis had passed, the colonies reopened diplomatic ties with Cybertron, boldly deciding to continue their ancestors' dreams of expansion and initiate a new space bridge project to found new colonies throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Beginning}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Jackhammer (Cybertron)|Jackhammer]] mistakenly believed [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]] to be "stinking refugees from the [[Junkion (planet)|Junk Planet]]". {{storylink|Balancing Act}}

====''Timelines''====
The four Planet Key-carrying ships were accompanied by many smaller ships to establish relay points on the planned space bridge network. One of these minor colonies was [[Combatron (planet)|Combatron]], which was established as a garrison to prepare for the return of Unicron. Unfortunately, Combatron's leader [[King Atlas]] [[Universe War|mysteriously disappeared]], and his soldiers descended into a civil war which wiped out almost all life on the planet. {{storylink|Force of Habit}}

===Live-action film series===
====IDW ''Revenge of the Fallen'' comics====
During the Great War, groups of civilian Autobots fled their war torn homeworld to establish colonies where they could live in peace under the guard of Autobot warriors. One of these worlds, guarded by [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], was razed by the Decepticon [[Demolishor (ROTF)|Demolishor]] killing everyone but Sideswipe. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 2|Tales of the Fallen #2}}

====''Rise of the Beasts'' film====
{{spoiler|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|July 9}}

The [[Maximal]]s came from a colony that had been colonized by [[beast mode]] Cybertronians in the distant past. One day, the colony came under attack from [[Unicron]] and his [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], seeking the [[Transwarp Key]]. Though the Maximals managed to send the Key away to [[Earth]], Unicron consumed the planet.

It is also implied that the Terrorcon leader [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] may have also hailed from a colony planet that was devoured by Unicron, as his master warns him that, unless he completes the Transwarp Key, he will wish that he had died with the rest of his planet. {{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}

===''Animated'' continuity===
Cybertronians first left their homeworld six billion years ago, during Cybertron's [[Golden Age]]. They succeeded in colonizing their solar system, but isolationism prevented any further expansion. Following the Third Cybertronian War, the Age of Expansion proper began 750 million years ago, overseen by the nascent Autobot faction and laying the groundwork for the future [[Autobot Commonwealth]]—an economic alliance of affiliated planets that encouraged free trade within its borders.

During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], numerous colonies within the Commonwealth were occupied by Decepticons; during the final days of the war, the Autobots launched a planet-hopping campaign that liberated numerous colonies, ending with Omnitron during the [[Battle for Omnitron]]. The Autobots were, by and large, successful, although several colonies within the Commonwealth were destroyed over the course of the war.

At the end of the Great War, the Decepticons accepted exile in exchange for amnesty, and founded a small [[Decepticon Empire]] of their own on the western rim of the galaxy. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

==="Aligned" continuity===
During Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Cybertronians utilized space bridges to travel from world to world—a technology that had been captured from the [[Quintesson]]s at the end of the [[Age of Wrath]]. After eight thousand years of exploration within their arm of the galaxy, Cybertronians began developing the technology to create permanent colonies among the stars, specifically identifying worlds rich in specific minerals as prime targets for colonization. The development of a [[conversion beam]] gave Transformers the ability to make over rocky worlds into tiny copies of Cybertron, connected to the homeworld by space bridge. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} The [[Titan (group)|Titans]] played a role in founding the colonies, charting suitable planets. {{storylink|The Empty City}}

The colonization process proved a drain on [[energon]] supplies, and [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]]'s government decided that each world would be seeded with a miniature [[Well of All Sparks]], allowing the colony worlds to become completely self-sufficient. The technology to create new Wells was first tested on [[Archon]], where it proved a rousing success. Over several thousand years, Transformers colonized two hundred systems in all, including Gigantion, [[Neutronia]], [[Hub (G2)|the Hub]], and [[Aquatron]]. Some worlds, like the settlement of racers on resource-poor [[Velocitron]], were intended to be short-term projects designed to cater to a narrow demographic, while the "world" of [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] was designed as a dumping point for refuse from the colonies, but wound up attracting a variety of scavengers and low-lives.

Ultimately, the age of the colonies came to a close after the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Rust Plague]] spread across the colonies, killing every Cybertronian it infected. To save Cybertron, Sentinel Prime gave the orders to destroy the space bridge network, cutting off Cybertron from its protectorates and the colonies from each other.

Those colonies that survived the epidemic adapted to life without Cybertron in various ways. At least one world—Aquatron—was annexed by Quintessons, with its population of water-going Transformers enslaved by the [[alien]] invaders. On other worlds, such as Velocitron, the isolated Transformers struggled to survive on barren worlds, practically devoid of any natural resources. The citizens of Neutronia, who had fled the destruction of their planet, discovered the [[Transformation cog|Transformation Cog]] of [[Amalgamous Prime]], and mutated into the [[Mutacon]]s, a faction of space-faring nomads. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

Following the evacuation of Cybertron aboard the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'', [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s Autobots and [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s Decepticons visited across several colonies as they searched for the [[AllSpark]]. They were, in turn, pursued by the [[Star Seeker]]s—a faction of Cybertronian expatriates seeking revenge for the destruction of their original world during the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] outbreak. While the Junkions and Mutacons proved helpful allies, the presence of two warring factions on Velocitron collapsed the fragile peace and sparked a civil war between [[Ransack (Prime)|Ransack]]'s group of malcontents and [[Override (Prime)|Override]]'s loyalists. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}} Aquatron was the site of a Quintesson ambush that nearly saw both Optimus Prime and Megatron executed for their crimes against the Quintesson Imperium—a conflict that ended with the [[Inquirata (Prime)|Curator]] killed, and the citizens of Aquatron freed from their cruel overlords. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution|Retribution}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
Cybertron's colonies were founded during the Age of [[Expansion]]. {{storylink|The Citizen}} During this era, the Titan [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]] colonized [[Croaton's planet|a planet]] near the [[Sharkticon homeworld]]. While his world initially thrived, it came under attack from alien invaders who nearly killed him and abducted his citizens. {{storylink|Ghost Town}}

In the era prior to the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|Great War]], two colonies were known to maintain contact with Cybertron; [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Cube (episode)|Cube}} {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}} {{storylink|Maccadam's}}

The latter world was colonized as a hub for racing enthusiasts, becoming a popular tourist destination. When the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Plague of Rust]] struck the speed planet, [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] deactivated his homeworld's [[space bridge]] to prevent the disease from spreading to Cybertron and the other colonies. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}

The [[Dinobot (Cyberverse)|Dinobots]] hailed from a colony that intercepted the message that [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] had sent out before the extinction of the [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]], remodelling themselves after the hopeful message. This colony was later invaded and destroyed by the [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]], survived only by the Dinobots. {{storylink|The Immobilizers}}

As the [[Ark (Cyberverse)|''Ark'']] travelled back to Cybertron, it chanced across Croaton's planet, the Titan making contact with the [[cityspeaker]] [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] and had her bring him the [[AllSpark]] so he could heal himself. Once he was restored, he left his planet to try and find his colonists. {{storylink|Ghost Town}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Devastation''===
In the [[Golden Age]], the Mission of Cybertronian Expansion was undertaken by [[Nova Prime]] and his crew aboard the ''[[Proudstar]]''. Though the crew enjoyed many successes at first and founded new outposts of Cybertronian civilization, such as [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]], they soon made planetfall on [[Unicron/Generation 1|a strange world]] which caused the crew's personalities to take a darker turn, colonizing populated worlds as well as uninhabited ones. When they attempted to colonize [[Earth]], [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]] crashed the craft, halting the project.

Unicron meanwhile used the ''Proudstar''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s earlier success as a handy roadmap to [[Primus]]'s location, devouring all he came across in the process. {{storylink|Transformers: Devastation|Devastation}}

==See also==
*[[Cyberforming]]

[[Category:Colonies| ]]

Cybertronian colonies

2023-06-29T15:42:55Z

Chasd20: /* Rise of the Beasts film */

[[File:Cyberplanetkeys.JPG|thumb|upright=1.7|right|Not pictured: A colony.]]

Just as [[human]]s have felt the need to set up shop on distant continents and faraway islands, the [[Transformer]]s are a naturally expansionistic race. Their long history is frequently punctuated with interplanetary colonization efforts, aimed at creating a network of '''Transformer colonies''' scattered throughout the heavens. These planets are usually [[cyberforming|cyberformed]] to better accommodate Transformer life, but Cybertronians are well known for their adaptability, and have been known to adjust to planets utterly unlike their original birthworld of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

In many universes, these efforts have been forgotten by the modern day, buried by the harsh realities of interplanetary war or simply the march of time. In a classic example of {{w|allopatric speciation}}, the Transformers stranded on these distant worlds have subsequently adapted to their new homeworlds by developing cultures and physiologies entirely separate from their modern Cybertronian cousins.

==Conceptual history==
[[File:PlanetAntilla.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Antilla is not subtle.]]

The first evidence of Transformers living on planets other than Cybertron first surfaced in the episode "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]", which depicted a prior age of interplanetary colonization among the Transformers. Episode writer [[Paul Davids]] claimed to have named the planet "[[Antilla]]" after the Antilles, an island archipelago "discovered" during the early days of European colonization. His intent was to highlight a "lost age" of Transformer civilization, comparing the advanced technology of Antilla to the various myths of [[Atlantis]] and its advanced technology, although this didn't particularly factor into the episode itself. Meanwhile, the third-season episode "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]" introduced [[Paradron]], a distant planet home to descendants of many war refugees.

The continuing ''Transformers'' anime of the 80s dabbled in colonies further: ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]'' introduced most of its new characters as war refugees from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. Unable to be of use in the war due to their small size, [[Cyberdroid|said Cybertronians]] fled Cybertron only to crash-land on the harsh planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. To survive, they developed [[transtector]]s and in the modern-day joined the war with their super-science.

It was not until 2005 that ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Transformers: Cybertron]]'', the third installment of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], pushed the idea of "lost colonies" to the forefront of the fiction, establishing four planets—[[Earth]], [[Velocitron]] the Speed Planet, [[Gigantion]] the Giant Planet, and the [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]]—as central settings for the [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|toyline]] and tie-in [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|cartoon series]]. This series saw the introduction of [[space bridge]]s as the central mechanism by which these colonies were founded, and established the idea that Transformers stranded on different worlds had "evolved" into different varieties over the eons.

The development of the [[Aligned continuity family]] would go on to work in a similar origin story for its take on the colonies, incorporating the space bridges as the primary means by which ancient Transformers enacted their diaspora. Velocitron and Gigantion both received name-drops in ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', with the former world and its inhabitants playing a major role in the book's sequel, ''[[Transformers: Exiles|Exiles]]''. The third novel, ''[[Transformers: Retribution|Retribution]]'', would introduce a new colony world, the aquatic [[Aquatron]] before [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|''The Covenant of Primus'']] expounded on the early colonization efforts and introduced the new colonies of [[Archon]] and [[Neutronia]].

[[File:Windblade1 Caminus.jpg|thumb|left|300px|IDW's ''Windblade'' series introduced the [[Titan (group)|Titans]] as the driving force behind Transformer colonization.]]
In 2014, Hasbro introduced its first fan-built character, the [[Autobot]] [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], who made her debut in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] [[2005 IDW continuity|comic series]]. Since previous authors had already made clear that Cybertronians in this continuity were an exclusively "male" race (barring the special circumstances involving [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]), author [[Mairghread Scott]] introduced the colony world of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] as an alternative source of female Transformers, with the in-fiction explanation being that they had simply evolved differently in isolation from Cybertron. This would later be subtly [[retcon]]ned, introducing the idea that female Transformers were present on ''all'' the colonies because they had once existed on Cybertron (see [[Female Transformer]] for more on this). The IDW comics tied Transformer colonization efforts to the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s and introduced new planets, most prominently Caminus and [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], alongside Velocitron, while also reworking Jungle Planet into [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]].
{{-}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic=====
Following the loss of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], a group of Decepticons rediscovered the "budding" method of reproduction. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} The new generation soon lost interest in the Great War and decided to skip town. Rebranding themselves as the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], they went on to found the Cybertronian Empire, ruthlessly cyberforming any planet they came across and assimilating it into the [[Hub (G2)|Hub]]. {{storylink|War Without End!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

Sometime after [[1991]], [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|a group]] of Cybertronians were cleaning up [[Nexus Seven]] before a group of Autobots violently murdered them. The same group later did some sniffing and found ''seventeen'' other cyberformed worlds. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

======Ask Vector Prime======
In [[Primax 490.0 Gamma]], following [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s consumption of Cybertron, the [[Decepticon]]s occupied themselves conquering other planets such as [[Earth]] and [[Nebulos]].

Unicron, meanwhile, had discovered the Hub and proceeded to savagely attack it. The Cybertronians, now a force for good on account of [[Primus]]'s essence being suffused throughout the species, allied with the remaining [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, to defend their empire, succeeding thanks to the sacrifice of [[Liege Maximo]]. In the aftermath, the reformed Cybertronian Empire became a permanent force for good and a staunch ally of the [[Human Confederacy|Confederation of Terran Worlds]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/24}}

=====''Regeneration One''=====
Before the onset of the Great War, isolationist policies dominated Cybertron. Taking issue with this, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] exploited his role in the creation of the [[Underbase]] to download from it all the knowledge he would need to create a galaxy spanning empire and finally bring order to the universe. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

In late 2013, Jhiaxus dramatically returned to Cybertron with the Hub and offered to integrate Cybertron into it. Realizing that the sheer amount of planets that made up the structure meant Jhiaxus had committed untold genocides, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] adamantly refused, {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}} sparking a brief war that ended in the Hub's collapse. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Transformers'' cartoon=====
Several Autobots fled Cybertron and the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] in [[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|''Vanguard''-class]] vessels, settling on other worlds to find peace. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} One such group, the [[Thirteenth Legion]] of Autobots, landed on the planet [[Antilla]]. Though they initially founded a thriving colony, their world was struck by the malignant virus known as [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]], killing all life within the colony. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

According to [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], the planet [[Paradron]] was colonized by a group of pacifistic Autobots after the "Fourth Great War". The planet they chose to inhabit was hidden within a space vortex and possessed an [[energon]] core, granting its inhabitants almost unlimited energy and a safe refuge from the [[Decepticon]]s and other threats. The inhabitants of the world lived peacefully for many years until the arrival of the Decepticons in [[2006]] brought the war to their world. Unwilling to let the Decepticons seize the planet's energon supply, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] made the decision to destroy the planet. The survivors, led by [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm,]] were subsequently relocated to Cybertron. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

=====Japanese cartoon continuity=====
======''The Headmasters'' cartoon======
The planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] was colonized by a group of [[Cyberdroid]]s who fled the increasingly violent Great War. Though they initially found the world a harsh, unforgiving environment, they managed to develop [[Transtector]] technology to better cope with their new world, eventually turning it into a utopian paradise. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

After Master had found itself embroiled in the Great War once again, the Decepticons invaded the planet for its supply of [[G-Metal]]. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}}

======''Legends'' comic======
Hot Rod led the [[Micromaster]]s to found the colony [[Micro]]. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|G1 Mini-Con Chapter}}

======''Victory'' cartoon======
By the year [[2025]], Micro was a major strategic world, playing host to Autobot-Decepticon battles in the [[Victory War]]. {{storylink|Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior}} {{storylink|Unite! Liokaiser}}

======Ask Vector Prime======
[[Vehicon (planet)|Vehicon]] was a planet home to some technological civilization, designated the [[Tripuran]]s, that had disappeared by the time that the inhabitants of Cybertron discovered the planet. [[Reverse Convoy]] subsequently led a colonization team which explored the planet, which proved to be a paradise. They dubbed the planet "Vehicon" for the numerous automated factories that had been left behind by the Tripurans; the Cybertronians turned the infrastructure for their own use. Most astonishing about Vehicon was that its sole moon had apparently been collapsed into a singularity by the Tripurans, generating immense gravitational tides. Reverse Convoy's forces were able to utilize the tides to generate vast quantities of energon, turning Vehicon into one of Cybertron's most valuable energy producers. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/14}}

=====''Wings Universe''=====
In the 30th century, it was not uncommon for colonies to comprise members of a single faction. The [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] ship ''[[Rodimus Major]]'' was on its way to check up on one such [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] colony near the [[Dark Nebula]] when it disappeared into a spatial anomaly. {{storylink|Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur|Apelinq's personal logs, 2015/01/17}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
Using a fleet of [[Zod]] drones, the Decepticons of [[Primax 185.0 Beta]] conquered and colonized a sizeable portion of the Milky Way. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/04}}

According to [[Vector Prime]], the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s lived on the colony world [[Archon]] until it failed and they wound up in [[stasis lock]]. [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] discovered them and brought them to Earth, where they were revived and joined the Autobots. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/21}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
The Transformer race has gone through several waves of expansionism, some more imperialistic than others, and many at the expense of indigenous organic species.

[[File:FirstContact-lostcolonies.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"It was Era 1. The Primes, unique in their flawlessness, sought to expand their perfection across the galaxy. And it was for this purpose that The Arisen chose his first colony, the planet Earth."]]

In their travels across the galaxy, the [[Knights of Cybertron]] had contracted [[atrophosia]]. Seeking treatment, they made their way to [[Mederi]], the medical moon presenting itself as a "perfect Cybertron". Believing they had found a perfect world, and in such a state of bliss that their ailment was forgotten, the Knights settled on the world they dubbed "[[Cyberutopia]]", inscribing a map to the planet within the crystalline core of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], creating a legend of a perfect colony. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

The first known attempt at establishing an offworld presence occurred twelve million years ago, following the unification of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]]. Given the violent period of war that had preceded their reign, "[[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]" proposed turning the innate fury of all Cybertronians outward in a galactic expansion, the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. With [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]] as their flagship and the [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinels]] as vanguards, the Primes touched down on [[Antilla]], intending to conquer it for its resources. The [[Antillan]]s fought back but failed to match the invaders' power with a [[Unicron's creator|desperate scientist]] unleashing a [[Talisman (G1)|machine]] that sterilized the planet and warped it into [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} {{storylink|Our Finest}}

Subsequent [[Titan (group)|Titan]] expeditions, using [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]s within their bodies, were able to establish Cybertronian footholds on other worlds. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} As with Antilla, Cybertronian colonists would go on to quash civilizations of [[Native Devisen|technologically undeveloped inhabitants]] through aggressive [[cyberforming]]. At least five such worlds were colonized by the Transformers this way: [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], [[Arduria]], [[Velocitron]], and [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]]; over the eons, however, and certainly abetted by the subtle manipulations of "Onyx Prime", this gave way to a legend of ''thirteen'' such colonies, each affiliated with one of the Primes. These seven other planets had each felt the touch of the Thirteen in some way, {{storylink|Transformers: Historia|Historia}} and millions of years later the younger, present-day Shockwave would seed all thirteen planets with his [[Regenesis]] ores. {{storylink|Our Darkest}} {{storylink|Ceremony}}

On those colonies where Transformer-based life existed, their inhabitants maintained a concept of gender, whereas [[female Transformer]]s would eventually go extinct on Cybertron. {{storylink|All That Remains}}

The thirteen colonies are:
* '''[[LV-117]]''': The colony of [[Vector Prime]]. Inhabited by an organic race of shapeshifters, the temporally-displaced planet was seeded with [[Ore-1]], "Time."
*'''[[Gorlam Prime]]''': The colony of [[Quintus Prime]]. Formerly inhabited by humanoid organics, the machinations of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his experiments with the [[Dead Universe]] led to a period of artificially-accelerated progress that led the inhabitants to rapidly evolve into a Transformer-like species. Produced [[Ore-2]], "Death."
* '''[[Prion (planet)|Prion]]''': The colony of [[Micronus Prime]], and formerly home to a civilization of [[Mini-Con]]s. Produced [[Ore-3]], "Size."
* '''[[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]''': The colony of [[Solus Prime]], home of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], the religious [[Way of Flame]], and the [[Cityspeaker]]s. Produced [[Ore-4]], "Gravity".
* '''[[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]]''': The colony of [[Nexus Prime]], populated by [[Micromaster Combiner|Transformers who are born in pairs]]. Produced [[Ore-5]], "Combination".
*'''[[Arduria]]''': The colony of [[Alchemist Prime]], home to the [[Ardurian roc]]s, a species considered to be "cousins" of the Cybertronian race. Produced [[Ore-6]], "Cold".
* '''[[Antilla]]''': The colony of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], and the site of "first contact" between Cybertronians and the rest of the galaxy, becoming the setting of a devastating war between the Transformers and the native [[Antillan]]s. The planet was destroyed in the conflict and refashioned into [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Produced [[Ore-7]], "Change".
* '''[[Tsiehshi]]''': The colony of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]], a barren, uninhabited world where the tyrant once took refuge during the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]]. Produced [[Ore-8]], "Destruction."
* '''[[Velocitron]]''': The colony of [[Amalgamous Prime]], a desert world of intense temperatures. The Titan [[Navitas]], who settled the world, was converted into a mobile city and racetrack. Produced [[Ore-9]], "Space".
* '''[[Vigilem|Carcer]]''': The colony and living prison of [[Liege Maximo]]. A nomadic starship, it was overseen by a military dictatorship led by [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]. Produced [[Ore-10]], "Deception".
* '''[[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]]''': The colony of "Onyx Prime," inhabited by [[beast mode]] Transformers and guarded by his Titan, [[Chela]]. Produced [[Ore-11]], "Evolution".
* '''[[Elonia]]''': The colony and final resting place of [[Prima]] and his Titan [[Emissary (IDW)|Emissary]]; in the present day, it was inhabited by the [[Elonian]]s, and the capital of the [[Solstar Order]]. Produced [[Ore-12]], "Protection" with the ore becoming essential to the order of the [[Space Knight]]s.
* '''[[Earth]]''': The colony of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (possibly [[The Arisen]]). Associated with [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the planet has been a hotbed of Transformer activity for many years, with the native [[human]]s occasionally coming into conflict with the Cybertronian species. Produced [[Ore-13]], "Power."

In the Thirteen's absence, [[Nova Prime]], a former follower of Prima, rose to power and made plans to relaunch his former master's colonization efforts and conspired to enact what he called "the [[expansion]]", a galaxy spanning empire of Cybertronians, built through the power of [[combiner]]s. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} His plans hit an initial snag when [[Vector Sigma]] stopped igniting [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]s but he managed to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] as a new source of [[spark]]s. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} His plans were further delayed when he was pulled into the [[Dead Universe]] with all expansion plans being abandoned by those on Cybertron. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}}

In the [[Functionism|Functionist]] era that followed Nova's rule, Cybertron established mining colonies on alien worlds such as [[Messatine]] and [[Croteus 12]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 1|Megatron Origin #1}} {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}

During the height of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the Decepticons reached their zenith and enacted an imperialistic government through the formation of the [[Constellate]]—a collection of cyberformed worlds cleansed of their organic inhabitants and restructured to suit the needs of their Decepticon inhabitants. The Constellate was eventually abandoned as the war continued, with the Decepticons moving away from colonial subjugation of other lifeforms in favour of the [[infiltration protocol]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

Meanwhile, the neutral [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] led his pacifistic followers and associates in the [[Circle of Light]] offworld. Utilizing the power of [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}} the Titan whom [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] had entrusted to Dai Atlas, {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} the Circle founded the sanctuary planet [[Theophany]]. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

Following the end of the war, the Autobot [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] made contact with [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], one of the lost Titan colonies. He recruited the services of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], one of the planet's many [[Cityspeaker]]s, to tend to the sick [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], one of Caminus's siblings. {{storylink|A 'Bot and Her City}} In the wake of the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crisis, Windblade returned to Cybertron along with Metroplex. Metroplex began trying to search for some of the other colony Titans. {{storylink|A Long Way Down}} Windblade, merged with Metroplex's mind, caught glimpses of these other Transformer worlds, whose inhabitants had evolved into radically different forms during their long isolation from the rest of the universe. Windblade managed to strike a deal with [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]—in exchange for keeping [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]'s sabotage attempts a secret, she would repair Metroplex's space bridge, allowing Cybertron to once again reach out to its scattered colonies and giving Starscream the chance to rule over many worlds. {{storylink|Windblade issue 4|Windblade vol. 1 #4}}

Around this time, the [[Black Block Consortia]] discovered Prion's colony. Their hatred of mechanical races drove them to destroy the Transformer civilization had developed. The sole survivor, a young Transformer named [[Nickel]], joined the Decepticons after the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] arrived to investigate the remains. {{storylink|The Permanent Revolution}} {{storylink|White Heat}}

The official "first contact" ceremony between Cybertron and Caminus went less smoothly than expected, thanks to Starscream's political maneuvers involving a staged [[Combiner]] invasion of the planet. {{storylink|The Sum and Its Parts}} The political tensions soon boiled over, and the nascent "[[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner War]]" spilled over onto multiple colonies before things could be dealt with. In the aftermath, Cybertron and Caminus ratified the agreement that led to a democratic [[Council of Worlds]], a binding agreement that would allow Cybertron and its colonies to participate in a democratic parliament. {{storylink|All That Remains}} Subsequently, Starscream and Windblade used Metroplex's spacebridge to meet with representatives from other colonies—an adventure that led them to Velocitron, {{storylink|Race Against the Light}} Devisiun, Eukaris, {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|Windblade vol. 2 #6}} and [[Vigilem|Carcer]]. Representatives from each colony travelled to Cybertron to participate in this new government, which would give each world an equal voice. {{storylink|The Will of the Few}}

The opening of the brawl between the combiners took place on an [[Mystery colony planet|unknown planet]] within a trinary star system that bore a Cybertronian space bridge, distinctive of a colony world, but was seemingly inhabited by beings of [[Garnak]]'s race. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} {{storylink|All That Remains}}

Thereafter, colonist presence on Cybertron became more common. {{storylink|07:00:00}}

Following the invasion of Cybertron by the [[Iron Ring]], {{storylink|First Strike issue 6|First Strike #6}} [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] awoke and began devouring all of the Regenesis planets to assimilate the powers of their Ores. Once Caminus had been consumed, [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] realized that despite there having been thirteen Primes, they had only discovered ''twelve'' colonies. {{storylink|Last Stand (Unicron)|Last Stand}} It was soon revealed, however, that Unicron itself had been forged from Antilla, and thus was the missing thirteenth colony. {{storylink|Our Finest}}

When Unicron had been felled, only Earth remained, becoming a new home for Cybertronians and [[Elonian]]s. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

====''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''====
Following [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s defeat, both humans and Cybertronians colonized the various planets and moons of the [[Solar System|Sol system]]. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

====''Of Masters and Mayhem''====
In the years prior to Cybertron's destruction at the hands of [[Thunder Mayhem]], Paradron was a rumored lost colony. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 69|Lifeline's profile in Club magazine #69}}

Paradron was rediscovered at some point, becoming the last known world to be inhabited by the Cybertronian species following Thunder Mayhem's ravaging of Cybertron. [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] brought [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] there for medical treatment. {{storylink|Insight}} The duo later departed the planet to seek other allies to fight Thunder Mayhem. {{storylink|Life Finds a Way}}

====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons====
According to Metroplex, the Titans carried Cybertronian life to planets suitable for colonization. Once the colony became self-sustaining, the Titans would leave to find another planet to repeat the process on. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} One of these colonies, Caminus had diplomatic ties with Cybertron, with certain Camiens having a say in the affairs of Cybertron's governing body. {{storylink|The Fall}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
The Cybertronian colonies were founded during the Age of Expansion. By [[Codexa]]'s account, the colonies owed themselves to the efforts of Cybertron's various [[Titan (group)|Titans]] who fought, sometimes sacrificial, wars of genocide against rival alien powers and species for their planets. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} Colonists travelled to their new worlds in ''Ark''-class vessels, their voyages escorted by Titans. {{storylink|Escape Part One}} Parties that existed "behind the barrier of quintessence" sought to silence Cybertron's expansion. Abducting the Cybertronian explorer [[Exarchon]], the aliens warped him into a warlord and sent him against his species. {{storylink|War's End Part Three}} The subsequent [[War of the Threefold Spark]] that Exarchon unleashed on Cybertron brought an end to the prosperous age of colonization. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}}

Under the terms of the post-war [[Nominus Edict]], new colonies were only to be founded if the [[Senate]] had come to a unanimous agreement on the subject. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} Senator [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] heavily criticized this aspect of the Edict, feeling it had been passed only so as to avoid the risk of antagonizing [[alien]] races. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Five}} Before he was due to replace [[Codexa]] as the chief archivist, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] desired to leave Cybertron for "a kilocycle or three" and visit the colonies. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} This walkabout ultimately convinced Orion to go into politics instead of following in his [[mentor]]'s footsteps. {{storylink|End of Time}}

Rare colonies established despite the Edict included [[Mayalx]], a dreary asteroid that hosted an energon production and transmission station which the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] had found themselves banished to, {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} and [[Probat (planet)|Probat]], a protectorate, still inhabited by [[Probat (species)|its native species]], that hosted an energon production facility. {{storylink|Wannabee, Part 1}}

Having a low opinion of the [[Reversionist]] faction, [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] felt that the lot of them ought to be shipped off to the most remote colony. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Four}} In teaching [[Rubble]] about the world, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] informed him that, while Cybertron was largely a peaceful world, violence between Transformers existed on colony planets. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Two}} Among such violent acts was heads being bashed in from multiple traumatic impacts, something [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] noted when he examined Rubble's corpse, the newborn having died from such injuries. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One}}

While this was happening, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] was on a tour of the colonies with his inner retinue, along with some alien ambassadors, but, upon hearing of the chaos on Cybertron, cut his tour short. {{storylink|Nautica: Home}}

As part of their plans for galactic expansion, the Decepticons infiltrated the colony world of [[Velocitron]], manipulating events to make the Decepticon [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] its new ruler. {{storylink|Tread & Circuits Part 4}}

====''Transformers/Ghostbusters''====
After the destruction of Cybertron, [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] picked up a Cybertronian signal from the planet Earth. Among his theories as to the signal's origin, he suspected that Earth could have been a lost colony. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}}

===Beast Era===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Colony Omicron]] was a [[Maximal]] colony active some three centuries after the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Protoform X was incarcerated at the colony but he escaped and destroyed it, along with every [[Transformer]]. The only survivor was the security chief, [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. Haunted by the massacre and survivor's guilt, Depth Charge spent four stellar cycles hunting down X. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
By the era of the [[Convoy Council]], the earlier colonization efforts had borne fruit, several Maximals and Predacons living on distant worlds. {{storylink|Bump the Physicist}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
The first chapter of the [[Book of Logos]] spoke of seven colonies; Chela, Navitas, Prion, Carcer, Vigilem, Tempo, and Caminus. {{storylink|Book of Logos}}

During the early stages of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], refugees from Cybertron colonized new worlds to escape the conflict. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} During the conflict's space-based phase, the Autobots forged the [[Autobot Commonwealth]] while the Decepticons controlled the [[Decepticon Empire|Decepticon Star Empire]]. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} This all came to and end in [[2031]] when the [[Human Confederacy]], tired of the Cybertronian civil war ravaging unaffiliated planets, forcibly ended the war and confined the Cybertronian species to Cybertron and nine colony worlds. In [[2033]], [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] tried to breach this ceasefire with an invasion fleet. The humans vaped the fleet and in retaliation, ''halved'' the number of allowed colony worlds. After a ten-day <s>piss off</s> evacuation period, the five disbarred Cybertronian colonies were sterilized by the [[Confederated Terran Colonial Fleet|CTCF]]. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

By the late 24th century, the only Cybertronian colony left was the penal planet [[Elba]]. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} After the [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s city mode was shot down over [[Metascan Omega]], some of the crew remained in what they dubbed "Dinosaur City" which soon grew into a Cybertronian-run multi-species trading post. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

===Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity===
====''Energon'' cartoon====
Omnitron was discovered by a [[Team Rodimus (Energon)|group]] of [[Transformer]]s who were fed up with the war. Under [[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]]'s leadership, they turned it into a thriving colony. Over time, the inhabitants evolved into the [[Omnicon]]s. {{storylink|Survival Instincts}}

====''Cybertron'' cartoon====
In ancient times, [[Primus]] gifted the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s to his children. After the first defeat of Unicron, the Cybertronians planned to found colonies to spread Primus's essence throughout the cosmos. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}} The Transformers founded least three major colonies, using a combination of space bridges and massive colonization ships—the ''[[Ogygia (Cybertron)|Ogygia]]'' colonized [[Velocitron]], the ''[[Hyperborea (Cybertron)|Hyperborea]]'' landed on [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]], and the ''[[Lemuria (Cybertron)|Lemuria]]'' formed the center of the gigantic construction site of [[Gigantion]]. {{storylink|Balance}}

It was intended that a space bridge network would connect these colonies to each other and the homeworld, but this project failed and the colonies lost contact with each other. The Transformers on these worlds developed in isolation until 2030, when the [[Unicron Singularity]] crisis necessitated the recovery of the Cyber Keys. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

Once the crisis had passed, the colonies reopened diplomatic ties with Cybertron, boldly deciding to continue their ancestors' dreams of expansion and initiate a new space bridge project to found new colonies throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Beginning}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Jackhammer (Cybertron)|Jackhammer]] mistakenly believed [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]] to be "stinking refugees from the [[Junkion (planet)|Junk Planet]]". {{storylink|Balancing Act}}

====''Timelines''====
The four Planet Key-carrying ships were accompanied by many smaller ships to establish relay points on the planned space bridge network. One of these minor colonies was [[Combatron (planet)|Combatron]], which was established as a garrison to prepare for the return of Unicron. Unfortunately, Combatron's leader [[King Atlas]] [[Universe War|mysteriously disappeared]], and his soldiers descended into a civil war which wiped out almost all life on the planet. {{storylink|Force of Habit}}

===Live-action film series===
====IDW ''Revenge of the Fallen'' comics====
During the Great War, groups of civilian Autobots fled their war torn homeworld to establish colonies where they could live in peace under the guard of Autobot warriors. One of these worlds, guarded by [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]], was razed by the Decepticon [[Demolishor (ROTF)|Demolishor]] killing everyone but Sideswipe. {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 2|Tales of the Fallen #2}}

====''Rise of the Beasts'' film====
{{spoiler|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|July 9}}

The [[Maximal]]s came from a colony that had been colonized by [[beast mode]] Cybertronians in the distant past. One day, the colony came under attack from [[Unicron]] and his [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], seeking the [[Transwarp Key]]. Though the Maximals managed to send the Key away to [[Earth]], Unicron consumed the planet. {{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}

It is also implied that the Terrorcon leader [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] may have also hailed from a colony planet that was devoured by Unicron, as his master warns him that, unless he completes the Transwarp Key, he will wish that he had died with the rest of his planet.

===''Animated'' continuity===
Cybertronians first left their homeworld six billion years ago, during Cybertron's [[Golden Age]]. They succeeded in colonizing their solar system, but isolationism prevented any further expansion. Following the Third Cybertronian War, the Age of Expansion proper began 750 million years ago, overseen by the nascent Autobot faction and laying the groundwork for the future [[Autobot Commonwealth]]—an economic alliance of affiliated planets that encouraged free trade within its borders.

During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], numerous colonies within the Commonwealth were occupied by Decepticons; during the final days of the war, the Autobots launched a planet-hopping campaign that liberated numerous colonies, ending with Omnitron during the [[Battle for Omnitron]]. The Autobots were, by and large, successful, although several colonies within the Commonwealth were destroyed over the course of the war.

At the end of the Great War, the Decepticons accepted exile in exchange for amnesty, and founded a small [[Decepticon Empire]] of their own on the western rim of the galaxy. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

==="Aligned" continuity===
During Cybertron's [[Golden Age]], Cybertronians utilized space bridges to travel from world to world—a technology that had been captured from the [[Quintesson]]s at the end of the [[Age of Wrath]]. After eight thousand years of exploration within their arm of the galaxy, Cybertronians began developing the technology to create permanent colonies among the stars, specifically identifying worlds rich in specific minerals as prime targets for colonization. The development of a [[conversion beam]] gave Transformers the ability to make over rocky worlds into tiny copies of Cybertron, connected to the homeworld by space bridge. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} The [[Titan (group)|Titans]] played a role in founding the colonies, charting suitable planets. {{storylink|The Empty City}}

The colonization process proved a drain on [[energon]] supplies, and [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]]'s government decided that each world would be seeded with a miniature [[Well of All Sparks]], allowing the colony worlds to become completely self-sufficient. The technology to create new Wells was first tested on [[Archon]], where it proved a rousing success. Over several thousand years, Transformers colonized two hundred systems in all, including Gigantion, [[Neutronia]], [[Hub (G2)|the Hub]], and [[Aquatron]]. Some worlds, like the settlement of racers on resource-poor [[Velocitron]], were intended to be short-term projects designed to cater to a narrow demographic, while the "world" of [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] was designed as a dumping point for refuse from the colonies, but wound up attracting a variety of scavengers and low-lives.

Ultimately, the age of the colonies came to a close after the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Rust Plague]] spread across the colonies, killing every Cybertronian it infected. To save Cybertron, Sentinel Prime gave the orders to destroy the space bridge network, cutting off Cybertron from its protectorates and the colonies from each other.

Those colonies that survived the epidemic adapted to life without Cybertron in various ways. At least one world—Aquatron—was annexed by Quintessons, with its population of water-going Transformers enslaved by the [[alien]] invaders. On other worlds, such as Velocitron, the isolated Transformers struggled to survive on barren worlds, practically devoid of any natural resources. The citizens of Neutronia, who had fled the destruction of their planet, discovered the [[Transformation cog|Transformation Cog]] of [[Amalgamous Prime]], and mutated into the [[Mutacon]]s, a faction of space-faring nomads. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

Following the evacuation of Cybertron aboard the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'', [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s Autobots and [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s Decepticons visited across several colonies as they searched for the [[AllSpark]]. They were, in turn, pursued by the [[Star Seeker]]s—a faction of Cybertronian expatriates seeking revenge for the destruction of their original world during the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] outbreak. While the Junkions and Mutacons proved helpful allies, the presence of two warring factions on Velocitron collapsed the fragile peace and sparked a civil war between [[Ransack (Prime)|Ransack]]'s group of malcontents and [[Override (Prime)|Override]]'s loyalists. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}} Aquatron was the site of a Quintesson ambush that nearly saw both Optimus Prime and Megatron executed for their crimes against the Quintesson Imperium—a conflict that ended with the [[Inquirata (Prime)|Curator]] killed, and the citizens of Aquatron freed from their cruel overlords. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution|Retribution}}

===''Cyberverse'' cartoon===
Cybertron's colonies were founded during the Age of [[Expansion]]. {{storylink|The Citizen}} During this era, the Titan [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]] colonized [[Croaton's planet|a planet]] near the [[Sharkticon homeworld]]. While his world initially thrived, it came under attack from alien invaders who nearly killed him and abducted his citizens. {{storylink|Ghost Town}}

In the era prior to the [[Great War (Cyberverse)|Great War]], two colonies were known to maintain contact with Cybertron; [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Cube (episode)|Cube}} {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}} {{storylink|Maccadam's}}

The latter world was colonized as a hub for racing enthusiasts, becoming a popular tourist destination. When the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Plague of Rust]] struck the speed planet, [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] deactivated his homeworld's [[space bridge]] to prevent the disease from spreading to Cybertron and the other colonies. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}

The [[Dinobot (Cyberverse)|Dinobots]] hailed from a colony that intercepted the message that [[Grimlock (Cyberverse)|Grimlock]] had sent out before the extinction of the [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]], remodelling themselves after the hopeful message. This colony was later invaded and destroyed by the [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]], survived only by the Dinobots. {{storylink|The Immobilizers}}

As the [[Ark (Cyberverse)|''Ark'']] travelled back to Cybertron, it chanced across Croaton's planet, the Titan making contact with the [[cityspeaker]] [[Windblade (Cyberverse)|Windblade]] and had her bring him the [[AllSpark]] so he could heal himself. Once he was restored, he left his planet to try and find his colonists. {{storylink|Ghost Town}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Devastation''===
In the [[Golden Age]], the Mission of Cybertronian Expansion was undertaken by [[Nova Prime]] and his crew aboard the ''[[Proudstar]]''. Though the crew enjoyed many successes at first and founded new outposts of Cybertronian civilization, such as [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]], they soon made planetfall on [[Unicron/Generation 1|a strange world]] which caused the crew's personalities to take a darker turn, colonizing populated worlds as well as uninhabited ones. When they attempted to colonize [[Earth]], [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]] crashed the craft, halting the project.

Unicron meanwhile used the ''Proudstar''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s earlier success as a handy roadmap to [[Primus]]'s location, devouring all he came across in the process. {{storylink|Transformers: Devastation|Devastation}}

==See also==
*[[Cyberforming]]

[[Category:Colonies| ]]

Studio Series

2023-06-13T19:20:59Z

Chasd20: /* Exclusives */

{{nav-studio}}
[[File:StudioSeries-01-MV1-Deluxe-Bumblebee-w backdrop.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|From L'Oreal]]
First revealed at New York [[Toy Fair 2018]], '''''Transformers Generations: Studio Series''''' (aka '''''Transformers: Studio Series'''''), acts as a celebration under the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' banner of over ten years of live-action movies, with characters from every movie represented. It has to date also coincided with ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', the sixth and seventh films in the [[live-action film series]].

Each figure from the Deluxe, Voyager, and Leader Class assortments is numbered, with an indication of their movie of origin. The same also applies to store exclusive figures and multi-packs. All figures also come with a cardboard backdrop–the eponymous "studio"<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's called "Studio Series" partly because Hasbro envisioned fans using the included backdrops as miniature "studios" when taking photos of the toys for social media.|link=https://twitter.com/tfwiki/status/1136078338706104320|name=Transformers Wiki (Matthew Karpowich)|site=Twitter|year=2019|month=06|day=05}}</ref>–depicting a notable scene from their respective fictional appearance. In some instances, backdrops are repeated between separate figures representing the same scene. If those figures are released as part of different [[size class]]es, the backdrops are rescaled accordingly.

With rough robot mode [[scale]] as a line-wide goal, each figure is sized in relation to other toys, even in the same [[size class]]; 18 Deluxe Bumblebee is shorter than Jazz and 01 Bumblebee, who are in turn shorter than Ratchet and Lockdown.

The toyline boasts a greater accuracy than previous lines, due its focus on relative scale and its making use of CG models pulled from the films (or games) for reference (though this does fall short for early ''Bumblebee'' toys). ''Studio Series'' also explores toys for characters who had none before, or were left to a smaller size class.
{{TOC|limit=3}}
==Hasbro ''Studio Series'' toyline==
===2018===
====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|01 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Bumblebee]] (''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' 1976 Camaro)}}
{{Bp-d1|02 [[Stinger (AOE)#Studio Series|Decepticon Stinger]] (''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'')}}
{{Bp-d1|03 [[Crowbar#Studio Series|Crowbar]] (''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'')}}
{{Bp-a1|04 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Ratchet]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|10 [[Jazz (Movie)#Studio Series|Autobot Jazz]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|11 [[Lockdown (ROTF)#Studio Series|Lockdown]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|16 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#SS16|Autobot Ratchet]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|17 [[Shadow Raider#Studio Series|Shadow Raider]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-a1|18 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS18|Bumblebee]] (''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' VW Beetle)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|22 [[Dropkick (Movie)#Studio Series|Dropkick]] (''Bumblebee'' SuperCobra)}}
{{Bp-d1|23 [[KSI Sentry#Studio Series|KSI Sentry]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:StudioSeries-03-MV3-Deluxe-Crowbar.jpg|thumb|200px|03 Deluxe Class [[Crowbar#Studio Series|Crowbar]]]]
|}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|05 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Optimus Prime]] (''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'')}}
{{Bp-d1|06 [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Starscream]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|12 [[Brawl (Movie)#Studio Series|Decepticon Brawl]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|13 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Megatron]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|14 [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Ironhide]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|21 [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#SS21|Starscream]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:StudioSeries-13-MV2-Voyager-Megatron.jpg|thumb|200px|13 Voyager Class [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Megatron]]]]
|}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|07 [[Grimlock (AOE)#Studio Series|Grimlock]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|08 [[Blackout (Movie)#Studio Series|Decepticon Blackout]] (''Transformers'' w/ [[Scorponok (Movie)#Studio Series|Scorponok]])}}
</ul>
|
|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:StudioSeries-08-MV1-Leader-Blackout.jpg|thumb|200px|08 Leader Class [[Blackout (Movie)#Studio Series|Decepticon Blackout]]]]
|}

====Exclusives====
The earliest exclusives in ''Studio Series'' were hit hard by the bankruptcy of [[Toys"R"Us]] in several countries. Thundercracker was only available for a very short window at TRU, and only in store. Likewise, the Bumblebee/Charlie 2-pack was also intended for Toys"R"Us, but ultimately only released that way in Canada, which still had Toys"R"Us by the time it came out. Both releases were eventually made available through numerous online retailers such as [[BigBadToyStore]], Entertainment Earth, ToyWiz, and TFSource.

The Bumblebee Then & Now Two-pack was exclusive to [[Target]] and BigBadToyStore in the United States and to Kmart in Australia; the Bumblebee Vol. 1 Retro Rock Garage set debuted at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2018 and was later also made available via [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]; and the Bumblebee Vol. 2 Retro Pop Highway set appears to have been an "online exclusive" shared between the same retailers that offered Thundercracker and Bumblebee/Charlie. We say "appear" because the Retro Pop Highway set was ''also'' available at GameStop stores in the United States, ''and'' both sets were ''also'' listed in Diamond Comic Distributors' ''Previews'' catalog, so really the only "exclusivity" for these appears to be that neither of them is available from Walmart or Target.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|09 [[Thundercracker (Movie)#Studio Series|Thundercracker]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|15 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS15|Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'' 1976 Camaro, w/ [[Charlie Watson#Studio Series|Charlie]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|19 Vol. 1 Retro Rock Garage (''Bumblebee'')}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS19|Bumblebee]] (1976 Camaro)}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Dairu#Studio Series|Dairu]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Uruaz#Studio Series|Uruaz]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|20 Vol. 2 Retro Pop Highway (''Bumblebee'')}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS20|Bumblebee]] (Beetle)}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Uriad#Studio Series|Uriad]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Zauru#Studio Series|Zauru]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Bumblebee Then & Now Two-Pack}}
:{{Bp-a1|24 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS24|Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'' Beetle)}}
:{{Bp-a1|25 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS24|Bumblebee]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-20-Vol2-retro-Pop-Highway-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|200px|20 Vol. 2 Retro Pop Highway ]]
|}

;Asia only
Meanwhile, in Hasbro Asia markets: a special Bumblebee with battle damage deco was [[Campaign item|given away]] to customers who purchased at least 100 SGD of ''Studio Series'' and/or ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' products in Singaporean Toys"R"Us stores; and in China, the purchase of ''Studio Series'' products from Hasbro's official TaoBao online shop on May 15, 2018 entered buyers into a lucky draw with the chance of receiving one of 300 battle damaged Bumblebees or one of 88 Blackouts in camouflage deco.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Singapore (Toys"R"Us)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|01 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BattleDamagedTRU|Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'' 1976 Camaro)}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''China (TaoBao)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|01 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SSTaoBao|Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'' 1976 Camaro)}}
{{Bp-d1|08 [[Blackout (Movie)#TaoBao|Decepticon Blackout]] (''Transformers'' w/ [[Scorponok (Movie)#TaoBao|Scorponok]])}}
</ul>
|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-Hasbro-TaoBao-exclusive-Blackout.jpg|thumb|200px|TaoBao exclusive 08 Leader Class [[Blackout (Movie)#TaoBao|Decepticon Blackout]]]]
|
|}
----
===2019===
====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|26 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS26|WWII Bumblebee]] (''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'')}}
{{Bp-a1|27 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS27|Clunker Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|28 [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Barricade]] (''Transformers'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|29 [[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Sideswipe]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|30 [[Crankcase (DOTM)#Studio Series|Crankcase]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|39 [[Cogman#Studio Series|Cogman]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-d1|40 [[Shatter#Studio Series|Shatter]] (''Bumblebee'' Plymouth)}}
{{Bp-d1|41 [[Scrapmetal (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Scrapmetal]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|45 [[Drift (AOE)#SS45|Autobot Drift]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|46 [[Dropkick (Movie)#SS46|Dropkick]] (''Bumblebee'' Javelin)}}
{{Bp-d1|47 [[Hightower (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Hightower]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-MVBB-40-Deluxe-Shatter.jpg|thumb|200px|40 Deluxe Class [[Shatter#Studio Series|Shatter]]]]
|}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|32 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS32|Optimus Prime]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|33 [[Bonecrusher (Movie)#Studio Series|Bonecrusher]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|37 [[Rampage (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Rampage]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1|38 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS38|Optimus Prime]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|42 [[Long Haul (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Long Haul]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|43 [[KSI Boss#Studio Series|KSI Boss]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-38-MVBB-Voyager-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|200px|38 Voyager Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS38|Optimus Prime]]]]
|}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|34 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS34|Megatron]] (''Dark of the Moon'' w/ [[Igor#Studio Series|Igor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|35 [[Jetfire (Movie)#Studio Series|Jetfire]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|44 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS44|Optimus Prime]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-35-MV2-Leader-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|200px|35 Leader Class [[Jetfire (Movie)#Studio Series|Jetfire]]]]
|}

====Exclusives====
As with the previous year's Vol. 2 Retro Pop Highway, the Drift and Baby Dinobots set was available from multiple online retailers. Battle Damaged Megatron was first found stocked by Hong Kong shops, long before it was available both online and in store at Toys"R"Us in Canada and Target in the U.S.

"As Seen In Parks" Megatron was officially exclusive to Universal Studios, but was released (almost a ''year'' after he had been officially revealed) in Hasbro's Asian markets first. Due to the global {{w|COVID-19 pandemic}}, the toy was only released exclusively to online retailers in the U.S.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|31 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS31|Battle Damaged Megatron]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|48 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SSUniversal|As Seen In Parks Megatron]] (''[[Transformers: The Ride – 3D]]'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="40%" valign="top"|'''Multi-pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|36 [[Drift (AOE)#Studio Series|Autobot Drift]] & [['Tops#Studio Series|Dinobot 'Tops]], [[Pterry#Studio Series|Dinobot Pterry]], [[Sharp-T#Studio Series|Dinobot Sharp T]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-MV5-Deluxe-Drift.jpg|thumb|200px|36 Deluxe [[Drift (AOE)#Studio Series|Autobot Drift]]]]
|}
{{-}}
----
===2020===
====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|49 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS49|Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'' 2008 Concept Camaro)}}
{{Bp-a1|50 [[Hot Rod (DOTM)#Studio Series|WWII Autobot Hot Rod]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|51 [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#Studio Series|Soundwave]] (''Dark of the Moon'' w/ [[Laserbeak (DOTM)#Studio Series|Laserbeak]])}}
{{Bp-a1|52 [[Chromia (ROTF)#Studio Series|Chromia]] • [[Arcee (Movie)#Studio Series|Arcee]] • [[Elita-One (Movie)#Studio Series|Elita-1]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|57 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS57|Offroad Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|58 [[Roadbuster (DOTM)#Studio Series|Roadbuster]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|59 [[Shatter#SS59|Shatter]] (''Bumblebee'' Harrier)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|62 [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS62|Soundwave]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1|63 [[Topspin (DOTM)#Studio Series|Topspin]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-a1|64 [[Cliffjumper (Movie)#Studio Series|Cliffjumper]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Generations-Studio-Series-50-WWII-Hot-Rod.jpg|thumb|200px|50 Deluxe Class [[Hot Rod (DOTM)#Studio Series|WWII Autobot Hot Rod]]]]
|}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|53 [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Mixmaster]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|54 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS54|Megatron]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|60 [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Scrapper]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1d1|61 [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#Studio Series|Sentinel Prime]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}} 
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|65 [[Blitzwing (BB)#Studio Series|Blitzwing]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|67 [[Skipjack (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Skipjack]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-Voyager-Blitzwing.jpg|thumb|200px|65 Voyager Class [[Blitzwing (BB)#Studio Series|Blitzwing]]]]
|}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|55 [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Scavenger]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1d1|56 [[Shockwave (Movie)#Studio Series|Shockwave]] (''Dark of the Moon'' w/ [[Brains#Studio Series|Brains]], [[Wheelie (ROTF)#Studio Series|Wheelie]], and [[NEST#Studio Series|Paratrooper]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|66 [[Overload (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Overload]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-MV2-Leader-Overload.jpg|thumb|200px|66 Leader Class [[Overload (ROTF)#Studio Series|Constructicon Overload]]]]
|}

====Exclusives====
2020 saw the release of Leadfoot at Target, the enormous Devastator box set at multiple retailers, and the beginnings of the ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' line in celebration of everybody's favourite little yellow Autobot. Toys in the latter line are earmarked by the addition of "BB" to their ID numbers.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Target Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|68 [[Leadfoot (DOTM)#Studio Series|Leadfoot]] (''Dark of the Moon'' w/ [[Steeljaw (DOTM)#Studio Series|Steeljaw]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Target ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Deluxes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|15BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW15|Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'' 1976 Camaro, w/ [[Charlie Watson#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Charlie]])}}
{{Bp-a1|26BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW26|WWII Bumblebee]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-d1|40BB [[Shatter#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Shatter]] (''Bumblebee'' Plymouth)}}
{{Bp-a1|74BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW74|Bumblebee]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'' 2008 Camaro, w/ [[Sam Witwicky#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Sam]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multiple outlets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|69 [[Devastator (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Devastator]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Hightower (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Hightower]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapmetal (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Scrapmetal]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Skipjack (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Skipjack]]}}}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
 
:{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Overload (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Overload]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (ROTF)#SSBoxset|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-SS-68-Deluxe-Leadfoot.jpg|thumb|200px|68 Deluxe Class [[Leadfoot (DOTM)#Studio Series|Leadfoot]] (w/ [[Steeljaw (DOTM)#Studio Series|Steeljaw]])]]
|}
{{-}}
----

===2021===
For [[2021]]'s new product, ''Studio Series'' started to include characters from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', in celebration of the film's 35th anniversary. These toys feature a separate numbering system in Hasbro markets that utilizes "86" before the number of the respective figure. The '86 figures follow the same style, scale and play pattern of those from the concurrent ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' toylines, complete with [[Fire Blast effect]] compatibility and [[5 mm post|5 mm port]]s that can support [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizers]] and [[F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology|Fossilizers]].

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-01 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Jazz]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-02 [[Kup (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Kup]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-03 [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Blurr]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|70 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS70|B-127]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|71 [[Dino#Studio Series|Autobot Dino]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 13'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|74 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS74|Bumblebee]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'' w/ [[Sam Witwicky#SS74|Sam Witwicky]])}}
{{Bp-a1|75 [[Jolt (ROTF)#Studio Series|Jolt]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-qu2|86-08 [[Gnaw (G1)#Studio Series|Gnaw]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 14'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|78 [[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#SS78|Sideswipe]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-86-01-Deluxe-Autobot-Jazz.jpg|thumb|200px|86-01 Deluxe Class [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Jazz]]]]
|}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-04 [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Hot Rod]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-d1|86-05 [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Scourge]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|72 [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#SS72|Starscream]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 13'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|76 [[Thrust (Movie)#Studio Series|Thrust]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-09 [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Studio Series|Wreck-Gar]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 14'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|86-10 [[Sweep (G1)#Studio Series|Decepticon Sweep]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:SS76-Bumblebee-Thrust.jpg|thumb|200px|76 Voyager Class [[Thrust (Movie)#Studio Series|Thrust]]]]
|}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-06 [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Grimlock]] & [[Wheelie (G1)#Studio Series|Autobot Wheelie]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|73 [[Grindor (ROTF)#Studio Series|Grindor]] & [[Ravage (ROTF)#Studio Series|Ravage]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-07 [[Slag (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Dinobot Slug]] & [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)#Studio Series|Daniel Witwicky]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-86-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|200px|86-06 Leader Class [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Grimlock]] & [[Wheelie (G1)#Studio Series|Wheelie]]]]
|}

====Target exclusives====
The ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' line further expanded in 2021 to include multi-packs. Target also reissued Battle Damaged Megatron and the Then & Now Two-Pack.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|31 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS31|Battle Damaged Megatron]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'') reissue}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-pack'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Bumblebee Then & Now Two-Pack (reissue)}}
:{{Bp-a1|24 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS24|Bumblebee]] (Beetle, ''Bumblebee'')}}
:{{Bp-a1|25 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS24|Bumblebee]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Battle Packs'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|18BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW18|Bumblebee]] VS 46BB [[Dropkick (Movie)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Dropkick]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1d1|27BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW27|Clunker Bumblebee]] VS 28BB [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Barricade]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-a1d1|79BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW79|High Octane Bumblebee]] VS 02BB [[Stinger (AOE)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Decepticon Stinger]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Deluxe assortment'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|70BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW70|B-127]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-02BB [[Kup (G1)/toys#BW8602|Kup]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-13BB [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#BW8613|Cliffjumper]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Buzzworthy-Bumblebee-High-Octane-Bumblebee-VS-Decepticon-Stinger.jpg|thumb|200px|79BB [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BW79|High Octane Bumblebee]] VS 02BB [[Stinger (AOE)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Decepticon Stinger]]]]
|}
{{-}}
----
===2022===
In [[2022]], ''Studio Series'' adopted the Core Class price point that debuted in the ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' line, producing both characters too small for Deluxe Class as well as pocket-sized versions of the main cast like in [[Legends Class (2005)|days of yore]]. Notably, unlike the larger figures in the line, the toys in the Core Class are not numbered.

====Core Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (Movie)#SSBB|Shockwave]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ravage (ROTF)#SSBB|Ravage]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Studio Series|Exo-Suit Spike Witwicky]] (''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Ratchet]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#SSCore|Autobot Wheelie]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Laserbeak (DOTM)#SSCore|Laserbeak]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Decepticon Rumble (Blue)]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-Core-Class-Bumblebee-Ravage.jpg|thumb|200px|Core Class [[Ravage (ROTF)#SSBB|Ravage]]]]
|}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 15'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|80 [[Brawn (ROTF)#Studio Series|Brawn]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|81 [[Wheeljack (Movie)#Studio Series|Wheeljack]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|82 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#SS82|Autobot Ratchet]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|86-11 [[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Perceptor]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 16'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|84 [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#SS84|Ironhide]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|85 [[Arcee (Movie)#SS85|Arcee]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 17'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-16 [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Arcee]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|87 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS87|Bumblebee]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|88 [[Sideways (ROTF)#Studio Series|Sideways]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 18'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|92 [[Crosshairs (AOE)#Studio Series|Crosshairs]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-a1|93 [[Hot Rod (DOTM)#SS93|Autobot Hot Rod]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:SS-toy Brawn.jpg|thumb|200px|80 Deluxe Class [[Brawn (ROTF)#Studio Series|Brawn]]]]
|}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 15'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|83 [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS83|Soundwave]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 16'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-14 [[Junkyard (G1)#Studio Series|Junkheap]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 17'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|89 [[Thundercracker (Movie)#SS89|Thundercracker]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|90 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS90|Galvatron]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 18'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-17 [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Ironhide]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Studio-Series-Voyager-Class-Bumblebee-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|200px|83 Voyager Class [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS83|Soundwave]]]]
|}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|86-12 [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Coronation Starscream]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-15 [[Sludge (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Sludge]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|91 [[The Fallen/toys#Studio Series|The Fallen]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-Leader-ROTF-The-Fallen.jpg|thumb|200px|91 Leader Class [[The Fallen/toys#Studio Series|The Fallen]]]]
|}

====Exclusives====
2022 saw the first in a line of exclusives themed around [[NEST]] in the online exclusive N.E.S.T. Bumblebee, as well as a special commemorative multi-pack of Autobots available at [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|77 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS77|N.E.S.T. Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'' w/ "[[Sam Witwicky#SS77|mini figure]]")}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Transformers'' 15th Anniversary''' (multi-pack)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|04 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#SS15thAnniversary|Autobot Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|10 [[Jazz (Movie)#SS15thAnniversary|Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|14 [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#SS15thAnniversary|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|32 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS15thAnniversary|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|49 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS15thAnniversary|Bumblebee]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:SS77-NEST-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|200px|77 Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS77|N.E.S.T. Bumblebee]]]]
|}
{{-}}
----
===2023===
''Studio Series'' expanded in scope in [[2023]], not only with toys for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''–the first new ''Transformers'' movie since the line's early days–but also into the world of the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'' video game. Toys from the latter imprint feature a separate numbering system that we've chosen to represent as beginning with a plus (+), though the actual toy packaging stylises the symbol as a little D-pad. Neat!

====Core Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (Movie)#SSCore|Arcee]] (''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'')}}
{{Bp-ter|[[Freezer#Studio Series|Terrorcon Freezer]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#SSCore|Ironhide]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SSCore|Bumblebee]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-SS-Core-ROTB-Arcee.jpg|thumb|200px|Core Class [[Arcee (Movie)#SSCore|Arcee]]]]
|}
{{comingsoontoy|Wave 7}}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 19'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|97 [[Airazor (ROTB)#Studio Series|Airazor]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
{{Bp-a1|100 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS100|Bumblebee]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 20'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|+01 [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Studio Series|Gamer Edition Bumblebee]] ([[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|''War for Cybertron'')]]}}
{{Bp-d1|+02 [[Barricade (WFC)#Studio Series|Gamer Edition Barricade]] (''War for Cybertron'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 21'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-22 [[Brawn (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Brawn]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|+05 [[Cliffjumper (WFC)#Studio_Series|Gamer Edition Cliffjumper]] (''War for Cybertron'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''TBD'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|105 [[Mirage (Movie)#SS105|Mirage]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-SS-WFC-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|200px|+01 Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Studio Series|Gamer Edition Bumblebee]]]]
|}
{{comingsoontoy|Wave 21 and beyond}}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 19'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|98 [[Cheetor (ROTB)#Studio Series|Cheetor]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
{{Bp-ter|99 [[Battletrap (ROTB)#Studio Series|Battletrap]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 20'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|+03 [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Studio Series|Gamer Edition Optimus Prime]] (''War for Cybertron'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 21'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|103 [[Rhinox (ROTB)#Studio Series|Rhinox]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
{{Bp-d1|+04 [[Megatron (WFC)/toys#Studio Series|Gamer Edition Megatron]] (''War for Cybertron'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-SS-98-Voyager-ROTB-Cheetor.jpg|thumb|200px|98 Voyager Class [[Cheetor (ROTB)#Studio Series|Cheetor]]]]
|}
{{comingsoontoy|Wave 21}}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-ter|101 [[Scourge (ROTB)#Studio Series|Scourge]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-19 [[Snarl (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Snarl]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|200px|101 Leader Class [[Scourge (ROTB)#Studio Series|Scourge]]]]
|}

====Exclusives====
There were further releases in ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' this year, some of which continued the range of NEST-themed redecoes, and none of which were released in waves or regular assortments.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Deluxe Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|96BB [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#BW96|N.E.S.T. Autobot Ratchet]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hatchet (DOTM)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Hatchet]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Autobot Hound]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Voyager Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|95BB [[Bonecrusher (Movie)#BW95|N.E.S.T. Bonecrusher]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-a1|102BB [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BBROTB|Optimus Prime]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Leader Class'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|44BB [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#BW44|Optimus Prime]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-a1|07BB [[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
</ul>
|
|width=“20%” valign=“top”|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' Multi-pack'''
<ul class-“iconlist”>
:{{Bp-a1|86-24BB [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
:{{Bp-a1|86-20BB [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Buzzworthy-Bumblebee-95BB-NEST-Bonecrusher.jpeg|thumb|200px|95BB Voyager Class [[Bonecrusher (Movie)#BW95|N.E.S.T. Bonecrusher]]]]
|}

{{comingsoontoy|Hatchet, Hound, Voyager Optimus Prime}}

==TakaraTomy ''Studio Series'' toyline==
Similar to ''Power of the Primes'', in Takara's '''''Transformers Studio Series''''' (トランスフォーマースタジオシリーズ ''Toransufōmā Sutajio Shirīzu'') line, all figures are identical to their Hasbro counterparts, forgoing Takara's past practice of using more movie-accurate paint jobs. This is most likely due to the line being an official collaboration between Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy]], much like the ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Masterpiece Movie Series|Masterpiece Movie Series]]'' line. ID numbering differs after number 8 compared to the Hasbro release, since some of the exclusives are not released in Japan. Introduced to the line in 2021, Takara includes characters from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' in its pre-existing ''Studio Series'' numbering system, whereas Hasbro assigns them ID numbers prefixed by "86". Takara also assigns ID numbers to Core Class figures, which go unnumbered in Hasbro markets. From wave 4 through wave 12, the packages featured the franchise's 35th anniversary logo.

In 2021, Takara decided to go back to its old ways and launched the exclusive ''[[Transformers Premium Finish|Premium Finish]]'' toyline, featuring rereleases of some ''Studio Series'' figures with much more movie-accurate decoes.

=== Regular retail ===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" style="margin-right:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[April 21|Apr 24]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-01 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-02 [[Stinger (AOE)#Studio Series|Decepticon Stinger]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-03 [[Crowbar#Studio Series|Crowbar]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-04 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Ratchet]] (''Transformers'')}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|SS-05 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Optimus Prime]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-06 [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Starscream]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-07 [[Grimlock (AOE)#Studio Series|Grimlock]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-08 [[Blackout (Movie)#Studio Series|Blackout]] (w/ [[Scorponok (Movie)#Studio Series|Scorponok]], ''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[July 21|Jul 21]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-09 [[Jazz (Movie)#Studio Series|Autobot Jazz]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-10 [[Lockdown (ROTF)#Studio Series|Lockdown]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-11 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Megatron]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-12 [[Brawl (Movie)#Studio Series|Brawl]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[September 15|Sep 15]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-13 [[Shadow Raider#Studio Series|Shadow Raider]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-14 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#SS16|Ratchet]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-15 [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Ironhide]] (''Transformers'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[October 27|Oct 27]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-16 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS18|Bumblebee]] (Beetle, ''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-17 [[KSI Sentry#Studio Series|KSI Sentry]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-18 [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#SS21|Starscream]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[January 26|Jan 26]], [[2019]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-19 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS26|World War II Bumblebee]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-20 [[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Sideswipe]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-21 [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Studio Series|Decepticon Barricade]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-22 [[Crankcase (DOTM)#Studio Series|Crankcase]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' ([[March 23|Mar 23]], 2019)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-23 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS27|Rusty Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-24 [[Bonecrusher (Movie)#Studio Series|Bonecrusher]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-25 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS32|Optimus Prime]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-26 [[Jetfire (Movie)#Studio Series|Jetfire]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-27 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS34|Megatron]] (w/ [[Igor#Studio Series|Igor]], ''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-28 [[Dropkick (Movie)#Studio Series|Dropkick]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' ([[April 27|Apr 27]], 2019)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-29 [[Shatter#Studio Series|Shatter]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-30 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS38|Optimus Prime]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-31 [[Cogman#Studio Series|Cogman]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-32 [[Scrapmetal (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Scrapmetal]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-33 [[Rampage (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Rampage]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' ([[July 27|Jul 27]], 2019)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-34 [[Long Haul (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Long Haul]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-35 [[KSI Boss#Studio Series|KSI Boss]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' ([[August 31|Aug 31]], 2019)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-36 [[Dropkick (Movie)#SS46|Dropkick 2]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-37 [[Hightower (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Hightower]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-38 [[Drift (AOE)#SS45|Sky Drift]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-39 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS44|Jetwing Optimus Prime]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' ([[January 25|Jan 25]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-40 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS49|New Bumblebee]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-41 [[Chromia (ROTF)#Studio Series|Chromia]] • [[Arcee (Movie)#Studio Series|Arcee]] • [[Elita-One (Movie)#Studio Series|Elita-1]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-42 [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#Studio Series|Soundwave]] with [[Laserbeak (DOTM)#Studio Series|Laserbeak]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-43 [[Mixmaster (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Mixmaster]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11''' ([[February 29|Feb 29]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-44 [[Hot Rod (DOTM)#Studio Series|WWII Autobot Hot Rod]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-45 [[Shockwave (Movie)#Studio Series|Shockwave]] (w/ [[Brains#Studio Series|Brains]], [[Wheelie (ROTF)#Studio Series|Wheelie]], and [[NEST#Studio Series|Paratrooper]], ''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12''' ([[March 28|Mar 28]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-46 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS54|Megatron]] (''Transformers'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-47 [[Scavenger (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Scavenger]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 13''' ([[April 25|Apr 25]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-48 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS57|Offroad Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-49 [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#Studio Series|Sentinel Prime]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 14''' ([[May 30]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-50 [[Roadbuster (DOTM)#Studio Series|Roadbuster]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-51 [[Scrapper (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Scrapper]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 15''' ([[June 27|Jun 27]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-52 [[Shatter#SS59|Shatter 2]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 15.5''' ([[August 1|Aug 1]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-54 [[Overload (ROTF)#Studio Series|Decepticon Overload]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 16''' ([[August 29|Aug 29]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-53 [[Cliffjumper (Movie)#Studio Series|Cliffjumper]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 17''' ([[September 26|Sep 26]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-55 [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS62|Soundwave]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-56 [[Topspin (DOTM)#Studio Series|Topspin]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 18''' ([[October 23|Oct 23]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-57 [[Blitzwing (BB)#Studio Series|Blitzwing]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 19''' ([[November 28|Nov 28]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-58 [[Leadfoot (DOTM)#Studio Series|Leadfoot]] (w/ [[Steeljaw (DOTM)#Studio Series|Steeljaw]], ''Dark of the Moon'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 20''' ([[April 20|Apr 20]], [[2021]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-59 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Jazz]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-60 [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Hot Rod]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-61 [[Kup (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Kup]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 21''' ([[May 29]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-62 [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Scourge]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-63 [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Blurr]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-64 [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Grimlock]] & [[Wheelie (G1)#Studio Series|Autobot Wheelie]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 22''' ([[June 26|Jun 26]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-65 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS70|B-127]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 23''' ([[July 31|Jul 31]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-66 [[Dino#Studio Series|Autobot Dino]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-67 [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#SS72|Starscream]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 24''' ([[August 7|Aug 7]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-68 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS74|Bumblebee]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 25''' ([[November 27|Nov 27]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-69 [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Studio Series|Wreck-Gar]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-qu2|SS-70 [[Gnaw (G1)#Studio Series|Gnaw]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-71 [[Slag (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Slug]] & [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)#Studio Series|Daniel Witwicky]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 26''' ([[February 26|Feb 26]], [[2022]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-73 [[Thrust (Movie)#Studio Series|Thrust]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-74 [[Jolt (ROTF)#Studio Series|Jolt]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 27''' ([[April 30|Apr 30]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-75 [[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Perceptor]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-76 [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Studio Series|New Destruction Emperor Starscream]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-77 [[Sideswipe (Movie)/toys#SS78|Sideswipe]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 28''' ([[May 28]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-78 [[Ravage (ROTF)#SSBB|Ravage]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-79 [[Shockwave (Movie)#SSBB|Shockwave]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-80 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#SS82|Autobot Ratchet]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-81 [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS83|Soundwave]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 29''' ([[June 25]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-82 [[Sweep (G1)#Studio Series|Decepticon Sweep]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-83 [[Brawn (ROTF)#Studio Series|Brawn]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-84 [[Wheeljack (Movie)#Studio Series|Wheeljack]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 30''' ([[August 27]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-85 [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Studio Series|Exo-Suit Spike Witwicky]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-86 [[Arcee (Movie)#SS85|Arcee]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-87 [[Ironhide (Movie)/toys#SS84|Ironhide]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-88 [[Junkyard (G1)#Studio Series|Junkheap]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-89 [[Sludge (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Sludge]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 31''' ([[October 29]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-90 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS87|Bumblebee]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-91 [[Sideways (ROTF)#Studio Series|Sideways]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-92 [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Arcee]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 32''' ([[November 26]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-93 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#SS90|Galvatron]] (''Age of Extinction'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-94 [[Thundercracker (Movie)#SS89|Thundercracker]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 33''' ([[February 25]], [[2023]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-95 [[Crosshairs (AOE)#Studio Series|Crosshairs]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-96 [[Hot Rod (DOTM)#SS93|Hot Rod]] (''The Last Knight'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-97 [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Ironhide]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 34''' ([[March 25]], 2023)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-98 [[Wheelie (G1)#SSCore|Autobot Wheelie]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-99 [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Ratchet]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-100 [[The Fallen/toys#Studio Series|Fallen]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 35''' ([[April 29]], 2023)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-101 [[Laserbeak (DOTM)#SSCore|Laserbeak]] (''Dark of the Moon'')}}
{{Bp-d1|SS-102 [[Rumble (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Rumble (Blue)]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 36''' ([[June]], 2023)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-103 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS100|Bumblebee]] (''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'')}}
{{Bp-ter|SS-104 [[Battletrap (ROTB)#Studio Series|Battletrap]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 37''' ([[July]], 2023)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-ter|SS-105 [[Freezer#Studio Series|Terrorcon Freezer]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
{{bp-a1|SS-106 [[Arcee (Movie)#SSCore|Arcee]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
{{bp-m1|SS-107 [[Airazor (ROTB)#Studio Series|Airazor]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 38''' ([[August]], 2023)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-m1|SS-108 [[Cheetor (ROTB)#Studio Series|Cheetor]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
{{bp-ter|SS-109 [[Scourge (ROTB)#Studio Series|Scourge]] (''Rise of the Beasts'')}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 39''' ([[September]], 2023)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-110 [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#SSCore|Ironhide]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
{{Bp-a1|SS-111 [[Snarl (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Snarl]] (''The Transformers: The Movie'')}}
</ul>
|}
{{comingsoontoy|Everything beyond wave 36}}

===''Premium Finish''===
{{nav-pf}}
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[October 30]], [[2021]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|PF SS-01 [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Premium Finish|Bumblebee]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[November 27]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|PF SS-02 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Premium Finish|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[December 29]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|PF SS-03 [[Megatron (Movie)/toys#Premium Finish|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[January 29]], [[2022]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|PF SS-04 [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#Premium Finish|Ratchet]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Premium-Finish-PF-SS-02-BB-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|200px|PFSS-02 Optimus Prime]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[July 30]], [[2022]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|PF SS-05 [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#PFSS05|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

===Exclusives===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Tokyo Comic Con#2018|Tokyo Comic Con 2018]]/[[TakaraTomy Mall]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|SS-EX Vol. 1 Retro Rock Garage (''Bumblebee'')}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#SS19|Bumblebee]] (1976 Camaro)}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Dairu#Studio Series|Dairu]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Uruaz#Studio Series|Uruaz]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Omni7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-EX [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#7NetBattleDamage|1967 Rusty Bumblebee]] (''Bumblebee'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Toys"R"Us]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|SS-EX [[Drift (AOE)#Studio Series|Autobot Drift]] with [[Mini Dinobot#Studio Series|Mini Dinobot]]s (''The Last Knight'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[TakaraTomy Mall]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SS-EX [[Skipjack (ROTF)#Studio Series|Skipjack]] (''Revenge of the Fallen'')}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-BB-SS-EX-Rusty-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|SS-EX [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#7NetBattleDamage|1967 Rusty Bumblebee]] (Takara release of 24 Deluxe Class Bumblebee)]]

|}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*In July 2017, photos of a computer screen taken during an internal Hasbro presentation were leaked to the public that revealed, among other things, the very ''existence'' of the ''Studio Series'' general retail line-up, though not the actual title "Studio Series" yet (which was later revealed through separate leaks). The fact that the slides incorrectly featured projected release dates for "2017" instead of 2018 (which included dates ''predating'' the leak) led some fans to assume that the still unannounced line-up had long since been canceled. It wouldn't be until several leaks later that Hasbro ''finally'' acknowledged the existence of the ''Studio Series'' line, and revealed the first few [[wave]]s during New York [[Toy Fair 2018]], even offering a limited quantity of the first wave of Deluxe Class figures as an early release through the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] website. Simultaneously, [[TakaraTomy]] revealed their version of the line at [[Wonder Festival]] Winter 2018.
*Among the figures whose existence was revealed through the aforementioned July 2017 leak that were ''not'' officially unveiled at Toy Fair was Voyager Class Ironhide, who made his worldwide debut at retail in Singapore in June 2018. Subsequently, Hasbro announced the redeco of Voyager Class Starscream (based on his appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''), the final figure revealed through the July 2017 leak, via their "[[Hasbro Pulse]]" Instagram account a few days before [[San Diego Comic-Con]], even though they ''still'' hadn't officially acknowledged the existence of Ironhide by that point.
* Like with previous movie-based lines, ''Studio Series'' also assigned code names to at least some of its characters. This time, the "theme" for those code names was "Australian race horses":
{{collist|3|
:::*Bumblebee: "Stryker"
:::*Dropkick: "Blue Lightning" or "Blue Light"
:::*Megatron: "Fox"
:::*Optimus Prime: "Radar"
:::*KSI Sentry: "Sentry"
:::*Shadow Raider: "Mercenary"
:::*Shatter: "Red Lightning" or "Red Light"
}}
:The code names of many of the other figures, assuming they even ''had'' code names, are still unknown, as those toys have (thus far) consistently been listed under their actual characters' names. Meanwhile, a listing for a supposed Voyager Class figure using the code name "Destroyer" later turned out to be a mislabeled Energon Igniters Speed Series [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Bumblebee|Barricade]] from the [[Transformers: Bumblebee (toyline)|''Bumblebee'' movie toy line]], with which the ''Studio Series'' shares its code names.
*A few of the Voyagers and Deluxes of the [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)#Generations .28Series M4.29|previous]] [[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)#Premier Edition|two]] movie toylines scale fairly well with ''Studio Series'' figures. The latter of the two toylines, ''The Last Knight'', seems to have a greater tie-in to the ''Studio Series'' lineup, as a [[Nitro Zeus#Toys|few]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ThirdTLKDeluxe|molds]] [[Cogman#Deluxe|were]] also redecoed in this toyline as well [[Nitro Zeus#Toys|as a]] [[Drift (AOE)#Premier Edition|few]] [[Berserker#Toys|retools]]. Furthermore, the static figurine of [[Quintessa (TLK)|Quintessa]] scales perfectly among these molds and also seems to serve as an inspiration for later pack-in figurines like [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]], [[Brains]] and the [[Mini Dinobot]]s.
*One of the biggest [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|misconceptions]] surrounding the ''Studio Series'' toyline is that there is a [[Subline imprint|subline]] called "Studio Series 86". This came about from leaked listings on Walmart's website where the number "86" was misinterpreted as part of the toyline's title, rather than the ID numbers of those toys. While the toys based on characters from the [[1986]] movie do feature a separate numbering system, the line itself doesn't acknowledge them as being any different from the live-action movie toys they are sold alongside.
**While it has never been confirmed, the move to include 1986 characters in the ''Studio Series'' toyline after three years of continuous focus on the live-action films, was likely done to allow Hasbro and TakaraTomy to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the film, without stepping on the toes of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' 25th anniversary, which was celebrated as a part of the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]''. Evidence suggesting this is the inclusion of some of the film's main characters ([[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Kingdom|Cyclonus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Kingdom|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Kingdom|Galvatron]]) being sold in the concurrently-ran ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' toyline and the shared design aesthetics of the toys between both lines.
*Despite ''Studio Series''' prominently featured numbering system, there are several numbers missing from the line, these being: 79, 86-13, 94, 95, and 96. Most of these numbers have been assigned in the ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' version of the line, though it is unclear if there are any plans for them to be released in the regular ''Studio Series'' line as well. 74 ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Bumblebee is the only set so far to be re-released in the regular line after debuting in ''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''.
**TakaraTomy's version of the line has skipped over "72" for unknown reasons.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 toylines]]
[[Category:Generations toylines]]
[[Category:Live-action film series toylines]]

Starscream (WFC)

2023-05-19T11:29:01Z

Chasd20: /* Transformers: War for Cybertron (Xbox 360/PS3/PC) */

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Starscream}}
{{suite}}
:''Starscream is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[File:StarscreamPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|In a cruel twist of fate, perhaps the most legitimately competent Starscream ever, but no one will take him seriously for even a minute.]]
'''Starscream''' was an Air Commander of the [[Energon]] [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s finest air warriors. His dream was to recover the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and become the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] that would return the Transformers to the [[Golden Age]], and he saw opportunity with the rebel upstart [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. A patient and polite schemer, Starscream used to wish Megatron would drop the heroic anti-[[caste system|caste]] charade and be more honest about his lust for power.

These days, he alternatively wishes Megatron would stop being obsessed with ''his'' lust for power and chafes under having to work for such a madman. While he serves as Megatron's right-hand man, he constantly looks for a way to become the commander himself and Megatron knows it: Starscream's extremely volatile personality means he is not adept at hiding his true intent. Fortunately for Megatron, Starscream is prone to panic, cowardice and bombastic gestures, meaning that it'd take exceptional circumstances for Starscream to actually manage to get behind him to shove the knife in.

He may be a scientist, but [[#Notes|we're not quite sure]].

{{quote|That shot was perfect, much like the one who fired it!|Starscream after achieving a headshot|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Starscream may or may not have had a history as a scientist. Regardless of what he did prior, in the early days before the war began he was one of the leaders of the Cybertronian Air Command. When [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] fell into chaos following bombings by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[Decepticon]] followers, Starscream was posted as [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]]'s bodyguard. He was with the Prime at [[Altihex]] Casino during a performance by comedian [[Armorhide (WFC)|Armorhide]] when the Decepticons attacked. Sentinel's attempt to flee rather than fight back made Starscream ashamed of his leader, so he had [[Skywarp (WFC)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (WFC)|Thundercracker]] take him to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] Prison rather than the safety of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. This earned him loyalty with Megatron, but wary of how sour a revolution could quickly turn Starscream opted not to be directly involved in the gladiator's operations, posting his Seekers at [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station. Megatron was intrigued by why Starscream wanted to occupy "that semi-sentient pile of junk" but despite [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]]'s research they found no clues, with information regarding the Station seemingly censored.

Whenever Starscream's Seekers were present, the Decepticons were victorious in battle against the [[Autobot]]s. Starscream however, found Megatron's strategies overly convoluted. As the war devolved into a siege of Iacon, Megatron and [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]], by probing into forgotten areas of the [[DataNet]], discovered Trypticon was a storage of [[Dark Energon]], the life essence of [[Unicron]]. When questioned, Starscream explained since even the Air Command was not sure what Dark Energon was, he had forbidden its use, fearing the damage Megatron's gladiators would unleash. Megatron forgave Starscream, noting how he "was smart enough to be afraid of it", and was granted access.

Starscream sent a message to the Autobots proposing a meeting. Optimus only granted him a communication channel. Starscream stated if the Autobots did not know what Dark Energon was (they did) they would need to find out—and asked what would he could expect from them if something happened to Megatron. Optimus replied that he sought a just peace. Starscream said he understood, broke off the conversation and flew to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] Prison where Sentinel was held. Starscream offered Sentinel a chance to redeem his cowardly behavior at Altihex. The ultimate aim of this road to becoming Decepticon leader was to become [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] in a peace settlement with Optimus, and lead Cybertron back to its [[Golden Age]]. Starscream then flew to Moon Base One when Megatron ordered him to Trypticon, where he found the Decepticons had invaded the Station and slaughtered and maimed his scientists.

Megatron and [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] forced Starscream to select two survivors to absorb [[Dark Energon]], for what was a successful experiment. Requiring more for the Decepticon war effort, Megatron ordered Starscream to capture the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]], below the ruins of [[Crystal City]]. Empowered by his first taste of Dark Energon, Starscream activated the device that transmitted Energon to the Station for it to be Darkened. But the Bridge still did not produce enough, and Starscream was ordered to find the [[Code Key]] of Power and Key of Justice to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] underneath the [[High Council Tower]] in Iacon. Starscream decided it was time to release Sentinel, renouncing Dark Energon after realizing Megatron had turned his soldiers into addicts. Starscream found the Key of Power within the [[High Council Tower|Hall of Justice]] and flew underground to find his plan had failed, as Megatron had mortally wounded Sentinel. He could see within Sentinel's body was the Key of Justice, but was prevented from taking it by [[Blackout (WFC)|Blackout]]. Megatron fought Starscream to a standstill, sparing him because he realized he was a better soldier than a would-be example.

As Megatron entered the Chamber, [[Teletraan-1 (WFC)|Teletraan-1]] activated the legendary [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] to fly it away. Aware Starscream had a better chance of escaping Omega's awakening, Megatron ordered Starscream and his Seekers to down Omega, in exchange for more Dark Energon. Giving up on his attempt to give up his addiction, Starscream gleefully accepted and they successfully blew Omega out of the sky, allowing the Decepticons to retrieve the Chamber and corrupt the [[core]]. As Cybertron became uninhabitable, the Autobots left on the largest starship ever built - the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]''. Starscream left the planet with Megatron as they gave pursuit on Trypticon, now a ''Nemesis''-class supercruiser. The two ships entered a [[space bridge]], which separated the two ships to unknown parts of space... {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

{{note|Starscream's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic "[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]."}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}} {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution|Retribution}}}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Uniend 610.23 Zeta]], {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime}} Starscream lead the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s in the Battle at [[Tyger Pax]]. Focused on taking the pressure off the Decepticons' vulnerable rear, Starscream opened fire on [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] to protect [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and then forced the Autobot into a retreat, despite [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]'s attempts to bring Starscream down.

After the [[AllSpark]] was launched into space, Starscream, stunned and damaged, tumbled out of control and crashed on the surface of Tyger Pax, though he recovered in time to retreat with Megatron. {{storylink|Bumblebee at Tyger Pax}}

===Cartoon continuity===
====IDW Aligned comics====
Visiting [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]'s citadel to check up on his research, Starscream was annoyed to find that the scientist was prioritizing his experiments on [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] over supplying the Decepticon war effort with more energon. He failed to see how the "bugs" would win them the war but gave up on trying to convince Shockwave otherwise, choosing to let Megatron deal with him instead. {{storylink|Secrets (FOC)|Secrets}} Starscream later participated in Megatron's assault on [[Metroplex (FOC)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Last Stand}} {{storylink|Fragmentation (FOC)|Fragmentation}}

While [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]]'s mind was suffering from Shockwave's experiments, he had a vision of himself being approached by Starscream and throwing him into a nearby console. {{storylink|Fall}} This vision eventually came to pass, and Grimlock was able to escape from Shockwave's lab by exploiting Starscream's greed and lust for power. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 4|Rage of the Dinobots #4}}

[[File:Primecomic-Starscream.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|I am okay with the events that are unfolding currently.]]
Starscream had been on [[Earth]] at some point, but was assigned by Megatron to scour the galaxy for remnants of space bridge technology. Returning to their dead homeworld, Starscream built a weapons lab in Kaon and began building a space bridge. He was informed by his [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s elsewhere they had apprehended the Autobot spy [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. Later, after basking in the glory of successfully activating the space bridge that would return them to Earth and its [[Energon]], Starscream realized Cliffjumper was present. The Autobot claimed to be freed by his captors after defecting to the Decepticons, and warned them of [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]]: this ruse successfully distracted Starscream long enough for Arcee to activate and overload the space bridge, but he jumped in after them moments before the lab was blown sky high.

Falling to Earth, a dazed Starscream picked up a [[bunny rabbit]], commenting that [[human]]s were smaller than he remembered. [[Scanning]] a fleet of jets flying overhead, he found Cliffjumper and Arcee driving on a road and launched a missile at them. He picked up Arcee's blown off arm and started battering Cliffjumper with it, but the Autobot blew up the rock formation above them and crushed Starscream with the rubble. Having received Starscream's signal, [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] came to his rescue, and the duo pursued and overwhelmed the Autobots. Just as Starscream was about to send them back to the [[AllSpark]], Optimus jumped and landed on him, while gunning Breakdown away. As Starscream greeted his opponent, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] tapped him on the shoulder and sent him flying. Optimus opted not to finish the job, allowing Starscream to escape and fight another day as he got Cliffjumper and Arcee to base. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|Transformers: Prime}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Steve Blum]] (English), [[Satoshi Tsuruoka]] (Japanese)|[[Jiang Ke]] (Chinese), [[Leopoldo Ballesteros]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Jin-uk Hong]] (Korean), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Gerald Paradies]] (German), [[José Antonio Macías]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Nicolas Dubois]] (French), [[Nestor Chiesse]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Tero Koponen]] (Finnish), [[Gunnar Ernblad]] (Swedish)}}

[[File:DarknessRising1-Starscreamsneer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|One look sells him as Starscream.]]
Before Starscream joined Megatron and the Decepticons, he was commander of a squadron of Energon Seekers on Cybertron. {{Storylink|Partners (Prime)|Partners}} During the War, Starscream was present at [[Tyger Pax]] when [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] interrogated the Autobot [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

Following the [[Great Exodus]], Starscream intercepted a coded Autobot transmission and managed to trap [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. When his interrogation methods failed to extract anything he could use to decode the transmission, he took them to [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]], who used a [[cortical psychic patch]] on Arcee and revealed the transmission to be from Optimus Prime on [[Earth]]. Upon being questioned by Cliffjumper of his lack of bravery, Starscream tried to kill the Autobot only to be captured by Arcee. Upon being threatened by Arcee, he cracked and revealed Shockwave's plan; to build a space bridge under Kaon. Starscream was then knocked out but regained contentiousness and pursued the two Autobots to the space bridge. Unfortunately, the space bridge was destroyed with Shockwave, Cliffjumper, and Arcee still inside, but Starscream was able to escape. Starscream presumably took the Decepticons to Earth via the Nemesis soon after. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

When the Decepticons arrived on Earth, Starscream scouted an old Decepticon ship called the ''[[Harbinger]]'' that had crashed landed years back. However, he failed to record the coordinates of the crash site or find the [[Immobilizer]]. {{Storylink|Partners (Prime)|Partners}} In time, Megatron departed Earth to gather an army out in space, leaving Starscream in charge. Starscream spent his time sending out [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon grunts]] to search for [[Energon]] deposits{{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}, and managed to set up a lucrative energon mine in secret. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

Three years later, one of Starscream's energon searches was interrupted by Cliffjumper. Once Cliffjumper was defeated by the Vehicons, Starscream personally killed the Autobot. [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] alerted him to Arcee's location, and Starscream decided she would be their next target. Later, when Soundwave received a signal from deep space, Starscream hesitantly opened the space bridge for Megatron's return. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} Megatron revealed to Starscream that he'd brought back [[Dark Energon]], and Starscream provided Cliffjumper's corpse so they could test the substance's reanimation properties. When the undead Cliffjumper's signal led the Autobots to the mine, Starscream blew the facility up on Megatron's orders. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}

[[File:DarknessRising3-interrogateFowler.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"No, Mister Fowler, I expect you to be saved at the last minute!"]]
Following a test of Dark Energon on himself, Megatron took off for parts unknown, leaving Starscream in charge once more. When Soundwave picked up [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]]'s transmissions, Starscream had the human captured and began trying to extract the location of the Autobot base from him. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} The interrogation almost succeeded, but for the arrival of Arcee, Bumblebee and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] who, after a standoff, forced Starscream to retreat. Once Megatron returned to the ship, he was outraged at Starscream's actions and proceeded to beat his subordinate for "delaying his plans". Starscream managed to quell his master's anger by announcing he had a way to get their plans back on course. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

[[File:DarknessRising5-ohgeez.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Oh my God. It's called toothpaste, use it.]]
As it turned out, his plan was to send Soundwave down to use the [[Giant Sized Array]] radio telescope on Earth to set the space bridge's target. Once the bridge was properly targeted, Starscream opened it so that Megatron could throw the chunk of Dark Energon though. Starscream moved the ship back to a safe distance when the fighting on the rim of the space bridge became more intense, while imploring his master to withdraw as well. Alas, the space bridge exploded, apparently taking Megatron with it, and Starscream gave a brief eulogy before declaring himself leader {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} and danced in celebration while imploring the troops to chant his name. {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}}
[[File:Patch Starscream dances.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|What'cha doin' on your back?! You should be dancing, YEAH!!!!]]

[[File:Masters&Students-SoundwaveStarscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|*ping*"FINE! FINE! I'LL WRITE A THANK-YOU NOTE!"]]
Starscream's speeches were poorly received. Intending to find more potentially-loyal warriors, Starscream took Soundwave to try to revive the long-dormant [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]]. To Starscream's disappointment, Skyquake was loyal only to Megatron, and interested only in fighting the Autobots who arrived. A signal detected by Soundwave sent Starscream to the location of the space bridge explosion, where he found Megatron's body and ripped the sliver of Dark Energon from it. He was forced by the observing [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] to return the body to the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'', where he also learned that Skyquake had been terminated by the Autobots. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

When [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] arrived on Earth, Starscream had him captured and substituted [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] with the mission to open the Autobot [[GroundBridge]] to let the Decepticon forces into the Autobot base. Unfortunately Wheeljack broke free before the plan could succeed, and as a result, Makeshift was expelled from the Autobot base onto the ''Nemesis'' hull with an activated grenade. Starscream vacated the hull before Makeshift exploded. {{storylink|Con Job}} After Soundwave picked up on [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System|another Autobot operation]], Starscream figured it was a good opportunity to get rid of the Autobots while they were distracted, and sent a squadron of Vehicons on a search and destroy mission. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

[[File:DeusExMachina-Screamer grins.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"We've had too much Energon shed. I think that a cleansing is in order."]]
To Starscream's discomfort, the crew held a vote and he was obliged to call in [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] to aid in Megatron's recovery. The discovery that an [[Energon Harvester]] was located in an museum on Earth was all the excuse Starscream needed to put that on hold, and the other Decepticons soon obtained the device for him. While they were testing it in [[Greece]], Bulkhead attacked them and destroyed the Harvester. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} Starscream was irritated by Knock Out's participation in street racing, and eventually decided to make an example of him. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

[[File:OutOfHisHead-grabby.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|That's ''not'' how ATB Megatron and Starscream combine!]]
Some time later, after the ship's electromagnetic shielding failed, Starscream put the Vehicons to work fixing it. Offering Knock Out a post as second-in-command, Starscream persuaded him to help convince Soundwave that Megatron was a lost cause. They were interrupted by Arcee and Bumblebee, who were doing something with Megatron's corpse, and after chasing the two Autobots off, they discovered that Megatron no longer had any brain activity. {{storylink|Sick Mind}} Overjoyed at this, Starscream began a new plan, constructing a heat ray which he attempted to use to melt a glacier to get to a huge [[energon]] deposit. Unfortunately, not only did the Autobots arrive and destroy the heat ray, but Megatron was resurrected and dragged the protesting Starscream away for punishment. {{storylink|Out of His Head}}

[[File:Shadowzone-gah.jpg|thumb|225px|Damn, in [[Starscream (Movie)|another continuity]] the arm comes off and they mock it in this one.]]
Starscream ended up in the infirmary as a result of Megatron's punishment, but continued undaunted in his plans. He took the chunk of Dark Energon he'd been hiding, and went to the site of Skyquake's grave, intending to resurrect the warrior as well as imbuing himself with Dark Energon. Unfortunately the Autobots arrived before Skyquake rose, and Starscream had to retreat through the Decepticon GroundBridge, albeit minus his right arm. After subjecting himself to treatment from Knock Out, Starscream returned to the site to confirm whether Skyquake had risen, only to be attacked by Skyquake's zombified right arm. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}}

When Breakdown was captured to [[MECH]], Starscream's suggestion they rescue their comrade was turned down by Megatron. Starscream went anyway, and found Breakdown had already been rescued by Bulkhead, but escorted Breakdown back to the ship. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} At an old energon mine, Megatron confronted Starscream about his many transgressions and prepared to terminate his subordinate. Starscream was only saved by the arrival of the Autobots, but on escaping the collapsed mine, realized that he would have to go back in and attempt to rescue Megatron, or face his master's possible wrath later. Venturing back inside, he ended up tangling with the Autobots, and when Megatron later found him, he had been left supporting a large boulder. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

[[File:Partners-ScreamPrisoner.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Why am I always seen like this? Chest and lower body off to one side, head towards y'all.]]
Starscream was sent with [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] to locate the ''Harbinger'' wreck, only for the spider to leave him webbed up when it turned out the ship was broken in half and the weapon they sought was in the other half. Starscream was found by the Autobots and attempted to convince them he wanted to switch sides, even pointing them to the location of the weapon Airachnid was after. Unfortunately he let slip he'd been the one to kill Cliffjumper, provoking Arcee into attacking him. After fighting her, he was able to limp away, though he decided from then on he would be an independent. {{storylink|Partners (Prime)|Partners}}

Many months later, Starscream snuck on board the ''Nemesis'' to steal [[energon cube]]s and blundered into the workroom that was being used by the recently-amnesiac Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Starscream soon realized what was going on, but when more Vehicons arrived, he was wounded while fleeing the ship. He contacted the Autobots to exchange information for medical help. When [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and Bulkhead arrived, it turned out they already knew about Optimus's situation, but were interested in what he knew about the space bridge, so he was able to trade the information for aid. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}

[[File:OperationBumblebee1 Silas meets Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Wanna know how I got these scars?"]]
Tracking a signal, Starscream stumbled upon a MECH trap already sprung by Bumblebee. He was intrigued and followed the MECH helicopter and watched as they tried to install the [[transformation cog|T-cog]] they'd taken into a robot. When their attempt to make the robot work failed, Starscream revealed himself and managed to strike a partnership with them. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} With Starscream's help, MECH secured a source of energon and Starscream was there when they used it on their robot. As Bumblebee came looking for his T-cog, Starscream helped defend it, but when it looked like Bumblebee might get it back, Starscream blasted it and left. Unfortunately Silas was less than impressed, and after a short nap thanks to MECH's weapons, Starscream woke up minus his own T-cog. {{Storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

When [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] arrived on Earth looking for Skyquake, Megatron informed him of Skyquake's passing, noting that Skyquake had perished under Starscream's command. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

[[File:Crossfire Starscream injured.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|Ouch.]]
While scavenging for energon, Starscream found that Airachnid had been cast out from the Decepticons and obtained a pet in the form of an [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]. She spurned his suggestion that they team up to defeat Megatron, and he barely escaped with his life. Wounded, he employed his previous trick to get medical help from the Autobots in exchange for information about Airachnid's activities, and even later saved Arcee from Airachnid, sparing her life like she spared his much, much earlier. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}

Starscream returned to the ''Harbinger'' in search of energon, and instead found a laboratory containing five [[protoform]]s and the equipment necessary for [[cloning]]. He had soon whipped up five [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clone]]s, which he dispatched to dispatch Megatron. Unfortunately he soon discovered that he could sympathetically feel every injury they suffered, which gave him a good idea how the mission was going. When the last clone returned to report failure, Starscream sensed the clone's treachery and blasted it. Fully aware of the effect on him, he terminated the clone, screaming in their shared pain as he did. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}}

[[File:Triangulation Starscream Apex armor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.34|Starscream SMASH!]]
He was about to operate on himself to install the clone's T-cog when the ship detected the Decepticons sending teams out to locations around the globe. Intrigued, he used the ship's GroundBridge to reach [[Antarctica]], only to be captured by Dreadwing, whom he at first mistook for Skyquake. Eventually, Optimus arrived, and after Dreadwing was buried in an avalanche and the Vehicons accompanying him were dispatched, Starscream now found himself as Optimus's prisoner. The two followed a trail to a human research station where the relic everyone was after was being held. Dreadwing soon arrived and another battle between him and Optimus took place. As they fought, Starscream freed the relic, the [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Armor]], from the ice block containing it and claimed it as his own. Covered in a full body suit and towering over both of them, Starscream used the armor to fight both Optimus and Dreadwing, a fight in which he was the aggressor for once in a long time. Though Starscream had enhanced strength and was rendered invulnerable, he still couldn't fly, and a few of Dreadwing's bombs created a hole in the ice which he fell through. He was subsequently forced to plod along the bottom of the ocean. {{storylink|Triangulation}}

[[File:NewRecruit-Starscreammonkey.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Next on his list of cat-related videos is Nyan Ravage.]]
Back at the ''Harbinger'', Starscream discovered a photo of [[Red Energon]] on the [[Internet]], as well as a dancing monkey which came as much amusement to him. He took the Apex Armor with him, tracking the substance down to a dockyard where he was confronted by Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee. Donning the armor, he attempted to retrieve the Red Energon first, and managed to rip a chunk off after Optimus knocked him off the crane. While he was trying to tip the crane over, [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] arrived, and using a [[phase shifter]], removed Starscream from the Apex Armor. The Decepticon responded by firing a missile at the three Autobots on the crane and escaping with a chunk of Red Energon. {{storylink|New Recruit}}

Starscream set about refining the Red Energon, though the process was slow and only yielded enough for one or two doses. Alerted to a Decepticon operation by the ''Harbinger''{{'}}s computers, he used it on himself and soon found Smokescreen had uncovered a relic. Using his new hyperspeed to blindside him, Starscream was able to obtain one of the [[Omega Key]]s, which he later overheard Bulkhead describing as a way to revitalize Cybertron. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}}

[[File:TFP Inside Job Starscream fistful of keys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|SQUEE! I've collected all four!]]
Though thinking of restoring Cybertron and ruling it himself, Starscream decided that he didn't have the proper resources to do so. Coming up with a plan, Starscream lured Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead to a remote location with the promise of the key he'd found in return for the installation of the T-Cog from his clone. In reality, he used his remaining Red Energon to allow him to infiltrate the Autobot base while leaving the clone behind for the Autobots to find. While stealing the other three keys from, the Autobots figured out his clone was a ruse, and Starscream only just managed to get back through the Ground Bridge. After taking a moment to taunt the Autobots, the Red Energon wore off, and he quickly bridged away to the ''Nemesis'', with the Omega Keys as a peace offering to Megatron. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

[[File:PatchMegatronStarscream.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.4| This feels familiar...]]
Requesting to rejoin the Decepticons, the unconvinced Megatron subjected Starscream to a cortical psychic patch and began rummaging in his memories to determine his true motives. Despite the incriminating nature of most of the memories, Megatron's analysis of Starscream's strengths and weaknesses (including the loss of his T-cog and the fact that Starscream is not the only untrustworthy Decepticon on the Nemesis), has him decide to allow Starscream to serve by his side, as he is better with him than against him. Starscream was so relieved by the turn of events that he thanked the All Spark, but Dreadwing was not so pleased about this development. {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}}

[[File:RegenerationOmegaKeysHologram.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4| now he can find the [[Cyber Planet Keys]] again]]
Knock Out restored Starscream's T-Cog, though immediately afterwards Starscream was attacked by a murderous Dreadwing and had to be saved by Megatron. After Starscream helped Knock Out unlock the secret of the Omega Keys, Megatron left him in charge of the ''Nemesis''. Starscream used information gathered by Soundwave to kidnap the Autobots' three human friends and took them to Cybertron for Megatron to use as hostages. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}

After handing over [[Jack Darby]] in exchange for two of the keys, Starscream took part in the activation of the [[Omega Lock]]. He survived the explosion caused by the Lock's destruction at Optimus's hand, and when Knock Out attempted a quip, knocked the medic down and demanded he tend to Megatron. Starscream returned to Earth with Megatron to take part in an attack on the Autobot base, during which he shot down Wheeljack's ship, the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'', with Wheeljack still inside. Following the attack, he and Megatron landed in the remains of the base. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

While the other Decepticons dug around in the ruins, Starscream more productively had Wheeljack pulled from the wreckage of the ''Jackhammer''. When human military forces turned up, Starscream offered to unleash the armada on them, but Megatron dealt with the matter using [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]]'s fusion cannons. His interrogation of Wheeljack did not go nearly as well. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}}

With the arrival of Shockwave, Megatron appointed the newcomer second lieutenant in charge of science, usurping Starscream's role slightly. Starscream attempted to get his own back by discovering a photo of Ratchet on the internet, only to be embarrassed when it was switched for a picture of a dancing monkey by Raf. He attempted a new gambit—allowing Wheeljack to escape with a tracking device, believing it would lead them to the other Autobots, however Wheeljack discovered the bug and turned the tables on the pursuing Decepticons. Megatron's anger was only stemmed by Shockwave bringing [[Predaking (Prime)|a Predacon he cloned]] to Earth. {{storylink|Scattered}}

Starscream complained to Knock Out about the pressures of his position. When the Predacon returned from its flight to catch Autobots empty-handed, Starscream noted it was a pity the beast couldn't tell them why it failed. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}} Starscream was pleased when Decepticon monitoring finally bore fruit and located the Autobots. Unfortunate this turned out to be a series of diversions designed to have the Decepticons spread their forces out, and Megatron was not happy that Starscream fell for it. Darkmount subsequently came under attack and though Starscream did his best to coordinate a defense, the battle ended with him ordering a retreat to the ''Nemesis'' as the base was destroyed. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}} When it looked like the Decepticons were about to embark on another scavenger hunt, Starscream was dismayed, but fortunately it turned out that Shockwave had micro-chipped all his creations, and the fossils they needed would be easy to find. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

[[File:ChainOfCommandInForItNow.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The hills are alive with the sound of Starscream's butthurt.]]
Following the surprise return of the existing Predacon, Starscream was dismayed to find it put in his charge. He had immense trouble controlling the beast and resorted to using the Apex Armor to protect himself from its attacks. Megatron sent Starscream and the Predacon to [[Scotland]], where they found the Autobots had destroyed a team of Decepticons hunting for bones there. While the Predacon took on the Autobots, Starscream found Miko trying to reach Magnus's ship and accidentally lost the Apex Armor to her. Battle ensued, but when the Predacon left for the ''Nemesis'', Starscream and his two seekers found themselves outnumbered by Autobots and retreated. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}} In Megatron's bad books again, Starscream was further inconvenienced when the Predacon damaged the ship's communication dish. Though he tried to have it repaired by the Vehicons, it didn't go so well, and Megatron eventually found out. {{storylink|Plus One (Prime)|Plus One}}

Starscream found Knock Out in the middle of experimenting with [[Synthetic Energon]], and had the medic add Dark Energon to the mix, believing it would allow Megatron to control the results. Instead the new mix transformed Cylas into an energon-sucking zombie and created a plague which resulted in Knock Out and Starscream being chased through the ship. Confronted by Megatron, they were forced to admit what they were done, and were sent to locate and destroy Cylas. They eventually found he had already been dispatched, but to Starscream's dismay, the deed had been done by the recently freed Airachnid. Fortunately he didn't have to deal with her as well, but he later had to face Megatron's wrath over his part in the affair. {{storylink|Thirst}}

When Megatron took him to another abandoned mine, Starscream assumed his demise was near, but they were merely visiting Shockwave's off-site laboratory. The Predacon unexpectedly arrived and Starscream hit it with a metal bar, only for it to transform and vocally threaten to return with physical violence. The Decepticons quickly realized that despite Predaking's loyalty, it would not take him and his fellow Predacons long to realize their superiority to the Decepticons, so Starscream hatched a plan to kill two birds with one stone, luring the Autobots to the laboratory so its destruction could be blamed on them. The plan succeeded, and in the aftermath, the Decepticons discovered that the synthetic energon stored at the base had created cybermatter. {{storylink|Evolution}} Starscream managed to talk his way out of being disfigured by Shockwave over not warning the latter that the Autobots were attacking the lab. As Shockwave was put in charge of perfecting the Synthetic Energon formula, Megatron assigned Starscream to gather technology to repair the Omega Lock, which they would need for a delivery mechanism. {{storylink|Minus One}}

After establishing the location of the Autobot base when they kidnapped Ratchet, Starscream was sent with his armada to destroy the hanger. He did so with aplomb, unaware that the Autobots had swapped the letters on the hangers and he'd destroyed the wrong one. {{storylink|Persuasion}} The error came back to bite him when the Decepticons detected an [[Chip|Autobot probe]] carrying Laserbeak's transponder. Starscream went out and personally destroyed the probe before fleeing through a GroundBridge to escape Optimus. Back on the ''Nemesis'', when Predaking found out about the Decepticons' earlier treachery and went on a rampage, Starscream aided Megatron by blasting Predaking in the back. Though the Predacon was defeated, the ship next came under attack by Autobots. {{storylink|Synthesis}}

Starscream took his squad of Vehicons and encountered Arcee and Bumblebee. They battled the two Autobots, but were driven back to the Omega Lock room where Starscream tried unsuccessfully to get his hands on the Star Saber which Smokescreen had brought along. Starscream watched in horror as Megatron was killed by Bumblebee, but his desire to avenge his leader was unable to be fulfilled, as Shockwave dragged him away. The pair escaped the ship in a lifepod, somewhere over Cybertron. {{storylink|Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock}}

[[File:Predaconsrising-Starscreamupthecreek.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|No! Bad pets! Bad! Don't you want to know what the fox says?!?]]
As Shockwave continued to try to clone Predacons, Starscream searched for more bones, and was soon assisted by [[Darksteel (Prime)|Darksteel]] and [[Skylynx (Prime)|Skylynx]]. The two Predacons eventually led him to a whole burial ground of Predacon remains, but as they were gathering their find up, they were witness to the apparent return of Megatron. Unfortunately it instead turned out to be Unicron using Megatron's body, and as the dark god created an army of undead Predacons, Starscream fled.

Finding the warship, he freed Knock Out and some Vehicons and attempted to retake the ship, only for Knock Out to betray him. He was locked in a cell, however when the warship crashed during the battle against Unicron, he was freed. Once Megatron was free of Unicron's will, Starscream approached him, believing he would resume leadership of the Decepticons, but Megatron was no longer interested in the Decepticon cause. Starscream therefore went to [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] to take his own rightful place as Decepticon ruler, only for Predaking, Darksteel, and Skylynx to arrive looking to settle scores with him. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

====Titan ''Prime'' comic====
[[File:Titan4.6 Starscream holding president.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The president's been kidnapped by Decepticons! Are you a bad enough dude to save the president?]]
Starscream accompanied [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] on a trip to [[Antarctica]] to attack the [[Yamal|NS ''Yamal'']]. He carried the [[static lance]] that Megatron intended to use to detonate the ship's nuclear reactors, and when the Autobots arrived to intercede, Starscream used the weapon to knock [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] out. He tried to do the same to [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], but the Autobot dodged the blow and kicked him in the head, taking the lance himself and ruining the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

Tasked by Megatron with trying to draw the Autobots out, Starscream attacked and captured [[Air Force One]], taking it to the [[Grand Canyon]]. He sent a message demanding Optimus Prime's surrender in exchange for the safe return of the [[President of the United States|President]], but the Autobots turned up in force. Starscream's accompaniment of Vehicons was soon quashed, and Optimus rescued the President, whom Starscream was using as a human shield, by chopping the Decepticon's left arm off. Defeated, Starscream fled. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|All the President's 'Bots!}}

Starscream was appalled when Megatron revealed the latest plan—pitting the Vehicons against each other in a series of deathmatches to ensure their army contained only the toughest. He was even more shocked when Megatron expected ''him'' to fight against [[Fearstorm]]. Starscream was able to defeat the much-larger Decepticon through application of his wits; he first managed to snap off the pointed end of on the bars enclosing their match, then used it to pin Fearstorm's arms to the ground. Fearstorm was thus incapacitated, leaving Starscream easy access to the key that granted him victory; his opponent's spark. Afterwards, Megatron was content to let Starscream return to the ship. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.7|Megatron's Law}}

On Soundwave's prompting, Starscream set up an ambush for the Autobots in [[The Wave]]. When it predictably went badly for the Decepticons, Starscream demanded his companion take matters into his own hands. Soundwave did, and as a result Starscream had to later help Soundwave look for his missing hand. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.12|The Evil Shred}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.17|Collider Scope}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.18|Power Outage}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.20|Starscream's Beast}}}}

====Eaglemoss ''Prime'' comic====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Horrible TV}}}}

====''Regeneration One''====
[[File:Gas skunk blackarachnia jetstorm leobreaker starscream war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
As the [[Dark Matrix|Dark Matrix creature]] tortured [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] with visions of his [[Sparkplug Witwicky|dead father]] in [[Zero Space]], cracks began to appear in the membrane of infinite worlds. Starscream could be seen through one, alongside [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]], [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], and [[Gas Skunk]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====''Rescue Bots'' cartoon====
When Heatwave was captured by Chumley, Kade came looking for him. Kade called out asking if Heatwave was there, causing Heatwave to ask sarcastically if he was expecting Starscream. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RB)|Enemy of My Enemy}}

====2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Steve Blum]] (English), [[Daisuke Hirakawa]] (Japanese)|[[Jiang Ke]] (Chinese), [[Gerardo Alonso]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Nicolas Dubois]] (French), [[Axel Lutter]] (German), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian), [[Nestor Chiesse]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}
[[File:MightyBigTrouble Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hello, I'm SpaceNapoleHitler. Give me the thing!]]
Starscream managed to survive his encounter with the Predacons by <s>strategically luring them</s> sheer dumb luck, stumbling upon a weapons cache with enough power to repel [[Skylynx (Prime)|Skylynx]] and [[Darksteel (Prime)|Darksteel]]. He then explored the fortress and found the laboratory where the Decepticons had bred the Weaponizer Mini-Cons and sought to use them to take revenge on Megatron for his cruel acts towards him. {{storylink|Mini-Con Madness (RID)|Mini-Con Madness}} Starscream then reformatted himself {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}} to his old body type, before he freed the Mini-Cons but they managed to escape him. {{storylink|Mini-Con Madness (RID)|Mini-Con Madness}} The Autobots believed him to be dead following his encounter with the Predacons, but he was remembered as a dangerous Decepticon in the records of the War. {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}}

After he had "helped save the universe, from Starscream, Megatron, and Dark Energon", [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] refused to be defeated by [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye (RID)|More than Meets the Eye}} When Bumblebee attempted to inspire his team with an [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] impression, [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]] instead believed Bumblebee to be going for a bad Starscream. {{storylink|W.W.O.D.?}}

In his hunt for the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, Starscream hired [[Shadelock]], [[RoughEdge]], and [[Razorhorn]] to procure them. {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}} His hunt forced the Mini-Cons off [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and led them to joining a group of [[Scavenger (RID 2015)|scavengers]]. {{storylink|History Lessons}} He tracked them down to the planet Earth, where Shadelock found [[Tricerashot]]. Starscream ordered him to follow the Mini-Con to lead them to the remainder of them. {{storylink|Pretzel Logic}} He tracked the Mini-Cons to a human ship, missing them by seconds. There he found the scavengers and the [[Dark Star Saber]]. He immediately claimed the weapon as his own intending to use it for conquest before he noted that it seemed to be operating at less than full power. Nonetheless, he still desired the Mini-Cons and ordered his minions to track them and bring them to him. His minions brought him the wrong Mini-Cons. [[Fixit (RID)|One of them]] accidentally revealed [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] was back on Earth and Starscream was able to take the yellow Autobot prisoner by threatening the Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}}

[[File:RiD 2015 Worthy One-Winged Seeker.jpg|thumb|left|280px|At least he's not a giant screaming head this time.]]
When Bumblebee was aboard, Starscream gloated about his good fortune before the Autobot escaped only to be quickly recaptured. With his captive now in [[stasis cuffs]], Starscream monologued about his cunning escape from the Predacons and his plan to use the Weaponizer Mini-Cons and the Dark Star Saber to not only kill Megatron but conquer the galaxy. He then resumed scanning for his "little doomsday devices" before Bumblebee began taunting him that no one, not even the Dark Star Saber, took him seriously. Starscream swore that everyone would take him seriously, aiming the cursed blade at Bumblebee's throat. A nearby battle between Autobots and scavengers caught his attention where he used his ship's tractor beam to abduct the Weaponizer Mini-Cons before flying off and gloating to Bumblebee of his imminent victory. {{storylink|Mini-Con Madness (RID)|Mini-Con Madness}} Unfortunately it turned out he only had six of the seven Mini-Cons needed, with an attempt at merging resulting in failure. Luckily the last Mini-Con needed turned up at his ship with the Autobots, and he was able to obtain it by knocking everyone out with the Dark Star Saber. He successfully merged with the Mini-Cons, only to lose [[Aerobolt]] thanks to a signal initiated from the ship by Fixit. Starscream managed to fly clear of the ship and engage Optimus and Aerobolt, now merged, in combat until the Autobots succeeded in dragging him back into range of the signal. Separated from the Mini-Cons, Starscream fell comatose and was loaded onto [[Prime Force One|Optimus's ship]] for transport back to Cybertron for justice. {{storylink|Worthy}}
{{--}}

====IDW ''Robots in Disguise'' comic====
Years ago, Starscream assigned three Vehicons to construct an [[energon]] mine near the [[Sierra Ridge]] mountains, {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 5|Robots in Disguise #5}} and left them with a bomb triggered by a dead man's switch as an "explosive insurance policy".

At some point after [[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Cybertron's restoration]], Starscream's severed arm was brought to Earth with [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]]. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Windblade (RID)|Windblade]] fought Predaking for the arm, so they could convince the three Sierra Ridge Vehicons that [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]] was not their superior officer. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 6|Robots in Disguise #6}}

===Toy bios===
Once upon a time, Starscream was an honorable soldier who fought to defend Cybertron. His long isloation aboard an orbital platform changed all that, making him greedy and ambitious, and he jumped at the chance to join Decepticons and get to lead troops again. {{storylink|Starscream (WFC)#Generations|Generations Starscream}} This path would lead to him binging on Dark Energon, revelling in the power it gave him! {{storylink|Starscream (WFC)#Prime|Dark Energon Starscream}}

Starscream, whatever you might think, ''isn't'' running away all the time: he's actually making calculated retreats and when the enemy is going "ha ha Starscream's run away", he comes back without warning and wipes them out. {{storylink|Starscream (WFC)#Prime|Voyager Starscream}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
When [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] returned from a battle with the news that [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] had apparently perished in a mysterious explosion, everyone on the ''Nemesis'' assumed Starscream was to blame, simply because he had repeatedly expressed an interest in becoming Decepticon leader. He had to go on the run, all the while Megatron would turn up alive so his name would be cleared. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 7}} Dreadwing managed to track him down, but he convinced Dreadwing that he was not the one who eliminated Megatron, on the grounds that he would immediately take [[Decepticon leader]]ship, rather than flee, should Megatron die by his hands. Dreadwing believed him, and ordered his assistance in finding Megatron. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 14}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
After the Transformers had made their way to Earth, Starscream encountered Bumblebee. Not fooled by the Autobot's vehicle disguise, Starscream pursued the Autobot scout. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Sam Riegel]] (English)|[[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Leopoldo Ballesteros]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Cyrille Monge]] (French), [[Olaf Różański]] (Polish)}}
[[File:WFC Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|You know, I’m something of a scientist myself.]]

{{quote|Have no fear, Lord Megatron. Under my leadership, Decepticon victory is assured!|Starscream being all modest|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

For the last thousand years of the [[Great War (Prime)|Great War]], Starscream was in charge of an orbital facility that had the capability of producing [[Dark Energon]], though they maintained only a small stockpile because of its unpredictable and uncontrollable nature. The station's force of neutral soldiers were no match for Megatron's invading forces, while Starscream and [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]]'s repeated warnings that no one could control Dark Energon had no effect on Megatron's determination. Instead, Megatron tempted Starscream with knowledge of his past, reminding him of his demotion from Sky Commander to a mere guard over an all-but-derelict station, and offered to let him join the Decepticons, something Starscream scoffed at—at least, at first. Starscream attempted to destroy the station's stock of Dark Energon before the Decepticon leader could reach it, but failed, and watched, first with amusement as Megatron entered the storage chamber...and then with shock as Megatron infused himself with the substance and bent it to his will within moments. Starscream quickly volunteered his services for the Decepticon cause, causing Jetfire to label him a traitor and leave to warn [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]]. Megatron sent him with [[Thundercracker (WFC)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (WFC)|Skywarp]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to reactivate the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge|Energon Bridge]]. Starscream performed the mission successfully using his trademark style, flair, and modesty, never mind Megatron's taunting and unreasonable impatience, or Thundercracker's warning him of the danger of certain courses of action, or even Skywarp's cluing in to his constant insults.

During the Battle of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon City]], Starscream led the Decepticons aerial squadrons and [[Brawl (WFC)|Brawl]] led the Decepticons' ground assault, while Megatron, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]], and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] went behind enemy lines and tried to secure the [[Omega Key]]. When Megatron's group met up with Brawl, Starscream refused to send Dark Energon bombers, saying that he wouldn't let Brawl waste anymore of "his ships". Megatron took issue with Starscream dubbing the bombers his, and overrode Starscream's refusal. Later that evening, while looking for the "real" Omega Key, they ran into it: [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]]. Starscream assumed Megatron was killed when Omega attacked a [[dropship (WFC)|dropship]] Megatron was heading for and declared himself Decepticon commander. Shortly afterward, Megatron managed to communicate with Starscream and ordered him to attack Omega Supreme, getting the massive Autobot off Megatron's back. By the time Megatron's group were heading for the Autobot turrets, Starscream was ready to sound a retreat, which Megatron overrode with the threat of marking any retreating Decepticon as "kill on sight". Fortunately, Megatron arrived moments later and managed to defeat Omega Supreme, making the retreat unnecessary. Later on, he was present at the [[Core]] of Cybertron as Megatron corrupted it with Dark Energon.

As the Battle of Iacon continued, Starscream fought through Jetfire and [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]], and attacked [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]]'s group in the [[Decagon]]. However, the Air Commander was injured by Optimus's [[Energon-axe]] and forced to retreat. The wound was apparently bad enough to cause him to sit out the remainder of the conflict. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
{{voiceactor|Sam Riegel (English)|Gianluca Iacono (Italian)}}
Starscream had been in control of Trypticon Space Station for years, until Megatron and his forces invaded. Megatron wished to revive the Dark Energon project to aid him in his conquest of Cybertron, but Starscream would have none of it. Megatron was able to fight his way to Starscream himself, and after a brief battle, Starscream had lost. He begged for mercy, and Megatrons spared Starscream in exchange for loyalty to the Decepticons. Starscream obliged and Megatron was taken to the core of the station.

After a test run of the Dark Energon's effects on Decepticons in Kaon Prison, Soundwave deduced the element would only destroy the host. A furious Megatron set Starscream to work on fixing the problem, with Starscream continuously bickering with Barricade over his usefulness. The problem was eventually solved in time for an attack on Iacon City. When Megatron felled Zeta Prime and found the Omega Key, the titanic Autobot Omega Supreme was unleashed upon the Decepticons, quickly crushing them with ease.

Megatron was downright furious with Starscream, declaring he had brought Omega Supreme's rampage upon them all. Starscream retorted that if it wasn't for Megatron and his blind troops, none of this would've happened. Starscream invited Megatron to kill him, but warned him it wouldn't do a thing about Omega Supreme out for their blood. Megatron for the moment let it go, and finally felled Omega Supreme, gaining total dominance over Cybertron.

Sometime later, Starscream ambushed an [[Autobot rookie|Autobot recruit-in-training]], and would've killed him if it wasn't for Optimus charging to the rescue. He wasn't seen again after that.
{{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|War for Cybertron - Autobots/Decepticons}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
{{voiceactor|[[Sam Riegel]] (English)|[[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian)}}

Being Megatron's "right-hand man," he wonders how the war could have changed if HE were to be the leader, not Megatron. Still he was ordered by Megatron to do his dirty work, and growing jealous, he waits for the right time, to take his place, as leader of the Decepticons.
{{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{voiceactor|[[Sam Riegel]] (English)}}
{{quote|Megatron will rue the day he made a fool of me. He can keep his precious army. I will build one of my own.|Starscream planning an obviously failed attempt at army building|''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]''}}

Under Megatron's orders, Starscream and the [[Combaticon (WFC)|Combaticons]] ambushed and captured Optimus Prime under the ruins of Iacon during the assault on the Ark. Starscream's gloating on how he defeated Megatron's nemesis would earn him a blast from the Decepticon's leader's fusion cannon. Starscream's luck would take an uphill turn, however, for Megatron was soon crushed by Metroplex, leaving him the new leader of the Decepticons. At the urging of both Prime and Metroplex, Starscream ordered the Decepticons to retreat.

Starscream's reign as a leader was lackluster at best. He used most of the Decepticon energon and supplies to further his own ego and cover the Decepticon bases with portraits and effigies of himself and constantly broadcasting self glorifying speeches to his troops. Anyone who wasn't on board with Starscream's reign was thrown into the prisons of Kaon. Needless to say, the prisons were full to bursting as barely a handful of Decepticons had any faith in their new leader. When the Autobots acquired the entire energon supply the Decepticons kept in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]]. Starscream sent the Combaticons to stop the transport. When the transport was out in the open, Starscream ordered an assault on it, despite the fact the anti-aircraft guns were still functional. As the Decepticons suffered heavy losses, Starscream aborted the mission and ordered a full retreat. The Combaticons ignored the order and brought the transport down, at the cost of half the energon on board. Despite the fact that the Combaticons had saved the mission he had abandoned, Starscream accused them of failing and had them arrested.

Later, Starscream decided to have a coronation for himself (despite the fact he had been in charge for some time now). Though sadly it was not to be, as [[The Transformers: The Movie|a newly rebuilt Megatron crashed the event]] and took his crown back from the would-be king, much to everyone else's elation. Luckily, the Air Commander escaped Megatron's wrath, swearing revenge.

Seeking the means to get back at Megatron, Starscream made his way to Shockwave's lab. He came across [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and promised to free him and his team if they would serve him. The Dinobot kindly refused the offer by throwing him into the control panel, freeing himself. This apparently knocked Starscream out as he didn't get back up. What happened to him afterwords is unknown, since most of Decepticons that might have arrested him were cut to pieces by Grimlock. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

{{note|Starscream also appears as a playable character in the Escalation Map, 'Oblivion'. He is the team's [[Ammo Supplier]] and fights alongside [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]], and [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]].}}

===''Transformers: Prime - The Game''===
[[File:TransformersPrimeTheGame Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
{{voiceactor|[[Steve Blum]] (English)|[[Leopoldo Ballesteros]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Cyrille Monge]] (French)}}
Starscream was present when the Decepticons were hauling in an asteroid rich with Dark Energon heading toward Earth. When the Autobots came to stop them, he witnessed the asteroid explode and the Autobots fall out of orbit. He then mocked their inability to fly, which annoyed Megatron. He commissioned Knock Out and Airachnid to seek and retrieve the Autobots, joining in the hunt himself.

Starscream found Bulkhead and Miko in some sort of tomb, and played on his life by nearly collapsing the whole cave on him. Bulkhead escaped the falling cave, and the big guy unleashed tenfold on him. However, one of the Vehicons managed to swipe Miko and take her captive, and Starscream retreated with them.

Starscream later assisted Megatron in finding a missing component of Thunderwing's, and managed to run into his old pal Bulkhead again. Unfortunately, Bulkhead bested him again, this time taking him captive in his own ship! The treacherous Decepticon tricked Bulkhead, however, into bringing him into a room where he was ambushed by Vehicon troopers. Yet again, Bulkhead came out on top of the pile with Starscream retreating in defeat.

Starscream quickly installed the biggest component in Thunderwing, which resulted in him attacking Megatron... ''Megatron used Starscream as a shield.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Online''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers Online}}}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark''===
====Console====
{{Charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Rise of the Dark Spark}}}}

====3DS====
{{Charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)|Rise of the Dark Spark}}}}

===''Transformers Prime: Battle For Energon''===
When Bulkhead infiltrate the Nemesis to snatch away the Decepticons' Energon stores, Starscream faced off against the Autobot before he could take his leave. Starscream was defeated, and Bulkhead took off with the Energon in hand. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Battle For Energon}}

===''Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense''===
Starscream led a battalion of Vehicon drones to the town of [[Jasper]] in order to secure Dark Energon from a nearby mine. His efforts were thwarted by Arcee. Starscream then attempted to escape from an abandoned military installation with the Vehicons under his command, only to be stopped by both Arcee and Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense}}

===''Transformers Prime: Pulsar Defense''===
Starscream and the other Decepticons attempted to prevent the Autobots from constructing a [[Pulsar Dish]], which would destroy the [[Energon Drain]] that the Decepticons had built in an asteroid field. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Pulsar Defense}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike''===
Using his jet mode to fire upon the Autobot leader, and leaving floating "aerial mines" behind him, Starscream fought it out against Optimus Prime in the skies over a lush tropical forest. Optimus managed to drive off Starscream nevertheless, and Starscream howled back that he wouldn't forget his defeat as he sped away. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Decepticon Strike|Decepticon Strike}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(WFC).jpg|thumb|400px|So I'm ''Cybertron'' Starscream as WFC Starscream, introduced in a WFC event with seekers from ''Cybertron''. Confused? ''Good!'' '''*Hotshot 47 BLAM!*''']]
Starscream participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character who was available as a reward in the "Cybertron Episode 2 - Seekers" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game===
{{note|For some reason, the Legion Class version of the character is not included in the character selection.}}
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:65%"
|-
! scope="col" width="30%" | '''Version'''
! style="background: #00CCFF; color: black" scope="col" width="35%" | '''Unlock Cost (Energon)'''
! style="background: #BF00FF; color: white" scope="col" width="35%" | '''Unlock Cost (Ultra Sparks)'''
|-
| Starter
|4500
|90
|-
|Power Hero
|8000
|140
|-
|}
</center>
{{-}}

===''Power Up for Battle''===
[[File:RID2015 Power Up for Battle gameplay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.44]]
Starscream engaged in battle against Optimus Prime for control over the Weaponizer Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Power Up for Battle}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
===''War for Cybertron''===
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] arrived to a location where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], Starscream, and Soundwave were battling Autobots. Megatron left, leaving Shockwave in charge. Shockwave ordered Soundwave to [[Transformation|Transform]] and play "[[The Touch]]." Starscream was displeased with Shockwave's choice of song, but Shockwave told him that once he got a higher hit percentage than his own, then Starscream could choose a soundtrack. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameSpot's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}}
{{--}}
===''Fall of Cybertron''===
[[File:FOC Starscream face broken trailer.jpg|thumb|200px]]
*As Starscream transformed from jet mode and equipped his sword to slice at Optimus Prime carrying the injured Bumblebee, Ironhide intercepted the Decepticon and punched him in the face. The force of the punch broke a good chunk of Starscream's face and threw him to the ground. {{storylink|Commercial#Fall of Cybertron|''Fall of Cybertron'' VGA Cinematic Trailer}}
*Starscream, alongside Shockwave, intercepted Optimus, who was running towards Megatron. The Autobot leader blocked Starscream's slashing attacks with his arm and subsequently shot him in the face from point blank range. This event happened on the surface of the city mode of Metroplex. As Optimus ordered Metroplex to awaken, the city-bot started transforming while Starscream's defeated body was still lying on his surface.
{{storylink|Commercial#Fall of Cybertron|''Fall of Cybertron'' E3 Trailer}}
{{Note|The story of the FOC E3 Trailer seemingly follows on from the FOC VGA Cinematic Trailer.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Starscream (WFC)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Starscream (WFC)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:Tfprimestarscreamjet.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|''ooooo-ooooo/We fade to grey!'']]
[[File:VectorSigmaBotBuilderStarscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Fabulouscream.]]
[[File:Screamer_dashboard.jpg|thumb|right|Nintendoscream.]]
*Starscream's model is usable in ''War for Cybertron'' multiplayer as the Energon Seeker-type chassis for [[Scientist (WFC)|Scientist]]-class characters. His parts are also available to Scientists in ''Fall of Cybertron'', now classified as Arclight-type components.
*Starscream's backstory in ''Exodus'' is self-contradictory:
:''"Not even Starscream, who had spent much of his scientific career in the labs contained within these refracting walls..."'' (p. 78).
:''"See what?" Starscream asked. Neither Starscream nor Megatron were scientists."'' (p. 158).
:*When asked via Twitter, Exodus's writer [[Alex Irvine]] stated "Let's say he's always been scientifically curious."<ref>[http://twitter.com/alexirvine/status/36051088754868224 Twitter post]</ref>
:*In ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (console)|Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark]]'', when Starscream sarcastically remarks how Shockwave is "ever the scientist", Shockwave replies with "as you once were". This implies that Starscream had been a scientist at some point in time, but has since left that field.
*Starscream's thin body and narrow, upward-swept wings in [[robot mode]] recalls [[Starscream (Animated)|''Animated'' Starscream]], but his colour scheme, Igor-like posture and subservience to Megatron recalls the [[Starscream (Movie)|live-action incarnation]]. The game design has the movie bulk but with a [[Starscream (G1)|Generation 1]] head and colours.
**And an unintentional one at that, according to the [[New York Comic Con]] Transformers: Prime panel.
*[[Steve Blum]] said he was a fan of [[Charlie Adler]] and [[Tom Kenny]]'s portrayals of Starscream, and had Adler give him his blessing after he got the part.<ref>[http://sknr.net/2011/04/20/steve-blum-talks-transformers-prime-guild-wars-2-bulletstorm-more/ Skewed magazine Steve Blum interview.]</ref> Coincidentally, Blum, Adler, and Kenny are all in ''The Super Hero Squad Show''. Blum would later take over the role of Adler's [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] for the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|Dark of the Moon]]'' game.
*Starscream's body parts are available to use in the Hub website's [[Vector Sigma Bot Builder]] online game. Normally, you cannot configure a generic 'bot using all Starscream parts, but you can see what one would look like at right through the magic of Photoshop.
*In Starscream's dedicated level in ''Fall Of Cybertron'', a secret room on the exterior of Shockwave's tower complex contains a very G1-esque gold crown that can be picked up by the player and worn for the remainder of the level. Words cannot describe how awesome this is...
*Starscream's Hasbro bio takes Fowler's comment "Starscream is his own worst enemy", a little too literally as it lists his arch-enemy as himself. And his ally is Optimus, for some reason...
*In one of the rare noticeable instances of physical change within the "Aligned" continuity family, Starscream's appearance in ''Robots in Disguise'' is changed to be more similar to his ''Fall of Cybertron appearance'', but this time is inspired by both his [[Starscream (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]] and his [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1 cartoon counterpart]]'s look during the coronation scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Arms Up Modes===
In the Japanese ''Prime'' toyline, Starscream has named powered-up modes when given various [[Arms Micron]]s in certain configurations:

*'''Full Weapon Mode''' (フルウェポンモード ''Furu Wepon Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Balo, Gora, Gul, Jida, Zori
:Starscream's box-back Arms Up mode has him using the [[Laser Gunblade]] on his right arm, the [[High-Defense Shield]] on the left, and [[Zori]] in "Flexible Rod Mode" (yyyyeah) on his back.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Starscream''' (スタースクリーム ''Sutāsukurīmu'')
*''Korean:'' '''Starscream''' (스타스크림 ''Seutaseukeurim'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiānwángxīng''' (Taiwan, 天王星, "Uranus"), '''Hóng Zhīzhū''' (China, 红蜘蛛, "Red Spider")
*''Russian:'' '''Starscream''' (''War for Cybertron'', ''Prime'', Старскрим), '''Skandalist''' (''Fall of Cybertron'', Скандалист, "Troublemaker")

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Aligned Seekers]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Transformers Online Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Decepticons]]

Triggerhappy (G1)

2023-05-19T11:24:02Z

Chasd20: /* 2019 IDW continuity */

{{factions|decepticon|exarchon}}
{{disambig3|Triggerhappy}}
:''Triggerhappy is a [[Decepticon]] [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:G1Triggerhappy boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We cool, G? Eh? Eh? Alriiiight.]]
'''Triggerhappy''' is a nutball. You get them in the Decepticons from time to time. He's generally found [[Humanization|drooling]] and/or giggling wildly. He's been that way ever since an incident at [[Decepticon boot camp]], in which he was firing while surfing on his [[hoverboard]], but fell off and hit his head. He remained firing all the while and ended up disintegrating half a dozen other Decepticons. The camp commander was impressed and graduated Triggerhappy on the spot. Nobody is sure if it's an act or if he suffered [[processor]] damage in the fall. What is known is that he pays very little attention to where he's shooting but LOVES the sound his gun makes when fired. Good idea arming him there, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]].

Triggerhappy is [[Binary bonding|binary-bonded]] with [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]], the conniving, envious brother-in-law of [[Nebulan]] leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]].

{{bigquote|We probably shouldn't have shot him. I mean me. I shouldn't have shot him. Maybe. Right? Hard to say.|Triggerhappy reflects on casually shooting his ride, ''[[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors]]}}

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Charlie Adler]] (English), [[Ken Narita]] (Japanese)|[[Georges Atlas]] & [[Francis Lax]] (European French)}}
[[File:TheRebirth1 TriggerhappySlugslinger.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|How is he supposed to drool when he doesn't have a mouth?]]
Triggerhappy was one of several Decepticon jets serving under [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] when they attacked [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as part of a diversion while the Decepticon Clones stole the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. After Scourge successfully activated the chamber on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] (and inadvertently sent a shuttle full of Autobots and the key halfway across the galaxy), Triggerhappy, [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], and [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] were among the Decepticon unit sent to retrieve the key. Following the Autobots to [[Nebulos]], Triggerhappy attacked the Autobums, welcoming them to the scrapyard that they would become should he succeed in destroying them. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Though the Decepticons managed to capture several Autobots, they were soon overwhelmed by new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster technology]] the Autobots developed with the Nebulan rebels. After making a deal with the Hive, the Decepticons underwent [[binary bonding]] as well, and Triggerhappy was given a new partner who blows hard and fast. Armed with this new skill, Triggerhappy and his [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] companions successfully helped reacquire the Chamber's key. While waiting for Zarak to complete modifications to [[Scorponok (G1)|his city]], Triggerhappy declared a possible gasket-blowing event was imminent should he be made to wait any longer. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

Triggerhappy and the other Targetmasters returned to Cybertron just in the nick of time to save Galvatron from the remainder of the Autobot forces. Galvatron was less than impressed by their new Hive partners, however, and addressed Triggerhappy directly when he berated them for letting organics inhabit their bodies, despite the fact Triggerhappy wasn't a Headmaster. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michihiro Ikemizu]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:HM 30 Blowpipe bonded with Triggerhappy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Triggerhappy and his partners, Misfire and Slugslinger, were frequent opponents of the Autobot trio under [[Pointblank]]'s command. When all of them were engaged in combat over several space-faring denizens of planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], a massive explosion caught everyone off-guard. Triggerhappy and his partners and foes alike were transformed into Targetmasters, somehow fused together in pairs with each of the smaller Master Transformers by the explosion. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}} {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}} {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}}}

====''Legends'' comic====
As one of the Decepticons stationed on Earth in the 1980s, Triggerhappy participated in the battle for the [[Transform Super Cog]] where his crazed firing in random directions kept his allies staying far, far away. He fled into space following Slugslinger's failed attempt at usurping [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] as [[Decepticon leader]]. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

In [[2021]], Triggerhappy and the Decepticon Targetmasters fought for Scorponok when he sought to create [[plasma energy]] by detonating a [[black hole]], hoping the ensuing energy wave would let them bond with the Autobots' Targetmaster partners as well. Instead, the explosion shrunk their bodies and caused their partners to vanish. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} Like other victims, the Targetmasters converted their heads into small [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] bodies and traveled to the [[Legends World]], where they kidnapped [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and forced him to use his [[10.2 ultra-drill|ultra-drill]] to teleport their Targetmaster partners to them. The partners were overloaded with plasma energy, however, forcing Trion to scatter them across the Legends World. {{storylink|Mutant Targetmaster Birth Chapter}}

Triggerhappy began running a shooting gallery to earn money for a [[transtector]], though his love for guns compelled him to help his customers shoot the targets, leaving him giving away the prizes. He was eventually approached by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and asked for his help in capturing the supercharged Blowpipe, who was rampaging through [[Akihabara|Neo Akihabara City]]. Granted a transtector by the local police force, Triggerhappy subdued and regained Blowpipe, then agreed to work for the police force since the position allowed him to fire guns a lot. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 49|Bonus Edition Vol. 49}} He was charged with interrogating Misfire following the latter's arrest, but was disappointed in his comrade's aim and started teaching him how to shoot guns instead. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 52|Bonus Edition Vol. 52}} Triggerhappy later used Blowpipe's mutant ability to make a larger duplicate of the [[Repug Armor]] that could fit [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 53|Bonus Edition Vol. 53}}

Triggerhappy was touched by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]]'s reunion at the police station, which distracted him from Blowpipe being stolen by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. {{storylink|TF Legends Late Xmas Present Chapter|Late Xmas Present Chapter}} When Slugslinger got his hands on [[Caliburst (G1)|Caliburst]], he swiftly betrayed Triggerhappy and Misfire, knocking them out with [[anti-electron]]s and stealing their Targetmaster partners. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 55|Bonus Edition Vol. 55}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Decepticon targetmasters brothers in armor.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Triggerhappy participated in a raid on an Autobot city on Cybertron, ending with its incineration. Several prisoners of war were captured by his squad, and Triggerhappy openly mocked the captives as they were marched towards their doom in the [[smelting pool]]. The procession was interrupted by an Autobot ambush led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]; the Decepticons were overwhelmed, and their commander, [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]], ordered a retreat so that they might live to fight another day. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

The Decepticons eventually managed to storm the Autobots' base, only to find it already evacuated. Though confused at first, they learned that their foes had fled to the planet [[Nebulos]]. Triggerhappy and the others made their way to the alien world, where they met with one of the locals, [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], who enlisted them in ridding his planet of the Autobots. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} ''During this meeting, Triggerhappy had to exert what little self-control he had to prevent himself from reducing the fleshy Nebulans to smoldering piles of ash with his [[photon-pulse gun]]s.'' {{storylink|Doomsday for Nebulos}} Learning that several of the Autobots were holed up in [[Koraja]], Triggerhappy participated in a full-scale assault on the city. In retaliation, Fortress Maximus and four other Autobots emerged, having underwent a [[binary bonding]] process. Thanks to the newfound power this upgrade afforded them, the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] sent the Decepticons into a panicked retreat. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

After the Autobots also developed [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] technology, the Decepticons managed to reverse-engineer the process, and had five of their own members binary bond their weapons to Nebulan partners. Triggerhappy was among those selected, with [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]] becoming his pistol. He was put into action soon afterwards, as their Autobot prisoners managed to break free. Despite Triggerhappy's best efforts to shoot straight, the enemy soldiers escaped. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}} ''After capturing the Autobot Targetmasters, Triggerhappy and the other Decepticons ambushed [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] so that Scorponok could capture one of them to examine the Headmaster process more closely. However, while Scorponok busied himself studying Highbrow, the remaining Autobot Headmasters were able to free their Targetmaster comrades and turn the tables on the Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}

[[File:Targetmasters final conflict.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
''Thanks to a bug previously planted in the Autobots' headquarters, the Decepticons learned that their enemies had manufactured a fuel convertor that would allow them travel to [[Earth]]. They put together a plan to steal it. Triggerhappy, Slugslinger, and Misfire approached Fortress Maximus under the pretense that they had a message to deliver: Scorponok wanted to challenge him to a death match, and whoever emerged victorious would be declared triumphant in the greater conflict. Maximus accepted, unaware that the duel was merely a distraction. As it raged, Slugslinger snuck into Brainstorm's lab and made off with the fuel convertor. Once this was done, the duel came to a premature end, the Decepticons made their way off-world, and the Autobots were forced to follow.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Shortly afterwards the Decepticons left [[Nebulos]] and pursued the Autobots aboard the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''When Highbrow managed to decapitate Scorponok and escaped with his head, Triggerhappy was among several Decepticons who pursued, catching up to him just as he neared the Autobots' spaceship. As they forcefully retrieved their leader's head, the Decepticons witnessed several Autobots materialize from the future, leading to some infighting among the Autobots' ranks. Irritated over being left out of the battle, Scorponok's Decepticons were about to join in, only for the bulk of them to be temporarily shunted off to [[Limbo]] when [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s troops from the year [[2009]] arrived in [[1989]]. Triggerhappy was one of the few left behind. A tenuous alliance was then brokered between the Autobots and Decepticons from both eras in order to combat the more pressing threat of the super-Decepticon [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. However, when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] accidentally shot Scorponok while he was attacking Galvatron, Triggerhappy and the other Decepticons turned on the Autobot. While Optimus Prime dealt with the mad Galvatron, Triggerhappy and the other Decepticons carried their leader to safety.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

Scorponok was repaired, and next took his troops to meet with [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s Decepticons at their Arctic base. While Scorponok and a small entourage were receiving a guided tour of said base, they learned that Ratbat was purposely withholding information about the legendary [[Underbase]] from them. Enraged by the deceit, Scorponok stormed back towards his ship, where the rest of his troops were waiting, only for his path to be barred by Ratbat's cronies. Seeing this take place, Triggerhappy and [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grr]] decided to lead their shipmates in an assault and come to Scorponok's aid. Decepticon clashed against Decepticon until those on both sides of this civil war came to realize that [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] had engineered the whole debacle to get to the Underbase himself. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Starscream was in time defeated, and Triggerhappy continued to serve under Scorponok as he acquired leadership over all Earth-bound Decepticons. Following a distress signal issued by the [[Air Strike Patrol]], Scorponok led his minions into battle against Optimus Prime's Autobots within the [[MacDill Air Force Base]]. Strangely, Optimus called for all his troops to return to the Ark while he remained behind. Scorponok was suspicious, but wouldn't allow himself to pass up the opportunity to vanquish his enemy. Triggerhappy and the others rushed Optimus Prime as he tried to stop Scorponok from firing on the shuttlecraft, but Prime, who was quickly becoming frustrated with the day's events, was able to overpower all of them. As Optimus pleaded to Scorponok to stop fighting and determine the mastermind who was pulling their strings, they were interrupted by a huge hint: Starscream had arrived, reborn as a [[Pretender]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} Triggerhappy was among the first to fall to the new arrival's might, gunned down as Starscream proclaimed he was carrying out [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s will. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:US69EyeofStorm.JPG|upright=1.66|thumb|left|"And you, stand up straight! You're making us all look uncivilized!"]]
Later during the war on Earth, Triggerhappy got sick of Scorponok's command, especially after he let that maniac Starscream back into the Decepticons. Triggerhappy couldn't stand working with Starscream, so he and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] left Scorponok's Decepticons, only to ironically be strong-armed by Starscream himself into joining his and [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'s auxiliary army, which also included [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], and [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]]. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Though Mindwipe was more vocal on the subject, Triggerhappy was clearly displeased with being forced into this new group. Shockwave made it clear that, should the pair not fight at their side, they would be terminated. As such, Triggerhappy joined in on an attack on Scorponok's [[New Jersey base]]. {{storylink|Surrender!}} The base was easily collapsed on itself, though this did little to assuage Triggerhappy and Mindwipe's fears that Scorponok may yet rise up to destroy them all. Pitying their cowardice, Starscream urged the others to help him dig out whatever survivors they may find, and offer them a choice: join them or be destroyed. Unfortunately, the first to be excavated was indeed Scorponok. Shockwave ordered Triggerhappy and the others to rush Scorponok, but the latter's ultra-dense armor proved invulnerable to their laser fire. Triggerhappy was easily tackled down by his opponent, who then moved on to duelling Shockwave in the nearby river. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}

The coup was interrupted when [[Primus]] summoned all the Transformers of Earth to Cybertron to do battle with [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Out of Time!}} Triggerhappy and the other teleported Transformers witnessed Primus, speaking through the body of [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]], tell the history of their supernatural war with the Dark God. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
When Scorponok used the [[Gene Key]] to virtually conquer Cybertron, Triggerhappy was seen hunting for the dissident [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}}

====''Transformers '84''====
As part of the forces under [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s command, Triggerhappy took part in a bombing run against [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]'s troops after the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' had been lost. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[File:HM issue 7 Decepticon Targetmasters.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Triggerhappy and the Decepticon Targetmasters attempted to disrupt the Autobots' efforts to put out a blazing fire on Earth. The Autobots' split focus left them vulnerable, until the Battleship Maximus extinguished the entire fire in one sweep. [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire]] then turned their full attention on Triggerhappy and his allies, driving them from the scene. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
While [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] used his [[Nullification Cannon]] on Cybertron's [[energon]] suppliy, Triggerhappy was part of a team lead by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] that carried out a diversionary attack. Triggerhappy was punched out by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
Triggerhappy was among the Decepticons who traveled to [[Nebulos]] in search of energy. When they discovered a wealth of cosmic energy at the pole, Triggerhappy reminded [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] that if used it to kill all the Autobots, they wouldn't have anyone to fight. When their energy collection attempt required them to move [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to the pole, the Autobots melted the ice under their base, causing it to sink. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}}

===Toy pack-in material===
When Optimus became stranded on Cybertron's hemisphere of darkness with his memory damaged, Triggerhappy joined a small strike force of Decepticons called S.T.O.P. ([[Seek and Terminate Optimus Prime]]) to either destroy or recruit the amnesic Autobot leader. {{Storylink|Optimus Prime Is Back}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Stormbringer issue 4|''Stormbringer'' #4]]}}
[[File:Blot and Triggerhappy The End of the Beginning of the World.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]
Triggerhappy was part of the crew of the ''[[Thanatos]]'', commanded by [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. He begrudgingly gave aid to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Wreckers]] while battling [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] in order to preserve their home planet of Cybertron and show the Autobots how war was really done. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

Much later, Triggerhappy appeared among the Decepticons imprisoned on Cybertron after the war with [[D-Void]]. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} Triggerhappy was part of an angry Decepticon crowd who demanded answers from the Autobots for [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s death. {{storylink|Stick Together}} He joined up with [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], who was trying to lead the Decepticons back into war, only to be killed by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] while guarding their base. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:FierceFightingOnPlanetNebulos-StraxusDecepticons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
A [[nano-virus]] that afflicted most Autobots save the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] required [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] to lead a team to [[Nebulos]] for an anti-virus. However, the nano-virus was merely a ploy by the Decepticons to draw out the Targetmasters and Headmasters to abduct their [[Nebulan]] partners, so when the Autobots arrived on Nebulos, Triggerhappy and several other Decepticons were waiting for them! Triggerhappy and the others quickly fell into disarray, unfortunately, when their leader Straxus was singled out and defeated. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

===''TransTech''===
During the conflict between the [[Screaming Eagles]] and [[S.K.A.R.]] in [[Primax 806.30 Gamma]], Triggerhappy's Targetmaster partner was the human arms-dealer [[Rampage (G.I. Joe)|Rampage]], using technology derived from the old [[I.R.O.N.|I.R.O.N. Army]]. The Decepticons and their human allies were ultimately defeated by [[Sgt. Savage]]'s Screaming Eagles and the Autobots. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|''Transformers'' #15]] (mentioned); [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|#21]] (full)}}

[[File:Tremors-Triggerhappy.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|”Say my name”.{{-}} “You’re Triggerhappy”.{{-}} “You’re god damn right!”]]
Once exiled from Cybertron, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] found Triggerhappy and brought him home to join [[The Rise]], a terrorist cell devoted to destabilizing society as part of the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] cause. Violent and unstable, Shockwave identified him as one of the true "maniacs" under his command. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Three}}

[[Rage (G1)|Rage]] was forced into the task of transporting Triggerhappy along with [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] inside [[Roughstuff]]'s trailer to another remote base before a groundquake hit sent them falling into a chasm. As Rage tried to get the situation under control, Triggerhappy made a nuisance of himself by shooting Roughstuff and denying them their only way back out. When Frenzy spotted a group of geologists spying on them, Triggerhappy was the first to confront them and shot [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] when the geologist didn't say his name, as the geologist had never ''met'' Triggerhappy before. He kept himself busy by dodging [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] until [[Firestar (G1)|Novastar]]'s new counterterrorism team arrived to stop them, then promptly flew away before [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] could catch up. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

====Alternate future====

In the dark future ruled by [[Exarchon]], Triggerhappy fought for the Threefold Spark. He remained obsessed with getting people to say his name, prompting the rebel [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to finally shut him up by calling him—and rendering him -- "Headless". {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
*When the Transformers' war resumed its course on [[Nebulos|Nebulon]], Triggerhappy could be seen fighting alongside his fellow Decepticon [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] against their Autobot counterparts, while [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] grappled in the distance. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}
*Triggerhappy and [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] battled [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] and [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] in the middle of a mechanical city. Triggerhappy strafed Sureshot from above until the Autobot transformed into robot mode and began firing back. Triggerhappy mirrored Sureshot's actions, leading to Sureshot tackling Triggerhappy and both combatants losing grip on their guns. Triggerhappy and Sureshot continued to grapple while their guns transformed and did the same. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Targetmasters|Targetmasters commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Triggerhappy is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Triggerhappy was caught up in a [[Quintesson]] plot to disrupt the [[Galactic Olympics|Galactic Games]]. {{storylink|The Galactic Games}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1-toy Triggerhappy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Got an AK-47, well, you know it makes me feel all right!]]
*'''Triggerhappy with Blowpipe''' (Targetmaster, [[1987]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-88'''
**''Accessories:'' "Blowpipe" Targetmaster gun/[[Compression cannon|Compressed Air Cannon]]
:Triggerhappy transforms into a blue Cybertronic fighter craft with large, dual off-white cannons on either side his body and four wing-mounted thrusters, making him look kinda-sorta-vaguely like an [[X-wing Fighter]] from ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]''. His Targetmaster partner, Blowpipe, can be stored in a socket on the rear of the fighter, just in front of where his head is stored. Somewhat unusually, the entire cockpit nose is mounted on a bar that swings upward so the nose meets with the rear fuselage to form his upper torso. His large fighter cannons swing up to the sides of his arms in [[robot mode]], but the hinges aren't strong enough to deal with their weight, so they have a tendency to flop down.

:Like the other Targetmasters, his Japanese release lacks a [[rubsign]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Decepticon/Triggerhappy/triggerhappy.htm More information on Triggerhappy (with Blowpipe) at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Titans Return''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Deluxe-Triggerhappy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Mr. Triggerhappy, not every situation requires your patented approach of shoot first, shoot later, shoot some more and then when everybody's dead try to ask a question or two."]]
*'''Blowpipe & Triggerhappy''' (Deluxe Class, [[2016]])
**''Accessories:'' "Blowpipe" Titan Master, 2 blaster weapons.
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro)}}

:Part of the third wave of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'', Triggerhappy transforms into a Cybertronian starfighter. He has 5 mm post holes on the underside of his wings and the inside of his built-in non-firing blasters, accessible in robot mode. The holes on his shoulders can also accept 5mm posts, but are covered by his wings or blasters in both modes. Like most ''Titans Return'' figures, he has a port for a generic pose/flight stand on his backside. Triggerhappy's transformation is surprisingly complex compared to most ''Titans Return'' Deluxe figures, with most of the parts shifting by way of swivels that rotate the entire body in multiple directions.

:He includes two blasters that can combine into a larger weapon that his [[Titan Master]] partner, [[Blowpipe (G1)#Generations|Blowpipe]] can sit in. Unlike most Deluxe and larger figures, however, there does not appear to be a way to mount the combined weapon in vehicle mode, and while Blowpipe can peg in, it does not appear to have a proper seat. Amusingly, it seems to be based on Blowpipe's original Targetmaster form, with sculpted legs at one end and each blaster having similar asymmetrical double barrels. Despite coming with a pair of guns, most official pictures, such as the one on his box, only show his vehicle mode with one attached gun.

:His robot mode face is based on his appearance in fiction rather than his original toy.

:Triggerhappy can hold the ''Siege'' [[Battle Master]] [[Blowpipe (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Blowpipe]] if one is inclined to have two Blowpipes simultaneously.

:Triggerhappy was retooled with a new head into [[Metalhawk (G1)#Generations|Metalhawk]]. His legs were also used for [[Misfire (G1)#Generations|Misfire]] and [[Slugslinger (G1)#Generations|Slugslinger]], who are otherwise completely new figures from the crotch up. The elements that became Misfire were then even further modified into ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' [[Sonic Bomber (G1)#Legends|Sonic Bomber]].
{{--}}

===''Legends''===
[[File:LG49-Triggerhappy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Targetmaster Triggerharpy (Targetmaster Triggerhappy)''' (Deluxe Class, [[2017]]-[[October 28|10-28]])
**''ID number'': '''LG49'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster, [[Blowpipe (G1)#Legends|Blowpipe]] Targetmaster
:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' "Targetmaster Triggerharpy" is a [[redeco]] and slight retool of the above ''Titans Return'' mold with minor changes in paint details and a new port on his chest where his [[Decepticon]] insignia used to be that serves as a method to store the newly molded [[Blowpipe (G1)#Legends|Blowpipe]] Targetmaster. He does not include the original guns from the original Hasbro release. As a bonus, the chest port makes him capable of wearing a ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' deluxe figure's prime armor.
{{TRBlowpipeMold}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W3RaiderTriggerhappy.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Raider Triggerhappy, Air Force-Gunner''' (2019)
**'''Wave 3: War for Cybertron: Siege I'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T39/T48'''
**''Stars: ''8

:Raider Triggerhappy, Air Force-Gunner is one of forty-eight double-sided character cards available in Wave 3 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege I.

:The card's art reuses line-art from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game. The artwork is recolored seemingly to match the aesthetic of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' toyline's packaging art.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Triggerhappy heads.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|The guy on the left went on to
{{w|Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)|bigger and better}} things]]
[[File:Hasbro1988CatTriggerhappy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Blasthappy? Triggerblast?]]
*For some reason Triggerhappy's [[character model]] in the comics and cartoon differs from that of his toy and [[package art]]. He has a [[Mouthplate|faceplate]] in his fictional appearances, and normal eyes, giving him a ninja-like face. His toy features a normal face with comic-[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]-style "shades".
*The 1987 and 1988 North American [[catalog]]s featuring Triggerhappy depict him using a non-final toy—one whose head is blatantly a hand-painted copy of [[Blaster (G1)/toys|Blaster]]'s!

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Triggerharpy''' (トリガーハーピー ''Torigāhāpī''),<ref>Triggerhappy's name in classic Japanese Generation 1 media inexplicably is not a plain adaptation of "happy" but rather "harpy". Given that Misfire and Slugslinger's names experienced no changes in localisation, "Triggerharpy" may be the result of a typo or misreading being carried forward.</ref> '''Triggerhappy''' (トリガーハッピー ''Torigāhappī'')
*''French:'' '''Déclic''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Efestus'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Bānjī''' (China, 扳机, "Trigger")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Lődöző''' ("who shoots a lot in a short time", different form of "lövöldöző")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Gunners]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]

Character

2023-01-31T07:39:12Z

Chasd20: /* Changing attitudes and brand unification */

[[File:Bumblebee evolution.jpg|thumb|upright=2.5|Though every one of these characters has gone by the name '''[[Bumblebee (disambiguation)|Bumblebee]]''' at some point, they are all different interpretations of the core "Bumblebee" archetype. This kind of character "speciation" has been repeated again and again across the franchise.]]

A '''character''' is a fictional depiction of an entity, usually a Transformer, that might or might not have a [[toy]] representation. If there is a toy, the character is usually, but not always, based on the toy and intended as a [[to sell toys|means of promoting said toy]].

Over the course of the numerous ''Transformers'' series and toy lines, some characters have changed their names, while in other cases, characters have appeared that share a name with another character but are separate individuals. Many characters also have counterparts in other [[continuity|continuities]] they may or may not share a lot of similarities with.

[[Hasbro]]'s attitude towards the importance of characters has changed a lot since the launch of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] in [[1984]].

==What is a character?==
[[File:MegatronG2Hero Bio&TechSpecs.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|right|The [[Tech Spec]] cards that came with the original ''Transformers'' toys introduced kids to the personality and story behind each toy.]]
Broadly speaking, every individual [[Transformer]], human, [[alien]], or other sentient being covered on this wiki is a character. Remember that ''sentient'' includes non-''sapient'' beings like [[Bob (IDW)|the Insecticon Bob]] and [[Freya]] the dog, as well as "are they technically alive or not?" artificial intelligences like the [[Diagnostic Drone]] and [[T-AI]].

Most characters have received some kind of fiction that describes their personality, defining characteristics, and unusual abilities; this may be as simple as a [[bio]] on the back of a toy package, or as elaborate as an appearance in one of the many live-action ''Transformers'' films. And those that don't have fiction of some form but do have a toy? Well, they're still characters.

In many cases, characters can appear in multiple different works of fiction simultaneously; iconic characters, like [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] or [[Bumblebee (disambiguation)|Bumblebee]], have starred in multiple distinct [[continuity|continuities]], often at the same time. These depictions generally adhere to a singular "idea" of what the character represents, but these individual portrayals can vary wildly between tellers: see the Hasbro/[[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] depiction of [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] as a quiet computer programmer versus his ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' portrayal as a hot-headed ''shonen'' hero versus [[IDW Publishing]]'s portrayal as a moody [[Mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]]. Similar cases exist throughout ''Transformers'' media. In some cases, one particularly popular incarnation of a character may go on to inform future developments; while based on his original [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] toy, the bio of Chromedome's 2016 ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toy, for instance, notes that the character can perform mnemosurgery on other 'bots.

In some cases, non-toy characters may appear in several different supporting media, such as the various humans who have gone by the surname "[[Witwicky (surname)|Witwicky]]." Some of them might be turned into toys later on, due to the (often unexpected) popularity of those characters; the various Witwickys, for instance, have received several toys as accessories alongside the larger Transformer figures.

{{-}}

==Relevance==
[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The decision to kill off most of Hasbro's 1984~85 product range in the original ''Transformers'' film was poorly received by the movie's target demographic.]]
As a toymaker first and foremost, Hasbro didn't put much emphasis onto "character" during the earliest years of the ''Transformers'' franchise; the marketing department saw them as mere products—expected to have a two-year shelf life before they were replaced by new toys and new characters. It would be Marvel writer [[Bob Budiansky]] that provided early toys with names, roles, and personalities, turning them into full-fledged characters that would, in turn, find their way into the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] and [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]]. As a consequence, Hasbro only bothered to register a small number of [[trademark]]s in the 1980s, such as "[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]"<ref name="opuspto">[http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=73496873 United States Patent and Trademark Office file for the trademark "Optimus Prime"], filed in 1984, registered in 1985.</ref> or "[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]".<ref name="swuspto">[http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=73496875 United States Patent and Trademark Office file for the trademark "Soundwave"], filed in 1984, registered in 1985.</ref> Unbeknownst to Hasbro, however, their ''Transformers'' media blitz meant that children had ''connected'' to these robots as relatable characters. Kids didn't just see them as colorful robot toys—for all intents and purposes, the toy ''was'' that character.

In 1986, Hasbro released the big-deal super-hyped ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' to theaters. The 1984 toys that had kicked off the franchise—Optimus Prime, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], etc.— had largely left store shelves by this time, and Hasbro saw fit to begin the movie by "clearing the deck;" hoping to [[To sell toys|advertise]] the 1986 toyline, the opening battle of ''Transformers: The Movie'' would feature the abrupt and violent deaths of many of these beloved characters, leaving the story free to focus on that year's brand-new toyline. The immediate backlash amongst young fans that this decision generated quickly led to the cartoon's writers resurrecting Optimus Prime in the series less than a year later, but the incident caused Hasbro to realize how much of a crucial role recognizable characters had played in the success of the ''Transformers'' line.

''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', the next ''Transformers'' show to hit the airwaves in the 1990s, turned the limitation of its expensive computer animation into a new advantage; as introducing all of the ''Beast Wars'' toys in the show would be impossible, the writers chose to focus on a small handful of [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], rotating the characters in and out to keep up with new toys on the shelves. The result was that each individual ''Beast Wars'' character had a greater amount of screentime than the oft-bloated cast of the 1984 cartoon, allowing the writers to tell deeper and more multifaceted stories involving these characters. With some exceptions, this tactic would become the general approach to most ''Transformers'' storytelling: a small onscreen cast supported by a larger group of toy-exclusive characters boosted by simple association with the cartoon.

==Naming conventions==
[[File:Wheeljack-AR-DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''Armada'' [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] had little to do with the [[Wheeljack (G1)|Generation 1 character of the same name.]]]]

Despite having realized the role that strong, likeable characters played in their franchise, Hasbro continued to take a somewhat scattershot approach to the names of ''Transformers'' characters for some time. As Hasbro repeatedly rebooted the ''Transformers'' franchise in the late 90s and 2000s, while "core" character names were ''generally'' safe, it was common to shuffle pre-existing names around, sometimes tacking them onto characters that were utterly unrelated to their original uses. Part of this was, of course, an effort to maintain valuable [[Trademark]] ownership of "major" names for future use, but it did lead to some oddities. Examples include "[[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]]" the heroic [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]] bat from ''Beast Wars'', "[[Grimlock (RID 2001)|Grimlock]]" the upbeat excavator from ''Robots in Disguise'', and "[[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]]" the brooding young Autobot-turned-Decepticon from ''Armada''.

Conversely, 2004's ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' franchise would feature several characters obviously physically based on "Generation 1" characters (no doubt a facet of 2004 being the 20th anniversary of the ''Transformers'' brand), but their names were being used elsewhere or otherwise unavailable, giving us "[[Shockblast]]" and "[[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]]" who were ''heavily'' recognizable as new takes on [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|the original Wheeljack]]. (This of course is to say nothing about their in-fiction portrayals... and in these two cases in particular, they had little in common with their visual inspirations, personality-wise.) This was an issue on both sides of the world; in Japan, the ''Armada'' Mini-Con "[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]]" was named "Arcee", which meant that when the direct-sequel series featured an [[Omnicon]] blatantly designed after [[Arcee (G1)|Generation 1 Arcee]] and called "[[Arcee (Energon)|Arcee]]" in Hasbro markets, Takara had to give her the name "Ariel".

It was not until 2007, and the launch of the [[live-action film series]], that the trends would shift heavily and various "legacy" names would slowly find their way back onto a solid "archetype," with that year's [[Transformers (film)|''Transformers'']] film featuring a handful of Autobots more-or-less based on their Generation 1 personalities. Subsequent mass-market franchises, such as that year's ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' franchise, and 2010's ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'', would continue to realign character names with their Generation 1 appearances and personalities. Though these installments would also introduce brand-new characters to the series... sometimes using old names from minor characters and effectively becoming "the" character associated with that name, such as ''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and 2015's ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]].

{{-}}

==Changing attitudes and brand unification==
[[File:ShadowStriker-SSVSBumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|''Cyberverse'' Bumblebee, an amalgam of several past Bumblebees in design and concept, tangles with [[Shadow Striker (Cyberverse)|Shadow Striker]], a new character introduced in the series.]]

The debut of the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" take on ''Transformers'']] (heralded mainly by the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Transformers: Prime'' cartoon]]) hit right at the beginning of the Hollywood nostalgia boom, due in part to the recent debut of the {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe}} and its new approach to comic book adaptations. This pop-cultural shift would prompt [[Hasbro]] to develop a more coherent approach to the jumbled ''Transformers'' multiverse. 2010's ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' video games were the first installment of the Aligned franchise, a distinctly G1-esque take on the ''Transformers'' continuity that featured just about every major cartoon character in some capacity, all more-or-less faithful to their original designs and personalities.

Though the Aligned continuity would subsequently deviate from this aesthetic, the idea seems to have struck a chord with Hasbro; in late 2016, Hasbro would reveal a new "[[evergreen]]" style for just about every major ''Transformers'' character, beginning with ancillary side merchandise and eventually bleeding into the mass-market through [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[2005 IDW continuity|ongoing comics]], where many major characters would be redesigned into these new forms. 2018's ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (franchise)|Cyberverse]]'' franchise would see many characters sporting these evergreen bodies.

On the other hand, Hasbro and its licensees have been unafraid to create brand-new characters; 2014-15 brought the debut of [[Windblade (disambiguation)|Windblade]] the Autobot [[cityspeaker]] and [[Victorion]] the all-female [[combiner]]. Additionally, many IDW-original characters such as the [[Decepticon Justice Division|DJD]] and [[Aileron]] have proved popular with fans, with some like [[Nautica (G1)#Toys|Nautica]] and [[Rung (G1)#Toys|Rung]] even seeing mass-market release as new toys. As fresh faces represent new storytelling opportunities and, more importantly, new toys, it's safe to say that the ''Transformers'' franchise will never run out of new characters to introduce.

{{-}}

==Characters and the wiki==
: ''See also: [[Continuity family]]''
[[File:KnockOutShockwave TheToxicTransformer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Knock Out (G1)#Of Masters And Mayhem|One version of Knock Out]] complicates matters by cheekily combining traits from his [[Knock Out (Prime)|''Prime'']] and [[Knockout (G1)|Generation 1 Micromaster]] namesakes. Similar amalgamations have caused no small amount of debate on the wiki as to where a character best fits under our organizational schema.]]

Unlike many other popular sci-fi franchises, ''Transformers'' is not a single long-running story set in one universe, ''à la'' ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' or ''[[Star Trek]]''; rather, it is a vast entity made up of many smaller series, most of which are mutually exclusive to each other — in the Generation 1 family alone, the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|cartoon]], [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comic]], [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave comic]], [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW (2005)]] and [[2019 IDW continuity|IDW (2019)]] continuities all tell stories that, while broadly similar, are fundamentally irreconcilable.

On the {{SITENAME}}, we therefore align characters by what we call "[[continuity family]];" basically loose groupings of [[franchises]] that follow a rough internal theme/[[continuity]]. For instance, every appearance of the "Generation 1" version of Fortress Maximus can be found under [[Fortress Maximus (G1)]]. No matter how divergent one portrayal is from the other—the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon's]] portrayal of Maximus as a nonsentient battlesuit, his [[Marvel Comics]] depiction as a weary pacifist-turned-reluctant-warrior, or even his IDW depiction as a toughened prison guard—we consider that, since they all appeared in different versions of what we call the "[[Generation 1 continuity family]]," they are different incarnations of the same character.

Conversely, largely-identical versions of the same character may be split up across several pages according to their continuity family of origin. For example, the vain Decepticon medic [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] was a breakout new character in the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoon, to the point where an ''incredibly'' similar take on him appeared as a major character in the 2005 IDW continuity. Specific details were tweaked to fit him into the universe, but in both appearance and personality, the characters are largely identical. ''However'', since ''this'' version of the character appeared in IDW's Generation 1 continuity, we consider "[[Knock Out (G1)]]" to be a ''different'' version of the character, if only for organizational purposes, as he appeared in a different continuity family.
;Why Do We Do This?
If that example seems a bit silly... well, it kind of is, but it's important to note that his case is a bit of an outlier, and that has a lot to do with changes in how Hasbro and its licensees have been treating characters since this wiki's creation. {{SITENAME}} was founded during the reign of the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]", a time when ''Transformers'' toys and media were nowhere near as numerous and diverse as they have been in recent history, and ''were'' pretty strictly regimented, which would be the case for many years as ''Transformers'' would get a full hard-stop reboot every now and then. While previous characters might end up with analogues in whatever new franchise pops up, they were usually heavily re-interpreted for said new franchise, such as how the [[Bulkhead (Animated)|character "Bulkhead" from ''Animated'']] would get reworked to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|the similar ''Prime'' "Bulkhead"]]. And both are ''completely'' different from the [[Bulkhead (Energon)|previous holder of the name, from ''Energon'']] (well, aside from being green).

And really, how useful do you think lumping every iteration of [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] together, regardless of franchise, would really be?

For the first 30 years of the brand, it was rare, if not nigh-unheard-of, for a character to basically be "transplanted" from one very-different franchise to another with minimal changes until the height of [[IDW Publishing]]'s original comic run. While that series is considered "Generation 1" many writers began to pull popular characters from other non-"G1" franchises and drop them into the story. While this has led to some quibble, as an organizational tool, it ''does'' in general work better to have the IDW "G1" Knock Out have his own separate page for his adventures, regardless of how similar to the original he is.

Of course, there's always extra-outliers and troublemakers, thus the need for some flexibility in special circumstances.

{{-}}

==Gray areas==
With a franchise as large, sprawling, and convoluted as ''Transformers'', it can sometimes be hard to tell what separates one character or toy from another; this section goes over some of the more common "gray areas" that have cropped up during the history of the wiki, often involving the thorny issue of [[toy]]s and how they relate to their in-fiction depictions.

===Micro-continuities===
[[File:Optimusprimaltoyultraape.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|As a result of an early promotional comic, this toy of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] simultaneously represents a new character ''and'' an upgraded version of the Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].]]
{{main|Micro-continuity}}

Most ''Transformers'' [[franchises]] are supported by a toyline and one or two "pillars:" usually a television show or comic book designed to advertise the toys. In some cases, however, early promotional material has created entirely new continuities, which we call "[[Micro-continuity|micro-continuities]]," out of a handful of promotional materials. In some notable cases, these have created entirely new characters by conflating other characters together. Most infamous was the [[Optimus Primal vs Megatron!|very first ''Beast Wars'' comic]], which treated the setting as an extension of the Autobot-Decepticon war on contemporary Earth and depicted [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] as merely the newest forms of the original Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The ''Beast Wars'' television show would quickly clarify that Primal and Megatron ''were'' their own characters, who hailed from the distant future; as a result of this comic, however, you ''will'' find early ''Beast Wars'' figures on the toy pages for both Optimus Prime and Megatron—because this comic established that, in at least one small continuity, those toys ''were'' Optimus Prime and the Decepticon Megatron.

{{-}}

===Repurposing===
[[File:Movie-toy Storm Surge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Storm Surge's toy can be used to represent both the movie Decepticon, or with some imagination, the evil Autobot Seaspray.]]

{{main|Repurposing}}

In some cases, a toy might simultaneously represent two or more entirely different characters. This was more common during the tail end of the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'', when the Hasbro and Takara lines began to diverge; for instance, any [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] toy could—depending on if you lived in Japan or the US—be interpreted as either an organic [[Nebulan]] in armor, or a small robot colonist from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. In other cases, the cause might be a miscommunication (or disagreement) between Hasbro and Takara: while Hasbro intended ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] as a different character than [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], whom he was [[redeco]]ed from, the [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|''Legends of the Microns'' cartoon]] made the "Thundercracker" colors an upgraded form of Starscream, and Takara released their version of the toy under the name "Starscream S" ("Super Mode"). The English ''Armada'' dub of the cartoon tried to "explain" the discrepancy between toys and cartoon by having Starscream remark that he "look[s] like Thundercracker" in his new colors.

These early divergences gave way to the practice of "[[repurposing]]," interpreting a preexisting toy as a new character or applying it to a completely different individual as a new form. [[Fun Publications]] was particularly fond of this practice; the ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' series would frequently grab obscure [[redeco]]es and reinterpret them as new characters—for instance, depicting the evil Autobot [[Seaspray (SG)|Seaspray]] with the body used by the obscure movieverse Decepticon [[Storm Surge (Movie)|Storm Surge]]. Wiki-wise, this means that you'll find Storm Surge's toy on Seaspray's page, even though no such toy of Seaspray "really" officially exists—it's a question of using your imagination.

{{-}}

===Names===
[[File:Shockblast energon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] shares many features with G1 [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] except his name.]]
: ''See also: [[Renaming]]''

Transformer names have come and gone over the years, a combination of changing [[trademark]]s, new cast members, and Hasbro's increasing awareness of the vagaries of non-US slang (the reason why we'll never see a Transformer named [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] or [[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] again). The practical upshot of this is that Transformer names can and have changed drastically over the years. Combined with our approach to structuring character pages, it can sometimes be vague as to whether or not a character from one continuity family could be said to have a counterpart elsewhere: for instance, should ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] be considered a version of Generation One [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], as Generation One [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] is to his [[Bumblebee (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]]... even if Shockblast is ''far'' from the emotionless logical sort? This debate takes an interesting turn when one factors in the existence of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Mini-Con]] [[Shockwave (Cybertron)|Shockwave]], who hails from the same continuity as Shockblast... but has nothing in common with any of the other Shockwaves or Shockblasts.

Sometimes a toy released under one name sees re-release under a new alias. Depending on the circumstances, this can pan out as either two different characters, or just a rename. In 2006, several ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Mini-Cons were released under the ''Cybertron'' banner as part of a promotional pack-in with big-ticket item [[Primus#Toys|Primus]]: ''Classics'' [[Dirt Rocket (Classics)|Dirt Rocket]] and [[Thunderwing (Classics)|Thunderwing]] were released as [[Offshoot (Cybertron)|Offshoot]] and [[Nightscream (Cybertron)|Nightscream]] (respectively) in ''Cybertron''. Later fiction would make the distinction that the ''Cybertron'' versions were in fact ''completely'' different characters (from origin to personality to ''gender'' in Dirt Rocket/Offshoot's case).

{{-}}

===''Robots in Disguise''===
[[File:RIDMegatronGrippy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''Robots in Disguise'' [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] appeared in [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW's comic universe]] as "Gigatron," his original ''Car Robots'' name. For simplicity's sake, both versions are on the same page.]]

The 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' franchise is an oddity in the ''Transformers'' franchise, as it has the dubious honor of being considered part of two very different continuity families simultaneously. Originally, the series was perceived as a reboot of sorts after the conclusion of the [[Beast Era]], a back-to-basics tale that returned the action to contemporary Earth and featured vehicular Autobots. Outside of some vaguely-worded Japanese promotional backstory, both ''Robots in Disguise'' and the Japanese version, ''Car Robots'', were largely unconnected to the Generation 1 continuity that had come before. All seemed well... until years later, when [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] revealed that ''Car Robots'' was ''not'' a reboot, and officially incorporated the series into their own [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|elaborate Generation 1 cartoon continuity]] as part of a ''huge'' gap-filling and continuity-tying-up effort that pulled a ''lot'' of pieces of fiction together, both major and obscure.

However, no similar proclamation was made for ''Robots in Disguise''. To this day the Hasbro version of the series stands alone, without any direct ties to any other fictional universe (aside from the whole "multiverse" thing, of course).

On the wiki, at least, this means that ''Robots in Disguise'' characters who have received additional appearances elsewhere in the Generation 1 continuity family, such as [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]'s supporting role in IDW's comics, are consolidated onto a single page to avoid a redundant and nigh-identical "Sky-Byte (Car Robots)," page, even though the Japanese ''Car Robots'' and American ''Robots in Disguise'' franchises are considered two entirely separate continuity families.

(It also helps that ''Robots in Disguise'' is something of a "forgotten" series, so its transplants are few and far between.)
{{-}}

===Multiversal singularities===
{{main|Multiversal singularity}}

[[File:Unicron-UltimateGuide.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Unicron]]'s status as a former multiversal singularity means that his page is organized differently than a more "standard" ''Transformers'' character.]]

One of Hasbro's earliest attempts to tie together a cohesive ''Transformers'' mythology was the creation of "multiversal singularities:" the story pitch was that there was only ''one'' of them ever in-fiction, existing as higher-dimensional beings who could inhabit multiple universes simultaneously. The first character that got this treatment from Hasbro was [[Unicron]], starting with the supporting fiction for the 2003 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' toy line, depicting him as the force responsible for abducting many heroes and villains from across the multiverse to aid in his restoration. Subsequent fiction would reconcile his various conflicting [[Unicron/Generation 1#Generation1 cartoon continuity|cartoon]] and [[Unicron/Generation 1#Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Comics]] backstories by describing all of his various incarnations as a sort of "virus" that could manifest in different universes through mystical or mundane means. On the wiki, this meant that we organized Unicron's page as a single, long article, detailing ''all'' of his exploits throughout the ''Transformers'' multiverse, rather than splitting them up into "Unicron (G1)", "Unicron (Armada)..."

Other notable characters demarcated as singularities included [[Primus]] and the [[Thirteen]]. This admittedly high-concept premise... didn't ''really'' work as planned; immediately, it became clear that many of these so-called singularities had radically different characterizations and origin stories across multiple continuities, which made the entire concept harder to rationalize as the ''Transformers'' multiverse continued to change hands.

As things grew more fraught, some more fiction from [[Fun Publications]] would put the entire concept to rest by [[retcon]]ning the concept away entirely, through the in-fiction medium of the [[Shroud]], which retroactively nullified the entire concept of singularities—G1 Unicron was his own guy again, as was ''Armada'' or ''Prime'' Unicron. However, owing to their legacy as singularities, and their status as very important characters within ''Transformers'' lore, we at the wiki have continued to consolidate their information all onto a single page, even though each of their fictional appearances are now recognized to belong to entirely separate characters. The exception to this rule is Sideways, who is now treated like most other ''Transformers'' characters and has had all of his appearances split into separate characters by continuity.
{{-}}

===Merchandise and the multiverse===
{{main|Iocus}}
[[File:Bot Shots S1 B002 Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''[[Bot Shots]]'' Starscream is pretty clearly based on G1 [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]—and on this wiki, we sort him under [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream's toy page]]. In the in-fiction ''Transformers'' multiverse, however, he and many other merchandise-based representations are established to hail from [[Iocus|a separate universal cluster]].]]

The in-fiction world of the Transformers is based around an elaborate [[multiverse]], which more-or-less follows our own system of classification by continuity family; breaking down into a series of "universal clusters" that, are, in turn, made up of "[[universal stream]]s," corresponding to real world continuity families and individual continuities. The rise of these universal streams as the primary system of in-fiction universal classification coincided with Hasbro's release of multiple new, merchandise-oriented sidelines: ''[[Kre-O]]'', ''[[Construct-Bots]]'', ''[[Hero Mashers]]'', ''[[Bot Shots (franchise)|Bot Shots]]'', and so on.

As these characters seemingly represented new versions of old standby characters like Optimus Prime or Grimlock, the wiki initially gave each of these characters a separate page: "Optimus Prime (Bot Shots)," "Optimus Prime (Construct-Bots)," "Optimus Prime (Hero Mashers)," and so on... in spite of the fact that often (but not always) these characters were clearly based on specific prior iterations, and the fact that almost none of these ''specific'' incarnations received any real fiction that would separate them from their namesakes outside of a handful of toys and maybe a commercial or two. As it soon became clear that the wiki would be overrun by these tiny, one-note articles, "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" would introduce a new cluster, "Iocus," which would serve as a "dumping ground" for all of these miscellaneous toys; under this schema, there would be one "Optimus Prime (Iocus)" page, which would consolidate ''all'' of the side merchandise as a single "character."

However, the Iocus cluster landed right as these miscellaneous toylines had begun stronger cross-promotional synergy with the main franchises, ''directly'' featuring characters from these series in their toylines. For ease of access, it was decided that all of these side appearances would be directly integrated under the character they most resembled, so Hound's Construct-Bots toy was moved to "[[Hound (G1)/toys#Construct-Bots]]," and so on. The result of all of this is that while these side toys are cast in the images of characters from Generation 1, the movies, ''Prime'', or lord knows where else, they officially ''simultaneously exist'' as their own characters, who hail from the "Iocus" universal cluster.

Some exceptions exist as far as wiki organization is concerned, such as those rare ''Kre-O'' characters who received enough fiction in enough forms to make this sort of sorting ''problematic''. Thus, "[[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)]]" remains its own page, but the toys ''also'' appear on the various relevant other Optimusses said toys are based on.

{{-}}
===Official perspectives===
====Hasbro's position====
[[File:WMTheLegacyOfBumblebee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hasbro generally treats major characters as "archetypes", with only minimal consideration for franchise/continuity as needed for marketing purposes.]]

[[Hasbro]]'s handling of "character" is a lot more, well, big-picture marketing-driven. As a ''general'' rule, Hasbro is mostly concerned with if their latest Starscream is a conniving Decepticon second-in-command that (ideally) turns into a jet with visual cues taken from [[Starscream (G1)|the original Starscream]]. What franchise they're in and how that relates to other franchises is not super-high-up in their concern outside of how they label a toy.

Effectively, a Starscream is a Starscream, and they're all "Starscream", all reflections of the same core jerk. They are aware that it is important as a selling tool to differentiate the [[Starscream (Movie)|live-action movies Starscream]] from the original, and both of those from [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|''Cyberverse'' Starscream]] and so on, because kids (and adults) get attached to specific incarnations of characters, thanks to media portrayals. While Hasbro has "crossed the streams" with merchandise many times by using older toys designed for a different franchise with a different aesthetic in a new line, this practice is ''usually'' reserved for "filler" product. The overwhelming majority of "Starscream" toys for any given line are going to be based on the core design for the franchise in question, especially new molds and bigger-ticket items. They are going to try and keep internal consistency of a character's portrayal within a franchise as much as possible.

Basically, Hasbro runs on the "squint test". The fine details of fiction don't particularly matter. They are not concerned with "continuity" so much as brand consistency. After all, they're not an information archive.

{{-}}

====TakaraTomy's position====
Japanese Transformers fiction is less fractured than its American counterpart: most modern Japanese fiction takes place in what we call the "[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]," which incorporates a variety of American and Japanese shows into a single semi-cohesive entity. Elaborate [[retcon]]s that frequently split out or merge separate characters are common ways to explain discrepancies away.

TakaraTomy seldom weighs in on the dicey issue of character analogs in other universes. However, during a Q&A at the [http://www.wcc-jp.com/ World Character Convention] in December 2002, the head of Takara's Boys Division, when asked flat out if the (then just announced) ''Legends of the Microns'' Convoy (''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]) represented the same character as G1 Convoy (Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]), said that no, he was a different character, more like [[Lio Convoy]].<ref>'''Q:''' <tt>"...in the past, we've seen a variety of "Convoy" who are different characters, such as Lio Convoy and Convoy of Beast Wars. Is the Armada Convoy intended to be a representation of the G1 Convoy, or an original character?"</tt></ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Characters| ]]

Black redeco

2023-01-26T21:47:27Z

Chasd20: /* Gallery */

{{cleanup|October 2020|Phenomenon could be described better, semi-random figure choices.}}
[[File:Cyb-toy NemesisBreaker.jpg|upright=2|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY2kJ96jNY ''Because I'm black and I'm back!''].]]
'''Black repaint''' is a [[fandom|fan]]-coined term referring to a mostly dark-colored [[redeco]] of a [[toy]], usually featuring black as its primary color. The term is usually inaccurate, as the toys are almost always redecos and not actually [[repaint]]s, but the name has stuck. They were primarily a product of Japan until ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' popularized the concept on American shores.

Black repaints are a comparatively common type of redeco; in particular, a great many [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toys have been produced in a black repaint color scheme at least once. As with most aspects of ''Transformers'', fandom opinion on black repaints is split: some like them, some denounce them as bland and uncreative, and some don't think of them as being any different from other redecoes.

A black repaint does not necessarily have to ''literally'' be mostly black. ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]], for instance, is technically dark blue.

The in-fiction rationale behind black repaints varies from toy bio to toy bio. One particularly common reason is to represent an "evil counterpart" of a preexisting character. For example, most [[Nemesis Prime (disambiguation)|Nemesis Prime]]s across the fiction are black repaints of a corresponding [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toy. Another common reason for producing a black variant of an already used mold is as a "stealth version" of this same character. These toys are often distinguished by adding the prefix "Stealth-" "Shadow-" or some variation of "Night Attack-" to the character's name. Some represent exposure to plot devices, while others offer no explanation whatsoever.

{{-}}
==Prominent examples==
* The [[Multiforce#Micromaster Collection|Multiforce]] were some of the earliest toys where the black repaints represent a stealth mode.
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] could technically be considered the first black repaint in Transformers, though he doesn't match up to the modern notion.
* Soundblaster is the rebuilt form of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He has an unusual backstory for a black repaint; he is an upgrade of an existing Decepticon. This reflects his status as one of the earliest black repaints, before the modern conception had taken root in the fandom or the toy manufacturers. [[Scorponok (G1)#Super-God Masterforce cartoon|BlackZarak]] would have a similar origin.
* [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]], the first convention-exclusive black repaint, is a ''true'' repaint of the Go-Bot [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], lacking his gold paint (making her a ''de''paint?). Like other [[BotCon]] exclusives, she would be unrelated to the mold she was based on.
* [[Black Lio Convoy]] is the first black repaint to be an evil Autobot clone, in this case of [[Lio Convoy]].
* The JAFCON-exclusive "Convoy Black Version" is notable both for being one of the first of a billion zillion oddly-colored redecos of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime]] toy, and for being one of the first black repaints with absolutely no fictional explanation for the color scheme.
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] is one of the few black repaints that represent main show characters. His popularity helped ensure that Hasbro, not just Takara, would be producing many black repaints in the future. Takara still produces the majority of the black repaints.
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] is infamous for starting out as a nearly unobtainable exclusive surrounded by various problems with [[Hasbro Toy Shop]], then seeing a wide release in Australia.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Shadow Blade Megatron]] is cast entirely in black plastic with the exception of his translucent parts. Rare for a Transformers figure, especially one produced by Hasbro.
* The [[live-action film series]] version of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] has been subject to [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|over a dozen]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise|black repaints]], virtually all some variation on "stealth" or "night strike" concepts.
* Particularly notable is 2011's ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#DOTMDeluxeCyberfire|Cyberfire Bumblebee]], aka "Murderbee", which picked up a small cult following in the [[fandom]] for its surprisingly sinister appearance.
* Things came full circle when 'Bee spent the first bit of ''Age of Extinction'' in, you guessed it, a black color scheme.

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:G1toy skywarp.jpg|''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
File:G1Soundblaster toy.jpg|''The Transformers'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundblaster]]
File:G2toy-Nightracer.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]]
File:BW-toy ShadowPanther.jpg|''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Shadow Panther|Shadow Panther]]
File:RMLioConvoyBlack toy.jpg|''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Black Lio Convoy]]
File:CarRobotsBlackConvoy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]
File:AltNemesisPrime toy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]
File:CYB runamuck withalt.jpg|''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Runamuck (Cybertron)#Toys|Runamuck]]
File:SBAniMegs..jpg|''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|"Shadow Blade" Megatron]]
File:ROTF-toy Legends StealthBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Stealth" Bumblebee]]
File:DOTM MechTechDeluxe CyberfireBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Cyberfire" Bumblebee]]
File:PrimeRIDtoy-ShadowStrikeBee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise|Shadow Strike Bumblebee]]
File:Gentei-darkskyfire-toy.jpg|''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)#Gentei! Gentei!|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dark Skyfire]]
File:DeluxeAOEHighOctaneBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|”High Octane” Bumblebee]]
File:TF-Generations-TR-Primitive-Skateboarding-Powermaster-Optimus-Prime.jpg|''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' “[[Titans Return (toyline)#Exclusives|Primitive Skateboarding]]” [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Optimus Prime & Shreddicus Maximus]]
File:TF-Generations-WFC-S-Deluxe-Barricade.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' [[Barricade (IDW)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Barricade]]
File:WFC-Siege-Micromaster-Blackjack.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' [[Blackjack (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Blackjack]]
File:Selects-WFC-Siege-Leader-Galactic-Man-Shockwave.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Galactic Man Shockwave]]
File:Siege35th-WFC-S63-Voyager-Soundblaster.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' [[War for Cybertron: Siege#Exclusives|35th Anniversary]] [[Soundblaster (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Soundblaster]]
File:TF-Generations-WFC-S-Deluxe-Nightbird.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Nightbird (G1)#Generations Selects|Nightbird]]
File:SiegeERSkywarp.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise]]'' [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron#Earthrise|Skywarp]]
File:TF-WFC-E-Runabout.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise]]'' [[Runabout (G1)#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Runabout]]
File:TF-WFC-Trilogy-Buzzworthy-Worlds-Collide-Nemesis-Primal.jpg|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Worlds Collide]]” [[Nemesis Primal|Nemesis Primal]]
File:TF-Generations-Selects-Black-Zarak.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|BlackZarak]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Goldbug.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Goldbug (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Goldbug]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Jetfire.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Jetfire (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Jetfire]]
File:Kingdom-toy ShadowPanther.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' [[Shadow Panther#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Shadow Panther]]
File:TF-WFC-GDC-Through-the-Vortex-Road-Ranger.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' "[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]]" [[Road Ranger#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Road Ranger]]
File:Jackpot Kingdom.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' “[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]]” [[Jackpot (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Jackpot]]
File:Selects DK-2 Guard.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[DK-2 Guard|DK-2 Guard]]
File:Buzzworthy Creatures Collide Skywasp.JPG|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#Legacy|Creatures Collide]]” [[Skywasp#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Skywasp]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Burn-Out.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Burn Out (Diaclone)|Diaclone Universe Burn Out]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Scourge.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Scourge (RID)#Legacy|Robots in Disguise 2000 Universe Scourge]]
File:Shattered Glass Collection-Flamewar.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]]
File:TF-Masterpiece-MP-48-Black-Lio-Convoy.jpg|''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Dark Amber Leo Prime#Toys|MP-48+ Dark Amber Leo Prime]]
File:MPM-12N-Nemesis-Prime.jpg|''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Toys|Masterpiece Movie Series]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (AOE)#Toys|Nemesis Prime]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Crasher.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Crasher (G1)#Legacy|Crasher]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Shadowstrip.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|G2 Universe Shadowstrip]]
File:TF-Legacy-Core-Class-Soundblaster.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy#Evolution (2023)|Legacy: Evolution]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Legacy|Core Class Soundblaster]]
File:Generations-Selects-Deluxe-Class-Magnificus.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Magnificus (G1)#Generations Selects|Magnificus]]
</gallery></center>
[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Partformer

2023-01-24T12:16:44Z

Chasd20: /* Individual figures */

[[File:G1-Starscream-partsformer.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Transforms from a rectangle with a nose to a rectangle with arms and a head and back!]]
A '''partformer''' (also '''part-former''' or '''partsformer''' or '''parts-former''', also sometimes '''Lego-former''') is a fandom term for a [[Toy|Transformer toy]] that transforms by removing pieces of one form, then reattaching them to assemble the other form. This term is often used derisively, as the parts can often be lost in between modes (especially when they don't have anywhere to go in one mode or another), and the concept itself is seen as "cheating" with the puzzle aspect of a Transformer when any [[kibble]] can simply be removed and stuck back on anywhere.

By and large, more modern engineering technology has removed this style of transformation from the line. However, it is still fairly commonplace to have figures with alt-mode parts that detach to become hand-held weapons and accessories. The [[Beast Era]] in particular used this practice as a way to avoid [[kibble]], usually by repurposing beast mode tails as clubs or whips. Figures with parts that are removed to become accessories are usually not considered partformers, with the distinction being due to how integral the part is to the robot mode. Having to pop off a gun is normal, having to pop off the arms is not. That said, the accusation is still sometimes levied in cases where significant portions of the altmode need to be disconnected to form these accessories, or where the "accessory" is essentially just a large chunk of altmode trying to pass itself off as a weapon.

Some customisers will also use partforming to achieve a better robot mode, by moving the kibble to different parts of the body. In particular, this is more the rule than the exception with fanmade [[IP infringement|"upgrade sets"]], which often involve adding new parts to the toy that can't easily integrate with the original engineering. This also happens more frequently with toys that are designed to function as [[Super Mode|super mode]] upgrades for other characters, as the process of turning into power armor or guns usually forces them to break apart anyway.

==Notable examples==
===Individual figures===
[[File:G1-Omega-Supreme-partsformer.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Wonder no more why you see little yellow clips running for ten dollars on eBay.]]
*''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] is probably the prime example of a "partformer", since all of his robot mode limbs and backpack are formed from pieces separate from his central tank body.
*All ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] molds required the jet mode's landing gear and weapons to be removed before transformation. The weapons would be reattached in a different place and the robot's fists (which simply sat around in jet mode) added to complete the robot form. The landing gear had no official place to go in robot mode, but could be stored in the cockpit. The instructions also ask to remove the wings and tailfins and attach them in a different arrangement.
*Aside from the Seekers, G1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Optimus Prime]] is probably the most famous of the G1 partformers, thanks to his removable fists. Popping open his chest and shoving the fists in the Diaclone-era driver's seat is an extremely common solution. His retool [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Ultra Magnus]] adds in the larger robot fists, the chestplate, the head, and the crotchpiece. Cleverly, the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Smallest Transforming Transformers downscale of G1 Convoy]] works around this through the inclusion of sculpted fists, though this does come at the cost of having a much fuller midriff.
*Along with Prime and Magnus, ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Trailbreaker]], [[Hoist (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hoist]], [[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Inferno]] and [[Grapple (G1)#Generation 1|Grapple]] also have removeable fists, but unlike Prime and Magnus, this is because their fists can be swapped with missiles.
*''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Scamper]] requires the blasters mounted on top of the car mode to be detached from the vehicle and reattached to the robot mode as arms.
* Powermaster Optimus Prime's super mode head must be removed and has nowhere to go in any other mode, bar perhaps being shoved inside his trailer. This is thought to be a relic from an earlier phase in the toy's design, when it was planned to be a Headmaster.
*[[Gunrunner (G1)|Gunrunner]] is probably one of the most significant cases, as pretty much his entire jet mode (the cockpit, the engines, the wings, the weapons, the main visible body) is removed for his transformation in a single large chunk that forms his Pretender shell's turret. Gunrunner himself essentially turns into a block that plugs into the bottom of the jet, which has caused a lot of jokes that he turns into landing gear.
*[[Godbomber]] disassembles almost entirely for his "transformation", owing to him basically being a pile of armor parts with a robot mode.
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]]'s trailer must be removed, separately transformed into his legs, then reattached to the figure.
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]]'s crane cab, which includes his head, must be removed during transformation, then reconnected on his back in robot mode.
*''[[Transformers: Crossovers|Crossovers]]'' [[Darth Vader#Crossovers|Darth Vader to Star Destroyer]] requires large chunks of his [[Star Destroyer]] mode to be removed and reattached while forming a [[Republic Attack Cruiser]]: particularly odd, given how similar the two modes are. The entire front third of his Star Destroyer mode must also be detached as two large shells to turn him into either humanoid mode. The instructions say to reattach them as a "shield" for the Anakin mode or shoulder spires for the Vader mode... at least, that's what they say, as they're far more likely to pop right out again.
*''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] splits apart to combine with Optimus Prime.
*''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] splits apart to form both the right arm and lower torso of [[Predaking (G1)#Generations|Predaking]].
*''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' Deluxe Class [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Cliffjumper]]'s transformation requires detaching the back end of his car mode and plugging it to the robot mode's back via flip-out peg (though it can double as a “shield”).
*''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]'' [[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#Collaborative|H.I.S.S. Tank Megatron]]’s back plating must be removed for transformation into robot mode, where it can be used as a “shield”. The turret can also optionally be removed during either transformation.
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' [[Breakdown (G1)#Legacy|Breakdown]]’s spoiler must be removed for transformation into robot mode, where it can either be held as a boomerang-like weapon or combined with his gun to form an “axe”.

===Toylines and subseries===
*The vast majority of ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] figures cannot be transformed with their head pilots in place. This would later carry on into the ''Titan Masters'', the [[CHUG]] equivalent of the Headmasters.
*Perhaps unsurprisingly, this applies to most [[LEGO]]-esque construction block toylines that have featured Transformers:
**''[[Built to Rule!]]'', Hasbro's first foray into a construction system, featured characters with a very basic humanoid skeleton that is ''vaguely'' transformable (as in, it can fold the limbs into a slightly more compact position, and that's about it). Both vehicle and robot modes are built around this, resulting in significant disassembly and reassembly.
**''[[Diablock|Nanoblock]]'' 's [[Choro-Q]] renditions of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q|Convoy]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q|Bumblebee]] require the complete disassembly of one mode to build the other (though notably, other larger [[Diablock]] Transformers sets managed to avoid this with some clever engineering).
**''[[Kre-O]]'' predominantly features sets that require complete disassembly to be transformed, with the only official exception being the small tail-end ''Battle Changers'' subseries that actually featured traditionally transformable characters. Some of the [[Micro-Changer]]s can also be converted with only ''minor'' amounts of partsforming, though even that usually takes some modifications.
* Most transforming [[Kabaya]] offerings (particularly ''[[Transformers Gum#2009 series|Transformers Gum]]'') partform, due to being designed to mimic much more complex toys. The 2011 Kabaya [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], for instance, requires near-complete disassembly to match the ''Classics'' mold it's based on. One of the few exceptions to this is the 2012 [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] toy, which features no partforming in its main transformation (apart from the Headmaster gimmick), due to being both an unusually large kit and based on a rather old toy.
* The ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' Weaponizers all partform to varying degrees due to their gimmick of dissassembling into [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|a set of weapons]]. The same applies to the "Modulators" from the sequel line ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise]]'', whose parts can either serve as connective ramps for other toys' base modes using the [[A.I.R. Lock System]] or be attached to other toys in the same way as the Weaponizers from ''Siege''. ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' carries on the play pattern with the [[F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology|Fossilizer]]s.
**Many standard figures of the ''Earthrise'' line also make use of partsforming to better achieve toon-accuracy without compromising build, and have the option to use the parts as shields or weapons.

==See also==
*[[Kibble]], especially the original definition of the term.

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Partformer

2023-01-24T12:12:34Z

Chasd20: /* Notable examples */

[[File:G1-Starscream-partsformer.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Transforms from a rectangle with a nose to a rectangle with arms and a head and back!]]
A '''partformer''' (also '''part-former''' or '''partsformer''' or '''parts-former''', also sometimes '''Lego-former''') is a fandom term for a [[Toy|Transformer toy]] that transforms by removing pieces of one form, then reattaching them to assemble the other form. This term is often used derisively, as the parts can often be lost in between modes (especially when they don't have anywhere to go in one mode or another), and the concept itself is seen as "cheating" with the puzzle aspect of a Transformer when any [[kibble]] can simply be removed and stuck back on anywhere.

By and large, more modern engineering technology has removed this style of transformation from the line. However, it is still fairly commonplace to have figures with alt-mode parts that detach to become hand-held weapons and accessories. The [[Beast Era]] in particular used this practice as a way to avoid [[kibble]], usually by repurposing beast mode tails as clubs or whips. Figures with parts that are removed to become accessories are usually not considered partformers, with the distinction being due to how integral the part is to the robot mode. Having to pop off a gun is normal, having to pop off the arms is not. That said, the accusation is still sometimes levied in cases where significant portions of the altmode need to be disconnected to form these accessories, or where the "accessory" is essentially just a large chunk of altmode trying to pass itself off as a weapon.

Some customisers will also use partforming to achieve a better robot mode, by moving the kibble to different parts of the body. In particular, this is more the rule than the exception with fanmade [[IP infringement|"upgrade sets"]], which often involve adding new parts to the toy that can't easily integrate with the original engineering. This also happens more frequently with toys that are designed to function as [[Super Mode|super mode]] upgrades for other characters, as the process of turning into power armor or guns usually forces them to break apart anyway.

==Notable examples==
===Individual figures===
[[File:G1-Omega-Supreme-partsformer.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Wonder no more why you see little yellow clips running for ten dollars on eBay.]]
*''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] is probably the prime example of a "partformer", since all of his robot mode limbs and backpack are formed from pieces separate from his central tank body.
*All ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] molds required the jet mode's landing gear and weapons to be removed before transformation. The weapons would be reattached in a different place and the robot's fists (which simply sat around in jet mode) added to complete the robot form. The landing gear had no official place to go in robot mode, but could be stored in the cockpit. The instructions also ask to remove the wings and tailfins and attach them in a different arrangement.
*Aside from the Seekers, G1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Optimus Prime]] is probably the most famous of the G1 partformers, thanks to his removable fists. Popping open his chest and shoving the fists in the Diaclone-era driver's seat is an extremely common solution. His retool [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Ultra Magnus]] adds in the larger robot fists, the chestplate, the head, and the crotchpiece. Cleverly, the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Smallest Transforming Transformers downscale of G1 Convoy]] works around this through the inclusion of sculpted fists, though this does come at the cost of having a much fuller midriff.
*Along with Prime and Magnus, ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Trailbreaker]], [[Hoist (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hoist]], [[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Inferno]] and [[Grapple (G1)#Generation 1|Grapple]] also have removeable fists, but unlike Prime and Magnus, this is because their fists can be swapped with missiles.
*''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Scamper]] requires the blasters mounted on top of the car mode to be detached from the vehicle and reattached to the robot mode as arms.
* Powermaster Optimus Prime's super mode head must be removed and has nowhere to go in any other mode, bar perhaps being shoved inside his trailer. This is thought to be a relic from an earlier phase in the toy's design, when it was planned to be a Headmaster.
*[[Gunrunner (G1)|Gunrunner]] is probably one of the most significant cases, as pretty much his entire jet mode (the cockpit, the engines, the wings, the weapons, the main visible body) is removed for his transformation in a single large chunk that forms his Pretender shell's turret. Gunrunner himself essentially turns into a block that plugs into the bottom of the jet, which has caused a lot of jokes that he turns into landing gear.
*[[Godbomber]] disassembles almost entirely for his "transformation", owing to him basically being a pile of armor parts with a robot mode.
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]]'s trailer must be removed, separately transformed into his legs, then reattached to the figure.
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]]'s crane cab, which includes his head, must be removed during transformation, then reconnected on his back in robot mode.
*''[[Transformers: Crossovers|Crossovers]]'' [[Darth Vader#Crossovers|Darth Vader to Star Destroyer]] requires large chunks of his [[Star Destroyer]] mode to be removed and reattached while forming a [[Republic Attack Cruiser]]: particularly odd, given how similar the two modes are. The entire front third of his Star Destroyer mode must also be detached as two large shells to turn him into either humanoid mode. The instructions say to reattach them as a "shield" for the Anakin mode or shoulder spires for the Vader mode... at least, that's what they say, as they're far more likely to pop right out again.
*''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] splits apart to combine with Optimus Prime.
*''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] splits apart to form both the right arm and lower torso of [[Predaking (G1)#Generations|Predaking]].
*''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' Deluxe Class [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Cliffjumper]]'s transformation requires detaching the back end of his car mode and plugging it to the robot mode's back via flip-out peg (though it can double as a “shield”).
*''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' [[Breakdown (G1)#Legacy|Breakdown]]’s spoiler must be removed for transformation into robot mode, where it can either be held as a boomerang-like weapon or combined with his gun to form an “axe”.

===Toylines and subseries===
*The vast majority of ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] figures cannot be transformed with their head pilots in place. This would later carry on into the ''Titan Masters'', the [[CHUG]] equivalent of the Headmasters.
*Perhaps unsurprisingly, this applies to most [[LEGO]]-esque construction block toylines that have featured Transformers:
**''[[Built to Rule!]]'', Hasbro's first foray into a construction system, featured characters with a very basic humanoid skeleton that is ''vaguely'' transformable (as in, it can fold the limbs into a slightly more compact position, and that's about it). Both vehicle and robot modes are built around this, resulting in significant disassembly and reassembly.
**''[[Diablock|Nanoblock]]'' 's [[Choro-Q]] renditions of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q|Convoy]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q|Bumblebee]] require the complete disassembly of one mode to build the other (though notably, other larger [[Diablock]] Transformers sets managed to avoid this with some clever engineering).
**''[[Kre-O]]'' predominantly features sets that require complete disassembly to be transformed, with the only official exception being the small tail-end ''Battle Changers'' subseries that actually featured traditionally transformable characters. Some of the [[Micro-Changer]]s can also be converted with only ''minor'' amounts of partsforming, though even that usually takes some modifications.
* Most transforming [[Kabaya]] offerings (particularly ''[[Transformers Gum#2009 series|Transformers Gum]]'') partform, due to being designed to mimic much more complex toys. The 2011 Kabaya [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], for instance, requires near-complete disassembly to match the ''Classics'' mold it's based on. One of the few exceptions to this is the 2012 [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] toy, which features no partforming in its main transformation (apart from the Headmaster gimmick), due to being both an unusually large kit and based on a rather old toy.
* The ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' Weaponizers all partform to varying degrees due to their gimmick of dissassembling into [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|a set of weapons]]. The same applies to the "Modulators" from the sequel line ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise]]'', whose parts can either serve as connective ramps for other toys' base modes using the [[A.I.R. Lock System]] or be attached to other toys in the same way as the Weaponizers from ''Siege''. ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' carries on the play pattern with the [[F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology|Fossilizer]]s.
**Many standard figures of the ''Earthrise'' line also make use of partsforming to better achieve toon-accuracy without compromising build, and have the option to use the parts as shields or weapons.

==See also==
*[[Kibble]], especially the original definition of the term.

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Evo-Fusion

2022-11-09T11:54:18Z

Chasd20: /* Notes */

"Evo-Fusion" is a technique that strengthens and evolves weapons. It differs depending on the characteristics of each transformer, and its possibilities are infinite. <ref>https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products-lineup/tf_tl/tl-22/ Takara Tomy product description for Evolution figures.</ref>

==Toys==
;Deluxe Class
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Legacy|Armada Universe Hot Shot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Legacy|Needlenose]] (w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Legacy|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Legacy|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scraphook#Legacy|Scraphook]]}}
</ul>

;Voyager Class
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Lio Convoy#Legacy|Maximal Leo Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tarn (DJD)#Legacy|Comic Universe Tarn]]}}

[[File:TF Legacy Voyager Class Tarn.jpg|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Comic Universe Tarn]]

{{comingsoontoy|''Evolution''}}

==Notes==
*This is a rebranded version of "[[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizer]]" concept, with a new tribe of modular [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] that can mix and match body parts and accessories to create your own robot and vehicle modes, or armor and weaponry for other bots. For non Junkion toys, the "Evo-Fusion" gimmick is just simply re-enacting features that the original toys had.
*As Breakdown is solicited as a [[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]] toy, he is not regarded as a figure with the Evo-Fusion ability.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Black redeco

2022-11-08T09:37:28Z

Chasd20: /* Gallery */

{{cleanup|October 2020|Phenomenon could be described better, semi-random figure choices.}}
[[File:Cyb-toy NemesisBreaker.jpg|upright=2|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY2kJ96jNY ''Because I'm black and I'm back!''].]]
'''Black repaint''' is a [[fandom|fan]]-coined term referring to a mostly dark-colored [[redeco]] of a [[toy]], usually featuring black as its primary color. The term is usually inaccurate, as the toys are almost always redecos and not actually [[repaint]]s, but the name has stuck. They were primarily a product of Japan until ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' popularized the concept on American shores.

Black repaints are a comparatively common type of redeco; in particular, a great many [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toys have been produced in a black repaint color scheme at least once. As with most aspects of ''Transformers'', fandom opinion on black repaints is split: some like them, some denounce them as bland and uncreative, and some don't think of them as being any different from other redecoes.

A black repaint does not necessarily have to ''literally'' be mostly black. ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]], for instance, is technically dark blue.

The in-fiction rationale behind black repaints varies from toy bio to toy bio. One particularly common reason is to represent an "evil counterpart" of a preexisting character. For example, most [[Nemesis Prime (disambiguation)|Nemesis Prime]]s across the fiction are black repaints of a corresponding [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toy. Another common reason for producing a black variant of an already used mold is as a "stealth version" of this same character. These toys are often distinguished by adding the prefix "Stealth-" "Shadow-" or some variation of "Night Attack-" to the character's name. Some represent exposure to plot devices, while others offer no explanation whatsoever.

{{-}}
==Prominent examples==
* The [[Multiforce#Micromaster Collection|Multiforce]] were some of the earliest toys where the black repaints represent a stealth mode.
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] could technically be considered the first black repaint in Transformers, though he doesn't match up to the modern notion.
* Soundblaster is the rebuilt form of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He has an unusual backstory for a black repaint; he is an upgrade of an existing Decepticon. This reflects his status as one of the earliest black repaints, before the modern conception had taken root in the fandom or the toy manufacturers. [[Scorponok (G1)#Super-God Masterforce cartoon|BlackZarak]] would have a similar origin.
* [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]], the first convention-exclusive black repaint, is a ''true'' repaint of the Go-Bot [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], lacking his gold paint (making her a ''de''paint?). Like other [[BotCon]] exclusives, she would be unrelated to the mold she was based on.
* [[Black Lio Convoy]] is the first black repaint to be an evil Autobot clone, in this case of [[Lio Convoy]].
* The JAFCON-exclusive "Convoy Black Version" is notable both for being one of the first of a billion zillion oddly-colored redecos of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime]] toy, and for being one of the first black repaints with absolutely no fictional explanation for the color scheme.
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] is one of the few black repaints that represent main show characters. His popularity helped ensure that Hasbro, not just Takara, would be producing many black repaints in the future. Takara still produces the majority of the black repaints.
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] is infamous for starting out as a nearly unobtainable exclusive surrounded by various problems with [[Hasbro Toy Shop]], then seeing a wide release in Australia.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Shadow Blade Megatron]] is cast entirely in black plastic with the exception of his translucent parts. Rare for a Transformers figure, especially one produced by Hasbro.
* The [[live-action film series]] version of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] has been subject to [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|over a dozen]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise|black repaints]], virtually all some variation on "stealth" or "night strike" concepts.
* Particularly notable is 2011's ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#DOTMDeluxeCyberfire|Cyberfire Bumblebee]], aka "Murderbee", which picked up a small cult following in the [[fandom]] for its surprisingly sinister appearance.
* Things came full circle when 'Bee spent the first bit of ''Age of Extinction'' in, you guessed it, a black color scheme.

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:G1toy skywarp.jpg|''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
File:G1Soundblaster toy.jpg|''The Transformers'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundblaster]]
File:G2toy-Nightracer.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]]
File:BW-toy ShadowPanther.jpg|''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Shadow Panther|Shadow Panther]]
File:RMLioConvoyBlack toy.jpg|''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Black Lio Convoy]]
File:CarRobotsBlackConvoy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]
File:AltNemesisPrime toy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]
File:CYB runamuck withalt.jpg|''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Runamuck (Cybertron)#Toys|Runamuck]]
File:SBAniMegs..jpg|''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|"Shadow Blade" Megatron]]
File:ROTF-toy Legends StealthBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Stealth" Bumblebee]]
File:DOTM MechTechDeluxe CyberfireBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Cyberfire" Bumblebee]]
File:PrimeRIDtoy-ShadowStrikeBee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise|Shadow Strike Bumblebee]]
File:Gentei-darkskyfire-toy.jpg|''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)#Gentei! Gentei!|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dark Skyfire]]
File:DeluxeAOEHighOctaneBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|”High Octane” Bumblebee]]
File:TF-Generations-TR-Primitive-Skateboarding-Powermaster-Optimus-Prime.jpg|''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' “[[Titans Return (toyline)#Exclusives|Primitive Skateboarding]]” [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Optimus Prime & Shreddicus Maximus]]
File:TF-WFC-Trilogy-Buzzworthy-Worlds-Collide-Nemesis-Primal.jpg|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Worlds Collide]]” [[Nemesis Primal|Nemesis Primal]]
File:TF-Generations-Selects-Black-Zarak.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|BlackZarak]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Goldbug.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Goldbug (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Goldbug]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Jetfire.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Jetfire (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Jetfire]]
File:TF-WFC-GDC-Through-the-Vortex-Road-Ranger.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' "[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]]" [[Road Ranger#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Road Ranger]]
File:Jackpot Kingdom.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' “[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]]” [[Jackpot (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Jackpot]]
File:Selects DK-2 Guard.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[DK-2 Guard|DK-2 Guard]]
File:Buzzworthy Creatures Collide Skywasp.JPG|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#Legacy|Creatures Collide]]” [[Skywasp#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Skywasp]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Burn-Out.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Burn Out (Diaclone)|Diaclone Universe Burn Out]]
File:Shattered Glass Collection-Flamewar.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]]
File:MPM-12N-Nemesis-Prime.jpg|''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Toys|Masterpiece Movie Series]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (AOE)#Toys|Nemesis Prime]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Crasher.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Crasher (G1)#Legacy|Crasher]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Shadowstrip.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|G2 Universe Shadowstrip]]
</gallery></center>
[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Black redeco

2022-11-08T09:27:16Z

Chasd20: /* Gallery */

{{cleanup|October 2020|Phenomenon could be described better, semi-random figure choices.}}
[[File:Cyb-toy NemesisBreaker.jpg|upright=2|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY2kJ96jNY ''Because I'm black and I'm back!''].]]
'''Black repaint''' is a [[fandom|fan]]-coined term referring to a mostly dark-colored [[redeco]] of a [[toy]], usually featuring black as its primary color. The term is usually inaccurate, as the toys are almost always redecos and not actually [[repaint]]s, but the name has stuck. They were primarily a product of Japan until ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' popularized the concept on American shores.

Black repaints are a comparatively common type of redeco; in particular, a great many [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toys have been produced in a black repaint color scheme at least once. As with most aspects of ''Transformers'', fandom opinion on black repaints is split: some like them, some denounce them as bland and uncreative, and some don't think of them as being any different from other redecoes.

A black repaint does not necessarily have to ''literally'' be mostly black. ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]], for instance, is technically dark blue.

The in-fiction rationale behind black repaints varies from toy bio to toy bio. One particularly common reason is to represent an "evil counterpart" of a preexisting character. For example, most [[Nemesis Prime (disambiguation)|Nemesis Prime]]s across the fiction are black repaints of a corresponding [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toy. Another common reason for producing a black variant of an already used mold is as a "stealth version" of this same character. These toys are often distinguished by adding the prefix "Stealth-" "Shadow-" or some variation of "Night Attack-" to the character's name. Some represent exposure to plot devices, while others offer no explanation whatsoever.

{{-}}
==Prominent examples==
* The [[Multiforce#Micromaster Collection|Multiforce]] were some of the earliest toys where the black repaints represent a stealth mode.
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] could technically be considered the first black repaint in Transformers, though he doesn't match up to the modern notion.
* Soundblaster is the rebuilt form of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He has an unusual backstory for a black repaint; he is an upgrade of an existing Decepticon. This reflects his status as one of the earliest black repaints, before the modern conception had taken root in the fandom or the toy manufacturers. [[Scorponok (G1)#Super-God Masterforce cartoon|BlackZarak]] would have a similar origin.
* [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]], the first convention-exclusive black repaint, is a ''true'' repaint of the Go-Bot [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], lacking his gold paint (making her a ''de''paint?). Like other [[BotCon]] exclusives, she would be unrelated to the mold she was based on.
* [[Black Lio Convoy]] is the first black repaint to be an evil Autobot clone, in this case of [[Lio Convoy]].
* The JAFCON-exclusive "Convoy Black Version" is notable both for being one of the first of a billion zillion oddly-colored redecos of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime]] toy, and for being one of the first black repaints with absolutely no fictional explanation for the color scheme.
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] is one of the few black repaints that represent main show characters. His popularity helped ensure that Hasbro, not just Takara, would be producing many black repaints in the future. Takara still produces the majority of the black repaints.
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] is infamous for starting out as a nearly unobtainable exclusive surrounded by various problems with [[Hasbro Toy Shop]], then seeing a wide release in Australia.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Shadow Blade Megatron]] is cast entirely in black plastic with the exception of his translucent parts. Rare for a Transformers figure, especially one produced by Hasbro.
* The [[live-action film series]] version of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] has been subject to [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|over a dozen]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise|black repaints]], virtually all some variation on "stealth" or "night strike" concepts.
* Particularly notable is 2011's ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#DOTMDeluxeCyberfire|Cyberfire Bumblebee]], aka "Murderbee", which picked up a small cult following in the [[fandom]] for its surprisingly sinister appearance.
* Things came full circle when 'Bee spent the first bit of ''Age of Extinction'' in, you guessed it, a black color scheme.

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:G1toy skywarp.jpg|''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
File:G1Soundblaster toy.jpg|''The Transformers'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundblaster]]
File:G2toy-Nightracer.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]]
File:BW-toy ShadowPanther.jpg|''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Shadow Panther|Shadow Panther]]
File:RMLioConvoyBlack toy.jpg|''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Black Lio Convoy]]
File:CarRobotsBlackConvoy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]
File:AltNemesisPrime toy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]
File:CYB runamuck withalt.jpg|''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Runamuck (Cybertron)#Toys|Runamuck]]
File:SBAniMegs..jpg|''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|"Shadow Blade" Megatron]]
File:ROTF-toy Legends StealthBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Stealth" Bumblebee]]
File:DOTM MechTechDeluxe CyberfireBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Cyberfire" Bumblebee]]
File:Gentei-darkskyfire-toy.jpg|''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)#Gentei! Gentei!|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dark Skyfire]]
File:DeluxeAOEHighOctaneBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|”High Octane” Bumblebee]]
File:TF-Generations-TR-Primitive-Skateboarding-Powermaster-Optimus-Prime.jpg|''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' “[[Titans Return (toyline)#Exclusives|Primitive Skateboarding]]” [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Optimus Prime & Shreddicus Maximus]]
File:TF-WFC-Trilogy-Buzzworthy-Worlds-Collide-Nemesis-Primal.jpg|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Worlds Collide]]” [[Nemesis Primal|Nemesis Primal]]
File:TF-Generations-Selects-Black-Zarak.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|BlackZarak]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Goldbug.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Goldbug (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Goldbug]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Jetfire.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Jetfire (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Jetfire]]
File:TF-WFC-GDC-Through-the-Vortex-Road-Ranger.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' "[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]]" [[Road Ranger#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Road Ranger]]
File:Selects DK-2 Guard.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[DK-2 Guard|DK-2 Guard]]
File:Buzzworthy Creatures Collide Skywasp.JPG|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#Legacy|Creatures Collide]]” [[Skywasp#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Skywasp]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Burn-Out.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Burn Out (Diaclone)|Diaclone Universe Burn Out]]
File:Shattered Glass Collection-Flamewar.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]]
File:MPM-12N-Nemesis-Prime.jpg|''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece#Toys|Masterpiece Movie Series]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (AOE)#Toys|Nemesis Prime]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Crasher.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Crasher (G1)#Legacy|Crasher]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Shadowstrip.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|G2 Universe Shadowstrip]]
</gallery></center>
[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Zombie

2022-11-07T12:59:47Z

Chasd20:

{{featured}}
[[File:Zombies.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I can't possibly deal with all of you at once!]]
{{bigquote|'''Don't you know?!''' The dead—the dead walk the streets of [[Kalis]]! And their victims... their victims become like them—'''the living dead!'''|[[Flywheels]]|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}

Although Transformers are often rebuilt or otherwise brought back from apparent death, there are also many examples of them being partially reanimated as '''zombies''', either self-aware or under the control of another.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Transformers'' cartoon=====
{{quote|And some lingering remnants of his memory and personality [...] But without our circuit implants, he would be utterly mindless, an ordinary machine. [...] A robotic zombie.|The [[Quintesson]]s|"[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"}}

[[File:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sadly, we are cheated a "Brawn of the Dead" pun-reference.]]

While fleeing from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Decepticon]]s, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and his [[Autobot]]s found refuge inside an [[Autobot Mausoleum|Autobot funeral barge]], where [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] stumbled upon the reanimated form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Though most of the Autobots did not believe Daniel's story, Rodimus was obsessed with Optimus's memory, and tracked him down. After finding Optimus seemingly still alive, Rodimus happily handed over the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. However, things were not as they appeared, and Optimus immediately turned on them, left them to die in the funeral barge and escaped in a ship he had built.

Upon Optimus' return to Cybertron, he claimed that Rodimus and his crew had died due to a cruel [[Quintesson]] trick, and commanded every single Autobot to help him strike back. This was just what the Quintessons had orchestrated from the beginning, having reanimated the Autobots' former leader solely for the purpose of leading the [[Autobot fleet]] into a deadly trap. Now without the Matrix, Hot Rod and his crew had managed to escape, and Hot Rod battled Optimus one-on-one in an attempt to reclaim the Matrix and get to the bottom of this deception. Thanks to the energies of the Matrix, Optimus eventually overrode the Quintessons' coding, properly returning to life whereupon he returned the Matrix to Rodimus, once again gave him his blessing, and the Autobots retreated. Optimus's final act would be to pilot their ship into the trap, detonating it, and leaving a nova behind... {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}} if he hadn't [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|come back again later anyway]].
{{--}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon=====
{{main|Destroid}}
[[File:Zombiesmasterforce.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Black Friday saaaaales....]]
After stealing dead bodies from medical universities, [[Dauros]] and [[Gilmer]] infused them with evil energy from [[Devil Z]]. These [[human]] zombies (in matching Decepticon jumpsuits) had begun to lay siege to a local city when [[Lander]], who was nearby, changed into his [[Pretender]] form and battled them. However, the zombies began to disappear in a flash of light after they had run out of energy.

The Decepticons realized that they needed to infuse life energy from living humans into the zombies to avoid this problem. After kidnapping several human boys, the Autobot Pretenders came to the rescue and befriended one of the boys, [[Cab (human)|Cab]], who joined their team. {{storylink|Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt}}

The zombie process was eventually improved using living people and a more durable form of Destroid was unleashed on [[Rome]], however the Autobot Pretenders knocked them out with anesthetic gas and [[Diver (G1)|Diver]] was able to give them treatment for their condition. {{storylink|Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet}}
{{--}}

====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics=====
{{quote|So, bereft of its ''[[brain module]]'', a Transformer body is just so much circuitry, operable by a powerful ''computer signal!''|Ultra Magnus|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Zombieskalis.jpg|left|upright=1.37|thumb|We take Pete's car, we drive over to mum's, we go in, take care of Phillip (sorry Phillip), then we grab mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for all this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?]]
''In a desperate bid to stop [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] from exploding the walking bomb [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] radio-controlled the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] had the head), to grab Grimlock's arm. Without a brain module to control its functions Prime's hand could not let go of Grimlock's arm. This resulted in Grimlock's hand being ripped off when he was knocked away from Prime by the Guardian robot.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}

''Several years later [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Sparkabot|Sparkler Mini-Bots]] encountered similar technology used on a much broader scale. Traveling via prototype [[space bridge]] to the new home of [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]]'s resistance movement in [[Kalis]], they arrived to find the place vacant and ransacked by beings unknown. After capturing the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] in [[Tyrest]] and bringing him back into Kalis, their captive shook with fear. The dead walk in Kalis, he warned, as the fists of the unliving punched up through the ground beneath them.''

''Though Ultra Magnus refused to return Flywheels's gun to him, the Decepticon helped Magnus and the Sparklers beat back the undead hordes. Their attempts, however, seemed futile—no matter how hard their attackers were damaged, they still functioned! Finally, Flywheels and the Sparklers reverted to [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], where they could use their weapons to destroy the zombies more effectively. But alas, Magnus was stunned to realize that the beings they put down were formerly Autobots. Realizing that the zombies were being animated by remote using a radio signal, they travelled to the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]]. The signal was indeed shut down, and Magnus discovered that the signal was coming from deep within [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]...'' {{storylink|City of Fear!}}

[[File:Impactorzombie.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Wreckers never die, they just go to Hell and regroup!]]
''The zombies were actually activated by the mad Autobot scientist [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] and sent to stalk the area surrounding Kalis to scare off intruders, while he set into motion his doomed plan to transform Cybertron into a spacefaring battlestation. Though he captured his rival Emirate Xaaron and other inhabitants of [[Autobase]], he would have been easily thwarted—if not for his zombification of the late [[Wrecker]]s leader, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]].'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} ''The current Wreckers leader, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], was shocked into inaction at the sight of his former leader, and if it weren't for Impactor's mind reasserting itself, the planet would have been lost. Impactor once again sacrificed his life to save the others, staying behind to deactivate Flame's mechanism as it annihilated him.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:ZombieScream1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Leeeadership... Leaaadershiiip...]]
''Later, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] were sent by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to reclaim [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'s charred corpse on [[Earth]]. Starscream's remains were possessed by the essence of the [[Underbase]] and went on an insane rampage, nearly killing Doctor [[Susan Hoffman]] and [[Susan Hoffman|her assistants]]. After Starscream was diverted away from the [[human]]s by [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]], [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]], and [[Override (G1)|Override]], the trio of [[Triggerbot]]s tried in vain to stop the rampaging zombie. Eventually, the Underbase realized it was acting insane and regained control, but as soon as it did, Dreadwind and Darkwing siphoned all the power out of it, and Starscream's corpse returned to being an inanimate pile of scrap, which the pair quickly collected.'' {{storylink|Race with the Devil}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|Goddamn, Goldbug's creepy. Guess this explains why Ratchet prefers him as Bumblebee.]]
Meanwhile, [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] had been working long hours to repair the Autobots' massive number of casualties from the [[Underbase Saga]]—so long, that he began to hallucinate, seeing his patients rise up from their repair beds and blame him for their condition. Megatron, to whom the corpse of Starscream was being delivered, required Ratchet to repair him, so the former Decepticon leader sent the [[Micromaster]] [[Sports Car Patrol]] to trick Ratchet into returning with them to Cybertron. To do this, [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] and his fellow Micromasters made Ratchet's hallucination real, animating Ratchet's patients. However, this began to backfire when Ratchet decided to give himself up to his accusers. The Sports Car Patrol decided this wasn't the best course of action and tried to lure him with a different plan. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

''While looking for clues to the identity of [[Playback]]'s killer, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] suddenly found himself, [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]] under attack by the prime suspect—[[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]! Ultimately, Nightbeat was able to save their lives by having his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster partner]], [[Muzzle]], become the head of Playback's corpse, momentarily distracting Thunderwing with its scary zombieness. As soon as Muzzle jumped clear, the trio of Autobots fired at the corpse's fuel supply, causing a huge explosion which forced Thunderwing into retreat.'' {{storylink|The Big Shutdown!}}
{{--}}

====''Another Time & Place''====
[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus and Grimlock disapprove of Megatron’s Scraptrap cosplay.]]
Seeking to rebuild the Decepticon army, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] recovered [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron’s]] remains from the Ark’s second crash on Earth and brought him to [[Hydrus Four]] to be repaired and revived with [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. When the Autobots unexpectedly arrived to stop the Decepticons’ plans, Bludgeon unleashed the half-alive Megatron upon them, but he was quickly destroyed by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}
=====''Regeneration One''=====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|They're not ''dead'' exactly, they're just sort of... rotting.]]
By [[2012]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had used the knowledge gained from his mental link with Ratchet to reanimate a large number of Decepticon victims of the [[Underbase Saga]]. Not content with the idea of soldiers with the ability to rebel however, Megatron immediately proceeded to lobotomize the newly resurrected Transformers, destroying their higher brain functions while still retaining the ability to follow orders, although clumsily. The lobotomized Decepticons (who were also joined by resurrected and similarly lobotomized Autobots) sported crude metal clamps over their heads due to their surgeries, and were incapable of maintaining their own bodies as Megatron ruthlessly ravaged the Earth. Megatron subjugated [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] to the same treatment, although the Seeker was allowed to retain a small part of his consciousness as a punishment, unable to react to the horrors he experienced. When [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and the [[Wrecker]]s crashlanded on Earth in their escape pods, Megatron ordered his zombie army to track them down. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

After [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] brought in the unconscious Kup, Megatron used him as bait to lure in the other Wreckers then ordered the zombies to ambush them. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] shot down [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] disabled [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and Starscream almost killed [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], earning himself a rebuke from Megatron who was saving that pleasure for himself. However, within Starscream the spark of rebellion still burned and he was able to vocalize to Kup that in order to defeat Megatron he must kill [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}}

[[File:Wheeljack red alert smokescreen cosmos natural selection.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Heave ho!]]
The army of "Ex-Bots" charged into battle against the detachment of Autobots [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had brought with him from Cybertron, but when Ratchet, Megatron and [[Aunty|Auntie]] were more-or-less simultaneously taken out by Kup, Prime and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] respectively, the signal reanimating and controlling the zombies was shut off and they dropped to the ground, inactive. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] were tasked with gathering the fallen zombies and throwing them into a large pit where [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] could vaporise them from orbit to be sure. The only survivor was Starscream, thanks to the glimmer of consciousness Megatron had left him with. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}} As it turns out, Starscream was still very much alive, and Megatron had merely repressed all but that little glimmer of consciousness with mental blocks—blocks that were loosened by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], whom Megatron had plugged into the Ark in order to gain control of Auntie. With Megatron and Auntie gone, Shockwave was able to remove Starscream's blocks altogether, allowing the treacherous Decepticon's true personality (and voice) to return. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}
{{-}}

'''Known zombies:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]]
*[[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Grotusque]]
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]]
*[[Octane]]
*[[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
*[[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]
*[[Skalor]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]]
*[[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]
*[[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]]
}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
[[File:Zombiessparkofdarkness.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|I have only my knife! ''THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!!'']]
After the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Maximal]]s' takeover of the [[Grand Mal]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] were investigating the fields of [[spark]]less Transformer bodies when they were attacked by a zombie-like creature. A seemingly-invincible corpse battled them. Blackarachnia attempted to use her energo-web attacks, but it merely absorbed them. Until, finally, after Blackarachnia threw another corpse's power core at it, the zombie collapsed. A mysterious energy ball lifted from the zombie, and it disappeared through a grate in the ground.

The energy ball appeared next in the [[technorganic orchard]] that [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were tending, bringing life to a deactivated [[Cycle Drone]]. Botanica attempted to use her energy weapon powers against it, but like Blackarachnia's energo-webs, it merely absorbed her attack. After being expelled too from this body, it fled to the surface into a deactivated [[Aero Drone]], where it attacked [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]. Nightscream tried a different approach of "draining" the creature of its power, but it drained Nightscream's own power from him. The Maximals began to see a pattern in the zombies' attacks, and regrouped inside the Grand Mal, which seemed to be its target. Finally, Rattrap had an epiphany, realized what was going on, and captured the energy ball inside a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. The energy ball was actually the polarized spark of Megatron. Surprise! {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' manga====
[[File:DevilGorilla-sk.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|He really shouldn't have taken that Aztec gold.]]
As [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s corpse floated in [[Earth]]'s orbit following his sacrifice at the hands of the [[Vok|aliens]]' [[Planet Buster]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] realized true strength was not only in numbers (fashioning himself an army of drones), but also in retrieving Primal's remains, reassembling it, and reanimating it as a zombie. Upon initial activation, the zombie asserted its dominance over Megatron's new army of drones.

Thankfully, before Megatron and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] could make the process permanent, the [[Maximal]]s showed up and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] injected Primal's [[Spark]] (which he had retrieved from [[unspace|transwarp space]]) into his old body. Thus ended the short career of Zombie Convoy. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
{{--}}

====''Beast Wars Reborn''====
As an amnesiac [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] moved through the temple they'd awoken in, reality shifted around them and they found themselves on a decayed world. They were soon swarmed by reanimated fallen robots who would only chant "spark" as they sought to consume the pair's life force, however the zombies were no match for the pair and were soon ripped apart. {{storylink|The Mysterious Temple in Space}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|''All the trees begin to moan'' ''And the monsters grunt and groan'' ''Rotting faces full of slime'' ''Don't you know it's terror time?'']]
[[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] had been marooned on a distant planet for quite some time when They started coming for him. They only came at night, when the suns would stop filtering through the planet's beautiful, indigenous crystals, creating such beautiful music... Kup could not allow Them to take the music away from him, and even though his buddy [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], the only other survivor of Kup's crew, refused to help him, Kup was able to beat back every single last one of Them every single night when they'd come for him.

What Kup didn't know is that they were not zombies, but [[Autobot]]s sent in to rescue him. The antique [[anti-rad armor]] they wore to protect themselves from the extreme radiation caused by the crystals also disguised their identities to Kup, who was suffering hallucinations at the hand of the radiation. Oops. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

A few years later, [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] found a strange mass of real zombies—human and robot—frozen together near an anomaly in space. He brought the mass aboard to study but when they thawed, the zombies attacked Galvatron's crew, infecting some of his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. Zombie leader [[Britt]], now in robotic form, used powers of suggestion to trick the Cybertronians into thinking she was a member of their crew named Bayonet, while she actually sabotaged the engines to take the ship to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} When Kup was infected by the zombie virus, Britt gained the knowledge of Cybertron's history and technology, which would let her send the virus back in time and infect Cybertron during its [[Golden Age]]. She was stopped when [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] took control of Kup's body and used her space-time portal to transport her, Kup and the entire zombie horde to the very beginning of the [[Dead Universe]] where there would be nothing to devour or infect. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

[[File:Ping-zombietitans.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Urban decay.]]

When the apparently-dead [[Fulcrum]] returned to life, the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] (naturally) assumed he was a zombie, before Fulcrum managed to persuade him otherwise. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

After millions of years in exile, the [[Titan Master]] [[Infinitus]] - disgusted by what Cybertron had become during his feigned death - used his abilities to awaken the hordes of dead [[Titan (group)|Titans]] that had been left to rust on [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], hoping to use the undead army to cleanse Cybertron and rebuild the planet from scratch. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} The colossal army of building-sized zombies met stiff resistance from Cybertron, with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] transforming to robot mode to fight off his undead brethren. {{storylink|Ping}} Though they succeeded in bringing down and temporarily disabling Metroplex, they were slaughtered to the last 'bot by the return of [[Vigilem]]. {{storylink|Rubicon}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
[[File:Siege-Ep5-Moonracer-murmurs-in-panic.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|STAAAAAARS...]]
{{main|Sparkless}}
The Sparkless were mindless reanimated corpses who sought to revive themselves by taking the sparks of living Cybertronians and inhabited a valley in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] that contained the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] spotted and retrieved the Allspark, the Sparkless disintegrated into dust. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}
{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy===
====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
On one [[Halloween]] night, [[Rad White]] disguised himself as a zombie. {{storylink|Something Robotic This Way Comes}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[File:Zombiedarkscorponok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Kiiiickerrr...Kiiiicker... our Plaaanetts...]]
{{quote|The afflicted is driven by an insatiable desire to feed on the life energy of others. Nearly mindless, he will stop at nothing to feed. He ignores injury, knowing only hunger and pain. And the best part is that anyone off whom he feeds becomes just the same.|[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] tells [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] a heartwarming story|[[Balancing Act, Part 3]]"}}

Despite [[Unicron]]'s apparent death inside the [[Unicron Singularity]], his essence's will was still strong enough to use the reality-altering black hole to bring the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Now ''Dark'' Scorponok, this undead creature stalked the evacuated planet surface, screaming in hunger and pain, crying out for [[spark]]s upon which to feast. At first Dark Scorponok assaulted [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}} who survived due to his powerful forcefield ability, but the monster was drawn away by [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]]'s evil [[Mini-Con]] minions, towards the [[Kalis Primary Energon Reserves Control]], where [[Vector Prime]] and [[Sentinel Maximus]] were located. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 3}} After a prolonged fight, Sentinel Maximus was able to defeat Dark Scorponok, after which he and Vector Prime realized this was just a diversion. Leaving what was left of Dark Scorponok, unable to solve his affliction, their attentions were needed elsewhere, below the planet's surface. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 4}}

===Live-action film series===
====Titan movie comic====
[[File:ZombieConsTitan.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|''You hear the screeching of an owl'' ''You hear the wind begin to howl'' ''You know there's zombies on the prowl...'']]
Immediately after [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s death, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] appointed himself the commander of the Decepticons... who were all dead. Noticing the [[AllSpark Mutation|mechanical devices]] that the [[AllSpark]] had animated, Starscream tore the solidified AllSpark energy from them and used it to turn the Decepticon corpses into undead soldiers. Without any mental functions whatsoever, they simply walked forward and attempted to kill, and very nearly tore apart the weakened Autobots before [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] worked out how to stop them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 7|Starscream's Militia}}
{{-}}

===Fun Publications ''Shattered Glass''===
The [[Omega Terminus]] had the ability to revive corpses as zombies, as a defense mechanism. It did so when [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]], Cliffjumper and [[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]] stumbled on it. Fortunately, thanks to a handy flask of [[Scraplet]]s, the zombies were destroyed. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[File:Prowlspacebarnacles.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'll swallow your SPARK!]]
[[Space barnacle]]s are parasitic life-forms that can be considered "zombie-inducing" in their quest for energy. Some of them attached themselves to the dead body of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and managed to reanimate it, evolving themselves into semi-awareness and later absorbing other machines. In this state, they shared with zombies the property to "infect" other robots by simple contact, turning them also into mindless drones, ready to spread the infection. ("Normal" space barnacles simply drain energy, but presumably do not take over Transformer minds.) [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] were finally cured from their contact with the creature when [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]] blasted the space barnacles off with hot [[water]]. {{storylink|Nature Calls}}
{{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{main|Terrorcon (Prime)}}
[[File:DarknessRising4-beholddarkenergon!.jpg|upright=1.8|left|thumb|Night of the Living Generics]]
[[Dark Energon]] had the power to bring [[Transformer]]s back to life as shambling creatures known as Terrorcons. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] first used it as such on the deceased [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} Megatron used it to reanimate dead Transformers in a battlefield on [[Earth]] {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} and went on to use Dark Energon to reanimate Cybertron's dead, though these Terrorcons were all destroyed. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} The Decepticon [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] was also later revived as a Terrorcon. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s experiments combining [[Synthetic Energon]] and Dark Energon resulted in a more vampiric form of Terrorcon. {{storylink|Thirst}} [[Unicron/Aligned|Unicron]] raised an army of Terrorcons created from long-fallen [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===Prime VS The Zombie Cons===
{{main|Zombie Con}}
[[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] had to defend [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]] from a horde of rampaging [[Zombie Con]]s. {{storylink|Prime VS The Zombie Cons}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
[[File:Prime-toy CliffjumperTerrorconTakTom.jpg|thumb|250px]]
{{main|Terrorcon (Prime)#Toys}}
{{--}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:WFCT-toy SparklessSeeker.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|You know you're going to add him to your Seeker patrol and call him [[Skyquake (Prime)|something else.]]]]
{{main|Sparkless#Toys}}
{{-}}

==Honorable mentions==
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], while he was an animated unliving Transformer controlled by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and later [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]], was not strictly a zombie. He was not given life until after he was used as a mindless puppet by diabolical masters.
*[[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] is not a reanimated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] as was [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|commonly believed]] for some time.
*[[Dinobot II]], though he looked like an undead [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot I]], was more of a [[Frankenstein's monster]] than a zombie.
*[[Primeval Dawn]]'s "Zombie [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]", as referred to by some fans, did inhabit the reconfigured remains of his previous body. This seemed to be a full return to life, despite his new black-and-gray color scheme, rather than being undead.
*[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] was brought back to life after an ancient god toyed with his spark. Now he's an "incomplete" form of what he was before, in a state of both being and unbeing.
*''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], though brought back from the dead, was more ghostly than zombie-like. Even [[Aaron Archer]] referred to him as an "[[Energon]] ghost."
*''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] was kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark, despite his spark having been extinguished, making him a zombie of sorts.
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]], though he was also brought back from the dead, likewise wasn't very zombie-like; indeed, he even came back smarter (according to his on-package [[bio]]) and with his personality intact.
*[[Dead End (ROTF)|Dead End]] was a decomposing, bestial creature that cannibalised other Transformers, but was doing that to ''stave off'' death.
*Many of [[MECH]]'s [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|constructed]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|reassembled]] [[Silas|Transformers]] have a rusted, heavily damaged appearance, but they are not undead.
*The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] of ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' behave like zombies in pretty much every respect (mindless horde turning every living thing they encounter into more Vehicons), without being actual zombies ''per se''.
*"[[The Dweller in the Depths]]" featured the equivalent of zombie plague (arguably a '''vampiric''' zombie plague), with those affected turning into mindless, shambling, hungry ghouls, and passing the condition on to any normal victims they could reach.
*The [[Hate Plague]] of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", by contrast, has a fair amount of overlap with the hate virus from ''28 Days Later'', and the contemporaneous Zack Snyder remake of ''Dawn of the Dead''.
*[[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]s are cannibalistic monsters who were once ordinary Cybertronians, but they are not truly dead and their condition can be cured.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Cybertron franchise]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce]]
[[Category:Zombies| ]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege]]

Zombie

2022-11-07T12:58:58Z

Chasd20:

{{featured}}
[[File:Zombies.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I can't possibly deal with all of you at once!]]
{{bigquote|'''Don't you know?!''' The dead—the dead walk the streets of [[Kalis]]! And their victims... their victims become like them—'''the living dead!'''|[[Flywheels]]|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}

Although Transformers are often rebuilt or otherwise brought back from apparent death, there are also many examples of them being partially reanimated as '''zombies''', either self-aware or under the control of another.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Transformers'' cartoon=====
{{quote|And some lingering remnants of his memory and personality [...] But without our circuit implants, he would be utterly mindless, an ordinary machine. [...] A robotic zombie.|The [[Quintesson]]s|"[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"}}

[[File:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sadly, we are cheated a "Brawn of the Dead" pun-reference.]]

While fleeing from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Decepticon]]s, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and his [[Autobot]]s found refuge inside an [[Autobot Mausoleum|Autobot funeral barge]], where [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] stumbled upon the reanimated form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Though most of the Autobots did not believe Daniel's story, Rodimus was obsessed with Optimus's memory, and tracked him down. After finding Optimus seemingly still alive, Rodimus happily handed over the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. However, things were not as they appeared, and Optimus immediately turned on them, left them to die in the funeral barge and escaped in a ship he had built.

Upon Optimus' return to Cybertron, he claimed that Rodimus and his crew had died due to a cruel [[Quintesson]] trick, and commanded every single Autobot to help him strike back. This was just what the Quintessons had orchestrated from the beginning, having reanimated the Autobots' former leader solely for the purpose of leading the [[Autobot fleet]] into a deadly trap. Now without the Matrix, Hot Rod and his crew had managed to escape, and Hot Rod battled Optimus one-on-one in an attempt to reclaim the Matrix and get to the bottom of this deception. Thanks to the energies of the Matrix, Optimus eventually overrode the Quintessons' coding, properly returning to life whereupon he returned the Matrix to Rodimus, once again gave him his blessing, and the Autobots retreated. Optimus's final act would be to pilot their ship into the trap, detonating it, and leaving a nova behind... {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}} if he hadn't [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|come back again later anyway]].
{{--}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon=====
{{main|Destroid}}
[[File:Zombiesmasterforce.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Black Friday saaaaales....]]
After stealing dead bodies from medical universities, [[Dauros]] and [[Gilmer]] infused them with evil energy from [[Devil Z]]. These [[human]] zombies (in matching Decepticon jumpsuits) had begun to lay siege to a local city when [[Lander]], who was nearby, changed into his [[Pretender]] form and battled them. However, the zombies began to disappear in a flash of light after they had run out of energy.

The Decepticons realized that they needed to infuse life energy from living humans into the zombies to avoid this problem. After kidnapping several human boys, the Autobot Pretenders came to the rescue and befriended one of the boys, [[Cab (human)|Cab]], who joined their team. {{storylink|Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt}}

The zombie process was eventually improved using living people and a more durable form of Destroid was unleashed on [[Rome]], however the Autobot Pretenders knocked them out with anesthetic gas and [[Diver (G1)|Diver]] was able to give them treatment for their condition. {{storylink|Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet}}
{{--}}

====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics=====
{{quote|So, bereft of its ''[[brain module]]'', a Transformer body is just so much circuitry, operable by a powerful ''computer signal!''|Ultra Magnus|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Zombieskalis.jpg|left|upright=1.37|thumb|We take Pete's car, we drive over to mum's, we go in, take care of Phillip (sorry Phillip), then we grab mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for all this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?]]
''In a desperate bid to stop [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] from exploding the walking bomb [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] radio-controlled the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] had the head), to grab Grimlock's arm. Without a brain module to control its functions Prime's hand could not let go of Grimlock's arm. This resulted in Grimlock's hand being ripped off when he was knocked away from Prime by the Guardian robot.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}

''Several years later [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Sparkabot|Sparkler Mini-Bots]] encountered similar technology used on a much broader scale. Traveling via prototype [[space bridge]] to the new home of [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]]'s resistance movement in [[Kalis]], they arrived to find the place vacant and ransacked by beings unknown. After capturing the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] in [[Tyrest]] and bringing him back into Kalis, their captive shook with fear. The dead walk in Kalis, he warned, as the fists of the unliving punched up through the ground beneath them.''

''Though Ultra Magnus refused to return Flywheels's gun to him, the Decepticon helped Magnus and the Sparklers beat back the undead hordes. Their attempts, however, seemed futile—no matter how hard their attackers were damaged, they still functioned! Finally, Flywheels and the Sparklers reverted to [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], where they could use their weapons to destroy the zombies more effectively. But alas, Magnus was stunned to realize that the beings they put down were formerly Autobots. Realizing that the zombies were being animated by remote using a radio signal, they travelled to the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]]. The signal was indeed shut down, and Magnus discovered that the signal was coming from deep within [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]...'' {{storylink|City of Fear!}}

[[File:Impactorzombie.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Wreckers never die, they just go to Hell and regroup!]]
''The zombies were actually activated by the mad Autobot scientist [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] and sent to stalk the area surrounding Kalis to scare off intruders, while he set into motion his doomed plan to transform Cybertron into a spacefaring battlestation. Though he captured his rival Emirate Xaaron and other inhabitants of [[Autobase]], he would have been easily thwarted—if not for his zombification of the late [[Wrecker]]s leader, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]].'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} ''The current Wreckers leader, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], was shocked into inaction at the sight of his former leader, and if it weren't for Impactor's mind reasserting itself, the planet would have been lost. Impactor once again sacrificed his life to save the others, staying behind to deactivate Flame's mechanism as it annihilated him.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:ZombieScream1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Leeeadership... Leaaadershiiip...]]
''Later, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] were sent by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to reclaim [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'s charred corpse on [[Earth]]. Starscream's remains were possessed by the essence of the [[Underbase]] and went on an insane rampage, nearly killing Doctor [[Susan Hoffman]] and [[Susan Hoffman|her assistants]]. After Starscream was diverted away from the [[human]]s by [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]], [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]], and [[Override (G1)|Override]], the trio of [[Triggerbot]]s tried in vain to stop the rampaging zombie. Eventually, the Underbase realized it was acting insane and regained control, but as soon as it did, Dreadwind and Darkwing siphoned all the power out of it, and Starscream's corpse returned to being an inanimate pile of scrap, which the pair quickly collected.'' {{storylink|Race with the Devil}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|Goddamn, Goldbug's creepy. Guess this explains why Ratchet prefers him as Bumblebee.]]
Meanwhile, [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] had been working long hours to repair the Autobots' massive number of casualties from the [[Underbase Saga]]—so long, that he began to hallucinate, seeing his patients rise up from their repair beds and blame him for their condition. Megatron, to whom the corpse of Starscream was being delivered, required Ratchet to repair him, so the former Decepticon leader sent the [[Micromaster]] [[Sports Car Patrol]] to trick Ratchet into returning with them to Cybertron. To do this, [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] and his fellow Micromasters made Ratchet's hallucination real, animating Ratchet's patients. However, this began to backfire when Ratchet decided to give himself up to his accusers. The Sports Car Patrol decided this wasn't the best course of action and tried to lure him with a different plan. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

''While looking for clues to the identity of [[Playback]]'s killer, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] suddenly found himself, [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]] under attack by the prime suspect—[[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]! Ultimately, Nightbeat was able to save their lives by having his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster partner]], [[Muzzle]], become the head of Playback's corpse, momentarily distracting Thunderwing with its scary zombieness. As soon as Muzzle jumped clear, the trio of Autobots fired at the corpse's fuel supply, causing a huge explosion which forced Thunderwing into retreat.'' {{storylink|The Big Shutdown!}}
{{--}}

====''Another Time & Place''====
[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Optimus and Grimlock disprove of Megatron’s Scraptrap cosplay.]]
Seeking to rebuild the Decepticon army, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] recovered [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron’s]] remains from the Ark’s second crash on Earth and brought him to [[Hydrus Four]] to be repaired and revived with [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. When the Autobots unexpectedly arrived to stop the Decepticons’ plans, Bludgeon unleashed the half-alive Megatron upon them, but he was quickly destroyed by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}
=====''Regeneration One''=====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|They're not ''dead'' exactly, they're just sort of... rotting.]]
By [[2012]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had used the knowledge gained from his mental link with Ratchet to reanimate a large number of Decepticon victims of the [[Underbase Saga]]. Not content with the idea of soldiers with the ability to rebel however, Megatron immediately proceeded to lobotomize the newly resurrected Transformers, destroying their higher brain functions while still retaining the ability to follow orders, although clumsily. The lobotomized Decepticons (who were also joined by resurrected and similarly lobotomized Autobots) sported crude metal clamps over their heads due to their surgeries, and were incapable of maintaining their own bodies as Megatron ruthlessly ravaged the Earth. Megatron subjugated [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] to the same treatment, although the Seeker was allowed to retain a small part of his consciousness as a punishment, unable to react to the horrors he experienced. When [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and the [[Wrecker]]s crashlanded on Earth in their escape pods, Megatron ordered his zombie army to track them down. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

After [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] brought in the unconscious Kup, Megatron used him as bait to lure in the other Wreckers then ordered the zombies to ambush them. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] shot down [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] disabled [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and Starscream almost killed [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], earning himself a rebuke from Megatron who was saving that pleasure for himself. However, within Starscream the spark of rebellion still burned and he was able to vocalize to Kup that in order to defeat Megatron he must kill [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}}

[[File:Wheeljack red alert smokescreen cosmos natural selection.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Heave ho!]]
The army of "Ex-Bots" charged into battle against the detachment of Autobots [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had brought with him from Cybertron, but when Ratchet, Megatron and [[Aunty|Auntie]] were more-or-less simultaneously taken out by Kup, Prime and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] respectively, the signal reanimating and controlling the zombies was shut off and they dropped to the ground, inactive. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] were tasked with gathering the fallen zombies and throwing them into a large pit where [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] could vaporise them from orbit to be sure. The only survivor was Starscream, thanks to the glimmer of consciousness Megatron had left him with. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}} As it turns out, Starscream was still very much alive, and Megatron had merely repressed all but that little glimmer of consciousness with mental blocks—blocks that were loosened by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], whom Megatron had plugged into the Ark in order to gain control of Auntie. With Megatron and Auntie gone, Shockwave was able to remove Starscream's blocks altogether, allowing the treacherous Decepticon's true personality (and voice) to return. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}
{{-}}

'''Known zombies:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]]
*[[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Grotusque]]
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]]
*[[Octane]]
*[[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
*[[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]
*[[Skalor]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]]
*[[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]
*[[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]]
}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
[[File:Zombiessparkofdarkness.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|I have only my knife! ''THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!!'']]
After the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Maximal]]s' takeover of the [[Grand Mal]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] were investigating the fields of [[spark]]less Transformer bodies when they were attacked by a zombie-like creature. A seemingly-invincible corpse battled them. Blackarachnia attempted to use her energo-web attacks, but it merely absorbed them. Until, finally, after Blackarachnia threw another corpse's power core at it, the zombie collapsed. A mysterious energy ball lifted from the zombie, and it disappeared through a grate in the ground.

The energy ball appeared next in the [[technorganic orchard]] that [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were tending, bringing life to a deactivated [[Cycle Drone]]. Botanica attempted to use her energy weapon powers against it, but like Blackarachnia's energo-webs, it merely absorbed her attack. After being expelled too from this body, it fled to the surface into a deactivated [[Aero Drone]], where it attacked [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]. Nightscream tried a different approach of "draining" the creature of its power, but it drained Nightscream's own power from him. The Maximals began to see a pattern in the zombies' attacks, and regrouped inside the Grand Mal, which seemed to be its target. Finally, Rattrap had an epiphany, realized what was going on, and captured the energy ball inside a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. The energy ball was actually the polarized spark of Megatron. Surprise! {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' manga====
[[File:DevilGorilla-sk.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|He really shouldn't have taken that Aztec gold.]]
As [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s corpse floated in [[Earth]]'s orbit following his sacrifice at the hands of the [[Vok|aliens]]' [[Planet Buster]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] realized true strength was not only in numbers (fashioning himself an army of drones), but also in retrieving Primal's remains, reassembling it, and reanimating it as a zombie. Upon initial activation, the zombie asserted its dominance over Megatron's new army of drones.

Thankfully, before Megatron and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] could make the process permanent, the [[Maximal]]s showed up and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] injected Primal's [[Spark]] (which he had retrieved from [[unspace|transwarp space]]) into his old body. Thus ended the short career of Zombie Convoy. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
{{--}}

====''Beast Wars Reborn''====
As an amnesiac [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] moved through the temple they'd awoken in, reality shifted around them and they found themselves on a decayed world. They were soon swarmed by reanimated fallen robots who would only chant "spark" as they sought to consume the pair's life force, however the zombies were no match for the pair and were soon ripped apart. {{storylink|The Mysterious Temple in Space}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|''All the trees begin to moan'' ''And the monsters grunt and groan'' ''Rotting faces full of slime'' ''Don't you know it's terror time?'']]
[[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] had been marooned on a distant planet for quite some time when They started coming for him. They only came at night, when the suns would stop filtering through the planet's beautiful, indigenous crystals, creating such beautiful music... Kup could not allow Them to take the music away from him, and even though his buddy [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], the only other survivor of Kup's crew, refused to help him, Kup was able to beat back every single last one of Them every single night when they'd come for him.

What Kup didn't know is that they were not zombies, but [[Autobot]]s sent in to rescue him. The antique [[anti-rad armor]] they wore to protect themselves from the extreme radiation caused by the crystals also disguised their identities to Kup, who was suffering hallucinations at the hand of the radiation. Oops. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

A few years later, [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] found a strange mass of real zombies—human and robot—frozen together near an anomaly in space. He brought the mass aboard to study but when they thawed, the zombies attacked Galvatron's crew, infecting some of his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. Zombie leader [[Britt]], now in robotic form, used powers of suggestion to trick the Cybertronians into thinking she was a member of their crew named Bayonet, while she actually sabotaged the engines to take the ship to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} When Kup was infected by the zombie virus, Britt gained the knowledge of Cybertron's history and technology, which would let her send the virus back in time and infect Cybertron during its [[Golden Age]]. She was stopped when [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] took control of Kup's body and used her space-time portal to transport her, Kup and the entire zombie horde to the very beginning of the [[Dead Universe]] where there would be nothing to devour or infect. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

[[File:Ping-zombietitans.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Urban decay.]]

When the apparently-dead [[Fulcrum]] returned to life, the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] (naturally) assumed he was a zombie, before Fulcrum managed to persuade him otherwise. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

After millions of years in exile, the [[Titan Master]] [[Infinitus]] - disgusted by what Cybertron had become during his feigned death - used his abilities to awaken the hordes of dead [[Titan (group)|Titans]] that had been left to rust on [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], hoping to use the undead army to cleanse Cybertron and rebuild the planet from scratch. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} The colossal army of building-sized zombies met stiff resistance from Cybertron, with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] transforming to robot mode to fight off his undead brethren. {{storylink|Ping}} Though they succeeded in bringing down and temporarily disabling Metroplex, they were slaughtered to the last 'bot by the return of [[Vigilem]]. {{storylink|Rubicon}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
[[File:Siege-Ep5-Moonracer-murmurs-in-panic.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|STAAAAAARS...]]
{{main|Sparkless}}
The Sparkless were mindless reanimated corpses who sought to revive themselves by taking the sparks of living Cybertronians and inhabited a valley in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] that contained the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] spotted and retrieved the Allspark, the Sparkless disintegrated into dust. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}
{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy===
====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
On one [[Halloween]] night, [[Rad White]] disguised himself as a zombie. {{storylink|Something Robotic This Way Comes}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[File:Zombiedarkscorponok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Kiiiickerrr...Kiiiicker... our Plaaanetts...]]
{{quote|The afflicted is driven by an insatiable desire to feed on the life energy of others. Nearly mindless, he will stop at nothing to feed. He ignores injury, knowing only hunger and pain. And the best part is that anyone off whom he feeds becomes just the same.|[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] tells [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] a heartwarming story|[[Balancing Act, Part 3]]"}}

Despite [[Unicron]]'s apparent death inside the [[Unicron Singularity]], his essence's will was still strong enough to use the reality-altering black hole to bring the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Now ''Dark'' Scorponok, this undead creature stalked the evacuated planet surface, screaming in hunger and pain, crying out for [[spark]]s upon which to feast. At first Dark Scorponok assaulted [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}} who survived due to his powerful forcefield ability, but the monster was drawn away by [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]]'s evil [[Mini-Con]] minions, towards the [[Kalis Primary Energon Reserves Control]], where [[Vector Prime]] and [[Sentinel Maximus]] were located. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 3}} After a prolonged fight, Sentinel Maximus was able to defeat Dark Scorponok, after which he and Vector Prime realized this was just a diversion. Leaving what was left of Dark Scorponok, unable to solve his affliction, their attentions were needed elsewhere, below the planet's surface. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 4}}

===Live-action film series===
====Titan movie comic====
[[File:ZombieConsTitan.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|''You hear the screeching of an owl'' ''You hear the wind begin to howl'' ''You know there's zombies on the prowl...'']]
Immediately after [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s death, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] appointed himself the commander of the Decepticons... who were all dead. Noticing the [[AllSpark Mutation|mechanical devices]] that the [[AllSpark]] had animated, Starscream tore the solidified AllSpark energy from them and used it to turn the Decepticon corpses into undead soldiers. Without any mental functions whatsoever, they simply walked forward and attempted to kill, and very nearly tore apart the weakened Autobots before [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] worked out how to stop them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 7|Starscream's Militia}}
{{-}}

===Fun Publications ''Shattered Glass''===
The [[Omega Terminus]] had the ability to revive corpses as zombies, as a defense mechanism. It did so when [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]], Cliffjumper and [[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]] stumbled on it. Fortunately, thanks to a handy flask of [[Scraplet]]s, the zombies were destroyed. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[File:Prowlspacebarnacles.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'll swallow your SPARK!]]
[[Space barnacle]]s are parasitic life-forms that can be considered "zombie-inducing" in their quest for energy. Some of them attached themselves to the dead body of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and managed to reanimate it, evolving themselves into semi-awareness and later absorbing other machines. In this state, they shared with zombies the property to "infect" other robots by simple contact, turning them also into mindless drones, ready to spread the infection. ("Normal" space barnacles simply drain energy, but presumably do not take over Transformer minds.) [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] were finally cured from their contact with the creature when [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]] blasted the space barnacles off with hot [[water]]. {{storylink|Nature Calls}}
{{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{main|Terrorcon (Prime)}}
[[File:DarknessRising4-beholddarkenergon!.jpg|upright=1.8|left|thumb|Night of the Living Generics]]
[[Dark Energon]] had the power to bring [[Transformer]]s back to life as shambling creatures known as Terrorcons. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] first used it as such on the deceased [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} Megatron used it to reanimate dead Transformers in a battlefield on [[Earth]] {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} and went on to use Dark Energon to reanimate Cybertron's dead, though these Terrorcons were all destroyed. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} The Decepticon [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] was also later revived as a Terrorcon. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s experiments combining [[Synthetic Energon]] and Dark Energon resulted in a more vampiric form of Terrorcon. {{storylink|Thirst}} [[Unicron/Aligned|Unicron]] raised an army of Terrorcons created from long-fallen [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===Prime VS The Zombie Cons===
{{main|Zombie Con}}
[[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] had to defend [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]] from a horde of rampaging [[Zombie Con]]s. {{storylink|Prime VS The Zombie Cons}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
[[File:Prime-toy CliffjumperTerrorconTakTom.jpg|thumb|250px]]
{{main|Terrorcon (Prime)#Toys}}
{{--}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:WFCT-toy SparklessSeeker.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|You know you're going to add him to your Seeker patrol and call him [[Skyquake (Prime)|something else.]]]]
{{main|Sparkless#Toys}}
{{-}}

==Honorable mentions==
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], while he was an animated unliving Transformer controlled by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and later [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]], was not strictly a zombie. He was not given life until after he was used as a mindless puppet by diabolical masters.
*[[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] is not a reanimated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] as was [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|commonly believed]] for some time.
*[[Dinobot II]], though he looked like an undead [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot I]], was more of a [[Frankenstein's monster]] than a zombie.
*[[Primeval Dawn]]'s "Zombie [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]", as referred to by some fans, did inhabit the reconfigured remains of his previous body. This seemed to be a full return to life, despite his new black-and-gray color scheme, rather than being undead.
*[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] was brought back to life after an ancient god toyed with his spark. Now he's an "incomplete" form of what he was before, in a state of both being and unbeing.
*''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], though brought back from the dead, was more ghostly than zombie-like. Even [[Aaron Archer]] referred to him as an "[[Energon]] ghost."
*''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] was kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark, despite his spark having been extinguished, making him a zombie of sorts.
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]], though he was also brought back from the dead, likewise wasn't very zombie-like; indeed, he even came back smarter (according to his on-package [[bio]]) and with his personality intact.
*[[Dead End (ROTF)|Dead End]] was a decomposing, bestial creature that cannibalised other Transformers, but was doing that to ''stave off'' death.
*Many of [[MECH]]'s [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|constructed]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|reassembled]] [[Silas|Transformers]] have a rusted, heavily damaged appearance, but they are not undead.
*The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] of ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' behave like zombies in pretty much every respect (mindless horde turning every living thing they encounter into more Vehicons), without being actual zombies ''per se''.
*"[[The Dweller in the Depths]]" featured the equivalent of zombie plague (arguably a '''vampiric''' zombie plague), with those affected turning into mindless, shambling, hungry ghouls, and passing the condition on to any normal victims they could reach.
*The [[Hate Plague]] of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", by contrast, has a fair amount of overlap with the hate virus from ''28 Days Later'', and the contemporaneous Zack Snyder remake of ''Dawn of the Dead''.
*[[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]s are cannibalistic monsters who were once ordinary Cybertronians, but they are not truly dead and their condition can be cured.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Cybertron franchise]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce]]
[[Category:Zombies| ]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege]]

Walgreens

2022-11-07T10:18:20Z

Chasd20: /* Exclusives */

Founded in [[1901]] by pharmacist Charles R. Walgreen, '''Walgreens''' has grown from a single store to become a major pharmaceutical chain, with over 8,000 retail stores across America as of 2012.

In addition to traditional pharmacy staples, Walgreens stores also frequently sell [[American Greetings|greeting]] [[Paper Magic Group|cards]], dairy products, toys, and other novelties.

Beginning in 2016, [[Hasbro]] offered Walgreens ''Transformers'' toys as [[exclusive]]s, which has since become an annual occurrence. Notably, once released, many collectors find these Walgreens exclusives ''much'' easier to find than many of the toys that are exclusive to other chains.

==Exclusives==
===''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''===
====''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]''====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|Autobot [[Arcana#Titans Return|Teslor]] and [[Brainstorm (G1)#Generations|Brainstorm]]}}
{{bp-a1d1|[[Wingspan#Generations|Wingspan]] vs [[Cloudraker (G1)#Generations|Cloudraker]]}}
</ul>

====''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]''====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Power of the Primes|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>

====''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]''====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|WFC-S34 [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ratchet]]}}
</ul>

====''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise]]''====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|WFC-E32 [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Bluestreak]]}}
</ul>

====''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]''====
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|WFC-K38 [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>

====''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]''====
<ul class=“iconlist”>
{{bp-a1|[[Minerva (G1 robot)#Legacy|Autobot Minerva]]}}
</ul>

==Notes==
*For the ''Titans Return'' and ''Power of the Primes'' line, Walgreens often stocked the Deluxe Class figures long before other major retailers in the United States.
*The entirety of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Cyber Series (2015–2018)|Cyber Series]]'' line was a shared exclusive between online retailers in the US, but was only available in Walgreens for brick and mortar stores.

==External Links==
*{{w|Walgreens}} at Wikipedia
*[https://www.walgreens.com/?experience=B Official website]

[[Category:Companies]]

Zombie

2022-11-07T09:46:06Z

Chasd20:

{{featured}}
[[File:Zombies.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I can't possibly deal with all of you at once!]]
{{bigquote|'''Don't you know?!''' The dead—the dead walk the streets of [[Kalis]]! And their victims... their victims become like them—'''the living dead!'''|[[Flywheels]]|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}

Although Transformers are often rebuilt or otherwise brought back from apparent death, there are also many examples of them being partially reanimated as '''zombies''', either self-aware or under the control of another.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
====Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Transformers'' cartoon=====
{{quote|And some lingering remnants of his memory and personality [...] But without our circuit implants, he would be utterly mindless, an ordinary machine. [...] A robotic zombie.|The [[Quintesson]]s|"[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"}}

[[File:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sadly, we are cheated a "Brawn of the Dead" pun-reference.]]

While fleeing from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Decepticon]]s, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and his [[Autobot]]s found refuge inside an [[Autobot Mausoleum|Autobot funeral barge]], where [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] stumbled upon the reanimated form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Though most of the Autobots did not believe Daniel's story, Rodimus was obsessed with Optimus's memory, and tracked him down. After finding Optimus seemingly still alive, Rodimus happily handed over the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. However, things were not as they appeared, and Optimus immediately turned on them, left them to die in the funeral barge and escaped in a ship he had built.

Upon Optimus' return to Cybertron, he claimed that Rodimus and his crew had died due to a cruel [[Quintesson]] trick, and commanded every single Autobot to help him strike back. This was just what the Quintessons had orchestrated from the beginning, having reanimated the Autobots' former leader solely for the purpose of leading the [[Autobot fleet]] into a deadly trap. Now without the Matrix, Hot Rod and his crew had managed to escape, and Hot Rod battled Optimus one-on-one in an attempt to reclaim the Matrix and get to the bottom of this deception. Thanks to the energies of the Matrix, Optimus eventually overrode the Quintessons' coding, properly returning to life whereupon he returned the Matrix to Rodimus, once again gave him his blessing, and the Autobots retreated. Optimus's final act would be to pilot their ship into the trap, detonating it, and leaving a nova behind... {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}} if he hadn't [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|come back again later anyway]].
{{--}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon=====
{{main|Destroid}}
[[File:Zombiesmasterforce.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Black Friday saaaaales....]]
After stealing dead bodies from medical universities, [[Dauros]] and [[Gilmer]] infused them with evil energy from [[Devil Z]]. These [[human]] zombies (in matching Decepticon jumpsuits) had begun to lay siege to a local city when [[Lander]], who was nearby, changed into his [[Pretender]] form and battled them. However, the zombies began to disappear in a flash of light after they had run out of energy.

The Decepticons realized that they needed to infuse life energy from living humans into the zombies to avoid this problem. After kidnapping several human boys, the Autobot Pretenders came to the rescue and befriended one of the boys, [[Cab (human)|Cab]], who joined their team. {{storylink|Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt}}

The zombie process was eventually improved using living people and a more durable form of Destroid was unleashed on [[Rome]], however the Autobot Pretenders knocked them out with anesthetic gas and [[Diver (G1)|Diver]] was able to give them treatment for their condition. {{storylink|Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet}}
{{--}}

====Marvel Comics continuity====
=====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics=====
{{quote|So, bereft of its ''[[brain module]]'', a Transformer body is just so much circuitry, operable by a powerful ''computer signal!''|Ultra Magnus|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Zombieskalis.jpg|left|upright=1.37|thumb|We take Pete's car, we drive over to mum's, we go in, take care of Phillip (sorry Phillip), then we grab mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for all this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?]]
''In a desperate bid to stop [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] from exploding the walking bomb [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] radio-controlled the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] had the head), to grab Grimlock's arm. Without a brain module to control its functions Prime's hand could not let go of Grimlock's arm. This resulted in Grimlock's hand being ripped off when he was knocked away from Prime by the Guardian robot.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}

''Several years later [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Sparkabot|Sparkler Mini-Bots]] encountered similar technology used on a much broader scale. Traveling via prototype [[space bridge]] to the new home of [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]]'s resistance movement in [[Kalis]], they arrived to find the place vacant and ransacked by beings unknown. After capturing the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] in [[Tyrest]] and bringing him back into Kalis, their captive shook with fear. The dead walk in Kalis, he warned, as the fists of the unliving punched up through the ground beneath them.''

''Though Ultra Magnus refused to return Flywheels's gun to him, the Decepticon helped Magnus and the Sparklers beat back the undead hordes. Their attempts, however, seemed futile—no matter how hard their attackers were damaged, they still functioned! Finally, Flywheels and the Sparklers reverted to [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], where they could use their weapons to destroy the zombies more effectively. But alas, Magnus was stunned to realize that the beings they put down were formerly Autobots. Realizing that the zombies were being animated by remote using a radio signal, they travelled to the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]]. The signal was indeed shut down, and Magnus discovered that the signal was coming from deep within [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]...'' {{storylink|City of Fear!}}

[[File:Impactorzombie.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Wreckers never die, they just go to Hell and regroup!]]
''The zombies were actually activated by the mad Autobot scientist [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] and sent to stalk the area surrounding Kalis to scare off intruders, while he set into motion his doomed plan to transform Cybertron into a spacefaring battlestation. Though he captured his rival Emirate Xaaron and other inhabitants of [[Autobase]], he would have been easily thwarted—if not for his zombification of the late [[Wrecker]]s leader, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]].'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} ''The current Wreckers leader, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], was shocked into inaction at the sight of his former leader, and if it weren't for Impactor's mind reasserting itself, the planet would have been lost. Impactor once again sacrificed his life to save the others, staying behind to deactivate Flame's mechanism as it annihilated him.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:ZombieScream1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Leeeadership... Leaaadershiiip...]]
''Later, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] were sent by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to reclaim [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'s charred corpse on [[Earth]]. Starscream's remains were possessed by the essence of the [[Underbase]] and went on an insane rampage, nearly killing Doctor [[Susan Hoffman]] and [[Susan Hoffman|her assistants]]. After Starscream was diverted away from the [[human]]s by [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]], [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]], and [[Override (G1)|Override]], the trio of [[Triggerbot]]s tried in vain to stop the rampaging zombie. Eventually, the Underbase realized it was acting insane and regained control, but as soon as it did, Dreadwind and Darkwing siphoned all the power out of it, and Starscream's corpse returned to being an inanimate pile of scrap, which the pair quickly collected.'' {{storylink|Race with the Devil}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|Goddamn, Goldbug's creepy. Guess this explains why Ratchet prefers him as Bumblebee.]]
Meanwhile, [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] had been working long hours to repair the Autobots' massive number of casualties from the [[Underbase Saga]]—so long, that he began to hallucinate, seeing his patients rise up from their repair beds and blame him for their condition. Megatron, to whom the corpse of Starscream was being delivered, required Ratchet to repair him, so the former Decepticon leader sent the [[Micromaster]] [[Sports Car Patrol]] to trick Ratchet into returning with them to Cybertron. To do this, [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] and his fellow Micromasters made Ratchet's hallucination real, animating Ratchet's patients. However, this began to backfire when Ratchet decided to give himself up to his accusers. The Sports Car Patrol decided this wasn't the best course of action and tried to lure him with a different plan. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

''While looking for clues to the identity of [[Playback]]'s killer, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] suddenly found himself, [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], and [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]] under attack by the prime suspect—[[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]! Ultimately, Nightbeat was able to save their lives by having his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster partner]], [[Muzzle]], become the head of Playback's corpse, momentarily distracting Thunderwing with its scary zombieness. As soon as Muzzle jumped clear, the trio of Autobots fired at the corpse's fuel supply, causing a huge explosion which forced Thunderwing into retreat.'' {{storylink|The Big Shutdown!}}
{{--}}

====''Another Time & Place''====
[[File:TFAnnual1991rip.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Seeking to rebuild the Decepticon army, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] recovered [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron’s]] remains from the Ark’s second crash on Earth and brought him to [[Hydrus Four]] to be repaired and revived with [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. When the Autobots unexpectedly arrived to stop the Decepticons’ plans, Bludgeon unleashed the half-alive Megatron upon them, but he was quickly destroyed by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{--}}
=====''Regeneration One''=====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|They're not ''dead'' exactly, they're just sort of... rotting.]]
By [[2012]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] had used the knowledge gained from his mental link with Ratchet to reanimate a large number of Decepticon victims of the [[Underbase Saga]]. Not content with the idea of soldiers with the ability to rebel however, Megatron immediately proceeded to lobotomize the newly resurrected Transformers, destroying their higher brain functions while still retaining the ability to follow orders, although clumsily. The lobotomized Decepticons (who were also joined by resurrected and similarly lobotomized Autobots) sported crude metal clamps over their heads due to their surgeries, and were incapable of maintaining their own bodies as Megatron ruthlessly ravaged the Earth. Megatron subjugated [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] to the same treatment, although the Seeker was allowed to retain a small part of his consciousness as a punishment, unable to react to the horrors he experienced. When [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and the [[Wrecker]]s crashlanded on Earth in their escape pods, Megatron ordered his zombie army to track them down. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

After [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] brought in the unconscious Kup, Megatron used him as bait to lure in the other Wreckers then ordered the zombies to ambush them. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] shot down [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] disabled [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and Starscream almost killed [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], earning himself a rebuke from Megatron who was saving that pleasure for himself. However, within Starscream the spark of rebellion still burned and he was able to vocalize to Kup that in order to defeat Megatron he must kill [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}}

[[File:Wheeljack red alert smokescreen cosmos natural selection.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Heave ho!]]
The army of "Ex-Bots" charged into battle against the detachment of Autobots [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had brought with him from Cybertron, but when Ratchet, Megatron and [[Aunty|Auntie]] were more-or-less simultaneously taken out by Kup, Prime and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] respectively, the signal reanimating and controlling the zombies was shut off and they dropped to the ground, inactive. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] were tasked with gathering the fallen zombies and throwing them into a large pit where [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] could vaporise them from orbit to be sure. The only survivor was Starscream, thanks to the glimmer of consciousness Megatron had left him with. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}} As it turns out, Starscream was still very much alive, and Megatron had merely repressed all but that little glimmer of consciousness with mental blocks—blocks that were loosened by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], whom Megatron had plugged into the Ark in order to gain control of Auntie. With Megatron and Auntie gone, Shockwave was able to remove Starscream's blocks altogether, allowing the treacherous Decepticon's true personality (and voice) to return. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}
{{-}}

'''Known zombies:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]]
*[[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]]
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
*[[Grotusque]]
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]]
*[[Octane]]
*[[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
*[[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]
*[[Skalor]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]]
*[[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]
*[[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]]
}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
[[File:Zombiessparkofdarkness.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|I have only my knife! ''THERE WILL BE BLOOD!!!'']]
After the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Maximal]]s' takeover of the [[Grand Mal]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] were investigating the fields of [[spark]]less Transformer bodies when they were attacked by a zombie-like creature. A seemingly-invincible corpse battled them. Blackarachnia attempted to use her energo-web attacks, but it merely absorbed them. Until, finally, after Blackarachnia threw another corpse's power core at it, the zombie collapsed. A mysterious energy ball lifted from the zombie, and it disappeared through a grate in the ground.

The energy ball appeared next in the [[technorganic orchard]] that [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were tending, bringing life to a deactivated [[Cycle Drone]]. Botanica attempted to use her energy weapon powers against it, but like Blackarachnia's energo-webs, it merely absorbed her attack. After being expelled too from this body, it fled to the surface into a deactivated [[Aero Drone]], where it attacked [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]. Nightscream tried a different approach of "draining" the creature of its power, but it drained Nightscream's own power from him. The Maximals began to see a pattern in the zombies' attacks, and regrouped inside the Grand Mal, which seemed to be its target. Finally, Rattrap had an epiphany, realized what was going on, and captured the energy ball inside a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. The energy ball was actually the polarized spark of Megatron. Surprise! {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

====''Beast Wars Metals'' manga====
[[File:DevilGorilla-sk.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|He really shouldn't have taken that Aztec gold.]]
As [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s corpse floated in [[Earth]]'s orbit following his sacrifice at the hands of the [[Vok|aliens]]' [[Planet Buster]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] realized true strength was not only in numbers (fashioning himself an army of drones), but also in retrieving Primal's remains, reassembling it, and reanimating it as a zombie. Upon initial activation, the zombie asserted its dominance over Megatron's new army of drones.

Thankfully, before Megatron and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] could make the process permanent, the [[Maximal]]s showed up and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] injected Primal's [[Spark]] (which he had retrieved from [[unspace|transwarp space]]) into his old body. Thus ended the short career of Zombie Convoy. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
{{--}}

====''Beast Wars Reborn''====
As an amnesiac [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] moved through the temple they'd awoken in, reality shifted around them and they found themselves on a decayed world. They were soon swarmed by reanimated fallen robots who would only chant "spark" as they sought to consume the pair's life force, however the zombies were no match for the pair and were soon ripped apart. {{storylink|The Mysterious Temple in Space}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
[[File:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|''All the trees begin to moan'' ''And the monsters grunt and groan'' ''Rotting faces full of slime'' ''Don't you know it's terror time?'']]
[[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] had been marooned on a distant planet for quite some time when They started coming for him. They only came at night, when the suns would stop filtering through the planet's beautiful, indigenous crystals, creating such beautiful music... Kup could not allow Them to take the music away from him, and even though his buddy [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], the only other survivor of Kup's crew, refused to help him, Kup was able to beat back every single last one of Them every single night when they'd come for him.

What Kup didn't know is that they were not zombies, but [[Autobot]]s sent in to rescue him. The antique [[anti-rad armor]] they wore to protect themselves from the extreme radiation caused by the crystals also disguised their identities to Kup, who was suffering hallucinations at the hand of the radiation. Oops. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

A few years later, [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] found a strange mass of real zombies—human and robot—frozen together near an anomaly in space. He brought the mass aboard to study but when they thawed, the zombies attacked Galvatron's crew, infecting some of his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. Zombie leader [[Britt]], now in robotic form, used powers of suggestion to trick the Cybertronians into thinking she was a member of their crew named Bayonet, while she actually sabotaged the engines to take the ship to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} When Kup was infected by the zombie virus, Britt gained the knowledge of Cybertron's history and technology, which would let her send the virus back in time and infect Cybertron during its [[Golden Age]]. She was stopped when [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] took control of Kup's body and used her space-time portal to transport her, Kup and the entire zombie horde to the very beginning of the [[Dead Universe]] where there would be nothing to devour or infect. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

[[File:Ping-zombietitans.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Urban decay.]]

When the apparently-dead [[Fulcrum]] returned to life, the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] (naturally) assumed he was a zombie, before Fulcrum managed to persuade him otherwise. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

After millions of years in exile, the [[Titan Master]] [[Infinitus]] - disgusted by what Cybertron had become during his feigned death - used his abilities to awaken the hordes of dead [[Titan (group)|Titans]] that had been left to rust on [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], hoping to use the undead army to cleanse Cybertron and rebuild the planet from scratch. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} The colossal army of building-sized zombies met stiff resistance from Cybertron, with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] transforming to robot mode to fight off his undead brethren. {{storylink|Ping}} Though they succeeded in bringing down and temporarily disabling Metroplex, they were slaughtered to the last 'bot by the return of [[Vigilem]]. {{storylink|Rubicon}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
[[File:Siege-Ep5-Moonracer-murmurs-in-panic.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb|STAAAAAARS...]]
{{main|Sparkless}}
The Sparkless were mindless reanimated corpses who sought to revive themselves by taking the sparks of living Cybertronians and inhabited a valley in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] that contained the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] spotted and retrieved the Allspark, the Sparkless disintegrated into dust. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}
{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy===
====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
On one [[Halloween]] night, [[Rad White]] disguised himself as a zombie. {{storylink|Something Robotic This Way Comes}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[File:Zombiedarkscorponok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Kiiiickerrr...Kiiiicker... our Plaaanetts...]]
{{quote|The afflicted is driven by an insatiable desire to feed on the life energy of others. Nearly mindless, he will stop at nothing to feed. He ignores injury, knowing only hunger and pain. And the best part is that anyone off whom he feeds becomes just the same.|[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] tells [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] a heartwarming story|[[Balancing Act, Part 3]]"}}

Despite [[Unicron]]'s apparent death inside the [[Unicron Singularity]], his essence's will was still strong enough to use the reality-altering black hole to bring the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Now ''Dark'' Scorponok, this undead creature stalked the evacuated planet surface, screaming in hunger and pain, crying out for [[spark]]s upon which to feast. At first Dark Scorponok assaulted [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}} who survived due to his powerful forcefield ability, but the monster was drawn away by [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]]'s evil [[Mini-Con]] minions, towards the [[Kalis Primary Energon Reserves Control]], where [[Vector Prime]] and [[Sentinel Maximus]] were located. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 3}} After a prolonged fight, Sentinel Maximus was able to defeat Dark Scorponok, after which he and Vector Prime realized this was just a diversion. Leaving what was left of Dark Scorponok, unable to solve his affliction, their attentions were needed elsewhere, below the planet's surface. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 4}}

===Live-action film series===
====Titan movie comic====
[[File:ZombieConsTitan.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|''You hear the screeching of an owl'' ''You hear the wind begin to howl'' ''You know there's zombies on the prowl...'']]
Immediately after [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s death, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] appointed himself the commander of the Decepticons... who were all dead. Noticing the [[AllSpark Mutation|mechanical devices]] that the [[AllSpark]] had animated, Starscream tore the solidified AllSpark energy from them and used it to turn the Decepticon corpses into undead soldiers. Without any mental functions whatsoever, they simply walked forward and attempted to kill, and very nearly tore apart the weakened Autobots before [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] worked out how to stop them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 7|Starscream's Militia}}
{{-}}

===Fun Publications ''Shattered Glass''===
The [[Omega Terminus]] had the ability to revive corpses as zombies, as a defense mechanism. It did so when [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]], Cliffjumper and [[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]] stumbled on it. Fortunately, thanks to a handy flask of [[Scraplet]]s, the zombies were destroyed. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[File:Prowlspacebarnacles.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I'll swallow your SPARK!]]
[[Space barnacle]]s are parasitic life-forms that can be considered "zombie-inducing" in their quest for energy. Some of them attached themselves to the dead body of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and managed to reanimate it, evolving themselves into semi-awareness and later absorbing other machines. In this state, they shared with zombies the property to "infect" other robots by simple contact, turning them also into mindless drones, ready to spread the infection. ("Normal" space barnacles simply drain energy, but presumably do not take over Transformer minds.) [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] were finally cured from their contact with the creature when [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]] blasted the space barnacles off with hot [[water]]. {{storylink|Nature Calls}}
{{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{main|Terrorcon (Prime)}}
[[File:DarknessRising4-beholddarkenergon!.jpg|upright=1.8|left|thumb|Night of the Living Generics]]
[[Dark Energon]] had the power to bring [[Transformer]]s back to life as shambling creatures known as Terrorcons. [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] first used it as such on the deceased [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} Megatron used it to reanimate dead Transformers in a battlefield on [[Earth]] {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} and went on to use Dark Energon to reanimate Cybertron's dead, though these Terrorcons were all destroyed. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} The Decepticon [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] was also later revived as a Terrorcon. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s experiments combining [[Synthetic Energon]] and Dark Energon resulted in a more vampiric form of Terrorcon. {{storylink|Thirst}} [[Unicron/Aligned|Unicron]] raised an army of Terrorcons created from long-fallen [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===Prime VS The Zombie Cons===
{{main|Zombie Con}}
[[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] had to defend [[Phoenix (city)|Phoenix]], [[Arizona]] from a horde of rampaging [[Zombie Con]]s. {{storylink|Prime VS The Zombie Cons}}

==Toys==
===''Prime''===
[[File:Prime-toy CliffjumperTerrorconTakTom.jpg|thumb|250px]]
{{main|Terrorcon (Prime)#Toys}}
{{--}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:WFCT-toy SparklessSeeker.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|You know you're going to add him to your Seeker patrol and call him [[Skyquake (Prime)|something else.]]]]
{{main|Sparkless#Toys}}
{{-}}

==Honorable mentions==
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], while he was an animated unliving Transformer controlled by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and later [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]], was not strictly a zombie. He was not given life until after he was used as a mindless puppet by diabolical masters.
*[[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] is not a reanimated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] as was [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|commonly believed]] for some time.
*[[Dinobot II]], though he looked like an undead [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot I]], was more of a [[Frankenstein's monster]] than a zombie.
*[[Primeval Dawn]]'s "Zombie [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]", as referred to by some fans, did inhabit the reconfigured remains of his previous body. This seemed to be a full return to life, despite his new black-and-gray color scheme, rather than being undead.
*[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] was brought back to life after an ancient god toyed with his spark. Now he's an "incomplete" form of what he was before, in a state of both being and unbeing.
*''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], though brought back from the dead, was more ghostly than zombie-like. Even [[Aaron Archer]] referred to him as an "[[Energon]] ghost."
*''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] was kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark, despite his spark having been extinguished, making him a zombie of sorts.
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]], though he was also brought back from the dead, likewise wasn't very zombie-like; indeed, he even came back smarter (according to his on-package [[bio]]) and with his personality intact.
*[[Dead End (ROTF)|Dead End]] was a decomposing, bestial creature that cannibalised other Transformers, but was doing that to ''stave off'' death.
*Many of [[MECH]]'s [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|constructed]] and [[Breakdown (WFC)|reassembled]] [[Silas|Transformers]] have a rusted, heavily damaged appearance, but they are not undead.
*The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] of ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' behave like zombies in pretty much every respect (mindless horde turning every living thing they encounter into more Vehicons), without being actual zombies ''per se''.
*"[[The Dweller in the Depths]]" featured the equivalent of zombie plague (arguably a '''vampiric''' zombie plague), with those affected turning into mindless, shambling, hungry ghouls, and passing the condition on to any normal victims they could reach.
*The [[Hate Plague]] of "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]", by contrast, has a fair amount of overlap with the hate virus from ''28 Days Later'', and the contemporaneous Zack Snyder remake of ''Dawn of the Dead''.
*[[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]s are cannibalistic monsters who were once ordinary Cybertronians, but they are not truly dead and their condition can be cured.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Cybertron franchise]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce]]
[[Category:Zombies| ]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege]]

Death

2022-11-07T09:33:13Z

Chasd20: /* Destruction of brain */

{{disambig2|the end of life|the Horseman of Unicron|Airazor (Armada)}}
[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|upright=1.77|thumb|And lo, the children did weep. They wept hard too.]]
''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, [[Waspinator (BW)|crushed into cubes]], and even [[Demolishor (Armada)|utterly disintegrated]]. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[File:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]
There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.

However, over time there has been some convergence of concepts regarding Transformer design across the various franchises and storylines. The concept of Sparks as a Transformer's driving life force has become nearly universal, and with it, the notion that loss of Spark equals death. Various [[2005 IDW continuity]] comics, particularly ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'', have delved deeply into this, positing that a Transformer can die if their Spark, brain or (in a new and unique twist) transformation cog are sufficiently damaged, known as "[[Rossum's Trinity‎]]". MTMTE also makes note of the difficulties in killing a Transformer, and how things like decapitation may not be lethal in the right circumstances.

If one is so inclined, these concepts can be applied retroactively to many, if not all, older stories - so that various means of death described below can be seen simply as the means of inflicting the requisite damage on a Transformer's vital bits.

When a Transformer dies, the loss of their life force (or artistic convention, out here in the real world) often results in them turning gray. The most well-known example by far is Optimus Prime's death in the animated movie; Prowl can also be glimpsed turning gray as he falls during the shuttle assault. This idea has shown up in a few other places, such as [[Transform and Roll Out#Part 3|the ''Animated'' cartoon]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|the ''More Than Meets the Eye'' comics]], the latter of which [[Sardines|coined]] the term "[[aggressive depigmentation]]" to describe the phenomenon.
{{-}}

===Weaponsfire===
{{bigquote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]
[[File:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]
[[File:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]
[[File:Blades1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sorry, [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|nameless guy]], your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]
[[File:DreadwingdeathImage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You will pay for this, Megatron! Mark my words, you'll pay!]]
Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
*In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]]:
**Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], are victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl (whose tech specs show endurances of 9) both went down after ''one shot''.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**In the Japanese continuity, Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}
*In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
**[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] is cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]], who himself is then shot to pieces by the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
**[[Ferak]] is executed by a head shot from [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}
**[[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] is taken out by a shot through the chest from [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**Most deaths in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' book occur from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims explode spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], {{storylink|New Dawn}} and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
**[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage, but the episode gave a reason: Dinobot refuses to go into [[stasis lock]], which his onboard computer warns could "result in loss of Spark" if he keeps it up.
**[[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together - or at least, [[Waspinator (BW)|nobody who cared to]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:File:Crisis Optimus Prime dies.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis (Armada)|Crisis}}
*[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1]] comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is gunned down by [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}
*[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]: [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] is shot and killed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] during the final battle of the [[Universe War]].
*This happens a ''lot'' in the [[Movie continuity]]:
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both die from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**Arcee and Elita-One and possibly Chromia are killed by Decepticon fire.
**All the [[Appliancebot]]s are shot dead by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
**A crapload of [[Protoform]]s are shot down by [[NEST]] soldiers. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crowbar]] is shot in the face by Ironhide.
**[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is brought to his knees by a shot to the chest from a Decepticon protoform before [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] finishes him off by shooting him in the back. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] is killed by a massive onslaught of gunfire from [[Cemetery Wind]]. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally whittled down in a similar manner, until Lockdown comes and executes him. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
*Many goons during the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]] die from being shot. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron}}
*''Prime'' cartoon: [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] is killed by a shot through the chest by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'':
**[[Thunderhoof (BWU)|Thunderhoof]] is shot down by his former minions, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]]. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}
**[[Overshoot]] is shot in the chest by [[Vamp]] and bleeds out from the injury. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}
**[[Steel Jaw]] is killed by a stray shot. {{storylink|Derailment}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] leaps in front of a shot meant for Optimus Prime. While dialogue suggests he could have lived, he is not seen afterward as the lights in his optics fade out. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}
**In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X's]] reality, the tyrant shot his universe's Optimus Prime with his fusion cannon and subsequently seized the Matrix of Leadership for himself. {{storylink|The Other One}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon:
**[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] and [[Exhaust|Exhaust]] are shot by [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (Bug Bite in the chest and Exhaust in the head) and left adrift in space. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
**[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] is possibly killed by a shot from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], since he never appears again and one of the AllSpark ghosts uses his character model. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}} {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
* ''Last Bot Standing'': [[Sharpclaw]] dies after [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] shoots her in the back. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}
{{-}}

===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw98ARXfcqk You are dead, dead, DEAAD!]"]]
Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] is the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroys his body. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} However, in the UK continuity he survives as a raggedy, bodiless head. {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}
**In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] dies in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] is killed when a prototype [[pathblaster]] exploded in his face. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Finback]] is presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Octane]] may have been killed when he was fired upon while carrying highly explosive fuel. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
**[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] is blown to bits — terminally so — by the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
**[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] is killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]) are destroyed when part of their ship explodes with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*Energon: [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] is killed when Storm Jet causes a massive explosion that engulfed them both.
*''Prime'':
**[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] and the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s are blown up by a grenade attached by the Autobots. Both the Vehicons and Makeshift are killed in the blast. {{storylink|Con Job}} <ref>(According to an interview at [[BotCon 2011]] with the ''Prime'' show runners, Makeshift was deemed too overpowered to be a regular in the show, so they killed him off at the end of the episode.)</ref>
** [[Hardshell]] is killed by [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] when she fires two missiles at him, blowing him up. {{storylink|Hurt}}
*''Movie Continuty'':
**[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]], and several Decepticon Protoforms are killed by a human air strike in [[Egypt]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] blows up when Ironhide kicks him into a gas station. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] gets blown to bits when Bumblebee shoves his own missile into his chest and detonates it. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Scrapface|Scrapface]], and possibly [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] are caught in the explosion that destroys [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Razorbeast]] is dropped by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] into a mountain of raw energon crystals, which triggers an explosion that destroys him. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] attempted to force [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] to land the shuttle she was piloting, he accidentally sent her to her doom in a fiery crash. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] meets his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
** [[Doubledealer]] is shot, falls off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
** [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus]] gets knocked down a very big hole by [[Beak]] and dies. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] falls off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after a [[rail gun]] blows his arm apart. He tumbles back down the monument and collapses as he dies. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] is smashed to pieces and killed by being flung into a freeway column. {{storylink|Movie Adaptation issue 4|Movie Adaptation Issue Number Four}}
**[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]] meets his end when [[Dino]] sends him crashing into a car. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] falls off a cliff and shatters. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'':
**[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] crash-lands after [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] punches out vital components in his [[alternate mode]], reducing his body to a partially transformed scrapheap. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}
**One of two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] thrown off the ''[[Trypticon_(WFC)|Nemesis]]'' by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] to pursue [[Smokescreen_(Prime)|Smokescreen]] ends up falling to his death due to lacking a jet mode. {{storylink|Inside Job}}
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'': [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] met his end when he fell off a cliff and slowly bled out. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Disassembly===
[[File:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]
Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts - or ripping them to pieces - can occasionally kill them:
*Marvel comics:
**[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] meets this fate in an alternate future, when [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] uses a [[repair spider]] to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**A future version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] may have been killed when a group of Decepticons mobbed him and ripped him up. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
[[File:DOTM-Shockwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''That's'' for screwing up our continuity!]]
*Movie continuity:
** [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] kills [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by ripping him in half. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**The Wreckers gang up on a Decepticon pilot and tear him apart.
**Optimus tears [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]'s optic from his damaged head. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] gets torn apart by a chain wielded by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] is torn apart and killed while making a final stand against a mass of generic Decepticons. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
**[[Atomizer]] died when [[Getaway]] tore him apart. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
*''Prime'' cartoon:
**When fighting [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[zombie]] army, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] recommends dissection to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] to "cut" them down to size. How this is more effective then just blasting the living slag out of them is still up for debate. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] manages to offline [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] by tearing him limb from limb, leaving only a pile of mutilated body parts in her wake. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] is dismembered by the [[Sparkless]] before dying in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6|Episode 6}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] winds up being dismembered by [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

====Bifurcation====
[[File:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|"Shakkooosh!" is good, but I could really go for a good old-fashioned "CHUK" right about now.]]
{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}
A particular subset of disassembly, getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
*Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
*Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
*''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur is killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two.
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] dies when Bumblebee yanks his spine out, tearing him apart.
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] slices [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]] in half at the chest but Mixmaster survived this. Getting his skull stomped off, not so much. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] meets his end in this manner courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] gets vertically bisected by Dropkick. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War For Cybertron'': In the opening, a Decepticon goon is chopped in half by Optimus Prime.
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Ambulon]] is chainsawed in half ''vertically'' by [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} ([[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] specifically noted that ''horizontal'' bifurcation would be survivable - indeed, not much later, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] would be quite active after being ripped apart at the waist by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5}})
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] later briefly survives being torn in half by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} before succumbing to his wounds. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
*When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, it tore [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in half, lengthways. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Crushing===
[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|DO NOT WANT]]
Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] is smashed between [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] meet a similar fate when Unicron steps on them. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
**[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
**[[Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power of Unicron}}
**His brother [[Six Shot (Energon)|Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}
[[File:ROTF Scorponok death.jpg|thumb|]]
*IDW continuity:
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] is killed when a group of [[human]] police officers set fire to a building and let it collapse on him, crushing him.
**The luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] dies after [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] stomps on him repeatedly, causing enough damage that his Spark falls out.
*Movie continuity:
**[[Dispensor]] is crushed under [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s foot. {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}}
**[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]'s head is crushed by [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]]'s ''bare fist''. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Shatter]] is crushed by a tanker ship that crashes into a dock. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Vex]] and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] by crushing their heads, using his bare feet for the former and a really big rock for the latter. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] is crushed underfoot by [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 3}}

===Melting===
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]
[[File:Fallout title.jpg|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]
They're made of [[living metal|metal]]; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few, if any, have survived it.
*In the G1 cartoon:
**An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
**Another acid vat is used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comics:
**Victims of the Decepticon [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron are reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
**It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently dies. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] use some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
*In the Beast Era cartoons:
**[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] are apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
**Optimus Primal's body is seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*According to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the [[living metal]] that constitutes Cybertronian biology can be broken down using a cocktail of complicated polymers such as [[w:polyhydroxybutyrate|polyhydroxybutyrate]]; the process — one assumes — proving fatal to the Transformer in question. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon: [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]] is implied to have been melted by toxic Energon waste, as [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] barely survived the experience. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron III}} {{storylink|The Dead End}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Blurr is tricked by [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] into running straight into a flow of molten metal, which melts him into a statue-like state. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

===Disintegration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|thumb|"Ironhide, I don't feel so good..."]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as [[ghost]]s and/or disembodied sparks:
*Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
**[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
**[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding [[energon grid]], but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
**[[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
**And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
**Megatron was disintegrated ''again'', {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}} before he returned to life thanks to unholy powers of the [[Armor of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} After being stabbed through the Spark by [[Rhisling]], his body disintegrated as he passed on into the next life. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*[[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] causes a Transformer's body to disintegrate to nothing:
**The [[Thirteenth Legion]] died of Cosmic Rust. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
**[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] dies after several shots from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]]'s Cosmic Rust Blaster, though the big hole they left in his torso couldn't have helped much either. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**Exposure to even a single [[Nervous bot|carrier]] of the disease has been known to wipe out entire planets. [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] was one of its victims, along with the rest of [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], [[magic]] is one of the few things that can reliably wound or kill a Transformer; the energies unleashed are anathema to mechanical life, and Transformers exposed to such power soon begin to crumble and die. Casualties of this method include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] {{storylink|Schismatic}} and [[Quickswitch]]. {{storylink|Good Men}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[File:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[File:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]
[[File:TFTM Unicron Digestion.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Getting eaten is essentially being torn apart, crushed, and melted all in a row, and it's usually fatal. Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots:
*In the G1 cartoon:
**Various life forms are routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. These include [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comic:
**[[Scraplet]]s are a mechanical disease - tiny robots that fed on Transformers. A hapless freighter pilot dies after being infected, and quite a few other 'bots only narrowly survived being infected. {{storylink|Crater Critters}}
**[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] being torn apart by and dragged into the [[Time rift|time rift]] could be classified as consumption. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**The [[Mecannibal]]s eat robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they can actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
**Unicron skewers [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and eats him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devour [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The Swarm "devours" innumerable Cybertronians and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this is through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*The Sharkticons kill two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*[[Flanker]] is eaten up and killed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|"Deluxe" Insecticons]].
*In the live-action films:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and [[Scorn]] eat various [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] and at least one [[KSI Boss]] {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**Grimlock also made a snack out of [[Dreadbot]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Ahhhh, there we go...]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
*In the Marvel comics:
**The Megatron clone kills Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
**Several of the Wreckers are destroyed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] has his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}} are particularly notable examples. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] LOVES doing this.
**Decapitation is a mere inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroys most of his head, proves fatal.
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is decapitated in the third movie. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s heads fall off when they die, possibly to add finality to their demises. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] met his end after losing his head to [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]]'s sword. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
*2005 IDW continuity: The heads of [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]] are removed and then mockingly put on display to creep out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}
*In the Aligned continuity, Vehicons and Insecticons are frequently murdered by decapitation.
*2019 IDW continuity: [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] loses his head and his spark to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|Prisoners}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] is decapitated by Goldbug when attempting to infiltrate his fortress. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 4}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] dies when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] rips his head off. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 1}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}
[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Roadbuster has spiders on the brain.]]
In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually modified to incorporate the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
*In the Marvel comics:
**In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}
**[[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]] has his head crushed under a large rock when the Autobots raid [[Hydrus Four]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
*Movie continuity:
**Optimus rips Grindor's head apart with two hooks. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], and [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s heads are blown to bits by explosives or other weapons.
**Optimus Prime kills Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the head with Megatron's shotgun. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Nitro Zeus]] dies when his head gets blown off by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
[[File:DOTM-Soundwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|How exactly is [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] supposed to download his brain when there's no brain left?]]
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the brain module is part of [[Rossum's Trinity]] and its destruction will cause the destruction of both the spark and the [[transformation cog]], killing the Cybertronian in question:
**[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] blasts [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] right in the head, destroying his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**Impactor kills [[Snare]] by crushing his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Squadron X]] are all shot in the head. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**In the [[Functionist Universe]], every Cybertronian possesses an [[obsolescence chip]] that can be remotely detonated, destroying their heads. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and all other Cybertronians with [[data slug]] alt-modes are killed in a [[mass recall]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] dies when [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] smashes his brain module against his own forcefield. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
**[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] uses his [[size changing]] powers to blow open [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s head from the inside out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Oiler]] has his head sliced in two by a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}
**Kup exploits [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]'s "secret weakness" to defeat him... shooting him in the head and blowing his cranium to bits. (Kup points out that it's most people's secret weakness.) {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}
**[[Adaptus]] met his end when [[Solomus]] drilled directly into his brain. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The [[Resistance]] use a device to short-circuit the remnants of [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]'s consciousness, frying the [[Cyberdroid]]s that contain his tripartite brain. {{storylink|Head Games}}
*''Last Bot Standing'':
**[[Moon (BW)|Moon]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] are both impaled through their heads with a girder, most likely destroying their brain modules in the process. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] by blasting him in the head. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}
[[File:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]
Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
*In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage is killed when Depth Charge pierces his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] dies when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rams his [[sword]] right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
*''Energon'': [[Constructicon Maximus]] dies when [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] impales and crushes his spark.
*''Cybertron'': [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Galvatron]] dies when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] impales him with [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}
**Optimus Prime dies when Megatron stabs him through the chest with his death-lock pincer, followed by a blast from his fusion cannon through the spark chamber. [[The Fallen]] also meets his end when a resurrected Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*''Cyberverse'': [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] is killed when [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]] stabs her in the back through her spark. {{storylink|Parley}}

That's not the only way to destroy a spark either:

*''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] — already reduced to a spark within the matrix — ceases to be when Megatron annihilates his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] has modified his vocal processor so that he can get his voice into synch with a spark's pulse and then get it to stop. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}
**The [[universal killswitch]] built by Chief Justice Tyrest worked by scrambling the Matrix derived sparkcode shared by every constructed cold spark.
**Sentinel Prime wanted Sovereign to power up by eating [[Outrigger]]'s spark, a power shared by the [[Titan Master]]s. This would have killed the [[Circle of Light]] member. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The Vehicons destroy the sparks of those they inject with a nano-virus. The victim is simultaneously turned into another Vehicon in the process.

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}
[[File:Jetstorm with extractor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lost, stolen, whatever...]]
Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/AllSpark/another dimension.
*When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this continuity. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead", due to the fact that the sparks were forcibly removed with a [[spark extractor]].
*''Animated'' cartoon: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[The Fallen]] dies when Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Lockdown executes a wounded Ratchet by removing his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**In ''Cyberverse''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season, this is [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream's]] ultimate goal, planning to use the [[AllSpark]] to rip the sparks from every Transformer and bring peace through genocide. He succeeds in doing this to his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] followers before he is ultimately thwarted. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}}
**Shockwave uses a spark extractor to zap his spark into the Allspark and corrupt it. A few minutes later, [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] uses the same device to do the same and counteract Shockwave's deeds. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron IV}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Starscream is killed when Goldbug tears out his spark. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Skold]] kills Terrorsaur by tearing out his spark, avenging Razorbeast. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}
[[File:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[File:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]
The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in {{w|Water intoxication|a horrible death}}. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
*In the Marvel comics:
**An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughters dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star}} which reportedly burn out millions of their [[microchip]]s. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers are seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
**Starscream himself dies when he absorbs all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] is apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect is more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] dies from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoves the [[AllSpark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]] does the same thing with the Allspark shard with Megatron {{storylink|Transformers: The Ride – 3D}}
*''Transformers Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] gets caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
*Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] dies from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
*''Cybertron'' cartoon [[Vector Prime]] dies after he helps the crew to time travel. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}
*Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): Scorponok is killed when a zombified Terrorsaur drains his energon. {{storylink|The Beginning of the End}}

===Disease===
You may think giant robots couldn't have diseases but it turns out they can!

*Marvel comics: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] contracts [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease where your body is consumed by rust as your metal breaks down at the molecular level. Only a systems boost from a compatible donor could save Snarl {{storylink|Assassins}} but the disease came back anyway. The best cure is to store a Transformer's brain in remote storage and build a whole new body. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] engineers the [[Red Rust]] virus: spread by touch and triggered by transforming, it causes all the coolants, dispersants and anti-rusting agents in a Transformer to cross-contaminate and cause a molecular breakdown. The first sign is when the Transformer starts "crying" the fuel out. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Most of [[Delphi]] was killed. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}
*And of course, there's the aforementioned [[Scraplet]]s, [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]], and the similarly named Rust Plague.

===Aging===
{{quote|Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

While many characters are portrayed as being old, dying of old age is almost unheard of in Transformers.

*In Transformers UK, it is implied Transformers have long, but not endless life spans. In Kup's story, Kup says that he was put on a spaceship to live out his "remaining years" alone. In another story, Goldbug says that he may never understand humans, even if he lives to be 2 million.
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, Ratchet notes that the process of a Cybertronian aging to death (also referred to as age-related burnout) is a relatively recent discovery. He also notes that many, both spiritual and scientific, still refused to "give up on this-this very seductive idea that we're immortal". [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] had been diagnosed with [[cybercrosis]], a fatal condition that has been around since before [[Nova Prime]]'s era but which Ratchet believes in this case was brought about by a combination of the radiation Tailgate had been exposed to upon [[Vector Sigma]]'s re-ignition in addition to his old age. Far in the future, Ratchet himself would succumb to age-related burnout.
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'': Although it takes eons, all Transformers eventually die of old age after being disconnected from the life-giving powers of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

==Suicide==
{{quote|Do you realize how '''hard''' it is for a Cybertronian to die by his own hand? You can jump off a building, blow yourself up, cut off your own head - and you might still survive.|Chromedome, [[Before & After]]}}
Sometimes a Transformer kills themself for some reason, or tries to.
*Marvel comics: Dirge and Nightbeat, rather than be eaten by the Swarm, self-destruct. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*''Beast Wars'':
**Transformers can deliberately override the stasis lock protocols, even if this will result in death. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
**In the final battles, Depth Charge allows himself to be blown up, killing Rampage. Rampage laughs maniacally as he detonates, suggesting that he was deliberately trying to die. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}. [[Dinobot II]] let himself go down with the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Energon'': Galvatron, Starscream, and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] throw themselves into a sun and vaporize themselves. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] and Demolishor may have also done this.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': Jetfire rips out his entire spark housing for Optimus Prime to have enough power to kill The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**A [[NAIL protester]] kills himself by repeatedly transforming until his [[transformation cog]] burns out. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
**[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] alludes to a desire to find his [[Axalon (BW)|old spaceship]] so that he can die there. How exactly he plans to do this is never expounded on. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave, {{storylink|The Last Stand}} who later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
*The crew of the original [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
*Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[File:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]
{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}
Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
*Marvel comic:
**Optimus Prime is able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separates it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] is abruptly decapitated by sword, but is just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
*G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime is disassembled into his component parts, but functions just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connects a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times, {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and even puts it back on himself one time. He even accidentally swaps heads with Megatron once, much to the latter's annoyance. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}} And let's not even get started on how many times [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has lost his head.
[[File:TLK-Mohawk demise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Looks like ''Animated's'' non-fatal decapitation practice is catching up to the rest of the [[Multiverse]].]]
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] is just fine when one of the Reapers whacks his head off. (He doesn't fare so well when another Reaper crushes his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s head is removed in an apparent suicide attempt; he survived because he was put back together in time, before his Spark had faded out. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}
*Movie Continuity:
** Frenzy survives his first decapitation by [[Mikaela Banes]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness survives his decapitation in the Chicago battle, even after having an axe lodged right into his processor. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Mohawk]] had himself blown up by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], yet his head remained functional, and he himself continued to speak. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Dismemberment===
{{quote|MY ARM!!!|Starscream, ''Revenge of the Fallen''}}
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
*Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
*''Last Stand of the Wreckers'': [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] is torn in half by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and is easily repaired. The same also happens to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]].
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': During a fierce battle, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] not only cuts off [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]'s arm with an Energon blade, but he rips off [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s arm with his bare hands, and proceeded to ''beat him with it''.

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
*The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spend quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}
*In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
**Megatron de-sparks most of Cybertron's population and stores their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
**Blackarachnia's spark wanders around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
**Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wanders the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the spark, like the other two parts of Rossum's Trinity, can be safely removed and stored with the proper medical equipment.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
*Marvel comics:
**The [[trans-time dimensional portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
**Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
*2005 IDW comics: Megatron severely damages Optimus Prime in battle and plans on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigns death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly enters [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|[[Klementia|A random Quintesson]], "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

*Generation 1 cartoon:
**Optimus Prime is simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he's alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
**Ultra Magnus's death is undone after his limbs were reconnected to each other. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Marvel comics: Optimus Prime's mind gets encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents are loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lives again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness manipulates [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] into building him a new body, which he subsequently infects. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal is restored to life when Rhinox manages to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: various Vehicon generals are brought to life by placing other Transformer's sparks into them.
*''Armada'' cartoon: Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requiem Blaster {{storylink|Sacrifice}} but his spark survived and is put into a new body. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both have their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survive, and are placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]] is placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chooses to let his life end, and expires anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] gets brought back to life after spending five hundred years as a spark fragment in an Energon flower by being transplanted into a snowflake of [[Living metal#2005 IDW continuity|''sentio metallico'']], which results in her being reborn as a [[protoform]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

==="Magical" substances===
*Marvel comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon bring many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron is revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is portrayed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A real man never dies, even when he's killed!]]
*In the Marvel comics:
**The [[Last Autobot]] is granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he uses to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
**Optimus Prime is eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**The AllSpark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, Bumblebee temporarily gets his voice back, {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Sentinel Prime is revived after crash landing on the moon by the Matrix of Leadership, courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s body is destroyed, but the AllSpark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] is resurrected when he and his gestaltmates are combined and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brings [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infuses him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
*Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
*Starscream survives his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He is eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
*[[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] were immortal, existing in multiple dimensions simultaneously as extensions of the same being across different dimensions (reverse-time dimensions, for example, are key to revival of the singularities). Multiversal singularities ceased to exist with the coming of the [[Shroud]], nullifying this concept.
*''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] cannot be killed so long as he retains his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead. Whether or not this ability extends to other AllSpark creations is unknown.
*Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] can essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them. This ability appears to no longer apply, post-[[Expansion]], except when in direct proximity to the Dead Universe.
*Thunderwing's Pretender shell makes him nearly invincible. At the very least, he is able to withstand incredible amounts of salvo and not even flinch.
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason. It's probably because if he died, the universe wouldn't be able to inflict pain on him anymore.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfistaneurism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I told you I was ill.]]
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] spends much of [[Simon Furman]]'s Marvel US run conflicted and doubting himself, and under the weight of his pre-Headmaster self's reputation. He finally gets past this and takes the fight to Unicron, dying in the process, his last words asking Optimus if he'd done good. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*Sunstreaker's death in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' was intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
*Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, is more a moment of dramatic pathos — knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' is his main plot arc, quietly built up in the background since the first issue.

===Consequences of war===
[[File:Bulkhead Eradicon Darkness Rising 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His special large intestine! There's only one like it!]]
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
*Impactor's death is used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
*The ''Generation 2'' book features several deaths which drive home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction serves to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
*Pretty much every death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' comes under this.
*[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]], [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] and [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] are all killed in their first ''Prime'' episodes, due to just plain bad luck in the first three cases and because of a deliberate Autobot killing in Makeshift's. The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are presented as sentient ''and'' as being killed by Autobots in large numbers. [[Jeff Kline]] famously said at the advent of ''Prime'' that all deaths would be final. While the rule applied to the majority of the series, it was happily ignored when it came time for the deaths of [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who were all revived almost immediately after death (admittedly it took until the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|follow-up series]] to revive Optimus a second time, but let's face it, we're used to that by this point).
*In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]]'s reality, the Autobots lost the war and all of them probably died.{{storylink|The Other One}}

===Increased threat===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-whycouldntyou.jpg|upright=2.0|thumb]]
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
*The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
*Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
*In "[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!
*Cliffjumper in ''Prime'' is set up as a main character and then killed in five minutes, immediately putting the ''Prime'' Decepticons forward as a major threat.
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally hunted down and killed early into ''Age of Extinction'' by [[Cemetery Wind]] and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], to show what has befallen the majority of the Cybertronians on Earth (and the old cast from the first three films) and what will happen if the survivors are caught.
*''Transformers: Unicron'' begins with Unicron already having noshed on [[Velocitron]], which had previously appeared a few times in that continuity's works while never exactly being a major focus, and soon the [[Space Knight]]s find the corpse of Cliffjumper, whose last major appearance had been a good four years prior, but then Wheeljack, who has been a main character in the last few years, dies as well, proving the situation is now beyond serious. Also, several named Space Knights from Rom's own series die, but they're nasty, bigoted jerks so nobody feels bad when they snuff it.

===Cast thinning===
Generation 1 stories were particularly notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they rolled on, because of the franchise's longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle.

*Examples are rife in the Marvel comics:
**The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline gets rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
**The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly clears out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
**The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' does this on a smaller basis. While only a handful of characters were actually killed off, many more cast members simply disappeared without explanation in the following season of the cartoon.
*[[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] deals with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

More recent stories - particularly those without the overriding imperative [[to sell toys]], such as the G1 IDW comics - have accepted that not every character must be constantly accounted for at all times or roll-called every issue, allowing larger casts to simply exist in the background until needed. Another alternative, particularly visible in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, is to give new bodies (based on corresponding new toys, of course) to existing characters, allowing them to continue promoting new toys across multiple seasons of the show.

===Character motivation===
[[File:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|"How are we going to SHEEEAGH together if he's dead?!"]]

A quick and easy way to create enmity between characters is for the antagonist to kill someone close to the protagonist.

*In Marvel’s comics, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is motivated by his guilt over being unable to participate in Operation: Volcano and prevent Impactor’s death. {{storylink|Under Fire!}}
*Also in Marvel's comics, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s revenge plot against the new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] is motivated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s murder of [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*In ''Energon'', [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber ''nee'' Dagger]] swears revenge on [[Shockblast]] after the murder of his partner, [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]]. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}} He then forgets to care about Shockblast later but, y'know, ''Energon'' story.
*In ''Prime'', [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee's]] conflict is down to Airachnid's murder of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|Predatory}} She keeps throwing this in Arcee's face.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|(They also cease to appear on store shelves.)]]
Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
*The numerous casualties of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' are fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
*Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed — quickly — to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
*Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!
{{-}}

==Fleshling death==
{{quote|"The humans' spark is fragile." "WHAT?! Impossible! Their spark's not eternal?" "One life. That's ''all'' they've got." "Bahh. Then they really ''are'' poorly designed."|[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|"[[Energon Grid (episode)|Energon Grid]]"|noquote=true}}

In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[File:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|One dead dog]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Two dead dogs]]
Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
*A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barks at [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and is kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
*The "[[Battle Dog]]" is shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] reminds [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
*The dog-like [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] is shot at by [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
*A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally causes an avalanche which kills his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] eats an eagle. {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] eats a cute little rat, {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}} and nearly eats an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] knocks a [[saber-toothed cat|saber-toothed tiger]] off a cliff, presumably killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] uses [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider, effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new-born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
*Human villain [[Trophy White]] has a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}
*[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] takes potshots at a vulture for fun in Africa. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] killed a friggin' elephant in Africa. (In [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|the adaptation]], at least.)
{{-}}

===Human death===
[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This didn't happen much.]]
*Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
*Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
*In ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', after his revival on Earth, Megatron manages to gain control of Earth's nuclear arsenal and uses it to push humanity to the brink of extinction. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} During that conflict, Megatron has some fun terrorizing the population with his army of zombie Decepticons. [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tracks down and killed [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jesse (G1)|Jessie]] Witwicky in a car wash; had he had his full faculties, he might have [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|appreciated the irony]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}
*In almost every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed. And then ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' showed up.
**A human is shown slumped against a wall in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]", a victim of Soundwave, though it isn't clear whether he was dead or merely unconscious.[[File:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|They'll, uh, be okay, maybe.]]
**When [[MECH|human terrorists]] are featured, they will often die. Piloted or driven vehicles explode and enemies are implied to be crushed. "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]" is the first of numerous examples.
**When Nemesis Prime attacks a military base in his [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|self-titled episode]], it's likely his rampage cost the lives of numerous soldiers.
**When the military attacked [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], its fusion cannons devastate the entire force, presumably killing them all.
**[[Silas|Cylas]] is the first human to die on-screen in Western Transformers animation, but not before thanking [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] for finally freeing him of his gruesome existence.
*Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding showing, only mentioning, human death.
*Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
*The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
*[[2005 IDW continuity]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
*The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000 (don't even ''think'' about it), and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]], though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]]. Then of course we get to ''Dark of the Moon'', which has Decepticons laying siege to [[Chicago]], killing most of its citizens, including several being shot and exploding and disintegrating into just skulls ''directly in front of the camera''. That's not even mentioning [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], whose job it is to assassinate civilians, even if it means befriending their children to do it. Twisted.
**[[Dylan Gould]] is killed when he was shoved into [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime's]] space bridge generator, but given he was a villain it's not so much of a concern. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Sam Witwicky]] was killed by Megatron but brought back to life by the Primes.
**[[Lucas Flannery]], in a bit of karmic retribution (for having tipped off [[Cemetery Wind]] to Optimus' location against Cade's wishes), gets fried by one of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]'s grenades and his mangled corpse is converted into ''[[Living metal#Live-action film series|Transformium]]''. [[James Savoy]] says his sister was a casualty of the Battle of Chicago, which he uses as an excuse to sadistically hunt and kill Autobots and their sympathizers. He ends up getting knocked out of a very high window by [[Cade Yeager]] for attempting to kill his family. Later, his boss, [[Harold Attinger]], is brutally gunned down by Optimus Prime when he tries to kill Cade for sympathizing with the Autobots. Additionally, [[Joshua Joyce]] tries to scramble paramedics to the scene of Galvatron's rampage (much to Attinger's disgust), believing people were killed. And then there's the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]] stomping through the densely crowded streets of Hong Kong. They certainly killed more people than Decepticons!
**[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s arrival to Earth was predicted to cause tens of millions of human casualties. When its continents began reconnecting, the human news reported they were literally scraping away major cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and projected to kill millions.
**''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' introduces a new method of human death: liquification. [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] uses a special gun that performs this feat on [[Roy (BB)|some random guy]] and later [[Dr. Powell]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue #10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. Sam Witwicky, meanwhile, was stated to have died.
*Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opens fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people is seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}
*In ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'', several [[Kiss Player]]s were seen being devoured by Legions.
{{-}}

==Characters who die a lot==
*[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] — [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|quite]] [[Starscream (Movie)|a]] [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|lot]].
*[[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who also [[:File:Unicron1-RampageKillsDirge.jpg|gets]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
*[[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]] — a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently, for no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:File:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:File:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].

==See also==
*[[Transformer funerary practices]]
*[[To sell toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Death

2022-11-07T09:30:25Z

Chasd20: /* Weaponsfire */

{{disambig2|the end of life|the Horseman of Unicron|Airazor (Armada)}}
[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|upright=1.77|thumb|And lo, the children did weep. They wept hard too.]]
''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, [[Waspinator (BW)|crushed into cubes]], and even [[Demolishor (Armada)|utterly disintegrated]]. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[File:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]
There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.

However, over time there has been some convergence of concepts regarding Transformer design across the various franchises and storylines. The concept of Sparks as a Transformer's driving life force has become nearly universal, and with it, the notion that loss of Spark equals death. Various [[2005 IDW continuity]] comics, particularly ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'', have delved deeply into this, positing that a Transformer can die if their Spark, brain or (in a new and unique twist) transformation cog are sufficiently damaged, known as "[[Rossum's Trinity‎]]". MTMTE also makes note of the difficulties in killing a Transformer, and how things like decapitation may not be lethal in the right circumstances.

If one is so inclined, these concepts can be applied retroactively to many, if not all, older stories - so that various means of death described below can be seen simply as the means of inflicting the requisite damage on a Transformer's vital bits.

When a Transformer dies, the loss of their life force (or artistic convention, out here in the real world) often results in them turning gray. The most well-known example by far is Optimus Prime's death in the animated movie; Prowl can also be glimpsed turning gray as he falls during the shuttle assault. This idea has shown up in a few other places, such as [[Transform and Roll Out#Part 3|the ''Animated'' cartoon]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|the ''More Than Meets the Eye'' comics]], the latter of which [[Sardines|coined]] the term "[[aggressive depigmentation]]" to describe the phenomenon.
{{-}}

===Weaponsfire===
{{bigquote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]
[[File:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]
[[File:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]
[[File:Blades1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sorry, [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|nameless guy]], your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]
[[File:DreadwingdeathImage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You will pay for this, Megatron! Mark my words, you'll pay!]]
Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
*In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]]:
**Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], are victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl (whose tech specs show endurances of 9) both went down after ''one shot''.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**In the Japanese continuity, Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}
*In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
**[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] is cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]], who himself is then shot to pieces by the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
**[[Ferak]] is executed by a head shot from [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}
**[[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] is taken out by a shot through the chest from [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**Most deaths in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' book occur from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims explode spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], {{storylink|New Dawn}} and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
**[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage, but the episode gave a reason: Dinobot refuses to go into [[stasis lock]], which his onboard computer warns could "result in loss of Spark" if he keeps it up.
**[[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together - or at least, [[Waspinator (BW)|nobody who cared to]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:File:Crisis Optimus Prime dies.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis (Armada)|Crisis}}
*[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1]] comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is gunned down by [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}
*[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]: [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] is shot and killed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] during the final battle of the [[Universe War]].
*This happens a ''lot'' in the [[Movie continuity]]:
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both die from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**Arcee and Elita-One and possibly Chromia are killed by Decepticon fire.
**All the [[Appliancebot]]s are shot dead by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
**A crapload of [[Protoform]]s are shot down by [[NEST]] soldiers. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crowbar]] is shot in the face by Ironhide.
**[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is brought to his knees by a shot to the chest from a Decepticon protoform before [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] finishes him off by shooting him in the back. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] is killed by a massive onslaught of gunfire from [[Cemetery Wind]]. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally whittled down in a similar manner, until Lockdown comes and executes him. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
*Many goons during the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]] die from being shot. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron}}
*''Prime'' cartoon: [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] is killed by a shot through the chest by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'':
**[[Thunderhoof (BWU)|Thunderhoof]] is shot down by his former minions, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]]. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}
**[[Overshoot]] is shot in the chest by [[Vamp]] and bleeds out from the injury. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}
**[[Steel Jaw]] is killed by a stray shot. {{storylink|Derailment}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] leaps in front of a shot meant for Optimus Prime. While dialogue suggests he could have lived, he is not seen afterward as the lights in his optics fade out. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}
**In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X's]] reality, the tyrant shot his universe's Optimus Prime with his fusion cannon and subsequently seized the Matrix of Leadership for himself. {{storylink|The Other One}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon:
**[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] and [[Exhaust|Exhaust]] are shot by [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (Bug Bite in the chest and Exhaust in the head) and left adrift in space. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
**[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] is possibly killed by a shot from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], since he never appears again and one of the AllSpark ghosts uses his character model. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}} {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
* ''Last Bot Standing'': [[Sharpclaw]] dies after [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] shoots her in the back. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}
{{-}}

===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw98ARXfcqk You are dead, dead, DEAAD!]"]]
Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] is the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroys his body. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} However, in the UK continuity he survives as a raggedy, bodiless head. {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}
**In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] dies in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] is killed when a prototype [[pathblaster]] exploded in his face. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Finback]] is presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Octane]] may have been killed when he was fired upon while carrying highly explosive fuel. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
**[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] is blown to bits — terminally so — by the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
**[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] is killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]) are destroyed when part of their ship explodes with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*Energon: [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] is killed when Storm Jet causes a massive explosion that engulfed them both.
*''Prime'':
**[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] and the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s are blown up by a grenade attached by the Autobots. Both the Vehicons and Makeshift are killed in the blast. {{storylink|Con Job}} <ref>(According to an interview at [[BotCon 2011]] with the ''Prime'' show runners, Makeshift was deemed too overpowered to be a regular in the show, so they killed him off at the end of the episode.)</ref>
** [[Hardshell]] is killed by [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] when she fires two missiles at him, blowing him up. {{storylink|Hurt}}
*''Movie Continuty'':
**[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]], and several Decepticon Protoforms are killed by a human air strike in [[Egypt]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] blows up when Ironhide kicks him into a gas station. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] gets blown to bits when Bumblebee shoves his own missile into his chest and detonates it. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Scrapface|Scrapface]], and possibly [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] are caught in the explosion that destroys [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Razorbeast]] is dropped by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] into a mountain of raw energon crystals, which triggers an explosion that destroys him. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] attempted to force [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] to land the shuttle she was piloting, he accidentally sent her to her doom in a fiery crash. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] meets his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
** [[Doubledealer]] is shot, falls off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
** [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus]] gets knocked down a very big hole by [[Beak]] and dies. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] falls off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after a [[rail gun]] blows his arm apart. He tumbles back down the monument and collapses as he dies. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] is smashed to pieces and killed by being flung into a freeway column. {{storylink|Movie Adaptation issue 4|Movie Adaptation Issue Number Four}}
**[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]] meets his end when [[Dino]] sends him crashing into a car. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] falls off a cliff and shatters. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'':
**[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] crash-lands after [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] punches out vital components in his [[alternate mode]], reducing his body to a partially transformed scrapheap. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}
**One of two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] thrown off the ''[[Trypticon_(WFC)|Nemesis]]'' by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] to pursue [[Smokescreen_(Prime)|Smokescreen]] ends up falling to his death due to lacking a jet mode. {{storylink|Inside Job}}
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'': [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] met his end when he fell off a cliff and slowly bled out. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Disassembly===
[[File:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]
Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts - or ripping them to pieces - can occasionally kill them:
*Marvel comics:
**[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] meets this fate in an alternate future, when [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] uses a [[repair spider]] to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**A future version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] may have been killed when a group of Decepticons mobbed him and ripped him up. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
[[File:DOTM-Shockwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''That's'' for screwing up our continuity!]]
*Movie continuity:
** [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] kills [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by ripping him in half. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**The Wreckers gang up on a Decepticon pilot and tear him apart.
**Optimus tears [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]'s optic from his damaged head. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] gets torn apart by a chain wielded by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] is torn apart and killed while making a final stand against a mass of generic Decepticons. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
**[[Atomizer]] died when [[Getaway]] tore him apart. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
*''Prime'' cartoon:
**When fighting [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[zombie]] army, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] recommends dissection to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] to "cut" them down to size. How this is more effective then just blasting the living slag out of them is still up for debate. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] manages to offline [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] by tearing him limb from limb, leaving only a pile of mutilated body parts in her wake. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] is dismembered by the [[Sparkless]] before dying in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6|Episode 6}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] winds up being dismembered by [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

====Bifurcation====
[[File:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|"Shakkooosh!" is good, but I could really go for a good old-fashioned "CHUK" right about now.]]
{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}
A particular subset of disassembly, getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
*Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
*Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
*''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur is killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two.
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] dies when Bumblebee yanks his spine out, tearing him apart.
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] slices [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]] in half at the chest but Mixmaster survived this. Getting his skull stomped off, not so much. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] meets his end in this manner courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] gets vertically bisected by Dropkick. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War For Cybertron'': In the opening, a Decepticon goon is chopped in half by Optimus Prime.
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Ambulon]] is chainsawed in half ''vertically'' by [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} ([[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] specifically noted that ''horizontal'' bifurcation would be survivable - indeed, not much later, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] would be quite active after being ripped apart at the waist by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5}})
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] later briefly survives being torn in half by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} before succumbing to his wounds. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
*When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, it tore [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in half, lengthways. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Crushing===
[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|DO NOT WANT]]
Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] is smashed between [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] meet a similar fate when Unicron steps on them. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
**[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
**[[Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power of Unicron}}
**His brother [[Six Shot (Energon)|Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}
[[File:ROTF Scorponok death.jpg|thumb|]]
*IDW continuity:
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] is killed when a group of [[human]] police officers set fire to a building and let it collapse on him, crushing him.
**The luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] dies after [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] stomps on him repeatedly, causing enough damage that his Spark falls out.
*Movie continuity:
**[[Dispensor]] is crushed under [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s foot. {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}}
**[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]'s head is crushed by [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]]'s ''bare fist''. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Shatter]] is crushed by a tanker ship that crashes into a dock. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Vex]] and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] by crushing their heads, using his bare feet for the former and a really big rock for the latter. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] is crushed underfoot by [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 3}}

===Melting===
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]
[[File:Fallout title.jpg|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]
They're made of [[living metal|metal]]; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few, if any, have survived it.
*In the G1 cartoon:
**An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
**Another acid vat is used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comics:
**Victims of the Decepticon [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron are reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
**It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently dies. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] use some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
*In the Beast Era cartoons:
**[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] are apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
**Optimus Primal's body is seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*According to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the [[living metal]] that constitutes Cybertronian biology can be broken down using a cocktail of complicated polymers such as [[w:polyhydroxybutyrate|polyhydroxybutyrate]]; the process — one assumes — proving fatal to the Transformer in question. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon: [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]] is implied to have been melted by toxic Energon waste, as [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] barely survived the experience. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron III}} {{storylink|The Dead End}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Blurr is tricked by [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] into running straight into a flow of molten metal, which melts him into a statue-like state. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

===Disintegration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|thumb|"Ironhide, I don't feel so good..."]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as [[ghost]]s and/or disembodied sparks:
*Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
**[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
**[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding [[energon grid]], but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
**[[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
**And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
**Megatron was disintegrated ''again'', {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}} before he returned to life thanks to unholy powers of the [[Armor of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} After being stabbed through the Spark by [[Rhisling]], his body disintegrated as he passed on into the next life. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*[[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] causes a Transformer's body to disintegrate to nothing:
**The [[Thirteenth Legion]] died of Cosmic Rust. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
**[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] dies after several shots from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]]'s Cosmic Rust Blaster, though the big hole they left in his torso couldn't have helped much either. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**Exposure to even a single [[Nervous bot|carrier]] of the disease has been known to wipe out entire planets. [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] was one of its victims, along with the rest of [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], [[magic]] is one of the few things that can reliably wound or kill a Transformer; the energies unleashed are anathema to mechanical life, and Transformers exposed to such power soon begin to crumble and die. Casualties of this method include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] {{storylink|Schismatic}} and [[Quickswitch]]. {{storylink|Good Men}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[File:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[File:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]
[[File:TFTM Unicron Digestion.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Getting eaten is essentially being torn apart, crushed, and melted all in a row, and it's usually fatal. Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots:
*In the G1 cartoon:
**Various life forms are routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. These include [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comic:
**[[Scraplet]]s are a mechanical disease - tiny robots that fed on Transformers. A hapless freighter pilot dies after being infected, and quite a few other 'bots only narrowly survived being infected. {{storylink|Crater Critters}}
**[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] being torn apart by and dragged into the [[Time rift|time rift]] could be classified as consumption. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**The [[Mecannibal]]s eat robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they can actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
**Unicron skewers [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and eats him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devour [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The Swarm "devours" innumerable Cybertronians and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this is through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*The Sharkticons kill two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*[[Flanker]] is eaten up and killed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|"Deluxe" Insecticons]].
*In the live-action films:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and [[Scorn]] eat various [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] and at least one [[KSI Boss]] {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**Grimlock also made a snack out of [[Dreadbot]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Ahhhh, there we go...]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
*In the Marvel comics:
**The Megatron clone kills Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
**Several of the Wreckers are destroyed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] has his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}} are particularly notable examples. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] LOVES doing this.
**Decapitation is a mere inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroys most of his head, proves fatal.
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is decapitated in the third movie. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s heads fall off when they die, possibly to add finality to their demises. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] met his end after losing his head to [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]]'s sword. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
*2005 IDW continuity: The heads of [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]] are removed and then mockingly put on display to creep out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}
*In the Aligned continuity, Vehicons and Insecticons are frequently murdered by decapitation.
*2019 IDW continuity: [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] loses his head and his spark to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|Prisoners}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] is decapitated by Goldbug when attempting to infiltrate his fortress. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 4}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] dies when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] rips his head off. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 1}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}
[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Roadbuster has spiders on the brain.]]
In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually modified to incorporate the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
*In the Marvel comics:
**In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}
*Movie continuity:
**Optimus rips Grindor's head apart with two hooks. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], and [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s heads are blown to bits by explosives or other weapons.
**Optimus Prime kills Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the head with Megatron's shotgun. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Nitro Zeus]] dies when his head gets blown off by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
[[File:DOTM-Soundwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|How exactly is [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] supposed to download his brain when there's no brain left?]]
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the brain module is part of [[Rossum's Trinity]] and its destruction will cause the destruction of both the spark and the [[transformation cog]], killing the Cybertronian in question:
**[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] blasts [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] right in the head, destroying his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**Impactor kills [[Snare]] by crushing his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Squadron X]] are all shot in the head. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**In the [[Functionist Universe]], every Cybertronian possesses an [[obsolescence chip]] that can be remotely detonated, destroying their heads. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and all other Cybertronians with [[data slug]] alt-modes are killed in a [[mass recall]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] dies when [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] smashes his brain module against his own forcefield. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
**[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] uses his [[size changing]] powers to blow open [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s head from the inside out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Oiler]] has his head sliced in two by a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}
**Kup exploits [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]'s "secret weakness" to defeat him... shooting him in the head and blowing his cranium to bits. (Kup points out that it's most people's secret weakness.) {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}
**[[Adaptus]] met his end when [[Solomus]] drilled directly into his brain. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The [[Resistance]] use a device to short-circuit the remnants of [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]'s consciousness, frying the [[Cyberdroid]]s that contain his tripartite brain. {{storylink|Head Games}}
*''Last Bot Standing'':
**[[Moon (BW)|Moon]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] are both impaled through their heads with a girder, most likely destroying their brain modules in the process. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] by blasting him in the head. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}
[[File:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]
Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
*In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage is killed when Depth Charge pierces his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] dies when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rams his [[sword]] right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
*''Energon'': [[Constructicon Maximus]] dies when [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] impales and crushes his spark.
*''Cybertron'': [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Galvatron]] dies when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] impales him with [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}
**Optimus Prime dies when Megatron stabs him through the chest with his death-lock pincer, followed by a blast from his fusion cannon through the spark chamber. [[The Fallen]] also meets his end when a resurrected Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*''Cyberverse'': [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] is killed when [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]] stabs her in the back through her spark. {{storylink|Parley}}

That's not the only way to destroy a spark either:

*''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] — already reduced to a spark within the matrix — ceases to be when Megatron annihilates his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] has modified his vocal processor so that he can get his voice into synch with a spark's pulse and then get it to stop. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}
**The [[universal killswitch]] built by Chief Justice Tyrest worked by scrambling the Matrix derived sparkcode shared by every constructed cold spark.
**Sentinel Prime wanted Sovereign to power up by eating [[Outrigger]]'s spark, a power shared by the [[Titan Master]]s. This would have killed the [[Circle of Light]] member. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The Vehicons destroy the sparks of those they inject with a nano-virus. The victim is simultaneously turned into another Vehicon in the process.

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}
[[File:Jetstorm with extractor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lost, stolen, whatever...]]
Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/AllSpark/another dimension.
*When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this continuity. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead", due to the fact that the sparks were forcibly removed with a [[spark extractor]].
*''Animated'' cartoon: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[The Fallen]] dies when Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Lockdown executes a wounded Ratchet by removing his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**In ''Cyberverse''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season, this is [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream's]] ultimate goal, planning to use the [[AllSpark]] to rip the sparks from every Transformer and bring peace through genocide. He succeeds in doing this to his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] followers before he is ultimately thwarted. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}}
**Shockwave uses a spark extractor to zap his spark into the Allspark and corrupt it. A few minutes later, [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] uses the same device to do the same and counteract Shockwave's deeds. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron IV}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Starscream is killed when Goldbug tears out his spark. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Skold]] kills Terrorsaur by tearing out his spark, avenging Razorbeast. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}
[[File:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[File:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]
The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in {{w|Water intoxication|a horrible death}}. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
*In the Marvel comics:
**An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughters dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star}} which reportedly burn out millions of their [[microchip]]s. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers are seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
**Starscream himself dies when he absorbs all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] is apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect is more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] dies from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoves the [[AllSpark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]] does the same thing with the Allspark shard with Megatron {{storylink|Transformers: The Ride – 3D}}
*''Transformers Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] gets caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
*Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] dies from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
*''Cybertron'' cartoon [[Vector Prime]] dies after he helps the crew to time travel. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}
*Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): Scorponok is killed when a zombified Terrorsaur drains his energon. {{storylink|The Beginning of the End}}

===Disease===
You may think giant robots couldn't have diseases but it turns out they can!

*Marvel comics: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] contracts [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease where your body is consumed by rust as your metal breaks down at the molecular level. Only a systems boost from a compatible donor could save Snarl {{storylink|Assassins}} but the disease came back anyway. The best cure is to store a Transformer's brain in remote storage and build a whole new body. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] engineers the [[Red Rust]] virus: spread by touch and triggered by transforming, it causes all the coolants, dispersants and anti-rusting agents in a Transformer to cross-contaminate and cause a molecular breakdown. The first sign is when the Transformer starts "crying" the fuel out. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Most of [[Delphi]] was killed. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}
*And of course, there's the aforementioned [[Scraplet]]s, [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]], and the similarly named Rust Plague.

===Aging===
{{quote|Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

While many characters are portrayed as being old, dying of old age is almost unheard of in Transformers.

*In Transformers UK, it is implied Transformers have long, but not endless life spans. In Kup's story, Kup says that he was put on a spaceship to live out his "remaining years" alone. In another story, Goldbug says that he may never understand humans, even if he lives to be 2 million.
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, Ratchet notes that the process of a Cybertronian aging to death (also referred to as age-related burnout) is a relatively recent discovery. He also notes that many, both spiritual and scientific, still refused to "give up on this-this very seductive idea that we're immortal". [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] had been diagnosed with [[cybercrosis]], a fatal condition that has been around since before [[Nova Prime]]'s era but which Ratchet believes in this case was brought about by a combination of the radiation Tailgate had been exposed to upon [[Vector Sigma]]'s re-ignition in addition to his old age. Far in the future, Ratchet himself would succumb to age-related burnout.
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'': Although it takes eons, all Transformers eventually die of old age after being disconnected from the life-giving powers of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

==Suicide==
{{quote|Do you realize how '''hard''' it is for a Cybertronian to die by his own hand? You can jump off a building, blow yourself up, cut off your own head - and you might still survive.|Chromedome, [[Before & After]]}}
Sometimes a Transformer kills themself for some reason, or tries to.
*Marvel comics: Dirge and Nightbeat, rather than be eaten by the Swarm, self-destruct. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*''Beast Wars'':
**Transformers can deliberately override the stasis lock protocols, even if this will result in death. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
**In the final battles, Depth Charge allows himself to be blown up, killing Rampage. Rampage laughs maniacally as he detonates, suggesting that he was deliberately trying to die. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}. [[Dinobot II]] let himself go down with the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Energon'': Galvatron, Starscream, and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] throw themselves into a sun and vaporize themselves. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] and Demolishor may have also done this.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': Jetfire rips out his entire spark housing for Optimus Prime to have enough power to kill The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**A [[NAIL protester]] kills himself by repeatedly transforming until his [[transformation cog]] burns out. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
**[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] alludes to a desire to find his [[Axalon (BW)|old spaceship]] so that he can die there. How exactly he plans to do this is never expounded on. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave, {{storylink|The Last Stand}} who later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
*The crew of the original [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
*Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[File:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]
{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}
Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
*Marvel comic:
**Optimus Prime is able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separates it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] is abruptly decapitated by sword, but is just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
*G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime is disassembled into his component parts, but functions just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connects a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times, {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and even puts it back on himself one time. He even accidentally swaps heads with Megatron once, much to the latter's annoyance. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}} And let's not even get started on how many times [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has lost his head.
[[File:TLK-Mohawk demise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Looks like ''Animated's'' non-fatal decapitation practice is catching up to the rest of the [[Multiverse]].]]
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] is just fine when one of the Reapers whacks his head off. (He doesn't fare so well when another Reaper crushes his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s head is removed in an apparent suicide attempt; he survived because he was put back together in time, before his Spark had faded out. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}
*Movie Continuity:
** Frenzy survives his first decapitation by [[Mikaela Banes]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness survives his decapitation in the Chicago battle, even after having an axe lodged right into his processor. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Mohawk]] had himself blown up by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], yet his head remained functional, and he himself continued to speak. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Dismemberment===
{{quote|MY ARM!!!|Starscream, ''Revenge of the Fallen''}}
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
*Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
*''Last Stand of the Wreckers'': [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] is torn in half by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and is easily repaired. The same also happens to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]].
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': During a fierce battle, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] not only cuts off [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]'s arm with an Energon blade, but he rips off [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s arm with his bare hands, and proceeded to ''beat him with it''.

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
*The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spend quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}
*In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
**Megatron de-sparks most of Cybertron's population and stores their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
**Blackarachnia's spark wanders around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
**Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wanders the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the spark, like the other two parts of Rossum's Trinity, can be safely removed and stored with the proper medical equipment.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
*Marvel comics:
**The [[trans-time dimensional portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
**Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
*2005 IDW comics: Megatron severely damages Optimus Prime in battle and plans on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigns death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly enters [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|[[Klementia|A random Quintesson]], "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

*Generation 1 cartoon:
**Optimus Prime is simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he's alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
**Ultra Magnus's death is undone after his limbs were reconnected to each other. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Marvel comics: Optimus Prime's mind gets encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents are loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lives again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness manipulates [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] into building him a new body, which he subsequently infects. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal is restored to life when Rhinox manages to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: various Vehicon generals are brought to life by placing other Transformer's sparks into them.
*''Armada'' cartoon: Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requiem Blaster {{storylink|Sacrifice}} but his spark survived and is put into a new body. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both have their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survive, and are placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]] is placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chooses to let his life end, and expires anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] gets brought back to life after spending five hundred years as a spark fragment in an Energon flower by being transplanted into a snowflake of [[Living metal#2005 IDW continuity|''sentio metallico'']], which results in her being reborn as a [[protoform]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

==="Magical" substances===
*Marvel comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon bring many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron is revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is portrayed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A real man never dies, even when he's killed!]]
*In the Marvel comics:
**The [[Last Autobot]] is granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he uses to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
**Optimus Prime is eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**The AllSpark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, Bumblebee temporarily gets his voice back, {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Sentinel Prime is revived after crash landing on the moon by the Matrix of Leadership, courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s body is destroyed, but the AllSpark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] is resurrected when he and his gestaltmates are combined and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brings [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infuses him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
*Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
*Starscream survives his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He is eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
*[[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] were immortal, existing in multiple dimensions simultaneously as extensions of the same being across different dimensions (reverse-time dimensions, for example, are key to revival of the singularities). Multiversal singularities ceased to exist with the coming of the [[Shroud]], nullifying this concept.
*''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] cannot be killed so long as he retains his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead. Whether or not this ability extends to other AllSpark creations is unknown.
*Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] can essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them. This ability appears to no longer apply, post-[[Expansion]], except when in direct proximity to the Dead Universe.
*Thunderwing's Pretender shell makes him nearly invincible. At the very least, he is able to withstand incredible amounts of salvo and not even flinch.
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason. It's probably because if he died, the universe wouldn't be able to inflict pain on him anymore.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfistaneurism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I told you I was ill.]]
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] spends much of [[Simon Furman]]'s Marvel US run conflicted and doubting himself, and under the weight of his pre-Headmaster self's reputation. He finally gets past this and takes the fight to Unicron, dying in the process, his last words asking Optimus if he'd done good. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*Sunstreaker's death in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' was intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
*Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, is more a moment of dramatic pathos — knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' is his main plot arc, quietly built up in the background since the first issue.

===Consequences of war===
[[File:Bulkhead Eradicon Darkness Rising 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His special large intestine! There's only one like it!]]
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
*Impactor's death is used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
*The ''Generation 2'' book features several deaths which drive home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction serves to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
*Pretty much every death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' comes under this.
*[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]], [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] and [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] are all killed in their first ''Prime'' episodes, due to just plain bad luck in the first three cases and because of a deliberate Autobot killing in Makeshift's. The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are presented as sentient ''and'' as being killed by Autobots in large numbers. [[Jeff Kline]] famously said at the advent of ''Prime'' that all deaths would be final. While the rule applied to the majority of the series, it was happily ignored when it came time for the deaths of [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who were all revived almost immediately after death (admittedly it took until the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|follow-up series]] to revive Optimus a second time, but let's face it, we're used to that by this point).
*In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]]'s reality, the Autobots lost the war and all of them probably died.{{storylink|The Other One}}

===Increased threat===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-whycouldntyou.jpg|upright=2.0|thumb]]
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
*The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
*Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
*In "[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!
*Cliffjumper in ''Prime'' is set up as a main character and then killed in five minutes, immediately putting the ''Prime'' Decepticons forward as a major threat.
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally hunted down and killed early into ''Age of Extinction'' by [[Cemetery Wind]] and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], to show what has befallen the majority of the Cybertronians on Earth (and the old cast from the first three films) and what will happen if the survivors are caught.
*''Transformers: Unicron'' begins with Unicron already having noshed on [[Velocitron]], which had previously appeared a few times in that continuity's works while never exactly being a major focus, and soon the [[Space Knight]]s find the corpse of Cliffjumper, whose last major appearance had been a good four years prior, but then Wheeljack, who has been a main character in the last few years, dies as well, proving the situation is now beyond serious. Also, several named Space Knights from Rom's own series die, but they're nasty, bigoted jerks so nobody feels bad when they snuff it.

===Cast thinning===
Generation 1 stories were particularly notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they rolled on, because of the franchise's longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle.

*Examples are rife in the Marvel comics:
**The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline gets rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
**The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly clears out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
**The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' does this on a smaller basis. While only a handful of characters were actually killed off, many more cast members simply disappeared without explanation in the following season of the cartoon.
*[[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] deals with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

More recent stories - particularly those without the overriding imperative [[to sell toys]], such as the G1 IDW comics - have accepted that not every character must be constantly accounted for at all times or roll-called every issue, allowing larger casts to simply exist in the background until needed. Another alternative, particularly visible in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, is to give new bodies (based on corresponding new toys, of course) to existing characters, allowing them to continue promoting new toys across multiple seasons of the show.

===Character motivation===
[[File:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|"How are we going to SHEEEAGH together if he's dead?!"]]

A quick and easy way to create enmity between characters is for the antagonist to kill someone close to the protagonist.

*In Marvel’s comics, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is motivated by his guilt over being unable to participate in Operation: Volcano and prevent Impactor’s death. {{storylink|Under Fire!}}
*Also in Marvel's comics, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s revenge plot against the new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] is motivated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s murder of [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*In ''Energon'', [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber ''nee'' Dagger]] swears revenge on [[Shockblast]] after the murder of his partner, [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]]. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}} He then forgets to care about Shockblast later but, y'know, ''Energon'' story.
*In ''Prime'', [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee's]] conflict is down to Airachnid's murder of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|Predatory}} She keeps throwing this in Arcee's face.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|(They also cease to appear on store shelves.)]]
Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
*The numerous casualties of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' are fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
*Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed — quickly — to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
*Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!
{{-}}

==Fleshling death==
{{quote|"The humans' spark is fragile." "WHAT?! Impossible! Their spark's not eternal?" "One life. That's ''all'' they've got." "Bahh. Then they really ''are'' poorly designed."|[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|"[[Energon Grid (episode)|Energon Grid]]"|noquote=true}}

In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[File:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|One dead dog]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Two dead dogs]]
Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
*A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barks at [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and is kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
*The "[[Battle Dog]]" is shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] reminds [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
*The dog-like [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] is shot at by [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
*A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally causes an avalanche which kills his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] eats an eagle. {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] eats a cute little rat, {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}} and nearly eats an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] knocks a [[saber-toothed cat|saber-toothed tiger]] off a cliff, presumably killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] uses [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider, effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new-born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
*Human villain [[Trophy White]] has a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}
*[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] takes potshots at a vulture for fun in Africa. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] killed a friggin' elephant in Africa. (In [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|the adaptation]], at least.)
{{-}}

===Human death===
[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This didn't happen much.]]
*Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
*Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
*In ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', after his revival on Earth, Megatron manages to gain control of Earth's nuclear arsenal and uses it to push humanity to the brink of extinction. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} During that conflict, Megatron has some fun terrorizing the population with his army of zombie Decepticons. [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tracks down and killed [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jesse (G1)|Jessie]] Witwicky in a car wash; had he had his full faculties, he might have [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|appreciated the irony]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}
*In almost every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed. And then ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' showed up.
**A human is shown slumped against a wall in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]", a victim of Soundwave, though it isn't clear whether he was dead or merely unconscious.[[File:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|They'll, uh, be okay, maybe.]]
**When [[MECH|human terrorists]] are featured, they will often die. Piloted or driven vehicles explode and enemies are implied to be crushed. "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]" is the first of numerous examples.
**When Nemesis Prime attacks a military base in his [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|self-titled episode]], it's likely his rampage cost the lives of numerous soldiers.
**When the military attacked [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], its fusion cannons devastate the entire force, presumably killing them all.
**[[Silas|Cylas]] is the first human to die on-screen in Western Transformers animation, but not before thanking [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] for finally freeing him of his gruesome existence.
*Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding showing, only mentioning, human death.
*Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
*The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
*[[2005 IDW continuity]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
*The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000 (don't even ''think'' about it), and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]], though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]]. Then of course we get to ''Dark of the Moon'', which has Decepticons laying siege to [[Chicago]], killing most of its citizens, including several being shot and exploding and disintegrating into just skulls ''directly in front of the camera''. That's not even mentioning [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], whose job it is to assassinate civilians, even if it means befriending their children to do it. Twisted.
**[[Dylan Gould]] is killed when he was shoved into [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime's]] space bridge generator, but given he was a villain it's not so much of a concern. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Sam Witwicky]] was killed by Megatron but brought back to life by the Primes.
**[[Lucas Flannery]], in a bit of karmic retribution (for having tipped off [[Cemetery Wind]] to Optimus' location against Cade's wishes), gets fried by one of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]'s grenades and his mangled corpse is converted into ''[[Living metal#Live-action film series|Transformium]]''. [[James Savoy]] says his sister was a casualty of the Battle of Chicago, which he uses as an excuse to sadistically hunt and kill Autobots and their sympathizers. He ends up getting knocked out of a very high window by [[Cade Yeager]] for attempting to kill his family. Later, his boss, [[Harold Attinger]], is brutally gunned down by Optimus Prime when he tries to kill Cade for sympathizing with the Autobots. Additionally, [[Joshua Joyce]] tries to scramble paramedics to the scene of Galvatron's rampage (much to Attinger's disgust), believing people were killed. And then there's the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]] stomping through the densely crowded streets of Hong Kong. They certainly killed more people than Decepticons!
**[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s arrival to Earth was predicted to cause tens of millions of human casualties. When its continents began reconnecting, the human news reported they were literally scraping away major cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and projected to kill millions.
**''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' introduces a new method of human death: liquification. [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] uses a special gun that performs this feat on [[Roy (BB)|some random guy]] and later [[Dr. Powell]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue #10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. Sam Witwicky, meanwhile, was stated to have died.
*Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opens fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people is seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}
*In ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'', several [[Kiss Player]]s were seen being devoured by Legions.
{{-}}

==Characters who die a lot==
*[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] — [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|quite]] [[Starscream (Movie)|a]] [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|lot]].
*[[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who also [[:File:Unicron1-RampageKillsDirge.jpg|gets]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
*[[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]] — a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently, for no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:File:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:File:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].

==See also==
*[[Transformer funerary practices]]
*[[To sell toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
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War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)

2022-11-05T20:46:19Z

Chasd20:

{{disambig3|War for Cybertron}}
{{nav-WarForCybertronSiege}}

The '''''War for Cybertron Trilogy''''' (aka '''''Transformers Generations War for Cybertron''''') is [[Hasbro]]'s designation for a [[subline imprint|segment]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Transformers: Generations]]'' line that launched in the holiday season of [[2018]]. The line aims to serve as a back-to-basics approach to ''Transformers'', with a focus on [[show-accuracy|media accuracy]], interchangeable weaponry, [[articulation]], and a (mostly) consistent robot mode [[scale]].

The Trilogy follows the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s across the galaxy, starting with the launching of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' in ''Siege'', journeying through the stars in ''Earthrise'', and finally battling alongside their [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] descendants in ''Kingdom''. On top of that, there are many ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' toys that do not belong to any one of these sub-lines, being branded as simply part of the overall Trilogy.

{|style="margin:0 auto;padding:0 auto;" border="0" align="center" id="toc"
|-
!align="center" bgcolor="#6699CC" colspan="12"|War for Cybertron Trilogy:
|-
|align="center" colspan="3"|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)]]'' ([[2020]]–[[2021]])
|<div style="background-color:#999;width:5px;height:20px;margin:2px 10px;"></div>
|align="center" colspan="3"|''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)]]'' ([[2019]]–present)
|-
|align="center" colspan="2"|''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' (2019–2020)
|<div style="background-color:#999;width:5px;height:20px;margin:2px 10px;"></div>
|align="center" colspan="2"|''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' (2020-2021)
|<div style="background-color:#999;width:5px;height:20px;margin:2px 10px;"></div>
|align="center" colspan="2"|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' (2021–2022)
|}

==Toys==
===''Siege'' (2018-2019)===
{{nav-siege}}
Set in the days before the launch of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' in its escape from Cybertron, ''Siege'' would set the stage for the entire Trilogy, establishing play patterns that would (mostly) carry forward into the following lines. The primary theme is figures that transform into "Cybertronian" vehicles (ostensibly, at least, many look a LOT like normal Earth vehicles), with extensive use of [[5 mm post]]s/holes to heavily kit them out with weapons, dubbed the "[[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]]". These weapons come not just in the form or normal accessories, but smaller [[Battle Master]]s who turn into weapons, [[Micromaster]]s who also have secondary weapon modes and can combine into larger weapons, and the larger "Weaponizer" bots who transform from vehicle to robot ''and'' disassemble into multiple weapons and gear. 3 mm pegs are also used on the ends of blaster barrels and scattered on the sculpts of Deluxe and larger toys to accommodate "Fire Blast" parts; clear-plastic add-ons made to look like blaster fire, impacts, flames and more, mostly coming with the Battle Masters, but some larger toys came with larger effects.

Notably, robot mode [[scale]] plays a much larger role in this series than in the past, with characters sticking fairly close to their relative heights in [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]. Most toys in the line also have "battle damage" paint on them somewhere, though the amount of fake-scuffing varies from figure to figure: [[Mirage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Mirage]] is near-pristine, while [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Soundwave]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Starscream]] have tons of it.

''Siege'' fell on the franchise's 35th anniversary, with a short subline to accompany the occasion. There are also numerous ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Selects]]'' toys under the ''Siege'' branding as well.{{-}}

===''Earthrise'' (2020-2021)===
{{nav-ER}}

Though it kept virtually all of the play patterns and price points of ''Siege'', the follow-up series ''Earthrise'' is somewhat ''less'' consistent in its theme, as it mixes characters with "modern" Earth alt-modes with those who maintained Cybertronian alt-modes (notably characters introduced in and after ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''), and the battle damage decoes being far rarer. It is set during the journey to Earth, with many other planets on the way pointed out in the clip-and-save pieces of the "Transformers Universe Map" printed on the interior of every package, which can combine into one great big map.

While the features of the "C.O.M.B.A.T. System" are still around, it's been joined by the "[[A.I.R. Lock System]]", in which the new Battle Masters transform into shields/ramps/roads with interlocking connector points. These connector points attach to the "Modulator" Transformers who turn into Micromaster stations, who have (mostly) taken the place of the Weaponizers, though they maintain the "disassemble into lots of parts to attach to other figures" angle. Even larger toys with tertiary base modes have A.I.R. Lock connections as well, letting you build "cities" how you like.

''Earthrise'' also adds two "new" factions to the conflict, with the vicious [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] and the [[Quintesson]]s now joining the fray, including the first-ever toy of the five-faced Generation 1 [[Quintesson Judge#Toys|Quintesson Judge]]!

''Earthrise'' carries over the ''Selects'' exclusives to a wider scale, but also features the ''Cybertronian Villains'' and ''Galactic Odyssey Collection'' sublines.
{{-}}

===''Kingdom'' (2020-present)===
{{nav-Kingdom}}
''Kingdom'' adds two more factions to the war, this time bringing in the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', for its 25th anniversary. The new beast-bot toys primarily draw from the cast of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]], their toys based heavily on their in-show appearances from the first season, transforming into organic animals. The Weaponizers and Modulators have been replaced with the "Fossilizers", skeletal beasts with robotic connective structures who break apart into weapons and armor for other toys using "[[F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology]]" (effectively the same thing as the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, just bonier).

The Battle Masters and Micromasters did not continue into ''Kingdom'', being replaced with "Core Class" characters... effectively the sub-Deluxe "Legends" found in previous ''Generations'' lines. The "Fire Blast" effects similarly have been removed from the line, but most figures are still compatible with them, keeping the pegs at the ends of blaster barrels, and non-beast bots having a few effects pegs on their bodies.

At this point, the inter-character scale kind of breaks down a bit. The ''Beast Wars'' characters maintain rough scale to each other as they were depicted in the cartoon, and even though ''few'' attempts are made, they're obviously out of scale next to the largely-to-scale-with-each-other Generation 1 bots, who generally should tower over most of the Maximals and Predacons. It's a concession for coolness, so it's forgivable. Adding to the oddity are Core Class versions of bots like [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Optimus Prime]], which.... yyyyyyeah.

In keeping with the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon-based theme, all ''Kingdom'' figures from Deluxe Class upwards include "Golden Disk" cards with a peelable foil sheet, revealing one of three different variants, each revealing a different [[Source:Golden Disk destinies|destiny]] for the character.
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy'' (2020-2022)===
{{anchor|Netflix}}
Launching in conjunction with the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon]] on [[Netflix]], this confusingly-named [[subline imprint]] was unveiled by Hasbro at New York [[Toy Fair 2020]]. The toys are often listed as "War for Cybertron Series-Inspired", though this label is not present on the packaging. With the cartoon featuring [[character model]]s based directly on Hasbro's toy molds, the toyline, in turn, features animation-accurate weathering and extensive deco... ''in theory.'' The toys feature battle damage and grim coloring far more than the character models used on the show. Even an original deco for the show, Decepticon Mirage, isn't colored accurately to the on-screen model.

With the exception of the Wave 1 and 2 Spoiler Packs and three exclusives unrelated to the Netflix cartoon, the line was [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] in Canada and the US. Wave 2 and 3's Battle 3-Pack and Wave 3's Spoiler Pack toys were also available on [[Hasbro Pulse]]. In New Zealand, the Voyagers and Deluxes were sold exclusively at Kmart, while the Spoiler Packs were sold exclusively at Toyworld and Mighty Ape.

While only the overarching ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' logo is used on the line, the Deluxe and Voyager Class packaging featured edited versions of each series' box mural: [[:File:WFC-Siege-Poster-ArkLaunchAutobots.jpg|''Siege'']] for wave 1, [[:File:WFC-Earthrise-main-artwork.jpg|''Earthrise'']] for wave 2, and [[:File:WFC-Kingdom-main-artwork.jpg|''Kingdom'']] for wave 3.

The third wave and the transition to 2021 saw a few packaging changes: the plastic insert tray was replaced with a cardboard one, much like the concurrent ''Kingdom'' toyline, and the Netflix logo was moved to the other side of the box, with the "A Netflix Original Series" subtitle dropped.

====Deluxe Class====
The ten 2020 Deluxe Class figures (comprising waves 1 and 2) each include a unique printed cardboard piece – the full set can be slotted together to form a 3D backdrop of [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Decepticon Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapface#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Scrapface]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sideswipe]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Elita One (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Autobot Elita-1]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Impactor (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Autobot Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Red Alert]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Cheetor (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Cheetor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deep Cover#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Deep Cover]]}}
{{Bp-qu2|[[Deseeus Army Drone#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Deseeus Army Drone]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkless#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sparkless Bot]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|[[File:TF-Generations-Netflix-WFC-Decepticon-Mirage.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Deluxe Class Decepticon Mirage]]
|}

====Battle 3-Packs====
Also labelled as "Battlefield Voyager" on some official listings, and priced at US$10 more than a regular Voyager Class toy, this assortment typically featured a Voyager figure packaged with a pair of Battle Masters. Two exceptions were made to the format: Soundwave, who instead included a Micromaster duo, and Optimus Primal, who was packaged with a single Core Class figure (and was accordingly not labelled a "3-Pack").

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Hotlink (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Hotlink]] (w/ [[Heatstroke#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Heatstroke]] and [[Heartburn#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Heartburn]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Megatron]] (w/ [[Lionizer (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Captive Lionizer]] and [[Pinpointer (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Captive Pinpointer]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#2020Netflix|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Enerax#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Enerax]] and [[Sheeldron#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sheeldron]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#2020Netflix|Soundwave]] (w/ [[Ravage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Ravage]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Laserbeak]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Optimus Primal]] (w/ [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Rattrap]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkless#SparklessSeeker|Sparkless Seeker]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sparkless Caliburst]] and [[Singe#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sparkless Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|[[File:WFCNetflixtoy-DecepticonHotlink.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Voyager Class Hotlink]]
|}

====Leader Class Spoiler Packs====
Also labelled as "Leader Unboxing" on some official listings, these figures are presented in a windowless box to hide the identity of the figures inside. The "spoilers" which lend the assortment its name can be found in the form of dialogue excerpts from the Netflix cartoons, printed in the [[Cybertronian language#Real-life alphabets|Ancient Autobot]] cypher inside the packaging.

Priced at nearly US$10 more than mass-retail ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' Leader Class releases, the first two releases included a Leader toy plus a Battle Master, while the third instead featured a Voyager and a Deluxe – despite still being labelled as Leader Class in official listings. Each pack also includes a small tub of [[Play-Doh]]-type "compound", with additional accessories buried inside.

Unlike the other series-inspired assortments, these packs were shared exclusives between Walmart and online 'fan channel' retailers. The Wave 1 Spoiler Pack was also subsequently available in various discount retailers in the US.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|Spoiler Pack:}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Ultra Magnus]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Rung (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Battlefield Rung]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|Spoiler Pack:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Nemesis Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Nemesis Prime]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Giza (POTP)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Giza]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Fangtron#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Fangtron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1p1|Spoiler Pack:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#2021Netflix|Megatron]]}}
:{{Bp-p1|[[Skelivore#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Fossilizer Skelivore]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|[[File:Netflix-WFC-Ultra-Magnus-Rung-Spoiler-Pack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Ultra Magnus Spoiler Pack]]
|}

====Japanese release====
{{anchor|Japan}}
[[TakaraTomy]] released ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' (トランスフォーマーウォーフォーサイバトロン ''Toransufōmā Wō fō Saibatoron'') toys at general retail beginning in September 2020, with no notable changes from the Hasbro releases. However, [[Teletraan I]] backdrop cardboard is no longer included in Deluxe toys, and the Leader Class toys use traditional window boxes.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[September 26]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|WFC-01 [[Mirage (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Decepticon Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-02 [[Hound (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Autobot Hound]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[October 23]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|WFC-03 [[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-04 [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sideswipe]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[November 30]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|WFC-05 [[Scrapface#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Scrapface]]}}
{{Bp-d1|WFC-06 [[Hotlink (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Decepticon Hotlink]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[December 19]], 2020)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|WFC-07 [[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-08 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[January 20]], [[2021]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|WFC-09 [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-10 [[Elita One (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Elita-1]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' ([[February 20]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|WFC-11 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#2020Netflix|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-12 [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Wheeljack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-13 [[Red Alert (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Red Alert]]}}
{{Bp-d1|WFC-14 [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#2020Netflix|Soundwave]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' ([[March 27]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|WFC-15 [[Impactor (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Autobot Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|WFC-16 [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Nemesis Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' ([[September 25]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|WFC-17 [[Deep Cover#Netflix|Deep Cover]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' ([[October 30]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|WFC-18 [[Cheetor (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Cheetor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' ([[December 29]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|WFC-19 [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Optimus Primal]] & [[Rattrap (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Rattrap]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11''' ([[January 29]], [[2022]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|WFC-20 [[Sparkless#SparklessSeeker|Sparkless Seeker]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sparkless Caliburst]] and [[Singe#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sparkless Singe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 12''' ([[February 26]], 2022)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-qu2|WFC-21 [[Deseeus Army Drone#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Deseeus Army Drone]]}}
</ul>
|}

====Exclusives====
[https://hasbropulse.com/products/transformers-war-for-cybertron-unicron Announced] by [[Hasbro Pulse]] on [[July 15]], [[2019]], [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Unicron]] is the largest and most expensive ''Transformers'' toy ever produced, and the first to be released as a crowdfunded project from [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]]. By the closing of the funding period on [[October 6]], the project had officially accrued over 12,000 backers, each of whom received their own Unicron on its release in [[2021]].

Hasbro Pulse released more conventional exclusives as well. Originally planned to debut at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2020, the Quintesson Pit of Judgement was eventually made available on Pulse for [[Hasbro PulseCon 2020]] after the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other Pulse exclusives are characterised more as sort of "premium Deluxes", consisting of a figure with a plethora of accessories; the Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer pack and the Tricranius Beast Power Fire Blasts Collection pack were released in unique ''Generations Selects''-style boxes, solicited as part of the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' but with ID numbers that earmark them as part of contemporaneous sublines (''Earthrise'' and ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' respectively).

[[2021]] saw the cross-''Generations'' subline ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' appear at [[Target]]. Among its releases are two new-mold toys of [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], both of which are [[co-branding|co-branded]] with the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' logo. The Core Class Bumblebee and Spike Witwicky two-pack has card art featuring a prehistoric, volcanic setting, implying that this is a ''Kingdom'' release in all but name – unsurprising when one considers the Core Class price point debuted in ''Kingdom''.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''HasLab'''
<ul class="iconlist">
*[[Unicron/toys#HasLab|Unicron]]
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Hasbro Pulse'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1d1|WFC-E33 [[Centurion droid#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Deluxe Centurion Drone]]}}
*"[[Quintesson#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Quintesson Pit of Judgement]]" 5-pack:
:{{bp-qu2|[[Quintesson Judge#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Quintesson Judge]]}}
:{{bp-qu2|[[Quintesson Prosecutor#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Quintesson Prosecutor]]}}
:{{bp-qu2|[[Quintesson Bailiff#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Quintesson Bailiff]]}}
:{{bp-qu2|[[Sharkticon (species)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Sharkticon]]}}
:*[[Kranix (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Kranix]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|WFC-K39 [[Tricranius#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Tricranius Beast Power]]}}
{{Bp-d1p1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#PulseCon|Covert Agent Ravage / Decepticons Forever Ravage]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Behold, Galvatron! Unicron Companion Pack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' (Target)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Bumblebee]] / [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Spike Witwicky]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#BuzzworthyOrigin|Origin Bumblebee]]}}
*"Worlds Collide" 4-pack:
:{{Bp-p1|[[Nemesis Primal]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Fangry]] (w/ [[Brisko#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Brisko]])}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#WorldsCollide|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-p1|[[Blackarachnia (BW)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Blackarachnia]]}}
</ul>
|
|[[File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg|upright=4|thumb|300px|"I have summoned you here with a [[Charlie (cat)|psps]]."]]
|}

{{--}}

====''Generations Selects''====
Hasbro announced the ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' branding in late 2018 to run alongside the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy''. [[Hasbro Pulse]] debuts ''Generations Selects'' figures for the U.S., Canadian, and later United Kingdom markets while fans in Hasbro's other markets must resort to various physical or online retailers. ''Selects'' toys released concurrently with ''Earthrise'' and ''Kingdom'' are only labeled ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' (even though the Spy Patrol set was [[:File:ToyFair2020-HasbroSlideShow11.jpg|shown]] as part of ''Earthrise'' during the [[Toy Fair 2020]] presentation). Hot House is the only toy to feature ''Earthrise'' branding in their instructions.

As per brand unification, Hasbro ''Selects'' figures are sometimes, though not consistently, made available for Japanese fans via [[TakaraTomy Mall]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Shared exclusives
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|WFC-GS10 Soundwave Spy Patrol 3rd Unit ([[Wingthing (G1)#Generations Selects|Decepticon Wingthing]], [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Decepticon Frenzy]], [[Skar (G1)#Generations Selects|Decepticon Skar]] & [[Knok#Generations Selects|Autobot/Decepticon Knok]])}}
{{Bp-merc|WFC-GS11 [[Exhaust#Generations Selects|Decepticon Exhaust]]}}
{{Bp-d1|WFC-GS12 [[Greasepit (facility)#Generations Selects|Greasepit]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS13 [[Hubcap (G1)#Generations Selects|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-d2|WFC-GS14 [[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#GS14|Megatron]] (G2)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS15 [[Hot House (facility)#Generations Selects|Hot House]]}}
{{Bp-merc|WFC-GS16 [[Bug Bite (G1)#Generations Selects|Bug Bite]]}}
{{bp-sa|WFC-GS17 [[Ratchet (SG)#Generations Selects|Shattered Glass Ratchet]] & [[Optimus Prime (SG)#Generations Selects|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS18 [[Tigertrack#Generations Selects|Autobot Tigertrack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS19 [[Rotorstorm (G1)#Generations Selects|Rotorstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS20 [[Cordon#Generations Selects|Cordon]] & [[Spin-Out (G1)#Generations Selects|Autobot Spin-Out]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|WFC-GS21 [[Sandstorm (G2)#Generations Selects|Decepticon Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-d1|WFC-GS22 [[Black Roritchi#Generations Selects|Black Roritchi]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS23 [[Deep Cover#Generations Selects|Deep Cover]]}}
{{Bp-d2|WFC-GS24 [[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Ramjet]] (G2)}}
{{Bp-m1|WFC-GS25 [[Transmutate (BW)#Generations Selects|Transmutate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|WFC-GS26 [[Artfire#Generations Selects|Artfire]] & [[Nightstick (Headmasters)#Generations Selects|Nightstick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|WFC-GS27 [[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Galvatron]]}}
</ul>
|[[File:GenerationsSelectstoy-Exhaust.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Exhaust]]
|}

===''Premium Finish'' (2021-present)===
{{main|Transformers Premium Finish}}
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[October 30]], [[2021]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|PF WFC-01 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Premium Finish|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[November 27]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|PF WFC-02 [[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#Premium Finish|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[December 29]], 2021)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|PF WFC-03 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Premium Finish|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[January 29]], [[2022]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|PF WFC-04 [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Premium Finish|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|[[File:TF-Premium-Finish-PFWFC-01-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|250px|PFWFC-01 Optimus Prime]]
|}

==Post-''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' releases==
===''Studio Series'' (2020–)===
{{main|Studio Series}}

Though not explicitly branded as part of the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' lineup, ''Studio Series''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ''The Transformers: The Movie'' portion introduced in 2020 is obviously intended to complement the former toyline; figures are complete with [[Fire Blast effect]]s and [[5 mm post|5 mm port]]s that can support the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System|Weaponizer]] and [[F.O.S.S.I.L. Technology|Fossilizer]] [[play pattern]]s.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-01 [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-02 [[Kup (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Kup]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-03 [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-04 [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-d1|86-05 [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Scourge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-06 [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Grimlock]] & [[Wheelie (G1)#Studio Series|Autobot Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-07 [[Slag (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Dinobot Slug]] & [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)#Studio Series|Daniel Witwicky]]}}
{{Bp-qu2|86-08 [[Gnaw (G1)#Studio Series|Gnaw]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-09 [[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Studio Series|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|86-10 [[Sweep (G1)#Studio Series|Decepticon Sweep]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-11 [[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Perceptor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|86-12 [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Coronation Starscream]]}}
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Studio Series|Exo-Suit Spike Witwicky]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-14 [[Junkyard (G1)#Studio Series|Junkheap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-15 [[Sludge (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Sludge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Studio-Series-86-04-Deluxe-Autobot-Hot-Rod.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Studio Series'' Deluxe Class [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Autobot Hot Rod]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-16 [[Arcee (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Arcee]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)#Studio Series|Rumble (Blue)]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-17 [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Ironhide]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Buzzworthy Bumblebee'' (Target)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|86-02BB [[Kup (G1)/toys#BW8602|Kup]]}}
{{Bp-a1|86-13BB [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#BW8613|Cliffjumper]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
{{comingsoontoy|Arcee, Ironhide, Rumble (Blue)}}

===''Legacy'' (2022–)===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Core-Class-Skywarp.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Legacy'' Core Class [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Legacy|Skywarp]]]]
{{main|Transformers: Legacy}}

Despite being marketed as a three-part trilogy, the [[2022]] ''Transformers: Legacy'' toyline largely follows on from the same aesthetic as the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy''; several figures from the prior toyline were either [[Rebranding|rebranded]] with ''Legacy'' packaging or given ''Generations Selects''-styled [[redeco]]es.
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Cantonese'': '''Cybertron zi1 zin3''' (斯比頓之戰 ''Si1bei2deon6 zi1 Zin3'', "War of Cybertron")
*''Mandarin'': '''Cybertron zhī Zhàn''' (賽伯坦之戰 ''Sàibótǎn zhī Zhàn'', "War of Cybertron")

[[Category:Generations toylines]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy| ]]

Death

2022-11-04T12:50:42Z

Chasd20: /* Decapitation */

{{disambig2|the end of life|the Horseman of Unicron|Airazor (Armada)}}
[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|upright=1.77|thumb|And lo, the children did weep. They wept hard too.]]
''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, [[Waspinator (BW)|crushed into cubes]], and even [[Demolishor (Armada)|utterly disintegrated]]. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[File:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]
There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.

However, over time there has been some convergence of concepts regarding Transformer design across the various franchises and storylines. The concept of Sparks as a Transformer's driving life force has become nearly universal, and with it, the notion that loss of Spark equals death. Various [[2005 IDW continuity]] comics, particularly ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'', have delved deeply into this, positing that a Transformer can die if their Spark, brain or (in a new and unique twist) transformation cog are sufficiently damaged, known as "[[Rossum's Trinity‎]]". MTMTE also makes note of the difficulties in killing a Transformer, and how things like decapitation may not be lethal in the right circumstances.

If one is so inclined, these concepts can be applied retroactively to many, if not all, older stories - so that various means of death described below can be seen simply as the means of inflicting the requisite damage on a Transformer's vital bits.

When a Transformer dies, the loss of their life force (or artistic convention, out here in the real world) often results in them turning gray. The most well-known example by far is Optimus Prime's death in the animated movie; Prowl can also be glimpsed turning gray as he falls during the shuttle assault. This idea has shown up in a few other places, such as [[Transform and Roll Out#Part 3|the ''Animated'' cartoon]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|the ''More Than Meets the Eye'' comics]], the latter of which [[Sardines|coined]] the term "[[aggressive depigmentation]]" to describe the phenomenon.
{{-}}

===Weaponsfire===
{{bigquote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]
[[File:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]
[[File:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]
[[File:Blades1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sorry, [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|nameless guy]], your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]
[[File:DreadwingdeathImage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You will pay for this, Megatron! Mark my words, you'll pay!]]
Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
*In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]]:
**Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], are victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl (whose tech specs show endurances of 9) both went down after ''one shot''.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**In the Japanese continuity, Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}
*In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
**[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] is cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]], who himself is then shot to pieces by the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
**[[Ferak]] is executed by a head shot from [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}
**Most deaths in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' book occur from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims explode spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], {{storylink|New Dawn}} and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
**[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage, but the episode gave a reason: Dinobot refuses to go into [[stasis lock]], which his onboard computer warns could "result in loss of Spark" if he keeps it up.
**[[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together - or at least, [[Waspinator (BW)|nobody who cared to]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:File:Crisis Optimus Prime dies.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis (Armada)|Crisis}}
*[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1]] comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is gunned down by [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}
*[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]: [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] is shot and killed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] during the final battle of the [[Universe War]].
*This happens a ''lot'' in the [[Movie continuity]]:
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both die from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**Arcee and Elita-One and possibly Chromia are killed by Decepticon fire.
**All the [[Appliancebot]]s are shot dead by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
**A crapload of [[Protoform]]s are shot down by [[NEST]] soldiers. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crowbar]] is shot in the face by Ironhide.
**[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is brought to his knees by a shot to the chest from a Decepticon protoform before [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] finishes him off by shooting him in the back. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] is killed by a massive onslaught of gunfire from [[Cemetery Wind]]. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally whittled down in a similar manner, until Lockdown comes and executes him. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
*Many goons during the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]] die from being shot. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron}}
*''Prime'' cartoon: [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] is killed by a shot through the chest by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'':
**[[Thunderhoof (BWU)|Thunderhoof]] is shot down by his former minions, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]]. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}
**[[Overshoot]] is shot in the chest by [[Vamp]] and bleeds out from the injury. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}
**[[Steel Jaw]] is killed by a stray shot. {{storylink|Derailment}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] leaps in front of a shot meant for Optimus Prime. While dialogue suggests he could have lived, he is not seen afterward as the lights in his optics fade out. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}
**In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X's]] reality, the tyrant shot his universe's Optimus Prime with his fusion cannon and subsequently seized the Matrix of Leadership for himself. {{storylink|The Other One}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon:
**[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] and [[Exhaust|Exhaust]] are shot by [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (Bug Bite in the chest and Exhaust in the head) and left adrift in space. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
**[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] is possibly killed by a shot from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], since he never appears again and one of the AllSpark ghosts uses his character model. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}} {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
* ''Last Bot Standing'': [[Sharpclaw]] dies after [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] shoots her in the back. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}
{{-}}

===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw98ARXfcqk You are dead, dead, DEAAD!]"]]
Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] is the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroys his body. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} However, in the UK continuity he survives as a raggedy, bodiless head. {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}
**In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] dies in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] is killed when a prototype [[pathblaster]] exploded in his face. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Finback]] is presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Octane]] may have been killed when he was fired upon while carrying highly explosive fuel. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
**[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] is blown to bits — terminally so — by the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
**[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] is killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]) are destroyed when part of their ship explodes with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*Energon: [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] is killed when Storm Jet causes a massive explosion that engulfed them both.
*''Prime'':
**[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] and the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s are blown up by a grenade attached by the Autobots. Both the Vehicons and Makeshift are killed in the blast. {{storylink|Con Job}} <ref>(According to an interview at [[BotCon 2011]] with the ''Prime'' show runners, Makeshift was deemed too overpowered to be a regular in the show, so they killed him off at the end of the episode.)</ref>
** [[Hardshell]] is killed by [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] when she fires two missiles at him, blowing him up. {{storylink|Hurt}}
*''Movie Continuty'':
**[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]], and several Decepticon Protoforms are killed by a human air strike in [[Egypt]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] blows up when Ironhide kicks him into a gas station. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] gets blown to bits when Bumblebee shoves his own missile into his chest and detonates it. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Scrapface|Scrapface]], and possibly [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] are caught in the explosion that destroys [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Razorbeast]] is dropped by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] into a mountain of raw energon crystals, which triggers an explosion that destroys him. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] attempted to force [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] to land the shuttle she was piloting, he accidentally sent her to her doom in a fiery crash. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] meets his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
** [[Doubledealer]] is shot, falls off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
** [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus]] gets knocked down a very big hole by [[Beak]] and dies. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] falls off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after a [[rail gun]] blows his arm apart. He tumbles back down the monument and collapses as he dies. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] is smashed to pieces and killed by being flung into a freeway column. {{storylink|Movie Adaptation issue 4|Movie Adaptation Issue Number Four}}
**[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]] meets his end when [[Dino]] sends him crashing into a car. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] falls off a cliff and shatters. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'':
**[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] crash-lands after [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] punches out vital components in his [[alternate mode]], reducing his body to a partially transformed scrapheap. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}
**One of two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] thrown off the ''[[Trypticon_(WFC)|Nemesis]]'' by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] to pursue [[Smokescreen_(Prime)|Smokescreen]] ends up falling to his death due to lacking a jet mode. {{storylink|Inside Job}}
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'': [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] met his end when he fell off a cliff and slowly bled out. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Disassembly===
[[File:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]
Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts - or ripping them to pieces - can occasionally kill them:
*Marvel comics:
**[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] meets this fate in an alternate future, when [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] uses a [[repair spider]] to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**A future version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] may have been killed when a group of Decepticons mobbed him and ripped him up. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
[[File:DOTM-Shockwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''That's'' for screwing up our continuity!]]
*Movie continuity:
** [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] kills [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by ripping him in half. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**The Wreckers gang up on a Decepticon pilot and tear him apart.
**Optimus tears [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]'s optic from his damaged head. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] gets torn apart by a chain wielded by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] is torn apart and killed while making a final stand against a mass of generic Decepticons. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
**[[Atomizer]] died when [[Getaway]] tore him apart. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
*''Prime'' cartoon:
**When fighting [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[zombie]] army, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] recommends dissection to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] to "cut" them down to size. How this is more effective then just blasting the living slag out of them is still up for debate. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] manages to offline [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] by tearing him limb from limb, leaving only a pile of mutilated body parts in her wake. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] is dismembered by the [[Sparkless]] before dying in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6|Episode 6}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] winds up being dismembered by [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

====Bifurcation====
[[File:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|"Shakkooosh!" is good, but I could really go for a good old-fashioned "CHUK" right about now.]]
{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}
A particular subset of disassembly, getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
*Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
*Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
*''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur is killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two.
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] dies when Bumblebee yanks his spine out, tearing him apart.
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] slices [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]] in half at the chest but Mixmaster survived this. Getting his skull stomped off, not so much. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] meets his end in this manner courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] gets vertically bisected by Dropkick. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War For Cybertron'': In the opening, a Decepticon goon is chopped in half by Optimus Prime.
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Ambulon]] is chainsawed in half ''vertically'' by [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} ([[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] specifically noted that ''horizontal'' bifurcation would be survivable - indeed, not much later, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] would be quite active after being ripped apart at the waist by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5}})
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] later briefly survives being torn in half by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} before succumbing to his wounds. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
*When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, it tore [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in half, lengthways. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Crushing===
[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|DO NOT WANT]]
Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] is smashed between [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] meet a similar fate when Unicron steps on them. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
**[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
**[[Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power of Unicron}}
**His brother [[Six Shot (Energon)|Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}
[[File:ROTF Scorponok death.jpg|thumb|]]
*IDW continuity:
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] is killed when a group of [[human]] police officers set fire to a building and let it collapse on him, crushing him.
**The luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] dies after [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] stomps on him repeatedly, causing enough damage that his Spark falls out.
*Movie continuity:
**[[Dispensor]] is crushed under [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s foot. {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}}
**[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]'s head is crushed by [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]]'s ''bare fist''. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Shatter]] is crushed by a tanker ship that crashes into a dock. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Vex]] and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] by crushing their heads, using his bare feet for the former and a really big rock for the latter. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] is crushed underfoot by [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 3}}

===Melting===
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]
[[File:Fallout title.jpg|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]
They're made of [[living metal|metal]]; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few, if any, have survived it.
*In the G1 cartoon:
**An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
**Another acid vat is used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comics:
**Victims of the Decepticon [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron are reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
**It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently dies. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] use some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
*In the Beast Era cartoons:
**[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] are apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
**Optimus Primal's body is seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*According to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the [[living metal]] that constitutes Cybertronian biology can be broken down using a cocktail of complicated polymers such as [[w:polyhydroxybutyrate|polyhydroxybutyrate]]; the process — one assumes — proving fatal to the Transformer in question. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon: [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]] is implied to have been melted by toxic Energon waste, as [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] barely survived the experience. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron III}} {{storylink|The Dead End}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Blurr is tricked by [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] into running straight into a flow of molten metal, which melts him into a statue-like state. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

===Disintegration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|thumb|"Ironhide, I don't feel so good..."]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as [[ghost]]s and/or disembodied sparks:
*Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
**[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
**[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding [[energon grid]], but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
**[[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
**And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
**Megatron was disintegrated ''again'', {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}} before he returned to life thanks to unholy powers of the [[Armor of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} After being stabbed through the Spark by [[Rhisling]], his body disintegrated as he passed on into the next life. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*[[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] causes a Transformer's body to disintegrate to nothing:
**The [[Thirteenth Legion]] died of Cosmic Rust. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
**[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] dies after several shots from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]]'s Cosmic Rust Blaster, though the big hole they left in his torso couldn't have helped much either. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**Exposure to even a single [[Nervous bot|carrier]] of the disease has been known to wipe out entire planets. [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] was one of its victims, along with the rest of [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], [[magic]] is one of the few things that can reliably wound or kill a Transformer; the energies unleashed are anathema to mechanical life, and Transformers exposed to such power soon begin to crumble and die. Casualties of this method include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] {{storylink|Schismatic}} and [[Quickswitch]]. {{storylink|Good Men}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[File:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[File:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]
[[File:TFTM Unicron Digestion.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Getting eaten is essentially being torn apart, crushed, and melted all in a row, and it's usually fatal. Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots:
*In the G1 cartoon:
**Various life forms are routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. These include [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comic:
**[[Scraplet]]s are a mechanical disease - tiny robots that fed on Transformers. A hapless freighter pilot dies after being infected, and quite a few other 'bots only narrowly survived being infected. {{storylink|Crater Critters}}
**[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] being torn apart by and dragged into the [[Time rift|time rift]] could be classified as consumption. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**The [[Mecannibal]]s eat robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they can actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
**Unicron skewers [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and eats him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devour [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The Swarm "devours" innumerable Cybertronians and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this is through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*The Sharkticons kill two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*[[Flanker]] is eaten up and killed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|"Deluxe" Insecticons]].
*In the live-action films:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and [[Scorn]] eat various [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] and at least one [[KSI Boss]] {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**Grimlock also made a snack out of [[Dreadbot]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Ahhhh, there we go...]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
*In the Marvel comics:
**The Megatron clone kills Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
**Several of the Wreckers are destroyed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] has his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}} are particularly notable examples. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] LOVES doing this.
**Decapitation is a mere inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroys most of his head, proves fatal.
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is decapitated in the third movie. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s heads fall off when they die, possibly to add finality to their demises. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] met his end after losing his head to [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]]'s sword. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
*2005 IDW continuity: The heads of [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]] are removed and then mockingly put on display to creep out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}
*In the Aligned continuity, Vehicons and Insecticons are frequently murdered by decapitation.
*2019 IDW continuity: [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] loses his head and his spark to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|Prisoners}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] is decapitated by Goldbug when attempting to infiltrate his fortress. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 4}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] dies when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] rips his head off. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 1}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}
[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Roadbuster has spiders on the brain.]]
In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually modified to incorporate the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
*In the Marvel comics:
**In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}
*Movie continuity:
**Optimus rips Grindor's head apart with two hooks. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], and [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s heads are blown to bits by explosives or other weapons.
**Optimus Prime kills Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the head with Megatron's shotgun. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Nitro Zeus]] dies when his head gets blown off by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
[[File:DOTM-Soundwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|How exactly is [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] supposed to download his brain when there's no brain left?]]
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the brain module is part of [[Rossum's Trinity]] and its destruction will cause the destruction of both the spark and the [[transformation cog]], killing the Cybertronian in question:
**[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] blasts [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] right in the head, destroying his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**Impactor kills [[Snare]] by crushing his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Squadron X]] are all shot in the head. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**In the [[Functionist Universe]], every Cybertronian possesses an [[obsolescence chip]] that can be remotely detonated, destroying their heads. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and all other Cybertronians with [[data slug]] alt-modes are killed in a [[mass recall]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] dies when [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] smashes his brain module against his own forcefield. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
**[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] uses his [[size changing]] powers to blow open [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s head from the inside out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Oiler]] has his head sliced in two by a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}
**Kup exploits [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]'s "secret weakness" to defeat him... shooting him in the head and blowing his cranium to bits. (Kup points out that it's most people's secret weakness.) {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}
**[[Adaptus]] met his end when [[Solomus]] drilled directly into his brain. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The [[Resistance]] use a device to short-circuit the remnants of [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]'s consciousness, frying the [[Cyberdroid]]s that contain his tripartite brain. {{storylink|Head Games}}
*''Last Bot Standing'':
**[[Moon (BW)|Moon]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] are both impaled through their heads with a girder, most likely destroying their brain modules in the process. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] by blasting him in the head. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}
[[File:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]
Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
*In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage is killed when Depth Charge pierces his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] dies when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rams his [[sword]] right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
*''Energon'': [[Constructicon Maximus]] dies when [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] impales and crushes his spark.
*''Cybertron'': [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Galvatron]] dies when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] impales him with [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}
**Optimus Prime dies when Megatron stabs him through the chest with his death-lock pincer, followed by a blast from his fusion cannon through the spark chamber. [[The Fallen]] also meets his end when a resurrected Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*''Cyberverse'': [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] is killed when [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]] stabs her in the back through her spark. {{storylink|Parley}}

That's not the only way to destroy a spark either:

*''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] — already reduced to a spark within the matrix — ceases to be when Megatron annihilates his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] has modified his vocal processor so that he can get his voice into synch with a spark's pulse and then get it to stop. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}
**The [[universal killswitch]] built by Chief Justice Tyrest worked by scrambling the Matrix derived sparkcode shared by every constructed cold spark.
**Sentinel Prime wanted Sovereign to power up by eating [[Outrigger]]'s spark, a power shared by the [[Titan Master]]s. This would have killed the [[Circle of Light]] member. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The Vehicons destroy the sparks of those they inject with a nano-virus. The victim is simultaneously turned into another Vehicon in the process.

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}
[[File:Jetstorm with extractor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lost, stolen, whatever...]]
Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/AllSpark/another dimension.
*When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this continuity. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead", due to the fact that the sparks were forcibly removed with a [[spark extractor]].
*''Animated'' cartoon: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[The Fallen]] dies when Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Lockdown executes a wounded Ratchet by removing his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**In ''Cyberverse''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season, this is [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream's]] ultimate goal, planning to use the [[AllSpark]] to rip the sparks from every Transformer and bring peace through genocide. He succeeds in doing this to his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] followers before he is ultimately thwarted. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}}
**Shockwave uses a spark extractor to zap his spark into the Allspark and corrupt it. A few minutes later, [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] uses the same device to do the same and counteract Shockwave's deeds. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron IV}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Starscream is killed when Goldbug tears out his spark. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Skold]] kills Terrorsaur by tearing out his spark, avenging Razorbeast. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}
[[File:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[File:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]
The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in {{w|Water intoxication|a horrible death}}. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
*In the Marvel comics:
**An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughters dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star}} which reportedly burn out millions of their [[microchip]]s. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers are seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
**Starscream himself dies when he absorbs all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] is apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect is more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] dies from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoves the [[AllSpark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]] does the same thing with the Allspark shard with Megatron {{storylink|Transformers: The Ride – 3D}}
*''Transformers Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] gets caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
*Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] dies from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
*''Cybertron'' cartoon [[Vector Prime]] dies after he helps the crew to time travel. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}
*Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): Scorponok is killed when a zombified Terrorsaur drains his energon. {{storylink|The Beginning of the End}}

===Disease===
You may think giant robots couldn't have diseases but it turns out they can!

*Marvel comics: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] contracts [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease where your body is consumed by rust as your metal breaks down at the molecular level. Only a systems boost from a compatible donor could save Snarl {{storylink|Assassins}} but the disease came back anyway. The best cure is to store a Transformer's brain in remote storage and build a whole new body. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] engineers the [[Red Rust]] virus: spread by touch and triggered by transforming, it causes all the coolants, dispersants and anti-rusting agents in a Transformer to cross-contaminate and cause a molecular breakdown. The first sign is when the Transformer starts "crying" the fuel out. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Most of [[Delphi]] was killed. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}
*And of course, there's the aforementioned [[Scraplet]]s, [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]], and the similarly named Rust Plague.

===Aging===
{{quote|Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

While many characters are portrayed as being old, dying of old age is almost unheard of in Transformers.

*In Transformers UK, it is implied Transformers have long, but not endless life spans. In Kup's story, Kup says that he was put on a spaceship to live out his "remaining years" alone. In another story, Goldbug says that he may never understand humans, even if he lives to be 2 million.
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, Ratchet notes that the process of a Cybertronian aging to death (also referred to as age-related burnout) is a relatively recent discovery. He also notes that many, both spiritual and scientific, still refused to "give up on this-this very seductive idea that we're immortal". [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] had been diagnosed with [[cybercrosis]], a fatal condition that has been around since before [[Nova Prime]]'s era but which Ratchet believes in this case was brought about by a combination of the radiation Tailgate had been exposed to upon [[Vector Sigma]]'s re-ignition in addition to his old age. Far in the future, Ratchet himself would succumb to age-related burnout.
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'': Although it takes eons, all Transformers eventually die of old age after being disconnected from the life-giving powers of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

==Suicide==
{{quote|Do you realize how '''hard''' it is for a Cybertronian to die by his own hand? You can jump off a building, blow yourself up, cut off your own head - and you might still survive.|Chromedome, [[Before & After]]}}
Sometimes a Transformer kills themself for some reason, or tries to.
*Marvel comics: Dirge and Nightbeat, rather than be eaten by the Swarm, self-destruct. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*''Beast Wars'':
**Transformers can deliberately override the stasis lock protocols, even if this will result in death. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
**In the final battles, Depth Charge allows himself to be blown up, killing Rampage. Rampage laughs maniacally as he detonates, suggesting that he was deliberately trying to die. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}. [[Dinobot II]] let himself go down with the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Energon'': Galvatron, Starscream, and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] throw themselves into a sun and vaporize themselves. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] and Demolishor may have also done this.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': Jetfire rips out his entire spark housing for Optimus Prime to have enough power to kill The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**A [[NAIL protester]] kills himself by repeatedly transforming until his [[transformation cog]] burns out. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
**[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] alludes to a desire to find his [[Axalon (BW)|old spaceship]] so that he can die there. How exactly he plans to do this is never expounded on. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave, {{storylink|The Last Stand}} who later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
*The crew of the original [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
*Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[File:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]
{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}
Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
*Marvel comic:
**Optimus Prime is able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separates it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] is abruptly decapitated by sword, but is just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
*G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime is disassembled into his component parts, but functions just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connects a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times, {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and even puts it back on himself one time. He even accidentally swaps heads with Megatron once, much to the latter's annoyance. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}} And let's not even get started on how many times [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has lost his head.
[[File:TLK-Mohawk demise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Looks like ''Animated's'' non-fatal decapitation practice is catching up to the rest of the [[Multiverse]].]]
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] is just fine when one of the Reapers whacks his head off. (He doesn't fare so well when another Reaper crushes his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s head is removed in an apparent suicide attempt; he survived because he was put back together in time, before his Spark had faded out. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}
*Movie Continuity:
** Frenzy survives his first decapitation by [[Mikaela Banes]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness survives his decapitation in the Chicago battle, even after having an axe lodged right into his processor. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Mohawk]] had himself blown up by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], yet his head remained functional, and he himself continued to speak. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Dismemberment===
{{quote|MY ARM!!!|Starscream, ''Revenge of the Fallen''}}
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
*Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
*''Last Stand of the Wreckers'': [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] is torn in half by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and is easily repaired. The same also happens to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]].
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': During a fierce battle, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] not only cuts off [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]'s arm with an Energon blade, but he rips off [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s arm with his bare hands, and proceeded to ''beat him with it''.

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
*The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spend quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}
*In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
**Megatron de-sparks most of Cybertron's population and stores their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
**Blackarachnia's spark wanders around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
**Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wanders the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the spark, like the other two parts of Rossum's Trinity, can be safely removed and stored with the proper medical equipment.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
*Marvel comics:
**The [[trans-time dimensional portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
**Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
*2005 IDW comics: Megatron severely damages Optimus Prime in battle and plans on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigns death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly enters [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|[[Klementia|A random Quintesson]], "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

*Generation 1 cartoon:
**Optimus Prime is simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he's alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
**Ultra Magnus's death is undone after his limbs were reconnected to each other. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Marvel comics: Optimus Prime's mind gets encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents are loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lives again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness manipulates [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] into building him a new body, which he subsequently infects. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal is restored to life when Rhinox manages to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: various Vehicon generals are brought to life by placing other Transformer's sparks into them.
*''Armada'' cartoon: Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requiem Blaster {{storylink|Sacrifice}} but his spark survived and is put into a new body. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both have their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survive, and are placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]] is placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chooses to let his life end, and expires anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] gets brought back to life after spending five hundred years as a spark fragment in an Energon flower by being transplanted into a snowflake of [[Living metal#2005 IDW continuity|''sentio metallico'']], which results in her being reborn as a [[protoform]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

==="Magical" substances===
*Marvel comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon bring many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron is revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is portrayed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A real man never dies, even when he's killed!]]
*In the Marvel comics:
**The [[Last Autobot]] is granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he uses to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
**Optimus Prime is eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**The AllSpark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, Bumblebee temporarily gets his voice back, {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Sentinel Prime is revived after crash landing on the moon by the Matrix of Leadership, courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s body is destroyed, but the AllSpark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] is resurrected when he and his gestaltmates are combined and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brings [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infuses him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
*Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
*Starscream survives his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He is eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
*[[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] were immortal, existing in multiple dimensions simultaneously as extensions of the same being across different dimensions (reverse-time dimensions, for example, are key to revival of the singularities). Multiversal singularities ceased to exist with the coming of the [[Shroud]], nullifying this concept.
*''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] cannot be killed so long as he retains his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead. Whether or not this ability extends to other AllSpark creations is unknown.
*Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] can essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them. This ability appears to no longer apply, post-[[Expansion]], except when in direct proximity to the Dead Universe.
*Thunderwing's Pretender shell makes him nearly invincible. At the very least, he is able to withstand incredible amounts of salvo and not even flinch.
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason. It's probably because if he died, the universe wouldn't be able to inflict pain on him anymore.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfistaneurism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I told you I was ill.]]
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] spends much of [[Simon Furman]]'s Marvel US run conflicted and doubting himself, and under the weight of his pre-Headmaster self's reputation. He finally gets past this and takes the fight to Unicron, dying in the process, his last words asking Optimus if he'd done good. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*Sunstreaker's death in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' was intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
*Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, is more a moment of dramatic pathos — knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' is his main plot arc, quietly built up in the background since the first issue.

===Consequences of war===
[[File:Bulkhead Eradicon Darkness Rising 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His special large intestine! There's only one like it!]]
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
*Impactor's death is used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
*The ''Generation 2'' book features several deaths which drive home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction serves to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
*Pretty much every death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' comes under this.
*[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]], [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] and [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] are all killed in their first ''Prime'' episodes, due to just plain bad luck in the first three cases and because of a deliberate Autobot killing in Makeshift's. The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are presented as sentient ''and'' as being killed by Autobots in large numbers. [[Jeff Kline]] famously said at the advent of ''Prime'' that all deaths would be final. While the rule applied to the majority of the series, it was happily ignored when it came time for the deaths of [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who were all revived almost immediately after death (admittedly it took until the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|follow-up series]] to revive Optimus a second time, but let's face it, we're used to that by this point).
*In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]]'s reality, the Autobots lost the war and all of them probably died.{{storylink|The Other One}}

===Increased threat===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-whycouldntyou.jpg|upright=2.0|thumb]]
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
*The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
*Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
*In "[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!
*Cliffjumper in ''Prime'' is set up as a main character and then killed in five minutes, immediately putting the ''Prime'' Decepticons forward as a major threat.
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally hunted down and killed early into ''Age of Extinction'' by [[Cemetery Wind]] and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], to show what has befallen the majority of the Cybertronians on Earth (and the old cast from the first three films) and what will happen if the survivors are caught.
*''Transformers: Unicron'' begins with Unicron already having noshed on [[Velocitron]], which had previously appeared a few times in that continuity's works while never exactly being a major focus, and soon the [[Space Knight]]s find the corpse of Cliffjumper, whose last major appearance had been a good four years prior, but then Wheeljack, who has been a main character in the last few years, dies as well, proving the situation is now beyond serious. Also, several named Space Knights from Rom's own series die, but they're nasty, bigoted jerks so nobody feels bad when they snuff it.

===Cast thinning===
Generation 1 stories were particularly notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they rolled on, because of the franchise's longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle.

*Examples are rife in the Marvel comics:
**The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline gets rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
**The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly clears out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
**The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' does this on a smaller basis. While only a handful of characters were actually killed off, many more cast members simply disappeared without explanation in the following season of the cartoon.
*[[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] deals with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

More recent stories - particularly those without the overriding imperative [[to sell toys]], such as the G1 IDW comics - have accepted that not every character must be constantly accounted for at all times or roll-called every issue, allowing larger casts to simply exist in the background until needed. Another alternative, particularly visible in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, is to give new bodies (based on corresponding new toys, of course) to existing characters, allowing them to continue promoting new toys across multiple seasons of the show.

===Character motivation===
[[File:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|"How are we going to SHEEEAGH together if he's dead?!"]]

A quick and easy way to create enmity between characters is for the antagonist to kill someone close to the protagonist.

*In Marvel’s comics, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is motivated by his guilt over being unable to participate in Operation: Volcano and prevent Impactor’s death. {{storylink|Under Fire!}}
*Also in Marvel's comics, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s revenge plot against the new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] is motivated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s murder of [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*In ''Energon'', [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber ''nee'' Dagger]] swears revenge on [[Shockblast]] after the murder of his partner, [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]]. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}} He then forgets to care about Shockblast later but, y'know, ''Energon'' story.
*In ''Prime'', [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee's]] conflict is down to Airachnid's murder of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|Predatory}} She keeps throwing this in Arcee's face.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|(They also cease to appear on store shelves.)]]
Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
*The numerous casualties of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' are fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
*Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed — quickly — to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
*Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!
{{-}}

==Fleshling death==
{{quote|"The humans' spark is fragile." "WHAT?! Impossible! Their spark's not eternal?" "One life. That's ''all'' they've got." "Bahh. Then they really ''are'' poorly designed."|[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|"[[Energon Grid (episode)|Energon Grid]]"|noquote=true}}

In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[File:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|One dead dog]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Two dead dogs]]
Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
*A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barks at [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and is kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
*The "[[Battle Dog]]" is shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] reminds [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
*The dog-like [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] is shot at by [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
*A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally causes an avalanche which kills his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] eats an eagle. {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] eats a cute little rat, {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}} and nearly eats an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] knocks a [[saber-toothed cat|saber-toothed tiger]] off a cliff, presumably killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] uses [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider, effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new-born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
*Human villain [[Trophy White]] has a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}
*[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] takes potshots at a vulture for fun in Africa. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] killed a friggin' elephant in Africa. (In [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|the adaptation]], at least.)
{{-}}

===Human death===
[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This didn't happen much.]]
*Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
*Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
*In ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', after his revival on Earth, Megatron manages to gain control of Earth's nuclear arsenal and uses it to push humanity to the brink of extinction. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} During that conflict, Megatron has some fun terrorizing the population with his army of zombie Decepticons. [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tracks down and killed [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jesse (G1)|Jessie]] Witwicky in a car wash; had he had his full faculties, he might have [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|appreciated the irony]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}
*In almost every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed. And then ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' showed up.
**A human is shown slumped against a wall in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]", a victim of Soundwave, though it isn't clear whether he was dead or merely unconscious.[[File:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|They'll, uh, be okay, maybe.]]
**When [[MECH|human terrorists]] are featured, they will often die. Piloted or driven vehicles explode and enemies are implied to be crushed. "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]" is the first of numerous examples.
**When Nemesis Prime attacks a military base in his [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|self-titled episode]], it's likely his rampage cost the lives of numerous soldiers.
**When the military attacked [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], its fusion cannons devastate the entire force, presumably killing them all.
**[[Silas|Cylas]] is the first human to die on-screen in Western Transformers animation, but not before thanking [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] for finally freeing him of his gruesome existence.
*Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding showing, only mentioning, human death.
*Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
*The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
*[[2005 IDW continuity]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
*The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000 (don't even ''think'' about it), and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]], though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]]. Then of course we get to ''Dark of the Moon'', which has Decepticons laying siege to [[Chicago]], killing most of its citizens, including several being shot and exploding and disintegrating into just skulls ''directly in front of the camera''. That's not even mentioning [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], whose job it is to assassinate civilians, even if it means befriending their children to do it. Twisted.
**[[Dylan Gould]] is killed when he was shoved into [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime's]] space bridge generator, but given he was a villain it's not so much of a concern. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Sam Witwicky]] was killed by Megatron but brought back to life by the Primes.
**[[Lucas Flannery]], in a bit of karmic retribution (for having tipped off [[Cemetery Wind]] to Optimus' location against Cade's wishes), gets fried by one of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]'s grenades and his mangled corpse is converted into ''[[Living metal#Live-action film series|Transformium]]''. [[James Savoy]] says his sister was a casualty of the Battle of Chicago, which he uses as an excuse to sadistically hunt and kill Autobots and their sympathizers. He ends up getting knocked out of a very high window by [[Cade Yeager]] for attempting to kill his family. Later, his boss, [[Harold Attinger]], is brutally gunned down by Optimus Prime when he tries to kill Cade for sympathizing with the Autobots. Additionally, [[Joshua Joyce]] tries to scramble paramedics to the scene of Galvatron's rampage (much to Attinger's disgust), believing people were killed. And then there's the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]] stomping through the densely crowded streets of Hong Kong. They certainly killed more people than Decepticons!
**[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s arrival to Earth was predicted to cause tens of millions of human casualties. When its continents began reconnecting, the human news reported they were literally scraping away major cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and projected to kill millions.
**''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' introduces a new method of human death: liquification. [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] uses a special gun that performs this feat on [[Roy (BB)|some random guy]] and later [[Dr. Powell]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue #10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. Sam Witwicky, meanwhile, was stated to have died.
*Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opens fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people is seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}
*In ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'', several [[Kiss Player]]s were seen being devoured by Legions.
{{-}}

==Characters who die a lot==
*[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] — [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|quite]] [[Starscream (Movie)|a]] [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|lot]].
*[[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who also [[:File:Unicron1-RampageKillsDirge.jpg|gets]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
*[[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]] — a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently, for no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:File:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:File:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].

==See also==
*[[Transformer funerary practices]]
*[[To sell toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Death

2022-11-04T12:50:12Z

Chasd20: /* Crushing */

{{disambig2|the end of life|the Horseman of Unicron|Airazor (Armada)}}
[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|upright=1.77|thumb|And lo, the children did weep. They wept hard too.]]
''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, [[Waspinator (BW)|crushed into cubes]], and even [[Demolishor (Armada)|utterly disintegrated]]. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[File:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]
There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.

However, over time there has been some convergence of concepts regarding Transformer design across the various franchises and storylines. The concept of Sparks as a Transformer's driving life force has become nearly universal, and with it, the notion that loss of Spark equals death. Various [[2005 IDW continuity]] comics, particularly ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'', have delved deeply into this, positing that a Transformer can die if their Spark, brain or (in a new and unique twist) transformation cog are sufficiently damaged, known as "[[Rossum's Trinity‎]]". MTMTE also makes note of the difficulties in killing a Transformer, and how things like decapitation may not be lethal in the right circumstances.

If one is so inclined, these concepts can be applied retroactively to many, if not all, older stories - so that various means of death described below can be seen simply as the means of inflicting the requisite damage on a Transformer's vital bits.

When a Transformer dies, the loss of their life force (or artistic convention, out here in the real world) often results in them turning gray. The most well-known example by far is Optimus Prime's death in the animated movie; Prowl can also be glimpsed turning gray as he falls during the shuttle assault. This idea has shown up in a few other places, such as [[Transform and Roll Out#Part 3|the ''Animated'' cartoon]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|the ''More Than Meets the Eye'' comics]], the latter of which [[Sardines|coined]] the term "[[aggressive depigmentation]]" to describe the phenomenon.
{{-}}

===Weaponsfire===
{{bigquote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]
[[File:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]
[[File:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]
[[File:Blades1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sorry, [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|nameless guy]], your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]
[[File:DreadwingdeathImage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You will pay for this, Megatron! Mark my words, you'll pay!]]
Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
*In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]]:
**Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], are victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl (whose tech specs show endurances of 9) both went down after ''one shot''.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**In the Japanese continuity, Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}
*In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
**[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] is cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]], who himself is then shot to pieces by the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
**[[Ferak]] is executed by a head shot from [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}
**Most deaths in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' book occur from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims explode spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], {{storylink|New Dawn}} and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
**[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage, but the episode gave a reason: Dinobot refuses to go into [[stasis lock]], which his onboard computer warns could "result in loss of Spark" if he keeps it up.
**[[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together - or at least, [[Waspinator (BW)|nobody who cared to]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:File:Crisis Optimus Prime dies.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis (Armada)|Crisis}}
*[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1]] comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is gunned down by [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}
*[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]: [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] is shot and killed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] during the final battle of the [[Universe War]].
*This happens a ''lot'' in the [[Movie continuity]]:
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both die from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**Arcee and Elita-One and possibly Chromia are killed by Decepticon fire.
**All the [[Appliancebot]]s are shot dead by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
**A crapload of [[Protoform]]s are shot down by [[NEST]] soldiers. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crowbar]] is shot in the face by Ironhide.
**[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is brought to his knees by a shot to the chest from a Decepticon protoform before [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] finishes him off by shooting him in the back. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] is killed by a massive onslaught of gunfire from [[Cemetery Wind]]. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally whittled down in a similar manner, until Lockdown comes and executes him. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
*Many goons during the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]] die from being shot. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron}}
*''Prime'' cartoon: [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] is killed by a shot through the chest by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'':
**[[Thunderhoof (BWU)|Thunderhoof]] is shot down by his former minions, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]]. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}
**[[Overshoot]] is shot in the chest by [[Vamp]] and bleeds out from the injury. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}
**[[Steel Jaw]] is killed by a stray shot. {{storylink|Derailment}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] leaps in front of a shot meant for Optimus Prime. While dialogue suggests he could have lived, he is not seen afterward as the lights in his optics fade out. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}
**In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X's]] reality, the tyrant shot his universe's Optimus Prime with his fusion cannon and subsequently seized the Matrix of Leadership for himself. {{storylink|The Other One}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon:
**[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] and [[Exhaust|Exhaust]] are shot by [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (Bug Bite in the chest and Exhaust in the head) and left adrift in space. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
**[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] is possibly killed by a shot from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], since he never appears again and one of the AllSpark ghosts uses his character model. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}} {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
* ''Last Bot Standing'': [[Sharpclaw]] dies after [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] shoots her in the back. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}
{{-}}

===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw98ARXfcqk You are dead, dead, DEAAD!]"]]
Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] is the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroys his body. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} However, in the UK continuity he survives as a raggedy, bodiless head. {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}
**In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] dies in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] is killed when a prototype [[pathblaster]] exploded in his face. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Finback]] is presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Octane]] may have been killed when he was fired upon while carrying highly explosive fuel. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
**[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] is blown to bits — terminally so — by the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
**[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] is killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]) are destroyed when part of their ship explodes with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*Energon: [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] is killed when Storm Jet causes a massive explosion that engulfed them both.
*''Prime'':
**[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] and the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s are blown up by a grenade attached by the Autobots. Both the Vehicons and Makeshift are killed in the blast. {{storylink|Con Job}} <ref>(According to an interview at [[BotCon 2011]] with the ''Prime'' show runners, Makeshift was deemed too overpowered to be a regular in the show, so they killed him off at the end of the episode.)</ref>
** [[Hardshell]] is killed by [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] when she fires two missiles at him, blowing him up. {{storylink|Hurt}}
*''Movie Continuty'':
**[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]], and several Decepticon Protoforms are killed by a human air strike in [[Egypt]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] blows up when Ironhide kicks him into a gas station. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] gets blown to bits when Bumblebee shoves his own missile into his chest and detonates it. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Scrapface|Scrapface]], and possibly [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] are caught in the explosion that destroys [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Razorbeast]] is dropped by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] into a mountain of raw energon crystals, which triggers an explosion that destroys him. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] attempted to force [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] to land the shuttle she was piloting, he accidentally sent her to her doom in a fiery crash. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] meets his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
** [[Doubledealer]] is shot, falls off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
** [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus]] gets knocked down a very big hole by [[Beak]] and dies. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] falls off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after a [[rail gun]] blows his arm apart. He tumbles back down the monument and collapses as he dies. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] is smashed to pieces and killed by being flung into a freeway column. {{storylink|Movie Adaptation issue 4|Movie Adaptation Issue Number Four}}
**[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]] meets his end when [[Dino]] sends him crashing into a car. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] falls off a cliff and shatters. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'':
**[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] crash-lands after [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] punches out vital components in his [[alternate mode]], reducing his body to a partially transformed scrapheap. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}
**One of two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] thrown off the ''[[Trypticon_(WFC)|Nemesis]]'' by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] to pursue [[Smokescreen_(Prime)|Smokescreen]] ends up falling to his death due to lacking a jet mode. {{storylink|Inside Job}}
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'': [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] met his end when he fell off a cliff and slowly bled out. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Disassembly===
[[File:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]
Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts - or ripping them to pieces - can occasionally kill them:
*Marvel comics:
**[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] meets this fate in an alternate future, when [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] uses a [[repair spider]] to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**A future version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] may have been killed when a group of Decepticons mobbed him and ripped him up. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
[[File:DOTM-Shockwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''That's'' for screwing up our continuity!]]
*Movie continuity:
** [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] kills [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by ripping him in half. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**The Wreckers gang up on a Decepticon pilot and tear him apart.
**Optimus tears [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]'s optic from his damaged head. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] gets torn apart by a chain wielded by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] is torn apart and killed while making a final stand against a mass of generic Decepticons. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
**[[Atomizer]] died when [[Getaway]] tore him apart. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
*''Prime'' cartoon:
**When fighting [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[zombie]] army, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] recommends dissection to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] to "cut" them down to size. How this is more effective then just blasting the living slag out of them is still up for debate. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] manages to offline [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] by tearing him limb from limb, leaving only a pile of mutilated body parts in her wake. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] is dismembered by the [[Sparkless]] before dying in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6|Episode 6}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] winds up being dismembered by [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

====Bifurcation====
[[File:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|"Shakkooosh!" is good, but I could really go for a good old-fashioned "CHUK" right about now.]]
{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}
A particular subset of disassembly, getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
*Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
*Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
*''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur is killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two.
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] dies when Bumblebee yanks his spine out, tearing him apart.
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] slices [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]] in half at the chest but Mixmaster survived this. Getting his skull stomped off, not so much. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] meets his end in this manner courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] gets vertically bisected by Dropkick. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War For Cybertron'': In the opening, a Decepticon goon is chopped in half by Optimus Prime.
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Ambulon]] is chainsawed in half ''vertically'' by [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} ([[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] specifically noted that ''horizontal'' bifurcation would be survivable - indeed, not much later, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] would be quite active after being ripped apart at the waist by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5}})
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] later briefly survives being torn in half by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} before succumbing to his wounds. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
*When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, it tore [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in half, lengthways. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Crushing===
[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|DO NOT WANT]]
Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] is smashed between [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] meet a similar fate when Unicron steps on them. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
**[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
**[[Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power of Unicron}}
**His brother [[Six Shot (Energon)|Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}
[[File:ROTF Scorponok death.jpg|thumb|]]
*IDW continuity:
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] is killed when a group of [[human]] police officers set fire to a building and let it collapse on him, crushing him.
**The luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] dies after [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] stomps on him repeatedly, causing enough damage that his Spark falls out.
*Movie continuity:
**[[Dispensor]] is crushed under [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s foot. {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}}
**[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]'s head is crushed by [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]]'s ''bare fist''. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Shatter]] is crushed by a tanker ship that crashes into a dock. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Vex]] and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] by crushing their heads, using his bare feet for the former and a really big rock for the latter. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] is crushed underfoot by [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass II issue 3}}

===Melting===
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]
[[File:Fallout title.jpg|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]
They're made of [[living metal|metal]]; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few, if any, have survived it.
*In the G1 cartoon:
**An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
**Another acid vat is used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comics:
**Victims of the Decepticon [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron are reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
**It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently dies. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] use some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
*In the Beast Era cartoons:
**[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] are apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
**Optimus Primal's body is seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*According to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the [[living metal]] that constitutes Cybertronian biology can be broken down using a cocktail of complicated polymers such as [[w:polyhydroxybutyrate|polyhydroxybutyrate]]; the process — one assumes — proving fatal to the Transformer in question. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon: [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]] is implied to have been melted by toxic Energon waste, as [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] barely survived the experience. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron III}} {{storylink|The Dead End}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Blurr is tricked by [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] into running straight into a flow of molten metal, which melts him into a statue-like state. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

===Disintegration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|thumb|"Ironhide, I don't feel so good..."]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as [[ghost]]s and/or disembodied sparks:
*Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
**[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
**[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding [[energon grid]], but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
**[[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
**And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
**Megatron was disintegrated ''again'', {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}} before he returned to life thanks to unholy powers of the [[Armor of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} After being stabbed through the Spark by [[Rhisling]], his body disintegrated as he passed on into the next life. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*[[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] causes a Transformer's body to disintegrate to nothing:
**The [[Thirteenth Legion]] died of Cosmic Rust. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
**[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] dies after several shots from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]]'s Cosmic Rust Blaster, though the big hole they left in his torso couldn't have helped much either. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**Exposure to even a single [[Nervous bot|carrier]] of the disease has been known to wipe out entire planets. [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] was one of its victims, along with the rest of [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], [[magic]] is one of the few things that can reliably wound or kill a Transformer; the energies unleashed are anathema to mechanical life, and Transformers exposed to such power soon begin to crumble and die. Casualties of this method include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] {{storylink|Schismatic}} and [[Quickswitch]]. {{storylink|Good Men}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[File:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[File:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]
[[File:TFTM Unicron Digestion.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Getting eaten is essentially being torn apart, crushed, and melted all in a row, and it's usually fatal. Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots:
*In the G1 cartoon:
**Various life forms are routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. These include [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comic:
**[[Scraplet]]s are a mechanical disease - tiny robots that fed on Transformers. A hapless freighter pilot dies after being infected, and quite a few other 'bots only narrowly survived being infected. {{storylink|Crater Critters}}
**[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] being torn apart by and dragged into the [[Time rift|time rift]] could be classified as consumption. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**The [[Mecannibal]]s eat robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they can actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
**Unicron skewers [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and eats him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devour [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The Swarm "devours" innumerable Cybertronians and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this is through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*The Sharkticons kill two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*[[Flanker]] is eaten up and killed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|"Deluxe" Insecticons]].
*In the live-action films:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and [[Scorn]] eat various [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] and at least one [[KSI Boss]] {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**Grimlock also made a snack out of [[Dreadbot]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Ahhhh, there we go...]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
*In the Marvel comics:
**The Megatron clone kills Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
**Several of the Wreckers are destroyed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] has his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}} are particularly notable examples. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] LOVES doing this.
**Decapitation is a mere inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroys most of his head, proves fatal.
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is decapitated in the third movie. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s heads fall off when they die, possibly to add finality to their demises. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] met his end after losing his head to [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]]'s sword. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
*2005 IDW continuity: The heads of [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]] are removed and then mockingly put on display to creep out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}
*In the Aligned continuity, Vehicons and Insecticons are frequently murdered by decapitation.
*2019 IDW continuity: [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] loses his head and his spark to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|Prisoners}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] is decapitated by [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] when attempting to infiltrate his fortress. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 4}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] dies when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] rips his head off. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 1}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}
[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Roadbuster has spiders on the brain.]]
In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually modified to incorporate the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
*In the Marvel comics:
**In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}
*Movie continuity:
**Optimus rips Grindor's head apart with two hooks. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], and [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s heads are blown to bits by explosives or other weapons.
**Optimus Prime kills Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the head with Megatron's shotgun. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Nitro Zeus]] dies when his head gets blown off by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
[[File:DOTM-Soundwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|How exactly is [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] supposed to download his brain when there's no brain left?]]
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the brain module is part of [[Rossum's Trinity]] and its destruction will cause the destruction of both the spark and the [[transformation cog]], killing the Cybertronian in question:
**[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] blasts [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] right in the head, destroying his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**Impactor kills [[Snare]] by crushing his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Squadron X]] are all shot in the head. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**In the [[Functionist Universe]], every Cybertronian possesses an [[obsolescence chip]] that can be remotely detonated, destroying their heads. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and all other Cybertronians with [[data slug]] alt-modes are killed in a [[mass recall]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] dies when [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] smashes his brain module against his own forcefield. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
**[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] uses his [[size changing]] powers to blow open [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s head from the inside out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Oiler]] has his head sliced in two by a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}
**Kup exploits [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]'s "secret weakness" to defeat him... shooting him in the head and blowing his cranium to bits. (Kup points out that it's most people's secret weakness.) {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}
**[[Adaptus]] met his end when [[Solomus]] drilled directly into his brain. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The [[Resistance]] use a device to short-circuit the remnants of [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]'s consciousness, frying the [[Cyberdroid]]s that contain his tripartite brain. {{storylink|Head Games}}
*''Last Bot Standing'':
**[[Moon (BW)|Moon]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] are both impaled through their heads with a girder, most likely destroying their brain modules in the process. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] by blasting him in the head. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}
[[File:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]
Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
*In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage is killed when Depth Charge pierces his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] dies when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rams his [[sword]] right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
*''Energon'': [[Constructicon Maximus]] dies when [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] impales and crushes his spark.
*''Cybertron'': [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Galvatron]] dies when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] impales him with [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}
**Optimus Prime dies when Megatron stabs him through the chest with his death-lock pincer, followed by a blast from his fusion cannon through the spark chamber. [[The Fallen]] also meets his end when a resurrected Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*''Cyberverse'': [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] is killed when [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]] stabs her in the back through her spark. {{storylink|Parley}}

That's not the only way to destroy a spark either:

*''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] — already reduced to a spark within the matrix — ceases to be when Megatron annihilates his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] has modified his vocal processor so that he can get his voice into synch with a spark's pulse and then get it to stop. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}
**The [[universal killswitch]] built by Chief Justice Tyrest worked by scrambling the Matrix derived sparkcode shared by every constructed cold spark.
**Sentinel Prime wanted Sovereign to power up by eating [[Outrigger]]'s spark, a power shared by the [[Titan Master]]s. This would have killed the [[Circle of Light]] member. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The Vehicons destroy the sparks of those they inject with a nano-virus. The victim is simultaneously turned into another Vehicon in the process.

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}
[[File:Jetstorm with extractor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lost, stolen, whatever...]]
Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/AllSpark/another dimension.
*When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this continuity. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead", due to the fact that the sparks were forcibly removed with a [[spark extractor]].
*''Animated'' cartoon: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[The Fallen]] dies when Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Lockdown executes a wounded Ratchet by removing his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**In ''Cyberverse''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season, this is [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream's]] ultimate goal, planning to use the [[AllSpark]] to rip the sparks from every Transformer and bring peace through genocide. He succeeds in doing this to his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] followers before he is ultimately thwarted. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}}
**Shockwave uses a spark extractor to zap his spark into the Allspark and corrupt it. A few minutes later, [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] uses the same device to do the same and counteract Shockwave's deeds. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron IV}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Starscream is killed when Goldbug tears out his spark. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Skold]] kills Terrorsaur by tearing out his spark, avenging Razorbeast. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}
[[File:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[File:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]
The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in {{w|Water intoxication|a horrible death}}. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
*In the Marvel comics:
**An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughters dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star}} which reportedly burn out millions of their [[microchip]]s. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers are seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
**Starscream himself dies when he absorbs all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] is apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect is more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] dies from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoves the [[AllSpark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]] does the same thing with the Allspark shard with Megatron {{storylink|Transformers: The Ride – 3D}}
*''Transformers Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] gets caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
*Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] dies from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
*''Cybertron'' cartoon [[Vector Prime]] dies after he helps the crew to time travel. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}
*Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): Scorponok is killed when a zombified Terrorsaur drains his energon. {{storylink|The Beginning of the End}}

===Disease===
You may think giant robots couldn't have diseases but it turns out they can!

*Marvel comics: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] contracts [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease where your body is consumed by rust as your metal breaks down at the molecular level. Only a systems boost from a compatible donor could save Snarl {{storylink|Assassins}} but the disease came back anyway. The best cure is to store a Transformer's brain in remote storage and build a whole new body. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] engineers the [[Red Rust]] virus: spread by touch and triggered by transforming, it causes all the coolants, dispersants and anti-rusting agents in a Transformer to cross-contaminate and cause a molecular breakdown. The first sign is when the Transformer starts "crying" the fuel out. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Most of [[Delphi]] was killed. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}
*And of course, there's the aforementioned [[Scraplet]]s, [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]], and the similarly named Rust Plague.

===Aging===
{{quote|Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

While many characters are portrayed as being old, dying of old age is almost unheard of in Transformers.

*In Transformers UK, it is implied Transformers have long, but not endless life spans. In Kup's story, Kup says that he was put on a spaceship to live out his "remaining years" alone. In another story, Goldbug says that he may never understand humans, even if he lives to be 2 million.
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, Ratchet notes that the process of a Cybertronian aging to death (also referred to as age-related burnout) is a relatively recent discovery. He also notes that many, both spiritual and scientific, still refused to "give up on this-this very seductive idea that we're immortal". [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] had been diagnosed with [[cybercrosis]], a fatal condition that has been around since before [[Nova Prime]]'s era but which Ratchet believes in this case was brought about by a combination of the radiation Tailgate had been exposed to upon [[Vector Sigma]]'s re-ignition in addition to his old age. Far in the future, Ratchet himself would succumb to age-related burnout.
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'': Although it takes eons, all Transformers eventually die of old age after being disconnected from the life-giving powers of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

==Suicide==
{{quote|Do you realize how '''hard''' it is for a Cybertronian to die by his own hand? You can jump off a building, blow yourself up, cut off your own head - and you might still survive.|Chromedome, [[Before & After]]}}
Sometimes a Transformer kills themself for some reason, or tries to.
*Marvel comics: Dirge and Nightbeat, rather than be eaten by the Swarm, self-destruct. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*''Beast Wars'':
**Transformers can deliberately override the stasis lock protocols, even if this will result in death. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
**In the final battles, Depth Charge allows himself to be blown up, killing Rampage. Rampage laughs maniacally as he detonates, suggesting that he was deliberately trying to die. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}. [[Dinobot II]] let himself go down with the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Energon'': Galvatron, Starscream, and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] throw themselves into a sun and vaporize themselves. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] and Demolishor may have also done this.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': Jetfire rips out his entire spark housing for Optimus Prime to have enough power to kill The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**A [[NAIL protester]] kills himself by repeatedly transforming until his [[transformation cog]] burns out. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
**[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] alludes to a desire to find his [[Axalon (BW)|old spaceship]] so that he can die there. How exactly he plans to do this is never expounded on. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave, {{storylink|The Last Stand}} who later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
*The crew of the original [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
*Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[File:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]
{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}
Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
*Marvel comic:
**Optimus Prime is able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separates it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] is abruptly decapitated by sword, but is just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
*G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime is disassembled into his component parts, but functions just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connects a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times, {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and even puts it back on himself one time. He even accidentally swaps heads with Megatron once, much to the latter's annoyance. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}} And let's not even get started on how many times [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has lost his head.
[[File:TLK-Mohawk demise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Looks like ''Animated's'' non-fatal decapitation practice is catching up to the rest of the [[Multiverse]].]]
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] is just fine when one of the Reapers whacks his head off. (He doesn't fare so well when another Reaper crushes his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s head is removed in an apparent suicide attempt; he survived because he was put back together in time, before his Spark had faded out. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}
*Movie Continuity:
** Frenzy survives his first decapitation by [[Mikaela Banes]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness survives his decapitation in the Chicago battle, even after having an axe lodged right into his processor. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Mohawk]] had himself blown up by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], yet his head remained functional, and he himself continued to speak. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Dismemberment===
{{quote|MY ARM!!!|Starscream, ''Revenge of the Fallen''}}
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
*Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
*''Last Stand of the Wreckers'': [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] is torn in half by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and is easily repaired. The same also happens to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]].
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': During a fierce battle, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] not only cuts off [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]'s arm with an Energon blade, but he rips off [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s arm with his bare hands, and proceeded to ''beat him with it''.

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
*The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spend quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}
*In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
**Megatron de-sparks most of Cybertron's population and stores their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
**Blackarachnia's spark wanders around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
**Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wanders the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the spark, like the other two parts of Rossum's Trinity, can be safely removed and stored with the proper medical equipment.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
*Marvel comics:
**The [[trans-time dimensional portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
**Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
*2005 IDW comics: Megatron severely damages Optimus Prime in battle and plans on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigns death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly enters [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|[[Klementia|A random Quintesson]], "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

*Generation 1 cartoon:
**Optimus Prime is simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he's alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
**Ultra Magnus's death is undone after his limbs were reconnected to each other. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Marvel comics: Optimus Prime's mind gets encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents are loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lives again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness manipulates [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] into building him a new body, which he subsequently infects. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal is restored to life when Rhinox manages to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: various Vehicon generals are brought to life by placing other Transformer's sparks into them.
*''Armada'' cartoon: Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requiem Blaster {{storylink|Sacrifice}} but his spark survived and is put into a new body. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both have their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survive, and are placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]] is placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chooses to let his life end, and expires anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] gets brought back to life after spending five hundred years as a spark fragment in an Energon flower by being transplanted into a snowflake of [[Living metal#2005 IDW continuity|''sentio metallico'']], which results in her being reborn as a [[protoform]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

==="Magical" substances===
*Marvel comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon bring many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron is revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is portrayed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A real man never dies, even when he's killed!]]
*In the Marvel comics:
**The [[Last Autobot]] is granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he uses to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
**Optimus Prime is eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**The AllSpark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, Bumblebee temporarily gets his voice back, {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Sentinel Prime is revived after crash landing on the moon by the Matrix of Leadership, courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s body is destroyed, but the AllSpark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] is resurrected when he and his gestaltmates are combined and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brings [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infuses him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
*Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
*Starscream survives his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He is eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
*[[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] were immortal, existing in multiple dimensions simultaneously as extensions of the same being across different dimensions (reverse-time dimensions, for example, are key to revival of the singularities). Multiversal singularities ceased to exist with the coming of the [[Shroud]], nullifying this concept.
*''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] cannot be killed so long as he retains his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead. Whether or not this ability extends to other AllSpark creations is unknown.
*Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] can essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them. This ability appears to no longer apply, post-[[Expansion]], except when in direct proximity to the Dead Universe.
*Thunderwing's Pretender shell makes him nearly invincible. At the very least, he is able to withstand incredible amounts of salvo and not even flinch.
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason. It's probably because if he died, the universe wouldn't be able to inflict pain on him anymore.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfistaneurism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I told you I was ill.]]
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] spends much of [[Simon Furman]]'s Marvel US run conflicted and doubting himself, and under the weight of his pre-Headmaster self's reputation. He finally gets past this and takes the fight to Unicron, dying in the process, his last words asking Optimus if he'd done good. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*Sunstreaker's death in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' was intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
*Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, is more a moment of dramatic pathos — knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' is his main plot arc, quietly built up in the background since the first issue.

===Consequences of war===
[[File:Bulkhead Eradicon Darkness Rising 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His special large intestine! There's only one like it!]]
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
*Impactor's death is used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
*The ''Generation 2'' book features several deaths which drive home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction serves to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
*Pretty much every death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' comes under this.
*[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]], [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] and [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] are all killed in their first ''Prime'' episodes, due to just plain bad luck in the first three cases and because of a deliberate Autobot killing in Makeshift's. The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are presented as sentient ''and'' as being killed by Autobots in large numbers. [[Jeff Kline]] famously said at the advent of ''Prime'' that all deaths would be final. While the rule applied to the majority of the series, it was happily ignored when it came time for the deaths of [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who were all revived almost immediately after death (admittedly it took until the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|follow-up series]] to revive Optimus a second time, but let's face it, we're used to that by this point).
*In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]]'s reality, the Autobots lost the war and all of them probably died.{{storylink|The Other One}}

===Increased threat===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-whycouldntyou.jpg|upright=2.0|thumb]]
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
*The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
*Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
*In "[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!
*Cliffjumper in ''Prime'' is set up as a main character and then killed in five minutes, immediately putting the ''Prime'' Decepticons forward as a major threat.
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally hunted down and killed early into ''Age of Extinction'' by [[Cemetery Wind]] and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], to show what has befallen the majority of the Cybertronians on Earth (and the old cast from the first three films) and what will happen if the survivors are caught.
*''Transformers: Unicron'' begins with Unicron already having noshed on [[Velocitron]], which had previously appeared a few times in that continuity's works while never exactly being a major focus, and soon the [[Space Knight]]s find the corpse of Cliffjumper, whose last major appearance had been a good four years prior, but then Wheeljack, who has been a main character in the last few years, dies as well, proving the situation is now beyond serious. Also, several named Space Knights from Rom's own series die, but they're nasty, bigoted jerks so nobody feels bad when they snuff it.

===Cast thinning===
Generation 1 stories were particularly notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they rolled on, because of the franchise's longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle.

*Examples are rife in the Marvel comics:
**The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline gets rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
**The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly clears out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
**The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' does this on a smaller basis. While only a handful of characters were actually killed off, many more cast members simply disappeared without explanation in the following season of the cartoon.
*[[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] deals with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

More recent stories - particularly those without the overriding imperative [[to sell toys]], such as the G1 IDW comics - have accepted that not every character must be constantly accounted for at all times or roll-called every issue, allowing larger casts to simply exist in the background until needed. Another alternative, particularly visible in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, is to give new bodies (based on corresponding new toys, of course) to existing characters, allowing them to continue promoting new toys across multiple seasons of the show.

===Character motivation===
[[File:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|"How are we going to SHEEEAGH together if he's dead?!"]]

A quick and easy way to create enmity between characters is for the antagonist to kill someone close to the protagonist.

*In Marvel’s comics, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is motivated by his guilt over being unable to participate in Operation: Volcano and prevent Impactor’s death. {{storylink|Under Fire!}}
*Also in Marvel's comics, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s revenge plot against the new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] is motivated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s murder of [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*In ''Energon'', [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber ''nee'' Dagger]] swears revenge on [[Shockblast]] after the murder of his partner, [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]]. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}} He then forgets to care about Shockblast later but, y'know, ''Energon'' story.
*In ''Prime'', [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee's]] conflict is down to Airachnid's murder of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|Predatory}} She keeps throwing this in Arcee's face.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|(They also cease to appear on store shelves.)]]
Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
*The numerous casualties of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' are fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
*Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed — quickly — to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
*Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!
{{-}}

==Fleshling death==
{{quote|"The humans' spark is fragile." "WHAT?! Impossible! Their spark's not eternal?" "One life. That's ''all'' they've got." "Bahh. Then they really ''are'' poorly designed."|[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|"[[Energon Grid (episode)|Energon Grid]]"|noquote=true}}

In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[File:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|One dead dog]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Two dead dogs]]
Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
*A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barks at [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and is kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
*The "[[Battle Dog]]" is shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] reminds [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
*The dog-like [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] is shot at by [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
*A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally causes an avalanche which kills his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] eats an eagle. {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] eats a cute little rat, {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}} and nearly eats an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] knocks a [[saber-toothed cat|saber-toothed tiger]] off a cliff, presumably killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] uses [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider, effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new-born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
*Human villain [[Trophy White]] has a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}
*[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] takes potshots at a vulture for fun in Africa. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] killed a friggin' elephant in Africa. (In [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|the adaptation]], at least.)
{{-}}

===Human death===
[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This didn't happen much.]]
*Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
*Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
*In ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', after his revival on Earth, Megatron manages to gain control of Earth's nuclear arsenal and uses it to push humanity to the brink of extinction. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} During that conflict, Megatron has some fun terrorizing the population with his army of zombie Decepticons. [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tracks down and killed [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jesse (G1)|Jessie]] Witwicky in a car wash; had he had his full faculties, he might have [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|appreciated the irony]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}
*In almost every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed. And then ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' showed up.
**A human is shown slumped against a wall in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]", a victim of Soundwave, though it isn't clear whether he was dead or merely unconscious.[[File:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|They'll, uh, be okay, maybe.]]
**When [[MECH|human terrorists]] are featured, they will often die. Piloted or driven vehicles explode and enemies are implied to be crushed. "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]" is the first of numerous examples.
**When Nemesis Prime attacks a military base in his [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|self-titled episode]], it's likely his rampage cost the lives of numerous soldiers.
**When the military attacked [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], its fusion cannons devastate the entire force, presumably killing them all.
**[[Silas|Cylas]] is the first human to die on-screen in Western Transformers animation, but not before thanking [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] for finally freeing him of his gruesome existence.
*Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding showing, only mentioning, human death.
*Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
*The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
*[[2005 IDW continuity]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
*The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000 (don't even ''think'' about it), and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]], though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]]. Then of course we get to ''Dark of the Moon'', which has Decepticons laying siege to [[Chicago]], killing most of its citizens, including several being shot and exploding and disintegrating into just skulls ''directly in front of the camera''. That's not even mentioning [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], whose job it is to assassinate civilians, even if it means befriending their children to do it. Twisted.
**[[Dylan Gould]] is killed when he was shoved into [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime's]] space bridge generator, but given he was a villain it's not so much of a concern. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Sam Witwicky]] was killed by Megatron but brought back to life by the Primes.
**[[Lucas Flannery]], in a bit of karmic retribution (for having tipped off [[Cemetery Wind]] to Optimus' location against Cade's wishes), gets fried by one of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]'s grenades and his mangled corpse is converted into ''[[Living metal#Live-action film series|Transformium]]''. [[James Savoy]] says his sister was a casualty of the Battle of Chicago, which he uses as an excuse to sadistically hunt and kill Autobots and their sympathizers. He ends up getting knocked out of a very high window by [[Cade Yeager]] for attempting to kill his family. Later, his boss, [[Harold Attinger]], is brutally gunned down by Optimus Prime when he tries to kill Cade for sympathizing with the Autobots. Additionally, [[Joshua Joyce]] tries to scramble paramedics to the scene of Galvatron's rampage (much to Attinger's disgust), believing people were killed. And then there's the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]] stomping through the densely crowded streets of Hong Kong. They certainly killed more people than Decepticons!
**[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s arrival to Earth was predicted to cause tens of millions of human casualties. When its continents began reconnecting, the human news reported they were literally scraping away major cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and projected to kill millions.
**''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' introduces a new method of human death: liquification. [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] uses a special gun that performs this feat on [[Roy (BB)|some random guy]] and later [[Dr. Powell]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue #10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. Sam Witwicky, meanwhile, was stated to have died.
*Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opens fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people is seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}
*In ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'', several [[Kiss Player]]s were seen being devoured by Legions.
{{-}}

==Characters who die a lot==
*[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] — [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|quite]] [[Starscream (Movie)|a]] [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|lot]].
*[[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who also [[:File:Unicron1-RampageKillsDirge.jpg|gets]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
*[[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]] — a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently, for no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:File:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:File:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].

==See also==
*[[Transformer funerary practices]]
*[[To sell toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Death

2022-11-04T12:46:00Z

Chasd20: /* Big explosions */

{{disambig2|the end of life|the Horseman of Unicron|Airazor (Armada)}}
[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|upright=1.77|thumb|And lo, the children did weep. They wept hard too.]]
''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, [[Waspinator (BW)|crushed into cubes]], and even [[Demolishor (Armada)|utterly disintegrated]]. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[File:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]
There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.

However, over time there has been some convergence of concepts regarding Transformer design across the various franchises and storylines. The concept of Sparks as a Transformer's driving life force has become nearly universal, and with it, the notion that loss of Spark equals death. Various [[2005 IDW continuity]] comics, particularly ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'', have delved deeply into this, positing that a Transformer can die if their Spark, brain or (in a new and unique twist) transformation cog are sufficiently damaged, known as "[[Rossum's Trinity‎]]". MTMTE also makes note of the difficulties in killing a Transformer, and how things like decapitation may not be lethal in the right circumstances.

If one is so inclined, these concepts can be applied retroactively to many, if not all, older stories - so that various means of death described below can be seen simply as the means of inflicting the requisite damage on a Transformer's vital bits.

When a Transformer dies, the loss of their life force (or artistic convention, out here in the real world) often results in them turning gray. The most well-known example by far is Optimus Prime's death in the animated movie; Prowl can also be glimpsed turning gray as he falls during the shuttle assault. This idea has shown up in a few other places, such as [[Transform and Roll Out#Part 3|the ''Animated'' cartoon]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|the ''More Than Meets the Eye'' comics]], the latter of which [[Sardines|coined]] the term "[[aggressive depigmentation]]" to describe the phenomenon.
{{-}}

===Weaponsfire===
{{bigquote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]
[[File:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]
[[File:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]
[[File:Blades1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sorry, [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|nameless guy]], your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]
[[File:DreadwingdeathImage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You will pay for this, Megatron! Mark my words, you'll pay!]]
Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
*In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]]:
**Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], are victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl (whose tech specs show endurances of 9) both went down after ''one shot''.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**In the Japanese continuity, Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}
*In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
**[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] is cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]], who himself is then shot to pieces by the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
**[[Ferak]] is executed by a head shot from [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}
**Most deaths in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' book occur from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims explode spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], {{storylink|New Dawn}} and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
**[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage, but the episode gave a reason: Dinobot refuses to go into [[stasis lock]], which his onboard computer warns could "result in loss of Spark" if he keeps it up.
**[[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together - or at least, [[Waspinator (BW)|nobody who cared to]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:File:Crisis Optimus Prime dies.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis (Armada)|Crisis}}
*[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1]] comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is gunned down by [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}
*[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]: [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] is shot and killed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] during the final battle of the [[Universe War]].
*This happens a ''lot'' in the [[Movie continuity]]:
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both die from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**Arcee and Elita-One and possibly Chromia are killed by Decepticon fire.
**All the [[Appliancebot]]s are shot dead by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
**A crapload of [[Protoform]]s are shot down by [[NEST]] soldiers. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crowbar]] is shot in the face by Ironhide.
**[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is brought to his knees by a shot to the chest from a Decepticon protoform before [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] finishes him off by shooting him in the back. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] is killed by a massive onslaught of gunfire from [[Cemetery Wind]]. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally whittled down in a similar manner, until Lockdown comes and executes him. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
*Many goons during the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]] die from being shot. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron}}
*''Prime'' cartoon: [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] is killed by a shot through the chest by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'':
**[[Thunderhoof (BWU)|Thunderhoof]] is shot down by his former minions, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]]. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}
**[[Overshoot]] is shot in the chest by [[Vamp]] and bleeds out from the injury. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}
**[[Steel Jaw]] is killed by a stray shot. {{storylink|Derailment}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] leaps in front of a shot meant for Optimus Prime. While dialogue suggests he could have lived, he is not seen afterward as the lights in his optics fade out. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}
**In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X's]] reality, the tyrant shot his universe's Optimus Prime with his fusion cannon and subsequently seized the Matrix of Leadership for himself. {{storylink|The Other One}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon:
**[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] and [[Exhaust|Exhaust]] are shot by [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (Bug Bite in the chest and Exhaust in the head) and left adrift in space. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
**[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] is possibly killed by a shot from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], since he never appears again and one of the AllSpark ghosts uses his character model. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}} {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
* ''Last Bot Standing'': [[Sharpclaw]] dies after [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] shoots her in the back. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}
{{-}}

===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw98ARXfcqk You are dead, dead, DEAAD!]"]]
Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] is the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroys his body. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} However, in the UK continuity he survives as a raggedy, bodiless head. {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}
**In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] dies in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] is killed when a prototype [[pathblaster]] exploded in his face. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Finback]] is presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Octane]] may have been killed when he was fired upon while carrying highly explosive fuel. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
**[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] is blown to bits — terminally so — by the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
**[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] is killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]) are destroyed when part of their ship explodes with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*Energon: [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] is killed when Storm Jet causes a massive explosion that engulfed them both.
*''Prime'':
**[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] and the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s are blown up by a grenade attached by the Autobots. Both the Vehicons and Makeshift are killed in the blast. {{storylink|Con Job}} <ref>(According to an interview at [[BotCon 2011]] with the ''Prime'' show runners, Makeshift was deemed too overpowered to be a regular in the show, so they killed him off at the end of the episode.)</ref>
** [[Hardshell]] is killed by [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] when she fires two missiles at him, blowing him up. {{storylink|Hurt}}
*''Movie Continuty'':
**[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]], and several Decepticon Protoforms are killed by a human air strike in [[Egypt]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] blows up when Ironhide kicks him into a gas station. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] gets blown to bits when Bumblebee shoves his own missile into his chest and detonates it. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Scrapface|Scrapface]], and possibly [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] are caught in the explosion that destroys [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Razorbeast]] is dropped by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] into a mountain of raw energon crystals, which triggers an explosion that destroys him. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] attempted to force [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] to land the shuttle she was piloting, he accidentally sent her to her doom in a fiery crash. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] meets his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
** [[Doubledealer]] is shot, falls off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
** [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus]] gets knocked down a very big hole by [[Beak]] and dies. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] falls off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after a [[rail gun]] blows his arm apart. He tumbles back down the monument and collapses as he dies. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] is smashed to pieces and killed by being flung into a freeway column. {{storylink|Movie Adaptation issue 4|Movie Adaptation Issue Number Four}}
**[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]] meets his end when [[Dino]] sends him crashing into a car. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] falls off a cliff and shatters. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'':
**[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] crash-lands after [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] punches out vital components in his [[alternate mode]], reducing his body to a partially transformed scrapheap. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}
**One of two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] thrown off the ''[[Trypticon_(WFC)|Nemesis]]'' by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] to pursue [[Smokescreen_(Prime)|Smokescreen]] ends up falling to his death due to lacking a jet mode. {{storylink|Inside Job}}
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'': [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] met his end when he fell off a cliff and slowly bled out. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Disassembly===
[[File:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]
Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts - or ripping them to pieces - can occasionally kill them:
*Marvel comics:
**[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] meets this fate in an alternate future, when [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] uses a [[repair spider]] to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**A future version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] may have been killed when a group of Decepticons mobbed him and ripped him up. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
[[File:DOTM-Shockwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''That's'' for screwing up our continuity!]]
*Movie continuity:
** [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] kills [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by ripping him in half. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**The Wreckers gang up on a Decepticon pilot and tear him apart.
**Optimus tears [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]'s optic from his damaged head. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] gets torn apart by a chain wielded by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] is torn apart and killed while making a final stand against a mass of generic Decepticons. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
**[[Atomizer]] died when [[Getaway]] tore him apart. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
*''Prime'' cartoon:
**When fighting [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[zombie]] army, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] recommends dissection to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] to "cut" them down to size. How this is more effective then just blasting the living slag out of them is still up for debate. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] manages to offline [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] by tearing him limb from limb, leaving only a pile of mutilated body parts in her wake. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] is dismembered by the [[Sparkless]] before dying in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6|Episode 6}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] winds up being dismembered by [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

====Bifurcation====
[[File:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|"Shakkooosh!" is good, but I could really go for a good old-fashioned "CHUK" right about now.]]
{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}
A particular subset of disassembly, getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
*Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
*Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
*''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur is killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two.
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] dies when Bumblebee yanks his spine out, tearing him apart.
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] slices [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]] in half at the chest but Mixmaster survived this. Getting his skull stomped off, not so much. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] meets his end in this manner courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] gets vertically bisected by Dropkick. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War For Cybertron'': In the opening, a Decepticon goon is chopped in half by Optimus Prime.
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Ambulon]] is chainsawed in half ''vertically'' by [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} ([[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] specifically noted that ''horizontal'' bifurcation would be survivable - indeed, not much later, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] would be quite active after being ripped apart at the waist by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5}})
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] later briefly survives being torn in half by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} before succumbing to his wounds. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
*When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, it tore [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in half, lengthways. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Crushing===
[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|DO NOT WANT]]
Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] is smashed between [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] meet a similar fate when Unicron steps on them. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
**[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
**[[Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power of Unicron}}
**His brother [[Six Shot (Energon)|Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}
[[File:ROTF Scorponok death.jpg|thumb|]]
*IDW continuity:
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] is killed when a group of [[human]] police officers set fire to a building and let it collapse on him, crushing him.
**The luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] dies after [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] stomps on him repeatedly, causing enough damage that his Spark falls out.
*Movie continuity:
**[[Dispensor]] is crushed under [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s foot. {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}}
**[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]'s head is crushed by [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]]'s ''bare fist''. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Shatter]] is crushed by a tanker ship that crashes into a dock. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Vex]] and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] by crushing their heads, using his bare feet for the former and a really big rock for the latter. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Melting===
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]
[[File:Fallout title.jpg|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]
They're made of [[living metal|metal]]; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few, if any, have survived it.
*In the G1 cartoon:
**An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
**Another acid vat is used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comics:
**Victims of the Decepticon [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron are reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
**It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently dies. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] use some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
*In the Beast Era cartoons:
**[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] are apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
**Optimus Primal's body is seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*According to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the [[living metal]] that constitutes Cybertronian biology can be broken down using a cocktail of complicated polymers such as [[w:polyhydroxybutyrate|polyhydroxybutyrate]]; the process — one assumes — proving fatal to the Transformer in question. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon: [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]] is implied to have been melted by toxic Energon waste, as [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] barely survived the experience. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron III}} {{storylink|The Dead End}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Blurr is tricked by [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] into running straight into a flow of molten metal, which melts him into a statue-like state. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

===Disintegration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|thumb|"Ironhide, I don't feel so good..."]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as [[ghost]]s and/or disembodied sparks:
*Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
**[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
**[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding [[energon grid]], but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
**[[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
**And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
**Megatron was disintegrated ''again'', {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}} before he returned to life thanks to unholy powers of the [[Armor of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} After being stabbed through the Spark by [[Rhisling]], his body disintegrated as he passed on into the next life. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*[[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] causes a Transformer's body to disintegrate to nothing:
**The [[Thirteenth Legion]] died of Cosmic Rust. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
**[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] dies after several shots from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]]'s Cosmic Rust Blaster, though the big hole they left in his torso couldn't have helped much either. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**Exposure to even a single [[Nervous bot|carrier]] of the disease has been known to wipe out entire planets. [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] was one of its victims, along with the rest of [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], [[magic]] is one of the few things that can reliably wound or kill a Transformer; the energies unleashed are anathema to mechanical life, and Transformers exposed to such power soon begin to crumble and die. Casualties of this method include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] {{storylink|Schismatic}} and [[Quickswitch]]. {{storylink|Good Men}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[File:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[File:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]
[[File:TFTM Unicron Digestion.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Getting eaten is essentially being torn apart, crushed, and melted all in a row, and it's usually fatal. Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots:
*In the G1 cartoon:
**Various life forms are routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. These include [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comic:
**[[Scraplet]]s are a mechanical disease - tiny robots that fed on Transformers. A hapless freighter pilot dies after being infected, and quite a few other 'bots only narrowly survived being infected. {{storylink|Crater Critters}}
**[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] being torn apart by and dragged into the [[Time rift|time rift]] could be classified as consumption. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**The [[Mecannibal]]s eat robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they can actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
**Unicron skewers [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and eats him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devour [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The Swarm "devours" innumerable Cybertronians and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this is through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*The Sharkticons kill two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*[[Flanker]] is eaten up and killed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|"Deluxe" Insecticons]].
*In the live-action films:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and [[Scorn]] eat various [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] and at least one [[KSI Boss]] {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**Grimlock also made a snack out of [[Dreadbot]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Ahhhh, there we go...]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
*In the Marvel comics:
**The Megatron clone kills Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
**Several of the Wreckers are destroyed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] has his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}} are particularly notable examples. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] LOVES doing this.
**Decapitation is a mere inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroys most of his head, proves fatal.
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is decapitated in the third movie. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s heads fall off when they die, possibly to add finality to their demises. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] met his end after losing his head to [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]]'s sword. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
*2005 IDW continuity: The heads of [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]] are removed and then mockingly put on display to creep out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}
*In the Aligned continuity, Vehicons and Insecticons are frequently murdered by decapitation.
*2019 IDW continuity: [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] loses his head and his spark to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|Prisoners}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] is decapitated by [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] when attempting to infiltrate his fortress. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 4}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] dies when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] rips his head off. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 1}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}
[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Roadbuster has spiders on the brain.]]
In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually modified to incorporate the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
*In the Marvel comics:
**In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}
*Movie continuity:
**Optimus rips Grindor's head apart with two hooks. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], and [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s heads are blown to bits by explosives or other weapons.
**Optimus Prime kills Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the head with Megatron's shotgun. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Nitro Zeus]] dies when his head gets blown off by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
[[File:DOTM-Soundwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|How exactly is [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] supposed to download his brain when there's no brain left?]]
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the brain module is part of [[Rossum's Trinity]] and its destruction will cause the destruction of both the spark and the [[transformation cog]], killing the Cybertronian in question:
**[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] blasts [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] right in the head, destroying his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**Impactor kills [[Snare]] by crushing his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Squadron X]] are all shot in the head. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**In the [[Functionist Universe]], every Cybertronian possesses an [[obsolescence chip]] that can be remotely detonated, destroying their heads. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and all other Cybertronians with [[data slug]] alt-modes are killed in a [[mass recall]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] dies when [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] smashes his brain module against his own forcefield. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
**[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] uses his [[size changing]] powers to blow open [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s head from the inside out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Oiler]] has his head sliced in two by a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}
**Kup exploits [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]'s "secret weakness" to defeat him... shooting him in the head and blowing his cranium to bits. (Kup points out that it's most people's secret weakness.) {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}
**[[Adaptus]] met his end when [[Solomus]] drilled directly into his brain. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The [[Resistance]] use a device to short-circuit the remnants of [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]'s consciousness, frying the [[Cyberdroid]]s that contain his tripartite brain. {{storylink|Head Games}}
*''Last Bot Standing'':
**[[Moon (BW)|Moon]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] are both impaled through their heads with a girder, most likely destroying their brain modules in the process. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] by blasting him in the head. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}
[[File:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]
Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
*In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage is killed when Depth Charge pierces his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] dies when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rams his [[sword]] right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
*''Energon'': [[Constructicon Maximus]] dies when [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] impales and crushes his spark.
*''Cybertron'': [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Galvatron]] dies when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] impales him with [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}
**Optimus Prime dies when Megatron stabs him through the chest with his death-lock pincer, followed by a blast from his fusion cannon through the spark chamber. [[The Fallen]] also meets his end when a resurrected Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*''Cyberverse'': [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] is killed when [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]] stabs her in the back through her spark. {{storylink|Parley}}

That's not the only way to destroy a spark either:

*''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] — already reduced to a spark within the matrix — ceases to be when Megatron annihilates his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] has modified his vocal processor so that he can get his voice into synch with a spark's pulse and then get it to stop. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}
**The [[universal killswitch]] built by Chief Justice Tyrest worked by scrambling the Matrix derived sparkcode shared by every constructed cold spark.
**Sentinel Prime wanted Sovereign to power up by eating [[Outrigger]]'s spark, a power shared by the [[Titan Master]]s. This would have killed the [[Circle of Light]] member. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The Vehicons destroy the sparks of those they inject with a nano-virus. The victim is simultaneously turned into another Vehicon in the process.

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}
[[File:Jetstorm with extractor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lost, stolen, whatever...]]
Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/AllSpark/another dimension.
*When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this continuity. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead", due to the fact that the sparks were forcibly removed with a [[spark extractor]].
*''Animated'' cartoon: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[The Fallen]] dies when Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Lockdown executes a wounded Ratchet by removing his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**In ''Cyberverse''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season, this is [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream's]] ultimate goal, planning to use the [[AllSpark]] to rip the sparks from every Transformer and bring peace through genocide. He succeeds in doing this to his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] followers before he is ultimately thwarted. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}}
**Shockwave uses a spark extractor to zap his spark into the Allspark and corrupt it. A few minutes later, [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] uses the same device to do the same and counteract Shockwave's deeds. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron IV}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Starscream is killed when Goldbug tears out his spark. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Skold]] kills Terrorsaur by tearing out his spark, avenging Razorbeast. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}
[[File:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[File:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]
The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in {{w|Water intoxication|a horrible death}}. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
*In the Marvel comics:
**An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughters dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star}} which reportedly burn out millions of their [[microchip]]s. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers are seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
**Starscream himself dies when he absorbs all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] is apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect is more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] dies from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoves the [[AllSpark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]] does the same thing with the Allspark shard with Megatron {{storylink|Transformers: The Ride – 3D}}
*''Transformers Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] gets caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
*Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] dies from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
*''Cybertron'' cartoon [[Vector Prime]] dies after he helps the crew to time travel. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}
*Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): Scorponok is killed when a zombified Terrorsaur drains his energon. {{storylink|The Beginning of the End}}

===Disease===
You may think giant robots couldn't have diseases but it turns out they can!

*Marvel comics: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] contracts [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease where your body is consumed by rust as your metal breaks down at the molecular level. Only a systems boost from a compatible donor could save Snarl {{storylink|Assassins}} but the disease came back anyway. The best cure is to store a Transformer's brain in remote storage and build a whole new body. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] engineers the [[Red Rust]] virus: spread by touch and triggered by transforming, it causes all the coolants, dispersants and anti-rusting agents in a Transformer to cross-contaminate and cause a molecular breakdown. The first sign is when the Transformer starts "crying" the fuel out. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Most of [[Delphi]] was killed. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}
*And of course, there's the aforementioned [[Scraplet]]s, [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]], and the similarly named Rust Plague.

===Aging===
{{quote|Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

While many characters are portrayed as being old, dying of old age is almost unheard of in Transformers.

*In Transformers UK, it is implied Transformers have long, but not endless life spans. In Kup's story, Kup says that he was put on a spaceship to live out his "remaining years" alone. In another story, Goldbug says that he may never understand humans, even if he lives to be 2 million.
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, Ratchet notes that the process of a Cybertronian aging to death (also referred to as age-related burnout) is a relatively recent discovery. He also notes that many, both spiritual and scientific, still refused to "give up on this-this very seductive idea that we're immortal". [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] had been diagnosed with [[cybercrosis]], a fatal condition that has been around since before [[Nova Prime]]'s era but which Ratchet believes in this case was brought about by a combination of the radiation Tailgate had been exposed to upon [[Vector Sigma]]'s re-ignition in addition to his old age. Far in the future, Ratchet himself would succumb to age-related burnout.
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'': Although it takes eons, all Transformers eventually die of old age after being disconnected from the life-giving powers of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

==Suicide==
{{quote|Do you realize how '''hard''' it is for a Cybertronian to die by his own hand? You can jump off a building, blow yourself up, cut off your own head - and you might still survive.|Chromedome, [[Before & After]]}}
Sometimes a Transformer kills themself for some reason, or tries to.
*Marvel comics: Dirge and Nightbeat, rather than be eaten by the Swarm, self-destruct. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*''Beast Wars'':
**Transformers can deliberately override the stasis lock protocols, even if this will result in death. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
**In the final battles, Depth Charge allows himself to be blown up, killing Rampage. Rampage laughs maniacally as he detonates, suggesting that he was deliberately trying to die. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}. [[Dinobot II]] let himself go down with the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Energon'': Galvatron, Starscream, and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] throw themselves into a sun and vaporize themselves. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] and Demolishor may have also done this.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': Jetfire rips out his entire spark housing for Optimus Prime to have enough power to kill The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**A [[NAIL protester]] kills himself by repeatedly transforming until his [[transformation cog]] burns out. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
**[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] alludes to a desire to find his [[Axalon (BW)|old spaceship]] so that he can die there. How exactly he plans to do this is never expounded on. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave, {{storylink|The Last Stand}} who later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
*The crew of the original [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
*Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[File:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]
{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}
Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
*Marvel comic:
**Optimus Prime is able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separates it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] is abruptly decapitated by sword, but is just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
*G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime is disassembled into his component parts, but functions just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connects a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times, {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and even puts it back on himself one time. He even accidentally swaps heads with Megatron once, much to the latter's annoyance. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}} And let's not even get started on how many times [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has lost his head.
[[File:TLK-Mohawk demise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Looks like ''Animated's'' non-fatal decapitation practice is catching up to the rest of the [[Multiverse]].]]
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] is just fine when one of the Reapers whacks his head off. (He doesn't fare so well when another Reaper crushes his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s head is removed in an apparent suicide attempt; he survived because he was put back together in time, before his Spark had faded out. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}
*Movie Continuity:
** Frenzy survives his first decapitation by [[Mikaela Banes]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness survives his decapitation in the Chicago battle, even after having an axe lodged right into his processor. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Mohawk]] had himself blown up by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], yet his head remained functional, and he himself continued to speak. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Dismemberment===
{{quote|MY ARM!!!|Starscream, ''Revenge of the Fallen''}}
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
*Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
*''Last Stand of the Wreckers'': [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] is torn in half by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and is easily repaired. The same also happens to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]].
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': During a fierce battle, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] not only cuts off [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]'s arm with an Energon blade, but he rips off [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s arm with his bare hands, and proceeded to ''beat him with it''.

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
*The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spend quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}
*In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
**Megatron de-sparks most of Cybertron's population and stores their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
**Blackarachnia's spark wanders around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
**Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wanders the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the spark, like the other two parts of Rossum's Trinity, can be safely removed and stored with the proper medical equipment.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
*Marvel comics:
**The [[trans-time dimensional portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
**Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
*2005 IDW comics: Megatron severely damages Optimus Prime in battle and plans on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigns death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly enters [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|[[Klementia|A random Quintesson]], "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

*Generation 1 cartoon:
**Optimus Prime is simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he's alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
**Ultra Magnus's death is undone after his limbs were reconnected to each other. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Marvel comics: Optimus Prime's mind gets encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents are loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lives again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness manipulates [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] into building him a new body, which he subsequently infects. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal is restored to life when Rhinox manages to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: various Vehicon generals are brought to life by placing other Transformer's sparks into them.
*''Armada'' cartoon: Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requiem Blaster {{storylink|Sacrifice}} but his spark survived and is put into a new body. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both have their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survive, and are placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]] is placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chooses to let his life end, and expires anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] gets brought back to life after spending five hundred years as a spark fragment in an Energon flower by being transplanted into a snowflake of [[Living metal#2005 IDW continuity|''sentio metallico'']], which results in her being reborn as a [[protoform]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

==="Magical" substances===
*Marvel comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon bring many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron is revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is portrayed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A real man never dies, even when he's killed!]]
*In the Marvel comics:
**The [[Last Autobot]] is granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he uses to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
**Optimus Prime is eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**The AllSpark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, Bumblebee temporarily gets his voice back, {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Sentinel Prime is revived after crash landing on the moon by the Matrix of Leadership, courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s body is destroyed, but the AllSpark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] is resurrected when he and his gestaltmates are combined and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brings [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infuses him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
*Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
*Starscream survives his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He is eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
*[[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] were immortal, existing in multiple dimensions simultaneously as extensions of the same being across different dimensions (reverse-time dimensions, for example, are key to revival of the singularities). Multiversal singularities ceased to exist with the coming of the [[Shroud]], nullifying this concept.
*''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] cannot be killed so long as he retains his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead. Whether or not this ability extends to other AllSpark creations is unknown.
*Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] can essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them. This ability appears to no longer apply, post-[[Expansion]], except when in direct proximity to the Dead Universe.
*Thunderwing's Pretender shell makes him nearly invincible. At the very least, he is able to withstand incredible amounts of salvo and not even flinch.
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason. It's probably because if he died, the universe wouldn't be able to inflict pain on him anymore.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfistaneurism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I told you I was ill.]]
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] spends much of [[Simon Furman]]'s Marvel US run conflicted and doubting himself, and under the weight of his pre-Headmaster self's reputation. He finally gets past this and takes the fight to Unicron, dying in the process, his last words asking Optimus if he'd done good. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*Sunstreaker's death in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' was intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
*Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, is more a moment of dramatic pathos — knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' is his main plot arc, quietly built up in the background since the first issue.

===Consequences of war===
[[File:Bulkhead Eradicon Darkness Rising 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His special large intestine! There's only one like it!]]
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
*Impactor's death is used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
*The ''Generation 2'' book features several deaths which drive home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction serves to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
*Pretty much every death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' comes under this.
*[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]], [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] and [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] are all killed in their first ''Prime'' episodes, due to just plain bad luck in the first three cases and because of a deliberate Autobot killing in Makeshift's. The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are presented as sentient ''and'' as being killed by Autobots in large numbers. [[Jeff Kline]] famously said at the advent of ''Prime'' that all deaths would be final. While the rule applied to the majority of the series, it was happily ignored when it came time for the deaths of [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who were all revived almost immediately after death (admittedly it took until the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|follow-up series]] to revive Optimus a second time, but let's face it, we're used to that by this point).
*In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]]'s reality, the Autobots lost the war and all of them probably died.{{storylink|The Other One}}

===Increased threat===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-whycouldntyou.jpg|upright=2.0|thumb]]
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
*The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
*Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
*In "[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!
*Cliffjumper in ''Prime'' is set up as a main character and then killed in five minutes, immediately putting the ''Prime'' Decepticons forward as a major threat.
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally hunted down and killed early into ''Age of Extinction'' by [[Cemetery Wind]] and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], to show what has befallen the majority of the Cybertronians on Earth (and the old cast from the first three films) and what will happen if the survivors are caught.
*''Transformers: Unicron'' begins with Unicron already having noshed on [[Velocitron]], which had previously appeared a few times in that continuity's works while never exactly being a major focus, and soon the [[Space Knight]]s find the corpse of Cliffjumper, whose last major appearance had been a good four years prior, but then Wheeljack, who has been a main character in the last few years, dies as well, proving the situation is now beyond serious. Also, several named Space Knights from Rom's own series die, but they're nasty, bigoted jerks so nobody feels bad when they snuff it.

===Cast thinning===
Generation 1 stories were particularly notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they rolled on, because of the franchise's longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle.

*Examples are rife in the Marvel comics:
**The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline gets rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
**The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly clears out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
**The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' does this on a smaller basis. While only a handful of characters were actually killed off, many more cast members simply disappeared without explanation in the following season of the cartoon.
*[[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] deals with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

More recent stories - particularly those without the overriding imperative [[to sell toys]], such as the G1 IDW comics - have accepted that not every character must be constantly accounted for at all times or roll-called every issue, allowing larger casts to simply exist in the background until needed. Another alternative, particularly visible in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, is to give new bodies (based on corresponding new toys, of course) to existing characters, allowing them to continue promoting new toys across multiple seasons of the show.

===Character motivation===
[[File:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|"How are we going to SHEEEAGH together if he's dead?!"]]

A quick and easy way to create enmity between characters is for the antagonist to kill someone close to the protagonist.

*In Marvel’s comics, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is motivated by his guilt over being unable to participate in Operation: Volcano and prevent Impactor’s death. {{storylink|Under Fire!}}
*Also in Marvel's comics, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s revenge plot against the new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] is motivated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s murder of [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*In ''Energon'', [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber ''nee'' Dagger]] swears revenge on [[Shockblast]] after the murder of his partner, [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]]. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}} He then forgets to care about Shockblast later but, y'know, ''Energon'' story.
*In ''Prime'', [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee's]] conflict is down to Airachnid's murder of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|Predatory}} She keeps throwing this in Arcee's face.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|(They also cease to appear on store shelves.)]]
Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
*The numerous casualties of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' are fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
*Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed — quickly — to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
*Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!
{{-}}

==Fleshling death==
{{quote|"The humans' spark is fragile." "WHAT?! Impossible! Their spark's not eternal?" "One life. That's ''all'' they've got." "Bahh. Then they really ''are'' poorly designed."|[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|"[[Energon Grid (episode)|Energon Grid]]"|noquote=true}}

In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[File:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|One dead dog]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Two dead dogs]]
Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
*A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barks at [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and is kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
*The "[[Battle Dog]]" is shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] reminds [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
*The dog-like [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] is shot at by [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
*A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally causes an avalanche which kills his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] eats an eagle. {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] eats a cute little rat, {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}} and nearly eats an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] knocks a [[saber-toothed cat|saber-toothed tiger]] off a cliff, presumably killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] uses [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider, effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new-born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
*Human villain [[Trophy White]] has a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}
*[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] takes potshots at a vulture for fun in Africa. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] killed a friggin' elephant in Africa. (In [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|the adaptation]], at least.)
{{-}}

===Human death===
[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This didn't happen much.]]
*Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
*Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
*In ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', after his revival on Earth, Megatron manages to gain control of Earth's nuclear arsenal and uses it to push humanity to the brink of extinction. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} During that conflict, Megatron has some fun terrorizing the population with his army of zombie Decepticons. [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tracks down and killed [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jesse (G1)|Jessie]] Witwicky in a car wash; had he had his full faculties, he might have [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|appreciated the irony]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}
*In almost every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed. And then ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' showed up.
**A human is shown slumped against a wall in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]", a victim of Soundwave, though it isn't clear whether he was dead or merely unconscious.[[File:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|They'll, uh, be okay, maybe.]]
**When [[MECH|human terrorists]] are featured, they will often die. Piloted or driven vehicles explode and enemies are implied to be crushed. "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]" is the first of numerous examples.
**When Nemesis Prime attacks a military base in his [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|self-titled episode]], it's likely his rampage cost the lives of numerous soldiers.
**When the military attacked [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], its fusion cannons devastate the entire force, presumably killing them all.
**[[Silas|Cylas]] is the first human to die on-screen in Western Transformers animation, but not before thanking [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] for finally freeing him of his gruesome existence.
*Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding showing, only mentioning, human death.
*Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
*The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
*[[2005 IDW continuity]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
*The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000 (don't even ''think'' about it), and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]], though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]]. Then of course we get to ''Dark of the Moon'', which has Decepticons laying siege to [[Chicago]], killing most of its citizens, including several being shot and exploding and disintegrating into just skulls ''directly in front of the camera''. That's not even mentioning [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], whose job it is to assassinate civilians, even if it means befriending their children to do it. Twisted.
**[[Dylan Gould]] is killed when he was shoved into [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime's]] space bridge generator, but given he was a villain it's not so much of a concern. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Sam Witwicky]] was killed by Megatron but brought back to life by the Primes.
**[[Lucas Flannery]], in a bit of karmic retribution (for having tipped off [[Cemetery Wind]] to Optimus' location against Cade's wishes), gets fried by one of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]'s grenades and his mangled corpse is converted into ''[[Living metal#Live-action film series|Transformium]]''. [[James Savoy]] says his sister was a casualty of the Battle of Chicago, which he uses as an excuse to sadistically hunt and kill Autobots and their sympathizers. He ends up getting knocked out of a very high window by [[Cade Yeager]] for attempting to kill his family. Later, his boss, [[Harold Attinger]], is brutally gunned down by Optimus Prime when he tries to kill Cade for sympathizing with the Autobots. Additionally, [[Joshua Joyce]] tries to scramble paramedics to the scene of Galvatron's rampage (much to Attinger's disgust), believing people were killed. And then there's the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]] stomping through the densely crowded streets of Hong Kong. They certainly killed more people than Decepticons!
**[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s arrival to Earth was predicted to cause tens of millions of human casualties. When its continents began reconnecting, the human news reported they were literally scraping away major cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and projected to kill millions.
**''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' introduces a new method of human death: liquification. [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] uses a special gun that performs this feat on [[Roy (BB)|some random guy]] and later [[Dr. Powell]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue #10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. Sam Witwicky, meanwhile, was stated to have died.
*Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opens fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people is seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}
*In ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'', several [[Kiss Player]]s were seen being devoured by Legions.
{{-}}

==Characters who die a lot==
*[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] — [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|quite]] [[Starscream (Movie)|a]] [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|lot]].
*[[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who also [[:File:Unicron1-RampageKillsDirge.jpg|gets]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
*[[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]] — a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently, for no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:File:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:File:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].

==See also==
*[[Transformer funerary practices]]
*[[To sell toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Shellformer

2022-10-24T16:20:36Z

Chasd20: /* Notable shellformers */

{{disambig2|toys that have lots of kibble|toys from a long time ago that still haven't been sold|Shelfwarmer}}
[[File:BWN-toy DeadEnd.jpg|right|upright=2.2|thumb|A Shellformer that forms a ''shell''.]]
'''Shellformer''' is a fandom term (most often used derisively) for a [[Toy|Transformer]] that transforms by "peeling" [[kibble|pieces of one form]] to reveal the other form inside. Literally, the majority of the [[alternate mode]] is a "shell" that closes completely (or close enough) around the robot parts, with the [[robot mode]] having very little genuine integration of the alternate mode parts. Sometimes, the term '''panelformer''' is used as a synonym.

Shellforming is often the result of a design failing to include appropriate parts integration to support an aesthetically pleasing alt mode, and is often the result of attempts to produce a "realistic" [[beast mode]]. Sometimes, however, it may be an intended part of the design. For example, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Crosshairs (AOE)#Generations|Deluxe Class Crosshairs]] uses the panels that form the majority of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] to create the appearance of a [[Transformer clothing#Trenchcoats|trenchcoat]].

Meanwhile, toys such as One Step Changers and Turbo Changers use very simple transformations, often involving shellforming, to make them easy and fun to transform for young children. Like the previous Crosshairs example, this would fall under the category of being a feature rather than clumsy design.

In some of the most extreme cases, such as the ones pictured on this page, one can remove almost the entirety of the alternate mode parts and still have a complete, fully-functional robot figure left over. The ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' line is probably most notorious for this, with many original molds featuring large chunks of beast mode paneling hanging off completely mechanical robot bodies.

Also see: [[kibble]].

Shellformers should not be confused with the [[Pretender]]s.
{{--}}
==Notable shellformers==
<center><gallery>
File:G1Scourge Toy1986.jpg|[[Scourge (G1)#Generation 1|Scourge]]
File:BW-toy Rattrap.jpg|[[Rattrap (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Most of the first]] [[Terrorsaur (BW)#Beast Wars|year of Beast]] [[Razorbeast#Toys|Wars Basic]] [[Armordillo#Toys|Class figures.]]
File:Bwmegatron_toy.jpg|Ultra Class [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron]]
File:BW_terragator_toy.jpg|Basic Class [[Terragator#Beast Wars|Terragator]]
File:BW Retrax Toy.jpg|[[Retrax#Beast Wars|This figure is probably 90% kibble.]]
File:Under3.jpg|[[Under-3]]
File:Bigconvoy shell.jpg|[[Big Convoy#Toys|The weather is too hot, so I take off my woolly fur coat.]]
File:BWN-toy Break.jpg|[[Break|The robot is the prize inside. No refunds.]]
File:BWN-toy_MachKick.jpg|[[Mach Kick|Beast Wars Neo Mach Kick]]
File:RID Side Burn Toy.jpg|[[Side Burn (RID)#Robots In Disguise|Car Robots Speedbreaker/Robots in Disguise Side Burn]]
File:RID-toy_SkyByte.jpg|[[Sky-Byte (RID)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Car Robots Gelshark/Robots in Disguise Sky-Byte]]
File:Energon_Mirage_toy.jpg|[[Tidal_Wave_(Armada)#Energon|<s>Pretty Soldier Sailor''</s> Mirage.]]
File:Cyb-toy ThunderblastDecep.jpg|[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]]
File:Megatronclassicstoy.jpg|Voyager Class [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Megatron]]
File:SWTFtoy-VaderDeathStar.JPG|[[Darth Vader]]/[[Death Star]]
File:SWTF-toy LukeSnowspeeder.JPG|[[Luke Skywalker]] (snowspeeder)
File:NikemusPrime.jpg|[[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Nikemus Prime]], [[Megatron_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Nikeatron]] and unreleased [[Starscream_(G1)/toys#Sports_Label|Nikescream]].
File:Movie TranScanning Bumblebee toy.jpg|[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Trans-Scanning Bumblebee]]
File:TransScanningOptimusPrime.jpg|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Trans-Scanning|Trans-Scanning Optimus Prime]]
File:Ani-toy WreckGar.jpg|[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]]
File:ROTF HumanAlliance Sideswipe Epps.jpg|[[Human Alliance]] [[Sideswipe (Movie)#Human Alliance|Sideswipe]]
File:ROTF-toy_RollbarScout.jpg|[[Rollbar (ROTF)#toys|Revenge of the Fallen Rollbar]]
File:ROTF Brawn Deluxe.jpg|Deluxe Class [[Brawn (ROTF)|Brawn]]
File:DOTMtoy-SentinelPrimeVoyager.jpg|Voyager Class [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)#Voyager Class toys|Sentinel Prime]]
File:DOTM Cyberverse Topspin toy.jpg|[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Legion Class [[Topspin (DOTM)#Cyberverse|Topspin]]
File:Prime-toy_GariKunCola.jpg|[[Gari Robo-kun#Toys|Gari Robo-kun]]
File:AOEtoy-FirstEditionOptimusPrime.jpg|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#First Edition|First Edition Optimus Prime]]
File:TF4-Voyager-Galvatron.JPG|Voyager Class [[Megatron_(Movie)/toys#Generations|Galvatron]]
File:GenerationsAOECrosshairsDeluxe.jpg|Deluxe Class [[Crosshairs (AOE)|Crosshairs]]
File:Takara-lost-age-series-battle-command-optimus-prime.jpg|Lost Age Series [[Optimus_Prime_(Movie)/toys#Lost_Age_Series|Battle Command Optimus Prime]]
File:TF-RID-Combiner-Force-1-Step-Bumblebee.jpg|One-Step Changer [[Bumblebee (WFC)#toys#CombinerForce1Step|Bumblebee]]
File:TF-TLK-Turbo-Changer-Drift.jpg|Turbo Changer [[Drift (AOE)#TurboChanger|Autobot Drift]]
File:Cyberverse-Ultra-Shadow-Striker.jpg|Ultra Class [[Shadow_Striker_(Cyberverse)#Ultra_Class|Shadow Striker]]
File:Studio Series-MV5-Deluxe-Class-WWII-Bumblebee.jpg|Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee_(Movie)/toys#SS26|WWII Bumblebee]]
File:WFCS-Voyager-Starscream.jpg| [[Starscream_(G1)/toys#War_for_Cybertron:_Siege|Siege Starscream]] and all his [[Seeker_(body-type)#War_for_Cybertron:_Siege|redeco]]s.
File:Masterpiece-MP-43-Megatron-(Beast-Wars).jpg|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Masterpiece|''Masterpiece'' Beast Megatron]]
File:TF-Generations-WFC-E-Battle-Master-Soundbarrier.jpg|[[Soundbarrier#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|''Earthrise'' Soundbarrier]]
File:TF-Generations-WFC-E-Deluxe-Arcee.jpg|[[Arcee_(G1)/toys#War_for_Cybertron:_Earthrise|''Earthrise'' Deluxe Class Arcee]]
File:TF-Cyberverse-2018-Deluxe-Arcee.jpg| [[Arcee_(Cyberverse)#Toys|''Cyberverse'' Deluxe Class Arcee]]
File:TF-WFC-S-Unicron.jpg| [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|''War for Cybertron'' Unicron]]
File:Studio-Series-86-Scourge.jpg|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Studio Series|''Studio Series'' Scourge/Sweep]]
File:TF-Studio-Series-86-Deluxe-Arcee.jpg|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Studio Series|''Studio Series 86'' Arcee]]
File:TF-Studio-Series-Deluxe-TLK-Crosshairs.jpg|[[Crosshairs (AOE)#Studio Series|''Studio Series'' Crosshairs]]
File:TF-Legacy-Deluxe-Class-Needlenose.jpg|[[Needlenose (G1)#Legacy|''Legacy: Evolution'' Needlenose]]
</gallery></center>

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Black redeco

2022-10-24T15:30:30Z

Chasd20: /* Gallery */

{{cleanup|October 2020|Phenomenon could be described better, semi-random figure choices.}}
[[File:Cyb-toy NemesisBreaker.jpg|upright=2|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY2kJ96jNY ''Because I'm black and I'm back!''].]]
'''Black repaint''' is a [[fandom|fan]]-coined term referring to a mostly dark-colored [[redeco]] of a [[toy]], usually featuring black as its primary color. The term is usually inaccurate, as the toys are almost always redecos and not actually [[repaint]]s, but the name has stuck. They were primarily a product of Japan until ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' popularized the concept on American shores.

Black repaints are a comparatively common type of redeco; in particular, a great many [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toys have been produced in a black repaint color scheme at least once. As with most aspects of ''Transformers'', fandom opinion on black repaints is split: some like them, some denounce them as bland and uncreative, and some don't think of them as being any different from other redecoes.

A black repaint does not necessarily have to ''literally'' be mostly black. ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)|Nemesis Prime]], for instance, is technically dark blue.

The in-fiction rationale behind black repaints varies from toy bio to toy bio. One particularly common reason is to represent an "evil counterpart" of a preexisting character. For example, most [[Nemesis Prime (disambiguation)|Nemesis Prime]]s across the fiction are black repaints of a corresponding [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]] toy. Another common reason for producing a black variant of an already used mold is as a "stealth version" of this same character. These toys are often distinguished by adding the prefix "Stealth-" "Shadow-" or some variation of "Night Attack-" to the character's name. Some represent exposure to plot devices, while others offer no explanation whatsoever.

{{-}}
==Prominent examples==
* The [[Multiforce#Micromaster Collection|Multiforce]] were some of the earliest toys where the black repaints represent a stealth mode.
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] could technically be considered the first black repaint in Transformers, though he doesn't match up to the modern notion.
* Soundblaster is the rebuilt form of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. He has an unusual backstory for a black repaint; he is an upgrade of an existing Decepticon. This reflects his status as one of the earliest black repaints, before the modern conception had taken root in the fandom or the toy manufacturers. [[Scorponok (G1)#Super-God Masterforce cartoon|BlackZarak]] would have a similar origin.
* [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]], the first convention-exclusive black repaint, is a ''true'' repaint of the Go-Bot [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], lacking his gold paint (making her a ''de''paint?). Like other [[BotCon]] exclusives, she would be unrelated to the mold she was based on.
* [[Black Lio Convoy]] is the first black repaint to be an evil Autobot clone, in this case of [[Lio Convoy]].
* The JAFCON-exclusive "Convoy Black Version" is notable both for being one of the first of a billion zillion oddly-colored redecos of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime]] toy, and for being one of the first black repaints with absolutely no fictional explanation for the color scheme.
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] is one of the few black repaints that represent main show characters. His popularity helped ensure that Hasbro, not just Takara, would be producing many black repaints in the future. Takara still produces the majority of the black repaints.
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] is infamous for starting out as a nearly unobtainable exclusive surrounded by various problems with [[Hasbro Toy Shop]], then seeing a wide release in Australia.
* ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Shadow Blade Megatron]] is cast entirely in black plastic with the exception of his translucent parts. Rare for a Transformers figure, especially one produced by Hasbro.
* The [[live-action film series]] version of [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] has been subject to [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|over a dozen]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise|black repaints]], virtually all some variation on "stealth" or "night strike" concepts.
* Particularly notable is 2011's ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#DOTMDeluxeCyberfire|Cyberfire Bumblebee]], aka "Murderbee", which picked up a small cult following in the [[fandom]] for its surprisingly sinister appearance.
* Things came full circle when 'Bee spent the first bit of ''Age of Extinction'' in, you guessed it, a black color scheme.

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:G1toy skywarp.jpg|''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
File:G1Soundblaster toy.jpg|''The Transformers'' [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundblaster]]
File:G2toy-Nightracer.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Nightracer (G2)|Nightracer]]
File:BW-toy ShadowPanther.jpg|''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Shadow Panther|Shadow Panther]]
File:RMLioConvoyBlack toy.jpg|''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Black Lio Convoy]]
File:CarRobotsBlackConvoy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]]
File:AltNemesisPrime toy.jpg|''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]
File:CYB runamuck withalt.jpg|''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Runamuck (Cybertron)#Toys|Runamuck]]
File:SBAniMegs..jpg|''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Megatron (Animated)|"Shadow Blade" Megatron]]
File:ROTF-toy Legends StealthBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Stealth" Bumblebee]]
File:DOTM MechTechDeluxe CyberfireBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Cyberfire" Bumblebee]]
File:Gentei-darkskyfire-toy.jpg|''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)#Gentei! Gentei!|Gentei! Gentei!]]'' [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dark Skyfire]]
File:DeluxeAOEHighOctaneBumblebee.jpg|''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)|”High Octane” Bumblebee]]
File:TF-Generations-TR-Primitive-Skateboarding-Powermaster-Optimus-Prime.jpg|''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' “[[Titans Return (toyline)#Exclusives|Primitive Skateboarding]]” [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generations toys#Titans Return|Optimus Prime & Shreddicus Maximus]]
File:TF-WFC-Trilogy-Buzzworthy-Worlds-Collide-Nemesis-Primal.jpg|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Worlds Collide]]” [[Nemesis Primal|Nemesis Primal]]
File:TF-Generations-Selects-Black-Zarak.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|BlackZarak]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Goldbug.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Goldbug (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Goldbug]]
File:TF-Shattered-Glass-Collection-Jetfire.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Jetfire (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Jetfire]]
File:TF-WFC-GDC-Through-the-Vortex-Road-Ranger.jpg|''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]'' "[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]]" [[Road Ranger#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Road Ranger]]
File:Selects DK-2 Guard.jpg|''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[DK-2 Guard|DK-2 Guard]]
File:Buzzworthy Creatures Collide Skywasp.JPG|''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' “[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee#Legacy|Creatures Collide]]” [[Skywasp#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Skywasp]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Burn-Out.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Burn Out (Diaclone)|Diaclone Universe Burn Out]]
File:Shattered Glass Collection-Flamewar.jpg|''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection (2021-)|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Crasher.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Crasher (G1)#Legacy|Crasher]]
File:TF-Legacy-Velocitron-Speedia-500-Shadowstrip.jpg|''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' “[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives|Velocitron Speedia 500]]” [[Drag Strip (G1)#Legacy|G2 Universe Shadowstrip]]
</gallery></center>
[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Grimlock (G1)

2022-10-17T11:52:51Z

Chasd20: /* Notes */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|maximal|decepticon|lightningstrike|eliteguard|wreckers|primusvanguard|hofsilver}}
{{disambigm|Grimlock (disambiguation)|Dinobot (disambiguation)|Clobber (disambiguation)}}
{{suite}}
:''Me Grimlock am [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] from [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:TF84 cover 002 colors clean.jpg|upright=2|thumb|Me Grimlock know color reproduction technology evolve past need for blue-for-black substitution... but it look cool '''anyway!''']]
Some Autobots wonder why '''Grimlock''' (aka '''Clobber'''[[#clobber|[Note]]]) is even on their side. His disposition is much more suited to the [[Decepticon]]s. After all, he values power and strength over wisdom and compassion, and furthermore, he doesn't really get along with most Autobots. When faced with a problem, his usual responses are to slice it with his [[Energo weapon|energo-sword]], tear it to pieces with his bare hands, or outright eat it. He is more willing to accept casualties than most of the Autobot leadership, and doesn't seem particularly concerned about the [[Human|fleshies]] either. These things, coupled with his dislike of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], have led to a defection or two on Grimlock's part. He'd have no problem offing the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] if he thought he could get away with it, though.

What the Autobots don't realize is that the only thing he hates more than weakness is those who abuse their strength, meaning when push comes to shove, Grimlock will always fall in on the right side of the fence. And despite their disagreements, Grimlock holds a respect for Prime's strength and leadership. His ''real'' feud within the Autobot ranks is with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]; Grimlock's chaotic behavior drives Prowl up the wall, and Prowl's uptight personality gives Grimlock much grief.

Grimlock is the leader of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], a small but powerful strike squad. Grimlock himself is extremely strong and durable, and is one of the few Transformers who can not only stand toe-to-toe with Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], but actually give them a run for their money. Despite his strength and prowess, Grimlock continually struggles with his pronouns.

{{bigquote|Me, Grimlock — '''BADASS'''!|Grimlock on himself|[[The War Within issue 5|''The War Within'' #5]]}}

{{note|Grimlock's intelligence level in the cartoon was substantially lower than in most of his other portrayals. See the entries below for details.}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
{{main|Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
[[File:G1-grimlock-s112-newhead.jpg|thumb|"Me Grimlock change eyes from red to blue. [[Ratchet (G1)|Doctor]] say it helps Grimlock not bump into red robots.]]
Inspired by dinosaur fossils, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] built Grimlock, [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], who promptly went on a rampage. Wheeljack convinced Optimus to lock up the Dinobots, rather than destroy them. Upgrading them to be smarter and more obedient, Wheeljack sent the Dinobots to rescue the Autobots. Frustrated by the Dinobots' success, Megatron learned Grimlock desired to be Autobot leader and tried to trick the Dinobots into serving him, but Optimus's selflessness convinced Grimlock otherwise. The Autobots called upon the Dinobots whenever they were overwhelmed, but Optimus deemed them too chaotic to work at the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]] and even had them sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|an island populated by living dinosaurs]]. Angered by being taken for granted, Grimlock left, until [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] convinced him to help when the Autobots began to suffer from [[Cybertonium]] deficiency.

In [[2005]], Grimlock battled [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] at the [[Battle of Autobot City]], rescued [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] on [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]], received his first [[kiss]] from [[Re-Cycle]] on [[Junkion (planet)|planet Junk]], and kicked the butt of [[Unicron|a god]]. Still an active Autobot soldier, Grimlock even received a temporary boost to his intelligence, allowing him to create the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{main|Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}
[[File:Variablevoltageharness.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Me Grimlock king of war crimes!]]
Grimlock lay dormant on the Ark when the ship detected [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] in the [[Savage Land]]. Fitting Grimlock and his four comrades with [[alternate mode]]s based on the local fauna, the Dinobots battled Shockwave until they became stuck in a tar pit. In the present, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] discovered their location. Grimlock almost immediately began butting heads with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and soon he and his team left the Autobots.

Following Prime's death, Grimlock returned to nominate himself for the position of leadership, and proved his worth by leading the Autobots in battle against [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Unfortunately, power corrupted Grimlock, who lived up to his alternate mode's name by constructing a [[variable voltage harness]] to torture defectors like [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], and picking a fight with Autobots from [[Nebulos]] led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Prime was rebuilt as a [[Powermaster]], and appointed Grimlock and Fortress Maximus as his lieutenants.

Grimlock was deactivated in the wake of [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'s [[Underbase]]-fueled rampage, but Ratchet revived him as a [[Pretender]] to battle [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Battling the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], Grimlock found himself in the heart of Cybertron where [[Primus]] lay, much to his [[atechnogenesis|disbelief]]. A blast by [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] intended for Grimlock hit Primus, awakening him and alerting [[Unicron]] to his presence. After returning to Earth and warning Prime, Grimlock joined the search to recover the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. During this time he stocked up on [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]], which gave him a more powerful body, but at the cost of his [[transformation]] abilities. After Prime sacrificed himself to defeat Unicron, Grimlock was Autobot leader once more, and participated in a disastrous battle with [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s soldiers on the planet [[Klo]]. Astonishingly, Prime returned with the [[Last Autobot]], who resurrected the fallen Autobots and ended the war.

In various [[splinter timeline]]s, Grimlock led the [[Earthforce]], helped Optimus and Megatron battle [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], and rallied with [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] to hold out against the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. In one Grimlock captained the ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]'', patrolling the universe for signs of Decepticon activity for over a decade of peace before Megatron returned and in another, he lived with the effects of Nucleon for twenty-one years before travelling to [[Nebulos]] to seek a cure.

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
Grimlock was among a number of Autobots under [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s command who crewed the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. After it crashed into [[Earth]], the ark detected [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and repaired Grimlock and three others into the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. The Dinobots soon tracked down Soundwave, but he proved too much for them to handle until Grimlock used his brain and brought the nearby cliff down, knocking them all offline. {{storylink|In the Transformers}}

===Transformers PD-Type===
[[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] recruited Grimlock as backup for a duel with [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]]. Grimlock became bored watching the two of them fight in the sky, but when Star Saber finally succeeded in knocking Deathsaurus to the ground, Grimlock gnawed on his head while Star Saber looked on, pleased at the outcome of his clever plan. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##8 "Me Strongest! Me Grimlock!"|Me Strongest! Me Grimlock!}}
{{-}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Grimlock and the other Dinobots lived in an underground jungle environment, hidden beneath the Antarctic ice cap. Grimlock and hundred of other Dinobots were immersed in their tar cocoons, awaiting activation to join the Autobot ranks. When the [[Crusher (G1)|Crusher]], a Decepticon juggernaut, forced its way into the Dinobots’ headquarters, the vibrations it produced inadvertently freed the cocooned Dinobots, who charged at Megatron and Soundwave to fend them off. {{storylink|Jaws of Terror}}

Optimus had requested Grimlock and the rest of the Dinobots’ assistance when he and Prowl investigated Decepticon activity on the island of [[Buru]]. Upon their arrival, the Dinobots quickly began overpowering the Insecticons on the island. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
Grimlock and the other Dinobots stood by while Swoop mercilessly butchered Devastator and killed the Constructicons one by one. The rest of the Dinobots then joined in ripping the Constructicons' carcasses into scrap metal for good measure. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}

[[File:GrimlockpullsDevastatorstatue-ASW.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.1|Me Grimlock not draft animal, me Grimlock king!]]
Grimlock was present to hear Blaster convey a message from Megatron to Autobot headquarters. Megatron announced that he had taken Sunstreaker hostage, and demanded that the Autobots surrender. Sideswipe was infuriated by the capture of his "twin Autobot," and declared that he would go rescue Sunstreaker himself. Grimlock told Sideswipe that he would not be able to defeat Devastator on his own, and sent Sludge and Slag to help him in his rescue effort. Despite the Dinobot troops' power, the rescue mission failed, and the Autobots had to come up with a new plan. Optimus decided to rely on trickery, and ordered his Autobots to build a hollow effigy of Devastator for them to hide in. Grimlock then wheeled the statue to Decepticon headquarters. There, a note attached to the statie, explaining that it was a peace offering, was used to lure the evil robots into a false sense of security. The ambush and subsequent battle that ensued spelled victory for the Autobots. {{storylink|The Autobots' Secret Weapon}}
{{-}}

===Marvel coloring books===
When Optimus learned from Cosmos that the Decepticons were razing a human village to build a fuel plant in its place, he had the Dinobots hide within his trailer and inside his other troops' vehicle modes, in order to sneak up on the enemy. Once they were in close enough proximity to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his minions, the Dinobots were released and the other Autobots transformed to battle the Decepticons. After the others had beaten up the Decepticons and shoved them down a pit, Grimlock picked up Mixmaster and tilted him over, making him spill the quick-drying cement within his drum onto the other evil robots, trapping them. {{storylink|The Autobot Spy in the Sky}}

Grimlock encountered Hot Rod on the outskirts of Autobot City. The young Autobot explained to Grimlock as the rest of the Dinobots assembled around them that he was being chased by a squad of Decepticons. Hot Rod then continued into Autobot City to inform Ultra Magnus of the situation while the Dinobots went to do battle with the Decepticons. Though they were taken by surprise by the Decepticon fliers at first, the Decepticons soon gained the advantage in combat. Grimlock even managed to snatch Starscream right out of the air. In the midst of the battle, Grimlock noticed Galvatron taking off towards the nearby [[Oil Valley]] to steal oil for himself. Grimlock took off after him, and the two fought it out in the oil drilling area. Grimlock used an oil tower as a bat to beat down on Galvatron. Galvatron retreated within Cyclonus (though not before Grimlock landed a hit on him with the tower) and the Autobots were cheered on by the oil rig workers as they returned to Autobot City. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

Grimlock took part in a battle over energon cubes at [[Mount St. Hilary]] which ended when [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] scarfed all the energon. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}
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===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Grimlock and the rest of the Dinobots accompanied Hot Rod, Kup and Arcee on a space-faring mission. Though Kup warned Grimlock not to overload the ship, Grimlock ignored him, reasoning that he didn't want to make a second trip. The ship wound up malfunctioning, and they crash-landed on the planet Quintesson. There, they encountered Wheelie, who warned them about the planet's evil inhabitants. They soon encountered a few Quintessons leading their Sharkticon soldiers to apprehend them. Grimlock used his powerful jaws to snap whichever Quintesson unlucky enough to wander too close to him into two. After the Quintessons had been defeated, the Autobots left the planet in the ship that had once been piloted by Wheelie's parents. {{storylink|The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson}}
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===Dinobot War===
{{notemultipath}}
Grimlock, along with the rest of the Dinobots, were present during Earth's distant past, when [[you]], Ravage and Laserbeak travelled through time. The Dinobots quickly learned about the Decepticons' plan to attack the Autobots still slumbering in stasis aboard the crashed Ark, and set out to oppose them. Whether or not they succeeded was up to you!
{{storylink|Dinobot War}}
{{-}}

===Dinobots Strike Back===
{{notemultipath}}
Grimlock, along with the rest of the Dinobots, were on lookout duty in Hidden Valley. [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] managed to sneak up on the group and Grimlock was one of the Dinobots who were subjected to the Insecticon's mind-control. After being ordered by his new master to attack Autobots and humans alike, Grimlock's fate was up to the only Dinobot retaining his free-will, Swoop.
If Swoop reports directly back to Autobot base about what transpired, the Autobots weigh multiple options on how to best stop the Dinobots' rampage.

If the Autobots choose to use Mirage's abilities against the Dinobots, Grimlock and the rest of the sub-group are tricked into believing Optimus is standing at the edge of Bandit Bluff's precipice, and charge for the Autobot leader. Their target turns out to be an illusion fabricated by Mirage, and the Dinobots are knocked unconscious by their fall, and subsequently freed of Bombshell's control.

If the Autobots choose to use Windcharger's abilities against the Dinobots, the outcome of the Dinobots' and the rest of the Autobots' confrontation has two possible outcomes. If Windcharger uses his magnetic powers too close to the Dinobots, the powerful magnetic field sends Grimlock and the other Dinobots into convulsions before killing them. If Windcharger decides to use his magnetic powers from a greater distance, the Cerebro-shells are harmlessly extracted from the Dinobots. Later, Grimlock is celebrating with the Autobots when he recalls Bombshell announcing that controlling the Dinobots was only a part of the Insecticon's plan.

Optimus in turn can send Bumblebee, Skids and Sludge to investigate nearby electromagnetic activity. If he does, and Skids returns to Autobot base after the Decepticons has captured Bumblebee, Prowl suggests to send Grimlock and his ilk as undercover agents into the Decepticons' local operation. Prowl explains that the Decepticons are likely unaware that the Dinobots are no longer under Bombshell's control. If Optimus goes with this plan, Grimlock bisects Frenzy after successfully doing his part, and the Autobots successfully defeat the Decepticons thanks to the Dinobot's strategic placement.

If the Autobots choose to simply attack the Dinobots immediately and brutally, Grimlock becomes temporarily blind thanks to Tracks's black-beam gun. Next, he is bombarded by Sunstreaker's and Sideswipe's high-energy electron pulses, until his Cerebro-Shell falls out of his body. Later, when Grimlock is once again master of his own thoughts, he accuses the Autobots of enjoying taking him and his team down. The Autobots simply laugh at him.

If Swoop chooses to stay and fight Bombshell instead of reporting back to base after the Dinobots have become Bombshell's slaves, and successfully defeats the Insecticon, Grimlock is freed along with the other Dinobots. Whatever other choices are made in this path, Grimlock stays unaware of what has transpired, his memory a blank during the mind-control. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

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===Frito-Lay posters===
[[Image:HiCThePowerStruggle.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]
Grimlock was seen with Optimus Prime while he was fighting Megatron. {{storylink|The Power Struggle}}
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===Toy pack-in material===
Grimlock, Snarl, and Slag were roaming about in a desert when Starscream came down from the skies to attack them! Grimlock transformed out of his "undetectable everyday form" into robot mode to wield both his pistol and sword against the Decepticon. {{storylink|Sweepstakes Offer!}}

===The Official ''Transformers: Generation 2'' Annual===
[[File:The dinobots g2 annual.jpg|thumb|left]]
After the Ark crashed into the Earth, Grimlock, Snarl and two others remained active and were reformatted to resemble dinosaurs, the planet's dominant lifeforms. Unfortunately the reformatting was a little too thorough and they were left acting like real dinosaurs as well. Rendered inactive by a meteorite strike, they lay dormant beneath what became modern-day [[Brazil]] until Grimlock and Snarl were inadvertently awoken by developers from a logging company. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Fizzle|Blaze]] travelled there to investigate but were ambushed by the Decepticons and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] trapped the Dinobots in a [[plasma net]]. Unfortunately for him, the net caused a negative ion feedback which triggered their Transformer circuitry and restored their personalities along with their [[robot mode]]s. Grimlock and Snarl sent the Decepticons packing but remained in Brazil to look for their missing comrades rather than return to the Ark with the Autobots. {{storylink|The Dinobots!}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
[[File:Terminus Autobots Decepticons.jpg|thumb|150px]]
Grimlock was among the legendary Transformers summoned from [[J'nwan]] by [[Sandstorm (BW)|Sandstorm]] to help battle [[Shokaract]]. {{storylink|Terminus (issue)|Terminus}} {{storylink|Departure}}

An iteration of Grimlock was one of several Transformers from all eras and realities across the [[multiverse]] suggested by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] for Optimus Primal to recruit into his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]]. Optimus Primal decided to pluck [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] back from death instead. {{storylink|Homecoming (Universe)|Homecoming}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{bigquote|Me not like Optimus Prime or Autobots that much... but me like you and yours even less!|Grimlock's voice recording on a bomb he left for the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]|"[[The War Within Preview]]"}}

Years ago, before the war, Grimlock was part of a cage-fighting arena. He and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] fought beside and against each other on numerous occasions. Starscream believed Grimlock was a natural born killer, but Grimlock really just carried a lot of rage and needed an outlet.

[[File:Skidswheeljackgrimlockkupironhidetww.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Me Grimlock great at retreating.]]
When the war began, Grimlock sided with the Decepticons. Then, after a while, he switched sides and went to the Autobots. Nobody is quite sure why or what happened. {{storylink|The War Within Preview}} He eventually became leader of a squad including [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]].

By the time [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] was killed and a new leader had to be chosen, the Autobots were losing the war, and Grimlock was growing impatient with the [[Council of Ancients]]' strategy. Grimlock called a secret meeting at the [[Helix Gardens]] with Prowl, Jazz, and his running crew: If the new [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] wasn't up to doing what had to be done, then they'd do it for him—and take the Prime out in the process. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}}

Optimus Prime, having defeated a team of Decepticons by himself, still didn't settle Grimlock's nerves. Prime's decision to evacuate Cybertron did it; Grimlock had enough. After expressing his discontent over the situation to his fellow workers, Grimlock stormed off and went to brood by himself. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Starscream and his Seekers dropped by while Grimlock was alone. Starscream baited Grimlock, telling him he was a Decepticon inside and was just in denial. He gave him a choice: go to [[Protihex|Sector Zero-Six]] and help the Seekers take out the Autobot command post, or warn the post about their arrival. Grimlock, out of spite, instead evacuated the Autobots from the base and left the Decepticons a present: a bomb. {{storylink|The War Within Preview}}

[[File:Grimlocktwwmycall.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Me Grimlock squat a lot.]]
While he was on his way back to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to help with the defense, Prowl ordered him away, instead telling him to go find Optimus Prime. Grimlock decided that it was a good opportunity to give the new Prime a piece of his mind and complied. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} He called upon Ironhide, Kup, and Wheeljack to accompany him on this mission, informing them he still hadn't made up his mind about Optimus Prime's worth as a leader along the way. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} While he and the team went deep into Cybertron's core to find Prime, they found out about Megatron's plan to win the war and turn Cybertron into a mobile battle station with which to conquer the universe. Grimlock split up his team: He would go find Optimus Prime, and the rest of the team would shut down the transformation system for Cybertron. Grimlock followed Optimus's trail, passing several defeated Deecepticons along the way, only for Prime to abruptly appear next to him. Prime ordered Grimlock to help him find Megatron. Grimlock shoved his [[Energo weapon|energo-sword]] into Prime's hands and gave clear instructions: If Megatron was the problem, Prime was to fix it himself. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Grimlock then doubled back to help his squad deal with the planetary engines, arriving just in time to take out Motormaster as he was preparing to ram Kup and Ironhide. Optimus soon caught up to him, and asserted his authority by taking command of both Grimlock's troops and the situation. Together, the Autobots managed to destroy the planetary engines and drive the Decepticons away. Once the crisis was over, Grimlock no longer questioned Optimus Prime. He knew that Prime had figured things out, and though he hadn't executed Megatron, he wasn't going to spend his time in the war running away. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

[[File:Grimlockultramagnusnoooo.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|ME GRIMLOCK DAMN YOU, SALAZAR!]]
During the Dark Ages, Optimus Prime and Megatron were seemingly destroyed in a [[space bridge]] explosion, which created a crack in space through which the ancient being known as [[The Fallen]] emerged. With the loss of Optimus Prime, Grimlock broke off from the Autobots, now led by Prowl, and formed the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]]. During one of their missions, Grimlock's team stole two transports filled with energon from Starscream. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}} Grimlock was targeted, along with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], by The Fallen, who wished to use their apparently unique [[Spark]]s to help in his revival of [[Primus]], which would allow Unicron to locate him.

To this end, The Fallen recruited [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]], who arranged for Grimlock to receive a communication between Jetfire and Shockwave. {{storylink|Devastation}} Believing Jetfire was intending to defect, Grimlock headed for the meeting. However, when the [[Chaos Trinity]] arrived and captured Jetfire, Grimlock jumped out of the shadows and attacked. The Fallen had to watch his followers take a sound beating. After dispatching the mystics, Grimlock attempted to execute Jetfire. The Autobot scientist was saved only because The Fallen himself soon arrived. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}}

Grimlock being Grimlock, he launched himself at The Fallen, but was completely overwhelmed by his opponents' supernatural abilities. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} He woke up later strapped to a table and had to listen to Jetfire trying to convince him that attempting to breaking free was a hopeless endeavor. Grimlock snapped his restraints with ease, and likewise liberated the three other Transformers captured by The Fallen for his diabolical scheme. Jetfire then managed to convince Grimlock to vacate the area with the other two captured 'bots, while he used his smarts to contain The Fallen. Jetfire was ultimately successful. Afterwards, Grimlock approached Jetfire to tell him he had misjudged his fellow Autobot, and that they were now quit. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Later, Grimlock served both as leader of the Dynobots and the right-hand bot to Ultra Magnus, who had taken control in Optimus' absence and had managed to secure a truce with Shockwave. Grimlock was less than happy about this, partly because he didn't trust the Decepticons, and partly because he had no idea what to do with himself in peacetime. He never got to find out, as the truce was betrayed by Starscream's forces, and Grimlock was apparently killed when he dove in front of a shot meant for Magnus. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} Upon Megatron's return to Cybertron, the Decepticon leader quickly subdued Ultra Magnus, and proceeded to take control of the planet. Grimlock's body was left where it lay. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

{{note|Due to [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s closure, the end of its ''War Within'' series was never published. Years later, [[Simon Furman]] released the unpublished scripts to the final three issues. The following would have taken place in said issues:
Primus preserved Grimlock's lifeforce within an [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] drone, which horribly mutated into a facsimile of Grimlock's original body, and attacked Shockwave in his lab. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.4}} Grimlock's preservation was due to his lineage, which stretched back to the [[Thirteen]]. With the Prime lineage at risk, there was need for a new savior. The shambling Grimlock found his way to Megatron, and distracted him long enough to allow Blaster to liberate the enslaved Autobot forces. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.5}} After repelling a second Quintesson invasion, Perceptor rebuilt Grimlock into his old form. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.6}}}}

[[File:Extermination-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Yes, definitely refer to "[[Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Rules of Extinction|Rules of Extinction]]."]]
Millennia later, the Ark and the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' left Cybertron in search of new resources to fuel the war, but never returned. Grimlock and the Dynobots followed a [[Insecticon (G1)|group of Decepticons]] to a primitive world that would later be known to them as Earth, all of them looking for the lost Ark. The Dynobots assumed alternate forms similar to Earth's indigenous giant reptiles, dinosaurs, and fought off an attempted ambush by the small crew of Decepticons they had been tracking. {{storylink|Extermination}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective3 Grimlock.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Me fight with all me—"? Me Grimlock not Irish!]]
Millions of years later in [[1984]], the other Autobots and Decepticons on Earth awakened and the Great War began anew. The Autobots and humans eventually defeated the Decepticons and all the Transformers were to be sent back to Cybertron on the ''[[Ark II]]''. However, the ship was destroyed during launch due to sabotage by General [[Robert Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], in the hopes of recovering the Transformers and reprogramming them to be war machines. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} As part of a demonstration to prospective buyers, Rook had Grimlock join an assault against the Smitco Oil Refinery alongside half a dozen Transformers. Soon afterwards, Megatron broke free of Lazarus's control, and brought ruin to his operation. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

At some point, Megatron captured the other four Dinobots, {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} which he used as leverage to get Grimlock to turn traitor and join the Decepticons after they were reactivated by Lazarus. Grimlock revealed his change of allegiance to Optimus Prime when he confronted Megatron after the unleashing of the Decepticons' newest doomsday weapon, a cyber-forming virus. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} Though Grimlock participated in the Decepticons' subsequent attack on [[San Francisco]] with apparent zeal, his only real contribution to the city's destruction was crushing unoccupied cars. [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] interrupted Grimlock's "rampage" by knocking him over with a steel girder. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} Grimlock watched idly as Megatron and Optimus debated humanity's worth, until their rhetoric was interrupted by several firefighters ramming their fire engines into Megatron. The battle started anew, only for news that a [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear missile]] was inbound to reach the combatants. After the Decepticons abandoned him, Optimus Prime offered to take Grimlock back, but he refused, stating circumstances had changed too much. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

{{charstubfiction|[[The Transformers Trilogy]] ({{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}} / {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}} / {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}})}}

[[File:NewWorldOrder Grimlock Blitzwing.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Me Grimlock silence Blitzwing, then Prime next.]]
Grimlock's stance on allegiances didn't last very long, though, as [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] soon showed up with his [[Triple Changer]]s, and declared all Earthbound Transformers to be war criminals. Grimlock's true loyalty became obvious when he stopped Blitzwing from blowing off Optimus's head by grabbing his tank turret and bending it into a pretzel with one hand. After that, Shockwave sent Megatron off to Cybertron, prompting Grimlock to rejoin the Autobots in the Ark. {{storylink|New World Order}} When Optimus's group surrendered to Ultra Magnus, some of the Autobots remained on Earth, Grimlock among them. He traveled to the frozen north, and freed the other Dinobots from Megatron's holding tank. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}}

Stealing a Decepticon shuttle, the Dinobots then headed for Cybertron, intending to free Optimus Prime and his group. After a rough landing in the [[Wastelands]], they acquired [[Sixshot (G1)|some transportation]] from [[Octane]] and hurried to Iacon, sowing discord along the way. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Once they reached their destination, Grimlock did his part by leading a massive Dinobot assault on [[Shockwave's Tower]], before breaking off to take care of the Decepticon leader himself. Blitzwing again got in his way, and Grimlock was forced to battle both, a battle that was going his way until Ultra Magnus shot him in the face. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Though Grimlock accused Ultra Magnus of betrayal, Magnus defended his actions, stating he couldn't allow Grimlock to simply rampage undirected in the streets. He then instructed Perceptor to repaired the Dinobot commander. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Subsequently, Grimlock did his part for the rebellion by giving Hot Rod some back-up. For a third and final time, he fought Blitzwing, this time taking out the Decepticon with ease, grabbing him by the tank turret and throwing him into a [[Guardian robot|Guardian]]. Leaving the main conflict, Grimlock followed Shockwave, Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus into the citadel, and ended up saving the two Autobots, stating that he'd hate to lose the chance to pay back the "stuffy traitor". Optimus Prime thanked Primus, but Grimlock said Prime should be thanking ''him''. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

While the main group of Earth Autobots returned, the Dinobots remained on Cybertron to give Ultra Magnus some needed muscle. They were assigned to help Kup fortify the new Autobot bases on Cybertron's moons. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{note|As noted above, any further exploits of Grimlock in the present were cut short due to Dreamwave's bankruptcy. A few details of [[Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Generation One|Generation One #11]] are known because [[Don Figueroa]] published the line-art of the comic up to page 9 on his DeviantArt account.}}

After an amusing conversation took place between Kup and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], the two of them, along with Arcee, Snarl, and Slag, joined Springer, Grimlock, and Swoop on their shuttle's bridge. Together, they all saw an approaching Quintesson ship. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 11|Generation 1 #11}}
[[File:DWMTMEPretenderGrimlockinnerrobot.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
[[File:DWMTMEPretenderGrimlock.jpg|thumb|right|150px]]
Some time in the future, Grimlock was augmented with the Pretender technology, though he despised his human-like outer shell. He was also given an important position in the overall Autobot hierarchy, which meant him being forced to back up the long-standing claims of himself being the best choice for a leader. Though some Autobots were unconvinced that Grimlock could handle the responsibility, Grimlock himself was taking his position very seriously, and Optimus Prime apparently thought Grimlock had potential. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye#Issue #7|Pretender Grimlock's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}}
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====''Universe'' comic====
{{voiceactor|[[Gregg Berger]] (English)}}

A Grimlock hailed from [[Primax 302.06 Gamma]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/20}} He was one of several Transformers being monitored by [[Primus]] and [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] as the [[Universe War]] began. {{storylink|Abduction}} Hailing from an earlier era of the Cybertronian wars, Grimlock arrived in the [[Cauldron]] and soon found the unlikely allies of [[Megatron (Armada)#Beast Megatron|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]. They were confronted by two of [[Unicron]]'s Dark Generals, [[Reptilion]] and [[Striker]]. {{storylink|OTFCC Live-Action Drama}}

Striker was overpowered and held prisoner beneath Grimlock's mighty boot. Using his spark telepathy, Primal was able to at least temporarily override Unicron's corruptive influence on Striker (although Grimlock remained somewhat unconvinced). Grimlock's concerns became academic as Reptilion returned with Unicron's other generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. Luckily, [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] managed to orchestrate a jailbreak among the Cauldron's other "guests", so Grimlock and Megatron soon had all the reinforcements they needed. The [[Matrix Templar]] known as [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]] helped forge a connection with Primus, creating a way out for the escapees. Grimlock was apparently dispatched back to his own era along with the other displaced abductees. {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Grimlock-The Iron Fist.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Me Grimlock no dinosaur here, but still look like fossil!]]
Grimlock was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in [[1939]] after laying dormant on the [[Fera Islands]] for three million years. He was eager to start smashing Decepticons again, and probably would've smashed the humans as well if [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] hadn't been here to tell him they were friendly. While the other Autobots were a bit wishy-washy about helping G.I. Joe in their fight against [[Cobra]] and their Decepticon allies, Grimlock threw himself into battle almost immediately, using his [[World War II]]-era tank mode to destroy one or two incoming [[Rattler]]s. {{storylink|Transformed}}

With [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] as company, Grimlock fought his way across the Fera Islands until he ran into [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], whose earthquakes were too much for him and the other Autobot tanks to handle. {{storylink|Trial by Fire}} Grimlock was knocked off a cliff by Rumble's attacks, and as he was struggling to keep himself from falling to his doom, he urged Roadblock to save himself. However, the human refused to let Grimlock give up, and stayed behind to motivate him, drill sergeant style. While the human's words did give Grimlock newfound strength, the cliff still crumbled, and he and Roadblock fell. Thankfully, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] saved them just in time, although Grimlock didn't enjoy feeling small in comparison to the combiner. {{storylink|Wolves}}

On the way to the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], Grimlock listened to [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] being pessimistic about their chances of survival, and casually asked the human if he was a coward. Upon reaching the Terrordrome, Grimlock fought and defeated [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], having always hated him for his cowardly guerilla tactics back on Cybertron. Shortly thereafter, the Autobots and Joes came under attack from [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and Roadblock suggested that Grimlock show the giant some real firepower... only for the Dinobot to be swatted aside like a fly. Grimlock presumably died along with the other Transformers when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was destroyed in order to stop Bruticus. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}
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===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
{{bigquote|It just isn't a proper party without Grimlock around. That guy is nuts.|Hot Rod}}

[[File:DDGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=0.66|All the grace of an earthquake.]]
Grimlock and his team were transported to Earth's prehistoric past by a malfunctioning [[Teletran 3]]. A joint [[Cobra]]/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] team traveled through a time portal to bring them back. Unfortunately, Shockwave's Decepticons blocked their return. Just as Shockwave's victory appeared complete, [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] and [[Lady Jaye]] successfully opened up the final time portal, and the humans returned, with some heavy artillery in the form of the five Autobots, now reformatted in huge, powerful dinosaur bodies. Grimlock took the lead by knocking Shockwave through a wall, and beating the tar out of the 'Cons, alongside his new Dinobots, their new abilities more than a match for the Decepticon forces. When the Decepticons retreated, Grimlock transformed and requested an audience with Optimus Prime. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

[[File:Grimlock AoW1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.75|Me Grimlock best pitcher on Cybertron!]]
Grimlock was part of the small team sent to help with the Joes' decommissioning of their Cybertronian mechs. Grimlock was more than a little vocal about his distaste for the post, and lack of interest in the humans. He was willing to help the Joes fight Cobra when the latter attacked en masse... even if he complained about helping the weak fleshlings. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}} When [[Cobra Commander]] was cornered in an underground facility, Grimlock did his part by terrifying him into talking. They were interrupted when [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] appeared, and attempted to take control of both Grimlock, and [[G.I. Joe battle mech|Roadblock's robot]]. Grimlock resisted, but Roadblock's robot turned around and punched him in the face. Grimlock responded by ripping its arm off. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}}

As Serpent O.R. teleported to Cybertron, Grimlock's team pursued him, but ended up having to fight off [[cannibalizer]]s in a junkyard. Although Grimlock was shot in the face and knocked down, he soon got back up and continued the hunt for Serpent O.R., only to run into his new troops—the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. The Autobots and their human companions were captured and imprisoned in the Decepticons' base in the [[Gladiator Zone]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} They eventually managed to escape thanks to [[Snake-Eyes]], but Grimlock insulted the humans anyway. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

After hearing that Serpent O.R. had captured Optimus Prime, Grimlock violently interrogated [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] for directions to where Prime was being kept. By the time the team arrived, they found that Serpent O.R. had stolen the [[Matrix of Leadership]], only to have his new "Serpentor Prime" body taken from him by Cobra Commander. Grimlock and Snake-Eyes attacked him, but were smashed into a wall by his tentacles and taken out of action. After [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] defeated Cobra Commander, Grimlock admitted that the humans were great warriors and great friends, and apologized for being hard on them. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===The Beast Within===
Four million years ago, Grimlock combined with his fellow Dinobots to form [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], a savage abomination of a gestalt that knew no mercy. Fearing its destructive and uncontrollable power, Grimlock vowed to never again set it loose. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}

In a devastating battle with the Decepticons, Grimlock attempted to hold his savagery in check, holding back his full strength even as his comrades were being annihilated. In a fit of desperation, he made the decision to combine with the other Dinobots to form The Beast. Though Optimus attempted to reach Grimlock within the raging juggernaut as it began to slaughter friend and foe alike, Grimlock's consciousness was lost in the maelstrom of rage that was the Beast's mind. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
After Grimlock and his fellow Dinobots arrived on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], Grimlock named one of his subordinates "[[Paddles (G1)|Paddles]]." He enjoyed bossing Paddles and the other Dinobots around, telling them when to transform, fight, or fly around. {{storylink|Paddles (story)|Paddles}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}

===2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity===
{{bigquote|Shadows lengthen. The twilight of the Cybertronian race gathers. The end is nigh.|[[Shokaract]]}}
{{bigquote|Reminds me of the good ol' days.|Grimlock}}

One account purports that near the end of the Great War, several combatants had been reduced to protoforms due to the fallout of a foiled [[Tripredacus Council]] plot. Among those afflicted was Grimlock. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

[[File:BWTheGathering4 Grimlock KingofBeasts.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Intelligent, sickle toed murder-lizard.]]
According to another account, Grimlock was less than thrilled about being forced to go through the [[Maximal]] downsizing. To add insult to injury, the resulting peace meant he had no outlet for his warlike tendencies. As such, he frequently volunteered for any dangerous, potentially risky, or outright suicidal missions, and when forced on to a science or exploration vessel, he preferred to spend the entire trip in stasis, rather than dealing with the prolonged inactivity. He had a personalized reformatting chip installed that deliberately seeks out only the strongest, deadliest beast modes (alive or extinct) on a planet. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook 2}}

Grimlock was among the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s protoforms when the ship crashed on Earth. When [[Razorbeast]] and [[Optimus Minor]] were attempting to "rescue" [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] from [[Magmatron]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] detected a spark signature that was apparently off the scale, big and mad. Grimlock showed up and acted as the perfect distraction, making ''very'' short work of the Predacons. (Apparently, he was in a very bad mood after waking up and took it out on the Preds.) Magmatron offered Grimlock the chance to withdraw, and when the incredulous Grimlock refused, the Predacon general attacked. Magmatron narrowly arose as the victor by use of his triple beast modes. Grimlock was knocked out, but later helped to construct the Maximals' new base. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 4|The Gathering #4}}

Later, when [[Prowl II|Prowl]] remarked they had work to do on Earth, with [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s Predacon militia still a threat, [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] reminded him that they had Grimlock on their side. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}} The bot in question was patrolling the jungle around the base at the time and bumped into the three-mech team of [[Manterror]], [[Retrax]], and [[Snapper]]. He only noticed Manterror and Retrax however, as Snapper was being crushed under his right foot at the time. While Retrax rolled for his life, Manterror had to face Grimlock on his own, and lost his wings for his trouble. This little group turned out to be a distraction, however, intended to lure the Maximals' big gun away while Ravage led an all-out strike on the base.

[[File:BWTheAscending4 Grimlock Convoys Ravage.jpg|left|upright=2.2|thumb|Me Grimlock have to pull newbies out of fire.]]
The former Dinobot wasn't about to be left out in the cold, however, and he returned to base ready for "the main course," which consisted of crushing [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]] under his foot and tearing apart [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] and half a dozen other Predacons. Still, even with him and [[Torca (BW)|Torca]] working overtime, things might have gone poorly without [[Lio Convoy]]'s arrival. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2|The Ascending #2}}

When Lio Convoy and Ravage led a joint force to stop [[Shokaract]], Grimlock accompanied them. The former Autobot and former Decepticon had a moment of antagonism when the fight started. But once the battle got underway, Grimlock fell in with the Convoys. As Shokaract declared the end of the Cybertronian race, Grimlock seemed to reminisce, even as he transformed to his beast mode and led a charge. He was one of the survivors, although presumably, he would be a victim of Megatron's [[Transformation virus]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
{{-}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Grimlockdinomode-HOS1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
Grimlock was one of the many Autobots who fought against the Decepticons on prehistoric Earth. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}}

{{IDW HOS}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Dinobots Autocracy Endgame.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Me Grimlock look scary here, but me get turned into [[Scavenger (group)|comic relief]] later.]]

{{main|Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}

{{--}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
When a surprise party was thrown for Optimus in honor of the 20th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Grimlock didn't wind up getting invited. He demanded respect (and some cake) for this indignity!

Later, Grimlock grew tired of his role of king and warrior, and resolved to become a waiter, so he could spit in people's drinks.

After being nominated two years in a row, Grimlock was sure he'd be a shoe-in for [[2011]]'s [[Transformers Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]]. He discussed the topic with Jazz and Shockwave until [[Erector (G1)|Erector]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] came along. The trio mistook Erector for Bumblebee, and so spared him any ridicule, but verbally tore into Waspinator. After insisting that the Predacon would never stand a chance against them, Grimlock and the others walked off in a huff. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 1}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 5}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 6}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkei grimlock pack in.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Me Grimlock no understand what I said.]]
When [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Megatron]] and the Decepticons attacked Earth in the 21st century, Grimlock and the Autobots were there to stop them. During a battle in Tokyo, when [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Bumblebee]] doused [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Starscream]] with a fire engine's hose, Grimlock exploited the opening to lash the Decepticon with his tail and sending him crashing into Megatron. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 1}}

Later, Grimlock saved a runaway train when it was forced off the tracks by [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Astrotrain]], {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} then joined the other Autobots in battling the rampaging Triple Changer. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}}

Some time later, when the newcomer [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was brought into the Autobot ranks, he and Grimlock decided to fight immediately upon meeting each other. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 11}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun'' manga===
Grimlock was part of a small Autobot team led by Optimus Prime who left Cybertron to pursue the [[Energon Cube]] through space. When the giant energy source crashed on Earth, in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]], it shattered into fragments that were scattered far and wide. Grimlock and the other Autobots set up a subterranean base below the Cube's impact crater, and began their search for the shards, taking the forms of local vehicles to hide their activities (Grimlock, in contrast to his comrades, took the conspicuous form of a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', for reasons best known to himself). Despite their attempts at remaining unseen, glimpses of the Autobots only magnified the reputation the crash of the Cube (believed by humans to be a meteor) had given Hoshinochō: that of a hotbed of rumored alien and UFO activity, Japan's answer to [[United States of America|America]]'s [[Roswell]].

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}} {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Appears!}} {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}} {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}}}

===''Kre-O'' comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-4-Grimlock.jpg|righ|thumb|50px]]
Grimlock had himself a hearty laugh when [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]] attempted to replicate [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]]'s new clear-torso'd power-up via a see-through negligee. {{Storylink|Wheeljack's Bizarre Invention! Optimus Power Up!?}}

{{note|Grimlock's appearance in this comic pre-dates the actual [[Kreon]] release, so its construction differs from the eventual toys. The comic verison uses a black [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] helmet piece, where the actual Kreons use a [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] helmet.}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
Grimlock went to game at the arcade, only to be infuriated over not being able to beat a particular game. As soon as he gave up the task, [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] came along and beat the game with ease! This sent Grimlock into a rage, and he began to rampage across the arcade... until he spotted a Foosball table, and went to play with it instead. {{storylink|Arcade}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)|Revenge}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:FuneralForAFriend-megrimlockking.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
Following Optimus Prime's exile from Cybertron, Grimlock defeated the new leader [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] in a duel and banished him from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], crowning himself king. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} When captured members of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] were brought before him, Grimlock was angry that they'd ruined [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] with their [[G.I.Rocket]]s and sentenced them to death by [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] pit. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}} The humans were able to survive and escape, however, and an impressed Grimlock agreed to a truce between the Autobots and G.I. Joe. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} Rodimus then returned to help save Metroplex from a combined Decepticon-[[Cobra]] assault, and when Grimlock protested, the reinvigorated former leader challenged him to a rematch. Whatever the outcome of the duel, Grimlock was next seen leaving Metroplex to fight Megatron in a last ditch attempt to defeat the Decepticon god-king one-on-one. This duel ended with his death at the hands of Megatron, who went on to don his dinosaur head as a decoration. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}}

Passing onto the next plane of existence, Grimlock marched towards the [[Transformer afterlife|afterlife]], but was weighed down by his heavy sword, a metaphysical representation of his many sins. As he walked, Grimlock was joined by Optimus Prime, the two braving the many trials of limbo to arrive at the gates of the afterlife. The two found their way blocked by [[Bludgeon (G1)|the angel of death]], who would only grant passage to those who carried the "[[Key to Vector Sigma|key]] to [[Vector Sigma|Vector Stigmata]]". Prime formed the key out of his own wounds but when informed that only one may pass, he gave the key to Grimlock. From his new seat in the afterlife, Grimlock joined the [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] in haunting Megatron, taking control of his remains to mock the Decepticon leader. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

When Optimus Prime returned to the land of the living and reclaimed the Matrix of Leadership, he tried to use it to deter [[Primus]] from consuming Earth's [[sun]]. As he channeled its power, the spirits of the Primes appeared alongside him, [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] eagerly pointing out that Grimlock was among them. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers'' comic===
[[File:ABTF1 Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
Grimlock and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] attempted to stop [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] from catching [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], who was carrying the [[AllSpark]], but the Decepticon evaded them and closed a blast door on them. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}} The AllSpark was lost in space in the scuffle, and Grimlock was present when it came crashing back through a window alongside a [[Minion Pig]]. {{storylink|Hard Boiled}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:Micro-Aggressions HotRodGrimlock.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Me Grimlock beat Optimus up [[War of the Dinobots|before]], now it Hot Rod's turn!]]
Unwilling to share the sedentary lifestyles of his fellow "[[Builder of Cybertron|Builder]]s", Grimlock illegally transferred his spark into a [[Maximal]] protoform. Disgusted by what his former comrades-in-arms had become, Grimlock attempted to bomb the [[Builder Assembly]], believing any society created by the act would inherently be better. He was taken prisoner and kept within [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Fortress Maximus]] until he was freed by [[Lio Convoy]]'s forces during the [[Grand Uprising]]. {{storylink|Head Games}} {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

Grimlock quickly adapted to being part of the [[Resistance]], and led several successful assaults on the Builders and [[Maximal Command Security Force|MCSF]]. His Resistance cell was a mixed team of Maximals and Predacons including [[Snapper]], [[Mach Kick]], [[Grizzly-1|Barbearian]], and the [[Manterror|Man Terror]]. Grimlock put out a bounty on the [[G-Virus]], and a group of... ''[[Renegade|Predacons]]'' successfully retrieved it from the [[Forever Vaults]] in exchange for resistance data on the [[Human Confederacy]].

Grimlock intended to release the G-Virus at [[Tesarus (polity)|Tesarus Arena]] when the Builders reopened the [[Games (competition)|Games]] for the first time since the Grand Uprising began. His cell was intercepted in the service tunnels by [[Hot Rod (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Hot Rod]] and a team of fully-fueled Micromasters. During the struggle, Grimlock and Hot Rod beat each other senseless, and were on their last ergs when Snapper emerged from his battle in the tunnels to knock down Hot Rod. Grimlock was in no condition to release the virus, so he turned it over to Snapper. The sputtering Hot Rod called out for him to stop, though, telling Snapper for the first time what the G-Virus was: ''[[Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Galvatron]]'', in viral form. A [[Dark Energon]]-fueled concoction that transformed its victims into new versions of the mad tyrant, the breaker of oaths.

Grimlock shot back that it was a necessary evil, 20,000 Builders in the audience reducing to jabbering insane, but immobile, Galvatrons. Even when Hot Rod pointed out the hundreds of mobile Micromasters who would become Galvatron as well, Grimlock would not be deterred. Snapper was horrified at the implications, however, and destroyed the virus before Grimlock could stop him. They were arrested by Hot Rod's back-up as they arrived. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

Eventually, Grimlock would become another victim of [[Tarantulas (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Tarantulas]]' [[Robosmasher|Robo-Smasher]], and would be unleashed on the [[Ex-Bot (BWU)|Ex-Bots]] (minus Rampage) by the Predacon. He proceeded to fight the Ex-Bots, until the Builder got too close to [[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] and the signal jammed. Freed of the Robo-Smasher's influence, Grimlock would proceed to beat Tarantulas into submission before agreeing to be arrested.

Latter, Snapper would try to talk to the Builder, but things went poorly, only justifying the G-Virus plan further in Grimlock's eyes. As Snapper walked away, however, Grimlock said he wanted to help. Later, in the heat of the [[Vehicon Apocalypse]], [[Cheetor (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Cheetor]], Snapper and Grimlock formulated a plan to bomb a tower, causing it to fall on top of the horde of [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] pressing in on them. When they arrived, it became clear that one of the three had to stay in the tower and would not be able to escape once it blew. Grimlock pulled rank and headed off to do it, saying that ''perhaps'' Snapper had a point about the G-Virus. He detonated the bombs, causing the tower to fall and allowing the Maximals to charge and pour fire onto the [[Grand Mal]]. Snapper attempted to recover Grimlock's body afterwards, but found nothing there; later, he began to wonder if Grimlock had managed to survive the blast after all. {{storylink|Derailment}}

In the millennia that passed, Grimlock's name and reputation lived on, though his status as an Autobot became a matter of contention, at least among dubious historians. {{storylink|Lio Convoy: Unity Through Tyranny}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
[[File:G2GrimlockArtwork.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Me Grimlock Digivolve into Greymon!]]

In [[Primax 092.0 Beta]], Grimlock was a student of [[Hyperdrive (Turbomaster)|Hyperdrive]] at the [[Elite Guard]] academy prior to the outbreak of the Great War. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/16}}

In [[Primax 096.0 Beta]], Grimlock, Swoop, and Sludge showed up at the last minute to save the day at the Battle for [[Sherman Dam]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06}}
{{-}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:Of Masters and Mayhem flashback.jpeg|thumb|300px|left|Of course me Grimlock know this story! Me Grimlock in it!]]
In one universe, Grimlock fought alongside his fellow Autobots against Megatron's Decepticons until the Cybertronian civil war led to the creation of the monstrous combiner, [[Thunder Mayhem]]. Thunder Mayhem turned on his masters, ultimately leading to him rampaging across Cybertron. Grimlock presumably perished during the reckoning of his homeworld. {{storylink|History}}
{{--}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' continuity===
====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:TPotTM Clobber.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Why me Grimlock feel so small here...?]]
Clobber accompanied Alpha Trion to the planet [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]], where they discovered an ancient artifact linked to the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s and [[Titan Master]]s. They were attacked by a contingent of Decepticons intent on ambushing the two Autobots and stealing the artifact for themselves, but [[Apeface]] managed to blow their cover and give the Autobots time to fight back. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

The Dinobot leader Grimlock could wield powers of the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|Grimlock (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Dinobot Grimlock packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Grimlock, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons====
{{voiceactor|Gregg Berger (English)}}
[[File:Machinima-POTP-Windblade-Grimlock-Perceptor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Having fought alongside the likes of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and the other Autobots in the Great War, Grimlock enjoyed the relative peacetime that followed its conclusion, but was disturbed by the amount of fearful infighting triggered across Cybertron by rumors of the impending apocalypse. Believing Megatron to be responsible, he and the other Dinobots cornered the former Decepticon and his traveling companions in [[Primal Swamp]]. Though Megatron claimed innocence, Grimlock refused to believe him and swatted him away with his tail before turning on the others, refusing to trust anyone who would work with Megatron. He and Swoop attempted to drown Perceptor in the swamp, but [[Victorion]] managed to shake the ground and knock them off balance. This only made Grimlock angrier, and he ordered the other Dinobots to merge with him and form [[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]]. {{storylink|The Swamp}} Eventually, after a battle with new arrival [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], Volcanicus was trapped in an Energon pool and forced to separate to escape. Intrigued by a set of coordinates being projected from the [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]]'s vault, Grimlock offered his aid to Megatron's group on their journey. {{storylink|Primal (POTP)|Primal}}
[[File:POTP-Ep5-Athenaeum-Sanctorum-Grimlock-in-Cataclysm-Tundra.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]

Grimlock followed them to [[Cataclysm Tundra]], still doubtful of Megatron, only for them to discover the hidden [[Athenaeum Sanctorum]] entrance. Before they could find information on [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s plans, they were interrupted by an assault from [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Cron]]. {{storylink|Athenaeum Sanctorum (episode)|Athenaeum Sanctorum}} Grimlock attempted to take both of them on individually, but wasn't strong enough to beat either one, and was nearly killed by Overlord if not for [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade's intervention]]. {{storylink|Countdown (POTP)|Countdown}} After Megatron destroyed Overlord with the Requiem Blaster, Grimlock pulled him into a hug, (mostly) convinced that he truly was fighting on the side of good. However, he was unable to prevent Megatronus from escaping with the Blaster. After suggesting allowing Megatronus and Rodimus Cron to eliminate one another, he placed his faith in Megatron and agreed to follow him to the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]] to finish things, though he repeatedly complained about the journey's length. {{storylink|Consequences}} Though his spark was nearly drained, Grimlock followed the others to the Well and helped [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] restrain Megatronus. Despite his best efforts, Megatronus broke free and immolated Grimlock, leaving him helpless on the ground. {{storylink|Collision Course}} As Megatronus turned his attention to new arrival Rodimus, the flames eventaully died down and Grimlock collapsed. After a brief moment of rest, he was back on his feet and resumed attacking Megatronus's device, despite repeated attacks from his foe's flame blasters. When Primal transformed into Optimal Optimus, Grimlock backed him up by keeping Megatronus away from the newly freed [[Enigma of Combination]] and Requiem Blaster. {{storylink|Megatronus Unleashed}} He helped hold down Rodimus long enough for Optimal to remove the [[Matrix of Conquest|Matrix of Chaos]], and was initially worried by the sudden burst of energy from the Well until reassured by Perceptor. He was visibly shaken after seeing Megatron have to sacrifice his life so soon after his heroic turn, but was glad to see Optimus Prime revived in the aftermath. Afterwards, he returned to the Primal Swamp and joined the other Dinobots in mourning the fallen Sludge. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{--}}

===''Island Revolution!''===
As part of her experiments, [[Sidney Biggles-Jones]] repaired Grimlock's transformation cog and forced him to serve [[Cobra]]. When the evil scientist sicced Grimlock on [[Air Raid (G.I. Joe)|Air Raid]] and [[Ripcord|Rip Cord]], the heroes convinced the Dinobot to turn on his benefactor. After the destruction of the Cobra outpost on [[Dinobot Island]], Grimlock wandered off into the sea. {{storylink|Island Revolution!}}

===When Worlds Collide===
When trying to retrieve the stolen [[Matrix of Leadership]], Grimlock and the Autobots joined forces with a variety of humans and other beings in their fight against Megatron and Cobra Commander's forces. {{storylink|When Worlds Collide}}

===''Bumblebee'' graphic novels===
[[File:GoForTheGold-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Grimlock participated a battle over a fallen [[Cybertonium]] meteorite. The heavy-hitting Autobot warrior battled the Constructicons singlehandedly until they combined into Devastator; when the overenergized meteor went critical, Grimlock and the other Autobots retreated before it exploded. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Go for the Gold}}
{{--}}

===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
[[File:MazingerZVsTransformers-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Me Grimlock team up with Jay Leno!]]

While battling the Decepticons for control of a [[space bridge]] on Earth, Grimlock's armor reflected one of Starscream's shots, which triggered a malfunction that sent all of the Autobots and Decepticons to the Japan of an alternate universe. Separated from the other Autobots after arriving, Grimlock arrived before Optimus and the others, and encountered [[Boss (Mazinger Z)|Boss]], [[Mucha]], and [[Nuke]]; after a brief misunderstanding and a subsequent scuffle between the Dinobot leader and Boss's [[Boss Borot]] mecha, Grimlock befriended the humans, who invited him back to their base to recharge on [[Photon Power]].

When [[Doctor Hell]]'s army of [[Mechanical Beast]]s attacked, Grimlock and his new allies joined the fight and torched the opposition with his flame-breath, giving Optimus and his team time to realize that they'd been misled by the villain and launch a counterattack. During a second battle against a combination Mechanical Beast-Decepticon alliance, Grimlock charged into battle alongside Boss Borot and [[Sayaka Yumi]]'s [[Aphrodi A]] robot. Not long afterwards, the destruction of a Photon Power-charged Starscream opened a dimensional rift that sent all of the remaining Autobots and Decepticons back home. {{storylink|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
[[File:GhostsOfCybertronPart3-aintafraidofnoghosts.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

One of the Autobots aboard the ''Ark'', Grimlock intercepted a transmission from [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] while the ship was parked over Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. Ignoring the scientist's report that he had allied with the local [[Ghostbusters]], Grimlock boasted that he wasn't afraid of no [[ghost]]. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 3}}
{{--}}

===Precursor World===
[[File:GodNeptuneComic1-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Me Grimlock feel blue, da ba dee da ba dai.]]

A [[Primus Vanguard|Warrior of the Seven Lights]] resembling a blue Grimlock was a member of the [[Blue Order]] of the [[Primus Vanguard]]. When the traitorous [[Straxus (G1)#Precursor World|Straxus twins]] unleashed a rage virus to destroy the corps from within, he was slain in the ensuing brawl. Vanguard supreme leader [[Primus#The old universe|Primus]] later loaded the Warrior's lingering [[spark]] into his [[Golden Noah]] in an attempt to ferry his soul to the [[G1 World|next world]]. {{storylink|God Neptune comic 1}} Unfortunately, this did not work. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale Part 2|Finale 2}}
{{--}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:Inspiring-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Me Grimlock ask if you sure you not illegitimate son of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]?]]
Trailing behind his fellow Autobots, Grimlock burst through the wall of a [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] complex, only to find the area abandoned, wondering if his friends had abandoned him. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}}

Grimlock ended up on Earth, left as the only Autobot to guard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' alongside the tiny dragon [[Spike (MLP)|Spike]]. Grimlock soon discovered that Spike clearly idolized him, considering him all sorts of cool and awesome due to his size, power, and rugged self-confidence. That was when the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s decided to attack the ''Ark'', believing it to be empty. Grimlock transformed into his dinosaur mode and singlehandedly beat up the Constructicons, boasting that he could take on ''all'' of them at once... and promptly regretted it, as his opponents decided to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and beat ''him'' up in return. Despite his strength, he fared very poorly against the [[combiner]], even getting stomped into the ground by the gestalt Decepticon. It was only Spike's quick thinking of using the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s external engines as ginormous plasma cannons to knock Devastator back apart that saved Grimlock's bacon. After the Constructicons had retreated, Grimlock commended Spike as a 'mighty warrior' for his quick thinking and his ability to learn new skills in the heat of the moment. Then he admitted ''he'' looked up to ''Spike'' for his potential to grow and improve... inadvertently causing the star-struck dragon to collapse by overloading him with hero-worship. {{storylink|Inspiring}}

[[File:TheMightiestDinobot-Dinobots.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

Working together, Spike and Grimlock managed to reopen the spacebridge to [[Equestria]], arriving in time to join in the defense of the [[Crystal Empire]]. Their breakthrough allowed Optimus Prime and [[Twilight Sparkle]] to realize that [[changeling]] [[magic]] was not needed to return to Cybertron, allowing the two to combine their own power to end the invasion. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}

When the Decepticons' pilfering of magical artifacts brought Cybertron in contact with Equestria again, Grimlock eagerly showed off Spike to his fellow Dinobots, even though they were much more interested in Spike's friend [[Smolder (MLP)|Smolder]]. Before the discussion could continue, a mind-controlled [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] arrived and began throwing the Dinobots around with Spike felling the combiner by appealing to the individuality of each [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]], breaking [[King Sombra]]'s spell. The day won, Grimlock resumed his praising of Spike, declaring him an honorary Dinobot. {{storylink|The Mightiest Dinobot}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart3-Ratchet.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

One of the Autobots aboard the ''Ark'', the ship's crash and the Decepticons' ransacking of the ship upon reactivation had left Grimlock in deep stasis. Though Arcee and Bumblebee carried Grimlock to the medical bay for repairs, this only wound up placing him at ground zero of one of the duplicitous [[T-800]]'s pilfered bombs. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Go! Go!''===

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mission: Snacks, All to Myself!}}}}

Grimlock got hungry and tried to eat [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], causing the Autobot leader to scold him. {{storylink|Great Adventure on the Planet of Games!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Iron Man of Repair}} {{storylink|The Commander's Birthday}} {{storylink|I Want to Protect This Place}} }}

{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material===
[[File:WFC-Kingdom-BATC-Maximal-Grimlock-boxart.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
The Maximals traveled across time to find the [[AllSpark]] and change the fate of Cybertron. While battling the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s on pre-[[Ice Age]] Earth, both sides were joined by the Autobots and Decepticons, their epic battle changing their combined destinies forever.

During the collective battle, Grimlock and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] attempted to keep the Decepticon/Predacon threat at bay while being pursued by [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Battle Across Time Collection marketing material}}<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TM6TDF7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Battle Across Time Collection on Amazon]</ref>
{{--}}

===2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic===
[[File:SavageLandingPart6-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock know what it is, black and yellow, black and yellow, black and yellow.]]

Grimlock and the Dinobots were courageous warriors who disappeared at some point before the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. The Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was named for their tenacity and heroism, although he himself seemed to be unaware of his name's historical significance. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 6}}
{{--}}

===''King Grimlock''===
[[File:KingGrimlock2-GrimlockArko.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

While battling a horde of [[Mecannibal]]s in [[Harmonex]], Grimlock was unintentionally caught in the path of a teleportation spell intended for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and spirited away to the magical land of [[Menonia]], part of a desperate gamble by the people of [[Valerift]] to free their land from the villainous sorcerer known as the [[Golden One]]. Despite their leader [[Arnak]]'s pleas, Grimlock refused to solve their problems for them and stalked off into the wilderness. {{storylink|Grimlock the Rebel}} While fighting his way through the Golden One's cycloptic minions, the Dinobot leader was swallowed up by an enormous [[ridge worm]] and had to be rescued by Arko. After grudgingly agreeing to teach Arko true strength so that she could depose the Golden One herself, the pair came across the village of [[Angloria]] and found it under siege from the [[Mara-Al-Utha|Red Wizard]]'s horde of [[wood-bot]]s. Using his dinosaur form, Grimlock easily trounced the wooden golems, but was so incensed by the Red Wizard's necromantic magic that he made it his mission to depose the lich and his followers, rather than the Golden One—a betrayal that caused Arko to leave him and strike out on her own. {{storylink|Grimlock the Defender}}

Weeks later, Grimlock successfully raised an army of Anglorians and marched to the [[Rotlands]] to attack the Red Wizard's castle. While his army busied themselves with battling a mob of wood-bots, Grimlock trampled his way through an army of undead warriors and confronted the Red Wizard in his own castle—only to discover that the Red Wizard was really a [[Quintesson]] in disguise. After learning that [[energon]] was the source of all life in this magical realm, Grimlock swiftly killed the alien and hoisted his corpse aloft as a trophy—when Arnak again came to bargain with the Cybertronian, Grimlock admitted that the presence of energon in Menonia made it a Cybertronian problem that required Cybertronian intervention. {{storylink|Grimlock the Avenger}}
{{-}}

===''Last Bot Standing''===
When Rodimus explained the Cybertronian race to [[Shib Wallkis]], he remembered Grimlock as one of the key Autobots in the Great War before the conflict finally drained the universe of its resources. By contrast [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]]'s pack had lost their memories of Grimlock. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 2|Last Bot Standing #2}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
Commercials that featured original footage of Grimlock include the following:
*Grimlock, [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] battled against [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] in the middle of a thunderstorm. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Dinobots|Dinobots commercial}}
*Grimlock and the Dinobots were beating up [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] when the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] intervened. The new arrivals then combined into [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and attacked the Dinobots from the skies. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Predacons|Predacons commercial}}
*Grimlock and Slag were trotting along through a field when they came under attack by Predaking. Though Grimlock was worried that they were in big trouble, they were saved by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] swooping in and blasting away the giant Decepticon. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sky Lynx|Sky Lynx commercial}}
*Grimlock, along with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], became a [[Pretender]] and aided Optimus Prime take on Starscream in the streets of a darkened city. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Classic Pretenders|Classic Pretenders commercial}}
*When [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] was causing "really big destruction" at a construction site, he accidently unearthed Grimlock, who toppled the Combiner by biting at his leg. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2#Constructicons and Dinobots|Generation Constructicons and Dinobots commercial}}
[[File:Hero Mashers commercial Grimlock.jpg|thumb|150px]]
*"Hero Mashers" Grimlock, Optimus, and Bumblebee took on Megatron in the middle of a busy city. Grimlock let Optimus ride him into battle, and the Autobot leader swapped heads with his mount in order to bite off one of Megatron's arms. Grimlock and Bumblebee then took a break from fighting to arm wrestle, though their match was interrupted when Optimus crashed down between them. The Autobots then thoroughly scrambled their pieces together and took down Megatron with Grimlock's "dino-fist." Afterwards, the Autobots returned to their normal configurations (though it took them more than one try to do so!) {{storylink|Commercial#Hero Mashers|Hero Mashers commercial}}
*Grimlock came upon Starscream filming a toy review for the first-to-be-revealed [[BotCon 2012]] toy. When Starscream stepped away from the camera, Grimlock went ahead and revealed the toy himself, spoiling Starscream's video. {{storylink|BotCon 2012: Figure Reveal!}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Grimlock is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Autobot duplicates in the Decepticon campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Grimlock, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of an Autobot team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Decepticons in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Menasor, Trypticon, Astrotrain, Starscream and Megatron, Grimlock was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Grimlock battled [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces under [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s leadership, alongside several Autobot allies. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}

===''Sector Seven'' game===
Dubbed "Non-Biological Entity - 08", a video of Grimlock stomping through a construction site in dino mode reached the public through "hacked evidence" files. {{storylink|Sector Seven (game)}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Gluawakening grimlock.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb| Me Grimlock... Minecraft???]]
Grimlock was hanging out on [[Earth]] when he was set upon by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]. Though he was easily holding his own, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and a group of Autobots newly returned from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] lent a hand. Afterwards, Optimus managed to talk Grimlock out of attacking his saviors, and Grimlock stomped off to beat up some more Decepticons. They were disappointingly easy for him to stomp.

After helping Optimus and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] defeat [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] on Cybertron, Grimlock complained about the lack of Decepticons for him to crush. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{-}}

===Transformers Legends===
At a time when their group was the Lightning Strike Coalition, Grimlock went missing, and Swoop and Sludge searched fruitlessly for him on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. {{storylink|Wreckage (Legends)|Wreckage}} Slug and Snarl tracked Grimlock to the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]]. The squad were reunited as prisoners in Shockwave's laboratory, where the Decepticon scientist performed experiments on the Lightning Strike Coalition, transforming them into the monstrous Dinobots. This backfired on the Decepticon scientist, however, when the Dinobots used their newfound power to rise up against Shockwave and trash his lab. {{storylink|Rescue the King}}

Grimlock and the other Dinobots once proved their worth to the Autobots in battle, resulting in Optimus Prime cancelling plans to have the team shut down. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots (Legends)|S.O.S. Dinobots}} Grimlock and Swoop went missing, causing the other three Dinobots to act erratically, until the Autobots got the trio under control and locked them up. {{storylink|Day of the Dinobots - Part 1}} The missing pair resurfaced, staging a raid and freeing their fellow Dinobots in the middle of the night. The five Dinobots marched on the Decepticon base, but were defeated by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. {{storylink|Day of the Dinobots - Part 2}}

At the sly suggestion of the Decepticons, Grimlock took control of the Autobot army and declared himself king. Though his reign saw the successful capture of Megatron and Shockwave, Grimlock decided leading wasn't for him and handed the reigns back to Optimus. {{storylink|Me, Grimlock, King}}

When Optimus fell in battle during a massive Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], Grimlock took command of the Autobot forces and led them to victory over the enemy forces. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots (Legends)|S.O.S. Dinobots}} Grimlock also came to the aid of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Kup (G1)|Sergeant Kup]] when the pair were put on trial by the [[Quintesson]]s. He persuaded the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] to turn on their masters, saving the day. {{storylink|Mockery of Justice}}

When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] were abducted by [[Skuxxoid]]s during the [[Galactic Olympics|Galactic Games]], Grimlock and Rodimus Prime traveled to [[Chaar]] to see if the Decepticons were responsible. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1}} Grimlock fought against the combined Decepticon and Quintesson forces when they attacked Cybertron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 3}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{main|Hal#As Grey Slam Grimlock}}
Grimlock appears as one of the first unlockable characters, though they added “Grey Slam” to his name. He is always a dinosaur, and is given some wheels to use when in vehicle mode. He is portrayed by Hal. He also appears as [[Hal#As Energon Grimlock|Energon]] and [[Hal#As Goldbite Grimlock|Goldbite]] versions. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Me Grimlock has invisible hand!]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Grimlock-(G2).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Me Grimlock better in blue!]]
Grimlock participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in two different bodies:
*''Grimlock'' — This Epic character was available as a reward in the "Dinobots Destruction" stronghold event.
*''Grimlock (G2)'' — This Epic character was available as a reward in the "S.O.S. Dinobots!" stronghold event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{voiceactor|[[Gregg Berger]]}}
Grimlock was there to assist Optimus Prime against the Decepticons. Few could stand against his sheer physical might, even if he lacked the agility of Sideswipe of Bumblebee. In addition to using blasters and swords, Grimlock was capable of grabbing Decepticons and smashing them straight into the ground or roasting them with a blast of flame from his dinosaur mode's mouth. {{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Grimlock-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Me Grimlock like good graphics!]]
Combat is in Grimlock's spark, and periods in between battles are simply periods of great frustration and seething resentment. Any display of weakness is worthy only of contempt in Grimlock's optics, but he's not as dumb as he likes people to think, and his courage on the battlefield is the stuff of legend.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Grimlock Bio}}
Grimlock has a tough rivalry with the Predacon leader [[Razorclaw (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Razorclaw]].

In an unusual stroke of inspiration, Grimlock had the idea to use the Space Bridge to find new bots from the future, so the Autobots could win the war, so he prompted Perceptor to carry it out. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Primal Instinct}}{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|A Stitch in Time}}

*'''Class:'''Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 3 Star rating (2 star in Beta)
*'''Weapons:''' Grimlock prefers to stay in his beast form as it is his most powerful form. He breathes fire and smashes builidings in his beast mode.
*'''Ability: Sword Rush''' Rush into battle smashing walls along the way, dealing high damage to the final target!
**'''Cost''': 3 ability points. +3 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:grimlock Grimlock at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{charstubgame|Specifics: Campaign information{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:Grimlock-Forged to Fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4| "ME GRIMLOCK BEST BRAWLER!!!"]]
Grimlock was one of the Autobots pulled from [[The Transformers (franchise)|his universe]] by the [[Quintesson]]s and forced to fight. He eventually joins the [[You|Commander]]. There are at least a few of him running around! As a Brawler, he's a fire-breathing health tank with no need for active buffs, but does get Melee buffs whenever attacked and when Purifying D.O.T. debuffs. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}

When Prowl was surveying the terrain in a Beta 4 dust storm, he spotted a Dinobot, who declared himself to be Grimlock, King Dinobot! Prowl further reported that he had a secret object to boost his strength. Soon Grimlock revealed he had a special Utility Mod that quickly charges up his Special Powers. After he was defeated, the mod was taken back to base for analysis. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|Me Have Mod}}

{{chargamestub}}

==Toys==
{{Main|Grimlock (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{Main|Grimlock (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
*Grimlock is the only Dinobot in the original lineup whose name has two syllables, and the only Dinobot whose name doesn't start with the letter S. He's the leader for a reason, ya know.
*Grimlock has had a number of preliminary names, one being '''Tyrannobot'''. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Transformers'' cartoon]] [[production bible|series bible]] contains one description of him that was originally typed with the name "'''Trapjaw'''", then its title was crossed out by hand and rewritten "Grimlock". Another description was typed with "'''Jawbreaker'''", again crossed out and relabeled "Grimlock".<ref name="bible">[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-1-1984-1985.html ''The Transformers'' cartoon bible] at the Sunbow Marvbel Archive.</ref> Another preliminary name is "'''Tyrex'''", from the [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list page for "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]"; this was evidently coined by writer [[Donald F. Glut]].<ref name="glut">[http://web.archive.org/web/20070217131842/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_glut.html ZMFTS interview with Donald F. Glut] (archive copy)</ref>
[[File:Universal studios grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Me Grimlock so disappointed me couldn't be at Knott's Berry Farm."]]
*An actor in a Grimlock costume was among the "live" Transformers one could meet at the [[1985]] [[The Transformers Universal Studios Tour|Universal Studios Tour]].
*Grimlock's speech impediment is caused by varying conditions, depending on continuity. The difference between Grimlock's speech in the UK and US Marvel comics' writing styles was explained in the UK booklet "[[Transformers: The Facts]]" to be a ruse, as Grimlock didn't want to sound intelligent because he regarded intellectuals as weak. In the cartoon it was a result of primitive thought processes, something found in all Dinobots. In Dreamwave's ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', it is explained as the result of a virus, while the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] blames it on a battle with Scorponok. In ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock]]'', there was a brief mention of a damaged vocal processor; this was not only ignored by subsequent issues, but the rest of the spotlight. IDW's later [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|''More than Meets the Eye'' #8]] gave him the speech impediment by saying he'd been brain damaged. Devil's Due didn't bother explaining, they just got him in the "Me Grimlock's" during part three.
*Grimlock is generally regarded as [[Simon Furman]]'s signature character, seeing as how most of Grimlock's greatest feats during the Marvel comic were penned by Furman.
*Grimlock has his very own fanboy, [[Noise]], who someday wants to grow up and be just like him—a godless killing machine.
[[File:GRIMrobo.jpg|right|upright=2.0|thumb|Evolution of Grimlock's robot mode character model]]
[[File:GRIMdino.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|Evolution of Grimlock's dino mode character model]]
*Grimlock's [[beast mode]] in ''The Gathering'' does not actually match any dromaeosaur on record, seeming to combine elements of the dromaeosaur body type with that of a carnosaur or tyrannosaurid. The ''Beast Wars Sourcebook'' profile seems to have tried to rectify this by calling him a ''Megaraptor''. Which is fine...except ''Megaraptor'' was later determined to be a misidentified carnosaur. And ''then'' ''Megaraptor'' was determined to be a ''tyrannosauroid'', meaning that Grimlock's beast mode as a Maximal is ''ancestral'' to the animal his G1 alternate mode was based on. It all comes full-circle, it seems.
*In almost every instance in which Grimlock is drawn by [[Pat Lee]], [[:File:PatLeeGrimlockHead.jpg|Grimlock's eyes protrude past his faceplate]], rather than sitting behind it like normal. This becomes especially pronounced (and comical) towards the end of Dreamwave's [[Prime Directive|first mini-series]].
*Grimlock's pre-beast vehicular body in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' is based on ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Thrilling 30]]'' Voyager Class [[Springer (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|Springer]], using the color scheme of his [[Grimlock (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|''Beast Wars'' toy]]. Accordingly, [[Dinobot (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Dynobot]] shares this body-type.
*{{anchor|clobber}}Why Grimlock's Titan Master toy in ''Titans Return'' is named Clobber is not currently known; most likely, Hasbro wanted to avoid confusion with toys of a [[Grimlock (RID 2015)|different "Grimlock" character]] from the concurrently released [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. While this didn't stop [[Bumblebee (Movie)|other]] [[Bumblebee (WFC)|characters]] of the same name to have toys out at the same time, ''Titans Return'' ''did'' also feature a new toy of Generation 1 [[Chase (G1)|Chase]] that was renamed into "Roadburn" at the eleventh hour, supposedly also to avoid confusion with [[Chase (RB)|another character of the same name]] from ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (franchise)|Rescue Bots]]''.
*[[Nick Roche]] had originally considered casting Grimlock in the role of the Veteran in [[2022]]’s ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'', but eventually decided that his force of personality would overwhelm the comic and instead gave the role to [[Wheelie (G1)#Last Bot Standing|Wheelie]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Grimlock''' (グリムロック ''Gurimurokku'')
*''Czech:'' '''Řimbaba''', '''Uhlí'''
*''French:'' '''La Menace''' (Canada, "The Threat"), '''Menace''' (Canada ''Beast Wars'', "Threat")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Mogorva''' ("Grim", Marvel comics), '''Grimlock''' (both ''The Movie'' dubs)
*''Italian:'' '''Tiran''', '''Drago''' ("Set Commandos" four-pack)
*''Korean:'' '''Grimlock''' (그림록 ''Geurimnok'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Gāngsuǒ''' (China, 钢锁, "Steel Lock"), '''Sǐsuǒ''' (Taiwan ''Generation 2'' cartoon, 死鎖, "Dead Lock")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Trancoso''', '''Grunhido''' (Brazil comics, "Grunt"), '''Implacável''' (Portugal, "Cutthroat") *''Russian:'' '''Smel'chak''' (Смельчак, "Daredevil")
*''Spanish:'' '''Ferozaurio''' (''Beast Wars'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Tverdokhvat''' (ICTV, Твердохват, "Tightgripper")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Maximals]]
[[Category:Blue Order]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Dinobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Primal Vanguard]]
[[Category:Resistance]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Maximals]]

Retool

2022-09-02T19:00:31Z

Chasd20: /* Shared parts */

[[File:Retoolbumblebee.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|The original Bumblebee toy (center) has been retooled in major ways twice, first by adding a hoop to accommodate a keychain (left) and later, as a separate retool, with a more show-accurate head (right).]]
A '''retool''' is a newer version of an existing [[Toy|''Transformers'' toy]] which has had parts either added, removed, or resculpted. This can be as simple as changing a single part to provide stability or ease of transformation, or as complex as altering a large percentage of the toy's appearance or [[gimmick]]ry. In [[Pipes (G1)|some]] [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|cases]], extensive retooling even changes some aspects of a toy's transformation.

An alternate term that's common among [[fandom|fans]] is "'''remold'''", but "retool" is the term actually used by the people who design and produce the toys.

The general fandom's conception of "retools" differs from the definition used by [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]]'s designers. To them, only actual physical alterations of an existing tooling qualify as a "retool". There are, however, other methods used to achieve the same results (i.e. a new toy based on an existing sculpt yet physically different from the original release), which are also commonly referred to as "retools" by fans, lacking knowledge of the specific process employed in each individual case.

==Technical process==
"Retooled" toys can be achieved in several different ways.

===Modified toolings===
[[File:DOTMLegionSoundwave.JPG|thumb|200px]]
''Genuine'' retooling is a permanent alteration of an existing tooling, i.e. a modification of the plastic injection [[mold]]. Since the change is permanent, this is usually limited to cases where the change objectively improves a toy, usually in the form of [[variant|running change variants]] where [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] have little desire to revert the change at some point in the future.

For example, Deluxe Class Concept Camaro [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]] was given sculpted pupils inside his eyes (which was an aesthetic improvement) and additional tabs on his hip panels (which improved the stability of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]) in later shipments. Those changes were kept for all subsequent releases and [[redeco]]s of the sculpt (until the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' line gave him an entirely new head sculpt). Likewise, following the initial release of Deluxe Class [[Jazz (Movie)|Autobot Jazz]] from the same line, the toy's forearm joint hinges were shortened (which improved the forearms' stability in robot mode) for all subsequent releases and variations of the sculpt... until a redeco of the ''original'' version with the long forearm joint hinges was released as part of a [[Target]] exclusive batch of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' toys, which meant that the tooling was ''not'' permanently altered after all. Huh.
{{-}}

===New parts===
[[File:PrimeBHArceeGenerationsChromiaRetools.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|Apparently the sculpt was ''so'' good they'd rather use it as the basis for new toys than to start from scratch.]]
A more common procedure involves the creation of one or more new plastic injection molds for new parts based on the existing sculpt. This is usually done in the case of changes that merely alter the appearance of a toy in order to make a [[redeco]] look more interesting by adding physical modifications. One of the most common examples would be a new head sculpt that replaces the original release's head. Hasbro will look into making as many of the new parts from the same mold as possible, which is why all the new parts are usually cast in the same one or two plastic colors.

For example, [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]] was given new parts for his hips, shins/knees and the head, all with sculpted battle damage, as well as an entirely new weapon accessory. None of the existing toolings were permanently altered, since Hasbro was later able to release several variants of the Jazz sculpt (such as the [[Premium Series]] redeco) without sculpted battle damage. However, all the new parts were presumably made from the same two molds (gray and clear turquoise plastic), since all of the non-damaged releases of Jazz included the original version's weapon. By manufacturing the Final Battle version's Crescent Cannon, Hasbro would have also ended up with excess stock of the battle damaged body parts.

[[File:TF-Generations-Selects-Rippersnapper-Retools.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Rippersnapper (G1)#Generations|Rippersnapper]] was heavily retooled four times, creating five figures with fully distinct alternate modes.]]
In very ''very'' rare instances a new release of a sculpt has mix-matched parts from the original release with parts of a retool: [[BotCon 2006]] [[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] combined the retooled [[Cyber Key]]-activated arm gimmick of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] with the original head sculpt of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]], and ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Argent Meister]] sported the head sculpt and left hand of the original ''Binaltech'' Meister release but had the retooled "Mazdaspeed Version II" RX-8 car shell of the ''Binaltech'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Laserwave]] version of the sculpt.

Sometimes the creation of new parts may require [[paint operation|painting over]] one or more of the new parts, such as the modified roof panel on Premium Series Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] from the ''Movie'' line, which was cast in red plastic on the original Leader Class Optimus Prime toy, but was cast in blue plastic together with the new head sculpt and the sword accessory for the Premium version, and therefore had to be painted over in red.

In some instances, Hasbro and Takara will create new toolings for a lot of new parts. One of the most well-known examples is ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]], who sports an extensively modified body as compared to the initial Crumplezone release. Again, Hasbro created new toolings rather than permanently altering the existing molds, since they later re-released the original non-"Dark" Crumplezone version in its original colors under the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' banner. Another extreme example is ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Cannon|Cannon Bumblebee]], who uses the same ''legs'' as ''Movie'' Deluxe Class Concept Camaro Bumblebee and his (comparatively minor) ''Revenge of the Fallen'' retool, "Preview" Bumblebee... but is an ''entirely new sculpt'' from the crotch up.
{{-}}

===Gang-molded alternate parts===
[[File:GenerationsDriftBlurrPretool.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|Turncoat and Motormouth.]]
In some instances, Hasbro and Takara plan a retool of a toy even before they start production of the initial release. If the changes to the overall toy are minor (such as a new head sculpt and nothing else), they may cast the original part and the new part from the same tooling via [[gang-molding]]. As a consequence, both parts will be produced on the same sprue, but only one will end up being used, while the other one is discarded as an excess part. Such alternate parts are sometimes referred to as '''pretools''', a portmanteau of "premade" and "retool".

One of the most well-known early examples of this procedure was ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]], whose head was produced on the same sprue as the [[Cobybot]] head, even though the latter was originally only used by Takara. Fans learned of the gang-molded nature of the two head sculpts when they attended the [[BotCon 2006]] Custom Class, where the toys used for customization, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], which were based on the Scrapmetal/Cobybot sculpts, had both heads on the same sprue (Rumble was supposed to sport the Cobybot head, while Inferno was supposed to sport the regular Scrapmetal head). Odds are, the unused Cobybot heads for the thousands of Scrapmetals released got recycled with all the other plastic that goes unused when parts sprues are cast.

Despite the simplicity of this method, it was only fairly recently that it started to see widespread use. While some ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toys made use of the tactic, it is particularly prevalent in the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' and ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 Transformers]]'' series, with most of those lines' new sculpts having an alternate head plotted out from the beginning. In the end, though, many of those alternate heads, despite having [[prototype]]s leaked out to the public and being depicted in the [[instructions]], ended up [[unreleased toy#Unused pretool heads|unused entirely]], or were ultimately only used by TakaraTomy and/or [[Fun Publications]] long after the fact.

Depending on the number of parts to be replaced, it's also possible to plan the mold layout so that all the parts that will have alternate versions are made from the same one or two toolings, and the alternate versions are made from separate toolings, thus avoiding the necessity of having to recycle excess parts altogether. This imposes limitations on the color choices for those parts, though: If the hands and the head for one version are on the same sprue, the alternate hands and head will most likely be cast in the same color as well.

===Shared parts===
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Voyager-Broadside.jpg|thumb|200px]]
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Voyager-Alpha-Trion.jpg|thumb|200px]]
The ''Titans Return'' toy line marked the beginning of a new design approach that includes a few shared parts despite the figures being drastically different otherwise. For example:
* [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Scourge]], [[Highbrow (G1)#Generations|Highbrow]], and [[Windblade (G1)#Titans Return|Windblade]] have the same upper legs, feet, and sliding internal transformation mechanisms—with every other visible part being new, and with their vehicle and robot modes not even sharing the same front-to-back orientation.
* [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Blurr's]] upper legs, knees, Titan Master, and gun are shared with [[Chromedome (G1)#Generations|Chromedome]] and [[Getaway#Generations|Breakaway]].
*[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Titans Return|Triggerhappy]], [[Slugslinger (G1)#Titans Return|Slugslinger]], and [[Misfire (G1)#Titans Return|Misfire]] share the same hands and legs, with every other visible part being different.
* [[Broadside (G1)#Generations|Broadside]] shares his feet, mid-arms, interior mechanisms, and much of his ship mode with [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Generations|Alpha Trion]]—and everything else is different, so much so that a sculpted-fur lion mode was replaced with a flat-planed angular jet mode.
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generations|Fortress Maximus]] reuses some pieces from the earlier Titan-class [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]], but with many of them now on different parts of the body and with different functions.
{{-}}

===Shared engineering===
[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|Nope, this is an entirely new sculpt.]]
Over the course of the various ''Transformers'' toy lines, quite a few toys that are similar in appearance have been [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|mistakenly assumed]] to be "retools" by fans, even though the toys in question often only have superficial similarities, or are merely based around the same basic engineering.

Those include, but are not limited to:
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] ([[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], on the other hand, ''is'' a retool of Cliffjumper)
* The [[Jumpstarter]]s [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Twin Twist]] (who, technically, share very, ''very'' few minor parts such as the wheels and engines)
* The [[Battlecharger]]s [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] and ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]]
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] (though the two do share the same ''hand'' sculpts)
* ''Energon'' [[Sledge (Energon)|Sledge]]/[[Bonecrusher (Energon)|Bonecrusher]] and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Hardtop (Cybertron)|Hardtop]]/[[Swindle (Cybertron)|Swindle]]
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'']] [[Robot Replicas]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] and the legless Bumblebee figure included with the Screen Battles "Final Stand" set are often assumed to be the same from the waist up, but are actually completely different.
*The legs of 2007 ''Transformers'' Deluxe Class Concept Camaro Bumblebee (recycled for ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Deluxe Class Cannon Bumblebee, who is otherwise an all-new sculpt from the waist up) and those of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] ''[[Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' Deluxe Class Battle Blade Bumblebee
*[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Legion Class ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#BH|Prime: Beast Hunters]]'' [[Smokescreen (Prime)#Cyberverse|Smokescreen]] is not a retool of Cyberverse ''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)#Cyberverse|Knock Out]] (even though the general design of the legs, including the way the rear end of the vehicle mode transforms into the feet, is the same; but then, the same applies to [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Cyberverse|Bumblebee]])
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Deluxe-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|250px]]
[[File:Generations-CW Deluxe Dead End.jpg|thumb|250px]]
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' Deluxe Class [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' Deluxe Class [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]. (While Lockdown is an entirely new sculpt, he uses the same engineering as Roadbuster, resulting in an extremely similar transformation.)
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Warrior Class [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys|Bumblebee]] and ''Prime'' Deluxe [[Vehicon (Prime)#Prime|Vehicon]]. (While the arm transformation and head reveal are almost identical, the exact steps are much easier and the leg transformation is different too.)
*''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Chromedome (G1)#Generations|Chromedome]] and ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]. (The engineering is almost identical as a consequence of the latter being used as a mockup for the former during initial planning, but it isn't actually a retool.)
*''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Silverbolt (G1)#CombinerWars|Silverbolt]] and ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Generations|Hun-Gurrr]]. (The transformation to torso mode is somewhat similar, but that seems to be about the extent of the similarities between them).
*''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'' Premier Edition [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ThirdTLKDeluxe|Bumblebee]] and most [[Studio Series]] releases of Bumblebee. While the 76 Camaro Bee is actually a heavy retool of the TLK mold, the Volkswagen Beetle and the 2008 Concept Camaro Bees are completely new molds with the exact same transformation scheme.
*''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|MP-21 Bumblebee]] and ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Cliffjumper]] share some design ideas (especially the feet and chest transformations), but are otherwise different molds (not to mention the incompatible sizes).
[[Category:Toys]]

Retool

2022-09-02T18:57:01Z

Chasd20: /* Shared engineering */

[[File:Retoolbumblebee.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|The original Bumblebee toy (center) has been retooled in major ways twice, first by adding a hoop to accommodate a keychain (left) and later, as a separate retool, with a more show-accurate head (right).]]
A '''retool''' is a newer version of an existing [[Toy|''Transformers'' toy]] which has had parts either added, removed, or resculpted. This can be as simple as changing a single part to provide stability or ease of transformation, or as complex as altering a large percentage of the toy's appearance or [[gimmick]]ry. In [[Pipes (G1)|some]] [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|cases]], extensive retooling even changes some aspects of a toy's transformation.

An alternate term that's common among [[fandom|fans]] is "'''remold'''", but "retool" is the term actually used by the people who design and produce the toys.

The general fandom's conception of "retools" differs from the definition used by [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]]'s designers. To them, only actual physical alterations of an existing tooling qualify as a "retool". There are, however, other methods used to achieve the same results (i.e. a new toy based on an existing sculpt yet physically different from the original release), which are also commonly referred to as "retools" by fans, lacking knowledge of the specific process employed in each individual case.

==Technical process==
"Retooled" toys can be achieved in several different ways.

===Modified toolings===
[[File:DOTMLegionSoundwave.JPG|thumb|200px]]
''Genuine'' retooling is a permanent alteration of an existing tooling, i.e. a modification of the plastic injection [[mold]]. Since the change is permanent, this is usually limited to cases where the change objectively improves a toy, usually in the form of [[variant|running change variants]] where [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] have little desire to revert the change at some point in the future.

For example, Deluxe Class Concept Camaro [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]] was given sculpted pupils inside his eyes (which was an aesthetic improvement) and additional tabs on his hip panels (which improved the stability of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]) in later shipments. Those changes were kept for all subsequent releases and [[redeco]]s of the sculpt (until the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' line gave him an entirely new head sculpt). Likewise, following the initial release of Deluxe Class [[Jazz (Movie)|Autobot Jazz]] from the same line, the toy's forearm joint hinges were shortened (which improved the forearms' stability in robot mode) for all subsequent releases and variations of the sculpt... until a redeco of the ''original'' version with the long forearm joint hinges was released as part of a [[Target]] exclusive batch of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' toys, which meant that the tooling was ''not'' permanently altered after all. Huh.
{{-}}

===New parts===
[[File:PrimeBHArceeGenerationsChromiaRetools.jpg|upright=1.8|thumb|Apparently the sculpt was ''so'' good they'd rather use it as the basis for new toys than to start from scratch.]]
A more common procedure involves the creation of one or more new plastic injection molds for new parts based on the existing sculpt. This is usually done in the case of changes that merely alter the appearance of a toy in order to make a [[redeco]] look more interesting by adding physical modifications. One of the most common examples would be a new head sculpt that replaces the original release's head. Hasbro will look into making as many of the new parts from the same mold as possible, which is why all the new parts are usually cast in the same one or two plastic colors.

For example, [[Jazz (Movie)|Final Battle Jazz]] from the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]] was given new parts for his hips, shins/knees and the head, all with sculpted battle damage, as well as an entirely new weapon accessory. None of the existing toolings were permanently altered, since Hasbro was later able to release several variants of the Jazz sculpt (such as the [[Premium Series]] redeco) without sculpted battle damage. However, all the new parts were presumably made from the same two molds (gray and clear turquoise plastic), since all of the non-damaged releases of Jazz included the original version's weapon. By manufacturing the Final Battle version's Crescent Cannon, Hasbro would have also ended up with excess stock of the battle damaged body parts.

[[File:TF-Generations-Selects-Rippersnapper-Retools.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Rippersnapper (G1)#Generations|Rippersnapper]] was heavily retooled four times, creating five figures with fully distinct alternate modes.]]
In very ''very'' rare instances a new release of a sculpt has mix-matched parts from the original release with parts of a retool: [[BotCon 2006]] [[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] combined the retooled [[Cyber Key]]-activated arm gimmick of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] with the original head sculpt of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]], and ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Argent Meister]] sported the head sculpt and left hand of the original ''Binaltech'' Meister release but had the retooled "Mazdaspeed Version II" RX-8 car shell of the ''Binaltech'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Laserwave]] version of the sculpt.

Sometimes the creation of new parts may require [[paint operation|painting over]] one or more of the new parts, such as the modified roof panel on Premium Series Leader Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Optimus Prime]] from the ''Movie'' line, which was cast in red plastic on the original Leader Class Optimus Prime toy, but was cast in blue plastic together with the new head sculpt and the sword accessory for the Premium version, and therefore had to be painted over in red.

In some instances, Hasbro and Takara will create new toolings for a lot of new parts. One of the most well-known examples is ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]], who sports an extensively modified body as compared to the initial Crumplezone release. Again, Hasbro created new toolings rather than permanently altering the existing molds, since they later re-released the original non-"Dark" Crumplezone version in its original colors under the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' banner. Another extreme example is ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Cannon|Cannon Bumblebee]], who uses the same ''legs'' as ''Movie'' Deluxe Class Concept Camaro Bumblebee and his (comparatively minor) ''Revenge of the Fallen'' retool, "Preview" Bumblebee... but is an ''entirely new sculpt'' from the crotch up.
{{-}}

===Gang-molded alternate parts===
[[File:GenerationsDriftBlurrPretool.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|Turncoat and Motormouth.]]
In some instances, Hasbro and Takara plan a retool of a toy even before they start production of the initial release. If the changes to the overall toy are minor (such as a new head sculpt and nothing else), they may cast the original part and the new part from the same tooling via [[gang-molding]]. As a consequence, both parts will be produced on the same sprue, but only one will end up being used, while the other one is discarded as an excess part. Such alternate parts are sometimes referred to as '''pretools''', a portmanteau of "premade" and "retool".

One of the most well-known early examples of this procedure was ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]], whose head was produced on the same sprue as the [[Cobybot]] head, even though the latter was originally only used by Takara. Fans learned of the gang-molded nature of the two head sculpts when they attended the [[BotCon 2006]] Custom Class, where the toys used for customization, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], which were based on the Scrapmetal/Cobybot sculpts, had both heads on the same sprue (Rumble was supposed to sport the Cobybot head, while Inferno was supposed to sport the regular Scrapmetal head). Odds are, the unused Cobybot heads for the thousands of Scrapmetals released got recycled with all the other plastic that goes unused when parts sprues are cast.

Despite the simplicity of this method, it was only fairly recently that it started to see widespread use. While some ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toys made use of the tactic, it is particularly prevalent in the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' and ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 Transformers]]'' series, with most of those lines' new sculpts having an alternate head plotted out from the beginning. In the end, though, many of those alternate heads, despite having [[prototype]]s leaked out to the public and being depicted in the [[instructions]], ended up [[unreleased toy#Unused pretool heads|unused entirely]], or were ultimately only used by TakaraTomy and/or [[Fun Publications]] long after the fact.

Depending on the number of parts to be replaced, it's also possible to plan the mold layout so that all the parts that will have alternate versions are made from the same one or two toolings, and the alternate versions are made from separate toolings, thus avoiding the necessity of having to recycle excess parts altogether. This imposes limitations on the color choices for those parts, though: If the hands and the head for one version are on the same sprue, the alternate hands and head will most likely be cast in the same color as well.

===Shared parts===
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Voyager-Broadside.jpg|thumb|200px]]
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Voyager-Alpha-Trion.jpg|thumb|200px]]
The ''Titans Return'' toy line marked the beginning of a new design approach that includes a few shared parts despite the figures being drastically different otherwise. For example:
* [[Scourge (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Scourge]], [[Highbrow (G1)#Generations|Highbrow]], and [[Windblade (G1)#Titans Return|Windblade]] have the same upper legs, feet, and sliding internal transformation mechanisms—with every other visible part being new, and with their vehicle and robot modes not even sharing the same front-to-back orientation.
* [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Titans Return|Blurr's]] upper legs, knees, Titan Master, and gun are shared with [[Chromedome (G1)#Generations|Chromedome]] and [[Getaway#Generations|Breakaway]].
* [[Broadside (G1)#Generations|Broadside]] shares his feet, mid-arms, interior mechanisms, and much of his ship mode with [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Generations|Alpha Trion]]—and everything else is different, so much so that a sculpted-fur lion mode was replaced with a flat-planed angular jet mode.
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generations|Fortress Maximus]] reuses some pieces from the earlier Titan-class [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]], but with many of them now on different parts of the body and with different functions.
{{-}}

===Shared engineering===
[[File:SmokesniperStarscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|Nope, this is an entirely new sculpt.]]
Over the course of the various ''Transformers'' toy lines, quite a few toys that are similar in appearance have been [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|mistakenly assumed]] to be "retools" by fans, even though the toys in question often only have superficial similarities, or are merely based around the same basic engineering.

Those include, but are not limited to:
* [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] ([[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], on the other hand, ''is'' a retool of Cliffjumper)
* The [[Jumpstarter]]s [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Twin Twist]] (who, technically, share very, ''very'' few minor parts such as the wheels and engines)
* The [[Battlecharger]]s [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]
* ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Smokescreen (G2)|Smokescreen]] and ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]]
* ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]] (though the two do share the same ''hand'' sculpts)
* ''Energon'' [[Sledge (Energon)|Sledge]]/[[Bonecrusher (Energon)|Bonecrusher]] and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Hardtop (Cybertron)|Hardtop]]/[[Swindle (Cybertron)|Swindle]]
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'']] [[Robot Replicas]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys|Bumblebee]] and the legless Bumblebee figure included with the Screen Battles "Final Stand" set are often assumed to be the same from the waist up, but are actually completely different.
*The legs of 2007 ''Transformers'' Deluxe Class Concept Camaro Bumblebee (recycled for ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Deluxe Class Cannon Bumblebee, who is otherwise an all-new sculpt from the waist up) and those of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] ''[[Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' Deluxe Class Battle Blade Bumblebee
*[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] Legion Class ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#BH|Prime: Beast Hunters]]'' [[Smokescreen (Prime)#Cyberverse|Smokescreen]] is not a retool of Cyberverse ''Prime'' [[Knock Out (Prime)#Cyberverse|Knock Out]] (even though the general design of the legs, including the way the rear end of the vehicle mode transforms into the feet, is the same; but then, the same applies to [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Cyberverse|Bumblebee]])
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Deluxe-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|250px]]
[[File:Generations-CW Deluxe Dead End.jpg|thumb|250px]]
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' Deluxe Class [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' Deluxe Class [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]. (While Lockdown is an entirely new sculpt, he uses the same engineering as Roadbuster, resulting in an extremely similar transformation.)
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Warrior Class [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys|Bumblebee]] and ''Prime'' Deluxe [[Vehicon (Prime)#Prime|Vehicon]]. (While the arm transformation and head reveal are almost identical, the exact steps are much easier and the leg transformation is different too.)
*''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Chromedome (G1)#Generations|Chromedome]] and ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]. (The engineering is almost identical as a consequence of the latter being used as a mockup for the former during initial planning, but it isn't actually a retool.)
*''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Silverbolt (G1)#CombinerWars|Silverbolt]] and ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Generations|Hun-Gurrr]]. (The transformation to torso mode is somewhat similar, but that seems to be about the extent of the similarities between them).
*''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]'' Premier Edition [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#ThirdTLKDeluxe|Bumblebee]] and most [[Studio Series]] releases of Bumblebee. While the 76 Camaro Bee is actually a heavy retool of the TLK mold, the Volkswagen Beetle and the 2008 Concept Camaro Bees are completely new molds with the exact same transformation scheme.
*''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|MP-21 Bumblebee]] and ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Cliffjumper]] share some design ideas (especially the feet and chest transformations), but are otherwise different molds (not to mention the incompatible sizes).
[[Category:Toys]]

Death

2022-09-02T18:48:45Z

Chasd20: /* Energy depletion */

{{disambig2|the end of life|the Horseman of Unicron|Airazor (Armada)}}
[[File:Battleofautobotcity.jpg|upright=1.77|thumb|And lo, the children did weep. They wept hard too.]]
''Transformers'' is a children's franchise, but at its core, it's a story of war. This means that the '''death''' of major and minor characters sometimes figures into the fiction.

Given the ambiguous nature of [[Transformer]] physiology, there is very little consistency regarding what is fatal to a Transformer, even within a single storyline. Damage that one Transformer might shrug off can prove fatal to another, or even to the same character in a different story. Sometimes just a laser blast or two will do the trick. Other times, characters survive being melted, [[Waspinator (BW)|crushed into cubes]], and even [[Demolishor (Armada)|utterly disintegrated]]. It does not take a terribly cynical viewer to conclude that the threshold of survival is generally determined by the needs of the plot.

The out-of-universe reasons for a character's death can vary from plot development to the arrival of [[To sell toys|new toys]]. Conveniently enough for writers who are beholden to the whims of a toy company, the majority of Transformers characters are machines, which means that death isn't necessarily permanent. Across the various universes, characters that appear to have been killed have been known to pop up alive again at a later date, or go through some sort of resurrection.

{{quote|"How can you all be so cold and unfeeling? He died a hero!" "Don't you even have mechanical hearts?" "The humans don't understand! Our form of life is vastly different from theirs!"|[[Spider-Man]], [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]|"[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

==In-fiction causes of death==
[[File:DEATH.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.2|[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is just as puzzled as the rest of us.]]
There is little consistency in what can kill a Transformer. Sometimes it takes just a shot. Other times, even totally annihilating a Transformer's body still doesn't do the trick. Even the most basic method of killing, which is to destroy or otherwise cause the loss of a Transformer's [[spark]], varies quite a bit in its details from story to story, character to character, and series to series.

However, over time there has been some convergence of concepts regarding Transformer design across the various franchises and storylines. The concept of Sparks as a Transformer's driving life force has become nearly universal, and with it, the notion that loss of Spark equals death. Various [[2005 IDW continuity]] comics, particularly ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'', have delved deeply into this, positing that a Transformer can die if their Spark, brain or (in a new and unique twist) transformation cog are sufficiently damaged, known as "[[Rossum's Trinity‎]]". MTMTE also makes note of the difficulties in killing a Transformer, and how things like decapitation may not be lethal in the right circumstances.

If one is so inclined, these concepts can be applied retroactively to many, if not all, older stories - so that various means of death described below can be seen simply as the means of inflicting the requisite damage on a Transformer's vital bits.

When a Transformer dies, the loss of their life force (or artistic convention, out here in the real world) often results in them turning gray. The most well-known example by far is Optimus Prime's death in the animated movie; Prowl can also be glimpsed turning gray as he falls during the shuttle assault. This idea has shown up in a few other places, such as [[Transform and Roll Out#Part 3|the ''Animated'' cartoon]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|the ''More Than Meets the Eye'' comics]], the latter of which [[Sardines|coined]] the term "[[aggressive depigmentation]]" to describe the phenomenon.
{{-}}

===Weaponsfire===
{{bigquote|This was almost too easy, Starscream!|[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (like the fandom) is surprised to find how easily Autobots die, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|We're here aboard the Autobot shuttle, where we've secretly replaced Brawn's hyper-dense metal armor plating with styrene plastic. Let's see if anyone can tell the difference.]]
[[File:TFTM UltraMagnus dies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prepare for your death today. Yer gonna die!!]]
[[File:Magnusdeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Ow! Hey! Cut it out, guys! That hurts!]]
[[File:Blades1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sorry, [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|nameless guy]], your generic nature means you will never be miraculously resurrected.]]
[[File:DreadwingdeathImage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You will pay for this, Megatron! Mark my words, you'll pay!]]
Like humans, Transformers can be killed by damage caused by energy, projectile, and chemical weapons. Just how many shots it takes is widely variable, however.
*In the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]]:
**Many casualties of the [[Battle of Autobot City]] (and its run-up), including [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prowl]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], are victims of energy weapons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} This was quite a change from the cartoon's M.O., wherein the same characters routinely got shot and blasted all the time and shrugged it off, or at worst spent some time in the repair bay. Brawn and Prowl (whose tech specs show endurances of 9) both went down after ''one shot''.
**[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] subsequently "dies" after being shot a few times by the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], exploding into pieces. He is soon revived by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], however. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**In the Japanese continuity, Ultra Magnus dies ''again'', for real this time, after [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] shoots him a few times. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}
*In the [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel comics]]:
**[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] is cut down by a single head shot from [[Macabre]], who himself is then shot to pieces by the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
**[[Ferak]] is executed by a head shot from [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}
**Most deaths in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' book occur from energy weapons, such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} as well as numerous generics. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Quite a few victims explode spectacularly after being shot, including [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]], {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]], [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], {{storylink|New Dawn}} and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon:
**[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] dies after incurring severe damage from numerous [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] weapons. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Other characters have survived similar or worse levels of damage, but the episode gave a reason: Dinobot refuses to go into [[stasis lock]], which his onboard computer warns could "result in loss of Spark" if he keeps it up.
**[[Tigerhawk]] is disintegrated by the main cannon of the starship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. The same cannon subsequently blasts [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], apparently killing them, though their "death" may be permanent simply because there was nobody around to put them back together - or at least, [[Waspinator (BW)|nobody who cared to]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] dies holding back the [[Hydra Cannon]], the damage causing him to [[:File:Crisis Optimus Prime dies.jpg|crumble to dust]]. {{storylink|Crisis (Armada)|Crisis}}
*[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1]] comics: [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] is gunned down by [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He got better. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}
*[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]: [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] is shot and killed by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] during the final battle of the [[Universe War]].
*This happens a ''lot'' in the [[Movie continuity]]:
**[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] both die from weapons fire. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**Arcee and Elita-One and possibly Chromia are killed by Decepticon fire.
**All the [[Appliancebot]]s are shot dead by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]].
**A crapload of [[Protoform]]s are shot down by [[NEST]] soldiers. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crowbar]] is shot in the face by Ironhide.
**[[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] is brought to his knees by a shot to the chest from a Decepticon protoform before [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] finishes him off by shooting him in the back. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]] is killed by a massive onslaught of gunfire from [[Cemetery Wind]]. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally whittled down in a similar manner, until Lockdown comes and executes him. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] gets his face blown off/in by [[Cyclonus (SG)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 4}}
*Many goons during the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]] die from being shot. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron}}
*''Prime'' cartoon: [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] is killed by a shot through the chest by [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'':
**[[Thunderhoof (BWU)|Thunderhoof]] is shot down by his former minions, [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]]. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}
**[[Overshoot]] is shot in the chest by [[Vamp]] and bleeds out from the injury. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}
**[[Steel Jaw]] is killed by a stray shot. {{storylink|Derailment}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**[[Prowl (Cyberverse)|Prowl]] leaps in front of a shot meant for Optimus Prime. While dialogue suggests he could have lived, he is not seen afterward as the lights in his optics fade out. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron II}}
**In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X's]] reality, the tyrant shot his universe's Optimus Prime with his fusion cannon and subsequently seized the Matrix of Leadership for himself. {{storylink|The Other One}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon:
**[[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] and [[Exhaust|Exhaust]] are shot by [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (Bug Bite in the chest and Exhaust in the head) and left adrift in space. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
**[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] is possibly killed by a shot from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], since he never appears again and one of the AllSpark ghosts uses his character model. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}} {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
* ''Last Bot Standing'': [[Sharpclaw]] dies after [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] shoots her in the back. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}
{{-}}

===Big explosions===
{{bigquote|They're going to blow us all to pieces! [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]]'s booby-trapped - packed with enough explosives to level this whole mountain!|[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], "[[The Wrath of Grimlock!]]"}}

[[File:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw98ARXfcqk You are dead, dead, DEAAD!]"]]
Transformers characters often assume that explosions are more lethal than they really are; characters survive explosions all the time. An explosion's messy nature makes a good "out" for a writer to fake a character's death. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Nevertheless, a few characters have been permanently killed by explosions. (This list omits characters who exploded from within, like Ultra Magnus up above.)
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] is the victim of an interdimensionally triggered explosion that destroys his body. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} However, in the UK continuity he survives as a raggedy, bodiless head. {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}
**In an alternate future, a wounded [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] dies in the fiery explosion of a crashing shuttlecraft. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] is killed when a prototype [[pathblaster]] exploded in his face. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Finback]] is presumably killed in the explosion of a huge gun battery. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] tried to warn him off, and may have been killed in the same explosion. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon:
**[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] is blown to bits — terminally so — by the [[unspace|transwarp]] explosion that destroyed the [[Planet Buster]]. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
**[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] is killed by the explosion that resulted from [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]'s death (either his exploding spark, or the exploding energon shard that pierced it.) {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*Several of the [[Beast Era]] [[Wrecker]]s ([[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]], [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], the [[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]) are destroyed when part of their ship explodes with them in it. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*Energon: [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] is killed when Storm Jet causes a massive explosion that engulfed them both.
*''Prime'':
**[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] and the surrounding [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s are blown up by a grenade attached by the Autobots. Both the Vehicons and Makeshift are killed in the blast. {{storylink|Con Job}} <ref>(According to an interview at [[BotCon 2011]] with the ''Prime'' show runners, Makeshift was deemed too overpowered to be a regular in the show, so they killed him off at the end of the episode.)</ref>
** [[Hardshell]] is killed by [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] when she fires two missiles at him, blowing him up. {{storylink|Hurt}}
*''Movie Continuty'':
**[[Long Haul (ROTF)|Long Haul]], [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]], and several Decepticon Protoforms are killed by a human air strike in [[Egypt]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Crankcase (DOTM)|Crankcase]] blows up when Ironhide kicks him into a gas station. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Blitzwing (BB)|Blitzwing]] gets blown to bits when Bumblebee shoves his own missile into his chest and detonates it. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Scrapface|Scrapface]], and possibly [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] are caught in the explosion that destroys [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon Arena]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): [[Razorbeast]] is dropped by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] into a mountain of raw energon crystals, which triggers an explosion that destroys him. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] attempted to force [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] to land the shuttle she was piloting, he accidentally sent her to her doom in a fiery crash. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Impact trauma===
Falling off a cliff or mountainside or tall building is usually just as fatal to Transformers as it is to, say... Wile E. Coyote. Only on rare occasion does it result in death:
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' continuity: [[Hacksaw]] meets his end by falling from a huge communications tower. {{storylink|The New World}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
** [[Doubledealer]] is shot, falls off a mountain and smashed to bits on impact. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}
** [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus]] gets knocked down a very big hole by [[Beak]] and dies. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]] falls off the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] after a [[rail gun]] blows his arm apart. He tumbles back down the monument and collapses as he dies. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] is smashed to pieces and killed by being flung into a freeway column. {{storylink|Movie Adaptation issue 4|Movie Adaptation Issue Number Four}}
**[[Hatchet (DOTM)|Hatchet]] meets his end when [[Dino]] sends him crashing into a car. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*The [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] falls off a cliff and shatters. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}} At least, we hope that's where and how it ended.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'':
**[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] crash-lands after [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] punches out vital components in his [[alternate mode]], reducing his body to a partially transformed scrapheap. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}
**One of two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] thrown off the ''[[Trypticon_(WFC)|Nemesis]]'' by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] to pursue [[Smokescreen_(Prime)|Smokescreen]] ends up falling to his death due to lacking a jet mode. {{storylink|Inside Job}}
*''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Last Bot Standing]]'': [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] met his end when he fell off a cliff and slowly bled out. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Disassembly===
[[File:Jazz DyingAction.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"HERE'S what I think of your resemblance to your G1 counterpart!"]]
Taking a Transformer apart into its component parts - or ripping them to pieces - can occasionally kill them:
*Marvel comics:
**[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] meets this fate in an alternate future, when [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] uses a [[repair spider]] to pull him apart into his component pieces. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
**A future version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] may have been killed when a group of Decepticons mobbed him and ripped him up. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
[[File:DOTM-Shockwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|''That's'' for screwing up our continuity!]]
*Movie continuity:
** [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] kills [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by ripping him in half. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**The Wreckers gang up on a Decepticon pilot and tear him apart.
**Optimus tears [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]]'s optic from his damaged head. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] gets torn apart by a chain wielded by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] is torn apart and killed while making a final stand against a mass of generic Decepticons. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}
**[[Atomizer]] died when [[Getaway]] tore him apart. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}
*''Prime'' cartoon:
**When fighting [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s [[zombie]] army, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] recommends dissection to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] to "cut" them down to size. How this is more effective then just blasting the living slag out of them is still up for debate. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
**[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] manages to offline [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] by tearing him limb from limb, leaving only a pile of mutilated body parts in her wake. {{storylink|Crossfire (Prime)|Crossfire}}
*''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon: [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] is dismembered by the [[Sparkless]] before dying in Optimus's arms. {{storylink|Siege episode 6|Episode 6}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Sixshot (SG)|Sixshot]] winds up being dismembered by [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

====Bifurcation====
[[File:VictoryUKAnnual.JPG|thumb|upright=0.85|"Shakkooosh!" is good, but I could really go for a good old-fashioned "CHUK" right about now.]]
{{bigquote|I have no desire to be carved up into Auto-sushi.|Tracks, "[[Make Tracks]]"}}
A particular subset of disassembly, getting chopped in half is pretty graphic for a kids' story, even one about robots, so it doesn't happen very often.
*Marvel comics: In a dream sequence, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] slices [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in half, killing him. {{storylink|Victory!}}
*Japanese G1 cartoon: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] gets sliced in half by Dai Atlas. The strike dissects what appears to be an organic brain in his head. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
*''Beast Wars Metals'': Terrorsaur is killed by being sliced in half by Primal's mace. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 1|Beast Wars Metals #1}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]] dies when [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe]] slices his car mode in two.
**[[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravage]] dies when Bumblebee yanks his spine out, tearing him apart.
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] slices [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]] in half at the chest but Mixmaster survived this. Getting his skull stomped off, not so much. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] meets his end in this manner courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] gets vertically bisected by Dropkick. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''War For Cybertron'': In the opening, a Decepticon goon is chopped in half by Optimus Prime.
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Ambulon]] is chainsawed in half ''vertically'' by [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} ([[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] specifically noted that ''horizontal'' bifurcation would be survivable - indeed, not much later, [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] would be quite active after being ripped apart at the waist by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5}})
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] later briefly survives being torn in half by [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} before succumbing to his wounds. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
*When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, it tore [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in half, lengthways. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Crushing===
[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|thumb|DO NOT WANT]]
Quite a few characters have been crushed into deactivation:
*In the Marvel comics:
**[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] is smashed between [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s palms, while [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] meet a similar fate when Unicron steps on them. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] is apparently killed when a very large building collapses on top of him. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons:
**[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] is killed when caught between two folding sections of Unicron's external armor. {{storylink|Union}}
**[[Shockblast]] is crushed by Unicron's hand on [[Blizzard Planet]]. {{storylink|The Power of Unicron}}
**His brother [[Six Shot (Energon)|Six Shot]] meets a similar fate, crushed under the heel of a super-sized Galvatron. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}}
[[File:ROTF Scorponok death.jpg|thumb|]]
*IDW continuity:
**[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] is killed when a group of [[human]] police officers set fire to a building and let it collapse on him, crushing him.
**The luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] dies after [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] stomps on him repeatedly, causing enough damage that his Spark falls out.
*Movie continuity:
**[[Dispensor]] is crushed under [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]'s foot. {{storylink|Alliance issue 1|Alliance #1}}
**[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]'s head is crushed by [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]]'s ''bare fist''. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Shatter]] is crushed by a tanker ship that crashes into a dock. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Vex]] and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] by crushing their heads, using his bare feet for the former and a really big rock for the latter. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}

===Melting===
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|thumb|Even having a new toy couldn't save Terrorsaur!]]
[[File:Fallout title.jpg|thumb|Primal's diet had gone horribly wrong.]]
They're made of [[living metal|metal]]; therefore, with enough heat or sufficiently acidic material, they can melt. This is one of the more fool-proof methods of killing a Transformer; few, if any, have survived it.
*In the G1 cartoon:
**An acid vat would apparently have been enough to destroy Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}
**Another acid vat is used to disintegrate living victims of Unicron. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comics:
**Victims of the Decepticon [[smelting pool]]s on Cybertron are reduced by intense heat into their base metals, including [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}
**It is possible that an acid bath from (naturally) [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] offlined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] [[Makin' Tracks!|(for a while anyway)]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] is partially melted by Unicron's flame-breath and subsequently dies. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] use some kind of acid to rather messily eradicate some of their Decepticon ancestors, including [[Stranglehold]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
*In the Beast Era cartoons:
**[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] are apparently melted to death after tumbling into a lava pit within the [[Darksyde (BW)|Predacon base]]. {{storylink|Aftermath}}
**Optimus Primal's body is seemingly melted into the floor after his climactic face-off with [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. Considering how many god-like forces were unleashed and conflicting during the battle, his demise may be due to more than simple temperature-induced melting. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*According to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], the [[living metal]] that constitutes Cybertronian biology can be broken down using a cocktail of complicated polymers such as [[w:polyhydroxybutyrate|polyhydroxybutyrate]]; the process — one assumes — proving fatal to the Transformer in question. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon: [[Drift (Cyberverse)|Drift]] is implied to have been melted by toxic Energon waste, as [[Hot Rod (Cyberverse)|Hot Rod]] barely survived the experience. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron III}} {{storylink|The Dead End}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): Blurr is tricked by [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] into running straight into a flow of molten metal, which melts him into a statue-like state. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 1}}

===Disintegration===
{{bigquote|I saw the end! They died in a cosmic funeral pyre!|[[Shawn Berger]], "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"}}

[[File:Schismatic-KupDies.jpg|thumb|"Ironhide, I don't feel so good..."]]

Plasma, energy fields, and stellar atmospheres can all utterly destroy a Transformer's body. Like being melted, being reduced to one's component molecules would seem to be a surefire way of getting killed, but quite a few characters seem able to survive the process as [[ghost]]s and/or disembodied sparks:
*Generation 1 cartoon: [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s spectacular death at the hands of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] might be categorized as incineration. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Quite a few characters met this fate in the Unicron Trilogy, but all survived it in some fashion:
**[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s spark persisted within his burnt-out body when he was dropped into the exploding Unicron. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}} {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}
**[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]]'s body was obliterated by an expanding [[energon grid]], but his spark survived the process and was placed in a new body. {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}}
**[[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] was destroyed when he threw himself into a star, but his spark was salvaged by the Autobots and, again, placed in a new body. {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
**And finally, Megatron (Galvatron, whatever) threw himself into Primus's new energon sun to prevent Unicron from possessing him, killing himself yet again. {{storylink|The Sun}} This death was so inconsequential that his subsequent resurrection wasn't even explained! {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}
**Megatron was disintegrated ''again'', {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}} before he returned to life thanks to unholy powers of the [[Armor of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} After being stabbed through the Spark by [[Rhisling]], his body disintegrated as he passed on into the next life. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*[[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] causes a Transformer's body to disintegrate to nothing:
**The [[Thirteenth Legion]] died of Cosmic Rust. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
**[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] dies after several shots from [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]]'s Cosmic Rust Blaster, though the big hole they left in his torso couldn't have helped much either. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**Exposure to even a single [[Nervous bot|carrier]] of the disease has been known to wipe out entire planets. [[Blurr (Cyberverse)|Blurr]] was one of its victims, along with the rest of [[Velocitron]]. {{storylink|Terminal Velocity}}
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], [[magic]] is one of the few things that can reliably wound or kill a Transformer; the energies unleashed are anathema to mechanical life, and Transformers exposed to such power soon begin to crumble and die. Casualties of this method include [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] {{storylink|Schismatic}} and [[Quickswitch]]. {{storylink|Good Men}}

===Consumption===
{{bigquote|...If we don't find the Matrix, some bad guy's gonna ''eat'' us! Right?|Longtooth, "[[Deadly Obsession]]"}}

[[File:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The shocking death of the barely-seen guys with hardly any lines!]]
[[File:Rocky mecannibal bartender marvel uk 240.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Cannibalism is hilarious, kids!]]
[[File:TFTM Unicron Digestion.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Getting eaten is essentially being torn apart, crushed, and melted all in a row, and it's usually fatal. Quite a few critters in the multiverse are equipped to devour giant robots:
*In the G1 cartoon:
**Various life forms are routinely devoured by the [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on Quintessa. These include [[Kranix (G1)|Kranix]], a mechanical life form, though not a Transformer. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] would have suffered this fate as well, but fought their way free. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
**Quite a few Transformers found their way into Unicron's gullet, though many survived the experience. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*In the Marvel comic:
**[[Scraplet]]s are a mechanical disease - tiny robots that fed on Transformers. A hapless freighter pilot dies after being infected, and quite a few other 'bots only narrowly survived being infected. {{storylink|Crater Critters}}
**[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] being torn apart by and dragged into the [[Time rift|time rift]] could be classified as consumption. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**The [[Mecannibal]]s eat robots routinely, including quite a few Transformers during their sojourn on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} There is some indication that they can actually reconstitute their victims from their "recycled" parts, though this is never explicitly shown. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
**Unicron skewers [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and eats him. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The subsurface-dwelling [[demon]]s devour [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
**The Swarm "devours" innumerable Cybertronians and a handful of older-generation Transformers as well, though this is through a molecular process almost akin to incineration. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} {{storylink|Total War!}} {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*The Sharkticons kill two of the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] by gobbling them up. Or ripping them apart. Or both. We don't really know. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
*[[Flanker]] is eaten up and killed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|"Deluxe" Insecticons]].
*In the live-action films:
**[[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and [[Scorn]] eat various [[KSI Sentry|KSI Sentries]] and at least one [[KSI Boss]] {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**Grimlock also made a snack out of [[Dreadbot]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Decapitation===
{{main|Decapitation}}

[[File:Cyclonus death.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Ahhhh, there we go...]]

Sometimes cutting a Transformer's head off is fatal. Sometimes!
*In the Marvel comics:
**The Megatron clone kills Cyclonus by ripping his head off. {{storylink|Dry Run!}}
**Several of the Wreckers are destroyed by having their heads ripped or blasted off, including Twin Twist and Topspin, respectively. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
**[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] has his head cut off by a propeller fired by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], presumably (given the ''Generation 2'' book's emphasis on body count) killing him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**Characters frequently die by decapitation of some form: [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]] {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}} are particularly notable examples. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] LOVES doing this.
**Decapitation is a mere inconvenience for [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] the first time. The second time, when the blow actually destroys most of his head, proves fatal.
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is decapitated in the third movie. [[Wheeljack (Movie)|Que]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]'s heads fall off when they die, possibly to add finality to their demises. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]] met his end after losing his head to [[Drift (AOE)|Drift]]'s sword. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
*2005 IDW continuity: The heads of [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]] are removed and then mockingly put on display to creep out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}
*In the Aligned continuity, Vehicons and Insecticons are frequently murdered by decapitation.
*2019 IDW continuity: [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] loses his head and his spark to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Prisoners|Prisoners}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW): [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] is decapitated by [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] when attempting to infiltrate his fortress. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 4}}
*''Last Bot Standing'': [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] dies when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] rips his head off. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 1}}

===Destruction of brain===
{{bigquote|Next strike in the neural cluster, yes? Weakest spot on ''all'' Transformers...|[[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], "[[Fire on High!]]"}}
[[File:K-PLUTCH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Roadbuster has spiders on the brain.]]
In the early days of the franchise, a Transformer's life force was sometimes understood to be entirely contained within their [[brain module]], most prominently in the Marvel comics. Destroying the brain would kill the Transformer. This premise was eventually modified to incorporate the more esoteric concept of [[spark]]s.
*In the Marvel comics:
**In an alternate future, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] is blasted by [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who kills him by extracting and crushing his brain module. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
**The [[Throttlebot]]s ''avoid'' death by having their brain modules removed from their bodies shortly before their bodies are destroyed (by crushing). {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}
*Movie continuity:
**Optimus rips Grindor's head apart with two hooks. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], and [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s heads are blown to bits by explosives or other weapons.
**Optimus Prime kills Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the head with Megatron's shotgun. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Nitro Zeus]] dies when his head gets blown off by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}
[[File:DOTM-Soundwavedeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|How exactly is [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] supposed to download his brain when there's no brain left?]]
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the brain module is part of [[Rossum's Trinity]] and its destruction will cause the destruction of both the spark and the [[transformation cog]], killing the Cybertronian in question:
**[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] blasts [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] right in the head, destroying his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**Impactor kills [[Snare]] by crushing his brain module. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Squadron X]] are all shot in the head. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**In the [[Functionist Universe]], every Cybertronian possesses an [[obsolescence chip]] that can be remotely detonated, destroying their heads. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and all other Cybertronians with [[data slug]] alt-modes are killed in a [[mass recall]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}
**[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] dies when [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] smashes his brain module against his own forcefield. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}
**[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] uses his [[size changing]] powers to blow open [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s head from the inside out. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4}}
**[[Oiler]] has his head sliced in two by a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}
**Kup exploits [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]'s "secret weakness" to defeat him... shooting him in the head and blowing his cranium to bits. (Kup points out that it's most people's secret weakness.) {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}
**[[Adaptus]] met his end when [[Solomus]] drilled directly into his brain. {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The [[Resistance]] use a device to short-circuit the remnants of [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]'s consciousness, frying the [[Cyberdroid]]s that contain his tripartite brain. {{storylink|Head Games}}
*''Last Bot Standing'':
**[[Moon (BW)|Moon]] and [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] are both impaled through their heads with a girder, most likely destroying their brain modules in the process. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 3}}
**[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] kills [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] by blasting him in the head. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 4}}

===Destruction of spark===
{{bigquote|RAW energon! Right through your twisted spark!|Depth Charge to Rampage, "[[Nemesis Part 1]]"}}
[[File:Skyfallwontbethereforit.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And then he hung Skyfall from his ceiling.]]
Getting stabbed right through the spark is almost always fatal:
*In ''Beast Wars'': The supposedly immortal Rampage is killed when Depth Charge pierces his spark with an energon blade. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
*''[[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]]'': [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] dies when [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]] rams his [[sword]] right through his chest. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}
*''Energon'': [[Constructicon Maximus]] dies when [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]] impales and crushes his spark.
*''Cybertron'': [[Megatron (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Galvatron]] dies when [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] impales him with [[Rhisling]]. {{storylink|Unfinished}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's Movie comics]]: Transformers have forcefields shielding their sparks, which can be externalized to protect bodywork. Jazz loved doing this, leaving him far more vulnerable to death by destruction of spark than he would otherwise be. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 6|Lost in Space 4: Jazz}}
**Optimus Prime dies when Megatron stabs him through the chest with his death-lock pincer, followed by a blast from his fusion cannon through the spark chamber. [[The Fallen]] also meets his end when a resurrected Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*''Cyberverse'': [[Slipstream (Cyberverse)|Slipstream]] is killed when [[Bludgeon (Cyberverse)|Bludgeon]] stabs her in the back through her spark. {{storylink|Parley}}

That's not the only way to destroy a spark either:

*''Beast Machines'' continuity: [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] — already reduced to a spark within the matrix — ceases to be when Megatron annihilates his spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] has modified his vocal processor so that he can get his voice into synch with a spark's pulse and then get it to stop. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}
**The [[universal killswitch]] built by Chief Justice Tyrest worked by scrambling the Matrix derived sparkcode shared by every constructed cold spark.
**Sentinel Prime wanted Sovereign to power up by eating [[Outrigger]]'s spark, a power shared by the [[Titan Master]]s. This would have killed the [[Circle of Light]] member. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}
*''Beast Wars: Uprising'': The Vehicons destroy the sparks of those they inject with a nano-virus. The victim is simultaneously turned into another Vehicon in the process.

===Loss of spark===
{{bigquote|Warning. Further expenditure will result in permanent loss of spark. Stasis lock ''must'' commence.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s internal computer, "[[Code of Hero]]"}}
[[File:Jetstorm with extractor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Lost, stolen, whatever...]]
Sometimes sparks can survive outside of a body; sometimes they cannot. In the Beast Era, there is some indication that a spark left outside a body will soon begin to return to the Matrix/AllSpark/another dimension.
*When Dinobot expires after his final battle, his Spark is seen exiting his body. The implication is that a sufficiently damaged body can no longer hold a spark within this continuity. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*''Beast Machines'' subsequently showed living sparks existing outside of bodies on a regular basis. The sparkless bodies were simply considered shells, rather than "dead", due to the fact that the sparks were forcibly removed with a [[spark extractor]].
*''Animated'' cartoon: [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] dies when he intentionally relinquishes his own spark. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}
*Movie continuity:
**[[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] rips out his own spark chamber to give Optimus a fighting chance. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**[[The Fallen]] dies when Optimus punches through his chest and crushes his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Lockdown executes a wounded Ratchet by removing his spark. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
*''Cyberverse'' cartoon:
**In ''Cyberverse''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> second season, this is [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|Starscream's]] ultimate goal, planning to use the [[AllSpark]] to rip the sparks from every Transformer and bring peace through genocide. He succeeds in doing this to his [[Seeker (Cyberverse)|Seeker]] followers before he is ultimately thwarted. {{storylink|Dark Birth}} {{storylink|I Am The Allspark}}
**Shockwave uses a spark extractor to zap his spark into the Allspark and corrupt it. A few minutes later, [[Cheetor (Cyberverse)|Cheetor]] uses the same device to do the same and counteract Shockwave's deeds. {{storylink|Battle For Cybertron IV}}
*''Shattered Glass'' (IDW):
**Starscream is killed when Goldbug tears out his spark. {{storylink|Shattered Glass issue 5}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021):
**[[Skold]] kills Terrorsaur by tearing out his spark, avenging Razorbeast. {{storylink|Maximals Strike Back, Part 2}}

===Energy overload===
{{bigquote|We may need energon for power, but this is too much of a good thing.|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]"}}
[[File:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Death — the Optimus version of a power nap.]]
[[File:Underbaseallmine.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He's got an Underbase in his underpants.]]
The average [[human]] needs a lot of [[water]] to survive. But too much water results in {{w|Water intoxication|a horrible death}}. Similarly, Transformers need energy to survive, but too much of it can be a very bad thing. Sometimes it's just plain old energy; other times it some special god-like force that does them in.
*In the Marvel comics:
**An [[Underbase]]-empowered Starscream slaughters dozens of Transformers with energy blasts, {{storylink|Dark Star}} which reportedly burn out millions of their [[microchip]]s. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}} Some Transformers are seen to recover from these attacks, either via conventional repairs {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} or through the power of [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{storylink|The Void! (US)}}
**Starscream himself dies when he absorbs all the energies of the Underbase. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
**[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] is apparently killed when struck by a blast of energy from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], though the physical effect is more like being hit by an especially powerful laser blast. {{storylink|All Fall Down|All Fall Down (issue)}}
*''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon: [[Sixknight]] dies from an overcharge of BlackZarak's Devil Power. {{storylink|Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z}}
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]: [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] dies when one of the [[Reaper]]s zaps him full of energy, causing him to explode from within. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] is killed when [[Sam Witwicky]] shoves the [[AllSpark]] into his chest. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} [[Evac (Ride)|Evac]] does the same thing with the Allspark shard with Megatron {{storylink|Transformers: The Ride – 3D}}
*''Transformers Animated'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] gets caught in an explosion of [[AllSpark]] energy that may have been sufficient to kill him, although he also fell off a very tall building immediately afterwards (Starscream was caught in the same explosion and survived, but was knocked offline for an unspecified period.)

===Energy depletion===
On rare occasion, Transformers can simply run out of energy completely and expire.
*Marvel comics: the ancient [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] dies from a lack of energy. {{storylink|State Games}}
*''Cybertron'' cartoon [[Vector Prime]] dies after he helps the crew to time travel. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}
*Movie continuity: [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]] explains that a lack of energon causes the Transformer equivalent of aging, such as rusting joints, mental confusion, and pieces falling apart, followed by an indefinite period of stasis that can only be reversed by an infusion of Allspark energy. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*IDW ''Beast Wars'' (2021): Scorponok is killed when a zombified Terrorsaur drains his energon. {{storylink|The Beginning of the End}}

===Disease===
You may think giant robots couldn't have diseases but it turns out they can!

*Marvel comics: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] contracts [[Corrodia Gravis]], a wasting disease where your body is consumed by rust as your metal breaks down at the molecular level. Only a systems boost from a compatible donor could save Snarl {{storylink|Assassins}} but the disease came back anyway. The best cure is to store a Transformer's brain in remote storage and build a whole new body. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] engineers the [[Red Rust]] virus: spread by touch and triggered by transforming, it causes all the coolants, dispersants and anti-rusting agents in a Transformer to cross-contaminate and cause a molecular breakdown. The first sign is when the Transformer starts "crying" the fuel out. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Most of [[Delphi]] was killed. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}
*And of course, there's the aforementioned [[Scraplet]]s, [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]], and the similarly named Rust Plague.

===Aging===
{{quote|Parts wear out and can no longer be replaced. Fatigue sets in. Memory banks overflow and tiny fragmentation errors creep in. In the end, entropy claims us all.|[[Vector Prime]]|[[Ask Vector Prime]]}}

While many characters are portrayed as being old, dying of old age is almost unheard of in Transformers.

*In Transformers UK, it is implied Transformers have long, but not endless life spans. In Kup's story, Kup says that he was put on a spaceship to live out his "remaining years" alone. In another story, Goldbug says that he may never understand humans, even if he lives to be 2 million.
*In the 2005 IDW continuity, Ratchet notes that the process of a Cybertronian aging to death (also referred to as age-related burnout) is a relatively recent discovery. He also notes that many, both spiritual and scientific, still refused to "give up on this-this very seductive idea that we're immortal". [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] had been diagnosed with [[cybercrosis]], a fatal condition that has been around since before [[Nova Prime]]'s era but which Ratchet believes in this case was brought about by a combination of the radiation Tailgate had been exposed to upon [[Vector Sigma]]'s re-ignition in addition to his old age. Far in the future, Ratchet himself would succumb to age-related burnout.
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'': Although it takes eons, all Transformers eventually die of old age after being disconnected from the life-giving powers of [[Primus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

==Suicide==
{{quote|Do you realize how '''hard''' it is for a Cybertronian to die by his own hand? You can jump off a building, blow yourself up, cut off your own head - and you might still survive.|Chromedome, [[Before & After]]}}
Sometimes a Transformer kills themself for some reason, or tries to.
*Marvel comics: Dirge and Nightbeat, rather than be eaten by the Swarm, self-destruct. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*''Beast Wars'':
**Transformers can deliberately override the stasis lock protocols, even if this will result in death. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
**In the final battles, Depth Charge allows himself to be blown up, killing Rampage. Rampage laughs maniacally as he detonates, suggesting that he was deliberately trying to die. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}. [[Dinobot II]] let himself go down with the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
*''Energon'': Galvatron, Starscream, and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] throw themselves into a sun and vaporize themselves. [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] and Demolishor may have also done this.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': Jetfire rips out his entire spark housing for Optimus Prime to have enough power to kill The Fallen. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
*2005 IDW continuity:
**A [[NAIL protester]] kills himself by repeatedly transforming until his [[transformation cog]] burns out. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
**[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] alludes to a desire to find his [[Axalon (BW)|old spaceship]] so that he can die there. How exactly he plans to do this is never expounded on. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

==Non-fatal deactivation==
{{quote|"You mean he's still alive?!" "No! But neither is he what you would term 'dead'!"|[[Spider-Man]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], "[[Prisoner of War!]]"|noquote=true}}

[[File:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Braiiiiiin mooooodulllllles....]]

For almost every single cause of death listed above, there's been one or more Transformers who have survived it, sometimes without so much as a period of unconsciousness.

In particular, "deactivation" is the Transformers equivalent of being in a coma. Numerous Transformers are seen to enter this state and eventually recover, such as the Autobots deactivated by Shockwave, {{storylink|The Last Stand}} who later were repaired. However, the line between death and deactivation is a blurry one. Sometimes the two words are used interchangeably, even in reference to characters who are later revived. Most of Starscream's Underbase victims were described as deactivated, and were sometimes lamented as "dead" while at other times were shown undergoing repairs. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}

"[[Stasis lock]]" would eventually give a more concrete name to the state of deactivation. The inert Transformers on the crashed Ark were retconned as being in stasis lock. Various ''Beast Wars'' characters would go into stasis lock to maintain their spark when their body had sustained too much damage from weaponsfire or energon absorption. ''Animated'' showed a crew of Autobots voluntarily entering protective stasis lock in anticipation of a crash landing.

Some of the quasi-fatal things which can cause a Transformer to "deactivate" include:

===Impact trauma===
Smashing into something usually knocks out a Transformer, but almost never actually kills them:
*The crew of the original [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are deactivated when the ship crashes on Earth and lies inert for 4 million years {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)}}
*Marvel comics: [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] falls to his "death", but is patched together and talking again in short order. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

===Decapitation===
[[File:Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|In the movie continuity, this would've been fatal. In ''Animated'', it's just embarrassing.]]
{{bigquote|Anyone who can lop your head off in one blow is alright by me!|[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] jokes about [[Cloudburst]]'s near-death experience, "[[Recipe for Disaster!]]"}}
Like we said before, decapitation is sometimes fatal... and other times it isn't.
*Marvel comic:
**Optimus Prime is able to survive as just a head when Shockwave separates it from his body in an effort to get the Creation Matrix. {{storylink|The New Order}}
**[[Cloudburst]] is abruptly decapitated by sword, but is just fine after some repairs. {{storylink|Recipe for Disaster!}}
*G1 cartoon: Optimus Prime is disassembled into his component parts, but functions just fine as nothing more than a head once [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] connects a few wires. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] survives having his head blasted or otherwise knocked off multiple times, {{storylink|Spider's Game}} {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and even puts it back on himself one time. He even accidentally swaps heads with Megatron once, much to the latter's annoyance. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}} And let's not even get started on how many times [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has lost his head.
[[File:TLK-Mohawk demise.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Looks like ''Animated's'' non-fatal decapitation practice is catching up to the rest of the [[Multiverse]].]]
*[[2005 IDW continuity]]:
**[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] is just fine when one of the Reapers whacks his head off. (He doesn't fare so well when another Reaper crushes his head with a boulder, however.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 6}}
**[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s head is removed in an apparent suicide attempt; he survived because he was put back together in time, before his Spark had faded out. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc}} {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: Decapitated victims of the ''Animated'' [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] rarely show any ill effects other than not having a body anymore. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}} {{storylink|The Return of the Headmaster}} {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}
*Movie Continuity:
** Frenzy survives his first decapitation by [[Mikaela Banes]]. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}
**[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness survives his decapitation in the Chicago battle, even after having an axe lodged right into his processor. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}
**[[Mohawk]] had himself blown up by [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], yet his head remained functional, and he himself continued to speak. {{storylink|Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight}}

===Dismemberment===
{{quote|MY ARM!!!|Starscream, ''Revenge of the Fallen''}}
Transformers get ripped to pieces all the time, and recover from it:
*Marvel comic: Scorponok tears [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] to pieces. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] slices [[Horri-Bull]] in half at the waist. Both are seen alive later on. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
*''Last Stand of the Wreckers'': [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] is torn in half by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and is easily repaired. The same also happens to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]].
*''Revenge of the Fallen'': During a fierce battle, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] not only cuts off [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]'s arm with an Energon blade, but he rips off [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s arm with his bare hands, and proceeded to ''beat him with it''.

===Spark removal===
{{bigquote|His spark can't exist outside a living body!|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

A Transformer's spark—their "soul", their living essence—can be removed from their body, or the body can be destroyed around them
*The destruction of Starscream's body, and his subsequent survival as a ghost, was eventually retconned to be his Spark enduring without a physical form. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}}
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Tigatron and Airazor's sparks spend quite some time wandering around behind Tigerhawk, before combining and entering his body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}
*In the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon:
**Megatron de-sparks most of Cybertron's population and stores their sparks in a big barrel. Most were restored to bodies eventually. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
**Blackarachnia's spark wanders around bodiless for a time. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}
**Megatron himself, his spark in a depolarized state, wanders the surface of Cybertron without a body for a time. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The treatment of bodiless sparks in ''Beast Machines'' is seen by some fans as contradicting the canon established by ''Beast Wars'', particularly the quote above.

*In the 2005 IDW continuity, the spark, like the other two parts of Rossum's Trinity, can be safely removed and stored with the proper medical equipment.

===Limbo===
Sometimes Transformers get shunted out of creation as we know it, and into various alternate, sub- and non-dimensions.
*Marvel comics:
**The [[trans-time dimensional portal]] crosses [[unspace]], "a bit of dimensional nothingness" where Ratchet and Megatron vanished and were believed dead. {{storylink|The Gathering Storm}}
**Transformers mass-displaced by time travel wind up in a formless dimension known as [[Limbo]].
*2005 IDW comics: Megatron severely damages Optimus Prime in battle and plans on finishing him off by crushing his [[Laser core|spark core]]. Optimus Prime feigns death by downloading his "consciousness" into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|trailer section]], causing his [[Brain Center|robot mode]] to appear dead. In the time it took for Prime's consciousness to transfer to his trailer, he briefly enters [[infraspace|limbo]], the transitional infraspace between life and death. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

==Resuscitation==
Robots are machines. They can be switched off, taken apart, blown to bits, and put back together. Ergo, in many continuities and cases, "death" is not nearly as permanent a condition as it is for us fragile fleshy types.

===Reconstruction===
[[File:PeoplePower-reprogrammed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{bigquote|I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!|[[Klementia|A random Quintesson]], "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"}}

*Generation 1 cartoon:
**Optimus Prime is simply ''repaired'' back to life by a Quintesson. Some fixing of this and that, a burst of power, and boom, suddenly he's alive again. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
**Ultra Magnus's death is undone after his limbs were reconnected to each other. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
*Marvel comics: Optimus Prime's mind gets encoded on a disk. After a new [[Powermaster]] body was constructed for him, the disk's contents are loaded into it, and Optimus Prime lives again. (One wonders why they couldn't make as many Optimus Primes as they pleased.) {{storylink|People Power!}}
*Movie continuity: [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]'s consciousness manipulates [[Kinetic Solutions Incorporated|KSI]] into building him a new body, which he subsequently infects. {{storylink|Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction}}

===Spark transfer===
Transferring a Transformer's spark into a new body constitutes a form of resurrection, particularly if the Transformer's previous body was destroyed.
*''Beast Wars'' cartoon: Optimus Primal is restored to life when Rhinox manages to recall his spark from the Matrix, a special circumstance only enabled by a temporary window into transwarp space. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: various Vehicon generals are brought to life by placing other Transformer's sparks into them.
*''Armada'' cartoon: Smokescreen is shot through the chest at point blank range by the Requiem Blaster {{storylink|Sacrifice}} but his spark survived and is put into a new body. {{storylink|Regeneration (Armada)|Regeneration}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Inferno and Demolishor both have their bodies ''atomized''; however, their sparks both survive, and are placed into new bodies. (The upshot of all of this is that it's nigh-impossible to kill a Unicron Trilogy Transformer, unless they do it themselves.) {{storylink|Go for Unicron!}} {{storylink|Farewell Inferno}}
*''Animated'' cartoon: The spark of a dying [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]] is placed into a new protoform body by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]; however, Yoketron consciously chooses to let his life end, and expires anyway. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
*2005 IDW comics: [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] gets brought back to life after spending five hundred years as a spark fragment in an Energon flower by being transplanted into a snowflake of [[Living metal#2005 IDW continuity|''sentio metallico'']], which results in her being reborn as a [[protoform]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

==="Magical" substances===
*Marvel comics: The miraculous healing properties of Nucleon bring many Autobots back to life, as well as a few Decepticons. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}
*''Energon'' cartoon: Megatron is revived by the all-encompassing power of energon, as was Unicron. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}}

===Primus and Primus-related powers===
{{bigquote|Where the Last Autobot is concerned, even death, it would appear, is an abstract concept!|Optimus Prime explains his latest revival, "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]"}}

Anything tied to the primordial life-force of the Transformers' god Primus tends to be a cure-all for death. This includes Primus himself, his various power-wielding avatars and servants, and the assorted Matrixes and Allsparks, all of which can deliver an infusion of the essence of life itself. In some continuities, this is portrayed as a Transformer's spark being brought back out of the Allspark dimension.

[[File:RageInHeaven-HeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A real man never dies, even when he's killed!]]
*In the Marvel comics:
**The [[Last Autobot]] is granted the power of recreation by Primus, which he uses to raise numerous fallen Autobots from the battlefield. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)}}
**Optimus Prime is eager to find the lost Creation Matrix, stating that it would be able to restore many deactivated warriors to life. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] after it had ingested the energies and knowledge of the Matrix. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
*In the movie continuity:
**The AllSpark is shown repeatedly to be capable of restoring just about anything. Frenzy gets a whole new body from its power, Bumblebee temporarily gets his voice back, {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}} and Megatron is restored to life by merely a fragment of it. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Optimus Prime is restored to life by the Matrix of Leadership, an Allspark-related talisman. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
**Sentinel Prime is revived after crash landing on the moon by the Matrix of Leadership, courtesy of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*''Beast Machines'' cartoon: [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s body is destroyed, but the AllSpark granted him the choice of uniting with it or being reborn. He chose the latter, and ''poof'', just walked right out of the Oracle bubble in a brand new version of his previous body. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}
*''Armada'' cartoon: [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] is brought back to life by the power of the [[Mini-Con]]s after his body was disintegrated. {{storylink|Miracle}}
*"[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]": [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] is resurrected when he and his gestaltmates are combined and reborn by Primus into [[Nexus Prime]]. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} Nexus Prime then brings [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] back from the other side of the Allspark and infuses him with some of Primus's power to become Galvatron. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

===Zombies===
*Dude, [[zombie]]s!

==Immortality==
===Immortal sparks===
Certain sparks have mutant qualities that allow them to, potentially, exist forever.
*Starscream survives his death at the hands of Galvatron; this was later explained as him having a "mutant indestructible spark". {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} {{storylink|Possession}} {{storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} He is eventually killed by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], so the attempt may be seen as unsuccessful. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

===Other===
*[[Multiversal singularity|Multiversal singularities]] such as [[Unicron]] and [[The Fallen]] were immortal, existing in multiple dimensions simultaneously as extensions of the same being across different dimensions (reverse-time dimensions, for example, are key to revival of the singularities). Multiversal singularities ceased to exist with the coming of the [[Shroud]], nullifying this concept.
*''Animated'' [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] cannot be killed so long as he retains his Allspark fragment embedded in his forehead. Whether or not this ability extends to other AllSpark creations is unknown.
*Denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] can essentially regenerate themselves out of nothing, no matter how much damage was inflicted on them. This ability appears to no longer apply, post-[[Expansion]], except when in direct proximity to the Dead Universe.
*Thunderwing's Pretender shell makes him nearly invincible. At the very least, he is able to withstand incredible amounts of salvo and not even flinch.
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] can never completely die no matter what for some reason. It's probably because if he died, the universe wouldn't be able to inflict pain on him anymore.

==Out-of-fiction causes of character death==
===Drama / character culmination===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5- Ironfistaneurism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I told you I was ill.]]
At its best, character death can be a moving plot development, the fruition of an ongoing character arc.
*[[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] spends much of [[Simon Furman]]'s Marvel US run conflicted and doubting himself, and under the weight of his pre-Headmaster self's reputation. He finally gets past this and takes the fight to Unicron, dying in the process, his last words asking Optimus if he'd done good. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
*Suspecting that they would have to remove a character from the show, the writers of ''Beast Wars'' began planning for Dinobot's death several episodes ahead of time. Thus, when it came, it was the outcome of the character's own choices, flaws, and history, and played a crucial role in the show's plot. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*Sunstreaker's death in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' was intended to follow a similar style of arc... only it's missing the whole choices, flaws and history thing. Oh well!
*Optimus Primal's death(s) in ''Beast Machines'' are likewise the outcome of his own choices and character. {{storylink|End of the Line}} {{storylink| Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}} His death in ''Beast Wars'', by contrast, is more a moment of dramatic pathos — knowingly walking into danger, his enemy got the better of him. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' is his main plot arc, quietly built up in the background since the first issue.

===Consequences of war===
[[File:Bulkhead Eradicon Darkness Rising 3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|His special large intestine! There's only one like it!]]
It's hard to take a war story seriously when nobody actually dies. The reality of war can be more readily portrayed when characters die. [[Generic]]s are particularly handy for this, allowing death to be shown while not removing primary characters (retail toys!) from the story. The results can range from high drama and pathos to numbingly pointless body counts.
*Impactor's death is used to drive home the threat of the Decepticons as well as the risks taken by the Autobots and their commanders. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
*The ''Generation 2'' book features several deaths which drive home the realities of war. Most notably, Red Alert's destruction serves to make Grimlock acutely aware of just how badly he'd screwed up. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
*Pretty much every death in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' comes under this.
*[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]], [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]], [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] and [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] are all killed in their first ''Prime'' episodes, due to just plain bad luck in the first three cases and because of a deliberate Autobot killing in Makeshift's. The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are presented as sentient ''and'' as being killed by Autobots in large numbers. [[Jeff Kline]] famously said at the advent of ''Prime'' that all deaths would be final. While the rule applied to the majority of the series, it was happily ignored when it came time for the deaths of [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]], who were all revived almost immediately after death (admittedly it took until the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|follow-up series]] to revive Optimus a second time, but let's face it, we're used to that by this point).
*In [[Megatron X (Cyberverse)|Megatron X]]'s reality, the Autobots lost the war and all of them probably died.{{storylink|The Other One}}

===Increased threat===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-whycouldntyou.jpg|upright=2.0|thumb]]
An enemy that kills is an enemy to be taken seriously. Thus a writer will frequently throw in some preliminary deaths to point out how seriously the bad guy should be treated.
*The generic who dies at the beginning of "[[City of Fear!]]" serves to show the zombies as a true life-threatening menace.
*Likewise for Runabout's death at the hands of the demons ; {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} knowing they can devour a Transformer makes the reader more concerned about the Dinobots' subsequent fate. {{storylink|Still Life!}}
*In "[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]", [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] makes corpses in practically every scene he's in!
*Cliffjumper in ''Prime'' is set up as a main character and then killed in five minutes, immediately putting the ''Prime'' Decepticons forward as a major threat.
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is brutally hunted down and killed early into ''Age of Extinction'' by [[Cemetery Wind]] and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]], to show what has befallen the majority of the Cybertronians on Earth (and the old cast from the first three films) and what will happen if the survivors are caught.
*''Transformers: Unicron'' begins with Unicron already having noshed on [[Velocitron]], which had previously appeared a few times in that continuity's works while never exactly being a major focus, and soon the [[Space Knight]]s find the corpse of Cliffjumper, whose last major appearance had been a good four years prior, but then Wheeljack, who has been a main character in the last few years, dies as well, proving the situation is now beyond serious. Also, several named Space Knights from Rom's own series die, but they're nasty, bigoted jerks so nobody feels bad when they snuff it.

===Cast thinning===
Generation 1 stories were particularly notorious for acquiring gigantic casts as they rolled on, because of the franchise's longevity. A simple way to make things more manageable was simply to kill off large numbers of characters in battle.

*Examples are rife in the Marvel comics:
**The "[[Time Wars]]" storyline gets rid of the [[Wrecker]]s and quite a few Decepticons as well.
**The [[Underbase Saga]] even more explicitly clears out dozens of characters, leaving perhaps 2 dozen characters from each faction in the story.
**The battle with Unicron in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]" likewise got rid of a lot of older characters, leaving the story free to concentrate on more of a core cast (and associated newer toy characters.)
*''The Transformers: The Movie'' does this on a smaller basis. While only a handful of characters were actually killed off, many more cast members simply disappeared without explanation in the following season of the cartoon.
*[[Betrayal|Wreckers #2]] deals with its oversized cast by killing off scads of characters right up front.

More recent stories - particularly those without the overriding imperative [[to sell toys]], such as the G1 IDW comics - have accepted that not every character must be constantly accounted for at all times or roll-called every issue, allowing larger casts to simply exist in the background until needed. Another alternative, particularly visible in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, is to give new bodies (based on corresponding new toys, of course) to existing characters, allowing them to continue promoting new toys across multiple seasons of the show.

===Character motivation===
[[File:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|"How are we going to SHEEEAGH together if he's dead?!"]]

A quick and easy way to create enmity between characters is for the antagonist to kill someone close to the protagonist.

*In Marvel’s comics, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] is motivated by his guilt over being unable to participate in Operation: Volcano and prevent Impactor’s death. {{storylink|Under Fire!}}
*Also in Marvel's comics, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s revenge plot against the new [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] is motivated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s murder of [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*In ''Energon'', [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber ''nee'' Dagger]] swears revenge on [[Shockblast]] after the murder of his partner, [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]]. {{storylink|Shockblast: Rampage}} He then forgets to care about Shockblast later but, y'know, ''Energon'' story.
*In ''Prime'', [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee's]] conflict is down to Airachnid's murder of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. {{storylink|Predatory}} She keeps throwing this in Arcee's face.

===Clear space for new toys===
{{main|To sell toys}}
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|(They also cease to appear on store shelves.)]]
Some fiction has an inherently limited capacity for characters. ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' are by far the most prominent examples; their CGI animation made character animation expensive and necessitated removing an old character before a new one could be brought in. But any medium can be susceptible to this toy-driven phenomena.
*The numerous casualties of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' are fairly explicitly removed from the story to make way for a wave of new toy/characters.
*Terrorsaur and Scorponok had to be removed — quickly — to make room for the two upcoming Fuzor characters, hence their sudden, blink-and-you-miss-it death in "[[Aftermath]]".
*Airazor and Tigatron were removed for similar reasons. When their plot was finally resolved, it was, surprise, via [[Tigerhawk|a new toy]]!
{{-}}

==Fleshling death==
{{quote|"The humans' spark is fragile." "WHAT?! Impossible! Their spark's not eternal?" "One life. That's ''all'' they've got." "Bahh. Then they really ''are'' poorly designed."|[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]|"[[Energon Grid (episode)|Energon Grid]]"|noquote=true}}

In general, ''Transformers'' fiction is pretty squeamish about showing the deaths of Earth's organic creatures. But it's a war, and sometimes it does happen. The out-of-universe reasons generally fall into three categories: Consequences of War, Emotional Pathos, and BLOOD IZ KEWL.

The various cartoons tend to show organic death the least, as they are most clearly aimed at, and easily accessible by, children. Comics tend to be less reluctant to show the impact of the Transformers' war on innocent lives, though the death rate varies by series. Latter-day Generation 1 books especially revel in high body counts, because squishing stupid humans is killer and awesome and radical and hardcore. Even the occasional [[Satellite of Doom|children's storybook]] has been known to off mass quantities of the dumb fleshies.

===Animal death===
[[File:MurderedPuppy02.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|One dead dog]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Dead noble.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Two dead dogs]]
Cute little animals are almost always killed off for reasons of Emotional Pathos:
*A little girl's pet puppy named [[Pis]] barks at [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] and is kicked so hard he died. {{storylink|Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules}}
*The "[[Battle Dog]]" is shot down by the Decepticons after running away from Megatron's experiments. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] reminds [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that [[The Fallen]] once shot down a ship full of [[Antilian bumble-puppy|Antilian bumble-puppies]]. (Decepticons have a thing for killing puppies.)
*The dog-like [[Noble (BM)|Noble]] is shot at by [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] because of his hatred for organics {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} and was later mourned by his "owner", [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
*A stray shot from [[Tigatron]] accidentally causes an avalanche which kills his friend [[Snowstalker]]. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] eats an eagle. {{storylink|Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge}} [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] eats a cute little rat, {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}} and nearly eats an antelope as well. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}
*In order to save [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] knocks a [[saber-toothed cat|saber-toothed tiger]] off a cliff, presumably killing it. {{Storylink|Bad Spark}}
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] uses [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]]'s shield to knock a spikey rock onto a giant spider, effectively killing it. She later used [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]' axe to kill some new-born baby spiders. {{Storylink|Along Came a Spider}}
*Human villain [[Trophy White]] has a grisly display of stuffed and mounted animal heads. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}}
*[[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]] takes potshots at a vulture for fun in Africa. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] killed a friggin' elephant in Africa. (In [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (novel)|the adaptation]], at least.)
{{-}}

===Human death===
[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|This didn't happen much.]]
*Marvel US: The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel book]] ignored or glossed over human casualties, which were rarely if ever shown; the panel at right, from [[Toy Soldiers!|US #37]], shows a ''very'' unusual instance of a human dying right in front of us. One of the few human(oid)s to die on-panel was [[Galen]], killed off to make way for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' was much more explicit about human death, as Bludgeon and later [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked Earth for the purpose of inflicting casualties.
*Marvel UK: The UK-original stories were much less reluctant to show human death; within the first year or so, humans had died in Autobot-induced car wrecks and at the hands of mind-controlled Autobots.
*In ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', after his revival on Earth, Megatron manages to gain control of Earth's nuclear arsenal and uses it to push humanity to the brink of extinction. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} During that conflict, Megatron has some fun terrorizing the population with his army of zombie Decepticons. [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] tracks down and killed [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jesse (G1)|Jessie]] Witwicky in a car wash; had he had his full faculties, he might have [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|appreciated the irony]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}
*In almost every US-aired cartoon series, humans essentially ''never'' die. Even ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'', which features the city of [[Detroit]] getting smashed by robot battles virtually every week, never once mentions humans getting killed. And then ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' showed up.
**A human is shown slumped against a wall in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]", a victim of Soundwave, though it isn't clear whether he was dead or merely unconscious.[[File:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|They'll, uh, be okay, maybe.]]
**When [[MECH|human terrorists]] are featured, they will often die. Piloted or driven vehicles explode and enemies are implied to be crushed. "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]" is the first of numerous examples.
**When Nemesis Prime attacks a military base in his [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|self-titled episode]], it's likely his rampage cost the lives of numerous soldiers.
**When the military attacked [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]], its fusion cannons devastate the entire force, presumably killing them all.
**[[Silas|Cylas]] is the first human to die on-screen in Western Transformers animation, but not before thanking [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] for finally freeing him of his gruesome existence.
*Contemporary toyline-based comics (''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'', ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]'') seem to follow a similar policy, avoiding showing, only mentioning, human death.
*Japanese cartoons, by contrast, don't seem to mind showing human deaths (or [[Pis|dog deaths]], for that matter).
*The [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave G1 comics]] really thought it was totally awesome and cool and radical to kill off those stupid humans. Thus, they start off with Megatron smushing some stupid humans. More smushing and killing and blowing up follows. DIE, dumb stubbies, DIE!
*[[2005 IDW continuity]] managed to avoid this for a long time, showing human death only when it was particularly integral to the plot... then ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' came down the pike. DIE, stupid fleshies, DIE!
*The live-action [[movie continuity]] implies a great deal of human death. ''Revenge'' mentions a body count of over 9,000 (don't even ''think'' about it), and massive damage is done during the battle of [[Mission City]], though little of it is shown on screen. And of course, the first film begins with Blackout wiping out an entire military base. A handful of humans are killed directly on-screen, most notably [[Patrick Donnelly|Donnelly]]. Then of course we get to ''Dark of the Moon'', which has Decepticons laying siege to [[Chicago]], killing most of its citizens, including several being shot and exploding and disintegrating into just skulls ''directly in front of the camera''. That's not even mentioning [[Laserbeak (DOTM)|Laserbeak]], whose job it is to assassinate civilians, even if it means befriending their children to do it. Twisted.
**[[Dylan Gould]] is killed when he was shoved into [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel Prime's]] space bridge generator, but given he was a villain it's not so much of a concern. {{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}
**[[Sam Witwicky]] was killed by Megatron but brought back to life by the Primes.
**[[Lucas Flannery]], in a bit of karmic retribution (for having tipped off [[Cemetery Wind]] to Optimus' location against Cade's wishes), gets fried by one of [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]]'s grenades and his mangled corpse is converted into ''[[Living metal#Live-action film series|Transformium]]''. [[James Savoy]] says his sister was a casualty of the Battle of Chicago, which he uses as an excuse to sadistically hunt and kill Autobots and their sympathizers. He ends up getting knocked out of a very high window by [[Cade Yeager]] for attempting to kill his family. Later, his boss, [[Harold Attinger]], is brutally gunned down by Optimus Prime when he tries to kill Cade for sympathizing with the Autobots. Additionally, [[Joshua Joyce]] tries to scramble paramedics to the scene of Galvatron's rampage (much to Attinger's disgust), believing people were killed. And then there's the [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobots]] stomping through the densely crowded streets of Hong Kong. They certainly killed more people than Decepticons!
**[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s arrival to Earth was predicted to cause tens of millions of human casualties. When its continents began reconnecting, the human news reported they were literally scraping away major cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and projected to kill millions.
**''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' introduces a new method of human death: liquification. [[Dropkick (Movie)|Dropkick]] uses a special gun that performs this feat on [[Roy (BB)|some random guy]] and later [[Dr. Powell]]. {{storylink|Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee}}
*The alternate timeline arc in Titan's Movie comic featured big wars on Earth and lots of destruction, clearly ''insinuating'' human death while not being explicit. The exceptions were in [[Transformers Comic issue 10|issue #10]], where [[NATO]] is said to be suffering losses of 11,506 and the [[France|Palais Bourbon]] is blown up when people are still clearly inside. Sam Witwicky, meanwhile, was stated to have died.
*Titan quite blatantly stated that the [[Free Men]] had caused great loss of life at an air base, a rare example of humans killing humans. In the same story, [[Robert Epps]] opens fire on militia men, which kinda implies he was killing them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.10|Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime}} Similarly, [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] of all people is seen zapping humans at close range during a Decepticon attack; with no "oh it was a stun beam" handwave and the 'Cons not pulling punches, it sure seems like he's murdered 'em! {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|Outlaw Blues}}
*In ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'', several [[Kiss Player]]s were seen being devoured by Legions.
{{-}}

==Characters who die a lot==
*[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] — [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|quite]] [[Starscream (Movie)|a]] [[Starscream (Cyberverse)|lot]].
*[[Dirge (G1)]] — the unlucky guy who also [[:File:Unicron1-RampageKillsDirge.jpg|gets]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]]
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] — the unlucky guy who gets killed over and over in the same continuity, but doesn't seem to mind.
*[[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]] — a Go-Bots character transferred to many Transformers comics just to be killed off violently, for no other reason than the lolz of ending his toyline, his universe, and finally his life... repeatedly.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)]] — the unlucky [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:File:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:File:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|die]].
*[[Solus Prime]], who perishes in every continuity to involve the [[Thirteen]], because [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s downfall just can't happen any other way.

==See also==
*[[Transformer funerary practices]]
*[[To sell toys]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]